Originally aAdopted 5/8/2002, and as cumulatively aAmended
10/14/2009, and 9/12/2012, and 3/13/2013 and 09/XX/2015
BYLAWS OF THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COUNCIL
Article I NAME
The organization will
be
known as the Regional Transportation Advisory Council, and alternatively referred to as
the Advisory Council.
Article II PURPOSE
The Regional Transportation Advisory Council advises the Boston Region Metropolitan
Planning Organization (MPO) on transportation policy and planning and serves
as a primary mechanism .
The Advisory Council provides
a forum for broad public participation in the
federally mandated 3-C
transportation planning process.
Article III MEMBERSHIP
Membership shall consist
of
a broad and balanced spectrum
of
providers and users of
any
form of transportation.
Individuals
are
welcome to participate in all meetings
of
the Advisory Council, but membership shall be is limited to public and private organizations and governmental
units, including state agencies and municipalities, that meet the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other applicable federal
requirements concerning public
outreach for metropolitan planning organizations
(collectively, for
purposes of these bylaws,
entities).
Member entities shall designate
to the Advisory Council
in writing one representative
and
up to two alternates. Representatives
and alternates should be empowered by the
entities they represent to cast votes on matters
before
the Advisory
Council. Entities
may
be admitted to membership by vote of the existing voting members. Ongoing voting Continuing membership status shall depend on active participation, defined as
attendance at the majority of Advisory Council meetings
in each a federal fiscal
year.
Failure to attend a majority of such meetings
in each federal fiscal year shall automatically change such member entitys status
to
non-voting. Such non-voting member entity may thereafter be re-admitted
to
voting status upon first (i) attending a
majority of six consecutive meetings
of
the Advisory Council and thereafter (ii) by majority vote of the then-current voting membership. As used herein, the term
member refers
to an
admitted
entity, and the terms representative and alternate refer
to individuals designated by any such member entity.
All MPO member entities, except the Advisory Council itself, shall
automatically be deemed non-voting members of the Advisory
Council. Individual
persons who represent
any
MPO entity cannot simultaneously serve as be a voting
representative or
alternate designee
at the Advisory Council.
The list of all current member entities and their respective representatives and alternates shall
will be maintained
by staff on the MPO website.
Article IV OFFICERS
The Officers
of the Advisory Council shall be a Chair and a Vice Chair.
The Chair, supported by staff, shall be the primary contact for the Advisory Council, shall set agendas and shall call and preside at the meetings.
As provided in the MPOs Memorandum of Understanding of July 7, 2011,: tThe Advisory Council is a voting member
of
the MPO. The Chair, representing the Advisory Council, will
attend, participate, and vote in MPO meetings.
The Vice Chair shall serve in the absence of the Chair and shall replace the Chair in the event
case
of a vacancy in that office.
If and when requested by the Chair, tThe Vice Chair shall actively participate in meetings of the MPO and will vote only in the absence of the Chair will exercise the Advisory Councils
vote at the MPO.
In the absence of both the Chair and Vice Chair, the Chair may appoint a member
of
the Advisory Council who is
a past Chair to represent and vote for the Advisory Council at
any
MPO meeting.
Article V MEETINGS
The Advisory Council will generally meet
monthly as
determined by the Chair with at
least seven days notice of the time and agenda provided to the representatives.
Special meetings
may also be called by the Chair with
at least
seven days notice. All meetings
of the Advisory Council shall be are open to the public.
The conduct of the meetings shall be governed by Roberts
Rules of Order subject to ; however,
parliamentary discretion shall be vested in the Chair. The Chair shall
recognize all attendees wishing to be heard, and shall grant the floor,
except in the discussion of a motion on the floor, where the Chair shall have discretion.
Article VI
QUORUM
One third of the voting members of the Advisory Council
shall constitute a quorum. Assuming a quorum is present, a simple majority of present voting members shall be present and voting is necessary for passage of all motions.
Article VII MOTIONS
Motions will
be
accepted only if moved and seconded by voting members designated representatives or
alternates participating in a representatives
absence.
Article VIII VOTING
Each voting member
shall have one vote, to be cast by its designated representative, or
in case of such representatives
absence, by an alternate.
Article IX COMMITTEES
The Chair shall appoint committees to assist
in
carrying out the business
of
the Advisory Council. Only Advisory Council voting members
may
vote on committees. Reports by
committees shall be submitted to the Chair for report to the Advisory Council. The Chair shall publish a list of existing committees and their current membership in or around December. The following committees will be established, as well as other
committees
deemed appropriate by the Chair
of
the Advisory Council, with members appointed by
the
Chair unless otherwise provided by these bylaws.
An Executive Committee shall consist of the Chair, the Vice Chair, the immediate past
Chair, and Chairs of all standing committees. The Executive Committee shall be
authorized to act in place of the full Advisory Council on any matters
arising between Advisory Council meetings that require immediate action. Any actions so
taken shall be reported to the Advisory Council at its
next meeting. In the case of officer
vacancies, the
Executive Committee shall nominate replacements for election at the next occurring
Advisory Council meeting, and the Executive Committee nominees shall serve until those elections.
A Membership Committee shall be chaired by the Vice Chair of the Advisory Council and shall include at least one representative each from a citizen advocacy organization, a municipality, and a regional or
state agency. The Membership Committee should assess the breadth of representation on an ongoing basis
and
report annually to the
Chair changes that should be made in Advisory Council membership, if any.
An
Election Committee shall be appointed by the Chair prior
to
yearly elections
of officers,
and shall be chaired by the immediate past Chair of the Advisory Council, if
available.
Election Committee membership
shall include a voting member from a citizen advocacy organization, a municipality, and, if possible, a regional or state agency.
One or more additional cCommittees may shall be appointed by the Chair on an annual basis to review and offer
recommendations on
each of the following plans and programs:
the MPOs
Long-Range Transportation Plan, the Transportation
Improvement Program, and the
Unified Planning Work Program as well as
such other topics as the Chair shall deem advisable in its discretion.
An
Election Committee shall be appointed by the Chair prior
to
yearly elections
of officers, and shall be chaired by the immediate past Chair of the Advisory Council, if available. Election Committee membership shall include a voting member from a citizen advocacy organization, a municipality, and, if possible, a regional or state agency.
Article X ELECTIONS
The Election Committee will
commence its election process each year
at the July
Advisory Council meeting.
The Election Committee will
encourage members to seek election and will
organize and
administer
the
election, supported by staff.
The Election Committee will receive nominations and will
submit the names of all
candidates for Chair and Vice Chair at the September Advisory Council meeting. Additional
nominations from the floor, accepted by the nominee, will be accepted during
the
September meeting and nominations
will be closed as of the adjournment of the
September meeting. The Election Committee will prepare a list
of
candidates
and their
statements and circulate this list to voting members prior
to the October Advisory
Council meeting.
Elections
shall be held in October, and the new Officers terms shall begin November 1.
Article XI AMENDMENTS
These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds
majority vote of present voting members present and voting at a meeting of the Advisory Council. Specific notice of the
proposed amendment shall be provided to members at least seven days
in advance of the meeting, in order
to
have representation available to vote at the meeting.