Blair Hills Association
By-Laws
Last Revised and approved by Association, Spring 2006
ARTICLE I – NAME
The name of this organization shall be the BLAIR HILLS ASSOCIATION, a non-profit organization.
ARTICLE II - OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this organization shall be:
1. Promoting the social welfare of our area and providing organized recreational activity for ourselves and our children.
2. Furthering interest in community affairs and establishing a distinct, close-knit neighborhood
3. Maintaining our property values
4. Discussing neighborhood problems and working out their solutions.
ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP / DUES
Section 1: Any person who is a resident in the area designated BLAIR HILLS in Culver City, California, and who is interested in the objectives for which the Association is organized and is willing to uphold its bylaws, may become an active member of the Association upon payment of dues as hereinafter prescribed.
Section 2: Honorary membership may be granted.
Section 3: Dues shall be $10.00 per household per year; one vote per household. The fiscal year shall be from the first day of January of each year through the 31st day of December. Dues will be considered in arrears if not paid by the first of May. Dues paid by new members after the first day of November will be applied to the following year.
ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS AND DUTIES
Section 1: The officers shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Historian. More than one person can serve in combination for an officer position.
Section 2: Directors shall consist of 20 members at large, with each street having at least one representative, plus the immediate past president.
Section 3: The President shall preside at all meetings of the General Membership (in the case of co-presidents, they shall decide among themselves which one of them will preside prior to each meeting); shall be an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee; shall appoint chairmen of all standing committees with the approval of the Board; shall, together with the Treasurer or Vice-President, sign all checks.
Section 4: The Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President in the absence of the President and shall be authorized to sign checks together with the President or Treasurer.
Section 5: The Secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings of the Association and of all meetings of the Board of Directors; keep a record of membership and Board attendance; shall conduct the general correspondence of the Association at the direction of the President; shall keep an accurate list of members and their addresses and phone numbers; shall notify all committees of their appointments. The secretary may also serve as the Historian, or the Historian may be a separate person.
Section 6: The Treasurer shall receive and receipt for all money paid; shall have charge of all funds of the Association and shall deposit all money in the name of the Association in a bank account approved by the Board of Directors; shall be authorized to sign checks together with the Vice-President or President; shall pay all bills authorized by the Board; shall keep an accurate record of receipts and disbursements, prepare a report of receipts and expenditures each month; and shall make an annual written report to the Board and to the Association. The Treasurer shall prepare a list of all members in good standing for use of the Nominating Committee.
Section 7: The Historian shall safeguard Association records, including past minutes and newsletters, records of activities and actions of the Association, and pictures and memorabilia. The Historian shall organize and keep track of these records, make them available when needed, and pass them on to the next Historian.
ARTICLE V - BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1: The government of the Association shall be vested in the Board of Directors composed of the Officers and Directors. The Board of Directors shall have charge of all financial and general business of the Association. Board members may incur expenses on behalf of the board and be reimbursed provided they have majority approval of the Board for the expenses.
Section 2: Board meetings shall be held once a month. Time and place is to be decided upon by the Board. Special meetings may be called at any time by the President by notice to each director not less than 24 hours before such meeting is called.
Section 3: Any vacancy occurring on the Board of Directors shall be filled by the Board, or, at the discretion of the Board, by special election. Any special election shall be held according to provisions of Article VIII (other than dates, but including required notice periods) as soon after the vacancy as possible. The nominating committee from the prior election shall serve as the nominating committee for such a special election.
Section 4: The Board shall have power to declare vacant the office of a member absent more than two consecutive regular Board meetings with inadequate excuse or absent three consecutive regular Board meetings with or without excuse.
Section 5: Any Association member may attend meetings of the Board of Directors upon notification of intention to the President, or in response to an open invitation by the President prior to the Board meeting.
Section 6: Five members shall constitute a quorum at meetings of the Board of Directors. At least nine members is considered desirable.
SECTION VI - STANDING COMMITTEES
Section 1: The standing committees of the Blair Hills Association shall consist of Community Affairs; Publications; Planned Activities; Hospitality and Membership; Neighborhood Environment; Traffic; Emergency Preparedness; and Email and Web. The Chairpersons of all standing committees shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Board, and term of office shall be for one year, renewable.
Section 2: Community Affairs Committee will be concerned with keeping our membership informed on proceedings and action of the Culver City Council, its Commissions and Standing Committees, the Culver City School Board, School Advisory Committees, and PTA, and other city organizations that affect life in Blair Hills; act as liaison to these groups on issues that convene Blair Hills; gather information to enable our membership to vote in elections as informed citizens; and coordinate correspondence, meeting attendance, and other actions that impact the quality of life in our neighborhood as authorized by the Board and general membership in votes at meetings.
Section 3: Publications Committee shall be responsible for editing, publishing and distribution of the Blair Hills Newsletter, distribution of flyers announcing and giving advance information for meetings, and publishing a neighborhood roster. The committee shall also oversee collection of dues from Blair Hills residents, and the updating of the roster information, including names, addresses, telephone numbers, and, email addresses. The printed roster shall not include any email address unless the resident has given permission to include it. The email notification list shall include all provided email addresses, but access to this list shall be restricted (see Section 9 below).
Section 4: Planned Activities Committee shall be concerned with organizing neighborhood events and parties, including holiday gatherings, block parties, and cultural events. They shall also coordinate political candidate forums and visiting speakers for Association meetings.
Section 5: Hospitality and Membership Committee shall contact and welcome newly arrived residents of Blair Hills to acquaint them with our Association and invite them to join the Association and meet their neighbors; shall provide means of introducing new members to the group at meetings; shall coordinate refreshment and decorations at all meetings and social functions; shall send out gift baskets and congratulations, condolence, and other communications as authorized by majority votes of the Board and/or Association; and shall act as a telephone committee when necessary for special situations.
Section 6: The Neighborhood Environment Committee shall urge residents to keep their homes and gardens neat, and deal with blight, trash, and other problems in areas surrounding Blair Hills. They shall also record, report, and seek assistance with problems of crime.
Section 7: The Traffic Committee shall coordinate work with Culver City and Los Angeles to mitigate street and traffic problems, including issues of street access to Blair Hills and cut through traffic.
Section 8: The Emergency Preparedness Committee shall coordinate preparations in homes and neighborhood wide for earthquakes and other disasters, and coordinate neighborhood preparedness with that of Culver City Fire Department, and citizen groups such as CERT and CCARES (amateur radio).
Section 9: The Email and Web Committee shall: maintain a web site; post meeting minutes, newsletters, pictures, historical and informational material, and other material of general interest to the neighborhood; maintain email loops; and keep an electronic Association member database. The committee shall ensure security and proper use of the database and email loops. The member database shall only be used for communication about meetings and issues that affect the quality of life in Blair Hills; no lists shall be given out for soliciting, political, or commercial purposes.
ARTICLE VII - ASSOCIATION MEETINGS
Section 1: The Association year shall begin on January 1 and end on the following December 31.
Section 2: The regular meeting of the Association shall take place as called by the President with the approval of the board. Meetings shall be normally open, but may be declared closed for members only if necessary.
Section 3: Twenty (20) members need be present to constitute a quorum for votes, including votes for elections of officers and amendments of these By-Laws.
ARTICLE VIII - NOMINATIONS
Section 1: In October, the President shall appoint a nominating committee of at least three members in good standing to select candidates eligible for officers and directors.
Section 2: The Nominating Committee shall report at the next general meeting their selections for officers to the Association members. The general membership shall be notified of this meeting at least two weeks in advance.
Section 3: Nominations may be made from the floor for candidates who are eligible and have given their consent, following the reading of the Nominating Committee's report.
Section 4: Candidates for office of President and Vice President shall have been members of the Board of Directors for one full year if such a person(s) are available and willing to serve. All candidates must have been members in good standing of the Association for one full year if such person(s) are available and willing to serve.
Section 5: All elections shall be by secret paper ballot, including an option for “absentee balloting” in the event a resident is not able to attend a general meeting.
Section 6: Only members whose annual dues have been paid on or before the September meeting are eligible to vote.
Section 7: Officers shall be elected annually, and may be reelected to multiple terms
Section 8: The installation of officers shall take place at the first meeting of the following year, in January.
ARTICLE IX - BY-LAW AMENDMENTS
Section 1: These by-laws may be amended by two thirds vote of the members present at a general membership meeting with a quorum present announced with the required notice: The required notice of proposed changes of the by-laws shall consist of the reading, posting, or distribution by flyer of the changes two weeks prior to the meeting when the vote is to be taken.
Section 2: The Board of Directors shall pass, by majority vote at a Board Meeting at which a quorum is present, or by collection of voting by email from Board members following a Board meeting at which a quorum was present all proposed amendments to the by-laws prior to their presentation to the Association for vote.
Section 3: Any member may submit in writing a proposed amendment to the Board of Directors, and upon its approval it will be presented to the Association.
ARTICLE X – NOTIFICATIONS AND VOTING
Section 1: All Neighborhood Association general meetings shall be announced by distribution of flyers to each home.
Section 2: Board meetings and special meetings may be announced by flyer, email, or telephone at the discretion of the President. Email shall only be used for people who notify the board that they are willing to receive notification by email.
Section 3: Voting shall occur at meetings, with the one exception that, at the discretion of the President, Board votes may be gathered by email and telephone when an urgent quorum decision is required.