Barre Up

Mission & Scope

Barre Up has begun from our vision for a resident-centered flood recovery effort in Barre City, that seeks to rebuild with, and not simply for, our community. We will accomplish this through multilateral collaboration that respects identities, modes of helping, differing abilities, and the varied perspectives of people in our City.

Recognizing both that residents’ lives do not neatly fit within municipal boundaries and natural disasters and climate change, by their nature, displace individuals or communities, we will support those with a connection to Barre City with their recovery from loss in the July 2023 flooding that affected Barre City. 

We will work with other regional flood recovery organizations in countywide or statewide coalitions when doing so allows us to access greater resources, better support residents with needs that bridge a geographical expanse, or for advocacy purposes.

Statement of Resident-Focused Recovery

Each applicant is understood to be a person possessed of complex identities and needs, and will be given full agency throughout their own recovery process, whatever that means for them. They will be able to opt in to services at each step in a respectful way that gives them the full information they may need to make a decision, and is responsive to their changing and evolving needs.

Organizational By-Laws

ARTICLE 1 Long-Term Recovery Group Name

Section 1: The name of the organization shall be Barre Up.

ARTICLE 2 Purpose of the LTRG

Section 1: Barre Up sets forth these operational procedures to establish and maintain a network within and on behalf of the individuals, organizations, and agencies working to support recovery from the July 2023 floods in Barre City, Vermont. 

Section 2: We will envision and direct a resident-centered flood recovery effort in Barre City, that seeks to rebuild with, and not simply for, our community. We will accomplish this through multilateral collaboration that respects identities, modes of helping, differing abilities, and the varied perspectives of people in our City.

Section 3: Barre Up will provide resources to those affected by the disaster regardless of race, creed, color, gender, sexual orientation, disability {past incarcerations-status, past recovery-status} or religious preference.

Section 4: 

ARTICLE 3 Membership in the Steering Committee

Section 1: The steering committee will consist of a group of as few as 5 and as many as 9 individuals.

Section 2: The founding steering committee will begin to cycle out for different, more long-term partners beginning November 15, 2023 based on emergent needs and skills gaps identified. All members will be given the opportunity to stay; cycling off will mean inviting a steering committee member who represents a similar vector/identity/background to replace the committee member who left. Steering committee members should represent the same defined {belonging-based} scope as the organization (ie, live/work/business in Barre City).

Section 3: The steering committee members will each have one vote on matters coming before the group.

ARTICLE 4 Meetings of the LTRG

Section 1: All meetings of Barre Up will be at the call of the Director (if hired), the Chair of the Steering Committee, or any two members of the Steering Committee of Barre Up.

Section 2: Regularly scheduled meetings of Barre Up may be established. Notice of these meetings, giving the time and place and the proposed agenda, shall be electronically transmitted or given by written notice to all Individual Members. Notice shall also be posted publicly in keeping with the spirit of public transparency and accountability.

Section 3: Special Meetings of Barre Up may be called, providing the call shall clearly state the purpose for the meeting and the time and place shall be given electronically or by written notice at least two days (48 hours) in advance to all Individual Members.

Section 4: Meetings of the LTRG will be either in-person, hybrid, or virtual depending on member availability and nature of the emergency at hand. Type of meeting will be clearly warned with the agenda.

ARTICLE 5 Quorum

Section 1: A quorum for transaction of business shall consist of at least 50% plus one voting Individual Members present.

ARTICLE 6 Officers

Section 1: There shall be elected from the Individual Members of Barre Up:

1. A Chair shall preside at all meetings, as well as be the chief executive officer of Barre Up and perform other functions as deemed necessary by the Steering Committee. A member of the Steering Committee shall preside in the absence of the Chair or at other times as deemed necessary by the Chair.

2. A Secretary who shall record and preserve all minutes of the meetings and perform other functions as deemed necessary by the Steering Committee. If unable to attend a meeting, the Director or presiding steering committee member shall appoint a secretary pro tem

for that meeting.

3. A Treasurer who shall receive, deposit and account for any financial matters of Barre Up, providing regular financial reports to the Members, and perform other functions as deemed necessary by the Steering Committee.

ARTICLE 7 Sub-committees and Task Forces

Section 1: Barre Up may create such temporary or permanent sub-committees and task forces made up of its steering committee members or other persons as agreed upon. These sub-committees and task forces shall have such authority as Barre Up or its staff directs.The existence of these committees does not preclude the support of small numbers of individual volunteers supporting staff or steering committee members in specific, defined tasks.

Section 2: The following are permanent sub-committees of Barre Up. Ad hoc or temporary committees may be created as the need arises; a current list of permanent and temporary subcommittees will be maintained on the organization’s website.

1. Data & Evaluation: will work to get and communicate data transparently within the recovery group, including but not limited to: clear ongoing understanding of needs and project status, visualization of mapping and process, evaluation of ongoing work, and other data-crunching needs as requested related to other committee work
2. Finances: will identify and apply for sources of funding, supervise the expenditure of funds, and maintain accountability over spending
3. Construction & Needs: will work with contractors, rebuild volunteers, suppliers, code enforcement, to mitigate, rebuild, or demolish structures as needed and as requested by residents; will identify ongoing material and other needs and match those with sources, including but not limited to household goods & social services
4. Volunteers: will continue to intake, coordinate, and dispatch volunteers of all kinds, meeting project needs with humans of varying abilities

Section 3: Additional Sub-committee information

1. Sub-committees may consist from as few as one, to many members. There is no set maximum number of members, but care should be taken to keep sub-committees nimble and effective.

2. Membership of sub-committees may consist of both Barre Up steering committee members and other subject matter experts.

3. Members of sub-committees are appointed by a vote of the Steering Committee.

4. Sub-committees may gather smaller portions of their membership for short-term task forces to address specific, timely challenges.

ARTICLE 8 Vacancies and Nominating Process

Section 1: Any vacancy in the Steering Committee or Officer positions will be filled by a vote among members of the Steering Committee.

Section 2: The Steering Committee shall determine the appropriate process for securing nominations from among the members of the Steering Committee and sub-committees for vacancies in any of the offices, announcing the nomination process and conducting an election.

ARTICLE 9 Financial Reports

Section 1: Financial reports will be produced in accordance with direction of the Treasurer and will be subject to the approval of the Steering Committee.

ARTICLE 10 Rules

Section 1: Business of Barre Up will be conducted in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order.

ARTICLE 11 Amendments

Section 1: These Bylaws may be amended at any meeting of the Steering Committee and must be ratified by a ⅔ majority.

APPROVED: September 6, 2023

Conflict of Interest Policy

Goal: No member of the Steering Committee or any Subcommittees shall derive any personal profit or gain, directly or indirectly, by reason of his or her participation with the Long Term Recovery Committee.

Policy: Each individual shall have the duty to disclose to the organization any personal, professional, or business interest that he or she may have in any matter pending before the organization, and shall refrain from participation in any decision on such matter. Disclosure shall not be voluntary or reactive, but rather active, and made before the matter comes before the organization. Disclosure of any interest will be automatically disqualifying from participating in any decision-making about the matter before the organization; there is no discretion or voluntary recusal allowed.

Any member of the Board of Directors or any of its Committees, staff, and certain consultants shall refrain from obtaining any list of clients for personal or private solicitation purposes at any time during the term of their affiliation.

No portion of this policy shall be interpreted to breach the confidentiality held as a matter of professional ethics by healthcare or legal professionals. In any case where this policy comes into conflict with patient confidentiality or attorney-client privilege, those professional obligations shall prevail.