Update

The amendments to the bylaws were approved with 71 voting in favor (95.9%) and 3 voting against during the Town Hall Meeting on Monday, May 9, 2016.

Thank you to everyone who voted in person or gave someone their proxy to vote in their stead.


–BACKGROUND–

We held a vote on March 14, 2016 on the issues below, and the amendments passed among the people who voted with 78.8% in favor. However, 14 of the 67 general members present during the meeting failed to cast a vote. Therefore, those abstentions counted as a no vote. This means that two of the amendments fell shy of the 2/3 vote in favor required for an amendment.

With this in mind, we will be holding the vote at the beginning of the meeting and having people walk around collecting ballots during the meeting to ensure we receive everyone’s vote.


The updated Articles and Sections of the DNA Bylaws listed below are intended to clarify the membership structure of DNA to better reflect the evolved landscape of the association. With our growing member base, the DNA Board thought it was necessary to make these structural changes now before it became impossible for us to do so in the future due to potential issues with not having a large enough quorum of voting members. We also want to change the voting ability of businesses that join the association to one vote per business as opposed to one vote per employee as it currently stands.

Voting yes on these amendments will remove the current language in Article V – Section 1 and Article VII – Section 5 that describes membership and quorum size and replace it with the Sections listed below.

ARTICLE V.  MEMBERSHIP.

Section 1.  Qualifications. Membership in the Neighborhood Association shall be open to the following: (1) any person who resides in the Neighborhood Association’s boundaries; (2) an entity that is deemed to be a “Small Business” by the Executive Director or Board of Directors of the Neighborhood Association, is located within the Neighborhood Association’s boundaries, and has paid its yearly membership dues (example:  street-level owner-operated businesses open to the public). People who own property within the Neighborhood Association’s boundaries and who do not reside in the Neighborhood Association’s boundaries may join as a “Small Business Member” of the Neighborhood Association as determined by the Executive Director or Board of Directors of the Neighborhood Association.

Anyone who does not fit the criteria listed above may join the Neighborhood Association as a non-voting member, and for the purposes of these Bylaws shall not be considered a “member” or “General Member”. An entity that is deemed too large to be considered a “Small Business” by the Executive Director or Board of Directors of the Neighborhood Association may join the Neighborhood Association as a non-voting member, and for the purposes of these Bylaws shall not be considered a “member” or “General Member”.

For the purposes of these Bylaws, any member of the Neighborhood Association shall be deemed a “General Member”, and the general membership of the Neighborhood Association shall be collectively referred to as the “General Members”.

ARTICLE VII.  ANNUAL, GENERAL, AND SPECIAL MEETINGS.

Section 5.  Quorum. In order to conduct business at any Annual Meeting, General Meeting or Special Meeting, a quorum must be established. For the purposes of these Bylaws, a quorum is five (5%) percent of the General Members as of the date of that meeting.