Planning Council Membership
Your time on the Council

 

• Planning Council meetings will be held six times per year with strict adherence to its planning cycle.
• The length of meetings vary anywhere from one hour to the entire day .
• Members who miss three Planning Council or committee meetings during any calendar year will be removed from the council.
• Membership shall be for two years and shall commence upon the date of  approval. Members may serve consecutive terms if they meet all membership requirements, successfully complete the application and nomination process, and are reappointed.
• No member may hold a voting seat for more than four consecutive years in any six year period, and may not hold a voting seat for more than eight years total.

 

New Member
Application Process

 

Directions:

Please complete the application, and sign the Statement of Member Commitment. Return the completed form to:

 

Planning Council Support

741 Monticello Avenue, Room 201

Norfolk, VA 23510

 

Email: Teresa.Malilwe@Norfolk.gov

Fax: 888-894-2674

 

 

All information in this application is confidential. Terms for Planning Council members are for two years, with a maximum of three term limit.

Once received, your application will be reviewed to ensure it is complete. We will contact you to confirm we have received it.

Your application will then be added to the pool of applications for the Membership and Nominations Committee to review.

At each monthly Membership and Nominations Committee meeting, the membership profile of the Planning Council is reviewed. If new members are needed, the committee will review all of the current applications.

If your application is chosen, you will be contacted to confirm that you wish to participate. If you agree, you will be recommended for interview with the Membership and Nominations Committee, and if approved, will be forwarded to the Mayor of the City of Norfolk for appointment. Generally, it will take about a month for the Mayor’s Office to consider your appointment. You will also be encouraged to begin taking part in Planning Council activities.

If we do not choose your application right away, don’t worry! New members are appointed as people leave the Council, so sometimes it can take a while. We will keep your application active for future membership reviews, and we will keep you informed of the status of your application. In the meantime, you are welcome to join a committee, and take part in any of our meetings as a member of the public.

 

If you have any questions or need more information please contact:

 Teresa Malilwe

e:    Teresa.Malilwe@Norfolk.gov

m:  757.823.4409

 

The Norfolk Area Ryan White Part A Planning Council is a federally mandated community group appointed by the Mayor of the City of Norfolk.

 

Re-appointment
Application Process

 

Directions:

Please complete the application, and sign the Statement of Member Commitment. Return the completed form to:

 

Planning Council Support

741 Monticello Avenue, Room 201

Norfolk, VA 23510

 

Email: Teresa.Malilwe@Norfolk.gov

Fax: 888-894-2674

• All information in this application is confidential. Terms for Planning Council members are for two years, with a maximum of three term limit.
• Re-acceptance is based on demonstrated service and commitment to the Planning Council and is not automatic.
• The reappointment recommendation also requires the approval of the full Planning Council and the Mayor of the City of Norfolk.
• All PC members who desire to be reappointed for membership must also arrange for an evaluation interview.

 

Please call Planning Council Support at 757.823.4409 to schedule this interview

 

Decision Process

What is a formal vote?

Formal voting is required for certain decisions such as membership, changes to By-laws and allocations. Robert’s Rules of Order or parliamentary procedure is used to guide voting processes with a motion made, seconded then discussed and voted upon. This process typically is through a show of hands with ‘yes’ votes, ‘no’ votes and ‘abstention. For some crucial votes, a written ballot is taken (voting for Co-Chair of the Planning Council). For more information, please see Robert’s Rules of Order.

 

What does it mean to abstain from voting and when should I abstain?

• Abstaining means that you decide to NOT vote on an action.
• You should abstain if you are presiding over a meeting, to be sure you are objective.
• You should abstain if you have a conflict of interest (you or your organization could financially benefit from a decision).
• You should abstain if you do not have enough information to vote. If you didn’t attend a previous meeting where discussion of the matter was held in detail, and this puts you at a handicap, then abstain on that vote.
• Do not abstain if you are unsure about an issue. Seek information and come to a decision as part of your duty as a member.

What is a Quorum and why does it matter?

• A quorum is a simple majority (50% or over of the total, if all Planning Council members are present this equals 13 or 52% of the 25 total members). A quorum must be present at each Planning Council meeting where voting occurs, and at each of the three (3) working committee meetings (Membership/Finance, Quality Improvement and Strategic Planning & Assessment–see Committees).
• A committee meeting must have three (3) council members, one of which is the committee co-chair for quorum (or the ability to vote on matters that go forward to the Planning Council).

What is a Conflict of Interest and what does that mean?

A conflict of interest is when a member knowingly influences the outcome of votes or decisions that could financially benefit that member, the organization that they work for, or a service