Hespeler Village BIA Board Elections This Fall!

The Hespeler Village BIA invites all interested parties to declare their candidacy for the next term prior October 1st and to attend the October meeting on Wednesday, the 20th of October.

Elected Board members will serve a term lasting 4 years.  See below, for more information on the BIA Board member responsibilities, and election process (taken from the Constitution of the Hespeler Village BIA):

ARTICLE 4-MANAGEMENT:


SECTION 1-ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT (HEREIN AFTER REFERRED TO AS THE "BOARD")

THE "BOARD" SHALL CONSIST OF EIGHT BUSINESS MEMBERS, OF WHOM SHALL BE ELECTED, AND (1) OF WHOM SHALL BE A MEMBER OF CITY COUNCIL. THE IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRPERSON SHALL REMAIN AS AN EX-OFFICIO MEMBER OF THE "BOARD" FOR ONE YEAR.

ALL "BOARD" MEMBERS SHALL HOLD OFFICE FOR 4 YEARS, CONCURRENT WITH CITY COUNCIL'S TERM OF OFFICE, OF UNTIL THEIR SUCCESSORS ARE DULY ELECTED OR APPOINTED AS PROVIDED IN THIS CONSTITUTION.

EXCEPT IN THE CASE OF SICKNESS OR EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES, THE SEAT OF A MEMBER OF THE "BOARD" BECOMES VACANT IF THE MEMBER IS ABSENT FROM THE "BOARD" METTINGS FOR THREE (3) CONSECUTIVE MONTHS, WITHOUT BEING AUTHORIZED TO DO SO BY RESOLUTION OF THE "BOARD".

IN THE EVENT THAT ANY SEAT BECOMES VACANT, THE "BOARD" SHALL APPOINT A QUALIFIED INDIVIDUAL FOR RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL TO FILL THE VACANCY ON THE "BOARD" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING:

1. IF THE VACANCY OCCURS MORE THAN SIX (6) MONTHS PRIOR TO THE EXPIRATION OF THE "BOARD'S" TERM OF OFFICE, AN ELECTION TO APPOINT A QUALIFIED PERSON FOR RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL TO FILL THE VACANCY SHALL ONLY BE HELD IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BIA CONSTITUTION, AS DESCRIBED IN ARTICLE 5-ELECTION PROCEDURE.


2. IF THE VACANCY OCCURS AFTER 2.5 YEARS OF THE 4 YEAR TERM IN OFFICE, THE "BOARD" MAY APPOINT A QUALIFIED PERSON FOR RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL TO FILL THE VACANCY FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE "BOARD'S TERM OF OFFICE.

SECTION 2-DUTIES OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT:

THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE "BOARD" SHALL BE ELECTED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE "BOARD" AND SERVE AS THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE "BIA", PRESIDE AT ALL MEETINGS OF THE MEMBERSHIP AND THE "BOARD" MEETINGS, BE AN EX-OFFICIO MEMBER OF ALL COMMITTEES OF THE "BIA", EXERCISE GENERAL SUPERVISION OVER THE AFFAIRS OF THE "BIA" AND PERFORM SUCH OTHER DUTIES AS ARE ORDINARY INCUMBENT UPON A CHAIRPERSON OF THE "BOARD".

SECTION 3-BOARD OF MANAGEMENT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

THE "BOARD" SHALL HAVE CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT OF THE "BIA'S" ACTIVITIES, DETERMINE ALL POLICIES AND GENERALLY SUPERVISE THE AFFAIRS OF THE "BIA".

SECTION 4-REGULAR MONTHLY MEETINGS:

THE "BOARD" SHALL MEET EACH MONTH ON A REGULAR DAY TO BE FIXED, BY THE "BOARD" AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH ADMINISTRATIVE YEAR, OR AT THE CALL OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE "BOARD" OR ANY THREE MEMBERS OF THE "BOARD".

A MAJORITY OF THE "BOARD" SHALL CONSTITUTE A QUORUM FOR THE TRANSACTION OF BUSINESS AND A MAJORITY VOTE OF THOSE PRESENT SHALL BE NECESSARY TO GIVE EFFECT TO ANY ACTION OF THE "BOARD".

ANY MEMBER, EITHER BUSINESS OR ASSOCIATE, CAN COME TO A REGULAR MEETING AND ADDRESS THE "BOARD" ON ANY TOPIC.

ARTICLE 5-ELECTION PROCEDURES


SECTION1-NOMINATION NOTICE

NOT LATER THAN OCTOBERT 1ST OF THE COUNCIL'S ELECTION YEAR, THE "BOARD" AND ANY MEMBER OF THE GENERAL MEMBERSHIP OF THE "BIA", BE ALLOWED TO NOMINATE A MEMBER OF THE "BIA", AS A CANDIDATE FOR THE "BOARD" OF THE "BIA". SUCH NOMINATIONS, SHALL BE SUBMITED TO THE "ELECTION COORDINATOR" (SEE SECTION 6) NOT LATER THAN FIFTEEN (15) DAYS THEREAFTER (CLOSING OF NOMINATIONS).

THE "BOARD" WILL DETERMINE THE PRESCRIBED FORM AND DISTRIBUTION REQUIREMENTS OF THE NOMINATION NOTICE.

SECTION 2-BIA ELECTION DAY

THE "BOARD", WITHIN SEVEN (7) DAYS AFTER THE CLOSING OF NOMINATIONS, SHALL CIRCULATE A "NOTICE OF THE GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING OF THE BIA"; THIS NOTICE WILL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, THE DATE, TIME AND PLACE OF THE "BIA ELECTION". THE ELECTION WILL BE CONDUCTED NOT LATER THAN NOVEMBER 13 OF THE COUNCIL'S ELECTION YEAR.


THE "BOARD" WILL DETERMINE THE PRESCRIBED FORM AND DISTRUBUTION REQUIREMENTS OF THE "NOTICE".

THE "ELECTION" WILL TAKE PLACE AT A "GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING OF THE BIA" NOT LATER THAN NOVEMBER 13 OF THE COUNCIL'S ELECTION YEAR.

SECTION 3-ADDITIONAL NOMINATIONS

NOTHING IN THE ARTICLE SHALL BE CONSTRUED AS PRECLUDING NOMINATIONS FROM THE MEMBERSHIP, SUCH ADDITIONAL NOMINATIONS TO BE DELIVERED TO THE "ELECTION COORDINATOR" (SEE SECTION 6) IN WRITING NOT LATER THAN SEVEN (7) DAYS PRIOR TO THE ELECTION.

SECTION 4-VOTING

VOTING SHALL BE BY EACH INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS MEMBER OR PROERTY OWNER AND NO BUSINESS OR PROPERTY OWNER MAY CAST MORE THAN ONE VOTE.

SECTION 5-PROXIES

A CORPORATE MEMBER OF A BIA MAY NOMINATE IN WRITING ONE INDIVIDUAL TO VOTE ON BEHALF OF THE CORPORATION.

SECTION 6-BALLOT PREPARATION AND DISTRIBUTION

THE "BOARD" SHALL APPOINT A PERSON(S) WHO IS NOT A CANDIDATE FOR THE SAID ELECTION TO ACT AS ELECTION COORDINATOR (I.E. CITY OF CAMBRIDGE STAFF LIAISON OR WHOMEVER THE "BOARD" ELECTS BY A MAJORITY VOTE) WHO SHALL PREPARE THE BALLOT, INCLUDING ADDITIONAL NOMINATIONS IF ANY, AND DELIVER THE BALLOTS TO THE MEETING AS DESCRIBED IN SECTION 2.

SECTION 7-DEPUTY RETURNING OFFICER (DRO)

THE "BOARD" SHALL APPOINT A PERSON(S) (I.E. CITY OF CAMBRIDGE STAFF LIAISON OR WHOMEVER THE "BOARD" ELECTS BY A MAJORITY VOTE) WHO WILL ACT AS THE DRO FOR THE "ELECTION" AS DESCRIBED IN SECTION 2. THE DRO CAN BE THE SAME PERSON WHO WAS APPOINTED IN SECTION 6. THE DRO WILL HAVE SIMILAR
AUTHORITY AS A DRO UNDER THE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS ACT, 1996-SECTIONS 52 AND 54.

THE DRO WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONDUCTING THE VOTE COUNT FOR THE "ELECTION" AS DESCRIBED IN SECTION 2.

SECTION 8-SCRUTINEERS

A CANDIDATE MAY APPOINT, IN WRITING TO THE "BOARD" A SCRUTINEER TO REPRESENT HIM OR HER DURING THE VOTING AND AT THE COUNTING OF THE VOTES.

ONE SCRUTINEER MAY BE APPOINTED PER CANDIDATE.

SECTION 9-ELECTIONS RESULTS

AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER COUNTING THE VOTES, THE DRO SHALL REPORT THE RESULTS TO THE "BOARD".

SECTION 10-OFFICIAL ELECTION RESULTS

AFTER RECEIVING THE DRO'S REPORT, AS DESCRIBED IN SECTION 9, THE "BOARD" SHALL IMMEDIATELY REPORT THE RESULTS OF THE ELECTION TO THE "BIA" MEMBERSHIP.