Constitution: NMQ Residents’ Association Constitution
1. NAME The name of the Association is ‘New Mill Quarter Residents’ Association’
2. AIMS
2.1 The aims of the Residents' Association are to:
2.2 Promote membership to all people eligible to join.
2.3 Promote equal opportunities within the community.
2.4 Improve the housing, environment and other services in the area.
2.5 Represent the majority view of the members.
2.6 Provide regular information to all members.
2.7 Regularly consult all members on issues. Monitor the Association, its work, finances and membership.
2.8 The Residents’ Association areas of interest include all aspects likely to affect members with a specific scope to cover all site related issues and the surrounding area, with a view to impact the local area positively and fairly, bringing attention to concerns and seeking to improve amenities and enjoyment of the surroundings.
3 EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
3.1. This Association shall positively promote equal opportunities within the community and within its membership, work for the elimination of discrimination against persons on the basis of race, gender, age, sexuality, disability and religion.
4. MEMBERSHIP
4.1. Membership of the Association shall be open to all people who would normally reside at New Mill Quarter, over the age of 18 years, up to a maximum of two people per property.
4.2. A record of all members in the current year shall be kept by the secretary of the Association.
4.3 Any membership fee shall be determined at the Annual General Meeting.
4.4 The Association maintains social media groups and pages which are accessible to members only to provide an online forum.
5. ENDING MEMBERSHIP
5.1. Membership shall end when a member ceases to live on the estate, except for those members who have been moved off the estate temporarily due a major works programme.
5.2. Membership shall end when a member dies, resigns or has their membership terminated.
5.3. In the event of gross misconduct, membership can be suspended or ended by unanimous vote of the Executive Committee.
5.4. A member whose membership has been suspended in accordance with clause 5.3 shall be entitled to have that suspension reviewed at the next general meeting of the Residents' Association.
6. THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
6.1. The Association shall hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM) once in each year and not more than 15 months shall pass between the date of one AGM and the next.
6.2. The AGM shall: · Receive an annual report from the Executive Committee · Present annual accounts to members · Elect the Executive Committee · Consider any resolutions put forward by members · Vote on any amendments to the constitution
6.3. All members shall be given 14 days notice of the AGM, such notice to include any proposed changes to the constitution.
6.4. Ahead of the AGM all members shall be given an agenda, details of nominations to the Executive Committee and any resolutions which include any proposed changes to the constitution.
6.5. Any proposed changes to the constitution must be notified and sent to the Secretary in writing at least 14 days before the AGM.
7. GENERAL MEETINGS
7.1. Each year the Association shall hold at least four General Meetings (including the AGM) which shall be open to the general membership.
7.2. All members of the Association shall receive 7 days notice of General Meetings.
7.3. The general Meetings shall have minutes.
7.4. The quorum for all General Meetings shall be 10 members.
8. SPECIAL GENERAL MEETINGS
8.1. A Special General Meeting may be called by the Executive Committee and must be called by the Executive Committee if requested by at least five members from different houses or blocks or ten per cent of the membership, whichever is the most, at least 28 days before the date on which those members request the meeting to be held. The Secretary must send to each member written notice of a Special General Meeting 14 days in advance of the meeting.
9. VOTING
9.1. Each member shall have one vote on any resolution put before an AGM, General Meeting or Special General Meeting.
9.2. All voting that takes place at an Annual General Meeting, Special General Meeting and Executive Committee Meeting, shall be counted and recorded in the Minutes.
9.3 Voting will take place in person with an option to vote by email for members unable to attend and/or by online poll. Voting in this manner will be permitted for 3 days from the morning after the initial vote.
10. MINUTES
10.1. All formal meetings must be minuted and the minutes formally approved by the next meeting of the Committee or General Meeting respectively.
10.2. All minutes shall be available for inspection by members of the Association.
11. THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
11.1. Any member over the age of 18 shall be entitled to stand for election to the Executive Committee.
11.2. The Executive Committee shall stand down at each Annual General Meeting and may be re-elected.
11.3. The Committee may from time to time as necessary create any sub-Executive Committees and/or working parties on a permanent or temporary basis. The members of any such sub-committee or working party shall be selected by the Committee from among its members.
11.4. Any such sub-committees or working parties shall report to the Executive Committee for decision making.
11.5. The Committee should encourage appropriate representation from residents across property types.
11.6. The Committee shall monitor the work, finances and membership of the Association.
11.7 The committee shall report to each General meeting on the work done by the Committee since the last General Meeting.
11.8. The Committee shall produce Standing Orders which it may revise from time to time to govern the conduct of Committee Meetings.
11.9. Members of the Committee should: · not be in arrears, or if so they must have a payment plan in place, · not commit anti-social behaviour (ASB).
12. OFFICERS OF THE COMMITTEE
12.1. The Association shall have a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer.
12.2. The Chair shall chair the General and Executive Committee Meetings. The duties of the officers shall be defined in the standing orders of the Association.
12.3. The Vice Chair shall chair meetings in the absence of the Chairperson
12.4. The officers shall report to each Executive Committee Meeting and General Meeting of their work.
13. CO-OPTEES
13.1. The Executive Committee may co-opt non-voting members onto the Executive Committee in order to fill vacancies that occur during the year or to ensure appropriate representation of all people in the community.
14. FINANCE
14.1. The Treasurer shall open a bank or building society account in the name of the Residents' Association and keep records of the Association's income and expenditure. The Treasurer shall report the balance in the account to the Executive Committee at each Executive Committee Meeting.
14.2. The Executive Committee shall appoint three authorised signatories for any cheques and cheques shall be signed by at least two of the authorised signatories. The signatories should be from different households and not related to one another.
14.3. The Association’s accounts shall be kept up to date and annual accounts for each year shall be presented to the Annual General Meeting.
14.4. The accounts of the Association shall be available for inspection by any members of the Association who require seeing them, within 28 days. The request for inspection must be made in writing to the Treasurer.
14.5. The Treasurer is authorised to pay for petty cash travel and other expenses to representatives of the Association undertaking the Association's work providing that each payment is supported by a receipt, ticket or voucher. Each such payment of petty cash shall be signed by the receiver. The Treasurer shall provide a list of petty cash payments to the Executive Committee, at each Executive Committee Meeting.
15. INFORMATION
15.1. The Executive Committee shall provide information to all members on things that affect the Association and its members.
15.2. Every member of the Association shall be able to access a copy of the constitution when they join. Members shall be given copies of any changes to the constitution.
15.3. Minutes of all General Meetings shall be available from the Secretary for all members.
16. DISSOLUTION OF THE RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION
16.1. The Residents' Association can only be dissolved by a Special General Meeting called specifically to consider a motion to dissolve the Association.
16.2. All members shall be given 10 working days written notice of such a meeting, which shall contain the wording of the dissolution.
16.3. The Residents' Association shall only be dissolved if two-thirds of members present at the Special General Meeting vote for a motion to dissolve the Association.
16.4. The Special General Meeting shall decide on disposal of assets, funds and equipment.
17. Motions
17.1 All members of the Residents’ Association can put forward a Motion for meetings providing they have the backing of 4 members from separate households and separate blocks/roads.
17.2 The Executive Committee can only table Motions with 100% agreement where any two members are part of the same household or 75% where all members are otherwise unconnected.
17.3 All Motions which do not materially affect the running of the estate shall pass with a majority vote share and can be used to voice the opinion of the Association.
17.4 All Motions which are likely to have a material affect on the running of the estate (e.g. Construction Work, Acquisition of Roads) shall require a 75% vote margin to pass and must be appropriately advertised.
17.5 No Motions can be passed which are set to cause material financial loss to other residents.