Siskiyou Media Council Board Policies
Board Policy 1: Commitment to Public Access
Public access to media promotes freedom of speech, as guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is a basic, defining principle of democracy at the community level, both for the general citizenry and for the leaders of municipal and county government.
Siskiyou Media Council encourages robust and open discourse, information dissemination, youth involvement, and non-profit service support through local media, which promotes quality of life and the social health of the community.
Approved 6/19/12
Board Policy 2: Mission/Vision Statement
Mission
The mission of the Siskiyou Media Council is to promote the media production and broadcast of information, events, opinions, and creative programming by and for the people of Siskiyou County.
Vision
It is the vision of the Siskiyou Media Council that over the next 5 years our organization will be recognized and utilized as a local media communications hub through service to the Siskiyou County community in the following ways:
- Distributing news, information, and media services county-wide;
- Delivering disaster/emergency related information to the public in real time;
- Developing partnerships that provide applied experiences in media for Siskiyou County youth;
- Raising public awareness of the role local media plays in improving quality of life, economic success, and community vitality;
- Ensuring that all public access facilities are fully utilized by Siskiyou County residents; and,
- Producing local, timely, and relevant news broadcasts that include in-depth examinations of Siskiyou County issues and services of concern to the public.
Approved 5/29/12
Board Policy 3: Eligibility
Eligibility for the use of resources owned or managed by SMC is limited to any adult resident, authorized minor, student of College of the Siskiyous, or representative of a Siskiyou County area non-profit organization, local government agency, community organization, or local educational establishment.
These resources and all associated services are managed on a first come, first served basis to ensure fair and equal opportunity for all users.
Approved 5/29/12
Board Policy 4: Public Access Program Ownership
Each producer for an SMC-managed public access station is personally responsible for his or her expression and retains ownership of the creative rights to the program he or she produces unless otherwise agreed to in writing.
Approved 5/29/12
Board Policy 5: Volunteers
The SMC Board of Directors encourages volunteer involvement for the greater good of the community. Volunteers, subject to rules and procedures, are an essential part of operations and the Board desires to support their involvement.
Approved 5/29/12
Board Policy 6: Staff
The SMC staff consists of volunteers and paid employees. An Executive Director manages all staff positions and reports to the board.
Approved 5/29/12
Board Policy 7: Contracts for Services
The SMC Board recognizes the need to contract for specific areas of service. The SMC Independent Contractor Agreement (approved 4/5/11) is the approved contract for such work.
Approved 5/29/12
Board Policy 8: Location of SMC Administrative Office and Public Access Studios
The SMC administrative office is located in the Learning Resources Center on College of the Siskiyous’ campus at 800 College Avenue, Weed, CA 96094. SMC operates and manages public access stations in Siskiyou County.
Approved 5/29/12
Board Policy 9: Financial Accountability and Reserve Policy
The SMC Board adopts an annual budget each June and requires both quarterly updates of the financial health of the organization and a year-end accounting of SMC’s financial position.
At its annual meeting, the SMC Board appoints one Board member to serve on the Finance Committee along with the Treasurer/Secretary and the Executive Director. This committee is responsible for assuring the organization’s financial solvency.
At the end of the fiscal year, the SMC Board determines what funds, if any, will be moved into a reserve fund. This fund is invested according to Board Policy 10: Investment Policy, and can be moved back into the general fund only by majority vote of the Board.
Approved 5/29/12
Board Policy 10: Investment Policy
The SMC Board authorizes the Financial Committee to recommend moving reserve funds into the low risk, high interest accounts with appropriate liquidity. Reserve funds are so moved by a majority vote of the Board.
Approved 5/29/12
Board Policy 11: Fiscal Responsibility of Executive Director
The SMC Executive Director is responsible for timely management of SMC finances as directed by the board-adopted budget.
Approved 5/29/12
Board Policy 12: Contracts with Government Entities
The SMC Executive Director is responsible for negotiating contracts with municipal and county government entities. Such contracts must detail the services to be provided by SMC and outline the responsibilities of each party.
Approved 5/29/12
Board Policy 13: Rule Violations and Loss of Privileges
Rules and procedures governing participation in programs and facilities managed and operated by SMC are clearly identified in the “SMC Operating Rules and Procedures” and are readily available to the public. Persons violating SMC rules and procedures will be warned, disciplined, and, if necessary, barred from access to programs and facilities managed or operated by SMC.
Approved 5/29/12
Board Policy 14: Operating Rules and Procedures
The SMC Board annually reviews the SMC Operating Rules and Procedures.
Recommended amendments to these rules and procedures may be submitted in writing to the SMC Executive Director or Board of Directors.
Approved 5/29/12
Board Policy 15: Membership in Nonprofit and Professional Organizations
The SMC Board believes the public good is served through non-profit and professional organizations committed to their communities. It is the Board’s intention that SMC help further the public good by joining non-profit organizations and professional organizations whose purpose and service align with the SMC mission and vision.
Requests for membership to any non-profit or professional organization must be submitted to the Executive Director for approval.
Approved 5/29/12
Board Policy 16: Right to Appeal Decisions
Any person affected by a decision made by a member of the SMC staff may appeal that decision to the Executive Director in writing. The Executive Director’s decision in the matter is final.
Approved 6/19/12
Board Policy 17: Gifts/Donations
The SMC Board asserts the following guidelines for organizational gift/donation acceptance, in order that opportunities to secure gifts/donations from individuals will neither compromise the reputation of nor impose a liability upon SMC:
- Gifts/donations valued at or above $1000.00 will be presented to the SMC Board for approval at the next scheduled meeting.
- Restricted or Donor Advised gifts/donations will be presented to the SMC Board for approval at the next scheduled meeting.
- The SMC Financial Committee will meet to determine the validity and/or legality of any gift/donation for which donor anonymity is requested, and will apprise the SMC Board of action taken on the gift/donation. The right of anonymity will always be respected, subject to tax law.
- Investment considerations and gift considerations will be evaluated separately, on their respective merits. In no event will the offer of a gift/donation be tied in any way to an investment action or decision by SMC.
- SMC shall in no way compensate any third party for directing a donor to the organization.
Approved 6/19/12
Board Policy 18: Conflict of Interest
The personal or financial interest or involvement of an SMC board member, employee, or consultant as a customer, client, competitor, or supplier in any SMC enterprise is considered a potential conflict of interest.
Any board member, employee, or consultant, or any of his or her close relatives (spouse, domestic partner, child, sibling, parent, grandparent, or in-law) who has or is considering having a personal or financial interest as a customer, client, competitor, or supplier of SMC, or in real estate adjacent to an SMC location, must disclose the interest or relationship to the SMC Board. Such disclosure must be made via a form which is kept on file for this purpose and reviewed annually.
SMC board members, employees, and consultants may neither give nor accept gifts, loans, or favors from persons or entities having business relationships with SMC. The giving or receiving or small gifts or casual entertaining for business purposes, however, is not prohibited.
Potential or actual conflicts must be reported immediately either to the Executive Director or, if the conflict involves the Executive Director, to the SMC Board President. Failure to promptly disclose actual or potential conflicts of interest may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of board membership, employee status, or consultant contract.
The SMC Board reserves the right to determine whether any relationship represents and actual or potential conflict of interest in violation of this policy.
Approved 3/27/12
Board Policy 19: Record Retention and Destruction
In accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1519 and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which makes it a crime to alter, cover up, falsify, or destroy any document with the intent of impeding or obstructing any official proceeding, this policy provides for the systematic review, retention and destruction of documents received or created by SMC in connection with the transaction of organization business. The policy is designed to ensure compliance with federal and state laws and regulations, to eliminate accidental or innocent destruction of records and to facilitate SMC’s operations by promoting efficiency and freeing up valuable storage space.
Approved 11/2/10
Board Policy 20: Whistleblower Policy
If any staff member reasonably believes that some policy, practice, or activity of SMC is in violation of law or regulation, a written complaint may be filed by that person with the Executive Director. If the employee believes that the Executive Director may be involved in the illegal practice, the person should file a written complaint with the President of the Board.
Approved 11/2/10
Board Policy 21: Filing of the 990 Form
After reviewing the 99o Form presented for the fiscal year, the SMC Board will formally approve the form and instruct the Executive Director to submit it to the accountant for filing to IRS.
Approved 11/2/10
Board Policy 22: Safety
A safety policy has been established for all persons who use or are present in the MCTV15 studio and the Siskiyou Media Council administrative office in the Learning Resource Center on the Weed campus of College of the Siskiyous in accordance with the college Administrative Procedures pertaining to safety.
Approved 11/1/11
