Upon certification, the name of the neighborhood council shall be The Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council, an officially recognized advisory council hereby part of the Los Angeles Citywide system of neighborhood councils.

1. The PURPOSE of the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council (LHNC) is to participate as an advisory body on issues of concern to our neighborhood council and in governance of the City of Los Angeles.
2. The MISSION of this council is:
   To provide an inclusive, open forum for public discussion of issues concerning City governance, the needs of this neighborhood council, the delivery of City services to this neighborhood council, and on matters of a City-wide nature.
   To empower stakeholders from all parts of our community to work together for change.
3. The POLICY of this neighborhood council shall be:
   To respect the dignity and expression of viewpoints of all individuals, groups and organizations involved in this neighborhood council.
   To remain non-partisan and inclusive in our operations including, but not limited to, the election process for governing body and committee members.
   To utilize the Early Notifications System to inform our neighborhood council of matters involving the City of Los Angeles (and our community) in a way that is tailored to provide opportunities for involvement in the decision-making process.
   To encourage all Community Stakeholders to participate in all activities of this neighborhood council.
   To prohibit discrimination against any individual or group in our operations on the basis of race, religion, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, income, or political affiliation.
   To have fair, open, and transparent procedures for the conduct of our neighborhood council business. 

1. BOARD shall mean a Governing Body within the meaning of that term as set forth in the Plan for a Citywide System of Neighborhood Councils also to be known herein as the Board of Governors.
2. COUNCIL shall mean the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council.
3. COUNCIL MEETING shall mean a meeting of the Board.
4. CHAIR shall mean the President or presiding officer of the Board of Governors.
5. VICE CHAIR shall mean Vice-President or second in charge behind the Chair at meetings of the Board of Governors.
6. TREASURER shall mean a member of the Board of Governors also charged with the responsibility of establishing an accounting system for the Council, maintaining the records of the Council’s finances and book of accounts, and preparing any financial reports for the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment pursuant to the Plan for a Citywide System of Neighborhood Councils.
7. SECRETARY shall mean a member of the Board of Governors also charged with the responsibility of keeping minutes of all Board meetings.
8. COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER or STAKEHOLDER shall mean any individual who lives, works, or owns property in this neighborhood council AREA.  In addition, COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS shall be identified by participation in, among other things, educational institutions, religious institutions, community organizations or not-profit organizations, block clubs, neighborhood associations, homeowners association, apartment associations, condominium associations, resident associations, school/parent groups, faith-based groups and organizations, youth groups and organizations, chamber of commerce, business improvement districts, service organizations, park advisory boards, boys and girls clubs, cultural groups, environmental groups, code-watch, neighborhood watch, police advisory board groups, and/or redevelopment action boards.
9. MEMBERSHIP shall mean, and is synonymous with COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER or STAKEHOLDER.
10. AREA shall mean the geographic area, as set forth in ARTICLE V.
11. OFFICIAL ACTION shall occur when the BOARD approves, fails to approve, or disapproves by vote any resolutions, positions, or decisions with respect to an item on its agenda which becomes the official or representative voice on said item for the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council.
12. QUORUM shall constitute a majority of the Board of Governors.

MEMBERSHIP in this Neighborhood Council is open to all COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS or STAKEHOLDERS, as defined above.  All STAKEHOLDERS shall be eligible to vote in elections for the Board.

Lincoln Heights includes a geographic area that has approximately 33,000 residents. 

1. The boundaries are described as follows: (see map)
   
   Along the Los Angeles River from Cesar Chaves to the 110 Freeway. NORTH on the 110 Freeway to Ave 39. SOUTHWEST on Ave 39 to Griffin Ave.  Diagonal from Ave 39 and Griffin Ave. to Sierra and Mercury.  SOUTHWEST on Mercury to Huntington Dr./Soto.  SOUTH on Huntington Dr./Soto to Marengo.  EAST on Marengo to Mission.  SOUTH on Mission to Cesar Chavez.  EAST on Cesar Chavez to the Los Angeles River.
   
   
   1. All area in the Northeast portion of our boundaries that lies in the 90032 zip code shall lie inside of the 90032 Neighborhood Council boundaries.
   2. Residential areas inside of census tract 203300 are not included in LHNC boundaries.
      
      
2.  To ensure that stakeholders from all parts of the above described boundary area are equally represented on the council, there shall be representatives on the Board of Governors (described in Article VI) from each of the following described sub-areas:  (see map)
   
   
   1.  NORTH on 5 freeway to 110 Freeway.  NORTH on 110 Freeway/Arroyo Seco to Ave 39.  WEST on Ave 39 to Griffin Ave.  SOUTH on Griffin Ave. to N. Broadway.  WEST on N. Broadway to the 5 Freeway. 
   2. NORTH on Griffin Ave. from Broadway to Ave 39.  Diagonal from this corner to Sierra and Mercury.  WEST on Mercury to Huntington Dr.. SOUTH on Huntington to Mission.  SOUTH on Mission to N. Broadway.  WEST on Broadway to Griffin Ave..
   3. NORTH on Hancock from Valley Blvd. To N. Broadway.  EAST on N. Broadway to Mission.  NORTH on Mission to Soto.  SOUTH on Soto to Valley Blvd.  WEST on Valley Blvd. to Hancock.
   4. NORTH on 5 Freeway from Mission to N. Main.  EAST on N. Main to Valley Blvd.  EAST on Valley Blvd. to Soto.  SOUTH on Soto to Marengo.  WEST on Marengo to Mission.  SOUTH on Mission to the 5 freeway.
   5. NORTH on the 5 freeway to N. Broadway.  EAST on N. Broadway to Hancock.  SOUTH on Hancock to N. Main.  WEST on N. Main to 5 freeway.
   6. SOUTH on Million from Daly to Cesar Chavez.  NORTH on Cesar Chavez. To Vignes.  NORTH on Vignes to N. Main.  NORHT on N. Main to Daly.
   7. NORTH along Los Angeles River from N. Main St. to the 110 Freeway.  NORTH on 110 Freeway to the 5 Freeway.  SOUTH on the 5 Freeway to N. Main.  WEST on N. Main St. to the Los Angeles River.

1. Composition of the Board of Governors.  The 25 members of the Board of Governors shall be nominated and elected at-large. Those stakeholders eligible for election to the Board of Governors include those who reside, work, or own property in Lincoln Heights or are otherwise defined below as representatives of the business community, Community Based Organizations, or youth. Elections will be held for the following seats on the Board of Governors.
   1. Executive Officers: Executive Officers to elected at large are President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary.
   2. Area representatives: Two representatives from each area will be elected.  One must be a resident of the area; the other may be a resident or from any other eligible category of Stakeholder.  No Stakeholder group other than resident shall comprise a majority of the Board of Governors.  In case of extenuating circumstances, approval will be obtained from DONE.
   3. Representatives from the business community: There will be three Board members elected at large from this category. Prospective representatives from the business community must either be an owner of a business located in Lincoln Heights or must be an employee of such business and have written authorization from the owner to use employee status in claiming eligibility for election to the LHNC Board of Governors.
   4. Representatives from Community Based Organizations: There will be three Board members elected at large from this category. Prospective representatives from a Community Based Organization must either be the head (as defined in its charter) of an Organization that maintains a physical office or space located in Lincoln Heights or must be an officer or member (as defined in its charter) of such Organization and have written authorization from the Organization head to use officer or member status in claiming eligibility for election to the LHNC Board of Governors. This classification can include, but is not limited to, youth associations, churches, schools, social service providers, non-profit organizations, etc.
   5. Youth Representative: There will be one Board Member elected from this category. This Board Member will be elected by the youth of the community and must be High School aged, but not older than 18. The Youth Representative will be elected to a full year term as long as eligibility is met at the time of election.
      
      
2. Election Procedure.  The Board of Governors will be elected according to the following procedure.
   1. Outreach:  The Board of Governors shall direct that a system of outreach be instituted and to find and obtain nominees for subsequent election to the Board of Governors.  The Board may choose to design such a system through the committee process.  The purpose of this outreach is to put forth a reasonable effort to inform and give every Stakeholder desiring to participate on the Board of Governors an opportunity to become a board member. To that end, a period of at least 60 days prior to any election shall be given to prospective Board members for purposes of soliciting Stakeholder support.
   2. Once a slate of nominations has been obtained, Stakeholders will be notified of the nominees and time and place of the Board Elections. The Board Elections will be held the last Thursday of October, or later at the determination of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment.
   3. On election day, Stakeholders high school aged and older will come to the election site, sign a statement identifying themselves as Stakeholders within the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council boundaries, and register with the Council.
   4. Those registered stakeholders present will vote via paper ballot.  There will be no proxy voting allowed.
   5. Once all votes have been collected, they will be counted and recorded by an impartial party from outside the Council.
   6. The final results will be certified by the outside party and the results will be announced.
   7. In the event of a tie, the need for a re-vote will be announced at the next scheduled LHNC meeting.  At the meeting, the governing board will appoint a re-vote committee and schedule a re-vote for the following Thursday.
   8. Terms of newly elected Board Members begin January 1^st of the following year.
   9. Election Procedures not otherwise covered by these Bylaws will be determined by Department of Neighborhood Empowerment guidelines and the LHNC Elections Committee.
      
      
3. Term Lengths:  All Board Members with the exception of the Youth Representative shall be elected to two-year terms. Approximately one-half of the Board shall be elected each year so that terms are staggered.
   1. To facilitate the transition to staggered two-year terms, the 2006 election shall be conducted as follows:
      1. The Vice-President and Treasurer shall be elected to a two-year term each.
      2. The top vote count recipient in each Area Representative election shall be elected to a two-year term. The next-highest eligible vote count recipient in each Area Representative election shall be elected to a one-year term.
      3. The top two vote count recipients among representatives from the business community shall be elected to two-year terms each. The third highest vote count recipient among representatives from the business community shall be elected to a one-year term.
      4. The top vote count recipient among representatives from Community Based Organizations shall be elected to a two-year term. The next two highest vote count recipients among representatives from Community Based Organizations shall be elected to a one-year term each.
         
         
4. Committees:  Committees serve at the pleasure of the Neighborhood Council.
   1. The Board of Governors of the Neighborhood Council shall have the authority to assign the chair of a committee from among Board Members and Stakeholders and reserves the right to approve or disapprove membership in a committee with cause.
   2. Committees will select a vice chair by majority vote. The vice chair will convene the committee in the absence of the chair.
   3. The Board shall have the authority to replace the chair of a committee for cause. A majority vote of the Board may remove a chair.
   4. Committee chairs and vice chairs shall attend all Neighborhood Council Meetings.
   5. Chairs may make motions regarding their committee in Neighborhood Council Meetings.
   6. The committee chair must submit to the Board a committee roster. Only committee members have right of vote in committee meetings.
   7. Quorum shall be a majority of rostered members.
   8. A majority of the rostered members present shall be required to take Official Action.
   9. Committees are not required to have a regular meeting time and location, but meetings must be announced and posted seventy-two (72) hours in advance according to the Brown Act. When possible, meetings will also be announced at the immediately preceding Board Meeting.
   10. Each committee is required to submit to the Board, and maintain an archive of, minutes.
   11. Standing Committees are committees which have continuing subject matter jurisdiction.
       1. A standing committee shall be established by majority vote of the Board of Governors and reflected in this section. Addition or subtraction of standing committees to this section shall be considered procedural and not a bylaw amendment. The Board of Governors has established the following committees with the continuing subject matter jurisdiction marked parenthetically:
          1. Executive (agenda)
          2. Rules (bylaw revisions, board rules)
          3. Finance & Budget (budget, procurement and purchasing)
          4. Programs & Services (city services delivery, public safety, other services and programs)
          5. Outreach, Communication & Events (recruit new members/organizations, public relations and marketing)
          6. City & Government Liaison (liaison to all levels of government)
          7. Elections (plan for Board elections)
          8. Planning & Land Use Management (planning, preservation and land use)
       2. The standing committee will make recommendations to the Board of Governors.
       3. In the case of a project or topic approved by the Board and directed to a standing committee, the committee is empowered to act. Prior to expenditure of funds, a plan of action and line-item budget shall be submitted to the Board.
   12. Ad Hoc Committees have a defined purpose and a time frame to accomplish that purpose.
   13. An ad hoc committee may be established by the Neighborhood Council President or by a majority vote of the Board.
   14. Ad Hoc committees cease to exist when their task is completed or at the discretion of the Board. A specific term may be designated.
       
       
5. Vacancy on the Board.   A vacancy on the Board of Governors shall be filled by the following procedure:
   1. Any Stakeholder(s) interested in filling a vacant seat on the Board shall submit a written application(s) to the Secretary.
   2. The Secretary shall then ensure that the matter is placed on the agenda for the next regular meeting of the Board.
   3. If only one Stakeholder had made application for a vacant seat, then a vote of the Board shall be taken and the applicant installed by Majority vote of the Board.  If more than on Stakeholder has made application for an empty seat, then an open and fair vote shall be taken at the next regular meeting by all Stakeholders present.  The vote shall be presided over by the Board and shall include one vote per Stakeholder.
   4. When a vacant seat is filled by the aforementioned process, that seat shall be filled only until the next general election is held to fill all seats on the Board of Governors, in no event shall a vacant seat be filled where the election to fill all seats on the Board of Governors is scheduled to be held within 120 days from the date the applicant (stakeholder proposing to fill the vacancy tenders a written application to the Secretary.
      
      
6. Removal of a Board Member.
   1. A Board member may be removed by the submission of a written petition which (1) identifies the Board member to be removed, (2) describes in detail the reason for removal, and (3) includes the signature of 100 Stakeholders.  The Secretary shall then have the matter placed on the agenda for a vote of the Board at the next regular meeting of the Board.  A vote of “No Confidence” by two thirds of the Board of Governors shall be necessary to remove the identified Board member forthwith.  The Board member that is the subject of the removal action shall not take part in the vote on this matter, but will be allowed to speak at the meeting to the Board prior to the vote.  If an adequate number of Board members is not present to take a vote on removal, the matter shall be placed on the agenda for the next regular meeting, and every meeting thereafter, until such time as a vote is taken.
   2. Any Board Member needs to maintain stakeholder status during their term in office in order to remain a Board Member.
   3. At the conclusion of the second consecutive missed Board Meeting of a Board Member, during the Board Announcements portion of the agenda, the Secretary will announce the Board Member’s name and encourage other attending Board Members to contact the Board Member to encourage attendance. Further, the Secretary will contact the absent Board Member by phone and in writing to remind the Board Member that an absence at the subsequent Board Meeting will result in automatic removal from the Board. A Board Member who is absent three consecutive Board Meetings is automatically removed from the Board at the adjournment of the third Meeting. With passage of this Amendment, absences will be counted beginning the subsequent Regular Board Meeting. The LHNC will consult with its legal counsel, the Office of the City Attorney, throughout this removal process.

All meetings, as defined by the Ralph M. Brown Act, shall be noticed and conducted in accordance with the Act.

1. Meetings of the Board of Governors shall be held on the first and third Thursdays of every month.
2. The location and time of Board Meetings shall be determined by majority vote of the Executive Committee and posted according to Brown Act guidelines. The Executive Committee should take into account the availability of the entire Board.
3. The Board may take Official Action if there is a Quorum and by a majority vote of the Board members present.  There shall be no proxy voting.
4. The Board may reconsider and amend its action on items listed on the agenda if that reconsideration takes place immediately following the original action or at the next regular meeting.
   1. The board, on either of these two (2) days, shall:
   2. Make a Motion for Reconsideration and, if approved,
   3. Hear the matter and take an Action. 
   4. If the motion to reconsider an action is to be scheduled at the next meeting following the original action, then two items shall be placed on the agenda for that meeting:
   5. A Motion for Reconsideration on the described matter and
   6. A (Proposed) Action should the motion to reconsider be approved.
5. A motion for reconsideration can only be made by a Board member who has previously voted on the prevailing side of the original action taken.  If a motion for reconsideration is not made on the date the action was taken, then a Board member on the prevailing side of the action must submit a memorandum to the Secretary identifying the matter to be reconsidered and a brief description of the reason(s) for requesting reconsideration at the next regular meeting.  The aforesaid shall all be in compliance with the Brown Act.
6. Other rules for the conduct and decorum of the board meetings shall be established by the Board of Governors and reflected in Rules for the conduct of the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council Meetings.
7. Where the Board has not adopted its own rules for conduction its meetings, the Board shall follows Robert’s Rules of Order.  The Rules of the Board of Governors that have been formally adopted and set forth in writing shall, unless contrary to State or federal law, take precedent where there is a conflict with Robert’s Rules of Order.  All committee meetings shall be governed by any written rules adopted by the Board of Governors for conduct of meeting, or by Robert’s Rules of Order, where no Board rule applies.
   1. The Maker of a motion and the motion’s Second may make changes to or accept proposed changes to their motion, if they are both in agreement, without a vote of the Board. This practice shall be known as a ‘Friendly Amendment’.
   2. The Maker of a motion and the motion’s Second may withdraw their motion at any time, if they are both in agreement, provided the motion has not been amended by the Board.

 The principal office for the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council shall be located at the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment field office: 3516 North Broadway; Los Angeles, CA  90031.

1.  We will inform all neighborhood stakeholders of meetings of the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council by posting in the following public locations, plus additional locations (physical and electronic) at the discretion of the Board:
   1. Lincoln Heights Library
   2. DONE Office
   3. Sacred Heart Church
   4. Lincoln High School
   5. Brewery Artist Complex
2.  We will also make every effort to inform all Stakeholders of our activities and the ways in which they may participate through the following methods:
   1. Outreach at community events
   2. Sponsorship of community events
   3. Flyering
   4. Phone Bank activity to remind stakeholders of meetings
   5. Postings
   6. Advertisements in Local Publications
   7. Mailings (both electronic and physical) to addresses of Stakeholders who have attended our meetings
   8. Phone “hotline” for easy community access

1. The Board or any stakeholder(s) may propose amendments, changes, additions, or deletions to these Bylaws during the public comment period of a regular meeting of the Board of Governors.  A proposal to amend these bylaws, however, must then be formalized in a writing and then lodged with the Secretary or person responsible for preparing the agenda for the next regular meeting.  The proposed amendment will be placed on the agenda for public discussion at a subsequent regular meeting of the Board of Governors.
2. A recommendation for amendment or adjustment of these Bylaws must be made by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the entire number of the Board of Governors.  Thereafter, and within 14 days after a vote recommending adjustment or amendment to the Bylaws, a Notice of Proposed Adjustment of Bylaws shall be submitted to the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment along with a copy of the existing Bylaws for review and approval by the Department all in accordance with Article V (3) of the Plan.
3. For the purpose of recording the evolution of the LHNC Bylaws, Bylaw amendments shall address one substantive function at a time. Any proposed Bylaw Amendment shall include a brief but sufficiently-descriptive title of the amendment’s intended purpose, which will be further recorded as an amendment to this Article and Section. The Bylaw Amendment will be labeled ‘BA######@’, where the six digits represent the two-digit year, followed by the two-digit month, followed by the two-digit day, and the @ is required only if more than one Amendment is enacted in the same meeting and represents a sequential alphabetic letter. Amendments altering existing Bylaw language shall show language to be deleted with strikethrough and language to be added with underline.
   1. BA060216a: Amends ‘Article VIII: Meetings’ to create mechanisms for Friendly Amendments and Withdrawals
   2. BA060216b: Amends ‘Article III: Definitions’ and ‘Article VIII: Meetings’ to establish Board Meeting Quorum and allow for majority voting of Members present
   3. BA060216c: Amends ‘Article VII: Election of the Board of Governors’ guidelines for removal of a Board Member, consolidating existing Sections and adding a Board attendance policy
   4. BA060302: Amends ‘Article VIII: Meetings’ to allow the Executive Committee to officially establish Board Meeting locations and times
   5. BA060518a: Amends ‘Article VII L 3’ (Removal of a Board Member) to require due notice to a Board Member of possible removal for non-attendance
   6. BA060518b: Amends ‘Article VIII B’ (Meetings) to ensure availability of Board Members is considered in the establishment of Board Meeting dates and times
   7. BA060518c: Amends ‘Article IX’ (Principal Office) to establish the official LHNC office as the duly allocated space at the DONE office
   8. BA060518d: Deletes ‘Article VIII C’ (Meeting Notification) and Amends ‘Article X’ (Continuing Outreach) to establish five permanent posting locations for LHNC Board and Committee Meetings while promoting broad outreach for all LHNC activities
   9. BA060518e: Amends ‘Article III G’ (Definitions) to clarify the definition of Secretary.
   10. BA060518f: Amends ‘Article VII A’ (Election of the Board of Governors) to clarify stakeholder eligibility for election to the Board of Governors
   11. BA060518g: Amends Articles VI and VII to consolidate the definition of Board of Governors into Article VII
   12. BA060518h: Amends ‘Article VII B’ (Board of Governors - Election Procedure) to limit stakeholders eligible to vote in LHNC Board elections as those high school aged and older
   13. BA060518i: Amends ‘Article VII B’ (Board of Governors - Election Procedure) to create a specific timeline for LHNC Board elections
   14. BA060518j: Amends Article VII G (Board of Governors – Term Lengths) to create staggered two-year terms for LHNC Board of Governors
   15. BA060518k: Eliminates ‘Article VII J’ (Board of Governors – Candidates running for more than one seat on the Board) which allowed candidates to run for more than one seat on the Board in LHNC Board Elections
   16. BA061005a: Amends ‘Article VI B’ (Election Procedure) to allow the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment to set the LHNC election
   17. BA061005b: Amends ‘Article VI D’ (Committees) to create guidelines for committee leadership and constitution
   18. BA061005c: Creates ‘Article VI D 11’ (Committees) to establish and empower standing committees
   19. BA061005d: Creates ‘Article VI D 12’ (Committees) to establish and empower ad hoc committees 

1. The Treasurer of this Council shall oversee and be charged with the full custody and control of all Council funds and assets.  The Treasurer will establish an account or accounts for the deposit of Council funds in a federally insured (FDIC) bank or financial institution in the precise name of the Council, as certified by the City of Los Angeles.  These funds shall remain liquid and readily available for use by the council and shall not be used for high risk or speculative investments, but must conform to prudent standards of investment of public funds.
2. The Treasurer shall establish and oversee a system of bookkeeping and accounting for the Council that complies with Generally accepted Accounting Principles and conforms to all applicable local, state, or federal laws.  The Treasurer may request authorization from the other members of the Board of Governors to retain a financial professional to assist in creating a bookkeeping and annual accounting system.  The Treasurer may also request the assistance of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment when implementing same.  The Treasurer, however, shall be ultimately responsible for the maintenance of the system of bookkeeping and accounting and for the protection of all Council assets.
3. A separate bank account must be maintained for each fund or grant.
4. The bank reconciliation shall be prepared monthly.
5. All receipts must be deposited intact.
6. All disbursements shall be approved by the President or Chief Officer of the Body.
7. A cash receipts and disbursements journal shall be maintained for each fund or grand and should indicate the beginning balance, expenses (funds/amounts) and the ending balance of the fund or grant.
8. Financial statement:
   1. A separate financial statement shall be prepared for each fund or grant in accordance to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
   2. The financial statement shall describe the use of fund or grant and include:
   3. Amount appropriated
   4. Additional receipts
   5. Expenses paid
   6. Ending balance of the fund or grant
   7. The financial statement must be submitted to the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment once per year no later than 90 days after the close of the reporting period.
9. The Council’s financial statements, books, and accounts shall be open for inspection and copying by any member of the public upon a written request to the Board.  The Board shall establish fair and open procedures to permit inspection within a reasonable time.  Any copying of financial records will be performed by and established copy service and the charge for such a service will be billed to the person or entity requesting the copies. 
10. The Treasurer shall make a report to the board on the Council’s financed at every regular meeting of the Board.
11. The Treasurer shall be responsible for preparing or coordinating the preparation of a financial statement for the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, annually.  The Treasurer shall also coordinate and cooperate with the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment on establishing a process and/or a system by which the Council’s finances and book of accounts can be reviewed by the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment pursuant to the Plan for the Citywide System of Neighborhood Councils. 

Any grievance by a Stakeholder must be submitted in writing to the Board of Governors.  The Board of Governors shall then refer the matter to an ad hoc grievance panel comprised of five (5) Stakeholders who are randomly selected by the Council secretary from a list of Stakeholders who have previously expressed and interest in serving from time-to-time on such a grievance panel.  The Secretary will coordinate a time and a place for the panel to meet with the person(s) submitting a grievance and to discuss ways in which the dispute may be resolved. 

Thereafter, a panel member shall promptly prepare a written report to be forwarded by the Secretary to the Board outlining the panel’s collective recommendations for resolving the grievance.  The Board of Governors may receive a copy of the panel’s report and recommendations prior to any meeting of the Board, but the matter shall not be discussed among the Board members until the matter is heard at the next regular meeting of the board pursuant to the Ralph M. Brown Act.

This formal grievance process is not intended to apply to Stakeholders who simply disagree with a position or action taken by the Board at one of its meetings.  Those grievances can be aired at Board meetings.  This grievance process is intended to address matters involving procedural disputes, e.g., the Board’s failure to comply with Board Rules or these Bylaws, or its failure to comply wit the City’s Charter, the Plan, local ordinances, and/or State and federal law.

In the event that a grievance cannot be resolved through this grievance process, then the matter may be referred to the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment for Consideration or dispute resolution in accordance with the Plan.

The Council, its representatives, and all Stakeholders will endeavor to conduct Council business in a professional and respectful manner.  The Council is committed to developing a system whereby pertinent information transmitted through the City’s Early Notification System will be disseminated or made available to every Stakeholder in the Council in a timely manner.

The Council, its representative, and all Stakeholders will refrain from violating Board Rules and shall abide by the Plan and all City, county, State, and/or federal laws that apply.