Rules & Bylaws
As designated in the Bylaws, Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3C (ANC3C) uses Roberts’ Rules of Order, Newly Revised to facilitate public meetings. Although the full text is not available online, you can learn more about this style of parliamentary procedure here. The same text has been revised by a Johnson County Criminal Lawyer and has provided much more insight on the actual workings of the above edition. You can get this revised version online.
ANC3C Bylaws
(Revised As Of December 13, 2022)
ARTICLE I – NAME AND GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES
Section 1. The name of this organization is Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3C, or ANC 3C, as established by the Council of the District of Columbia, and herein referred to as the “Commission.” The Commission is established pursuant to Section 738 of the D.C. Self-government and Governmental Reorganization Act, Pub.L. 93-198, 87 Stat. 824,and D.C. Law 1-58, 22 D.C. Reg. 5453 (April 9, 1976).
Section 2. The boundaries of the Commission area are those established by DC Public Law. As of January 2, 2023, the approximate boundaries are as follows: located in Northwest Washington, DC, in Ward 3, All streets are located in the Northwest quadrant. Beginning at the intersection of Springland Lane and Tilden Street; then east along Tilden Street; then south along the center line of Rock Creek; then northwest along Massachusetts Avenue; then west along Whitehaven Street; then west along the northern boundary of Dumbarton Oaks Park; then northwest (clockwise) along the property line of the United States Naval Observatory; then west along Calvert Street; then north along Wisconsin Avenue; then east along Woodley Road; then north along 36th Street; then east along Porter Street; then north along 35th Street; then east along Rodman Street; then north along Reno Road; then northeast along Springland Lane to the point of beginning.
ARTICLE II – PURPOSE
Section 1. The purpose of the Commission is in accordance with Public Law 93- 198, D.C. Law 1-21 as amended, and any other applicable statutes of the District of Columbia.
Section 2. The Commission may elect membership in organizations and societies that further the interests of the Commission.
Section 3. The Commission shall not participate in partisan political activities.
ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Membership on the Commission is as provided by law.
Section 2. Commissioners shall serve without compensation, except that appropriate expenses shall be paid with authorization by the Commission.
Section 3. Vacancies on the Commission shall be filled as provided by law.
ARTICLE IV – OFFICERS AND OFFICER SELECTION
Section 1. The Commission shall elect from among its members a Chair, Vice- Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and such other officers as may be necessary, in January of each year. The officers shall perform the duties prescribed by D.C. law, these Bylaws, the Commission’s Rules, and by the parliamentary authority adopted herein.
Section 2. The officers shall be elected to serve one year or until their successors are elected, and their term of office shall begin upon election.
Section 3. Each candidate for office shall be nominated from the floor. A nomination need not be seconded. Voting shall occur by ballot, unless the candidate is unopposed, before the floor is opened for nominations for another office. Voting may not occur by secret ballot.
Section 4. No Commissioner may hold more than one office at a time, except to temporarily fill a vacancy as provided in Section 5 of the Article.
Section 5. A vacancy among the officers shall be filled in the manner prescribed by the parliamentary authority adopted herein, except as follows:
(a) A vacancy in the office of Treasurer is filled automatically by the Vice-Chair; should the office of Vice-Chair be vacant, the Secretary shall fill the vacancy of Treasurer.
(b) A vacancy that is not filled automatically may be filled temporarily by the Commission without previous notice.
(c) All vacancies, including those filled either automatically or temporarily, require an election to be held at the earliest possible regular meeting. Notice of the meeting must include notice of the election.
Section 6. The Chair shall serve as convener of the Commission and shall chair the Commission meetings.
Section 7. The Vice-Chair shall fulfill the obligations of the Chair upon the absence, death, incapacitation, or resignation of the Chair.
Section 8. The Secretary shall ensure that appropriate minutes of Commission meetings are kept and that appropriate notice of Commission meetings is provided. The Secretary shall ensure that Commission meeting agendas, minutes, and written recommendations for other government entities are electronically transmitted to the OANC upon their completion.
Section 9. The Treasurer shall ensure that the responsibilities provided for in § 1-309.13 are fulfilled. No individual may serve as both the Chair and Treasurer simultaneously for any Commission.
ARTICLE V – FINANCE AND RECORDS
Section 1. The financial operations of the Commission must be in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations of the District of Columbia. The Treasurer is responsible for overseeing Commission compliance with the financial provisions of such laws, regulations and rules.
Section 2. The fiscal year of the Commission is the same as that of the District of Columbia Government.
Section 3. The Commission shall adopt an annual budget, after hearing any comments from residents of the Commission area, in the first month of each fiscal year.
Section 4. No expenditure of any amount may be made without authorization by the Commission. Each expenditure over $50.00 must be specifically approved by the Commission, except that recurring expenditures, such as for rent, telephone, employment, and professional services, may be approved as general budget items. Amounts less than $50.00 may be expended by general authorization, provided that records of general authorization expenditures must be transmitted to the Treasurer prior to any reimbursement for such funds.
Section 5. Communications which do not reflect adopted positions of the Commission must be clearly identified as such. Copies of all Commission, Commissioner, Committee, and Subcommittee correspondence must be filed with the Commission.
Section 6. All financial reports, minutes, correspondence, these Bylaws, and the Commission’s Rules are public documents and must be available for public inspection and copying.
Section 7. In the event that recordkeeping is delegated, the appropriate officers shall nevertheless have ultimate responsibility.
ARTICLE VI – MEETINGS
Section 1. No action may be taken by the Commission except at a duly constituted meeting open to the public.
Section 2. The Commission shall meet in public session at regular intervals at least 9 times per year at locations that are designed to reasonably accommodate the residents of the Commission area. Each regular meeting shall include a segment wherein residents of the Commission area may present their views and items of concern.
Section 3. Special meetings of the Commission can be called by the Chair or by written request, delivered to the Secretary, of any three Commissioners. The agenda must be included in the notice of such meetings, and no other items may be acted upon.
Section 4. Notice of Commission meetings must comply with D.C. law, these Bylaws and the Commission’s Rules.
ARTICLE VII – COMMITTEES
Section 1. The establishment and operation of Committees shall be in accordance with D.C. law and as provided by these Bylaws and the Commission’s Rules.
Section 2. Standing Committees are those prescribed in the Commission’s Rules. All other Committees are Special Committees, and must be established by the Commission.
Section 3. The Chairmanship of each Committee is open to any resident of the Commission area, and must be appointed each year by the Commission. The purpose, composition, size, manner of selection and duties of all Committees, and the duration of Special Committees shall be determined by the Commission, except that each Committee must include at least one Commissioner. With the concurrence of the Commission, Committees may establish subcommittees made up of one or more members of the Committee as well as nonmembers of the Committee. The time and schedule of Committee meetings shall be established by the respective Committees themselves.
Section 4. The Commissioners are ex officio members of all Committees.
Section 5. Nothing in this Article should be construed to preclude individual Commissioners and/or residents from forming into ad hoc groups to address and report upon any matter before the Commission.
ARTICLE VIII – VOTING AND PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
Section 1. Each Commissioner shall have one vote on matters proposed for action by the Commission.
Section 2. Commissioners shall be present at a meeting in order to vote unless provided by law.
Section 3. The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Commission in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with D.C. law, these Bylaws, and any special rules of order the Commission may adopt.
ARTICLE IX – BYLAWS
These Bylaws can be amended at any regular meeting of the Commission by a two-thirds vote, provided that the amendment has been submitted in writing at the previous regular meeting.
AMENDMENTS
(To be listed in order of adoption)
December 16, 2002: Article IV, Section 4: Strike the words “, and no Commission may serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office.”
