EWUA Good Neighbor Policy

Member Governance Inquiries, Conduct, and Communication Standards. Adopted by the Board on December 16, 2025.

  1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that member communications with the Board of Directors are handled in a manner that supports transparency, accountability, and effective governance, while protecting EWUA staff, volunteers, and Board members from harassment, bad-faith accusations, or disruptive behavior that undermines the Association’s operations.

EWUA welcomes genuine questions, concerns, and feedback from its members. This policy establishes clear standards for what constitutes an appropriate governance inquiry and outlines the process for addressing communications that are excessive, abusive, harassing, or made in bad faith.

  1. Definitions

2.1 Governance Inquiry

A communication from a member intended to request clarification about:

  • EWUA policies,
  • Financial information available to members,
  • Board decisions, or
  • Matters related to the Association’s governance obligations.

2.2 Bad-Faith Governance Inquiry

A governance inquiry is deemed bad faith when it exhibits one or more of the following characteristics:

  1. Harassment or Personal Targeting
    • Repeatedly targeting an individual (e.g., a staff member or GM) with accusations, insinuations, or demands for investigation without factual basis.
  2. Frivolous or Manufactured Accusations
    • Submitting allegations framed as questions that imply wrongdoing without evidence.
  3. Abusive Volume or Frequency
    • Sending multiple repetitive inquiries after receiving a response, or submitting continuous demands intended to overwhelm Board resources.
  4. Circumvention of Organizational Processes
    • Directing operational questions to the Board instead of staff, or bypassing established complaint or grievance mechanisms.
  5. Misuse of Governance Processes
    • Attempting to use member inquiry rights as leverage for personal grievances, retaliation, or attempts to disrupt operations.

2.3 Abusive Communication

Any communication that includes:

  • Hostile, inflammatory, or accusatory language
  • Personal attacks
  • Implied or explicit threats
  • Repeated baseless allegations
  • Attempts to intimidate staff or Board members
  1. Member Rights

Members retain the right to:

  • Submit legitimate governance inquiries
  • Access financial and governance information consistent with state law and EWUA’s governing documents
  • Raise concerns regarding policy, budget, or Board actions

Nothing in this policy restricts members from exercising statutory rights under RCW 24.03A. However, those rights do not include the right to harass staff or misuse governance processes.

  1. Standards for Governance Communication

Members are expected to:

  1. Use respectful language in all communications.
  2. Limit inquiries to matters of governance, not day-to-day operations or personnel management.
  3. Avoid repetitive or duplicative requests, especially when responses have already been provided.
  4. Refrain from personal accusations against staff or volunteers unless supported by documented evidence.
  5. Use designated communication channels rather than contacting individual Board members separately.
  1. Board Process for Managing Inquiries

5.1 Initial Review

All governance inquiries shall be routed to the Board President (or designee) for screening. The President will categorize the inquiry as:

  • Routine (respond normally)
  • Complex (requires committee or staff input)
  • Potentially abusive or bad-faith (refer to Section 6)

5.2 Consolidated Response

The Board may issue:

  • A single consolidated answer,
  • A reference to existing policy or materials, or
  • A notice that the inquiry is outside Board jurisdiction (e.g., personnel matters).
  1. Procedure for Handling Abusive or Bad-Faith Inquiries

When an inquiry meets the criteria in Section 2.2 or Section 2.3, the Board may take the following actions:

6.1 Step 1: Written Notice

The Board shall notify the member that:

  • Their recent communications exceed acceptable standards,
  • EWUA has already responded to earlier inquiries (if applicable),
  • Future inquiries must relate to governance matters and comply with this policy.

6.2 Step 2: Channel Restriction

If behavior continues, the Board may require that the member:

  • Communicate only through a single designated Board contact,
  • Limit inquiries to one consolidated submission per six month period.

6.3 Step 3: Limitation of Privileges

If abusive conduct escalates or persists, the Board may, consistent with EWUA’s governing documents:

  • Restrict the member’s access to staff or facilities,
  • Deny attendance at Board meetings except for the Annual Meeting,
  • Refer the matter to legal counsel, or
  • Initiate disciplinary action permitted under the Bylaws (e.g., suspension of non-essential member privileges or change standing status of membership).

6.4 Step 4: Cease-and-Desist and Legal Referral

In cases involving harassment, defamation, stalking, or abuse of process, the Board may:

  • Issue a cease-and-desist letter,
  • Involve legal counsel, and/or
  • Seek judicial remedies available under Washington law.
  1. Documentation and Recordkeeping

EWUA shall maintain records of:

  • The inquiry,
  • The Board’s responses,
  • Identified patterns of bad-faith behavior,
  • Notices sent to the member,
  • Any restrictions imposed.

This documentation protects EWUA from claims of retaliation and demonstrates agency-wide fairness.

  1. Protection of Staff and Volunteers

EWUA will not tolerate harassment, intimidation, or unfounded allegations directed at staff or volunteers.

The Board affirms that:

  • Personnel management is exclusively the role of the GM,
  • Individual staff members shall not be contacted directly by members seeking investigations, and
  • The Board shall not bypass the GM’s supervisory authority due to member complaints lacking evidence.
  1. Policy Adoption and Authority

This policy is adopted by the EWUA Board under its authority to:

  • Establish rules for member conduct,
  • Protect employees and volunteers,
  • Maintain orderly operations, and
  • Safeguard the Association from misuse of governance processes.