About the Coalition

ARTICLE I - ORGANIZATION

1.1 Name. This Organization shall be known as the Northeast OKC Neighborhood Coalition (NEOKCNC), known as Coalition.

1.2 Boundaries. The Coalition shall encompass the areas bounded by NE 1^st to Wilshire Boulevard to Walnut Avenue to Sooner Road

1.3 Authority. The Coalition is organized under the authority of the Northeast Oklahoma City Renaissance, Inc., known as NEOKCR

1.4 Purpose. Coalition’s purpose is to:

1. Promote communication and cooperation between neighborhoods and organizations in NE OKC to foster a sense of community; Unite existing neighborhood associations;
2. Provide a unified voice for the neighborhood associations;
3. Provide forum for discussion of common neighborhood issues;
4. Provide guidance, training, seed grants for new and existing neighborhood associations; and
5. Be available for advice on policies necessary for the effective and equitable implementation of neighborhood planning

ARTICLE II - MEMBERSHIP

2.1 Eligibility. The President /Team Leader and Immediate Past President/Team leader (as long as approved by their Neighborhood Association/Leadership team) of all Neighborhood Associations registered at Neighborhood Alliance of Central Oklahoma and operating within the boundaries of this Coalition are eligible for General Membership in the Coalition.  All General Members requesting a voting membership must present minutes of a meeting from their Neighborhood Association/Leadership Team stating they are the 1 or 2 members granted permission to represent them on this coalition.  General Members must meet this criteria and they are eligible to vote on all business presented at General Membership meetings.

2.2 Voting Rights. The President/Team Leader and immediate past president/team leader of each active Neighborhood Association within the boundaries listed for this coalition shall have one vote in deciding matters related to the Coalition.

2.3 Types of Members

General Members. These are voting members who have been appointed as the representative of their Neighborhood Association, according to the rules as outlined in 2.1.  All General members may be asked to pay dues if and when a dues requirement has been voted on by the General Membership at a regular or special meeting and passed by a majority vote.

Associate Members. This a non-voting category and Associate members may not run for an office.  They may serve on committees, attend General Membership Meetings, and may be asked to pay dues if and when a dues requirement has been voted on by the Board. Associate members except for the NEOKCR appointed Liaison to the Coalition must fill out an application to share their interest in supporting the mission of this organization and a decision will be made by the Board.

ARTICLE III - OFFICERS AND DUTIES

3.1 Officers. The officers of the Coalition shall be a President, a Vice President, and a Secretary/Treasurer. A list of current officers shall be kept on file with the Neighborhood Alliance of Central Oklahoma.

3.2 Term of Office. Officers are elected annually for one-year terms.  An officer may be elected for the same position for up to 5 consecutive years, after which they may run for a different position if desired. They shall hold office until his/her successor has been elected.

3.3 Eligibility. Officers must be a member in good standing of the Coalition as well as a member in good standing of a registered neighborhood association within the boundaries of the coalition to run and to hold office in the Coalition.  If their Neighborhood Association goes inactive prior to the end of their Coalition Officer term, they may maintain their office until the end of that term.

3.4 Duties of Officers

• President. The president shall preside at all meetings; prepare the meeting agenda; represent the Coalition and act on its behalf in accordance with its adopted decisions and policies; appoint committees not otherwise defined in the Bylaws; and sign all outgoing communications and correspondence.
• Vice President. The vice president shall assume the responsibilities and duties of the president in his/her absence or at his/her request; serve as ex-officio member of all committees; arrange in-person or digital meetings, invite/remind all attendees of each meeting including possible guests, and assist the president and/or the Secretary/Treasurer in carrying out the policies and objectives of the organization.
• Secretary/Treasurer. The secretary/treasurer shall be responsible for recording meeting attendance and minutes of all Coalition meetings; distribute minutes to Coalition member for approval; and maintain a file of Coalition documents. He/she shall also receive and disburse Coalition funds in such banking institutions as the Board shall authorize.

ARTICLE IV– ELECTION OF OFFICERS

4.1 Election of Officers

• Time and Place. Officers shall be elected at the first Coalition meeting of each calendar year unless the Board votes to hold elections at a different meeting during the year.
• Nominations. A slate of officers shall be presented by the nominating committee 30 days prior to the election. The Nominating Committee will present to Coalition members a slate of Officers 30 days prior to the election through virtual communication methods. Further nominees who meet the qualifications will be accepted by, or from, any Coalition Member in good standing at any point up until the elections are held.
• Nomination Committee. This committee is responsible for vetting possible General Members to run for a slate or a single open office.  This committee is made up of 3 members, one of which is appointed by the Board and the other 2 are elected by the General Membership at any General or Special meeting of the Coalition.
• Election. Officers shall be elected by majority of voting members present.

4.2 Vacancies. A vacancy in any office for any reason may be filled for the unexpired portion of the term by a member chosen by the Coalition through any meeting or specially called meeting. Nominations will be taken from the floor and all nominees must meet the eligibility required of all possible Board Members as outlined in Article 3.3 of these bylaws.

4.3 Removal. All officers are subject to removal for conflict of interest, illegal activity that affects the organization directly or indirectly, for missing 3 consecutive regular Board meetings without being excused by the President, or by exhibiting behavior that is unbecoming of an officer. General Membership and/or the Board of Directors may call for a special meeting (see Article 6b) or proceed at any regularly scheduled General Membership meeting as long as the item is on the agenda, at which time they may ask for a general vote on removing any officer for any reason, voting quorums are required during this vote.

ARTICLE V – STANDING AND AD HOC COMMITTEES

5.1 Standing and Ad Hoc Committees. The Coalition may establish Standing and Ad Hoc committees to further its purposes as directed by vote of the Coalition.  Any General member or Board member may suggest a new committee be established at a membership or special meeting as long as the item is on the agenda. The Board of Directors may create or abolish Ad Hoc Committees through a Board Vote only.  Standing Committees may be established or abolished by a vote of the Coalition Membership only.

5.2 Membership on Committees. Any Board Member, General or Associate Member shall be eligible to serve on any Committees.

5.3 The Board of Directors shall adopt a Code of Conduct and Policies and Procedures in which both Standing and Ad Hoc Committees must adhere.

ARTICLE VI – VOTING/QUORUM

6.1 Quorum.

• General Membership Meetings Quorum. a minimum of 7 General Coalition Members must be present for business to transact.
• Special Meetings Quorum. At least 10 members must be present at any specially called Special Meeting for business to transact.
• Board of Directors Quorum. All 3 members must be present for business to
• Committee Meetings. There is no expectation of Quorum at a Committee meeting

6.2  Voting

• No Proxy voting is accepted
• All voting can be done by either show of hands, private ballot or any other method as agreed upon by the membership present and voted on prior to the start of the election.
• Electronic Voting is allowed as long as the Board of Directors has adopted a policy outlining the fundamentals of electronic voting and these policies have been approved by the members present at any general meeting.

ARTICLE VII - MEETINGS

7.1 Types of Meetings

• General Membership Meetings. Meetings shall be held the 1st Wednesday of each month and conducted according to these bylaws and generally accepted meeting rules established by this All General Membership meetings shall be open to the general public however only voting members may vote (Article 2.2) Meetings may be held in person or digitally. Digital meetings will follow the policies and procedures set up and adopted by the Board of Directors to assure fairness, accuracy and that everyone had an opportunity to attend.
• Special Meetings.  Special meetings may be called by the Board of Directors or by a petition signed by 10 of the General Members, presented to the Board of Directors and asking for a specific agenda to be discussed. Petition must state the purpose of the meeting and the BOD must call for and hold the meeting at a convenient time for the petitioners, but not more than 30 days after receiving the petition. All Special Meetings must have a minimum of a 2-day notice and the items to be discussed will be placed on the notice. BOD runs the meeting and minutes are kept by a petitioner and the Secretary of BOD and then jointly combined for accuracy before being presented at the next General Membership meeting for a vote of approval.
• Board of Directors (or Officers) Meeting. The Board of Directors is comprised of the 3 elected officers. They will meet monthly. Additional meetings of the Board may be held at any time the President calls them. All Board meetings are open, and any General Members may attend.  However, only Board Members vote at Board Meetings.  Members of the general public must have an invitation to attend a Board Meeting or they may contact any Board member prior to the meeting for permission.
• Committee Meetings. These meetings may meet when and as often as is required to perform their duties. They decide on their business by consensus.

7.2 Transaction of Business. All Coalitions decisions/business and deliberations toward a decision shall be made at a sanctioned Coalition meeting. Decisions shall be made by majority vote unless otherwise stated in these bylaws.

7.3 Minutes. Minutes of all Coalition meetings shall be taken by the secretary/treasurer or his/ her designee.  Minutes will be presented for approval at the respective meeting.  Minutes will be kept in a Minutes Book and anyone may request viewing. The BOD has 7 business days to comply.

7.4 Financial Reports. The Treasurer shall collect all the funds donated or generated by the Organization. These funds shall be deposited into the Bank approved by the Board of Directors.  A treasurer’s report shall be presented at each regular General membership Meeting and each Board of Directors meetings. The Financial books, less any confidential information, are open for any General Member to review by request.  The BOD has 10 business days to comply.  Financial records are kept according to the Financial Policies and Procedures adopted by the BOD and followed by the Treasurer.

ARTICLE VIII - RULES

8.1   Rules. The guidelines set-forth in these bylaws shall govern all meetings and decisions. Where these bylaws are silent the association should refer to Roberts Rules of Order for guidance.

ARTICLE IX – MISCELLANEOUS

9.1  Discrimination. The Coalition shall not deny membership rights or access to the benefits of the Coalition to any individual based on race, creed, color, gender, sexual orientation, age, heritage, national origin, or income.

9.2  Electronic Notices.  The Coalition retains the rights to use electronic messaging services (email or an equivalent) to assure members are kept informed on a timely and cost-efficient basis. It is the members responsibility to keep their contact information up to date with the Coalitions Secretary.

ARTICLE X – AMENDMENTS
10.1 Amendments. Notice of change to the bylaws requires a 10-day advance notice to the General membership prior to voting on the amendment.  Any voting member may propose, in writing, an amendment, or a change to the Bylaws. Any proposed amendment(s) must be approved by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of voting members presents at the next general meeting after the 10 day notice was given.

ARTICLE XI – DISILUSIONMENT

11.1 Disillusionment. If the Coalition is dissolved any funds in the coffers shall be donated to a non-profit organization or Association as voted on by the General  Membership present. All records will be retained for up to 2 years.