BNA Bylaws

Brentwood Neighborhood Association Bylaws (Revised 2016)

ARTICLE 1 Name

The name of the organization shall be the Brentwood Neighborhood Association.

ARTICLE II Purpose

The Association shall be a non-profit organization within which the residents of the neighborhood can promote and protect the quality of life, safety, residential characteristics and property values of the neighborhood primarily, and all neighborhoods generally.

ARTICLE III Territorial Boundaries

The boundaries of the Association shall be Lamar on the east up to, but not including Justin on the north, Burnet Road on the west, and the north side of 45th Street on the south, within the city of Austin, Texas.

ARTICLE IV Membership

1. Membership shall be open to any adult residing within the territorial boundaries. a) Annual dues shall be due February 1st. Classes of membership and dues shall be determined by the Steering Committee. b) Each member shall be entitled to one vote and may exercise this right commencing thirty days after initial payment of dues. c) A member who has been delinquent in payment of dues shall be reinstated to voting rights upon payment of current dues, with no waiting period. d) Members who join the Association for the first time after November 1 of any year shall be accorded membership for the coming membership year in addition to the remaining part of the current year upon payment of the annual dues.

2. The Association may be a member of the Austin Neighborhoods Council.

ARTICLE V Officers

There shall be four officers of the Association. These shall be a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.

1. The duties of the officers, in addition to those prescribed by the parliamentary authority, shall include the following provisions: a) The President shall be the principal representative for the Association at public functions or appoint other representatives as necessary. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating and Bylaws Committee. b) The Vice President shall coordinate the functions of the various standing and issues committees. c) The Secretary shall record and disseminate information concerning the Association. d) The Treasurer shall collect, disburse, and safely keep all Association monies; shall maintain a membership roster of voting members; and make periodic reports to the Steering Committee and at all General Membership meetings.

2. The officers shall be elected by the general membership at the annual meeting. A list of nominees for the four officers and seven additional members of the Steering Committee shall be submitted by the Nominating and Bylaws Committee, in advance of the election meeting when possible. Nominations from the floor shall also be in order. A majority of members voting shall elect. Candidates for the offices of President and Vice President shall have served on the Steering Committee for at least the year immediately preceding their nominations.

3. The officers shall take office at the close of the meeting at which they are elected. The term shall extend for one year until the close of the next election meeting or until their successors are elected. No officers may serve more than three consecutive terms in the same office unless no candidate is brought forth from the Nominating Committee.

4. If a vacancy should occur in the office of President, the Vice President shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term. Vacancies occurring in the other offices, or in other Steering Committee positions shall be filled by the Steering Committee, which shall elect a person to complete unexpired terms. For purposes of determining eligibility for re-election or reappointment, a person who shall have served half or more of a term shall be considered to have served the whole term.

5. Election to an office shall be by ballot if there is more than one candidate for the office.

ARTICLE VI Meetings

1. The General Membership annual meeting shall be convened in February and additional meetings may be called by the Steering Committee.

2. The February annual meeting shall include the election of members of the Steering Committee and annual reports by Standing Committees to the membership.

3. Notice of special or general meetings shall be made to the membership no less than one week in advance of the meeting.

4. A quorum shall consist of eleven voting members, 2 of which are officers and 2 of which are not members of the Steering Committee.

5. A special meeting of the general membership must be called upon receipt by the Steering Committee of a petition requesting and stating the reason for such meeting and bearing the signatures of no fewer than ten voting members of the Association. Only business specified in the call may be transacted. The meeting shall be called within 30 days unless a scheduled regular general meeting shall intervene, in which case the business of the special meeting shall be considered at the general meeting.

ARTICLE VII Steering Committee

The Steering Committee shall be the principal governing and policy-recommending body of the Association.

1. It shall consist of eleven (11) members, including the four officers.

2. Steering Committee members shall be elected for one-year terms at the annual meeting from names submitted by the Nominating and Bylaws Committee which shall propose at least one candidate for each of the positions. Nominations from the floor shall also be in order, provided the nominee shall first have agreed to serve if elected. Election shall be by ballot if there is more than one candidate for a position.

3. Members of the Steering Committee shall take office at the close of the meeting at which they are elected and shall serve until the close of the next annual meeting or until their successors are elected.

4. A quorum at Steering Committee meetings shall be 6 members.

5. The Steering Committee may designate a member of the organization to represent the Association at meetings for the Austin Neighborhoods Council.

6. The Steering Committee shall be empowered to conduct the business of the Association between membership meetings. It shall make recommendations for action and policy to the general membership. In case of necessity, it shall be empowered to determine policy positions by a two-thirds vote, but such policy shall be in the name of the Brentwood Neighborhood Association Steering Committee.

7. Expenditures of two hundred fifty dollars or less shall be approved by the Steering Committee. Expenditures exceeding two hundred fiftydollars shall be approved by the general membership. The provision is made that mailing or printing costs exceeding two hundred fifty dollars shall be approved by the Steering Committee and reported to the membership at the next general membership meeting. (2005)

7a. An additional provision for the annual Luminaria Project expenditures will be limited at or up to five hundred dollars ($500.00) per year. (2003)

8. A Steering Committee member with three consecutive absences from meetings which had at least 2 days notice shall be subject to removal by a two-thirds vote of the Steering Committee. Steering Committee members are vested with the responsibility for preserving and enhancing the good name and reputation of the Association and for achieving the purpose stated in Article II. Steering Committee members may be removed for unbecoming conduct by a two-thirds vote of the entire Steering Committee.

ARTICLE VIII Committees

There shall be two classes of committee within the Association: standing committees, and special committees.

1. Members of the standing committees shall be elected by the Steering Committee from the general membership and the Steering Committee. The
President shall appoint the committee chairpersons. The standing committees shall be:
a) A Membership / Finance Committee, which shall organize and implement membership drives and fund-raising events for the Association. The Treasurer shall be a member of the Committee.
b) An Information Committee, which shall prepare and reproduce any necessary information at the direction of the Steering Committee for distribution as determined by the Steering Committee. The Committee shall develop and maintain a distribution system for necessary neighborhood information, based upon low-cost or volunteer labor, or bulk-mail service. The Information Committee is responsible for all issues related to the website, listserve maintenance, newsletters, and signage for the neighborhood.The President shall have final approval of the Newsletter.
c) A Nominating and Bylaws Committee, which shall make recommendations to the membership of worthy individuals for the Steering Committee. It shall attempt to balance the membership of the Steering Committee with respect to geographic residence, age, sex, occupation, and areas of expertise, choosing from among persons who have demonstrated interest in the goals of the Association. The committee shall also make recommendations, as necessary, to the Steering Committee for changes to the bylaws.
d) A Zoning Committee, which shall review and make policy recommendations to the Steering Committee regarding application for zoning changes and variances, and other land use issues.
e) A Transportation Committee, which shall review and make policy recommendations to the Steering Committee regarding issues related to streets, sidewalks, public transit, and bicycle/pedestrian/automobile traffic, and related neighborhood transportation issues.
f) A Police Relations Committee, which shall act as a liaison with local police authorities, and review and make policy recommendations to the Steering Committee regarding issues related to Neighborhood Watch, graffiti, crime statistics, and community policing.
g) Additional standing committees may be formed upon recommendation of the Steering Committee and approval by the general membership.

2. Special committees may be formed by the Steering Committee or by a motion from the floor at a general membership meeting to address issues of concern to Association members and area residents. Chairpersons of the committees shall be appointed by the President. Such committees shall be dissolved upon completion of their respective tasks, or after one year whichever comes first. They may be reinstated by a majority vote of the Steering Committee, which shall periodically review the need for each such committee.

ARTICLE IX Political Activities

Neither the Association nor any member purporting to speak for the Association shall endorse any candidate for public office or any political party. Membership rosters of the Association shall not be used for political, commercial, or other activity not directly related to the Association.

ARTICLE X Policy Determination

Policy position of the Association shall be determined by a simple majority vote of the members present and voting at a meeting of the general membership, or, in the case of necessity, between membership meetings, by a two-thirds vote of the Steering Committee. Failure by a Steering Committee member to represent this majority view shall be considered unbecoming conduct.

ARTICLE XI Parliamentary Authority

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 the bylaws and any special rules of order the Association may adapt.

ARTICLE XII Amendment

These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote at any meeting of the general membership provided that notice has been given in writing to all members at least one week in advance or by announcement at the preceding general membership meeting.

ARTICLE XIII Dissolution

Upon the dissolution of the Brentwood Neighborhood Association no class of member shall have any right nor shall receive any assets of the Association. The assets of the Association shall be permanently dedicated to a tax-exempt purpose. In the event of dissolution, the Association's assets after payment of debts, shall be distributed to an organization which is tax exempt under the provisions of Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. [End of bylaws]