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Library Commission BYLAWS OF THE ALPINE COUNTY LIBRARY COMMISSION ARTICLE I -IDENTIFICATION Section 1: Section 2: Section 3: Name The Alpine County Library Commission. Office The Alpine County Library is comprised of the main library located at 270 Laramie Street, Markleeville, California 96120, a branch library located at 367 Creekside Drive, Bear Valley, CA 95223, and a bookmobile based at the main library. Compliance with applicable laws The Commission shall comply with all applicable laws, including but not limited to the Ralph M. Brown Act, the Public Records Act and the Political Reform Act. ARTICLE II - PURPOSE AND POWERS Section 1: Section 2: Section 3: Purpose The purpose of the Library Commission shall be to advise and recommend to the Alpine County Board of Supervisors on matters relating to the County Free Library system. Cooperation The Library Commission shall work in cooperation with the County Librarian. Powers Resolution No. 77-47 of the Alpine County Board of Supervisors provides these powers and duties for the Alpine County Library Commission: a. Advise the Board of Supervisors on ways and means of improving the County Free Library service throughout the County. b. Advise the Board of Supervisors on rules and regulations governing the operation of the County Free Library System. c. Make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors for the future development and maintenance of a high caliber of County Free Library service. d. Encourage support of the County Free Library service by private individuals and groups and by other public agencies. e. Advise the Board of Supervisors on matters affecting the County Free Library service. COUNTY OF ALPINE Department of Library & Archives P.O. Box 187 270 Laramie Street Markleeville, CA 96120 Phone (530) 694-2120 Fax (530) 694-2408 Email [EMAIL REDACTED] ---PAGE BREAK--- Library Commission ARTICLE Ill - MEMBERS Section 1: Section 2: Section 3: Section 4: Section 5: Number Five Library Commissioners are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Alpine County Board of Supervisors. Preference shall be given to the appointment of one member from each supervisorial district. Each member of the Commission shall be designated to represent one of the supervisorial districts, even if that member does not reside in that district. Term of Appointment Commissioner terms are 4 years commencing on July 1st of the year in which the term of the supervisor of the district a Commissioner represents commences and expires on June 30th four years later. Compensation Commissioners serve without compensation. Oath of Public Office Swearing to the Oath of Public Office constitutes the Commissioner's sworn responsibility to the public trust. Conflict of Interest Commissioners shall annually file FPPC Form 700 with the Alpine County Clerk to disclose any potential conflict of interest. ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS Section 1: Section 2: Section 3: Section 4: Election The Commission shall elect a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and a Secretary at its regular meeting in July of each year who shall serve at the pleasure of the Library Commission until the election of his or her successor the next year. Duties of Chair The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Library Commission and shall conduct the meetings of the Library Commission under Rosenberg's Rules of Order. The Chair shall preserve order and decorum and shall decide all questions of order using the rules adopted by the Commission. Duties of Vice-Chair In the absence or inability of the Chair to act, the Vice-Chair shall have all the powers and duties of the Chair. Duties of Secretary The Secretary shall take and transcribe the minutes and formulate the agenda for all meetings of the Library Commission in accordance with the business being transacted. The Secretary shall distribute (email or paper) copies of the minutes and agendas to: County Librarian, Board of Supervisors, each member of the Commission and shall post in the Markleeville Library, the Bear Valley Library, County Courthouse and Post Offices within the county. Likewise the Secretary is responsible for all official correspondence to and from the Commission. If the Secretary is absent or unavailable, the Chair shall appoint a Commission member or library staff (with approval of County Librarian) to take ---PAGE BREAK--- Library Commission minutes. The Secretary or designated library staff shall be responsible for providing written notices required by these bylaws. Section 5: Vacancy If a vacancy should occur in any office, it will be filled by special election at the next meeting. ARTICLE V - MEETINGS Section 1: Section 2: Section 3: Section 4: Section 5: Section 6: Section 7: Section 8: Time of Meetings Regular meetings of the Library Commission shall be held quarterly in January, April, July and October generally at the time and place determined by the Commission. Postings Regular Meeting agendas must be posted at least 72 hours before the meeting and Special Meeting agendas must be posted at least 24 hours before the meeting. Posting locations include the Markleeville Library, the Bear Valley Library, County Courthouse and Post Offices within the county. Place of Meetings All regular meetings of the Commission shall be held in the Markleeville Library Meeting Room or other location designated by the Commission and properly noticed and posted. Special Meetings The presiding officer or a majority of the Commission may call special meetings. Written notice must be sent, and received by each member of the Commission. Notice (agenda) must be posted no less than 24 hours prior to the meeting and only the business stated on the notice may be considered in accordance with Government Code Section 54950 et seq. and the Brown Act. Adjourned Meetings The Commission may adjourn any meeting to a time and place specified in the order of adjournment, in accordance with the Brown Act. Closed Sessions The Commission is authorized to hold closed (non-public) meetings for limited purposes, such as the discussion of matters posing a threat to the security of Library buildings or a threat to the public's right of access to Library buildings or services. Upon consultation with County Counsel and determination that a closed session is both authorized and appropriate under the circumstances, the Chairperson of the Commission may call a closed session. Open Meetings All meetings of the commission shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Brown Act. Quorum A quorum will be a majority (3 of the 5) Commissioners. If a quorum is not present the Secretary of the Commission will adjourn the meeting and post a notice of adjournment to ---PAGE BREAK--- Library Commission Section 9: include time, place and date of the next meeting. A majority of the Commission must concur in all findings of fact, advice and recommendations to the Board of Supervisors. Excused Absences Prior notification of absence from Commission meetings constitutes an excused absence. An absence due to unforeseen circumstances such as illness or emergency shall also qualify as an excused absence when the member reports such an absence to the Commission Secretary as soon as reasonably possible. The Commission Secretary shall record all unexcused absences involving neither advance notice nor unforeseen circumstances. After any member of the library Commission has three consecutive unexcused absences, the Commission may recommend to the Board of Supervisors removal of that Commissioner. ARTICLE VI - BUSINESS Section 1: Section 2: Agenda All matters intended for action or information, whether originating with the public or county officials, shall be submitted to the Commission on an agenda prepared by the Commission Secretary or his/her designee and/or pursuant to instructions by the Commission. Matters Not Posted on the Agenda No action may be taken on any item not appearing on the posted agenda except as follows: 1. Upon determination by a majority vote of the Commissioners that an emergency situation exists, as defined by Government Code 54956.5; 2. Upon determination by a four-fifths (4/5) vote of the Commission, or, if less than the full Commission is present, a unanimous vote of those Commissioners present that the need to take action arose subsequent to the agenda being posted; or 3. The item had been previously posted as required for a meeting occurring not more than five calendar days prior to the meeting and the item had been continued to this meeting. Section 3: Section 4: Chairperson as Presiding Officer The Chairperson shall call the Commission to order at the hour appointed for the meeting. In the absence of the Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson shall call the Commission to order and shall act in all respects as the Chairperson. In the absence of both the Chairperson and the Vice-Chairperson, the remaining members shall elect a Chairperson pro-tempore who may act as Chairperson in all respects at the meeting and for the purpose of signing documents. Order of Business At the time set for commencement of the meeting, the members of the Commission shall convene in the meeting place and the business of the commission shall be taken up for consideration and disposition in the following order, except as may be otherwise ordered by the Commission: I. Call to Order 2. Oral and Written Communication 3. Minutes ---PAGE BREAK--- Library Commission 4. Unfinished Business (items continued from previous agendas) 5. New Business (items for discussion prior to action) a. Bear Valley Library Report b. County Librarian (or designee) update and oral communication. 6. Next Meeting a. Agenda Items 7. Adjournment Section 5: Approval of Minutes Unless a reading in full of the minutes of a Commission meeting is requested by a member, such minutes (if the Commission has previously been furnished a copy) may be approved without reading. ARTICLE VII - MOTIONS Section 1: Section 2: Section 3: Making of Motions Except as hereinafter provided, when any subject is opened for consideration by the Commission, whether before or after debate thereon, a motion may be made by a member. A second is required or the motion dies. Where a motion is made and seconded, the Chairperson may rule the motion out of order if in violation of the Brown Act. Amendment/Withdraw The mover, with the consent of the second, may withdraw or amend any motion at any time before a decision or amendment. Seconding Motions The following motions do not require a second: Questions of order Division of the question Nominations ARTICLE VIII - VOTING Section 1: Section 2: Disposition by Chairperson Except where a vote is otherwise required, the Chairperson may order the disposition of matters coming before the Commission; provided, however, that if a member objects, a vote shall be taken. Where a motion is made and seconded, unless a vote is required by law or desired by any member, the Chairperson may order the disposition of the matter in accordance with the motion. Such decision of the Chairperson shall be deemed to be the action of the Commission. Recording Votes When a vote on any matter is called for, it shall be by voice vote unless any member shall request a roll call vote. On a tie vote, the motion is lost. The roll call vote shall be taken in rotation, with the Chair voting last. The Chair shall announce the result of the vote and any member may then explain his/her vote if it is in opposition to the motion. The Chair shall then announce the next order of business. · ---PAGE BREAK--- Library Commission Section 3: Abstaining from Voting When a roll call vote is being taken on a motion and a member declines to vote for any reason, his/her vote shall not be counted in determining the passage of the motion and such member shall be recorded as having abstained from voting. Section 4: Section 5: Section 6: Section 7: Explanation of Vote A member shall be allowed to briefly explain his/her vote while the roll is being called. Change of Vote A member shall be allowed to change his/her vote only until the next item of business is announced by the Chairperson; provided, however, that this rule may be suspended by a vote of two-thirds of the members present. Roll Call Vote Any member may demand that a roll call vote be taken on any motion. Majority Vote All motions will be carried by a majority vote unless otherwise required by law. A majority of members present, if a quorum, is a majority for the passage of motions. ARTICLE IX - RULES OF CONDUCT Section 1: Section 2: Section 3: Addressing the Commission No person shall address the Commission without first securing the permission of the Chairperson; provided, however, that permission shall not be refused except for a good cause. After a motion is passed or a hearing closed, no person shall address the Commission on the matter without first securing permission of the Chairperson. Relevancy Speakers shall confine their remarks to those which are relevant to the subject of the hearing. Attacks against the character or motives of any person shall be out of order. The Chairperson, subject to appeal to the Commission, shall be the judge of relevancy and whether character or motives are being impugned. Decorum Any person making personal, impertinent, or slanderous remarks, or who shall become boisterous while addressing the Commission, shall be forthwith barred from future audience before the Commission, unless permission to continue be granted by the Chairperson. ARTICLE X- AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS These bylaws may be amended al any regular meeting of the Commission by a majority vote. Any amendment made by the Commission must then be submitted to the Board of Supervisors for approval and inclusion in the Historical Records.