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Tigard Youth Advisory Council Bylaws Adopted 2023 CITY OF TIGARD TIGARD YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL BYLAWS Adopted 4-25-23 by City Council SECTION I. CHARGE AND COMPOSITION The Tigard Youth Advisory Council (TYAC) was formed in 2003 as the official advisory body on youth issues to the Tigard City Council. The TYAC’s goal is to empower Tigard’s youth and give them a voice in the community. The TYAC is made up of 15 to 30 residents of the City of Tigard and/or those who attend schools in the Tigard- Tualatin School District. TYAC members may also serve as voting members of other non-standing boards and committees. A. It will be the function of the TYAC to act as an advisory body to the City Council. B. The Board and its members will conduct itself in a manner that’s in keeping with applicable federal, state, and local laws pertaining to conduct and ethics and the City of Tigard Code of Conduct. Any violation of the provisions of such laws will be grounds for removal from office. C. The Youth Advisory Council is charged with advising the City Council. • Vision: The youth of Tigard will be equal partners empowered and involved in the community helping the youth in Tigard. • Mission: To empower, improve and connect the lives of Tigard’s youth. • Guiding Principles: o Through empowerment, young people know they are valued by the adults in their community. o Through involvement, young people serve useful roles in their school, family and community. o Through volunteering, young people provide service to others in the community. o Through respect, young people feel safe in their community. • Provide review and comment to elected officials and City decision makers regarding public issues, projects, and proposals that have an impact on youth. • Work with the Mayor, City Council, City departments, Chamber of Commerce, civic clubs, and other community organizations to create civic engagement opportunities for local youth. • Members are encouraged to apply for other non-standing City boards and committees. • Find creative ways to educate the public concerning issues affecting Tigard’s youth. SECTION II. COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP Any youth who is in grade 6-12 or age 11-19 attending a Tigard-Tualatin School District school and/or a Tigard resident is eligible for membership. Any vacancies left after the normal application process should be filled as soon as possible through the announcement of openings. TYAC members are encouraged to volunteer and participate in the Tigard community. TYAC members may also individually represent the youth voice as asked by outside entities in the community. Any member of the TYAC may propose an amendment to the Bylaws at any regular meeting of the Youth Advisory Council. The amendment will be voted on by the members present but requires a majority vote of the entire membership to pass. City Council approval is required before any change is effective. CITY OF TIGARD TIGARD YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL BYLAWS Adopted 4-25-23 by City Council A. Officers: There will be five (5) elected officers: the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Media Officer, and School Outreach Officer. Terms are for one year. No officer will serve more than two (2) consecutive terms. Candidates for elected office must be members of the Youth Advisory Council and have served on the Council for at least one year prior to elections. Candidates for elected office are elected by majority vote of the membership. Members may only hold one elected office at a time. B. Membership: Applications are accepted year-round and member application review and appointments are made by City Council. Membership may temporarily drop below required minimums due to resignations and/or term expirations, though efforts will be made to fill vacancies. SECTION III. ORGANIZATION OF THE YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL A. Elections: At its meeting at the end of the school year, and thereafter annually, the Youth Advisory Council will elect Officer positions from its members who will hold office at the pleasure of the Youth Advisory Council. B. Duties of Elected Officers: Each candidate for elected office must make a brief speech to the full membership prior to the election of officers, even if running unopposed. Speeches will run less than 5 minutes each and will include information about the candidates’ background, interests, and how their goals for the TYAC relate to the Tigard Youth Advisory Council’s vision, mission, and goals. A candidate running unopposed must still receive a majority vote to be elected. i. President. The President will be responsible for facilitating meetings and ensure the TYAC is working together toward its goals, mission, and vision. The President will preside at all meetings and, in consultation with support staff, set the agendas and notify the TYAC of all meeting times and place. The President will also be an ex-officio member of all committees and subcommittees and will be the sole spokesperson for the TYAC unless this responsibility is delegated to support staff. The President is responsible for creating agendas based on the current issues of the Council and topics from previous meetings. The President of the TYAC officer may act as an ex-officio member of the Tigard City Council upon City Council action and approval. When the President is unable to attend meetings, they may appoint another officer to attend in their place. ii. Vice President. The Vice President will assume the duties of the President and/or Treasurer in their absence. They are responsible for ensuring that TYAC projects and programs are assigned to the appropriate committee or subcommittee. In addition, their duty is to assist the President by: distributing meeting agendas; taking and distributing meeting minutes and attendance; and keeping an up-to-date roster of the organization. The Vice President will also reach out to unexcused absent members to revisit membership. The Vice President must send agendas, attendance, and meeting minutes to the Staff Liaison in a timely and consistent fashion. iii. Treasurer: The Treasurer’s duty, in partnership with the City’s Finance department, is to keep track of the Council’s monetary assets. They report on the Council’s finances at each meeting and oversee fundraising and budget. Funds will be handled under the direction of City staff and all TYAC members handling cash will receive proper training. CITY OF TIGARD TIGARD YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL BYLAWS Adopted 4-25-23 by City Council iv. Media Officer. With the prior approval of City staff, this officer is responsible for of the Council’s communication with the community. The Media Officer is responsible for maintaining content on the Council’s web page, social media presence, flyers and posters, and other marketing and promotional channels. v. School Outreach Officer. This officer oversees Council’s involvement in schools and highlights ongoing or current news and events from local schools. They are responsible for working with the Council to get information about events the Council is hosting out to the community. Any written documents must receive prior approval from City staff. C. If the President should resign, the TYAC will, within the next two consecutive meetings, conduct an election and provide a replacement to fill the unexpired term. D. Staff Liaisons are the primary contacts for City of Tigard boards and the primary interface between these bodies and the City Council, City Manager, and departments. Besides serving as a technical resource, Staff Liaisons are responsible for meeting logistics, member recruitment and recognition, recordkeeping, and monitoring board effectiveness. SECTION IV. APPOINTMENTS A. The City Council will fill vacancies with individuals who meet the compositional requirements listed in Section II. B. Appointments of at-large members will be made the City Council, with recommendations from the Mayor. SECTION V. TERMS OF OFFICE A. Election of Members: Election for membership is held in May of each year. Election for the five (5) elected officers will be held at the end of the school year. B. Youth interested in membership will file an application with the TYAC and Staff Liaison. The Tigard City Council will review applications and appoint new members. C. Members will receive no compensation for their services. SECTION VI. MEMBER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES A. Attendance: Members are expected to attend all meetings of the Youth Advisory Council and the meetings of any committees or subcommittees which they are a member. If a member needs to miss a meeting due to illness or another important event, the member is responsible for notifying the President or Subcommittee Chair in advance whenever possible. Prior notice of an illness, important event, or family emergency will constitute an excused absence. Members who have three (3) unexcused absences will be removed from CITY OF TIGARD TIGARD YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL BYLAWS Adopted 4-25-23 by City Council the Youth Advisory Council roster when they have been contacted two times. Members are responsible for obtaining notes and/or assignments from any general, committee, or subcommittee meetings they miss. B. Duties: • Each member of the Youth Advisory Council will serve on a minimum of one committee or subcommittee. • Each member of the Youth Advisory Council is expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the following ground rules: o This Youth Advisory Council belongs to YOU and its success rests largely on YOU. o Enter into the discussion ENTHUSIASTICALLY. o GIVE FREELY of your experience. o CONFINE your comments to the issue under discussion. o Say what you THINK. o Only ONE PERSON should talk at a time (Avoid private conversations while someone else is speaking.) o LISTEN ALERTLY to the discussion. o BE PATIENT with other members. o APPRECIATE the other person’s point of view. o BE PROMPT and REGULAR in attendance. o ASK A QUESTION when you have one. o Think of how you can apply and/or pass along the information. • Each member of the TYAC must reaffirm the TYAC Bylaws by signing a copy at the meeting in which election of Officers is held each year. New members whose membership begins mid- year must sign a copy of the Bylaws at the meeting at which they become members. • The TYAC Board and its members will conduct themselves in a manner that's in keeping with applicable federal, state, and local laws pertaining to conduct and ethics and the City of Tigard Code of Conduct for Tigard Boards, Commissions, and Committees. Any violation of the provisions of such laws will be grounds for removal from the Council. Regularly attend meeting and contribute constructively to discussions. C. Meetings: Regular meetings of the TYAC will be held at least monthly and more often as agreed to by a majority of the members. The meeting time and place will be determined by consensus of the membership. Every TYAC meeting will be open to all in the community and the dates of upcoming meetings will be posted on the Council's webpage. i. Committee and subcommittee meetings will be held as deemed necessary by the subcommittee and at a time and place agreed on by a majority of the subcommittee members. ii. The President may call a special meeting, and the President will call a special meeting if requested by three or more members. The call will state the purpose of the meeting. Notice of a CITY OF TIGARD TIGARD YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL BYLAWS Adopted 4-25-23 by City Council special meeting must be in writing and communicated to all members at least 24 hours before the meeting and the Staff Liaison will schedule the meeting. iii. A majority of votes of TYAC members present will determine the official position of the Youth Advisory Council on a given issue. iv. Agendas and minutes will be posted for the public on the City of Tigard web page and in the lobby of City Hall in compliance with Oregon Public Meetings Law. All meetings will be open to the public. SECTION VII. QUORUM At any meeting of the TYAC, a quorum will be a majority of the current members of the Youth Advisory Council. No action will be taken in the absence of a quorum except that the meeting may continue with discussion on agenda items. SECTION VIII. REMOVAL OF MEMBERS The City Council may remove members, when, in its judgment the conduct of a member does not conform to the City of Tigard Code of Conduct for Boards, Commissions and Committees or based on other conduct unbecoming a representative of the City. SECTION IX. AMENDMENTS These bylaws are adopted by resolution of the Tigard City Council, are binding on the Youth Advisory Council, and may be amended by the City Council. Boards may propose amendments for City Council consideration.