By Laws

Article I - Name and Purpose

Section 1. Name
The name of this Advisory Task Force shall be the Potrero Power Plant Citizens Advisory Task Force.

Section 2. Purpose
The Potrero Power Plant Citizens Advisory Task Force was established by San Francisco Board of Supervisors Resolution 362-99, as amended by Resolution 564-99. The Advisory Task Force shall provide the City or other bodies with input on 1) issues which affect the surrounding neighborhood such as noise, construction and harmful emissions, 2) power plant workers' issues and 3) other issues deemed appropriate by the Task Force.

Article II - Officers

Section 1. Officers
The Officers of this Advisory Task Force shall be a Chair and a Vice Chair.

Section 2. Terms of Office
The Officers shall hold offices until December 31, 2000 or until their successors are elected.

Section 3. Election of Officers
The Officers shall be elected at the first meeting of the Advisory Task Force. If any Advisory Task Force office becomes vacant, that office shall be filled at the first meeting after the vacancy occurs.

Article III - Duties of Officers

Section 1. Duties of the Chair
The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Advisory Task Force. The Chair, working with members of the Advisory Task Force and the staff, shall oversee the preparation and distribution of the agenda for the Advisory Task Force meetings. The Chair shall appoint all Committees and their Chairs and shall perform all other duties as prescribed by the Advisory Task Force or by the By-Laws which are necessary or incident to the office.

Section 2. Duties of the Vice Chair
In the event of the absence, or inability of the Chair to act, the Vice Chair shall preside at the meetings and perform the duties of the Chair. In the event of the absence of the Chair and the Vice Chair, the remaining Advisory Task Force members shall appoint one of the members to act temporarily as Chair.

Article IV - Meetings

Section 1. Regular Meetings
Regular meetings of the Advisory Task Force shall be held on the fourth Thursday of the month at 4:00 p.m. at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 82, San Francisco, California.

Section 2. Special Meetings
The Chair or a majority of the members of the Advisory Task Force may call special meetings.

Section 3. Notice of Meetings
The agendas of all regular meetings and notices and agendas of all special meetings shall be posted at the meeting site, the San Francisco Main Library, Government Information Center and the office of the Advisory Task Force. Agendas and notices shall be mailed to each Advisory Task Force member and any person who files a written request for such notice with the Advisory Task Force.

Section 4. Cancellation of Meetings
The Chair may cancel a meeting if she or he is aware that a quorum of the body will not be present or if the meeting date conflicts with a holiday or other responsibilities of the Advisory Task Force members. Notices of cancellation shall be posted at the meeting site, the San Francisco Main Library, Government Information Center, and the office of the Advisory Task Force. If time permits, notices of meeting cancellations shall be mailed to all members of the public who have requested, in writing, to receive notices and agendas of Advisory Task Force meetings.

Section 5. Conduct of Meetings
(a) All Advisory Task Force meetings shall be conducted in compliance with all applicable laws, including but not limited to the Ralph M. Brown Act (Government Code Section 54950 et. seq.), the San Francisco Sunshine Ordinance (San Francisco Administrative Code, Chapter 67) and the Advisory Task Force's By-Laws. Except where state or local laws or other rules provide to the contrary, meetings shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order.

(b) Cell phones and pagers shall be turned off during meetings of the Advisory Task Force. The Chair may issue a warning to any member of the public whose pager or cell phone disputes the Advisory Task Force meeting. In the event of repeated disruption caused by pagers and cell phones, the Chair shall direct the offending member of the public to leave the meeting.

Section 6. Setting Agendas
The staff of the Advisory Task Force, at the direction of the Chair, shall prepare the agenda for meetings. The agenda for all regular meetings shall contain an item during which Advisory Task Force members may request items for the Advisory Task Force to consider at future meetings.

Section 7. Action at a Meeting; Quorum and Required Vote
The presence of a majority of the members (seven members) of the Advisory Task Force shall constitute a quorum for all purposes. The affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the Advisory Task Force (seven votes) shall be required for the approval of all substantive matters. Procedural motions require an affirmative vote of a majority of the members present. If a quorum is not present, no official action may be taken, except roll call and adjournment.

Section 8. Voting and Abstention
Advisory Task Force members must be present to vote and participate. Teleconference participation is not permitted. Each member present at a Advisory Task Force meeting shall vote "Yes" or "No" when a question is put, unless the member is excused from voting on a matter by a motion adopted by a majority of the members present or the member has a conflict of interest that legally precludes participation in the discussion and vote.

The Advisory Task Force shall take action on items on the agenda by roll call, voice vote or by show of hands.

Section 9. Public Comment
The Advisory Task Force and all committees of the Advisory Task Force shall hold meetings open to the public in full compliance with state and local laws. The Advisory Task Force encourages the participation of all interested persons. Members of the public may address the Advisory Task Force on any matter within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Advisory Task Force for up to three minutes during public comment. The Chair may limit the time permitted for public comment consistent with state and local laws.

Section 10. Public Testimony
The Advisory Task Force and all committees of the Advisory Task Force shall hold meetings open to the public in full compliance with state and local laws. The Advisory Task Force encourages the participation of all interested persons. Members of the public may comment on every item on the agenda prior to any action being taken by the Advisory Task Force. Each person wishing to speak on an item before the Advisory Task Force shall be permitted to be heard once for up to three minutes.

Article V -- Advisory Task Force Records

Section 1. Minutes
Minutes shall be taken at every regular and special Advisory Task Force meeting and shall comply with the provisions of the San Francisco Sunshine Ordinance. Minutes shall be approved by the majority vote of the Advisory Task Force.

Section 2. Public Review File
The Advisory Task Force shall maintain a public review file in compliance with the San Francisco Sunshine Ordinance. (See, San Francisco Administrative Code, Section 67.23.)

Section 3. Tape Recordings
The Advisory Task Force shall audio record all regular and special meetings of the Advisory Task Force. The audio recordings shall be maintained in accordance with the San Francisco Sunshine Ordinance. (See, San Francisco Administrative Code, Section 67.14(b).)

Article VI -- Committees

Section 1. Committees
Upon approval by a majority of the members of the Advisory Task Force, the Advisory Task Force may form committees to advise the Advisory Task Force on its on-going functions. The committees shall be composed of members of the Advisory Task Force. Unless specified otherwise by the Advisory Task Force, the Chair of the Advisory Task Force shall name the Chairs of the Committees and its members. The Chair of the Advisory Task Force shall encourage Advisory Task Force members to participate on committees and shall ensure broad and diverse representation of Advisory Task Force members on all committees.

Article VII - Attendance
Members of the Advisory Task Force shall notify the staff of the Advisory Task Force if she or he is unable to attend a regular or special meeting of the Advisory Task Force.

Article VIII - Amendment of By Laws
The By Laws of the Advisory Task Force may be amended by a vote of a majority of the members of the Advisory Task Force after presentation of the proposed amendments as an agenda item at a meeting of the Advisory Task Force. The Advisory Task Force shall give ten days notice before considering any amendments to its by laws.