0160 HFC Meetings

0161 Parliamentary Authority

The parliamentary authority governing the Board of Education shall be Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised in all cases not inconsistent with statute, administrative code, or these bylaws, or the rules of order of this Board.

0162 Quorum

Four (4) members present at a meeting shall constitute a quorum, and no business shall be conducted in the absence of a quorum.

0163 Presiding Officer

The Board Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Board. In the absence, disability, or disqualification of the Board President, the Vice-Chair shall act instead; if neither person is available, any member shall be designated by a plurality of those present to preside. The act of any person so designated shall be legal and binding.

M.C.L. 380.231

0165 Notice

0165.1 Regular Meetings

Within ten (10) days after the first board meeting in each fiscal year, the Board shall cause to be posted in the board office and in other locations considered appropriate by the Board, a notice listing the date, time, and place of each regularly scheduled meeting of the Board. The notice shall contain the name and address of the District and its telephone number.

The notice shall also contain the following statement: "Upon request to the Superintendent or the College President, the District shall make reasonable accommodation for a disabled person to be able to participate in this meeting."

Upon the written request of an individual, organization, firm, or corporation, the District shall send to the requesting party by first class mail a copy of any notice required to be posted by these bylaws. The Board may request that the party pay a yearly fee for notices. The news media shall be entitled to receive, at their request, copies of such notices free of charge.

0165.2 Change of Regular Meetings

Within three (3)days after the Board adopts a resolution changing the date, time, or place of a regularly scheduled meeting, the Board shall publish a meeting notice stating the date, time, and place of the rescheduled meeting, as well as the name, address, and telephone number of the District. Said notice shall be posted on the front door of the offices of the Board of Trustees and such other place(s) as the Board may determine. Said notice shall be posted at least eighteen (18) hours before the rescheduled meeting.

M.C.L. 15.264, 15.266

0165.3 Special Meetings

Notice of special meetings shall state the date, time, and place of such special meeting and the business to be transacted thereat, as well as the name, address, and telephone number of the College. A notice of any special meeting shall be posted at least eighteen (18) hours before said special meeting in the board office and such other places as the Board may determine. A copy of said notice shall be served upon each member of the Board.

0165.4 Emergency Meetings

In the event of a severe and imminent threat to the health, safety, or welfare of the College, its employees, or students, any member of the Board may call an emergency session provided two-thirds (2/3's) of the members of the Board concur that delay would be detrimental to efforts to lessen or respond to the threat. No public notice of any emergency meeting shall be required.

0165.5 Recess

Any meeting of the Board may be recessed to another time and place. Any meeting which is recessed for more than thirty­ six (36) hours shall be reconvened only after a notice stating the date, time, and place of the recessed meeting as well as the name, address, and telephone number of the College has been posted on the front door of the offices of Board of Trustees and such other place as the Board may determine for at least eighteen (18)hours prior to the time the meeting is to be reconvened.

M.C.L. 15.265, 380.201(3)(4)

0166 Agenda

The Superintendent and the Board Chair shall prepare and submit to each Board Member a written agenda prior to each regular and each special P-12 meeting unless otherwise directed by the Board.

The College President and the Board Chair shall prepare and submit to each Trustee a written agenda prior to each regular and each special College meeting unless otherwise directed by the Board.

The agenda shall list the various matters to come before the Board and shall serve as a guide for the order of the procedure for the meeting. Individual Trustees may include items on the agenda upon the concurrence of the Board Chair or one (1)other Trustee.

Trustees shall be as considerate as possible about asking staff to prepare detailed reports and information not previously planned for preparation. Such reports shall be requested only when the Trustee believes such a report is essential to his/her understanding of a problem. When heavy pressure is on staff members due to the demands of District and College business and concerns, Trustees shall seek the concurrence of the Board before requesting the preparation of such additional detailed report.

When necessary, P-12 items may be placed on the agenda for the College Board meeting and College items may be placed on the agenda for a P-12 Board meeting.

The agenda of the regular monthly meetings or special meetings shall be accompanied by a report from the Superintendent or College President on information relating to the District or College with such recommendations as he/she shall make.

The agenda for each regular meeting shall be mailed or delivered to each Trustee so as to provide proper time for the Trustee to study the agenda. Generally, the agenda should be delivered no later than Thursday preceding the Monday meeting.

The Board shall transact business according to the agenda submitted to all Trustees in advance of the meeting. The order of business may be suspended at any meeting by a majority vote of the members present.

0167.1 Voting

All regular and those special meetings of the Board at which the Board is authorized to perform business shall be conducted in public. No act shall be valid unless approved at a meeting of the Board by a majority vote of the members elected to and serving on the Board and a proper record made of the vote. Meetings of the Board shall be public and no person shall be excluded therefrom. M.C.L. 380.1201

Unless specifically authorized by Michigan conflict of interest laws, any Trustee's decision to abstain shall be recorded and be deemed to acquiesce in the action taken by the majority. In situations in which there is a tie vote and the abstention represents the deciding vote, the motion shall fail for lack of a majority.

All actions requiring a vote may be conducted by voice, show of hands, or roll call provided that the vote of each member be recorded. Proxy voting shall not be permitted. Any member may request a roll call vote of the Board.

Action on times other than routine business shall be taken only if discussion has occurred at a prior public meeting.

0167.2 Closed Session

The Board may meet in a closed session, one closed to the public, for specified purposes.

Those which require a majority roll call vote of the Board are:

1. to consider the dismissal, suspension, or disciplining of, or to hear complaints or charges brought against, or to consider a periodic personnel evaluation of a public officer, staff member, or individual agent, if the named person requests a closed hearing;

2, to consider the dismissal, suspension, or disciplining of a student only if the student or student's parents request a closed hearing;

3. for strategy and negotiation sessions connected with the negotiation of a collective bargaining agreement if either negotiating party requests a closed hearing.

Those which requires a two-thirds (2/3's)roll call vote of the Board are:

4. to consider the purchase or lease of real property up to the time an option to purchase or lease that real property is obtained;

5. to consult with its attorney regarding trial or settlement strategy in connection with specific pending litigation, but only if an open meeting would have a detrimental financial effect on the litigating or settlement position of the public body;

6. to review the specific contents of an application for employment or appointment if the candidate requests that the application remain confidential. However, all interviews for employment or appointment of the Superintendent and College President shall be held in open meeting of the Board; and

7. to consider material such as written opinions of counsel which are exempt from discussion by state or federal statute.

In keeping with the confidential nature of closed sessions, no Trustee of the Board shall disclose the content of discussions that take place during such sessions.

M.C.L. 15.267, 15.268

0167.3 Public Participation at Board Meetings

The Board of Trustees recognizes the value of public comment on educational issues and the importance of allowing members of the public to express themselves on District and College matters.

Any person or group wishing to place an item on the agenda shall register his/her intent with the Superintendent or College President no later than ten (10)calendar days prior to the meeting and include:

1. name and address of the participant;

2. group affiliation, if and when appropriate;

3. topic to be addressed.

Such requests shall be subject to the approval of the Superintendent or College President and the Board Chair.

To permit fair and orderly public expression, the Board shall provide a period for public participation at every regular meeting of the Board and publish rules to govern such participation in Board meetings.

The presiding officer of each Board meeting at which public participation is permitted shall administer the rules of the Board for its conduct.

The presiding officer shall be guided by the following rules:

1. Public participation shall be permitted:

   1. only as indicated on the order of business of this Board;

   2. before the Board takes official action on any issue of substance;

   3. at the discretion of the presiding officer.

2. Anyone having a legitimate interest in the actions of the Board may participate during the public portion of a meeting.

3. Participants must complete the appropriate form and be recognized by the presiding officer and must preface their comments by an announcement of their name, address, and group affiliation, if and when appropriate.

4. Each statement made by a participant shall be limited to three (3)minutes duration.

5. No participant may speak more than once on the same topic unless all others who wish to speak on that topic have been heard.

6. Participants shall direct all comments to the Board and not to staff or other participants.

7. All statements shall be directed to the presiding officer; no person may address or question Board members individually.

8. The presiding officer may:

   1. interrupt, warn, or terminate a participant's statement when the statement is too lengthy, personally directed, abusive, obscene, or irrelevant;

   2. request any individual to leave the meeting when that person does not observe reasonable decorum;

   3. request the assistance of law enforcement officers in the removal of a disorderly person when that person's conduct interferes with the orderly progress of the meeting.

   4. call for a recess or an adjournment to another time when the lack of public decorum so interferes with the orderly conduct of the meeting as to warrant such action.

   5. waive these rules.

9. The portion of the meeting during which the participation of the public is invited shall be limited to thirty (30) minutes, however this may be extended at the discretion of the presiding officer.

M.C.L. 15.263{4)(5)(6), 380.1808

0168 Minutes

0168.1 Open Meeting

The Secretary, or a Temporary Secretary appointed by the presiding officer, shall designate a person to keep minutes of each meeting showing the date, time, place, members present, members absent, any decisions made at a meeting open to the public, and the purpose or purposes for which a closed session is called. These minutes must be approved by the Board and endorsed by the Secretary at the next meeting. The minutes shall include all roll call votes taken at the meeting. Proposed minutes shall be available for public inspection not later than eight (8} business days after the meeting to which the minutes refer. Approved minutes shall be available for public inspection not later than five (5) business days after the meeting at which the minutes are approved. The minutes shall be available for inspection at the Office of the Board of Trustees and shall be available for purchase at a fee estimated by the Business Office to cover the cost of printing and copying.

The official minutes shall be bound together by years and kept in the Office of the Board of Trustees.

Minutes of the preceding meetings shall be approved by the Board as its first order of business at its next meeting. The minutes shall show a brief summary of the item.

M.C.L. 15.269, 380.123, 380.1201, 380.1201(5)

0168.2 Closed Meeting

The Secretary or a Temporary Secretary appointed by the presiding officer shall keep separate minutes of each closed meeting of the Board. These minutes shall be retained by the Secretary of the Board, but shall not be available to the public and shall only be disclosed if required by a civil action filed under M.C.L. 15.270 et seq. These minutes may be destroyed one (1)year and one (1) day after approval of the minutes of the regular meeting at which the closed session was approved.

M.C.L. 15.267, 15.269, 15.270-71, 15.273