[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners of the Township of
South Fayette 9-18-2006 by Ord. No. 17-2006.
Amendments noted where applicable.]
Name. This organization shall be known as the "Environmental Advisory
Council of South Fayette Township."
Establishment. The Environmental Advisory Council was created by Ordinance
No. 18 of 2006. The Council serves in an advisory capacity.
A.
Duties. The Council is designed to serve in an advisory
capacity to the Township Board of Commissioners, administration and the community.
B.
Objectives. The objectives of the Council are to: a)
develop and recommend to the Board of Commissioners and administration an
environmental policy to guide Township actions which involve environmental
issues; b) advise the Board of Commissioners and administration on environmental
issues referred to it for review; c) hear and review complaints and concerns
from the public on environmental matters and recommend actions to be taken
by the Township, where appropriate; d) educate the Board of Commissioners,
administration, and community on environmental issues; and e) recommend public
initiatives on environmental matters to the Township administration.
A.
Number. Said Council shall consist of five members. Two
members will be nonvoting exofficio: a member of the Board of Commissioners
and Township Manager (or designee). The three voting members appointed by
Board of Commissioners shall be eligible voters residing within the Township.
B.
Terms. Members shall be appointed for terms of three
years. Any vacancy in membership shall be filled by appointment by the Board
of Commissioners, and such vacancy appointments shall be for the unexpired
terms of the vacating members.
C.
Removal. A member shall be subject to removal by the
Board of Commissioners, for cause, after notice and opportunity for a hearing
before the Board of Commissioners.
D.
Absenteeism. If any member fails to attend three consecutive
regular meetings of the Council without satisfactory explanation, notice of
such failure shall be forwarded to the Board of Commissioners with the request
for removal of such member from the Council.
E.
Expenses. Members shall serve without salary, but the
cost of sending notices, preparing and distributing minutes and other clerical
expenses shall be paid by the Township from the general fund together with
such extraordinary expenses as are authorized by the Board of Commissioners.
A.
Titles. The officers of this Council shall be Chairperson,
Vice Chairperson, and Secretary. The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson shall
be voting members of the Council. The Secretary shall not be a voting member.
B.
Chairpersons. The Chairperson shall preside at all meetings,
appoint committees, rule on procedural questions, subject to reversal by a
2/3 vote of voting members in attendance, exercise the same voting rights
as the other commissioners and carry out such other duties as are assigned
by the Council.
C.
Vice Chairperson. The Vice Chairperson shall act in the
absence or inability of the Chairperson to act and, in such instances, shall
have the powers and functions of the Chairperson.
D.
Secretary. The Secretary shall be responsible for notifying
all members of meetings, drafting and circulating agendas, performing research
work and preparing reports as are necessary to fully advise the Council of
all facts on matters before the Council, keeping on file all official records
and reports of the Council, keeping written record of Council meetings, transactions
and actions, serving required notice of all public hearings and public meetings,
maintaining and circulating minutes, reporting on and attending to correspondence
of the Council and carrying out such other duties as are assigned by the Council.
The Township Manager (or designee) shall serve as Secretary.
A.
Terms. Officers shall be elected by secret ballot at
the annual meeting of the Council. Terms of office shall be for one year and
no member shall hold the office of Chairperson or Vice Chairperson for more
than two years consecutively. Officers shall serve until replaced by a duly
elected officer in accord with these procedures.
B.
Nominating committee. The Chairperson may appoint a nominating
committee to report to the Council prior to elections, but nomination of officers
may also be made from the floor.
C.
Majority required. Candidates for office receiving a
majority vote of the entire membership (three) shall be declared duly elected.
D.
Vacancies. Vacancies occurring in offices of the Council
shall be filled forthwith by regular election procedure.
A.
Annual meetings. An annual organizational meeting shall
be held in February of each year. Election of officers shall be conducted
and proposed amendments to bylaws may be acted upon.
B.
Regular meetings. Regular meetings of the Council shall
be held the first Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at a place agreed upon
by the Council at a prior meeting. In the event that the regular meeting date
falls on a legal holiday, the meeting shall be rescheduled.
C.
Public hearings. All public hearings shall conform to
the Public Meeting Hearing Law.
D.
Special meetings. Special meetings may be called at the
discretion of the Chairperson, or at the written request of at least two members
who shall convey such request to the Secretary.
E.
Notice of meetings. Notice in writing of annual meetings
setting forth the time and place thereof shall be delivered to all Council
members at least 10 days in advance of such meetings; notice in writing of
each regular meeting shall be sent to all Council members at least three days
in advance of such meeting and notice in writing of any special meeting shall
be sent to all Council members at least one day prior to such meeting and
shall state the time, place and purpose of such meeting.
A.
Agenda. The Secretary of the Council shall develop the
agenda, together with briefing materials, for each meeting of the Council,
in writing.
B.
Agenda items. Items shall not be placed on the agenda
without prior approval of the Chairperson. Items to be considered for action
shall be submitted no less than 10 days prior to the meeting.
C.
Reports. The Secretary shall prepare minutes on all matters
and shall mail such to Council members before the Council meeting at which
time action may be taken.
A.
Rules of order. Unless otherwise specifically designated,
Robert's Rules of Order, as most recently revised, shall govern meeting procedures.
B.
Quorum. A majority of the voting membership of the Council
(two) shall constitute a quorum for meeting purposes; however, no less than
three affirmative or negative notes shall be required to transact business
or make binding decisions in behalf of the Council.
C.
Conflict of interest. Whenever a Council member shall
have a direct or indirect personal or financial interest in an application
or petition before the Council, such member shall declare such interest and
shall not participate in any hearing on said matter; and shall in no event
vote upon such matter. When there is a question as to the existence of a conflict
of interest, the Chairperson shall make ruling thereon.
D.
Suspension of rules. The Council may temporarily suspend
its rules by a 3/4 vote of members in attendance.
E.
Public participation. The public shall be given an opportunity
to speak on all agenda items pursuant to provisions written below.
F.
Dispensation. A motion must be made and voted upon in
order to dispense with any item on the agenda.
G.
Nonagenda matters. No binding or final action may be
taken on any matter not on the written agenda except by unanimous vote of
the members in attendance or 2/3 vote of the entire membership.
H.
Tabling. A tabling motion, if passed, has the effect
of laying the matter over until the next regular meeting unless otherwise
specified.
I.
Notice of appearance. Any person desiring to speak to
the Council shall express that desire to the EAC Chairperson prior to the
hearing of the matter in question, setting forth his or her name and address
and the matter in which he/she is interested.
J.
Time limits. At a public hearing, the proponents and
opponents of any petition or application shall be limited to a total presentation
period of 30 minutes each. On any other item on the agenda, the proponents
and opponents shall be limited to a total presentation period of 15 minutes
each. Excluding the applicant or his or her representative, no person shall
speak more than five minutes on any one agenda item.
K.
Order of appearance. The proponents shall proceed first,
and no person shall speak more than once on a matter before the Council unless
in answer to a question by a Council member or staff member or following suspension
of the rules, except that petitioner or his/her representative may be granted
not more than seven minutes to rebut the opposition presentation.
L.
Deliberations and Action. Following the period of public
comment, the Council shall deliberate and take action on an item. Generally,
public comment shall not be permitted during Council deliberative discussions;
however, the Chairperson may request or authorize public comment to clarify
deliberative issues.
Amendment procedure. These bylaws and rules of procedure may be amended
at the annual meeting by 2/3 of Councilors in attendance, and notice and copies
of any proposed amendments shall be given all Commissioners along with meeting
notice. Amendments may be made by 2/3 vote with appropriate notice.
These bylaws shall take effect on October 1, 2006.
