3-4-05 In response to the outrageous conduct of the Agua Dulce Civic Association board members operating in secret, falsely stating the Civic has taken a pro-airport position, and then sending out a biased, one-sided, illegal vote, members of the Civic, under its bylaws, have called for a special meeting.
A special meeting of the Agua Dulce Civic Association will be held on 3-8-05 at the Agua Dulce Women's Club at 7:00 PM. There will be a secret ballot by members of the Civic for “removal for cause” for each of the six Civic board members that voted to send out the post cards at the secret board meeting. The members will vote individually on their position to retain or remove each of the six board members.
After that, a vote will be taken to retract Swanson's airport position which approves the vast expansion of the Agua Dulce Airport and instead substitutes an official Civic position to lapse the airport's existing permit and to require the airport to file for a new application for a permit, along with a full environmental analysis of the airport.
While the public is permitted to attend this meeting, only current Civic members in good standing will be permitted to vote.
In conformity with Article XII, Section 2, the following members, in good standing with the Civic, call for a special meeting and ask the membership be notified. The meeting will be at the Woman's Club, 33201 Agua Dulce Canyon Road, Agua Dulce, at 7 pm on Tuesday March 8, 2005.
2. Special meetings may be called by the President, by a majority of the Board of Directors, or by the written request of ten (10) members in good standing, provided all members are duly notified.
The purpose of this meeting is for a vote for expulsion under Article IV, Membership, Section 5.
Agenda
1.0 Removal for Cause of Joanne Swanson, Vice President and Airport Committee Chairperson.
The signers believe that Joanne Swanson violated the Civic bylaws by sending a letter to the LA Department of Regional Planning on 1-10-05 supporting the continuation of the airport, written on Civic Association letterhead. Also, Swanson testified at the 1-22-05 hearing that the Civic supported the continuation and expansion of the Agua Dulce Airport without environmental documentation. All of these positions were taken without a Civic vote and in direct opposition to a postcard survey in which 56% of the respondents supported closing the airport. Swanson additionally supported turbo-props, which the survey rejected by 95%. The Civic then met on 2-18-05 and the members present rendered a 65% no confidence vote on Swanson's actions. Later the members of the Civic voted in two tie votes that did not authorize Swanson to send any mailing.
On Sunday, 2-27-05, a secret meeting of the Civic Board was held.. The board members met in secret without public notice and voted to send Swanson's letter, along with a new postcard which ignored the membership vote on 2-18-05. The board-approved letter is a one-sided campaign piece based on self-promoting misinformation. No opposition position to revoke the permit was allowed. The so-called vote is for Swanson's way or for no position at all, in essence asking Regional Planning to make up their mind without community input.
2.0 - Removal for cause of Nancy Young, President, for allowing and supporting Swanson's violations and voting in a secret board meeting on 2-27-05
3.0 - Removal for cause of Peg Spry, Treasurer, for allowing the Civic's money to be spent on acts that violate the charter.
4.0 - Removal for cause of Bob Owens for participating and voting in a secret board meeting on 2-27-05
5.0 - Removal for cause of Cindy Love for participating and voting in a secret board meeting on 2-27-05
6.0 - Removal for cause of Toni Pearlman for participating and voting in a secret board meeting on 2-27-05
7.0 - Motion to retract all letters, correspondence and statements about the airport by the Civic since 11-15-04, and to substitute the following position The Agua Dulce Civic Association demands that the Agua Dulce Airport's permit (1404) be revoked for the numerous violations of their permit.” The Civic will then deal with any new applications and environmental documents the airport may submit.
To confirm that no positions will be taken by any Civic Member unless a noticed meeting is held and all sides of an issue presented, followed by a vote as required in Article XVI, Section 4.
Prior to the Association taking a vote/stand, on issues of paramount concern to the residents and property owners of Agua Dulce, the general membership shall be notified two (2) weeks prior as to the time and place of the meeting to present the issue(s), discuss the issue(s), and vote. Other sections of the bylaws the signers believe have been violated Article XVI Section 3: Only persons authorized by the Association may speak on behalf of the Association to or before local, county, state or federal government authorities.
Section 4: Prior to the Association taking a vote/stand, on issues of paramount concern to the residents and property owners of Agua Dulce, the general membership shall be notified two (2) weeks prior as to the time and place of the meeting to present the issue(s), discuss the issue(s), and vote Article IV, Section 5 Acts of a member which, in the judgment of the Board of Directors, are determined to be detrimental to the Association may lead to censure and/or expulsion from membership. That member shall have the right, within 30 days, to a hearing before a duly notified general membership. A two-thirds (213) vote, by secret ballot of the members present, shall be required for expulsion from membership.
1. Members shall not make statements that distort the position of the Association or other members or which undermines the effectiveness of the Association
3. Members shall not engage in unlawful practices, misappropriation of funds, or actions that create the appearance of impropriety.
5. Members shall not imply either in verbal or written communications that they speak for the Association unless they are expressing a previously established Association position, or they are Committee Chairs where the position of the committee has been endorsed by the Association.