Full Text
LEWISTON YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL (LYAC) Updated 4/16/2024 NAME & STATEMENT OF PURPOSE The official name of the City of Lewiston youth council shall be the “Lewiston Youth Advisory Council” (LYAC). The LYAC, established by the Lewiston City Council on October 16, 2001, shall serve as an advisory council to the Lewiston City Council in regards to community issues affecting youth and shall serve as a liaison between the youth of the community and the City. The LYAC shall enable youth to work toward goals that empower all of the community’s youth and to undertake service projects that enhance the community. COMPOSITION The LYAC shall annually have a composition of up to 15 voting high school aged members chosen through an application/selection process. To be considered for membership on the LYAC, an individual must be a Lewiston resident at the time of application OR a student (or will be in the fall) at either Lewiston High School or St. Dominic Academy (St. Dom’s continues to be included due to its long-time history with Lewiston and St. Dom’s students have been included in membership since LYAC’s establishment). Should a member no longer meet membership criteria in the midst of his/her tenure, the youth may complete his/her term but not re-apply. The LYAC shall be facilitated by a Lewiston employee serving as “Advisor,” and the Advisor shall be appointed by the City Administrator. The LYAC shall also have one ex-officio city councilor annually appointed by the Lewiston City Council. This individual will serve as a liaison between the City Council and the Lewiston Youth Advisory Council. MEETING SCHEDULE During the K-12 academic school year, a regular meeting of the LYAC shall take place a minimum of twice a month on a weekday and at a time agreed upon by LYAC members and the Advisor. Special meetings shall be called if business at hand requires additional meetings. LYAC PROCEDURES & RESPONSIBILITIES All information pertaining to the procedures and responsibilities of the Lewiston Youth Advisory Council are found in the by-laws that are incorporated herewith. ---PAGE BREAK--- LEWISTON YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL BY-LAWS 1 Updated 4/16/2024 ARTICLE I - NAME The official name of the City of Lewiston youth council shall be the “Lewiston Youth Advisory Council” (LYAC). ARTICLE II - PURPOSE The LYAC shall serve as an advisory council to the Lewiston City Council in regards to community issues affecting youth and shall serve as a liaison between the youth of the community and the City. The LYAC shall enable youth to work toward goals that empower all of the community’s youth and to undertake service projects that enhance the community. ARTICLE III - ADVISORS AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT Section 1. Advisor The LYAC shall be facilitated by a Lewiston employee serving as an “Advisor,” and the Advisor shall be appointed by the City Administrator. Section 2. Administrative Support Administrative support shall be provided to the youth council by the Advisor for purposes of guidance relating to LYAC administrative issues. Section 3. Vacancy of Advisor The City Administrator shall be responsible for filling a vacancy of the Advisor whenever such a vacancy occurs. ARTICLE IV - APPLICATION AND SELECTION Section 1. Qualification To be considered for membership on the LYAC, an individual must be a Lewiston resident at the time of application OR a student (or will be in the fall) at either Lewiston High School or St. Dominic Academy (St. Dom’s continues to be included due to its long- time history with Lewiston and St. Dom’s students have been included in membership since LYAC’s establishment). Should a member no longer meet membership criteria in the midst of his/her tenure, the youth may complete his/her term but not re-apply. Section 2. Selection Criteria Selection criteria shall not be based on popularity, grades, student activities, or such. Students shall be chosen to serve by the Selection Committee (Article IV, Section 6) based on their willingness to serve, ability to interact with others, and ability to be a youth leader. ---PAGE BREAK--- LEWISTON YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL BY-LAWS 2 Updated 4/16/2024 Section 3. Application Process Each April, the application process for membership on the LYAC shall be made public. Promotional efforts may include, but are not limited to, an assembly at Lewiston Middle School, Lewiston High School, and/or St. Dominic Academy; posted flyers; media notification; social media outreach; and emails to the above-noted schools. Application forms shall be released, completed by applicants, and returned to specified locations no later than the second Friday in May. Section 4. Application Content The application to apply for a seat on LYAC shall include application deadline date, time, and return location; eligibility overview; LYAC website link; group’s Statement of Purpose; youth identifying/contact information, to include school affiliation and grade; parent/guardian name/contact number; Why Do You Want to Serve section; Commitment to Serve statement to be agreed upon via electronic or written signature; references section. Section 5. Interviews Each applicant shall be contacted within two weeks of submittal of an application for the purpose of scheduling an interview. Section 6. Composition & Duties of Selection Committee A Selection Committee shall be assembled once a year to choose the new LYAC. This committee shall consist of the Advisor; Council Liaison, possible representation from the Mayor/Council; and any member of the municipal staff, member of the community, or member of the local school system that the Advisor and Council Liaison may deem appropriate. The interview panel may also include one or more former LYAC members, such as one or more high school senior whose service with LYAC has just ended. This committee shall be responsible for reviewing all applications, conducting interviews, and appointing up to fifteen (15) capable youth who best stand out among applicants, thereby best fitting the selection criteria as noted in Article IV, Section 2. The LYAC Selection Committee shall be responsible for submitting a finalized list of LYAC members to the City Administrator by no later than the last Friday in June. Follow-up contact will thereafter occur informing applicants of the group selected. Section 7. Appointment of LYAC Members Selected youth will be appointed at a City Council meeting in July. Orientation/training shall occur during the month of August. Those returning members of the Council do not have to attend the morning sessions of the day-long orientation (to include governmental overview and economic development Powerpoint); however, they are expected to attend the orientation luncheon and afternoon interactive session with new ---PAGE BREAK--- LEWISTON YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL BY-LAWS 3 Updated 4/16/2024 members. The first meeting of the new LYAC year shall be held in September. ARTICLE V - ORGANIZATION OF LYAC Section 1. Composition of LYAC Composition of the Lewiston Youth Advisory Council shall be as follows: a. Up to fifteen (15) high school aged voting members appointed by the LYAC Selection Committee b. One ex-officio city councilor annually appointed by the Lewiston City Council. This individual will serve as a liaison between the City Council and the Lewiston Youth Advisory Council. Section 2. LYAC Membership To be considered for membership on the LYAC, an individual must be a Lewiston resident at the time of application OR a student (or will be in the fall) at either Lewiston High School or St. Dominic Academy (St. Dom’s continues to be included due to its long- time history with Lewiston and St. Dom’s students have been included in membership since LYAC’s establishment). Should a member no longer meet membership criteria in the midst of his/her tenure, the youth may complete his/her term but not re-apply. Section 3. Subcommittees a. At any time, the LYAC reserves the right to create an LYAC subcommittee in order to address a particular issue or issues pertaining to a project the group is focused on. b. The officers (Article VI, Section 2) of the LYAC, in consultation with the Advisor, shall appoint members to subcommittees. Subcommittee membership may not exceed seven members and shall hold public meetings. The LYAC Chair shall appoint a subcommittee chair from among the voting membership of the LYAC, with acceptance by a simple majority vote of the LYAC. c. Membership of subcommittees shall not be limited to voting LYAC members and may consist of any individual who has an interest in a particular youth advisory council issue. All subcommittee members may vote on issues at subcommittee meetings, regardless of LYAC membership. These votes, however, shall not be binding upon the LYAC. The LYAC membership shall have the final word on recommendations from subcommittees. d. Subcommittee chairs are solely responsible to report findings to the LYAC or any other group that may request information of a subcommittee. Subcommittee chairs shall also be responsible for ensuring that subcommittees address forwarded issues in a timely manner. ---PAGE BREAK--- LEWISTON YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL BY-LAWS 4 Updated 4/16/2024 e. Subcommittee chairs shall set meeting times based upon a consensus of subcommittee member preferences. Section 4. Standing Subcommittees Any permanent or semi-permanent subcommittee created by act of any LYAC must be observed by succeeding LYAC groups. As subcommittee chair vacancies occur, the elected Chair of the LYAC is responsible for filling those vacancies. These Chair nominations must be accepted by a simple majority vote of the LYAC. Section 5. Discontinuation of Subcommittees A subcommittee created by act of the LYAC may be discontinued at any time by a simple majority vote of LYAC membership. Section 6. LYAC Term of Service a. LYAC members shall be appointed for service in July of each year with a one- year appointment expiring the day the succeeding youth advisory council is installed. b. LYAC members may apply for an unlimited number of terms as long as they submit an application for a new term and are meeting membership criteria (Article V, Section Should a member no longer meet membership criteria in the midst of his/her tenure, the youth may complete his/her term but not re- apply. Section 7. LYAC Attendance a. Members of the LYAC shall adhere to a strict attendance policy. b. Three unexcused absences from Lewiston Youth Advisory Council meetings shall be considered as a resignation. An unexcused absence is one in which the member does not inform an officer or the Advisor of his or her need to be absent from a meeting. In addition, five excused absences— unless one of those excused absences was due to a family or medical emergency—shall be considered as a resignation. Once a resignation occurs, the seat is automatically vacated, and proper steps (Article V, Section 8) shall be taken to fill a vacancy. c. The LYAC Secretary shall maintain an attendance roster to keep track of members’ attendance, in particular when unexcused and excused absences are occurring. Section 8. LYAC Non-Officer Vacancy Non-officer vacancies that occur within a LYAC term shall be filled by consideration of ---PAGE BREAK--- LEWISTON YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL BY-LAWS 5 Updated 4/16/2024 a recommendation presented by the sitting LYAC and confirmation vote of the sitting LYAC. Confirmation shall be a simple majority vote of the LYAC as the first order of business at the next regularly scheduled LYAC meeting, with the new member’s(s’) tenure taking effect immediately. ARTICLE VI - OFFICERS & DUTIES Section 1. Officers of the Youth Advisory Council The officers of the Youth Advisory Council shall consist of a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. These positions shall be elected by a simple majority vote of the LYAC. Section 2. Descriptions of Offices a. Chair: The LYAC Chair shall set agendas and preside over all meetings of the LYAC. The Chair shall delegate responsibilities to LYAC membership. The Chair shall report to the City Council at least once per month in regards to LYAC activities. The Chair may also convene special meetings of the LYAC to address immediate concerns. The Chair is also responsible for signing any official correspondence of the LYAC. b. Vice-Chair: The Vice-Chair shall assist the Chair in his or her duties and advise the Chair of any agenda and subcommittee concerns. In the absence of the Chair, the Vice-Chair shall assume his or her responsibilities OR when called upon by the Chair, Advisor, or City Council, the Vice-Chair shall assume the duties of the Chair. Upon the resignation or dismissal of a Chair, the Vice-Chair immediately assumes the office of Chair. c. Secretary: The Secretary of the LYAC shall be responsible for processing minutes and electronically distributing them to the membership. The LYAC Secretary shall maintain an attendance roster to keep track of members’ attendance, in particular when unexcused and excused absences are occurring. The Secretary shall be responsible for maintaining any needed LYAC communication links, including phone information and e-mail information. The Secretary may utilize the guidance of the Advisor for administrative support but shall be responsible for fulfilling his or her own requirements. Minutes from the last LYAC meeting shall be reviewed at the start of the next LYAC meeting. When the Secretary is aware that he/she will be absent at a meeting, it is his/her responsibility beforehand to ask another member to take the minutes ---PAGE BREAK--- LEWISTON YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL BY-LAWS 6 Updated 4/16/2024 and electronically distribute them in his/her stead, as well as ask that person to keep track of excused absences and unexcused absences. Should the Secretary’s non-attendance be a very unexpected, last-minute incident, the Vice-Chair will cover his/her duties for that meeting. Such coverage is anticipated to not be a regular occurrence. d. Treasurer: The Treasurer of the LYAC, in consultation with the Advisor, shall maintain proper budgetary processes, and facilitate any needed fundraising activities. Section 3. Vacancy of Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer Upon the resignation or vacancy of the Vice-Chair, Secretary, or Treasurer, the sitting Chair shall immediately declare a seven day nomination period. Nominations for officer replacement shall be forwarded to the Chair during this time. A list of confirmed nominees shall be forwarded to the LYAC membership. Election of a replacement shall be the first order of business at the next regularly scheduled LYAC meeting thereafter, with the nominee receiving the most votes, by secret ballot, being the newly elected officer. In the case of a tie in votes, a re-vote will be taken. Following the voting process, the newly elected officer’s tenure shall take effect immediately. Should there be a second tie vote for one of those positions, each of the tie individuals will assume the respective role for one LYAC meeting. After LYAC members have seen each candidate for that position “in action,” a re-vote will be taken. Section 4. New Session Procedure The Advisor shall conduct the first meeting of every new LYAC year with the nomination process for officers (Article VI, Section 5) as the first order of business. The next scheduled meeting shall focus on officer elections as the first order of business, with new officers taking their seats immediately. Section 5. New Officer Nomination Procedures At the first official LYAC meeting of the year, the Advisor shall be responsible for explaining the descriptions of offices as outlined in Article VI, Section 4, as well as facilitating the nomination process. The Advisor shall ask for nominations at the first meeting. The voting shall take place as the first order of business at the second LYAC meeting, with secret balloting administered by the Advisor and/or the Council Liaison. For officer voting only, email votes will be accepted if a member is unable to attend the voting meeting—as long as the email vote is received prior to the actual meeting vote AND the member was present when the person running for office gave his/her “why you should vote for me” address to the group. In the event of a tie for a newly elected annual officer(s), a re-vote shall be taken and facilitated by the Advisor and/or the Council Liaison. Elected officers shall be seated immediately. ---PAGE BREAK--- LEWISTON YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL BY-LAWS 7 Updated 4/16/2024 ARTICLE VII - MEETINGS & RESPONSIBILITIES Section 1. Meeting Schedule During the K-12 academic school year, a regular meeting of the LYAC shall take place a minimum of twice per month on a weekday and at a time agreed upon by LYAC members and the Advisor. Special meetings shall be called if business at hand requires additional meetings. The Advisor and/or the Council Liaison shall be present at each LYAC meeting. Section 2. Orientation The LYAC shall hold a day-long orientation in August. The purpose of the orientation shall be procedural education and team building. Returning LYAC members do not need to attend the morning procedural education sessions; however, they are expected to join the new members for lunch and the afternoon interactive teambuilding session. Section 3. Special Meetings A special LYAC meeting may be called at the request of the Mayor, City Council, City Administrator, the Advisor, or LYAC Chair. A quorum must be met to proceed with the meeting. Section 4. Governing Procedure All meetings of the LYAC shall be open to the public at all times. Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern all meetings, with the Advisor serving as parliamentarian reference. Section 5. LYAC Quorum To hold a meeting, a quorum, one more than one half of the active membership, shall be present. If a quorum is not achieved, no formal business may take place. Section 6. Voting Members of the LYAC shall vote on all motions or actions before the LYAC. Members shall abstain from a vote when a conflict of interest arises. Conflict of interest shall be defined as referred to in the newest available Robert’s Rules of Order, and any subsequent editions, and Maine State Statutes. Section 7. Information Process a. The Secretary shall keep a public record, minutes, of each meeting and distribute them electronically to members in a timely manner. b. When the Secretary is aware that he/he will be absent at a meeting, it is ---PAGE BREAK--- LEWISTON YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL BY-LAWS 8 Updated 4/16/2024 his/her responsibility beforehand to ask another member to take the minutes and electronically distribute them in his/her stead, as well as ask that person to keep track of excused absences and unexcused absences. Should the Secretary’s non-attendance be a very unexpected, last-minute incident, the Vice-Chair will cover his/her duties for that meeting. Such coverage is anticipated to not be a regular occurrence. Section 8. Commitment to Serve Members of the LYAC shall remain committed to the LYAC “Commitment to Serve” statement that he/she signed at the time of application, which states, “If selected to serve on the Lewiston Youth Advisory Council, I agree to work in a spirit of teamwork with my fellow peers, the LYAC Advisor, Council Liaison, other members of the LYAC, municipal officials, municipal staff, and community members with the understanding that I have been provided with a unique opportunity to represent my peers in a positive light and effectively contribute on behalf of all youth within our community.” Section 9. Behavior a. As representatives of Lewiston youth, members of the LYAC shall strive to follow the “Commitment to Serve” (Article VII, Section 9) agreed to on the LYAC application. Thus, their behavior should reflect the integrity and accountability that the position merits. Acting in an inappropriate manner, whether it be at an LYAC meeting or during non-meeting time, may be just cause for dismissal. b. Upon the occurrence of an LYAC member acting in an inappropriate manner, the Advisor and Council Liaison shall jointly submit to the City Administrator a recommendation to address the behavior. The City Administrator shall reserve the final authority as to discipline of an LYAC member ranging from verbal warning to dismissal. Following the dismissal of a member, the LYAC Chair may choose to leave the seat open or to present a new nominee to the membership in a timely manner. ARTICLE VIII - ADOPTION AND AMENDMENT Section 1. Adoption Upon a simple majority vote of the Lewiston City Council, these by-laws shall be the by- laws by which the LYAC abides. Any revisions to the by-laws by a two-thirds passage of the sitting LYAC, or by a subsequent LYAC, shall become effective only after a simple majority vote of the Lewiston City Council. Dates of all amendments shall be so noted at the end of these by-laws. Section 2. Amendment ---PAGE BREAK--- LEWISTON YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL BY-LAWS 9 Updated 4/16/2024 These by-laws may be amended with a two-thirds vote of the LYAC and a simple majority confirmation vote of the Lewiston City Council. A proposed change to the by- laws must be introduced in writing at an LYAC meeting or via email prior to the vote being taken on such an amendment(s). Section 3. Informal Acts The LYAC may create subcommittees; pass “advisory opinion” resolutions; make recommendations to the Lewiston City Council; or undertake appropriate expenditures of LYAC funds, the latter in consultation with the Advisor. The Lewiston City Council may request input from LYAC on subjects that elected officials would like a youth perspective on; LYAC will thoroughly review the request and will respond in writing with their collaborative input. The youth advisory council shall, however, not proceed in any way that undermines or serves to inappropriately alter these by-laws or the laws and policies of the City of Lewiston or the State of Maine. Section 4. Adopt-A-Spot Beautification Should a sitting LYAC vote to undertake a beautification Adopt-A-Spot or some kind of greenery nursery towards City beautification, each LYAC membership thereafter will continue maintenance of such an area.