Bylaws of the Dunbar/Spring Neighborhood Association

BYLAWS OF THE DSNA
(Revised 8/18/08)

 

ARTICLE I: MEMBERSHIP

 

1. The Neighborhood is limited by Stone Ave. on the east, the railroad tracks on the west, Speedway on the north, and on the south Sixth St. from Stone to Main and Main to the railroad tracks.

2. The membership of the Association shall be composed of two categories: Voting Members and Associate Members.

a. A Voting Member shall be a person who is at least 16 years of age who resides in or owns residential real property within the Neighborhood. Residence is defined as having an address in the neighborhood. No Voting Member shall have more than one vote for any purpose or any reason during any single vote.

b. Any organization or owner of commercial property within the Neighborhood shall be entitled to one vote. No organization or owner of commercial property shall be allowed more than one vote for any purpose or any reason during any single vote.

c. An Associate Member shall be a person or organization interested in the progress of the Neighborhood or the Association. No Associate Member shall have any voting rights for any purpose or for any reason.

d. Those persons with an interest in the Neighborhood or an interest in the Association who are under eighteen shall be Associate Members.

 

ARTICLE II: OFFICERS

 

1. The officers of the Association shall hold office for a term of one year. The term of office shall begin at the close of the Annual Meeting. The calling of meetings and the facilitation of neighborhood meetings should rotate evenly between the president, vice-president and treasurer unless the board agrees otherwise. The duties of the officers shall be as follows:

a. The President shall act for and in behalf of the membership of the Association, contingent upon the Dunbar/Spring Neighborhood Association' s voted approval of that action; shall appoint special committees necessary for the operation of the business of the Association, and shall act as official spokesperson of the Association. The President shall only implement the voted upon decisions of the Association.

b. The Vice-President shall, in the absence of the President, assume all of the duties of that office.

c. The Secretary shall keep a permanent record of all the Monthly Meetings and special meetings' minutes, and all legal documents and legal transactions of the Association. The Secretary shall transcribe the minutes of each Monthly Meeting including all actions taken by the association and the content of any discussion and shall transfer one copy to the President, one copy to the Community Garden bulletin board and one copy to the Newsletter editor, who will post the minutes on the list serve or internet accessible media in use at the time, as well as including them in the Newsletter. Copies shall be transferred as herein described within seven (7) calendar days of the respective meeting occurrence. The Secretary shall also conduct absentee voting, as described in Article IV.

d. The Treasurer shall have general charge and supervision of the books, financial records and bank accounts of the Association. (S)he shall present a current financial report of all receipts and disbursements at each Monthly Meeting and at the Annual Meeting.

e. The Parliamentarian shall be familiar with general parliamentary procedures of Robert Rules of Order. The Parliamentarian shall aid in the orderly conduct of all meetings; ensure the adherence to bylaws of the Dunbar/ Spring Neighborhood Association; provide direction when the Association requests changes of the rules or existing procedures; enforce and correct parliamentary procedures; answer point information addressed through the chair; appoint teller to count votes at all elections; and oversee Association elections. If the Parliamentarian is on the ballot a moderator shall be appointed from Voting Members. . The Parliamentarian shall determine whether a motion in question is in conflict with a standing decision and requires a vote to rescind.

2. An officer shall not hold more than three consecutive terms in any one office, and no member shall hold more than one office at a time.

3. All records of the officers relating to their responsibilities as officers of the Association shall be property of the Association.

4. Removing and replacing officers.

a. At any time more than sixty (60) days before the Annual Meeting a recall election of any officer shall be called if a petition demanding such a recall election containing signatures of eligible members totaling at least one eighth (1/8) of the number of households in the Neighborhood, according to the most recent available Census, is presented to the Secretary. The 2000 Census, using the Ward One Office as a source, indicates a total of 660 households in the Neighborhood. Upon such timely filing the Secretary must, within ten (10) working days notify all members of an election to be held not less than ten (10) working days or more than fifteen (15) working days from the date of the notice. The notice must be in writing and mailed to all members specifying the time, place, purposes, and name(s) of the person(s) sought to be recalled. The only issue in the election shall be whether the officer(s) shall be retained in office and that decision shall be made by a majority of those voting members present at the time and place designated in the notice.

If the officer(s) is (are) not retained (s)he shall be immediately removed from office and nominations and elections shall be held for that office(s) at the next Monthly Meeting of the Association. During the interim, all duties of that office(s) shall be carried out by the remaining officers.

b. At any time more than sixty (60) days before the annual meeting an officer who resigns may be replaced. The Secretary must notify all members by mail of the officer that is to be replaced not less than 10 working days before the next Monthly Meeting. Nominations and elections shall be held for that office at the next meeting of the Association. During the interim, all duties of that office shall be carried out by the remaining officers.

 

ARTICLE III. MEETINGS

 

1. Regular Monthly Meetings shall be held on the third (3rd) Monday of every month, except in January when it shall be held on the fourth (4th) Monday in order to allow for the observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The Meetings shall be at a time and accessible place designated by the President and announced to the Neighborhood at large.

a. For purposes of the bylaws an action of the Dunbar/Spring Neighborhood Association is defined as a question that is called and passed by a two-thirds majority in any Meeting of the Association.

b. A minimum of seven (7) Voting Members present at any Meeting shall constitute a quorum.

2. No less than 10 days advance written notice shall be given for Special Meetings and the Annual Meeting.

a. Not less than fifteen (15) voting members shall have the right to call for a Special Meeting.

b. The Annual Meeting shall be the April Monthly Meeting. The purposes of the Annual Meeting are:

1. The presentation of the annual reports of all the officers.

2. The election of officers for the coming year.

3. The installation of the newly elected officers.

3. Officers may meet with each other or others between regularly scheduled Monthly Meetings. No decisions shall be taken at these meetings, nor shall the position of the Association be expressed, absent a voted on decision by the Association.

3. The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the association in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the association may adopt.

4. To rescind a vote previously taken by the association, a motion must be made and seconded at an association meeting. The intent to vote to rescind must then be thoroughly and explicitly publicized before the vote takes place. The vote to rescind can then be taken at the following association meeting or later if it is decided by the association that more notice is required. A vote to rescind must pass by a 2/3 majority.

5. The association shall make a policy of having information about its decision making process and its rules of order posted at its meetings and available in the form of handouts at all meetings.

6. The agenda of monthly association meetings shall be distributed to neighbors at least seven days in advance by the most thorough means available. Notice of any voting that is to take place must be written on the distributed agenda. For a vote to take place without prior notification in the agenda, the association must pass a motion to make a special exception, which must be approved by a 2/3 majority.

 

ARTICLE IV NOMINATION, ELECTIONS, ANNUAL REPORTS AND INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS

 

1. Prior to the Annual Meeting a reminder of the elections shall be announced through any media in use. Volunteer submissions to the Newsletter to announce intent to run may be submitted for publication in the Newsletter sent prior to elections.

2. Nominations of officers shall be made from the floor of the Annual Meeting held in April.

3. Election of officers shall be held on the same day as nominations. Election will be by ballot early in the Meeting and the ballots will be counted as soon as they are collected by the Tellers.

4. The parliamentarian will appoint members to act as Election Tellers.

5. In the event an Election Teller is nominated for any office, (s)he shall be removed as an Election Teller and replaced by an alternate.

6. Any Voting Member unable to attend the Annual Meeting to vote for officers may vote in absentia by contacting the Secretary at least three (3) days prior to the meeting at which the vote will be taken. The vote with the Secretary must be made in person. The Secretary will accept a vote for each office. The Member's name (printed), signature and address must be provided.

7. If the Secretary is not available, another officer of the Association may perform the above-mentioned duties.

8. Upon installation of the officers, whose terms shall begin at the close of the Annual Meeting, all documents, records, and any material pertaining to the duties of the office, as designated in the bylaws, which are in possession of the outgoing officers shall be submitted to their newly elected counterparts within fifteen (15) days of the installation.

9. Any officer of the Association who has unexcused absences from three (3) consecutive meetings of the Association may be removed from office. Article II, Section 4, shall govern replacement procedure.

 

ARTICLE V. FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY

 

1. Withdrawal of funds of the Association may not be made without the signature of at least one of the officers in addition to the Treasurer's signature.

2. All withdrawals must be pursuant to a voted action from an Association meeting.

3. Financial records and funds of the Association may be audited by a committee of at least two members of the Association, appointed by the President. An audit may be called for as a voted action at an Association meeting.

4. For reimbursements, receipts must be submitted before a check is issued. For up-front payments by check, an invoice must be submitted before a check is issued. For cash draws, any receipts and change must be submitted within 30 days.

 

ARTICLE VI BYLAWS

 

1. These bylaws may be amended by a petition setting forth the proposed amendments, together with fifty signatures of eligible voting members, being submitted at a Monthly Meeting.

2. The proposed amendments shall then be sent to all members of the Association and all Voting Members at least ten (10) days in advance of the meeting where action is to be taken.

3. The amendments may then be adopted upon a two-thirds majority vote at a Monthly Meeting.