SARASOTA HOUSING AUTHORITY AGENCY-WIDE RESIDENT COUNCIL

 INC

BY-LAWS

2023

ARTICLE I ~ PURPOSE

1.1 The Sarasota Housing Authority Agency-Wide Resident Council (SHAARC) is organized exclusively for charitable purposes that promote and serve the varied interests of the residents of the Sarasota Housing Authority.

1.1A Encouragement of all residents’ input and suggestions.

1.2 Purpose to create a forum in which residents are represented completely and involved in giving suggestions on improvements, programs, surroundings, and services

.1.3 Purpose to create a positive living environment that is safe, sanitary, and decent to live in.

1.4 Purpose of fostering opportunities for the growth and development of all residents. To provide and receive the necessary information for the benefits, as a resident is entitled to.

1.5 Purpose to promote friendship and understanding among residents, management, and staff.

ARTICLE II ~ MEMBERSHIP

2.1 The SHAARC shall consist of any residents that rent from SHA, named which appears on the lease of a unit along with other members of the such household who is over the age of 18

2.2 The SHAARC Governing Board shall consist of members elected and/or appointed from each of the Sarasota Housing Authority (SHA) developments, all present-day and future communities to be built. 

2.2A Special regards to those members who have been temporarily displaced from their community and will hold on to Board positions if they choose to come back to the newly rebuilt community.

2.3 The right to vote shall be limited to eligible voters of those households that are in Good Standing with the lease. Each qualified voter shall cast a ballot only for the member from the SHA development in which they live.

2.4 Any qualified voting member of SHAARC who meets the By-Laws requirements may seek to be elected to represent their SHA development and to serve, if elected, on the SHAARC Governing Board.

ARTICLE III ~ MEETINGS

3.1 The SHAARC Annual Meeting shall be held every 3 years during the second week of April in the SHAARC (temporary office) at McCown Towers ANNEX Library

3.1A The agenda for the Annual Meeting shall include the election of officers of the Governing Board, Write up of the Budget, and Update of By-Laws, along with any other relevant matter needed to come before the SHAARC Board

3.2 SHAARC regular meeting will be held on the First Thursday end of each of the following months in the Temperaty SHAARC office of McCown Towers/Annex Library at 5:30 pm unless otherwise notified.

3.2A months of January,  March, May, July, September, and November.

3.3 Any Governing Board member may call a special meeting of the entire Governing Board. Must Petition the Board President.

3.3A Any resident may petition a Governing Board member to call a special meeting, Must Petition through the President or Secretary of the SHAARC, and be approved by the full resident council board.

3.4 Any Governing Board member may call a meeting in the development they represent, with the approval of the full  Board.

3.4A Any development council meeting needs to have a set place, date (day of week, which week of month), and time which isn’t held at the time the regular Governing Board meets. Any and all minutes, and protocol procedures are to be documented by the community rep. Board Secretary will work up any flyers, and agenda for said meeting along with the community rep.

3.5 All meetings shall be held for one-hour maximum unless there is a vote by members present to extend the meeting to finish the business at hand.

3.6   Any and all Zoom meetings will be at the discretion of the SHAARC Board President, set up through the Board Secretary 

ARTICLE IV ~ NOTIFICATION

4.1 The President, Vice President, or Secretary shall give notifications of all meetings.

4.2 Proper notice for meetings shall be three (3) days with the exception of the Annual Meeting.

4.3 Notice of Annual Meeting shall be given to all residents thirty (30) days prior to the meeting.

ARTICLE V ~ GOVERNING BOARD

5.1 The Governing Board will handle all of the affairs of SHAARC.

5.2 The Governing Board will have Executive Officers consisting of the President, Vice President, Assistant Community Vice President,  Secretary, and Assistant Secretary.  

5.2B Treasurer shall be shared between the President and Secretary where the  President oversees the Main financials account, and the Secretary oversees the Website financial account. This section will be subject to amending or renewal within five (5) years of this bylaw revision. (2028).

5.3 The Governing Board will prepare and present an Annual Report, which will be presented at the Annual Meeting. Upon the annual report’s approval by the general membership of SHAARC, this Annual Report will be published on the SHAARC website within thirty (30) days.

5.4 Governing Board officers shall be elected at the Annual Meeting by the members elected to represent their developments for a term of three (3) years. 

5.4A There are no term limits for any officer willing to continue to serve.

5.5 Each elected Governing Board member shall sign an oath of confidentiality and Commitment to this leadership at the start of each term.

5.5A If there is a complaint lodged against any Governing Board member for violation of the Confidentiality and Commitment Oath, the Ad Hoc Committee shall be appointed to adjudicate the complaint.

5.5B The Ad Hoc Committee shall consist of three  (3) residents from sites not connected to the complaint to be held before the SHAARC Board, in-house.

5.5C If a Governing Board member has been determined by the Ad Hoc Committee to have violated the Confidentiality and Commitment Oath more than two (2) times in a given term, that member shall be removed from the Governing Board and a qualified voter will be appointed by the Board to fill the empty seat until the next election. 1RST WARNING , 2ND will be replaced

5.6 No Governing Board member shall have more than two (2) unexcused absences from the main Board meeting in a given term. If that occurs, the member will be determined to have resigned from the position and will be notified, and a qualified voter will be appointed to the vacated seat until the next election.

5.6 A REMOVAL of Board Member due to Misconduct

As a Resident Governing Unit, we set ourselves at the highest standard of conduct and behavior.  The following will not be condoned or allowed by any elected representative of the SHAARC Board, once it has been brought to the councils’ attention in regard to an arrest of ~

• Solicitation (involving underage children and/or adults)
• Drug (selling and/or buying)
• Elderly and/or Domestic Abuse
• Disorderly Conduct by Druckness/Drugs/Lewd Behavior

The above are acts in which any reasonable person would NOT place themself into.  

Arrest reports are public records and anyone from the public can access them. Thou you are INNOCENT until proven otherwise, the SHAARC council holds the Board member to a higher standard.

Any member found to have committed any of the above fractions with an arrest record file will be removed with the quorum of the SHAARC Board with notice mailed to the removed member within 30 days of the vote.

ARTICLE VI ~ DUTIES OF GOVERNING BOARD OFFICERS

6.1 Duties of Governing Board Officers.

1. The President is the Chief Executive Officer of SHAARC. The President shall have all the powers and duties vested in the office of the President, including but not limited to the power to appoint committees to assist in the conduct of the council. The President Shall preside at all meetings.
2. The Vice President shall exercise the powers and perform the duties of the President in the absence or disability of the President.  The Vice President also shall assist the President and exercise those other powers and perform those other duties as shall be prescribed by the Governing Board.
3. Assistant Vice Presidents shall be allowed the same consideration as the Vice President to assist them in their duties.
4. The Secretary shall keep all minutes of all meetings and shall submit those minutes for approval to the Governing Board at each regular and Annual Meeting. After each of these submissions, the minutes shall be placed on the SHAARC website within thirty (30) days. The Secretary shall serve all notifications to all SHAARC members and the Governing Board, including all notices required by law. The Secretary shall keep the records of SHAARC and perform all other duties as may be required by the Governing Board or President.
5. Assistant Secretary shall assist the Secretary and exercise and perform all of the duties of the Secretary in her absence.
6. The Treasurer is to be a shared position between the President and Secretary, until SHAARC has grown with committed membership, and finds a member who is trustworthy and committed to taking on this position.  At this time the Treasurer shall be helped while learning the position, by both President and Secretary. The SHAARC books for the main financial record shall be in accordance with good bookkeeping practices and a report shall be submitted to the Governing Board and SHAARC members at each regular and Annual meeting.  After each of these records is submitted, the reports shall be placed on the SHAARC website within thirty (30) days.

ARTICLE VII ~ COMMITTEES

Any Resident shall be encouraged to start up and serve as a committee chairperson of the following:

Tentative Possibilities

AD HOPC

Meet and greet 

Other areas of interest