Grove Place

Bylaws

GROVE PLACE ASSOCIATION
BY LAWS

ARTICLE I

NAME

The name of the organization shall be Grove Place Association (the “Association”). The fiscal year of the Association shall be May 1 through April 30.

ARTICLE II

PURPOSE

  1. All persons making their residence or place of business in the Grove Place area (as defined in Article III) are united to form the Association. The goals of the Association are to preserve the residential character of the area and to be a constructive participant in the civic affairs of the city of Rochester and the county of Monroe by:
  2. supporting and securing zoning regulations which are consistent with the preservation of the residential neighborhood and its architectural heritage;
  3. promoting the enforcement of the building code and housing laws;
  4. encouraging owners to maintain their property in a manner that is consistent with an attractive, desirable, residential neighborhood;
  5. maintaining an on-going effort to encourage downtown residence, especially in Grove Place; and
  6. encouraging a neighborhood spirit of civic responsibility to fulfill the Association’s role of being a cooperative and/or initiating agent with other neighborhoods, political and economic entities for the enhanced well-being of the city of Rochester and the county of Monroe.
  7. The Association shall serve as a resource for information regarding issues and persons involved in activities which impact the above stated purposes of the Association. The Association shall be non-partisan and refrain from all activities on behalf of a specific candidate for public office. The Association will not participate in any attempt to discriminate against residents or prospective purchasers for reasons of race, creed, sex, ethnic origin, sexual orientation or disability.
  8. The Association is organized solely for the furtherance of exempt purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. No part of the net earnings or assets of the Association shall inure to the benefit of any officer, member, or individual. No member, officer, or individual shall be entitled to share in the distribution of any assets of the Association upon dissolution. In the event of dissolution, the Executive Committee shall dispose of the assets of the Association as they determine by majority vote. Such disposition must be to an organization exempt within the meaning of Section 501(C)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and must be directed to the above-stated purposes of the Association.

ARTICLE III

BOUNDARIES

West: Chestnut Street
South: East Avenue
North: Delevan St. extended in a straight line to North Union St.
East: North Union St.

A map of the boundaries is attached to these by laws as Appendix A

ARTICLE IV

MEMBERSHIP

  1. Voting members shall be persons residing, operating a business, or owning property within the above-stated boundaries who have paid current, annual dues to the Association. The above criteria having been met, they shall be eligible to vote on all motions and resolutions put before the membership, to vote in elections, and to hold office.
  2. Non-voting members shall be all persons residing, operating a business, or owning property within the above-stated boundaries. They shall be welcome to attend all general membership meetings and social events of the Association.
  3. Non-profit organizations whose official address is within the boundaries of the Association are eligible for non-profit organization membership by paying the non-profit organization annual dues and selecting a representative to the Association. The representative shall have the privileges of voting members as defined above.
  4. Life membership shall be granted to members who have made an outstanding contribution to the neighborhood and its organization. Persons may be suggested for this honor in petition by any five voting members. Life member selection will be determined by a majority vote of members present. Life members will not pay dues. Previously granted Life Memberships:

June 4, 1989      Anne McQuay                 Association founder
April 4, 1969      Mrs. F. Hawley Ward     First president
April 4, 1969      Mr. M.C. McQuay           First vice president

ARTICLE V

DUES

The amount of annual dues shall be recommended by the Executive Committee to the membership at the Annual Meeting in April and the amounts approved by a majority of the voting members present. Dues are payable following the annual meeting. There shall be three categories of dues: individual, business, and non-profit.

ARTICLE VI

OFFICERS

Officers of the Association shall be elected at the annual membership meeting and shall serve for two years. They shall be elected by a majority of voting members (as defined in Section 1 of Article IV) present at the meeting.

  1. President:
    1. Shall chair meetings of the members
    2. Shall represent the Association
    3. Shall call meetings and determine agendas
    4. Shall oversee the functioning of committee chairs in view of the Association’s purposes
  2. Two Vice Presidents:
    1. Shall perform such duties as the President and the Executive Committee shall designate
    2. Examples of those duties include serving in the absence of the President or other elected officer, arranging programs, and serving as Nominating Committee chair
  3. Treasurer:
    1. Shall collect all dues and pay all Association bills promptly
    2. Shall maintain an accurate, up-to-date list of the Association’s assets and liabilities
    3. Shall prepare a suggested budget, with input of committee chairs, at the beginning of each fiscal year. This budget is to be presented to the Executive Committee and the membership for modification and adoption
    4. Shall alert the Executive Committee and, if necessary, the membership, of deviations from the budget which subsequently occur
    5. Shall provide for the membership to be informed, to have an opportunity to discuss, and to vote for any project for which non-reimbursed expenditures will exceed seven hundred and fifty dollars ($750)
  4. Secretary:
    1. Shall keep records of the attendance at Executive Committee meetings, executive board meetings, and general membership meetings and of all salient discussions, decisions reached, resolutions and motions passed during the above listed meetings
    2. Shall keep all records in a form readily available to any officer or member. At the conclusion of each fiscal year these records shall be given, for safe keeping, to the Historical Committee

ARTICLE VII

COMMITTEES

Committee chairs shall be appointed by the Executive Committee. Each committee chair shall recruit members to fulfill the responsibilities of the committee and shall be responsible for all communications necessary to the work of the committee. The standing committees of the Association shall be as set follows:

  1. Executive Committee:
    1. Shall consist of the elected officers and the preceding president
    2. Shall conduct the business of the Association between meetings of the members
    3. Shall appoint standing committee chairs
    4. Shall define ad hoc committee responsibilities (including special events) and designate chairs as needed
    5. Shall appoint interim officers as the need occurs
    6. Shall be prepared to review pertinent issues for the neighborhood to be considered by the membership and to suggest a possible course of action. After discussion the voting membership shall make a decision for an action plan with guidelines for its implementation. It is the responsibility of the Executive Committee to follow the action plan and guidelines
  2. Beautification Committee:
    1. Shall be responsible to maintain vigilance regarding the attractiveness of the neighborhood and seek the cooperation of property owners, businesses, government officials and any other resources that are responsible to or may contribute to the improved beauty of the neighborhood
    2. Shall plan beautification projects to be presented to the Executive Committee for modification and approval
    3. Shall serve as a consultant resource for any neighborhood beautification project not on personal property
  3. Development Committee:
    1. Shall be responsible for promoting downtown-living, residential housing, especially in the Grove Place area
    2. Shall support development that coincides with neighborhood objectives
    3. Shall represent the Association in zoning matters, review development plans for neighborhood properties, and make recommendations to the Executive Committee regarding such matters
    4. Shall meet with city officials to discuss neighborhood concerns regarding conservation, zoning, and property code violations
  4. Historical Committee:
    1. Shall be responsible to collect for safe keeping all significant data concerning the past activities of the Association
    2. At the end of each fiscal year, shall receive from the officers and members all significant data from the past year which is not anticipated to be needed for easy accessibility during the coming year
    3. Shall preserve materials of significance in a suitable form and manner. Items maintained digitally shall be appropriately backed up.
  5. Membership Committee:
    1. Shall maintain a list of members and actively recruit voting members
    2. Shall notify members, in a timely fashion, of the place and time of general membership events
    3. Shall send appropriate remembrances on behalf of the Association to voting members and families who are ill or bereaved
    4. Shall make recommendations to the Executive Committee and membership regarding memorials
  6. Nominating Committee:
    1. Shall have 3 to 5 members selected by the Vice President, who shall serve as the chair of the Nominating Committee, in consultation with the Executive Committee. All committee members must be voting members, and residents within the boundaries, of the Association
    2. At least two weeks before the election, this committee shall mail to the voting members its slate of officers with the annual meeting notice
    3. Nominations may also be made by the voting members; such nominations shall be in writing and signed by at least five voting members. All nominations should be presented to the Nominating Committee chair at least one week before the annual meeting
  7. Public Safety and Code Compliance
    1. Shall provide coordination with the Rochester Police Department and other public safety agencies in order to enhance the perception and reality of safety in the neighborhood
    2. Shall gather and provide information on neighborhood public safety issues and solutions
    3. Shall encourage group and individual action to enhance public safety
    4. Shall work with the Rochester Police Department and encourage residents to support, and become involved in, other public safety initiatives

ARTICLE VIII

MEETINGS

The annual membership meeting for the election of officers shall take place in April of each year. The number of meetings to be held each year shall be recommended by the Executive committee. The voting members may modify and approve that recommendation. Other meetings shall be called at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE IX

CONDUCT OF MEETINGS

A quorum for a meeting shall consist of 25% of voting members, as defined in Article IV, present in person or by proxy. Robert’s Rules of Order shall apply. Any resolution calling for the association to take a public stance on an issue must be approved by no less than three-fourths of the votes cast. The order of business shall be as follows:

Call to order
Recording secretary’s report
Treasurer’s report
Committee reports
Old business
New business
Adjournment

ARTICLE X

AMENDMENTS

These By Laws may be amended by presentation of an amendment to a membership meeting, followed by a written statement of the amendment to all voting members informing them that the amendment to be voted on at the next Association meeting. The amendment to be accepted must be approved by no less than two-thirds of the voting members, as defined in Article IV, present in person or by proxy.

Approved: May 26, 1968

Amended: April 27, 1969
April 23, 1995
September 24, 1989
November 17, 2002
March 18, 2018
March 17, 2019

APPENDIX A

GPA Boundary