Green Acres Civic Association By-laws

AMENDED CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS OF THE GREEN ACRES CIVIC ASSOCIATION AMENDED IN CONJUNCTION WITH AMENDMENTS TO THE GREEN ACRES DEED RESTRICTIONS IN THE YEAR 2000

Article I - Name

The name of the organization shall be the GREEN ACRES CIVIC ASSOCIATION, INC. (hereinafter referred to as the Association).

Article II - Purpose

The purpose of the Association shall be to promote the general welfare of the Green Acres community defined in Appendix I.

Article III - Membership

Section 1. All property owners of the area described as Green Acres in the plot diagram (Appendix I) shall be eligible for membership.
Section 2. Membership shall be acquired and retained upon payment of annual dues as specified hereinafter.
Section 3. Each residential unit carries one vote, and an adult property owner having membership in good standing may cast that vote in person, by mail, or by proxy. In addition, absentee owners of a residential unit whose membership is in good standing may similarly cast one vote.
Section 4. Membership is terminated upon ceasing to be a property owner in Green Acres, or by non-payment of dues.

Article IV - Dues

Section 1. Annual dues shall be determined by the board each year for each membership (residential unit) due and payable by November 1. Dues must be received by then to maintain continuity of membership.
Section 2. There shall be no compulsory assessments.
Section 3. The Treasurer may accept contributions in behalf of the Association.

Article V - Officers and Duties

Section 1. Officers
(a) The Officers of the Association shall consist of a President, a Vice-President, a Recording Secretary, a Corresponding Secretary, and a Treasurer, each of whom shall serve for a term of two (2) year or until a successor is elected and installed. An officer may be nominated for re-election to serve one (1) additional term. No officer may serve more than two (2) consecutive terms in the same office except when he has filled a prior unexpired term.
(b) Nomination of officers shall be made by the nominating committee. The committee shall nominate, where possible, at least two candidates for each office. In addition, a candidate for a designated office can also be nominated by a petition containing thirty (30) signatures of Association members, providing such a petition is delivered to a member of the nominating committee at least fifteen (15) days before the election. The nominating committee shall prepare a ballot containing all nominations for officers and councilmen and send it to the membership at least ten (10) days but not more than thirteen (13) days before the annual meeting.
(c) Election of officers shall be by ballot presented at the annual meeting and shall be by a plurality of votes cast. The officers shall be installed at the annual meeting.
(d) In case of a vacancy in any of the five major offices, the President may appoint, with the support of the Council (Article VI), a successor to fill the unexpired term.
(e) Officers may be removed for just cause at a special meeting by a majority vote of the total active membership. Each member must cast his vote in person.

Section 2. Duties
(a) The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Association and shall preside at all meetings of the Association and meetings of the Council. He shall see that all resolutions of the Association are put into effect. He shall also appoint all committees except the nominating and the auditing committee at an open meeting of the Association.
(b) The Vice-President shall assist the President and shall perform the duties of the President in his absence. In addition, the Vice-President shall maintain a file of all residents, a record of the dues payment of each resident, and shall recommend to Council status of membership of residents of the Association.
(c) The Recording Secretary shall record minutes of all proceedings of the Association and of the Council, and shall keep the essential records belonging to the Association which are not assigned to other officers.
(d) The Corresponding Secretary shall handle all official correspondence of the Association, including notices of meetings.
(e) The Treasurer shall receive and be responsible for all funds of the Association and shall keep an account of all dues, receipts and expenditures. All funds collected by the Treasurer shall be deposited in the name of the Association in a bank designated by the Council. All records of the Treasurer shall be available to the Council at any meeting. A sum in excess of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) may be paid only by prior approval of the Council. Any sum of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) or less must be authorized by the President prior to payment. All checks withdrawing funds are to be signed by the Treasurer and the President or the Vice-President. The Treasury accounts shall be examined annually just prior to the annual meeting by an auditing committee of three (3) members appointed by the Council. The members of that committee shall not be members of the Council. The Treasurer shall make a report at the annual meeting and the auditing committee's approval shall be shown by signatures at the end thereof.

Article VI Council

Section 1. The Council shall consist of the five (5) officers and the fifteen (15) district councilmen identified in Article XI.
Section 2. The Council shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Association and shall perform such other duties as are specified in this Constitution and By-Laws or in the certificate of incorporation of the Association.

Article VII - Membership Meetings

Section 1. An annual meeting of the members of the Association for the election and installation of officers and any other business to be transacted shall be held each November. All members shall be notified of the time and place of this annual meeting by written notice at least ten (10) days in advance thereof. Notification shall include a brief description of matters to be discussed insofar as they are known in advance.
Section 2. Special meetings of the Association may be called by the Council. In addition, the Council shall call a special meeting of the Association upon presentation to any member of the Council of a petition signed by at least twenty-five (25) members. All members shall be notified of the time and place of any special meeting at least seven (7) days before the meeting, and a description of the subject or subjects to be discussed. No other subject may be discussed or voted upon at said meeting.
Section 3. A quorum at any regular meeting or special meeting of the Association shall consist of those members present in person or by proxy.
Section 4. A plurality of votes cast is necessary to decide any issue which shall come before any meeting of the Association, with the exception of amendment of the Constitution and By-Laws.

Article VIII - Council Meetings

Section 1. The Council shall meet monthly except December, July, and August. The meetings shall be at such time and place as designated by the President.
Section 2. Special meetings of the Council may be called by the President with due notice to all members of the Council.
Section 3. No business at a Council meeting shall be conducted unless a quorum of at least 25% of the representatives of the districts are present.
Section 4. All Council meetings shall be open to any active member of the Association.

Article IX - Committees

Section 1. Council shall appoint a nominating committee of five (5) members at least sixty days before the annual meeting. No more than two (2) members of Council shall serve on the nominating committee.
Section 2. The President shall appoint committees as required by Council.
Section 3. The President shall appoint five (5) members to the Architectural Review Committee.
Section 4. The President may appoint such other committees as he deems necessary.
Section 5. All committee members shall serve at the pleasure of the President.
Section 6. These provisions shall not apply to the nominating and auditing committees.

Article X - The Architectural Review Committee

The Architectural Review Committee shall consist of five (5) members appointed by the President. The committee members' terms shall be for five (5) years, rotating such that each year one member will step down and a new member will be appointed. To establish the committee and this rotation, the inaugural committee member's terms will vary from one (1) to five (5) years.

Article XI - Councilmen

Section 1. There shall be one (1) councilman from each of the fifteen (15) districts, as shown in Appendix I.
Section 2. Candidates for the office of councilman shall be nominated by a nominating committee which shall be appointed in each district by the councilman in each district. There shall be, where possible, at least two (2) nominees from each district. A written petition from at least six (6) families in a district shall also serve to nominate a candidate. If the community is unable to nominate a candidate, the President may appoint a councilman to serve.
Section 3. One-half of the Council shall be elected at each annual meeting of the Association; those from odd-numbered districts to be elected and installed at meetings held in odd-numbered calendar years, those from even-numbered districts to be elected and installed in even calendar years. Councilmen elected to fill vacancies in unexpired terms shall be elected to serve only until the next regular election for that district. Voting shall be by ballot, each voter choosing only among candidates from his own district. If no votes are cast for a particular district the president shall appoint a person to serve as a representative of said district.
Section 4. Each councilman shall serve a term of two (2) years and may be reappointed or re-elected.
Section 5. Vacancies in the roster of councilmen shall be filled by the President of the Association until the next election. Councilmen, with the consent of the President, may delegate their functions to alternates.
Section 6. Councilmen shall be members of the Council. In Council meetings they shall represent the residents of their districts.
Section 7. Councilmen shall contact the residents of their district regarding Association business whenever necessary. Article XII - Parliamentary Authority The rules contained in "Robert's Rules of Order, Revised" shall govern this Association in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with this Constitution and By-Laws. Article XIII - Amendment This Constitution and By-Laws may be amended by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of those members returning ballots provided that at least half the membership casts ballots, and provided further that adequate notice is given at least ten (10) days in advance.

Return to Top