STANDING RULES

 

 

A.       GENERAL PROCEDURES

These Standing Rules and the Bylaws shall be the only rules which will govern the activities of the Advisory Council.  The Council shall conduct all of its business in an open manner, but shall not be bound by the Brown Act.

 

1.   The Parliamentarian or the President shall state if a vote, other than a majority vote, is required before the vote is taken.                                                                                                                         (passed 4 Nov 92)

 

2.   When previous notice is given at a meeting, there shall be no discussion.  Discussion shall take place at the next meeting, allowing time for thoughtful deliberation.                                                                                                                         (passed 4 Nov 92)

 

3.   Voting or alternate representatives who are unable to attend a Council meeting shall call either the President or the Vice-President. The President shall accept the notification, and the absence shall be recorded in the Minutes.                                                                                                                        (passed 1 June 94 )

 

4.    All Council committee meetings shall be open to the public. The participation of non-members in committee discussions shall be at the discretion of the committee's chair.

             (passed 2 June 93)

 

5.   Public notice of the Council's agenda shall be submitted to two local news media for publication. It may be sent to other media at the publicity chair's discretion.                                                                                                                         (passed 2 Oct 96)

 

6.   The Council's Agenda and Minutes of the most recent past meeting shall be provided to all Council members and placed in the following locations seven (7) days before each regularly scheduled Council meeting: Bob's Corner, Candy Counter, Fire Station, Library, Paradise Graphics, and Senior Citizens' Office. A permanent file containing copies of Minutes of previous meetings shall be kept in the Library.                                                                                                                         (passed 1 June 94)

 

7.    Community organization reports to the Council shall be given after the Treasurer's Report.

                                                                                                                                (passed 2 June 93)

 

8.   All Advisory Council meetings shall be open to the public.                                                                                                                        (passed 7 Dec 94)

 

9.    Action shall not be taken on items that are not on the agenda, except under urgent circumstances. Urgent circumstances shall be defined by a 3/4Ős majority vote of the Advisory Council.

                                                                                                                                (passed 7 Dec 94)

 

 

B.       ELECTION CODE                                                                                           (passed 2 Nov 94)

Since the Cayucos Citizen's Advisory Council is recognized, but not established by the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors as an official organization, the following Standing Rules shall be the only rules by which the Council members are elected. The Advisory Council is not bound by the California Election Code.

 

1.  Candidates must submit their written candidacy forms by the end of the regular February Council meeting. The President shall read the candidates' names to the Council at that time. Any candidate who withdraws must do so in writing to the President. A candidate may not re-enter his candidacy after he has formally withdrawn.

 

2.  At the March meeting, the proposed election ballot shall be submitted to the Council for approval.  In approving the ballot, the Council accepts each candidate as being eligible as prescribed in the Council Bylaws and these Standing Rules.

 

3.  There shall be no write-ins or absentee ballots.

 

4.    After the official ballot is printed, it shall be authenticated by the President and the Vice-President.1

 

5.    The Vice-President shall appoint and chair a committee of Council members (the Election Planning Committee [EPC])2 in order to plan the annual 3 election of CCAC representatives. Before the election, the EPC shall have the following duties:

a.     Between the February and March regular meetings the EPC shall verify that all candidates meet the residency and age requirements set forth in the Bylaws;

b.      The Vice-President and the EPC shall also organize a separate committee of Cayucos citizens (the Community Election Committee [CEC]).4  The purpose of the CEC is to oversee the actual election and determine the results, as described in more detail in B-6 below.  No one whose name appears on the CCAC official ballot may serve on the CEC.

c.        The EPC shall arrange for a suitable polling place (e.g., the Vet's Hall) and shall provide the materials required for running the election.  The necessary materials are: copies of the official ballot, ballot boxes, voter registration lists, precinct maps and descriptions, voter sign-in sheets, residency statements, tables, chairs, wheel-chairs, pens, pencils, etc.

d.       Before the election date, the EPC shall set up the polling place with the materials described above.  The Vice-President shall be responsible for assuring that the ballots provided are true copies of the official ballot.

 

6.  The purpose of the Community Election Committee (CEC)5 is to conduct the CCAC election in a fair, impartial, and orderly manner.  The CEC is completely independent of the Council and shall select its own Chair.  Members of the CEC shall conduct the election according to the following procedures:

 

a.     Polling hours on election-day shall be 7 a.m. to 8 p.m6.  Voters shall be admitted to the polling place only during these hours.  Voters inside the polling place at closing shall be allowed to finish.  The Chair of the CEC shall declare the opening and closing of the poll.  At least four7 members of the CEC shall be present at all times during this period to act as election workers.

b.  The actual voting procedure shall be as follows:

i)         The precinct in which the voter lives shall be verified at a table which has the precinct map and descriptions;

ii)        Each voter shall print his8 residence address and sign his9 name on the voter's sign-in sheet to affirm that he meets the age and residency requirements specified in the Bylaws.  The voter shall be asked to verify the residence address given with one of the following: a driver's license, a voter registration card, or a printed personal check.  If none of these is available, the voter must sign a Statement of Residency in order to vote.  The sign in process shall not in any way connect a specific voter with a specific ballot;

iii)       An election worker writes the voter's precinct number on the ballot, circles the candidates for that precinct, and instructs the voter to vote for no more than two of those candidates;

iv)     The voter is directed to a private voting area out of view of adjoining tables.  The voter is then directed to deposit the completed ballot in the box for the appropriate precinct.

c.        The CEC shall ask all voters to exit the polling place immediately after voting and shall record the reasons of those who do not.  No campaigning shall be allowed within 300 feet of the polling place and individuals who do not vote shall not loiter at the polling place. No voter shall accompany another voter past the precinct verification table (CEC escort only). No voter shall enter the polling area after he or she has voted.

d.       After the poll closes, the ballots shall be counted in a closed area of the polling place with only working members of the CEC present. Ballots shall be disqualified if they are wrongly or illegibly marked, or if they are not true copies of the official ballot.  For instance, a ballot shall be disqualified entirely if the wrong precinct has been voted, if more than two candidates were marked, or if write-ins are present.  A majority of CEC members present must agree for a ballot to be disqualified. And initialized by CEC members present10    Disqualified ballots shall be marked as such and held separately.

 e.   When counting is complete, the CEC Chair shall give the summary of election results (including the count of disqualified ballots) to the Vice-President.  The Vice-President shall dismiss the CEC members and then post the results outside the polling place.  The Vice-President shall forward the election results to the President and assist the President in notifying all candidates at that time.  The President or Vice-President shall notify the news media, or the publicity chair to notify the news media,11 of the results in a timely manner.

f.      The Chair of the CEC shall store all ballots in sealed envelopes by precinct. Voter sign-in sheets and Statements of Residency shall also be stored in sealed envelopes.12  Sealing of the envelopes shall be verified by the signatures of at least two CEC members across the flap.  The stored materials shall be presented to the Council President at the next regular meeting, and no one shall have access to these materials until that time.  Subsequent handling of these materials are discussed in Section B. 1113. below.

g.    Challenges to the election results (including requests for recounts) shall be heard at the next regular Council meeting as described in B-714. Neither the Vice-President nor any member of the CEC shall accept challenges at the time the results are posted.

 

7.    At the April meeting, the outgoing Council shall approve Minutes of the previous meeting and shall accept the report of the CEC and designate any challenges.  No other challenges shall be accepted after the election report is accepted by the outgoing Council.  The newly elected unchallenged representatives who are present shall be seated and conduct the Council's business as stated in B. 815.  A majority of those those seated shall constitute a quorum. The first order of business shall be to resolve any ties and/or challenges. If a recount of votes is requested, it shall be conducted in a closed area by only members of the CEC. Election of Officers (B. 9.)16 shall not occur until all ties and challenges are resolved.

 

8.    Seating of the Council

a.       At the April meeting, the outgoing President shall serve as the President pro-tem and the  outgoing Secretary shall serve as the Secretary pro-tem until the election of officers as outlined below.

b.      If there is a tie between two candidates for first place in the lineup of precinct representatives, both shall be seated as the voting members.

If three or more candidates are tied for first place, the names shall be placed in three identical envelopes by the Secretary pro-tem, and the President pro-tem shall select a member of the public who shall select one envelope. The person whose envelope has been selected shall become a representative. The person whose name is drawn second shall become the second representative. The third name drawn becomes the alternate.

In the event of a tie for second place, the same procedure shall be followed until two representatives and an alternate have been seated.

The same procedure shall be followed for breaking ties among alternates.

 

9.   Election of Officers

 a.  The President pro-tem shall announce the names of the candidates, then conduct the election of the President by secret ballot, but votes only if a member of the new Council. If there is a tie, the ballot process shall be repeated a second time. If there is still a tie, the ballot process shall be repeated a third time. If the tie is not broken on the third ballot, the tie shall be broken by the process outlined for breaking ties for elected representatives.        17

b.   The new President shall conduct the election of a Vice-President and a Treasurer. The same process used to elect the president shall be repeated for these officers.

c.   With the election of its new officers, the Council is prepared to conduct its business. The first item shall be the appointment of a Recording Secretary who shall immediately assume the duty of taking Minutes.

 

10.     After the election of officers, the County Supervisor of District 2 may ceremonially install the new Council and its officers.

 

11.     Voter sign-in sheets shall be held for three months from the time all challenges are resolved. After three months, the President shall destroy the sheets. The President shall destroy immediately ballots and other election materials after the resolution of all challenges. Note in 6.g. and 718 that no challenges shall be considered after the CEC election report is accepted by outgoing Council.

 

 

STANDING RULES

 

HIGHLIGHTED YELLOW ITEMS THAT MAYBE SHOULD BE REVIEWED:

 

B.  ELECTION CODE

4.  After the official ballot is printed, it shall be authenticated by the President and the Vice-President.1  Pg. 2

      Consideration:

 

5. Committee [EPC])2 in order to plan the annual3                                                                                                                                     Pg. 2

Consideration:   consistency/first mention/  annual vs. ???

 

b.     CEC]).4                                                                                                                                                                                                            Pg. 2

           Consideration:

 

6.  The purpose of the Community Election Committee (CEC)5                                                                                               Pg. 2

a.  Polling hours on election-day shall be 7 a.m. to 8 p.m6 . . . . . . At least four7                                                                  Pg. 2

Consideration    is correct number being followed/ hours to re-consider?

 

 

The actual voting procedure shall be as follows:

ii) Each voter shall print his8 residence address and sign his9                                                                             Pg. 2

           Consideration  make  more politically correct

 

 

c.     And initialized by CEC members present10                                                                                                                    Pg. 3

       Consideration                                                                                                                                     

 

 

d.    or the publicity chair to notify the news media,11 of the results in a timely manner.                                                                                                                               Pg. 3

         Consideration:  add to coincide with having a publicity chair/define duty more

 

f.       The Chair of the CEC shall store all ballots in sealed envelopes by precinct. Voter sign-in sheets and Statements of Residency shall also be stored in sealed envelopes.12   Sealing of the envelopes . . . . . Section B. 1113. below.

g.    Challenges to the  . .  .  .  meeting as described in B-714.                                                      Pg. 3

 

7.      At the April meeting, . . . . Council's business as stated in B. 815.  . . . . . . . .                                        Pg. 3

Election of Officers (B. 9.)16 shall

              Consideration    Items 13, 14, 15, 16, and 18  should be clarified and be more consistent    

 

8.      Election of Officers

a.. . . . . . ties for elected representatives.        17                                                                                                                     Pg. 4

                                Consideration   add wording to clarify more?

11. . . . Note in 6.g. and 718                                                                                                                                                                                                    Pg. 4