Committees of Directors (i) The Board may, by resolution passed by a majority of the whole Board, designate one or more committees, each committee to consist of one or more of the Directors of the Company. The Board may designate one or more Directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee.
(ii) In the absence or disqualification of a member of a committee, the member or members thereof present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not such members constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board to act at the meeting in the place of any such absent or disqualified member.
(iii) Any such committee, to the extent provided in the resolution of the Board, and subject to, in all cases, Sections 9(j) and 10, shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board in the management of the business and affairs of the Company. Such committee or committees shall have such name or names as may be determined from time to time by resolution adopted by the Board. Each committee shall keep regular minutes of its meetings and report the same to the Board when required.
Compensation of Directors Directors on the Board shall not be entitled to receive a fee for the director’s services as a director on the Board.
Removal of Directors Unless otherwise restricted by law, any Director or the entire Board of Directors may be removed or expelled, with or without cause, at any time by the Member, and, subject to Section 10, any vacancy caused by any such removal or expulsion may be filled by action of the Member.
Hearing Procedure A. The Personnel Commission may conduct hearings of appeals or may appoint a hearing officer to conduct the hearing and report findings and recommendations to the Commission. If the Personnel Commission orders a hearing, said hearing shall be held in closed session. The employee shall be given written notice of his or her right to have the complaints or charges heard in an open session rather than closed session pursuant to Government Code section 54957. The notice shall be delivered to the employee personally or by mail at least twenty-four (24) hours before the time for holding the closed session.
B. Hearings shall be conducted in the manner most conducive to determination of the truth, and neither the Commission nor its hearing officer shall be bound by technical rules of evidence. Decisions made by the Commission shall not be invalidated by any informality in the proceedings.
C. The Personnel Commission or its hearing officer shall determine the relevancy, weight, and credibility of testimony and evidence. It shall base its findings on the preponderance of evidence.
D. Each side will be permitted an opening statement (Board first) and closing arguments (employee first). The Board shall first present its witnesses and evidence to sustain its charges and the employee will then present his witnesses and evidence in defense.
E. Each side will be allowed to examine and cross-examine witnesses.
F. Both the Board and the employee will be allowed to be represented by legal counsel or other designated representation. The employee may, at his/her option, be represented by legal counsel and/or union representation, or any other person designated by the employee. If the employee files an appeal, the employee shall be required to attend the Commission Appeal Hearing, even if the employee’s designated representative appears on his/her behalf. If the employee fails to appear, the employee will be deemed to have forfeited his/her rights to further appeal and the Personnel Commission shall allow the Board of Trustee’s disciplinary action to stand.
G. The Commission may, and shall, if requested by the Board or the employee, subpoena witnesses and/or require the production of records or other material evidence.
H. The Commission may, prior to or during a hearing, grant a continuance for any reason it believes to be important to its reaching a fair and proper decision.
I. Whether the hearing is held in a public or Executive Session, the Commission, after it concludes the hearing, may deliberate its decision in Executive Session. No persons other than members of the Commission, its counsel, and the Director of Personnel shall be permitted to participate in the deliberations. If the Personnel Director or any staff was a witness in the proceedings, he shall also be barred from the Commission's final deliberations.
J. The Commission shall render its judgment in an open session as soon after the conclusion of the hearing as possible and in no event later than fourteen (14) days. Its decision shall set forth which charges, if any, are sustained and the reasons therefore.
K. The Commission may sustain or reject any or all of the charges filed against the employee. It may sustain, reject, or modify the disciplinary action invoked against the employee. It may not provide for discipline more stringent than that invoked by the Board.
L. The Commission order of judgment will be filed with the Governing Board and the charged employee and shall set forth its findings and decision. If a dismissal is not sustained, its order shall set forth the effective date the employee is to be reinstated which may be any time on or after the date of disciplinary action.
Nomination of Directors Except as otherwise fixed by resolution of the Board of Directors pursuant to the Articles of Incorporation relating to the authorization of the Board of Directors to provide by resolution for the issuance of Preferred Stock and to determine the rights of the holders of such Preferred Stock to elect directors, nominations for the election of directors may be made by the Board of Directors, by a committee appointed by the board of directors, or by any stockholder of record at the time of giving of notice provided for herein. However, any stockholder entitled to vote in the election of directors as provided herein may nominate one or more persons for election as directors at a meeting only if written notice of such stockholder's intent to make such nomination or nominations has been delivered to or mailed and received by the secretary of the corporation not later than, (a) with respect to an election to be held at an annual meeting of stockholders, 120 calendar days in advance of the first anniversary of the date the corporation's proxy statement was released to security holders in connection with the preceding year's annual meeting; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in the event that the date of the annual meeting is changed by more than thirty (30) days from such anniversary date, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be received not later than the close of business on the tenth (10th) day following the earlier of the day on which notice of the date of the meeting was mailed or public disclosure was made, and (b) with respect to an election to be held at a special meeting of stockholders for the election of directors, not earlier than the close of business on the 90th day prior to such special meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the 60th day prior to such special meeting or the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public disclosure is first made of the date of the special meeting and the nominees proposed by the board of directors to be elected at such a meeting. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing to the contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected by the Board of Directors of the corporation is increased and there is no public disclosure by the corporation naming the nominees for director or specifying the size of the increased Board of Directors at least seventy (70) days prior to the first anniversary of the date of the preceding year's annual meeting, a