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2014-04-01 Human Rights Commission Bylaws 1 ORGANIZATIONAL BYLAWS of the RICHFIELD HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION Richfield Human Rights Commission Passed April 1, 2014 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. OFFICERS .......................................................................................................... 4 A. Officers of the Commission ................................................................................ 4 B. Nominations and Election ................................................................................... 4 C. Taking Office ...................................................................................................... 4 D. Resignations ........................................................................................................ 4 E. Duties of Officers ................................................................................................ 4 i. Chair .................................................................................................................... 4 ii. Vice-Chair ........................................................................................................... 5 iii. Secretary .............................................................................................................. 6 iv. Treasurer .............................................................................................................. 6 II. COMMISSIONERS ............................................................................................ 8 A. Orientation of Commissioners ............................................................................ 8 B. Attendance ........................................................................................................... 8 C. Duties .................................................................................................................. 8 D. Communications .................................................................................................. 9 E. Commission property ......................................................................................... 9 III. LIAISONS TO THE COMMISSION .............................................................. 10 IV. REMOVAL OF COMMISSIONERS ............................................................... 11 A. Requesting Removal of a Commissioner ........................................................ 11 B. Resignation of a Commissioner ........................................................................ 12 V. MEETINGS ..................................................................................................... 13 VI. COMMITTEES ................................................................................................. 14 3 VII. GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE AGAINST THE COMMISSION ..................... 16 VIII. VIOLATION OF MINNESOTA HUMAN RIGHTS ACT—COMPLAINT PROCEDURE ................................................................................................................ 17 IX. THE COMMISSION'S HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD ..................................... 18 X. AMENDING THE COMMISSION'S BYLAWS ...................................... 19 APPENDIX A ................................................................................................................ 20 4 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. 2. Prepare an agenda prior to each meeting and provide it to the 5 members of the Commission and the Staff Liaison five days prior to the meeting. 3. Supervise the distribution of minutes and other reports and to supervise the collection of an ongoing history of the Commission. 4. 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. 5. Appoint commissioners to serve on committees and/or attend conferences. 6. Annually request the City Council in writing to send at least one representative to all Commission meetings. 7. Annually request the School Board in writing to send at least one representative to all Commission meetings. 8. 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. 9. 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. 6 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 7 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. 8 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 to attend all Commission meetings. 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. 9 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. 10 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. 11 IV. REMOVAL OF COMMISSIONERS A. Requesting Removal of a Commissioner i. Grounds for Requesting Removal of a Commissioner 1. In the event that a member misses three consecutive regular meetings, or ¼ 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. ii. Procedure for requesting removal of a Commissioner 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 notice of the motion to propose the removal of that commissioner 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 12 respond to the proposed removal. 4. After the commissioner whose removal is proposed has had an opportunity to respond, the Commission shall vote on the written motion to request the City Council to remove the commissioner. If a 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. 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. 13 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. iii. Robert's Rules of Order Shall Govern Meetings The rules of order contained in the most current ve rsion of Robert's Rules of Order shall govern the Commission in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the laws of the State of Minnesota, City Resolution of the City Council, these bylaws or special rules of the Commission. 14 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 15 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. 16 VII. GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE AGAINST THE COMMISSION Mediation services and grievances related to the wo rk of the Commission will be handled through services provided by the City of Richfield. 17 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 State Commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Human Rights. 18 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. 19 X. AMENDING THE COMMISSION'S BYLAWS A. Two-Thirds Vote to Amend These articles can be amended by approval of two-th irds 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. C. Reviews The Bylaws shall be reviewed by the Commission every three years. 20 APPENDIX A RICHFIELD CITY CODE SECTION 305.01 Establishment of human rights commission. Subdivision 1. Scope of Section. It is declared that it is the public policy of the City to fulfill its responsibilities as a partner of the state department of human rights in securing for all citizens equal opportunity in housing, employment, public accommodations, public services and education, and to fully implement those goals set forth in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 363, the 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. Composition of the Commission. The Commission consists of 13 members 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 appointed members. Upon the expiration of the member's term of office, a member shall continue 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 21 requested by the member whose removal is being considered. (Amended, Bill No. 1990-2; Bill No. 1993-1) Subd. 5. Commission's responsibilities. The Commission shall: (a) Adopt bylaws and rules for the conduct to its affairs including the election, assumption of duties and definition of responsibilities of officers and committees; (b) Engage in discussions with the state department of human rights for the purpose of delineating cooperative regulatory and enforcement procedures; (c) Enlist the cooperation of agencies, organizations and individuals in the community in an active program directed to create equal opportunity and eliminate discrimination and inequalities; (d) Formulate a human relations program for the City to provide increased effectiveness and direction to the work of all individuals and agencies addressing themselves to planning, policy making and educational programming in the area of civil and human rights; (e) Advise the City Council and other agencies of the government on human relations and civil rights problems and act in an advisory capacity with respect to planning or operation of any City department on issues of civil and human rights and recommend the adoption of such specific policies or actions as are needed to provide for full equal opportunity in the community; (f) Study, investigate and assist in eliminating alleged violation of Minnesota Statutes, chapter 363 by conference, conciliation and persuasion, and when necessary, cooperate with the state department of human rights in enforcing the provisions of the state act; and (g) Develop such programs of formal and information education as will assist in the implementation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act and foster the Commission's assumption of leadership in recognizing and resolving potential human rights problems in the community; 22 (h) Develop and implement programs that enhance the advancement of human rights in the community and that promote an awareness of and appreciation for cultural diversity. (Added, Bill No. 1993-1) Subd. 6. Investigations, enforcement, penalties. The Commission may receive and investigate complaints of alleged violations of this Section. Investigations shall conform to the No Fault Grievance Process formulated by the State Department of Human Rights. Subd. 7. Adoption by reference. Minnesota Statutes, chapter 363 is adopted by reference and made a part of this Subsection as is fully set forth herein.