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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTechnology Village Bylaws Revised 2018-04 CITY OF PRIOR LAKE TECHNOLOGY VILLAGE BYLAWS Amended October 29, 2012 Amended January 20, 2015 Amended January 11, 2016 Amended February 08, 2016 Amended April 09, 2018 SECTION 100: PURPOSE 101. The purpose of the City of Prior Lake Technology Village (the Committee) Bylaws is to provide a set of operating procedures for the Technology Village Board of Directors, 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 Economic Development Authority (EDA) for adoption at its annual meeting. SECTION 200: STRUCTURE OF COMMITTEE 201. COMMITTEE CREATED: The Board shall act in an advisory capacity to the EDA and shall advise on matters related to Technology Village as identified herein, or as assigned to the Board by the EDA. The Committee is advisory and its purpose is to study and provide reports, analysis and recommendations to the Economic Development Authority and City staff on matters as assigned. Members to the Committee shall be appointed by the Economic Development Authority. Members shall serve three (3) year-terms beginning November 1st and ending October 31st. The members of the Committee shall annually elect officers in accordance with the procedures of paragraph 206 herein. 202. DUTIES OF THE BOARD: The duties and responsibilities of the Board include: 1. Plan and formulate policy to guide the programming and direction of the Technology Village program; 2. Assist in the hiring of the Executive Director position; 3. Assist in screening prospective incubator clients; and 4. Ensure the overall financial viability of the program. 5. Serve as a liaison between city government and the community; 6. In conjunction with EDA members or City staff, introduce potential or new business representatives to others in the commercial community. Board members should have the ability to provide network connections that will assist the program’s Executive Director in creating links to investment and professional resources that support the success of Technology Village clients. The Board will be instrumental in promoting Technology Village in the community and generating awareness and understanding of the Technology Village program. 203. APPOINTMENT: The Board shall consist of a minimum of five (5) and a maximum of nine (9) members as determined and appointed by the EDA. Only residents of the City who are at least 2 of 4 18 years old shall be considered for appointment. Said members shall serve three (3) year - terms beginning November 1st and ending October 31st. The Board shall consist of a minimum of one (1) member of the EDA and a number of residents, business owners, or other interested parties. Non-Prior Lake residents who are affiliated with a business located within the City of Prior Lake or are affiliated with an organization which provides assistance to Technology Village clients may be appointed; no more than 25% of Board members shall be non-Prior Lake residents. Board members may serve additional terms upon approval by the EDA, based upon satisfactory attendance and participation, and in accordance with the term limit policy established herein. Board members may be appointed at any time throughout the year. If a Board member is appointed at any time other than the standard City appointment process in October, the Board 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. In addition to the appointed members, the City Manager or designee, the City Finance director or designee, and the Executive Director shall be ex-officio members of the Board and shall have the right to participate in all discussions but not the right to vote. 204. VACANCIES: If an appointed member of the Board resigns, is terminated, reaches a term limit, or otherwise vacates a seat of the Board, the EDA 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 EDA liaison to the Board, the staff liaison to the Board, and one member of the Board appointed by majority vote of the Board 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 EDA. The recommendation of the Screening Committee will be presented to the EDA. The EDA may accept or reject the recommendation. If the recommendation is rejected, the EDA may appoint another individual or reopen the application period and invite new candidates to apply. 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 Economic Development Authority may 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 EDA 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 EDA. The recommendation of the Screening Committee will be presented to the EDA. The EDA may accept or reject the recommendation. If the recommendation is rejected, the EDA may appoint another individual or reopen the application period and invite new candidates to apply. 206. OFFICERS: The Committee shall elect from among its members a Chair and Vice-Chair. The City Manager or his/her designee shall serve as Secretary of the Committee. 3 of 4 1. Chair: The Chair shall be elected at the first meeting in November by majority vote of the Board 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 Board may consider relevant before the EDA annually or as directed otherwise. 2. Vice-Chair: The Vice-Chair shall be appointed 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 on 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. 208: REMOVAL OF MEMBER: Any member of the Committee may be removed from office by a four- fifths (4/5) vote of the entire EDA 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: POLICY STATEMENT: The Statement of Ethics is located in the EDA Bylaws Section 16. 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 4 of 4 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: MOTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS 501: POWERS AND DUTIES: The Committee shall act in an advisory capacity to the Prior Lake EDA and shall advise the EDA 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 EDA. Additionally, specific powers, duties and responsibilities may be assigned to the Committee upon approval of the EDA. 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 EDA for final approval.