(A) Any neighborhood coalition may request designation as a recognized neighborhood coalition by submitting a request to the ONC on forms provided, together with a copy of the neighborhood coalition's most current bylaws.
(B) The city shall recognize each neighborhood coalition requesting status as a recognized neighborhood coalition under this Part where the neighborhood coalition conducts itself fairly, openly, and democratically. Neighborhood coalitions will be deemed to satisfy this obligation when their bylaws demonstrate, or their conduct is not otherwise inconsistent with, the following criteria:
(1) The geographic boundaries of the coalition must be reasonable. Boundaries will be considered reasonable when:
(a) They are contiguous; and
(b) They do not include areas within more than two Council Districts; and
(c) They do not overlap with the boundaries of any other recognized neighborhood coalitions; or
(d) The boundaries were in existence and registered with the city as of October 20, 2017 and the coalition remains in registered status as of the date this Part is enacted.
(2) Membership must be open to all recognized neighborhood associations, neighborhood associations, homeowner associations, business groups, and community groups within its boundaries, and may also be available to individual households and property owners within the boundaries of the coalition but who are located outside the boundaries of any recognized neighborhood association. No coalition shall limit membership based on race, creed, religion, color, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, heritage, national origin, or income. The recognized neighborhood coalition shall in good faith take all reasonable steps to notify all recognized neighborhood associations within its boundaries of the recognized coalition's existence and to have its membership evenly distributed throughout its boundary. Each member must be eligible to hold any officer position within the association.
(3) The bylaws must expressly identify the process of succession when an officer steps down voluntarily or is removed, and how vacant positions will be filled.
(4) Only those associations, groups, and households who have affirmatively joined the coalition may be counted as members. The bylaws must clearly identify how membership is established. Dues may be collected, however payment of dues cannot be a prerequisite of membership or voting rights in the coalition.
(5) For the purposes of notice, recognized neighborhood coalitions shall receive notice per the boundaries of member associations or groups only, and not for any individual members;
(6) The coalition shall hold an annual meeting. It shall notify the ONC of this meeting at least two weeks in advance and make a reasonable attempt to give notice to all members at least two weeks advance notice through two or more of the following:
(a) Website or social media posting;
(b) One or more signs placed in prominent locations; or
(c) E-mail, text message, direct message through social media, or other form of electronic messages delivered to the known address of each member.
(7) The coalition shall not hold an election or a vote of the general membership on any question or candidate(s) unless it is advertised through the methods described in subsection (6) above, at least seven days in advance.
(8) Bylaws should be reviewed regularly, but no less frequently than at least once every ten years, and revised and resubmitted to the ONC only as may be necessary to reflect changes in election processes, organizational structure, communication processes, and financial processes. If none of these changes have taken place, the coalition is not required to revise its bylaws.
(9) The coalition shall identify an orderly and democratic process for making representative determinations and decisions on behalf of the coalition. For the purposes of this section, a recognized neighborhood coalition's process will be deemed orderly and democratic if decisions are made via a majority of the total votes cast by coalition's officers or members. If an election or vote by the membership is held it will satisfy the requirements of this paragraph where:
(a) Members are given advance notice as prescribed by § 14-8-2-4(B)(6), above; and
(b) Each member is afforded the ability to vote using at least one of the following methods: in-person, mailed paper ballot, or electronic means (except that elections held at the annual meeting must be voted on in person consistent with subsection (10) below); and
(c) If a virtual online meeting is used for an in-person vote, votes must be recorded via a roll call vote.
(d) When voting occurs by paper ballot, results are tallied by a committee consisting of two or more members of the coalition and reported to coalition members in writing either electronically or hard copy. Electronic ballots must be canvassed in the same method, or through other reasonable methods.
(10) With the exception of elections held at the annual meeting, a recognized coalition must hold votes by at least one of the following mechanisms: in person, electronically or by mail-in or paper ballot.
(C) Each recognized neighborhood coalition shall submit an annual report to the ONC within 60 days of its annual meeting. This annual report is to be submitted via U.S. Mail or via e-mail. The annual report must at a minimum contain the following information:
(1) The names of all members who are associations or groups, and the number of individual members of during the previous year; and
(2) Two designated points of contact who shall be responsible to receive notices, including e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and mailing addresses; and
(3) Names, addresses, e-mail addresses, and available phone numbers of current recognized neighborhood coalition officers and/or board members; and
(4) An updated copy of the bylaws only if they have been amended since last submitted; and
(5) A statement of how the annual meeting was noticed pursuant to § 14-8-2-4(B)(5).
(D) Failure to comply with any of the preceding criteria will result in notification of noncompliance being sent to the recognized neighborhood coalition two points of contact. Upon receipt of this notice, a recognized neighborhood coalition must offer evidence of compliance within 60 days; if it does not comply, the coalition will lose its recognized status.