GREATER OREGON CITY BY_LAW WORKING DOCUMENT November 8, 2005 Mission The Council will work to conserve, enhance and protect the quality and ecological integrity of the watersheds by providing a cooperative forum to promote and facilitate integrated watershed management. Purpose To address watershed issues of the Greater Oregon City area including but not limited to the Abernethy and Parrott/Beaver Creek systems. The Council will develop watershed action plans that may include recommendations for land use practices, policies and programs. These plans will provide a basis for voluntary efforts of citizens to jointly address the concerns identified in the plans while protecting and preserving their natural and community resources in an economically reasonable manner. During the development of these plans, the Council will seek input, support and partnerships from all levels of government, institutions, agencies, non-governmental organizations, businesses and interested citizens. The Council acknowledges the protection, enhancement and restoration of native flora and fauna as primary concerns. Goals The Council will work to: Collect information, compile existing data and inventory natural/riparian areas and land use; Assess, identify and prioritize watershed health needs; Develop Action Plans with well-defined goals and objectives to meet identified needs; Implement watershed management programs and projects using best management practices; Educate and involve the citizenry; Provide a forum and information clearing house for residents; Identify and acquire funding for hiring a coordinator and implementing Action Plan(s); Monitor and evaluate health of the watershed(s); Keep public and governmental agencies informed about work of Council; Work cooperatively with governments and other organizations to provide adequate funding and support for watershed councils to implement action plans; This council is a non-regulatory, citizen based organization that only works with willing landowners and managers. Relationship to decision-making bodies and communities of interest The Council welcomes and will respond to requests from citizens and organizations for advice and information on actions affecting the watershed that are proposed by local, state and federal agencies, organizations, community interests and citizens. The Council may serve as an advisory body to established decision-making bodies and communities of interest. As such, the Council may make recommendations concerning the protection, restoration, and enhancement of the quality of the watersheds. Membership The Council shall include representatives from the specified geographical regions as shown on the attached Map A. All members shall live or perform the greater part of their work in their watershed, unless appointed by the council as an interim representative. The Council will work to have a majority of the members of the Council be landowners or land managers who will represent citizens in the significant sub-watersheds. Members of the Council shall serve at the pleasure of the citizens and landowners in their region of the watershed. Within the first two months of official recognition of the Council voting council members will be asked to serve a one-third rotation in service. The goal is only have one third of the members or officers up for election annually. The council can remove any sitting member of the council after three consecutive un-excused absences from official meetings. The Council will act to replace members who resign or are unable to continue serving on the Council. The Council will strive to maintain continuity and the balance of interests by giving preference to representatives from the same area of the watershed. The Council will request nominations for open positions on the Council from local organizations working in the specified geographical region as depicted on Map A. Examples of local organizations include but are not limited to Citizen Participation Organizations, Neighborhood Associations, Grange Associations, Homeowners Associations and other similar groups. If no nominations are received the Council may appoint an at-large citizen to represent the geographical area. When a citizen is nominated to represent a geographical area for which a member has been appointed they may be re-placed after attending three consecutive official meetings and after the council has received three letters of nomination from their geographical region. These letters of nomination can be from private citizens and/or local organizations, including but not limited to, Citizen Participation Organization, Grange Associations, Neighborhood Associations, Special Districts and cities. Technical assistance will be provided by agency and government personnel, non-profit organizations or other interested technical experts at the pleasure of the Council, and may serve in a support capacity as non-voting members. Organization and Operating Procedures Minutes will be made of all Council meetings. Minutes or notes may be kept for sub-committee and work session meetings to accurately reflect the business conducted. The Council will require a minimum of 50 percent, plus 1 vote of the active members to establish a quorum for conducting business. A voting member is considered in-active if they have three consecutive unexcused absences from the regular public meeting or if they have indicated in writing to the Chair that they wish to be removed from the Council. Members that are unable to attend a meeting must contact the Chair and let he/she know that they will be unable to attend the meeting. A council member may request to be placed on in-active status if they are going to be out of the area for more than three months. The Council will work towards a consensus decision-making process. If consensus can not be reached, the Chairman of the council may call for a vote. A two thirds majority will be used if all efforts to reach consensus fail. Any actions taken by a majority will require an acceptance of a minority report from the dissenters, if they choose to submit one. This minority report will be attached to the majority decision. Robert’s Rules of Order may be followed, or an adaptation thereof. The Council will select, from the voting members, a Chair and Vice-Chair to serve as spokeperson(s), prepare Council agendas, call and manage Council meetings, enforce ground rules and perform other tasks as assigned by the Council. The Council will select other officers such as Treasure and Secretary as needed. The Secretary will lead the meeting in case of absence of both Chairs, then the Treasurer. Elections for officers will be annually and may include written recorded votes if necessary. The Council may form sub-committees of its own members, outside individuals and groups to perform certain functions and/or research on specific issues. The Council may also identify and request technical advisors to sit on a committee to provide and review technical data and provide assistance. New programs, procedures and policies can not be proposed and voted on at the same meeting. Project, proposals and motions will be communicated to the members and decisions should be made at the following meeting. If a voting member of the council is unable to attend a meeting, the member may provide written comments or ask other members to represent their position on the issue. If the member wishes to have the vote postponed it may request the council do so. The Council will make a reasonable effort to do so. If an issue brought before the council needs substantial input from the members and interested citizens, the Council may impose time limits on discussion. Any voting council member may request a vote for imposing time limits on discussion. Votes by proxy will not be accepted. If absent a member may not vote by proxy, nor may they block a consensus decision. The Clackamas County Soil and Water Conservation District will act as the Coordinator and the Fiscal Manager of this watershed council, handling money and bookkeeping, until the organization has developed sufficient means and resources to do so itself. Council representatives agree to show respect for and listen to every citizens’ opinion. If an issue is brought before the council that appears to warrant extended discussion the Council can agree to limit testimony and discussion. Issues may come before the Council that may warrant additional work and discussion outside of the regular meeting. If a work session is agreed upon, no decisions can be made at this gathering, it will only be convened in an attempt to summarize issues, proposals and projects and then proposals can be summarized and presented to the regular council. Voting members will notify the Chair or Co-Chair if they are unable to attend a meeting. The council will publicly announce all meetings and regularly provide meeting, policy, program and planning information to local media and citizens. The Council may choose to vote by e-mail or voice mail conducted by the Secretary or Chair to make decisions on issues that require a timely response. This method will not be regularly utilized. It is the intent of the organization to allow for as much opportunity as possible for citizens to voice their opinions and concerns in the business of the Council. Amendments A Council member may propose amendments to the bylaws at anytime. The amendment change will be read at the meeting in which it is first proposed and again at the following meeting. The proposed amendment will be decided by consensus or a two-thirds majority at the third consecutive meeting. Passed amendments will become effect at the following meeting. Notes The steering committee has served at the pleasure of the Conservation District. Steering Committee participants that had a significant input to these by-laws include; Tim Blackwood, Doug Cramer, Ed Gilmore, Alison Heimowitz, Lowell Hanna, Patty Jarrett, Jeffrey Kee, Richard LaDick, Sara Miller, Anders Rasmussen, Rhoda Portis, Richard Thompson, Betsy and Bob Torell This group met 7 Mondays starting on April 12, 2004 through June 7, 2004. Map A