BYLAWS OF ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION 5F

ARTICLE I. NAME

Section 1. The name of this Commission is Advisory Neighborhood Commission 5F. It is established by DC Public Law 24-148, as amended. The geographic boundaries of the Commission are those described in that law.

ARTICLE II. RESPONSIBILITIES

Section 1. The Commission has the duties and powers described in D.C. Public Law 1-21, as amended; D.C. Code § 1-309 et seq.; and as otherwise authorized by law.

Section 2. The Commission’s authority is exercised by the ANC as a body, not by any single Commissioner. No Commissioner shall have exclusive control over activities that take place within that Commissioner’s Single Member District (SMD), except as stated by DC law.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERS

Section 1. The Commission shall be comprised of those persons duly elected to represent the Single Member Districts (SMDs) within the Commission area. The “entire fixed membership of the Commission” shall consist of all Commissioners including vacant seats. The “entire membership of the Commission” shall consist of all Commissioners except vacant seats.

Section 2. All members shall have equal voting rights following the principle of one person, one vote. There shall be no voting by proxy.

Section 3. In the event that a SMD seat becomes vacant due to a change of address of the sitting Commissioner after the window in which a special election can be called has closed, the Commission may by majority vote appoint the resigned Commissioner to serve as non-voting Delegate for that SMD until no later than the end of the term, with privileges of speaking and making recommendations relating to matters affecting that SMD. The Delegate shall not be considered a Commissioner and may not introduce items to the agenda, vote, serve as an officer, or count toward quorum.

ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS

Section 1. The Commission shall elect from among the Commissioners a Chair, a Vice Chair, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. An individual may hold more than one officer position except no individual shall simultaneously serve as both Chair and Treasurer.

Section 2. The election shall take place in January of each year. A majority shall be required for election of officers. Each candidate for office shall be nominated by a member of the commission. Commissioners may nominate themselves. Seconds are not required. When nominations are closed, the voting shall take place as determined by the Commission at that time. However, no secret ballots are allowed. If there is not a majority after the first ballot, there shall be an election between the two candidates receiving the most votes. In the event of a tie, a coin toss shall be used to determine the winner.

Section 3. The elected officers shall serve for one year or until their successors are elected. Their terms of office shall commence at the close of the meeting at which they are elected, except in the event of filling a vacancy, the officer term shall begin immediately and shall only serve out the term of the officer he or she replaced.

Section 4. If there is a vacancy among the officers, the Commission shall hold an election at the next meeting of the Commission. If there is a vacancy in the office of Treasurer, the Commission may hold a special meeting to elect a new Treasurer.

Section 5. Any officer may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Commission. Any officer may be removed from office by a majority vote without cause, at a special Commission meeting requested by at least one-half of the elected Commissioners and scheduled by the Chair to take place within thirty (30) days of the request. If the Chair is the officer affected, the Vice Chair shall schedule the meeting and act as the presiding officer.

Section 6. The Chair shall:

(a) serve as a convenor of the Commission and shall preside over the Commission meetings;

(b) file the Commission Annual Report as required by law;

(c) prepare the first draft of the agenda of each public meeting (regular and special) of the Commission;

(d) manage and supervise any Commission personnel or office activities;

(e) rule on procedural questions, and be overturned only by a majority vote;

(f) perform temporarily the duties of Secretary during any vacancy in that position;

(g) sign and submit all correspondence and documents on behalf of the Commission, including all documents that carry the “great weight” of the Commission;

(h) serve as the principal addressee for all official correspondence that is sent to the Commission, and disseminate official correspondence received to the Commissioners;

(i) Review bank statements by retrieving, opening, and initialing in the upper right corner of the bank statement, and then directly submitting the bank statement to the Treasurer;

(j) perform other duties as assigned by the Commission.

Section 7. The Vice Chair shall:

(a) act as presiding officer in the Chair's absence, or when the Chair wishes to temporarily give up the chair;

(b) as directed by the Commission, draft and transmit correspondence, including letters of support, opposition, or inquiry;

(c) perform temporarily the duties of Treasurer during any vacancy in that position; and

(d) perform other duties as assigned by the Commission or the Chair.

Section 8. The Secretary shall:

(a) ensure that minutes are kept for all meetings of the Commission and that copies are distributed to all members of the Commission;

(b) ensure that notice is given for all Commission meetings as required by District law and these bylaws;

(c) serve as the central repository of copies of minutes and meeting records of the Commission, minutes of all committees, and Commission books and records;

(d) ensure that draft meeting agendas, minutes, and written recommendations, letters, and resolutions adopted by the Commission are posted on the Commission website;

(e) maintain a list of names and contact information of people attending Commission meetings, to build a system that notifies residents of Commission meetings; and

(f) perform other duties as assigned by the Commission or the Chair.

Section 9. The Treasurer shall:

(a) receive and manage the annual allotment of funds pursuant to DC law;

(b) develop a draft annual fiscal year budget for Commission consideration before thirty (30) days after the start of the fiscal year;

(c) prepare quarterly financial reports to allow the Commission to approve them within forty-five (45) days of the end of the quarter;

(d) keep a record of all receipts and expenditures by the Commission, consistent with the requirements of the Office of the DC Auditor;

(e) execute expenditures in accordance with District law and these bylaws;

(f) maintain financial and bank account records, report on those records at each Commission regular meeting, and permit review of those records by any Commissioner or any government official upon request;

(g) ensure the Commission is in compliance with all the requirements of the DC Auditor; and

(h) perform other duties as assigned by the Commission or the Chair.

Section 10. The Officers shall have the assistance of any Commission staff in carrying out their duties as may be required. All employees, contractors, and interns of the Commission shall be hired by the Commission and serve at the pleasure of the Commission.

ARTICLE V. MEETINGS

Section 1. Each January, the Commission shall decide on a schedule of meeting times and locations for at least nine (9) meetings for the calendar year. The Commission, however, may modify the schedule if necessary. In case of an emergency, the Chair may reschedule the meeting time or location.

Section 2. No official action may be taken by the Commission unless a quorum is present and a majority, defined as more Commissioners voting “yea” than voting “nay," excluding abstentions, absences, and vacancies, vote in favor of the action.

Section 3. A quorum is a majority of the entire membership of the Commission (not counting vacancies). However, there is not a quorum unless a majority of the SMDs have Commissioners.

Section 4. Special meetings of the Commission shall be called by the Chair upon request of four

(4) Commissioners. The purpose of the meeting shall be stated in the notice and no other topic may be discussed at that meeting. Reasonable notice shall be given.

Section 5. Notice of regular meetings shall be provided at least seven (7) days in advance of the meeting by at least two (2) of:

(a) Posting written notices in at least four (4) conspicuous places in each SMD within the Commission area;

(b) Transmission to a newsletter or electronic mail list of residents and other stakeholders in the community;

(c) Any other method, including (1) posting on the Commission website; or (2) announcement made at the immediately preceding regular Commission meeting.

Section 6. The Chair shall prepare a draft agenda for each regular meeting consisting of all items required by law, bylaws, and special operating procedures, and all items submitted by a Commissioner by ten (10) days prior to the meeting. The Commission shall publish this draft agenda at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting on the Commission website and transmit the agenda electronically to the Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (OANC). The draft agenda may be modified by the Commission at the meeting.

Section 7. The Commission shall digitally post, at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to a meeting, all completed and digitally submitted documents relating to agenda items involving a Commission vote. Exceptions shall be granted for documents deemed outside the Commission’s control.

Section 8. The Commission shall digitally post recordings or transcripts of its meetings.

Section 9. All meetings shall include time to hear the views of residents within the Commission area. All meetings shall be accessible to the public unless personnel or legal matters are discussed.

Section 10. The Commission may hold joint meetings with other ANCs to respond to concerns and issues that transcend and affect the areas of the Commissions. Any action taken in a joint meeting shall specify the scope of any individual Commissioner’s participation. Such meetings may be held after authorization by each involved Commission and shall be publicly noticed as if a regular meeting.

ARTICLE VI. COMMITTEES

Section 1. Committees shall be advisory only, and there shall be two categories of committees: standing committees and task forces. Standing committees are those created permanently by majority vote. Task forces are those created temporarily by the Commission by majority vote and may be dissolved at any time by the Commission or shall automatically dissolve if there is no update provided at three (3) consecutive Commission meetings or if the task force does not meet for more than six (6) consecutive months.

Section 2. Committee and task force members are appointed and removed by majority vote of the Commission, and may be appointed or removed at any time throughout a two-year term. Any resident of ANC 5F may apply to serve on a committee or task force, including any 5F Commissioner. The Commission may establish procedures for automatic removal of committee members for excessive absences.

Section 3. In accordance with District law, the position of Chair of each Commission committee or task force shall be open to any resident of the Commission area. The chair of each such committee or task force shall be appointed and removed at any time by the Commission, and shall serve for one (1) year or until removed or their successor is elected. Committees may select other officers as needed. Co-chairs of committees are permissible.

Section 4. The Commission Chair shall ensure that items requiring committee action are referred to the appropriate committee(s) on receipt.

Section 5. Committee meeting notes and recommendations for Commission consideration shall be submitted by the Committee to the Commission and made available to the public, and if requested by the Committee, placed on the agenda for the first ANC meeting after they are adopted.

Section 6. All Committee meetings shall be open to the public and announced on the Commission website at least seven (7) days in advance except in case of an emergency or for other good cause.

ARTICLE VII. FINANCES

Section 1. Expenditure of all funds shall be approved by majority vote, authorized in writing by the Treasurer, and recorded in the Commission’s books of account and meeting minutes.

Section 2. Any budgetary reimbursement over one hundred dollars ($100) shall be approved by a majority vote. If a Commissioner cumulatively has five hundred dollars ($500) in reimbursements in a fiscal year, all future reimbursements of any size by that Commissioner shall be approved by a majority vote.

Section 3. Commissioners shall not request reimbursement or advance payment to pay for staff or individuals to perform work on behalf of the Commissioner. Commissioners shall not pay themselves for any work. The Commission may pay for staff or individuals to perform work on behalf of the Commission if approved by majority vote.

Section 4. No budgetary reimbursement shall be considered for food, entertainment, duplication of any services provided by the District government, or any other expense prohibited by law. The Commission reserves the right to deny any reimbursement request that does not adhere to the Bylaws or Standard Procedures, are prohibited by law, or prohibited by the Office of the Attorney General or the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability.

Section 5. The Treasurer shall pay any bills or previously agreed payments unless directed otherwise by majority vote or unless prohibited by law, the Office of the Attorney General, or the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability.

Section 6. All checks shall be signed by two officers, one of whom shall be either the Treasurer or the Chair, be pre-numbered, be issued in consecutive order, bear the name of the Commission and “District of Columbia Government” on its face, and contain the date of payment, the name of the payee, the amount of the payment, and a note in the memo field describing the purpose of the payment.

Section 7. Use of any Commission office and supplies shall be based on the following two principles: (1) all Commissioners shall have equal access to the office; and, (2) the use of the office and Commission supplies shall meet the "public purpose" test.

Section 8. No Commissioner shall substantially participate in a Commission matter that the Commissioner knows or should know is likely to have a direct and predictable effect on their financial interest or the interests of a person closely affiliated with the Commissioner. Commissioners shall notify the Chair of potential conflicts of interest.

ARTICLE VIII. STANDARD PROCEDURES

Section 1. The Commission may adopt standard procedures, thereby implementing the requirements of these Bylaws and enhancing the efficiency and operation of the Commission. Such procedures are incorporated as a part of these Bylaws except that they may be suspended, adopted, or amended by majority vote of the entire membership of the Commission at any Commission meeting. Suspensions do not require prior public notice.

ARTICLE IX. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

Section 1. A recognized manual of parliamentary procedure with Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, 12th Edition, shall govern the Commission in all cases in which it is not inconsistent with law, these Bylaws, or any procedures or rules the Commission may adopt.

ARTICLE X. AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

Section 1. Revision of these Bylaws requires a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the entire membership of the Commission. Each Commission member shall have at least two (2) weeks prior notice that an amendment(s) is being proposed to the Bylaws. The notice shall include the suggested change(s) and can be sent by email.

Section 2. These Bylaws shall be consistent with all Congressional and District legislation and other applicable laws regarding ANCs. Any inconsistencies are null and void.

Section 3. The Commission shall file an updated copy of the Bylaws and all amendments with the DC Council and OANC within thirty (30) days of their adoption.

ANC 5F Standard Procedures

ANC 5F (the "Commission") hereby adopts the following standard procedures with the intent of promoting transparency and efficiency. The Commission may suspend or amend these Standard Procedures by majority vote of the entire membership of the Commission.

1. Commission Information.

  1.1. The official mailing address of ANC 5F is P.O. Box 91843, Washington, DC 20090.

  1.2. Prior to assuming their official duties, each Commissioner takes the following oath: “I, (name), having been duly elected as a Commissioner of the Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners of the District of Columbia, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that: I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States; that I will perform such duties as may be assigned to me as a member of said Commission to the best of my ability without fear or favor; that I will exercise my best judgment and will consider each matter before me from the viewpoint of the best interest of the District of Columbia, as a whole; and that I will faithfully discharge said duties.”

2. Public Notice.

   2.1. The draft agenda will be posted on the website at least seven (7) days before a regular meeting. The agenda shall also be posted on a Commission email lists and on social media by the Secretary at the same time or shortly thereafter.

   2.2. To the extent possible, the draft agenda shall be annotated with links or attachments to documents or presentations that have been submitted.

3. Proposed Actions.

   3.1. Commissioners are encouraged to draft resolutions in the form of the final letter to the agency or body receiving the letter, prior to submitting the communication for discussion by the Commission. The purpose of this recommendation is to ensure that all Commissioners have an opportunity to examine the exact language in such communications before a vote is taken and that no supplementary cover letter or communication shall be necessary for the recipients to understand the Commission's position and its reasoning.

   3.2.  For any license applications received from the Alcoholic Beverage & Cannabis Administration, any Notices of Intent (NOIs) received from the District Department of Transportation, and any filings received from the Board of Zoning Adjustment or Zoning Commission, the matter shall be placed on the agenda of the next regular Commission meeting, and the matter may be referred to the relevant ANC 5F committee to work with Commissioners to develop a recommendation. For other matters, prior to the Commission considering an item on its agenda that may result in an official action or resolution, it is the responsibility of the SMD Commissioner where such matter lies to analyze the matter and present his/her conclusions and reasoning to other Commissioners at least ten (10) days ahead of the meeting along with a draft resolution/action as needed, as well as make best efforts to notify all parties (both pro and con) impacted by any such perspective action. Where more than one SMD is involved or no particular SMD is involved, such responsibilities fall to the Chair or a Commissioner appointed by the Chair. Any Commissioner may sponsor a recommendation from a committee or their own recommendation on any matter.

   3.3. Draft resolutions shall be circulated to all Commissioners at least ten (10) days before a meeting.

   3.4. In the interest of transparency, draft resolutions and proposed actions on matters submitted to the Commission by a District agency (e.g. public space applications) shall be posted on the website for public input at least seven (7) days before a regular meeting. More than one resolution on a topic may be posted either by the same Commissioner or by different Commissioners as a way of informing the public about how one or more Commissioners are tending in their thinking about a matter, pending hearing public comment at the meeting.

   3.5. Comments and drafting suggestions are to be welcomed from both other Commissioners and the public. If substantial changes are made after posting, a new version shall be posted on the website with an indication that a revision has been made.

   3.6. Commission actions and adopted resolutions shall take effect immediately unless otherwise stated in the resolution.

   3.7. All proposals to spend funds that have not been explicitly previously approved by the Commission in open meeting and are not recurring expenses as specified in the bylaws shall be circulated to Commissioners at least ten (10) days before the meeting at which approval will be requested.

   3.8. Draft minutes of a regular meeting shall be circulated to Commissioners no later than five (5) days after a regular meeting and Commissioners shall request edits no later than three (3) days before the next regular meeting.

4. Meeting Procedure.

   4.1.   The Commission shall strive to host meetings that are inclusive and accessible, that enable the full participation of all residents. Requests for accommodation or inquiries about accessibility should be directed to the Vice Chair. The location of all in-person Commission meetings shall be (except in the case of emergency relocation) noticed on the draft agenda document and held at locations within the Commission boundaries that are fully accessible and designed to reasonably accommodate the residents of the Commission area.

   4.2. Each participant is entitled to equal rights and treatment, and no participant shall be denied these rights because of race, color, creed, class, national origin, immigration status, sex, age, religion, ethnic identity, ethnicity, language, culture, housing status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, economic status, or disability.

   4.3. In scheduling meetings, the Commission shall consider the occurrence of religious or cultural holidays that may affect levels of participation by Commissioners and the community.

   4.4. Quorum for the Commission is four (4), unless a SMD seat is vacant in which case a quorum is a majority of non-vacant seats. A majority vote is more yeas than nays among those present. A majority vote of the entire Commission is four (4), unless a SMD seat is vacant. The entire fixed membership of the Commission is seven (7), and a majority of the entire fixed membership of the Commission is four (4). A two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the entire membership of the Commission is five (5) unless a SMD seat is vacant.

   4.5. The Chair shall utilize a voice vote procedure when feasible. A roll call of each Commissioner shall be conducted at the request of any Commissioner before or immediately after a voice vote on any main (non-procedural) motion. If the Commission meeting is being held virtually or in a hybrid format, roll call votes shall be required for all non-procedural motions, and Commissioners shall have their camera on when making motions and voting.

   4.6. The Commission shall aspire to operate using a hybrid meeting format that allows for virtual and in-person participation by members of the public and Commissioners, as permitted by District law.

   4.7. The Commission shall strive to make online public participation in meetings available, as permitted by District law. Online participation in meetings shall consider inclusive and transparent operating procedures, such as the use of closed captioning and a format where attendees may see a list of all other attendees.

   4.8. Each Commission meeting draft agenda shall consist of:

      4.8.1. Call to Order & Roll Call. If quorum is not established, the Commission may proceed only with informational items until quorum is established.

      4.8.2. General public comment (up to 2 minutes per speaker).

      4.8.3. Response to public comment by Commissioners.

      4.8.4. Election of Officers (if relevant).

      4.8.5. Approval of the Agenda. The Commission may amend the draft agenda to modify the order of items, remove items, or include new, urgent items that were not included in the draft agenda provided prior to the meeting. Non-urgent new business should be placed on the agenda of the next regular meeting.

      4.8.6. Approval of meeting minutes.

      4.8.7. Adoption or modification of the meeting calendar (if relevant).

      4.8.8. Presentations by the Mayor's Office of Community Relations (MOCR) and the Ward 5 Councilmember's Office.

      4.8.9. Officer reports and Commissioner announcements.

      4.8.10. Presentations relating to agenda items.

      4.8.11. Public comment on agenda items (up to 2 minutes per speaker).

      4.8.12. Consent agenda. The purpose of the Consent agenda is to approve items with no Commissioner opposition in one action. All items for action shall be automatically placed on the Consent agenda, and any Commissioner may remove an item from the consent agenda prior to the adoption of the consent agenda, by advance written notice to the Chair or by stating the request at the meeting. The Chair shall then move to adopt the consent agenda, and if adopted, all items therein shall be adopted.

      4.8.13. Remaining action items/main motions.

      4.8.14. Other reports and presentations.

      4.8.15. Committee and task force updates.

      4.8.16. Appointments to committees and task forces (if relevant).

      4.8.17. Adjournment.

   4.9. In the absence of the Chair and the Vice Chair, or if both the Chair and the Vice Chair temporarily give up the role of presiding officer, the Treasurer shall preside. If the Treasurer is also absent or temporarily gives up the role of presiding officer, or in the case of committees where the Chair is absent or temporarily gives up the role of presiding officer, the Secretary shall call the meeting to order and conduct an election for a Chair Pro Tem for that meeting only.

   4.10. Dividing a question shall require a majority vote.

   4.11. When possible, the Commission shall utilize a virtual timer to keep time during discussions, reports, and public comment periods. The Chair, with the consent of the Commission, may place limits on discussion time and number of presenters to keep the agenda moving forward.

   4.12. In order to make meetings accessible for participants and Commissioners, meetings shall adjourn at 10 PM or 2.5 hours after calling the meeting to order, whichever is sooner, unless extended by majority vote.

5. Public Comment.

   5.1. Each public meeting of the Commission shall include a portion to hear the views of residents within the Commission area and other affected persons on problems or issues of concern within the Commission and on proposed District government actions that affect the Commission area. Attendees shall be given an opportunity to ask questions, make comments, and offer opinions on substantive issues coming before the Commission prior to any final Commission deliberations and votes on non-procedural motions.

   5.2. The Chair shall allot a specific amount of time for public comment. Each speaker may be granted up to two (2) minutes to speak. Follow-up comments shall not be permitted unless invited by a Commissioner. A speaker may not yield the remainder of their time to another speaker during this time. Public comment shall end when there are no speakers remaining or the Commission votes by majority to end debate.

   5.3. The Commission encourages submission of public comments ahead of each meeting via email or via the Commission website. This allows Commissioners more time to thoroughly consider public comments, allows constituents to provide more detailed feedback than the two minute speaking allotment may permit and helps improve the efficiency of meetings.

   5.4. The Commission shall include in the minutes of the meeting summations of written public comments received by forty-eight (48) hours before each regular meeting, and will make a best effort to update to summarize comments received after this deadline. These comments are public records and supplement public discussion on a topic.

   5.5  For issues that fall within the purview of a committee or task force, members of the public are encouraged to attend the corresponding advisory committee meeting for in-depth discussion on a topic.

6. Reports and Presentations.

   6.1. The Chair or any two (2) Commissioners may invite local institutions and community groups to provide a report to the Commission during regular meetings. In order to secure time on a regular meeting agenda, each local institution and community group shall contact the Commissioner representing the corresponding SMD and/or the Commission Chair no later than ten (10) days prior to the meeting date and ask for time on the agenda and provide a summary of its report, in writing, to the Commission to be distributed via email and posted on the website. Presentation materials shall be submitted to the Commission no later than ten (10) days prior to the Commission meetings, so that they can be distributed to the public in advance. During the meeting, each local institution and community group may briefly summarize its written report and answer questions from the community. Commissioners should make an effort to submit their questions to local institutions and community groups before the meeting.

   6.2. Whenever an organization such as a civic, community, citizens association, or other group appears before our Commission, such organization may be asked by the Chair or any Commissioner to give some background on the nature and legal status of such organization. This can include, but is not limited to, the geographic scope of the organization, the size and makeup of its membership, the organization's decision-making process, the organizational structure and governance, how the organization arrived at the specific position it now wishes to present to the Commission, and such other information that may shed light on who the organization represents and the basis for its views. Nothing herein shall apply to any individual who chooses to speak on his/her own behalf during any meeting.

   6.3. The Chair, or their designee, shall draft the annual report required by District law and circulate the draft to all Commissioners at least two (2) weeks before the District law deadline of December 1 to allow for input and editing prior to submission of the final report. The report shall cover Commission activities from November 1 of the preceding year through October 31.

7. Public Records.

   7.1. To the extent possible, a recording of a meeting shall be posted on the Commission website no later than five (5) days after the meeting.

   7.2. Approved resolutions/actions for which exact wording was determined in the meeting shall be posted on the website no later than five (5) days after the meeting.

   7.3. All other final actions shall be posted on the website no later than five (5) days after they are transmitted to the receiving agency/organization.

   7.4. All contracts shall be summarized and posted on the website along with all financial information, provided that these postings do not disclose confidential personal information.

   7.5. All resolutions/actions or advice directed at DC officials or agencies shall be posted to the resolutions.anc.dc.gov site to track agency responses to ANC resolutions.

   7.6. All approved actions shall be labeled with an identification marker. The identification label shall consist of the ANC/Council period it was approved under and a number (ex: ANC5F-24-001). This will clarify which actions are being referred to as many have similar titles.

8. Committees.

   8.1. Committees (regular committees and task forces) consider matters on behalf of the Commission in order to make recommendations for action by the Commission.

   8.2. The following shall be standing committees of the Commission:

      8.2.1. Alcohol and Cannabis Licensing (ACL). The committee may advise the Commission on issues relating to the DC Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA), including tracking and soliciting community feedback regarding new licenses, license changes, and license renewals within ANC 5F; working with Commissioners to negotiate and maintain settlement agreements on behalf of the Commission with ABCA-licensed establishments within ANC 5F; assisting Commissioners and community members on ABRA-related issues; and as designated, representing ANC 5F in ABRA proceedings.

      8.2.2. Community Engagement (CE): The committee may obtain residential information from surveys, provide outreach on basic community resources both electronically and paper as well as distributing information to the appropriate commission or committee, the development and maintenance of any listservs for each commissioner, aligning interests for residents, recommendation of additions of people to committees, promoting committee and commission material for distribution before and after the commission meetings, delivering updates on new members, and creation and maintenance of flyers.

      8.2.3. Public Safety & Health (PSH). The committee may advise the Commission on issues relating to Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and other government agencies, including formulating strategies for community involvement to increase safety, and raising public safety and health issues.

      8.2.4. Transportation and Public Space (TAPS). The committee may advise the Commission on issues relating to public space permit applications, issues relating to the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), or other public transportation or public space related proposals, including hearing from public space permit applicants and making recommendations for support or disapproval of the permit application, developing transportation and public space related letters and resolutions for the Commission’s consideration.

      8.2.5. Zoning & Development (ZAD). The committee may advise the Commission on proposed projects that are requesting relief from zoning regulations through the Board of Zoning Adjustment or other entities, including making recommendations to the Commission to support or oppose requests for zoning relief, reviewing or negotiating every public benefits package submitted to the Commission, and tracking and notifying the Commission of all relevant hearing dates.

   8.3. Task forces may be established by the Commission by resolution.

   8.4. Committees shall each establish an email list consisting of committee members and all ANC 5F commissioners. Committees shall use the email list and the ANC 5F website to give notice of committee meetings and report on any recommended Commission action items in advance of the next regularly scheduled Commission meeting.

   8.5. Committee meetings are designed to allow for extended dialogue about proposed projects and issues. Commissioners and community members are encouraged to participate in these meetings. Commissioners and committee chairs are permitted to vote on committee business when attending committee meetings, and quorum shall be the lesser of three or one-third of committee members.

   8.6. At committee meetings, the chair shall outline, to the extent possible, the amount of time per agenda item, including times for community member feedback.

   8.7. Membership of any committee or task force shall be a maximum of 15 persons. Prospective committee members are recommended for membership by any Commissioner following submission of an application. Vacancies on Committees shall be publicized on the ANC 5F website. In selecting Committee members, the Commission shall take into consideration the diversity of representation and representation from both Eckington and Edgewood.

   8.8. A committee chair may designate a vice chair to assist their work and preside in their absence.

   8.9. Committee chairs or any Commissioner may recommend to the Commission the removal of any committee member. A committee member who has three (3) or more unexcused absences within a 12-month period shall automatically be removed, but may be reinstated by the Commission.

   8.10. Committee members shall not represent the Commission before any agency or forum unless authorized by Commission action to do so.

   8.11. Commissioners appointed by the Chair or the Commission or who serve as ANC representatives on relevant non-ANC committees, boards, collaboratives, task forces, or other similar organizations shall, in a timely fashion, report to the full Commission, in summary form, any developments, actions, or updates relating to such organizations so that the Commission may provide any guidance it sees fit to its representatives.

9. Grants.

   9.1. The Commission may award grants to organizations for public purposes pursuant to a majority vote of the Commission at a subsequent public meeting following a public presentation of the grant request by a member of the applying organization, and subject to the limitations set by DC and federal law. ANC 5F reserves the right to fund or not fund any legal grant application at its sole discretion, without explanation.

   9.2. Grants shall serve the best interests of the public of ANC 5F. Only organizations within the geographic boundaries of ANC 5F, or which directly serve those who reside or work in ANC 5F, may apply for a grant. The Commission may not award a grant except pursuant to a majority vote at a public meeting following a public presentation of the grant request.

   9.3. The Commission shall not make grants which are: for non-public purposes or where services are provided for personal gain; conditional on a grantee’s political position or support of positions taken by the Commission; to an agency or program funded by the District government; used to purchase food; to an individual; to fund or duplicate an existing government service; to compensate individuals for services usually performed by adult volunteers or organization officers; to support religious or partisan activities; or to pay salaries or support fundraising activities.

   9.4. No grant expenditure shall exceed the total amount allocated for grants in the annual budget, and no organization may apply for or receive more than $2,500 in ANC 5F funds in any twelve (12) month period, unless approved by a three-fourths (3/4) majority of Commissioners present.

   9.5. Grant application forms and guidelines shall be made available on the Commission website. Grant applications shall include a detailed description of the proposed project, a description of the public benefits to the constituents of ANC 5F, and a detailed budget.

   9.6. The grant application process shall be competitive, and the Commission may designate any or all Commissioners to make recommendations as to grant awards. A Commissioner sponsor will be designated for each grant awarded.

   9.7. Grant application schedule: starting with FY 2025, grant applications would be presented by the applicant at the following meetings: February, May, July, November. Grant applications would be voted on during the following meetings: March, June, September, December.

   9.8. Within sixty (60) days of the grant award or within thirty (30) days of the event/activity, whichever occurs later, the grantee shall provide the Commission with a statement as to the use of funds, including receipts totaling the grant amount or a refund of unspent funds. Grantees requesting an extension of time from the Commission to submit this statement shall request such extension in writing to the Commissioner sponsor.

   9.9. Failure to comply with reporting requirements shall result in the applicant being barred from receiving future grants from ANC 5F for one (1) calendar year. ANC 5F may also request the assistance of the DC Office of the Attorney General to recover the awarded funds. A Commissioner sponsor who fails to assist the Treasurer in obtaining grantee compliance shall be disallowed from sponsoring grants for up to one (1) year unless the Commission waives the disallowance by majority vote.

   9.10. Within a fiscal year, if grant funding for a given quarter is not fully allocated the funds will be rolled over to the next quarter’s grant cycle.

10. Conduct.

   10.1. Commissioners and committee members have a duty to make decisions in the public interest and the best interest of the District of Columbia as a whole.

   10.2. Commissioners and committee members shall act lawfully and honestly, exercising a reasonable degree of judgment. Commissioners and committee members are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and should consider issues on the merits, taking into account the views of others within the community and seeking out voices who do not have the power or accessibility to be present at every meeting through a diversity of outreach methods.

   10.3. Commissioners and committee members shall not conduct themselves in a manner that is likely to bring the Commission into disrepute, including: contravening the Commission’s administrative requirements and policies; acting improperly or unethically; abusing power or engaging in misconduct; acting in a discriminatory manner; or engaging in intimidation, harassment, or verbal abuse. In all communications, Commissioners shall treat their fellow Commissioners and members of the public with decorum and civility and refrain from disparaging language or personal remarks. Commissioners and committee members are expected to speak up if they witness injustice, discrimination, or exclusion of anyone else.

   10.4. The presiding officer of a Commission or committee meeting may warn a person engaging in disruptive behavior that prevents the meeting from continuing in an orderly manner to cease such disruption, and if the person continues to be disruptive, the presiding officer may have them removed from the meeting.

   10.5. Each Commissioner and committee member shall review, at least annually, anti-bias or related material provided by OANC, the DC Office of Human Rights, or other community-based organization.

   10.6. Commissioners shall be addressed by their official title and last name in official meetings and communications.

   10.7. Commissioners may provide comments on issues within their SMD, in ANC 5F, or generally to DC agencies in a personal capacity. However only Commissioners that have been designated by official action of the Commission may represent the official position of the Commission, which is given great weight. Commissioners shall otherwise state for the record that they are not representing the Commission so as to minimize the possibility of conflicting representational roles.

   10.8. Commissioners shall not willfully or knowingly disclose or use confidential or privileged information acquired by reason of their position unless authorized or required by law to do so; or divulge information in advance of the time prescribed for its authorized issuance or otherwise make use of or permit others to make use of information not available to the general public.

   10.9. The Office of OANC (oanc@dc.gov) is the primary point of contact for any concerns or complaints about Commissioners, questions or concerns regarding the operational procedures of the Commission, or related issues.

   10.10. All accounts (including but not limited to social media, websites, mailing lists, email, phone banks) that claim to represent the Commission shall be owned by the Commission and utilized only for Commission purposes. Commissioners may not access or post to these resources without prior delegated authority from the Chair or the Commission. The Secretary may grant access to those engaged in official Commission business on an as-needed basis. Access to these resources (passwords, logins, PINs, etc.) shall be relinquished upon request of the Chair or Secretary. Commissioners should strive to make clear on non-Commission accounts that the views expressed are their own and not the Commission’s. Statements, postings, etc. by the Commission shall be accurate, informative, and respectful, and never disparaging, harassing, or unlawful.

   10.11. The ANC 5F Office email (5F@anc.dc.gov) shall be arranged to automatically forward all emails received to all ANC 5F commissioners. Each commissioner shall forward to all ANC 5F commissioners any emailed formal notices of action or final responses to Commission actions received from the Alcoholic Beverage & Cannabis Administration, the District Department of Transportation, the Board of Zoning Adjustment, and the Zoning Commission if the email did not already go to all commissioners.

REVISION HISTORY: ANC 5F BYLAWS AND STANDARD PROCEDURES

January 17, 2023:
Adopted by the Commission (5F-25-001).

July 25, 2023:
Amendments adopted by the Commission (5F-25-052) to Standard Procedures 3 (Proposed Actions), 4 (Meeting Procedure), 7 (Public Records), 8 (Committees), and 10 (Conduct).

November 28, 2023:
Amendments adopted by the Commission (5F-25-068) to Standard Procedures 8 (Committees), splitting the Public Safety, Health, and Community Engagement Committee into separate Public Safety & Health Committee and Community Engagement Committee.

August 17, 2024:
Amendments adopted by the Commission (see minutes of that meeting) to Standard Procedures 9 (Grants) to revise grant criteria and procedures.

January 29, 2025:
Amendments adopted by the Commission (ANC 5F-26-002) to the Bylaws (deleting references to the ANC Security Fund, adding a method of meeting notice, clarifying committee appointments are two-year terms, and specifying check issuance procedures) and Standard Procedures 3 (Proposed Actions), 4 (Meeting Procedure), 5 (Public Comment), and 8 (Committees).