1g Adopt Amendment to Senior Commission Bylaws 1
C ITYOF
CHANHASSEN
690 COULTER DRIVE • P.O. BOX 147 • CHANHASSEN, MINNESOTA 55317
(612) 937 -1900 • FAX (612) 937 -5739
1 Action by City Administrator
Endorsed ✓ D u k
' MEMORANDUM Modified
erected
TO: Don Ashworth, City Manager
1 Aeh Submitted to Commission
FROM: Sharmin Al -Jaff, Planner I
Dap Sut:ri:tted to Council
1 DATE: March 1, 1993 1
SUBJ: Adopt Amendment to Senior Commission Bylaws
On February 19, 1993, the Senior Commission reviewed their bylaws and requested an
1 amendment to Section 3, Subsection 2, Terms and Vacancies. The current language allows seven
members to the commission with two and three year terms. The commission is requesting the
terms be limited to two years in order not to lose all members of the commission in the same
1 year. The commission was formed in 1991. The commissioners with two year terms were
replaced or reappointed this year. Under the current bylaws, all the commissioners' terms will
expire in the same year, 1996. The proposed amendment will prevent this from happening.
i
Staff Recommendation
1 Staff recommends the City Council approve the amendment to Section 3, Subsection 2, Terms
and Vacancies of the Chanhassen Senior Commission Bylaws, to allow terms of two years only.
1 ATTACHMENTS
1 1. Senior Commission Bylaws
1
1
1
1 to PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
1
SENIOR COLMIISSION
CITY OF CHANHASSEN
BY -LAWS
The following by -laws are adopted by the Chanhassen Senior
Commission to facilitate the performances of its duties and the
exercising of its functions as a Commission established by the City
Council pursuant to the provision of Subdivision 1, Section
1 462.354, Minnesota State Statutes annotated.
Section 1 - Duties and Responsibilities
1.1 The Senior Commission shall serve as an advisory body to the
City Council in addressing the special needs of the people
over 55 living in Chanhassen. All final decisions are to be
1 made by the City Council.
1.2 The Senior Commission will consider and make recommendations
' to the City Council regarding the special needs of seniors in
the areas of transportation, information and assistance,
independent living in the home, social and recreational
programs, senior centers and senior housing, but will not be
limited to these issues.
1.3 The Senior Commission will make recommendations to the City
Council regarding funding for special services to be provided
for the citizens over 55.
' 1.4 The Senior Commission may propose needs studies of this age
group where necessary and make recommendations to the City
Council according to the results.
1.5 The Senior Commission will coordinate services with other
governments and private agencies for this age group.
1.6 Public Hearings. The Senior Citizen Commission shall hold
public hearings on issues regarding special needs of seniors
in areas of transportation, information and assistance,
independent living in the home, social and recreational
programs, senior centers and senior housing, but will not be
limited to these issues.
1.7 Establishment of Sub - Committees. The Senior Commission may,
as they deem appropriate, establish special sub - committees
comprised solely of their own members.
1
Section 2 - Meetings
2.1 Time and Place. Regular meetings of the Commission shall be
held on the third Friday of each month at 9:30 a.m. at the
1 1
1
1
City Council Chambers 690 Coulter Drive, unless otherwise
directed by the Chairperson, in which case, at least 24 hours
notice will be given to all members. Regular meetings shall
have a curfew of 12:00 p.m. which may be waived at the
discretion of the Chairperson. All unfinished business will
be carried over to the next regular meeting. When the regular
meeting day falls on a legal holiday, there shall be no
meeting.
2.2 Special Meetings. Special meetings shall be held upon call by
the Chairperson, or in her /his absence, the Vice - Chairperson,
or any other member with the concurrence of four other members
of the Commission and with at least 48 hours of notice to all
members on the first Friday of the month. Notice of all
special meetings shall be posted on the official city bulletin
board.
2.3 Attendance. The Senior Commission members shall attend not
less than 75% of all regular and special meetings held during
a given calendar year and shall not be absent from three
consecutive meetings without prior approval of the
Chairperson. Failure to meet this minimum attendance
requirement shall be cause for removal from the Commission by
action of the City Council.
Section 3 - Commission Composition - Terms and Vacancies
3.1 Composition. The Senior Commission shall consist of seven
voting members. Seven members shall be appointed by the City
Council and may be removed by the Council.
1
3.2 Terms and Vacancies. The City Council shall appoint seven
members to the commission for terms of two and three years.
Vacancies during the term shall be filled by the Council for
the unexpired portion of the term. Every appointed member
shall, before entering upon the charge of his /her duties take
an oath that he /she will faithfully discharge the duties of
his /her office. All members shall serve without compensation.
3.3 Quorum. Four Senior Commission members shall constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business. Whenever a quorum is
not present, no final or official action shall be taken at
such meeting.
Section 4 - Organization
4.1 Election of Officers. The first meeting in January of each
year, the Senior Commission shall hold an organizational
meeting. At this meeting, the Commission shall elect from its ,
membership a chairperson and vice - chairperson. This shall be
done by voice vote. Vice - Chairperson shall be elected from
2 1
i
1
the remaining members by the same proceeding. If the
Chairperson retires from the Senior Commission before the next
' regular organizational meeting, the Vice - Chairperson shall be
Chairperson. If both Chairperson and Vice - Chairperson retire,
new officers shall be elected at the next regular meeting. If
both Chairperson and Vice - Chairperson are absent from a
meeting, the Commission shall elect a temporary Chairperson by
voice vote.
' 4.2 Duties of Chairperson and Vice - Chairperson. The Chairperson,
or in his /her absence, the Vice - Chairperson, shall preside at
meetings, appoint committees from it's own membership and
perform other such duties as ordered by the Commission.
The Chairperson shall conduct the meeting so as to keep it
moving as rapidly and efficiently as possible and shall remind
11 members, witnesses and petitioners to preserve order and
decorum and to keep comments to the subject at hand. The
Chairperson shall not move for action but may second motions.
' Section 5 - Procedure
5.1 Procedure. Parliamentary procedure governed by Robert's Rules
of Order Revised shall be followed at all regular meetings.
At special work session meetings, and when appropriate, the
Commission may hold group discussions not following any set
parliamentary procedures except when motions are before the
Commission.
Section 6 - Public Hearings
6.1 Purpose of Hearings. The purpose of a hearing is to collect
' information and facts in order for the Commission to develop
a rational senior issue recommendation for the City Council.
6.2 Hearing Procedure. At hearings, the following procedures
shall be followed in each case:
a. The Chairperson shall state the case to be heard.
b. The Chairperson shall call upon staff to present the
staff report. Required reports from each city department
shall be s ubmitted to the Senior Commission before each
case is heard.
' c. The Chair person shall ask the applicant to present
his /her case.
d. Interested persons may address the Commission, giving
information regarding the particular proposal.
e. Petitioners and the public are to address the Chairperson
only, not staff or other commissioners.
f. There shall be no dialogue among the Commissioners,
giving information regarding the particular proposal.
(The Senior Commission members may ask questions of
1 3
1
1
persons addressing the Commission in order to clarify a
fact, but any statement by a member for any other purpose
then to question may be ruled out of order.)
g. After all new facts and information have been brought
forth, the hearing shall be closed and interested persons
shall not be heard again. Upon completion of the hearing
on each case, the Senior Commission shall discuss the
item at hand and render a decision. The Senior
Commission, if it so desires, may leave the public record
open for written comments for a specified period of time.
h. The Chairperson shall have the responsibility to inform
all of the parties of their rights of appeal on any
decision or recommendation of the Senior Commission. 1
6.3 Schedule. At meetings where more than one hearing is
scheduled, every effort shall be made to begin each case at
the time set on the agenda, but in no case may an item be
called for hearing prior to the advertised time listed on the
agenda.
Section 7 - Miscellaneous
7.1 Senior Commission Discussion. Matters for discussion which do
not appear on the agenda may not be considered and discussed
by the Commission unless, when initiated and presented by the
staff and be placed at the end of the agenda.
7.2 Suspension of Rules. The Commission may suspend any of these
rules by unanimous vote of the members present.
7.3 Amendments. Amendments of these by -laws may be made at any 1
regular or special meeting of the Senior Commission but only
if scheduled on the meeting agenda in advance of the meeting.
7.4 Review. At the first meeting in January of each year, these
by -laws shall be read and adopted by the Senior Commission.
Adopted this day of , 1991.
1
Chairperson
1
11
4
1