Olde Cotswold Neighborhood Organization (OCNO)

Olde Cotswold Neighborhood Organization (OCNO)

Welcome to OLDE COTSWOLD

Although we are an older neighborhood, our organization was started in late 2004 when we realized that this small area of about 250 homes has a special quality of life that is both diverse and interconnected.

We formed the Olde Cotswold Neighborhood Organization (OCNO) to provide a forum to:
*Discuss concerns and issues that affect the environment of the neighborhood
*Ensure the safety and security of the neighborhood
*Have some fun.

OCNO is not a watchdog of neighborhood rules:
·We do NOT enforce deed restrictions or building codes
·We do NOT tell people what color to paint their house
·We do NOT set guidelines for landscaping or renovations

We invite you to join the OCNO, attend meetings and social events and add to the special quality of life in our neighborhood

BY LAWS

ARTICLE 1 -- NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Olde Cotswold Neighborhood Organization (OCNO).

ARTICLE 2 -- BOUNDARIES
The Organization includes all properties on and within the boundaries of the west side of Woodlark between Cheltenham and Sharon Amity Roads, Ferncliff Road between Woodlark Road and Providence Road, Audubon Road, Coventry Road, Danbury Road, Cornell Road, Andover Road, Ansley Court, Exeter Road, Aylesford Road, Holroyd Court, Chelmsford Road, Tyng Way and Cheltenham Road between Woodlark Road and Tyng Way, the west side of Cheltenham Road between Tyng Way and Randolph Road, and Maybank Drive.

ARTICLE 3 -- PURPOSES
The purpose of the OCNO is to improve the quality of life in the Olde Cotswold area by joining together for the betterment of our community. We are committed to providing a community forum that will:
* Address current issues within our neighborhood including but not limited to storm water issues and property development issues.
* Protect the safety of our people by monitoring and fighting local crime.
* Promote the general welfare, happiness, beauty and strength of our neighborhood.

ARTICLE 4 -- MEMBERSHIP
Membership shall be classified as either Active or Associate.

An Active member is one or more adults (a household) owning property within the boundaries defined in Article 2. An Active member has voting rights (one vote per household) and the right to hold office and serve on a committee.

An Associate member is one or more adults (a household) residing in, but not owning property, within the boundaries defined in Article 2. An Associate member does not have voting rights or the right to hold office. An Associate member may serve on a committee.

Any person who ceases to be a member of OCNO shall forfeit their rights within OCNO.

ARTICLE 5 -- DUES.
Dues shall be paid on an annual basis. Dues shall be $20.00 per year per household. Dues shall be used to cover the expenses of the OCNO (flyers, advertisements, newsletters, etc.) Dues will also be used in the event of the need for services (for example legal fees, consultant fees, etc.) as required by OCNO. Expenditure of the dues shall be approved by the Board of Directors and monitored by the Treasurer. Excess money may be used to defray the costs of neighborhood events and parties.

ARTICLE 6 -- NOMINATING COMMITTEE & ELECTIONS
Elections will be overseen by the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall consist of a minimum of three members. The Nominating Committee chairperson shall be appointed by the President. The chairperson shall then identify at least two, but no more than six members to serve on the Nominating Committee.

The Nominating Committee shall prepare a slate of candidates for each position and the Nominating Committee shall try to identify a minimum of two candidates for each office. The slate will be presented at the annual general membership neighborhood meeting. Ballots will be available at the meeting and voting will take place once the slate has been presented. Members must drop the ballots in a ballot box one half hour after the voting begins. The Nominating Committee shall tally the votes and make the results known before the meeting ends. The prevailing candidates will serve until the next elections.


ARTICLE 7 -- OFFICERS, BOARD OF DIRECTORS & TERMS
Section 1: Officers
President: The President shall:
* Represent the interests of the OCNO with City, County and State agencies, individuals and other neighborhood organizations.
*Preside over Board and General meetings
* Have authority to create special committees and standing committees subject to Board approval
* Give an annual report at the annual neighborhood meeting

Vice President: The Vice President shall:
* Perform the duties of the President when the President is absent. 
* Oversee and direct the Block Captains (reference Article 14) and maintain a directory of Block Captains and their contact information.
* Assist the President upon request
* Assume the office of President should that office become vacant

Secretary: The Secretary shall:
* Keep minutes of the meetings
v Receive any written communication from members and committees
* Maintain the membership directory
* Coordinate the distribution of notices as required
* Maintain the OCNO website, bulletin board, newsletter, or other means of communication to the general membership

Treasurer: The Treasurer shall:
* Collect or receive all monies belonging to the association and deposit all funds in such financial institutions as the Board designates.
* Receive dues
v Maintain records of all finances
* Pay bills incurred by the OCNO and disburse other funds as approved by the Board.
* Prepare and deliver a treasurer's report at each meeting
* Cooperate with any audit requests

Section 2: Board of Directors
The Board of Directors shall consist of the four Officers and six additional members for a total of ten members.

The Board of Directors shall:
* Create and define duties of the standing and special committees and confirm the President's appointment of chairpersons
* Fill vacancies on the Board for the term remaining (except President) by a majority vote
* Authorize proposed spending and scheduling of events by any committee
* Promote initiatives pursuant to the purposes of OCNO

Section 3: Term
The Officers of the OCNO shall be elected by the membership for a two-year term. The six non-officer Board members shall be elected for two-year terms.


ARTICLE 8 – MEETINGS & QUORUM
Section 1: General Meetings
General membership meetings shall be held at least once per year. This meeting shall be known as the Annual OCNO General Meeting and it shall be at this meeting where elections take place. The date, time and place of the meeting must be made known at least two weeks in advance.

Additional General Meetings shall be held at the request of the Board of Directors and/or by the written request of a group of a least seven Active members. The date, time and location of the meeting must be made know to the general membership a minimum of two weeks in advance.

Section 2: General Meeting Quorum
Twenty-five percent of the Active members shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of transacting business or making decisions at a General Meeting.

Section 3: Board of Directors Meetings
The Board of Directors shall meet bi-monthly at a regularly scheduled time mutually agreed upon by the group. The calendar of these meetings will be published to the OCNO membership and these meetings shall be open to Active and Associate members and non-member residents in the OCNO boundaries defined in Article 2.

Additional Board of Director Meetings may be convened by the President as deemed necessary. In addition, the President may use “circular resolutions” to obtain written approval on matters that have been agreed upon in prior Board of Directors meetings.

Section 4: Board of Directors Meeting Quorum
Six members of the Board of Directors constitute a quorum for the purpose of transacting business or making decisions at a Board Meeting.

ARTICLE 9 -- VOTING
Each Active member (as defined in Article 4) shall be entitled to one vote. Votes may be cast in person or by proxy approved in advance by the Board of Directors. A simple majority shall carry matters that are voted upon.

ARTICLE 10 -- COMMITTEES
Section 1: Standing Committees
Standing Committees shall be created and dissolved by the Board of Directors. Committee chairpersons shall be appointed by the President and confirmed by the Board of Directors. Committee chairpersons shall be responsible for attending board meetings and reporting the committee's progress/events to the Board of Directors.

Safety and Security Committee: This committee shall be responsible for tracking any crime within the community. Any crimes within the boundaries defined in Article 2 and reported to this committee shall be made known to the general membership as quickly as possible. In addition, this committee shall maintain contact with the local authorities to track any additional crimes within close proximity to the OCNO boundaries. The Committee chairperson shall use his/her discretion for making information known to the general membership.

Social Committee: This committee shall be responsible for planning and coordinating neighborhood social events. This includes scheduling the events, coordinating with the Treasurer if members will be charged to attend, obtaining any permits (e.g., street closure permits, etc.) from the City, advertising the event, etc.

Environmental Committee: This committee shall be responsible for identifying and monitoring issues such as traffic, zoning, storm water, sidewalks, water mains, development in and adjacent to the OCNO boundaries (as defined in Article 2).

Section 2: Special Committees
Special Committees may be created and dissolved by the President. Their purpose and duties shall be defined by the President and approved by the Board of Directors. The Chairperson shall be appointed by the President and confirmed by the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE 11 -- BLOCK CAPTAINS
Each block within the boundaries defined in Article 2 shall have a Block Captain. Block Captains shall be appointed by the Board of Directors and overseen by the Vice-President.

Block Captains shall be responsible for making information known quickly to the members on their block. Information may be disseminated by the Block Captain via e-mail, phone tree, door to door, or any other effective means of communication. Block Captains shall report to and coordinate with the Vice President for receiving important information for distribution. Block Captains shall be responsible for registering their current contact information with the Vice President.

ARTICLE 12 -- REMOVAL OF OFFICERS, RESIGNATION & CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Section l: Removal
Members of the Board of Directors may be removed for cause. A two-thirds vote by the Board of Directors recommending the removal will pass the motion to the general membership for consideration. Ballots will be provided to the Active member and a two-thirds vote will carry the motion.

Section 2: Resignation
A Director or Officer may resign at any time with written notice to the Board.

Section 3: Conflict of Interest
No member of the Board shall vote on any item or serve on any committee which conflicts with his or her direct professional, personal or financial interests.

Section 4: Unexpired Terms
The unexpired term of office for members of the Board of Directors (except President) due to resignation or removal shall be filled by the Board of Director until the next election.

ARTICLE 13 – LIMITS OF AUTHORITY
No OCNO Active or Associate member, Committee member, Committee Chairperson, Block Captain, or individual Board of Directors member shall make any representations on behalf of OCNO nor enter into any written or oral agreements without the approval of the Board of Directors.

Any fundraising campaigns in the name of OCNO shall be approved, in advance, by the Board of Directors and shall not violate any city, county, state or federal laws.

Any proposals to expend OCNO funds must be approved, in advance, by the Board of Directors. All OCNO expenses will be paid or reimbursed upon the presentation of satisfactory receipts and proof of delivery to the Treasurer who shall required Board of Directors approval prior to disburse funds,

No Committee member, Committee Chairperson, Block Captain, or member of the Board of Directors shall engage is any activity in the name of the OCNO which is contrary to the goals and purpose of the Organization.

ARTICLE 14 -- AMENDMENTS
These bylaws can be amended at any time as follows:

The written amendment shall be presented to the Board of Directors for consideration. A two-thirds vote by the Board in favor of the amendment will pass the motion to the general membership for consideration. Ballots will be provided to the Active membership and a two-thirds vote will carry the motion.

OCNO COMMUNICATIONS POLICY

The OCNO Board receives frequent requests to communicate various messages to residents of the neighborhood via email, flyers, signs, advertisements, websites, etc.  Per the Bylaws, “The purpose of the OCNO is to improve the quality of life in the Olde Cotswold area by joining together for the betterment of our community. We are committed to providing a community forum that will:

• Address current issues within our neighborhood including but not limited to storm water issues and property development issues.
• Protect the safety of our people by monitoring and fighting local crime.
• Promote the general welfare, happiness, beauty and strength of our neighborhood.

Based on this statement, the following guidelines have been established to assist in deciding which communications will be distribute to the residents of the OCNO area by the OCNO Board – understanding that individuals and businesses may communicate to anyone within the limits of the law.

Safety & Security:

OCNO will transmit verifiable information concerning police activities, criminal threats, and citizen concerns in and around the OCNO area to include suspected criminal activities, lost/found pets and property, and tips/suggestions on improving security.  Membership dues may be spent on activities that directly benefit the entire neighborhood, for example, additional police patrols or Neighborhood Watch programs.  Some commercial activities, for example, painting house numbers on the curbs, may be communicated if the activity is not mandatory, there are alternate sources, and the results would enhance the security of the entire neighborhood. 

Environmental:

OCNO will transmit verifiable information concerning construction projects, horticultural topics, and zoning activities in and around the OCNO area that are considered to have potential impact on the quality of life and/or property values.  Membership dues may be spent on activities that directly benefit the entire neighborhood, for example, removal of dead animals.  Some commercial activities, for example, tree banding for cankerworms, may be communicated if the activity is not mandatory, there are alternate sources, and the results would enhance the environment of the entire neighborhood. 

Social:

OCNO will sponsor social events that are open to all residents of the neighborhood.  Membership dues may be spent to underwrite all or a portion of the costs of these events.  OCNO sponsored social events are intended to be inclusive of all age and ethnic groups and be centered around traditional holiday events.  Events sponsored by individuals and businesses will not be communicated by OCNO, such as political rallies and product promotions, regardless of admission policies. 

Commercial:

Most commercial transactions (offers to buy or sell, job solicitations, etc.) will not be communicated by OCNO.  Neighborhood yard sales, solicitations to buy/rent a house, babysitting services, handyman services, etc. are examples of commercial services that OCNO will not communicate.  OCNO believes that commercial transactions are best left to individuals and businesses, and that the OCNO should neither hinder nor promote them.