1. MISSION

a. The Preston Youth Services Bureau and its Advisory Board strive to encourage positive healthy development in Preston youth and support their families by providing resources and programming that meets the needs of the community.

2. MEMBERSHIP

a. In accordance with Connecticut General Statutes § 10-19m and the regulations adopted thereunder, including the minimum standards and criteria to qualify for state cost sharing grants as defined by Connecticut Department of Children and Families, the Preston Youth Services Advisory Board shall have no less than seven members.

i. Preston Youth Services Advisory Board will strive (but will not be required) to be a nine member board.
ii. All members of the Preston Youth Services Advisory Board shall be appointed by the Preston Board of Selectmen. The Preston Youth Services Advisory Board may recommend individuals for such appointments.
iii. The Preston Youth Services Advisory Board’s membership shall be comprised of representatives from the community, public agencies with statutory responsibility for youth, and private sector organizations representing community social institutions.
iv. These representatives shall include:

1. at least one member who is under 21 years of age at the time of appointment,
2. one member who is a representative of the Preston Public School System,
3. one member who is a representative of the police services utilized in Preston,
4. and one member who is a representative of a private youth serving agency that serves Preston youth.
5. At least one-third of the total membership (rounded up) shall be individuals who are interested in youth services and who receive less than fifty percent of their income by delivering services to youth.
6. Additionally, the Connecticut Department of Children and Families may waive the requirement of the composition of the Preston Youth Services Advisory Board when one or more of the agencies mentioned in Section 2.a.iv of this document do not exist.

b. All Preston Youth Service Advisory Board members shall serve a three-year term.

i. However, if an appointed member is filling a vacancy created during an ongoing term, the role will be filled to the completion of the term for the designated vacancy.
ii. Terms will be staggered so that only three members’ terms expire annually.

c. In support of Preston Youth Services Advisory Board’s mission and its Preston youth, members will make every effort to attend regularly scheduled meetings and special meetings.

i. Members who miss more than half of the regularly scheduled meetings (for reasons other than lack of quorum) during the traditional calendar year (January - December) may be asked to resign their position by the Preston Youth Services Advisory Board or Preston Board of Selectmen. Extenuating circumstances will be compassionately and fairly considered in this decision.

d. All Preston Youth Services Advisory Board members are volunteers and shall serve without compensation.

e. Preston Public Schools may appoint up to three individuals and the Preston Board of Selectmen may appoint one individual to serve as liaisons to the Preston Youth Services Advisory Board; all such appointments are subject to the approval of the Preston Youth Services Advisory Board. Such liaisons shall serve in an advisory capacity only and shall not have voting power or otherwise be considered members of the Preston Youth Services Advisory Board.

3. OFFICERS OF THE BOARD

a. The Preston Youth Services Advisory Board shall elect from its members, at its last scheduled meeting of the traditional calendar year (January - December):

i. a chairperson,
ii. a vice-chairperson,
iii. and secretary.

b. Elected officers shall assume their roles beginning January 1st following the elections.

c. Officers shall serve for a term of one year or until their successors are duly elected.

d. If an office becomes vacant during the year, the Preston Youth Services Advisory Board may elect a successor for the unexpired term.

4. DUTIES OF OFFICERS

a. Chair

i. It shall be the duty of the Chair to prepare the agenda with the Preston Youth Services Director. The Chair also shall preside over all meetings of the Preston Youth Services Advisory Board.
ii. The chairperson shall oversee the affairs of the Preston Youth Services Advisory Board under the guidance and direction of the Board.

b. Vice-Chair

i. When the office of the Chair is vacant, or in the absence or disability of the Chair, the Vice-Chair shall perform the duties of the Chair.
ii. When the Chair and the Vice-Chair are unable to act, a Chair Pro-Tem may be elected by the Preston Youth Services Advisory Board.

c. Secretary

i. The Secretary shall perform duties typical to the office, or as directed by the Preston Youth Services Advisory Board.

5. DUTIES OF THE PRESTON YOUTH SERVICES ADVISORY BOARD

a. The Preston Youth Services Advisory Board will follow the guidance outlined by Connecticut Department of Children and Families i n customizing and shaping its mission and programming goals for Preston’s youth.

b. The Preston Youth Services Advisory Board will assess the needs of the youth (defined as birth to age 18) in town through community surveys and other means to help shape its programming goals.

c. The Preston Youth Services Advisory Board will maintain a webpage that clearly communicates the mission and membership of the Board as well as upcoming programming and current resources.

d. The Preston Youth Services Advisory Board will seek opportunities to partner with local groups as well as other Youth Service Bureaus in Connecticut to enhance its programming and resources available to its Preston youth.

6. MEETINGS

a. Regular Meetings

i. The Preston Youth Services Advisory Board shall hold meetings on a monthly basis, or at least eight (8) times per year, according to the meeting schedule submitted to the Preston Town Clerk, as determined during a Preston Youth Services Advisory Board meeting held in November or December the previous calendar year for that purpose.
ii. Meetings shall be held for the purpose of receiving reports and transacting the business of Preston Youth Services Advisory Board as outlined in the meeting agenda.
iii. The Preston Youth Services Director will present a written budget update at each meeting.
iv. Items of business not posted on the agenda may be waived onto the agenda by a motion and a two-thirds majority vote of the members present at the regular meeting.
v. Public Comment will be allowed during regular meetings according to the wishes of the Preston Youth Services Advisory Board and the Chair.

b. Special Meetings

i. Special Meetings may be called by the Chair when the Preston Youth Services Advisory Board needs to meet prior to the next scheduled regular meeting to discuss or act upon business.
ii. Topics posted on the special meeting agenda are fixed. No additional business or topics may be made to the agenda once posted and less than 24 hours prior to the meeting.

c. Quorum

i. Quorum shall be defined as more than a majority of the Preston Youth Services Advisory Board members present at a scheduled meeting based on the number of positions currently filled/appointed on the Board (i.e. five members for an eight or nine person Board).
ii. If fewer than a majority of members are present at any time during the scheduled meeting, the presiding officer shall recess or adjourn the meeting until a time in which a quorum is present.
iii. In limited situations, the presiding officer may choose to proceed with the meeting when there is not a quorum, but no official actions, decisions, or motions can be made by the Preston Youth Services Board (i.e. a special guest has been scheduled to present).

7. AD-HOC COMMITTEES

a. The Preston Youth Services Advisory Board may, from time to time, authorize or instruct the Chair to appoint an ad-hoc committee as needed.

b. Upon completion of their assignments, any such ad-hoc committee shall be automatically dissolved.

c. Chairpersons and members of all ad-hoc committees shall be appointed by the Chair of the Preston Youth Services Advisory Board.

8. FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUESTS

a. All Freedom of Information requests shall be directed to the Chair in writing. The Chair will notify all Preston Youth Services Advisory Board members of the request. Then, the Chair will notify the sender (within four business days of receipt) in writing that the Preston Youth Services Advisory Board has received the request and will review i t at the next regularly scheduled Preston Youth Services Advisory Board meeting.

9. BY-LAWS & AMENDMENTS

a. In the event of any conflict between The Preston Youth Services Advisory Board’s By-Laws and the mandatory provisions of the applicable Connecticut General Statutes or regulations, such statutes or regulations shall take precedence. 

b. These By-Laws may be amended by two-thirds vote of those members of the Preston Youth Services Advisory Board present at any legal meeting of the Board called for that purpose, with the proposed amendment included in the call for the meeting, and the amendment provided to the members at least five days prior to such meeting.

10.RULES OF ORDER

a. Roberts Rules of Order Revised shall govern the Preston Youth Services Advisory Board meetings in all cases to which they are applicable, and not inconsistent with its By-Laws, the Town of Preston Ordinances, or the State of Connecticut General Statutes.

Downloadable PDF File of By Laws, Approved November 17, 2021