Bylaws 03-25-08Adopted March 25, 2008
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BYLAWS AND RULES OF PROCEDURE
OF THE RICHFIELD TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION
RICHFIELD, MINNESOTA
The following Bylaws and Rules of procedure are adopted by the City's
Transportation Commission to facilitate the performance of its duties and
functions as authorized by the City Council.
PART I. RESPONSIBILITIES
Section 1. Commission Responsiblities
The Commission will be responsible for making recommendations
to the Council on transportation planning including:
• Encouraging citizen involvement in the Commission’s work;
• Reviewing policy plans on the state, regional or city level;
• Conducting transportation studies; and,
• Overseeing the planning of transportation projects.
The Commission will be charged to recommend transportation
capital improvements and prepare reports to Council on other
related topics that the Council refers to the Commission.
PART II. MEETINGS
Section 1. Regular Meetings
Regular meetings of the Transportation Commission shall be on the
second Wednesday of each month commencing at 7:00 P.M. in the
Council Chambers of the City Hall and the meeting day may be
adjusted for the convenience of the members.
Section 2. Special Meetings
Special meetings of the Transportation Commission can be called
by the Chairperson and one member or by three members of the
Commission or at the request of the City Council. Notice,
designating the time and place of the meetings, shall be given to all
members not less than twenty-four (24) hours in advance thereof.
Section 3. Open Meeting Law
All meetings of the Transportation Commission must be noticed
and held in compliance with the Minnesota Open Meeting Law.
Section 4. Deadline for Hearing Items
The Transportation Commission will accept all requests to be heard
before it, no later than ten (10) working days preceding the regular
Transportation Commission meeting.
Section 5. Quorum
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Six members of the Transportation Commission shall constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business. No action shall be taken in
the absence of a quorum with the exception that the Transportation
Commission members present may take testimony for use at a later
meeting at which a quorum is present, and may adjourn a meeting
to a later time without further notice.
Section 6. Voting
At all meetings of the Transportation Commission, each member
attending shall be entitled to cast one vote. Voting shall be by
voice. An affirmative vote of a majority of members present or four
members, whichever is greater, shall be necessary for the passage
of any matter before the Transportation Commission, except as
otherwise provided in these Bylaws. The council liaisons to the
Commission are ex-officio and do not cast a vote.
Section 7. Proceedings
a) Format of Meeting
At a regular meeting of the Transportation Commission, the
following format shall be followed in conducting the business
of the meeting.
1) City staff will note the attendance
2) Review and Approve Agenda
3) Approval of Minutes
3) Regular Business and Public Hearing Items
4) Updates
5) Future Agenda Items
6) Upcoming Meetings
7) Other Business
8) Adjournment
b) Public Hearing
The purpose of a hearing is to collect information and facts
in order for the Commission to develop a recommendation
for the City Council. At a public hearing the following
procedure shall be followed for each case for which a public
hearing is held:
1) Chair shall state the issue to be heard.
2) Chair shall call upon the City staff to present the staff
report.
3) Members of the Transportation Commission shall be
allowed to question the staff report proposal.
4) Interested persons may address the Commission,
giving relevant information regarding the proposal
before the Commission.
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a) All questions or statements by Richfield staff
personnel, Transportation Commission
members, applicants or interested citizens will
be directed through the Chair.
b) All who wish to speak will be heard, but only in
accordance with the above procedure and after
recognition by the Chair.
c) No individual may speak longer than five (5)
minutes, except through previous arrangement
with the Chair, or by vote of the Commission.
d) The spokesperson for a group will be allowed
ten (10) minutes.
e) In addition to the statements by individual or
groups, there will be a period, not to exceed
thirty (30) minutes, during which the public may
question the City's staff members present, the
applicant or their representatives or any
member of the Transportation Commission.
Questions must be directed through the Chair.
6) The hearing shall be closed. Interested persons shall
not be heard again unless the hearing is reopened by
a majority vote of the Commission.
7) The Commission shall discuss and clarify the item
before it, and take action on it.
8) Any decision of the Commission on the merits of any
question before it shall be embodied in the form of a
motion, resolution, or report, and referred to the City
Council or city staff for action.
c) Rules of Procedure
At all regular meetings of the Transportation Commission
where formal action is required on a matter before the
Commission, the meetings shall be governed by the latest
printed edition of "Sturgis Standard Code of Parliamentary
Procedure.” At general meetings of the Transportation
Commission no formal parliamentary procedure shall govern
the conduct of the proceedings unless found to be necessary
such as when a formal motion is before the Commission.
PART III. ORGANIZATION
Section 1. Membership
The Commission will consist of 11 members. The City Council will
appoint nine eleven members. The Community Services
Commission and Planning Commission will each appoint one
member from their respective commissions to serve as members of
the Commission and as liaisons to their respective commissions.
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The liaisons from the other commissions will serve as non-voting
members of the Transportation Commission. (Effective January 31,
2009)
To be eligible for appointment, a person must be a resident or
owner/manager of a business in Richfield and must have an
interest in diverse transportation or environmental issues. It is
desirable that each Council Ward be represented by three residents
or owner/managers of businesses.
Section 2. Term of Membership
The Council shall appoint three members to an initial term of two
years, three members to an initial term of three years, and three
members to an initial term of four years. All subsequent Council
appointments shall be for a term of three years, except when filling
a vacancy in an unexpired term. The Community Services
Commission and Planning Commission shall establish the length of
the term for their respective appointees at the time of the
appointment, but the term may not exceed the remaining term of
the appointee’s membership on the appointing commission.
Section 3. Removal, Vacancy.
Members serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority and may
be removed at any time. When a vacancy occurs, the appointing
authority shall appoint a person to fill the unexpired term of the
vacated seat.
A seat on the Commission is deemed vacated upon any of the
following: (a) death; (b) failure to attend three (3) consecutive
regular meetings of the Commission without an excused absence;
(c) removal of legal residence in the City; (d) resignation in writing
presented to the Mayor; (e) removal by the appointing authority; or
(f) election or appointment to a public office. An absence is excused
if a member provides advance notice to the city staff or the Chair
that the member cannot attend a meeting.
Section 4. Council Liaisons.
In addition to the designated number of members to serve on the
Commission, each January, the City Council shall designate a
Council Member as liaison and a second Council Member as
alternative liaison to this Commission.
Section 5. Election of Officers
At the first regular meeting in April of each year, the Commission
shall hold an organizational meeting and elect from its membership
a Chairperson, and Vice-chairperson. Each member shall cast a
ballot for the member he/she wishes to be elected Chairperson. If
no one receives a majority of all the members of the Commission,
balloting shall continue until one member receives majority support.
Vice-chairperson shall be elected from the remaining members by
the same procedure.
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If the Chairperson resigns from office before the next regular
organization meeting, the Vice-chairperson shall automatically
become acting Chairperson. In any instance where an officer of the
Commission resigns or retires from office, a new officer shall be
elected to the vacated position at the next regular meeting of the
Commission.
If the Chairperson and Vice-chairperson are absent
from a meeting, the Commission shall elect a temporary
Chairperson by voice vote.
Section 3. Tenure
The Chairperson, and Vice-chairperson shall take office
immediately following their election and hold office until their
successors are elected and assume office. Election of officers will
occur annually at the April meeting of the Commission.
Section 4. Duties of Officers
The duties and powers of the officers of the Transportation
Commission shall be as follows:
a) Chairperson
1) Presides over all meetings of the Commission.
2) Appoints sub-Commissions and performs such other
duties as may be ordered by the Commission.
3) Signs documents of the Commission.
4) Sees that all actions of the Commission are properly
taken.
5) Calls special meetings of the Commission in
accordance with these Bylaws.
6) Works with appropriate city staff in organizing
agendas of all general Transportation Commission
meetings.
b) Vice-chairperson
Performs all of the duties and responsibilities of the
Chairperson in his/her absence.
c) City Public Works Staff
1) Keeps the minutes of the meetings of the Commission
in an appropriate minute book.
2) Maintains all minutes of the Commission as well as other official documents of the
CommissionPART IV. MISCELLANEOUS
Section 1. Suspension of Rules
Deleted: ¶
¶
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The Commission may suspend any of these Rules by a 2/3 vote of
those members present.
Section 2. Amendments
These Rules may be amended at any regular meeting by a 2/3
majority of the members of the Commission, provided that the
amendment was presented and written into the minutes of a
previous meeting.
Section 3. Review
The contents of these Bylaws and Rules of procedure should be
comprehensively reviewed, evaluated, and modified where
necessary, at the organization meeting held in April of each year.
Adopted this 12th day of April, 2005 by the City Council of the City of
Richfield.
____________________________________
Mayor Martin J. Kirsch
City of Richfield
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