- The Board Meeting was held in the Community Meeting Room at the Great Southern Columbus Library. The following members were in attendance: Curtis Brown, Reba Damron Jones, Pam Richards, Judy Campbell, Bill Palmer and Brian Humphrey.
- Curtis distributed a handout of General Changes:
- He got rid of Roman numerals.
- The formatting is now consistent.
- Businesses in any form are referred to as “Business entities”.
- Curtis made the bylaws match how the organization is currently being run. We need to follow the bylaws even when it is inconvenient.
- Curtis addressed procedural issues, and reduced the number of total bylaw changes.
- ARTICLE 1: NAME: The name of the Corporation shall be Scioto Southland Civic Association, Inc. Hereafter it may also be known as “Scioto Southland Civic”, “SSCA”, “SSC”, the “Civic”, the “Association”, or the “organization”.
- ARTICLE 4: ORGANIZATIONAL PURPOSE: 2. To interact and cooperate with other community organizations, boards, commissions, governmental bodies and city leaders as the Scioto Southland Civic Association, in order to assist the residents, tenants, landowners and business entities within the association area in meeting their civic needs and presenting their opinions to the community.
7. To encourage development in accordance with the guidelines of the Scioto Southland Area Plan as adopted by the City of Columbus and to do all things necessary to support these goals.
5. ARTICLE 5: RESTRICTIONS: 2. No substantial part of the activities of the civic shall involve carrying on propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation except as provided in section 501(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.
3. The civic shall not participate in, or intervene in, any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.
4. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in these articles of incorporation, the civic may not engage in any activity that is not permitted for an organization under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Service Code.
5. Officers and trustees will disclose any personal or financial interest in matters before the civic. Individuals with a conflict of interest shall recuse themselves from voting or influencing decisions related to that interest.
ARTICLE 6: MEMBERSHIP: 1. Membership is open to all individuals aged 18 and older who reside or own property within the boundaries of the association according to Article 3 of our bylaws. Each qualifying individual is entitled to membership and voting rights.
Occasionally, an individual who does not meet the residency or property ownership requirement but has a vested interest in the community may be granted membership through a majority vote of members present at a regular meeting.
Proxy voting is not allowed.
2. Membership shall be governed by such additional qualifications as may be established from time to time by the Scioto Southland Civic Association membership. All changes to membership requirements shall be made in writing to these bylaws and shall be voted upon by the membership and approved by a majority of members present and voting at a regular meeting.
3. Membership applications for business entities shall be restricted to the owner or a designated representative of the organization. Each business entity shall be granted one membership and one vote in matters of the association.
ARTICLE 7: DUES: 1. Dues for members will be collected annually at the monthly meeting in June. The dues shall be $5.00 (Five Dollars) per member per residential address. The dues shall be $25.00 (Twenty-Five Dollars) per business entity.
ARTICLE 8: ADDITIONAL FUNDS AND DONATIONS: 2. Donations will be accepted from organizations and persons both within and outside the boundaries of the organization. Donations will be recorded by the treasurer and a list of the donors and donations will be available at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the organization.
3. Fundraising events will be approved by the officers or trustees of the organization.
4. If the Scioto Southland Civic Association should cease to exist or disband, then the remaining membership shall hold a final business meeting. At that final business meeting. All members will hold a vote and select a local, not-for-profit organization that the remaining balance of our treasury (after payment of the Civic Association’s final expenses) will be donated to. Selection of this charitable organization will be made by a simple majority vote of those members in good standing present at the final meeting.
ARTICLE 9: MEETINGS: 1. The organization will meet regularly on the second Monday of each month at a location and time to be announced. If the regular meeting day is a legal holiday, the meeting will be moved to the following Monday. Attendance by at least four dues paying members in addition to at least two officers or trustees shall constitute a quorum, for a general meeting. For the purposes of a committee meeting, a simple majority of the committee members needs to be present to constitute a quorum.
2. The monthly meeting in November will serve as the meeting at which elections of the officers will be held. Elections will be held by a secret written ballot. In the event of a tie, candidates will speak to the membership to make their final case for no longer than 3 minutes. After speeches are completed, an immediate runoff will take place. If following the runoff there is another tie, the tie will be broken by casting lots. Nominations for officers will be received at the monthly meeting in October. The December meeting is NOT a regular business meeting, but instead it is the annual holiday gathering. If the need to hold business in December arises, a special meeting will be announced in advance. New officers will assume office on December 1st of the year.
6. In the event of a tie the floor will open for discussion. Any amendments to the motion can be made if necessary and then revoted. If the motion does not pass, it fails.
ARTICLE 10: TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS: 1. GENERAL: d. Entire section deleted.
e. The immediate past president may serve on the board of trustees after their term as president has expired as an ex-officio, non-voting member.
g. Officer elections are held during the monthly meeting in November per Article 9 Section 2 of our bylaws.
2. TRUSTEES: a. The organization shall be controlled and managed under the direction of a board of trustees.
b. The bylaws shall be updated automatically to reflect any resignation, removal, or addition of trustees. These updates are administrative and do not require an amendment vote.
c. Responsibilities of the Board of Trustees:
1. Ensure that all actions and decisions of the Association align with its mission, bylaws and legal requirements.
2. Provide oversight and guidance to officers in managing the organization’s affairs.
3. Review and approve major organizational decisions, including financial commitments, fundraising initiatives and policy changes.
4. Serve as a resource for problem-solving and strategic planning, helping the Association navigate challenges.
5. Assist in long-term planning efforts to ensure the Association continues to serve the community effectively.
6. The names and addresses of persons who will serve as the trustees of the corporation/organization are:
— Curtis Brown 3097 Parsons Ave. Columbus, OH 43207
— Brian Humphrey 1478 Halfhill Way Columbus OH 43207
3. PRESIDENT:
c. The president shall appoint members to standing and special committees of the SCA.
d. The president will perform other duties associated with the office as required.
e. The president will have signing authority with the organization’s bank. Upon election of a new president, the outgoing president shall go to the bank to transfer signing rights to the incoming president, at which point the outgoing president will lose signing authority.
6. TREASURER:
b. The Treasurer shall have signing authority with the organization’s bank account. Upon the election of a new Treasurer, the outgoing Treasurer shall go to the bank to transfer signing rights to the incoming Treasurer, at which point the outgoing Treasurer will lose signing authority.
7. OFFICER VACANCIES:
a. If an officer position becomes vacant before the next scheduled election, a nomination process shall begin immediately. Nominations will be accepted until the next regularly scheduled meeting, at which time a special election shall be held to fill the vacancy. The elected officer will serve the remainder of the term.
b. If the President’s position becomes vacant, the Vice President shall assume the role of Interim President until the special election is held the following month. If the Vice President declines or is unable to serve, the Board of Trustees shall appoint an Interim President until the election takes place.
c. If multiple officer vacancies occur, leaving fewer than three active officers, a special election shall be held at the next regularly scheduled meeting to fill the open positions.
d. All elected officers shall have full voting and decision-making authority for the remainder of the term.
ARTICLE 10: STANDING COMMITTEES:
6a. The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, Vice President, Recording Secretary and Treasurer. The Executive Committee shall meet at least quarterly to evaluate the plans for Scioto Southland Civic Association activities.
6b. The Audit Committee will consist of an officer other than the Treasurer and two additional general members to oversee the integrity of SSCA financial statements and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. The audit committee will meet biannually in January and July.
6c. SSC Ambassadors will promote the activities and existence of the Scioto Southland Civic Association to the community including residents, businesses, other individuals and organizations. Ambassadors will also promote safety, health, recreation and social services in the area and make recommendations concerning such. This committee will meet as directed by the committee chair.
The Board voted verbally for each change. Each change passed with a unanimous 100% vote from the Board.