Bylaws
Approved by the Board of Trustees on September 27th, 2018
Article I
Name
Section 1 The official name of this organization shall be Fallsburg Library Incorporated, hereinafter referred to as ‘Fallsburg Library’ or ‘the Library,’ existing by virtue of the provisions from a charter issued by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York on December 15, 2000, made absolute on May 18, 2004, and amended on May 17, 2010.
Article II
Purpose
Section 1 The purpose of the Fallsburg Library shall be to provide library services to the residents of the Fallsburg Central School District.
Article III
Board of Trustees
Section 1 The business and affairs of the Fallsburg Library shall be managed and conducted by a Board of Trustees, hereinafter referred to as ‘the Board,’ consisting of seven (7) members, each elected by the qualified voters of the Fallsburg Central School District.
Section 2 A Trustee must be a qualified voter of the Fallsburg Central School District.
Section 3 The term of members of the Board shall be five (5) years, the year beginning July 1 and ending June 30, unless the Trustee shall have resigned or otherwise terminated membership on the Board.
Section 4 Vacancies that occur for reasons other than expiration of term shall be filled until the next annual election through appointment by the Board, at which time the appointee may run for election for the remainder of the term.
Section 5 Petitions nominating candidates for the office of trustee of the Fallsburg Library, signed by at least twenty-five (25) qualified voters of the Fallsburg Central School District, shall be filed with the Clerk of the Fallsburg Central School District.
Section 6 All new Trustees must be sworn in at the Town of Fallsburg Clerk’s Office within thirty (30) days of the start of their term. Failure to do so shall be deemed a refusal to serve and the seat may be filled as in case of vacancy.
Section 7 The Board shall be empowered to act on behalf of the Fallsburg Library to establish policies and procedures that govern the operation of the Library and regulate any matter not fully covered by its bylaws and policies. The Board shall direct the transaction of its business so as to be consistent with current or established policies of the Library, Ramapo Catskill Library System, school district ordinances, and the laws and regulations of the State of New York and the United States of America. The Board shall hear and determine all protests or disputes arising from opposition or misconception of the terms or conditions of its bylaws or policies.
Section 8 Any Trustee who shall fail to attend three (3) consecutive meetings, or 50% of the regular meetings, without excuse accepted as satisfactory by the Board President and/or without prior notification of intended absence, during the Library’s fiscal year shall be deemed to have resigned, creating a vacancy. Any trustee who is more than fifteen (15) minutes late to a regular meeting – without prior approval – will be marked as absent. The Board Secretary, or other officer of the Board, shall notify the vacated Trustee, in writing, of their assumed vacancy. The Board shall then appoint a Trustee to fill the vacancy as stated in Article III, Section 4 of these bylaws.
Section 9 A Trustee’s change of residence out of the Fallsburg Central School District shall automatically create a vacancy on the Board.
Article IV
Officers
Section 1 The Officers of the Board shall be President, Vice President, Board Secretary, and Finance Officer.
Section 2 All officers shall be elected by a majority vote from among its members, at the reorganization meeting of the Board, to be held each year within the first 15 days of July.
Section 3 The term of office for all Officers shall be for one (1) year and shall be limited to two (2) successive terms for each office held. Any trustee accepting a nomination for more than two (2) consecutive terms in the same office must receive ¾ of the votes of the members present at a regular or special meeting held for the purpose of elections.
Section 4 An officer vacancy shall be filled at a regular meeting by a majority vote of the Board.
Article V
Duties of Officers
Section 1 The President shall preside at all meetings of the Board, carry out all its decisions, appoint all committees and chairpersons, be an ex-officio member of all committees, call special meetings as required, execute all documents authorized by the Board and generally perform all duties associated with that Office.
Section 2 The Vice President shall assist the President, assume the responsibilities and perform the duties of the President in the event of absence or disability of the President or vacancy of that Office, and be a voting member of the Board except when acting as the President.
Section 3 The Board Secretary shall keep a true and accurate record of all meetings of the Board, including attendance, shall issue notice of all regular and special meetings, perform such duties as are generally associated with the Office, and be a voting member of the Board.
Section 4 The Finance Officer shall look over monthly bank statements, manage investments, and perform such duties as are generally associated with the Office, and be a voting member of the Board.
Section 5 An independent treasurer will be appointed by the Board. The treasurer is not a voting member of the Board.
Section 6 An independent recording secretary may be appointed by the Board for the purpose of keeping a true and accurate record of all meetings. The recording secretary is not a voting member of the Board.
Article VI
Financial Management
Section 1 The fiscal year of the Fallsburg Library, shall be from July 1 to June 30.
Article VII
Meetings
Section 1 The regular meeting of the Board shall be held each month, at dates and times to be established by the Board at the reorganization meeting of the Board and shall be open to the public and publicized to that fact.
Section 2 The annual reorganization meeting of the Board shall be held in July.
Section 3 Remote participation of current Board members is authorized for Board meetings as long as each of the following conditions are met: (1) public notice of all participating locations is given prior to the meeting AND (2) all participants at each location are able to be seen and heard throughout the meeting.
Section 4 A special meeting may be called by the President or by written request of three (3) or more Trustees. The written request shall be given to the Director or Principal Library Clerk. The library staff shall then make all legitimate effort to contact all Trustees who must be given at least seven (7) days notice prior to the meeting date. Staff must speak directly to the Trustee to consider that notice has been given.
Section 4a An emergency meeting can be called immediately by 3 (three) or more members of the Executive Committee.
Section 5 Regular meetings shall include, but not be limited to, the following items, in an order to be determined by the Board President and publicized ahead of the meeting in the agenda: pledge, public comment, minutes of prior meeting(s), financial report, warrants, correspondence, director report, old business, new business, committee reports, adjournment.
Section 5a Public comment, while welcomed at all regular meetings of the Board, shall be limited to a time of five (5) minutes per speaker. Speakers will be limited to one (1) comment period per regular meeting and will only be allowed to comment during the designated period as determined in the meeting agenda.
Section 5b Executive sessions may be called at a regular meeting to discuss specific personnel issues, proposed, pending, or current litigation, and/or real estate matters in which publicity would substantially affect the value and/or outcome of the sale, purchase, or lease. Executive sessions are closed to the public and can only be entered upon a motion stating the general nature of the executive session and being carried by a majority vote. Final action or votes on matters addressed in executive session must be done in the public portion of the meeting, unless doing so would violate the purpose of the executive session.
Section 6 A majority of the designated number of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any regular or special meeting.
Section 7 Roberts Rules of Order, latest revised edition, shall govern proceedings of the Board.
Article VIII
Committees
Section 1 The President of the Board shall appoint all committee members.
Section 2 The following will be standing committees: personnel, building and grounds, budget and finance. These committees shall have all the usual powers associated with such committees.
Section 3 Ad hoc committees may be appointed by the President with the approval of the Board. Non-Board members may be appointed to such committees to bring special capabilities for the resolution of problems confronting the committee.
Section 4 All committee actions are subject to approval by a majority of the Board.
Article IX
Library Director
Section 1 The Board shall appoint a qualified Library Director who shall be the executive and administrative officer of the Library.
Section 2 It shall be the duty of the Director to attend all meetings of the Board of Trustees, including budget meetings and/or public meetings, where action may be taken affecting the interests of the Library. The Director shall have the right to speak on all matters under discussion at Board meetings, but shall not have the right to vote thereon.
Section 3 The duties of the Director shall include, but not be limited to, supervising all other employees, consulting with the Board President on recommending needed policies for Board action, carrying out the policies of the Library as adopted by the Board, reporting monthly to the Board, preparing an annual budget for the Library in consultation with the Board, selecting and acquiring all Library materials in accordance with the selection policy adopted by the Board, caring for and maintaining Library properties, attending professional meetings and workshops, preparing such regular reports, papers and statistics as may periodically be required by the laws and regulations of the State of New York. The Director shall consult with the Personnel Committee on hiring and discharging personnel.
Article X
Amendments
Section 1 The bylaws may be repealed, amended, or added to by a majority vote of the whole Board at a regular meeting. Such action may be taken, however, only after the substance of the proposed repeal, amendment, or addition has been presented in writing at a prior regular or special meeting, and notice thereof has been given in the notice of the meeting at which it is to be considered.
