The association constitution was approved at the association AGM December 7 2021. It constitutes the rules and principles by which the current committee and association is operating within.
NAME
The name of the association is the Highfield & Westbrook Residents’ Association.
AIMS
The association plays an important role in looking after the interests of residents; and strives to maintain a sense of community within our area on many levels.
The committee and volunteers will help advance residents’ association objectives which include
- Promote and enhance the living environment and a better sense of community
- Represent the interests of everyone living in Highfield Park and Westbrook Road
- Ensure that the area is well represented when dealing with local and statutory bodies
- Undertake community projects like clean ups, summer projects
- Raise awareness of issues such as Road safety, Community safety, Upkeep, Littering and dog fouling
- Keep residents informed of what’s happening in our neighbourhood
- Make request for improvement to the area e.g. a better play area in the vicinity
- Specific priorities being considered for the forthcoming year
- People coming together to maintain the estate
- External communications with DLR on general maintenance, rainwater drainage, general services
- Look at financing options for various ideas (including possible council grant aid)
- Look to organise community events.
The association is non-party-political and non-sectarian.
MEMBERSHIP
Membership is open to all residents in Highfield Park and Westbrook Road.
SUBSCRIPTION
The subscription is €20 per household, or such sum as fixed at a General Meeting. The subscription will be collected on annual basis or less frequently (where funding is already sufficient to meet association running costs for the year).
Voluntary subscription fees are necessary to meet the modest expenses associated with running the residents’ association.
COMMITTEE
The general management of the affairs of the association is vested in the committee, who perform all such acts as may be deemed necessary or expedient to further the aims and objectives of the association.The committee shall be composed of at least 8 committee members consisting of 3 officers and ordinary members as follows:
- Chairperson
- Honorary Secretary
- Honorary Treasurer
Additional ordinary members should be broadly representative of the membership if possible.
The committee members are elected each year at the Annual General Meeting. In the event of a committee member leaving the area or resigning from the committee, the remaining committee can co-opt another member to fill the position until the next AGM.
An officer shall not hold the same office for longer than 3 years.
A person who holds an elected position in local or central government shall not be eligible for election to the committee, and any committee member wishing to contest such elections must first resign from the committee.
COMMITTEE MEETINGS
All committee meetings shall be convened by the Hon. Secretary, who shall give due notice of dates and times of such committee meetings to each committee member.
Should the Chairperson not be present at a committee meeting then the Hon. Secretary shall be the Chairperson for such meeting. Should the Chairperson or Hon. Secretary not be present at a committee meeting then the Hon. Treasurer shall be the Chairperson for such meeting.
A quorum for a committee meeting shall be 3 committee members one of whom must be an officer of the association.
The Hon. Secretary shall keep minutes of meetings and records of attendance. This may be delegated to another committee member by the Chairperson, in the absence of the Hon. Secretary.
The committee may co-opt up to five ordinary members to be members of a subcommittee of the committee, ensuring where possible the representative nature of the committee.
All decisions of the committee shall be ratified by a majority of the members present. The chairman shall have a casting vote in the event of a tie.
All committee members shall declare any conflict of interest or vested interest that may arise in relation to any matter put forward for discussion, for example, planning applications.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM)
The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held each year. Notice, in writing, in soft or hard copy, must be given to households at least 10 days prior to the meeting.
All ordinary members of the association may submit motions for discussion at the AGM. Such motions must be received by the Hon. Secretary not later than 4 days prior to the meeting.
EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING (EGM)
An EGM may be called by the committee or by requisition signed by not less than 20 ordinary members of the association, delivered to the Hon. Secretary, who in turn must call such a meeting within 21 days from the date of receipt of such valid requisition.
Only the business stated in the requisition may be debated at the EGM, and details of the said business should be included in the notice of meeting sent to all ordinary members.
BANKING PROCEDURE
The association shall have a banking account(s) into which all monies received shall be lodged. All disbursement of funds whether by cheque or electronic means shall be authorised by the Hon. Treasurer, as well as by the Chairperson or Hon. Secretary.
The accounts of the association shall be reviewed for reporting purposes at the AGM.
VOTING RIGHTS AND QUORUM
A quorum for an Annual or Extraordinary General Meeting shall be 20 ordinary members.
If a quorum is not reached, the meeting shall be re-convened and all ordinary members informed of the new date and venue at least 14 days prior to the meeting. Those present at a re-convened meeting shall constitute a quorum.
At all General Meetings, each ordinary member will have one vote.
Voting at all General Meetings shall be by show of hands of ordinary members, except when a ballot is demanded, and a simple majority of ordinary members supports such demand.
The Chairman shall appoint scrutineers if required to supervise the ballot.
DISSOLUTION
The association may be dissolved only by the vote of not less than 70% present at an Extraordinary General Meeting called for that purpose.
A financial report shall be presented at such meeting. The dissolution will not be carried out until assets are disposed of and liabilities discharged.
EXPENSES
All officers of the association shall be entitled to claim payment from the association for any appropriate expenses incurred in executing their duties on behalf of and on the direction of the committee of the association on production of receipts. A list of appropriate expenses shall be agreed by the committee and circulated to the ordinary members.
ACCEPTANCE OF RULES
Membership of the association by ordinary members shall imply the acceptance of these rules, and any additions and/or alterations, which may be agreed to at General Meetings.
INTERPRETATION
The committee for the time being shall have full power to decide any question for which no provision is made for in this constitution. The committee may propose amendments to this constitution at the AGM or an EGM.
AMENDMENT OF RULES
These rules shall not be amended, added to, or otherwise altered in any way, save with the consent of at least 50% plus one of the ordinary members present and qualified to vote at the Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting called for that purpose in accordance with these rules.
APPENDIX – Duties of officers
The duties of the Chairperson:
- To convene meetings
- To chair all meetings including the AGM until a new committee have been elected
- To prepare agendas for meetings (in consultation with the Secretary)
- To represent the interests of the Association at a local level.
The duties of the Secretary:
- To deal with all correspondence
- To prepare agendas for meetings
- To carry out committee’s instructions and write necessary letters
- To write an Annual Report
The duties of the Treasurer:
- To provide evidence on an open book basis at the AGM and on the website as to the financial state of affairs of the association. (If a member wishes to request an audit to be carried out he or she is entitled to put forward a motion at the AGM to that effect.) This is subject to annual agreement by the members at AGM
- To provide a financial statement to the AGM
- To ensure a proper banking account is in force on behalf of the Residents’ Association