Updates to OAPA Bylaws

July 10, 2019

On Tuesday, July 9th all OAPA members should have received an email from OAPA requesting your vote (yay or nay) on proposed changes to the organization’s bylaws. If you did not receive an email from us and you are a member in good standing of the Oregon Chapter of the American Planning Association, please contact us at oapa@oregonapa.org.

In 2018, the OAPA Board of Directors initiated a long-overdue overhaul to the Chapter Bylaws. While the purpose and core elements remain unchanged, we modernized the language and replaced outdated descriptions of our operations.

These updated Bylaws reflect the organization as it functions today, offering clearer direction to guide our work while leaving flexibility to grow with the dynamic nature of the planning field.

Highlights of the Bylaws update can be reviewed here, and the full text of the proposed changes can be reviewed here. The revised Bylaws are being presented to the membership for approval by vote. If you would like to make a side-by-side comparison, you may find the current Bylaws on our website here.

Along with your vote, there is space for comments and questions. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this overhaul and to you, our members, for taking the time to review and vote on the changes. A special shout-out to folks who did a lot of heavy lifting to make our Bylaws relevant again: Jeannine Rustad (initial update and edits for consistency with national APA bylaws), Stephanie Kennedy (organizational knowledge), and Theresa Cherniak (quality control review).

In conjunction with last year’s Strategic Plan Update, this Bylaw update strengthens our ability to track the effectiveness of OAPA and our programs in addressing our mission:

Relevant Resources, Better Planners, Exceptional Communities