Statewide Independent Living Council of Hawai I (Silc)

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STATEWIDE INDEPENDENT LIVING COUNCIL

POLICIES & PROCEDURES

Note:The following Policies and Procedures supersede previous SILC Policies and Procedures in place prior to the date of publication listed at the bottom of this document. In the event that any of the policies and procedures listed herein conflict with federal or state laws, thoseexisting regulations will take precedence.

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION STATEMENT

SILC strives to treat equitably employees and council members without regard to their political or religious affiliation, race, color, national origin, sexual preference, disability, age or marital status in all phases of their employment and council membership appointment including recruitment, selection, training, and promotions.

AGENDAS

Agenda item requests and copies of materials to be distributed at any SILC meetings shall be submitted to staff at least 21 days in advance of meetings.

The “hard” copy of any printed materials to be distributed at SILC meetings should be accompanied by a copy on floppy disk or via E-mail attachment when submitted, for conversion to alternate formats.

SILC staff will accumulate requests for agenda items/time and discuss them with the Chair in sufficient time to prepare the agenda. Copies of materials to be distributed at meetings, with the exception of documents approved by committees, official reports from other agencies, published documents, and materials prepared by SILC staff, will be submitted to the Chair for pre-approval before copies in alternate formats are prepared.

The Chair shall approve the final agenda and any printed documents to be distributed at full SILC meetings.

Agendas will be distributed to SILC members a minimum of 10 days in advance of meetings.

Preparation and distribution of agendas will comply with applicable sunshine laws.

ATTENDANCE

SILC members are expected to attend regularly scheduled SILC meetings. Members who are unable to participate in SILC meetings shall contact the Chair or the Executive Director in advance of the meeting to advise the reason for their absence.

Two consecutive unexcused absences or three absences out of any six consecutive meetings will result in Governor’s office notification and dismissal from the SILC.

Participation in committee activities is an expected and important part of a SILC appointment.

The Chair will confer with SILC members who are absent from two meetings out of any six consecutive meetings, including committee meetings, to assure their continued commitment to the SILC. The Chair may then write a letter to the member requesting improved attendance at meetings, and such letters will be maintained in the member's personal file. The Nominating committee shall monitor the attendance of members at SILC meetings including committee assignments and work with members to encourage their full participation in the activities of the SILC.

SILC staff will track attendance of Council members at SILC meetings and will maintain a permanent attendance record, which can be shared with the Chair, the nominating committee and the Governor’s office upon request.

BROCHURES AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

Brochures for public distribution which describe SILC activities must receive full Council approval before printing and distribution.

Documents distributed by the SILC will be made available in alternative formats upon request.

BUDGET

The Executive Director will be responsible for preparation and adherence to the SILC budget, and will assure that the Council is updated quarterly about the current status of the budget.

The full SILC is responsible for approval of the annual SILC budget.

BUSINESS CARDS

All SILC members who request business cards will be provided a sufficient quantity for their use in representing the SILC.

SILC staff will provide appropriate business cards for SILC members and staff. These cards shall include the SILC mailing address, or may indicate a SILC member’s personal address, e-mail address and telephone numbers at member request.

CALENDAR

SILC staff will compile a draft meeting calendar prior to June of each year. This proposed calendar will be shared with the Executive Committee prior to the annual SILC meeting.

The SILC Calendar will be reviewed and adopted for the following calendar year each July. Members may provide input to staff requesting particular dates for meetings at any time prior to the adoption of the calendar.

The Chair will determine actual dates for SILC meetings in the event of disagreement. Since the calendar is necessary to prepare the budget for the ensuing fiscal year, the Chair will take whatever action is necessary to assure that the calendar is adopted in sufficient time to allow proper budget preparation.

When it is necessary to change meeting dates, or cancel meetings, the entire SILC and all related organizations will be advised of the changes as quickly as possible.

The SILC Internet home page will contain a Calendar for listing SILC meetings and other statewide events of interest.

COMMITTEES

SILC committees will perform much of the work of the SILC, with the exception of those duties normally preformed by staff, and will report back to the full Council at each meeting.

The Chair may create a temporary ad hoc committee in the event that a project, or a change in workload, requires such change. Committee structure or membership may change periodically, but the standing committees will be: the Executive Committee, the Nominations Committee, the Monitoring and Evaluation Committee, the State Plan Committee and the Public Policy Committee.

The Chair shall be responsible for appointing committee Chairs and assigning all SILC members to at least one committee. All appointments will be done on consultation with the member concerned.

In the event that a member contacts staff to request a change in committee assignment, staff will advise the Chair who shall make the final determination.

No policy decisions will be adopted by the SILC at committee meetings, unless so empowered by the SILC during a full Council meeting.

The committee Chair shall determine dates for meetings in consultation with the Executive Director, and may request changes in member assignment through consultation with the SILC Chair. Committee Chairs are responsible for preparation of a memorandum concerning the content of meetings, in a form, which can subsequently be distributed by SILC staff and used as an official record of the actions taken by that committee.

COMMUNICATION

The SILC will communicate all matters of interest to appropriate parties, in alternative formats if requested. If questions arise as to the method of providing these formats, the Executive Director shall be responsible for assuring that it is accomplished in a proper manner.

Communications and meeting notices will be prepared and distributed in a timely manner, to assure maximum participation by people with all types of disabilities in SILC activities. Matters of an urgent nature shall be broadcast by fax and e-mail, and by telephone if necessary.

Larger mailings, SILC meeting packets, and other items of an informational nature which are not urgent will be distributed by U.S. mail or express services.

CONFERENCE CALLS

Committees may meet by pre-scheduled conference calls; these calls will be arranged by SILC staff. SILC staff will make necessary arrangements for conference call access when requested by committee Chairs.

Such calls may also be established for special activities, such as national trainings, as designated by the Chair or the Executive Director.

If a SILC member is prevented from attending a full SILC meeting because of medical reasons, participation in such meetings via conference call is allowable only with the approval of the Chair. When deciding whether to approve the call, the Chair will take into consideration any applicable sunshine laws as well as the cost and practicality of allowing the conference call to take place.

The designated location for public participation on all SILC conference calls shall be the SILC meeting location or a site designated by the Chair or Executive Director for that purpose and at any other site in which a SILC member is participating in that call.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The SILC shall conduct its affairs so that no member of the SILC community shall derive private gain from his or her association with the Statewide Independent Living Council except as provided by explicit policies of the SILC.

SILC members and staff shall not participate in institutional decisions involving direct benefits such as appointments, promotions, salaries, leaves of absence or awards to members of their immediate families. The principle of anti-nepotism shall not be used as a criterion against appointment or employment with SILC.

While there is no prohibition against relatives working in the same department or unit, an employee may not appoint, nor participate in the decision-making process to appoint, a relative to a position within the SILC. The decision on the appointment must be made by someone other than the relative. Once such an appointment has been made, subsequent decisions on the salary, promotion, and all perquisites and benefits of the employee must be made by someone other than the relative, even though the relative may be the supervisor to whom the employee reports.

All members and staff shall comply with the SILC Policy on Conflicts of Interest and Disclosure of Certain Interest.

CORRESPONDENCE

All official SILC correspondence shall be on SILC letterhead. Details of SILC correspondence standards are available from staff.

The Chair, or committee Chairs, may prepare correspondence on behalf of the SILC, when necessary to conduct SILC business. Such correspondence must be on official letterhead. Copies of all such correspondence prepared outside the SILC office shall be faxed or mailed to the SILC office for filing.

Any requests for materials in alternate formats will be met in a timely manner and, if they cannot be distributed at the same time as general mailings, will be forwarded as soon as the proper formats can be prepared.

COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STAFF COMPOSITION

The Council shall be composed of members as designated in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. SILC members are appointed by the Governor for terms of three years. A member may serve two full terms, and will be allowed to continue participating as a Council member until replaced by the Governor.

SILC staff shall assure that any individual who wishes to apply for SILC appointment is provided with an application and referred to the Nominations Committee.

Staff positions shall be authorized by the SILC prior to any new staff person being hired.

The Executive Director shall be selected by the SILC. Other SILC staff members will be selected by the Executive Director.

Volunteers, interns and temporary staff may be employed as necessary to meet the needs of the SILC.

ELECTIONS

The SILC Chair and Vice Chair shall be elected by the members for one-year terms, and may serve no more than two consecutive years in each office. Such elections will take place at the annual meeting each year.

EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT

The Executive Director shall work for the continued development of staff and encourage participation in appropriate training activities that will benefit the SILC.

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS

The Statewide Independent Living Council is dedicated to promoting opportunities for people with disabilities to live independently and successfully in the community, and to be employed.

SILC strives to treat employees without regard to their political or religious affiliation, race, color, national origin, sexual preference, disability, age or marital status in all phases of their employment including recruitment, selection, training, and promotions.

The SILC Executive Director is responsible for assuring that all Agency employment activities are conducted in a legal manner, and that related documents are filed with the appropriate state agencies in a timely manner.

In the event that an employment claim against the SILC should occur, the Executive Director shall consult with the Chair immediately to determine the best course of action.

ENVIRONMENTAL ILLNESSES

Every effort will be made to assure that all SILC activities are held in locations and in a manner which protects the needs of people who face the effects of Environmental Illnesses. Members and staff should not wear scented products to SILC activities.

ETHICS

SILC staff and Council members are required to comply with the Policy on Conflicts of Interest and Disclosure of Certain Interest of the Statewide Independent Living Council as well as all other applicable laws governing the conduct of appointees of the State of ______.

In the event that there is an ethics question concerning a potential activity of any SILC member, the Executive Director shall consult with the Chair and the appropriate administrative agency to help resolve the potential conflict.

If the Chair is the person in question, the Vice-Chair shall assume the duties of the Chair until the situation is resolved.

If the Executive Director’s actions are in question, the Chair shall consult with the Vice-Chair and the appropriate administrative agency to resolve the possible conflict.

As a part of each new SILC member's orientation, the Executive Director will assure that members receive a copy of this Policy and Procedures, SILC Conflict of Interest Code, the By-Laws, Articles of Incorporation, and other applicable information governing the participation of SILC members.

EVALUATIONS

The SILC Chair will be responsible for the annual evaluation of the Executive Director. The Executive Director will be responsible for the annual evaluation of all other SILC staff. The Chair may appoint a SILC committee to perform such evaluation, and shall serve as the Chair of that temporary Personnel Committee.

Evaluations of the Executive Director shall include input from all SILC members. The completed review shall remain a confidential document, and a summary report will be provided to all SILC members by the Chair.

The Executive Director will perform the evaluations of SILC staff. The results of these evaluations will be retained in each employee’s confidential personnel file.

Evaluations shall be completed by the first full SILC meeting of the calendar year, for the previous calendar year.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORTS

The Executive Director shall submit a quarterly report to the SILC concerning the activities of all staff, interactions with other organizations, budget updates, status of projects, and other items of interest to the SILC.

INTERAGENCY AGREEMENTS

With the exception of those agreements of an administrative nature which are required for agency operation, the SILC must approve all interagency agreements. In the event that an agency or outside organization requests the SILC to enter into an agreement, the Executive Director shall consult with the SILC to determine if it is an appropriate SILC activity.

The Chair is designated to sign interagency agreements on behalf of the SILC, once Council approval has been received.

The Executive Director is responsible for assuring that all Interagency Agreements with support agencies are updated annually, and that they reflect the current needs of the SILC. The Executive Director may approve and sign interagency agreements of an administrative nature which are required for agency operation or that are for the completion of a joint project or activity.

JOB DESCRIPTIONS

Job descriptions for all SILC employees shall be approved by the full Council.

The Executive Director shall confer with the SILC to assure that job descriptions meet the needs of the Council and comply with applicable state regulations.

LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITIES

The SILC shall approve any statement or position on a Legislative issue which is presented on behalf of the SILC, with the exception of those situations when SILC staff is requested by the Governor or Legislators to provide immediate comment on pending legislation that the SILC has already adopted a position on. The SILC will be advised as soon as practicable when Legislative actions will impact the SILC.

SILC staff shall be responsible for monitoring and reacting to activities of the Congress or state Legislature, the Governor’s office, and other government agencies. The Executive Director will consult with the Chair on matters which have not been previously discussed by the SILC, and shall serve as an educational resource for other organizations upon request.

MEETING FORMAT

SILC meetings shall be held in a manner which is accessible to people with any type of disability. All meetings will be held in accordance with the relevant sunshine laws of the State of ______.

The SILC Chair will be responsible for the activities that occur at SILC meetings, and will assure that “Robert’s Rules of Order” are followed while conducting the meetings.

The Executive Director shall serve as a resource for the Chair during each full SILC meeting, and may provide input during the meeting when requested by SILC members.