Documents › Board Of Trustees, 2026-04-22

resolution 6 pages

Also attached to this agenda item: Resolution 89-2026 Board Committee Guidelines

Croton-on-Hudson Board & Committee Member Guidelines OVERVIEW: The Village of Croton-on-Hudson is grateful to its residents who volunteer their time to serve on its advisory boards, committees, councils and commissions (referred to as “committees” hereinafter). These committees serve in an advisory role to the Village Board of Trustees (“Village Board”) and operate under the direct oversight of the Village Manager. These committees meet regularly to handle referrals from the Village Board, advise on policy items and make recommendations to the Village Manager and Village Board on items under their purview. These committees work regularly with liaisons from the Village Board, whose role is covered in separate Trustee Liaison Guidelines. The current committees to which these guidelines are applicable are: Arts & Humanities Advisory Council, Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee, Conservation Advisory Council, HEART Committee, IDEA Advisory Committee, Police Advisory Committee, Recreation Advisory Committee, Sustainability Committee and the Visual Environment Board. RELATIONSHIP TO VILLAGE GOVERNMENT: 1. All advisory committees are accountable to the Village Board through the Village Manager. As their work is supported by village funds and/or resources, they cannot function as independent entities and must operate within established village policies and procedures. 2. Committee chairs appointed by the Mayor shall be residents of the Village of Croton-on-Hudson and committees shall have a majority of their members be Village residents. 3. Committee records, including meeting materials, correspondence and reports, are village records subject to the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). Each committee chair shall be provided an official Village email account to facilitate record retention. These accounts shall only be used for committee business and may be accessed by the Village’s Records Access Officer to complete FOIL requests. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS: 1. All advisory committees shall have a chair and vice chair appointed by the Mayor. Committees shall designate a secretary to draft meeting agendas in coordination with the chair and take meeting minutes. The secretary can be one individual or a rotation of committee members. Other committee positions may be assigned at the discretion of the chair. 2. All advisory committees shall endeavor to provide meeting agendas to the Village Manager or a designated representative prior to each meeting (see appendix A for sample agenda). The sharing of agendas in advance of a meeting affords the Village an opportunity to provide guidance and feedback to committee leadership. Agendas shall include: a. The date, time and location of the meeting. b. A list of all agenda items with brief descriptions. c. Any anticipated action items or recommendations. d. Supporting materials or documents to be discussed. 3. All advisory committees are expected to prepare minutes of their meeting (see appendix B for sample minutes) and submit these minutes to the Village Manager or a designated representative within 45 days. Minutes not available within this time frame should be submitted as soon as possible thereafter. Minutes shall include, at a minimum: a. A record of attendance. b. A brief summary of any discussion items. c. A record of any motions made and the voting results. d. A record of any action items and the responsible parties. e. Any recommendations that are to be prepared for the Village Board. 4. Any formal recommendations or responses to referrals from the Village Board are to be submitted through the Village Manager in the form of a written memo. Committees may request assistance from the Village Manager or a designated representative in preparing these memos. A memo may be included on the Village Board agenda at the discretion of the Village Manager. Memos shall clearly state: a. The recommendation or information being shared by the committee. b. The background and rationale for such recommendation. c. Any potential fiscal impact or policy implication, if known. d. The requested action to be taken by the Village Board, if any. 5. All advisory committees must submit an annual report to the Village Manager summarizing the accomplishments and activities of the committee during the course of the year, recommendations made to the Village Board, areas of collaboration with other committees, goals and priorities for the upcoming year. Annual reports shall be due by January 31 of each year. COMMITTEE FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS: 1. All advisory committees that desire to have funds allocated to their activities in the Village Budget shall submit their request to the Village Manager by February 15 of each year. The request shall include a list of estimated costs for their proposed programs or activities, and any anticipated staffing, facility or logistical needs. 2. Committee expenditures and non-routine resource utilization are to be approved in advance through the Village Manager or a designated representative. Non-routine resource utilization may include, but is not limited to, the use of staff for research assistance and general administrative support. Approval of these expenditures shall not be reasonably withheld if they are within the approved budgetary amounts as set by the Village Board and these guidelines. 3. Committees are expected to operate within their approved annual budget allocation. Committees may not exceed their allocation without explicit approval from the Village Board. 4. As a general rule, committees may not use their allocated funds to reimburse expenses related to transportation, lodging, meals, or other incidentals unless explicit approval is received from the Village Board. 5. Committees are prohibited from using their allocated funds for partisan political activities, and gifts, honoraria or donations. 6. All purchases made by committees shall comply with the Village’s Procurement Policy. It is preferred that committees purchase any needed supplies through accounts maintained by the Village (such as Amazon, Buchanan Hardware, Shoprite, etc.) rather than seeking reimbursement. 7. If supplies are purchased outside the Village’s accounts, the Village is not able to reimburse for sales tax incurred. Committees may obtain a copy of the Village’s sales tax exemption letter from the Village Treasurer. 8. Committees may not independently enter into contracts without approval of the Village Board. SUBCOMMITTEES 1. Subcommittees can be formed at the discretion of the Committee Chair to pursue special projects and activities. The formation of a subcommittee should be reported to the Village Manager as well as the Trustee Liaisons for the parent committee. 2. Subcommittees should be led by an appointed member of the parent committee, but may have volunteers who are not appointed committee members. These volunteers shall not be subject to the responsibilities of committee members outlined below. 3. The activities of any subcommittee should be discussed at the meeting of the parent committee and documented in the minutes of the committee. 4. Requests for funding from subcommittees should be included in the annual budget request made by the parent committee. INTER-COMMITTEE COORDINATION/COLLABORATION: 1. All committees may coordinate with other relevant committees when their work areas overlap or intersect (e.g., the IDEA Advisory Committee working with the Recreation Advisory Committee on accessibility improvements to park facilities, the Police Advisory Committee working with the Bicycle Pedestrian Committee on traffic safety initiatives, etc.). 2. Committees which desire to include a permanent liaison from other boards/committees of the village, municipal corporations (such as the school district or library) or organizations, or student interns should advise the Village Manager before proceeding. The Village Manager may seek the counsel of the Village Board before approving such requests. 3. The Village Manager or a designated representative is available to assist with coordination upon the request of the committee chair. COMPLIANCE AND OVERSIGHT 1. All advisory committees are expected to operate in accordance with these guidelines. The Village Manager or a designated representative should be contacted to address and resolve any challenges encountered by a committee resulting from these guidelines. Persistent non-compliance may result in the temporary suspension, restructuring or dissolution of a committee by the Village Board. 2. The Village Board hereby authorizes the Village Manager to interpret these guidelines and resolve any ambiguities. 3. The Village Board shall review these guidelines annually and update them as necessary. Any proposed changes shall be adopted by resolution of the Village Board. RESPONSIBILITIES OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS: 1. Upon appointment, the Village Clerk or Deputy Village Clerk shall notify the individual of their appointment. The chair of the respective committee shall also be notified of the individual’s appointment. 2. Members shall serve on no more than one committee of the Village at a time. This provision shall apply to both decision-making boards and advisory committees. 3. Members of each committee are expected to participate regularly in the meetings and activities of their respective committee. Members who miss four meetings in a calendar year without notifying the committee chair shall be eligible for removal. 4. Members of each committee are required to participate in the Village’s annual training program. This training program includes, but is not limited to, sexual harassment prevention and workplace violence prevention. Members who take this training elsewhere (e.g., at their place of employment) may submit their training certificates annually in lieu of participating in the Village’s training program. A member that does not supply proof of the required training by December 31 of each year will be eligible for removal. 5. A committee member who is eligible for removal under sections 3 or 4 of the above will be notified of such fact by the Village Clerk or Deputy Village Clerk. Removal shall take effect immediately upon notification. Any committee member may appeal their removal to the Village Manager within five days of notification. The Village Manager shall confer with the Mayor to review the circumstances around the removal. A decision on the appeal shall be made within 10 days of receipt. 6. Members who have been newly appointed to an advisory committee will receive an orientation on these guidelines and their responsibilities. These guidelines are effective as of April 23, 2026, and shall supersede all previous advisory committee guidelines adopted by the Village Board. Appendix A: Sample Agenda XXX Committee Meeting January 14, 2026 7 p.m. Small Meeting Room, Stanley H. Kellerhouse Municipal Building Call to Order Approval of Minutes Old Business 1. Project 1 2. Project 2 New Business 1. Project 1 2. Project 2 Miscellaneous Adjournment Appendix B: Sample Minutes XXX Committee Meeting January 14, 2026 Present: <List Names of Members> Meeting Called to Order: The meeting opened at 7:00 p.m. by XX. Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the XXX meeting were discussed and approved. Old Business: The committee discussed the following projects: 3. Project 1: No update at this time. 4. Project 2: Member X provided the following update… New Business: Member X asked that the committee look into… Miscellaneous: Chair X wished all members a Happy New Year. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at XX p.m. The next regular meeting is scheduled for February 11, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.