Bylaws 02-01-15BYLAWS 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 Responsibilities
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
A majority of active 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
Review and Approve Agenda
Approval of Minutes
3) Regular Business and Public Hearing Items
4) Updates
5) Future Agenda Items
Upcoming Meetings
Other Business
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.
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 9 members. The City Council will appoint nine members. The Community Services Commission and Planning Commission will each appoint one member from
their respective commissions to serve as liaisons to their respective commissions. 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.
The Richfield Bicycle Advisory Group (B.A.G.) will appoint one member to serve as a non-voting liaison to the Transportation Commission with the following provisions:
If the B.A.G. fails to meet regularly for more than four months; or
If regular membership and/or attendance drops below six members; then
The liaison position be recommended for termination by the City Council.
The Bicycle Advisory Group liaison will be required to provide meeting summary and attendance information to the Transportation Commission as requested.
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 and Bicycle Advisory
Group 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 February 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.
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 6. 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 7. 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
Keeps the minutes of the meetings of the Commission in an appropriate minute book.
Maintains all minutes of the Commission as well as other official documents of the Commission
PART IV. MISCELLANEOUS
Section 1. Suspension of Rules
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 February, 2013 by the City Council of the City of Richfield.
____________________________________
Mayor Debbie Goettel
City of Richfield