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Community Council By-laws

Developmental Disabilities Community Council

 

BYLAWS

 

Effective July 26, 2019

 

PURPOSE

 

The purpose of the DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COMMUNITY COUNCIL (“Council”), which was organized by the Sedgwick County Developmental Disability Organization (“SCDDO”) pursuant to K.A.R. 30-64-22(c), is to express opinions and make suggestions and recommendations to the governing board of the SCDDO, which is the Board of County Commissioners of Sedgwick County, and its designee the Intellectual and Developmental Disability Advisory Board (“IDDAB”), concerning any services issue, including, but not limited to:

  1. The types of services being offered by the various providers within the service area; and
  2. The manner in which those services are being provided.

Further, the Council is responsible for overseeing development, implementation, and progress reporting as to local capacity building plans, in accordance with applicable state guidelines; and shall develop and implement dispute resolution procedures required by the provisions of K.A.R. 30-64-32.

 

Article 1. OFFICES

 

The principal office of the Council shall be in Sedgwick County, Kansas. Correspondence may be sent to the attention of the DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COMMUNITY COUNCIL in care of SCDDO. Such offices are currently located at: Sedgwick County Developmental Disability Organization, 615 N. Main, Wichita, Kansas 67203.

 

Article 2: VOTING MEMBERS

Section 1: The Council shall have 6 voting members.

  1. a) Four Council members shall be selected from these criteria (at least one from each):*
  2. A person with developmental disability; and
  3. A family member or guardian of a person with a developmental disability.
  4. One member shall be an employee of the SCDDO designated by the SCDDO Director.
  5. One member shall be a representative of an affiliate of SCDDO.

*These 4 members may not be employees or paid consultants to any provider or CDDO nor may they be members of the board of directors of any provider or CDDO.

 

Section 2: Selection of Members

Selection of members designated in Section 1(a) shall be as follows:

In the spring of each election year, the Council will distribute a nomination form (in various forms) to provider agencies, public schools, guardians and adults listed in the SCDDO electronic record, by public service announcement, and via SCDDO or Council website. The Council will distribute the nomination form to groups and areas targeted for minority representation. The SCDDO employee member will verify that the nominees meet the qualifications and prepare a ballot. At the fall meeting of each election year, ballots will be distributed to meeting attendees. The election results will be tabulated and announced at the next regular Community Council meeting.

The election results will be maintained and referenced in the event a vacancy occurs in these member positions. If there are no nominees, the SCDDO employee member will make recommendations to the Council for filling the position(s). These recommendations may include holding an election, appointing individuals recruited through general notices, or any other means.

The representative of an affiliate of SCDDO will be selected for Council membership by the SCDDO employee member with the input and advice of meeting attendees, Voting Members and community partners.

 

Section 3: Term Limits

No one may serve more than two full consecutive three-year terms as a Voting Member. Fulfilling the remainder of an unexpired term does not count as a full term as a Voting Member. Voting Members elected pursuant to Article 2, Section 1(a) shall have staggered three-year terms as determined by the SCDDO employee member.

 

Article 3. ATTENDEES

 

Section 1: Invited Attendees

Meetings of the Council are open to the public. Cultural and economic diversity of attendees at meetings is encouraged.  Invited attendees shall include:

  1. Provider Representatives (selected by Community Service Providers as defined by K.S.A. 39-1803).
  2. Consumer Representatives (persons with developmental disabilities as defined by K.S.A. 39-1803 or adult family members or guardians of such persons).

Among those representatives who are adult family members and/or guardians of persons with developmental disabilities, every effort will be made to ensure equal representation of all consumer groups including parents/guardians of early childhood aged children (newborn to five years), parents/guardians of school aged children (six years to seventeen years) and parents/guardians of adult children (eighteen or older).

 

Section 2: Other Community Representatives

Other community representatives, such as school professionals or community advocates, will be encouraged to participate in Council activities.

 

Article 4. MEETINGS

 

Meetings will be held quarterly; one in spring, summer, fall and winter. The Chairperson, Vice-Chair, Secretary and SCDDO employee member will determine the agenda and exact dates for each meeting. Meetings should be conducted using Robert’s Rules of Order or other standardized parliamentary procedures. All meetings of the Council must comply with the Kansas Open Meetings Act (K.S.A. 75-4317 et seq) and amendments thereof.

Section 1: Special Meetings

The Council may call special meetings provided that ten days prior notice of such meeting is given to Voting Members, Attendees and anyone requesting such notice.

Section 2: Accommodations

All meetings will be held at a handicapped accessible location. Transportation or reimbursement of transportation and reimbursement for childcare will be provided to attendees by the SCDDO upon request. Reasonable accommodations shall be provided for by the SCDDO or the Sedgwick County ADA Coordinator (Telephone: 316-660-7056; TDD: Kansas Relay at 711 or 800-766-3777) upon request by a Council Member or Attendee.

Section 3: Notice of Meetings

Notice of regular and special meetings of the Council shall be communicated by regular mail, electronic mail, or telephone to all Council members and other interested persons using the contact information provided to the SCDDO at least ten days prior to the date of the meeting. Notice is considered complete upon transmission. The SCDDO employee member is responsible for assuring notice of meetings is provided as set out herein and as required by the Kansas Open Meetings Act.

 

Section 4: Quorum

In order for a quorum to exist at any meeting of the council, at least 51 percent of those council members present and qualified to vote shall meet the provisions of both paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) below:

  1. Be any of the following:
    1. Persons being served;
    2. family members of persons being served; or
    3. legal guardians of persons being served; and
  2. not also be either of the following:
    1. An employee or paid consultant to any provider or CDDO; or
    2. a member of the board of directors of any provider or CDDO.

No action, other than rescheduling a meeting, may be taken without the majority of a quorum approving of such action.

 

Article 5. OFFICERS

 

Section 1: Term of Office and Eligibility

Officers are elected for a three-year term and may serve two full consecutive terms as an Officer. Only Voting Members are eligible to be Officers.

Section 2: Officers and Duties

Chairperson shall be elected by the Voting Members at the first regular meeting following election of members as set out in Article 2, Section 2. In addition to being a Voting Member, the Chairperson shall have the following duties:

  1. Preside over meetings of the Council.
  2. Conduct all meetings of the Council in a manner that complies with the Council’s Bylaws.
  3. Determine, immediately after calling the meeting to order, whether a quorum exists for conducting business at each meeting of the Council.

Vice-Chair shall be elected in the same manner as the Chairperson. In addition to being a Voting Member, the Vice-Chair shall have the following duties:

  1. Fulfill the duties of the Chairperson when the Chairperson so requests, the Chairperson is unable to perform those duties, or when the Chairperson resigns from that position.

Secretary shall be elected in the same manner as the Chairperson. In addition to being a Voting Member, the Secretary shall have the following duties:

  1. Notify, or arrange for notification to, Council members and other interested persons of all meetings of the Council.
  2. Take attendance at each meeting and bring to the attention of the Council any member’s second absence from any meeting prior to the next regular meeting.
  3. Record minutes, or make arrangements to record minutes, at each regular or special meeting of the Council and present those minutes for approval to the Council at the next regular meeting.

Section 3: Officer Vacancies

Vacancies in officer positions may be temporarily filled by appointment by the Chairperson; however, the appointment will be voted on by the Council at the next regularly scheduled meeting. Fulfilling the remainder of an unexpired term does not count as a full term as Officer.

Anyone may submit names to the Council to fill Vacancies in Voting Member positions. The SCDDO employee member will make recommendations to the Council for filling the vacancies which may include holding an election, appointing individuals, or any other means.

 

Article 6. GOVERNANCE

Section 1: Resolution of Ties in Election Results

In the event that more than one nominee in any election receives the same number of votes for the same position, the SCDDO employee member will resolve the tie by a coin toss.

Section 2: Designation of Voting Delegate

Only Voting Members may vote except as provided in these Bylaws.

Section 3: Attendance at Meetings

Voting Members are expected to attend all regular and special Council meetings. If a Voting Member is unable to attend, he or she is expected to contact the SCDDO prior to the meeting. One unexcused absence, (no call/no show) per year is permitted. Following a second unexcused absence, the Voting Member shall automatically lose his/her membership on the Council.

The Targeted Case Manager (an employee of SCDDO) is responsible for coordinating transportation to the meetings for the Consumer Representatives.

Section 4: Forfeiture of Office or Membership

Officers who move from Sedgwick County may not continue to serve as an Officer, unless the Officer is an adult family member/guardian of a Consumer Representative who continues to be served in Sedgwick County.

If a Voting Member who is an SCDDO affiliate representative voluntarily or involuntarily relinquishes membership, the SCDDO employee member will designate an alternate representative to replace the member for the remainder of the term. Agencies that lose SCDDO affiliate status lose membership in the Council.

Section 5: Removal of Officers or Voting Members

An action to remove Officers or Voting Members may be initiated by any Voting Member.  Such an action must be submitted to the Council at the next regular meeting of the Council.

Section 6: Compensation

No remuneration shall be provided for anyone performing activities or duties for the Council.

 

Article 7. COMMITTEES

 

Section 1: Creation of Committees

Committees may be appointed by the Chairperson at a regular or special meeting of the Council from members volunteering to serve on such committees. The Chairperson shall designate the committee chair of all such appointed committees. The records of the Council will reflect the identity of the committee members. All committee meetings are subject to the provisions of the Kansas Open Meetings Act (K.S.A. 75-4317 et seq) and shall be open to the public. Notice of committee meetings will be provided as directed in Article 4, Section 3. All committee decisions are subject to full Council approval.

Article 8. AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

 

These Bylaws may be altered, amended, repealed, or replaced and new Bylaws may be adopted by the Council, provided that such action is allowed by law.

 

 

Approved by the Developmental Disabilities Community Council on the 28th day of June, 2019.

 

 

Becca Duden, President