This document governs the activities of the Avila Valley Advisory Council.

AVILA VALLEY ADVISORY COUNCIL BYLAWS

Article I

Name of the Organization

Section 1         The name of this organization shall be the Avila Valley Advisory Council.

Article II

Form of Organization

Section 1         The Avila Valley Advisory Council is a private organization

 Article III

Purposes of the Council

 

Section 1         To advise the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors and other public decision

making bodies which may have jurisdiction over any aspect of planning and

development in the Avila Valley area.

 

Section 2         To represent the interests of the residents and engaged stakeholders in theunincorporated area of San Luis Obispo County known in general as the Avila Valleyarea which lies between the incorporated areas of Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo.

 

Section 3         To provide a venue through which the community can reach a consensus on issues related to land uses, natural resource conservation, zoning, public services, circulation, public improvements, public safety, and other aspects of harmonious community life and orderly development.

 

Section 4         To foster a coherent planning framework for the Avila Valley, as reflected in County plans, that responds to the values and standards of the community and that can be applied to specific development proposals that come before the Council for review.

 

Section 5         To hold meetings open to the public and conduct studies on all matters brought to the Council and/or selected by the Council, so as to aid in formulating sound recommendations to the County Board of Supervisors and the County Planning Commission, as well as to other public agencies with relevant jurisdiction on the issues in question.

 

Section 6         To advocate the interest of the residents of Avila Valley in public hearings, legal proceedings and other civic decision making processes related to land uses, natural resource conservation, zoning, public services, circulation, public improvements, public safety and other aspects of harmonious community life and orderly development.

 Article IV

Membership on the Council

 

Section 1         The Council will be composed of representatives of the residents in the Avila Valley, chosen by the community’s established collective decision-making bodies for each of the following areas.

 

Avila Beach: The Avila Beach Civic Association

Squire Canyon: Ad Hoc representation

See Canyon: Ad Hoc representation

San Luis Bay Estates: The Master Home Owners Association

Avila Valley: Ad Hoc representation

 

Section 2         Area representation on the Council shall be in the following numbers with no one area having more than 40 percent of the total membership:

 

Avila Beach Civic Association 3 Members and 1 Alternate

Squire Canyon: CSD 2 Members and 1 Alternate

See Canyon: Association 2 Members and 1 Alternate

SLBE Master Home Owners Assn. 6 Members and 2 Alternates

Avila Valley Association 2 Members and 1 Alternate

 

Section 3         The manner of selection of representatives will be determined by the governing board of each body.

 

act on behalf of their community and its interests in considering all matters before the Council. Qualifications for such representatives shall be that they are residents and registered voters in a precinct in the Avila Valley.

 

Section 5         The Council may adjust the number of representatives allocated to each area or change the recognition of the governing body for an area when the construction of residences, changes in land use, or changes in legally constituted community organization, or other factors make such adjustments warranted.

 

Section 6         To provide continuity to the Council, it is recommended that the area bodies select their representatives for terms of service of two or three years each, staggered so that only half to one-third of the Council membership is renewed each year. However, terms of service and how representatives are selected remain at the discretion of each area’s governing body. Selection of members should be made so that new terms of service can begin on the first Monday of January.

 

Section 7         In the absence of any regular representative to the Council, an Area Alternate shall be seated as a full voting member of the Council for that meeting. Such action shall be noted at the time of the roll call of members present.

 

Section 8         When a representative has been absent without notice from three consecutive meetings, the position shall be considered vacant and an alternate will be seated as the regular representative. The Council Chair shall notify the area governing body of any vacancy following the seating of an alternate as a regular member. If a vacancy remains for two meetings following such notification, the Council Chair may appoint to that vacancy a qualified person from that area for the remainder of the term of the position.

 Article V

Officers

Section 1         All officers shall be elected by majority vote of the area representatives at the Annual Public Meeting on the second Monday of January to serve until the next Annual meeting one year thereafter.  Section 2 Officers of the Council shall consist of Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary. No individual shall simultaneously hold more than one office.

 

Section 3         These officers will constitute the Executive Committee.

 

Article VI

Terms of Office

 

Section 1         No Council member may serve more than two (2) consecutive one-year terms in the same office.

 

Section 2         A Council office vacated during its term shall be filled for the balance of that term by election of the Council at any meeting following notice of the vacancy.

 

Article VII

Duties of Officers

 

Section 1         The Chair shall preside at all Council meetings. The Chair will transmit in writing and/or orally actions of the Council to the County Board Supervisor or staff.

 

Section 2         The Chair shall represent the Council at meetings of other public bodies, unless a Council member is designated by the Chair to serve as the representative to the Council activities and events. The Chair will report to the Council activities occurring since the preceding meeting.

 

Section 3         In the Chair’s absence or disability to serve, the Vice-Chair or the Secretary shall, in that order, perform the Chair’s duties.

 

Section 4         The Vice-chair, in addition to serving in the Chair’s absence, has the duties of Council Treasurer and, in this capacity, shall account to the Council at the regularly scheduled monthly meetings for any and all funds received and/or held for the Council as well as for funds disbursed in the Council’s name.

 

Section 5         The Secretary is responsible for the notes of meetings and for the preparation of the minutes to be presented at the following meeting. Unless other arrangements are made with Council officers, the Secretary is responsible for receiving, preparing and transmitting the Council’s correspondence.

 

Section 6         The three elected officers shall serve as the Council Executive Committee which will meet/communicate regularly prior to the monthly Council meetings to discuss and approve the agenda for that meeting. Council members may submit items to be included on the agenda to any of the three Executive Committee members at least ten (10) days prior to the Council meeting.

 

Section 7         The Chair is responsible for order at all meetings and may request any person who is disrespectful of that order to leave the meeting. The Chair may limit the period for public comment as well as the time allowed for each individual commentary as deemed necessary for the orderly conduct of the business on that day.

 

Article VIII

Committees and Sub-Committees of the Council

 

Section 1         Working Committees or Task Forces may be created either by appointment by the Chair of the Council or by a majority-approved Council resolution. The Council Chair shall appoint the Chairs of these groups, appoint all committee members, and shall serve as an ex officio member of such groups.

 

Section 2         Committees may be composed of any resident voter in the Avila Valley, though normally the Chair of the committee will be a Council member.

 

Section 3         Such committees or task forces shall prepare recommendations to the Council as a whole for action by the members. Committees and Task Forces shall not implement any recommendations without specific authorization of the Council.

 

Section 4         The chair of a committee or task force can, as necessary to expedite investigations, studies, or to prepare draft materials for the Council, create sub-committees.

 

Section 5         The Executive Committee shall act on behalf of the Council to expedite the work of the organization. An individual Officer may act on behalf of the Council only after consultation with the other members of the Executive Committee.

 

Section 6         At least 30 days prior to each annual meeting, the Chair shall appoint a Nominating Committee of three Council members. It shall be the duty of the Nominating Committee to nominate at least one member, or accept volunteers from the Council membership, for each officer vacancy, including any unexpired term vacancy, for which elections are being held. After the report of the Nominating Committee, the Chair shall call for nominations from the Council. Election will be determined by plurality vote by Council members and shall be by ballot except where there is only one nominee to the office.

 

Section 7         Standing committees shall include Avila Beach, Squire Canyon, See Canyon, San Luis Bay Estates, Avila Valley, Circulation, Development, and others as deemed necessary. Standing committees shall report their activities at regular meetings of the Council. The Chair shall be an ex officio member of all standing committees. The Chair shall not serve as a committee chair in order to encourage broad participation and foster additional leadership. Each standing committee will be included in the monthly agenda. Other items can be added as needed.

 

Section 8         The Chair shall appoint an Audit Committee, which shall review the financial records at least every other year. The findings shall be reported at a regularly scheduled meeting of the Council.

 

Article IX

Meetings

 

Section 1         The Council will hold regular meetings, open to the public, on the second Monday of every month, unless rescheduled at least five days prior by posted public notice.

 

Section 2         Special meetings may be called by the Chair with a two-thirds agreement from the Executive Committee or whenever five Council members request one.

 

Section 3         Five days in advance of all meetings, in an accessible public place, such as the Avila Beach Community Center and the Council website, as made known at regular Council meetings, notice shall be posted by the Council Secretary, with time and place of the meeting, along with an agenda.

 

Section 4         The Secretary will send the draft agenda, copies of the last meeting’s minutes, a Treasurer’s Report, and any deliberative materials to be considered by the Council to all Council members at least five days in advance of all regular meetings

 

Section 5         A quorum shall consist of a majority of Council members, not counting unfilled vacancies for which a new member or an alternate has not been seated.

 

Section 6         The Council will deliberate on issues at the regular monthly public meetings, allowing appropriately limited time for expert testimony and public comment and the opportunity for committees and task forces to report findings and recommendations. Any vote taken by the Council on actions or recommendations shall be at these public meetings and shall be limited to agenda items unless an urgent matter is approved by a two-thirds vote

of members present. Normal items must be approved by majority vote of those members in attendance. No vote by the Council is valid, failing a quorum present.

 

Article X

General

Section 1         Unless otherwise provided herein or by amendment hereto, the proceedings of the Council shall be governed by “Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised.” The Vice-chair shall serve as Parliamentarian.

 

Section 2         The disbursement of funds, authorized by the Council, shall require the signatures of any two elected officers.

 

Section 3         The Council may not enter into any contract beyond one year from the date of the execution of the contract.

 

Section 4         The Council may not incur any indebtedness in excess of available funds.

 

Section 5         No voting on any matters can be by proxy.

 

Article XI

Amendments

 

Section 1         Amendments to these Bylaws are to be proposed and read at a regular meeting for consideration on the agenda at the next regular meeting. When so presented, an amendment shall be approved when a two-thirds majority of the members present vote in the affirmative.

 

Note:               The Bylaws adopted at the October 14, 2002, meeting replace in their entirety all previous Bylaws of the Council.

 

Previous editions and amendments of the Bylaws were May 1993, August 1998, January 1999, December 1999, and June 2002.