The proposed changes, which are under discussion and up for approval on June 12, are thought to be in response to April's membership meeting, in which Ventura Village imposed a new policy requiring new members to wait at least 30 days before gaining voting privileges. Although VV's board members cited state law at the time for enforcing the new 30 day provision, Minnesota's law governing nonprofit corporations does not mention or require a 30 day "waiting" period for membership, leaving such issues to a corporation's bylaws. At the time, Ventura Village's bylaws and practice allowed for voting at the time of a member's registration at any meeting.
In addition to restricting membership to "permanent residents," the proposed bylaw changes would:
- exclude businesses from membership that have office-sharing arrangements;
- require businesses to have an employee who derives 50% of his or her income from the business or otherwise works part time;
- disallow the use of PO boxes as an official address for businesses
- require residential dwellings to be certified for occupancy before residents who reside at the property could vote or become members, effectively excluding from membership any individuals whose home has been condemned or placarded for unlawful occupancy
- requires businesses to have their primary office in North Phillips in order to become a member
Gregory Luce
North Phillips
North Phillips Press is a community publication of Project 504, a housing related neighborhood organization in North Phillips.
