Santa Clarita Transit Accessibility Advisory Committee Bylaws
(Revised and Ratified June 5, 2014)
The City of Santa Clarita has established a committee, comprised of interested members of the public for the purpose of giving input to the Santa Clarita Transit, Access Services, Inc. and any other Santa Clarita Valley transit provider on the accessibility of its programs and services for people with disabilities and seniors. These bylaws define the name, purpose, structure, and operating guidelines for this committee.
Article I – Name
The name of this committee shall be the Santa Clarita Transit Accessibility Advisory Committee, which is hereinafter referred to as the SCTAAC.
Article II – Purpose
The purpose of the SCTAAC is to advise the City of Santa Clarita and Access Services, Inc. and any other transit service providers on transit and paratransit related plans, programs, policies and procedures, which serve or impact the senior and/or disabled communities. Specific programs for which the SCTAAC may provide input include, but are not limited to the Dial-A-Ride (DAR) program and the fixed-route commuter and local bus services.
Article III – Composition of the SCTAAC
The SCTAAC shall be comprised of Eleven (11) members. Three (3) of these members shall be individuals who reside within the Santa Clarita Valley, use Santa Clarita Transit services, and who are sixty (60) years of age or older. Four (4) of these members shall be individuals who reside within Santa Clarita Valley, use Santa Clarita Transit services, and who have disabilities that meet the definition of “disability” as set forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) four (4) of these members shall be representatives from agencies which conduct business within the boundaries of services to seniors, or people with disabilities who use Santa Clarita Transit services area.
Article IV – Selection of SCTAAC Members
All SCTAAC members shall be appointed by the City of Santa Clarita Deputy City Manager from among qualified nominees, using the process set forth herein.
Any new individual who meets any of the criteria set forth in Article III of these bylaws may nominate him/herself to be considered for SCTAAC board membership by submitting a resume to the SCTAAC.
The Deputy City Manager may appoint any individual for any category of membership as long as the individual meets the requirements for the category of membership for which he/she is being appointed.
Each SCTAAC member shall serve for two years. Appointments, term shall begin on July 1st of each year. In order to create a staggering of terms, at least two (2) individuals within the senior category, two (2) individuals within the disabled category shall be up for reelection in the odd or even year of initial appointment. If a sufficient number of members do not volunteer for the shorter initial appointments, the Deputy City Manager shall select the individuals to serve the shorter terms by lot.
Any member who misses more than 25% meetings unexcused during his/her term may be subject to removal from the SCTAAC. Further, any member who misses three consecutive unexcused meetings may be subject to removal from the SCTAAC. The SCTAAC will then make the final determination whether or not to remove the member.
Article V – SCTAAC Meetings
All meetings will be conducted using Robert’s Rules of Order. The Vice Chairperson will act as Sergeant-at-Arms to keep order during meetings.
The SCTAAC will meet on a monthly or bimonthly basis, as deemed appropriate by the SCTAAC Chairperson. Meetings will be conducted at a place and time to be determined by Santa Clarita Transit. Any location where the SCTAAC meets must be within a reasonable walking distance of a Santa Clarita Transit bus line, and be accessible to people with disabilities (including people using wheelchairs and other mobility devices) who choose to use Santa Clarita Transit to reach the meeting site. Further, the meeting site itself must be fully accessible to people with disabilities, and all SCTAAC meetings are open to the public. Santa Clarita Transit will provide administrative support for these meetings.
The SCTAAC will be empowered to make recommendations (in the form of motions and/or resolutions). In order to pass a motion or resolution, the SCTAAC must have a quorum (51 percent of the appointed members), and the SCTAAC must approve the motion or resolution by a majority vote of the membership present. Each member representative shall be entitled to cast one vote on each matter submitted to a vote of the membership
Article VI – Officers
The SCTAAC will have an elected Chairperson and a Vice-Chairperson. These terms will be July 1 through June 30 of each year or if and when a successor is elected. These officers will be elected each year at the June meeting by a voice vote.
The SCTAAC Chairperson, will be responsible for performing the following duties at meetings:
- Conduct the meeting,
- Submit written summaries of each meeting for distribution to each SCTAAC member, and
- Work with Santa Clarita Transit staff to set the agenda for each meeting
The SCTAAC will also elect a Vice-Chairperson, who will be responsible for assisting the Chairperson in the completion of all duties outlined herein and for presiding over meetings in the Chairperson’s absence. The Vice Chairperson will act as Sergeant-at-Arms to keep order during meetings.
Article VII-Bylaw Revisions
The bylaws of the SCTAAC may be amended by a vote of two-thirds of the total membership of the SCTAAC.
Amendments to these bylaws shall be presented and distributed at a regular meeting of the SCTAAC and the vote taken at the next scheduled regular meeting.