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HomeMy WebLinkAbout*Other - BOCCGrant County Homeless Housing Task Force Bylaws Adopted: Insert Date Article I: Name The name of this organization shall be the Grant County Homeless Housing Task Force (hereafter referred to in this document as "the HHTF"). Article II: Authorization Grant County (hereafter referred to in this document as "the County") receives homeless funding through a variety of sources including the Homeless Housing and Assistance Act (RCW 36.22.179, RCW 36.22.1791, RCW 43.185C), the Affordable Housing for All Surcharge (RCW 36.22.178), and other homeless/housing funds as may be awarded to the County in the future. RCW 43.185C.010 and 43.185C.160 requires that each county shall create a homeless housing task force to develop a five-year local homeless housing plan addressing short-term and long-term housing for homeless persons. The Grant County Board of County Commissioners (hereafter referred to as the "BOCC") is responsible for the oversight of the program and will designate County staff who are responsible for the day-to-day management of the County's funds. Article III: Purpose The purpose of the HHTF is to develop, prioritize, evaluate, and recommend strategies to reduce and prevent homelessness in Grant County by: • Developing a local five-year homeless housing plan (hereafter referred to in this document as "the Plan")addressing short-term and long-term housing for homeless persons. • Establishing guidelines consistent with the statewide homeless housing strategic plan, as needed, for the following: (a) Emergency shelters; (b) Transitional housing and other short-term housing; (c) Temporary encampments; (d) Permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless persons; (e) Long-term housing; (f) Homeless prevention services; (g) Homeless street outreach and other homeless support services; and (h) Other homeless/housing interventions as identified in the Plan • Determining the principles that guide the implementation of the Plan's activities. • Providing high-level leadership and oversight for the implementation of the Plan. • Advocating for public and private funding and resources to aid in the implementation of the Plan. • Recruiting community partners who will work in collaboration with other levels of government, social service providers, the business community, faith -based providers, and civic groups to implement the Plan. Grant County Homeless Housing Task Force Bylaws Adopted: Insert Date • Establishing and overseeing the local process for evaluating, awarding, and allocating funds to local service providers to support the continued reduction and prevention of homelessness in Grant County. • Providing support and guidance to BOCC staff, as the designated lead administration entity, in: o Developing and implementing an annual work plan in support of the Plan goals. o Providing the annual report on the current condition of homelessness in the County, the performance in meeting the goals of the Plan, and any significant changes to said Plan consistent with RCW 43.185C.045. • Providing outreach to the community on homeless/housing-related issues including advocacy, public information, and educational activities. Article IV: Governance Structure The HHTF serves as a governing body providing oversight, direction, and guidance for the development and implementation of the Grant County Homeless Program (hereafter referred to in this document as "the Program"). The Grant County BOCC office is responsible for the day-to-day management of the County's funds. The Grant County BOCC shall have review and approval authority over implementation of the HHTF's funding decisions in conformance with all applicable statutes and grant requirements. If the BOCC disagrees with budgetary/funding allocation decisions made by the HHTF, the BOCC will send the issue back to the HHTF for reconsideration. If the issue cannot be resolved, the funding allocation in question will not be awarded and the funds will be returned to the homeless fund reserve for future grant allocation. Article V: Membership Structure Section 1: Membership Representation/Voting Privileges The HHTF will consist of nine voting members from the following key stakeholder organizations: • Grant County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) • City of Moses Lake as the largest city within Grant County • At -large rotating small city representative for Grant County • A representative with lived homeless experience (currently or formerly homeless) • Grant County Health District • Medical healthcare service provider • Behavioral health or chemical dependency treatment service provider • Grant County Veterans Services Officer • Chief Deputy of the Grant County Jail Section 2: Member Appointments Members will be appointed for two-year terms as follows: Member Representative Designated Recruitment/Appointment Process Alternate Required? Grant County Commissioner Yes Appointed by the Grant County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) Grant County Homeless Housing Task Force Bylaws Adopted: Insert Date 3 Member Representative Designated Recruitment/Appointment Process Alternate Required? City of Moses Lake Yes Elected city official selected by the Moses Lake City Council. Appointment approved by the BOCC. At -large rotating small city Yes Elected official from a small city or town within representative for Grant County Grant County (other than the city of Moses Lake). Appointed by the Association of Grant County Cities &Towns. — A representative with lived No The BOCC will solicit applications for homeless experience (currently or participation, review applications, and select a formerly homeless) representative for each of the targeted — Grant County Health District stakeholder organizations. — Medical healthcare service provider — Behavioral health or chemical dependency treatment service provider — Grant County Veterans Services Officer — Chief Deputy of the Grant County Jail The BOCC will develop a formal recruitment/application process to solicit members as specified in Article V Section 1 above and ensure that appointees: a. Be members of the targeted stakeholder groups outlined in Section 1 above. b. Not be an officer, director, or employee of an organization that is a current grant funding recipient. Elected officials from cities within Grant County who receive homeless funding may participate as HHTF members. However, these members shall voluntarily recuse themselves prior to any quorum vote which may benefit their respective jurisdictions. c. Be appointed for terms of up to two years with reappointment at the discretion of the HHTF membership. The HHTF may recommend exceptions to this term limit to ensure full and balanced HHTF membership. Any such exceptions must be approved by a majority vote of the HHTF members. Members who are elected county or city officials must designate an alternate representative who can attend meetings and act on their behalf. Alternates will be selected and appointed per the Recruitment/Appointment process outlined above. Section 3: Ad Hoc Committees and Work Groups The HHTF may convene, as needed, work groups of knowledgeable persons to advise the HHTF in specific program areas or to address any ad hoc issues. These advisory committees are intended to be short-term in nature and will report directly to the HHTF. Legal counsel, when necessary to the deliberation of the HHTF, shall be furnished by the office of the Grant County attorney. Grant County Homeless Housing Task Force Bylaws Adopted: Insert Date 4 Article VI: Officers The officers of the HHTF shall be a Chairperson, Vice -Chairperson, and Secretary. The term of office for the Chair and Vice -Chair position will be one year. Due to the administrative nature of the Secretary role, this position will be filled by a Grant County administrative staff member as appointed by the Grant County BOCC. The Chairperson's duties include: • Presiding over HHTF meetings • Facilitating the development of meeting schedules and agendas • Ensuring communication of HHTF matters to all members • Providing an overview of each HHTF meeting to the BOCC The Vice -Chairperson's duties include: • Assisting the Chairperson as necessary • Fulfilling the duties of the Chairperson in the absence of the Chairperson The Secretary's duties include: • Scheduling and coordinating HHTF meetings • Creating a Notice of Public Hearing for each HHTF meeting and sending it to the office of the BOCC for publication • Working in conjunction with the HHTF Chairperson, develop meeting agendas and distribute the agenda and prior meeting minutes to HHTF members at least seven (7) days prior to each meeting. • Recording and distributing minutes of all HHTF meetings • Ensuring distribution of other applicable information to all members The Chairperson and Vice -Chairperson shall be elected annually from the HHTF's voting membership by a majority vote of voting members at the last regular HHTF meeting of each year. Nominations may be made from the floor by any HHTF member. The newly elected officers shall assume office at the close of that meeting and shall serve a term of one year with the ability to serve consecutive terms. In the event of a vacancy in the office of the Chairperson or Vice -Chairperson, the HHTF shall vote for a replacement at the next regularly scheduled HHTF meeting. The Chairperson and Vice -Chairperson will retain voting privileges as indicated in Article V Section 1 of this document. The Secretary will not have voting privileges. Article V11: Member Participation Section 1: Meeting Participation: At a minimum, the HHTF will conduct six meetings per year on a bi-monthly basis with increased frequency as needed. A minimum of seven (7) days advance notification of meeting dates, times, and locations will be provided to all members. The quarterly meetings will be scheduled one year in advance during the last meeting of each calendar year so that members may plan accordingly. Notification may be by mail or email. Grant County Homeless Housing Task Force Bylaws Adopted: Insert Date 5 Voting members are required to attend meetings quarterly to ensure continuity in the process. Remote access to the meetings online or via telephone will be provided as needed, and virtual or telephonic participation may serve as attendance. Voting members may request to participate in a meeting remotely by making arrangements with the Secretary. Should a voting member experience a last-minute issue that prevents attendance, the member shall notify the Secretary via telephone or email as early as feasibly possible. Upon two total unexcused absences from regularly scheduled HHTF meetings within a 12 -month period, the member will be subject to removal by the voting members of the HHTF. A replacement representative will be appointed per the recruitment/appointment process outlined in Article V Section 2. Section 2: New Member Orientations All new HHTF members will receive a New Member .Orientation by the Secretary within one month of joining the HHTF. The BOCC representative for the HHTF must be in attendance at a new member's orientation and first meeting. Section 3: Grant County Advisory Committee on Homelessness Participation HHTF members will also be enrolled as members of the Grant County Advisory Committee on Homelessness (hereafter referred to as the "ACH"). The ACH is a working group comprised primarily of homeless and social service providers and is tasked with implementing the homeless plan and priorities established by the HHTF. The ACH serves in the capacity of a technical advisory group for the HHTF and allows the HHTF an opportunity to utilize the knowledge and expertise of local services providers to inform its decision making. The .ACH reports directly to the HHTF. The HHTF is responsible for the oversight and effective facilitation of the ACH. In that role, the HHTF will establish ACH member recruitment policies and processes that promote a wide range of community representation including recruitment of members from traditionally marginalized populations including Black, Native and Indigenous,. People of Color, immigrants, people who identify as transgender, people who identify as LGBTQ+, and other individuals that may not have traditionally been able to access mainstream support. In addition, HHTF members are encouraged to attend, and actively participate in the majority of ACH meetings whenever possible. Section 4: Member Resignations or Removals A member may resign from the HHTF by submitting a written notice to the Chairperson. The HHTF may remove a member by a majority vote of the HHTF membership. This may only occur if the member is in violation of the attendance policy or the Code of Conduct as outlined in Article IX. Article VIII: Rules of Procedure Section 1: Regular Meetings Regular HHTF meetings shall take place six times per year on a bi-monthly basis and will be scheduled a year in advance. Grant County Homeless Housing Task Force Bylaws Adopted: Insert Date r91 Section 2: Special Meetings Other meetings of the HHTF will be called as needed with a minimum of one week's notice being given by mail or email. Section 3: Meeting Cancellations If a meeting is cancelled due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances, the Chairperson will decide if the meeting will be rescheduled for a later date not to exceed one month past the original meeting date. If the meeting is not rescheduled, materials and updates will be sent to all HHTF members within one week of the cancelled meeting date. Section 4: Quorum/Voting Each voting member shall be entitled to one vote on any matter that comes before the HHTF. For the purpose of doing business, a simple majority of the voting members shall constitute a quorum. All motions and questions put before the HHTF are to be voted on by voting either "yes", "no", or "abstain". Abstentions are only permitted in cases of potential conflicts of interest. In the absence of a quorum, the only action that may be taken by those members present is to (a) adjourn; (b) adjourn to a designated time; or (c) take action to compel the attendance of absent members in such a manner as may be deemed reasonably necessary. Work sessions with no decisions may be conducted without a quorum. In certain limited situations, voting may be conducted via email without convening a meeting. Voting without a meeting should only be used when there is no need for HHTF members to discuss the matter at hand. If a discussion is needed and the matter is time sensitive, a special meeting may be convened or the issue will be saved until the next regularly scheduled meeting. A request for an electronic vote may be made by any voting member by submitting the request in writing via email to the Secretary who will then process the request as follows: • The Secretary will forward the request to the Chairperson and request approval for enacting electronic voting. • Upon written email approval by the Chairperson, the Secretary will send an email to all voting members summarizing the request and requesting a written email response indicating a vote of either "yes", "no", or "abstain". Abstentions are only permitted in cases of potential conflicts of interest. Every voting member must respond via email and the vote must be unanimous (less any legitimate abstentions). • If a vote does not receive unanimous approval by all voting members, the issue may be readdressed at the next regularly scheduled HHTF meetings. • If a vote receives unanimous approval by all voting members, the Chairperson will declare via email that the motion passed by unanimous written consent. • The HHTF will affirm the email vote at its next regularly scheduled meeting and ensure it is recorded in the minutes. Section 5: order of Business At the regular meetings of the HHTF the following shall be the order of business: a. Attendance b. Executive session, if applicable c. Approval of agenda and amendments to the agenda d. Public comments/input d. Approval of the minutes of the previous meeting Grant County Homeless Housing Task Force Bylaws Adopted: Insert Date 7 e. Unfinished business f. New business g. Announcements h. Adjournment Section 6: Robert's Rules of Order Questions of procedure will be resolved in accordance with the most current version of Robert's Rules of Order. Section 7: Open Meetings All HHTF meetings will be open to the public and will be conducted in accordance the Washington Open Public Meetings Act (Chapter 42.30 RCW). Notice of meetings shall be given not less than seven (7) days in advance of a meeting and will be posted on the County's website. However, in the case of an emergency, a meeting notice may be given 24 hours in advance. Meetings shall be held at a location that can accommodate and is accessible to persons with disabilities. The order of business at all meetings shall be consistent with Section 5 hereof. Any member of the HHTF may present an action item to the HHTF for consideration, discussion, or vote, provided that these items are submitted to the Chairperson or Secretary at least one week prior to the scheduled meeting date. Section 8: Public Input For regularly scheduled quarterly meetings, the HHTF will provide a process by which written communications from the public shall be made part of the agenda. The HHTF may also provide a process for oral communications from the public, provided, however: a) Persons desiring to address the HHTF shall do so during the established Public Comment/Input portion of the agenda and upon first gaining recognition of the Chairperson or presiding officer and after stating his/her name and address. b) In the interest of facilitating the orderly business of the HHTF, the Chairperson or presiding officer of the meeting will limit the time and number of appearances concerning an item under consideration. Public comments will be limited to three minutes per person and a total of 15 minutes of public comment per meeting. Section 9: Public Grievance Process: The grievance process may be used by anyone who wishes to file a complaint regarding the oversight and/or administration of the Grant County Homeless Program. The complaint should be in writing and contain the name, address, email and phone number of complainant, location, date, and description of the problem. Alternative means of filing complaints, such as personal interviews or a tape recording of the complaint, will be made available for persons with disabilities upon request. The complaint should be submitted by the complainant to the HHTF Chairperson as soon as possible but no later than 60 calendar days after the alleged violation. The Chairperson will then add the item to the next available HHTF meeting agenda. The HHTF will then review the matter, make a determination, and direct Grant County staff to correspond with the complainant to explain the position of the HHTF and offer options for substantive resolution of the complaint. Grant County Homeless Housing Task Force Bylaws Adopted: Insert Date Article IX: Member Conduct Section 1: Code of Conduct A code of conduct shall govern the performance, behavior, and actions of all HHTF members. 1. No HHTF member shall participate in the selection, award, or administration of grant funding supported by federal, state, county, local, or private funds if a conflict of interest is real or apparent to a reasonable person. 2. HHTF business will be conducted in a manner that reflects the highest standards and in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Section 2: Conflict of Interest Conflicts of interest may arise when any HHTF member has a financial, family, personal, or any other beneficial interest in a decision made by the HHTF. 1. No member of the HHTF shall vote on any matter if: a. They or a family member has a personal or pecuniary interest. b. The vote could benefit any organization in which they or a family member is an officer, elected official, or employee. 2. Each member shall voluntarily disclose the existence of any such interest and shall recuse himself/herself prior to the quorum vote. Each member shall also voluntarily disclose their membership or other position in any organization that the vote could benefit. Should a new conflict of interest occur at any point during the year, members will inform the Chairperson and Secretary as soon as is reasonably possible. 3. Upon joining the HHTF, each member will sign the Grant County Homeless Housing Task Force Conflict of Interest Policy Statement (see Exhibit A). Section 3: Confidentiality Members of the HHTF must exercise maximum discretion in all matters of official business. Any information received on a confidential basis must be maintained in strict confidence in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Section 4: Public Statements The Grant County BOCC is the only entity authorized to make public statements regarding decisions made by the HHTF for the Grant County Homeless program. The BOCC may opt, at its discretion, to refer requests for public statements to HHTF members for response. Article X: Adoption and Amendments These Bylaws shall be initially approved by the HHTF by majority vote, and shall take effect immediately upon their approval. These Bylaws may be amended by the HHTF upon approval of a majority of the voting membership of the HHTF, provided that all voting members have been sent copies of the proposed amendments at least fourteen (14 days) in advance of the meeting date where action on the proposed amendment is to occur. Grant County Homeless Housing Task Force Bylaws Adopted: Insert Date Approved this day of 12022. CHAIRMAN SECRETARY Grant County Homeless Housing Task Force Bylaws Adopted: Insert Date 10 Exhibit A Grant County Homeless Housing Task Force Conflict of Interest Policy Statement Grant County Homeless Housing Task Force (HHTF) members must be able to make independent decisions on behalf of the HHTF without potential influence or perceived influence caused by a conflict of interest. Each member with an actual or perceived conflict of interest should disclose that conflict to the HHTF Chairperson. In addition, each member should: 1. Refrain from voting on any issue that creates the potential to confer any financial benefit on the member or any entity in which that member has any significant interest as a stockholder, partner, director, officer, elected official, or employee. In such situations, the individual should immediately disclose his or her interest and should take no action to influence the decision of the HHTF. 2. Disclose his or her affiliation with any organization considering applying for HHTF funding prior to a vote. 3. Avoid any situation where personal and business affiliations or relationships could have or could give the appearance of having undue influence on the member's judgement as to the matters under consideration. Definition of "Conflict of Interest": Any situation in which an individual's personal or business relationships could conflict, or could give the appearance of conflicting, with the interests of the HHTF. I have received and read the foregoing conflict of interest policy statement and understand fully the facts requiring any possible question of violation. Printed Name Signature Grant County Homeless Housing Task Force Bylaws Adopted: Insert Date Date Grant County Advisory Committee on Homelessness Charter Article 1: Name The name of this organization shall be the Grant County Advisory Committee on Homelessness (hereafter referred to in this document as "the ACH"). Article 2: Authorization RCW 43.185C.010 and 43.185C.160 requires that each county in Washington State create a homeless housing task force to develop a five-year local homeless housing plan addressing short-term and long- term housing for homeless persons. Pursuant to that requirement, the Grant County Board of County Commissioners (hereafter referred to as the "BOCC") established the Grant County Homeless Housing Task Force (hereafter referred to as "the HHTF") which is a governing body tasked with providing oversight, direction, and guidance for the development and implementation of the Grant County Homeless Program. In furtherance of these goals, the HHTF has established a technical advisory group referred to as the Grant County Advisory Committee on Homelessness (ACH). Article 3: Purpose The ACH is a working group comprised primarily of homeless and social service providers and is tasked with implementing the homeless plan and priorities established by the HHTF. The ACH serves in the capacity of a technical advisory group for the HHTF and allows the HHTF an opportunity to utilize the knowledge and expertise of local service providers to inform its decision making. The ACH reports directly to the HHTF. Article 4: Membership Membership on the ACH is voluntary and is open to all persons interested in addressing homelessness and housing stability in Grant County. Homeless/housing service providers and other social service providers are highly encouraged to attend including representatives from the following key stakeholder organizations: • Grant County Deputy Clerk or his/her designee • Emergency shelter, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing providers • Homeless prevention service providers • Homeless street outreach specialists • Housing Authority of Grant County • City of Moses Lake Housing/Homeless Grants Coordinator • Grant County Health District • Physical and behavioral health providers • Chemical dependency treatment providers • Law enforcement and/or the Department of Corrections • WA State Department of Social and Health Services • WA State Department of Children, Youth, and Families • Employment services including SkillSource • Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) of Washington • Local school district Homeless Liaisons • Food banks • Faith -based organizations Grant County Advisory Committee on Homelessness Charter Adopted: Insert Date • Business development organizations and/or business owners • Members from traditionally marginalized populations including Black, Native and Indigenous, People of Color, immigrants, people who identify as transgender, people who identify as LGBTQ+, and other individuals that may not have traditionally been able to access mainstream support. • A community member at -large • Members of the Grant County Homeless Housing Task Force Article 5: Committee Governance Because the ACH serves as an advisory body only, decisions are made collaboratively, and as a result, members do not require voting privileges. The ACH is not governed by elected officers. Instead, it shall be facilitated by the Grant County Deputy Clerk or his/her designee. Specific responsibilities include: • Publicizing ACH meetings to local homeless/housing and social service providers to promote committee membership and attendance • Recruiting member representatives from key community organizations • Presiding over and facilitating HHTF meetings • Scheduling and coordinating ACH meetings • Developing and distributing meeting agendas and prior meeting minutes to ACH members at least seven (7) days prior to each meeting. • Recording and distributing minutes of all ACH meetings • Ensuring distribution of other applicable homeless/housing-related information to all members • Providing an overview of each ACH meeting at the next HHTF meeting Article 6: Meetings The ACH will meet six times per year. These meetings will be scheduled on a bi-monthly basis on alternate months in which the HHTF is not scheduled. Section 7: Ad Hoc Committees and Work Groups The ACH may convene working subgroups of ACH members with specialized expertise to address specific homeless issues or program areas. These ad hoc groups are intended to be short-term in nature and will report back directly to the Grant County Deputy Clerk and the ACH. Article 8: Amendments The ACH Charter shall be reviewed annually by the HHTF. The charter may be altered, amended, or repealed and a new charter may be adopted by the HHTF with a simple majority of HHTF members. Approved .by the Grant County Homeless Housing Task Force on INSERT DATE Grant County Homeless Housing Task Force Chairperson Date Grant County Advisory Committee on Homelessness Charter Adopted: Insert Date