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The commission may engage the services of volunteer workers and consultants without salary as it may find necessary from time to time, and may engage other workers and consultants in accordance with the laws of the county, subject to budget appropriations to assist it in carrying out its duties. Services of an individual as a volunteer worker or consultant for the commission shall not be considered as service or employment bringing such individual within any merit system of the county or the state. (1974 L.M.C., ch. 52, § 2; 1977 L.M.C., ch. 30, § 14.)
It is the public policy of the County to promote programs to create an awareness of poverty; promote coordination among private and public agencies concerned with poverty; promote better use of existing resources and develop leadership among poor citizens to solve community problems; and develop broad community strategies to attack the basic causes of poverty. (1976 L.M.C., ch. 1, § 1; 1977 L.M.C., ch. 28, § 10; 1977 L.M.C., ch. 30, § 15; 1997 L.M.C., ch. 25, §1.)
(a) Established; purpose. There is a Community Action Agency within the Executive branch of the County government. The Agency creates and maintains community action programs to encourage the use of public and private resources to enable low-income people to become self-sufficient; to reduce poverty in the County; to involve the low-income population in developing and carrying out anti-poverty programs in the County; and to make government more responsive to the needs of low-income people.
(b) Governing board and staff. The community action agency consists of:
(1) the Community Action Board; and
(2) merit system employees of the County government, including an executive director and other staff necessary to assist the Board. The Board generally directs and supervises the staff.
(c) Board-Composition; membership.
(1) The Community Action Board consists of not more than 24 nor less than 15 members.
(2) At least one-third of the members must be representatives of low-income persons in the county, and one-third must be public officials or their representatives. The balance of the Board must be composed of officials or members of business, industry, labor, religious, private welfare, private education, minority, civic, and other major private organizations interested in activities of the agency.
(d) Appointment; term of office.
(1) Public Official Members. The County Executive must appoint, subject to confirmation by the County Council, officials of the County government and other public agencies in the County, or voting representatives of the officials, to serve on the Board. The Council may, in its discretion, recommend a Councilmember or other Council representative to serve on the Board. The Executive must consider for appointment public officials recommended by the Board. The Executive (who is not subject to confirmation), or the Executive’s designee, is a public member of the Board. Public-official members, or their representatives:
(A) collectively must comprise at least one-third of the membership of the Board; and
(B) serve at the pleasure of the Executive..
(2) Private Organization Members. The Executive must appoint, subject to confirmation by the Council, representatives of the private organizations to serve on the Board. These members serve either a 1-, 2-, or 3-year term, as designated by the Executive. In appointing members under this subparagraph, the Executive must consider individuals and organizations recommended by the Board. The terms of private organization members end October 1 of the appropriate year.
(3) Low-Income Representatives.
(A) The Executive must appoint, subject to confirmation by the Council, members who represent low-income County residents. In making an appointment under this subparagraph, the Executive must consider the recommendation of the Community Action Board regarding a candidate selected by low-income County residents. Low-income representative members serve either a 1-, 2-, or 3-year term, as designated by the County Executive. The Board must recommend to the Executive an individual to fill any vacancy on the Board. The terms of all members representing low-income residents end October 1 of the appropriate year.
(B) The Board must establish a democratic procedure for low-income residents to select candidates for nomination, each of whom must live in a specific geographic area of the County. Individuals participating in the selection of a candidate must be at least 18 years old, reside in the specific geographic area of the County, and have income that does not exceed the limits established under subparagraph (D).
(C) For each person nominated under this paragraph, the Executive must explain in writing to the Council how the nominee was selected by a democratic method designed to ensure that the nominee is representative of the poor in the area the nominee would represent.
(D) A low-income person, for the purpose of this article, is a person whose income does not exceed amounts set by Executive Order after considering the recommendations of the Board.
(4) Vacancies. Except as provided in paragraph (5), each member of the Board continues to serve after the member’s term expires until the Council confirms a successor, who serves the remainder of the member’s term.
(5) A private-organization member selected under paragraph (2) or a low-income representative selected under paragraph (3) must not serve on the Board for more than 5 consecutive or 10 total years.
(e) Officers of the Board. The officers of the Board are the chair, vice-chair, and secretary, elected annually by the Board under procedures adopted by the Board.
(f) Compensation. The members of the Board serve without compensation.
(g) Meetings; quorum. The Board holds meetings at regular intervals at least 6 times per year. A majority of the members of the Board is a quorum for conducting business. The Board may act on a majority vote of those present. The Board or its designated members should meet from time to time with the County Executive, the County Council, and other public officials to promote the Board’s functions.
(h) Nonpartisan nature. The Community Action Agency must not participate in partisan political activities or sectarian activities. The Agency may advocate on behalf of, or discuss public issues affecting, low-income people. (1976 L.M.C., ch. 1, § 1; 1977 L.M.C., ch. 28, § 10; 1977 L.M.C., ch. 30, § 10; FY 1991 L.M.C., ch. 9, § 1; 1997, L.M.C., ch. 25, § 1; 2005 L.M.C., ch. 24, § 1; 2012 L.M.C., ch. 7, § 1.)
Editor's note-1976 L.M.C., ch. 1, from which this article was derived, became effective September 9, 1975.
To accomplish the purposes for which the Community Action Agency is established, the Community Action Board may:
(a) Make recommendations on the initiation and development of the community action program;
(b) Recommend to the county executive an annual budget to support the community action program and develop grant applications in support thereof;
(c) Decide changes in the community action program within the limits of the annual budget;
(d) Recommend expenditures within available appropriations or budgetary allocations for the community action program;
(e) Recommend transfers between and within programs within available appropriations or budgetary allocations;
(f) Give general advice on the administration of projects carried out in implementation of the community action program;
(g) Accept, use and account for contributions of property and services from organizations or individuals for purposes consistent with the community action program;
(h) Participate in recruiting and screening candidates for the position of executive director; and recommend a candidate or candidates for executive director; participate in the performance evaluation of or any personnel actions concerning the executive director;
(i) Recommend the type and number of personnel required to staff the organization and carry out approved projects;
(j) Adopt, amend and repeal bylaws, and adopt regulations under method (2) of section 2A- 15 of this Code governing the manner in which its activities may be conducted and the powers vested in it may be exercised;
(k) Provide advice and recommendations to the county executive, county council and other public and private agencies;
(l) Establish communications with the community concerning programs and policies affecting low-income persons;
(m) Perform all lawful actions as may be necessary or appropriate to achieve the purposes for which the community action agency is established, including the selection of low-income representatives;
(n) Carry out such operations as the county government may specifically authorize or provide. (1976 L.M.C., ch. 1, § 1; 1977 L.M.C., ch. 28, § 10; 1977 L.M.C., ch. 30, § 15; 1984 L.M.C., ch. 24, § 30; 1997, L.M.C., ch. 25, §1.)
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