At Wednesday night’s meeting of the East Village Association, held at Bliss 525, more than 50 people were in attendance, many to participate in what was expected to be a difficult discussion about the organization’s bylaws. After a year of requests by board and community members for board president Michael Mosselli to produce the bylaws, they were recently posted on the EVA’s website.
According to many people I spoke with, the bylaws that were posted were filled with mistakes and contradictions. Although Mosselli claimed that these were the bylaws that the 2011 EVA board had approved, the draft copy I received from one of the board members from that time differs significantly (see below).
Still, after presentations by representatives from the Port of Long Beach, the 1st and 2nd Council Districts, and WE Labs founder Marcus Manley, the issue finally was addressed.
Phil Appleby, who was a founding member of the EVA and who serves as an honorary voting member of the board, explained that, after considering the many concerns raised by the community about the bylaws, the board had convened on Wednesday morning and revised them to be more inclusive, and more in alignment with the spirit of the organization.
Vincent Sanchez, also a current board member, read through the revised text of the bylaws, explaining where changes had been made. He assured everyone in attendance that the revised bylaws would be made available via the EVA’s website on Thursday.
Anne Proffit, one of the community stakeholders in attendance, expressed concern because she would be out of town on March 20th, the designated date for the upcoming board election. Mosselli explained that the bylaws require voters, and nominated board candidates, to be present at the election in order to participate but Sumako, a candidate for board president, spoke with Vincent and Phil and all agreed that a solution could, and would, be found.
At the end of the meeting, there was a tangible shift in mood. Many were suprised by the willingness of the board to accomodate the wishes of the EVA’s stakeholders, but accepted that these changes would allow for broader community participation.
Nominations for board positions remain open until February 28th. Interested parties should send their full name, address, phone number, email address, and the board position they’re seeking to [email protected]. Voting positions available include President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Business Relations & Community Outreach, Fundraising, and Communications. Non-voting sub-committee positions include Volunteer Coordinator, Community Advocacy, and Fundraising/Events.
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To learn more about the East Village Association, visit EastVillageLongBeach.com.
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East Village Association Bylaws As Drafted in 2011 by
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