GACC BYLAWS

BYLAWS OF THE GREATER AVENUES COMMUNITY COUNCIL

The current bylaws of the Council are shown below. This is our latest revision, voted in at our community meeting held January 7, 2026. 

The Bylaws govern how the council conducts business, holds meetings, uses funds, authorizes committees to act, elects its officers and board members, and who can vote and how. Contact gaccchair@slc-avenues.org with any questions about these Bylaws. The Bylaws are reviewed frequently, changes are proposed, language worked on by the Bylaws and Standard Operating Procedures Committee, and presented for a vote by the entire GACC community.

See the Bylaws in PDF format HERE and in text format below.

BYLAWS OF THE GREATER AVENUES COMMUNITY COUNCIL

Article I

Name and Purpose

1.1. The name of this organization is Greater Avenues Community Council, which will be referred to in these Bylaws as the Council.

1.2. The mission of the Greater Avenues Community Council is to work together to create a strong, vibrant, and informed community.

1.3. The objectives of the Council are:

1.3.1. Provide a forum to discuss issues of mutual concern.

1.3.2. Establish working groups / Committees to facilitate issue resolution.

1.3.3. Promote activities that enhance and enrich the community, and make improvements to the community to protect the unique character of the Avenues.

1.3.4. Provide and expand communication links with governmental, civic, and community organizations.

1.3.5. Provide benefit to the Greater Avenues Community with the use of Council funds.

1.4. The Council may take actions or positions that impact the Greater Avenues Community and fall under the above objectives.

Article II

Boundaries

2.1. The boundaries of the Council are defined as: Beginning at the northeast corner of South Temple and State Street; proceeding north on State Street to the intersection of North Temple and Second Avenue; then east to Canyon Road; then north along Canyon Road, including all residences accessible from Canyon Road, and continuing northeasterly along the southeast ridge of City Creek Canyon to the eastern Salt Lake City limits; then south to the University of Utah boundary; then south and west along North Campus Drive to the southwest corner of North Campus Drive and 100 South; then west to University Street; then north to South Temple Street; then west to the point of beginning, excluding all the homes on the south side of South Temple.

Article III

Membership

3.1. Membership shall be open to any person 16 years of age or older who is a resident, property owner, or owner of a licensed business operating in the Council boundaries.

3.2. A person shall cease to be a member of the Council if that person

3.2.1. Resigns in writing from the Council.

3.2.2. Ceases to meet the criteria of Section 3.1.

3.3. No person meeting the requirements of 3.1 shall be denied membership or office in the Council on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical limitation, race, religion or sexual orientation.

3.4. Participation in the Council is voluntary.

3.4.1. No member of the Council shall receive compensation for their volunteer service.

Article IV

Meetings and Voting

4.1. The Council shall hold a community meeting monthly, which will be referred to in these Bylaws as Community Meeting.

4.1.1. At the discretion of the Board a monthly Community Meeting may be canceled or rescheduled.

4.2. All Council and Board meetings will be conducted in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order, or other special rules adopted by the Board.

4.3. To the extent that it is financially feasible and approved in the Council annual budget, the Council shall mail a notice and agenda of each Community meeting to every residence and business with a U.S. Postal Service address located within the Council boundary.

4.4. Special Meetings of the Council may be held at any time, at a time and place designated by the Chair. The Chair shall announce the Special Meeting giving the members at least one week notice of the date, time, place, and purpose of the Special Meeting.

4.5. Members of the Council present, in person or virtually, at any Community Meeting shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

4.6. Members of the Board present, in person or virtually, at any Board Meeting shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

4.7. All matters coming before any meeting of the Council shall be determined by a majority of the votes cast by members present at that meeting. Email and Proxy voting is not allowed.

4.8. No matter coming before the Community Meeting shall be acted upon with a vote unless adequate notice is given.

4.8.1. The Council defines adequate notice and discussion for voting as:

4.8.1.1. a notice of the issue appeared in the agenda of a prior Community Meeting; and
4.8.1.2. an open discussion on the issue occurred during that prior meeting; and
4.8.1.3. a notice of the issue appears in the agenda of the current meeting in which the voting action is to take place; and
4.8.1.4. the vote is held during the current meeting.

4.8.2. Exceptions to the requirement for adequate notice and discussion for a vote include those matters of interest to the community which are of an emergency nature, or for which a deadline has been imposed requiring expedited action by the Council. Such exceptions shall be approved by a majority vote of the Board.

4.9. The agenda for the monthly Community Meetings of the Council shall provide time for matters as the Chair or the Board deems appropriate, and an Open Forum during which brief comments from the floor will be accepted.

4.9.1. Any member of the Council may propose topics for the agenda by presenting that topic to the Board at their monthly Board Meeting or by presenting it from the floor during a Community Meeting Open Forum.

4.10. The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Council. In the absence of the Chair, the Chair-elect shall preside and, in the absence of both the Chair and Chair-elect, the presiding officer shall be appointed by the Chair. If the designated presiding officer fails to appear, the presiding officer for that meeting shall be selected by a majority of the members present.

Article V
Officers and Executive Board

5.1. The Officers of the Council shall be the Chair, the Chair-elect, the Immediate Past Chair, the Treasurer, and the Secretary–collectively known as the Executive Board.

5.1.1. The Executive Board members are not elected on a platform. Their role is to reflect the will of the Council, and to implement the decisions of the Council and the Board.

5.2. Chair

5.2.1. The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Council and of the Board.

5.2.2. The Chair, in cooperation with the Board, shall plan and supervise the activities of the Council to further the mission.

5.2.3. The Chair shall implement decisions of the Council and the Board.

5.2.4. The Chair shall keep the Council and the Board informed of actions taken on behalf of the Council between monthly meetings.

5.2.5. The Chair shall represent the Council in meetings with Government and Civic Organizations, and the media. This responsibility may be delegated to committee chairs or Board members as deemed appropriate by the Chair.

5.3. Chair-Elect

5.3.1. The term of the Chair-elect is a three year commitment: the first as Chair-elect, the second as Chair and the third as the Immediate Past Chair.

5.3.2. If the Chair-elect fails to meet the participation requirements in accordance with Section 5.8, they may be prohibited from advancing to the position of Chair or serving as an officer or Board member during their second year.

5.3.3. The Chair-elect shall assist the Chair in the performance of the Chair’s duties to the extent the Chair requests.

5.3.4. In the absence of the Chair, the Chair-elect shall perform the Chair’s duties.

5.3.5. Chair-elect shall be responsible to ensure compliance with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the Council.

5.4. Immediate Past Chair

5.4.1. The Immediate Past Chair shall serve as advisor to the Chair.

5.4.2. The Immediate Past Chair or designee appointed by the Chair shall serve as Parliamentarian during monthly Council and Board meetings.

5.4.3. The Immediate Past Chair shall chair the Nominating Committee as defined in Article IX.

5.4.4. The Immediate Past Chair shall chair the Bylaws Committee consisting of Board Members to review, and if needed, propose updates to the Bylaws and SOPs.

5.5. Treasurer

5.5.1. The Treasurer shall administer the funds of the Council in accordance with Article X of these Bylaws and be answerable to the Board and Council.

5.5.2. The Treasurer shall chair the Finance Committee.

5.6. Secretary

5.6.1. The Secretary shall keep a true record of the proceedings of all Community and Board meetings. Community meeting records shall be made available to the public.

5.6.2. The Secretary shall retain a record of attendance of Board members and elected officers at all Community Council and Board meetings.

5.7. The Chair, Chair-elect, Immediate Past Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary shall serve one-year terms, beginning at the adjournment of the December Community Meeting following the November elections, and ending at the adjournment of the December Community Meeting one year later.

5.7.1. If a vacancy occurs in the office of Chair, the Chair-elect shall become Chair for the balance of the vacated term and shall then serve the regular term as Chair.

5.7.2. If there is not a Chair-elect to fill such vacancy, the Board shall appoint a Chair Pro Tem to fill the unexpired term of the Chair.

5.7.3. If a vacancy occurs in the offices of Immediate Past Chair, Treasurer or Secretary, the Board shall appoint a Council member to fill the unexpired term of that officer.

5.8. Any officer who fails to attend a minimum of 50% of the regular monthly Council and Board meetings during their term shall not be considered active, and will not be eligible for nomination to any office or to the Board at the next annual election unless the Board votes to reinstate them.

Article VI

Board

6.1. The Board shall consist of the elected officers of the Council and ideally a member from each of the nine Avenues Districts:

6.1.1. Canyon Road / West Avenues
6.1.2. Ensign LDS Hospital
6.1.3. Northcrest
6.1.4. Midwest Avenues
6.1.5. Mideast Avenues
6.1.6. Lindsey Gardens
6.1.7. Eastern Avenues
6.1.8. Federal Heights
6.1.9. Arlington Hills

6.2. The members of the Board shall be elected at the November meeting as provided in Article IX of these Bylaws.

6.2.1. Board members are not elected on a platform. Their role is to reflect the will of the Council and to implement the decisions of the Council and the Board.

6.2.2. In the event sufficient volunteers do not come forward to serve, the Board is nonetheless empowered to conduct the business of the Council, as herein provided, as fully as if all districts were properly represented.

6.2.3. If the Board falls below six members, the Board may appoint Council Members to fill up to three positions until the following annual election. Those changes to the Board shall be reported at the next scheduled Community Meeting.

6.2.4. If during the year any of the Council areas are not represented by a voting Board member, the Board may present for a Council vote the name of a person willing to serve as a voting member representing that area. Upon a majority vote at any Community Meeting at which such a vote has been noticed in the Agenda for that meeting, the candidate shall be considered a full voting member of the Board of the GACC, and said candidate shall be subject to the attendance provisions of Section
6.6 of these Bylaws to be considered for re-election at the next regularly scheduled elections.

6.3. The Board shall direct the affairs of the Council by:

6.3.1. Establishing and adhering to Council SOPs.

6.3.2. Setting the Council’s monthly meeting agenda.

6.3.3. Providing informal input and feedback to those who seek to bring matters before the Council.

6.3.4. Otherwise acting as expressly provided in these Bylaws.

6.4. The Board shall hold at least one regular monthly meeting, at a time and place designated by the Board, and may meet at other times at the call of the Chair. The Chair shall give the members of the Board reasonable notice of any meeting. Board meetings are open to any member of the Council but voting is restricted to elected Board members.

6.5. All matters before the Board shall be determined by a majority vote of the members of the Board present, in person or virtually, at the meeting with neither absentee nor proxy voting allowed.

6.6. If a member of the Board fails to attend a minimum of 50% of the regular monthly Council and Board meetings during their term, the member shall not be considered active and will not be eligible for nomination to the Board or other elected office at the next annual election unless the Board votes to reinstate them.

Article VII

Emeritus Members

7.1. Emeritus status may be granted by Board vote to those who have served on the Board. Those being granted emeritus status will be included in Board communications and welcomed at Board and committee meetings to provide counsel and historical context.

7.2. Emerita will be non-voting members of the Board.

7.3. Emerita may not chair committees but may serve on committees.

7.4. Emerita may request to rejoin the Board as voting members during the next regular Board election cycle.

Article VIII

Committees

8.1. The Chair, with the approval of the Board, may establish or dissolve committees of two types:

8.1.1. Standing Committees, to address general or long-term issues. Standing Committees exist until specifically dissolved.

8.1.2. Ad hoc Committees, to address specific or short-term issues. Ad hoc Committees are automatically dissolved on their one year anniversary unless specifically renewed by the Chair or Board.

8.2. The Chair has discretion to appoint the chairperson and members of any committee except as provided in Section 9.1. The appointment of committee members may be delegated to the chairperson of that committee. The appointments of committee chairpersons and members are subject to confirmation or change by the Chair annually.

8.2.1. Committee chairpersons shall be members of the Board.

8.2.2. If during the year any of the committees are not chaired by a voting Board member, the Board may present for a Community vote the name of a person willing to serve as a voting Board member. Upon a majority vote at any Community Meeting at which such a vote has been noticed in the Agenda for that meeting, the candidate shall be considered a full voting member of the Board of the GACC, and said candidate shall be subject to the attendance provisions of Section 6.6 of these Bylaws to be considered for re-election at the next regularly scheduled elections.

8.3. Newly created or disbanded committees shall be announced to the Community.

8.4. The Council shall publish and maintain a current list of its committees and committee membership.

8.5. Each committee shall prepare a short report of the committee’s activities at least once per year for the Community. The method and timing of the report is up to the discretion of the Chair.

8.6. Committees shall direct their affairs under the Objectives of the Council in Sections 1.3 and
1.4. Therefore, committee chairs and committee members shall not act independently of these objectives.

8.7. Committee chairs and committee members shall not speak on behalf of the Council without prior authorization.

8.7.1. Prior authorization may be granted by the Board or the Chair.

Article IX

Nominations and Elections

9.1. A Nominating Committee will be presented by the Chair at the September Community Meeting and shall consist of the Immediate Past Chair and three members of the Council who are appointed by the Chair. If the Immediate Past Chair is unavailable, another Past Chair that is willing to serve may be selected. The Immediate Past Chair shall be ex officio chairperson of the Nominating Committee. No present officer shall be appointed to the committee and no member of the committee may be chosen by it as a candidate for election as an officer. The committee shall prepare a slate of candidates for the November election by:

9.1.1. Researching the Council membership for individuals with interest and qualifications to serve.

9.1.2. Verifying the residency and participation requirements of the candidates.

9.1.3. Confirming the willingness of the candidate to serve.

9.2. The agenda for the October meeting will announce that further nominations will be sought from the floor by the Nominating Committee. At the October Community Meeting, the Chair of the Nominating Committee, or their designated representative, shall announce a tentative slate of candidates and invite Council members to submit additional nominations from the floor. No nomination from the floor may proceed unless the nominated individual is present, agrees to the nomination and meets eligibility requirements. The committee is responsible for verifying the eligibility of all candidates prior to the November election.

9.3. One or more candidates may be nominated for each position to be filled by election. Currently serving Board members, the Secretary and the Treasurer may be re-nominated if they have been active in that capacity as set forth in Sections 5.7 and 6.6.

9.4. The office of Chair and Treasurer, being critical to the continuity of on-going activities and the long-term leadership of the Council, requires candidates for Chair-elect and Treasurer have a demonstrated history of involvement with the Council.

9.4.1. Involvement is demonstrated through:

9.4.1.1. membership on the Board; or
9.4.1.2. participation in any of the Council committees; or
9.4.1.3. demonstrated participation by attending Community meetings for six of the past eight

9.5. In the event a suitable candidate for any office has not stepped forward, the Committee may nominate a candidate who has not met all the attendance criteria for nomination which are set forth in these Bylaws.

9.6. If the Chair-elect is ineligible to assume the office of Chair in accordance with Section 5.3.2, the Nominating Committee shall nominate candidates for both Chair and Chair-elect. Both offices shall then be voted on in November and both winning candidates will assume office at the end of the December Community Meeting.

9.7. An election shall be held at the November Community Meeting. The Chair of the Nominating Committee, or their designated representative, shall present the nominees for all positions to be filled by election. No further nominations will be accepted at the November meeting.

9.8. If more than one candidate is nominated for any of the positions to be filled, the election for that position shall be by written ballot and in accordance with Article IV. An immediate run-off election to choose between the two leading candidates shall be held if a majority vote is not initially obtained by any candidate.

Article X

Financial Management

10.1. Ultimate control and responsibility for management of the assets of the Council rests with the members of the Council. The assets of the Council shall be managed with a view to achieving the objectives set out in Section 1.3 of these Bylaws.

10.2. The Council shall not incur any debt or liability, or any combination of debts or liabilities, exceeding the net assets of the Council.

10.3. The Treasurer shall pay or reimburse all budgeted expenses incurred in the normal operation of the Council as they may become due.

10.4. The Board may authorize expenditures by a majority vote less than or equal to $500.00. Authorizing votes will be equal to one vote per Council district. The Chair shall not vote except to break a tie.

10.5. Requests for approval of Extraordinary Expenses shall be presented to the Board and subject to Board approval.

10.5.1. Extraordinary Expenses are those which may arise from time to time outside the regular operation of the Council, which are not reflected in the Council budget and are greater than $500.00.

10.5.2. The Board shall place on the Community Meeting agenda, according to Section 4.8, any Extraordinary Expenses for approval by a majority vote of Council members in attendance.

10.6. The Finance Committee of the Greater Avenues Community Council shall consist of the Treasurer and at least three Board Members appointed by the Chair.

10.7. Prior to a new year, the Treasurer shall prepare and seek approval for the proposed budget for the upcoming calendar year.

10.7.1. In November, the Treasurer shall present, and be prepared to discuss for Board approval.

10.7.2. In December, the Treasurer shall present, and be prepared to discuss for Council approval.

10.8. The Treasurer shall prepare and seek approval for an accounting of the preceding calendar year finances.

10.8.1. In January, the Treasurer shall present to the Board.

10.8.2. In February the Treasurer shall present to the Council.

10.9. The Treasurer, in coordination with the Finance Committee, shall prepare timely annual filings critical to the continuity of Council operations.

10.9.1. To ensure the Council’s ongoing status as a Recognized Community Organization (RCO) with the city and as a non-profit with the state.

10.9.2. To ensure applicable tax filings with the state and federal governments.

10.9.3. To ensure necessary insurance policies are maintained.

Article XI

Amendments

11.1. Bylaw Amendments shall be presented to and approved by the Board before being presented to the Council where they must be approved by a majority vote subject to Article IV.

11.2. Bylaws were adopted on October 11, 1995. Final draft incorporates changes made 10/11/95. AFC

First Amendment approved on (date unavailable) Second Amendment approved on February 4, 1998
Third Amendment approved on July 9, 1999 (Section 5.1) JCS Fourth Amendment approved on October 6, 1999 (Section 7.1) JCS Fifth Amendment approved May 4, 2005 WFG
Sixth Amendment (Section 2.3) approved August 2, 2006 WFG
Seventh Amendment (Sections 5.2.1 and 5.3.1) approved February 1, 2012 GRS First Revision approved October 1, 2014 MAW
Eighth Amendment (Section 3.5) approved January 6, 2021 DA

Second Revision approved January 7 2026 SKM

See the 2026 Bylaws in PDF format HERE. 

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