Official Call of the Annual Meeting of the Berkshire County Board of REALTORS® And the Multiple Listing Service, Inc.

October 28th  @ 9 a.m. virtually via Zoom
Register in advance for BIG raffle entry!

Join us for an update on what is happening in our industry and enjoy a super fast-paced and exciting event. No rehashing of 2020, thankyouverymuch. You will leave wide-eyed and amazed at the number of things happening that affect your business and how you can serve your clients and thrive in the year ahead.  And, because we can’t give you a nice chili cookoff cocktail party after, we will DOUBLE DOWN on raffles, including the ever popular FREE 2021 MEMBERSHIP valued at $600, a year of FREE MLS fees at $360, gift cards and much more.  BYOB (Bring your own bacon 😉

SPECIAL NOTE: Electronic Ballots Will be open a week preceding the meeting.

The annual voting issues are outlined below. Final electronic ballots will be mailed at least one week in advance of the meeting, All Berkshire REALTORS will be asked to elect the 2021 Officers and Directors of the Board of Directors, and approve the 2021 budget via an electronic ballot submission.  Additionally, all MLS Participants (typically the broker-owners) will be asked to elect the 2021 MLS Officers and Directors, approve the 2021 MLS budget and a proposed bylaw change through the same process.

Additional candidates may be placed in nomination by a petition signed by at least ten (10%) percent of the REALTOR® Members eligible to vote for the Board of REALTOR election – or 10% of the MLS Participants for that election. 

The petition for additional candidates shall be filed with the Chief Executive Officer at least two (2) weeks before the election. The Chief Executive Officer shall then send notice of additional nominations to all Members eligible to vote before the election, not less than 7 days prior to the date of meeting.

Please email Sandy@BerkshireRealtors.org for details on this process from the bylaws.

Nominating Committee Reports

Proposed 2021 Slate of Officers to be voted on by the Annual Meeting

In accordance with Article XI, Section 4 of the Bylaws of the Berkshire County Board of REALTORS the following Slate of Officers has been nominated by the Nominating Committee comprised of Chair Cortney Dupont, Patrice Melluzzo, Craig Kahn, and Debbie Dwyer. 

Special Message:  The committee met multiple times this year, debating and discussing the best way to provide stability and advancement for our association given this year of swift change and shifting priorities.  There was unanimous consensus that enabling as many experienced leaders to serve a second term when available and able was the most beneficial for the association. They are pleased to present the following slate of officers and directors to carry us through and continue the work started at the beginning of 2020.

2021 Proposed Slate of Officers and Directors for the Berkshire County Board of REALTORS

*Completing the term of Nick Geranios, moving up to Secretary / Treasurer

Note: the following have unexpired terms and will continue to serve in 2021

The Berkshire County Multiple Listing Service, Inc.
2021 Proposed Slate of Officers and Directors 

Proposed 2020 MLS Slate of Officers to be voted on at the Annual Meeting

In accordance with Article 7 of the Bylaws of the Multiple Listing Service, the following the MLS Nominating Committee, chaired by Peter West and served by Penney Cardonnel, Paula McLean, Doug Goudey and Jackie Draper had similar conversations and strategies for the MLS.  They too are pleased to present the following slate of officers and directors for the MLS Board, to continue the good work and refine the MLS services in the year ahead.

Note: the following have unexpired terms and will continue to serve in 2021

The Berkshire County Multiple Listing Service, Inc.
2021 Proposed MLS Bylaw Change

Unlike the Board of REALTORS, the MLS has a limit of 1 member of the board per firm when elected, as currently written.  This year, through office changes, we had multiple firms with more than one agent serving on the Board of Directors.  In review, the Nominating Committee suggested to the MLS Board that this be changed so that only 1 per firm serves at any time, given it is only an 8 member board.  The MLS Board voted to endorse this change and submits it to the Participants for an amendment of the MLS Bylaws.

Motion to change the MLS Bylaws going forward as shown below from date of adoption. Should an Officer or Director change firms during their elected term that results in more than 1 Board member serving from the same agency, the transferring member would no longer be eligible to serve on the Board of Directors, and a replacement appointed according to the bylaws of the service.

Note: This change is structured going forward only, so that those with unexpired terms who were duly elected according to the bylaw provisions in place at the time shall continue until their term has expired.

• There shall be a total of no more than 8 elected Directors, including the President, Vice President and a Secretary / Treasurer of the Service to be elected from among the Participants or REALTORS® affiliated with Participants of the Service. (no more than 1 from the same agency) Directors elected from among REALTORS® other than Participants serve with consent as representatives of the Participants with whom they are affiliated.  There shall be no more than 1 Board Member from the same agency.  In addition to the elected Directors, the current President of the Berkshire County Board of REALTORS® or a person appointed by the President, and the Immediate Past President of the Service shall serve as Directors, ex officio, with full voting privileges.

Finance Committee Budget Reports

• Board Proposed Budget: Approved by the Finance Committee and Endorsed by the Board of Directors. This budget represents conservative numbers, with $600 in REALTOR dues for 2021, a $25 dues increase.  This is the first increase in local dues since 2015 and remain one of the lowest in the state.  Of the dues paid, $254 are allocated to be retained by the Berkshire County Board, the rest are applied to State and National Dues.
• MLS Proposed Budget: Approved by the Finance Committee and Endorsed by the Board of Directors. This budget represents also reflects conservative numbers, and includes a $1 per person fee increase, to $31 per month with increasing levels of service. It should be noted that MLS fees decreased substantially ($22,000/year) when we eliminated the listing fees in 2019 with no offsetting income.

For those that are into the details, this was provided as a legal basis for holding electronic elections during the COVID time.  

GOVERNOR’S ORDER THAT ALLOWS FOR THE ELECTRONIC ANNUAL MEETING FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING VOTING ON ELECTED CORPORATION OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS. 

OF SECTION 16. Notwithstanding any general or special law or any bylaw of the corporation to the contrary, for the duration of the governor’s March 10, 2020 state of emergency and 60 days thereafter and unless the articles of organization provide otherwise, the board of directors of a corporation defined in section 2 of chapter 180 of the General Laws may: (i) provide notice of a meeting of the board of directors: (A) only to those directors it is practicable to reach; and (B) in any practicable manner; (ii) cancel a meeting of the members, as defined in section 2 of said chapter 180, with notice of cancellation given in any practicable manner; (iii) allow a director or officer to continue to serve during the governor’s March 10, 2020 state of emergency and until the director’s or officer’s successor is elected, appointed or designated; provided that directors and officers whose term is extended pursuant to this section shall continue to serve until the director’s or officer’s successor takes office, despite the expiration of a director’s or officer’s term; (iv) allow a director to participate in a regular or special meeting by, or conduct the meeting through the use of, any means of communication by which all directors participating are able to simultaneously communicate with each other during the meeting; (v) allow members at a meeting of the members to vote in person or by proxy; provided that any member voting by proxy shall be considered present at the meeting for purposes of any quorum requirement; (vi) appoint successors to any of the officers, directors, employees or agents; (vii) relocate the principal office or designate alternative offices; and (viii) allow members to participate in any meeting of members by remote participation, even if not physically present at the meeting. Participation by remote communication at any meeting of the members shall constitute presence at such meeting only if: (i) reasonable measures are implemented to verify that each person deemed present and permitted to vote at the meeting by means of remote communication is a member or proxyholder; (ii) reasonable measures are implemented to provide such members and proxyholders a reasonable opportunity to participate in the meeting and to vote on matters submitted to the members, including an opportunity to read or hear to the proceedings of the meeting substantially concurrently with such proceedings, pose questions and make comments, regardless of whether the members can simultaneously communicate with each other during the meeting; and (iii) if any member or proxyholder votes or takes other action at the meeting by means of remote communication, a record of such vote or other action shall be maintained by the corporation.

Directors who participate in a meeting of the board of directors pursuant to this section shall constitute a quorum. In a corporation with members, the corporation shall notify the members, as soon as reasonably practicable, of any action taken by the board of directors pursuant to this section.