Membership
There are many benefits to joining the Civic Association of Pollard Estates (CAPE). Participation by the entire neighborhood is a key component to making significant improvements to beautification and security. Please encourage your neighbors to join CAPE today!
Your annual dues of $100 help fund the following:
Off-Duty Police Patrol
Monthly LPR Camera Maintenance
Neighborhood Events
Neighborhood Communications
Maintenance of Common Grounds
There are a few options for payments:
Pay Dues now via the website.
Pay any electronic invoices you may have received through the email address related to your property.
Mail a check with your property information to the address listed below.
We appreciate your participation in our association!
Helping Hands
Helping Hands is a resource for neighbors in Pollard Estates who are confronted with an unforeseen setback who may need some outside help. It could be as simple as a stuck door or window, a broken piece of furniture, a need to move or lift something heavy, hang a picture, help assembling a new toy or piece of furniture with incomprehensible instructions, or simply start a car with a dead battery when no one else is around. It could also include the need to facilitate help after a natural disaster, such as the flooding event in 2016. It is not intended to be a first-response source for normal household chores or handyman services readily available from vendors. It is a source of neighborly help for little things (or large things) that come up as unusual obstacles where rapid and nearby assistance is needed. It is neighbors helping neighbors. It is particularly intended as a resource for elderly and single neighbors who don’t have a local family resource to call on. Please contact us or the committee chairman if you need any assistance.
Pollard Planters
Serving as our neighborhood garden club, the Pollard Planters have been making Pollard Estates beautiful for decades! Members of the club meet monthly to enjoy guest speakers as well as select the Pollard Estates Yard of the Month. Those with or without a green thumb will enjoy spending time with this "garden club that doesn't garden."
Please email us for more information or to join the group!
Bylaws
Approved 1/11/2018
PURPOSE
The purpose of this organization is as set forth in Article II of the Articles of Incorporation as to otherwise engage in any lawful activity not prohibited for tax-exempt, non-profit corporations, in particular those activities which shall ensure maintenance of the character and integrity of the single-family residential area represented and improve the overall appearance, security and quality of life enjoyed therein, to include improvements and developments of the area consistent with the purposes as set forth in the Articles of Incorporation in ensuring a local government responsive to the needs and welfare of the individual citizens of the area as well as those in East Baton Rouge Parish.
AREA
The area served by this Organization shall be the area encompassed by the single-family residences and single-family residential lots having an address on the following streets and roads, all located within the residential subdivision known and recognized as Pollard Estates:
Pollard Parkway, South Pollard Parkway, Dahlia Street, Forsythia Avenue, Tamarix Street, South Tamarix Street, Columbine Street, South Columbine Street, Hyacinth Avenue, Hibiscus Drive, Clematis Drive, Elmcrest Drive, Quail Drive
MEMBERSHIP
Membership shall be on a calendar year and shall be limited to one vote for each lot located within the geographical area defined above, based on receipt of dues. Dues shall be required to have been received prior to the annual meeting to entitle the owner (or his/her proxy holder) of each single family dwelling on any lot within the geographical area represented by this Organization to vote on any matter at the general membership meetings.
VOTING
Each member at any general membership meeting, including the required annual meeting, shall have one vote. Written proxies will be accepted provided they are filed with the Secretary or his/her representative before the meeting(s) at which the proxies will be used. Twenty (20) voting members (one vote per lot) shall constitute quorum for transaction of business at any annual or special meeting of the Association.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Board of Directors shall include the officers of the Association and shall be elected for a term of two (2) years at the annual meeting, with the term of office to begin on the first day of the month following the annual meeting. The Board of Directors shall consist of at least four (4) directors, but not more than twelve (12) directors. The Board of Directors shall have control over the affairs of the Association, acting through its duly elected officers, and shall be subject to the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation and these By-Laws.
OFFICERS
The officers shall be elected by the Board of Directors at the first meeting in the month in which the new officers assume office, with the exception that a Vice President/President-Elect who may be selected by the previous board to provide a more efficient succession of officers.
The officers and duties shall be as follows:
PRESIDENT – The president shall preside at all meetings, including the Board of Directors meetings, where the President shall be considered the Chairman of the Board. The President shall perform all duties incident to the office which shall include:
Having general and active management of the affairs of the Directors and shall see that all orders and resolutions of the Board of Directors are carried into effect;
Executing such contracts as are authorized and approved by the Board of Directors; and
Performing such other duties as are consistent with the office and the Articles of Incorporation as directed by the membership of the Board of Directors.
VICE-PRESIDENT – The Corporation may have more than one Vice-President upon the determination of the Board. The Executive Vice-President shall act on behalf of the President in the President’s absence; assume the office of the President in case of resignation, removal, or inability to serve of the President; and shall otherwise assist in zoning and general public affairs. A District Vice-President may be appointed by the Board to oversee membership and recordation of membership for the determination of voting rights at the annual meeting and shall assist in the development of communication between membership and other internal affairs of the area represented. In the event of only one Vice-President, the Vice-President shall assume the role of both the Executive Vice-President and the District Vice-President.
SECRETARY – The Secretary shall:
Take minutes of all board meetings and present said minutes to the Board for review at least one week prior to the next meeting;
Present minutes to the Board for final review, approval and adoption at all meetings;
Maintain electronic and hard copies of all approved meeting minutes in the Association’s records;
Maintain a hard file of all of the Association’s business records and important documents, providing the President and other Board Members when requested or necessary;
At the request of the President, poll the Board Members regarding matters of too minor a nature to require a formal meeting of the Board of Directors;
Handle outgoing correspondence for the Association under the direction of the President and;
Perform other such duties as may be directed by the Board of Directors.
TREASURER – The Treasurer shall:
Receive all mail addressed to the Association and present all incoming correspondence to the Board at its next meeting;
Receive and deposit all income from dues, donations and fundraising efforts due the Association;
Disburse Association funds and security service payments in accordance with the determination of the Board of Directors;
Maintain a record of all monies received and disbursed, presenting hard reports at meetings of the Board and at the annual meeting;
Maintain and present to the Secretary for recordation a monthly roster of all residents of the subdivision, indicating which residents are members of the Association;
Maintain a current mailing list of all members in a form which will lend itself efficient to the membership and the Board of Directors;
Maintain current financial reports and ensure compliance with IRS regulations regarding non-profit corporations; and
Perform other such duties as may be directed by the Board of Directors.
COMMITTEES
The following committees, or others, may be formed by the Board as needed from time to time. The President of the Board shall appoint the Chairperson of any committee activated or formed by the Board.
Committees as outlined at the May 22, 2017 Board Meeting are as follows:
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS: A committee that shall coordinate and communicate Civic Association of Pollard Estates views on policy issues to all levels of government. The committee chair shall serve as the point of contact for all local and state government matters or issues involving government officials and/or employees which may have an impact on the Corporation or the neighborhood of Pollard Estates.
MEMBERSHIP: A committee whose purpose is to contact new owners of property in the subdivision for the purpose of encouraging and inviting membership into the Association. The committee chair, or a person assigned by the committee chair, shall serve at the hospitality table at all Association events with the purpose of encouraging and inviting membership into the Association and welcoming existing members. If necessary, this committee will assist the Treasurer in contacting members whose dues are in arrears.
SOCIAL EVENTS: A committee responsible for planning and execution of neighborhood Association events. These socials should include but are not limited to Spring, Halloween and Christmas. The budget for social events shall be set forth by the Board of Directors.
COMMUNICATIONS: A committee whose purpose is to manage all communications with the Association’s general membership and residents of Pollard Estates. Communications should include but are not limited to the website, monthly electronic newsletter, social media profiles, fliers and signs. The Committee Chair, or a person assigned by the Committee Chair, shall issue notice of meetings of the Association and Board of Director meetings.
SECURITY: This committee shall operate and manage all neighborhood security systems. These systems shall include but are not limited to off duty police patrol, vacation check-ins, and following up with any/all parties regarding any/all reported security matters.
BEAUTIFICATION: A committee whose purpose is to maintain or manage the maintenance of the front entrance to the subdivision and any/all other common areas in the neighborhood. The committee shall be responsible for obtaining services for grass cutting and related edging work, maintaining any plantings, weeding any beds, fertilizing, watering any plants, mulching, and other related matters. Any plans for improvements to the entrance and/or common property must be approved by the Board of Directors prior to any work. It is encouraged, though not required, that the committee chair also be a member of the Pollard Planters.
HELPING HANDS: A committee whose purpose is to solicit and manage volunteers and/or fundraisers for neighbors in need. The committee shall be a point of contact for assistance by the neighborhood and for the neighborhood.
MEETINGS
Four regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held including the annual meeting, which shall be held in February. Regular meetings shall take place at such time and place as the Board shall set, within fifteen (15) days’ notice to all Directors of any change being required. No notice of the regular meetings shall be required once fixed by the Board. Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President upon twenty-four (24) hours’ notice to all Directors. At least two (2) weeks’ notice shall be given to the general membership advising them of the annual meeting.
A majority of the Members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any regular or special meetings of the Board.
ELECTIONS
The Board of Directors shall report its recommendations for the next year’s Board of Directors to the Membership at the Annual Meeting. Additional nominations may be received from the floor. If more nominations are made than there are positions available, then the membership shall vote on each nominee at that time. The newly-elected directors shall elect the officers, with the exception of President, of the corporation at the first meeting of the new Board after it takes office.
An officer or Director may be removed for cause by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Directors present and voting at any meeting of the Board of Directors at which a quorum is present. A Director who has missed three (3) Board meetings or who otherwise has a record of frequent absences from meetings or who has not participated in the activities of the corporation may be removed from the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall mail a written notice to the officer or Director at his or her address as it appears in the membership records, giving reasonable notice of the date, time and location of the meeting at which such action is proposed to be taken. The Board of Directors may by majority vote of the Directors present and voting, fill any vacancy caused by the death, resignation, removal, or incapacity of any officer or Director or may continue operations with a quorum of remaining directors.
RULES
Robert’s Rules of Order, revised, shall govern this Organization in all cases where applicable and where not inconsistent with these by-laws.
ORDER OF BUSINESS
Any matter of business brought before the Association shall be presented to and acted upon by the Board of Directors. Any motion not acted upon by the Board of Directors within sixty (60) days must be resubmitted or can be brought before the general membership at the annual meeting or at a special general membership meeting called for such purpose by the majority of the Board of Directors.
Unless otherwise stated, the order of business for the meetings of the Board of Directors shall be as follows:
Call to Order;
Calling of the Roll;
Review and approval of the previous meeting’s minutes;
Announcements and guest speakers;
Reports of Officers and Committees;
Unfinished Business;
New Business;
QUORUM
A quorum of the Board of Directors shall consist of a majority of the Members of the Board.
The vote necessary to transact business at the annual meeting shall be a majority of those present and deemed eligible to vote after due notice has been sent to all membership. Due notice shall consist of signs at both entrances to the neighborhood together with an email to any/all resident and/or homeowner emails on file and/or notification by US mail and/or utilization of the neighborhood flier committee to distribute fliers with meeting information on every door.
AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS
The by-laws may be amended by a majority vote of the Board of Directors present and voting at a meeting for which notice has been given to the Board of Directors at least thirty (30) days in advance and in which the proposed amendment has been stated.
DUES
The amount of dues shall be set by the Board of Directors at the annual meeting of the Association. Only those members who are current in payment of dues shall be eligible to vote at the annual meeting, with one (1) vote to be cast per lot and with the membership for purposes of determining eligibility for vote at the annual meeting. Dues become delinquent ninety (90) days after the due date, which date shall be set by the Board of Directors.
CHECKING AND SAVINGS ACCOUNTS
The Board of Directors shall be authorized to open such checking, savings and other accounts as necessary to conduct the financial situations of the corporation, which checks of the corporation requiring the signature of the Treasurer or other Board Member as designated by the Board of Directors as a requirement for expenditures of funds. A Treasurer’s report shall be rendered by the Treasurer at the annual meeting of the general membership. The books of the corporation shall be examined by a person or persons of the Board of Director’s choosing on a yearly basis.
DISSOLUTION OF THE CORPORATION
At such time as a voluntary or involuntary dissolution of the corporation and distribution of the assets is made, such assets shall be disposed of in accordance with the Articles of Incorporation consistent with the Internal Revenue Service rulings in regard to non-profit, tax-exempt corporations.
The foregoing By-Laws, amended, were presented to the Board of Directors at the Board of Directors Meeting are hereby certified as being adopted by the said Board as evidenced by the signature of the Secretary of the corporation subscribed hereto.
Zoning and City Regulations
The Civic Association of Pollard Estates has a Government Relations Committee that monitors internal and external affairs. Issues within the neighborhood, such as traffic calming, and outside of the neighborhood, such as new construction, should be directed to the appropriate board member. If you need to contact the committee or wish to volunteer your services, please see our Contact page.
SINGLE FAMILY ZONING
The homes in Pollard Estates are zoned A1 Single Family Residential. The City-Parish A1 zoning restrictions prohibit more than two unrelated persons from residing in a single-family home. If the owner resides on the premises, a total of four unrelated persons may reside in the home.
(The Unified Development Code is available here.)
How to report a violation of A1 zoning
If you think that a house in our neighborhood is in violation of the A1 zoning, you should file a complaint by contacting the 3-1-1 Call Center. Also, you should confirm the violation by making a record of vehicle license plates parked at the property over the course of two weeks. Photographs of the cars parked around house in question are also helpful. The city-parish will investigate the complaint and send the property owner an affidavit that he must fill out stating who lives at the property. If the owner is in violation, then he will be required to remedy the situation or face prosecution in court.
Also, if you report a rental property to the city-parish, please let us know by seeing our Contact page.
If you are selling your home, please inform all potential buyers of this zoning information.
Check the links below for more information on how to handle particular problems.
See Unified Development Code, Sec.8.201, Ch2 & 6.7(c).
City Parish Planning Commission
ABANDONED HOUSES
LITTER AND BLIGHT
NOISE
The City-Parish Code prohibits a person from making any loud noises which are offensive, render enjoyment of property uncomfortable or interfere with public peace and comfort, which includes use of vulgar language, playing the radio loudly or sounding a car horn, except as required by law. The ordinance against disturbing the peace also includes appearing in an intoxicated condition. Violation of these ordinances is punishable by a fine of between $100 and $500. To report a violation, call the police at 389-2000. You must give your name, address and phone number in order for the police to respond and write a report. The report allows for a record to be kept of repeat offenders. It is also a good idea to call the owner. Please be courteous to the police and tell them you live in Pollard Estates.
See Code of Ordinances, Sec.12:100, 101, Sec.13:103.
PARKING
The City-Parish Code of Ordinances establishes certain parking restrictions, which include:
Do not park on the front lawn or sidewalk.
Do not park within 15 feet of a fire hydrant.
There is a time limit to parking on the street – not longer than 9 hours in a 24-hour period from 6 am of one day to 6 am of the next.
Do not block traffic.
Do not block a driveway.
Do not park within 25 feet of an intersection.
Parking in the wrong direction is prohibited.
To report a violation, call the traffic police division at 389-3874.
See Code of Ordinances, Sec.11:415,416,418,421,423.
PETS
According to the City-Parish Code of Ordinances (TITLE 14, ANIMALS, CHAPTER 2. KEEPING OF DOMESTICATED ANIMALS, PART I. DOGS AND CATS):
Dogs must be confined at all times either in the owner's home or fenced yard or on a leash no longer than 6 feet.
If your dog becomes a nuisance, you may be fined. Examples of a nuisance would be running at large, attacking other people or animals, chasing cars, making excessive noise, turning over garbage cans or damaging, soiling or defecating on property other than the owner's.
Please be a responsible pet owner. Don't let your dog or cat roam through the neighborhood.
We are indebted to Louis Castaing of University Hills for this fine summary of basic zoning regulations governing our neighborhood.