PYSAB By-Laws
Approved: 3-17-2021
Amended: 4-21-2021, 9-15-2021, 11-17-2021, 11-29-2023, & 4-23-2025
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Preston Youth Services Advisory Board
By-Laws
1) MISSION
a) The Preston Youth Services Bureau and its Advisory Board strive to encourage
positive healthy development in Preston youth and support their families by
providing resources and programming that meets the needs of the community.
2) MEMBERSHIP
a) In accordance with Connecticut General Statutes § 10-19m and the regulations
adopted thereunder, including the minimum standards and criteria to qualify for
state cost sharing grants as defined by Connecticut Department of Children and
Families, the Preston Youth Services Advisory Board shall have no less than
seven members.
i) Preston Youth Services Advisory Board will strive (but will not be required) to
be a nine member board.
ii) All members of the Preston Youth Services Advisory Board shall be
appointed by the Preston Board of Selectmen. The Preston Youth Services
Advisory Board may recommend individuals for such appointments.
iii) The Preston Youth Services Advisory Board’s membership shall be
comprised of representatives from the community, public agencies with
statutory responsibility for youth, and private sector organizations
representing community social institutions.
iv) These representatives shall include:
(1) at least one member who is under 21 years of age at the time of
appointment,
(2) one member who is a representative of the Preston Public School System,
(3) one member who is a representative of the police services utilized in
Preston,
(4) and one member who is a representative of a private youth serving
agency that serves Preston youth.
(5) At least one-third of the total membership (rounded up) shall be individuals
who are interested in youth services and who receive less than fifty
percent of their income by delivering services to youth.
(6) Additionally, the Connecticut Department of Children and Families may
waive the requirement of the composition of the Preston Youth Services
Advisory Board when one or more of the agencies mentioned in Section
2.a.iv of this document do not exist.
b) All Preston Youth Service Advisory Board members shall serve a three-year
term.
PYSAB By-Laws
Approved: 3-17-2021
Amended: 4-21-2021, 9-15-2021, 11-17-2021, 11-29-2023, & 4-23-2025
2
i) However, if an appointed member is filling a vacancy created during an
ongoing term, the role will be filled to the completion of the term for the
designated vacancy.
ii) Terms will be staggered so that only three members’ terms expire annually.
iii) With the initial implementation of these terms, the Board of Selectmen will
appoint:
(1) Three (3) members a term ending December 31, 2024
(2) Three (3) members a term ending December 31, 2023
(3) Three (3) members a term ending December 31, 2022
c) In support of Preston Youth Services Advisory Board’s mission and its Preston
youth, members will make every effort to attend regularly scheduled meetings
and special meetings.
i) Members who miss more than half of the regularly scheduled meetings (for
reasons other than lack of quorum) during the traditional calendar year
(January - December) may be asked to resign their position by the Preston
Youth Services Advisory Board or Preston Board of Selectmen. Extenuating
circumstances will be compassionately and fairly considered in this decision.
d) All Preston Youth Services Advisory Board members are volunteers and shall
serve without compensation.
3) ALTERNATE MEMBER
a) The Preston Youth Services Advisory Board may have one alternate member
(but will not be required).
i) An alternate member must be appointed by the Preston Board of Selectmen
for a one-year term and may be recommended by the Preston Youth Services
Advisory Board.
ii) If seated, an alternate member shall act in the place of an absent Preston
Youth Services Advisory Board member during a scheduled meeting and
perform the duties of a regular member, including the right to make motions
and vote.
4) RESIGNATIONS & TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP
a) Any member that wishes to resign from the Preston Youth Services Advisory
Board may do so officially by (1) writing a letter of resignation to the Preston
Town Clerk that must be delivered to the Preston Town Clerk Office with a wet
signature and (2) notifying the Preston Youth Services Director and Preston
Youth Services Advisory Board Chair.
b) Any member who can no longer serve on the Board for unforeseen or
extenuating circumstances (such as moving out of town) may be removed as a
member with a ¾ majority vote of all members present at a meeting called for
that purpose.
5) LIAISONS
a) Preston Public Schools may appoint up to three individuals and the Preston
Board of Selectmen may appoint one individual to serve as liaisons to the
Preston Youth Services Advisory Board; all such appointments are subject to the
PYSAB By-Laws
Approved: 3-17-2021
Amended: 4-21-2021, 9-15-2021, 11-17-2021, 11-29-2023, & 4-23-2025
3
approval of the Preston Youth Services Advisory Board. Such liaisons shall
serve in an advisory capacity only and shall not have voting power or otherwise
be considered members of the Preston Youth Services Advisory Board.
6) OFFICERS OF THE BOARD
a) The Preston Youth Services Advisory Board shall elect from its members, at its
last scheduled meeting of the traditional calendar year (January - December):
i) a chairperson,
ii) a vice-chairperson,
iii) and secretary.
b) Elected officers shall assume their roles beginning January 1st following the
elections.
c) Officers shall serve for a term of one year or until their successors are duly
elected.
d) If an office becomes vacant during the year, the Preston Youth Services Advisory
Board may elect a successor for the unexpired term.
7) DUTIES OF OFFICERS
a) Chair
i) It shall be the duty of the Chair to prepare the agenda with the Preston Youth
Services Director. The Chair also shall preside over all meetings of the
Preston Youth Services Advisory Board.
ii) The chairperson shall oversee the affairs of the Preston Youth Services
Advisory Board under the guidance and direction of the Board.
b) Vice-Chair
i) When the office of the Chair is vacant, or in the absence or disability of the
Chair, the Vice-Chair shall perform the duties of the Chair.
ii) When the Chair and the Vice-Chair are unable to act, a Chair Pro-Tem may
be elected by the Preston Youth Services Advisory Board.
c) Secretary
i) The Secretary shall perform duties typical to the office, or as directed by the
Preston Youth Services Advisory Board.
8) DUTIES OF THE PRESTON YOUTH SERVICES ADVISORY BOARD
a) The Preston Youth Services Advisory Board will follow the guidance outlined by
Connecticut Department of Children and Families in customizing and shaping its
mission and programming goals for Preston’s youth.
b) The Preston Youth Services Advisory Board will assess the needs of the youth
(defined as birth to age 18) in town through community surveys and other means
to help shape its programming goals.
c) The Preston Youth Services Advisory Board will contribute to a webpage that
clearly communicates the mission and membership of the Board as well as
upcoming programming and current resources.
d) The Preston Youth Services Advisory Board will encourage and/or recommend
opportunities to partner with local groups as well as other Youth Service Bureaus
PYSAB By-Laws
Approved: 3-17-2021
Amended: 4-21-2021, 9-15-2021, 11-17-2021, 11-29-2023, & 4-23-2025
4
in Connecticut to enhance its programming and resources available to its Preston
youth.
9) MEETINGS
a) Regular Meetings
i) The Preston Youth Services Advisory Board shall hold meetings on a monthly
basis, or at least eight (8) times per year, according to the meeting schedule
submitted to the Preston Town Clerk, as determined during a Preston Youth
Services Advisory Board meeting held in November or December the
previous calendar year for that purpose.
ii) Meetings shall be held for the purpose of receiving reports and transacting
the business of Preston Youth Services Advisory Board as outlined in the
meeting agenda.
iii) The Preston Youth Services Director will present a written budget update at
each meeting.
iv) Items of business not posted on the agenda may be waived onto the agenda
by a motion and a two-thirds majority vote of the members present at the
regular meeting.
v) Public Comment will be provided during meetings in accordance with Town
Ordinance 03.06.08. Each individual will be limited to three minutes and the
entire session will last no more than 15 minutes. All comments and questions
must be germane to the business of Preston Youth Services Advisory Board.
No individual may yield their allotted time to another individual.
b) Special Meetings
i) Special Meetings may be called by the Chair when the Preston Youth
Services Advisory Board needs to meet prior to the next scheduled regular
meeting to discuss or act upon business.
ii) Topics posted on the special meeting agenda are fixed. No additional
business or topics may be made to the agenda once posted and less than 24
hours prior to the meeting.
c) Quorum
i) Quorum shall be defined as more than a majority of the Preston Youth
Services Advisory Board members present at a scheduled meeting based on
the number of positions currently filled/appointed on the Board (i.e. five
members for an eight or nine person Board).
ii) If fewer than a majority of members are present at any time during the
scheduled meeting, the presiding officer shall recess or adjourn the meeting
until a time in which a quorum is present.
iii) In limited situations, the presiding officer may choose to proceed with the
meeting when there is not a quorum, but no official actions, decisions, or
motions can be made by the Preston Youth Services Board (i.e. a special
guest has been scheduled to present).
10) AD-HOC COMMITTEES
a) The Preston Youth Services Advisory Board may, from time to time, authorize or
instruct the Chair to appoint an ad-hoc committee as needed.
PYSAB By-Laws
Approved: 3-17-2021
Amended: 4-21-2021, 9-15-2021, 11-17-2021, 11-29-2023, & 4-23-2025
5
b) Upon completion of their assignments, any such ad-hoc committee shall be
automatically dissolved.
c) Chairpersons and members of all ad-hoc committees shall be appointed by the
Chair of the Preston Youth Services Advisory Board.
11) FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUESTS
a) All Freedom of Information requests shall be directed to the Chair in writing. The
Chair will notify all Preston Youth Services Advisory Board members of the
request. Then, the Chair will notify the sender (within four business days of
receipt) in writing that the Preston Youth Services Advisory Board has received
the request and will review it at the next regularly scheduled Preston Youth
Services Advisory Board meeting.
12) BY-LAWS & AMENDMENTS
a) In the event of any conflict between The Preston Youth Services Advisory
Board’s By-Laws and the mandatory provisions of the applicable Connecticut
General Statutes or regulations, such statutes or regulations shall take
precedence.
b) These By-Laws may be amended by two-thirds vote of those members of the
Preston Youth Services Advisory Board present at any legal meeting of the
Board called for that purpose, with the proposed amendment included in the call
for the meeting, and the amendment provided to the members at least five days
prior to such meeting.
13) RULES OF ORDER
a) Roberts Rules of Order Revised shall govern the Preston Youth Services
Advisory Board meetings in all cases to which they are applicable, and not
inconsistent with its By-Laws, the Town of Preston Ordinances, or the State of
Connecticut General Statutes.