Vote to finish updating the Association bylaws

Why does the board want to update the bylaws?
Our bylaws are the rulebook that guides how the neighborhood association operates. They’ve served us well but were last updated over 8 years ago in 2017. We on the Board found that the needs and operating reality of the Board has drifted from the bylaws as written. The truth is that we have a small, but mighty Board with many other commitments. The updates are meant to help our current Board members understand their duties and focus their contributions on doing work for the neighborhood over investing effort in processes that were built for a larger, more engaged Association. We also hope that making it easier to join the Board and clearly outlining expectations might help tip the scales for those on the fence. In the end this is about ensuring that the Board is able to efficiently and effectively carry out the mission of “maintaining and improving quality of life and a sense of community pride in our neighborhood”.

How we’re Updating the Bylaws.
The current bylaws outline an inclusive, transparent process to update the bylaws. The current Board has carefully reviewed the existing bylaws to evaluate was rings true to how we operate, what seems out of step, and where there’s confusion.

• We shared a draft of the bylaws with the neighborhood in a November 15th email and solicited feedback from residents.

• The Board held an open meeting to discuss the feedback and made some adjustments to the Bylaws.

• We are sharing the 2nd revision of the proposed updates here for a minimum of two weeks starting December 21st.

• We are using the form at the bottom of this page to vote on passing the Bylaws. Voting will remain open until the next Board meeting on January 5th.

What’s Changing?
Here’s a quick summary of the key updates you’ll find in the revised bylaws:

• Better reflect our mission and how we operate as board

• Clarify Board membership and duties

• Streamline elections, decision making, and meeting structure

This update is meant to keep the association healthy, responsive, and ready to support the neighborhood over time. In the end, the Neighborhood Association exists to serve our neighbors so we encourage active engagement to ensure that the next iteration of the bylaws serves our residents well. Together, we make West Towson a great place to live.

Please visit the Bylaws section of the website for further details on the updates.

Sincerely,
Your West Towson Neighborhood Association