RAC Task Group 1 (Administration) Conference Call

Thursday July 10, 2008,

2:00 PM Eastern time

Meeting Notes

Participants: Dick McReynolds, Steve Pepin, Moy Biswas, Richard Long, Amy Schutzbach, Skip Paul, Barnie Jones, Randy Battey.

  1. Revision to the RAC Bylaws: (Skip Paul)

The objective of the proposed revision is to attain clarity, flexibility, and conformity with other AASHTO committees by removing reference to task groups from the bylaws and moving them to a new RAC operating policy. Skip also suggested changing the term “standing task groups” to “standing task forces”. Skip distributed material in advance of the meeting for review (see attachment).

Moy Biswas opened discussion and invited comments on the proposed revisions.

Chris Hedges asked if there was any need for the term “standing” task force. This is not consistent with standard AASHTO terminology, and simplifying the name to “task force” would provide more flexibility. Richard Long confirmed Skip’s assertion that the RAC leadership originally wished to specify the membership and status of seven groups that would continue indefinitely, as opposed to other groups that may be formed and disbanded as needed. Skip agreed to modify the document, using the simplified term “task forces” but distinguishing between the original seven and any future temporary or ad hoc task forces created by the RAC Chair that could operate under different membership guidelines. Skip asked whether the bylaws or operating policy should permit RAC members to name representatives from their agency to serve on new task forces. Moy suggested that all decisions concerning task force membership should be made by the RAC leadership board, not the RAC chair. Skip noted that the AASHTO President approves the appointments to AASHTO standing committees. Skip suggested the wording “The RAC chair shall appoint members based on the recommendations of the RAC leadership board”. Moy suggested that new ad hoc task forces should have a clause indicating their sunset date. Skip noted that AASHTO guidelines indicate simply that ad hoc or temporary task groups will be formed as needed and dissolved when their mission is complete.

Skip asked whether the group preferred to retain or eliminate regional bylaws. Barnie Jones noted that the terms and procedures for electing officers vary by region, and it may be simpler to retain the regional bylaws than to reach uniformity across regions and/or add text to the national bylaws. Skip suggested that each region have its own operating policy, rather than bylaws, to allow increased flexibility.

Richard noted Leni Oman’s question whether there should be a consistent policy on whether regional RAC officers can serve multiple terms. It was generally agreed that RAC regions should have flexibility to adopt their own guidelines, although there was a suggestion that regions be encouraged to rotate their leadership frequently.

Dick McReynolds asked whether 12 associate members had been appointed to RAC, as permitted by the RAC bylaws. Richard Long noted that the positions had been created to encourage participation by FHWA and the U.S. modal administrations, but there were not yet 12 official appointments.

Individuals from Canadian provinces are called regional affiliates on the RAC roster. Regional affiliates are not described in the bylaws, and it was suggested to change their designation to associate members, and to remove reference to a maximum of 12 associate members.

The drafts will be discussed further by the administration task group and by the RAC leadership in Portland and distributed in draft form to all RAC members with a ballot.

2.Maintenance of the RAC Meeting Guidelines (Dick McReynolds)

During a recent region 3 conference call Monique Evans noted that the guidelines she developed are still on the Ohio DOT website. She suggested that they be moved to a more permanent location and a process developed for updating them. Chris confirmed that the document has already been moved to the RAC/SCOR server. Moy suggested that the hosts of each national meeting be invited to propose changes to the document. Richard Long suggested that each year the hosts document the actual numbers of room reservations, registrations, meals, room rates, etc to assist meeting planners for future years. Moy asked Dick McReynolds to identify the data that would be of most value to future planners.

3.Agenda items for RAC Admin TG breakout meeting, Wed July 16 8:30 AM - 11:00 AM.

  • Review of draft bylaws and operating policy.
  • RAC/SCOR website content.

Teleconference access to the meeting will be available - 1-866-910-4857, Passcode: 503641.

APPENDENCIES

Recommendations for RAC Leadership for RAC Bylaws Changes

The RAC Task Group on Administration has discussed potential RAC Bylaw changes in order to address items of efficiency and effectiveness in the conduct of RAC business. Several issues had arisen that required a look at the RAC Bylaws and their functionality. The applicable AASHTO and RAC Bylaws and the AASHTO Operational Policy document were reviewed. A number of options are offered to the RAC Leadership which will not only address the current specific issues, but can make the RAC Bylaws a more functional document.

ISSUES

  • RAC Chair through the RAC leadership desires to form a Special Task Group on Transportation Knowledge Networks
  • Initial Chair of TKN TG has requested possible variation of RAC Bylaws for membership on this TG to accommodate potential members who are neither Active RAC members nor Associate RAC members such that they will be full members with voting rights.
  • RAC Leadership has stated that all TGs may have additional people participate on TGs on an as needed basis to conduct the business of the TG.

APPLICABLE BYLAWS/OPERATING POLICY

AASHTO

AASHTO has Governing Documents which include a set of Bylaws and a BOD Operating Policy. The Bylaws are very succinct and the Operating Policy is used for further definition and the conduct of business.

Bylaws

Article X, on Standing Committees, Special Committees and Task Forces

  • Standing committees and subcommittees are to be established by 2/3 vote
  • Changes in functions or membership require 2/3 vote
  • Special committees may be established by BOD for special assignments under a standing committee
  • President, EXCOM, Standing Committees, Special Committees and subcommittees may create task forces established under a committee or subcommittee as necessary to discharge assigned duties. To be terminated when mission accomplished.

NOTE: Numbers of committees, membership, mission statements, duties, etc. are not delineated in the Bylaws.

Board of Directors Operating Policy

Section V, on Procedures and Guidelines on Committee Operations provides for committee Bylaws including policies, specifications and manuals and membership.

  • Member departments may nominate up to two persons to serve on each AASHTO committee

(President can permit up to three members).

  • Members to SCOR are selected for individual contribution and do not necessarily represent their own member departments.
  • There are no stipulations on membership for Task Forces.

Section III, on Committees

  • Defines standing and subcommittees and their mission statements/duties.
  • Task Forces may be either permanent or annually recurring units within a standing committee or may be a brief “ad hoc” group constituted temporarily by a parent committee ffor a specific task or activity.

Amendments

  • Amendments to the BOD Operating Policy require 2/3 vote of BOD with the exception that Section 3 on Committees only requires a majority vote.

RAC Bylaws

Art IV, on Membership

  • Active members consistent with AASHTO Bylaws
  • Associate members are non-voting on RAC matters but can vote on Task Groups
  • Associate members can designate someone to serve on Task Groups (Active members do not have this possibility)
  • Associate members must be appointed to RAC (apply to EX Dir and approval by EXCOM with final approval by RAC Chair) and are limited to 12 total.

Art VII, on Governance

  • RAC shall abide by Sect V of AASHTO Operating Policy

Art IX, on RAC Task Groups

  • Defines standing and special Task Groups.
  • Standing Task Groups are principal working groups.
  • Special Task Groups are “ad hoc” established by RAC Chair with specific purpose and time limitation and dissolved when mission complete.
  • Task groups cannot obligate or commit RAC, SCOR to official action
  • Membership to TGs shall be composed of at least one RAC member from each region and may include Associate members
  • Associate members cannot be a majority of a TG
  • All members of a TG may vote on TG issues

NOTE: There is no allowance for TG membership/voting rights other than RAC members and Associate members – AASHTO Operating Policy does not define membership or voting on Task Forces

NOTE: AASHTO defines Task Forces, not Task Groups

Art X, on Standing Task Groups

  • defines seven Standing Task Groups and mission statements

NOTE: Changes will require 2/3 vote of RAC members as these are incorporated in the Bylaws

OPTIONS FOR RAC LEADERSHIP CONSIDERATION CONCERNING TKN ISSUES

  1. Do Nothing – Membership rules of existing RAC Bylaws govern. At least one active RAC member from each RAC region should be appointed and Associate RAC members may also be appointed such that they do not constitute a majority vote. The TG Chair may use additional people as necessary to conduct the business of the TG. These additional people will not have voting privileges.

This option requires no bylaws changes. Apply current bylaws. Most of the proposed members of the TKN Special Task Groups will be friends with no voting privileges.

  1. Create the TKN as an AASHTO Task Force – AASHTO Task Forces may be created by Standing Committees, Subcommittees, or Special Committees to conduct specific tasks of the committee. No specific membership or voting rules are provided in AASHTO Bylaws or BOD Operating Procedures for Task Forces.

This option requires no bylaws changes. AASHTO rules permit AASHTO subcommittees to create Task Forces to conduct specific tasks of the committee/subcommittee. There are no rules on membership or voting rights for TFs. All proposed members of the TKN TF could participate under this option.

  1. Amend RAC Bylaws to provide membership to Special Task Groups other than Active or Associate – Wording could be adopted to provide this additional membership level for TGs. Appropriate balance of TG membership will have to be addressed if the desire to maintain Active RAC membership as a majority of the TG is required. Also, consideration could be given to permit Active RAC members to designate member department representatives to TGs similar to Associate members.

Change Art IX, Sect 5, membership to include Para (D) Friends – define friends of the TGs/STGs. Possibly add voting rights to friends. Change wording to maintain that RAC members must be majority of total TG/STG membership. Possibly add wording to permit RAC members to delegate their membership to their staff members similar to that privilege given to Associate members.

  1. Amend Bylaws to be non-specific regarding Special TG membership or voting privileges.

Self Explanatory.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

  1. All, or almost all, of the existing Standing Task Groups have modified their mission statements. Because the mission statements are contained in the RAC Bylaws, these mission statements should be sent to RAC members for review prior to the RAC meeting such that they can vote to ballot and mail balloting should be initiated in accordance with the Bylaws. For instance, the existing Program Management and Quality Standing TG mission statement in the Bylaws already precludes the need for the TKN Special TG as it includes most of the TKN issues.

New mission statements for Standing TGs should be placed on agenda for discussion at Jan meeting and then, if approved, should be sent for e-ballot.

OR

  1. Create a RAC Operating Policy or Standard Operating Procedures - Similar to AASHTO Bylaws and BOD Operating Policy, place functional or operational components of the RAC Bylaws in an OP/SOP. The OP/SOP could be amended with a majority vote rather than 2/3 vote making it more practical and user friendly. There would not be a need for balloting, etc. Similar to AASHTO Bylaws and BOD Operating Policy, TG membership, voting, etc could be silent.

Establish a set of Operating Policy/Standard Operating Procedures for the RAC similar to the AASHTO BOD Operating Policy which mostly deals with establishment of standing committees/subcommittees, mission statements, and details of committees and other functional business of AASHTO. Generally AASHTO Bylaws provide definitions and the BOD OP provides the details.

  1. Regions should consider creating OP/SOPs in lieu of Regional Bylaws – With annual National RAC meetings, there is probably no need for Regional Bylaws. All four regional Bylaws need modification to be consistent with RAC Bylaws and the RAC/SCOR web page guidelines for regional Bylaws have conflicts with existing regional Bylaws.

AASHTO Research Advisory Committee Bylaws
Articles
ARTICLE I: NAME
Section 1. Name
The name of this Committee shall be the Research Advisory Committee (RAC).
Section 2 Regions
The RAC shall be sub-divided into each of the AASHTO regions.
ARTICLE II: MISSION STATEMENT
The Research Advisory Committee (RAC) to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Standing Committee on Research (SCOR) is committed to being a proactive committee promoting quality and excellence in research and in the application of research findings to improve state transportation systems.
ARTICLE III: STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
Section 1. Purpose
In creating RAC, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) intended for RAC to facilitate the work of the Standing Committee on Research (SCOR), in addition to developing research issues affecting program and project management among the AASHTO Member Departments. RAC responsibilities specifically identified by SCOR include the following:
(A)Work with the AASHTO Member Departments to facilitate the development of research problem statements for consideration by SCOR and incorporation into the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) program.
(B)Participate in establishing the NCHRP by rating each year's research problem statements and providing the results to SCOR for its annual selection procedure.
(C)Undertake an organized program to identify ongoing and planned State controlled research being sponsored by Member Departments, including the following:
(1)List research projects and provide those listings to all Member Departments and SCOR to avoid duplication of research and to encourage more effective research on transportation issues.
(2)Determine which research projects have produced reports that can be shared with other Member Departments and establish a system for such sharing.
(D)Provide advice and recommendations on transportation research matters to SCOR.
(E)To serve as a resource to State DOT research managers regarding the conduct of research and technology transfer activities.
(F)Be an advocate for transportation research by promoting the value of research, the implementation of research results, the transfer of new technologies, and the benefits of peer exchanges.
Section 2. Meetings
(A) The full RAC shall meet during the annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board and annually on one other occasion as determined by the Leadership Board and to be titled the National RAC Conference. This conference shall be held on a rotating basis between the AASHTO regions. The format and content of the conference shall be approved by the Leadership Board.
(B) The RAC Leadership Board shall schedule monthly teleconferences to conduct RAC business.
(C) The Regional RACs shall schedule periodic teleconferences to conduct regional RAC business.
(D) The RAC Task GroupsForces shall schedule periodic teleconferences to conduct Task GroupForce business.
ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Membership
1.1 Each AASHTO Member Department may designate up to three persons to serve on RAC, although only one vote per Member Department may be cast on voting matters. Member Department Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) appoint their organization's RAC member(s). Only appointments signed by the CEO of the Member Department are considered official. When appointed, these are the only official members of RAC.
1.2 Membership by representatives from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Transportation Research Board (TRB), the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, and other transportation organizations as determined by the RAC Leadership Board maybe critical to the effective and efficient workings of RAC . A non-voting ex-officio associate member may be appointed by applying to the AASHTO Executive Director for appointment to RAC. The Chair of RAC shall have the final authority to approve all applicants based upon the number of Associates member spaces available.
1.3 The AASHTO Executive Committee shall approve all associate members before becoming members of the Association.
1.4 The President of AASHTO shall designate a Chair and a Vice Chair for RAC.
Section 2. Active Members
Active members shall consist of up to three members from each AASHTO Member Department.
(A)Participation. Active members may take part in discussions and serve on Task GroupsForces.
(B)Voting. Only one member from each Member Department may vote on matters before RAC.
Section 3. Associate Members
Associate members are non-voting members and shall consist of all members of RAC not identified as active members.
(A)Participation. Associate members or their designee may take part in discussions and serve on various Task GroupsForces.
(B)Voting. Associate members shall not be allowed to vote on any matters before RAC but may vote on matters before Task GroupsForces on which they serve as members.
(C)RAC shall have 12 Associate member spaces.
ARTICLE V: RAC OFFICERS
Section 1. National RAC Chair
The RAC Chair shall be designated by the President of AASHTO. At a minimum the duties of the Chair shall include the following: