The current version of the Prospect Heights Community Farm Bylaws was ratified by garden members at the organization’s March 2009 meeting.
BYLAWS OF
PROSPECT HEIGHTS COMMUNITY FARM
ARTICLE I – NAME AND PURPOSE
Section 1 – Name:
The name of the organization shall be Prospect Heights Community Farm (hereafter referred to in these bylaws as “PHCF” and/or “the garden”). It shall be an unincorporated membership organization.
Section 2 – Purpose:
PHCF is organized exclusively for charitable, scientific, and education purposes.
PHCF’s purpose is to:
• Protect, maintain, and steward a community garden at 256-258 St. Marks Avenue
• Provide members with opportunities for personal and communal urban gardening
• Provide the Prospect Heights community with public access to PHCF during regularly scheduled times
• Promote urban environmental stewardship in the garden and throughout the Prospect Heights community
Section 3 – Affiliations:
The Trust for Public Land shall hold the deed to 252, 254, and 256 St. Marks Avenue on behalf of PHCF. PHCF shall be registered with Greenthumb and shall abide by all rules, policies, and procedures established by that organization for its member gardens.
Section 4 – Equal Access
No one shall be denied access to PHCF on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or age, with the exception of children under the age of 16, which must be accompanied by a supervising adult.
ARTICLE II – MEMBERSHIP
Section 1 – Types of Membership
There shall be two categories of membership: 1) General Membership; and 2) Private Box Membership. All rules, rights, and responsibilities governing membership shall be applicable to both categories of membership, unless otherwise noted in the bylaws.
Section 2 – Eligibility for Membership
Application for voting membership shall be open to any current resident, property owner, business operator, or employee of the City of New York that supports the purpose statement in Article I, Section 2. Membership is granted after completion and receipt of a membership application and annual dues. No one shall be denied membership on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. All members must be 18 years of age or older.
Section 3 – Annual Dues
The amount required for annual dues shall be on a sliding scale of $5 to $25, unless changed by a majority vote of the standing members at the first meeting of each open season. Continued membership is contingent upon being up-to-date on membership dues.
Section 4 – Rights of Members
Part A: Voting Rights
Each member shall be eligible to cast one vote on any motion brought before the full membership at a monthly meeting. A member must have attended two of the prior three monthly meetings in order to be eligible to vote. The Secretary and Treasurer shall track attendance at all meetings to ensure compliance. A member may also choose to abstain from a vote.
Part B: Access Rights
Each member shall be supplied with a key to enter the garden at any time. The key shall remain the property of PHCF and must be returned to a Member of the Garden Board upon termination of membership.
Section 5 – Responsibilities and Rules of Membership
Part A: Service Hours
Private Box Members shall perform no less than three hours of service to the garden per month, totaling eighteen hours of service per season. General Members shall perform no less than three hours of service to the garden every two months, totaling nine hours of service per season. The voting membership shall establish policies for managing the completion of service hours and post those rules in the Policies of the Prospect Heights Community Farm.
Part B: Meeting Attendance
All bed-holding members shall be required to attend no less than 3 garden meetings per season. Non-bed-holding members shall be required to attend no less than 1 garden meeting per season.
Part C: Rules
Voting members shall establish the rules, policies, and procedures governing all activities related to and/or occurring in the garden. Those rules shall be posted in the Policies of the Prospect Heights Community Farm.
Section 6 – Good Standing
A Garden Member that has paid all dues for a season and is up-to-date in the performance of service hours shall be considered in good standing with PHCF.
ARTICLE III – MEETINGS OF MEMBERS
Section 1 – Regular Meetings
Regular meetings of the members shall be held monthly, beginning in February and ending in October of every year.
Section 2 – Special Meetings
Special meetings may be called by the Garden Coordinator, the Garden Board, or a simple majority of the Garden Members.
Section 3 – Notice of Meetings
Printed notice of each meeting shall be posted in a prominent and highly visible place in the Garden no less than two weeks prior to the meeting. Notice will also be communicated to Garden Members via E-Mail.
Section 4 – Quorum
A quorum shall be determined on May 31 of every year for meetings held over the following five months of the current season and the first three months of the next season. A quorum shall consist of 25 percent of Garden. Members in good standing as determined on May 31. Refer to Article II for a definition of Garden Members in good standing.
Section 5 – Voting
All issues to be voted on shall be decided by a simple majority vote of those present at the meeting at which the vote takes place.
Section 6 – Attendance
Please refer to Article II, Section 5, Part B above.
ARTICLE IV – GARDEN BOARD
Section 1 – Board Role, Size, and Compensation
The Garden Board is responsible for leading Garden Members in achieving the PHCF Mission, as described in Article I, Section 2. The Garden Board shall consist of the elected Officers described in Article IV, Section 5. The Garden Board receives no compensation.
Section 2 – Terms
Section 3 – Meetings and Notice
The Garden Board shall meet at least three times per season, at an agreed upon time and place. An official Garden Board meeting requires that each board member have notice at least two weeks in advance.
Section 4 – Board Elections, Terms, and Eligibility
Members of the Garden Board shall be elected or re-elected to their offices by a majority vote of the Garden Membership during the Winter Meeting of every season. All Garden Board members shall serve a one-year term, but are eligible for re-election for up to give consecutive terms. A one-year term shall span two gardening seasons, beginning and ending in May. Members are eligible to run for elected office after one year active membership (where “active” means fulfilling all open hour and meeting attendance requirements). In the event that no one with said prerequisites wishes to run for a given office, this requirement shall be waived.
Section 5 – Garden Board Collective Duties
The Garden Board acts as a steering committee for PCHF, developing policies and procedures in accordance with the priorities of the larger PCHF community. The Garden Board is responsible for approving all spending requests larger than $300. The Garden Board also administers conflict arbitration and resolution in accordance with the policies set forth in the Rules & Policies of the Prospect Heights Community Farm.
Section 6 – Officers and Duties
There shall be eight standing members of the board, consisting of the Administrator, Secretary, Treasurer, Master Gardener, Master Composter, Communications Coordinator, Service Coordinator, and Box Coordinator. The size of the board can be expanded as described in Article IV, Section 8.
The Administrator’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Chairing meetings of the PHCF;
• Calling and chairing meetings of the Garden Board;
• Facilitating the process of setting annual goals for garden projects;
• Reviewing and approving project plans;
• Managing projects to completion and/or delegating project management to another member of the garden;
• Reviewing and approving, in consultation with the Treasurer, spending requests below $300;
• Regularly reporting to the garden membership on project status.
The Secretary’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Compiling and distributing minutes of PHCF meetings;
• Compiling and distributing minutes of Garden Board meetings;
• Keeping and managing records of PHCF and Garden Board meetings.
The Treasurer’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Presenting financial status reports at the start of every meeting of the Garden;
• Prepare, in coordination with the Garden Board, an annual budget;
• Coordinate with the Administrator on approving spending requests below $300
• Ensuring that members of the garden have paid annual dues and are furnished with a key to the garden;
• Reimburse Garden Members for approved expenses;
The Master Gardener’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Educating and helping members of the Garden in the areas of plant identification, horticulture, soil maintenance, landscaping, bed maintenance, and overall garden health;
• Participate in relevant programs and seminars that will help to expand the Garden’s knowledge base;
• Building and maintaining healthy relationships with peers in other community gardens and relevant institutions;
• Advising on seeding, plant propagation, and pruning throughout the public spaces in the garden.
The Master Composter’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Maintaining the structure of the garden’s compost bins, making repairs and replacements when necessary;
• Advising on the composting process, ensuring the appropriate flow of materials, regular compost turning, and distribution of finished compost;
• Educating garden members about the composting process;
The Communication Coordinator’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Maintaining an up-to-date contact list for members of the garden;
• Managing an electronic information distribution system;
• Working with the Secretary to ensure the timely distribution of meeting minutes.
The Service Coordinator’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Track and record member fulfillment of service hour responsibilities;
• Report failures to comply with service hour policies to the members of the garden at monthly meetings for disciplinary review.
The Box Coordinator’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Maintaining a list of current box holders and a waiting list for future box holders;
• Assigning boxes to individuals on the waiting list as they become available;
• Ensuring that box holders follow the rules and regulations put forward in the Policies of the Prospect Heights Community Farm and revoking box privileges as needed. The Brooklyn Queens Land Trust (“BQLT”) Representative’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Representing the interests of PHCF at all meetings of the BQLT;
• Communicating information about the BQLT back to the members of PHCF.
Section 7 – Resignation
Resignation from the board must be in writing and received by the Secretary. A board member shall be terminated from the board due to excess absences. A board member may be removed for other reasons by a three-fourths vote from the remaining members.
Section 8 – Co-Positions
The members of the Garden Board may motion for the creation of co-positions at the start of each garden season. The positions shall last for no longer than one season, renewable at the discretion of the membership at the start of a subsequent season. Garden members must be nominated to the position by a seconded motion and elected by a majority vote during a meeting of the garden.
Section 9 – Emeritus Positions
The members of the Garden Board may motion for the creation of Emeritus Positions at the start of each garden season. The positions shall last for no longer than one season, renewable at the discretion of the membership at the start of a subsequent season. Garden members must be nominated to the position by a seconded motion and elected by a majority vote during a meeting of the garden.
ARTICLE V – AMENDMENTS
Section 1 – Amendments
These bylaws may be amended when necessary by two-thirds majority at the annual Winter Meeting of the members of the garden where a quorum has been clearly established.