Seaton Village Residents’ Association General Meeting

Hello SVRA members.

We would like to invite you all to join us a Seaton Village Residents’ Association General Meeting.

Date/Time: Tuesday, November 25, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm.  

Location:  St. Alban’s Youth Room, 2nd floor. 843 Palmerston 

Agenda:

1. Committee updates and recruitment of new volunteers.  

2. Review of two proposed amendments to SVRA by-laws.  The proposed amendments are included in this email, following the Agenda.

3. Election.  An Election will be held for the positions of Secretary and Executive Members at Large (3).  In accordance with the SVRA By-Laws (attached) we are seeking nominations for these 4 open positions.  See the SVRA Election Notice and Call for Nominations included at the end of this email.  Note the deadline for nominations is November 15 2025.

4. Other business:

• A new member, Tori Solomon, would like to speak on the issue of McDonalds moving into the retail space at 500 Dupont St condo.
  

• Get input from members regarding SVRA communications and their interest in receiving semi-regular summary ‘digests’ of upcoming events, issues and activities.  

Proposed By-Law Amendments to be reviewed at SVRA General Meeting on November 25, 2025

Proposed Appendix to SVRA Bylaws re: Treasurer’s spending limits

Purpose

To define clear financial controls and provide appropriate spending flexibility for the Treasurer of the Seaton Village Residents’ Association.

This policy is designed to ensure financial accountability  - balancing trust in the Treasurer’s discretion with oversight by the Executive Committee.

Policy Statement

1. The Treasurer may authorize routine expenditures on behalf of the Association up to $200 per transaction, to a maximum total of $400 per month, without prior Executive approval.
   

2. Any expenditure exceeding $200, or that would cause the monthly total to exceed $400, must receive prior approval from the Executive Committee.
   

3. All expenditures — including those within the Treasurer’s authority — must be reported to the Executive Committee for after-the-fact approval at the next Executive Committee meeting, accompanied by receipts and supporting documentation.
   

4. In urgent or unforeseen circumstances, expenditures exceeding these limits may be authorized with the verbal or written consent of any two Executive officers, one of whom must be either the Chair or the Vice-Chair, and must be reported and ratified at the next Executive Committee meeting.
   

5. If an expenditure is not approved after the fact, the Executive Committee may:

• require that the expenditure not be repeated in future,

• direct reimbursement to the Association if the expense is deemed personal or inappropriate, or

• approve it retroactively with conditions, such as improved documentation or additional review.

Proposed Amendment to By-Law Appendix 6 - Voting 

Purpose

To provide two additional options for voting, so that SVRA members may vote, even if they are not able to attend a meeting when a vote is taking place.

In addition to Poll vote and Paper ballots, the following voting options may be made available at the discretion of the Executive:

Proxy voting: 

Members who are unable to attend a meeting may authorize another member in good standing to vote on their behalf. Proxies ensure that all members have the opportunity to participate in decision-making, even if they cannot be present.

The following rules apply to proxy voting:

1. Form of Proxy: All proxies must be submitted in writing (either electronically or on paper) before the start of the meeting, using the approved SVRA proxy form.

2. Voting Only: A proxy authorizes the proxy-holder to cast a vote only; it does not grant the right to speak, make motions, or otherwise participate in discussion.

3. Show of Hands or Paper Ballots: In the case of votes taken by show of hands, proxy votes will be recorded separately on paper to ensure clarity and accuracy.

4. Record-Keeping: All proxy forms will be retained with the meeting records to ensure transparency and accountability.

(Robert’s Rules is explicit on this: a proxy “does not confer the right to attend, participate, or speak in the assembly.” It’s a mechanism for voting, not for representation in deliberation.)

Surveys:

Please keep in mind that surveys have the following limitations, which may prevent them from being treated as formal votes:

A vote has defined procedural safeguards—notice requirements, quorum verification, and eligibility checks—that ensure fairness and legal validity under an organization’s bylaws. A survey, by contrast, is designed for consultation, not for binding decision-making. It does not necessarily confirm who participated, may allow multiple or anonymous responses, and lacks the procedural rigour required to uphold an official resolution if its outcome were ever challenged. 

It may be more suitable to use surveys to gauge member sentiment and to ensure that the Executive remains responsive to community priorities. 

If we were to use surveys, we would have to ensure the following:

1. That prior to going out, they were approved by the entire executive in order to: 

• Maximize the likelihood of their being objective, and non-biased when they go out to members

• Ensure they are as clearly worded and succinct as possible.

2. We would also need to utilize a system which enabled us to track the emails of the respondents so as to prevent duplication of votes and anonymity of responses.  

SVRA Election Notice – Call for Nominations:

This is notice that at the General Membership Meeting, to be held on Tuesday November 25, 2025, elections will be open for the positions of Secretary and Executive Members at Large (3). 

Anyone wishing to run for these positions must provide a nomination by Saturday November 15, 2025. Please identify which position you are interested in and provide a brief bio along with the nomination. For description of the roles, refer to attached By-Laws.

To be eligible for these positions and to vote, you must be a resident of Seaton Village and a paid member of the SVRA ($10).  If you would like to join, please email svrafinance@gmail.com and provide your name and street address within Seaton Village. The payment to join can be sent by e-transfer to the same email:  svrafinance@gmail.com  

If you are interested in running for one of these positions or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Election Committee  ℅ lisafreedman@hotmail.com

We hope to see you there!

Heather, SVRA Chair