How to submit an agenda item for a general membership meeting

Do you have an agenda item for a Bay Creek general membership meeting? Anyone can add a topic to a meeting; here's how to write and submit your item. It's best to submit agenda items well ahead of time so that others who are interested in your topic will see it and come to the meeting, but you may also bring up a non-voting item at the beginning of a meeting.

1. Please write a one or two sentence description of the item. If you'd like some examples, look at agenda items from past meetings on the Bay Creek Calendar. Specify the total time you would like for the topic. Include time for people to look at any accompanying material and for questions and/or feedback, if appropriate. Q&A can easily take longer than the presentation. If you're working with several people, nominate one person to communicate with the BCNA regarding your item. Indicate which one of you will lead the discussion of that agenda item.
2. If the item will be voted on, you need to submit the agenda item at least 72 hours in advance so it can be posted 48 hours beforehand, which our bylaws require. If there is any accompanying material, it's advisable -- but not required -- to post your content on the Bay Creek email list several days in advance. It's best to do this in a vendor-neutral format like PDF so everyone can read it. The facilitator will allocate time at the meeting to read it, but some people prefer to read things in advance. In order to vote on something, we'll need to have quorum (a simple majority of Neighborhood Council members must be present).

   If your item is not a voting item, it can be added to the agenda at any time thru the beginning of the meeting. Agenda items submitted ahead of time are posted in the website Calendar entry for the meeting.

3. It's also advisable to work with the appropriate committee, or your area rep if there isn't a committee. Many neighborhood council members are talented folks and have good working relationships with City staff, and can help with your idea to varying degrees depending on their current capacity; we're all volunteers.
4. Email the information in step 1 to Linda Baumann and Kirstin Bloy ( ljbauman@wisc.edu and kirstibloy@gmail.com ). Stay tuned to your email; there's often some back-and-forth about timing and wording. If it's looking like the agenda will be packed, we may need to reduce the time requested. Please submit your agenda item as soon as possible or there may not be time for it until the next meeting.