Georgia-2009-HB1292-Introduced

To amend an Act to create the Colquitt County Family Connection Collaborative on Children and Families, approved April 13, 2001 (Ga. L. 2001, p. 4117), so as to change the membership; to change the quorum; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

An Act to create the Colquitt County Family Connection Collaborative on Children and Families, approved April 13, 2001 (Ga. L. 2001, p. 4117), is amended by revising Section 5 as follows:

"SECTION 5.
Membership.

(a) The commission shall be composed of 35 members. Eleven members shall serve by virtue of their offices; provided, however, that in the event any such office becomes inactive or is abolished, the commission may reduce its membership and adjust the quorum accordingly. Three members shall be elected officials, one each from the Colquitt County Board of Commissioners, the City of Moultrie City Council, and the Colquitt County Board of Education. Twenty-one members shall be appointed from the community.

(b)(1) The following members shall serve by virtue of their offices:

(A) The Colquitt County administrator;

(B) The City of Moultrie city manager;

(D) The director of the Colquitt County Public Health Department;

(E) The director of the Colquitt County Department of Family and Children Services;

(F) The director of the Colquitt County Department of Labor;

(G) The director of the Southwest Georgia Community Action Council;

(H) The president of the Moultrie-Colquitt County Chamber of Commerce or his or her designee;

(I) The director of the Colquitt County United Way;

(J) The director of the Moultrie Housing Authority; and

(K) The president of Moultrie Technical College.

(2) Members serving by virtue of their offices shall serve on the collaborative for the terms of the positions they hold and shall be replaced on the collaborative by their successors in these positions.

(c)(1)(A) One member shall be a member of the Colquitt County Board of Commissioners appointed by the board;

(B) One member shall be a member of the City of Moultrie City Council appointed by the council; and

(2) Elected officials shall serve on the collaborative for terms of two years and may be reappointed for additional terms by their respective boards. If an elected official's term of office as an elected official expires during his or her appointed term on the collaborative and the elected official is not reelected, then the appointing authority shall appoint another elected official to fill the unexpired term on the collaborative.

(d)(1) Community members shall include one or more members appointed from executives in the business community in the county, one or more members appointed from the boards of civic organizations in the county, one or more members appointed from the boards of private social service providers in the county, one or more members appointed from the vulnerable neighborhoods in the county or consumers of social services, one or more members appointed from advocates for children and families in the county, and one or more members appointed from the faith community in the county.

(2) The Colquitt County Board of Commissioners, the mayor and council of the City of Moultrie, and the Colquitt County Board of Education will each appoint seven community members as follows:

(A) One family representative from a vulnerable neighborhood or who is a consumer of social services;

(B) One executive from the Colquitt County business community;

(D) One citizen who is an advocate for children and families in Colquitt County;

(E) Two representatives from a private or other social service provider or educational institution not otherwise included in the collaborative by virtue of their office; and

(F) One representative from the youth or advocates for the youth of Colquitt County.

(3) Of the community members first appointed, one-half shall be appointed for initial terms of one year and one-half shall be appointed for initial terms of two years. Successors to all such members and future successors shall be appointed for terms of two years.

(e) Members of the collaborative shall receive no compensation for serving on the collaborative but may be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred by them in carrying out their official duties."

Said Act is further amended by revising Section 6 as follows:

"SECTION 6.
Organization; meetings.

(a) The organizational meeting of the collaborative shall be called by the chairperson of the Colquitt County Board of Commissioners after all appointments to the collaborative have been made. At the organizational meeting, the collaborative shall adopt bylaws and elect from the collaborative membership a chairperson, vice chairperson, and secretary-treasurer. Except as otherwise provided in this Act, the terms of office of such officers and all other matters relating to the organization and rules of procedure of the collaborative shall be as specified in the bylaws of the collaborative.

(b) One-third of the members of the collaborative shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Every member shall vote except in the case of a conflict of interest.

(c) The collaborative shall not meet less frequently than once every two calendar months and at other times on the call of the chairperson of the collaborative. In the absence of the chairperson, the vice chairperson may call a meeting of the collaborative and preside at such meeting. In the absence of the chairperson and vice chairperson, the secretary-treasurer may call a meeting of the collaborative and preside at such meeting. The chairperson or other officer of the collaborative authorized to call a meeting of the collaborative shall call other meetings upon written request of one or more members of the collaborative."