Wisconsin County Code Administrators

CONSTITUTION OF THE WISCONSIN COUNTY CODE ADMINISTRATORS
(Effective 1/1/98)

ARTICLE I - NAME

The name of this organization shall be the WISCONSIN COUNTY CODE ADMINISTRATORS.

ARTICLE II - PURPOSE
The primary purpose of the Association is to provide a representative organization for the professionals involved in or having an interest in the administration of State and County codes relating to land use, shorelands and wetlands, private sewage systems and zoning in Wisconsin. The Association shall strive to provide ongoing education, mutual support and professional development opportunities to the membership. The Association shall further attempt to keep the general public, the media and public officials accurately informed of contemporary issues relating to these codes, including potential or existing problems and recommended solutions.

The Association shall aid in the ethical and professional administration of County Development Codes.

The Association in the fulfillment of those purposes herein stated, may affiliate with other Associations and Organizations. If such affiliations shall be deemed to be in the best interest of the Association it shall be acted upon in a manner as prescribed in ARTICLE VII.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP
Section 3.1 Full Membership Eligibility
Full membership in the Association shall be limited to those individual county employees charged with the responsibility of administering County Land Use Regulations.

Section 3.2 Associate Membership
Associate membership shall be available to any employee, agency or organization concerned with county land use regulations, which are not eligible for full membership under Section 3.1. Associate members shall not have voting privileges.

Section 3.3 Admission of Members
Membership in the Association shall be granted to any eligible person upon payment of the current Association dues. The Executive Board shall interpret the eligibility of such persons. Annual dues shall be as established by the Executive Board.

ARTICLE IV - FISCAL

Section 4.1 Fiscal Year

The fiscal year shall begin on the first day of January and end the last day of December.

Section 4.2 Dues
The Executive Board shall determine annual dues. Such dues shall be based on the annual budget adopted by the Board.

Section 4.3 Delinquencies

Notification of outstanding dues shall be sent by the Treasurer to delinquent members. If a member fails to pay his/her dues, he/she shall cease to be a member but may be reinstated on payment in full of current dues. If dues are outstanding by Spring Seminar registration, payment of non-member registration fee will be required.

Section 4.4 Budget

The Executive Board shall annually, at the beginning of the fiscal year, prepare and adopt a budget for the Association's activities. The budget shall be adopted at a business meeting of the Board and copies of the adopted budget mailed to all members. Inclusion of the budget in the first association newsletter published after the business meeting shall satisfy this requirement.

ARTICLE V - EXECUTIVE BOARD AND OFFICERS

Section 5.1 Executive Board

A. The Association shall be governed by the Executive Board. The Board shall be composed of the President, two Vice-Presidents, the Secretary-Treasurer, the immediate past President, and one District Representative from each district in the State. Board members shall be full members of the Association.

B. The formation of Districts shall be approved by the Executive Board. Districts shall submit to the Secretary-Treasurer of the State Association the name of their District Representative on or before the first day of January.

If a District Representative is unable to attend an Executive Board Meeting, an alternate member from that district who must also be a full member may be designated to attend in his/her place with the same voting rights as the District Representative.

C. The Executive Board shall have authority to conduct the normal affairs of the Association and shall report to the membership all actions taken between meetings; shall be authorized to appropriate and expend funds relative to the Association's operation, manage any Association Property, and negotiate contracts in conformity with the approved budget.

D. The Executive Board shall establish a mailing address for the Association. Once established, the mailing address shall remain in effect until and unless it is changed by an action of the Executive Board in subsequent years.

E. Should the office of President be vacated, the First Vice-President shall become acting President for the balance of the current fiscal year, and the President for the following year. Vacancies in any other position subject to the provisions of Section 5.3 shall be filled by appointment by the Executive Board. Vacancies in District Representative positions shall be filled by a vote of the district where the vacancy exists.

F. The Executive Board shall hold a business meeting of the Association between the Fall Seminar and January 31st.

Section 5.2 Officers
The officers of the Association shall be a President, two Vice-Presidents, and a Secretary-Treasurer. The First Vice-President shall be the President-elect for the succeeding year.


Section 5.3 Election of Officers
A. The First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, and Secretary-Treasurer shall be the officers elected in the annual election.

B. An officer of the Association and the District Representative may be the same person.

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C. The President shall appoint a Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall nominate candidates for the offices to be filled. The names of those candidates submitted by the Nominating Committee and those candidates nominated from the floor at the annual fall seminar shall be placed on the ballot for election of officers and may address the Association at the Fall Seminar.

D. Unopposed candidates may be elected at the Fall Seminar. Contested offices shall be elected by secret ballot, mailed within 10 days of the Fall Seminar to each full member. Said election ballot shall be returned to the Secretary-Treasurer on or before December 1st. The Secretary-Treasurer shall notify the membership of the election results.

Section 5.4 Term of Office
The term of all officers shall be for a period of one year commencing on January 1st and continuing through December 31st, with the exception of the First Vice-President, who shall be elected for a two year period and serve as President during the second year.

Section 5.5 Duties of Officers
A. The President shall call meetings of the Association and the Executive Board; shall preside at these meetings; shall, except as otherwise provided, create, appoint and discharge standing Committees and Special Committees and serve as non-voting, ex-officio member of all Committees; and shall perform such other duties as are customary of the office.

B. The Vice-President in proper succession shall act as the President when the President is not in attendance; the First Vice-President shall be the Chairman of the Program Committee; the Second Vice-President shall be Chairman of the Legislative and Education Committee.

C. The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep minutes of meetings; shall notify members of their election to office or appointment to committee; and shall perform such secretarial duties as are customary to the office and shall receive all money due the Association; shall keep accounts which shall at all times be open to the inspection of the officers and which shall be submitted for an annual audit; and shall perform such other duties as are customary to the office.

Section 5.6 Committees
There shall be five Standing Committees, the Chairs of which shall be Executive Board members. Reports of committee activities shall be presented to the Executive Board.

A. Program Committee: Chaired by the First Vice-President. The Committee shall prepare the annual programs in accordance with the approved budget and policies for seminars established by the Executive Board.

B. Legislation and Education Committee: Chaired by the Second Vice-President. The Committee shall consider legislative and educational matters as may be appropriate to the Association's purpose and permitted by budget.

C. Administrative Code Committee: The Committee shall review all proposed administrative codes and serve as a liaison to the appropriate State agencies.

C. Nominating Committee: See Section 5.3(C)

E. Audit Committee: The Committee shall be responsible for the annual audit of the Association's fiscal records and shall report to the Executive Board at the meeting referred to in Section 5.1(F).

ARTICLE VI - MEETINGS

Section 6.1 Meetings

A. The Executive Board shall conduct an annual meeting as specified in Section 5.1F.

B. "Meeting of the Association" shall be defined as a business meeting conducted in conjunction with the spring and fall seminars and which is intended to include the participation of all members.

C. "Meeting of the Executive Board" shall be defined as a regular meeting of officers and district representatives, called by the President or a majority of the Executive Board, for the purpose of conducting the affairs of the Association.

D. "Emergency Meeting" shall be defined as a meeting of the Executive Board and interested members, called by the President for consideration of an item or items of critical importance to the Association which cannot wait until the next regularly scheduled meeting.

Section 6.2 Notice of Meetings
At least ten (10) days' notice of any Meeting of the Association shall be mailed to all members. Notice shall be deemed as given when the meeting announcement is included on the tentative agenda of the spring and fall seminar which is sent to all members.

Section 6.3 Minutes of Meetings
Minutes of all Meetings of the Association and Meetings of the Executive Board shall be kept by the Secretary. Copies of the minutes of all meetings shall be mailed to the membership within a reasonable period of time. Inclusion of the summary of the minutes in the official association newsletter published closest to the date of the meeting shall satisfy this requirement.


Section 6.4 Meetings of the Executive Board
A. Meetings of the Executive Board shall be called by the President or by a majority of the Board members.

B. There shall be at least two meetings of the Executive Board during the fiscal year of the Association.

C. The Executive Board shall include expenses of Executive Board meetings in the annual budget. Allowable expenses include the cost of meeting room rentals, refreshments and meals for the Executive Board at Executive Board meetings; and meal and lodging costs for the Executive Board members attending the annual business meeting. The Executive Board shall also establish a stipend to be paid to the Secretary-Treasurer on an annual basis for the performance of the duties of that office.

Section 6.5 Quorum

A. A majority of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business meetings of the Board.

B. 1. A quorum of any duly called Meeting of the Association shall consist of those members present.

2. A quorum of a duly called Meeting of the Executive Board shall consist of a majority of the elected officers and district representatives (Executive Board).

3. A quorum of a duly called emergency meeting shall consist of the members of the association present plus a majority of the Executive Board.

Section 6.6 Parliamentary Authority
In all matters not covered by its constitution, the Association shall be governed by the Roberts Rules of Order.

ARTICLE VII - VOTING

Section 7.1 Amendments
Information on a constitution change is to be presented in writing and discussed at two consecutive Meetings of the Association and then voted on by mailed ballot as specified in Section 7.2. Amendments to the Constitution must be approved by a three-fourths majority of properly cast ballots.

Section 7.2 Voting
On all Association decisions, excepting constitutional amendments, each full member shall have one vote. On constitutional amendments, each county with a full member shall have one vote.

ARTICLE VIII - NEWSLETTER
The Association will produce a newsletter as a vehicle to provide information of importance and interest to the membership. Newsletters will be published on a quarterly basis at a minimum. The Executive Board will include the expenses of publication in the annual budget. The expenses will include a stipend to any member or volunteer from a member county for the editing and oversight of the publication of the newsletter. In the absence of this arrangement, budgeted expenses will include the charges from an editor/publisher not associated with any county.