Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 02-11-2011 - AStanding Citizen Advisory Committees (CAC) Worksheet Policy Components Standard Custom Notes policy policy 1. Scope PURPOSE: To establish policy and procedure whereby the Orange Board of County Commissioners (OBOCC) will make appointments to public advisory boards, committees, commissions, and councils (hereinafter referred to as "citizen advisory committees"). Thy O8C)CC gpwbrnit~ (k r+nay sppatr~t ~ citi~e~- sd+riscry: corrtimitt~e whose duty its to Serve in an adory cep~lty to (Purpose) caru~rnirtg (top~c/i). . Note: A clear purpose should be included in every policy that establishes a CAC. AUTHORITY: The Orange BOCCC may establish rules and regulations in reference to managing the interest and business of the County. For statutory boards, authority may include reference to applicable General Statutes. The Orange BOCC has the responsibility to appoint citizens to serve as members of citizen advisory committees established by the board. Orange County department heads and staff are responsible for providing support to the citizen advisory committees. POLICY: This policy establishes the parameters for appointments to state- mandated, regional, and/or County-developed citizen advisory committees. Policy Components Standard policy Custom policy Notes PERIODIC REVIEW: Periodic review of this policy will be conducted every (time period) by the BOCC Note: This section on the scope of CACs could be included in a generic policy that recognizes the authority of the governing board to establish CACs for any lawful purpose. 2. Duties The.. (r-alrtle~ c~tizetl ~ c;t~rr~rr-tttlee sdvtse~ the ~~ ~ iA t11A ~ ~ ~~~~. The ct~ten advisory ~tt~ttt ~ effected' to u~ie~ the ~ goals: The c0nnmttd~ must ~u#st f~t-al,r~ts-rtnen~dart~- tv tt~11 ~aun#/~~Y govemir+,~ bard by ; [~~1- The citizen advisory committee, through its membership and subcommittees, maintains continual contact with representative professional groups, stakeholder groups, and industry organizations. In this manner, the citizen advisory committee is kept apprised of current information related to all matters under the jurisdiction of Orange County. All actions of the committee shall be transmitted in writing, on a regular basis, to the County (governing board, manager, department director). Note: Each CAC needs to have specific duties unique to that CAC. Policy Components Standard policy Custom policy Notes 3. Membership for pur~se3 e# c~orrtncy, ~1! epp~rettt~nts to ~ (specific board or ~rocr~rr~-~t~-~r~aey.~omrnitt~ee w~l lw~ m~er ' the In order tti gti#j- #cC an appot~nt #o the (~ board 0r ~lt~ior~~ dozen advisory ot~ittse, a n must +rt the fgibwin~ reep,ir~wments: a. All members of standing, statutory boards must meet the qualifications for the specific statutory requirements for an appointed position. b. All committee members must eighteen (18) years of age or older unless applying under ayouth-designated position. c. Ali cotnmitkee ntltml~ars st,ta~i be percr-anent res~ants of the Cr,~unty ar own real property or wa~lc or mainbin a place of b~usinass ln~he County d. All committee members shall have good reputations for integrity and community service and shall not have been convicted of or received a deferred sentence for a felony crime. e. No nominee to the committee, nor any members of the nominee's immediate family, shall be currently employed by the County. f. No nominee may currently be a party to or a legal representative in litigation against the County. g. Each nominee must be prepared and committed to participating in citizen advisory committee work in a manner that enhances relationships between the County and the community. h. Citizen advisory committee members serve the people of Orange County. As such, their role includes their commitment for full participation in the citizen advisory committee's meetings and activities. EXCEPTIONS: The Orange BOCCC may waive requirements, with the exception of statutory requirements. Note: A local government may choose to adopt a generic policy regarding the membership qualifications for all CACs. Policy Components Standard policy Custom policy Notes COMPOSITION: a. Thee ~(A~airlting ~uihbrity} sl~~ appoint ~ voting members tv the ;sp~citic bcurrd a~can~r-4~ksn~+~un amity ~ommiiltee. The vati~ng members shad reflectthe cwfturat and ethnic dirsity of the cammunity. b. The citizen ~dvisory_csamm shalt be tpoaed of (numl~ery vs~ting mem~ara snd (number) nonvoting members. The dapaen~t's r~uesentathre steal! serve as a nonvoting member of the committee. . c. ~ (all, percent, ~~ ~bers,appc~lhl by°the Orange?,~„~, C~ottnty sfarlfi repcessrtt the follawl {deraphic characteristics, geographk 1'~5~~ pro#~ssianal hiplines,. etc.]. d. Up to (number) ex officio members appointed by the (appointing authority) serve until appointment of their Policy Components Standard policy Custom policy Notes successors. Note: The composition of CACs may vary according to their purpose. The makeup of the CAC should be included in each CAC policy. SElitC1"tolrl E~1`EI~IA: Appointed members, e~ fcr the spppinted ex q~icio meEnbers, shad be qualii~ed by (the B6~C, departmenthead, other. Tha~y shall be appointed from nominees n-comrn+~ded by ~ (the B4CC, department head, other) whose alkationa were submitted to ..(the 8®CC, drEmieert held, others by (d'te~ or designated cep~r~tive of (organization?). Policy Components Standard policy Custom policy Notes APPOINTMENT: a. All members of citizen advisory boards serve at the pleasure of the Orange BOCCC. b. Appointme~tts to citizen ae~isory baa will ba- itii~at~ i "~ public application proir+ess and t~ecommertd~lflong froth ,~,_,~,,..~.. . snd/or nominations by Ecornmunity and/or pr+afnal ar~nitetiorts}. c. All appointments to advisory boards will be made by Orange BOCC by (recurring date or cycle). d. No person appointed to sn ~rsn~r Gcwnty dti~en adviseyry ~ot~imitEee shad serve on gist boerd.ft~r tnor than .~ {ber},consecutitre terms ar more than a period of ,~~_,___ (numbers y~rs,. wli~chd+rer is longer. e. Extension of a member's term may be approved by the Orange BOCCC if it is determined that it is in the best interest of the County to allow an individual to continue to serve. Note: Selection could be standardized for all CACs and this section could go in a generic policy. Policy Components Standard policy Custom policy Notes TERMS: a, Eacfi appottttad citizen ad~#ory commie mtrrb~ i~o~t office until the. quaN>ti~t~n fret! appointment of hip air her es'or Pr uM~i orte year has Mepsed the expirat~-rt of t+lmm for whidt the` citizen was appointed, whichever.firat, occurs. hktt ~ shailsrer+~e arlt an appointed member +~>~ the citizen wry committee for;more tftm consecutive terms. b. In order to establish staggered terms, one-third of the original voting members of the citizen advisory committee shall be appointed as follows: three for aone-year term, three for atwo-year term, and three for athree- yearterm. Thereafter, each new voting member shall serve for athree- yearterm. c. Citizen advisory committee members whose terms are due to expire may request or be asked to accept reappointment to the position. Note: the BOCC may elect not to have term limits for some CACs (e.g., airport authority) when it is difficult to identify, recruit, and keep knowledgeable CAC members. RESIGNATION: a. A member of a citizen advisory board shall submit his or her resignation in writing to the Chair of the advisory board on which he or she serves, noting the effective date of the resignation. b. The. CAG Glair wNi ~or<ward a oapy of the resi~~t9on tt1 the direcfior of the [Mange County' „~,~„;...,jdessted~ deponent •ttd to the Orange BOCCC. c. The Orange BOCC shall recognize the individual's service via a letter or certificate. d. An announcement of the open seat will be made at the time the resignation becomes effective. Note: The process for resignations maybe included in a generic policy. Policy Components Standard Custom Notes policy policy VACANCIES: Upon expiration of the term of service of members or should a vacancy otherwise occur, the E)far>~e ~OCC ClLbest~ ad+r~ G~i>t}1t11~t'@'e, departmectt,,r~tnMg,b~9lyd~ shall have the responsibility of selecting and appointing new members to the committee. REMOVAL: a. Members of Orange County's citizen advisory committees are expected to exhibit the highest ethical and professional standards. The BOCC may remove a member upon a majority vote of the BOCC. b. ~13t~C many remow ~r.m~m~er of the ~ schrllsory committee for negiect of dt~, ncu-plartici~tia~:~defd ~, t~) rneeti~gs within,,,,,,,,~,,,,,,~,,,{~~ months), br other~~ ceta~e. RELEASE FROM SERVICE: a. When it is deemed necessary to release a member from his or her term of appointment on a citizen advisory committee, the affected individual shall be notified by letter. b. When a citizen advisory committee has completed its function, the members shall be informed of the termination of the citizen advisory committee by letter or a-mail from the BOCC and/or the responsible department. Note: Except where appointment to and removal from statutory boards is established by state law, this section could be part of a generic policy. Policy Components Standard policy Custom policy Notes 4 Roles and Responsibilities MEMBERS: a. Members shall attend meetings of the citizen advisory committee, serve on subcommittees, and perform other functions as assigned by the citizen advisory committee chair. For quorum considerations, I~~ rnet~tber is unat~de to at~itnd clti~~n ~r~mmittes ~nga, the memt~-11 Cpt'1t+~Ct t~! ~~#1i~ Of ttllltld ~ as soon as possible and at least forty-eight (48) hours before the scheduled meeting. b. Ex ofRcio riAlkkabar't may be ~ ~ tl'fe.+~Cou~rlly {,BtDCC, depa~trrr~a~t dit~a for the purpose of meeting subject-matter expert needs. Ex officio members are nonvoting members of the CAC. c. Upon review of the above matters, the Orange County citizen advisory committee shall any {"C~11'hll~~S attd l~thdltfllt, L~ 61tr, t0 [BG~ or dapsrt dtr) in writing GOVERNING BOARD: a. The Orange County [BOCC, manager, department director] will consider the citizen advisory committee's recommendations orconcerns. b. Should any concerns remain unresolved after a response has been received from the citizen advisory committee, the BOCC may n~t~at t~llf~l8tta~ tall r's#llC~t~ tea th$ GOU11 [tYliti~l~ll~r rt~'Ctt'~'t1E~t'll~. c. To enhance trust between the (specific) department and the community, members of the citizen advisory committee will: 1. Assist staff of the Orange County department in achieving a greater understanding of the nature and causes of community issues, with an emphasis on improving relations between the department and the citizens. 2. Recommend methods to encourage and develop the CAC's ability to accomplish their work. 3. Work throughout the community to gain relevant information about Policy Components Standard policy Custom policy Notes CAC issues and communicate these with the BOCC and county employees. 4. Promote public awareness of contemporary issues the Orange County department must address. CHAIR, VICE CHAIR, AND SECRETARY SELECTION AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The Chair of the citizen advisory committee is [no~inYtecl, appointed, elect~ct] by the Orange County [BOCC, manager, department director, members of the citizen advisory committee]. Aduiwr~r ~nmi ~ V1c~~lr shad b~ ~poiattet~ member with at least [one, tyvoj ors re~#rinin~ of their EtF-re~ ~nteu; rr] terms. The Chair and Vice Chair shall serve no more than (#) consecutive terms. The Chair and the Vice Chair shall assume office on (date). At the first citizen advisory committee meeting upon assuming office, the citizen advisory committee Chair shall present members with a copy of the citizen advisory committee's charge, scope, and membership. 10 Policy Components Standard policy Custom policy Notes a. The Committee Chair has the following duties: 1. Calls all meetings. 2. Serves as presiding officer. 3. Assists staff in developing the committee meeting agenda. 4. Des~nattes ~mnli~es (uns prahiblted by the la~cCj. 5. ~issolvl~ qr ~ppti'Ir~ts att>I~tnrt 3cc~-~+tms (,1 ~ cpmc+ andlor ~Q~CC ~1p~?. 6. Appoints subcommittee chairs and members. 7. Sets goals for the CAC in consultation with [department director, manager, BOCC liaison]. 8. Carries out citizen advisory committee assignments as required by the (appointment authority). 9. Designates a Vice Chair for the committee. 10. Conducts citizen advisory committee meetings and presents a report of the proceedings and resulting motions for approval at BOCC meetings. 11. Reviews all committee minutes and proposed recommendations or assigns another member of the committee to do so. b. The committee Vice Chair has the following duty: 1. Presides at citizen advisory committee meetings in the absence of the Chair. c. The committee Secretary has the following duties: 1. Takes (or oversees the taking of) minutes for all CAC meetings. 2. Submits minutes to the Chair (or designated person) to be distributed to CAC members in advance of CAC meetings. 3. Submits approved CAC minutes to the BOCC. 4. Assures Matt ot~atr records of thee U~ eta flat~t ats tlire~t~d by (appcti#ntrme~t a~tbarity?). Note: Roles and responsibilities are likely to vary by CAC, though some expectations for CAC Chairs and members could be generic. 11 Policy Components Standard policy Custom policy Notes S. Organization ORIENTATION AND TRAINING: Orange County will make available for citizen advisory committee members and department staff periodic training on state and County goals and priorities as well as relevant statutes and policies, including open meetings, public records, conflicts of interest, and ethics. a. Each member shall attend an orientation presented by Orange County department to familiarize the citizen advisory committee members with the operation of County government, the department, and the rules and operating procedures of the citizen advisory committee. b. Each voting member will be encouraged to complete the orientation within #) [weeks, months] of his or her appointment and participate in at least one (ride-along, site visit, training session]. c. Citizen advisory committee members will be issued a manual and should become familiar with its contents. Note: Some jurisdictions offer a standard orientation for CAC members. In that case, this section could go in a generic policy. 12 Policy Components Standard Custom Notes policy policy OPERATING EXPENSES: a. Voting members of the (specific) advisory committee are not employees of Orange County. b. Voting members serve in a voluntary capacity and shall r~irv~ ~_ (no amounts t'r~n~1ry Colens~1 nor any other financial or employee benefit from the County. c. The County will provide office supplies and assume responsibility for other expenses necessary for the operation of the committee. Note: Unless CAC members receive different levels of compensation, this section could be included in a generic policy. CONFIDENTIALITY: The Chair shall serve as the spokesperson for the citizen advisory committee. Except for the Chair, no member of the citizen advisory committee shall make any written or oral statement of any confidential matter to any individual or body. A violation will result in immediate removal from the committee. Members of the citizen advisory committee may receive information regarding personnel matters and other information of a sensitive or confidential nature. It shall be the duty and responsibility of each member to respect and maintain the confidentiality of client issues presented before the committee. Neither the citizen advisory committee nor any individual member shall disseminate confidential information received during citizen advisory committee meetings. Citizen advisory committee members are required to sign confidentiality statements and will be removed from the citizen advisory committee upon violation of the confidentiality agreement. Note: A standard for confidentiality across all CACs should be included in a generic policy. 6. Meetings In accordance with the North Carolina General Statutes, all meetings are 13 Policy Components Standard policy Custom policy Notes open to the public as required by the open meetings act. Unless otherwise specified, public meetings will follow the standard rules of procedure defined by the BOCC. The members of the citizen advisory committee shall adopt other rules and procedures relating to the operation of the committee as needed. The citizen advisory committee members shall determine the date, time, and place for each meeting. a. Regular Citizen Advisory Committee and Subcommittee Meetings The citizen advisory committee convenes upon call of the Chair and usually meets on a [weekly, monthly, quarterly] basis. The meetings may be held in [specified or various locations] within the County. Subcommittee meeting dates shall be set by the subcommittee Chairs and shall be scheduled in conjunction with citizen advisory committee meetings. b. Special Meetings A majority of citizen advisory committee members or the Chair may call special meetings at any time for any specific business. Special meetings, such as appeals, are convened at a location selected by the Chair. c. Meetings Held via Teleconference Teleconference meetings shall be held only in unusual circumstances and shall not replace regularly scheduled committee meetings. No regular meeting or appeal hearing shall be conducted via teleconference. Under no circumstances should a teleconference meeting exceed [one hour]. d. Emergency Meetings A majority of citizen advisory committee members or the Chair may call a meeting in emergency circumstances by providing telephone notice to media outlets at least one hour prior to the meeting. An emergency situation includes a disaster that severely impairs the public's health or safety. In the event telephone services are not working, notice that the meeting occurred must be given as soon as possible after the meeting. e. Meeting Notices Notice of public citizen advisory committee meetings (including appeal hearings) and agendas shall be made available to all members and interested parties, and to any person who so requests, at least ten (10) days in advance of the meeting by a-mail and by posting on the (Orange County??) website. f. Agendas 14 Policy Components Standard policy Custom policy Notes A. Committee Chairs (and/or CAC members) should submit agenda items to the (designated person) at least (#) days prior to a scheduled meeting. B. The agenda must provide a description of each item of business to be transacted or discussed so that interested members of the public will be capable of understanding the nature of each agenda item. C. As a general rule, only those items appearing on the agenda will be discussed or voted on. However, if an item is raised by a member of the public, the citizen advisory committee may accept testimony and discuss the item so long as no action is taken until a subsequent meeting. D. With the Chair's agreement, the designated staff will develop and distribute to each member an agenda listing the matters to be considered at upcoming citizen advisory committee meetings. Also, so far as practicable, copies of all written reports that are to be presented to the citizen advisory committee for members' review will be included in this package at least ten (10) days before the meeting. g. Minutes shall be taken of all citizen advisory committee meetings and submitted to the County [governing board, clerk, department head] for consideration and approval. h. All recommendations and reports of the citizen advisory committee, approved in the form of motions, shall be conveyed exclusively to the BOCC for action. Approved motions are forwarded to the BOCC for consideration, approval, or denial. Outcomes are reported back to the citizen advisory committee. 15 Policy Components Standard policy Custom policy Notes 7. Subcommittees a. SubeAr~n~it#a+rs [Y/tom ~'t I~e-j 11~d by ttaa Ott ac~EisotY cones to march sr~d t~ralue rec~a[nendatiwt on s~lt~da! is~tres 6r areas {rr or'der` tv carry oat the dues of the (sl~~l citizen ad~ory ~aramt4~ee. lid submfttees shag be revls~ned by the aPp~ ~Y tm an annuli bad to determine ~t'ttir~ued tumid and rcai~nment with the pr~kl!r~ti~s of the citizen advisory cc~+nrne. b. aS ~tpproved.by#t~ G, manager, or deparr~ head] the rnajori'ry c~ mdt~laers: of a wb~rnr~~er shall be Orar~lt Cowry residents. c. Subcommittees are ad hoc and temporary in nature. Approved ad hoc subcommittees must have documented goals, deliverables, and a timeline, and the subcommittee will cease to meet when these are satisfied. d. The citizen advisory committee Chair may request that the BOCC change the structure and/or operating procedures of the citizen advisory committee if he or she deems it essential for improving the committee's productivity and effectiveness. e. SubcAmrnittec Fpr~rnati~ ar+ai Qp~rafii~ins 1. Formation A subcommittee can be formed with the approval of the County [governing board, manager, department head]. 2. Operation Subcommittees shall operate as specified. a. A member of the subcommittee shall take responsibility for assigning a note taker and for reporting to the full citizen advisory committee the subcommittee's progress toward its stated objectives, including dissenting view points. b. Subcommittees shall operate by [consensus or majority vote]. c. Subcommittees may request a technical representative, to be approved by the County [BOCC, manager, department head]. d. The (BOCC, department) will support necessary and 16 Policy Components Standard Custom Notes policy policy reasonable accommodations for subcommittee members, such as teleconferencing for someone who cannot physically attend due to disability. (Members can submit their requests for accommodation in writing by mail or a-mail to (department? staff.) e. Subcommittees shall operate openly as defined by state laws and local policies. 3. Membership Membership on subcommittees shall be voluntary unless policy dictates otherwise. 8. Quorum A quorum for a meeting of citizen advisory committees shall consist of one more than half the voting members. 9. Voting Decisions are reached by a simple majority vote unless otherwise required by law. All voting will be conducted in open meetings, except when in closed session as defined in the open meetings law. No issues can be voted upon unless a quorum is present. a. Citizen Advisory Committee Meetings Only appointed members can vote at advisory committee meetings. Appointed members shall not delegate their vote to another member. Advisory committee members and others appointed by the Orange BOCC may vote at citizen advisory committee meetings. b. Voting by Chairs The Chair of the advisory committee [may/may not] participate and vote on all issues. c. Proxy Voting by proxy is not allowed. d. Ex Officio Individuals appointed as ex officio members of the CAC are not allowed to vote. 17 Policy Components Standard policy Custom policy Notes 10. Authorized Spokespersons The citizen advisory committee Chair and Orange County department director are authorized spokespersons for the advisory committee. Other committee members may speak on behalf of the advisory committee only upon authorization by the Chair or department director. 11. Conflict of Interest During citizen advisory committee meetings, a member shall abstain from voting when he or she has a conflict of interest as defined by the County governing board's policy. During review proceedings, the applicant has the right to question the conflict of interest of any voting member. The citizen advisory committee Chair should consult with the County attorney on any potential conflict in appeal matters. Note: Conflict of interest is likely to be uniform for all CACs; thus this section could be covered in a generic policy. 18 Policy Components Standard policy Custom policy Notes 12. Compensation and Travel Reimbursement a. Appointed advisory committee members shall receive (no/$ amount) compensation for their services. b. Eligibility for Reimbursement of Travel Expenses 1. The Chair shall, to the extent practicable, schedule hearings and citizen advisory committee meetings to minimize travel and per diem costs. 2. Payment of expenses to citizen advisory committee members shall occur only when travel has been approved by the (BOCC, county manager, department director) prior to the time the expenses are incurred. 3. ~CouMy weer, de~xrtment tad, tinsnCe drrrj siti~~ m~wrse authat~zed r-rt~t~k ~ neece.~ary trwet eend Inckkntai business ex~t~ses to individuals who perform services as appointed members of the citizen advisory committee. Only citizen advisory committee members who attend meetings as part of their duties shall have their expenses reimbursed. 4. Citizen advisory committee members shall be reimbursed in accordance with current local and/or state rules and regulations. Expense claims shall be submitted as required in Orange County travel procedures. 5. Transportation expense claims shall include charges essential for transportation to and from the meeting place. Reimbursement shall be made only for the local government's standard mileage allowance. Travel should be via the shortest, most commonly traveled route. Note: Travel policies maybe applied equally to all CACs. In that case, this section could go in a generic policy. 19 Policy Components Standard policy Custom policy Notes 13. Limitation of Powers Compliance with statutes and ordinances: Nothing contained in this statement of policy and procedures shall be construed to be in conflict with any state law or Orange County ordinance. Should there be an appearance of conflict, the appropriate state law or County ordinance shall prevail. Neither the citizen advisory committee, nor any member thereof, shall: 1. Incur County expense or obligate the County in any manner. 2. ~~an~r~n oi~ or+N negpr,~of ~y txrxrd t+rt~tlr ta~shy ~u~t or bgd~rottyrr tie (~C~?~ or ttwr the ~r II+t#11~+!!'. `t'be ca~grni~~ G~Ir~y ~ r~#ee~ple tlr con>RUlbtian e- ' #¢e~rtme~t ~~~or ~.+vt~,~. 3. Independently investigate citizen complaints against the County, the department or an employee of the department. 4. Conduct any activity that might constitute or be construed as an official governmental review of departmental or employee actions. 5. Conduct any activity that might constitute or be construed as establishment of County or department policy. 6. Violate the confidentiality of any information related to matters involving pending or forthcoming civil or criminal litigation. Matters pertaining to discipline will be the sole responsibility of the Orange BOCC and not the citizen advisory committee. The activities of the citizen advisory committee shall, at all times, be conducted in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws. Note: Orange County is ultimately responsible for the actions of CACs. Therefore, a statement limiting CAC powers could be in a generic policy. 20