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Article 11 Committees A. Prologue Committees exist to serve the interests of the membership. Any committee actions may be reversed or nullified by a majority vote of the quorum at a regular or special meeting. Unless specifically authorized by these bylaws or by a specific authorization of limited duration, a committee may not commit the Association to any position, agreement, contract, or binding arrangement. B. Standing Committees The following are standing committees of the Association: Executive, Newsletter, Zoning, Streets & Sewers, and Membership. 1. Executive In addition to the duties and responsiblities enumerated elsewhere in these bylaws, the Executive Committee can authorize other committees to act in areas of their responsibility without consulting the general membership if circumstances do not allow time for such consultation. In such cases, the Executive Committee must notify the membership within 24 hours by means of a posting to the HNA Website and other newsgroups or e-mail systems, and the designated committee must make a reasonable, good-faith attempt to give the membership prior notice of any upcoming business concerning the delegated issue and must report all business relating to the issue following the requirements elsewhere defined in these bylaws. 2. Membership The Mission of the Membership committee is to work with the general membership to enlarge the Association, encourage participation in Committees and events, introduce new members, and to organize social events for the benefit of the membership. The Association Treasurer automatically serves as a member of the Membership Committee. 3. Newsletter The mission of the Newsletter committee is to publish a newsletter informing the membership of the activities of Hancock Neighborhood Association and including other information of relevance to the Hancock neighborhood. The newsletter shall be published a minimum of six times yearly, during the months in which a regular Association meeting is not scheduled. The Newsletter Committee is authorized to enter into agreements for printing the newsletter and the sale of advertising in it. No advertising shall be accepted from any candidate for political office, nor shall advertising advocating a political position be accepted. The Association Secretary automatically serves as a member of the Newsletter Committee. 4. Streets and Sewers The Mission of the Streets and Sewers committee is to ensure the quality and safety of the streets, sidewalks, sewers, signage and public spaces of the neighborhood. 5. Zoning Committee The Zoning Committee serves as the point-of-contact for zoning change requests, requests for design variances, and other matters relating to building code and neighborhood plan August 8, 2011
compliance. The Zoning committee's review of such proposals must take into consideration the nature and characteristics of the neighborhood and consistency with the adopted neighborhood plan. C. Membership and Terms The President appoints the chairperson of each standing committee and can replace the chairperson at any time. Committee chairpersons can serve consecutive terms without limit, so long as they are duly reappointed. The President appoints members of standing committees and can do so at any time. The membership can add committee members at any time by a majority vote of the quorum. All committee members and chairs serve from the time of their appointment until the January meeting of the following year unless removed as specified below. D. Ad Hoc Committees The Executive Committee can create ad hoc committees as needed. The membership can create ad hoc committees by a majority vote vote of the quorum. Any ad hoc committees must have a fixed number of members and a specified procedure for electing or appointing them, a stated goal or charter defining its purpose, and a timeline for completing its work or being renewed by a vote of the membership. No ad hoc committee can have a tenure longer than one year. E. Removal of Committee Members The President can remove committee members at his or her discretion at any time. However, a unanimous vote of the other members of the Executive Committee can overturn such an action. The membership can overturn removal of a committee member by a two-thirds majority vote of the quorum at a regular or specially called meeting. Individual members of a committee, including the committee chair, may be removed by a majority vote of the Association membership. Such motions may not be submitted as emergency items. F. Dissolution of Committees Any committee can be dissolved following the procedures specified in Article 10 for the removal of Association officers. If a standing committee is dissolved, its duties devolve to the Executive Committee until such time as the general membership by majority vote adopts a motion to reconstitute it at a regular or special meeting. Motions reconstituting a committee cannot be entertained at the same meeting during which a committee is dissolved. G. Committee Size and Composition Committees must have no fewer than three members. Association officers serving on the Executive Committee cannot make up more than 50 percent of any committee's membership. A committee that fails to meet these membership requirements is suspended until it does so. In the interim, the committee's responsibilities devolve to the Executive Committee. H. Procedural Minimums All committee meetings must be announced and open to interested members of the association. Announcements can take the form of postings to the Hancock newsgroup and Web site and must be made at least one week before the meeting. August 8, 2011
Committees are encouraged to allow interested members of the Association an opportunity to comment on agenda items and to participate in the discussion of them. Nonetheless, by a majority vote of its members, a committee may close a specific agenda item to discussion or comment by non-members of the committee. Regardless of such an action, all committee discussions or votes, including "work sessions," "retreats," and other collective communications among committee members must be open to observation by any interested members of the Association. Each committee must present a report of its activities at regularly scheduled meetings of the Association. In addition, reports of any committee meetings, including the names of those present, the topics discussed, and any proposed or adopted committee actions must be published to the membership with 10 days of the meeting. Publication can take the form of a posting to the Hancock newsgroup and its Web site.
August 8, 2011
compliance. The Zoning committee's review of such proposals must take into consideration the nature and characteristics of the neighborhood and consistency with the adopted neighborhood plan. C. Membership and Terms The President appoints the chairperson of each standing committee and can replace the chairperson at any time. Committee chairpersons can serve consecutive terms without limit, so long as they are duly reappointed. The President appoints members of standing committees and can do so at any time. The membership can add committee members at any time by a majority vote of the quorum. All committee members and chairs serve from the time of their appointment until the January meeting of the following year unless removed as specified below. D. Ad Hoc Committees The Executive Committee can create ad hoc committees as needed. The membership can create ad hoc committees by a majority vote vote of the quorum. Any ad hoc committees must have a fixed number of members and a specified procedure for electing or appointing them, a stated goal or charter defining its purpose, and a timeline for completing its work or being renewed by a vote of the membership. No ad hoc committee can have a tenure longer than one year. E. Removal of Committee Members The President can remove committee members at his or her discretion at any time. However, a unanimous vote of the other members of the Executive Committee can overturn such an action. The membership can overturn removal of a committee member by a two-thirds majority vote of the quorum at a regular or specially called meeting. Individual members of a committee, including the committee chair, may be removed by a majority vote of the Association membership. Such motions may not be submitted as emergency items. F. Dissolution of Committees Any committee can be dissolved following the procedures specified in Article 10 for the removal of Association officers. If a standing committee is dissolved, its duties devolve to the Executive Committee until such time as the general membership by majority vote adopts a motion to reconstitute it at a regular or special meeting. Motions reconstituting a committee cannot be entertained at the same meeting during which a committee is dissolved. G. Committee Size and Composition Committees must have no fewer than three members. Association officers serving on the Executive Committee cannot make up more than 50 percent of any committee's membership. A committee that fails to meet these membership requirements is suspended until it does so. In the interim, the committee's responsibilities devolve to the Executive Committee. H. Procedural Minimums All committee meetings must be announced and open to interested members of the association. Announcements can take the form of postings to the Hancock newsgroup and Web site and must be made at least one week before the meeting. August 8, 2011
Committees are encouraged to allow interested members of the Association an opportunity to comment on agenda items and to participate in the discussion of them. Nonetheless, by a majority vote of its members, a committee may close a specific agenda item to discussion or comment by non-members of the committee. Regardless of such an action, all committee discussions or votes, including "work sessions," "retreats," and other collective communications among committee members must be open to observation by any interested members of the Association. Each committee must present a report of its activities at regularly scheduled meetings of the Association. In addition, reports of any committee meetings, including the names of those present, the topics discussed, and any proposed or adopted committee actions must be published to the membership with 10 days of the meeting. Publication can take the form of a posting to the Hancock newsgroup and its Web site.
August 8, 2011