Author: Woodsworth Housing Co-op

2024 Woodsworth Elections – Timetable

Timeline – nominations and voting for the 2024 co-op elections

Woodsworth members will be able to vote during ADVANCE VOTING (Nov 22-27), and at the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING on Wednesday November 27th at 7pm.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS WITH THESE IMPORTANT DATES:
August — Voter Registration: The Woodsworth Voters Registration Form was delivered to all members to mark their choice of ballot, either electronic or paper. Please return your form ASAP to the acrylic Ballot Box in the Photocopy Room on the second floor.

Mon Sept 9th— Nominations Open:
Get ready to nominate yourself for the various available positions, including the Board of Directors. Look for the complete list of elected positions in The Weekly, the co-op bulletin boards and the co-op website. Nomination Forms are located in the Photocopy Room on the 2nd floor in the midrise.

Fri Nov 8th — Nominations Close:
Make sure you meet all eligibility requirements and submit all the necessary documentation, including your signed Nomination Form, to the grey Elections Committee Box in the Photocopy Room by this deadline.

Fri Nov 22nd — Advance Voting Starts, Cast your Vote!
Members will have already registered their vote preference with the Elections Committee, and they will be able to begin voting either electronically or by paper ballot.

Advance voting – online: 

•  Friday Nov 22nd –Voting Email will be sent to members to begin voting using Election Buddy. Online voting continues until the end of the annual general meeting (AGM) on Wednesday Nov 27th.

Advance voting – paper ballots:

•  Friday Nov 22nd (2-7pm) Paper Ballot pickup & voting in the Lobby

• Saturday Nov 23th (10am-2pm) Paper Ballot pickup & voting in the Lobby

• Sunday Nov 24th (10am-2pm) Paper Ballot pickup & voting in the Lobby

Wednesday Nov 27th Annual General Meeting (AGM):
Electronic or Paper Ballots can be cast during the AGM.
The Ballot Box will be set up in the Penthouse, and voting will end when the meeting finishes.

Thurs Nov 28th — Results are announced! Look for the results on the bulletin boards and the co-op website.

Woodsworth is a democratic, member-controlled housing co-op, and it cannot run without members stepping up to fill the necessary roles.

It’s your turn to do your part and make a difference!

Information from the Elections Committee can be found on the bulletin boards, The Weekly and the co-op website. Learn about the work done by the Board of Directors, the various committees, and delegates to see where you’ll want to contribute. Remember, Woodsworth needs you!

Please contact us at nominate@woodsworthcoop.ca with your questions.

Positions available and more – 2024 Co-op Elections – positions available, who is continuing for another year, job descriptions

Nomination form for Board of Directors (elections)

Nomination form for committees and delegates (elections)

Voter registration form
This form was delivered to every member in September 2024 requesting information from every member in the unit, giving their choice of either electronic voting or paper ballot and appropriate contact info. This register is maintained by the Election Committee.
Contact them at nominate@woodsworthcoop.ca

CHFC advice for new Board members

https://chfcanada.coop/im-a-new-board-member-2/

As a board member, you have the opportunity to shape the future of your co-op, and to be an important part of the co-op movement across Canada and around the world.

Being a board member is a big responsibility. It means learning lots of new terminology and skills. Things like reading financial statements might be intimidating at first, but with the right resources and information you’ll be on top of things in no time!

If you wish to read this or other useful content from the Co-op Housing Federation of Canada, you must register for free. Woodsworth is a member of CHFC.

On the internal waiting list to relocate? This is for you!

The new Membership Bylaw #84 passed in September 2023 and clarified some rules about relocating in the co-op. Please review this to see if it is in your best interests to update your relocation form.

Who will live in the new unit: To join a waiting list, the household must meet occupancy standards for the new unit – a minimum of one person per bedroom except a single person may have a 2-bedroom unit in the mid-rise or Wilton Street.

All prospective occupants of the requested unit must be listed on the Internal Relocation Application form. Members will be allocated a unit based on their household size when they are offered a unit and must meet Woodsworth’s occupancy standards. Applicants, please update Management on contact information and household names. Changing unit size or occupant names does not change your position on the waiting list.

New members who have joined as long-term guests or Turning 16s must be a member for two years before joining the internal waiting list. (Anyone already on the waiting list when the bylaw was approved on September 26, 2023 only needs to meet the old requirement of 1 year.)

Unit preferences: Applicants can put their names down for a maximum of two choices at any one time, for any units they qualify for. They can change their choices in writing without losing their position on the waiting list. Applicants may specify that they only wish to live in a particular area of the co-operative, a particular type of unit or a particular unit or units. Applicants are skipped over if the available unit does not meet the criteria selected by them.

Adding criteria does not give the household any priority for units. Being skipped for this reason does not count as a refusal. However adding special requests may delay being offered a unit.

Accepting or refusing a unit offer: If the co-operative is unable to contact the member next in line on the internal waiting list within three (3) business days, the unit will be offered to the next eligible member on the internal waiting list.

The original member will retain their position on the internal waiting list but the household will be considered to have refused the unit. The co-operative will maintain written records of the contacts made with each household including date and time of contact.

Households must notify Management within three (3) business days whether or not they wish to accept the unit. If they fail to do so, they will be considered to have refused the unit.

Households may refuse up to three units that have been offered and retain their position on the internal waiting list. When an applicant refuses three units that meet their own criteria on the relocation form, they will be moved to the bottom of all internal waiting lists.

Moving date when relocating: Once a member on the internal waiting list has accepted a unit, the member must move into the new unit on the date specified when the unit was offered. Members will be provided with at least thirty (30) days notice for an internal relocation.

For details about joining the waiting list and more, see the Membership Bylaw, Article 5.

The Internal Relocation Application form is part of the Membership Bylaw, Schedule E. There are copies in the Photocopy Room and on the here on the co-op website.