Bylaws of the Witches Woods Tax District,

Woodstock, Connecticut

Article I - Name and Description
Section 1 - This organization shall be called WITCHES WOODS TAX DISTRICT which herein shall be referred to as the "District". This district shall have all the powers and duties available to legally chartered districts under the provisions of Chapter 105 of the Connecticut General Statutes, as the same now or may hereafter exist. Such powers and duties shall apply to the property in the Town of Woodstock, Connecticut within the following boundaries:
See Schedule A attached hereto.

Article II - Purpose
Section 1 - The purpose of this district is to protect the interests of all owners of property in the immediate vicinity of Witches Woods Lake by maintaining and improving Witches Woods Lake and its environs and to that end to levy taxes and other charges reasonably necessary for the accomplishment of these ends, and of adopting rules and taking other legal actions as may be authorized for such districts within the powers of the Connecticut General Statutes.

Article III - Membership
Section 1 - A person becomes a member of the district by reason of owning property either individually or jointly within the district boundaries defined in Article I.

Article IV - Officers
Section 1 - The officers shall consist of President, Vice-President, Clerk and Treasurer. They shall be elected at the annual meeting for a term of one (1) year by a majority vote.

Article V - Duties of Officers
Section 1 - The President shall be a member of the Board of Directors and shall preside over all meetings of the voters of the District and of the Board of Directors, and enforce observance of this constitution and its by-laws. He shall be a member ex-officio of all committees. He shall have the right to dissolve a tie vote when necessary.
Section 2 - The Vice-President shall preside over meetings of the district while the president is absent and shall be a member of the Board of Directors.
Section 3 - The Clerk shall:
a) Record the minutes of all meetings of the district and conduct the correspondence of the district.
b) Present at each meeting the minutes of the preceding meeting.
c) Submit at the Annual Meeting a written report of the activities during the preceding year.
d) Maintain a list of property owners, as received from the Assessors Office, Town of Woodstock.
e) Mail to each property owner a copy of the by-laws and any amendments thereto. Amendments are to be mailed within thirty (30) days of the date of such amendments were approved by the district. New property owners are to be furnished a copy of the by-laws promptly after their presence becomes known to the clerk
f) The Clerk shall be a member of the Board of Directors.
Section 4 - The Treasurer shall have charge of the collection and payment of all monies of the district under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors, and shall prepare the annual budget which shall be reviewed by the Board of Directors and transmitted with the Board's comments and recommendations to the Annual Budget meeting of the district for adoption. The Treasurer may function as the Tax Collector for the district and in such capacity shall be responsible for the preparation of tax bills and shall to the extent permitted under the general statutes be responsible for the collection of taxes, for filing liens and for such other duties as may be prescribed under the general statutes.
The Board of Directors, or the membership may vote to separate the duties of the Treasurer and Tax Collector for the district, in which case the Tax Collector shall be responsible to and supervised by the Treasurer.
The Treasurer and Tax Collector, if so designated, shall be ex-officio non-voting members of the Board of Directors.
The Treasurer shall be bonded by good and sufficient surety bond to the district in the amount of $5,000.00.

Article VI - Board of Directors
Section 1 - The Board of Directors shall consist of five (5) property owners within the district and shall be elected at the Annual District meting.
Section 2 - The Board of Directors shall approve all contracts or other corporate action between the annual district meetings and their approval shall be required prior to any expenditures by the officers of $500.00 or more.
Section 3 - No contract or obligation which involves an expenditure in the amount of $500.00 or more in any one year shall be made by the Board of Directors, unless same is specifically authorized by a vote of the district, nor shall the directors borrow money without like authority.
Section 4 - The Board of Directors shall choose committees who may or may not be members of the Board of Directors.
Section 5 - Committees may be appointed as necessary. Such committees, in the aggregate, shall be limited to the expenditure during one (1) year, without money from the district prior approval of the district, of one hundred dollars ($100.00) of otherwise uncommitted treasury.
Section 6 - Appointment of Committees:
a) The Board of Directors annually shall appoint the following sub-committees:
1) Road Committee
2) Lake and Beach Committee
3) Safety, Health and Fire Prevention Committee
4) Building and Zoning Committee
5) Appeals Committee

Each sub-committee shall be chairmaned by one of the members of the Board of Directors, which member to be appointed by the Board. Each of these committees shall consist of four (4) members who shall hold office for a term of one (1) year from the date of their appointment. They shall act without pay except for necessary expenses as voted by the Board of Directors and paid by the Treasurer.

a) The Road Committee shall report regularly to the Board of Directors the conditions of all roads of the District, shall recommend to said Board any road improvement, repairs and alterations, shall be the negotiating committee, on all contracts concerning construction and repair, and shall annually submit to the Board a budget proposal of costs of road maintenance or repairs.
b) The Lake and Beach committee shall report regularly to the Board of Directors on the conditions of the lake, dam and spillways, shall recommend to the Board any improvements or repairs to the lake or its appurtenances, and shall annually submit a budget proposal of costs of such improvements or repairs.
c) The Safety, Health and Fire Prevention Committee shall have the power to recommend to the Board of Directors persons for appointment as special police officers of the District, shall recommend and report to the Board on all matters pertaining to safety and welfare within the limits of the District, shall, subject to the direction of the Board of Directors, have authority to enforce all health and sanitation, regulations promulgated by the District within the limits of the District, shall recommend any and all changes in regulations pertaining to sanitation and health, shall report regularly to the Board of Directors and shall annually submit a proposal of costs of maintaining necessary police protection and all other expenses of the Committee far each ensuing year. Said Committee shall make inspection of the property around the lake and report to the Board those lot owners who have a dangerous accumulation of brush and other inflammable material on their property, and shall recommend to the Board the adoption of such regulations as shall be beneficial for the protection of property within the District from fire, and shall annually submit a budget proposal of expenses for each year.
d) The Building and Zoning Committee shall, subject to the direction of the Board of Directors, have authority to enforce all District building regulations within the limits of the District, shall recommend all zoning and building ordinances and amendments to the Executive Board, and shall annually submit a budget proposal of costs of maintaining the department.
e) The Appeals Committee, subject subject to the direction of the Board of Directors, shall recommend any and all changes in regulations pertaining to enforcement and penalty policy, shall report regularly of the Committee's expenses for the ensuing year. This Committee shall hear and rule on any and all citation appeals made by the District members. The Committee shall be composed of a member of the Board of Directors and two general elected District members.

Article VII- Meetings
Section 1 - The place of all meetings of the District shall be within the territorial limits of said District or such other place as the governing board may determine. A change in the place of the meeting shall not be made within 30 days next before the day of the Annual meeting and a notice of any change shall be posted on the public sign posts located within the boundaries of the District and at the Woodstock Valley Office fifteen (15) days before the meeting and a notice sent by mail to the last known address of each property owner by the Clerk.
Section 2 - The Annual Meeting of the District shall be held at 7:30 p.m. on the third Friday in the month of May. The voting at all meetings may be viva voce, by standing vote, or any member may demand a count whereupon such vote shall be taken by ballot. A complete list of the members entitled to vote at any meeting, arranged in alphabetical order, shall be prepared by the Clerk. When land is jointly owned by two or more persons, only two may vote.
Section 3 - The order of business at the Annual Meetings shall be as follows:
a) Calling meeting to order.
b) Proof of notice of meeting.
c) Reading of minutes of last meeting.
d) Report of officers.
e) Reports of Committees.
f) Election of officers and the members of the Board of Directors.
g) Presentation of the budget and a recommendation of the charges to be assessed.
Section 4 - Special meetings of the district for any purpose or purposes may be called by at least three members of the Board of Directors. Business transacted at all special meetings shall be confined to the subjects stated in the call.
Section 5 - Notice of the time and place of the annual and special meetings shall be posted at the public sign posts located within the boundaries of the district and at the Woodstock Valley Post Office at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting and a notice sent by mail to the last known address of each property owner.
Section 6 - A quorum at any meeting of the District shall consist of fifteen (15) members entitled to vote. If a quorum be not present at a properly called meeting, the meeting shall be adjourned by those present and a notice of such adjournment shall be sent to all members stating:
1) The time and place that such adjourned meeting was held.
2) The purpose of the meeting.
3) That the meeting failed for lack of a quorum, and
4) That under the provisions of Section 6 of Article VII, it is proposed to hold the adjourned meeting on a specified date and if a quorum be not present a vote may be carried by a majority of the members present who are eligible to vote.
Section 7 - Special meetings may be called upon petition of twenty (20) individuals eligible to vote within said District, which petition shall state the reason for the calling of such meeting and be in due form for petition as required by the Connecticut General Statutes. Upon receipt of a proper petition, the Board of Directors shall call a special meeting of the membership within 21 days of receipt of such petition.

Article VIII - Fiscal Year
Section 1 - The fiscal year of the District shall begin July 1st and end June 30th. The annual audit of the treasury will be conducted by two members of the District appointed by the President.

Article IX - Amendments
Section 1 - The constitution and its by-laws may be amended at any regular or special meeting of the district by a majority vote of the members present who are eligible to vote provided a quorum is present, such amendment having been presented at the preceding meeting.