BY-LAWS OF THE PIERCE COUNTY REGIONAL COUNCIL |
The purpose of the By-laws is to govern the proceedings of the Pierce County Regional Council (PCRC), consistent with the Interlocal Agreement which created the organization. In the event of a conflict between these By-laws and the Interlocal Agreement, the Interlocal Agreement shall control.
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Section 1. Organization: The PCRC shall be organized into a General Assembly; a Council (PCRC); an Executive Committee; and other such task forces and committees as established by the Council.
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Section 2. Members: Pierce County, each city or town in Pierce County, and the Port of Tacoma shall be a member upon adoption of the Interlocal Agreement, provided however, a city or town partially located in Pierce County and partially in any other county must have a population of at least 500 persons or 500 employees in Pierce County before obtaining full voting privileges.
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Section 3. Ex Officio Associate Members: The Puyallup Tribal Council, Pierce Transit, and WSDOT District 3 shall be ex officio associate members. Ex officio associate members may each provide a representative to serve as a non-voting member of the Council.
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Section 4. Other Associate Members: Other non-municipal governments such as federal agencies, other state agencies, other tribes, school districts and other special purpose districts may become associate members upon approval of the Council. Associate members are non-voting.
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ARTICLE III -- Officers
Section 1. The officers of the Pierce County Regional Council shall be a Chair and a Vice Chair. The officers constitute the Executive Committee.
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Section 2. Chair: The Chair shall conduct the meetings of the Council, preside over meetings of the General Assembly, and shall be responsible for the preparation of the agenda for said meetings. The Chair shall ensure that the functions of the Pierce County Regional Council are carried out to the best of his or her ability.
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Section 3. Vice Chair: The Vice Chair shall preside and perform the duties of the Chair in the absence of the Chair.
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Section 4. Elections: The Chair and Vice Chair of the Pierce County Regional Council shall be elected by the Council from among the Council?s voting membership. The Vice Chair shall be from a different member jurisdiction than the Chair.
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Section 5. Term: The Chair and Vice Chair shall serve for one year and their terms of office shall begin at the beginning of the calendar year. In the event of a vacancy in the office of the Chair, the Vice Chair shall succeed to said office for the unexpired portion of the term. In the event there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice Chair, the Council shall elect from its membership a new Vice Chair to serve the unexpired portion of the term. In the event there is a vacancy in the office of the Chair and Vice Chair, the Council shall elect from its membership a new Chair and Vice Chair to serve the unexpired portion of the terms.
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Section 1. Purpose: The Council shall direct the affairs of the Pierce County Regional Council between the annual meetings of the General Assembly. The Council shall exercise on behalf of the Pierce County Regional Council all powers and managerial and administrative authority not reserved for the General Assembly.
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Section 2. Composition: The Council shall be comprised of voting members who are elected officials representing member agencies as determined in the Interlocal Agreement. Each ex officio associate member shall designate a non-voting representative to the Council.
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Section 3. Appointment: Representatives to the Council shall be appointed as follows:
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(a)
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A member jurisdiction granted representation by the Interlocal Agreement shall choose its representative(s) and designated alternates by its own appropriate process. The name and contact information of both the designated representative and his/her alternate, with a copy of the Council minutes designating appointees, shall be transmitted to the Council clerk by the first working day in March of each year.
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(b)
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Each Council representative and alternate with the authority to vote shall be an elected official and shall be named in advance to the roster maintained by the Council clerk.
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(c)
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An ex officio associate or associate member may designate its representative and alternate by its own appropriate process. The positions are non-voting.
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(d)
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The name, mailing and email address, telephone and fax numbers of all representatives and their designated alternates shall be filed in writing with the Council, directed to the Council clerk. Each member jurisdiction may change its designated representative or alternate twice annually. Written notification from the jurisdiction?s chief executive or clerk of a change in voting delegates must be received by the Council clerk ten days in advance of a regular Council meeting and twenty days in advance of a General Assembly.
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(e)
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Other elected officials and staff from member jurisdictions shall be encouraged to attend and participate in Council discussions, but without a vote. |
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Section 4. Date: The Executive Committee shall designate a regular time and place for its meetings.
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Section 5. Notice: An agenda with supporting materials shall be mailed at least seven (7) days in advance of all regularly scheduled meetings; provided however, that if the Chair or any five (5) voting members of the Council determine that an emergency exists, they may make a finding to that effect in which event a special meeting may be held on facsimile, email, or written notice delivered to each representative at least five (5) days in advance. The agenda for a special meeting shall be limited to those items specified in the notice.
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Section 6. Quorum: A quorum of the Council shall consist of one-third of the voting representatives.
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Section 7. Voting: Each voting representative on the Council shall have one vote. All actions of the Council will be by simple majority vote unless otherwise provided by law or in these By-laws.
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Section 8. Absence of voting members: If an elected official representative of a jurisdiction is not present, and no elected official from the jurisdiction is named to serve as an alternate, the jurisdiction may be represented from the audience by the designated staff member of the jurisdiction. Staff may participate in discussions before the Council, but shall not vote. If a jurisdiction?s representative or alternate has three (3) consecutive absences, the clerk shall contact those representatives and the Council may request reappointment.
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Section 1. Purpose: The purpose of the annual meeting of the General Assembly will be to hear an annual report, adopt an annual work program and take action on such matters as the Chair or Council may determine.
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Section 2. Composition: The General Assembly of the Pierce County Regional Council shall be comprised of elected officials from the legislative authorities of the member jurisdictions and the chief elected officials from the member jurisdictions. Associate members and staff from the various jurisdictions shall be encouraged to participate in General Assembly meetings, but without a vote.
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Section 3. Notice: Written notice and the agenda of all General Assembly meetings shall be delivered or mailed to all member jurisdictions at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting; provided however, that if the Chair or Council determines that an emergency exists, they may make a finding to that effect in which event a meeting may be held with notice delivered to each member jurisdiction at least 24-hours before the meeting.
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Section 4. Date: The General Assembly of the Pierce County Regional Council shall meet at least annually, at a time and place designated by the Council.
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Section 5. Quorum: A quorum of the General Assembly shall meet both of the following requirements: at least thirty percent (30%) of the eligible voting members shall be present and at least fifty percent (50%) of the member jurisdictions shall be represented.
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Section 6. Voting: Actions voted upon shall be approved by simple majority vote, except as specified in the Interlocal Agreements, these By-laws, or by requirement of state or federal law.
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Section 7. Special Voting: If requested by any three voting members from three different jurisdictions, the special voting process shall be required for the following actions:
a. Adoption of the annual work program; and
b. Action to overturn an amendment to the By-laws.
Under the special voting process, action by the General Assembly shall require a majority vote from each of the following: a majority vote of the Pierce County representatives who are present, a majority vote of the City of Tacoma representatives who are present, and a majority vote of the other representatives who are present. No action may be taken without the quorum including at least one representative from Pierce County and at least one representative from the City of Tacoma. No ex officio associate member or other associate member may request special voting.
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Section 1. Committees: The Chair may appoint or the Council may require the Chair to appoint standing, ad hoc, or special task forces or committees to advise the Council in its functions.
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Section 2. Membership: Membership of task forces and committees may include members and associate members, elected officials, local government staffs, citizens, professionals in the field, and other experts. When a vote is required, voting rights shall be in accordance with the voting rights for 'members' as defined in Article II, Section 2.
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Section 3. There are two standing Committees: the Pierce County Growth Management Coordinating Committee and the Transportation Coordinating Commitee (TCC). The GMCC shall serve as one of the advisory committees for the purpose of providing advice and recommendations on growth management issues. The TCC shall provide advice on transportation and infrastructure issues.
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Section 1. The Council shall recommend the annual work program for review, revision, and adoption by the General Assembly.
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Section 2. The Council shall control and monitor all expenditures and budget available funds in accordance with the adopted work program and shall have the power to amend the work program to meet unanticipated needs or changed conditions.
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All meetings of the Pierce County Regional Council shall conform to the Open Meetings Act, Chapter 42.30 RCW. The Council shall adopt procedures to ensure appropriate public notice of all meetings.
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The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the General Assembly and the Council in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the Interlocal or these By-laws or any special rules of order the General Assembly or the Council may adopt.
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