Current By-Laws (amended February 10, 2011)
Index
- Name
- Purpose
- Objectives
- Membership
- Structure
- Duties and Responsibilities
- Voting and Elections
- Meetings
- Amendments
The name of the organization shall be the Missouri Geographic Information Systems Advisory Council (MGISAC).
In accordance with the Governors Initiative commenced in April 1995, the purpose of the MGISAC is to:
2.1 Provide expert advice to the Chief Information Officer (CIO), Director of GIS, and Geographic Information Officer (GIO) as well as the broader GIS community on GIS related issues;
2.2 Foster cooperation among state, local, and federal agencies, educational institutions, private industry, and others in the field of Geographic Information Systems (GIS);
2.3 Provide an arena for discussions of relevant GIS issues and facilitate resolution of GIS issues impacting the state;
2.4 Provide programmatic guidance to the Missouri Spatial Data Information Service (MSDIS) in fulfilling the objectives of the Missouri GIS Advisory Councils Strategic Plan;
2.5 Provide GIS standards for the state;
2.6 Coordinate and facilitate statewide training as needed; and
2.7 Work with other states, both regionally and nationally, on standards and other GIS issues.
3. Objectives
The objectives of the MGISAC are to:
3.1 Meet with the CIO and/or the Office of Geospatial Information (OGI) as needed to facilitate communication and cooperation between the MGISAC and the Missouri Office of AdministrationInformation Technology Services Division (ITSD);
3.2 Develop communications plan for dissemination of information to the various organizations;
3.3 Conduct monthly meetings to discuss relevant statewide issues and provide a forum to identify, discuss and resolve GIS issues impacting the state;
3.4 Review MSDIS operational status reports twice a year and MSDIS financial reports annually, and provide feedback on direction and any issues noted;
3.5 Develop or adopt GIS standards and procedures and maintain and promote them;
3.6 Identify, develop and facilitate training that is needed statewide; and
3.7 Optionally plan and conduct the Missouri GIS Conference biennially; and assist in planning and conducting the MAGIC Conference biennially. Send at least one representative to regional and national GIS conferences; as needed.
4. Membership
4.1 Member Composition
Membership on the MGISAC shall be classified in one of three ways: “ex-officio” members, “state” members or “cooperating” members.
4.1.1 “Ex-officio” Members
There will be three (3) ex-officio members on the MGISAC. The Geographic Information Officer (GIO), the Director of GIS from the Missouri Office of AdministrationInformation Technology Services Division (ITSD), and a representative from the Missouri Spatial Data Information Service (MSDIS). Ex-officio members shall not have voting privileges and shall not hold an office on the Council.
4.1.2 “State” Members
Organizations from within any of the three branches of state government or statewide elected officials that provide oversight and management of an operational GIS environment in the State of Missouri are eligible for MGISAC membership as a “State” member. “State” members will have voting privileges.
4.1.3 “Cooperating” Members
“Cooperating” members shall be selected from the following organizations that provide oversight and management of an operational GIS environment in the State of Missouri:
federal government agencies;
local government agencies;
universities, colleges, or other academic institutions;
public and private utility organizations;
private sector firms and businesses; and
not-for-profit organizations, cooperative government agencies, and quasi-government agencies.
“Cooperating” members will have voting privileges. Each organization shall have only one voting member on MGISAC. Organizations may be represented by affiliated individuals (for example, an ITSD employee representing a different state agency) but that member must represent the views of the sponsoring organization.
“Agency” means any administrative body existing under the constitution or by law and authorized by law or the constitution to make rules or to adjudicate contested cases. Local governments shall be defined as county, city, town or village governing bodies.
4.2 Members
All members of the MGISAC shall be appointed by the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Missouri Office of AdministrationInformation Technology Services Division (ITSD). Except for “ex-officio” members, all “State” and “Cooperating” members shall be appointed from candidates nominated through the MGISAC or the CIO. Existing members in good standing may be re-nominated during the month of April. All nominations shall be made to the Membership Subcommittee Chair which shall present the nomination to MGISAC for a recommendation for membership. The CIO will evaluate the nominations and make appointments no later than two months after receiving the nominations.
4.3 Term
Appointed members of the MGISAC shall serve a term of no more than two years. Members may serve consecutive terms. The term shall be July 1 to June 30. Vacancies occurring before the expiration of the term shall be filled by appointment from a list of nominees submitted by the MGISAC to the CIO. These members shall serve the remaining portion of the retiring members term.
5. Structure
5.1 Advisory Council
The full membership of the Missouri GIS Advisory Council will meet and act to provide leadership and direction for the state in the development, management, and use of geographic information.
5.2 Officers
Nominations for MGISAC officers shall be solicited and initiated during the regularly scheduled July meeting and can be submitted through the end of that month. Nominees shall be given an opportunity to provide the Council with a platform statement before the officer elections are held. Officers shall serve one-year terms beginning at the conclusion of the meeting at which they are elected.
5.2.1 The Chair shall be elected from full membership by a majority vote. If the Chair steps down or for some other reason cannot perform the duties of the Chair, then the Vice-chair will assume the duties of Chair and a new Vice-chair shall be elected from full membership by a majority vote to serve the remainder of that officer’s term.
5.2.2 The Vice-chair shall be elected from full membership by a majority vote. The Vice-chair normally assumes the duties of the Chair in the absence of the Chair. If the Vice-chair cannot fulfill the duties of a vacated Chair, then a Chair shall be elected to fill the vacancy in the same manner as other officers. If the Vice-chair steps down during his or her term, then a Vice-chair shall be elected to serve the remainder of the term.
5.2.3 The Secretary shall be elected from the full membership of the MGISAC by a majority vote. If the Secretary steps down during his or her term, then a Secretary shall be elected to serve the remainder of the term.
5.2.4 The Treasurer shall be elected from the full membership of the MGISAC by a majority vote. If the Treasurer steps down during his or her term, then a Treasurer shall be elected to serve the remainder of the term.
5.3 Subcommittees
Subcommittees are established to facilitate MGISAC business and exist at the discretion of the Chair. The Chair designates the structure and leadership of subcommittees in consultation with the other officers.
6. Duties and Responsibilities
6.1 Members
Members of MGISAC are expected to attend and participate in the MGISAC meetings as Council members or Council officers. If a member is unable to attend a particular meeting, a Council officer should be notified of the absence before the meeting and the member may designate a proxy to attend in their place. The Membership Subcommittee shall inform members when their attendance is not in good standing after two unexcused absences. A member is considered unexcused if they have not notified a Council officer either by phone, email, or mail, or have not sent a proxy to the meeting. If a member neither attends nor designates a proxy for three consecutive regularly scheduled meetings, the Chair, with the consent of the Vice-chair, may remove the member from the Council and request appointment of another representative from the member’s organization.
6.2 Chair
The Chair is responsible for leadership and coordination of all MGISAC activities. In addition, the Chair is responsible for meeting schedules, agendas, signing all correspondence, and presiding at meetings.
6.3 Vice-chair
The Vice-chair is responsible for assisting the Chair and assuming the duties of the Chair temporarily when the Chair is unavailable for any reason.
6.4 Secretary
The Secretary is responsible for recording the minutes of the meetings and making them available for posting on the MGISAC web site. The Secretary shall transmit officer election results to the CIO.
6.5 Treasurer
The Treasurer shall:
6.5.1 Provide guidance and reports of balances held at the Missouri Spatial Data Information Service (MSDIS) – University of Missouri
6.5.2 Coordinate with the fiscal officer at the Missouri Spatial Data Information Service (MSDIS) to complete deposits and withdrawals as directed by the vote of the Council.
6.6 Subcommittee Chairs
A Subcommittee Chair is responsible for the leadership of a specified subcommittee. A Subcommittee Chair is responsible for conducting meetings and any activities necessary for the successful completion of the subcommittees tasks.
7. Voting and Elections
7.1 Voting
Each state and cooperating member is allowed one vote. Votes shall only be cast during meetings where more than 50% of all voting members or their designated proxies are present.
7.2 Elections
Officer elections are to be conducted during the regularly scheduled August meeting. Written ballots are to be distributed to voting members or their proxies, and are to be collected and counted by at least two members of the nomination subcommittee. Members who are unable to attend or to send a proxy to the meeting during which elections are held may request and submit ballots prior to the start of the meeting. Election winners will be announced once the votes are tallied. The number of votes cast for each candidate will be made available to members by the Secretary upon request after the conclusion of the meeting during which elections are conducted.
8. Meetings
MGISAC meetings are normally held on a monthly basis at the discretion of the MGISAC Chair in consultation with the membership. Meeting notices are posted on the MGISAC website: www.mgisac.org.
9. Amendments
Amendments to these bylaws shall be offered by submission in writing to all MGISAC members at least ten (10) days before the next scheduled meeting. The proposed amendment shall be taken up for consideration at the next scheduled meeting of the Council where more than 50% of all voting members or their designated proxies are present. The amendment shall be adopted when it has been approved by at least a 75% majority of those casting votes at the meeting of the MGISAC where the amendment is considered.