Authority
and Purpose
- These by-laws are constituted under the authority of the
Constitution of the Kanata Town Centre Community Association.
- The purpose of these by-laws, as defined in the constitution, is
to "define day-to-day operational procedures and any matter required
by the constitution to be in a by-law, to aid in the orderly conduct
of association business."
- No by-law or parts thereof can supersede any article of the
constitution. Any by-law or parts thereof conflicting with any article
of the constitution shall be null and void.
Ammendments
- As defined in the constitution, "Amendments to the by-laws require
sufficient written notice and the majority approval of members voting
at a general meeting or special general meeting."
Offices of the Association
- The association does not have an office. A telephone line in
the president's home is used as the association's telephone number.
- The address of the association is:
Kanata, Ontario K2K 2X5.
- General meetings of the association are normally held at the
John Mlacak Centre, 2500 Campeau Drive, Kanata.
Membership Fees and Identity Cards
- The membership year will be the same as the calendar year.
- The annual membership fee shall be $10.00 per household.
- The annual corporate membership fee shall be $15.00.
- There shall be no annual membership fee for honorary members.
- The executive shall issue one membership card per household, to be
issued in the name of the president and secretary of the association
and signed by an executive officer or their representative, on payment
of the membership fee.
- A membership certificate showing the expiry date and signed by an
association representative shall be presented to all corporate
members.
Time Limits
- Sufficient Written Notice
As per article 13 in the
constitution, this by-law requires 13(ii) to be available prior to the
general or special general meeting for sufficient written notice to be
deemed to have occurred.
- Notice of Issues, Requests for Funds or Motions
As per
article 48 in the by-laws, this by-law requires that notices to
discuss issues, any requests for funds, or wording of a proposed
motion shall be given to the president or the secretary, in writing at
least 7 days prior to a general meeting.
- Executive Committee Meetings
As per article 39 in the
by-laws, this by-law requires that the executive committee must meet
at least 7 days before a special general meeting.
Date of General Meetings
- As per article 12 of the constitution, this by-law states that
general meetings are held normally on the Third Monday of the month
except when it would fall on a statutory holiday or other exceptional
circumstance e.g., public voting day. In that case the general meeting
shall be convened on the following Monday.
- There will be no meetings durint the months of July and August unless special issues arise.
Fiscal Responsibilities
- All monetary donations and grants to other organizations or
individuals must receive the approval of the association in a general
meeting or special general meeting prior to disbursement of the funds.
- No more than 10% of the association's monetary assets may be
approved for any one grant or donation at one general meeting. On
two-thirds approval of members voting at a general meeting, an amount
greater than this limit may be granted with sufficient written notice
as per article 14 and 15 of these by-laws.
- A funding request shall:
- state what the money is to be used for;
- include a financial breakdown of the project, including other
funding sources;
- include the amount of funding being requested;
- normally a representative should be available for a presentation
or to answer questions from members.
- An annual grant to street representatives for up to $25.00 per
street representative for the conduct of block parties or other social
activities for members in their district does not require the approval
of the association in a general meeting, requiring instead the
approval of the executive committee.
- The approval of the association in a general meeting or special
general meeting must be obtained in all cases where the executive
committee proposes to commit the association to a course of action
which would result in an expenditure in excess of 5% of the
association's monetary assets at the time of the meeting. Printing
supplies used in the annual membership drive are exempt from this
requirement.
- If a quorum of members is not present at a general meeting where a
majority of the executive is in attendance, the executive may approve
expenditures up to 5% of the association's monetary assets at the time
of the meeting.
Executive Committee Appointments
- Street representatives are appointed for a one-year renewable term
by the executive committee.
- The association may from time-to-time create standing committees
under the authority of this by-law.
- The association's standing committees are:
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- Each standing committee shall have a chair and members appointed
for a one-year term by the executive. In making the appointment, the
executive shall define that committee's terms of reference.
- The chairs of committees are responsible for periodically
convening meetings with members of their committee and reporting on
the status of their work to the executive from time to time. On an
as-required basis, the chair shall report to the association in a
general meeting, at the discretion of the president, with sufficient
written notice.
- The association, in a general meeting, may create one or more ad
hoc committees to exercise such functions and carry out such tasks as
the association shall from time to time decide.
- Each committee shall have a chair who may then appoint such other
members to make up the committee as the executive may approve.
- The motion approving the formation of such a committee shall
specify the chair, the mandate of the committee and the date at which
the committee shall report on their findings and activities.
- No ad hoc committee shall be in operation for a period in excess
of six months.
- Duties of elected and appointed members are as outlined below.
Executive Committee
- The executive shall have all the powers necessary to accomplish
its primary function including, but not limited to:
- the calling of meetings;
- the conduct of meetings;
- recommending courses of action and adopting procedures for the
association;
- recommending and collecting annual and special membership fees
from members and corporate members;
- retaining and discharging solicitors, engineers, builders and
other professional and non-professional workers;
- recommending the appointment of honorary members;
- negotiating and or contracting with any relevant person,
organization, or governmental authority on behalf of the
association;
- purchasing equipment and supplies for the performance of the
association's duties and;
- purchasing such fire, liability and general insurance as may
appear necessary to protect the properties and interest of the
association and to indemnify the officers and employees of the
association.
- The president shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the
association.
- The secretary shall be the Chief Recording Officer of the
association.
- The treasurer shall be the Chief Financial Officer of the
association.
- The executive committee shall consist of the president,
vice-presidents, a treasurer and secretary all elected annually from
the membership at large, and the past-president.
- The executive committee shall meet at least once before a special
general meeting to set the agenda and deal with matters before it as
required by the constitution and by-laws. The timing of executive
committee meetings shall be set in a by-law.
- The executive officers shall normally receive seven days written
or verbal notice of an executive committee meeting.
- There must be at least three executive officers present to
constitute a quorum of the executive committee.
- The executive of the association shall report to the members on
activities and affairs of the association, including a financial
statement at each general meeting or at any special general meeting.
In addition, the executive shall submit a report summarizing the
year's activities including financial matters at the last general
meeting of the fiscal year.
- The executive committee shall present a budget, for its fiscal
year, by the September general meeting.
- The president of the association shall act as chair of any meeting
of members or in the president's absence any vice-president or
alternatively, the treasurer shall act as chair.
- No new and or similar issue, motion, request for funds, amendment
or by-law which has been addressed in the twelve prior meetings of the
association, may be tabled by the chair without sufficient written
notice and two-thirds approval of members voting in a general meeting
of the association.
- For a bona fide emergency where the motion or issue or request for
funds cannot be entertained at the next general meeting or a special
general meeting and with the majority consent of the executive
committee present, the chair shall table and or discuss the issue,
motion or request for funds without sufficient written notice.
- The executive committee shall be responsible, with the assistance
from the chair(s) of the membership and directory committees, for
ensuring that a current official list of members of the association
shall be available for inspection at every general meeting of the
association.
Members
- Any person proposing to discuss an issue at any general meeting
shall deliver written notice to the secretary or the president. The
notice shall include a brief outline of issue, any request for funds,
or the wording of a proposed motion. The time requirement for written
notice shall be set in a by-law.
- Any member has the right to propose, express opinions on, and vote
to support or oppose any motion or amendment on issues or request for
funds that have been properly placed on the agenda and tabled at a
general meeting or special meeting of the association.
- In the event of a dispute or uncertainty arising as to who is a
member, the decision of the chair, after consultation with the
executive committee present, shall be final and binding.
- Members may vote only in person.
- Show of hands is the normal method of expressing votes on a
motion.
- All motions, requests for funds, amendments or by-laws voted on
shall be decided by a majority of those voting, except in any case
where the approval of a greater number is required by the constitution
and by-laws.
Duties of the President
- The president shall:
- normally attend executive, general and special general meetings
of the association;
- use best efforts to interpret the constitution and these by-laws
as fairly as possible using the good judgement of the executive as
appropriate;
- act as chair for all meetings of the executive and of the
association;
- have the co-signing authority necessary to the orderly conduct
of the financial affairs of the association;
- be responsible for the sound operation and orderly
administration of the association's day-to-day affairs including the
calling of and conduct of general meetings and special general
meetings of the association;
- represent the association at City Council, on the Community
Associations' Joint Committee and in other forums outside the
neighbourhood;
- delegate some of these, except for co-signing authority, and
other duties to the vice-presidents as far as the vice-presidents
are able and willing to carry them out; and
- discharge these duties to the best of his or her abilities.
Duties of the Vice-President
- The vice-president shall:
- normally attend executive, general and special general meetings
of the association;
- be prepared to act in place of the president according to the
by-laws on the duties of the president;
- co-ordinate the execution of the annual directory update and
membership drive;
- fairly contribute to the executive by accepting some delegated
duties as assigned by the president; and
- discharge these duties to the best of her or his abilities.
Duties of the Secretary
- The secretary shall:
- normally attend executive, general and special general meetings
of the association;
- maintain in good order all books, records, registers, rosters
and any other documentation reasonably necessary to record the
affairs of the association including, minutes of meetings and
membership records;
- be responsible for keeping current the minutes of all meetings
of the association making special note of the decisions, motions,
amendments and by-laws approved or denied;
- maintain, with the assistance of the treasurer and chair(s) of
the membership and directory committee(s) the current official list
of members of the association and boundaries of each district and
make it available for inspection at any general or special general
meeting of the association pursuant to article 47 of the by-laws;
- maintain and keep current the by-laws and constitution of the
association as amended from time to time, making it available for
inspection and reference at any general or special general meeting
of the association;
- be responsible for maintenance of the association's
correspondence file including preparing letters and forms as
requested by the president; and
- discharge these duties to the best of his or her abilities.
Duties of the Treasurer
- The treasurer shall:
- normally attend executive, general and special general meetings
of the association;
- prepare and present, by the February regular general meeting, a
budget for the fiscal year, identifying a forecast of the probable
revenues and expenditures of the association;
- maintain in good order all financial records and accounts of the
association;
- table a detailed accounting of the financial records of the
association at every general meeting, reporting on the financial
health of the association;
- have joint signing authority for all association accounts;
- deposit all monies received on behalf of the association in an
account, or accounts, maintained in the name of the association in a
chartered bank or other financial institution;
- assist the secretary in maintaining the current official list of
members of the association and boundaries of each district; and
- discharge these duties to the best of her or his abilities.
Duties of the Past-President
- The past-president shall:
- normally attend executive, general and special general meetings
of the association;
- normally act as chair of the nominating committee; and
- discharge these duties to the best of his or her abilities.
Duties of the Street Representatives
- The street representatives shall:
- attend at least one general meeting each year;
- participate in the annual membership drive by soliciting
memberships and collecting the annual membership fee from residents
within the district for which they have been appointed;
- participate in the directory updating by verifying and
correcting the membership file within the district for which they
have been appointed;
- distribute the Kanata Directory to members of the district for
which they have been appointed;
- distribute to the residents of the district for which they have
been appointed, information with respect to the operations of the
association, or information about issues affecting the community;
- when requested by the executive committee or as a result of a
duly passed motion, gather information from, including conducting
questionnaires or other opinion surveys, from residents and members
of the district for which they have been appointed;
- keep members of the district for which they have been appointed,
up-to-date with the operations of the association;
- act in all other ways, as ambassadors of the association within
the district for which they have been appointed and as
representatives of the district for which they have been appointed
and;
- discharge these duties to the best of her or his abilities.
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