DRAFT BYLAWS OF THE REDWOOD VALLEY MUNICIPAL ADVISORY COUNCIL (RVMAC)
Submitted to BOS 10-21-22 with request that Mendocino County Supervisors adopt our Bylaws.
ARTICLE I
SECTION 1.01 Name, Organization and Purpose.
The name, organization, and purpose of the Redwood Valley Municipal Advisory Council, hereinafter referred to as the RVMAC, was created by the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors. The boundaries of the community represented by the RVMAC are as established the map in Attachment 1: Redwood Valley Municipal Advisory Council Boundaries.
ARTICLE II
SECTION 2.01 Members, Qualifications, Number, and Term of Office.
A) The qualification, number and term of office of the RVMAC Members as stated in Mendocino County Board of Supervisors Resolution No. 16-057 dated May 3, 2016, holds the following: seven (7) Members are appointed by the First District Supervisor, in consultation with Redwood Valley community members.
B) Two (2) Alternate Members as appointed by the Board of Supervisors/chosen by the Chairperson shall participate in the discussion and debate at all meetings at which they attend. The Alternate Member shall be authorized to vote as specified in Article V, Section 5.06
C) Names and contact information about RVMAC members shall be posted on the Mendocino County website, as determined by County staff, so that members of the public may have greater input to the RVMAC and its business.
SECTION 2.02 Organizational and Annual Meeting.
At the first meeting of the RVMAC, the Members shall organize by electing from their number a Chair and Vice-Chair. They shall also select a Secretary and Treasurer from among the members of the RVMAC or the community. Once each year, the RVMAC will meet in an Annual Meeting to elect officers. This will be the primary business of the meeting. Secondary business may be conducted.
ARTICLE III
SECTION 3.01 Place of RVMAC Meetings.
The RVMAC Members shall hold meetings at such place in Mendocino County as may be designated in the notice of meeting. Efforts shall be made to ensure public accessibility.
SECTION 3.02 Regular and Special Meeting; Time and Place Notices; Quorum.
A) Regular meetings shall be held at least six (6) times annually, beginning the month after the passage of the Board of Supervisors Resolution establishing the Redwood Valley Municipal Advisory Council. Meetings may be held monthly as needed by the business agenda. Special meetings may be called at any time by the Chair or by a majority the RVMAC (Ca Govt Code Sect 54956).
B) Written notices shall be posted in a public place and mailed or delivered to local media at least seventy-two (72) hours before the time of a regular meeting, and at least twenty-four (24) hours before the time of a special meeting (Ca Govt Code Sect 54956). The notice of the meeting shall set forth the time and place of regular and special meetings and the business to be transacted.
C) A Quorum shall consist of a majority of the full membership, or at least three (3) members when unfilled member vacancies exist to the RVMAC. A Member may arrange with one of the two alternate members to act in their stead for reasonable absence.
SECTION 3.03 Open to the Public.
All regular and special meetings of the RVMAC shall be open to the public as set forth in the Brown Act (Ca Govt Code Sect 54950).
SECTION 3.04 Adjournment.
The RVMAC may adjourn a regular or special meeting to a time and place specified in the order of adjournment. Less than a quorum may adjourn, or if all members are absent may adjourn, with written notice provided (Ca Govt Code Sect 54955).
ARTICLE IV
SECTION 4.01 Presiding Officer
The Chair shall preside a all meetings of the RVMAC. With the aid of the Vice-Chair and/or Secretary, the Chair shall prepare the agenda of meetings. Chair shall appoint chairs of committees with the approval of a majority of the RVMAC members and be an ex-officio member of any RVMAC committee.
SECTION 4.02 Vice-Chair.
The Vice-Chair shall assist the Chair in the performance in his/her duties and act in lieu of the Chair under circumstances defined by majority of the RVMAC. The Vice-Chair shall assist the Secretary in the establishment and maintenance of any established office of the RVMAC.
SECTION 4.03 Secretary.
The Secretary shall be responsible for keeping and maintaining minutes of the RVMAC, assisting the Chair in preparing the agenda, and posting, mailing or delivering all public notices to members, the public and media. The Secretary shall be responsible for maintaining the RVMAC’s non-financial records, be in charge of any established office of the RVMAC, and supervise the work of volunteer or paid staff in the office.
SECTION 4.04 Treasurer
The Treasurer shall manage the collection, maintenance, of disbursement of funds and maintain financial record of the RVMAC in cooperation with the Controller of Mendocino County.
ARTICLE V
SECTION 5.01 Agenda
A) Presentation and posting of Agendas: All reports, communications, or other matters to be submitted to the RVMAC at a regular meeting shall be delivered to the Secretary not later than 12:00 noon not later than seven (7) working days preceding the meeting. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the Secretary from providing the RVMAC on or before any regular or special meeting with additional documents not previously delivered to the RVMAC, which pertain to any items on the agenda for its consideration. The Secretary shall prepare the agenda of all such matters in cooperation with the Chair or Vice-Chair.
Individual RVMAC members or members of the general public may request that specific items be placed on the agenda by contacting the Secretary or any RVMAC member. The agenda and supporting documents shall be made available to the members of the RVMAC by 5:00 p.m. at least three (3) working days preceding the day of the meeting to which the agenda pertains. These documents shall also be made available to the public by posting on the RVMAC website or by printed copy in a public place.
B) Public input—Non-Agenda Items: Every agenda for the regular meeting of the RVMAC shall provide an opportunity for members of the public to directly address the RVMAC on items of interest to the public that are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the RVMAC. No action shall be taken on any item not appearing on the agenda. Public discussion shall be scheduled to occur during the meeting, as posted in the agenda. Non-agenda items shall have a three (3) minute time limit per speaker, or as otherwise designated by the Chair.
C) Future Agenda: The RVMAC, having heard public input, shall before adjourning each meeting designate a preliminary agenda for the next meeting and shall confirm or modify the time and place of the next regular meeting. A special meeting may also be arranged by the RVMAC.
SECTION 5.02 Correspondence.
A) Availability to the public: Correspondence addressed to the RVMAC and received by the Secretary or any other officer or employee of the RVMAC more than 7 days before a scheduled meeting shall be made available to the public along with the agenda, not later than 5:00 p.m. three (3) working days preceding the day of the next scheduled meeting. Correspondence shall not be read aloud at a RVMAC meeting unless requested by a majority vote of the RVMAC. The Secretary shall keep a record of all incoming and outgoing correspondence and make it available at the meeting. The RVMAC shall be responsive to requests from County agencies for information.
B) Authority of the Secretary and other officers: The Secretary and other officers and members/alternates are hereby authorized to open and examine all mail or other written communication addressed to the RVMAC and to give them immediate attention. All administrative business referred to in such communications, and not necessarily requiring RVMAC action, may be acted upon between meetings. Official correspondence received by a member shall be forwarded to the Secretary.
SECTION 5.03 Minutes: Reading.
Unless the reading of the RVMAC meeting is ordered by a majority vote of the RVMAC, such minutes may be approved without reading if the Secretary has included the draft minutes in the agenda package.
SECTION 5.04 Entry of Protests.
Any RVMAC member shall have the right to have the reasons for his/her dissent from his/her protest against any action of the RVMAC entered into the minutes, in the following manner: “I would like the minutes to show I am opposed to this action for the following reasons...”
SECTION 5.05 Voting Procedures.
Roll call voting shall be done at the request of any RVMAC member. In the absence or disqualification of any RVMAC member, an alternate member who is present shall participate in the vote. Every RVMAC member who is present shall vote unless disqualified by reason of conflict of interest. A RVMAC member who abstains from voting and who is not disqualified for a conflict of interest shall have his/her vote recorded. Tie votes shall be lost motions and may be reconsidered.
SECTION 5.06 Disqualifications for Conflict of Interest
Any member who is disqualified from voting on a particular matter by reason of a conflict of interest shall publicly state, or have the presiding officer state, the nature of such disqualification in open meeting. A member stating such disqualification shall not be counted as a part of a quorum, shall not participate in the debate on the matter, and shall be considered absent for the purpose of determining the outcome of any vote on such matter.
SECTION 5.06 Failure to Attend Meetings.
Any member who fails to attend three (3) consecutive RVMAC meetings, or four (4) meetings within twelve (12) months, may be subject to removal by the RVMAC Chair, upon approval of the majority in a meeting with a quorum. Exception: Up to three (3) meetings during a year may be excused absences if the member has designated an approved alternate to attend/vote in their stead, and the Chair or Secretary has been pre-notified of each absence.
SECTION 5.08 Form of Action.
Official motions of the RVMAC shall be in the form of a Resolution and may include a minority statement. The RVMAC may also prepare reports that discuss the ideas, opinions, and concerns gathered through public discussion at its meetings concerning the matter approved by the RVMAC in the form of a Resolution. Each report shall be approved by a majority vote of the RVMAC. All reports shall be retained in the RVMAC records and made available to the public upon request.
SECTION 5.09 Committees.
The RVMAC may create ad hoc Committees composed of less than a quorum for the purposes of carrying out the duties of the RVMAC as stated in BOS Resolution 16-057. The Chair shall designate a lead for each committee. The Chair may open participation on an ad hoc committee to residents and/or business operators within the Redwood Valley RVMAC boundary, as needed and upon a majority vote at a RVMAC meeting.
ARTICLE VI
SECTION 6.01 Amendments to Bylaws.
These Bylaws may be amended by the affirmative vote of a majority of RVMAC members.
SECTION 6.02 Procedure.
Amendments to the Bylaws shall be circulated to the RVMAC members at least fourteen (14) days in advance of the day of the meeting at which they are voted on.
Attachment 1: Redwood Valley Municipal Advisory Council boundaries