Role and Scope of the Community Advisory Council

 

1. General Powers of the Community Advisory Council

 

The Community Advisory Council represents the interests of WURK listeners. The Council observes the station’s programming and its role in the community on an ongoing basis to assess whether the station is meeting its stated mission through its programming, community service, policy and events.

 

The Council is an advisor to the Board of Directors. Additionally, the Board may assign the Council a specific task on which it needs research and advice.

 

The Council will provide a report to the WURK Board Executive Committee in November and May on how well the station is meeting its stated mission, identifying any improvement opportunities and including recommendations for corrective actions.

 

The role of the Council shall be advisory in nature, except to the extent other responsibilities are delegated to the council by the governing body of WURK In no case shall the Advisory Council have any authority to exercise any control over the daily management or operation of the station.

 

2. Composition and Selection of the Community Advisory Council

 

a) Governance

The Council is made up of 7 to 10 volunteers from throughout the Tampa Bay region who are representative of the diverse needs and interests of the communities served by the station. WURK volunteers, staff members, supporters, and/or board members can nominate candidates for the Community Advisory Council. However, only the Community Advisory Council can appoint a volunteer to the Council.

 

The Council should be reasonably representative of the diverse needs and interests of the communities served by the station. No individual representative of any particular group has a legal right to membership on the Council. Nor does the law empower any person, court, or government agency to require a station take or refrain from taking any action with respect to a station’s programming or policies.

 

The composition of the Council must reflect its independent role and may not include members of the station staff or governing body in anything other than an ex officio or administrative capacity.

 

b) Term

Council members shall serve a term of two (2) years or until their successors have been selected, but they can be reappointed by the Council.c) Vacancies

 

The Council may select new members to fill vacancies as they occur. A Council member’s term of office shall begin immediately and run to June 30 of the year, which is two years from the year of selection.

 

3. Removal

 

Any member may be removed, with or without cause, upon the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Council present and casting a vote at a meeting attended by quorum.

 

The Council may consider removing a member if the member has missed more than 50 percent of the Council meetings in one year.

 

4. Reimbursement

 

While members shall not be compensated for service on the Council, provisions may be made for reimbursement of expenses incurred on behalf of the station by Council members for transportation and other costs necessary for the performance of official duties.

 

5.Meetings

 

1. Regular or Periodic Meetings

The Council shall meet at least quarterly at such time and place as the Council determines. All meetings are open to the public, and all reasonable efforts will be made to announce Council meetings to the public.

 

2. Special Meetings

The Council may conduct special meetings if a majority of the Council deems necessary and adequate time is given to notify the governing body and the public.

 

3. Quorum

A quorum at a meeting of the Council shall consist of a simple majority of the Council members.

 

Relationship of the Community Advisory Council to the Governing Board of the Station

 

1. The law segregates the management and operational functions of the governing board from the functions of an advisory council to ensure a clear demarcation between the governing board and the advisory council.

 

2. The advisory council is intended to provide the public the opportunity to be heard on station programming, community service and impact on the community of major policy decisions.

 

Advisory Council Responsibilities:

 

1. Establish and follow its own schedule and agenda, within the scope of the community advisory council’s statutory or delegated authority.

 

2. Review the programming goals established by the station.

 

3. Review the community service provided by the station.

 

4. Review the impact on the community of the significant policy decisions rendered by the station.

 

5. Advise the governing board of the station whether the programming and other significant policies of the station are meeting the specialized educational and cultural needs of the communities served by the station. The Council may make recommendations to the governing board to meet those specialized needs.

 

6. Select a representative who will issue a report to the governing board and staff, and is willing to meet with the Board if requested and scheduled in a timely fashion.

 

7. The Council may also be delegated other responsibilities as determined by the governing body of the station, provided that these requests reflect the roles and responsibilities of the Community Advisory Council as stated above in section 2.

 

8. The Council will, on a good-faith efforts basis, keep the board informed with regard to Council attendance and frequency of meetings. The Council may solicit advice from the board or the WURK  Radio staff on ways to improve meeting regularity and attendance