Our New Bylaws: A Stronger Foundation for Thomas Square Neighborhood Association
- Jacob Jarvis
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
If you’ve been part of TSNA for a while, you’ve seen how much this neighborhood—and this organization—has evolved. Throughout late 2024 and into 2025, one thing became clear: Our bylaws needed to evolve with us.
Not because anything was broken—but because we had an opportunity to build something better. Something more structured. More transparent. More inclusive. And more aligned with the future of Thomas Square.
So in December 2025, we adopted a fully updated set of bylaws for the first time in many years.
This isn’t just a technical update. It’s a reset on how we operate, how we lead, and how we show up for this neighborhood.
Read more below as we walk you through the ten key areas of what actually changed and why it matters.
The Goals Behind This Bylaws Update
At a high level, these changes were designed to do three things:
Create clarity where there was ambiguity
Open the door for more people to participate
Strengthen accountability across our Board and leadership
In short, this marks a shift from a loosely structured neighborhood group to a modern, well-governed nonprofit organization—aligned with our 501(c)(3) status and built for the future of Thomas Square.
1. Membership: More Ways to Get Involved
One of the biggest shifts is how we define membership.Before, it was pretty simple: residents could vote, others could join as non-voting members. Now, we’ve expanded that in a meaningful way.
What’s New: We now have four voting membership types:
Individual
Household (2 votes)
Student
Business
Why This Matters
This opens the door for:
Couples and households to have a stronger voice in our association through household membership
Students to be part of shaping the neighborhood
Local businesses to have a seat at the table as voting members of the TSNA alongside residents.
Because if we’re serious about representation we need a structure that actually reflects everyone who’s part of our community.
2. The Board of Directors: Smaller, Stronger, and More Accountable
We took a hard look at how the Board functions—and made some important changes.
What’s New:
Board size reduced to 7 min – 9 max members
Terms set at 4 years
Term limits introduced (2 consecutive terms max, with a required break of 4 years before being eligible for board service again)
Why This Matters
This does three things:
Keeps the Board nimble and effective
Provides continuity for long-term initiatives
Ensures fresh leadership over time
No more indefinite seats. No more stagnation. Just steady, accountable leadership.
3. TSNA Board Elections: Clear, Transparent, and Accessible
We rebuilt the TSNA election process from the ground up.
What’s New:
TSNA Board Elections now take place in February (starting with the 2027 elections and occurring every other year)
Voting stays open for 2–4 weeks for all voting members to allow plenty of time to participate
Results are announced at the Annual Meeting in March (if it is an election year)
A Nominating Committee helps manage the process to keep the election process independent and impartial
Why This Matters
This isn’t just cleaner, it’s more transparent. More time to vote. More visibility into candidates. More trust in the process.
4. Leadership Roles: Defined and Elevated
We didn’t just tweak titles—we clarified and defined in greater detail than ever before what leadership actually means within TSNA.
What’s New:
TSNA Officer terms increased to 2 years
Roles now come with clear defined responsibilities and authority
For Example:
The President defines organizational vision, sets strategic direction, and serves as the primary external voice of TSNA as CEO of our nonprofit.
The Secretary leads communications operations ensuring clarity, consistency, and transparency across all communications channels.
The Treasurer provides financial stewardship through oversight of budgeting, reporting, and regulatory compliance.
Why This Matters
Clear roles equals better execution. No confusion. No overlap. No gaps. Just a team that knows exactly what it’s responsible for.
5. TSNA Meetings: Predictable and Purposeful
We aligned the bylaws with how we want to operate our meeting schedule moving forward.
What’s New:
TSNA Board meetings: Every other month (6 per year)
TSNA Membership meetings: Every other month
A formal Annual TSNA Membership Meeting in March
Why This Matters
Consistency builds engagement. People are more likely to show up when they know when—and why things are happening.
6. Voting & Quorum: No More Gray Areas
This is one of those changes that isn’t flashy—but it’s critical.
What’s New:
Clear, defined, voting rights tied to each of the 4 TSNA membership types
Defined quorum:
15% of members OR 25 members (whichever is fewer)
No proxy voting (unless explicitly allowed)
Why This Matters
Every decision now has a clear, legitimate foundation. No ambiguity. No confusion. Just clean governance.
7. Ethics & Accountability: Raised Standards
We strengthened how we handle conflicts of interest within our assocation and on our board of directors.
What’s New:
Broader definition of conflicts (financial, personal, professional)
Required disclosure (via our conflict of interest disclosure form) and recusal (as applicable)
Establishment of enforcement measures for non-compliance
Why This Matters
If we’re going to represent this neighborhood, we have to do it with integrity. This ensures decisions are made in the best interest of the community not individual interests.
8. Committees: Activating the Community
This is one of the most important shifts for every member of the TSNA.
What’s New:
Clearly defined committee structures
Clear leadership and reporting expectations for committees
Committees are open to both Board and non-Board members
Why This Matters
This creates a real pathway for involvement beyond the Board. It’s how ideas turn into action and how more neighbors take ownership of the future of Thomas Square.
9. A More Democratic Bylaws Amendment Process
We made sure members have a stronger voice in shaping the TSNA going forward.
What’s New
Members can now propose TSNA bylaws amendments
Major changes to the bylaws in the future may require TSNA member ratification
Advance notice is required before full membership votes
Why This Matters
This isn’t just a Board-run organization. It’s a member-driven one, grounded in our mission to encourage broad community involvement.
10. Many New Policies That Modernize TSNA
This is where the bylaws take a major step forward.
We added entirely new sections to our bylaws covering:
Financial oversight and spending approvals
Public records and transparency
A formal Letters of Support process (critical for development issues)
Social media policy and new communications standards
Nondiscrimination and inclusion policies
Whistleblower protections
A Code of Conduct for our TSNA board
A required 5-year bylaws review cycle
Formal dissolution procedures
Why This Matters
These aren’t extras, they’re essential. They bring TSNA in line with best practices for a modern nonprofit and give us the structure to operate with clarity and credibility.
The Bottom Line
This update is about more than bylaws. It’s about who the TSNA is becoming as an organization.
We now have:
A clearer structure
Stronger leadership roles
More opportunities for neighbors to participate
And a framework that can support the future of the Streetcar Historic District (Thomas Square, Starland, Metropolitan)
If you’ve ever thought about getting more involved in the TSNA, this is the moment. Because now, we’ve built the structure to support it. Jacob Jarvis
President, Thomas Square Neighborhood Association
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