ARTICLE 1: Name and Establishment
1. Name. The name of the association is the Bigelow Highlands Neighborhood Association.
2. Establishment. The Bigelow Highlands Neighborhood Association was formed in September 1993.
ARTICLE 2: Purpose
2.1 Purpose. The purpose of the association is to maintain and enhance the quality of life in the Bigelow Highlands neighborhood through collective action of its members.
ARTICLE 3: Membership
3.1 Eligibility. To be eligible to be a member, one must live in or own property or a business in the geographic area that is bordered by Yew Street, both sides of Fir Street, Fourth Avenue, and Puget Street, in Thurston County, Washington. Except for Fir Street, the association’s boundaries extend to the center line of the streets.
3.2 Voting Rights. Every member, 18 years of age or older, who is signed in at a meeting with an address that meets the above eligibility criteria, may vote on each matter submitted to a vote of the members. There is no voting by proxy, although absentee ballots may be provided if necessary.
3.3 Establishment of Membership. Those who meet the above eligibility criteria are members of the association.
3.4 Dues. Dues are $10 a year and are voluntary. No dues are required for membership in the association. Dues may be paid to the treasurer at any time.
ARTICLE 4: Officers and Board of Directors
4.1 Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is composed of the association’s four officers and up to six board members at large. The board shall vote on the chairs of the standing committees from among the members of the board. Board members are expected to attend all general meetings, and if they are on a standing committee, to report to the rest of the board on its activities.
4.2 Officers. The officers of the association are the president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer.
4.3 President. The president of the association prepares agendas and presides at all meetings; establishes, communicates, and coordinates meeting dates and locations for all meetings; appoints the chairs and other members of committees as needed; calls any special meetings required; represents the association at meetings with external entities or appoints someone to do so; performs all duties normally incident to the office of president and other such duties as may be imposed by the Board of Directors or the association. The president also is the second signature for the association’s financial institution.
4.4 Vice President. The vice president of the association performs the duties of the president in the president’s absence and other duties assigned by the president, Board of Directors, or the association.
4.5 Secretary. The Secretary of the association keeps the minutes of all meetings; sees that all correspondence to the association is channeled to the board; and ensures the preservation of corporate records of the association both hard and electronic copies.
4.6 Treasurer. The treasurer of the association maintains records of assets and financial transactions of the association; is responsible for collecting voluntary dues and keeping a record of them; promptly makes such disbursements as authorized by the president or Board of Directors; provides an annual balance sheet for the October meeting; ensures an annual audit of the previous year’s finances is conducted; and performs other duties normally incident to the office and any additional duties assigned by the president, Board of Directors, or association.
4.7 Member at Large. The members at large are expected to actively participate in meetings, serve on standing committees of their choice, and participate in board-sponsored events.
ARTICLE 5: Committees
5.1 Standing Committees. The association shall establish at the annual meeting a list of standing committees that are necessary to support the purposes, activities, and operations of the association. The following are the suggested standing committee:
5.1.1 Block Watch Committee. This committee oversees the establishment and maintenance of the association’s Block Watch; keeps the association informed about neighborhood crime and relevant communications from the police; and sets up and runs general Block Watch meetings.
5.1.2 Communications Committee. This committee oversees all the association’s forms of communications, including its newsletters, email list, website, and sandwich boards.
5.1.3 Event Committee. This committee plans and puts on the association’s annual picnic and assists in the planning of other association events when needed.
5.2 Ad Hoc Committees. The Board of Directors may establish at any time Ad Hoc Committees to accomplish specific objectives of the association that are time limited and do not require establishment of a standing committee. Ad Hoc Committees may be designated standing committees at the annual meeting of the association.
ARTICLE 6: Meetings
6.1 General Membership Meetings. The board shall hold at least one general membership meeting quarterly and may hold additional meetings as necessary. All board and general members shall be notified not less than seven days before the meeting of the time, place, and purpose. Any and all members may be present at these meetings.
6.2 Annual Meeting. The annual meeting will be in October. At this meeting, the officers are nominated and elected to their upcoming terms, which begin November 1.
6.3 Special Meeting. The president may call a special meeting when necessary. This may or may not take the place of a regular general membership meeting. Notification of members of a special meeting may be less than seven days before the meeting for an emergency situation.
6.4 Quorum. To conduct business at any meeting, three officers must be present. If some officer positions are vacant, two officers, but no fewer, will be considered a quorum. All business transactions will be decided by a simple majority of the votes cast (one more than half) by officers, members at large, and any general member.
6.5 Notification of Meetings. Each year, the board will set the meetings for the coming year. All association members will receive a reminder of the meeting at least seven days before the general meeting or special meeting, except in the case of an emergency.
ARTICLE 7: Selection of the Board of Directors
7.1 Elections. Elections of the officers shall be held at the annual meeting. The two-year terms shall be staggered, with the president and treasurer elected in even-numbered years and the vice president and secretary elected in odd-numbered years. The newly elected president will appoint the chairs of the standing committees at the first general membership meeting of the new year. The members at large shall be elected for one-year terms at the annual meeting.
7.2 Nominating Process. Nominations for board and officer positions will be accepted by association members and self-nominations will be allowed, if seconded.
7.3 Eligibility to Vote. Everyone at a meeting where a vote takes place may vote, as long as they sign in with an address that meets the association’s membership eligibility criteria.
7.4 Method of Voting. All elections will be by ballot or show of hands. The person receiving the simple majority of the votes cast (one more than half) will be the winner of the election.
7.5 Removal. Any officer or chairperson may be removed from office by a simple majority (one more than half), conducted by written ballot or show of hands by the general membership, if the person has: (1) led or taken part in activities detrimental to the purpose of the association; (2) been negligent in carrying out the responsibilities of the office; (3) been absent from three consecutive meetings without reasonable cause; (4) is no longer physically or mentally able to fulfill the duties of the position; or (5) no longer resides in the neighborhood. If removal of an officer does not take place at or just before the annual elections meeting, a special election may be held to replace the removed officer, with the winner serving out the remainder of the removed officer’s term.
7.6 Resignation. If the resignation of an officer does not take place at or just before the annual elections meeting in the year corresponding with the election of his or her position, a special election will be held to replace the officer, with the winner serving out the remainder of that officer’s term.
7.7 Removal or Resignation of Committee Chairperson. If a committee chairperson resigns or needs to be removed (according to the same criteria considered for the removal of an officer), the president shall appoint a replacement.
ARTICLE 8: Administrative and Financial Provisions
8.1 Books and Records. Any member may inspect the association’s books and records, for any purpose at any reasonable time.
8.2 Amendments of Bylaws. New bylaws may be adopted and existing bylaws may be altered or repealed at any annual or special meeting by a simple majority of the votes cast (one more than half).
8.3 Grants. An association member may submit a proposal for a grant or matching money opportunities. Proposals must have a clear purpose of benefit to the neighborhood at large. Proposals may be submitted at any time to the board for review and must be presented and voted on by the board in at least one meeting before the submission deadline. The person proposing the grant must be willing to actively participate in the grant process and implementation.
8.4 Contracts. The board will use written contracts to hire any artisan, musician, tradesperson, instructor, vendor, etc. A majority of the Board of Directors (not including vacant positions) must approve the contract in advance. The contract must identify the vendor, financial details, and time and location arrangements of the services to be provided. The contract also must hold the neighborhood association harmless for any harm caused by or to the vendor, artisan, musician, tradesperson, instructor, etc. Contracts only may be signed by a board officer who has been authorized by the Board of Directors.