Article
One, Name
Article Two, Purpose
Article Three, Membership
Article Four, Meetings of Members
Article Five, Officers
Article Six, Committees
Article Seven, Finance
Article Eight, Amendments
The Texas Water Monitoring Council (TWMC) was established in 1997 in response to needs identified and supported by a consensus of the water monitoring community at the 1996 Texas Water Monitoring Congress. TWMC seeks to raise public awareness of the value and use of water monitoring data and to provide a forum for effective communication, cooperation, and collaboration among individuals and organizations involved in water monitoring in Texas. TWMC intends to work closely with local, state, and national organizations to help achieve effective and efficient collection, interpretation, and dissemination of basic data and processed information for use in addressing issues, policies, and management of Texas waters.
Article
One
Name
The name of this organization shall be Texas Water Monitoring Council hereinafter referred to in these bylaws as TWMC.
Article
Two
Purpose
TWMC will serve as a broad-based collaborative body to help achieve effective and efficient collection, interpretation, and dissemination of basic data and processed information for use in addressing issues, policies, and management of Texas waters. TWMC shall operate through consensus building among its members. The Council shall address the full range of water resources, physical, chemical, and biological, including ground and surface waters, in freshwater and estuarine environments.
Article
Three
Membership
3.1. Charter Members. Charter membership of the TWMC is made up of those organizations signatory to the TWMC Charter.
General Membership on TWMC will be open to individuals from agencies, organizations and groups with responsibility for, or participation in, water monitoring activities.
Article
Four
Meetings of Members
4.1. Texas Water Monitoring Congress. The TWMC shall convene a Congress biennially to address the issues of interest to the at-large water monitoring community in Texas and the agenda matters of the TWMC. Recommendations issued by the Congress shall serve as matters of attention for the Council's agenda for the period between Congresses.
4.2. Council Meetings. Quarterly meetings of TWMC shall be held at such time and place as shall be determined by the Council. The purpose of the meetings is to address the Council's agenda and matters of business and to review progress by the working groups (committees).
4.3. Special Meetings. Special meetings of TWMC may be called by any Council officer.
4.4. Quorum and Voting. A majority of the members of the Council
shall constitute a quorum.
4.5. Action Without a Meeting. Any action required or permitted may be taken without a meeting if consent is obtained in writing from a majority of members of the Council or by electronic communications, setting forth the action taken.
Article
Five
Officers
5.1.
Titles. The officers of TWMC shall be a Chair and an Executive
Secretary/Administrative Co-chair, and any other officers as may from
time to time be prescribed by the Council.
5.2.
Election and Term. All officers of the TWMC, with the exception of the
Executive Secretary/Administrative Co-chair, shall be elected by a majority
vote of the members of the Council at its last quarterly meeting of the
subsequent year, subject to removal or resignation prior thereto. Officers,
with the exception of the Executive Secretary/Administrative Co-chair,
shall serve no more than two consecutive terms.
5.3.
Resignation, Removal, and Vacancy. Any officer may resign from office
at
any time by giving written notice to the Executive Secretary/Administrative
Co-chair of the Council. Any officer may be removed, for good cause shown,
by a majority vote of the full Council. Any vacancy occurring in an office
by reason of resignation, removal, or the creation of a new office may
be filled for the unexpired term thereof by a majority vote of the full
Council.
5.4.
Chair. The Chair shall serve as chairperson of the Council and shall
preside at all meetings thereof. The Chair may enter into all contracts
and agreements in the name of the TWMC, subject to such limitations as
the Council by resolution may prescribe.
5.5.
Executive Secretary/Administrative Co-chair. The Texas Water Development
Board shall provide staff to serve the TWMC in the role of Executive Secretary/Administrative
Co-chair. The Executive Secretary/Administrative Co-chair shall be a voting
member of the Council (in addition to the TWDB’s formal representative),
shall preside at Council meetings in the absence of the Chair, and shall
keep accurate records of all meetings of the Council and perform other
duties incident to the office of Secretary.
Article
Six
Committees
6.1. Committees. The Council shall have the power to establish and dissolve standing and ad hoc committees. Committee chairs shall be appointed by the Council. Terms of service are not time limited. Committee Chairs shall have the authority to establish ad hoc groups as necessary to fulfill their charge.
6.2. Standing Committees. TWMC has the following standing committees:
a) Planning Committee. This group will advise the Council on designing and implementing processes to facilitate communication and collaboration of the monitoring community in Texas. Specifically, this group shall be responsible for coordinating preparations for the biennial water monitoring conference ( or Congress).
b) Surface Water Committee. This group will promote and coordinate the collection of comparable surface water related data.
c) Ground Water Committee. This group will promote and coordinate the collection of comparable ground water related data.
d) Data Management Committee. This group will explore all existing data management procedures employed in Texas and develop recommended protocols for data management and quality assurance.
Article
Seven
Finance
7.1. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of TWMC shall be as determined by the Council by appropriate resolution and may be changed from time to time by the Council, subject to the provisions of applicable federal and state laws.
7.2. Checks. All checks, drafts, or orders for the payment of money shall be signed by such members as the Council shall from time to time designate.
Article
Eight
Amendments
These bylaws may be amended, repealed, or modified by a majority vote of the Council. Notice of the proposed amendment, repeal, or modification shall be included in the notice of the meeting at which the proposal is to be considered.
In Witness Whereof, the undersigned Chairperson of the Texas Water Monitoring
Council hereby certifies that the above is a true and correct copy of
the bylaws of TWMC duly approved by its Council Members on January 6,
1998.