Purpose

Strengthen the collective voice of the Bethel neighborhood in public policy discussions, by empowering Bethel residents to become more involved with governmental bodies (School Board, City, County, etc…) and other influential organizations (e.g. Chamber of Commerce, major nonprofits, etc…)

Activities

The committee shall hold meetings, organize events, and otherwise take action to further its core goals, which may include:

• Recruiting Bethel residents to apply for governmental citizen advisory committees.

• Encouraging Bethel residents to submit public testimony at appropriate venues (e.g. governmental meetings) regarding issues of import to the Bethel neighborhood.

• Facilitate candidate or issues forums during election seasons to help voters within Bethel make the most informed voting choices. And facilitate Town Hall forums with elected representatives outside of election seasons.

• Assist outside organizations in outreach or survey efforts within the Bethel neighborhood.

• Other goals that may be identified by the committee.

Membership

Any member of the Active Bethel Community (as defined by our charter) may join a meeting and/or become a member of the committee either by attending a meeting or by notifying the committee chair of their interest and providing contact information. Members shall retain that status unless a year elapses without their attendance at any meeting, or they explicitly resign their membership. All members of the committee shall be notified of meetings, and included in committee-related email correspondence, unless they specifically opt out.

Authority

The committee shall have a Chair appointed by the ABC Board who is responsible for scheduling meetings, communicating with members, and reporting to the Board. The Chair may appoint other officers (e.g. vice-chair or secretary) at their discretion.

Meeting Schedule

Monthly meetings of the Civic Engagement Committee will be held on the first Wednesday each month at Abby's Legendary Pizza at 1976 Echo Hollow Road from 6:30-8pm in combination with the Social Equity Committee. A monthly report will be submitted to the ABC Board. As specific initiatives or events are planned, additional meetings will be held as necessary with a goal of keeping as much of the planning as possible online.

Reporting

The Chair will be responsible for submitting a report to the ABC Board at each monthly meeting. In order of preference, the report should be submitted in person by the Chair, in person by an alternate delegate from the committee, or in writing.

Partisanship

The committee shall be strictly nonpartisan, and as an entity of ABC may take no action that might jeopardize ABC’s 501(c)(4) nonprofit status. Individual members will not be restricted regarding political activity (partisan or otherwise) outside of their work with the committee, taken independently and on their own behalf. However all work done by any individual or group under the purview of the committee must meet nonpartisan standards.