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7.2 St. Croix Partnership team BylawsAmended031704 1 BYLAWS Lower St. Croix Partnership Team (Adopted April 16, 2003) (Amended March 17, 2004) A. Duties. The Lower St. Croix Partnership Team (Partnership Team) exists to advise the Lower St. Croix Management Commission (Commission). Its advisory communications shall be directed to the Commission and/or its member agencies. It has the following specific duties: 1. Advise the Commission on the development and revision of state land use rules 2. Advise the Commission on the development and revision of s tate water surface use rules 3. Conduct bimonthly post-decision review of local land use actions for consistency with the intent of the Cooperative Management Plan, the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, the Wisconsin Lower St. Croix Preservation Act and the Minnesota Lower St. Croix Wild and Scenic River Act, and periodically report to the Commission 4. Elect two nonvoting members to the Commission and two nonvoting members to the Commission's Technical Committee (Technical Committee). B. Officers. The Partnership Team shall elect the following officers, each of whom shall serve until the first meeting in each new calendar year (except that the initial officers shall serve until 2005), when an election of officers shall be the first item of business. The annual election of officers shall be conducted by staff assigned by the Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources. It is desirable that, together, the officers represent both states and the river reaches above and below Stillwater. All Members shall be entitled to vote for each office, irrespective of their state of residence. 1. Chair and First Commission Representative. The Chair shall preside at all Partnership Team meetings unless he/she is unable to attend. The Chair shall consult with the Vice Chair and the assigned staffs of the Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources concerning preparation of meeting agendas. The Chair must not be a resident of the same state as the Vice Chair. The Chair shall serve as the Partnership Team's first nonvoting Member on the Commission. She/he shall convey to the Commission communications from the Partnership Team relevant to its duties. 2. Vice Chair and Second Commission Representative. The Vice Chair shall perform the duties of the Chair when the Chair is absent. The Vice Chair shall assist the Chair in the 2 preparation of meeting agendas, in consultation with the assigned staffs of the Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources. The Vice Chair must not be a resident of the same state as the Chair. The Vice Chair shall serve as the Partnership Team's second nonvoting Member on the Commission. 3. Technical Committee Representatives. There shall be two Technical Committee Representatives who shall serve as the Partnership Team's nonvoting Members of the Technical Committee. They shall convey to the Technical Committee communications from the Partnership Team relevant to its duties. Each shall be from a different state. C. Membership. 1. Membership in the Partnership Team shall be by invitation of the Commission. Each Member may designate an official representative and an alternate representative. Each Member shall be entitled to one vote. 2. Representatives and alternates who represent a Member local government unit (LGU) with land use authority should keep informed about Riverway decision -making by their LGU. 3. All representatives and alternates should attend Partnership Team meetings, evaluate LGU decisions, observe trends, vote appropriately, advocate the official view of, and report to, their Member LGU or other organization. 4. The Partnership Team may recommend to the Management Commission that an additional non-governmental organization be invited to join if: (a) A majority of the four officers, or by petition of 51 percent of the Partnership Team members, recommend such action after evaluating the following: (1) that organization’s views on the Vision Statement found in the Riverway’s Cooperative Management Plan (2002); (2) the organization’s expertise, connection to the Riverway and organizational stability; (3) the preservation of the balance of interests on the Partnership Team, including a recognition of the special status of local governments; (4) and other pertinent facts. (b) Indicators of organizational stability may include: history, meeting minutes, dues, website, newsletter, purpose in addition to Partnership Team participation, bylaws, finances, paid staff, office. 3 (c) Two-thirds of the representatives in attendance so vote at a meeting with a quorum present, following 30 days prior notice of the proposal to Partnership Team members. (d) The Partnership Team may recommend to the Management Commission that a non-governmental organization member be removed if its representative or alternate misses six consecutive Partnership Team meetings. D. Meetings. 1. For elections, for adoption of advisory communications to the Commission and for other business, a quorum shall be sixty percent of the average number of Member s represented at the previous three meetings (except that for the first three meetings those present shall be a quorum). 2. Meetings of the Partnership Team shall be held at the call of the Chair or, in his/her absence, the Vice Chair. Meetings shall generally be held every other month, if duties warrant, and shall generally be held in the evening. Practical notice of meetings (a minimum of two-week’s notice) shall be given to Members, representatives, alternate representatives and the public at least two weeks in advance. All Partnership Team meetings will be open to the public and conducted according to Robert's Rules of Order. 3. Meeting agendas, minutes, background materials and the information needed for post - decision reviews will be prepared and distributed by staff assigned by the Minnesota and Wisconsin DNRs. E. Land Use Review Committee. 1. Local land use decisions being reviewed by the Partnership Team shall first be analyzed and summarized by the Land Use Review Committee (LURC). The LURC shall be made up of eight individuals: the chair and vice chair, the two Technical Committee representatives, and four additional individuals appointed by the chair from time to time from a pool of volunteers among member organizations’ representative s and alternates. It is desirable that, together with the officers, the make-up of LURC represent both states and the river reaches north and south of Stillwater. The chair, at her/his discretion, shall select representatives whose qualifications include familiarity with land use issues and appreciation of the principles of consistency with the intent of the Cooperative Management Plan. 2. LURC shall conduct post-decision review of those matters requiring notification to DNR by local governments. LURC shall review application materials submitted by the local government to the DNR, the DNR’s comment letter (if any), documentation of the local government decision, and subsequent DNR action, if any. 3. LURC shall then prepare a summary of the outcome of each local land use matter for presentation to the Partnership Team. That summary should include an opinion by LURC 4 as to whether the actions were consistent with the intent of the Cooperative Management Plan and supporting laws. The chair may invite representatives of the local governments whose land use decisions are being reviewed to be present and comment on the matters at hand, but they shall not participate in preparing the summary and opinion. All meetings of the LURC shall be open to the public. F. Amendment. These Bylaws may be amended by a quorum with a 2/3 vote of those present, following 30 days prior notice to Members of the substance of the proposal.