Government Relations, Rules & Bylaws Committee

Meeting Notice and Agenda September 11th, 2016 (Sunday 2:30pm – 5:00pm) 14741 Calvert Street — Van Nuys, CA 91411 MacLeod Ale Brewing Company –(818)631-1963

MOTION(S), DISCUSSION(S), AND A VOTE MAY BE TAKEN ON ALL ITEMS POSTED ON THE AGENDA

At the discretion of the Chair this agenda may be modified as to time slots for agenda items or speakers to accommodate changes at that time:

  1. Call to Order & Determination of Quorum (2 minutes)
  2. Comments from the Chairs (Parliamentarian and Vice- President) of the Van Nuys Neighborhood Council (5 Minutes)
  3. Public Comment (On matters within the VNNC Board’s Jurisdiction.) *Speaker Cards: 2 minutes, 1 Public Comment Time. (This includes speaker cards on any and all agenda items — a limit of 10 minutes for the entire meeting per Stakeholders and Councilmembers alike)
  4. OLD BUSINESS (20) Minutes 
    • I) The Van Nuys Neighborhood Council Bylaws Committee to review and propose revisions to “Article V – OFFICERS” of September 2015 Version (https://vnnc.org/wp- content/uploads/2015/02/VNNC-Approved-Bylaw-Amendments- 090115SS-15.pdf )
    • a) Section 1: Officers of the Board b) Section 2: Duties and Powers 9-11-2016 Van Nuys NC Government Relations, Rules & Bylaws Committee Agenda Page 1 of 8A. The President shall be the Chief Administrator and Executive Officer of the VNNC. The President shall preside over all meetings of the Executive Committee, the Board and the general membership. B. The Vice-President shall, in the absence of the President, function as the presiding officer and shall carry out the duties and responsibilities of the President. The Vice President shall be responsible for the oversight of all committees designated by the Board. The Vice President shall serve on the Government Relations, Rules and Bylaws Committee. C. The Secretary shall be responsible for the minutes of all meetings of the Executive Committee, the Board and general membership; for all notices; and for the organization’s policy manual, Bylaws and papers. D. The Treasurer shall be responsible for verification and review of all funds and accounts of receipts and disbursements belonging to the VNNC, monthly written reports to the Board, and a written financial report to be distributed annually. The Treasurer shall serve on the Budget and Finance Committee Motion: The VNNC to amend Article V – OFFICERS Section 2: Duties and Powers Item B to add “The Vice President shall be responsible for the oversight of all committees designated by the Board. The Vice President shall serve on the Government Relations, Rules and Bylaws Committee.” AND Item D to add “The Treasurer shall serve on the Budget and Finance Committee” c) Section 3: Selection of Officers (no change) d) Section 4: Officer Terms Motion to amend Article V Officers Section 4: Officer Terms to read as follows: “The Officers shall serve a term of one (1) year two (2) Years and serve at the pleasure of the Board. An Officer may hold the same office for a maximum of two (2) consecutive full terms. However, no person shall remain on the Executive Committee for a more than five (5) consecutive full terms. No board member may serve more than 4 full terms in the same Officer Position.”
  5. NEW BUSINESS (STANDING RULES) (50 Minutes) 
    • A) The Van Nuys Neighborhood Council Bylaws Committee to review the Standing Rules of the Van Nuys Neighborhood Council and reconstruct them as needed
    • B) The Van Nuys Neighborhood Council to create a “Special Committee On Policy”. The VNNC SCOP Committee to begin as an Ad Hoc Committee until by-law changes can be made to make the VNNC SCOP Committee a permanent standing committee. The VNNC SCOP Committee to address special policy issues such as homelessness, sex trafficking, gang reduction and Valley-wide transportation needs.
    • C) Creation of ‘Assistive Officer’ positions The VNNC President may create or remove Assistive Officer positions as needed with approval of the General Board. -Assistive Officer Positions are not to outnumber Executive Officer Positions. -Assistive Officers are ex-officio unless they are also members of the VNNC Board. -Assistive Officers may serve as alternate members of the Executive Committee for Purposes of preserving quorum or filling in for their Executive Officer counterpart. -Should an Assistive Officer Position be filled by a paid contractor, said contractor may count for purposes of maintaining quorum but may not vote. Assistive Officer Positions may include: -Assistant Secretary, – Assistant Treasurer, – Parliamentarian – Sargent at Arms 
    • (D) Creation of policies to guide committee membership and
      • I) Proposal from Board Member John Hendry D) chair status.
        • -Members volunteer to be on committees.
        • -no member is ever asked to leave.
        • -membership is regulated by parliamentary procedures
        • -members are added by committee vote
        • -an excess of members is reduced by subtracting members by seniority on committee or by a draw of names of members from a hat.
      • II) Proposal from Board Member Jason Ackerman
        • a). Standing Rules on Committee Membership 
          • -VNNC Board Members are required to serve on at least one (1) committee
          • -Committee Membership should include no less than two (2) seated board members or more than five (5) seated VNNC board members per meeting
          • -committee membership must include representation of a diversity of perspectives
          • –voting committee members are VNNC Board members or stakeholders who have signed up to serve on a committee and have fulfilled any additional requirements of membership (such as additional trainings).
          • –Committee Membership Interest must be circulated and collected by the VNNC Secretary (or Vice-President) at the first meeting following the election of Executive Officers or at the first meeting at which the committee is created and must include names, indication of VNNC Board Member or stakeholder status, willingness to serve as chair or not, as well as an e-mail address and/or phone number at which interested parties can be reliably reached.
          • -if there are more than five (5) VNNC Board Members interested in serving on a committee, up to three (3) additional VNNC board members may be designated as ‘alternate committee members’. ‘Alternate committee members’ do not vote unless filling in for an absent ‘voting committee member’.
          • -committee members who are not the chair(s) may be seated on a first-come first-served basis or according to another selection process such as but not limited to, randomized name or number drawing as determined by the chair(s) and approved by the members of the committee.
          • -The VNNC President and Vice-President are ex-officio members of all standing and ad-hoc committees and may serve as ‘alternate committee members’ for the purposes of making or maintaining quorum (50% + 1 of the total membership) but may not use this capacity if quorum has already been reached.
          • -committee members who miss more than three (3) Brown Act noticed committee meetings of the same committee in a twelve (12) month period may be made ‘alternate committee members’.
          • -Committee Members including alternate committee members who miss more than five (5) committee meetings in a twelve (12) month period may be automatically removed. If the VNNC President or Vice-President are registered voting members of a committee they are subject to the same rules.
        • b). Standing Rules on Chairing Committees
          • -Committee chairs (except for that of the Executive Committee and the Budget & Finance Committee) will henceforth be selected by the members of each committee should there be multiple parties interested.
          • -Committee Chairs are required to organize and schedule a time and venue as well as an agenda of items to be considered and post said agenda in a manner compliant with the Brown Act and City Guidelines, as well as with the VNNC Bylaws and standing rules. Committee chairs may delegate these responsibilities to other committee members but will be held ultimately responsible for failure to organize committee meetings and properly notify the public.
          • -no committee standing or ad hoc may have more than 3 co- chairs or vice-chairs in total.
          • -A VNNC Executive Officer (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, etc.) will act as an interim committee chair for the purposes of organizing an initial committee meeting and agenda at which a chair will be selected should none of the potential committee member volunteer to chair that committee on the Committee Membership Interest Form.
          • -Preference for committee chair status should be given to VNNC Board Members, however it may be granted to stakeholders if no VNNC Board Member is willing or able to meet the requirements of chairing a committee.
          • -Committee Chair status may be revoked by the VNNC Executive Board for failure to hold Brown Act compliant committee meetings at least once a quarter. A new chair must be chosen by the remaining eligible members of the committee itself or by the VNNC Vice-President pending the approval of the Executive Committee.
          • -should a committee chair lose their status they are permitted to stay on the committee as a member but are not eligible to serve as Chair until six (6) months after their removal have passed. If a committee should be without a Chair or a willing successor for six (6) months a removed chair may appeal to the Executive Committee for probational reinstatement provided they demonstrate willingness and ability to organize a Brown Act compliant Committee Meeting that makes quorum.
          • – should a committee (other than the Executive or Budget and Finance committees) go more than six (6) months without a Brown Act Compliant meeting that committee will be disbanded or reformulated.
        • c). Special Membership Rules
          • i)The Budget and Finance Committee
          • -The Budget and Finance Committee’s Membership must include The VNNC Treasurer, at least one (1) of the two (2) Budget Representatives, and at least 2 Stakeholder Members
          • -The Budget and Finance Committee Chair must be approved by the General Board
  6. New Business (Bylaws) (60 Minutes)
    • A) The VNNC Government Relations, Rules and Bylaws Committee to discuss and propose amendments to Article XII: Amendments.
    • B) Amendment to Article V OFFICERS to create category of ‘Assistive Officers’
    • C) The VNNC Government Relations, Rules and Bylaws Committee to discuss Amending Article V Officers to create an official Fifth Executive Officer seat to add the title to Section 1: “Officers of the Board” and an Item E to Section 2 “duties and powers describing the new position , four options have been provided based on language from the bylaws of other Neighborhood Councils, this is not meant to be a definitive list, but a starting point for a discussion. Suggestions from other Bylaws are welcome
    • [Fifth Executive Officer]
      • Option 1: Sargent at Arms The Sergeant at Arms shall ensure that the Board’s meetings are undertaken in an orderly and expeditious manner, including the calling of proper authorities should a physical altercation seem to be ensuing. The Sergeant at Arms shall also be the timekeeper for the Board, ensuring that all speakers speak within the required timeframes. (Encino NC)
      • Option 2: Outreach Director. The Outreach Director will [serve on the] Outreach Committee, issue notices of VNNC meetings, manage press relations, receive, and relay to the VNNC Early Warning System Notices contemplated by Section 907 of the Los Angeles City Charter.In addition, the Outreach Director will administer a system, subject to Board approval, through which the Board will communicate with Stakeholders on a regular basis (West LA Sawtell NC)
      • Option 3: Second Vice-President (A) The Second Vice President Shall chair the Outreach Committee. He/She shall assume the duties of the President when both the President and First Vice President are unable to do so. (Sunland Tujunga NC)
      • Option 4: Second Vice President (B) The Second Vice-President shall act as a presiding officer in the absence of the President and the First Vice-President and, in case of vacancy in the office of President and the First Vice-President, or in the case of the unavailability of both the President and the First Vice-President due to sickness, disability, death, or resignation, then the Second Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President and when so acting shall have all the powers and perform such other duties as the Board or the Bylaws may prescribe. The Second Vice President shall ensure the meetings are undertaken in an expeditious manner and shall be the timekeeper, ensuring that all speakers speak within the required time frames. The Second Vice-President shall oversee elections and shall chair any election committee that the President may be requested to form on an ad hoc basis to aid in an election. The Second Vice-President shall perform all other duties as the President or the Board may assign from time to time.(Sherman Oaks NC)
      • Motion: to Amend Article V Section 1 Replacing “four (4)” with five (5) and adding “[to be determined]” Position to the list of Executive officers so it reads as follows:
  7. ANNOUNCEMENTS (10 Minutes)
  8. Adjournment (5pm)

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