INNSUITES HOSPITALITY TRUST

 

CHARTER OF THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE

OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

 

(Adopted April 2004)

 

 

STATEMENT OF POLICY AND PURPOSE

 

The Board of Trustees of InnSuites Hospitality Trust (the “Trust”) has appointed a Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) to discharge the Board’s responsibilities relating to compensation of the Trust’s Trustees and executive officers.  The Committee has overall responsibility for approving and evaluating Trustee and executive officer compensation plans, policies and programs.  The Committee is also responsible for producing an annual report on executive compensation for inclusion in the Trust’s proxy statement.

 

 

COMPOSITION AND TERM

 

The Committee shall be comprised of no fewer than three Trustees as appointed by the Board.  No person shall serve as a member of the Committee who does not qualify as an “independent” Trustee in accordance with American Stock Exchange listing standards.

 

The Board will appoint the members of the Committee annually, and each member will serve until such member’s successor is duly designated or until such member’s earlier resignation or removal.  The Board may remove any member of the Committee, with or without cause, by a majority vote of the full Board.  Unless the Board designates a Chairperson of the Committee, the members of the Committee will designate a Chairperson by a majority vote of the full Committee.  The Chairperson will chair all regular sessions of the Committee and will set the agendas for Committee meetings.

 

 

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

 

It is the overriding responsibility of the Committee to manage and oversee the Trust’s employee benefit and equity compensation plans, and to make recommendations to the Board regarding executive officer and Trustee compensation.

 

The following functions shall be common recurring activities of the Committee in carrying out its purpose set forth in this Charter.  These functions should serve as a guide, with the understanding that the Committee may carry out additional functions and adopt additional policies and procedures as may be appropriate in light of changing business, legislative, regulatory, legal and other conditions.  The Committee shall also carry out any other responsibilities and duties delegated to it by the Board from time to time related to the purposes of the Committee set forth in this Charter.


The Committee, in discharging its oversight role, is empowered to study or investigate any matter of interest or concern within the purpose of the Committee set forth in this Charter that the Committee deems appropriate or necessary, and the Committee shall have the authority to retain and terminate outside counsel or other experts for this purpose, including the authority to approve fees payable to such counsel and experts and any other terms of retention.

 

To fulfill its responsibilities and duties set forth in this Charter, the Committee shall do the following:

 

1.         Review and Determine Compensation for Executive Officers and Trustees by:

 

a.         establishing and reviewing the overall executive compensation philosophy of the Trust;

b.         reviewing and approving Trust goals and objectives relevant to executive officers’ compensation, including annual performance objectives;

c.         evaluating the performance of the executive officers in light of established goals and objectives and, based on such evaluation, review and approve the annual salary, bonus, stock options, other incentive awards and other benefits, direct and indirect, of the executive officers;

d.         recommending to the Board the granting of equity-based awards to employees and non-employee Trustees of the Trust under the Trust’s 1997 Stock Incentive and Option Plan and other equity compensation plans;

e.         selecting, retaining and (if necessary) terminating any compensation and benefits consultant or other outside expert needed to assist in the evaluation of Trustee or executive officer compensation, approve such consultant’s and/or expert’s fees and other retention terms and obtain advice and assistance from internal or external legal, accounting or other advisors;

f.          in connection with executive compensation plans:

i.          reviewing and recommending to the Board, or approve as appropriate, new executive compensation plans and any changes to or modifications of existing executive compensation plans;

ii.          reviewing on a periodic basis the operations of the Trust’s executive compensation programs to determine whether they are properly coordinated and achieving their intended purpose;

iii.         establishing and periodically reviewing policies for the administration of executive compensation programs; and

iv.         taking steps to modify any executive compensation program that, upon analysis, is determined to yield compensation or benefits that are not reasonably related to executive and corporate performance;

g.         establishing and periodically reviewing policies in the area of senior management perquisites;


h.         reviewing and recommending to the Board, or approving, as appropriate, any contracts or other transactions with current or former executive officers of the Trust and any non-independent Trustee, including consulting arrangements, employment contracts, severance or termination arrangements;

i.          performing duties delegated to it by the Board under various executive compensation plans; and

j.          monitoring compliance by executives with the terms and conditions of the Trust’s executive compensation plans.

 

2.         Prepare Reports and Minutes in order to:

 

a.         prepare an annual report on executive compensation for inclusion in the Trust’s proxy statement, in accordance with applicable rules and regulations;

 

b.         report regularly to the Board (i) following meetings of the Committee, (ii) with respect to such other matters as are relevant to the Committee’s discharge of its responsibilities, and (iii) with respect to such recommendations as the Committee may deem appropriate; and

 

c.         maintain minutes and other records of meetings and activities of the Committee.

 

Any report to the Board may take the form of an oral report by the Chairperson or any other member of the Committee designated by the Committee to make such report.

 

 

ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS

 

1.         A majority of the Committee members will serve as a quorum for the transaction of business.  Committee meetings may be held by telephone or other means of communication whereby all meeting participants may actively participate.

2.         The action of a majority of those present (in person or by telephone or other means of permitted communication) at a meeting at which a quorum is present will be an act of the Committee.

3.         Any action which may be taken at a meeting of the Committee may be taken by written action signed by all Committee members, and such consent shall be filed with the Secretary of the Trust.

4.         The Chief Financial Officer of the Trust will liaise between the Committee and the Trust.

5.         The Chief Financial Officer shall keep minutes of Committee meetings.

6.         The Committee will meet at least once a year and at such other times as may be requested by its Chairperson and will routinely meet in executive session to review such matters as the Committee, in its discretion, determines to be appropriate.