Bylaws

ARTICLE I – PURPOSE
1.1   To nurture positive neighborhood relationships.
1.2   To provide information concerning emerging neighborhood issues.
1.3   To promote a safe atmosphere for our children and members to enjoy.
1.4   To represent the interests of the neighborhood before the Saginaw City Council and any other appropriate government or private agency.
1.5   To implement projects that  benefit the neighborhood.
ARTICLE II – BOUNDARIES
North - Davenport
East - Michigan Ave.
South – Remington St.
West – Houghton St/Barnard
ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
·       3.1 All residents eighteen (18) or older who live within the boundaries are eligible for membership.
·       3.2 Residents living outside the neighborhood boundaries who request membership in the association may be allowed to join as long as they attend meetings and participate.
·       3.3 A voting member is any member who has attended at least four (4) general  membership meetings in the preceding twelve (12) months.
ARTICLE IV – MEETINGS
·       4.1 General membership meetings shall be held at Communication Workers of America Hall, 1614 Mershon St. unless otherwise noted.
·       4.2 General membership meetings shall be held monthly on the first Tuesday of the month at 5:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
·       4.3 Special meetings may be called by the Board in the event of a serious neighborhood need or concern. When possible, at least 24 hour’s notice will be given by Neighborhood Captains and the phone tree.
 
ARTICLE V – OFFICERS
·       5.1 The Officers shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer who shall be elected for a term of one year and can be re-elected for an additional term. The annual election will be held in April each year.
The duties of these officers shall be:
5.2 The President
·       Shall preside at all general membership and board meetings.
·       Shall have the power to appoint special committees as directed by the needs of the
Covenant Neighborhood Association.
·       Shall represent Covenant Neighborhood Association at all extra-curricular events except when this is not possible. In such cases, he or she may appoint another member to represent him or her.
5.3 The Vice-President
·       Shall perform the duties of the President when the President shall be absent.
5.4 The Secretary
·       Shall take minutes at every general membership and board meeting and be responsible for the care of said minutes, including posting the general membership minutes on the website.
·       Shall handle all necessary correspondence at the direction of the executive committee.
·       Shall be the custodian of the Covenant Neighborhood Association By-Laws.
5.5 The Treasurer
·       Shall keep account of and be responsible for the treasury of Covenant Neighborhood Association during the term of office.
·       Shall have charge of any and all monetary transactions.
·       Shall sign all checks drawn upon the funds of this organization. The President or Vice-President shall have the authority to sign and/or cash checks in the absence of the Treasurer.
·       Shall give a financial report at the general membership and board meetings and prepare an annual report of the finances of Covenant Neighborhood Association showing the receipts and disbursements.
ARTICLE VI – STANDING COMMITTEES
6.1 Activities Committee
·       Shall be responsible for coordinating the extra-curricular activities of the Covenant Neighborhood Association.
6.2   Clean-Up Committee
·       Shall be responsible for coordinating clean-up activities throughout the neighborhood as needed.
6.3 Communications Committee
·        The President shall be the official spokesperson for the Covenant Neighborhood Association.
·       Shall be responsible for maintaining a data base of neighbors including telephone number and emails, if available.
6.4   Grant Writing Committee
·       Shall be responsible for obtaining the grant writing requirements from the City of Saginaw, and for preparing and submitting any grant requests.
6.5 Newsletter Committee
·       Shall be responsible for preparing and making available a bi-monthly newsletter for the neighborhood contingent upon available funds.
·       The newsletter shall  provide articles pertinent to the membership and may include meeting notices, neighborhood issues and general items of interest.
6.6  Nominating Committee
·       Committee of Neighborhood Captains shall be formed at the January meeting to poll the members on their desire to fill an elective post and/or nominate a member to fill a post.
·       Shall meet as needed to prepare a slate of prospective officers for election which will be presented at the March meeting. Nominations for any office may also be presented from the floor. After three requests for additional nominations for any office, nominations shall be closed for that office.
·       Shall contact the nominated member to determine if the member is willing to fill the position for the year term. If the member is willing to run for the office, the nominating committee will place his/her name on the slate of prospective officers. In the event that the nominating committee identifies more than one candidate for an office, all names for that office will be printed on the slate of prospective officers.
·       Shall be responsible for preparing and publishing a slate of candidates to all members at the March meeting to be voted on at the April meeting. This slate will be published on the Covenant Neighborhood Association website and in the newsletter, no later than two weeks prior to the April meeting.
·       Shall prepare the ballot, tally all votes, and present the results of the election following the voting at the April meeting.
6.7 SONAR Committee
·       Shall be responsible for maintaining and updating a list of unlicensed rental houses in the neighborhood.
6.5 Website Committee
·       Shall be responsible for maintaining and updating the website on a monthly basis.
6.4 Welcome Committee
·       Shall be responsible for assembling and distributing a “welcome packet” to new neighbors attending the general membership meetings.
·       Shall be responsible for assembling and distributing a “welcome packet” to new neighbors moving into the neighborhood.
·       Shall be responsible for sending “Get Well”, ”Sympathy”  and other appropriate cards to neighborhood members.
ARTICLE VII – BOARD
7.1 The  Board shall consist of
·       the elected officers of the Association and the Chairpersons of any committee deemed necessary to carry on the business of the  Covenant Neighborhood Association.
7.2 The  Board shall meet as
·       often as required between the general membership meetings.
7.3 The duties include but are not limited to:
·       7.3.1 Carrying out the policies established by the general membership
·       7.3.2 Establishing procedures for the wise administration of the Association including but not limited to the adoption of a budget, suggestions for the nominations of officers and the appointments of committees and chairs.
·       7.3.3 Attending all meetings of the board and if unable to attend, must notify one of the officers prior to the scheduled meeting.
·       7.3.4 The President shall have to power to spend up to hundred dollars ($100.00) for organizational purposes without the consent of the regular membership. All other disbursements shall be submitted to the general membership meeting for approval.
·       7.3.5 The board shall meet monthly as decided at the April board meeting, or at the request of the President, or upon the request of any two board members.
·       7.3.6 The vacancy of any office of the board shall be filled by a simple majority vote of the membership in attendance at the next general membership meeting.
ARTICLE VIII – NEIGHBORHOOD CAPTAINS
8.1 Neighborhood Captains will represent designated areas in the neighborhood.
8.2 The duties of the Neighborhood Captains may include the following:
·       8.2.1 Act as a liaison between the Association and the assigned area to communicate issues, concerns, or other matters of interest in the neighborhood.
·       8.2.2 Be available for calls from his/her area regarding citizen concerns and for routing those concerns to the proper agency or person.
·       8.2.3 Will inform the Welcome Committee of new neighbors or family changes in the designated neighborhood area.
ARTICLE IX – AMENDMENTS AND RATIFICATIONS
These by-laws shall be reviewed periodically and may be amended, or changed by vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the members present at a scheduled general membership meeting. Proposed amendments or changes will be published in the Covenant Neighborhood Association newsletter and website for membership review prior to the meeting that the amendments, or changes are voted upon.