DEL VALLE COMMUNITY COALITION

BYLAWS

SECTION 1

Article I – Name

The name of this organization shall be the Del Valle Community Coalition, herein after referred to as Del Valle Community Coalition NA, established in April 9, 2010.

Article II - Purpose and Mission Statement

Mission: The Del Valle Community Coalition will raise a collective Del Valle voice. By recognizing the diverse opinions represented by each cultural heritage into an inclusive, thriving community, we will work together to find proactive solutions to community challenges.

Vision: We strive for a healthy, friendly community with an appreciation of all that is Del Valle. We embrace Del Valle with a commitment of stewardship for all DV children, families, neighborhoods and the Del Valle land.

Goal: We seek to preserve and improve the quality of life in DV by providing support in all matters of concern raised by the residents of DV. We strive to educate members regarding effective self advocacy and community advocacy; to protect the environment, and to promote a sense of community. We encourage active participation in creating jobs, creating all manner of support for our children, preventing crime, promoting safety, cleanliness and pride in all that is Del Valle.

Article III - Boundaries

The boundaries of the Del Valle Independent School District comprise the boundaries of the Del Valle Community Coalition. Because the School District overlaps many zip codes with other school districts and because the streets defining the boundaries are many, we designate the simple boundaries for the City of Austin Registry database.

North: U.S. Hwy. 290

South: Travis CountyLine

West: IH-35

East: Travis CountyLine

Article IV - Membership

All residents, agencies and businesses residing within the area described in Section 1, Article III are eligible for membership in Del Valle Community Coalition NA. Non-resident property and business owners shall be invited to participate on a non-voting basis. Honorary voting membership may be attained through nomination by a Del Valle Community Coalition NA officer, and approved by a majority vote of the general membership.

Del Valle Community Coalition NA Bylaws

Members shall be asked, but not required, to participate in fundraising set by the Executive Board and ratified by the majority membership at the beginning of each fiscal year for the support of authorized activities.

Membership may be revoked for cause at any meeting of the Del Valle Community Coalition NA by a majority vote of the general membership present providing that notice has been furnished to the membership at least two weeks prior to said meeting.

Article V - Objectives

The objectives of Del Valle Community Coalition NA are to:

  1. Represent and advance the interests of residents of the neighborhoods in the boundaries of the Del Valle ISD through a comprehensive plan that addresses the following issues:

HealthEnvironment

Social JusticeFinancing

DevelopmentParks and Recreation

Crime PreventionSocial Mobilization

NeighborhoodsCommunity Education

CommunicationsTransportation

  1. Accomplish objective 1, through the involvement of all residents, businesses and agencies that reside within the boundaries.
  1. By forming Task Force Groups that investigate and bring back facts and information to the Coalition that will help develop the comprehensive plan.
  1. Participate in the planning and implementation of economic development, transportation development and improvement policies to protect the interests and safety of the DVCCNA residents.
  1. Participate in the planning and implementation development of area parks and natural green spaces, and land use policies to protect the environment while enhancing the DVCCNA area.
  1. Preserve the historic character, rural and unique culture and amenities of the neighborhood.
  1. Promote public services, community education, consumer protection, public safety and cleanliness.
  1. Educate membership and publish on a regular basis a Del Valle Community Coalition NA newsletter and website to keep all residents informed on issues vital to the neighborhood.

Article VI - Organizational Structure

  1. Task Force Group Representatives:

Task Force Group Representatives will represent a Task Force Group within the boundaries established in Section 1, Article III. Each Task Force Group Representative candidate must be actively involved in the group they wish to represent. There is no limit to the number of representatives.

  1. Duties of Task Group Representatives:

(a) May serve on the Executive Board by majority vote.

(b) Hold Task Force Group meetings, door-to-door inquiries, or otherwise get to know the needs

of the Del Valle Community Coalition NA memberswithin the boundaries established in Section 1, Article III.

3. Task Force Group Leaders:

Task Force Group Leaders will be the contact and coordinator for Task Force Group Representatives in each respective Task Force Group. Task Force Group leaders will be elected positions. Task Force Group Leaders will serve on the Board. Each Task Force Group Leader should meet regularly with the VP of Task Forces to keep officers apprised of progress made on all initiatives.

4. Officers:

Del Valle Community Coalition NA Memberswill annually elect officers who will represent Del Valle Community Coalition NA. Officers will include the President, two (2) Vice Presidents, a Treasurer and a Secretary. Terms of office are set out in Sec. 2, Article IV. Officer candidates shall be elected by obtaining a simple majority vote of Del Valle Community Coalition NA Members in accordance with guidelines set out in Sec 2, Article III.

5. Duties of Officers

(a) The President shall:

1) Preside at all meetings of Del Valle Community Coalition NA general membership and the Executive Committee and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.

2) Cosign all checks drawn on the account of Del Valle Community Coalition NA

3)Be the primary spokesperson of Del Valle Community Coalition NA. The President shall receive the approval of the Board on all statements made on behalf of the Del Valle Community Coalition NA and be required to report these statements and endorsements at the next meeting of the Del Valle Community Coalition NA and by electronic submission via email or forum posting.

4)President shall assist and support activities and facilitate communication with community Ambassadors or social resource persons and the Austin Neighborhood Council Representatives.

(b) The First Vice President shall assist and support activitiesand facilitate communication with thetask forces and initiatives.Will also preside at Del Valle Community Coalition NA meetings when necessary due to the absence of the President; will also chair the Annual Audit Committee.

(c) The Second Vice President shall assist and support activities and facilitate communication with membership and recruitment. The Second Vice President will also chair the Elections Committee.

(d) The Treasurer shall assist and support activities related to finance and fund-raising task forces such collection and disbursement of funds. The Treasurer will also be responsible for accountability of funds, and shall bring the checkbook and other books to each meeting of the Executive Board, and shall provide a treasury report at these meetings and post them on Citicite. The Treasurer cosigns all checks drawn on the account of the Del Valle Community Coalition NA and shall post bank statements electronically on CitiCite.com.

(e) The Secretary will assist and support activities related to the Communications task force to assist with the correspondence of the Coalition. Will also be records keeper, agenda keeper, taking of minutes during meetings and database manager. In the absence of the President or the Treasurer, the Secretary cosigns checks drawn on the account of the Del Valle Community Coalition NA.

(f)All Officers are elected and will also serve as at large members of the Executive Board.

(g)All officers will assist and support the creation of the 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation until the officers and Board Members for the non-profit corporation have been elected.

6. Honoree Board Member will be an invited member of the community that will be able to participate in the Officer and Board meetings as available.

End of Section 1

SECTION 2

Article I - Meetings and Organization

  1. Meetings of the Del Valle Community Coalition NA shall be open to the public and agendas made public via e-mail, website, and/or mailed.
  1. Meetings of the Del Valle Community Coalition NA general membership shall be held monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly, scheduled on such day, as a majority of the residents may agree. Special meetings may be called by the Executive Board.
  1. The Executive Board meetings shall be held on a monthly basis scheduled by the President. Agendas shall be published in advanced and meetings shall be open to the general membership.
  1. The fiscal year of Del Valle Community Coalition NA shall run from October 1 to September 30.
  1. The social media program, CitiCite.com will be used to facilitate communication of the Del Valle Community Coalition NA and assist in the distribution of information. The Coalition will use Citicite.com to forum electronically between task force group members, new members, officers and board members. All members are asked to adhere to the Task Force Group Guidelines as mentioned in Article VII. Electronic forums are encouraged to facilitate communication on issues before task force group meetings. It is not expected to take the place of task force group meetings.
  1. Task Force Group meetings will be used for prioritizing issues and initiatives and recruiting of new Task Force Group members.

Article II - Voting

  1. Each Del Valle Community Coalition NA member present at any Del Valle Community Coalition NA general association meeting shall be entitled to one vote. Del Valle Community Coalition NA members must be 18 years of age or older in order to vote.
  1. Quorum: In all cases where official positions and policies are being established, a quorum shall be necessary for the transaction of Del Valle Community Coalition NA business.

(a)For Del Valle Community Coalition NA general membership meetings, a quorum of Del Valle Community Coalition NA members shall be necessary for the transaction of Del Valle Community Coalition NA business. A quorum at these meetings shall be defined as at least ten Task Force Group Representative.

(b)For Del Valle Community Coalition NA Executive Board meetings, a quorum shall be constituted when more than half of the Board members are present.

3. A majority vote of more than 75 percent of the Executive Board members constituting a quorum shall be binding on Del Valle Community Coalition NA.

Article III - The Election Process

  1. Election Date: The election process including publicity, polling place, date and time of the election shall be determined by the Election Committee and shall be held at a central point in the neighborhood accessible to all neighborhood residents.
  1. In order to vote, proof of residency for Businesses, Agency and Residence will be required. Proof of residency may include a current Texas Drivers License, Texas Identification Card, voter’s registration card, or utility bill with the name and address of the resident(s).
  1. Staffing of the election process shall be the responsibility of the Election Committee. The Election

Del Valle Community Coalition NA Bylaws

Committee shall maintain confidential election results and report to the Executive Board.

  1. The Election Committee shall elect three persons to be the Nominations Committee.
  1. The Nominations Committee will be responsible for accepting nominations. In those cases where no resident files for election of a given office, nominations for these positions shall be the responsibility of the Nominations Committee.
  1. Appeals: Any appeals, questions or issues related to the election process shall be in writing and

submitted to the chair of the Election Committee within forty eight (48) hours of the close of the election process. The Election Committee will include these appeals, questions, or issues in their report to the outgoing Executive Board for resolution. The Executive Board decisions are final.

  1. Certification of Results: The outgoing Executive Board will certify election results and make any decisions to resolve election appeals, issues or questions and then make the election results public.
  1. The Nominations Committee will also be responsible for recruiting and recommending persons for vacant Executive Board positions past Election Day, until positions are filled.
  1. Late nominations for vacant Board positions shall be approved by the Executive Board.

Article IV - The Executive Board

  1. The Executive Board shall consist of Officers, Honoree Board Members and one elected Task Force Group Representative from each Task Force Group.
  1. Terms for Board Members will be for two years. The following Board Members positions will be elected as follows.

EvenOdd

President1st Vice President

2nd Vice PresidentTreasurer

SecretaryHealth

Social JusticeFinancing

Del Valle Community Coalition NA Bylaws

DevelopmentParks and Recreation

Crime PreventionSocial Mobilization

NeighborhoodsCommunity Education

CommunicationsTransportation

Environment

The initial year the members of the Odd column will serve one year. Annually, thereafter, the board will be elected in staggered two-year terms.

  1. Members of the Executive Board present in person or by telephone at any Executive Board meeting shall be entitled to one vote. No proxy votes will be allowed for board members.
  1. The Task Force Group from which the board representatives are elected, are to be designated prior to the election and may be adjusted annually by the Executive Board to reflect equal representation.

Article V – Board/ Officer Candidate Eligibility

  1. Age: Each candidate must be 18 years of age or older.
  1. Residency: Each candidate must reside within the boundaries established in Section 1, Article III.
  1. Filing: Each candidate must file for election according to the guidelines developed by the Election Committee.

Del Valle Community Coalition NA Bylaws

Article VI - Duties of Non-Elected Positions

  1. Parliamentarian: The Parliamentarian shall assist in observance of Robert's Rules of Order at Coalition meetings, and Executive Board meetings. The Parliamentarian shall be appointed by the President and ratified by the Executive Board.
  1. Austin Neighborhood Council Representatives: The ANC Representatives shall attend all functions of the Austin Neighborhood Council representing the official policy of Del Valle Community Coalition NA and shall report all actions taken to the Executive Board. The ANC Representatives shall be the Second Vice-President, or a Member appointed by the President and ratified by two-thirds of the Executive Board.
  1. Election Committee: The Election Committee shall be convened during the quarter preceding the stated date of elections to prepare for and conduct the balloting process. The Election Committee shall maintain election results as confidential and report to the Executive Board. The Election Committee shall be selected by the Executive Board. The 2nd Vice President shall be Chair of the Election Committee.
  1. Standing Committees, Ad Hoc Committees, and Task Force Groups shall be formed as needed to addressthe Mission, Vision and Goal Statements as described in Section 1, Article II. Task Force Group Leaderswill be elected by Quorum and ratified at any meeting of the Del Valle Community Coalition NA Executive Board by two-thirds of the board members present provided that notice has been furnished to the board membership at least two weeks prior to said Executive Board meeting.

Article VII –Task Force Group and Member Guidelines

  1. Set meetings. Meet weekly by email, by CitiCite.com or in person.
  2. Within each Task Force Group initiative, agree on your own rules for getting feedback.
  3. Robert’s Rules of Order will be acknowledged in task force group break out sessions during Coalition meetings.
  4. Please respect your neighbor in CitiCite forums, email, and meetings. No vulgar language.
  5. Please let Task Force Group Leader know what initiatives you are working on.
  6. Research your topic. We need to find facts not depend on hear say. Please verify information as appropriate.
  7. Find all possible solutions to the topic.
  8. Explore all possible rebuttals to your solutions.
  9. Bring back any issues or roadblocks to the Task Force Group.
  10. Let the Task Force Group Leader know if you need more help.
  11. When bringing new information to the Coalition, please classify them as Current issues or Long term Planning items.
  12. Do not make major decisions alone, always bring back alternatives to the Task Force Group and then when appropriate to the Coalition.
  13. As a citizen, you are empowered to facilitate change in your community. If action on issues or initiatives would be more effective with Coalition support for whatever reason, then please bring back to the Coalition for voting and action.

Article VIII - Resignation/ Replacement/ Removal from Office

  1. Resignations: Any Del Valle Community Coalition NA officeholder must give four (4) weeks written notice before a resignation becomes effective. The resignation notice will be addressed to the Executive Board.
  1. Removal from Office: Any Del Valle Community Coalition NA officeholder may be removed from a position for cause at any meeting of the Del Valle Community Coalition NA Executive Board by two-thirds of the board members present providing that notice has been furnished to the board membership at least two weeks prior to said Executive Board meeting.
  1. Replacement of Officers: When necessary, vacant offices shall be filled at any meeting by the Executive Board for the un-expired portion of the term or as directed in Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised. This officer must be approved by a majority of the quorum present at the next general meeting.

Article IX - Parliamentary Authority

When not consistent with these by-laws, Robert’s Rule of Order Newly Revised shall be the parliamentary authority for all matters of Procedure. These rules may be suspended at any meeting by a majority vote.

Article X - Prohibitions

  1. Del Valle Community Coalition NA may NOT endorse any candidate(s) for political office.
  1. The identity of individual Del Valle Community Coalition NA members shall be confidential and may not be released without their permission. Elected and non-elected office holders, as described in Section 1, Article VI-1 and VI-3, and Section 2, Article VI shall be excluded from this provision.

Article XI - Adoption/ Amendment of Bylaws