NWGNA: Updated bylaws for vote TUESDAY

On Tuesday, January 26, the North Willow Glen Neighborhood Association is holding a meeting to elect a new board and approve some updates to the NWGNA Bylaws. The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, at the Word of Faith Church, 873 Delmas Avenue at the corner of Fuller Avenue.

In November 2009, a steering committee (comprised of former NWGNA board members and concerned neighbors) got together to discuss the direction of the NWGNA and how to increase neighborhood participation.

At this meeting, a slate of candidates volunteered to act as the interim board to keep things moving forward until the time NWGNA elections could be carried out. The steering committee also reviewed the organization's bylaws and proposed some changes to reflect a more community focused organization and to capture how the NWGNA actually operates. These changes have been incorporated into the attached and are pending approval from the general membership.

Volunteers:
Chair: Bill Rankin
Co-Chair: Kim Karcher
Secretary: Chris Davis
Treasurer: Lila Kakuk
Community Leaders: Dan Erceg, Harvey Darnell; Ken Eklund; Pat Gormley, Karen Taylor, Chuck Hudson
Past President: Alison England

Proposed Bylaw Changes:
The NWGNA Bylaws detail organizational structure, and provide some guidelines for how it should operate. Please review the bylaws and bring any concerns to the general membership meeting on January 26.

Changes to text in the bylaws reflect a more community (neighborhood) focused organization and is more in-line with how the organization actually operates.

Summary of Changes:
Article III: Deleting references to the city and adding something about supporting individual residents' efforts
Article IV: Updated the NWGNA Board definition and Officer role and responsibilities.
Article IV: Deleting a provision for non-voting members; added an age requirement to general membership so that if needed, the NWGNA can have independent adults making decisions and limits the ability for a single household to influence neighborhood decisions.
Article V: Added a provision that the board has to vote to accept funds. It is possible that someone could want to give money but may have strings attached that the NWGNA should not accept.
Article VI: Added a provision on the annual meeting.
Article VIII: Added a provision that the board meet at least twice per year.
Article IX: Added a provision that committees have to secure board approval before acting on behalf of the board or the association.
Article XI: Deleted the provision requiring the city to weigh in on conflicts of interest.
Article XIII: Reframed the provision requiring a representative of the city to be a decision maker for when a postponed vote will be held.
Article XIV: Added a provision that other funds should not be co-mingled in the NWGNA bank account.

A comprehensive version of the proposed bylaws will be distributed prior to the meeting on Tuesday.