APSTA Bylaws |
BY LAWS
ALLIGATOR POINT/ST. TERESA ASSOCIATION, INC.
(Revised 2002)
(Revised 2006)
(Revised 2013)
(Revised 2014)
(Revised 2020)
(Revised 2024)
(Revised 2026)
ARTICLE I
NAME
The name of this organization, which is a corporation, not for profit, shall be Alligator Point Taxpayers’ Association, Inc DBA Alligator Point St. Teresa Association, Inc.
ARTICLE II
PURPOSE
The purpose of the Association shall be:
a) to gather and disseminate information of particular interest and concern to the individual owners of real property within the Alligator Point fire district.
b) To foster the ecological and economic health and security of Alligator Point, St. Teresa, and Franklin County.
c) to foster responsible growth and development on Alligator Point, St. Teresa, and within Franklin County.
d) To encourage and direct coordinated action on behalf of Alligator Point, St. Teresa, and Franklin County.
e) To provide liaison and coordination with appropriate governmental and other bodies.
f) To implement such other direction, policies, or activities as the membership or the Board of Directors may decree.
SECTION 1. The voting membership of this Association shall be dues paying property owners or a beneficial user of real property within the Alligator Point Fire District and other members (See Appendix 1).
SECTION 2. The annual dues for Voting Members and Sustaining Members shall be Fifty dollars ($50) and can be amended by a majority vote of the Board of Directors payable on the members anniversary date of each year. The Association shall encourage donations over and above the annual dues.
SECTION 3. Each Voting Member shall have the right to take part in the Association’s activities, to enjoy its privileges, and to cast one (1) vote at any legal time of voting except that no single unit of real property may be represented by more than one (1) voting member of record. There shall be no cumulative voting. Members in arrears in payment of dues are not entitled to vote.
SECTION 4. Associate Members are permissible with the approval of the Board of Directors with a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those present and legally voting. Associate Members may be an individual or may represent one or more persons, properties, or organizations. This category of membership may have one representative for each Associate Membership fee paid. Associate Members’ fees shall be thirty dollars ($30) and can be amended by a majority vote of the Board of Directors. All other sections of the by-laws apply to the representative.
Sustaining members (business or cooperation) are any interested party not a property owner or beneficial user within the Alligator Point fire district. Sustaining Members are not eligible to vote on matters before the Association membership. Membership fee for a sustaining member will be $100 (one hundred dollars) and can be amended by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE IV
OFFICERS
SECTION 1. The vested officers of the Association and of its Board of Directors shall be a President; a First Vice-President; a Second Vice-President; a Secretary; and a Treasurer, all of whom must be members of the Association. The Board of Directors may also elect such other officers as may, from time to time, be deemed desirable and shall prescribe their duties, and such officers so elected will hold office at the pleasure of the Board.
SECTION 2. Each vested officer shall be elected for a term of one (1) year at the annual meeting. Each vested officer shall hold office until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified.
SECTION 3. Any vacancy occurring in the ranks of the vested officers shall be filled by the Board of Directors, including vested officers, following an opportunity for nomination by the Elections Committee. In the event of the vacancy of the Presidency, the First and the Second Vice Presidents, in that order, shall move up and the necessary election will be for the Second Vice-President. The President is empowered to fill any vacancy pro tempore until the next regular election.
SECTION 4. The vested officers shall perform the duties prescribed by these by-laws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Association. The Board of Directors may, from time to time, prescribe additional duties provided that said duties do not conflict with the foregoing. In all events, the duties of the vested officers shall include the following:
a) The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association, of the Board, and of the Executive Committee, and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees except the Elections Committee. The President shall have the authority to approve expenditures up to and including the sum of an accruable amount of $500.99. Once this amount has been reached the Board will vote on allotting this amount again as the board sees fit. Expenditures of $501.00 or more shall require prior approval of the board.
b) The Vice-Presidents shall perform all the duties of their special areas as prescribed by the Board and, in the absence of the President, shall assume appropriate duties.
c) The Secretary shall keep accurate records of the minutes of the Association, the Board, and the Executive Committee; shall keep an accurate list of the members of the Board and of the Association itself; shall have charge generally of the record of the Association; and shall perform all other duties normally incidental to the office of Secretary.
d) The Treasurer shall render monthly and annual reports of financial affairs to the Board and to such others as may be required. Monies shall be paid out by such methods as determined by the Board. The treasurer shall keep an accurate list of all association members, up to date board insurance or other insurance needed for activities, and/or any contracts required. The treasurer will also maintain the IRS Tax information and filing as needed to maintain status.
SECTION 5. Ties in the election of the vested Officers shall be broken by a 2/3 vote of the members and legally voting at the annual meeting. If a tie still exists, it will be broken by a vote of the current Board of Directors.
ARTICLE V
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SECTION 1. The affairs of the Association shall be managed by a Board of Directors, including the five (5) vested officers, (6) general board members of eleven (11) members.
SECTION 2. Members shall be elected to the six (6) general board directorships at large at the annual membership meetings of the Association for terms of two (2) YEARS. The membership at large of the Board shall be divided into two (2) equal classes, one of which shall be subject to election each year.
SECTION 3. No member of the board shall receive any salary or other renumeration for services in connection with the execution of the affairs of the Association but may be reimbursed for actual expenditures incurred in so doing, following authorization by the Board of Directors itself.
SECTION 4. The regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held on the second Saturday of each month. A special meeting of the Board may be called and must be confirmed in writing by the President, the Acting President, or any three (3) members of the Board, provided that at least forty-eight (48) hours’ notice is extended to all members of the Board of said special meeting.
SECTION 5. During the intervals between regular Board meetings, the Executive Committee may act on behalf of the Board.
SECTION 6. At any meeting of the Board, one-third (1/3) of the Board members then serving shall constitute a quorum.
SECTION 7. Absence from three (3) consecutive regular meetings of the Board, or failure to attend at least one-half (1/2) of the regular meetings of the Board during a calendar year, shall be grounds to declare a given member’s position on the Board vacant at the discretion of the Board. Any Board member anticipating an extended absence shall notify any vested officer of the Association in advance. Other causes for removing a member from the Board: engaging in activities designed to thwart the PURPOSE of the Association or taking independent action in the name of the Association.
SECTION 8. The duties of the Board of Directors shall be:
a) to formulate policies for the development and functioning of the Association.
b) to plan appropriate activities to achieve the objectives of the Association.
c) to seek and obtain adequate financial and community support for the Association and its work.
d) to evaluate continually the activities and progress of the Association and to adopt such changes as may be appropriate to affect the most beneficial, productive, and economical operation of the Association.
SECTION 9. The Board may make policy decisions via telephone, and/or email, and/or other virtual technological communication between the President and the individual Board members in lieu of in-person meetings. All voting by technological means, email and telephone will require the publishing of all Board members vote. In-person Board meetings will have individual votes recorded only upon specific request of one (1) or more Board members.
ARTICLE VI
MEETINGS
SECTION 1. The regular Annual meeting of the Association shall be held at Alligator Point on the second (2nd) Saturday in September at 10 AM, which meeting shall be known as the Annual meeting and shall be for the purpose of electing vested officers and directors at large, for receiving reports of officers and committees, and for other business that may arise. This meeting will be open to the public with ONLY members voting.
SECTION 2. Special meetings of the Association can be called by the President or by one-third (1/3) of the Board of Directors. The purpose of the special meeting shall be stated in the call. Except in cases of emergency, at least eight (8) days’ notice shall be given.
SECTION 3. The monthly meetings of the Association shall be held at Alligator Point on the second (2nd) Saturday of each month at 10AM. These meetings will be open to the public.
ARTICLE VII
COMMITTEES
SECTION 1. The Executive Committee shall consist of the five (5) vested officers of the Association. The Executive Committee may act for the Board during intervals between regular Board meetings and shall oversee and direct the work of the Association during such intervals. Three (3) members assembled shall constitute a quorum. The Executive Committee shall keep a record of its proceedings and report at next meeting of the board.
SECTION 2. An Elections Committee of five (5) members shall be appointed by the President, with the approval of the Board. It shall be the duty of the committee to nominate candidates for the offices to be filled at chosen slate of officers and director-at-large not later than July 31st of each year. Whenever possible, the slate should contain two (2) or more nominees for each position. Additional nominations from the floor will be accepted at the monthly Board of Directors meeting in August just prior to ballot availability. The Elections Committee will prepare formal voting ballots consisting of the Elections Committee slate and nominees from the floor made at the August meeting, electronic ballots must be submitted NLT August 30. Anyone wishing a paper ballot must request said NLT August 15th and must return NLT August 30th. If an office is unopposed, the election can be done by acclamation at the Annual meeting held in September or electronically NLT August 30 prior to the date of the Annual meeting in September.
SECTION 3. The President shall appoint such other standing or special committees as may be needed, subject to the approval of the Board. Membership on all such committees need not be limited to members of the board, and, indeed, community participation shall be encouraged. All such chairmen and members of committees shall serve at the pleasure of the Board. Past Presidents of the Association shall be ex-officio members of the Board and of the Executive Committee without vote.
ARTICLE VIII
PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order—Newly Revised shall govern the Association in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these by-laws and the Articles of Incorporation, as well as with any special rules of order the Association may adopt.
ARTICLE IX
AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS
These by-laws can be amended at any regular or special meetings of the Association by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those present and legally voting, extended to each appropriate member at least fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting and that such notice shall have included the nature of the proposed amendment or amendments.
I, Deborah Krauser, certify that I am the current elected and acting Secretary of the Corporation/Organization, and the above Bylaws are the bylaws of this Corporation/Organization as adopted by the Board of Directors December 13, 2025, and adopted by the membership January 10,2026 that they have not been amended or modified since the date above.
EXECUTED on this __10th_day of ___January________________, in the county of Franklin in the state of Florida.
________________________
(Duly Elected Secretary)
ARTICLE X
DEFINITIONS
Property Owners: The legal owner of any improved or unimproved real estate within the Alligator Point fire district. Multiple owners must specify the voting member and have all names of owners on file and to declare the voting member for the elections held at the Annual meeting. Any legal owner may attend any association meetings and activities.
Beneficial Users: Any person with the right to utilize the benefits from a property, even though legal title of the property belongs to another person, corporation or trust
Alligator Point Fire District: Begin at the point of intersection of the centerline of U.S. Highway 319 and the centerline of the Ochlocknee River, thence travel south along the centerline of U.S. Highway to the centerline of U.S. Highway 98 at section 34, Range 3 West, Township 6 South, if it were extended to the center point of U.S. Highway 319 to a point, thence east along the centerline of U. S. Highway 98 to the east boundary line of section 34, Range 3 West, Township 6 South, Franklin County Florida, thence south along said section line to the shore line of St. George Sound, thence meander in a easterly direction along the said shoreline to St. Teresa, thence continue east along said shoreline until it becomes known as Alligator Harbor, thence continue to meander the shoreline to Alligator Harbor to Peninsular Point, thence meander in an easterly direction along the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico to the Lighthouse Point, thence meander in an northerly direction along the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico to Bald Point; thence travel north along an imaginary line continuing the line last mentioned to the boundary of Franklin County, Florida in Ochlocknee Bay to a point, thence travel in a westerly direction along the north boundary of Franklin County, Florida to the centerline of the mouth of the Ochlocknee River to a point, thence meander along the centerline of the Ochlocknee river in a southwesterly, northwesterly and southwesterly direction back to the point of the beginning, all being located in Franklin County, Florida. Reference: General Highway map, Franklin County, Florida, May 1971; and other members.