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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCEC Bylaws 2018 1 CITY OF PRIOR LAKE CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE BYLAWS Adopted July 24, 2017 Amended March 19, 2018 SECTION 100: PURPOSE 101. The purpose of the City of Prior Lake Citizen Engagement Committee (the Committee) bylaws is to provide a set of operating procedures for the Citizen Engagement Committee, and to establish a code of ethics and conduct. 102: The Bylaws shall be reviewed annually by the Committee, and any changes or amendments agreed to by a majority vote of the Committee shall be recommended to the City Council for adoption at its annual meeting. The City Council conducts its annual meeting at the first meeting in January of each year. SECTION 2 00: STRUCTURE OF COMMITTEE 201: COMMITTEE CREATED: A Citizen Engagement Committee is hereby created for the City, its purpose to be of an advisory nature to the City Council and staff and to educate and engage residents in Prior Lake city government. The members of the Committee shall annually elect officers in accordance with the procedures of paragraph 206 herein. 202: DUTIES OF THE COMMITTEE: The duties of the Committee are as follows: 1. Engaging citizens in city projects and initiatives; 2. Serving as a liaison between the city and community on topical issues; 3. Serving as a resource for residents seeking information about the city; 4. Learning about city government; 5. Advising on matters related to parks, lakes and natural resources; 6. Making recommendations to city staff as applicable; 7. Providing feedback to staff on community issues as assigned by the City Council. 203: APPOINTMENT: The Committee shall consist of at least five (5) members and no more than nine (9) members as determined and appointed by the City Council. Only residents of the City who are at least 18 years old shall be considered for appointment. Said members shall serve three (3) year-terms beginning November 1st and ending October 31st. The Committee shall be representative of the citizens who live in Prior Lake. Committee members may serve additional terms upon approval by the Prior Lake City Council, based upon satisfactory attendance and participation, continued residence within the corporate limits of the City of Prior Lake, and in accordance with the term limit policy established herein. Committee members may be appointed at any time throughout the year. If a Committee member is appointed at any time other than the standard City appointment process in October, the Committee member shall begin service immediately upon appointment and shall serve as if appointed in the previous October, serving two full years and a partial year. 204: COMMITTEE LIAISONS: Annually the City Council will appoint a Council member to serve as a Liaison between the Council and the Committee. The role of the Liaison is to act as a conduit and resource for information by and between the Council and the Committee and the Committee 2 and the Council. The Liaison shall make periodic reports to the Council on the activities of the Committee. The Liaison shall communicate any Council input on a particular issue to the Committee. The Liaison shall participate in discussion or deliberation as an individual and not as a spokesperson for the Council, except when the Council has provided specific information to be conveyed to the Committee. The Liaison’s role is to be an equal member of the Committee, not to direct the Committee in its work. 205: VACANCIES: If an appointed member of the Committee resigns, is terminated, reaches a term limit, or otherwise vacates a seat of the Committee, the Prior Lake City Council shall appoint a replacement in the following manner: 1. Applications are solicited. A notice of the vacancy is made public and individuals may be encouraged to consider the position. The notice shall state the deadline for submitting applications. 2. Screening Committee. The City Manager or his designee, the City Council liaison to the committee, the staff liaison to the committee, and one member of the committee appointed by majority vote of the committee shall serve as the Screening Committee. An individual subject to re-appointment may not sit on the screening committee. 3. Appointment. The Screening Committee shall interview all candidates who have applied for appointment or reappointment and make a recommendation to the City Council. The recommendation of the Screening Committee will be presented to the City Council. The Council may accept or reject the recommendation. If the recommendation is rejected, the City Council may appoint another individual or reopen the application period and invite new candidates to apply. 206: OFFICERS: The Community Safety Advisory Committee shall elect from among its members a Chair, and a Vice-Chair. The Staff Liaison shall serve as Secretary of the Committee. 1. Chair: The Chair shall be elected at the first meeting in November by majority vote of the Committee members present at the meeting. The term of the chair shall begin in November and run for one year. The duties of the chair shall include approval of meeting agendas, presiding at meetings, and giving an accounting of its activities and any information the Committee may consider relevant before the City Council annually or as directed otherwise. 2. Vice-Chair: The vice-chair shall be elected in the same manner as the Chair and shall perform the duties of the Chair in his/her absence. The vice-chair shall assume such other duties as assigned by the chair. 3. Secretary: The Secretary shall be responsible for recording and compiling a written summary of all official activities of the Committee. 4. Vacancy: If the office of Chair or Vice-Chair becomes vacant, the Committee shall appoint a replacement by majority vote of those members present at the next regular meeting, and such election shall be for the unexpired term of said office. 207: TERM LIMIT: It is the policy of the Prior Lake City Council to impose a three term service limitation for all appointed positions to the Committee. The term limit applies only to full three year terms. The purpose of the term limit policy is to encourage resident participation on City advisory bodies and provide community members with the opportunity to participate in their local government. 3 208: REMOVAL OF MEMBER: Any member of the Committee may be removed from office by a four- fifths (4/5) vote of the entire City Council for reasons including but not limited to: (i) failure to attend a minimum of 75% of meetings; (ii) failure to attend site visits/inspections; (iii) failure to review and understand agenda materials; (iv) failure to participate in an appropriate and productive manner; (v) failure to continue to meet any requirement set forth in Section 203; and (vi) failure to comply with any provision of these bylaws or any federal, state or local rule or regulation. 209: STAFF LIAISON: The Mayor shall appoint one or more staff liaisons to serve on the Committee. The staff liaison shall schedule meetings and provide information at the direction of the Committee. The staff liaison may provide information on the staffs’ position at the request of the Committee but shall not direct the Committee or advocate for a position. 210: STUDENT MEMBERS: The Committee may select up to two individuals who are 18 years or under to be student members on the Committee. The Committee shall establish an application and interview process to select the student members. The student members shall be full voting members of the Committee. SECTION 300: STATEMENT OF ETHICS 301: The Statement of Ethics is located in the City Council Bylaws Section 1300. SECTION 400: CONDUCTING MEETINGS 401: MEETINGS: All regular and special meetings shall be open to the public and shall be noticed in conformance with the Minnesota Open Meeting Law. 402: SPECIAL MEETINGS: Special Meetings of the Committee may be called by the Chair or any two (2) members of the Committee for the purpose of transacting any business designated in the notice. Staff may recommend calling a special meeting but must receive approval from either the chair or two members of the Committee. At such meetings, no business shall be considered other than as designated in the notice. 403: QUORUM AND VOTING: At each meeting a majority of all the members appointed (e.g. three out of five, four out of six) shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The voting options available to the Committee when a vote has been initiated are: aye (affirmative); nay (negative vote); and a qualified abstention. When a vote is to be taken, the presiding officer shall first call for the ayes, then the nays, and if applicable, shall call for abstentions. The votes of each member shall be recorded in the minutes. If a member of the Committee is absent during a vote, the member’s vote for the official minutes shall read as “absent”. SECTION 500: SCOPE OF POWERS AND DUTIES 501: POWERS AND DUTIES: The Committee shall act in an advisory capacity to the Prior Lake City Council and shall advise the City Council on matters identified in Section 100 or as assigned to the Committee. The Committee Chair shall give an accounting of the Committee’s activities with respect to its goals and objectives before the City Council. Additionally, specific powers, duties and responsibilities may be assigned to the Committee upon approval of the City Council. 4 502: SUBCOMMITTEES: The Committee may divide its membership into subcommittee, as it deems necessary to implement its goals and objectives. SECTION 600: AMENDMENTS 601: AMENDMENTS: These bylaws shall be reviewed by the Committee annually. The Committee may recommend revised Bylaws to the City Council for f inal approval.