Bylaws

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TOPANGA TOWN COUNCIL, EST. 1977

CORPORATE POWERS

The corporate powers of this council shall be vested in a Board of Directors, who shall be members in good standing of the Council.

PURPOSES OF THE TOPANGA TOWN COUNCIL

(a) To provide a forum for the Topanga Community to address important local and county issues that could affect the residents, businesses and property owners in Topanga and provide a mechanism to get Community input back to local and county governments.

(b) To involve the Supervisor’s Office on any issues the Council, on behalf of the community, is seeking to resolve with any government agency.

(c) To support the Supervisor’s Office in their management of the Topanga area.

(d) To generate, assist and support in the Topanga area in such activities that will benefit the residents and property owners.

(e) To support and assist government agencies and other volunteer organizations in the Topanga area.

MEMBERSHIP

The Topanga Town Council shall be composed of voting members constituting the Board of Directors, and non-voting members, organizations, businesses and individual residents of Topanga shall be eligible for non-voting membership in the Council. Payment of membership dues will entitle paying members to have a copy of minutes mailed to such member.

(a) Board of Director membership in the Council shall be limited to Topanga residents (renter or owner) & non-resident Topanga property owners.

(b) To qualify as a resident, an individual must have resided in Topanga for at least 30 days.

(c) Membership shall be open to anyone having reached the age of 18, and voter registration is not a requirement for membership. To request membership you should send to the Topanga Town Council a resume and brief summary of any civic organizations in which you participate and length of time in Topanga. The resumes will be evaluated and each request will be brought to the attention of the Topanga Town Council Board. The Chairman of the Membership committee will then contact the requestor.

(d) There shall be a non-voting category of membership, open to transient residents, interested parties from neighboring communities, representatives from Topanga Community Organizations, etc.

(e) The definition of Topanga, for the purpose of defining membership qualification and other related purposes, shall be Postal Zip Code, or approval by the Board of Directors if outside Postal Zip Code 90290.

(f) Annual membership dues for non-voting Council members shall be $15.00.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

(a) A Board member shall have been a participant of the Town Council for three (3) consecutive meetings before being eligible for election to the Board of Directors (with the exception of the first elected Board of Directors).

(b) The Board of Directors can consist of up to nine (9) Council members.

(c) If a Board Member fails to attend three consecutive regular meetings of the Council then the Presiding Officer may at his or her discretion temporarily suspend that Member for purposes of voting or constituting a Quorum until he or she next attends a Regular Meeting. If a Board Member fails to attend three consecutive regular meetings of the Council without a compelling reason the Presiding Officer may declare that seat vacant, if a majority of the Board so deems.

(d) Seven (7) days notice shall be required before non-scheduled meetings of the Board. (Emergency meetings are to be excluded from prior notice.)

(e) No officer shall for reason of his or her office be entitled to receive any salary or compensation, but nothing herein shall be construed to prevent an officer or member of the Board receiving any compensation from the Council for duties other than as an Officer.

(f) Only an Officer of the Council or other person designated by the Board of Directors may make official statements on behalf of the Council. This limitation does not apply to the conduct of routine communications, business transactions or Board authorized statements.

MEETINGS

(a) MEETINGS SHALL BE PUBLIC. All Council and Board meetings shall be open to the public and to the press.

(b) No formal meeting shall be held or business conducted or votes taken in the absence of a Quorum. A Quorum shall consist of a simple majority of the voting members of the Board.

(c) Minutes of each Council meeting shall be sent to all Board Members and to such others in the community as the Board directs, and shall be available to the public.

(d) Public Input. Subject to the Chairs discretion to limit the total amount of time allocated on particular issues and for each individual speaker, every member of the public attending a Council Meeting shall have the opportunity to directly address the Board on any agenda item, before or during the Board’s consideration of the item, and at the appropriate time for such comment, any item of interest to the public that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Council, provided that no action shall be taken on any item not appearing on the agenda.

LIABILITY

Neither the members nor Directors of the Council shall be personally liable for the debts, liabilities, or obligations of this not-for-profit corporation.

Respectfully Submitted,
Jacqueline Benson, 2004 Vice-President
Topanga Town Council (Rev. Nov. 2004)