Bylaws

Bylaws

The North Westwood Neighborhood Council Bylaws are the board’s primary governing document. Contained within are outlined protocols and regulations on everything that we do.

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Consent Calendar Rules

Initial Placement of Items on the Consent Calendar on the Posted Agenda

All minutes, monthly expenditure reports, action items that passed a committee unanimously, and appointments of board members to committee membership shall be placed on the consent calendar on the agenda by default. However, the President shall have the discretion to add or remove items of any type to/from the consent calendar in setting the agenda.

Items initially placed on the consent calendar on the posted agenda shall be clearly marked as such on the agenda.

Public Comment

Members of the public interested in making public comment on any items initially placed on the consent calendar in the posted agenda should do so during the period of initial public comment on agenda items/public comment on multiple agenda items.

Removal of Items from the Consent Calendar

Immediately following the period of general public comment and initial public comment on agenda items/public comment on multiple agenda items, board members present shall have an opportunity to remove (but not add) items from the consent calendar. A single board member may remove an item.

The initial placement of an item on the consent calendar in the posted agenda is not intended and should be construed to discourage discussion, debate, and/or dissent on any given item. If a board member is considering voting against or plans to vote against an action item, they should request it removed from the consent calendar. If a board member wishes to discuss the item, even if they intend to vote in favor of it, they may also request it removed from the consent calendar.

Any item on which a board member is recusing themselves must be removed from the consent calendar. A board member intending to recuse themselves on an item initially placed on the consent calendar in the posted agenda should note so at this point in the meeting.

Addition of Items to the Consent Calendar

After that point in the meeting, items not initially placed on the consent calendar on the posted agenda may be later added to the consent calendar when they are reached in the agenda discussion. But this may only happen after opportunity for public comment on the item and only by unanimous consent of the board members present. In such cases, an item may be added to the consent calendar after board discussion of it or without any board discussion of it.

Voting on the Consent Calendar

After all other action items on the agenda, the board shall vote on the consent calendar. Each board member may vote one of the following options: "yes to all items" or "yes to all items, except for Item(s) #, on which I abstain/am ineligible." A board member may not vote against any item at this stage. There shall be no board discussion nor further opportunity for public comment before this vote.

A board member who leaves the meeting early, in the period after the agenda item to remove items from the consent calendar and before the vote on the consent calendar, may register their vote on the consent calendar with the secretary before they leave. They may only vote on items that were on the consent calendar at the time they left the meeting.