I attended the meeting of the Northwood Civic Association tonight as an interested observer. The tension in the room was the result of a dispute between the majority of the board of directors and the president Joseph Menkevich. The board had proposed an agenda for the meeting proposing 2 amendments to the bylaws of the association with the hope of the membership voting on them this evening.
The bylaws were intended to
- reduce the length of time necessary to approve the disbursement of funds from the legal fund used to oppose zoning variances
- Create an impeachment process for the removal of a member of the board of directors
Given the tension between the board and Mr. Menkevich, it was clear he was the target.
The publicity about the meeting resulted in many non members such as myself attending. However the required quorum of members were also present to vote for the change had it come to a vote.
Discussion of the proposal was heated at times and in the end it was decided to delay a vote until a special meeting to be held on July 10th. Several members expressed dismay at the handling of the situation by the board.
The discussion between the board and Mr. Menkevich made it clear that there are more problems here than just this one issue. At it’s heart may be the question of the mission of the association and how that might be best accomplished.
