Alachua
County
Advisory
Boards and Committees Guidelines
Revision No.: 02 Review
Date: January 28, 2020
OVERVIEW: It shall be the policy of the Board of
County Commissioners of Alachua County, Florida, that these Guidelines shall
provide direction for the creation of new advisory boards and committees, the
membership of advisory boards and committees, and the conduct of advisory
boards and committees. It is the intent
of the Board of County Commissioners that these Guidelines completely supersede
any previous policies or guidelines concerning advisory boards and committees.
PROVISIONS: Except as provided in the authorizing
ordinances or resolutions of specific advisory boards and committees, these
Guidelines should provide direction for advisory boards and committees.
“Advisory boards or committees” are those bodies created by
the Board of County Commissioners, whether entitled “board,” “committee,”
“commission,” “council,” or the like, which are established by and have
authority only to advise the Board of County Commissioners rather than to
establish policies or make decisions for the Board of County Commissioners.
I.
Creation
of Advisory Boards and Committees.
Advisory boards and committees should be created by
resolution of the Board of County Commissioners. Resolutions creating advisory
boards and committees should include, at a minimum:
(a) Legislative
findings.
(b) Express
creation of the advisory board or committee.
(c) Purpose
and duties of the advisory board or committee.
(d) Designation
as “standing” (continuing until dissolved) or “special” (continuing until a
specified sunset date).
(e) Membership
qualifications.
(f) Staggered
terms for initial appointment (especially for standing advisory boards and
committees).
(g) Provisions
for operations of the advisory board or committee.
II.
Membership
on Advisory Boards and Committees.
(1) Appointments.
The Board of County Commissioners will appoint the members of advisory board
and committees. Appointments will be made from applications of qualified
potential members during a regular Board of County Commissioners meeting.
(2) Residence. Members of advisory boards and committees
should be residents of Alachua County unless otherwise specified by the board’s
founding resolution or ordinance.
Non-resident members appointed prior to November 14, 2017 may complete
their current terms.
(3) County
Employees. Employees of the Board of
County Commissioners may serve on advisory boards and committees with advance
written approval of the County Manager, or if the board’s founding resolution
or ordinance specifies that employees may serve. Employees affected by this rule who were appointed
to an advisory board or committee prior to November 14, 2017 may complete their
current terms.
(4) Regular
Members. Advisory boards and committees should have an odd number of regular
members.
(5) County
Employees. Employees of the Board of
County Commissioners may serve on advisory boards and committees with advance
written approval of the County Manager, or if the board’s founding resolution
or ordinance specifies that employees may serve. Employees affected by this rule who were
appointed to an advisory board or committee prior to November 14, 2017 may
complete their current terms.
(6) Regular
Members. Advisory boards and committees
should have an odd number of regular members.
(7) Alternate
Members. All advisory boards and committees should have at least one alternate
member. Attendance requirements detailed below applies to alternative members,
as well as regular members. An alternate member shall service in place of an
absent regular member, and shall have all rights and responsibilities of the
absent member, including the right to vote.
(8) Attendance.
Advisory board and committee members should regularly attend all meetings of
their respective advisory boards and committees. Attendance is defined as being
physically present at the meeting for one hour or 50% of the length of the
meeting, whichever is shorter. Any
regular or alternate member whose attendance is 50% or less of the last 6
consecutive Regular meetings shall automatically be removed from the advisory
board or committee, unless there are extenuating circumstances, which require
the approval of the Manager, or designee. Staff liaisons shall notify members
by US mail, by email or though attendance reports when they are approaching
removal due to lack of attendance. Attendance will not count against members
unable to attend Special or Subcommittee meetings.
(9) Quorum.
A quorum for an advisory board or committee is the number of members which
constitute the majority of all regular positions which are currently filled.
Alternate members may make up a quorum. When less than a quorum is present at a
meeting, the advisory board or committee may meet in a workshop setting, during
which no vote may be taken. These workshops must be open to the public and
minutes must be taken.
(10)Hold-overs.
Advisory board and committee members may continue to serve following the
expirations of their terms until the Board of County Commissioners fills the
position which would be vacated.
(11)Removals.
Advisory board and committee members serve at the pleasure of the Board of
County Commissioners. Any board or committee member may be removed for good
cause by the Board of County Commissioners after consideration of the issue at
a Board meeting.
III.
Conduct
of Advisory Boards and Committees.
(1) Governing
Rules. Except as may be provided by these Rules or by law, questions of order,
the methods of organization and the conduct of business of the advisory boards
and committees shall be governed by The Standard Code of Parliamentary
Procedure (formerly known as Sturgis Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure)
in all cases for which they are applicable.
(2) Open
to the Public.
a. Meetings
Open to Public. All meetings of advisory boards and committees shall be open to
the public in accordance with the Florida Government in the Sunshine Law,
Section 286.011, Florida Statutes (Fla. Stat.). Advisory board and committee
members should consult their staff liaisons with any questions regarding open
meetings or to request a presentation on the Florida Sunshine Law. All Regular, Special and Subcommittee
meetings must be publicly noticed a minimum of one week prior to the meeting.
b. Signs,
Placards, Banners. For public safety purposes, no signs or placards mounted on
sticks, posts, poles or similar structures shall be allowed in advisory board
and committee meeting rooms. Other signs, placards, banners or other similar
items shall not disrupt meetings or interfere with others' visual rights.
c. Persons
with Disabilities. All persons with disabilities shall be provided with the
assistance necessary to enable them to effectively participate in advisory
boards and committee meetings, consistent with Section 286.26, Fla. Stat
(3) Public Comment. Members of the public shall be given a reasonable
opportunity to be heard on a proposition before advisory boards and committees.
The opportunity to be heard need not occur at the same meeting at which an
advisory board or committee takes official action on the proposition if the
opportunity occurs at a meeting that is during the decision making process and
is within reasonable proximity in time before the meeting at which the advisory
board or committee takes the official action.
(4) Voting Conflicts.
No member of an advisory board or committee shall vote on a
matter when the member has a voting conflict of interest as specified in
Section 112.3143 or Section 286.012, Fla. Stat. Prior to participating in a
discussion, members abstaining from voting due to a voting conflict shall
publicly announce the conflict, shall disclose the nature of their conflict,
and file a written memorandum (Ethic's Commission Form 8A or 8B) to the staff
liaison.
If a member recognizes that a voting conflict exists during
the course of a discussion, the member shall immediately publicly announce the
conflict, disclose the nature of the conflict and abstain from voting. Within
15 calendar days following that advisory board or committee meeting, the member
shall file a written memorandum (Ethic's Commission Form 8A and 8B) with the
staff liaison.
The written memorandum shall be incorporated into the
meeting minutes as an exhibit. Advisory board and committee members who believe
that they may have a voting conflict should consult their board or committee's
staff liaison before the meeting at which members will be asked to vote on an
item upon which they may have a conflict.
(5) Work Plans and Reports of Accomplishments. Advisory boards and
committees shall prepare and update work plans and reports of accomplishments
annually. Work plans and reports of accomplishments should be on-file with
staff liaisons by October 1 of each year. Staff liaisons shall submit advisory
board and committee work plans and reports of accomplishments to the Board of
County Commissioners. Advisory board and committee chairpersons are encouraged
to present the work plans and reports of accomplishments to the Board of County
Commissioners at a Board meeting. The Board of County Commissioners encourages
and welcomes issues of the advisory board and committees' own initiative to be
brought to the attention of the Board of County Commissioners.
(6) Public Records. The public has the right to access public records.
Public records are:
"all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes,
photographs, films, sound recordings, data processing software, or other
material, regardless of the physical form, characteristics, or means of
transmission, made or received pursuant to law or ordinance or in connection
with the transaction of official business by any agency." Sec.
119.011(12), Fla. Stat.
Most records created by or provided to advisory boards and
committees, or their members in their capacity as members, are public records
which must be made available to a person requesting them. There are many
exceptions for records or for certain information contained in those records.
Advisory board and committee members should consult their staff liaisons with
any questions regarding public records or to request a presentation on the
Florida Public Records Law.
(7) Coordination with Other Governments. Advisory boards and committees
should, when appropriate, coordinate with other local governments and boards or
committees created by other local governments. To protect the public's right to
participate in open meetings, this coordination shall be affected through the
respective staff liaison or the advisory board or committee chairperson (or
designee).
(8) Prohibited Remote Voting by a Member. A member may participate in a
discussion but no member shall cast a vote via telephone or video / audio
appearance.
(9) Members of Advisory Boards and Committees shall conduct themselves
in a manner consistent with federal, state and local laws, County policies, and
good judgment. Members shall not commit
any act which may bring reproach or discredit upon the County. Speech or behavior
that is likely to create an appearance of impropriety is to be avoided. Members
shall not involve themselves in altercations or any other act of hostility with
County employees, other Advisory Board or Committee members, or the public.
Neither shall they engage in acts which will subject the County to criticism or
adversely affect the interests of the County. It is up to each Member to
maintain a professional, safe and productive environment.
IV.
Staff
Liaisons. A staff liaison is a county staff member whose duty is to help to
administer the meetings of the advisory boards or committees and to serve as a
link between the advisory board, the County Manager, the County Attorney and
the Board of County Commissioners. The staff liaison's tasks are:
(1) Publicly
noticing the advisory board or committee meeting and reserving the meeting
room.
(2) Reminding
members of an up-coming meeting.
(3) Ensuring
that all persons with disabilities are provided with the assistance necessary
to enable them to effectively participate in the meetings.
(4) Preparing
the agenda and agenda backup materials, and providing copies of the materials
to members.
(5) Introducing
new members to the board or committee and informing new members of the rules
and process which governs the board or committee.
(6) Ensuring
that minutes of the meetings are kept.
(7) Keeping
attendance records of the meetings.
(8) Maintaining
public records of the board or committee.
(9) Providing
the work plans and reports of accomplishments to the Board of County
Commissioners annually.
Staff liaisons may perform a task not listed above if
requested by an advisory board or committee if the task takes the staff liaison
30 minutes or less to perform. If the task takes more than 30 minutes, the
staff liaison may perform the task if the staff liaison's department director
preauthorizes the work.
V.
Construction
of These Guidelines.
These Guidelines provide direction only. No action taken
inconsistent with these Guidelines shall be invalid solely because it was taken
inconsistent with these Guidelines.