BYLAWS OF ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION 6B
ARTICLE I. NAME AND BOUNDARIES
SECTION 1. NAME
There is established by the Council of the District of Columbia, “Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6B,” which shall be referred to herein as the “Commission” or “ANC.”
SECTION 2. BOUNDARIES
The boundaries of the Commission are those described in D.C. Official Code § 1-309.03.
ARTICLE II. OBJECT
SECTION 1. RESPONSIBILITIES
The Commission has the duties and powers described in D.C. Official Code § 1-309.10.
ARTICLE III. MEMBERS
SECTION 1. MEMBERS
The Commission shall be composed of those persons duly elected and certified by the District of Columbia Board of Elections as representatives of Single Member Districts (SMD) within the Commission area.
SECTION 2. TERMS
Each member of the Commission shall serve for a term of two years that shall begin at noon on the second day of January next following the date of election of such member, or at noon on the day after the date the Board of Elections certifies the election of such member, whichever is later.
SECTION 3. VACANCIES
Any vacancy in office due to death, resignation, failure to maintain the qualifications for office under
D.C. Official Code 1-309.05, or removal shall be filled in accordance with D.C. Official Code § 1309.06.
SECTION 4. COMPENSATION
The members shall serve without compensation; however, appropriate expenses incurred by members may be reimbursed by the Commission upon authorization.
SECTION 5. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
The District of Columbia’s conflict of interest law (D.C. Official Code § 1-1162.23) applies to all Commissioners. The Commission shall not employ or contract for services a Commissioner, a relative of a Commissioner, or anyone in his or her household.
ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS
SECTION 1. NUMBER AND TERM
A. The officers of the Commission shall be Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and Parliamentarian. Each officer of the Commission must be a Commissioner.
B. Officers shall be elected each year at the regular Commission meeting in January.
C. The elected officers shall be elected to serve for one year or until their successors are elected. Their terms of office shall commence at the close of the meeting at which they are elected. If an incumbent officer is no longer on the Commission, the term of the newly elected officer commences immediately.
SECTION 2. ELECTION PROCEDURES
A. The order of nomination and election shall be Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and Parliamentarian. The election for each office shall take place before nominations for the following office are opened.
B. Each candidate for office shall be nominated by a member of the Commission. Each nomination may be seconded by another member of the Commission. Nomination speeches are permitted. The Chair or presiding officer will ask the nominee whether he/she will accept the nomination. If the nominee accepts the nomination, the nominee may also make a brief statement.
C. When nominations are closed, the Commission shall determine the method of voting and voting shall take place at that time; however, voting by ballot is not permitted.
D. A majority of Commissioners present shall be required for election of officers. If any office remains unfilled after the first vote, voting is repeated twice to obtain a majority vote for a single candidate. If after the third vote a candidate has not received a majority, the winner will be chosen through the drawing of lots.
SECTION 3. REMOVAL OR VACANCIES
A. In the case of vacancies among officers, except for a vacancy of the office of Treasurer, a new officer shall be elected to serve out the term of the officer vacating his or her position at the next regular meeting of the Commission. The election shall be held in accordance with the procedure set out in Section 2 of this Article.
B. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Treasurer, a special meeting of the Commission shall be held within 10 days of such vacancy to select a new Treasurer, unless a regular meeting is to be held within 14 days. The election shall be held in accordance with the procedure set out in Section 2 of this Article.
C. An officer of the Commission may be removed by following the procedure outlined in D.C. Official Code § 1-309.11(e)(2)(A-D).
SECTION 4. LIMITATION OF TENURE OF CHAIR
No member may serve as the Chair of the Commission for more than two consecutive one-year terms.
SECTION 5. DUTIES OF THE CHAIR
A. The Chair shall serve as the Commission’s presiding officer and shall chair Commission meetings. The Chair shall rule on procedural questions, but such rulings may be overturned by a vote of the Commission. The Chair shall have the power to call special meetings of the Commission and of the Executive Committee but only in accordance with the provision of Article V, Section 4 of these bylaws.
B. The Chair shall be responsible for the overall smooth functioning of the Commission and shall bring to the Commission’s attention promptly any problems relating to structure, procedures or members.
C. The Chair may, but only in extreme emergencies in which it is impossible to call together the
Commission or the Executive Committee, act as the Commission’s spokesperson without prior authorization of the Commission. The Chair shall report to the Commission, as soon as possible and at its next meeting, any such action taken under this emergency power.
D. The Chair shall ensure that items requiring committee action are referred to the appropriate standing committee(s), special committee(s) or task force(s).
SECTION 6. DUTIES OF THE VICE-CHAIR
A. The Vice-Chair shall fulfill the obligations of the Chair in the absence of the Chair or when the Chair wishes to give up the chair.
B. The Vice-Chair shall provide such assistance to the Chair as is requested and shall perform such duties as may be delegated by the Chair.
SECTION 7. DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY
A. The Secretary shall ensure that minutes are kept for all meetings of the Commission and that copies are distributed to all Commissioners. The Secretary shall also ensure that notice is given for all Commission meetings as required by District law.
B. The Secretary shall ensure that copies of minutes/reports of all standing committees, special committees and task forces are maintained.
C. The Secretary shall also perform such other duties as the Chair may direct.
D. With appropriate oversight, the Secretary may delegate duties specified in Section 7 to the Commission staff, as needed.
SECTION 8. DUTIES OF THE TREASURER
A. The Treasurer shall be responsible for developing an annual fiscal year budget, preparing quarterly financial reports, keeping the Commission’s financial records and accounts, and executing its expenditures in accordance with District law.
B. The Treasurer shall ensure Commission compliance with requirements of the District of Columbia Auditor.
C. The Treasurer shall be responsible for timely preparation and filing of all employee tax forms and other documents required by the federal government and the District of Columbia Government.
D. The Treasurer shall also perform other such duties as the Chair may direct.
SECTION 9. DUTIES OF PARLIAMENTARIAN
A. The Parliamentarian shall be responsible for knowing and understanding the basic tenets of these bylaws and the Commission’s standing rules and shall assist the Chair in their execution in an orderly fashion.
B. The Parliamentarian shall also perform other such duties as the Chair may direct.
SECTION 10. BONDING
The Chair and the Treasurer shall be bonded; however, membership in the Advisory Neighborhood Commission Security Fund shall serve in place of a bond.
ARTICLE V. MEETINGS
SECTION 1. NOTICE, MEETINGS OPEN TO PUBLIC
A. Pursuant to the provisions of D.C. Official Code § 2-575 all meetings of the Commission shall be open to the public.
B. The Commission shall provide no fewer than seven days’ notice of all Commission meetings, except where shorter notice for good cause is necessary or in the case of an emergency.
C. The Commission shall establish such mechanisms as will ensure the broadest dissemination of information with respect to Commission meetings, positions and actions. The Commission shall make a good faith effort to involve all segments of the Commission population in its deliberations.
SECTION 2. QUORUM
A quorum is a majority of the Commissioners. The Commission can only take an official position if a quorum is present.
SECTION 3. REGULAR MEETINGS
A. Each January the Commission shall decide on a schedule of meeting times and places for the next 12 months. The Commission must meet not fewer than nine times a year at a fixed day and time to be adopted by the Commission.
B. The Commission may modify the schedule if necessary.
SECTION 4. SPECIAL MEETINGS
Special meetings of the Commission can be called by the Chair, the Executive Committee, or by a request of one-fourth of the Commissioners. Except in extreme emergencies, all special meeting notices shall meet the requirements of Section 1 of this Article. Only topics in the notice may be discussed at the meeting.
SECTION 5. VOTING
A. Only Commissioners present can vote. Commissioners can either vote “aye” or “no.”
Commissioners choosing not to vote shall be recorded “abstaining” and noted in minutes as such. There shall be no voting by proxy.
B. If at any time one-fifth of those Commissioners present demand a roll call vote, such a vote shall be ordered and each Commissioner’s vote shall be recorded in the minutes.
ARTICLE VI. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
SECTION 1. COMPOSITION
The Executive Committee shall consist of: a) the Chair; b) the Vice-Chair; c) the Secretary; d) the Treasurer; and e) the Parliamentarian.
SECTION 2. POWERS
A. The Executive Committee of the Commission shall set the agenda for Commission meetings.
B. The Executive Committee of the Commission shall have the authority to establish special committees.
C. The Executive Committee shall have the power to act on behalf of the Commission in emergency situations. In such situations, a Commission meeting and a meeting of the Executive Committee may be called simultaneously for the same date, time and place so that if a Commission quorum is not achieved the Executive Committee may act. All notices of Executive Committee meetings in such emergency situations must include the purpose of the meeting. Only the topics included in the notice may be discussed. The Executive Committee shall report on the action taken at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Commission.
D. Any Commissioner present at an Executive Committee meeting shall be entitled to vote.
SECTION 3. MEETINGS
The Executive Committee shall meet at least monthly at the call of the Chair or at the request of any two members of the Executive Committee. The time and day of the meetings shall be determined by members of the Committee but shall be fixed so as to accommodate the planning of agendas for full Commission meetings.
SECTION 4. OPEN MEETINGS
As stated in Article V, Section 1, Paragraph A, all meetings of the Executive Committee shall be open to all members of the Commission and to the public.
SECTION 5. QUORUM
A majority of the members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum.
ARTICLE VII. COMMITTEES, SPECIAL COMMITTEES, AND TASK FORCES
SECTION 1. COMMITTEES TO BE ESTABLISHED
A. There shall be three categories of committees: a) standing committees; b) special committees; and c) task forces. Standing committees are those created permanently by vote of the Commission. Special committees and task forces are those created temporarily by the Commission or the Executive Committee.
B. The Commission shall have the following standing committees: a) Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Committee; b) Planning and Zoning Committee; c) Transportation Committee, and; d) any such standing committee as established by the Commission.
C. The Commission and the Executive Committee each have power to create special committees and taskforces. With two weeks’ notice to all Commissioners, the Commission at any meeting of the full ANC may eliminate a special committee or taskforce. Unless otherwise provided in the motion that created the special committee or taskforce, or extended at a Commission or Executive Committee meeting, all special committees and taskforces expire at the end of the Commission’s first regular February meeting after the special committee or taskforce was established or last extended. Starting with the November meeting after it established or last renewed a special committee or taskforce, at a regular monthly meeting the Commission or Executive Committee may extend the life of a special committee or taskforce for a period of time specified by the Commission or Executive Committee, except that no extension can prolong the life of a special committee or taskforce beyond the first regular February meeting following a biennial Commission election. Regardless of any extension, all special committees and taskforces expire at the end of the Commission’s regular February meeting following a biennial Commission election, unless they are renewed at that meeting by the newly elected Commission.
SECTION 2. CHAIRS
A. The Chair of each committee or task force shall be open to any resident of the Commission area and shall be elected by the Commission. The Chair of each committee or task force must be a member of the committee or task force and shall appoint a committee vice-chair. If the Chair of a standing committee is a resident member, the vicechair must be a Commissioner.
B. The term of service for any committee or task force’s Chair and Vice-Chair shall be one year from the date of election (unless the Commission votes for a different term length). In the event that the Commission fails to elect a successor Chair or Vice-Chair, the incumbent may continue to serve until the next regular meeting. Agenda time may be set aside at any regular meeting as necessary for Chair and Vice-Chair elections. By default, the regular February meeting agenda shall include standing committee Chair and Vice-Chair elections. The Vice-Chair may serve as Chair during any vacancies of the Chair. If both the Chair and Vice-Chair positions of a given committee or task force are vacant, committee or task force members shall elect a Chair Pro Tempore to preside over committee or task force meetings until the Commission elects a Chair.
C. Upon prior written notice to the chair of a committee or task force, such chair may be removed by the Commission for any reason, including failure to call or regularly attend meetings of that committee or task force without adequate justification. Removal vote must take place at a regular Commission meeting or special meeting.
SECTION 3. RESIDENT MEMBERS
A. Each Commissioner may nominate one resident member and one Alternate Resident Member to each standing committee. The Alternate Member shall have the same rights as the Resident Member but may vote at a committee meeting only in the event the Resident Member does not attend that meeting. Whenever the Commission creates a special committee, taskforce, or other subsidiary body, it may, at the time of its creation or by the next scheduled Commission meeting, establish the membership composition and the voting procedure of its members. If a Commissioner nominates one Resident Member and one Alternate Member to the special committee, taskforce, or other subsidiary body, the Alternate Member shall have the same rights as the Resident Member but may vote at a special committee, task force, or subsidiary body meeting only in the event the Resident Member does not attend that meeting. For all committees, each nomination must be forwarded to the Executive Committee who shall place the Resident Member and, if applicable, the Alternate Resident Member’s, nomination on the agenda for consideration at the following Commission meeting.
B. For each standing committee, Resident Members and Alternate Resident Members must continuously reside in the same SMD as the appointing commissioner provided, however, this provision shall not apply between January 2, 2024, and February 28, 2024.
C. All Resident Members and Alternate Resident Members should be appointed annually at the Commission’s regular meeting in February. Any Resident Member or Alternate Resident Member appointed at a meeting other than in February shall serve until the next February.
D. A Resident Member or Alternate Resident Member may be removed from a committee or task force at any time by the Commission or by the Commissioner who appointed that Resident Member or Alternate Resident Member.
SECTION 4. QUORUM
A quorum consists of two Commissioners. The committee, special committee or task force can only make a recommendation if a quorum is present.
SECTION 5. VOTING
Voting in committees, special committees and task forces shall proceed as stated in Article V, Section 5, with the exception that a Resident Member can vote.
SECTION 6. SUBCOMMITTEES
Each standing committee and the Commission shall have the right to create, as needed, subcommittees. Membership of subcommittees is not limited to membership of the standing committee.
SECTION 7. MEETINGS
A. Notice of all committee, subcommittee and task force meetings must be given in accordance with Article V, Section 1 to all Commissioners and the public. The notice shall include, if practicable, a list of proposed agenda items to be considered at the meeting.
B. All standing committee, special committee, task force and subcommittee meetings shall be open to the public.
SECTION 8. RESPONSIBILITIES
A committee’s responsibility is to make recommendations on cases and matters assigned by the Executive Committee. The committee also may discuss other matters introduced by committee members.
ARTICLE VIII. FINANCIAL
SECTION 1. FINANCIAL PROCEDURES
A. The signature of either the Treasurer or the Chair, plus that of one other elected officer of the Commission, shall be required on every check drawn on the Commission bank account.
B. Commission financial procedures shall conform to the DC Official Code and guidelines of the DC Auditor.
C. Beginning each calendar year and no later than March of the same year, the Commission must approve a list of vendors authorized to be paid via debit card. The Commission may regularly review and amend its list of vendors authorized to be paid via debit card during the calendar year. However, the Commission must approve the list each year during a full commission meeting scheduled between January 1 and no later than March 30.
SECTION 2. FUNDS
A. Funds made available to the Commission are to be used primarily for supporting services (staff salaries, office space, equipment, supplies, reports, publications, etc.) required to discharge the advisory responsibilities mandated by law, and to undertake the operation of limited programs permitted by law.
B. The Commission shall not regard itself as a governmental funding or grant dispensing agency. It shall not be a regular source of funds to subsidize community group’s operations and activities.
ARTICLE IX. STANDING RULES
SECTION 1. ADOPTION
The Commission may adopt standing rules to implement the requirements of these bylaws and to enhance the efficiency and operation of the Commission. While the rules may be adopted or amended by majority vote at any Commission meeting, the Commission must renew or approve any standing rules during the first regular Commission meeting of each Commission term (every two years).
SECTION 2. ANC OFFICE AND SUPPLIES
The Commission shall adopt standing rules for the use of the ANC office and supplies based on the following two principles: 1) all Commissioners shall have equal access to the office; and 2) the use of the office and Commission supplies shall meet the “public purpose” test.
SECTION 3. CONSTITUENT RECOMMENDATIONS
The Commission shall adopt standing rules for handling constituent recommendations.
ARTICLE X. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
SECTION 1. AUTHORITY
The current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Commission except where they are not consistent with District law, these bylaws, or any standing or special rules the Commission may adopt.
SECTION 2. CONSISTENCY
These bylaws shall be consistent with all federal and District of Columbia laws and other applicable laws regarding Advisory Neighborhood Commissions. Any provision inconsistent with such laws is ineffective.
ARTICLE XI. AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS
SECTION 1. PROCEDURE
Revisions of these bylaws shall require a two-thirds vote of those present and “voting aye or no.” Each Commissioner shall have at least two weeks prior notice that an amendment(s) is being proposed to the bylaws. Such notification shall include the original language, the proposed new language, and the reason for the suggested change(s).
Approved on March 12, 2024, with a vote of 9-0-0 (of 9 Commissioners).