Eastwoods Neighborhood Association Bylaws

 Bylaws
Revised December, 2011

DEFINITIONS:

“Active member” is a dues paying voting-eligible member of the Association, who is either a property owner or resident of the Eastwoods Neighborhood Association.

“Associate member” is a dues-paying non-voting, non-resident of the Eastwoods neighborhood who wishes to support the goals of the Association.

“Member contact” is a dues-paying Association member who is the principal contact with the city for issues relating to city relations and legal, community relations, park and creek, parking, garbage and code enforcement, and social activities.

ARTICLE ONE: Name

The name of the organization shall be "EASTWOODS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION" (“the Association”) whose boundaries are 32nd Street to the North, 26th Street (Dean Keeton) to the South, IH 35 to the East and Duval Street to the West. Property on the south side of 32nd Street, the north side of 26th, the east side of Duval and the west frontage road of IH 35 within these boundaries shall be included.

ARTICLE TWO: Purposes

The purposes of the Association shall be to:
      a. promote a friendly neighborhood, by providing forums in which neighbors can meet, communicate on-line and socialize;

      b. identify neighborhood issues, monitor private initiatives and public policies of significance to the Association and pursue actions and solutions favored by  members;
      c. inform Association members of local developments of common interest; and
      d. protect the interests and welfare of the Association members from encroachment by actions contrary to existing ordinances, codes and zoning.

ARTICLE THREE: Membership

Section 1. The membership shall consist of Active and Associate Members.

      a. An Active Member is any adult resident or real property owner of the Association area whose dues are currently paid. An Active Member has the right to vote and the privilege of holding office.           

      b. An Associate Member is any adult living outside the Association area who does not own property within the neighborhood boundaries whose dues are currently paid and who endorses the Association goals. An Associate Member does not have the right to vote or hold office.
      c. Membership shall be limited to two Active members per residence and one Active member per commercial or academic property located within the neighborhood.

Section 2. Dues are set for each year shall be set at the last meeting of the previous calendar year.   Renewal payments are due at the first meeting of the new year.

ARTICLE FOUR: Elections

At the October meeting (or delayed if deemed necessary) a Nominating Committee, constituted of volunteers, shall canvass the membership for participants interested in Association activities. From these a slate of prospective candidates for, President, Vice-President,, Secretary, Treasurer and member contacts shall be presented to the whole membership at the January meeting.

Other nominations from the floor shall be solicited provided the candidate also agrees to serve for a year. A majority vote from the Active Membership present at the January meeting for each candidate shall be regarded as election. Office will be assumed immediately. Should any officer or member contact resign or their duties terminate during the calendar year, a meeting shall be called to approve a replacement.

ARTICLE FIVE: Officers and Member Contacts

Section 1. President. The President is the “Principle Contact” required of each Neighborhood Association by the City of Austin.
The President will have the principal responsibility of chairing meetings and co-coordinating information to member contacts and Association members.
The President shall co-ordinate contacts from the City, other Associations and the community to the appropriate member contact for action, advising on action steps and providing information and contacts where necessary so that member contacts may effect action and response.
The President shall notify active members on any issue that may be determined to require immediate action by active members. If the President is unavailable, the Vice-President, then Secretary, then Treasurer, may make such a determination.

Section 2. Vice-President. The Vice-President shall chair meetings when the President is unavailable to chair an Association meeting. The Vice-President may determine whether emergency action should be voted on when the President is unavailable, and otherwise assist the President.

Section 3. Secretary. The Secretary shall:
      a. keep the minutes of the Association meetings and post them on the Association website within seven calendar days of any Association meeting, and
      b. maintain a reference repository of Committee correspondence and contacts.

Section 4. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall:
      a. collect and record promptly all dues and money belonging to the Association and maintain these in a bank account whose co-signer shall be the President;
      b. collect for and dispense parking permits;
      c. disburse funds as authorized by Active member consensus;
      d. report at each meeting on the Association's financial condition; and

      e. maintain the membership lists with names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers and dates of receipts of dues of all Active Members and property owners within the Association boundaries who are eligible to vote in Association decisions.

Section 5. Member Contacts
      a. Member contacts shall be approved by a vote of Active Association members when officers are elected and shall assist the President in coordinating Association action in the areas of:

             1. city relations and legal,
             2. community relations,
             3. park and creek,
             4. parking, garbage and code enforcement, and
             5. social activities.

      b. an officer may be a member contact.

      c. Member contacts shall report at each regular Association meeting.

      d. No officer or member contact may make any vote or financial commitment outside of Association meetings without prior approval by a vote of Active members at an Association meeting.

      e. If an officer cannot attend an Association meeting or will be unavailable for more than 48 hours, proxy authority may be delegated to another officer so that essential Association business may be conducted.

Section 6. Member Contact Responsibilities

      a. City Relations and Legal. The President shall be the principal contact with City Council and Staffs or zoning and building codes. The city relations and legal member contact shall assist the President by attending meetings, contacting city, reviewing zoning and ordinance issues, and providing advice on landlord/tenant issues as needed by the President.
      b. Community Relations. The community relations member contact shall represent the Association at the Austin Neighborhoods Council, and may attend other neighborhood association meetings on behalf of the Association.
      c. Park and Creek. The Park and Creek member contact shall be the primary contact with the City on matters pertaining to Eastwoods, especially concerning Park maintenance and improvement, the wading pool, Waller Creek pollution, and coordination of park clean-up days.
      d. Parking, Garbage, and Code Enforcement. The garbage parking and code enforcement member contact shall be the primary contact with the City on trash container misuse, trash pick-up, rodent control, neighborhood litter, and city enforcement of parking, garbage and noise ordinances and other code issues.
      e. Social Activities. The Social Activities member contact shall be the primary contact for organizing social activities, publicity for Association events, and welcoming new residents and businesses to the neighborhood.

ARTICLE SIX:  Voting

Section 1. Active members become eligible to vote thirty days after payment of their dues is recorded by the Treasurer of the Association.

Section 2. Proxy Votes. Active members may vote by proxy by granting to another member the authority to represent them.  The active member who casts the proxy vote must show a written or e-mail letter which authorizes him or her to do so.  Proxies may be cast on one or multiple motions being processed, but can be used at only one meeting, and the authorizing document should clearly state any limitations to the proxy authority.  Proxies may not be used to constitute a quorum. Proxies may not be exercised on the same day that membership dues are first established.  If any consideration is paid for a proxy, it will be null and void.  A proxy will be null and void if the member has not attended an Association meeting in the previous calendar year.

Section 3. When deemed appropriate by vote at a general or special meeting of one half of the number of members required for a quorum, the Association may vote on matters using electronic mail. In such instances, the motion will be sent to the Association's email list by the President or Secretary on behalf of the person making the motion. Voting eligibility and quorum requirements remain as stated elsewhere in these by-laws. Votes may be cast during a voting period that begins with the notification of the motion and continues for 72 hours or a period deemed necessary by the President for emergency votes. If an emergency vote is deemed necessary, the President and officers will also make an effort to contact Active members by telephone. Motions that fail to achieve a quorum (including stated abstentions) within the voting period fail. Following the voting period the Secretary will report the vote by distributing a list of the votes cast, a tally, and a statement indicating if the motion passed or failed. During the voting period the person who made the motion may withdraw it by notifying the Secretary and President of their intent. In this case the Secretary will distribute this notification. Any substitute motions or amendments will be treated as new motions. Due to the potential of abuse in email voting, the President may nullify the results of a vote by email that it deems suspect within one week of the Secretary's report of the vote.

ARTICLE SEVEN: Meetings

Section 1. General meetings of the Association shall be held at a regularly scheduled time and place approved by a majority of the Active Members.

Section 2. Special meetings of the Association may be called by the President or by written request and an email vote of five percent of Active Members of the       Association or five members, whichever is greater.

      a. Members must be notified of a special meeting at least seven days in advance.

      b. Notification must include the purpose of the meeting and the business of the special meeting must be limited to that purpose.

Section 3. A quorum at any general or special meeting shall consist of ten Active Members.

ARTICLE EIGHT: Standing Rules

The orderly transition of business affairs during meetings shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order, Revised.

ARTICLE NINE: Amendments

These by-laws may be amended at any time by a two thirds majority vote of Active Members at any General meeting, provided they have been circulated to the membership of the Association at least ten days in advance.