The next Mueller Neighborhood Association General Membership Meeting is this Saturday, October 17th from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the Shudde Fath Community Meeting Room at Austin Energy Headquarters at 4815 Mueller Boulevard. Come out and meet & mingle with your neighbors, and join/rejoin as a member (anyone that lives in Mueller can...at https://www.muellerneighborhood.org/join)
Delicious eats and coffee are free and provided, starting at 9:45 a.m. There is free childcare, so feel free to bring the entire family.
This month's Breakfast Buddy is Tiny Loaf ATX, coffee by Gradient Coffee; and a special presentation by Keep Austin Schools Independent (KASi).
There will also be proposed Bylaw changes to be voted upon by members, found below:
SUBJECT: REVISING ARTICLE VI, SECTION 6.3 (STEERING COMMITTEE ELECTIONS, HYBRID BALLOTING, APPROVAL VOTING, AND BALLOT INTEGRITY)
ITEM 1. Amend Article VI, Section 6.3, Subsection B of the MNA Bylaws to read as follows:
Section 6.3(B) The election of the Steering Committee members shall be conducted [either online or in-person] by secret ballot, whether online, in person, or through a hybrid combination of both, as decided by the Steering Committee, utilizing an approval voting system. Each MNA voting member may cast no more than one ballot across all voting formats. Each MNA member may cast [one vote per vacant seat, and no more than one vote per nominee] an approval vote for as many individual nominees as they see fit, but may cast no more than one approval vote per nominee.
1. Contested Elections: If the number of nominees exceeds the number of vacant seats, the vacancies shall be filled by the nominees receiving the highest number of approval votes in descending order.
2. Uncontested Elections and Minimum Threshold: If the number of nominees is equal to or fewer than the number of vacant seats, each nominee must receive an affirmative approval vote on at least fifty percent plus one (50% + 1) of the total ballots cast in order to be elected.
3. Tie Votes: A tie between two candidates for a final vacant seat shall be decided by a coin flip administered by the Nominations Committee. A tie involving three or more candidates shall be decided by casting lots administered by the Nominations Committee.
4. Ballot Access Exclusivity: Only candidates vetted and certified by the Nominations Committee in accordance with Section 6.3(A) and Section 8.2(A) shall appear on the official ballot. Write-in votes and nominations from the floor shall not be permitted.
ITEM 2. Repeal Article VI, Section 6.3, Subsection C of the MNA Bylaws in its entirety:
[Section 6.3(C) If there are fewer nominees than needed to meet the minimum number of nine Steering Committee members, any MNA voting member may make nominations from the floor for a special election to be held at the December general meeting. Floor nominees must submit a nomination application to the Nominations Committee within one week of being nominated to be eligible. The Nominations Committee will forward the applications to the Steering Committee and the general membership at least two weeks prior to the special election. The special election process will be the same as the annual meeting election process.]
ITEM 3. Redesignate Subsections D and E of Article VI, Section 6.3 as Subsections C and D, respectively, and amend redesignated Subsection C to read as follows:
Section 6.3(C[D]) If the [minimum number of nine Steering Committee members has not been met] election fails to seat the minimum number of nine (9) Steering Committee members, or if any vacant seat remains unfilled following the election, the newly seated Steering Committee shall appoint eligible MNA [new] members to fill the vacancies. All interim appointments [who] will be presented for ratification by MNA members at the next general meeting.
ITEM 4. Effective Date.
This amendment shall take effect immediately upon certification of adoption by a two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of voting members present at a properly noticed meeting with a quorum.