Adopted by the membership on 25 March 2010
BYLAWS OF THE FALL CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION (FCNA)
1. The name of this Association shall be “The Fall Creek Neighborhood Association.”
2. The purpose of this Association shall be to improve relations among neighbors in the Fall Creek neighborhood, to provide a forum for discussion of issues that affect or may affect Fall Creek residents.
3. A. For the purposes of this group, the area comprising the Fall Creek neighborhood shall be defined as the flats of Ithaca, north and east of Cascadilla Creek, and bounded on the north by Route 13 and Fall Creek.
B. Any person over the age of 18, who is a resident within the area of the Association, shall be considered a voting member. Any Ithaca resident residing outside the area of the Association is eligible for membership as a non-voting member.
4. A. The officers of the Association shall be a Chair, a Membership Coordinator, a Secretary, a Forums Coordinator, a Webmaster, and an Activities Coordinator. Any office may be shared by two people.
B. Officers shall be elected by ballot for a term of one year by a simple majority of Association voting members present at the Fall Meeting plus those who vote by proxy. Election to office shall require a minimum of 10 votes. A method for proxy voting via the Association website shall be established. Elected officers shall assume their elective positions on the first day of the month following the election. Officers may be reelected to the same office for a maximum total term of three consecutive years. A former officer may be elected or appointed to a position he or she held previously after a hiatus of one year.
5. Official representatives to community councils may be appointed by the Steering Committee.
6. The Steering Committee shall consist of the officers, the immediate past Chair of the Association, the chairs of all standing committees, and any official representatives of the Association to community councils. It shall be the duty of the Steering Committee to carry out the purposes of the Association. When matters are decided by vote of members of the Steering Committee, persons sharing a position on the Committee shall each have a half vote. If any of the Association officer positions become vacant, a replacement shall be appointed by the Steering Committee to serve until the next Fall Meeting.
7. The Association shall meet at least four times per year. The Fall Meeting of the Association shall be held in October. The Steering Committee may also call special meetings of the Association at such times as it deems appropriate. Any special meeting and its purpose shall be announced on the FCNA discussion list at least one week prior to the meeting. In an emergency, a special meeting may be called on shorter notice.
8. The Steering Committee shall appoint or approve standing and special committees and their chairs at such times and for such purposes as occasions demand. Standing committees shall consist of one Chair and at least two members.
9. Three months prior to the Fall meeting, the Steering Committee shall establish a Nominating Committee, consisting of one member of the Steering Committee, who shall be the chair, and two Association members at large. The Nominating Committee’s duty shall be to present a slate of officers to be voted on at the subsequent Fall meeting.
10. Projects undertaken in the name of the Association as a whole shall be initiated only with the approval of the Steering Committee, after approval by a majority of the voting membership in attendance at a regular or specially called meeting, with a quorum of 10 members required. If a full membership vote cannot be taken in a timely manner, projects may be undertaken in the name of the Association as a whole by the Steering Committee, after approval by a majority of votes by proxy, via the Association website.
11. The bylaws of the Association may be amended in part or in whole by a two-thirds vote of the members present at any regular or special meeting. Proposed changes must be announced in the FCNA discussion list and discussed at a special meeting. Changes may be approved with a two-thirds majority vote of those present at the fall meeting plus those who vote by proxy, or at a special meeting set up for the purpose, with a quorum of 10 members.
End of ByLaws