SF Local Homeless Coordinating Board BYLAWS

passed 9.11.06

 

 

Article I: Name

The name of this board shall be the San Francisco Local Homeless Coordinating Board, herein referred to as the “Local Board”.

 

Article II: Purpose

The Local Board, within a Housing First Model, works towards developing a continuum of services where the ultimate goal is to prevent and eradicate homelessness in the City and County of San Francisco. All efforts are aimed at permanent solutions, and the range of services is designed to meet the unique and complex needs of individuals who are threatened or currently experiencing homelessness.

 

Article III: Membership

Section 1

The Local Board is a nine-member body. All nine voting members gain membership through an appointment process. Other members of the community, both public and private, can be non-voting members and can participate as non-voting members in committees or participate in public comment.

 

Section 2. Appointment

Pursuant to Board of Supervisor’s Resolution 208-05 the Board of Supervisors will appoint four members from the following constituencies: representatives of homeless, formerly homeless, community and advocacy organizations, service provider agencies, business and corporate sectors and the foundation community, but will not involve designating specific seats for specific constituents. The Mayor will appoint four members from the afore mentioned groups. The Controller shall appoint one member from the same constituencies.

Members shall not be from public entities.

 

Section 3. Attendance

Members are required to attend all Local Board meetings unless excused by the Co-Chairs for good reason. Three unexcused absences in one year are grounds for removal.

Attendance will be kept and recorded by the staff member of the Local Board.

 

Section 4: Alternates

Members may not send another individual to a meeting to vote in their place.

 

Section 5: Terms of Office

Pursuant to BOS resolution 209-05 the members of the Local Board shall serve four-year terms at the pleasure of their appointing officer. To stagger the terms, four members shall serve an initial term of two years and five members shall serve an initial term of five years. The Co-Chairs shall each serve a term of one year; these terms shall also be staggered.

 

Section 6: Co-Chairs

The Local Board shall elect two co-chairpersons annually, by a majority vote. The Local Board may designate alternate acting co-chair persons to preside over meetings during the absence of the elected co-chair.

 

Section 7: Leaves of Absence

Leaves of absence are submitted by written notice to the co-chairs and granted by the same. A leave of absence may not exceed three months. Persons not returning by the end of the three month period will be considered to have resigned. Members who are granted a leave of absence may formally designate a representative who can formally participate and vote.

 

Section 8: Conflict of Interest

A board member must disclose personal, professional, and business relationships when making governmental decisions. If there is a conflict of interest, the member must recluse herself or himself from the role.

 

Section 9: Dismissal

Members may be dismissed from the Local Board for more than three unexcused absences. Excused absences include, but are not limited to, illness, vacation, and employment obligation. Members can only be officially dismissed by the appointing body (Board of Supervisors, Mayor, the Controller). Discussion and possible action on the dismissal of any member must be properly noticed on an agenda. If a member wishes to resign from his or her seat, she or he must submit a letter of resignation to the appointment agency and the full board.

 

Section 10: Roles and Responsibilities

Local Board members responsibilities include:

(a) Attendance to all governing board meetings

(b) Participation (co-chair) in a minimum of one Board meeting committee or task group

(c) Oversee the HUD McKinney process

(d) Review and comment on local homeless legislation

(e) Monitor the implementation of the Continuum of Care and the Ten Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness

(f) Gather community input on homelessness

 

Section 11: Compensation

The Local Board shall serve without pay, but the Local Board may authorize and recommend the payment of reasonable and necessary expenses incurred by the members of the Board in the performance of their duties.

 

Article IV: Meetings

 

Section 1: Regular Meetings

Regular meetings should be publicly noticed and in full accordance of the Sunshine Ordinance. The regular meeting day, time, and place is the first Monday of the month, at 11:00 am. The location will be at City Hall Room 416, San Francisco. Location, time, and date are subject to change per the schedules of Board members. All changes will be noticed to the public under the requirements of the Sunshine Ordinance.

Extension of meeting times or additional meetings should be scheduled as needed.

 

Section 2: Quorum

A quorum of fifty percent plus one member of the Local Board, five members, shall be present at any regular or specially scheduled meeting in order for the Local Board to engage in formal decision making. The same quorum must be present at a committee meeting if action is going to be taken.

 

Section 3: Proceedings

3.1: All Local Board meetings shall be open to the public, in full accordance with the Sunshine Ordinance.

3.2: All agendas will be created and posted by the Local Board staff member at least 72 hours prior to the meetings, in full accordance with the Sunshine Ordinance.

 

3.3: Local Board staff member will keep minutes for all Local Board meetings, including committee meetings. Minutes will be made available for public review, in full accordance with the Sunshine Ordinance.

 

Section 4: Procedure

The rules of parliamentary Practice, as set forth in Robert’s Rules of Order, shall govern all meetings of the Local Board and its committees.

 

Section 5: Special Meetings:

Special meetings may be called or scheduled by the co-chairs or three or more members. The agenda, place, and time of such meetings shall be set forth in the meeting notice at least 24 hours before the time of such a meeting.

 

Section 6: Voting

While the Local Board will strive to achieve consensus, the affirmative vote of a majority of members shall be required for the approval of any matter. Except, a majority present may approve matters of procedure as long as members constitute a quorum.

Absentee votes shall not be permitted.

 

Article V: Committees

 

Section 1: Standing Committees and Membership

The Local Board may have some or all of the following committees: Funding Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, Policy and Legislation Committee. Members of the Local Board will be the designated chairs of each committee. The majority of the committee members will be made up of the public.

 

Section 2: Voting

The members of the committee cannot vote to take action on items. The role of the committees is to partake in discussion and make recommendation to the Full Board for vote.

 

Section 3: Funding Committee

The Funding Committee shall:

(a) Coordinate and manage the McKinney-Vento application process

(b) Explore new revenue streams for existing programs that may be phased out of the McKinney-Vento funding stream

(c) Make recommendations regarding the budget process to the City

(d) Establish working relationships regionally and inter-county in order to review regional approaches to homelessness

 

Section 4: Strategic Planning Committee

The Strategic Planning Committee shall:

(a) Develop a unified strategy involving the Ten Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness and the Five Year Continuum of Care Plan

(b) Develop a third Continuum of Care Five Year Plan

(c) Monitor and evaluate the Continuum of Care Plan; including implementation of CoC Plan timeline, monitoring implementation of CoC action steps, and assurance that homeless services are in compliance with CoC plan

 

Section 5: Policy and Legislation Committee

The Policy and Legislation Committee shall

(a) Review all local homeless initiatives

(b) Advise the Mayor and Board of Supervisors before any new measure is adopted

(c) Develop macro level policy statements on homelessness in San Francisco

(d) Respond to policy issues that are brought forth by community members

 

Section 6: Ad Hoc

The Chair of the Board and/or the majority of the Board members may form a special committee. Ad Hoc committees are formed for a specific purpose and cease to exist after completion of a designated task.

 

Article VI: Personal Liability

 

Section 1:

The members of the Local Board shall not be personally liable for any debt, liability, or obligation of the Local Board. All persons, corporations, or other entities extending credit to, contracting with, or having any claim against the Local Board may look only to the funds and property of the Local Board for payment of such contract or claim or for payment of any debt, damages, judgment or decree, or of any money that may otherwise become due or payable to them from the Local Board.

 

Article VII: Anti-Discrimination

Section 1:

The Local Board shall not discriminate in any regard to race, creed, color, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy, parenthood, custody of a minor child, or physical or mental disability.

 

Article VIII: Amendment of Bylaws

Section 1:

The bylaws of the Local Homeless Coordinating Board may be amended after presentation of proposed amendments as a scheduled agenda item in a regular meeting of the Local Board. Both one full month’s notification of proposed amendments and passage by majority membership vote at the following month’s regular meeting are prerequisite to amendment of bylaws.