Children and Families Commission
BYLAWS
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ARTICLE I. NAME AND ADDRESS The commission shall be known as FIRST 5 El Dorado Children and Families Commission. Its principle address will be: 4111 Creekside Drive, Suite B Shingle Springs, California 95682
ARTICLE II. DEFINITIONS
The following terms shall have the following meanings when used in these Bylaws, unless different meaning or intent clearly appears from the context:
A. “Act” shall mean the California Children and Families Act of 1998.
B. “Initiative” shall mean the California Children and Families Initiative.
C. “Board” shall mean the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors
D. “Commission” shall mean First 5 El Dorado Children and Families Commission.
E. “Fund” shall mean the El Dorado County California Children and Families Trust Fund pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 130105, which was created on December 8, 1998 by the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors by Ordinance No. 4723.
F. “Plan” shall mean a county strategic plan adopted by the commission, approved by the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors and submitted to the California Children and Families Commission pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 130140.
G. “State Commission” shall mean the California Children and Families State Commission established in accordance with Health and Safety Code section 130110.
H. “Ordinance” shall mean El Dorado County Ordinance #4723 as adopted by the Board of Supervisors and/or as subsequently amended.
ARTICLE III. GOAL
The goal of the Commission is to ensure that the children of El Dorado County are in good health, ready and able to learn, and emotionally well developed by facilitating the creation and implementation of an integrated, comprehensive and collaborative system of information and services for children in the target group prenatal to five years of age. This system should function as a network that promotes accessibility to all information and services from any entry point into the system. It is further the intent to emphasize local decision making, to provide for greater local flexibility in designing delivery systems, and to eliminate duplicate administrative systems while emphasizing the importance of proper parenting and nurturing.
ARTICLE IV. PURPOSE
The purpose of the Commission is to develop a Strategic Plan that focuses on the support for, and improvement of, early care and education within the County. The Strategic Plan must be approved by the Board of Supervisors, and then be submitted to the State Commission.
ARTICLE V. AUTHORITY
A. In November 1998, voters in California approved Proposition 10 creating the California Children and Families Initiative.
B. The Commission is established by subdivision (1) (a) of Section 130140 of the California Health and Safety Code.
C. The Commission was ordained on December 8, 1998 by Ordinance No. 4514 of the Board of Supervisors of the County of El Dorado.
ARTICLE VI. MEMBERSHIP
A. Members shall be appointed by the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors and shall consist of at least 5 but not more than 9 members who will include the following:
Superintendent’s Council
Board of Supervisors who are not serving on the Commission.
B. Members of the Commission shall not be compensated for their services, except they shall be paid reasonable per diem and reimbursement of reasonable expenses for attending meetings and discharging other official responsibilities as authorized by the Commission.
ARTICLE VII. QUORUM A majority of the appointed voting members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum of the Commission.
ARTICLE VIII. VOTING RIGHTS
All individual members have equal voting rights, which may not be exercised in absentia. A voting majority will consist of a majority of those appointed. Commission members who are present and able to vote (vote may be by video teleconferencing due to location) (i.e., not subject to a conflict of interest issue.) On any special voting item, there must be a quorum of Commission members available and able to vote.
ARTICLE IX. OFFICERS, STAFF AND DUTIES
A. The officers of the Commission shall be a Chair, Vice-Chair, and such officers as the Commission may from time to time provide. The officers shall perform the duties of their respective offices, and such other duties as may be approved by the Commission.
B. The Chair, Vice-Chair and other such officers shall be selected by majority vote of the Commission. The Chair cannot be a member of the Board of Supervisors or a County Department Head.
C. The terms of all such officers shall be one year, commencing upon the adjournment of the meeting of the members at which they are selected. All officers shall hold office until their successors are duly elected.
D. The Chair shall be the executive head of the organization and shall preside at all meetings. In the absence of the Chair, the Vice-Chair shall assume the duties of the Chair. The specific duties of other such officers shall be prescribed by the Commission.
E. Staff for the Commission shall be appointed by majority vote of the Commission. The Executive Director retains responsibility and authority to secure, evaluate and terminate staff as appropriate.
F. Each October the Chair shall appoint a nominating committee to select officers. The nominating committee shall consist of at least 2 Commissioners, and shall bring nominations to the November Commission meeting. Officers shall be elected annually at the January Commission meeting and immediately assume the duties.
ARTICLE X. COMMITTEES
A. The Commission shall establish one or more advisory committees to provide technical and professional expertise and support for any purposes that will be beneficial in accomplishing the purposes of the Act. Each advisory committee shall meet and shall make recommendations and reports as deemed necessary or appropriate.
B. Committees shall be appointed by a majority vote of the Commission as the Commission deems necessary. One member of each committee will be designated chairperson.
C. Committees shall report to the Commission on a regular basis.
D. Support for agendas, meeting notes and follow-up is designated by Committee chair.
ARTICLE XI. POWERS AND ACTIVITIES
The powers and activities of the Commissions shall be as follows:
A. Bylaws
The Commission shall adopt and amend bylaws consistent with the Ordinance.
B. Strategic Plan
The Commissions shall adopt an adequate and complete Strategic Plan for the support and improvement of early care and education within the County.
1. The Plan shall be consistent with, and in furtherance of the purposes of the Act and any guidelines adopted by the State Commission pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 130125 that are in effect at the time the Plan is adopted.
2. The Plan shall, at a minimum, include the following: a description of the goals and objectives proposed to be attained; a description of the programs, services and projects proposed to be provided, sponsored or facilitated; and a description of how measurable outcomes of such programs, services and projects will be determined by the Commission using appropriate reliable indicators. The Plan shall describe how programs, services and projects relating to early care and education within the County will be integrated into a consumer-oriented and easily accessible system.
3. The Commission shall conduct at least one public hearing on the proposed County Strategic Plan prior to the adoption of the Plan and any subsequent revisions to the Plan.
4. The Commission shall, on at least an annual basis, review the Plan and revise the Plan as may be necessary and appropriate.
5. The proposed Plan, and any subsequent revisions to the Plan, shall be submitted to the Board of Supervisors for approval and comment prior to submission to the State Commission.
6. The Commission shall submit its adopted Strategic Plan and any subsequent revisions thereto, to the State Commission.
C. Trust Fund
1. The Commission shall deposit moneys allocated an appropriate to the Commission in the local California Children and Families Trust Fund.
2. The Commission shall administer the Trust Fund and shall expend the funds only for the purposes authorized by the Act and in accordance with the county Strategic Plan approved by the Commission.
3. The Commission shall establish two Sustainability Funds from the Proposition 10 allocation. The Commission shall monitor and approve the amount to the Sustainability Funds. One fund shall be kept in the County of El Dorado Trust Fund A Government Trust Fund for short-term projects (3-5 years), and the second Trust Fund B shall be kept in the El Dorado Community Foundation for long-term projects (5-10 years).
D. Annual Audit and Report
On or before October 15 of each year, the Commission shall prepare and adopt an annual audit and report pursuant to Section 130150 of the Health and Safety Code. The Commission shall conduct at least one public hearing prior to adopting any annual audit and report.
E. Public Hearing on State Commission’s Annual Report
The Commission shall conduct at least one public hearing on the annual report prepared by the State Commission pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 130150 of the Health and Safety Code.
F. Contracts
The Commission shall enter into such contracts as necessary or appropriate to carry out the provisions and purposes of the Act.
G. Other Functions
The Commission shall perform such other functions as required by applicable state law or regulations, and shall carry out all of its functions in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, including the Ralph M. Brown Act.
ARTICLE XII. MEETINGS
A. Regular meetings of the Commission shall be held on a regular basis at a time and place to be specified by a vote of the Commission.
B. All meetings of the Commission, except those closed sessions permitted by law, shall be open and public. All meetings shall conform to the Ralph M. Brown Act, including requirements for notice of meetings, preparation and distribution of agendas and written materials, inspection of public records, closed sessions and emergency meetings, maintenance of records, and disruption of a public meeting. Those provisions of law which govern the conduct of meetings of this Commission are hereby incorporated by reference into these Bylaws.
C. Notice of each regular meeting shall be posted at least 72 hours prior to the time of the meeting and shall include the time, date and place of the meeting and a copy of the meeting agenda. Notice of any meeting of the Commission shall be given to any person so requesting. Upon written request, individuals and organizations wishing to receive notice of meetings of the Commission will be included on the distribution list for notice of regular meetings.
D. If compliance with the 72-hour notice would impose a substantial hardship on the Commission or if immediate action is required to protect the public interest, then the Chair may call Special Meetings without regard to the 72-hour notice.
ARTICLE XIII. MINUTES, REPORTS, AND AGENDA
A. The Minutes of all meetings of the Commission shall be recorded by the Staff in the Minute Book of the Commission, and shall be submitted for confirmation to the next meeting of the Commission.
B. Minutes of all meetings of the Committees of the Commission shall be kept by a designated member of the Committee and shall be sent to the Commission Staff to be included on the Agenda for meetings of the Commission.
C. Matters for inclusion on the Agenda of a meeting of the Commission and/or the Committee shall be determined by the Commission and the Staff prior to the meeting.
ARTICLE XIV. RULES OF ORDER
Debate and proceedings before the Commission shall be conducted in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order (Newly Revised) when not in conflict with the rules of the Commission and other statutory requirements.
Adopted by First 5 El Dorado Children and Families Commission: June 14, 1999 Date Revised: May 15, 2007 Date |