Cambrian Community Council Bylaws

Cambrian Community Council Bylaws Approved December 2021

(Cambrian Community Council established in 1983)

Your Avenue to a Better Community 

Table of Contents 

Purpose 

Article I Number of Council Representatives and District Areas 

Article II Nominating Committee

Article III Terms and Election Procedures of Representatives 

Article IV Council Representative Vacancy and Termination 

Article V Council Representative Responsibilities 

Article VI Meetings, Quorum and Voting 

Article VII Committees

Article VIII Amendments to Bylaws 

Article IX Parliamentary Authority 

Appendix A 

Purpose

The Cambrian Community Council:

  • Acts to preserve and enhance the quality of life in the Cambrian area.

  • Resolves to provide an open forum for citizen expression and concerns.

  • Establishes and maintains effective lines of communication among

    Cambrian residents, City of San Jose, adjacent cities, County of Santa Clara

    and State agencies.

  • Gathers the best information for analysis of citizens' concerns, forwards

    Council conclusions to government offices and/or other organizations.

  • May act as a lobbying body for Council conclusions and decisions.

    Article I: Number of Council Representatives and District Areas

  1. The Cambrian Community Council shall be comprised of a total number of nine (9) representatives. Council seats shall be allocated as follows:
    a) Six (6) representatives, one from each Geographic District
    b) Three (3) Community representatives selected At Large

  2. District representatives shall reside in the Districts’ they represent as shown on the map in Appendix A.

  3. At Large representatives should be reflective of communities’ interest groups and balanced geographically.

  4. Upon showing of good cause and a 2/3 vote of elected Representatives, Council and District areas may be changed.

  5. Upon showing of good cause and a 2/3 vote of elected Representatives, the number of Representatives may be increased or decreased.

  6. Representatives shall reflect the diversity of the community.

Article III: Terms of Representatives and Election Procedures

  1. The terms of all council representatives shall be two (2) calendar years.
    a) Representatives of even numbered districts and the even numbered At Large Representatives shall be elected in even numbered years.
    b) Representatives of odd numbered districts and the odd numbered At Large Representatives shall be elected in odd numbered years.

    1. Upon application and a majority vote of Council, the Chairperson and Vice- Chairperson shall serve for one (1) calendar year and may succeed themselves.

  1. The Council shall serve as the Nominating Committee.

  2. Upon application and a majority vote of Council, Council Representatives may

    succeed themselves.

  3. Representative annual elections shall be held at the beginning of the December

    monthly meeting. A call for nominations for candidates from the floor shall be

    made at the October meeting.

  4. Applicants for Council Representative seats shall submit their written

    statements of qualifications and interest to a representative of the Council at the

    no later than the October meeting for annual December elections.

  5. During October and November the current seated Council shall interview the

    applicants. At the November monthly meeting the Council shall announce the

    names of the applicants.

  6. At the December meeting, elections shall be at the beginning of the meeting and

    by majority vote of the seated Council Representatives.

  7. Upon receiving majority approval of Council Representatives, the newly elected Council Representative(s) shall take their seats at the end of Council meeting. If the seat to which they are elected is vacant, the newly elected Council Representative(s) may immediately take their seat following their election.

  8. Election of Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson shall be held at the end of the regular meeting in December or following the declaration of a vacancy.

10) Nominations by the seated Council Representatives by casting of secret ballots. Upon majority vote, the newly elected Chairperson and Vice- Chairperson shall take office at the January meeting.

Article IV: Council Representative Vacancy and Termination

1) The Chairperson shall declare a vacancy when:

  1. a)  A Council District Representative moves outside of their represented

    District.

  2. b)  A Council Representative misses three (3) consecutive meetings without

    notifying the Council.

  3. c)  A Council Representative resigns or cannot serve.

  1. 2)  Upon declaration of a vacancy of a Council Representative:

    1. a)  The Chairperson shall invite applications for the vacant seat.

    2. b)  Direct the Nominating Committee to submit names of people to fill the

      vacant seat.

    3. c)  Upon receiving a majority vote of the seated Council Representatives,

      nominee shall serve the remainder of the vacated term.

  2. 3)  Upon declaration of a vacancy of the Chairperson:

    1. a)  The Vice-Chairperson shall take the position of Chairperson for the remainder of the term of office.

    2. b)  New Chairperson shall call for immediate nominations and,

    3. c)  Election of a new Vice-Chairperson to serve the remainder of that term of

      office

  3. 4)  Upon declaration of a vacancy of the Vice-Chairperson:

    a) The Chairperson shall call for immediate nominations and,
    b) Election of a Vice-Chairperson to serve the remainder of the term of office.

Article V: Council Representative Responsibilities

  1. 1)  The Chairperson shall conduct meetings and otherwise direct and coordinate activities of the Council. The Chairperson with input from Council prepares the monthly meeting agenda for distribution prior to monthly meeting.

  2. 2)  The Vice-Chairperson shall perform the responsibilities of the Chairperson when the Chairperson is unable to perform their responsibilities.

  3. 3)  The position of Secretary/Treasurer shall record the minutes of all Council meetings. The Secretary/Treasurer may collect and distribute money for administrative expenses.

Article VI: Meetings, Quorum and Voting

  1. 1)  Regular meetings shall be held monthly unless a change is designated by the Council.

  2. 2)  Special meetings may be called by the Chairperson.

  3. 3)  All meetings shall be open to the public and the meetings promoted publicly by

    available methods.

  4. 4)  A quorum shall consist of one half (1/2) of the seated Council members, plus

    one.

  5. 5)  A majority vote shall consist of at least one half (1/2) of the seated Council

    Representatives, plus one.

  6. 6)  A seated Council Representative is defined as an elected Representative in good

    standing.

  7. 7)  The Council must have a minimum of five (5) elected seated Representatives in

    good standing to act in the name of the Cambrian Community Council.

    1. a)  In the event the number of seated Representatives in good standing falls to

      less than five (5), the Chairperson will declare a six-month period in which the Council may act with less than five (5) and all Council Representatives will concentrate on filling vacancies.

    2. b)  If the minimum number of seats are not filled within the six-month period, all action of the Council shall be suspended except for recruitment and elections until seats can be filled.

  8. 8)  Absentee Voting: When there is an urgent matter before the Council that requires a vote and a seated Representative in good standing cannot for good reason personally attend the meeting, the absent representative in good standing may provide a written absentee vote.

  9. 9)  Time of the Essence Special Meetings:

    1. a)  Upon a showing that Time is of the Essence because a matter cannot wait

      until the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Council, a Special Meeting may be called by a Representative in good standing and such Representative shall have the responsibility to communicate with all seated Council Representatives by whatever method is convenient.

    2. b)  The calling Representative shall state the nature of the emergency that causes the matter to require a Time of Essence action and give a full disclosure of the issue requiring action

    3. c)  Council Representatives may cast their vote at that time.

  1. d)  The calling Representative shall report the final vote to the Chairperson or Vice-Chairperson before the action.

  2. e)  Such Time of Essence Special Meetings shall be reported at the next regular Council meeting and shall be ratified by a vote of the Council before the public.

10) The business at Cambrian Community Council meetings includes:

  1. a)  Call to Order and salute the US Flag

  2. b)  Roll call and introductions

  3. c)  Approval of minutes

  4. d)  Comments for the Good of Cambrian not on the Agenda

  5. e)  City, County, State updates

  6. f)  OldBusiness

  7. g)  New Business

  8. h)  Council Representative and Committee Reports

  9. i)  Future Agenda Items

  10. j)  Adjournment

Article VII: Committees

  1. 1)  Committees of the Cambrian Community Council may be formed at the direction of the Chairperson to assist the Council in addressing or focusing on a specific problem or issue of concern. All Committees are advisory groups to the Council and may not represent or act on behalf of the Council without its approval by majority vote.

  2. 2)  Committees will be chaired or co-chaired by a current Cambrian Community Council Representative in good standing.

  3. 3)  Committees will consist of at least two members of the Cambrian Community Council and may include one or more members of interested community volunteers.

  4. 4)  There will be an odd number of committee members whenever possible.

  5. 5)  A committee may be dissolved at the direction of the Chairperson of the

    Council with the approval by majority vote of a quorum of the Council.

  6. 6)  The Chairperson of the Council is an ex-officio member of all committees of

    which they are not already a committee member.

  7. 7)  The Committee Chairperson or Co-Chairperson(s) will report on the

    committee’s activities and events connected to the problem or concern for

which the committee was formed at each Council meeting. The committee Chairperson or Co-Chairpersons will inform the Council Chairperson and Representatives on a timely basis of these activities and events occurring between Council meetings.

8) Committee meetings will be open to the general public. Special working sessions and/or emergency sessions and meetings may occur as needed and be closed without notification to the public, but with notification to the Chairperson of the Council.

Article VIII: Amendments to Bylaws

  1. 1)  Proposed Amendments to the Bylaws shall be circulated to the Council Representatives at the meeting in advance of the date of the meeting at which they are to be voted on.

  2. 2)  Passage of Amendments to the Bylaws requires a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the seated Council Representatives.

  3. 3)  Bylaws may be changed during the six-month vacancy period declared by the Chairperson in Article VI.

Article IX: Parliamentary Authority

  1. Roberts Rules of Order, (latest edition) shall be the Parliamentary authority for the Cambrian Community Council in all cases where they are applicable and not inconsistent with these Bylaws, the Bylaws taking precedence.

  2. Position statements and/or correspondence that are issued based on an approval by a majority of the Council Representatives shall be furnished to all Representatives and be available to the public.

Appendix A: Cambrian Community District Map