RE: [Mpls] Mpls reps' proposed law affecting Mpls neighborhood organizations

[David Brauer]

Scott writes:   >Jay Clark and I began discussing the need for a change to the nonprofit law >some time ago, before the issue with regard to Central developed.   So it’s your fault! <grin> And two list members no less!   Seriously, the whole thing forced me to examine my own neighborhood association’s bylaws. As with Hale-Page-Diamond Lake (can there be a bill restricting neighborhood names to two words?), we have no provision closing membership rolls 30 days in advance. So we, too, are in violation of state law, if I understand Scott’s point correctly.   Also, our bylaws only require publicizing the Annual Meeting 5 days in advance, which is a ridiculously short time. Our board has been more conscientious than that, but allowing such a tight time frame is wrong. Regardless of what happens in the Leg, I’ll move that we make that 30 days…at our next Annual meeting. (April 23, 7 p.m. at King Park Center for you Kingfielders on the list! Pot luck at 6!)   Some have noted that the Benson-Clark-Wagenius bill would make voting harder than in a regular election. Perhaps, but in a regular election, there is a voting roll to check against. At a neighborhood election – especially for us following the law in the breech – there’s nothing to check against, so requiring some verification at some point makes sense.   The biggest thing is, I don’t want someone who lives/owns in the neighborhood to have their vote taken away for not having one of these documents on them at the meeting. It’s too hard to publicize that requirement in advance – and despite meeting the law’s publicity requirement, a lot of notice travels by word of mouth.   Better would be that if someone is challenged, they have some reasonable amount of time to produce some logical (but easiest possible to produce) document. I worry about the next screwball neighborhood election where one side challenges everyone to produce their “official” documents, and a lot of well-meaning, eligible voters get thrown out immediately on a technicality.   I don’t have an easy answer, but I know this list can try to come up with one.   Thanks to Scott and Jay for trying to reconcile contradictions in the law – just remember, if you’re a list member and you’re changing Minnesota Statutes, please let the list know!   David Brauer King Field – Ward 10 President, Kingfield Neighborhood Assn.