Constitution of the Blue Ridge Neighborhood

approved August 23, 2022

Article I: Name

The name of the organization shall be the Blue Ridge Neighborhood Association.

Article II: Objectives

Section 1.  To promote the welfare of the property owners and residents of the area of Bloomington, Indiana, herein set forth as Blue Ridge.

Section 2.  To promote the continued welfare of the Bloomington area.

Section 3.  To promote the health and safety of Blue Ridge.

Section 4.  To promote parks and other recreational facilities, transportation, and traffic patterns for the area herein set forth as Blue Ridge.

Section 5.  To seek actively to inform about, interest in, and work for good planning with citizens. businesses and government.

Section 6.  To watch for and oppose any action which is in opposition to the welfare of Blue Ridge.

Section 7.  To lend support to groups who are in opposition to an action by any individual, business, or governmental unit when deemed by the Blue Ridge Board or membership to be harmful to the safety, attractiveness, or orderly growth of this community, or unnecessarily to impose future costs of renewal or restoration on the community.

Section 8.  The Blue Ridge Neighborhood Association shall not undertake any policy or action that would encourage discrimination in housing.

Article III: Membership

Section 1.  Any full-time residents, property owners, or owner’s family unit of residential properties in the area bounded by Matlock Heights, North Walnut Street/Business Hwy 37 North, North Dunn Street, and Old Highway 37 North, may become a member of the Association by the payment of dues and may continue as a member so long as such dues are kept current.

Section 2. All meetings and social functions shall be open to all residents of Blue Ridge, but when issues are at stake, only members may vote.

Section 3.  The annual dues per family unit, as determined by the Blue Ridge Board, shall be payable on or before such date as specified by the Blue Ridge Board; each family unit shall have one vote in the Association. New members shall owe no dues for the remainder of the calendar year in which they become residents of Blue Ridge, or in a case where property ownership precedes residency, shall owe no dues for the remainder of the calendar year in which they first become members of the Association.

Article IV: Blue Ridge Board (the Board)

Section 1.  Shall serve as the governing body of the Association and may act on behalf of the Association, subject to the right of the members to overrule any action by a simple majority vote.

Section 2.  Shall be composed of eight (8) members elected from and by the Association membership: four (4) officers (President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer) and four (4) Directors-at-Large (Directors). Five (5) Board members shall constitute a quorum.

Section 3.  Each officer and director shall be elected by ballot at the annual meeting to serve a term of two (2) years, terms beginning at the adjournment of the annual meeting and ending when their successors are elected. Any officer or director may be elected to succeed himself/herself.

Section 4.  No person shall hold office if he is not a member of the Association. No person shall hold more than one office at the same time.

Section 5.  Vacancies between annual meetings shall be filled by appointment by the Board until duly elected successors are installed.

Section 6.  For each office, the candidate receiving the largest number of votes shall win the election to that office. The four (4) director candidates receiving the largest number of votes shall be elected directors. The eight (8) elected candidates shall constitute the new Board.

Section 7.   All meetings of the Board shall be open to the membership of the Association, except that the membership will not have the right to vote.

Section 8.   The Board shall have the authority to adopt rules governing its own proceedings.

Section 9.   Shall recognize other groups with like objectives and allow them to be represented at Board meetings, except that these representatives shall not have the right to vote.

Section 10.   Shall be free to promote the objectives of the Association through a variety of means (newsletters, newspapers, etc.).

Section 11.  Shall work to keep the membership informed and promote neighborhood activities and discussions.

Section 12.   Shall authorize, to the Treasurer, all withdrawals and disbursements in excess of one hundred dollars ($100.00) from funds held by the Association.

Section 13.  Shall appoint a special committee to nominate a slate of candidates for the following year’s Board, to be elected at the annual meeting. The slate of candidates must be submitted to the membership in writing at least thirty (30) days before the annual meeting. Any Association member shall have the privilege of nominating additional candidates by submitting a petition signed by at least five (5) Association members. The petition must be filed with the President of the Association and submitted to the Association membership in writing at least fourteen (14) days before the annual meeting.

Section 14.  The President’s duties shall include presiding at meetings of the membership and the Board and appointing committees and their chairpeople; conducting correspondence on behalf of the Association; giving notice of meetings, nominations, and the filling of vacancies, or delegating the aforementioned responsibilities.

Section 15.  The Vice-President’s duties shall include performing the duties of the President in his/her absence or incapacity and performing whatever other duties as may be given him/her by the President, Board or membership.

Section 16.  The Secretary’s duties shall include keeping minutes of all meetings of the membership and of the Board and making them available for the inspection of any member; and maintaining the records of the Association with the exception of the financial records.

Section 17.  The Treasurer’s duties shall include receiving all funds of the Association and maintaining them in a bank account in the name of the Association; keeping complete financial records and reporting to the membership at the annual meeting and at such other times as may be directed by the President, Board, or membership. Withdrawals and disbursements in excess of one hundred dollars ($100.00) may be made only upon the express authorization of the Board. Checks must be signed by the Treasurer or the President.

Section 18.  The duties of a Director-at-Large shall include serving as committee chairperson if appointed by the President and performing whatever other duties as may be given him/her by the President, Board or membership.

Article V: Committees

The President shall appoint chairpeople for such committees as from time to time may be deemed necessary to achieve the objectives of the Association. Chairpeople must be selected from the membership of the Association and may be members of the Board. The chairperson of a committee shall recruit committee members from the neighborhood.

Article VI: Meetings

Section 1.  The annual meeting of the membership of the Association shall be held at a time and place designated by the Board, for the purpose of electing the new Board, receiving annual reports and conducting any other business that may arise.

Section 2.  Other meetings may be called by any officer or director of the Board or any ten (10) Association members in good standing.

Section 3.  Notice of meetings may be given in any reasonable manner, but fourteen (14) days’ notice must be given prior to the annual meeting.

Section 4.  A quorum shall consist of twenty (20) members of the Association.

Section 5.  Any expenditure by the Treasurer exceeding two thousand five hundred dollars ($2500.00) shall be voted on at a meeting of the Association and must be submitted to the membership in writing at least fourteen (14) days prior to that meeting.

Article VII: Amendments or Additional By-Laws

Any member in good standing may propose an amendment or by-law by submitting it in writing to the Board at least thirty (30) days prior to the annual meeting. Any amendment or by-law to be voted on at the annual meeting must be submitted to the membership in writing at least fourteen (14) days prior to that meeting. The Constitution and By-Laws may be amended by a simple majority vote.

Article VIII: Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order, The Modern Edition shall govern the Association in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the Constitution and By-Laws or the special rules of order of this Association.