Documents › Board of Trustees Work Session, 2025-09-17

document 3 pages

Also attached to this agenda item: Committee Flow Chart Croton Committee Event Request Village Committee Matrix

Municipal Advisory Committee Guidelines 1.​ Purpose and Authority - All municipal advisory committees serve as advisory bodies to the Village Board of Trustees and operate under the direct oversight of the Village Manager. These committees are established to provide specialized expertise and community input on matters within their designated scope of responsibility.​ 2.​ Relationship to Village Government 2.1 Accountability Structure ●​ All advisory committees are accountable to the Village Board of Trustees through the Village Manager ●​ Committees are supported by village funds and/or resources and therefore have a direct responsibility to the village ●​ Advisory committees are not independent entities—they function as extensions of village government and must operate within established village policies and procedures ●​ Committee members have the responsibility to take the required trainings and attend meetings regularly in order to remain on the committees ●​ The inclusion of Board of Education liaisons and student liaisons on village committees should be done only with approval from the manager and/or board ●​ *NEW* Residents may only serve on only one committee at any given time. They may, however, be a liaison to a related committee or represent a committee at another committee meeting as agreed upon by both committees.. Attendance at those meetings should be clearly documented in minutes from both committees. ●​ *NEW* At minimum, each committee shall have a chair, a vice or co-chair, and a secretary. Other leadership positions may be assigned at the discretion of the chair 2.2 Oversight Authority ●​ The Village Manager or designated representative has oversight authority over all committee activities ●​ Committee recommendations and actions must align with village priorities and legal requirements ●​ All committee expenditures and resource utilization must be approved through proper village channels​ 3. Administrative Requirements 3.1 Meeting Agendas ●​ All committees must provide meeting agendas to the Village Manager or designated representative at least [X] business days prior to each meeting ●​ Agendas must include: ○​ Date, time, and location of meeting ○​ List of agenda items with brief descriptions ○​ Any anticipated action items or recommendations ○​ Supporting materials or documents to be discussed​ 3.2 Meeting Minutes ●​ Complete meeting minutes must be submitted to the Village Manager or designated representative within [X] business days following each meeting ●​ Minutes must include: ○​ Attendance record ○​ Summary of discussions ○​ All motions made and voting results ○​ Action items and responsible parties ○​ Any recommendations to be forwarded to the Board of Trustees 3.3 Communication with Board of Trustees ●​ All formal communications from committees to the Board of Trustees must be submitted through the Village Manager in the form of written memos ●​ These memos may be included on Board of Trustees meeting agendas at the discretion of the Village Manager ●​ Memos should clearly state: ○​ Committee recommendation or information being shared ○​ Background and rationale ○​ Potential impact or implications ○​ Requested action, if any​ 4. Inter-Committee Coordination 4.1 Collaboration Requirements ●​ Committees must coordinate with other relevant committees when their work areas overlap or intersect ●​ Before making recommendations that may affect another committee’s area of responsibility, committees must: ○​ Notify the affected committee(s) of the proposed action ○​ Provide opportunity for input and discussion ○​ Document any collaborative efforts in meeting minutes​ 4.2 Cross-Committee Communication ●​ The Village Manager or designated representative will facilitate communication between committees when coordination is needed ●​ Joint meetings may be scheduled when significant overlap exists between committee responsibilities ●​ Committees should inform the Village Manager when they identify potential areas of collaboration​ 4.3 Examples of Required Coordination ●​ Parks and Recreation Committee should coordinate with Environmental Committee on sustainability initiatives ●​ IDEA Committee should coordinate with Recreation Advisory Committee on accessibility improvements to park facilities ●​ Arts and Humanities Committee should coordinate with Recreation Advisory when discussing installation of art in parks ●​ HEART should coordinate with RAC prior to renaming parks/spaces​ ●​ Police Advisory Committee should with Bicycle Pedestrian Committee on traffic safety measures​ 5. Reporting and Documentation 5.1 Annual Reports ●​ Each committee must submit an annual report to the Village Manager summarizing: ○​ Accomplishments and activities ○​ Recommendations made to the Board of Trustees ○​ Areas of collaboration with other committees ○​ Goals and priorities for the upcoming year ○​ Budget Requests​ 5.2 Record Keeping ●​ All committee records, including meeting materials, correspondence, and reports, are village records subject to public records laws ●​ Committees must maintain organized files and provide access to records as requested by the Village Manager​ 6. Compliance and Enforcement 6.1 Adherence to Guidelines ●​ All committees must operate in accordance with these guidelines ●​ Failure to comply with administrative requirements may result in temporary suspension of committee activities ●​ Persistent non-compliance may result in committee restructuring or dissolution​ 6.2 Review and Updates ●​ These guidelines will be reviewed annually and updated as necessary ●​ The Village Manager has authority to interpret these guidelines and resolve any ambiguities ●​ Any proposed changes to these guidelines must be approved by the Board of Trustees 7. Support and Resources 7.1 Village Staff Support ●​ The Village Manager may assign appropriate staff to support committee activities ●​ Staff support may include meeting facilitation, research assistance, and administrative support ●​ All staff assignments and resource allocations must be approved through the Village Manager 7.2 Training and Orientation ●​ New committee members will receive orientation on these guidelines and their responsibilities ●​ Periodic training sessions may be conducted to ensure ongoing compliance and effectiveness ●​ These guidelines are effective as of [DATE] and supersede all previous committee guidelines. Questions regarding interpretation or implementation should be directed to the Village Manager.