Rule 1 - Organization of Commission(a)Meetings. The commission holds the following meetings: (1)Annual. The first regularly scheduled meeting of the calendar year is the annual meeting. At the annual meeting, the commission will approve the commission's annual report and will elect officers every two years. (2)Regular. Other regular meetings at designated locations may be held as needed. Regular meetings may be held either in person or by teleconference. (3)Special. Special meetings may be called by the chairperson or two members of the commission upon prior written or verbal notice to all members where there is a need to meet on short notice for a special purpose. If the special agenda includes any public matter, public notice shall be given at least 24 hours before the meeting. Special meetings may be held either in person or by teleconference. (b)Notice of Meetings. Notice of meetings is required as follows: (1)Public. At least 14 days before a regular commission meeting, the executive director shall give public notice on the Commission's website of the upcoming meeting. The notice shall clearly specify the date, time, and place of the commission meeting and shall also state that anyone wishing to appear at the meeting must contact the executive director at the commission office at least five working days before the meeting. An agenda of public matters shall also be included in the meeting notice. (2)Members. At least 14 days before a regular commission meeting, the executive director shall give notice of the meeting to each member of the commission. The notice must contain the date, time, and place of the meeting, and a tentative meeting agenda. The commission will, in its discretion, waive notice for any meeting. (c)Officers. The commission has the following officers: (1)Chair. The commission will elect a chair and a vice-chair by majority vote at the annual meeting. The term of office is two years. The chair shall conduct the meetings; certify commission recommendations; direct the preparation of meeting agendas, notices, reports, and minutes; and ensure accurate record-keeping. The vice-chair shall act in the absence of the chair. (2)Executive Committee. The chair may appoint an executive committee to perform matters of administration as from time to time are designated by the commission. (d)Commission Office. The commission shall establish a permanent office in a building open to the public. The office must be open and staffed at regular office hours. (e)Quorum. No dispositive action may be taken by the commission unless a quorum of at least a majority of the members serving on the commission is present, in person or telephonically, at the meeting. A quorum of the commission must include at least one judge member, one attorney member, and one public member. (f)Voting Requirements. The following rules apply to voting on commission action: (1) Every action of the commission requires a majority vote of the members serving on the commission at the time the action is taken. (2) The names of commission members voting on any question shall be recorded in the minutes. (3) Once cast, votes may be changed only during the same meeting on a motion to reconsider unless otherwise provided by these rules. (g)Order of Business. The chair shall determine the order of business in advance of each meeting. (h)Public Participation. The meetings shall be ordered to encourage attendance by the public, where public matters are considered. To facilitate productive and effective meetings, any member of the public who wishes to testify at a public meeting of the commission shall make the request to the executive director at least 48 hours before the commencement of the meeting. Requests will be honored only if the general substance or subject area on which the individual wishes to testify concerns a public matter related to the commission's function under the Alaska Constitution and the statutes of the state. All requests are subject to approval by the commission chair. Written public testimony will be accepted at any time, concerning any matter relating to the commission's function. (i)Electronic and Written Records. The executive director shall electronically record all commission meetings except for commission deliberations, prepare minutes of both public and closed sessions subject to approval of the commission, and maintain their permanent storage. The executive director shall preserve all documents, including tape recordings, staff notes and memoranda, transcripts of testimony before the commission, and correspondence. (j)Commission Member Holdover. To ensure that the commission continuously fulfills its constitutional responsibilities, a commission member continues to serve as an active member after expiration of that member's term until the vacancy is filled by the appropriate appointing authority. (k)Complaints Against Staff. Complaints against Commission staff will be handled in the same manner as complaints against Alaska Court System employees. Complaints against staff are confidential personnel matters and may not be addressed publicly under section (h) of this Rule. Any complaint against the Executive Director must be in writing and addressed to the Chair. If the Chair determines the complaint merits investigation, the Executive Director will be given an opportunity to respond in writing. Thereafter, the Chair may: decide the matter, form a personnel committee, or present the matter to the full Commission for its consideration. Alaska Jud. Cond. Comm. R. 1
Adopted 11/1/1991; amended December 10, 1993; May 9, 1995; December 1, 2000; September 23, 2011; amended and effective 4/26/2013.