Resources

Meeting Minutes

Minutes of the July 17th, 2008 ARA Meeting (MS Word Format)
Minutes of the June 19th, 2008 ARA Meeting (MS Word Format)
Minutes of the May 15th, 2008 ARA Meeting (MS Word Format)
Minutes of the April 17th, 2008 ARA Meeting (MS Word Format)
Minutes of the March 20, 2008 ARA Meeting (MS Word Format)
Minutes of the February 7, 2008 ARA Meeting (MS Word Format)
Minutes of the November 13, 2007 ARA Meeting (MS Word Format)
Minutes of the September 18, 2007 ARA Meeting (MS Word Format)

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Download the City of Surrey Crime Reduction Strategy (PDF Format)
Download the ARA Constitution (MS Word Format)

Abbotsford Ratepayers Association Constitution

1. The name of the Society is the Abbotsford Ratepayers Association.

2. The purposes of the Society are:

To promote maintain and secure maintenance and improvements in the best
interests of persons living in the City of Abbotsford and to promote, support and assist, as it may seem fit, any local projects of a patriotic, philanthropic, charitable, educational, environmental and sporting character.

To promote, develop and foster community spirit and good citizenship
To concern itself with the performance of government officials and agencies
The locality in which the operations of the Association will be chiefly carried on is within the boundaries of the City of Abbotsford in the Province of British Columbia.

3. On the winding-up or dissolution of the Association, after all debts have been paid or provision for payment has been made, the assets of the Society shall not be distributed among its members or any of them but shall be paid to registered charities within the meaning of the Income Tax Act of Canada. This provision shall be unalterable.

BY-LAWS ABBOTSFORD RATEPAYERS ASSOCIATION

PART 1- INTERPRETATION

1.1 In these bylaws, unless the context otherwise requires:

“Directors” means the directors of the society for the time being;
“Society Act” means the Society Act of British Columbia and all amendments to it; “Registered address” of a member, means the member’s address as recorded in the register of members.
1.2 The definitions in the Society Act on the date these bylaws become effective apply to these bylaws.

PART 2-MEMBERSHIP

2.1 Those eligible for membership are electors living within the boundaries of the City of Abbotsford in the Province of British Columbia

2.2 Real property owners or tenants living in the City of Abbotsford shall each and every one is eligible for membership as individuals.

2.3 Membership of the Association shall be allowed on payment of the yearly fee.

2.4 Every member must uphold the constitution and comply with these bylaws

2.5 A person shall cease to be a member of the association

by delivering his/her resignation in writing to the secretary of the association
or by mailing or delivering it to the address of the association on his/her death on being expelled; or on having been a member not in good standing for twelve (12) consecutive months.

2.6 A member may be suspended from the Association for conduct considered prejudicial to the Association by the executive committee in a general or special meeting, but shall have the right to appeal such suspension to the general meeting of the Association by notice in writing addressed to the secretary.

2.7 A member may be expelled from the Association for conduct considered prejudicial to the Association by a resolution of the Association in a general meeting called for that purpose. A notice of special resolution for expulsion shall be accompanied by a brief statement of the reason for the proposed expulsion (for example, for behavior which is detrimental to the Association). The person who is the subject of the proposed special resolution for expulsion shall be given an opportunity to be heard at the general meeting before the special resolution is put to a vote)

2.8 All members are in good standing except a member who has failed to pay his/her current annual membership fee or who has attended less than 3 general meetings in the current membership calendar year.

2.9 No proclaimed candidate in an election, whether municipal, provincial or federal may join the Association during an election campaign.

2.10 No person currently holding a political office, at any level of government, on behalf of the City of Abbotsford, either in whole or in part, may be a member of the Association.

PART 3- VOTING

3.1 All members in good standing present at a meeting of members shall be entitled to one vote.

3.2 Voting is by show of hands or ballot.

PART 4-DUES

4.1 Each member shall pay annually to the Treasurer a sum to be determined at a general meeting, and the membership year shall commence on the 1st day of January and terminate on the 31st day of December, and the dues shall be payable at the commencement of the membership year.

4.2 No memberships will be sold in December for the current year.

PART 5- MEETINGS

5.1 Annual meeting of the Association shall be held on the third week of March of each year, and at this meeting the election of officers for the next year shall take place, such officers to assume office immediately. The members at the Annual Meeting may inspect books and records of the Association.

5.2 General meetings of the society will be held at a time and place, in accordance with the Society Act, that the directors decide.

5.3 Every general meeting, other than an annual general meeting, is an extraordinary general meeting.

5.4 The directors may, when they think fit convene an extraordinary general meeting.

5.5 Notice of Annual Meeting shall be made to each paid member at his/her last known address at least 14 days prior to the holding of such meeting.

5.6 A quorum is 8 members present or a greater number that the members may determine at a general meeting.

5.7 If within 30 minutes from the time appointed for a general meeting a quorum is not present, chairman shall adjourn the meeting.

PART 6- OFFICERS AND THEIR DUTIES

6.1 The officers of the association shall be a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, membership convener and member at large. Any member running for office in the Association must have attended at least three regular meetings during the previous twelve months.

6.2 The president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, membership convener and one member at large are the directors of the society.

6.3 The president shall preside over all general meetings and all executive meetings, and shall be ex-officio member of all committees

6.4 The vice-president shall perform all the duties of the president whenever the president shall cease to hold office or be absent or prevented from attending to his/her duties, and shall preside when requested to do so by the president. No one shall chair a meeting while he/she is a declared candidate in a municipal, provincial or federal election.

6.5 The secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings at all meetings, and shall conduct the correspondence of the Association and report thereon to each executive meeting.

6.6 The Membership Convener shall keep a register of all members and issue notices of all meetings of the Association.

6.7 The treasurer shall keep financial records, including books of account, necessary to comply with the Society Act and shall furnish financial statements at each general meeting.

6.8 The executive shall be composed of the officers named in Article 6.1 and shall meet not less than once in three months. In the case of any member of the executive being absent without due cause for three consecutive general meetings, the position will be declared vacant and will be filled by a by-election called by the executive. The executive shall bring before general meetings all recommendations for their considerations and final decisions.

6.9 The members may, by special resolution, remove a director, before the expiration of his or her term of office, and may elect a successor to complete the term of office

6.10 A bank account shall at all times be kept at a Chartered Bank, Credit Union or Canadian Government banking facility in Abbotsford, and all monies of the Association shall be deposited promptly therein by the Treasurer. All withdrawals shall be only by cheque, which shall be signed by the President or the vice-president and counter-signed by the Treasurer. A petty cash account of not more than $40.00 may be kept on hand at all times by the Treasurer.

6.11 A third signing Officer may be chosen by the executive to facilitate Association business in the absence of the President or Treasurer. Two of these three individuals must sign each cheque.

6.12 The Officers of the Association, once elected, will hold their positions for one calendar year.

6.13 An election may be by acclamation; otherwise it shall be by show of hands. If a winner is shown with less than 10% margin of victory, then a second vote shall be taken by ballot.

6.14 If no successor is elected the person previously elected or appointed continues to hold office.

6.15 If an officer resigns his/her office or otherwise ceases to hold office, the remaining officers shall appoint a member to take the place of the former officer.

6.16 No officer shall be remunerated for being or acting as a officer but an officer shall be reimbursed for all expenses necessarily and reasonably incurred by him/her while engaged in the affairs of the society.

PART 7- SEAL

7.1 A common seal of the Association, if obtained, shall be authenticated by the signature of the President or Vice-President and the Secretary, or such officer or officers as shall from time to time be ordered by the Executive Committee and shall be held in safekeeping by the Secretary.

PART 8- BORROWING POWERS

8.1 The executive committee may from time to time at their discretion raise and borrow money or secure the payments of any sum or sums for the purpose of the association upon approval of a regular meeting.

8.2 The executive committee may raise or secure by resolution at the regular meetings, payment or repayment of such sum or sums in such manner and upon such terms and in all respects as they think fit and in particular, by mortgage or by issue of perpetual or terminable debentures or debenture certificates of the Association charge all or part of the property of the Association both present and future. No debenture shall be issued without the passing of a special resolution.

PART 9- ORDER OF BUSINESS

9.1 The Order of Business at all General Meetings and Executive Meetings shall be as follows:

Open the meeting
Roll Call of Officers
Reading and approval of minutes
Report of the Treasurer
Correspondence
Committee reports
Unfinished business
New business
Adjournment

9.2 At the Annual General Meeting the election of officers shall take place under “New business” and after “Annual Reports”

PART 10- AMENDMENT OF CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS

10.1 Only Special Resolutions and a vote of 75% of the membership present as required under the Society Act will make amendments and additions to the constitution and by-laws.

PART 11- AUDIT AND RULES OF ORDER

11.1 An auditor shall be selected by the Association at its annual meeting, said auditor to act for the ensuing year.

11.2 Roberts Rules of Order shall rule as an authority at all meetings when any question of procedure is raised.

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