Article I. Commission Name

Section 1. This organization shall be known as the Foggy Bottom and West End Advisory
Neighborhood Commission 2A (hereinafter referred to as the “Commission”).

Section 2. The physical area of the Commission shall be determined by an Act of the Council of
the District of Columbia as part of the decennial Census reapportionment and redistricting
process.

The Commission’s boundaries, as last delineated under the “Advisory Neighborhood
Commissions Boundaries Act of 2022,” are as follows: Beginning at the intersection of P Street,
N.W., and 23rd Street, N.W.; then south along 23rd Street, N.W.; then east along O Street, N.W.;
then south along 22nd Street, N.W.; then east along Ward Place, N.W.; then northeast along New
Hampshire Avenue, N.W.; then south along 21st Street, N.W.; then east along M Street, N.W.;
then south along 20th Street, N.W.; then southeast along Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.; then east
along H Street, N.W.; then south along 15th Street, N.W., and continuing south along 15th Street,
S.W.; then east along Independence Avenue, S.W.; then south along 14th Street, S.W.; then
southwest along the northern boundary of Interstate 395 to its intersection with the
Commonwealth of Virginia-District of Columbia boundary line at the Virginia shore of the
Potomac River; then northwest along the Virginia shore of the Potomac River; then east along
Interstate 66 to the eastern shoreline of the eastern channel of the Potomac River; then north
along said shoreline to the center line of Rock Creek at its confluence with the Potomac River;
then north along the center line of Rock Creek; then east along P Street, N.W., to the point of
beginning.

Article II. Duties and Responsibilities

Section 1. The Commission may advise the Council of the District of Columbia, the Mayor and
each executive agency, and all independent agencies, boards and commissions of the government
of the District of Columbia with respect to all proposed matters of District governmental policy,
regulations, or public service delivery, including, but not limited to, decisions regarding
planning, streets, recreation, social service programs, education, health, safety, and sanitation
which affect the Commission area.

Section 2. Proposed District government actions covered by these bylaws shall include, but shall
not be limited to, actions of the Council of the District of Columbia, and the executive branch or
independent agencies and commissions. The Commission may also advise each agency, board,
and commission before the awarding of any grant funds to a citizen organization or group, or
before the formulation of any final policy decision or guideline with respect to grant
applications, comprehensive plans, requested or proposed zoning changes, variances, public
improvements, licenses, or permits affecting said Commission area, the District budget and city
goals and priorities, proposed changes in District government service delivery and the opening of
any proposed facility system.

Section 3. The Commission may present its views to any federal, regional, or District
government agency, pursuant to an adopted ANC 2A resolution. The views of the Commission
before District agencies shall be granted “great weight,” where provided by District law, when
adopted by a majority of the Commission present and voting in a public meeting.

Section 4. The Commission may designate any person to represent the position of the
Commission to other governmental bodies; provided, however, that such delegation shall be
limited to the authority specifically stated in the authorizing resolution of the Commission.

Section 5. The Commission may initiate its own proposals for District government action,
pursuant to an ANC 2A resolution.

Section 6. The Commission shall encourage Commission area residents to provide the
Commission information about the delivery of District government services and may file
comments, pursuant to an ANC 2A resolution, on the same with the appropriate District
government entity as well as the D.C. Council.

Article III. Commissioners

Section 1. The Commission shall be comprised of those persons duly elected and certified by the
District of Columbia Board of Elections (DCBOE) as elected representatives of the Single
Member Districts of this Commission area.

Section 2. Each member of the Commission elected in a regularly scheduled Commission
election shall serve for a term of two years, which shall begin at noon on the second day of
January following the date of election of such member, or noon on the day after the date the
DCBOE certifies the election of such member, whichever is later. Each member’s term shall end
on noon of the second day of January next following the date of the election of that member,
unless the member resigns or otherwise departs from the position before then.

Section 3. Any member of the Commission who ceases to reside in the Single Member District
from which he, she, or they were elected shall be considered to have resigned, and the office
shall be declared vacant as determined by the DCBOE.

Section 4. Any vacancy in office due to death, resignation, or change of residence shall be filled
by a means solely determined by the DCBOE.

Section 5. The Commissioners shall serve without compensation; however, appropriate expenses
may be reimbursed upon authorization by the Commission as specified in these bylaws.

Section 6. As provided in Article II. Section 4, individual Commissioners may not speak for the
entire Commission unless authorized by a majority vote of the Commission, and then shall only
make public policy statements for the Commission in accordance with the terms of an adopted
ANC 2A resolution.

Section 7. Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners shall comply with the Ethics Act and
regulations promulgated by the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability (BEGA). BEGA
has determined that ANCs are subject to the conflict-of-interest provisions of the Ethics Act,
D.C. Official Code § 1–1162.23.0123 et. seq. due to these individuals being elected officials.

Section 8. All documents prepared on behalf of the Commission shall be signed only upon
authorization by a majority vote of the Commission.

Article IV. Officers

Section 1. The Commission shall elect a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson, a Secretary, and a
Treasurer and such other officers as may be necessary from among the Commissioners.

Section 2. The election shall take place at the first Commission meeting in January of each year
or within thirty (30) days following certification of the majority of the Commissioners, except as
noted in D.C. Official Code § 1-309.11(e)(1A) and Article IV, Section 10 below. The initial
election shall be conducted by the Commission member who was the Chair in the period
immediately prior to the election. If that person is no longer a member, the election shall be
conducted by the previous Vice-Chair, Secretary, or Treasurer, or other officer, in that order, who
remains on the Commission. If no previous officer remains on the Commission, the
Commissioners shall select by majority vote a member to run the election.

Section 3. Officers of the Commission shall be elected by a majority vote, as defined in Article
VI, Section 3, of these bylaws. In the event that there is not a simple majority on the first ballot,
there shall be an election between the two candidates receiving the most votes. In the event of a
tie in such a run-off vote, the winner shall be decided by a coin toss.

Section 4. Each candidate shall be nominated by a Commissioner.

Section 5. Each nomination must be seconded by a different Commissioner.

Section 6. A Commissioner may nominate his, her, or themself, but may not second the
nomination.

Section 7. Voting on each office shall be completed before the floor is open for nominations for
another office.

Section 8. Officers shall be elected to serve for one year, unless an officer is removed or resigns.
Terms of office shall begin at the close of the regular meeting in which the election was held.

Section 9. If an officer of the Commission fails to attend three (3) consecutive regularly
scheduled business meetings of the Commission, the Commission, after 30 days’ notice and a
vote of at least one half (1⁄2) of sitting Commissioners, may convene a Special Meeting at which
such officer may be removed by a majority vote of the Commissioners present at that Special
Meeting (as set forth in D.C. Official § Code 1-309.11(e)(2)(B).). Upon removal, the vacancy
shall be filled in accordance with the election procedures set forth in Article IV, Section 3.

Section 10. In the event of a vacancy among the officers of the Commission, an election shall be
held within thirty (30) days to fill that vacancy. If there is no regularly scheduled Commission
meeting within the thirty (30) days, a Special Meeting may be called, except in the event of a
vacancy in the office of Treasurer, whereupon a Special Meeting shall be called.

Section 11. For purposes of succession, any term of office exceeding seven (7) months shall be
considered a full term of office.

Section 12. No officer may serve more than three (3) consecutive terms in the same office.

Section 13. The duties of the Chairperson shall be to:
o Serve as the convener of the Commission and chair the Commission meetings;
o Rule on procedural questions from the chair, except that such rulings may be
overturned by a majority vote of the Commission;
o Supervise the Commission staff;
o Cosign, with the Treasurer, all checks drawn on Commission accounts, except as
noted in Article IV, Section 14;
o Have the power to call regular and Special Meetings of the Commission; and
o Sign official documents on behalf of the Commission.

Section 14. The duties of the Vice-Chairperson shall be to:
o Fulfill the obligations of the Chairperson in his, her, or their absence, death,
incapacitation, or resignation;
o Serve as cosigner of Commission checks whenever the Chairperson is unavailable;

Section 15. The duties of the Secretary shall be to:
o Prepare the minutes for all meetings of the Commission, distribute copies of the
minutes to all members of the Commission, and make electronic copies of the
minutes available to residents of the Commission area as well as printed copies,
upon request;
o Maintain files for all Standing and Special Committees;
o Prepare the minutes, reports, general correspondence of the commission, etc., with
the assistance of such Commission staff as may be required;
o Maintain records of all activities, including a record of notices received and
Commission responses to those notices, a chronological file of ANC
correspondence, and submitted quarterly financial reports;
o Ensure the ability of the general public to inspect any of the documents
specifically mentioned in Article IV, Section 1; and
o Shall sign quarterly financial reports on behalf of the Commission.

Section 16. The duties of the Treasurer shall be to:
o Develop an annual fiscal year spending plan budget within sixty (60) days of
being notified as to the actual or expected amount of the Commission’s annual
allotment, and present that spending plan at a regularly scheduled public meeting
of the Commission to elicit comments from the residents of the Commission area
prior to final adoption of the budget at the next regularly scheduled Commission
meeting.
o Submit to the Commission a quarterly financial report within forty-five (45) days
of the close of each fiscal quarter. These reports shall be public documents and
shall be available for public inspection. The quarterly report, signed by the
Treasurer, the Secretary, and the Chairperson of the Commission and attested to
by the Secretary as having been approved by the Commission, shall be filed
within fifteen (15) days of approval by the Commission with the Office of
Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (as set forth in D.C. Official Code § 1-
309.13(j)(1).). The minutes of the meeting shall note the reading and approval of
this report.
o Disburse funds pursuant to a prior Commission authorization for every
expenditure of funds by the Commission and record these expenditures in the
Commission’s books of accounts. Records of expenditures of such funds shall be
received by the Treasurer prior to any disbursement of the funds.
o With the Chairperson, cosign all checks drawn on Commission accounts, except as
noted in Article IV, Section 14.
o Maintain the Commission’s account at a financial institution within the District of
Columbia, pursuant to an adopted resolution by the Commission designating that
financial institution as an authorized depository of Commission funds.
o Ensure that all expenditures made by the Commission are in compliance with the
District of Columbia Auditor’s regulations and refuse to make any expenditure for
the ANC which is not in compliance with District law.
o Maintain the Commission accounts on a fiscal year basis, as established by the
District of Columbia government.
o Prepare, file, and pay all District and federal reports, including tax reports, on a
timely basis.

Article V. Meetings

Section 1. All meetings of the Commission at which official actions are to be taken shall be open
to the public, except such meetings called specifically for personnel or legal matters (as set forth
in D.C. Official Code § 1-309.11(g).).

Section 2. No official action may be taken by the Commission unless a quorum is present,
according to the definition of a quorum in D.C. Official Code § 1-309.11(b)(1). A Commissioner
participating in a meeting in person or by electronic means, including by video and audio
connections, which provide real-time communication, will be considered “present.”

Section 3. The Commission shall generally meet at regular intervals, not less than nine (9) times
a year, to consider business matters before the Commission. These matters may include, but are
not limited to, consideration of actions or proposed actions of the Council of the District of
Columbia, the executive branch, or any independent agency, board, or commission thereof.

Section 4. Meeting places may be varied so as to be held in all geographical areas of the
Commission.

Section 5. The Commission shall give notice of all meetings, including the meeting agenda to
each Commissioner, individuals with official business before the Commission, and residents of
the Commission area no less than seven (7) days prior to the date of such meeting and shall try to
provide copies of any available presentations and descriptions of resolutions proposed to be
considered at such meetings seven (7) day prior in the same notice but no later than twenty-four
(24) hours prior to such meeting. Shorter notice of presentations or proposed resolutions may be
given no less than twenty-four (24) hours before any meeting in the case of an emergency, or for
other good cause. Urgent resolutions proposed during the meeting are not precluded from
consideration.

Section 6. Notice of Commission meetings, together with the meeting agenda and copies of
presentations and descriptions of resolutions proposed to be considered at such meetings, shall be
provided through at least two (2) of the following methods:
o Publication in a city or community newspaper;
o Transmission or distribution to a list of residents and other stakeholders in the
community, via print or e-mail;
o Posting in a conspicuous location on the official ANC 2A website; and
o Posting of a written meeting notice in at least two conspicuous locations in each
Single-Member District.

Section 7. Residents’ views shall be invited and considered before positions are taken by the
Commission as required in D.C. Official Code § 1-309.11(b)(3).

Section 8. The Commission shall establish such mechanisms as will ensure the broadest
dissemination of information with respect to the Commission meetings, positions and
actions. The Commission shall conduct itself in accordance with the provisions of the D.C.
Human Rights Act (D.C. Official Code § 2-1401.01. et seq.).

Section 9. Special Meetings of the Commission may be called by the chairperson or by written
request of at least three (3) Commissioners. No less than seven (7) days’ notice of the meetings
shall be given to each Commissioner, and notice shall be posted in accordance with Article V,
Section 6 of these bylaws. The purpose of the meeting shall be stated in the notice, and no other
topics shall be considered. Shorter notice may be given no less than twenty-four (24) hours prior
to the meeting in the case of an emergency or for other good cause articulated in the notice.

Section 10. Schedule of Commission meetings:
o The regular meeting schedule of the Commission shall be established and
published.
o However, special meetings for good cause are not precluded, and notice shall be
given as stated in Article V, Section 6, except for personnel or legal meetings held
under the authority of Article V, Section 1.

Article VI. Voting

Section 1. Each Commissioner shall have one vote. Each Commissioner may vote in the
affirmative, or in the negative, or may abstain. Abstentions shall be interpreted as a neutral
position on the question at hand. Abstentions and recusals shall not be counted as participation in
a vote for the determination of a majority, as defined by Article VI, Section 3. If a Commissioner
has recused his, her, or themself in accordance with Article III, Section 7, he, she, or they must
abstain from participating in the debate and from voting on the issue from which the
Commissioner has recused his, her, or themself.

Section 2. No proxy or absentee voting shall be permitted. However, a Commissioner may
participate by electronic means, including via telephone and video. In addition, a Commissioner
who is not present may have entered into the record a written statement pertaining to any action
or resolution before the Commission. At the Commissioner’s request, this statement shall be
read before any vote is taken on the action or resolution.

Section 3. In these bylaws, a “majority” shall be defined as more than half of the Commissioners
participating in voting.

Section 4. In case of a tie vote, the motion being voted upon shall fail.

Section 5. The Chairperson shall determine whether new business has been raised on the floor
and may direct, unless overruled by a majority of the Commissioners present and voting, that the
new business: (1) be discussed and acted upon by the Commission at the current meeting; or (2)
be directed to a Standing or Special Committee.

Section 6. A Commissioner may call for a “sense of the meeting” vote on the motion on the floor
at any time.

Article VII. Committees

Section 1. There shall be two categories of Committees:
o Standing Committees, those which are established as permanent bodies by a
majority vote; and
o Special Committees, those which are established as temporary bodies by a
majority vote.

Section 2. The chairperson of each Committee shall be a duly elected Committee member, as
authorized by a Committee vote. Members of each Committee, including residential community
member volunteers, shall elect a secretary and other officers, as needed, at a meeting at which a
quorum is present.

Section 3. Any resident of the Commission area shall be eligible to be appointed as a designated
Committee member. Committee meetings shall be open to the public, and notice of such
meetings must be provided to the public and Committee members at least seven (7) days in
advance of each meeting.

Section 4. Each Committee secretary shall provide the Commission Secretary with minutes and
other relevant information for each of the Committee’s meetings.

Section 5. Committees shall have the authority to create subcommittees as needed.

Section 6. Each Committee shall have the power and the responsibility to develop attendance
requirements for the Committee and its subcommittees. The chairperson of the Committee has
the responsibility to recommend to the Commission the removal of members who fail to comply
with any such attendance requirements. The Commission may remove a member of a
Committee by a vote of two-thirds (2/3rds) of the members of the Commission who are present
at a meeting at which a quorum is present.

Article VIII. Parliamentary Authority

Robert’s Rules of Order (Newly Revised) shall govern the Commission in all cases, except where
they are inconsistent with these bylaws and any Standard Operating Procedures the Commission
may adopt in accordance with Article XIII.

Article IX. General Finances

The Commission may not solicit or accept funds from a federal or District government agency or
private source, except as may be specifically or previously authorized by a resolution of the
District of Columbia Council provided that receipt of contributions of $1,000 or less per calendar
year from a single contributor need not be approved by the District of Columbia Council.

Article X. Legal Status

Section 1. Should the Commission believe that legal redress is required regarding any particular
matter, it shall petition the Council through its Special Committee on Advisory Neighborhood
Commissions or any successor Committee.

Section 2. Any Commissioner may institute a legal action as a private citizen in the courts of the
District of Columbia or in the federal courts, but the Commission itself shall not have such
power.

Section 3. The Commission shall have no authority to incorporate; however, no member of the
Commission shall be liable for action taken as an elected representative from a Single Member
District.

Article XI. Commission Staff

Section 1. All employees of the Commission shall be hired by the Commission and shall serve at
the pleasure of the Commission.

Section 2. The Commission shall establish position descriptions for its employees. The
employees of the Commission may be hired on a full-time or a part-time basis and for an
indefinite or for a definite term. Persons hired by the Commission shall meet the qualifications
established in the job descriptions.

Article XII. Amendment of Bylaws

Section 1. The Commission shall file an up-to-date copy of these bylaws and each and all
amendments thereto with the Council of the District of Columbia within seven (7) days of their
initial adoption.

Section 2. Revision of these bylaws shall be made by a two-thirds (2/3rds) vote of the
Commissioners after readings at two regularly scheduled business meetings to be noticed in
accordance with Article V, Sections 5 and 6.

Section 3. These bylaws shall be consistent with all applicable District and federal laws, and any
inconsistencies are to be held null and void. In the event that any specific provision of these bylaws is
held inconsistent with District or federal law, or is otherwise invalid, the remaining
provisions of these bylaws shall remain in effect.

Section 4. A current copy of these bylaws and any amendments shall be available for public
inspection.

Article XIII. Standard Operating Procedures

Section 1. The Commission may have a Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) document, which
shall contain any internal policies and rules adopted by a majority vote.

Section 2. The SOP document shall be amended by a majority vote.

Section 3. The contents of the SOP document shall be considered binding and shall be consistent
with District and federal law.

Section 4. The Commission shall have the ability to suspend the Standard Operating Procedures
by a majority vote.

Section 5. The SOP document shall provide for the use of the Commission’s office, equipment,
and supplies based on the following two principles:
(A) All Commissioners shall have equal access; and
(B) Use shall meet the “public purpose” test.

Article XIV. Supremacy Clause

In situations where these bylaws conflict with the laws of the District of Columbia, District law
shall prevail.

Article XV. Computation of Time Periods

Any time period indicated in days provided in these bylaws shall constitute calendar days unless
otherwise specified.

Approved by the ANC on November 20, 2024.