Here's the latest revision of our bylaws. Please email toya at crisstoya@gmail.com with any suggestions. We want to have all suggestions in by March 1st so we can put them all together by the meeting this Saturday.
Madison Street #3 Block Association By Laws
January 2007
Article I Terms and Definitions
The name of this association shall be Madison Street #3 Block Association, hereafter referred to as Madison #3 or the Association. [NEW]
Madison #3 is located on Madison Street in Bedford Stuyvesant, County of Kings, Borough of Brooklyn, State of New York, and is bounded by Bedford Avenue on the west and Nostrand Avenue on the east (hereinafter the “Block”).
Article II Mission and Purpose
The mission of the Association is to enhance and promote the overall quality of life and public safety of both renters and property owners.
The purpose of Madison #3 shall be:
To provide a venue for community collaboration to enhance the overall quality of life for all residents
To encourage collective learning to ensure that all residents are empowered to act as positive agents of social change and community development
To recruit volunteers and sponsors to support the endeavors of the Association and to aid in the overall beautification of the block
To promote neighborhood beautification and environmental sustainability through the maintenance of a community garden, the promotion of proper waste disposal and recycling, and the maintenance of clean sidewalks
To establish and maintain open lines of communication between the association members and relevant city agencies, elected officials and community leaders as it pertains to the mission of the association
To promote public safety through an active and engaged membership that is empowered and educated about city ordinances pertaining to illegal drug activity, noise pollution, abandoned cars and vacant properties that pose a direct threat to families and businesses on the block.
Article III Membership and Member Contributions
The membership of the Association shall be all Residents of the Block.
The Association defines Residents as all renters, property owners, business owners, religious institutions and community organizations who own or occupy a housing unit within the boundaries of the Block of Madison Street between Bedford Avenue and Nostrand Avenue in the borough of Brooklyn, in the County of Kings, in the State of New York.
All members of the Association have the right to actively participate in all Association meetings. The Association strongly encourages the active participation of all Residents. Members of the Association shall not be denied participation in the Association on the basis of personal views or opinions, even if such views or opinions are contrary to the goals and purposes of the Association.
A voting member shall be a Resident of Madison Street who has contributed to the support and activities of the Association, financially and otherwise. Each family or housing unit (hereinafter “Household”) is entitled to one vote. Any adult member of a Household may attend Association meetings and vote the Household’s vote. No Household may vote by proxy. Only members who are in attendance at the time that the vote is taken may vote. From time to time, other community residents may be invited to attend a meeting by the Association president, but they are not entitled to vote on any issues.
Member contributions shall be determined by vote of the members who contribute financially to the association and may be increased or decreased from time to time as the members see fit. Initially, Member contributions shall be $15 a quarter or $60 a year per family or housing unit. The association strongly encourages the financial participation of all members, however no member will be denied participation if he/she is unable to pay due to financial hardships.
Only those members who make financial contributions can vote on financial matters. [NEW]
The treasurer will collect member contributions once a quarter - March, June, September and December.
Article IV Nomination, Election and Installation of Officers
The officers of Madison #3 shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, and Treasurer. The officers will comprise the leadership and governing body of the Association.
The voting members of the Association shall nominate and elect officers during the annual meeting, which is held in December. Elections shall be held on the same day as the nominations.
During the annual meeting all members seeking to run for an office shall make a two minute speech stating why they want to serve as an officer of the Association.
The officers of Madison #3 shall hold office for a one year term or until a successor is elected by members of the Association. The term of office shall begin at the close of the annual meeting.
Upon installation of the officers, whose terms begin at the close of the annual meeting, all documents, records, and pertinent materials pertaining to the duties of the office as designated in the bylaws which are in the possession of the outgoing officers shall be submitted to the newly elected counterpart within 15 days of the installation.
Any vacancies occurring during the year of any office shall be filled by appointment by the president in the interim until a special election can be held to appoint a permanent officer to serve out the remaining time.
Any officer can be removed from office for cause by a 2/3 vote of the Association members after a special meeting has been requested at least ten working days in advance of the proposed meeting.
All members are eligible to run for office, however no two members of the same household can hold office at the same time. [NEW]
In order to run for an office, the person in question must have attended at least three-fourths (nine of twelve) of the association meetings during the calendar year. [NEW]
The President shall call and preside at all meetings, shall act for and on behalf of the membership of the Association, shall appoint any special committees necessary for the operation of Association business with input from the membership, shall act as the official spokesperson for the Association, and shall have the power to do or take any reasonable action necessary to promote the purpose of the Association.
The Vice President shall, in the absence of the President, assume all of the duties of the President. The Vice President shall support the President in executing all duties of the office.
The Secretary shall keep a permanent record of all formal meetings, all legal documents, and all legal transactions of the Association. The Secretary shall take the minutes of each Association meeting and officers meeting. The Secretary shall maintain a file copy of the minutes. The Secretary will post and announce all meeting dates and locations at least three days prior to the scheduled meeting.
The Assistant Secretary shall support the Secretary in executing all duties of the office. The Assistant Secretary will serve as a liaison to all committees and will maintain a written record of all committee meetings.
The Treasurer shall keep all financial receipts and a permanent record of all financial business of the Association. The Treasurer, in coordination with the Vice President, shall be responsible for collecting and tracking all receipts of member contributions and financial donations. The Treasurer shall provide monthly, up-to-date financial reports for review by the association membership. The reports shall be reviewed by the President prior to dissemination to the membership.
Article V Committees
The President shall have the power to appoint committees as necessary, with input from Association members, to implement the purpose and mission of the association.
The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.
Al committee chairs shall maintain a written record of all committee meetings and follow up actions. This list will be submitted to the Assistant Secretary as part of the permanent association record.
Article VI Association Meetings
Monthly meetings shall be held on the 1st Saturday of each month. All meetings shall be public and open to any interested persons.
Meetings are open to all residents of Madison Street between Bedford Avenue and Nostrand Avenue and invited members of the community.
All persons attending the Association meetings are required to sign in with the Assistant Secretary so as to maintain an accurate attendance list.
The Secretary will distribute and briefly summarize the minutes from the prior meeting at the beginning of each monthly meeting. The Assistant Secretary shall record all corrections to the minutes as needed.
Special meetings shall be held if extreme circumstances require immediate action before the next scheduled monthly meeting. Special meetings can be called by any officer with written notice sent to the President and other officers of the Association. A member may call a special meeting with the written approval of the President.
An annual meeting shall be held during the last month of the calendar year at which elections will be held and a final review of the association's activities shall be delivered to the membership.
The members present at each meeting shall constitute a quorum.
All Association meetings shall be announced at least five days prior to the scheduled meeting. Every effort will be made to notify all interested parties of upcoming meetings either by flyer, email, phone call, newsletter, or announcements at regularly scheduled meetings.
Article VII Fiscal Responsibility
Expenditure of funds of the Association may not be made without the signatures of at least two officers (the president and the treasurer). At least three officers shall have their signatures on file with any financial institutions with which the Association establishes an account.
Financial records and funds of the Association shall be audited at least once a year by a committee of at least two members of the association appointed by the President.
The financial audit shall be presented to the membership during the November meeting, one month prior to the annual meeting in December.
Article VIII Amendment of the By Laws
These bylaws may be amended by a majority vote.
Proposed amendments shall be sent in writing to all members at least ten working days in advance of the meeting where action is to be taken or shall be read at the presiding meeting.
Article IX General
The rules in the current edition of Robert's Rules Of Order shall govern the Association, the officers, and all subcommittees in all cases to which they apply and do not conflict with the specific provisions of the bylaws or any special rules that the association may adopt.
If any part of the bylaws or the application thereof is hereafter held invalid or unenforceable, the remainder shall not be affected thereby, and only the affected portions are declared eliminated.
No officer, representative, spokesperson or member shall have any financial liability of the Association.
Last Updated February 26, 2007
No comments:
Post a Comment