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Community Organizations Active in Disasters
for Monroe County By-Laws (Adopted June 27, 2013) Article I: Organization Section 1: Name The name of this organization shall be Community Organizations Active in Disasters for Monroe County (MoCOAD). Section 2: Relationships MoCOAD is a county counterpart of the Indiana Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (INVOAD). INVOAD is a state counterpart of the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (National VOAD). The Chairperson of MoCOAD, as well as the Secretary and the Communications Coordinator serve as primary contacts for INVOAD. Section 3: Scope The geographic boundaries of MoCOAD are the boundaries of Monroe County, Indiana. Section 4: Logo The official logo of MoCOAD is a maroon eight point star outline with "COAD" in the middle. Stacked to the right of the symbol is the name "COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS ACTIVE IN DISASTER" in white, bold, and all caps followed by "FOR MONROE COUNTY" in blue, all caps, and "MONROE COUNTY" is bold. Article II: Purpose Section 1: Purpose MoCOAD is established to prepare and care for the citizens of Monroe County before, during, and after a disaster. It promotes preparedness and provides relief to survivors in our community by activating a well-planned system of supporting programs and services. MoCOAD serves as an organizational network composed of representatives from public, private, and nonprofit organizations. It is active in disaster mitigation, prevention, preparedness, and recovery. MoCOAD’s main functions are: • Cooperation (creating a climate for cooperation and information sharing) • Coordination (joint planning; providing a liaison with public offices) • Communication (publishing and disseminating information) • Education (increasing mutual awareness and understanding of each organization) • Convening Mechanism (arranging meetings, conferences, and training as necessary) • Legislation (encouraging effective disaster relief legislation and policy) Section 2: Non-duplication of Activities MoCOAD does not attempt to duplicate the activities of any other agency and recognizes that the member agencies have responsibilities outside the scope of the consortium. Section 3: Non-assumption of Liability 2 Participation in MoCOAD is purely voluntary and at the sole discretion of stakeholder organizations. No participating organization shall assume any of the liability of any other member organization. Section 4: Definition of Disaster For MoCOAD, “disaster” refers to any natural or human-caused catastrophic event that results in damage, loss, hardship, or suffering. (Note that this does not include financial crisis). “Large- scale” refers to any “disaster” that meets one or both of the following criteria: • the emergency management director for a county requests the assistance of MoCOAD with the disaster • an official emergency and/or disaster has been declared by the local, county, state and/or federal government • a member organization requests the activation and mobilization of MoCOAD Activation would be expected when an large scale integrated community response is necessary. The Executive Board will determine if MoCOAD is activated. Section 5: Definition of Activation Activation of MoCOAD is defined by the mobilization of the Long Term Recovery Committee. Article III: Membership Types Section 1: Organizational Members All organizations providing resources for disaster services shall be invited to serve as MoCOAD members. “Organizational Members” shall include, but not be limited to, representatives of community- based organizations, governmental, volunteer, social service and nonprofit organizations, civic and service groups, faith-based and educational organizations, health providers and businesses that are committed to a long-term vision of area-wide disaster coordination in Monroe County. Organizations may request membership by submitting a MoCOAD Member Request Form to the Secretary, which will then be provided to the Chairperson. New Members must be approved by the Executive Board. Membership requests will be accepted on a rolling basis. Each organization shall identify a primary representative for voting purposes. This representative must have decision-making responsibility for his/her agency’s activities. Organizations represented by more than one individual at a meeting shall cast a single vote. Section 2: Individual Members Individuals who are unaffiliated with organizations providing disaster resources, but who are committed to a long-term vision of area-wide disaster coordination in Monroe County, shall be invited to serve as MoCOAD “Individual Members”. Individuals may request membership by submitting a MoCOAD Member Request Form to the Secretary, which will then be provided to the Chairperson. New Members must be approved by the Executive Board. Membership requests will be accepted on a rolling basis. “Individual Members” do not have voting privileges unless they are elected or appointed to the MoCOAD Executive Board. 3 Article IV: Membership Requirements Section 1: Active Membership To be considered an active member of any type, a current, signed Member Request Form must be on file with the Secretary. Members who do not participate in at least one MoCOAD meeting or event over the course of a two year period are released from membership. Former Members may request reinstatement by submitting a MoCOAD Member Request Form to both the Chairperson and Secretary. New Members must be approved by the Executive Board. Section 2: Voting “Organizational Members” and “Ex Officio Members” who are present at a general MoCOAD meeting, or who send a proxy, shall have voting privileges for general business that comes before the group. Organizations represented by more than one individual shall cast a single vote. Individual members do not have voting privileges unless they are members of the MoCOAD Executive Board. All members of the Executive Board have voting privileges. Section 3: Quorum: A quorum for the transaction of business of MoCOAD shall be the lesser of 50 percent of its members or 15 members. Decisions shall be made by a majority vote at a meeting at which a quorum is present. Section 4: Compensation No positions within MoCOAD will be compensated with the exception that the Executive Board may contract with a coordinator for compensation. Section 5: Resignation All Members will serve until the effective date of resignation or inability to serve. A Member may resign at any time by submitting a written request to the Secretary, which will be provided to the Chair. Section 6: Termination A recommendation for involuntary termination of membership will be reviewed by the Executive Board and presented to the membership for a majority vote. Criteria for involuntary termination of membership would include: • change of purpose of organization to the extent that it no longer provides resources needed during a large-scale disaster • dissolution of organization • evidence of misuse of disaster resources or other acts of malfeasance Members who do not participate in at least one MoCOAD meeting or event over the course of a two year period will be automatically released from membership. Article V: Standing Functions Section 1: Purpose of Functions Functions shall assess their capability to deliver services, establish lines of communications, make preliminary assessment of needs, and mobilize resources as necessary. Functions are open to all individuals and agencies with the appropriate training, experience or expertise in the Function’s particular area. Function Support resources do not need to be members of MoCOAD. 4 Functions may be formed or dissolved by voice vote or balloting at any Executive Board meeting at which a quorum is present. Function Coordinators shall be elected by voice vote or balloting at any Executive Board meeting at which a quorum is present. It is suggested that Functions have both a Coordinator and a Co-Coordinator. Section 2: Standing Functions Case Management Coordinates the assemblage of case management resources, training, and personnel. Advocates for the survivors of the disaster. Case workers are assigned to survivors as early in the recovery as possible. They assess the needs of each survivor and develop a Recovery Plan with that survivor. Case workers are concerned with all aspects of their clients’ recovery. Communications Coordinates communications among MoCOAD Members and between its Members and the citizens of Monroe County. Between disasters, is responsible for keeping MoCOAD in the minds of the citizens of Monroe County by publishing news about MoCOAD activities and by publishing useful information about mitigation and preparedness. During and after a disaster, acts as a central clearinghouse for information, routinely updating the member agencies with factual information, and providing validated recovery information to the various media outlets in the county. Develops and maintains a community communication procedure to be used in times of large-scale disaster. Donations Management (In-Kind) Solicits, receives, acknowledges, accounts for, and distributes donations of materials for the response and recovery stages of a disaster. This function shall create and implement policies to govern what kinds of donations will be accepted, how these donations will be distributed, and how donations which are not needed will be handled. Donations Management (Financial) Solicits, receives, acknowledges, accounts for, and distributes donations of funds for the response and recovery stages of a disaster. This function shall recruit a fiscal agent and shall, with the concurrence of the Executive Board, execute all agreements necessary to ensure the availability of the services of the MoCOAD fiscal agent after a disaster. Further, the Function shall create rules and procedures to ensure an effective relationship between the MoCOAD and the fiscal agent. Spiritual/Emotional Care Recruits trained care providers and coordinates the delivery of this care to survivors of the disaster and to other caregivers during recovery. Volunteer Management Provides for sustainability of volunteerism in the community to support both short and long term needs following a disaster. An important function is to create a volunteer-friendly environment in Monroe County, and to build and maintain relationships with volunteer groups locally, regionally and nationally. 5 Article VI: Ad Hoc Committees Members may create temporary or permanent committees to serve specific needs of the organization. These committees shall have such authority as MoCOAD members direct and shall record minutes and maintain records that shall become part of the permanent records of MoCOAD. Section 1: Nominating Committee The Chairperson shall appoint a Nominating Committee, for Officer positions, of no fewer than three members in the first or second calendar quarter of the year (Jan-June). One of the three shall be the MoCOAD Co-Chairperson, who will serve as the Chairperson of the Nominating Committee. The other two shall be members of the Executive Board. Its purpose is to identify the desired talents, skills and qualities of candidates for the elected positions of MoCOAD, and to identify, assess, and recruit these candidates. The committee shall provide a slate of officers in advance of the election during the second calendar quarter of the year (April-June). Additional nominations will be accepted from the floor prior to the elections. Election for non-contested vacancies shall be done by voice vote. Election for contested vacancies shall be done by secret ballot. The Nominating Committee shall propose a slate of Officer candidates to the Secretary, who shall send it to the membership at least two weeks before the Annual Meeting at which the election shall take place. The Nominating Committee will serve only until an election takes place. Section 2: Long Term Recovery Committee (Unmet Needs) ‘Unmet needs’ refer to needs that are not addressed by the state and federal recovery programs that follow a presidential declaration of disaster. The purpose of the Long Term Recovery Committee is to coordinate the delivery of long term recovery assistance to the survivors of a major disaster. This committee provides the forum for Case Workers to present clients’ needs and for the supporting agencies to commit to filling those needs. By working in an open forum, the Case Workers are assured that their clients’ needs will not be overlooked, and the affected agencies are assured that their efforts will not be wastefully duplicated. This committee is comprised of the Coordinators of all Standing Functions, and may include representatives of other agencies that have resources to contribute to the recovery effort. The Long Term Recovery Committee will activate and oversee the work of the Construction Coordinator and construction crews as required. See MoCOAD Emergency Coordination Plan (June 2011) for additional details. Article VII: Executive Board Section 1: Membership The Executive Board shall be elected by the Members and shall be comprised of the Officers, the Coordinators of the Standing Functions, the Coordinator of the Long Term Recovery Committee (when activated), and not more than ten Ex Officio Members. All Executive Board Members must be members of MoCOAD. 6 Section 2: Ex Officio Members Ex Officio Members may include Functional Lead Organizations identified in the MoCOAD Emergency Coordination Plan, other community organizations that are vital in response and recovery from a disaster, and other organizations as designated by the Executive Board. Ex Officio Members shall include, but not be limited to, one representative from: • Monroe County Chapter of American Red Cross • Monroe County Emergency Management Agency • 211 InfoLink • Monroe County Township Trustees • Hoosier Hills Food Bank • Monroe County Humane Association • City of Bloomington Animal Care and Control Other organizations which will be directly involved if there is a large-scale disaster may request to be Ex Officio Members by submitting a MoCOAD Member Request Form to the Secretary, which will then be provided to the Chair. New Members must be approved by the Executive Board. Membership requests will be accepted on a rolling basis. It is suggested that the number of Ex Officio Members be limited to ten. It is expected that Ex Officio Members will work through the existing function structure of MoCOAD. Section 3: Duties Except as otherwise required by law or by these By-Laws, the Executive Board shall have the authority of the membership in the management of MoCOAD during such time as the membership is not meeting and may authorize, by majority vote, contracts and agreements as required. The Executive Board is responsible for assigning a Long Term Recovery Coordinator and any other contracted staff as deemed necessary. (See MoCOAD Emergency Coordination Plan (June 2011) for responsibilities of MoCOAD Coordinator). All agreements and Memorandums of Understanding between MoCOAD and any other entity shall be approved by the Executive Board and copies shall be given to the Secretary, who will provide them to the Chairperson. The complete list of agreements and memorandums of understanding shall be made available to the MoCOAD membership. The Executive Board is responsible for appointing Function Coordinators. Section 4: Voting Executive Board members who are present at an Executive Board MoCOAD meeting, or who send a proxy, shall have voting privileges for general business that comes before the group. Section 5: Quorum: A quorum for the transaction of business of the Executive Board shall be 50 percent of its members. Decisions shall be made by a majority vote at a meeting at which a quorum is present. Article VIII: Officers Section 1: Officers: The Officers are the executive leadership of the MoCOAD and shall be responsible for activating the appropriate level of disaster response of the Standing Functions. 7 In order to increase the leadership opportunities within MoCOAD, Officers should not serve as Function or Committee Coordinators. Officers shall consist of the Chairperson, Co-Chairperson, Secretary, and Treasurer and other officers as may be deemed necessary by the membership or required by law. Section 2: Election Officers shall be elected bi-annually by the membership, with staggered terms. Elections will be conducted in the second calendar quarter (April – June) with terms running from July 1-June 30. Officers will serve two year terms. The Chairperson and Treasurer will be elected in odd numbered years and the Co-Chairperson and Secretary will be elected in even numbered years. Officers may be re-elected to subsequent terms of office with the limitation that no individual may serve more than three consecutive terms or partial terms in any officer position without a break in service of at least one year. Section 3: Vacancies The Executive Board shall determine the appropriate process for securing nominations from among the Members for vacancies of any of the offices between regular elections. Positions filled in this manner will be subject to election at the next annual meeting. Section 4: Duties of Chairperson The Chairperson shall: • set the agendas and preside at all regular, special, and annual meetings • serve, with the Secretary and Communications Coordinator, as primary contacts for INVOAD (Indiana Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) • serve on all Standing Functions. This role would be primarily one of communication; the Chairperson would not be expected to attend all Standing Function meetings. • perform other functions deemed necessary by the Executive Board Section 5: Duties of Co-Chairperson The Co-Chairperson shall: • preside at meetings in the absence of the Chairperson and act in place of the Chairperson in case of the Chairperson’s unavailability or incapacity • develop a suggested training regimen for members of MoCOAD • serve as Chairperson of the Nominating Committee, when activated • perform other functions deemed necessary by the Executive Board Section 6: Duties of Secretary The Secretary shall: • record and preserve minutes of all proceedings, send them to the entire membership and present them for approval at the next meeting or through electronic communication • ensure that the membership list is current, complete, and available to all members • serve as a member of the Communication Function • present to the membership any communication addressed to him/her as Secretary of MoCOAD. The format of this communication is to be determined by the Executive Board • serve, with the MoCOAD Chairperson and Communications Coordinator, as primary contacts for INVOAD • at least two weeks prior to the Annual Meeting, notify all Members of the time and place of the meeting, as well as the slate of Officers for election at that meeting • perform other functions deemed necessary by the Executive Board 8 If unable to attend a meeting, the presiding officer shall appoint a temporary secretary for that meeting only. Section 7: Duties of Treasurer The Executive Board shall recommend the United Way of Monroe County to act as fiscal agent for the MoCOAD and for a United Way representative to serve as Treasurer. The Executive Board shall bring this recommendation to the membership for approval. The MoCOAD will not be its own fiscal agent. The Treasurer shall: • keep careful financial records and documentation • be responsible for maintaining and reporting on the finances of the MoCOAD • coordinate all tasks with the fiscal agent. Article IX: Meetings Section 1: Annual Meeting Election of Officers shall take place at the Annual Meeting, which should be held in the second calendar quarter (April – June). The specific time and place shall be determined by the Executive Board. The Secretary shall notify all Members of the time and place of the meeting, as well as the slate of Officers. The Annual Meeting is open to the public. Section 2: Executive Board The Executive Board shall meet at least once each calendar quarter. Executive Board meetings are open to the public. Section 3: Special Meetings Special Meetings shall be called by the Chairperson at his or her discretion or at the request of any three members of the MoCOAD Executive Board. The Secretary shall notify all Members of the time and place of the meeting, the reasons for calling the meeting, by whom it was called, and the business to be transacted. No other business except that specified in the notice shall be transacted at a Special Meeting. Section 4: Voting A member will be considered “present” if he or she is participating in the meeting by attendance in person, through a proxy. All votes require a motion and a second. A motion shall be approved by a majority vote of all members present and voting, if a quorum is present. Article X: Voting Section 1: Voice Vote At all meetings all votes shall be by voice, with the exception noted in Article X, Section 3, “secret ballots”. Section 2: Majority Rule Decisions on any question duly raised at a meeting shall be decided by a simple majority vote of the members present, provided that a quorum is present. Section 3: Secret Ballots 9 Secret ballots shall be utilized for the Election of Officers if there are multiple nominations for a position. Ballots shall not provide an indication of the person who cast such ballot. Prior to any vote by ballot, the Chairperson of such meeting shall appoint a committee of three who shall act as “Inspectors of Election” and who shall, at the conclusion of such balloting, certify the results in writing to the Chairperson. No “Inspector of Election” shall be a candidate for office or personally interested in the question. At any Regular or Special meeting, any question may be voted upon by secret ballot if a majority requests. Article XI: Budget & Finance Section 1: Funds The MoCOAD, though its fiscal agent and Donations Management Function can raise and disburse funds for use during the current disaster. Section 2: Withdrawal of Funds MoCOAD funds can be dispersed by a mechanism determined by the fiscal agent, and with authorization from the Chairperson and another officer or an Executive Board member designated by the Chairperson and another officer. Section 3: Dissolution of MoCOAD In the event of the dissolution of the MoCOAD, any remaining funds shall be disbursed to United Way of Monroe County to be held for future reinstatement of MoCOAD or an organization with a similar purpose. Article XII: Amendments Except as otherwise provided, these Bylaws may be altered, amended, repealed, or new Bylaws adopted by a 2/3 vote of the members present at a MoCOAD meeting or polled by mail or electronically, if at least seven (7) days notice is given to member organizations of the intention to alter, amend, repeal, or adopt new Bylaws at such meeting. Article XIII: Chart The accompanying chart, “MoCoad Organizational Structure” serves as a visual representation of the organizational structure outlined in these bylaws. Document History Version 1: 2010 – Created Version 2: June 27, 2013 – Revised Supporting Documents: MoCOAD Emergency Coordination Plan (June 2011) MoCOAD Proxy Designation Form MoCOAD Member Request Form MoCOAD Memorandum of Understanding MoCOAD Resource Registry 10 Errata Article VI Section 1: Change "Co-Chairperson" to "Vice Chairperson" Article VIII Section 1: Change "Co-Chairperson" to "Vice Chairperson" Article VIII Section 2: Change "Co-Chairperson" to "Vice Chairperson" Article VIII Section 5: Change "Co-Chairperson" to "Vice Chairperson" | ||
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