§ 2-91. Enumeration

The following are the bylaws of the child welfare board:

BYLAWS
of
THE DALLAS COUNTY CHILD WELFARE BOARD

ARTICLE I. NAME

The name of this organization is the Dallas County Child Welfare Board (hereinafter "the Board").

ARTICLE II. PURPOSE

In accordance with V.T.C.A., Family Code § 264.005, the general purpose of the board is to work with the local office and the program administrator of the state department of protective and regulatory services (hereinafter "PRS") to organize state and local public welfare services for children and their families as well as coordinate the use of federal, state and local funds for these services.

The activities of the board shall include, but are not limited to:

1. Participating in the budgetary process. Board members will represent the viewpoint of the Dallas County Commissioners Court (hereafter "the commissioners court") and the community in reviewing PRS's budget proposals to the commissioners court.

2. Reviewing and monitoring existing programs to ensure that abused and neglected children and their families are adequately served.

3. Assisting the program administrator in obtaining community involvement and resources to sustain current programs as well as develop new initiatives.

4. Ensuring that county funds delegated to PRS are used for their intended purpose.

5. Annually collaborating with the county youth services advisory board in the review, allocation and expenditure of juror funds.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

Sec. 1. Composition.

The board shall consist of seven members and shall be appointed by, as well as, serve at the pleasure of the commissioners court. There shall be five appointments made by individual members of the commissioners court and two joint appointments.

Sec. 2. Terms of members.

Board appointments shall be made for a term of two years or until a successor is appointed and qualified to fill the remainder of any unexpired term. Terms begin on February 1 of a given year and conclude two years later on January 31.

Sec. 3. Term limitations.

No member shall be appointed to more than three two-year terms for a total of six years. Any member who serves six years or one who serves more than six years at the end of his term due to filling a position that became vacant prior to the completion of a term shall be ineligible for a future appointment or reappointment except as provided in article III, section 4.

Sec. 4. Special provisions affecting term limitations.

All the provisions of section 3 above will apply except:

1. If application of section 3 would cause more than two-thirds of the then current members of the board to be ineligible for consideration of appointment or reappointment, the commissioners court may consider and/or appoint or reappoint persons who would otherwise be ineligible because of these bylaws; but actual appointments of such persons shall not exceed one-third of the total of any current or new membership of the board.

2. If the provisions stated above are invoked and a person not eligible for appointment or reappointment to the board is considered and/or appointed or reappointed to the board, the action must be by unanimous consent of the commissioners court, provided that such action is reflected in the minutes of an official meeting of the commissioners court.

Sec. 5. Oath of office.

All board members will be considered appointed and qualified to assume office upon administration of an oath of office by an official or person qualified by law to give an oath of office.

Sec. 6. Conflict of interest.

1. A member of the board who becomes a candidate for nomination or election to any public office shall immediately forfeit his position on the board.

2. No member of the board with management authority, nor any company, association, or corporation of which the member is an officer or principal, nor relative of such member by blood or marriage to the second degree, shall contract for goods, services or real property with, or be employed by the board; nor shall the member contract with or be employed by any agency which contracts with or receives grants from the board. Board members who violate this provision of county policy are deemed to have resigned their position from the board.

3. A member of the board who contracts for goods, services, or real property with, receives grants from, or becomes employed by the county, or who contracts for goods, services, or real property with, shall inform the commissioners court in writing of such action prior to the action. If there is a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest in the opinion of the majority of the commissioners court, the member shall resign from the board.

Sec. 7. Removal for cause.

In addition to article IV, section 6, board members may be removed from the board for any cause deemed by the commissioners court sufficient for their removal in the interest of the public.

ARTICLE IV. MEETINGS

Sec. 1. Regular meetings.

The board shall meet no less than quarterly each year, holding its annual meeting in April, at such times and places as it may determine, or as may be specified in the notice of the meeting.

Sec. 2. Special meetings.

Special meetings may be called by the chair or at the request of two-thirds of the board.

Sec. 3. Quorum.

A majority of the appointed members constitute a quorum.

Sec. 4. Notice of meetings.

Notice of each meeting shall be given to each board member and member of the commissioners court by mail, phone or fax and shall be given at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting. All board meetings will be open to the public unless a matter requiring confidentiality comes before the board.

(Ord. No. 98-695, arts. I—VII, 4-7-1998)

refstatelaw

Open meetings law, V.T.C.A., Government Code § 551.001 et seq.

Sec. 5. Conduct of meetings.

The conduct of meetings shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised.

Sec. 6. Attendance.

Between February 1 and January 31 of any year board members will be considered to have resigned from the board if they miss four regularly scheduled monthly meetings, or if they miss 50 percent of the regularly scheduled meetings if the board meets on a less than monthly basis.

ARTICLE V. OFFICERS

Sec. 1. List of officers.

The officers of the board shall be the chair and the vice-chair.

Sec. 2. Election of officers.

The majority of the board shall elect officers at the annual meeting. A vacant unexpired term of an office may be filled at any time. All officers must be members of the board.

Sec. 3. Terms of office and removal.

All officers shall hold office for a term of one year. No officer shall hold the same office for more than two consecutive terms.

Sec. 4. Duties.

It is the duty of the chair (and the vice-chair when the chair is absent) to preside over the meetings of the board and be an ex-officio member of the county youth services advisory board. Additionally, duties and powers of the officers shall be those usually pertaining to their respective offices.

ARTICLE VI. AMENDMENTS

The board may formally recommend bylaw amendments for commissioners court's approval. All bylaw recommendations must be discussed at the board meeting prior to the board meeting where the recommendation vote is taken. All bylaw recommendations require a two-thirds vote of the board.

ARTICLE VII. POLICY CONFLICTS

To the extent that the terms and provisions of the county board and committee policies are inconsistent with the terms and provisions of the bylaws, the terms and provisions of the county board and committee policies shall be paramount and controlling.