NORTHERN PUEBLOS REGIONAL PLANNING ORGANIZATION
I. NAME AND STATUS
The name of the association is the Northern Pueblos Regional Planning Organization (NPRPO). It has been established by the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) and is administered by the North Central New Mexico Economic Development District (NCNMEDD) in order to develop a cooperative, coordinated, comprehensive, and continuous planning process for regional project programming under State and Federal policies and regulations.
II. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES
A. Purpose
1. To promote the implementation of a safe, convenient, and efficient transportation network within the planning area of Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe, and Taos Counties in the north central region of New Mexico.
2. To be a forum for promoting highway safety, protecting environmental quality, preserving cultural resources and assessing residential and commercial development impacts on the regional transportation infrastructure.
3. To elicit informed recommendations for multimodal transportation and enhancement projects from local, municipal, county and tribal governments within the region.
4. To submit these projects to the New Mexico Department of Transportation after rating and ranking them.
5. To follow the federal laws, rules and regulations stipulated in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991.
B. Objectives
1. Establish and administer policy for the initial submission of proposed federally funded Surface Transportation Program (STP) projects.
2. Establish criteria and a system for the review, rating and ranking of proposed transportation projects.
3. Establish criteria for periodic review of existing programmed projected for re-prioritizing based on urgency of need, project readiness and availability of funding.
4. Determine the viability of and prioritize transportation projects from a regional perspective and include those projects in a Regional Transportation Improvement Program Recommendation (RTIPR).
5. Provide a framework for the coordinated development of transportation facilities among local, municipal, county and tribal governments in the planning area.
6. Establish the membership and voting criteria of the Northern Pueblos Regional Planning Organization.
7. Provide a regional focal point for public involvement in the statewide planning process.
8. Provide for the collection of data encouraged by the ISTEA transportation management systems.
9. Be informed of NMDOT sponsored projects that may impact the NPRPO regional transportation network.
III. MEMBERSHIP
A. Regional Transportation Committee (RTC) Composition:
1. Representative Membership: One voting member from each local, municipal, county and tribal government within the boundaries of the NPRPO for the RTC. Tribal government includes federally recognized Indian Tribes. An alternate member may be designated in writing to represent a respective government.
2. Geographic Composition: The boundaries for the NPRPO include Los Alamos, Rio Arriba, Santa Fe, and Taos counties. All local, municipal, county and tribal, entities within these four counties are eligible for NPRPO membership on the RTC. The Santa Fe Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is the one municipal entity, which is not a member of the NPRPO. This MPO is, however, encouraged to participate to participate in an advisory capacity and to coordinate with the NPRPO’s planning process.
B. Advisory: Non-voting members from State and Federal offices including but not limited to New Mexico Department of Transportation, the State Transportation Authority, the New Mexico Department of Economic Development, New Mexico State Park Service, Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, the Santa Fe Metropolitan Planning Organization, the New Mexico Office of Indian Affairs, and other State and Federal agencies having a responsibility for transportation.
C. Ex-Officio Members: “Because of the nature of the office or position”. Includes department heads from State government, Federal government and the Director of the North Central New Mexico Economic Development District. Examples of ex-officio members would be the Secretary of the New Mexico Department of Transportation, Secretary of the New Mexico Department of Economic Development, Secretary of the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration, Secretary of the State of Land Office, Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration and the Secretary of Tourism. Ex-officio members do not vote.
D. Membership Term: Members and alternates are appointed in writing by their respective tribal, county and municipal governments, and serve for an indefinite term. The transportation planner for NPRPO is to be notified in writing of all appointments.
IV. OFFICERS
1. OFFICERS: A Chair and a Vice Chair are elected by the voting members of the Regional Transportation Committee. Both the Chair and Vice Chair serve for one year from October 1 to September 30.
2. REMOVAL: The Officers may be removed by annual election, resignation or by member governments (i.e. when the Officer no longer represents his or her member government).
3. SPECIAL ELECTION: If an officer resigns or otherwise leaves office, the RTC may conduct a special election at its earliest convenience to replace the vacant office.
V. DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS
A. Chair: The Chair presides at all Regional Transportation Committee meetings. The Chair diverts the business of the RTC and establishes standing and ad hoc subcommittees to focus upon specific areas of concern. The Chair is an ex-officio member of all standing subcommittees. A technical subcommittee may be appointed and requested to submit a written or oral summary of subcommittee reports to the membership at RTC meetings. The RTC Chair also submits written or oral reports to the membership, as required, and coordinates with NPRPO’s planner to prepare the Regional Transportation Improvement Program Recommendations (RTIPR), which is then submitted to the NMDOT for consideration.
B. Vice Chair: The Vice Chair presides at all meetings for which the Chair is absent and performs all duties for which the Chair is responsible.
VI. DUTIES OF STANDING COMMITTEE
The standing committee of NPRPO includes, but is not limited to, the Regional Transportation Committee (RTC). The RTC receives transportation project applications, reviews and rates the project, and develops a RTIPR for submission to the NMDOT.
VII. MEETINGS
All meetings shall be conducted according to the Open Meetings Act N.M.S.A. (10-15-1 to 10-15-4) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
1. The RTC meets as needed, usually four or more times per year. A quorum consists of 25% of the voting members who have been in attendance at one of the previous three regularly advertised meeting. The NPRPO planner notifies the public by newspaper advertisement of the time and place of regular meetings at least 10 days in advance (special meetings 3 days in advance, and emergency meetings as much time in advance as possible).
2. Procedures for Meetings. RTC meetings will be conducted according to the procedures adopted by the RTC. In general, the RTC reaches decisions by consensus of the membership. However, when consensus is not possible and more formal parliamentary procedures are considered necessary by a majority vote of the membership, then Roberts Rules of Order will be implemented for the remainder of a particular meeting.
3. Meeting attendance is recognized as a valid method for adding points to the rating score of participating entities. An attendance roster will be maintained to document the number of meetings an entity attends.
VIII. ADMINISTRATIVE AND TECHNICAL STAFF SUPPORT
1. SOURCE TO PROVIDE STAFF SUPPORT: The NCNMEDD provides a transportation planner to the NPRPO. NCNMEDD is under contract with NMDOT to hire and supervise an administrative and technical staff position, which serves the member entities of the NPRPO. NCNMEDD is not a voting member of the NPRPO and does not exercise policy-making authority for the NPRPO. The contract between the NMDOT and NCNMEDD serves as the official document for defining the relationship between the NMDOT and NCNMEDD.
2. STAFF SUPPORT DUTIES: The NPRPO planner shall provide, but not be limited to, the following support duties:
A. Prepare and mail meeting cover letters and/or agendas 10 days to two weeks before
meetings.
B. Preparation of written minutes for all RTC meetings.
C. Receipt of Project Identification Forms (PIFs).
D. Organize materials (PIFs, etc.) for committee or subcommittee meetings to review, rate, and rank roadway, enhancement and public transit projects/applicants.
E. Preparation of RTIPR for final approval of RTC and submission to NMDOT.
IX. RECORDS OF THE NORTHERN PUEBLOS REGIONAL PLANNING ORGANIZATION
All records generated by the Regional Transportation Committee (and any of its subcommittees), while conducting NPRPO business, are the joint property of the NMDOT and the NCNMEDD. Upon member officer termination, records accumulated during that tenure must be passed on the next RTC Chair.
X. AMENDMENT OF THE BYLAWS
The bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds affirmative vote of all voting members present. Any voting member may propose amendments to the bylaws. Amendments must be submitted in writing to the NPRPO planner in time to be distributed with the agenda of the next regular meeting of the RTC.
XI. TITLE OF RECORDS
If the NPRPO terminates or ceases to exist and function, the title to all its assets and records will remain jointly with the NMDOT and the NCNMEDD.
XII. APPROVAL
These bylaws shall be in effect upon approval by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting at a regular meeting of the RTC.
CONFIRMATION OF REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE APPROVAL
The _______ day of ________, 2005
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Chair, Regional Transportation Committee