Transportation Improvement Committee Bylaws

Article I - Name

The name of this organization is the Transportation Improvement Committee (TIC) of the Central Connecticut Regional Planning Agency (CCRPA).

Article II - Purpose

The TIC shall have such rights, powers, and duties as are conferred upon it as a committee of the Central Connecticut Regional Planning Agency by the Governing Board of the Agency. The purpose of this committee is to review and resolve transportation issues in the Region, to recommend annual funding priorities for particular transportation projects within the Region and to make recommendations to the Agency Board on all Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) actions.

Article III - Membership

Each member municipality shall appoint two members to the TIC. These two members may come from municipal staff or the Agency Board. Municipalities may not appoint two employees from the same municipal department. These members serve until their municipality appoints someone in their place or until they no longer hold employment with the municipality or a seat on Board.

The following agencies shall be invited to make appointments of non-voting members to the TIC:

Federal Highway Administration
Federal Transit Administration
Connecticut Department of Transportation

Article IV - Meetings

REGULAR - Unless otherwise specified, the TIC shall meet at 9:00 am on final Thursday of the months of January, March, May, July, September and November at CCRPA’s office.
SPECIAL - Special meetings may be called by the Chair, or by petition of 20 percent of the membership.
CALL OF MEETINGS - Each member shall be sent notice of meetings as well as minutes of the previous meeting. The MPO mailing list shall also be notified.
QUORUM - For the conduct of business, one or more Members, or their Alternates, representing a majority of votes or at least four Agency member municipalities must be present. If a quorum is not present, those present may set a time, place and date for a re-scheduled meeting. Notice of such meeting shall be sent to each member who was not present and the MPO mailing list.
VOTING AND PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY - Each duly appointed voting member or alternate shall have one vote. Action shall be by simple majority of those present and voting. All meetings shall be conducted in accordance with these bylaws where they apply and otherwise according to Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised.
MINUTES - Minutes of all meetings shall be maintained by CCRPA staff and distributed to all members, voting and non-voting, prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting. Staff shall maintain the official records and permanent files of the Committee.

Article V - Officers

The Chair shall preside at meetings and have the right to vote on all matters. The Chair shall be a member of all standing and special committees, ex officio without vote, except in the case of a tie or when required for a quorum. The Chair shall be appointed by the CCRPA Board Chair.

Article VI - Subcommittees

The Chair may appoint subcommittees from time to time as may seem necessary with such powers and duties as the Chair may determine. Subcommittees shall include such members and officers as are appointed by the Chair.

Article VII - Adoption/Amendment

These Bylaws are adopted and may be subsequently amended by the CCRPA Agency Board. These Bylaws shall become effective immediately upon their adoption or amendment by the CCRPA Agency Board. Amendment may be made to these Bylaws at any legally called CCRPA Board meeting at which a quorum is present, provided such action was part of the distributed agenda. A two-thirds vote is required to amend these Bylaws.

Article VIII - Ethics

No TIC member shall engage in or participate in any business or transaction, including outside employment with a private business, or have an interest, direct or indirect, which is incompatible with the proper discharge of the individual’s official responsibilities in the public interest or which would tend to hamper her/his independent judgment or action in the performance of the individual’s official responsibilities. No TIC member shall solicit or accept any gift from any person or entity that is interested in any pending matter within such individual’s official responsibility.

Members shall refrain from voting upon, or otherwise participating in discussion of matters before the TIC that involve a business or individual with which they or a member of their immediate family a financial or personal interest in the transaction or contract, including but not limited to the sale of real estate, material, supplies, or services to the TIC or CCRPA. In the event of such an apparent conflict of interest, s/he shall verbally describe the nature and extent of such interest to the TIC. However, a public employee or public official may vote or otherwise participate in a matter if it involves a determination of general policy and the same interest is shared with a substantial segment of the population of the area.

Article IX Cost Containment Policy

In cases where project estimates exceed 20% in the term before the project is obligated, the Chair shall appoint 3 members of the Committee to serve as a review panel to hear explanations of project increases. If such explanations warrant, the panel, upon hearing the explanation, will recommend whether the program, or the municipality, absorbs the increase. The panel will also work to see if altering the project scope can lessen, or eliminate, the increase. The panel then shall report its recommendation to the Committee for action. The panel shall convene on a case‑by‑case basis. The Chair shall refrain from appointing panel members from the subject municipality to avoid conflicts of interest. A formal review approach provides the Committee with other options for equitable solutions to extreme increases in project cost."

Approved by the CCRPA Board 02/03/05; amended 11/04/10