MEETINGS
Meetings: WTEP will meet at least quarterly at a location agreed to by the members.
Special Meetings: Special WTEP meetings may be called by the Chair or two steering committee members upon request.
Notice: written notice of each meeting shall be prepared and mailed or sent electronically to each member and posted on the gobusgo.org website, at least three (3) business days before the meeting date. A written agenda for each meeting shall be prepared and mailed or electronically transmitted and posted on the gobusgo.org website at least three (3) business days before the meeting date.
Open Meetings: All meetings of the Stakeholders Committee shall be open to the public.
Conduct: Except where these bylaws require otherwise, “Robert’s Rules of Order” shall WTEP’s business.
“Speakers from the audience will be given an opportunity to discuss each item in the order in which it appears on the agenda, after the committee has discuss the item, unless otherwise approved by the committee. In addition, the Committee retains the option to set reasonable limits on the number, frequency, and length of presentations.”
QUORUM
Quorum: No less than 7 (seven) of the voting members of WTEP shall constitute a quorum for conducting the Stakeholders Committee business.
VOTING
Voting: All actions and recommendations of the Stakeholders Committee to be approved by a simple majority of the voting members present.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Conflict of Interest: Any member of the committee who has a financial, personal, or interest in, or conflict (or appearance of a conflict) with any matter pending before the committee, of such nature that it prevents or may prevent that member from acting on the matter in an impartial manner, will abstain from voting on said item.
- Is employed by the applicant agency and works for the unit or division that would administer the grant, if awarded.
- Serves on any board that oversees the unit or division that would administer the grant, if awarded.
- Receives any funds from the applicant agency as a result of the grant, if awarded.
- Reaps any personal financial profit from any non-governmental entity benefiting directly or indirectly from activities with the applicant agency.
LEAD AGENCY
Lead Agency: The Lead Agency will provide leadership, management, and administrative support for the overall coordination, management, and preparation and submission of all required reports as required by the TxDOT Transit Division. The responsibilities of the Lead Agency include:
- Serves as the point of contact to the Texas Department of Transportation -Transit Division.
- Provide staff support to the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and members in fulfilling their duties under 3.5 by arranging and announcing all WTEP meetings as requested, including: making arrangements for location, setting times and communicating necessary information to all members to ensure good participation from the membership.
- Provide administrative support to ensure that the technical work is accomplished on schedule and conducted in accordance with the workplan.
- Assist in implementing an outreach and public involvement program.
- Guides the development, implementation, and approval an annual workplan for regional coordination activities and carry out duties assigned including providing staff support to committees performing duties identified in the workplan.
- Periodically or as required, prepare the Regional Transportation Coordination Plan and subsequent updates and revisions for WTEP approval including the coordination and/or conduct of all research, analysis, composition, organization and presentation of plan outlines, drafts, appendices and final documents.
- Annually, submits an Annual Report to the county judges, mayors, and heads of social service and transportation agencies as determined by WTEP. The annual report will include activities completed during the calendar year.
- Perform other duties that facilitate the coordination of regional transportation resources and carry out other assigned activities that advances more effective transportation services for riders and potential riders and ensures a more efficient use of transportation resources.
Lead Agency Selection: The Lead Agency was selected by the WTEP members and approved by TxDOT to develop and facilitate regional transportation coordination and to provide on-going support for the work of WTEP. The Lead Agency may receive financial support and maintains a contractual relationship with the TxDOT to carry out mandated transportation coordination duties and ensure compliance with Chapter 461 of the Texas Transportation Code.
STEERING COMMITTEE
Purpose: The Steering Committee of the Far West Texas / El Paso Regional Coordinated Transportation Plan (WTEP) shall be a standing committee and shall be responsible for recommending policies, activities and decisions that support the purpose, mission, goals and objectives of the Regional Plan. The Steering Committee shall provide oversight of Regional Transportation Coordination Lead Agency activities including the request of periodic reports on workplan activities and the transportation coordination budget and expenditures.
Membership: The Steering Committee members shall consist of the Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary and five (5) additional members of WTEP and be elected annually at the first meeting of the year by the WTEP members present at such meeting. No less than one (1) Steering Committee member shall be a Stakeholder representing an eligible organization or county headquartered in Brewster, Culberson, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis or Presidio Counties. Members shall be from the designations as listed in Article 2 of these bylaws.
Terms: Steering Committee members serve one-year terms, beginning the first meeting after the date of election. Individual members may be elected to the Steering Committee to multiple and consecutive terms, with a four (4)-year limit on consecutive terms.
Quorum: No less than three (3) of the voting members of the Steering Committee shall constitute a quorum for conducting Steering Committee business.
Meetings: The Steering Committee shall announce, hold and conduct meetings, establish a quorum, vote and in all other ways act in accordance with the WTEP bylaws. Regularly scheduled meetings for the Steering Committee shall be held, as business requires and no less than quarterly.
Special Meetings: Special Steering Committee meetings may be called by the Chair or upon request by three WTEP members.
Removal: A Steering Committee member may be removed by a majority vote of the Steering Committee for missing three meetings within a calendar year.
SUBCOMMITTEES
Establishment: Subcommittees may be established by the Chair with approval by the WTEP members and shall serve to comply with the purpose for its creation.
Membership: Members of Subcommittees may be appointed by the Chair or may volunteer for service on the Subcommittee. Persons other than WTEP Members may be asked by the Chair and/or recommended by members of the Stakeholders Committee to participate solely as a resource or advisor on a Subcommittee.
AMENDMENTS
Amendments: Any member of WTEP may recommend an amendment to these bylaws at a regular or special meeting to be voted on at the next subsequent meeting.
AMENDED: NOVEMBER 17, 2009
AMENDED: MARCH 17, 2011
AMENDED: NOVEMBER 15, 2012
AMENDED: JANUARY 15, 2015
AMENDED: MARCH 17, 2016
AMENDED: SEPTEMBER 17, 2020
AMENDED: SEPTEMBER 23, 2021