Santa Clara County Municipal Code Ch. XXIV Race and Health Disparities Community Board

Footnotes:

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Editor's note— Ord. No. NS-300.981, adopted January 23, 2024, amended Ch. XXIV in its entirety to read as herein set out. Former Ch. XXIV pertained to the task force on the convention of elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and derived from Ord. No. NS-300.919, adopted December 12, 2017.

There is hereby established pursuant to and in accordance with Sections 500 and 506 of the Charter, a Race and Health Disparities Community Board, referred to within this Chapter as the Community Board.

(Ord. No. NS-300.981, § 1, 1-23-24)

(a) The Community Board shall consist of 13 members, designated as follows:

(1) Five community members who (i) are current or former patients of the County of Santa Clara Health System, and (ii) preferably, have experience being incarcerated, have experience being unhoused, have disability(ies), are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, and Other Identifying (LBTQIA+), and/or are immigrants;

(2) Two representatives from organizations dedicated to racial justice and active in Santa Clara County;

(3) One representative from an organization providing mental health services in Santa Clara County;

(4) Two representatives from community clinics or Federally Qualified Health Centers; and

(5) Three representatives from organizations that are active in Santa Clara County and represent or serve currently or formerly incarcerated individuals, unhoused individuals, individuals with disabilities, immigrants, or LBTQIA+ individuals.

(b) All members shall be residents of Santa Clara County. With the exception of the five community members, each of whom shall be appointed by a different member of the Board of Supervisors, the members shall be nominated by individual Supervisors on a rotational basis and appointed by the Board of Supervisors. The rotational sequence for making the nominations shall be determined by random draw conducted by the Clerk of the Board.

(c) Each member shall have a term of three years and until their respective successor is appointed. However, four of the initial members shall serve one-year terms, and four of the initial members shall serve two-year terms. Each member's initial term shall be determined by random draw conducted by the Clerk of the Board. No member shall be eligible to serve on the Community Board for more than three consecutive terms in addition to any portion of any unexpired term which may have been served. However, such an individual may serve on the Community Board one year after leaving the Community Board.

(d) Attendance by members at all regularly scheduled Community Board meetings is vital to the proper functioning of the Community Board. A member's failure to attend two regular meetings in a 12-month period without good cause, as determined by the Chairperson, will result in notification to the appointing authority, which may result in removal of the member from the Community Board.

(e) The Community Board shall also have eight non-voting, ex officio members as follows:

(1) The Santa Clara Valley Healthcare Director, Diversity and Health Equity, or their designee;

(2) The County of Santa Clara Health System Chief Executive Officer or their designee;

(3) The Director of the County's Behavioral Health Services Department or their designee;

(4) The Director of the Public Health Department or their designee;

(5) The Director of the Custody Health Services Department or their designee;

(6) A representative of Registered Nurses Professional Association;

(7) A representative of Service Employees International Union Local 521; and

(8) A representative of the Valley Health Foundation.

(Ord. No. NS-300.981, § 1, 1-23-24)

The Community Board shall serve as an advisory body to the Board of Supervisors for the purpose of developing recommendations, in partnership with Administration, to address issues of race and race-based health disparities in health care delivery within the County.

(Ord. No. NS-300.981, § 1, 1-23-24)

The Community Board shall approve a schedule of regular meetings for each calendar year prior to the first meeting of that calendar year. In compliance with the provisions of Section A6-3 of the Ordinance Code, the Community Board shall meet four times per year. The Community Board may also meet upon the call of the Chairperson for a special meeting. The time and place of each meeting shall be specified in the notice calling the meeting.

A majority consists of seven members which constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

(Ord. No. NS-300.981, § 1, 1-23-24)

The Community Board shall organize itself in accordance with Section 506 of the Charter. It shall prepare bylaws for the conduct of its meetings and, after approval as to form and legality by County Counsel and approval by the Board of Supervisors, such bylaws shall govern the Community Board.

At its first meeting and annually thereafter, the Community Board shall organize by electing one of its members to serve as chairperson and another as vice chairperson at the pleasure of the Community Board.

(Ord. No. NS-300.981, § 1, 1-23-24)

(a) The Clerk of the Board or their designee shall be ex officio secretary of the Community Board and shall provide secretarial assistance to the Community Board.

(b) Santa Clara Valley Healthcare shall provide staff assistance to the Community Board.

(Ord. No. NS-300.981, § 1), 1-23-24)

This Chapter shall be automatically repealed ten years after the first meeting of the Community Board.

(Ord. No. NS-300.981, § 1, 1-23-24)