Constitution of the Belgrave Residents Association

 

[as adopted by the 2017 AGM, making a minor extension of the area covered by the Association. This followed the changes made by the 2012 AGM, amending the constitution adopted by the 1999 AGM, which made significant changes to the original 1976 Constitution and which was further slightly amended (Article 16) by the 2002 AGM]

 

1. The name of the Association shall be the Belgrave Residents Association (hereinafter called the Association). It shall be non-political and no officer of the Association may be a member of Dublin Corporation or of either House of the Oireachtas.

 

2. The aims of the Association shall be:
   To represent the interests of the residents in the area

(a)    To preserve, develop and improve the character and amenities of the area;

(b)   To assist in the provision of services beneficial to the residents;

(c)    To improve the social conditions of residents in the area;

(d)   To liase on behalf of the residents with the local authority,  Public Representatives and other public and private bodies

(e)    To cooperate with other local interest bodies in furtherance of these aims

(f)    To take any other action in furtherance of the above aims.

The Association may cooperate with any other residents associations, traders, business organizations or any other organization to improve the area and achieve these aims.

 

3. The following roads are affiliated to the Association:
   Annesley Park, Belgrave Square, Belgrave Road, Beechwood Park, Castlewood Avenue, Castlewood Park, Castlewood Terrace, Cambridge Road, Charleston Road, Charleston Avenue, Church Avenue, Kensington Villas, Killeen Road, Moyne Road (including Moyne Court) Oakley Road (including Wellington Gardens), Ormond Road, Palmerston Road, Upper Mountpleasant Avenue Nos. 32-37, Windsor Road[1]
   ***with the number of houses on each road listed***
   
   Any new road or area wishing to join the Association must be approved at a Committee of Road Representatives meeting and subsequently approved at the next A.G.M.

 

4. The units of the Association are:

(a)    Ordinary member

(b)   Road Representative

(c)    Committee of Road Representatives

(d)   Officers

 

5. Application for membership of the Association shall be open to any person who accepts the aims of the association and who agrees to abide by its Constitution and rules, (and on payment of subscription all members are deemed to have accepted the constitution, rules and aims of the Association) resident in the neighbourhood of Rathmines and Ranelagh as shall be approved by the Committee of Road Representatives (roads affiliated to the Association).
   
   
   A member is a member who is paid up and is on the register of members. Membership shall run for the calendar year from the first of January.  Members shall be all members of a household over 18 who have paid their household subscription.
   
   Membership of the association will entitle the household to exercise one vote at General meetings. In order to be able to vote at the annual general meeting, a person must have been a member for a period of not less than three months previously.
   
   The amount of the annual household subscription of members shall be set on a proposal of the Committee of Road Representatives at the annual general meeting. Subscriptions are payable for the calendar year. Subscriptions are due before 30th June. Only those members whose subscriptions are received before that date shall be entitled to vote in an AGM or other General Meeting

 

6. The Committee of Road Representatives shall be comprised of road representatives elected at the annual general meeting by the members of each of the roads affiliated to the Association with two road representatives for the first 50 houses or part thereof and an additional road representative for each additional 50 houses or part thereof.
   
   The quorum for Committee of Road Representatives shall be seven.
   The role of the road representative shall be to:
   Regularly attend and actively take part in committee meetings
   Keep themselves, their residents and the committee informed on local issues
   Collect the subscriptions and keep a record of all money collected
   Take responsibility for solving issues that might arise on their road.
   Participate in the work of the Sub-Committees of the association
   
   Each member of the Committee of Road Representatives must declare an interest in any matter being discussed by the committee to the committee at the beginning of that item on the agenda and the chairperson shall decide whether they should be present or not for that item of discussion.

 

7. At its first meeting after election, the Committee of Road Representatives shall elect from among its members the officers of the Association, who shall be the following office holders:
   
    1. Chairperson,
    2. Secretary
   3.Treasurer
   4. Planning Officer
   
   
   Other officers may be elected or special areas of interest allocated by the committee.
   
   The posts of:
    1. Chairperson
   2. Secretary
   3.Treasurer
   4. Planning Officer
   
   may not serve in the same post for more than 3 consecutive years, unless no other candidate is nominated and seconded at the first meeting after the AGM.
   
   
   
8. The duties of the Chairperson shall be to preside at meetings of the Management Committee, Committee of Road Representatives, and of the Association. The chairperson shall try to ensure consensus on any issue and if this is not achievable shall call a vote of all committee members present, of which a two-thirds majority shall be decisive on any matter involving expenditure and a simple majority on all other issues, with a casting vote for the chairperson in the event of a tie.

 

9. The duties of the Honorary Secretary shall be:

(a)    To keep all non-financial books and documents relating to the association;

(b)   To write letters as directed by the committee;

(c)    To issue notifications of committee and general meetings;

(d)   to keep a register of members from records provided by Road Representatives and the Honorary Treasurer

(e)    To perform such other duties as the committee may direct.

 

10. The duties of the Honorary Treasurer shall be:

(a)    To receive monies on behalf of the association and to apply them as the committee may direct;

(b)   To make payments as directed by the committee.

(c)    To keep the accounts of the association.

 

11. The duties of the Planning Officer shall be:

(a)    To monitor planning applications within the area and those that might affect the area

(b)   To lodge with the planning Authority and/or Bord Pleanála relevant observations / objections

(c)    To monitor issues in the wider planning context such as the development plan, reports, and represent the interests of the Association where appropriate

12. The Committee of Road Representatives may fill by co-option any vacancy occurring during its term of office. In the case of a vacancy, such a vacancy shall be filled by a resident of the area.

 

13. The Committee of Road Representatives may also form sub-committees;their areas of responsibility shall be allocated by the Committee of Road Representatives.
    
    The Committee of Road Representatives may also appoint or co-opt any member interested in assisting with the work of a sub-committee.[2]

 

14. The Association may publish information leaflets for the benefit of members and other material for general distribution in the area and may also publish material in electronic format

 

15. The Committee of Road Representatives can arrange public meetings of interest to its members

 

16. The Committee of Road Representatives shall keep in regular contact with all the elected representatives for the area at both local and at national level
    
    

17.  The agenda of the A.G.M. shall include the following items:

(a)    Minutes of previous A.G.M. and any E.G.M. s held during the year

(b)   Report of Treasurer, including statement of accounts

(c)    Report of Planning officer

(d)   Report of Secretary

(e)    Report of Chairperson

(f)    Appointment of auditor proposed by outgoing committee

(g)   Election of Road Representatives

(h)   Membership subscriptions for the following year

(i)     Local issues

 

18. The Annual General Meeting should be held on a date agreed by the Committee of Road Representatives

 

19. The existing Committee of Road Representatives’ term of office expires at the start of the first meeting of the Committee of Road Representatives after the AGM.

 

20. The Committee of Road Representatives may make rules to provide for any matter not covered by this Constitution, but any such rule may be annulled by a majority vote at a general meeting.

 

21. An extraordinary general meeting shall be summoned if a requisition signed by not less than 30 ordinary members or 10 members of the Committee of Road Representatives is received by the Honorary Secretary. Ten days notice of this meeting shall be given in writing.

 

22. This Constitution and any article may be amended by two-thirds majority vote at the Annual General Meeting unless otherwise provided herein.

 

23. The Association shall be dissolved only at a special general meeting convened for that purpose, at which the proposal is passed by a two-thirds majority vote of the members present. Any assets of the Association shall be realized and used to settle debts and liabilities of the Association. If there is a surplus remaining thereafter, it shall be disposed of as decided at the meeting. If the assets are insufficient to meet the debts and liabilities, the deficit shall be made up by equal contributions from all the members of the Association, to the extent required by law.