| Citizens for the Preservation of Rural Chesapeake |
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| Citizens for the Preservation of Rural Chesapeake |
The name of the organization is the Citizens for the Preservation of Rural Chesapeake. The organization shall also be referred to as CPRC.
The CPRC shall be an organization in and for the citizens in Rural Chesapeake, and its initial boundaries shall encompass the legal limits as follows: North – The Urban Growth Line as approved in the 2026 Comprehensive Plan adopted March 9th 2005 ; East - Chesapeake/Virginia Beach city line; South - Virginia/North Carolina line; West –Chesapeake/Suffolk city line. Boundary limits may be reviewed for extension beyond these initial boundaries at such time as deemed appropriate by the CPRC Board of Directors. Alterations to Article II shall follow the guidelines as outlined in Article XV – Amendments.
Section 1. The Purpose of the CPRC shall be to preserve the rural character and open space through participation in the legislative process regarding all matters pertaining to issues that affect rural Chesapeake, insuring fairness and equal treatment to all. Issues shall include, but not be limited to, presenting and advocating alternatives to those matters presented and educating the public in an effort to maintain integrity within that legislative process.
Section 2. The CPRC shall monitor policy and decision-making bodies affecting the City of Chesapeake. Decision making bodies include, but are not limited to the Chesapeake City Council, the Virginia General Assembly, the U.S. Congress, U.S. Senate and any government agency or authority that affects the quality of life of rural Chesapeake.
Section 3. Objectives of the CPRC provides an organization that will clearly articulate with one voice, positions related to rural Chesapeake. The CPRC Board of Directors shall be authorized to speak on behalf of its membership and ensure that taxpaying citizens of rural Chesapeake have a seat at the legislative and policy table, and are equal partners in the decision-making process. Specifically, the CPRC shall:
Section 1. Voting Membership: Any taxpaying citizen that signs a Membership Commitment Form and agrees to uphold the Goals and Objectives of the CPRC, who owns or rents real estate in the City of Chesapeake in boundaries defined in Article II - Geographic Boundaries, and pays membership dues shall be granted Membership status and shall be designated a Voting Member in the CPRC.
Section 2. Associate Membership: Any taxpaying citizen that signs a Membership Commitment Form and agrees to uphold the Goals and Objectives of the CPRC shall be granted Associate Membership status and shall be designated a Non-Voting Member in the CPRC.
Section 3. Youth Membership: Any citizen under the age of eighteen years that signs a Membership Commitment Form and agrees to uphold the Goals and Objectives of the CPRC shall be granted Youth Membership status and shall be designated a Non-Voting Member in the CPRC.
Section 4. Organization Membership: No religious or denominational group, fraternal organization, partisan political organization, trade or professional union shall be eligible for membership in the CPRC.
Section 5. Members in Good Standing shall be Voting Members as defined in Article IV - Section 1 who have paid their membership dues within 30 days of the published due date.
Section 1. Regularly scheduled meetings shall be determined by a quorum of the Voting Members and shall be held to provide informative and educational speakers to CPRC members and other interested taxpayers. Twenty-five percent of the Voting Members shall be present to constitute a quorum.
Section 2. Special meeting dates shall be called at the request of the Board President or a majority of the Executive Board.
Section 3. All members must be notified at least seven days in advance of any change in regularly scheduled meetings. Notification may include electronic or telecommunications.
Section 4. The Board President shall conduct all meetings using Roberts Rules of Order Revised. In case of conflict between those Rules and these Bylaws, the Bylaws shall prevail. In the absence of the Board President, the following order for conducting the meeting shall be observed: Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary.
Section 1. Prior to the Annual Election of Officers in November of each year, the Board President shall appoint a Nominating Committee Chairperson during the monthly meeting in August. Two additional members of the Nominating Committee shall be elected at the next regularly scheduled meeting in September. Members of the Nominating Committing shall not be candidates for office. A majority of the Nominating Committee shall not be members of the Executive Board and must be Voting Members in good standing as defined in Article IV - Section 5. The selections of the Nominating Committee for the vacancies to be filled shall be set forth in a notice to the CPRC membership seven days prior to the regularly scheduled meeting in October. The Voting Members at the regularly scheduled membership meeting in October shall make nominations from the floor. Both the Nominating Committee and Voting Members making nominations from the floor must ascertain that the nominees are willing to serve and shall be responsible for the duties involved.
Section 2. No later than seven days before election each Nominee shall provide a summary of their qualifications. The voting membership shall have an opportunity for questions and answers of each candidate prior to the election of Officers. The Chairperson of the Nominating Committee shall serve as presiding officer of the election process.
Section 3. Election of Officers shall be conducted by secret ballot. To be elected, a candidate must receive a majority of the votes cast. In the event that no candidate receives a majority on the first ballot, a run-off vote will be conducted immediately between the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes in the first balloting.
Section 1. The CPRC shall be managed and operated by the Executive Board who shall be members in good standing as defined in Article IV - Section 5. The Executive Board shall consist of members who were duly elected to the office of President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and four at-large Board Members.
Section 2. Members of the Board shall fill vacancies, and such appointees shall serve until the next Regularly Scheduled Meeting of the Membership.
Section 3. Any member of the Executive Board may be removed from Office by a quorum of the Voting Members at a Membership meeting called to consider charges that said member of the Executive Board failed to fulfill the duties of their office, or deliberately took actions detrimental to, or deliberately failed to uphold, the interests of the CPRC. Any member of the Executive Board whose removal is proposed shall receive 10 days written notice of the charges. The Secretary shall send the notice; the accused shall be given a fair opportunity to defend themselves at the Meeting, including the rights of representation, testimony of favorable witnesses, and equal time to that accorded those making the charges, before a vote is taken. Two-thirds of the Voting Members shall be present to constitute a quorum.
Section 4. The Executive Board, by a vote of two-thirds of those present and voting, may remove any Committee President whenever the Executive Board deems such removal to be in the best interest of the CPRC.
Section 5. Any member of the Executive Board that misses three consecutive Executive Board Meetings, or more than the majority of regularly scheduled Executive Board meetings within a one-year period, without acceptable excuse, shall automatically vacate their position and the Membership shall proceed to fill the vacancy at the next regularly scheduled meeting.
Section 1. The majority of the Executive Board shall set the meeting date, time and place of the Executive Board.
Section 2. Special Meetings of the Executive Board shall be held at the call of the Board President, or by agreement of the majority of the Executive Board, who shall set the date, time and place of such meetings.
Section 3. A majority of the Executive Board present shall constitute a quorum for transacting business.
Section 4. The Executive Board shall provide general direction and determine all policy matters.
Section 5. Members of the Executive Board shall assemble in Executive Session when directed to do so by the Board President or upon request of a simple majority of the Executive Board to act or confer privately upon any matter.
Section 1. The Executive Board shall, in consultation with the Membership Committee, propose a Schedule of Dues for Membership approval at any Membership Meeting; provided such proposed Dues Schedule shall be published to all Voting Members prior to that Meeting.
Section 2. Dues shall be renewed annually and the published due date shall be the monthly meeting in January. Voting Members that do not pay their dues by this date shall remain on the roster of the CPRC for a thirty-day grace period without the designation of Member in Good Standing, unless the Executive Board determines another such grace period.
Section 1. Board officers whose terms expire in December shall have those offices elected by a quorum of the Voting Members for two-year terms at the Annual Meeting in November. The two-year terms will begin at the regularly scheduled January meeting. The President, Secretary, and second and fourth Board Members at-large shall be elected to serve in even years. The Vice-President, Treasurer, and first and third Board Members at-large shall be elected to serve in odd years. Fifty-one percent of the Voting Members shall be present to constitute a quorum.
Section 2. Any member in good standing is eligible to be elected as a Board Officer by the Voting Members.
Section 3. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Board President, the Vice-President shall serve as President for the remainder of the President’s term. The Membership shall fill Officer vacancies within 30 days and such appointees shall serve for the remainder of the Officer’s term.
Section 1. The Board President shall preside at all Meetings. Subject to the approval of the Executive Board, the President shall create any Special Committees not established by these Bylaws. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all Committees, except the Audit and Nominating Committee. The President shall be responsible for the general operation of the CPRC in accordance with the policies established by the Executive Board.
Section 2. The Vice-President shall preside in the absence of the Board President. The Vice-President shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the President or by the Executive Board.
Section 3. The Secretary, with the exception of the Treasurer’s accounts and records, shall receive and maintain all official records of the CPRC; keep and report the Minutes of all Meetings. With the assistance of the Treasurer and the Membership Committee, the Secretary is responsible for ensuring that an accurate Official Roster of Coalition Members is maintained.
Section 4. The Treasurer shall receive, disburse, and account for all funds of the CPRC. Treasurer shall keep records of accounts in accordance with Acceptable General Accounting Standards; shall pay by check such expenses of the CPRC as are approved by the Executive Board. Bills for expenses incurred as a result of programs authorized by the Executive Board shall be so identified and certified as accurate by the signature of the person contracting the expense and forwarded to the Treasurer. Bills for all other expenses shall be certified as being accurate and as proper by the signature of the person contracting the expense and by a member of the Executive Board. All bills require counter approval and signature by the Treasurer. The Treasurer shall render an accounting of receipts, expenditures, and balances at each regular Membership Meeting and at such other times as may be ordered by the Executive Board. The Treasurer shall present complete books and records to the Audit Committee annually, and at any other time as requested by the Executive Board.
Section 5. Duties of the first Board Member at-large shall include those of the Committee Chairperson for the Government Monitoring Standing Committee. The Chairperson shall have the option to serve as, or appoint, a Government Monitoring Committee President, with concurrence of the Executive Board.
Section 6. Duties of the second Board Member at-large shall include those of the Committee Chairperson for the Membership Standing Committee. The Chairperson shall have the option to serve as, or appoint, a Membership Committee President, with concurrence of the Executive Board.
Section 7. Duties of the third Board Member at-large shall include those of the Committee Chairperson for the Hospitality Standing Committee. The Chairperson shall have the option to serve as, or appoint, a Hospitality Committee President, with concurrence of the Executive Board.
Section 8. Duties of the fourth Board Member at-large shall include those of the Committee Chairperson for the Public Relations Standing Committee. The Chairperson shall have the option to serve as, or appoint, a Public Relations Committee President, with concurrence of the Executive Board.
Section 1. Committee Appointments and Oversight: All appointed Committee Presidents shall serve for a one-year term and may be reappointed to successive terms. Each Committee President shall appoint or remove all members of their respective CPRC Committee. At a minimum, each Committee shall meet quarterly with the Executive Board to review goals, objectives, progress and accomplishments. At all regularly scheduled monthly meetings each Committee President shall present to the Board President a written report of their activities within the past month. Each Committee Chairperson shall be prepared to make an oral presentation as requested by the Board President. Each Committee Chairperson shall notify the membership of all Standing Committee Presidents at the February regularly scheduled monthly meeting. Other Committees may be created and their duties established by appropriate action by the Executive Board. All Committee Chairpersons are required to be Members in good standing of the CPRC. All Standing Committees shall be approved by a majority vote of the Voting members. All ad hoc committees may be appointed or dissolved at any time by a majority vote of the Executive Board.
Section 2. Government Monitoring Committee shall provide oversight to legislative actions and initiatives in the City of Chesapeake and send regular updates and recommended courses of action to the CPRC membership. Also, the Committee may prepare a Legislative Reception of all locally elected officials, with concurrence of the Voting Members.
Section 3. Membership Committee shall formulate plans to increase membership; activate such plans and provide regular updates to the Public Relations Committee. The Committee shall maintain an up to date database of Civic Leagues and aggressively work to involve the participation of Chesapeake citizens.
Section 4. Hospitality Committee shall be responsible for providing educational speakers as required for regularly scheduled meetings and providing additional training programs for the membership. Programs should focus on increasing membership knowledge on policies, laws and actions that affect residents of rural Chesapeake. In addition, the committee will be directly responsible for planning and organizing an Annual Recognition Banquet, with concurrence of the Voting Members.
Section 5. Public Relations Committee shall appoint a CPRC Web Site Webmaster and work closely with the Executive Board in developing Web Site planning and content. The committee shall work closely with all levels of media to promote the CPRC, develop community outreach programs, plan and publish a monthly newsletter and provide a calendar to the CPRC membership of scheduled events.
Section 1. Special Committees may be created by the Board President to perform special non-operating functions or to render special one-time reports.
Section 2. Special Committees shall render current reports to the Executive Board during the time of their existence. Special Committees shall not represent the CPRC before the Membership or the public on any matter unless specifically authorized to do so by the Executive Board.
The Audit Committee shall consist of three persons elected by the Membership. They shall prepare an Audit of the financial affairs of the CPRC at least once annually and especially prior to the appointment of a new Treasurer or at such other times as directed by the Membership or Executive Board.
Section 1. Proposed amendments to these Bylaws shall be submitted in writing to the Executive Board. Such proposals should contain a clear statement of the Section or Sections of the bylaws to be amended, the wording of the proposed change or changes, and the reason or reasons for the proposed change or changes. The Executive Board may recommend modifications to the proposed amendment or amendments, and, by majority vote, submit the proposed amendment or amendments, to the Membership at the next regularly scheduled meeting.
Section 2. Bylaws may be amended at any Membership Meeting by a majority vote of the Members present at such meeting, provided written notice is given seven days prior of such meeting and a quorum of a majority of members are present. The written notice shall contain a clear statement of the Section or Sections of the Bylaws to be amended and specific wording of the proposed amendment or amendments. A Summary of the need for such amendment shall also be included. Fifty-one percent of the Voting Members shall be present to constitute a quorum.
Section 3. The Board President shall be directly responsible for assuring that the Bylaws are fully executed. The Bylaws may not be set-aside at any regularly scheduled meeting of the membership.
Section 1. At such time as the Organization ceases to exist, the cash assets and materials owned by the Organization shall be given to an organization exempt per Section 501 (c) (3) or 501 (c) (4) of the IRS code as determined at the time of dissolution.
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