Glossary of Terms

ANC 1E Glossary

Common terms used in ANC meetings, resolutions, and public records. Commission Period numbering and resolution status labels are proposed ANC 1E recordkeeping conventions.

Abstention. A decision not to vote for or against a question. An abstention is not a negative vote; its effect depends on the applicable voting threshold.
Adjournment. The formal ending of a meeting. A recess is a temporary pause within the meeting.
Adopted. Approved through valid Commission action at a properly noticed public meeting with a quorum and the required approval.
Adopted as Amended. Approved with changes made during consideration. The final adopted text includes those changes.
Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) / Commission. A neighborhood-level public body whose Commissioners collectively advise District officials and agencies on matters affecting their area. “The Commission” means the body as a whole, rather than an individual Commissioner.
Agenda. The list of business proposed or approved for a particular meeting, usually arranged in the order it will be considered. Publishing a draft agenda and adopting the meeting agenda are separate steps.
Amendment. A proposed change to a pending motion or document. Approving an amendment changes the proposal; it does not itself adopt the proposal as amended. Changing an already adopted action requires the applicable procedure for that action.
Approved. A general term for affirmative action on minutes, expenditures, or other business. Use “Adopted” for resolutions. Not every approved business item is a separate resolution.
Author / Drafter. The person or committee that prepared the text. The author and sponsor may be different.

Bylaws. The Commission’s fundamental internal rules governing its organization and operation. Bylaws must be consistent with applicable law.

Call to Order. The presiding officer’s formal opening of a meeting.
Chairperson / Chair. The officer who convenes and presides over Commission meetings and carries out other assigned duties. The Chair’s role does not make the Chair the sole decision-maker for the Commission.
Commission Period. ANC 1E’s proposed name for each two-year operating cycle: Period 1 covers 2023–2024; Period 2 covers 2025–2026; and Period 3 covers 2027–2028.
Commissioner. The elected public official representing one Single Member District on an ANC. Commissioners ordinarily serve two-year terms without compensation. Each Commissioner participates in decisions of the full Commission.
Committee. A group assigned to examine specified matters and report or recommend action. ANC committees are advisory; the Commission cannot delegate its official decision-making authority to them.
Committee Report. A committee’s account of its work, findings, or recommendations. Receiving a report does not automatically adopt its recommendations.
Consent Agenda. Routine items grouped for approval through one motion. Under ANC 1E’s published procedure, any Commissioner may remove an item for separate consideration.
Constituent. A person represented by an elected official. A Commissioner’s constituents are the residents of that Commissioner’s SMD, including residents who cannot or do not vote.
Cosponsor. An additional Commissioner or other eligible sponsor formally associated with a proposal under the Commission’s procedures. Cosponsorship is distinct from casting a vote for adoption.
Council. The Council of the District of Columbia, the District’s legislative branch. It has 13 members: a Chairman elected citywide, four other at-large members, and one member from each of the eight wards.
Council Period. The D.C. Council’s numbered, two-year legislative cycle. Council Period 1 covered 1975–1976; Council Period 26 covers 2025–2026. The number identifies the consecutive period, not the year.

Debate. Discussion by members of the body about a pending question. Public comment and Commissioner debate are distinct parts of meeting participation.
Defeated. Not approved after being put to a decision. An item that never reaches a vote is not automatically defeated.
Deferred / Postponed. Consideration delayed until a later time. The record should identify any date or condition for returning the item.
Draft. Proposed resolution text that has not been adopted and does not yet express the Commission’s official position.

Emergency Meeting. A meeting called to address circumstances requiring urgent consideration. D.C. law permits shorter than the usual seven-day Commission meeting notice for an emergency or other good cause stated in the notice. An emergency does not eliminate quorum or public-meeting requirements.
Executed. A document’s required signing formalities are complete. For resolution tracking, “Signed” is the preferred label. Execution does not make advisory recommendations binding on agencies.
Executive Committee. ANC 1E’s committee of the Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, and Treasurer. It remains subject to the legal limits on committee authority.
Executive Session. A meeting or portion of a meeting closed to the public for legally permitted personnel or legal discussions. Official action must comply with public-meeting requirements.

Great Weight. The legal requirement, where applicable, that a District government entity expressly address an ANC’s issues and concerns and explain its decision. It requires meaningful consideration, not agreement.

Introduced. Formally submitted for Commission consideration under its procedures, with an identified sponsor or sponsoring committee and introduction date.

Main Motion. A proposal that the Commission take an action or adopt a position. A resolution is a formal written form of a main motion; many other motions do not take the form of a resolution.
Majority Vote. More than half of the votes cast for or against a question, unless the applicable rule specifies a different basis. “A majority of Commissioners present” and “a majority of the entire Commission” are different thresholds.
Mayor’s ANC Resolutions Portal / ANC Resolutions Portal. The District’s online system for publishing ANC resolutions and formal actions and receiving agency responses, available at resolutions.anc.dc.gov.
Meeting (Official). A convening of the Commission or a committee to conduct its business. A meeting date identifies a particular convening; a Commission Period identifies the broader two-year cycle.
Minutes. The official written record of a meeting’s proceedings and actions, including attendance, motions, decisions, and voting results. Minutes record what the body did rather than transcribing debate.
Motion. A formal proposal placed before a deliberative body for action. Motions can address substantive business or procedure, such as amending, referring, postponing, or adjourning.

Notice / Public Notice. Advance communication of a meeting and how to attend. Commission meeting notice is ordinarily required at least seven days beforehand.

Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (OANC). The District office that supports ANCs through guidance, training, administrative assistance, and functions assigned by law.
Order of Business. The sequence of categories or items considered during a meeting—for example, opening procedures, consent items, reports, other business, and adjournment. The agenda applies that sequence to a particular meeting.

Parliamentary Authority. The procedural reference that governs when applicable law and the body’s rules do not provide an answer. For ANCs, D.C. law specifies Robert’s Rules of Order where procedures are otherwise unspecified.
Pending. Submitted but not finally disposed of. In parliamentary discussion, a pending question is one currently before the body.
Point of Order. A member’s request that the Chair enforce an applicable procedural rule. It identifies a procedural issue rather than continuing debate on the merits of the proposal.
Public Comment. The opportunity for residents and other affected persons to express views to the Commission. The Commission must provide time to hear community views at its public business meetings; access to observe a meeting does not mean an unrestricted right to speak at every point.

Quorum. The minimum attendance required for official action. An ANC needs a majority of serving Commissioners present, and a majority of its SMDs must have Commissioners in office.

Recess. A temporary interruption of a meeting, after which the meeting resumes.
Referred. Sent to a committee or other authorized reviewer for study or recommendations before further Commission consideration.
Regular Meeting. A meeting held as part of the Commission’s established recurring schedule. ANCs must hold public sessions at regular intervals at least nine times each year.
Rescinded. An earlier adopted action has been revoked through a valid subsequent Commission action.
Resolution. A formal written proposal that, when adopted, expresses a Commission position, recommendation, authorization, or decision. It often uses “Whereas” clauses for reasons and “Resolved” clauses for the action. An adopted resolution’s legal effect depends on its subject and the Commission’s authority.
Resolution Number. The unique identifier assigned by the Commission to a resolution. It is separate from the portal filing identifier and the Commission Period.
Roll Call. Calling members’ names to establish attendance. A roll-call vote separately records each member’s response on a particular question.

Scheduled. Listed for consideration at a specified upcoming meeting. Scheduling an item does not guarantee a vote.
Second. An indication that another member wants a motion considered, where a second is required. A second does not necessarily express support for adopting the motion.
Secretary. The officer responsible for ensuring meeting minutes and required notices are prepared and maintained, and completed agendas, minutes, and written recommendations are electronically transmitted to OANC.
Signed. All signatures and attestations required for the document are complete. Signing authenticates the document; it does not replace adoption.
Single Member District (SMD). A geographic subdivision represented by one ANC Commissioner, designed to contain approximately 2,000 residents. For example, “1E01” identifies SMD 01 within ANC 1E.
Special Committee / Ad Hoc Committee / Task Force. A temporary committee established for a specified task or objective. It ends as provided by the governing rules or establishing action, including when its assigned work is complete.
Special Meeting. A meeting called outside the regular schedule to address specified business. Under ANC 1E’s published bylaws, discussion is limited to the subjects stated in the notice. A special meeting is not automatically an emergency meeting.
Special Rules of Order. Adopted rules governing meeting procedure that supplement or modify the parliamentary authority, subject to applicable law and bylaws.
Sponsor. The Commissioner or committee that formally presents a proposal for consideration. Sponsorship is distinct from authorship or transmitting the adopted document.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Written instructions for recurring Commission work. Their authority comes from the law, bylaws, or Commission action that establishes them.
Standing Committee. An ongoing committee responsible for a continuing subject area, rather than a single temporary assignment. It continues until changed or dissolved under the applicable rules.
Standing Rules. Adopted rules governing recurring administrative operations, such as document circulation and recordkeeping. Rules governing parliamentary procedure are special rules of order.
Superseded. Replaced, in whole or in part, by a later adopted action.

Term of Office. The period during which a person holds an elected or appointed position. A Commissioner’s regular term is two years. An officer’s term is a separate matter: ANC 1E elects its officers annually.
Transmitted. Sent to the intended officials or agencies through the appropriate delivery or filing channels.
Treasurer. The officer responsible for the Commission’s financial records, budgeting, financial reports, and lawful handling of funds.

Unanimous Consent / Without Objection. Approval after the Chair gives members an opportunity to object and none does. The record states that the action was taken without objection.

Vice Chairperson / Vice Chair. The officer who performs the Chair’s duties when the Chair is absent or otherwise unable to serve, as provided by law and Commission rules.
Vote Tally. The numerical result of a vote. ANC 1E’s proposed tracker uses yeas–nays–abstentions, such as 5–0–1, with absences recorded separately.

Ward. One of the District’s eight geographic electoral divisions, each represented by a ward Councilmember. A ward contains multiple ANC areas or portions of ANC areas; an ANC may cross a ward boundary where authorized by law.
Withdrawn. Removed from consideration without a final decision on its merits, with the body’s permission when required.

References: ANC meeting and governance law; ANC duties and great weight; OANC guidance; Robert’s Rules of Order.