Taylor Street Farms Membership
Any person regardless of race, creed, color, age, sexual orientation, handicap, or national origin may become a member of the Taylor Street Farms, hereafter known also as TSF, by paying an annual membership fee. Memberships shall run from March 15 through March 14 of each year; members may join at any time during the year. The membership fee will be determined by the Steering Committee, may change from year to year, and is non-refundable except in cases of emergency or not having planted prior to June 15. TSF funds garnered through membership fees may be used at the discretion of the Steering Committee to pay for supplies and services for the garden. Membership entitles each member household and its members to participate as gardeners in their full or shared household plots and to make use of the composting facilities.
There shall be two levels of membership, full and limited. Moreover, there shall also be corresponding levels of fees and privileges. For full membership, the membership and plot rental fees shall be combined into full membership fees. Limited membership fees shall be the amount of the regular membership fees minus the plot rental fee. Fees shall be set by the Steering Committee.
Full Membership
Full membership shall include full voice and vote at Taylor Street Farms meetings. Full membership includes seasonal ownership of a rented planting box and access to and use of communal facilities including gardening implements, water and hoses, composting bins, and shed as necessary. Voting privileges are limited to one vote per garden plot.
Limited Membership
Limited membership shall have access to and use of communal facilities including gardening implements, water and hoses, composting bins, and shed as necessary. Limited memberships have full voice at membership meetings but no vote. (See below for further information on the prerogatives of each membership level.) Limited membership will have no rented designated planter box but may farm around the interior perimeters and in other places such as in pots or in communal plots designated by the Steering Committee.
Steering Committee
The Steering Committee shall be the governing body of TSF and composed of at least five members, and at most nine members, including three officers. These shall be the Chairperson, Secretary, and Treasurer. Any full member may join the Steering Committee at any time by nomination of at least two members, not including themselves in cases of re-nomination. Advance notice of such nomination must be given at least one week before the next Steering Committee meeting. Members thus nominated serve on the Steering Committee for one year, after which re-nomination is required.
Any member missing three consecutive meetings of the Steering Committee will be removed from further service on the Steering Committee. Members that are removed from the Steering Committee as a result of missed meetings may only be reinstated for service once, through re-nomination. The Steering Committee may, by a majority vote at any meeting, waive this limit in individual instances. Termination of membership in the organization also terminates service on the Steering Committee.
A quorum of a 50% or more of the Steering Committee is required at each meeting, in order to transact business. Decision making at such meetings will be by majority vote of those present. Steering Committee meetings shall be open to all members, although only members duly nominated to the committee prior to the meeting shall have voting rights and be counted for quorum.
The combination of private and shared garden plots, and their size and layout, shall be determined by the Steering Committee and may be altered from year to year. All members may participate in the planting and maintenance of shared garden plots and the overall garden infrastructure.
Any member may for an additional fee rent a private garden plot, when available. The rented plot will be reserved for their private use for one growing season, provided that such use complies with the Rules and Regulations. The number, size, location, cost, and assignment to members of private garden plots will be determined by the Steering Committee and may be altered from year to year. However, whenever a plot survives from year to year the renter of that plot during the previous year will be given first choice to rent that plot again in the immediately following year. Rents paid for private plots will not be refunded, even if membership is terminated during the rental period.
The Steering Committee is responsible for approving expenditures.
Election of Officers
Full Members shall elect Steering Committee officers at TSF’s annual meeting. Officers are unpaid volunteers chosen from those enjoying full membership and shall be deemed full members of the Steering Committee. They will be nominated prior to the annual members meeting and elected at the annual meeting. Officers receiving a majority of the votes cast will be elected and will serve for one year.
All Full Members are eligible to serve on the Steering Committee as well as run and serve as officers. For the purpose of voting and petitioning in accordance with these bylaws,voting privileges are limited to one vote per plot. Membership from this committee may be terminated at any time by notice from the member or by majority vote of the Steering Committee. Petition for a member’s termination from five or more members of the Steering Committee shall be considered sufficient for full Steering Committee consideration of the proposed termination.
Responsibility of Chairperson
The Chairperson shall convene and preside over all meetings of the Steering Committee. Moreover, the Chairperson will share authority to enter into legal agreements and sign legal documents along with the Secretary and UVA’s Executive Director on behalf of the organization. The chair is responsible for setting meeting agendas, working with UVA in matters that involve TSF. The chair will also be responsible for working with the Board to seek grant opportunities, hold fund raisers, schedule public events, and run the elections.
Responsibility of Secretary
The Secretary is responsible for all written records of the organization, notices of meetings, minutes of meetings, official correspondence. In addition, the Secretary shall act as the Chairperson when the President is absent or unavailable.
Responsibility of Treasurer
The Treasurer is responsible for all financial records of the organization and sits on the Steering Committee. Moreover, the Treasurer shall disburse all payments to TSF purchases, debtors or service providers. Moreover, two signatures will be required for authorized disbursements. TSF’s Treasurer and the UVA Liaison, also known as the Executive Director of UVA, shall be responsible for signing all financial instruments.
Non-Profit Status Affiliation and UVA Liaison
The Taylor Street Farms was organized through the University Village Association (UVA). Taylor Street Farms enjoys not-for-profit status through affiliation with the UVA. As such, UVA and its designated liaison shall enjoy de facto membership as long as TSF’s money is held in escrow by UVA and TSF operates under its 501C3.
Taylor Street Farms Annual and Steering Committee Meetings
The members will meet at least once per year at a place and time set by the Steering Committee, with the purpose of electing officers for the following year, to review the financial status of the organization, to discuss planning for the coming year, and to socialize. Advance notice must be given to all members at least two weeks before the date of the meeting.
Regular meetings of the Steering Committee will be held as needed, with at least two weeks advance notice of the place and time of meeting to all Steering Committee members. The requirement for two-week advance notice of Steering Committee meetings may be waived by mutual agreement of all Steering Committee members; however, all meetings must be announced publicly through email and Facebook postings.
Rules and Regulations
The Rules and Regulations for use of the Taylor Street Farms shall be established by the Steering Committee. Members must abide by these rules. Failure to do so will be grounds for termination of membership.
Amendments
These By-Laws may be amended by a majority of the Steering Committee, or by petition from a majority of the members. Members who wish to change the by-laws must submit the proposed change in writing at least one week prior to a scheduled meeting of the Steering Committee.
