ATCAA BOARD REPRESENTATION PROCESS

 

ATCAA Board members shall come from diverse backgrounds and life experiences in order to elicit a broad spectrum of knowledge, values and attitudes necessary for comprehensive consideration of issues affecting low-income individuals.

 

COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION

 

When a vacancy of either a Private or Low-Income representative seat exists on the Board, the ATCAA Communications Manager shall be notified of the vacancy. The Communications Manager will post a vacancy notification message to inform the community using one or more of ATCAA’s communication media (website, Facebook, Instagram, etc.).

 

The agency may choose to use additional methods of notification that may include but not be limited to:

 

• Post a public notice of the vacancy in appropriate locations.

• Utilize direct mailing techniques to notify and solicit participation from the low-income population and those organizations who work with the low-income sector.

• Request members of Tripartite Board to assist in recruitment of interested individuals through personal contact.

 

All notices will include a description of the application process for persons interested in applying to fill the Board vacancy.

 

PUBLIC REPRESENTATION

 

The Board of Supervisors of Amador and Tuolumne Counties, being the designating officials, shall select the elected public officials from their County to serve on the Board. The two Supervisors from each County who sit on the Joint Powers Governing Board will also sit on the ATCAA Board, and each County Board of Supervisors will select the third member to represent elected officials, who will be an elected official of a city or municipality.

 

Public officials or their alternates must have general governmental responsibilities that require them to deal with poverty related issues.

 

PRIVATE REPRESENTATION

 

The Private Sector Board representation shall be filled by officials or members of business, industry, labor, religion, or other major groups and interests in the communities by submitting a letter of interest addressing the below criteria:

• Priority will be given to organizations/businesses demonstrating a commitment to advancing the purposes and activities of the Board.

• Priority will be given to organizations/businesses representing diverse views or a wide scope of labor, business or social service interests.

• No private sector organization/business will be allowed to have more than one (1) Board seat, in order to assure a balanced representation.

• Priority will be given to finding representatives whose constituency is not currently represented on the Board.

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LOW-INCOME REPRESENTATION

 

There shall be two kinds of low-income representation:

 

• People who are low-income by virtue of their income situation.

• Those that represent the concerns and interests of low-income people by virtue of their representing agencies, organizations, or institutions whose concern or business, partly or wholly, is involved with the affairs of low-income people.

 

Low-Income Representatives of the first sort must themselves be low-income at the time of election. However, it is not necessary for a low-income individual, once elected, to maintain that economic status for continuing service. Actual low-income persons will be given a higher priority for nomination over those who represent low-income residents.

 

All representatives of the low-income sector, regardless of economic status, must be elected in such a way that ensures that they truly represent the low-income sector. One seat will target low-income families with children 0-5 years of age and be assigned to a Head Start Policy Council board member designated by the Head Start Policy Council. The board member designated by the Head Start Policy Council shall be a parent of a child currently or formerly enrolled in Head Start or Early Head Start.

 

All Low-Income Board candidates/appointees shall submit an application/letter of interest to the Board.

 

Letters of interest must include the following criteria:

1. Address of physical residence of applicant

2. Brief statement about why applicant would like to serve on the ATCAA Board

3. Confirm ability to attend meetings per the Board Position Description

4. Indicate the way(s) in which he/she is qualified to represent the low-income sector (ex. list their experience in representing the local low-income community, or a particular neighborhood within the county; include any volunteer and/or employment working for and with local programs for the low-income sector).

 

Representatives of the low-income sector will be chosen in accordance with democratic selection procedures adequate to assure that these members are representative of low-income individuals and families in the service area; reside in the service area; and are able to participate actively in the development, planning, implementation, and evaluation of ATCAA programs.

       

Representatives may be selected at large to represent the community, or a specific area or neighborhood served by ATCAA, or to represent a particular organization designated by the ATCAA Board whose membership is composed predominantly of economically disadvantaged persons, including youth organizations. An individual representing an economically disadvantaged group does not need to meet ATCAA income eligibility criteria.

 

Selection procedures may include, either alone or in combination, the following:

• ATCAA petition circulated and signed by a minimum of 10 low-income community members from the service area county in which the vacant board seat exists;

• Election by ballots cast by clients and/or other low-income persons in the service area;

• A vote at a community meeting of low-income people where the date, time, and place of such meeting or conference have been adequately publicized;

• Designation of one or more community organization(s) composed predominately of and representing low-income people in the service area and is subject to HHS criteria. Such organizations shall develop their own Bylaws or Standards of Operations. If such Bylaws or Standards of Operations attempt to restrict or negatively impact ATCAA or its Bylaws, such member shall be removed from the ATCAA Board.

 

Private and Low-Income Applicants

 

Additionally, in order to be considered for membership, the Low-Income or Private candidate/appointee shall certify that they:

1. Are at least 18 years of age or older

2. Are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded by any federal department or agency;

3. Have not been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against them for commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public (federal, state, or local) transaction or contract under a public transaction, for violation of federal or state antitrust statutes or for commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification, or destruction of records, making false statements, or receiving stolen property;

4. Are not presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (federal, state, or local) with commission of any of the offenses above; and

5. Have not had any public transactions (federal, state, or local) terminated for cause or default during the three (3) years prior to their application.

6. If the candidate/appointee cannot certify to all five (5) items above, the candidate/appointee can attach an explanation to the application. The ATCAA Board can consider the explanation and decide whether they can be seated or not.

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Upon receiving letters of interest for Private and Low-Income sector representation, the Board Secretary will compile and present a list of candidates, for Board review, at the next regularly scheduled board meeting. The Board may choose to interview the candidate prior to its decision. A majority of a quorum of seated Board members shall approve or reject for any lawful reason, the selection of low-income or private sector representatives and their alternates.

 

If no applicants submit an application following the press release, the process of advertising will continue for each subsequent meeting until there is a nominee, and the minimum percentage (33%) of Low-Income Board members is met. If there are more applicants than there are seats, the low-income members of the current ATCAA Board shall make their choice of the nominee(s) and make their recommendation to the full Board for its consideration.

 

*All applications will be reviewed for upcoming vacancies and will be maintained for future consideration. All vacancies will be filled in the same manner as the original selection process.

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