Bethlehem Environmental Advisory Council

Bylaws

Article I. Name and Location

The name of this organization shall be the Bethlehem Environmental Advisory Council ("EAC"), and its principal place of business shall be 10 E. Church Street, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18018-6025.

Article II. Authorization

The authorization for the establishment of this EAC is set forth by the Bethlehem City Council Bill 55-2006, Ordinance No. 4431, enacted on May 1, 2007. The purpose of the EAC as established by City Council is to advise the City Council and the Administration of the City of Bethlehem as to environmental issues within the City; to encourage sustainable design and the use of renewable energies, to protect and preserve natural resources within the City of Bethlehem; to consider possible uses of open land in the City of Bethlehem; and to create inventories of natural areas with unique features within the City of Bethlehem.

Article III. Purpose

The EAC duly organized under these bylaws shall have the power to study environmental issues independently and at the request of the City Council and to make recommendations to the City Council and Administration on those issues. The EAC will work with the City Council and Administration in an advisory capacity in an effort to help them analyze environmental issues and
issue recommendations on courses of action necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of the residents of the City of Bethlehem ("City").

Article IV. Membership

1. The EAC is composed of seven voting members, chosen to serve three year staggered terms and appointed by a majority vote of the City Council. These members shall reflect the geographic, demographic, technical, and non-technical backgrounds of the citizens of the City. Members shall be selected from the City at large.
   
2. The City Council may select among themselves one Council member to attend meetings and to serve as a member of the EAC in a nonvoting capacity. The Council member cannot be an officer of the EAC, and his or her presence shall not count towards determining a quorum. The Council member shall receive all notices and communications provided to voting members of the EAC.
   
3. Any vacancy on the EAC, except Chair, shall be filled at the earliest convenience of the City Council. A vacancy of the Chair shall be filled automatically by the Vice-Chair at the time of the vacancy.
   
4. EAC members having three or more unexcused absences in a calendar year may be replaced by the City Council. Notification of potential dismissal from the EAC shall be sent by any means by the Chair to the affected EAC member following a second absence within a calendar year.
   
5. Throughout their term on the EAC, all EAC members must notify the EAC and the City Council of any potential conflicts of interest that could result in personal or professional gain either directly or indirectly to them, their families, or associates, by their involvement with the EAC.

Article V. Meetings and Voting

1. Monthly meetings. Regular meetings of the EAC shall be held at the Bethlehem City Hall, 10 E. Church Street in Bethlehem at such times as will be determined by the membership of the EAC at their first meeting for each year. Notice of meetings of the EAC shall be posted as required by law at the Bethlehem City Hall and advertised in a newspaper of general
   circulation.
   
2. Special Meetings. Special meetings may be requested by the Chair, or by a majority of the EAC members. Such special meetings shall be held at the Bethlehem City Hall at such date and hour as may be designated by the person or persons authorized herein to call such a meeting. Notice of special meetings of the EAC shall be posted at the Bethlehem City Hall
   and advertised in a newspaper of general circulation at least twenty-four hours prior to each meeting and the substance of the meeting shall be limited to the purpose originally stated for the special meeting.
   
3. Written or phone notice of such a special meeting shall be given by the Chair to the EAC members at least twenty-four hours prior to the special meeting.
   
4. Quorum. In the event a quorum is not present at any meeting, the members may reschedule the meeting for a later date with the required notice. A quorum shall consist of four of the current voting members. The act of the majority of the members present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of the EAC.
   
5. Voting. Each voting member is entitled to one vote, with the voting governed by parliamentary procedure according to Robert's Rules of Order.
   
6. Notes: Notes from meetings will be kept and copies of the meeting's notes will be sent to each member of the EAC and to the Secretary for City Council for distribution to City Council and the Administration.
   
7. Any Code of Conduct of the City approved by the City Council shall apply to the EAC and all of its meetings.
   
8. All meetings or portions of meetings shall be open to the public and subject to the Sunshine Act. The EAC may meet in closed session for any of the limited exceptions provided in section 707 of the Sunshine Act, as amended.

Article VI. Officers and Compensation

1. Officers. The EAC shall elect from among their members a Chair and a Vice-Chair at the first meeting of each calendar year. Officers shall serve for one year or until their successors are elected.
   
2. Chair. The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the EAC and shall have the duties and powers normally invested in the Office of Chair. He/she shall enforce the bylaws and regulations of the EAC. He/she shall be the official spokesperson for the EAC.
   
3. Vice-Chair. The Vice-Chair shall carry out the Chair's duties in case of absence, incapacity, or resignation.
   
4. Secretary. The Secretary will be responsible for keeping the official minutes of the EAC and preparing all correspondence on behalf of the EAC. In the absence of a regularly appointed Secretary, the duties of the Secretary may be fulfilled on a rotating basis by any voting member of the EAC, with different persons performing the duties from meeting to meeting.
   
   
5. Compensation. No board member shall receive any salary or payment for his/her services. Financial support of the EAC shall be provided by the City with the approval of the City Council.

Article VII. Duties of Environmental Advisory Council Members

1. Management of business. Given the EAC's mission of providing an objective set of recommendations to the City Council and Administration on any given issue, each member may assist in preparing an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of potential courses of action.
   
2. Subcommittees and special task forces may be formed by a majority vote of a quorum of EAC members at any regular or special meeting of the EAC. The EAC may appoint members of the general public to a subcommittee or special task force as it deems necessary and appropriate.
   
3. The EAC shall prepare an annual report to the City Council on its activities, accomplishments, goals and objectives.
   
4. For each issue that the EAC reviews, it will generate a report to each member setting forth its findings and dissenting opinions if any.
   
5. The study of issues:
   
   A) As the EAC hears issues from the community regarding the environment, the EAC will determine which issue(s) need to be explored, or can be explored effectively. The EAC will keep City Council and the Administration informed of the issues and activities on which it has chosen to focus.
   
   B) After receiving a request for a study from the City Council or Administration, the EAC will examine the issue and provide the City Council or Administration with a written report setting forth its recommendations and dissenting opinions (if any).

Article VIII. Order of Business for Meetings

1. Call to order
2. Approval of minutes
3. Place citizens comments on agenda
4. Chair's comments & amendments to agenda
5. Board comments
6. Old business
7. New business
8. Citizen comments
9. Agenda for next meeting
10. Adjourn

Article IX. Amendments

The EAC shall have the power to amend the bylaws. Amendments to the bylaws may be voted on at any regular or special meeting of the EAC and requires three votes of the EAC. No amendment shall be recommended unless a copy of such proposed amendment has been included in or enclosed with the notice of such meeting.

The EAC shall not have the power to recommend any amendment to the bylaws which would alter the status of the Environmental Advisory Council.

Article X. Hearings

1. In addition to those required by law, the EAC may hold public hearings when the EAC, the City Council , or the Administration decide that such hearings would be in the public interest.
   
2. Notice of the time and place of such hearings shall be published in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the territorial jurisdiction of the hearing, not earlier than two weeks prior to the hearing and not less than one week prior to the hearing.
   
3. The matter before the EAC shall be presented in summary by some person designated by the Chair, and parties in interest shall have privilege of the floor.
   
4. No record or statement shall be recorded or sworn to by the EAC as evidence for any Court of Law without notice to the parties mentioned in the record or statement.
   
5. A record shall be kept of those speaking before the EAC at such hearings.