Transylvania Natural Resources Council By-Laws

BY-LAWS OF THE

TRANSYLVANIA NATURAL RESOURCES COUNCIL

(Amended September 2015)

NAME 

ARTICLE 1:      This organization shall be known as the Transylvania Natural Resources Council (hereafter referred to as the Council).

PURPOSES

ARTICLE 2:     The purposes of the Council are to:

1. Study, review, and update the inventory of Transylvania County’s natural resources and recommend to the Board of Commissioners, through the County Manager or other appropriate officials, county policies, procedures, ordinances and/or changes to the general statutes to responsibly manage Transylvania County’s natural resources and promote the environment.
2. Promote education and understanding of the County’s natural resources and related issues.
3. Other related duties and responsibilities as the Board of Commissioners may assign.

MEMBERSHIP

ARTICLE 3:   The Transylvania Natural Resources Council shall consist of:

1. Regular Members:  The Council shall consist of 15 members. Eight Council members shall be appointed by the Board of Commissioners through an application process in compliance with county policies and procedures. Six members shall be appointed by one of the various appointing authorities listed in paragraph two (ii) below. The Director, Transylvania County Soil and Water Conservation District shall be a member.
2. Council members shall be drawn from, but not limited to, government, education, environmental, business/industry, and medical/health groups with an emphasis on technical expertise, geographical representation, and other factors in compliance with county policies and procedures.
3.          To insure adequate representation from the public lands, one representative each from USFS (Pisgah National Forest), Gorges State Park, and Dupont State Recreational Forest shall hold three of the 15 positions. Representatives from Dupont State Recreational Forest and Headwaters State Forest may co-share representation but shall only have one vote during Council proceedings. A representative from The Town of Rosman, one from Brevard College, and one from the City of Brevard shall hold three other Council positions.

iii. The Council shall notify the Clerk to the Board of Commissioners (the Clerk) in writing of vacancies, make recommendations of individuals who might serve if appointed, review applications, and submit recommendations for appointment to the Clerk for Commissioners’ consideration.

1.         The County Extension Director shall provide staff facilitation to include liaison with county staff and organizational and clerical support for the Council.
2.          Ex Officio Members:  The County Manager and any county department head may serve as ex officio members of the Council. Ex officio members shall have an active voice in all meetings and may serve as officers or on work groups but shall not vote on Council matters.
3.           Vacancies:  Vacancies shall be filled in accordance with these bylaws and county policies and procedures.
4.          Removal of Members:  Members shall serve at the pleasure of the Board of Commissioners or their appointing authorities. Any member, including those appointed by one of the six appointing authorities as listed in Section 3.a.ii above, may be removed from the Council by the Board of Commissioners and a replacement appointment requested. The Chair of the Council shall notify the Clerk should removal of any member become necessary. Reasons for removal shall be cited in any correspondence requesting such action.
5.           Attendance:  Any member who does not attend two consecutive meetings shall receive an attendance alert by mail with a copy sent to the Clerk and the appointing authority if other than the Board of Commissioners. Absence from three consecutive meetings shall be considered member resignation, and a new appointment shall be requested.
6.           Terms of Office:  Members (with the exception of those specified in Article 3.a.ii) shall serve staggered three-year terms with a two-term limit. Members appointed to fill unexpired terms may be reappointed per county policies and procedures.
7.          Training and Orientation:  Training for all members and orientation for new members shall be held in January of each year and shall be mandatory as appropriate.

OFFICERS

ARTICLE 4:   The officers of the Council shall consist of a Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary. The Chair and Vice Chair shall be elected by a majority of Council members at the annual meeting held in September of each year. The Chair and Vice Chair shall serve one-year terms, beginning the first day of October. No one shall serve more than two consecutive terms as Chair or two consecutive terms as Vice Chair. The Transylvania County Cooperative Extension Director shall designate a Secretary to the Council.

DUTIES OF OFFICERS

ARTICLE 5:   The duties of each office shall be:

1. Chair:  The Chair shall preside at all meetings, and shall appoint workgroups as he/she or the Council shall consider expedient or necessary and shall designate the chair of each appointed workgroup. The Chair shall be the spokesperson of the Council and shall report at least annually to the Board of Commissioners.
2. Vice Chair:  The Vice Chair shall perform the duties of the Chair in the Chair’s absence. The Vice Chair shall exercise such other duties as may be assigned by the Chair. In the absence of the Chair and the Vice Chair, an acting Chair shall be elected by the regular members in attendance.
3. Secretary:  The Secretary shall maintain a current and accurate membership roster, keep minutes and attendance of all meetings, provide meeting notices, conduct all correspondence pertaining to the office, and perform such other duties as may be required by the Chair, Vice Chair, or by the Council. Copies of minutes and records of member attendance shall be forwarded to the Chair within two weeks after any meeting. When minutes are approved by a majority of Council vote, copies shall be forwarded to the Clerk, as well as to other official document depositories.

MEETINGS

ARTICLE 6:   ALL MEETINGS SHALL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

1. Annual Meeting:  The annual meeting shall be held in September of each year.
2. Regular Meetings:  Regular meetings shall occur at least quarterly.
3. Special Meetings:  Special meetings may be called by the Chair. The Secretary shall provide any required legal notices of the special meetings.
4. Notice of Meetings:  Notice of time, place and agenda items for all meetings (annual, regular, and special) shall be provided by the Secretary to all members, to the Clerk, and to the County “Sunshine List” in accordance with GS 143-318.12(2), at least one week prior to each meeting.
5. Quorum:  A quorum shall consist of 50.1 percent of the active membership of the Council (usually 8 members). Unfilled positions are not counted. A quorum is required to transact business.
6. Agenda:  Any member may request the Chair to place an item on the agenda. If the Chair should decline to do so, a member may have such item placed on the agenda by submitting his request, in writing, to the Chair with support signatures of three members. Any matters not appearing on the agenda may be considered upon a favorable vote.
7. Rules of Order:  The deliberations of all meetings of the Council and its various subcommittees shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised.

VOTING

ARTICLE 7:  Voting shall consist of:

1. One Vote Each:  Each Council member, including the Chair, shall be entitled to one vote.
2. Proxy Votes:  No member shall vote by proxy.
3. Majority:  A simple majority shall constitute a majority vote, as long as there is a quorum present to conduct business.
4. Abstentions:  An abstention of any vote, unless for a Council-approved conflict of interest, shall be a vote with the majority and shall be so reflected in the minutes.
5. Determination of Actions:  All actions, Council positions, or policy recommendations shall require the favorable vote of a majority of those Council members present at a duly-called meeting.

OPERATIONS

ARTICLE 8:    Reporting requirements shall consist of:

1. Annual Report:  In October of each year, the Chair shall present a report to the Board of Commissioners describing the Council’s activities for the preceding year.
2. Recommendations:  Those items (e.g., ordinances, resolutions or policies) presented to the Board of Commissioners for action will comply with Article 7 and all other provisions of these Bylaws.

AMENDMENTS

 ARTICLE 9:   These Bylaws may be amended or replaced upon the affirmative vote of three-fourths (3/4) of the members at any duly-called meeting as long as a minimum of ten members are present. All changes to the Bylaws shall be approved by the Board of Commissioners.