Loading...
2016-05-03 Human Rights Commission Bylaws (Tracked Changes) ORGANIZATIONAL BYLAWS of the RICHFIELD HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION Richfield Human Rights Commission April 1, 2014 May 3, 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. OFFICERS A. Officers of the Commission B. Nominations and Election C. Taking Office D. Resignations E. Duties of Officers i. Chair ii. Vice-Chair iii. Secretary iv. Treasurer II. COMMISSIONERS A. Orientation of Commissioners B. Attendance C. Duties D. Communications E. Commission property III. LIAISONS TO THE COMMISSION IV. REMOVAL OF COMMISSIONERS A. Requesting Removal of a Commissioner B. Resignation of a Commissioner V. MEETINGS VI. COMMITTEES VII. GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE AGAINST THE COMMISSION VIII. VIOLATION OF MINNESOTA HUMAN RIGHTS ACT—COMPLAINT PROCEDURE IX. THE COMMISSION'S HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD X. AMENDING THE COMMISSION'S BYLAWS APPENDIX A APPENDIX A—City Code, Section 305.00. Definitions. APPENDIX B—City Code, Section 305.01. Creation; general requirements. APPENDIX C —City Code, Section 305.03. Establishment of human rights commission. APPENDIX D—Council Memorandum No. 107— Commissioner Removal Guidelines I. OFFICERS a. Officers of the Commission The officers of the Richfield Human Rights Commission("the Commission") shall be elected by an affirmative vote of a majority of the members present at a meeting in January for one year and shall include a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. b. Nominations and Election Nominations for Officers from the floor must be made at the January meeting. Each member shall cast a single ballot for each member that he/she wishes to be Chairperson, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer respectively. The member receiving a majority of the votes cast shall be Chairperson, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer respectively. If no one receives a majority of votes cast after three ballots, a coin toss shall be performed for that specific office. c. Taking Office These officers shall take office ten days following their election and shall hold office until their successors have been elected and have assumed office. d. Resignations In the event that an officer resigns with more than two months left in his/her term,the Commission, at the next monthly regular meeting shall use the procedure in the preceding paragraphs (IA-IC)to replace the officer, but the newly elected replacement officer shall take office immediately upon election. e. Duties of Officers i. Chair The Chair's duties shall be to: 1. Preside over meetings. Prepare an agenda prior to each meeting and provide it to the members of the Commission and the Staff Liaison five days prior to the meeting. 2. Supervise the distribution of minutes and other reports and to supervise the collection of an ongoing history of the Commission. 3. Represent the Commission in dealing with the City Council, School Board, other commissions in the City, as well as official bodies outside of the City, and any other organization which has dealings with the Commission, or delegate those responsibilities to members of the Commission. 4. Appoint commissioners to serve on committees and/or attend conferences. 5. Annually request the City Council in writing to send at least one representative to all Commission meetings. 6. Annually request the School Board in writing to send at least one representative to all Commission meetings. 7. Prepare an annual report on the Commission's activities,provide a copy of the annual report to Commission members, and present the annual report to the City Council at the City Council's request. 8. Perform such other duties as may be prescribed from time to time by the Commission. ii. Vice-Chair The Vice-Chair's duties shall be to: 1. Represent the Chair in the Chair's absence. 2. Assist the Chair in carrying out his/her duties. 3. Maintain inventory of, manage and distribute Commission property, according to established guidelines. 4. Perform such other duties as may be prescribed from time to time by the Commission. iii. Secretary The Secretary's duties shall be to: 1. Attend all meetings of the Richfield Human Rights Commission, or find a replacement member to fulfill his/her duties for that meeting. 2. Record all proceedings of such meetings and maintain the minutes in a minute book. 3. Submit minutes of each meeting to the appropriate staff liaison for distribution to commissioners within ten days of such meeting. 4. Prepare a yearly attendance report for the Commission and distribute such report to the members of the Commission and the Staff Liaison at the first regular meeting of each calendar year. 5. Perform such other duties as may be prescribed from time to time by the Commission. iv. Treasurer The Treasurer's duties shall be to: 1. Keep accurate financial records for the Commission. 2. Deposit all monies, drafts and checks in the name of, and to the credit of,the Commission. 3. Endorse for deposit all notes, checks, and drafts received by the Commission in such banks and depositories as the Commission shall designate from time to time. 4. Disburse the funds of the Commission, as ordered by the members of the Commission. 5. Render to the Chair and the members at each regular meeting an account of all of his/her transactions as Treasurer and of the financial condition of the Commission and prepare a year-end report to be distributed to the members of the Commission and the Staff Liaison at the first regular meeting of each calendar year. 6. Perform such other duties as may be prescribed from time to time by the Commission. II. COMMISSIONERS a. Orientation of Commissioners i. Once appointments are made, newly appointed commissioners shall attend an orientation session prior to their first regular meeting as arranged by the Chair if not organized by the City. ii. They will also receive an overview of their Commission's purpose, attendance requirements, meeting dates, etc., prior to their first regular meeting, arranged for by the Chair. All new appointees to the Commission shall receive a notebook including Bylaws, a copy of the Minnesota Human Rights Act, the last six months of meeting minutes and the most recent annual report. b. Attendance Commission members shall endeavor are required to attend all Commission meetings. Commission members shall notify the Commission Chair or staff liaison if he or she is unable to attend a meeting. (City Code 305.01, Subd. 5. Attendance). c. Duties The Commissioners' duties shall: i. Study and review programs and policies and aid the City Council in enlisting the cooperation of agencies, organizations, and individuals in the City in an active program directed to create equal opportunity and eliminate discrimination and inequalities. ii. Have knowledge about Commission activities as summarized in its records. iii. Advocate positions on behalf of the Commission when specifically approved by the Commission. iv. Perform such other duties as may be prescribed from time to time by the Chair or a majority vote of the Commission. d. Communications Commissioners may communicate information on behalf of the Commission provided it is consistent with information summarized in its records and approved by the Commission. Commissioners shall not be precluded from communicating personal opinions so long as it is made clear that their personal opinions do not represent the position of the Commission. e. Commission property Any Commission property shall be checked out with the Vice-Chair and returned to the Vice-Chair after use. III. LIAISONS TO THE COMMISSION a. Liaisons Include There are three liaison seats to the Commission, including a Richfield City Council representative, a Richfield School Board representative and a Richfield staff member. b. Richfield Staff Member A staff member designated by the Richfield City Manager, or "Staff Liaison" shall: i. Attend all Commission meetings ii. Distribute minutes, agendas and other pertinent notices. iii. Provide such additional support as is designated by the Commission with the consent of the City Manager. IV. REMOVAL OF COMMISSIONERS . . . • • •• . .. . 1. In the event that a member misses three consecutive regular meetings, or 1 of the regular meetings in any one twelve month period, the Commission may request the City Council to replace that member. 2. In the event that a member violates the bylaws or procedures of the Commission,the Commission may request the City Council to replace that member. 3. In the event that a member engages in conduct contrary to the purpose of the Commission, the Commission may request the City Council to replace that member. 1. Any motion to propose the removal of a commissioner must be presented to the Commission in writing and must pass by a majority vote at a regular meeting properly called. 2. If a motion to propose the removal of a commissioner passes, the commissioner who is the subject of the motion shall be given written within five business days of the passage of the motion. 3. At the next regular monthly meeting, the commissioner whose removal has been proposed shall be given an opportunity to respond to the proposed removal. /1. After the commissioner whose removal is proposed has had an opportunity to respond, the Commission shall vote on the written majority of all current commissioners approve the motion, the request to remove shall be forwarded to the City Council, and the Chair or his/her designee shall represent the Commission when the City Council considers the request to remove. Commission members serve at the pleasure of the City Council and, unless prohibited by law, may be removed by the Council at any time for any reason, including but not limited to, excessive absences from commission meetings. (City Code 305.01, Subd.6). a. Commissioner Removal Guidelines and Process Regarding Excessive Absences of a Commission Member 5. If the staff liaison and chairperson to a commission determine that a commission member has been excessively absent from regular commission meetings, the Commissioner Removal Guidelines—Council Memorandum No. 107 as outlined in APPENDIX D shall be followed. 6. Prior to beginning the process for removal, the commission staff liaison and chairperson shall bring this action before the commission for discussion. b. Resignation of a Commissioner In the event that a commission member wishes to resign from the Commission, the member shall send notice of their resignation to the Richfield City Council. Manager or designee. V. MEETINGS a. Regular Meetings There shall be at least one regular meeting on the first Tuesday of each calendar month at Richfield City Hall at 6:30 PM unless a majority vote designates otherwise the time or place. b. Special Meetings i. Criteria for Special Meetings The Commission may hold special meetings to complete or initiate business at the call of the Chair, or upon the request of three members of the Commission. ii. Notice for Special Meetings Each member shall be notified at least forty-eight hours prior to any special meeting, of the time, place and purpose of the same. c. General Provisions for Meetings i. Open Meetings All meetings shall be open to the public unless otherwise permitted by the Minnesota Open Meeting Law and agreed to by a majority of commissioners at an open meeting. ii. Quorum A quorum shall consist of a majority of the members appointed. If a quorum is not present at any meeting, the Chair must adjourn the meeting, or recess the meeting at the call of the Chair. • _ ' ' . . " • • The rules of order contained in the most current version of Robert's Rules of Order shall govern the Commission in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not bylaws or special rules of the Commission. iii. Sturgis' Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure Shall Govern Meetings At all meetings of a Commission where formal action is required on a matter, the meeting shall be governed by Sturgis' Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure. At meetings where no action is required, no formal parliamentary procedure shall govern the conduct of the proceedings unless necessary such as when a formal motion is before the Commission. (Added, Bill No. 2015-17) VI. COMMITTEES a. Committee Organization i. Committee Reports Committee Chairs or their representatives shall report at each regular meeting. ii. Duties and Responsibilities The duties and responsibilities of the various committees shall be defined at the time of their formation by the Commission. b. Committee Membership i. Committee Records All committees shall maintain records of all meetings, recommendations, actions, memberships, etc., and shall provide for inclusion in the minutes: 1. Committee name. 2. Date, place, time and attendance. 3. Subject of meeting. 4. Activities, conclusions and recommendations. 5. If possible, time and place of next meeting. 6. Each committee, with the approval of the Commission, may state the number of citizens it chooses to have as members of that committee. ii. Committee Selection Citizens can be selected by the Commission for committee membership. iii. Removal of Members The Commission may remove a committee member from a committee at any time by majority vote. iv. Committee Voting and Reporting Citizens shall have voting rights only at committee meetings. Committee reports to the Commission shall be presented by the Committee Chairperson. Any committee member may make a minority report. VII. GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE AGAINST THE COMMISSION Mediation services and grievances related to the work of the Commission will be handled through services provided by the City of Richfield. VIII. VIOLATION OF MINNESOTA HUMAN RIGHTS ACT—COMPLAINT PROCEDURE A claim of an unfair discrimination practice may be filed in a charge with the Richfield Human Rights Commission or the State Commissioner of Human Rights within one year after the occurrence of the practice. The Richfield Human Rights Commission may refer a complaint to the - . - . . -- . - . -- -• . - . . a .. .. - . - . ' _ . The Richfield Human Rights Commission may investigate complaints of alleged human rights violations following the Complaint Process formulated by the State Department of Human Rights or refer a complaint to the State Commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. IX. THE COMMISSION'S HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD The Commission may present the Gene and Mary Jacobsen Award to an individual, organization or corporation that has made significant contributions to ensuring the human rights of people of Richfield. Such presentation must be approved at a regular or special meeting by majority vote. The nominee must meet the criteria established by the Commission. X. AMENDING THE COMMISSION'S BYLAWS a. Two-Thirds Vote to Amend These articles can be amended by approval of two-thirds of the current Commission membership at a regular Commission meeting. b. Proposed Amendments to Commissioners Proposed amendments shall be mailed to Commission membership five days prior to the regular Commission meeting at which they are to be voted upon. 11.100.1.... ....------ c. Reviews The Bylaws shall be reviewed by the Commission every three years. - - I e I :. .. £ 1 .1 Subdivision 1. Scope of Section. It is declared that it is the public policy of the City to . . . - .. . -• - - . - . . . . . , -- Minnesota Human Rights Act. Subd. 2. Establishment of commission. There is established and continued a human rights commission. Subd. 3.Purpose of commission. The purpose of the Commission is to secure for all citizens equal opportunity in employment, housing, public accommodations, public services and education and full participation in the affairs of this community and to take appropriate action consistent with the Minnesota Human Rights Act. The Commission shall also advise the City Council on long range programs to improve human relations in the City. Subd. 4. f o Composition the Commission. The Commission consists of 13 members P appointed by the Council. Eleven members shall be appointed for terms of three (3)years, except that (i) a person appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which the predecessor in that term was appointed shall be appointed only for the remainder of such, and (ii)two (2)persons shall be appointed as "youth" members for one(1) year terms. The two (2) youth members shall be given all rights, privileges and responsibilities granted to the other to serve until a successor is appointed and qualifies. Members serve without compensation and may be removed from office at any time by the Council, but after a public hearing if a hearing is