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Update PARKS REC BYLAWS approved 1.23.23 Approved 1/23/23 BYLAWS OF THE Park and Recreation Advisory Board ARTICLE 1 NAME The name of the Board is the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. Herein it will be referred to as the Board. ARTICLE 2 PURPOSE AND DUTIES The purpose of the Board is to advise the City Council and the City Manager regarding: 1. The acquisition, development, improvement, equipment, and maintenance of city parks and public playgrounds; 2. The future development of city parks, playgrounds, and recreational facilities, and the purchase of additional land for those purposes; and 3. Improvement in the maintenance, operation, and general welfare of the city’s parks, playgrounds, and recreational facilities and their use by the public. The Advisory Board shall assist with the development and implementation of the Parks Master Plan. 4. The Board shall promote close cooperation between the City and private citizens, institutions and agencies interested in or conducting recreational activities, so that all recreational resources within the City may be coordinated to secure the greatest public welfare. 5. The Board shall perform other duties as prescribed by the City Charter or as directed by city council. ARTICLE 3 MEMBERSHIP 1. The Board is comprised of nine members and two alternate members appointed by the City Council. 2. All members serve at the discretion of the City Council. 3. Board members serve for a term of two years beginning on the 30th of September on the year of appointment. 4. An individual Board member may not act in an official capacity except through the action of the Board. Approved 1/23/23 5. A Board member who is absent for three consecutive regular meetings or one third of all regular meeting in a “rolling” twelve month timeframe automatically vacates the member’s position. This does not apply to an excused absence due of a Board member. Attendance may be excused on a case by case basis for reasons such as a. Illness or injury of the Board member or an illness or injury of a Board member’s immediate family, or the birth or adoption of the Board member’s child for 90 days after the event. b. Absence due to work or work related travel c. Absence due to a planned vacation d. Inability to attend a meeting called by the Board on short notice. 6. The Board member must notify the city staff liaison of the reason for the absence not later than the date of the next regular meeting of the Board. Failure to notify the liaison before the next regular meeting of the Board will result in an unexcused absence. 7. At each meeting, each Board member shall sign an attendance sheet which indicates that the member does not have a conflict of interest with any item on that agenda, or identifies each agenda item on which the member has a conflict of interest. Failure to sign the sheet results in the members being counted as absent and his or her vote not counted. 8. A member who seeks to resign from the Board shall submit a written resignation to the chair of the Board, staff liaison or city secretary’s office. If possible, the resignation should allow for a thirty day notice so city council can appoint a replacement. ARTICLE 4 OFFICERS 1. The officers of the Board shall consist of a chair and vice chair. 2. Officers shall be elected annually by a majority vote of the Board at the first regular meeting after September 30th of each year. In the event a current officer becomes ineligible to serve as an officer, the Board may hold an emergency election as needed. 3. The term of office shall be one year, beginning on October 1st of the year and ending on September 30th of the following year. An officer may continue to serve until a successor is elected. A person may not serve as an officer in a designated position on a Board for more than three consecutive one year terms. A person who has served as an officer in a designated position on a Board for three consecutive terms is not eligible for reelection to that designates office until the expiration of two years after the last date of the person’s service in that office. The Board may override the term limit provision for an officer by an affirmative vote of two thirds of the authorized voting Board members. 4. A Board member may not hold more than one office at a time. Approved 1/23/23 ARTICLE 5 DUTIES OF OFFICERS 1. The chair shall preside at Board meetings, appoint all committees, represent the Board at ceremonial functions and approve each final meeting agenda. 2. In the absence of the chair, the vice-chair shall perform all duties of the chair. ARTICLE 6 AGENDAS 1. Two or more Board members may place an item on the agenda by oral or written request to the staff liaison at least five days before a scheduled meeting. After first consulting with and receiving input from the staff liaison, the chair shall approve each final meeting agenda. 2. The Board liaison shall post the meeting agenda as directed in the City Charter. 3. Posting of the agenda must comply with Texas Government Code Chapter 551 (Texas Open Meeting Act). ARTICLE 7 MEETINGS 1. The Board meetings shall comply with Texas Government Code Chapter 551 (Texas Open Meeting Act). 2. The Board meetings shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order. 3. The Board may not conduct a closed meeting without the approval of the city attorney. 4. Effective January 2019 the Board shall meet every other month on the 4th Monday of each month. In October of each year, the Board may adopt a new schedule of meetings for the upcoming term, including makeup meeting for dates conflicting with scheduled holidays. 5. The chair may call a special meeting, and the chair shall call a special meeting if requested by three or more members. The call shall state the purpose of the meeting. The Board may not call a meeting in addition to its regular scheduled meeting as identified in its adopted meeting schedule, more often that once a quarter, unless the meeting is required to comply with a statutory deadline or a deadline established by City Council. 6. Five (5) Board members shall constitute a quorum. 7. If a quorum for a meeting does not convene within one-half hour of the posted scheduled time for the meeting, the meeting may not be held. Approved 1/23/23 8. To be effective, a Board action must be adopted by an affirmative vote of the number of members necessary to provide a quorum. 9. The chair shall have the same voting privileges as any other member. 10. The Board shall allow citizens to address the Board on agenda items and during a period of time set aside for citizen communications. The chair may limit time to speak to three minutes. 11. The staff liaison shall prepare the Board minutes. The minutes of each Board meeting must include the vote of each member on each item before the Board and indicate whether a Board member is absent or failed to vote on an item. 12. The City Secretary shall retain agenda, approved minutes, internal review reports and bylaws. The Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department shall retain all other Board documents. All documents generated by the Board are considered public records under Texas Local Government Code Chapter 552 (Texas Public Information Act). 13. The chair shall adjourn a meeting not later than 10 p.m. unless the Board votes to continue the meeting. ARTICLE 8 COMMITTEE COMMITTEES 1. A committee must be established by an affirmative vote of the Board. A committee cannot meet until its creation is approved by the Board. Each committee shall consist of at least three Board members appointed by the chair. A staff member shall be assigned to each committee by the Director of the Parks, Recreation and Community Services. 2. The Board chair shall appoint a Board member as the committee chair, with the member’s consent. 3. A majority of the total number of appointed committee member’s constitutes a quorum, 4. Each committee shall meet on a regularly scheduled basis, as least quarterly. 5. Each committee shall make an annual report to the Board at the June meeting 6. Committee meetings must be posted in accordance with Texas Government Code Chapter 551 (Texas Open Meeting Act). 7. At each committee meeting, a committee member must sign in on a sheet provided and shall indicate that the member does not have a conflict of interest with any item on the committee meeting agenda, or identify each agenda item on which the member has a conflict of interest. Approved 1/23/23 ARTICLE 9 PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY The rules contained in the current edition of Roberts Rules of Order shall govern the Board in all cases to which that are applicable, except when inconsistent with these bylaws or with special rules of procedures which the Board or City Council may adopt. ARTICLE 10 AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS A bylaw amendment is not effective unless approved by the Board at a regularly scheduled meeting. These bylaws were approved by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board at their meeting held on July 22, 2013.