Name and Location
The name of the Association is Big Country Neighborhood Association, hereinafter referred to as the “Association”. The principal office of the Association will be located at 12601 Trail Driver, Austin, Texas, 78737, but meetings of members, directors, and committees will be held in locations specified by the Officers.
Purpose
The Association shall be a non-profit organization through which the residents of the Big Country subdivision and surrounding neighborhoods can promote and protect the quality of life, safety, residential characteristics, and property values of the area. This will be done by the Association being an information network only: information affecting the area, positive and negative alike, will be conveyed to the membership through the information network and the Association will remain a neutral ground upon which all members can discuss issues. The Association will make every effort to insure members are informed on all issues affecting the Association.
Boundaries
The boundaries of the Association will be the neighborhood of Big Country, (Sections 1-8), properties bordering Paisano Trail, the Boondocks, the Trails End area, the area known as the Annex, and Carol Oaks.
Membership
There shall be only one level of membership in the Association. It will be called the General Membership and it will be open to the household of any person who resides or owns property within the geographical boundaries of the Association. All adults (18 years of age and older) residing in membership households are considered members of the Association. All members of the Association are eligible to vote but no more than two members from the same household may vote on any one call for a vote. To eligible to vote, members must be registered at least 30 days prior to an election.
Officers
The officers of the Association will be the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Historian: the officers collectively will be the Steering Committee.
The President will preside at each meeting of the membership and at each meeting of the Steering Committee. The President shall be the spokesperson for the Association but may delegate this responsibility to another member of the Steering Committee. The President will prepare and submit an activities report at each meeting of the Association. The President’s signature will be on file with the financial institution for the purpose of signing the Association’s checks.
The Vice-President will preside in the absence of the President. The Vice-President will assist the President in preparation of the activities report to each Association meeting. The Vice-President will coordinate the activities of the Special Issues Committee. The Vice-President’s signature will be on file with the financial institution for the purpose of signing the Association’s checks.
The Secretary will record and keep the minutes of each meeting of the Association and Steering Committee. The Secretary will perform such duties as assigned by the President or the Steering Committee. The Secretary will, with the President, provide the required notice for meetings of the Association and/or Committees. The Secretary will maintain a membership roster of the names, addresses, and phone numbers of all members of the Association, which will be updated as necessary and will have copies available for all members. The membership roster and mailing list of the Association will not be used, copied, and given to anyone, inside or outside of the Association, for political, commercial, or other activity not directly related to the Association and its business.
The Treasurer will collect, disburse, and safely keep all of the Association’s funds. The Treasurer will prepare and submit a budget report at each regularly scheduled Association meeting. The Treasurer shall prepare an annual budget and statement of income and expenditures to be presented to the membership at the annual Association meeting. One copy will be given to each member present. Checks in excess of $35.00 will be approved by the Steering Committee. The Treasurer’s signature shall be on file with the financial institution for the purpose of signing the Association’s checks. All checks must be signed by the Treasurer and either the President or the Vice-President.
The Historian will maintain all history of the Association.
Fees
Membership fees must cover all costs of copies, supplies, postage, and other costs as required by the Association to do business. Membership in the Association will require an initiation fee of $10.00 upon joining. An annual membership renewal fee of $10.00 will be due the following December 1 and every December 1 thereafter. Fees will not be prorated. Should the membership fee become delinquent, member will have voting privileges suspended and could be removed from the membership roster. Treasurer, with the assistance of the Secretary, will send out annual dues reminders.
Proxies
At all meetings of the Association, each member may vote in person or by proxy. All proxies must be in writing and filed with the Secretary. Every proxy will be revocable and will cease upon written notice by the member to the Secretary at any time during the calendar year or immediately following the Annual January Meeting.
Elections
The officers will be elected in January by the voting membership. In order to vote, membership fees must be paid. Otherwise, voting privileges will be suspended.
Nominees for all officers shall be members in good standing of the Association.
Nominations for officers shall come from the floor at the annual meeting.
The officers will take office at the close of the meeting at which they are elected. The term shall extend for one year until their successors are elected.
Election to an office will be by written ballot. At each election, the members, or their proxies, may cast, in respect to each vacancy, as many votes as they are entitled to exercise. Majority vote prevails.
Any officer may be removed from office, with or without cause, by a majority vote of the members. In the event of death, resignation, or removal of an officer, the successor shall be selected by the remaining officers and will serve for the unexpired term of his predecessor.
No officer will receive compensation for any service he may render to the Association. However, any officer may be reimbursed for actual expenses incurred in the performance of his duties as approved by the Steering Committee.
Meetings
The Association meetings shall be convened as determined by the Steering Committee, but no fewer than four times a year, including the Annual January meeting, beginning at 7PM in a place designated by the Secretary.
The Annual January meeting will include the election of Association officers and annual reports from all Committees for presentation to the Association members.
Posting of notice of special meetings or of regular meetings will be made to the Association members no less than 14 days in advance of the meeting. The 14 days may be waived for meetings of a nature deemed to be an emergency by the Steering Committee and will be posted by the Secretary. A meeting of the Association must be called upon receipt by the Steering Committee of a petition requesting and stating the reason for such meeting and bearing the signatures of no fewer that 10% of the members. Only business specified in the call may be transacted. The meeting will be called within 30 days unless a scheduled regular meeting is already on the calendar for that period, in which case the business of the special meeting will be considered at the regular meeting.
“Posting” means notices will be put on the Community Bulletin Board at the entrance of Big Country. It will contain the time, date, location, and purpose of the meeting.
A quorum of the members will consist of those in attendance. The passage of any issue before the quorum requires a simple majority.
Committees
The Steering Committee will be the principle governing and policy-making body for the Association. The Steering Committee will consist of the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Historian.
A quorum of the Steering Committee will consist of a simple majority. The passage of any issue before the quorum requires a simple majority.
New members of the Steering Committee will take office at the close of the meeting at which they are elected and/or appointed and shall serve until their successors are elected and/or appointed.
A Steering Committee member with three consecutive unexcused absences in a term will be automatically removed from the Committee. The remaining members of the Steering Committee will elect a member to fill the new vacancy.
A Special Issues Committee will be formed and appointed as necessary by the Steering Committee to perform specific tasks (i.e., research). The Special Issues Committee will report findings and make recommendations for action to the Steering Committee, who will present the recommendations at the next regular or special meeting. Approval for taking action will be by the majority vote of the members.
An Audit Committee of no less than 2 persons will audit the Treasurer’s books in December. This committee will report back to the members at the annual January meeting. Audit committee members must be current Association members and will be selected at the Annual January meeting for the following December audit.
All books, records, or files of any officer of the Association may be inspected by any member at any time.
Amendment
These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote at any meeting of the Association members provided that notice of intent to change the bylaws has been posted at least 14 days in advance of the meeting. The bylaws will be reviewed as needed to insure that they meet the objectives and needs of the Association.
Release of Liability
No officer of the Big Country Neighborhood Association will be held personally liable for actions taken in the course of conducting business for the Association.