LEPC By-Laws

Table of Contents

1. Name
2. Purpose
3. Mission and Vision
4. Duties and Functions
5. Membership
6. Voting
7. Officers
8. Committee Meetings
9. Parliamentary Authority
10. Amendment of Bylaws

Article I

NAME

The name of this organization shall be the "Chesapeake Local Emergency Planning Committee", hereinafter referred to as "LEPC". 

Article II 

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Committee is twofold.  First, the Committee is to ensure that all acts required by SARA Title III, the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 are complied with, and that all necessary work is accomplished to develop a comprehensive chemical emergency response plan for the City of Chesapeake.  Secondly, the Committee shall have advisory responsibility for City of Chesapeake, Virginia disaster planning coordination.

Article III

Mission and Vision

Mission Statement
The Chesapeake LEPC, as an advisory disaster planning and coordination group, oversees compliance with all acts required by the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 and local requirements to develop a comprehensive chemical emergency response plan for the City of Chesapeake.  This mission is accomplished by focusing on the protection of local and regional life safety, critical systems, and the environment.

Vision
Through community engagement and industry partnerships, the Chesapeake LEPC strives to make the City of Chesapeake safe from chemical hazards and incidents.

Article IV

DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS

The function of the Committee shall include, but is not limited to the preparation of an emergency response plan that shall include, but is not limited to the requirements of SARA Title III.

Article V

MEMBERSHIP

1) Committee Composition
The committee shall be composed of members who are appointed by the Chesapeake City Council and shall include, at a minimum, one representative from each of the following disciplines, with each member serving in only one membership category:

• Local/state government
• Law Enforcement 
• Emergency Management 
• Firefighting   
• HAZMAT
• Emergency Medical Services
• Health
• Environmental
• Transportation 
• Communications
• EPA
• Industry
• Community Groups
• Hospital
  
  

2) Committee Membership Conditions
Members must meet the criteria established by the Commonwealth of Virginia Emergency Response Commission.

3) Terms of Committee Members
The terms of appointments of Committee members shall be for a period of six (6) years not exceed two (2) terms.
 
4) Conditions of Membership
Any member missing three (3) or more regularly scheduled meetings in one year may have his or her name submitted by a majority vote of the committee to the Chesapeake City Council requesting removal from the committee roster and the loss of all voting member privileges.  Prior to such submission to City Council, the member shall be sent by certified mail written notice of the number of meetings missed and of the committee’s decision to request such removal.  The member may appeal the proposed action by submitting to the committee chair, in writing, within fifteen (15) days of receipt of such notice, a written statement of the member’s reason(s) why such removal should not occur.  Upon receipt of such statement, the committee chair shall cause the matter to be placed on the agenda for consideration at the next regularly scheduled meeting where the member may have the opportunity to address the matter.  Upon consideration of the member’s appeal, the committee may, by majority vote, determine not to request removal of the member or may proceed to request of City Council removal of the member from the committee.

5) Roster of Committee Members
A roster of the names, business addresses and telephone numbers of the Committee members shall be on file in the Office of the City of Chesapeake Emergency Management Office, 304 Albemarle Drive, Chesapeake, Virginia 23322 and at other such locations, as the Committee deems necessary or convenient.

6) Subcommittees
The Chair of the Committee may appoint members and the chairs of subcommittees.  

Subcommittees will align to the strategic plan goals and objectives. The subcommittees shall study and report to the Committee on matters of LEPC business requiring special attention, advocacy for capability and capacity, expertise, or investigation.  A standing leadership subcommittee will review information and offer suggestions to the LEPC for consideration at the regular committee meetings.  The committee chair will serve as an ex officio member of each subcommittee, and may assign tasks to each.

Article VI

VOTING

Any proposal for an action or position taken by the committee or one of its subcommittees must be adopted by a majority vote of more than half the members present at a legally posted meeting at which a quorum is present.

Article VII

OFFICERS

1) Election of Officers
The Committee shall elect from its members a chair and a vice chair.  The officers shall be elected at the first regular meeting of each calendar year at which a quorum is present, and shall serve for a term of two years.  In the event of an officer’s resignation prior to the end of the officer’s term, a new officer shall be elected at the next meeting of the committee at which a quorum is present, and shall serve out the remainder of the resigning officer’s term.

2) Duties of Elected Officers
(A) Chair:  The chair of the committee shall preside at all regular and special meetings of the committee, shall appoint all subcommittee members and their chairs, shall appoint the Planning and Information Coordinators, shall sign the approved minutes of the committee and any other documents as designated by the committee, shall act as spokesperson for the committee, shall be an ex officio member of each subcommittee, and shall perform such other duties as the committee may assign.

(B) Vice Chair:  The vice chair shall perform all the duties of the chair in the chair’s temporary absence or disability, and shall perform any other duties assigned by the chair.

3. Duties of Appointed Officers
(A) Secretary or designate:  The secretary may be an appointed position as determined by a majority vote of the committee and will be responsible for maintaining a record of the proceedings of the committee and prepare the committee’s meeting minutes, shall post announcements of committee and subcommittee meetings, shall send out meeting notices to committee members prior to committee meetings, shall mail out meeting minutes and other documents prepared by the chair, shall annually mail to the local newspaper the annual legal notice of the committee, and shall perform such other duties as the chair may assign.

Article VIII

COMMITTEE MEETINGS

1) Regular Committee Meetings
The regular meetings of the committee shall be held at such times and places as designated by the committee chair, and shall be announced to committee members and the public at least three workings days in advance of the meeting.

2) Subcommittee Meetings
The chair of any subcommittee may call a meeting at their discretion, provided that each subcommittee member, the public, and the committee are provided notice at least three working days in advance of the meeting.

3) Notice, reasonable under the circumstances, of special or emergency meetings shall be given contemporaneously with the notice provided members of the public body.

4) Quorum
A majority of the Committee or one of its subcommittees must be present at a meeting of   
either, in order for business to be conducted by either group.

Article IX

PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The rules contained in the current version of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the Committee in all cases to which they are applicable and when they are not consistent with these bylaws; provided that, however, in no case shall a breach of parliamentary procedure invalidate an action taken by the committee unless the chairman determines that the breach resulted in a misleading of one or more committee members as to the nature of the action taken.

Article X

AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

These Bylaws may be amended during any regular or special meeting of the committee by an affirmative vote of a majority of the committee members when a quorum is present, provided any such proposed changes have been submitted in writing to each committee member at least ten days in advance of the meeting called to amen the Bylaws.

Adopted by the members of the Chesapeake Local Emergency Planning Committee Sept. 22, 2016.