Blendon Woods Civic Association

New BWCA By-Laws 10-2013

BY LAWS OF THE BLENDON WOODS CIVIC ASSOCIATION

ARTICLE I – DESCRIPTION OF MEMBERSHIP

A. The Blendon Woods Civic Association will promote cooperation, the owners’ enjoyment of their premises, a neighborhood spirit and protection of the residents’ investment in their home. Our sole objective is to foster friendly, pleasant and attractive surroundings.

B. "Resident Homeowner" shall mean any person or persons occupying a residence in Blendon Woods Civic Association (hereinafter referred as BWCA), which residence is owned by same. For purposes of voting, Resident Homeowner shall be considered one person, and shall be represented by one person who shall be at least 18 years of age.

C. No resident within the BWCA boundaries may be excluded from membership based on race, gender, national origin, religion, disability or medical condition, age or sexual orientation.

D. Membership in the Association is entirely voluntary. However, the deed restrictions apply equally to all residents, both members and non-members. A person’s membership status shall in no way affect a decision by the Board, Association or A.R.B.

ARTICLE II – DESCRIPTION OF BOUNDARIES

The boundary maps can be found on the Franklin County Auditor website under the Subdivision of Blendon Estates, which was the original Blendon Estates Civic Association and this included Phase I and Phase II as described below. The next development was called The Woods at Blendon Estates, built in two sections, listed below as Phase III. The last addition was called Broadview Commons and is listed as Phase IV. The association decided to rename the group to combine all Phases, which has a total of 325 homes. It was then called Blendon Woods Civic Association and in 1991, became a member of the Northland Community Council.

Phase I  Thornburg Court, Woodville Court and Woodville Drive to Broadview Road / Wolf Run Drive with East border starting at 5326 & 5325, including Blue River Court and ending at 4292 & 5369 on the West end of Wolf Run Drive.  Subdivision name: Blendon Estates.

Phase II  4243 to 5368 Wolf Run Drive, including Bear Tooth Court, Flat Head Court, Park City Court and Mountain Springs Court and 4275 to 4337 on West side of Big Sky Court.  Subdivision name: Blendon Estates, Section 2.

Phase III   4264 to 4354 on the East side of Big Sky Court, 4100 to 4218 on the East side of Boulder Dam, including, Boulder Creek, Beaverhead Court, Red Bend, Eagle Head Drive and Bull Run Court. Subdivision name: The Woods at Blendon Estates, Section 1.

Phase IV  4099 to 4235 on the West side of Boulder Dam, including Big Timber Court, and 5567 to 5611 Swingley Drive.  Subdivision name: The Woods at Blendon Estates, Section 2.

Phase V  4124 to 4196 Panorama Drive and 5533 to 5566 Swingley Drive. Subdivision name: Broadview Commons.

ARTICLE III - DUES

A. Dues of the BWCA shall be recorded on an annual basis commencing to begin August 1 to July 31st. Collection of dues shall be in accordance with the By-Laws. Payment of dues shall be a prerequisite to the attainment of any rights of membership.

B. Dues for membership in the BWCA shall be determined by the Board.

ARTICLE IV – MEETINGS

Board Meetings:  Regularly scheduled Board/ General meetings shall be held not less than four times per year, on a quarterly basis the 2^nd Tuesday; January, April, July and October of those months in accordance with the Bylaws as prescribed by the Board. Unscheduled Board meetings may be called at any time by the President, or by not less than three (3) members of the Board, to address matters of urgency. A quorum will be three Board members and three representatives.

A. By majority vote or Representatives attending an announced meeting, the Board may amend, delete, or add articles to the bylaws, as it deems necessary.

ARTICLE V – MEMBERS OF THE BOARD

A. The Area Representatives will elect a four member Board of Directors from their own ranks. The Board will consist of those set forth in item 1 below. The Board may at any time establish other standing or temporary committees in addition to the ones listed below and under committees. Board members and representatives/committee persons shall be:

1. Executive Board members:

One (1) President

One (1) Vice President

One (1) Treasurer

One (1) Secretary

2. Representatives/Committee person(s)

                One (1) A.R.B. committee person

One (1) Newsletter Editor

One (1) Social Committee person

One (1) Membership committee person

One/Four (1-4) Block Watch committee person(s)

One/Two (1-2) Welcome committee person(s)

B. No Board member, Representative, Officer or Member of BWCA shall receive a salary or remuneration of any monetary value for time or services rendered.

C. Board Members and Committee person(s) shall be elected, appointed or installed as required herein, for a term of one (1) year, commencing and expiring upon adjournment of the respective month of installation via General Membership Meeting. There shall be no limit to the number of consecutive terms a board member or committee person may serve on the Board. All board members and committee persons shall be Regular Members of the BWCA.

D. Any member of the Executive Board; who is unable or unwilling to properly perform the duties listed in the By Laws in any given six (6) month period shall be removed from office. The remaining Board members shall appoint a replacement to continue those duties as described herein. At the next General Membership Meeting the appointed board member must run for office and be voted in by the general membership.

ARTICLE VI - DUTIES OF BOARD MEMBERS/COMMITTEE PERSON(S)

A. President. The President is the spokesperson for the association and is looked at to establish the association’s goals and priorities.  The President shall preside at all General Membership, Special and Board Meetings, sign the records thereof, and perform generally those duties usually performed by presidents of like associations, and such other and further duties as shall be from time to time required by the membership or the Board. The President shall see that all Officers, Representatives and committees carry out their duties as prescribed by the BWCA Bylaws.

The President shall have the right to vote on all questions before the Board. In the absence of the President and/or the Vice President, the duties of this office shall pass to the next succeeding Board/Officer in the order listed in the By Laws. In addition to the duties described in the By Laws, the President shall …

1. Require an annual audit of the Treasurer's records.

2. Appoint committee chairpersons as described in the By Laws.

3. Prepare a list of proposed new/current events for their term of office and present said proposal to the Board.

B. Vice President. The Vice President shall perform all duties of the President in the President's absence. The Vice President shall assist the President and shall perform duties as required by the President or by board. In the absence of the President, or if the President is unable from any cause to act, the Vice President shall preside at all regular or special meetings of board and shall perform all duties of the absent President. The Vice President shall inform the board of any action taken on behalf of the President. The Vice President shall oversee, nominate and/or serve as the BWCA representative(s) and monitor the representatives’ attendance of the NCC general and development meetings. The Vice President shall succeed the President if the President resigns or is removed from office.

C. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall receive and have charge of all monies belonging to the BWCA and shall disburse, or otherwise deal with same as shall be ordered by the Board. The Treasurer shall keep an accurate account of all monies received and disbursed and shall generally perform such duties as may be required of the Treasurer by the members or the Board. The Treasurer shall make a financial report at every Board and General Membership Meeting. The Treasurer shall open his books for inspection and examination by the Board, or its designees, upon request by the Board.

D. Secretary. The Secretary shall keep the minutes of all General Membership, Special and Board Meetings and make a proper record of same, which shall be attested by him/her. The Secretary shall perform such other duties as may be required by the President, Board, or membership. The Secretary will maintain a master copy of any BWCA packets that are distributed out to any committee members. The Secretary will keep the minutes of Executive Committee meetings and of all General, Annual, and Special Meetings; will keep the attendance of the Officers at all such meetings; will be custodian of the records; will prepare and transmit notices to the association’s members; will present to the Executive Committee all communications addressed to the Association for their actions; will attend to all correspondence under the direction of the Executive Committee; and will perform all other duties inherent in this office.

E. Architectural Review Board Officer. The A.R.B.  Officer shall be responsible for fielding and directly assisting (when necessary) with residents’ complaints about Columbus City Code violations and street parking violations occurring within BWCA; reporting to the Board on the type and frequency of complaints; and maintaining frequent communication and follow-up with both the Columbus Code Enforcement Officer and the Police Precinct assigned to the area which includes BWCA Residents’ complaints about matters occurring in the immediate vicinity of BWCA shall also be given consideration according to the judgment of the Board.  This committee may consist of assistants as needed or requested by the A.R.B.  Officer.

The deed restrictions detail improvement projects that are subject to review. A resident with such a project can give the blueprints or specifications to any Area Representative or Board member for review by the A.R.B. The A.R.B. will contact other residents that may be affected by the project and take the opinions of these residents under consideration when making its decisions. In the event the A.R.B. rules that a breach of the deed restrictions exists, or will exist, the Board may authorize the necessary step(s) to remedy the situation. Members of the Board, acting as a group of individual residents exercising their rights as stated in the deed restrictions, will take these actions.

F. BWCA Editor: Shall produce the BWCA newsletter on a quarterly basis to coincide with the quarterly meetings, completed shortly after the quarterly meeting schedule. At the pleasure of the BWCA editor – shall appoint a volunteer to acquire all advertisements for the newsletter, print, and distribute the newsletter to all the area representatives. Bill all advertisers and submit those to the treasurer in a timely fashion. All payments are to be sent directly to the treasurer.  

G. Social Committee: The Social Committee chairperson shall be responsible for publicizing the endeavors and activities of the BWCA. Duties may include writing, disseminating and obtaining press releases, issuing notices and flyers to the membership when required by the Board, handling correspondence and notices, and generally performing such other duties as may be required by the President, Board, or membership. The chairperson of this committee may establish the following sub-committees ...

1. Adult and Family Activities This committee shall be responsible for social activities, planned for adult or family participation such as dances, card socials, picnics, holiday events, golf outing,  garage sales, etc.

2. Youth and Children's Activities This committee shall be responsible for social activities planned such as teen dances, queen contests, Easter egg hunts, 4^th of July parade, Christmas activities, etc.

H. The Membership Committee Representative: shall be responsible for the accumulation and or dissemination of information concerning BWCA activities and programs to all area representatives and Board Members. The Membership Committee Representative shall be responsible for coordinating and organizing the membership drive. Communication with Board on start and end dates for drive and also with newsletter editor.

I. Block Watch Committee: This committee shall be responsible for coordinating their own meetings and reporting to the Board as concerned residents in an effort to make the neighborhood more secure, and to educate others on how to watch out for each other, report suspicious activities to committee and police, and to address concerns for safety of the neighborhood and it’s residents. Some of the required activities relating to Block Watch are:  to maintain contact with the local police liaison for information on crime patterns, training for members on home security and reporting skills. To use on-line resources such as; Crime Reports, Citizen Observer, and any other program relating to Crime Awareness. Organize National Night Out for the first Tuesday in August each year in order to promote police-community partnerships, crime prevention and neighborhood camaraderie.

J. Welcome Committee: Responsible for organizing a packet for New Residents, as Area Representatives notify committee and collect information on area businesses, restaurants, schools, doctors, city services, etc., to add to the packet; which may include business cards, discounts or brochures.  To update and organize information each year, making sure to include BWCA Deed Restrictions, By-Laws, a Welcome letter, Membership Form, the latest newsletter, telephone directory, and an updated Area Representative list for the packet. Committee shall communicate to Secretary for updated forms and paperwork as needed. May work with the Directory Committee on advertising possibilities for telephone directory and newsletter.

ARTICLE VII - ANNUAL BUDGET

Each year, no later than the October Board meeting, the treasurer shall submit to the Board the budget. The Board shall make changes and/or approve the submitted budget which shall serve as a guideline for programs and activity spending by the BWCA. The budget shall be for the period of January 1 through December 31 of the next calendar year. Budget detail and format shall be at the discretion of the Board; however, the budget shall include an estimate of gross revenues identifying all expended revenue sources and their respective amounts, and a reasonable breakdown of programs and activities for which monies will be expended.

 

 

ARTICLE VIII - REPRESENTATIVES

A.  Area Representatives shall be responsible for the accumulation and or dissemination of information concerning BWCA activities and programs to all members, and to non-member residents, living in the area which they represent, i.e. Newsletters & etc.

 B. Area Representatives shall be responsible for the area to which they have been assigned and shall perform such duties as...

1. Distributing appropriate materials, flyers, newsletters, membership forms, etc., in a timely manner.

2. Canvassing residents on questions of BWCA concern.

3. Collecting dues and membership forms for the Membership Committee.

4. Passing petitions for signatures on matters sponsored or endorsed by BWCA.

5. Performing such other duties as assigned by members of the Board.

6. Contact the Welcome Committee to alert them of a new resident and schedule a time to deliver a welcome packet together.

7. Call any new residential listing in your area and let the realtor know of your presence and give them information about BWCA, i.e. Newsletter, website address and contact information.

8. In the event an Area Representative becomes unable or unwilling to properly represent the residents, the Board shall appoint a replacement Representative or redraw the boundaries. A replacement will be named by the Board to fill any vacancies created by such actions.

C. ARTICLE IX - NORTHLAND COMMUNITY COUNCIL (NCC)

1. A.      Appointment of Representatives: The President shall appoint BWCA representatives to the NCC General Membership and Development Committee. After appointment, the President shall write and send a letter to the President of the NCC to advise them of the new representatives.
2. B.      Voting: The BWCA is entitled to two (2) votes at the NCC General Membership Meeting on questions as cast by each of the two official delegates. And one (1) representative to the Development Committee.  If possible, the representative should ascertain the opinion of the Board before voting on NCC questions. The BWCA Board shall establish the general policies on NCC matters and the voting of the delegates shall reflect these policies.
3. C.      Reporting: The representatives shall report activities of NCC (both General Membership Meetings and Development Meetings) to the BWCA Board at each general meeting and shall inform the Board how they voted on NCC matters.

ARTICLE X – COMMITTEES

Chairpersons of committees may be appointed by the President for a term expiring upon adjournment of the January General Membership Meeting. These chairpersons will preferably, but not necessarily, be selected by the BWCA Board, except for those committees where a non-Board member is prohibited. Each chairperson shall prepare plans for the year's activities and estimate budget requirements. They shall coordinate plans with the President, and the Secretary who posts to newsletter/social media and website, and the estimated budget with the Treasurer in a timely manner appropriate with planned activities. Names of all sub-committee chairpersons will be provided to the President for information and disseminated to the members of the Board and other committees.

Committee Meeting Schedule and Procedure

The chairperson of each committee shall set the time and place of each committee meeting giving due consideration to the wishes of other committee members.

The committee chairperson shall be responsible to the Board on all matters pertaining to the activities of their committees. Committee chairpersons shall attend meetings of the Board when requested by the President.

ARTICLE XI - GENERAL DUTIES

Any Officer or Representative shall accept any additional duties which may be assigned by the President or the Board and shall assume responsibility for the discharge of such duties. Care shall be exercised that any one Board member is not over-burdened with assignments and no assignment shall be given in absentia.

ARTICLE XII - MEETING PROCEDURES

All BWCA meetings will be conducted in accordance with current Roberts Rules of Order Revised.

ARTICLE XIII – DISSOLUTION OF THE BWCA

In the event of the BWCA’s, the remaining assets, after the satisfaction of any and all financial obligations, shall be given to the NCC to promote the development of same. All legal requirements of the State of Ohio and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service for the dissolution of the corporation must be followed.

Adopted:  October 2013