Bylaws
PCAC Open Meetings Law Resolution, Effective January 1, 2023:
ARTICLE I: PURPOSE
Section 1. The purposes of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC) are to act as a coordinator and staff resource for the three statutory councils, and to serve as a source of informed, timely advice to the MTA, its subsidiaries and affiliates about finance, operations, management, planning and service issues and to hold the MTA Board and senior management accountable to the users of MTA facilities.
ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. The membership of the PCAC will consist of the 38 members of the three statutory councils: 12 from the Long Island Rail Road Commuter’s Council (LIRRCC); 11 from the Metro-North Rail-Road Commuter Council (MNRCC); and 15 from the New York City Transit Authority Advisory Council (NYCTAAC). Members may continue to serve until their successors have been appointed.
Section 2. Any PCAC member who receives, directly or indirectly, money or other valuable consideration in connection with work related to public transportation policies or operations in the MTA region, or who bids for or otherwise formally seeks work as a consultant or contractor with the MTA or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates, shall disclose such involvement in writing to the PCAC, to the Governor, and to the official who nominated the member to a commuter council. Such disclosure shall be recorded in the PCAC minutes.
Section 3. During the course of discussion of any issue in which a member has a private or pecuniary interest, the member shall orally disclose the nature of the interest and shall refrain from voting on that issue.
ARTICLE III: OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of the PCAC shall consist of the Chair, 1st Vice Chair, and 2nd Vice Chair of the PCAC, the Chairs of the three statutory councils and the Vice Chair of the New York City Transit Authority Advisory Council. The officers of the PCAC shall comprise the PCAC Executive Committee. Each statutory council Chair may, by providing notice to the PCAC Chair, designate a council member to represent the council on the Executive Committee when the council Chair is unable to be present at its meetings. If the Chair of any of the three councils or the Vice Chair of the New York City Transit Authority Advisory Council (NYTAAC) shall simultaneously be elected to the post of PCAC Chair or First or Second Vice Chair, thus causing those councils to be underrepresented on the Executive Committee, the councils so underrepresented shall each designate another member from their Council to represent them on the Executive Committee for the duration of that Council’s underrepresentation.
The terms of the PCAC Chair, 1st Vice Chair and 2nd Vice Chair shall be for two years. They shall be elected by members of the PCAC in odd numbered years at the June meeting of the PCAC. Each of these officers must come from a different statutory council. The PCAC Chair may serve no more than two consecutive terms. The position of PCAC Chair will rotate sequentially among the three statutory councils on a four year cycle.
Section 2. An officer may be removed from office for cause by a two-thirds vote of the total membership of the PCAC.
Section 3. Vacancies in the positions of Chair, 1st Vice Chair and 2nd Vice Chair shall be filled by vote of the PCAC as they may occur.
Section 4. The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the PCAC and the PCAC Executive Committee. The Chair will have the power to appoint committees and committee chairs as required.
Section 5. The 1st Vice Chair shall assume the powers and duties of the Chair in his or her absence. The 2nd Vice Chair shall assume the powers and duties of the Chair and 1st Vice Chair in their absence.
Section 6. The PCAC Staff shall prepare, at the direction of the Chair, and circulate an agenda prior to each meeting of the PCAC and shall keep and preserve the minutes of all meetings of the PCAC. The PCAC Staff shall be responsible for all records and correspondence of the PCAC.
ARTICLE IV: MEETINGS
Section 1. Regular meetings of the PCAC shall be held quarterly, in March, June, September and December.
Section 2. Special meetings of the PCAC may be called by the Chair upon seven (7) days notice to the members of the PCAC. The notice of a special meeting shall state the purpose of the meeting and the business to be transacted at such meeting.
Section 3. A quorum at any meeting of the PCAC shall consist of one third of the number of PCAC members duly appointed.
Section 4. Proxies may be voted only if the person giving the proxy specifically designates to another member or to the Executive Director the particular issues to be voted upon and the positions to be taken.
Section 5. Official PCAC positions on issues shall be approved by a majority vote of the membership of the PCAC or by a two-thirds vote of those present at a meeting, whichever is less. Press releases and statements to the media concerning such positions shall be approved by a majority vote of the Executive Committee of the PCAC. The PCAC Chair has the sole authority to speak on behalf of the PCAC membership. The Chair may delegate this authority, on a case by case basis, to the Vice-Chair or the Executive Director of the PCAC.
Section 6. Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised, shall prevail and govern all meetings of the PCAC consistent with these bylaws.
ARTICLE V: COORDINATION
Section 1. The PCAC serves as the regional voice for the users of the MTA’s facilities. In order to maintain that regional voice, it is necessary for the three statutory councils which make up the PCAC to coordinate their policy positions.
Section 2. A council shall not take a public position on an issue that is in conflict with the interests of another of the three councils.
Section 3. If a council believes that a position it wishes to take may be in conflict with the interests of another council, or if it in any way involves, directly or indirectly, any MTA agency other than the one within that council’s purview, the chair of that council must bring this potential conflict to the PCAC Executive Committee for discussion prior to the council stating its position.
Section 4. The Executive Committee shall determine whether the proposed position conflicts with the interests of another council.
Section 5. If the Executive Committee determines that a conflict exists, the Executive Committee may attempt to reach a compromise position which is satisfactory to all the councils involved. If no agreement can be reached, then no position is to be taken on the issue.
ARTICLE VI: BYLAW REVISIONS
Section 1. The bylaws of the PCAC may be amended by a vote of two-thirds of the total membership of the PCAC.
Section 2. Amendments to these bylaws shall be moved at a regular meeting of the PCAC and the vote taken at the next regular meeting.