Central Florida Chapter Bylaws

CENTRAL FLORIDA CHAPTER, INC. OF THE INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL AND BUILDING OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION OF FLORIDA

BY-LAWS

Amended December 1996
Correlated with ICC, June 2003
Revised September 2024

CENTRAL FLORIDA CHAPTER, INC. OF THE INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL/
BUILDING OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION OF FLORIDA BY-LAWS

Article I: Name

This organization shall be known as the “Central Florida Chapter, Inc. of the International Code Council/Building Officials Association of Florida”, herein after referred to as “the Chapter”.

Article II: Objectives

Section 1. To insure safe and secure buildings in which the people of Florida may live and work, by promoting the building regulations and the administrative organization technique and methods of their enforcement by local government.

Section 2. To allow the use of new materials and construction methods that have been approved by established procedures by the Chapter, and to increase the knowledge and understanding of the members of such new materials and construction methods in their proper application.

Section 3. To correlate the activities of the Chapter with the International Code Council.

Section 4. To promote and encourage uniform interpretation of building regulations.

Section 5. To maintain modern building regulations by submitting amendments, additions, and deletions to these regulations and to participate in the code development process at the state and national levels.

Article III: Membership

Membership shall be classified as follows:

(A) Active Member. Any Code Official who holds an active license in accordance with F. S.’s 468, or 633 or an ICC Certified Permit Technician actively involved in the enforcement of the Florida Building Code or the Epcot Code shall be eligible to become an active member upon payment of membership dues A member formerly so engaged may retain his or her membership until such time he or she becomes employed in some gainful occupation of a type not included in the above requirements.

(B) Commercial Member. Any employee of a research organization, architect, engineer, certified or registered contractor (general, building or residential) and their related associations, manufacturers, or dealers in building materials or equipment, or other individuals, partnerships or commercial entities may become a non-voting member upon payment of the membership dues.

(C) Honorary Member. Any person who has contributed substantially to the advancement of the Chapter and who has been nominated by the body of the Chapter and been approved by the Executive Board. Any individual who has served his or her term as President of the Chapter shall be granted the status of Honorary member of the Chapter. Honorary members have all the rights and responsibilities of active members. Honorary members shall be relieved of payment of annual dues.

(D) Support Personnel: An individual who is involved in the acceptance, processing, and issuance of permits for enforcement of the Florida Building Code. This includes anyone that does not qualify as an active member who works directly for or by contract in support of a building department. This individual may become a non-voting member upon payment of the membership dues as set by the organization.

Article IV: Voting Rights

Section 1. Each active and honorary member shall have 1 vote at each meeting that they attend.

Section 2. Each other type of membership may attend and participate in any discussion in the meeting, but carries no voting rights.

Article V: Officers

Section 1. The officers of the Chapter shall consist of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and two Directors. The President, Vice President, and Chapter Director shall be active or honorary members; the Secretary and Treasurer shall be members of the Chapter in any category.

These officers shall be elected by the majority of the membership in attendance at the regularly scheduled meeting in March. All officers will serve on a voluntary basis.

Section 2. Officer Duties:

President:

Shall preside at all meetings, both monthly and Executive Board.
Shall be an Ex-Officio member of all committees and a member of the Board of Directors.
Shall arrange special meetings of the membership or Executive Board as required.
Shall appoint individuals to committees as required.
Shall have the authority to sign checks associated with the normal operation of the Chapter.

Vice President:

Shall, in the absence of the President, preside at meetings.
Shall be responsible for arranging programs for the monthly meetings.
Shall have the authority to sign checks associated with the normal operation of the Chapter.

Secretary:

Shall record and distribute the minutes of meetings attended.
Shall keep records of the Chapter minutes, correspondence and related documents.
Shall, in the absence of the President and Vice-President, preside at meetings.
Shall have the authority to sign checks associated with the normal operation of the Chapter

Treasurer:

Shall act as the custodian of all the funds of the Chapter.
Shall have the authority to sign checks on behalf of the Chapter.
Shall, in the absence of the Secretary, be responsible for recording the minutes of meetings.

Directors:

Chapter:

- Shall provide support to the other officers.

State:

- Shall represent the Chapter at the State Association meetings.
- Shall inform the Chapter about the proceedings of the State Association Board of Directors.
- Shall be willing to serve on State committees.

Section 3. Term: Officers shall be elected and hold office for a period of one year, except the term of the Director that represents the Chapter at the State level shall be three years.

Article VI: Executive Board

Section 1. The membership of the Executive Board shall consist of the President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Immediate Past President, and both Directors elected as provided for in Article V.

Section 2. In the case of death, disability, resignation, or removal of any member, the President shall appoint a successor to serve until the next scheduled election.

Article VII: Administration

The property, business and policies of the Chapter shall be managed by, or under the authority of the Executive Board.

Article VIII: Standing Committees

Section 1. Education Committee: The purpose of the Education Committee is to arrange educational programs for the membership to provide continuing educational opportunities which are consistent with the provisions of Article II.

Section 2. Legislative Committee: The purpose of the Legislative Committee is to keep abreast of the State laws and rules that affect Code enforcement and construction industries and to advise the membership of areas where action by the Chapter and/or each jurisdiction would support the provisions of Article II.

Section 3. Activities Committee: The purpose of the Activities Committee is to evaluate, identify and arrange the location of the annual picnic and other Central Florida Chapter activities, as well as coordinating the efforts of the activity volunteers.

Section 4. Scholarship Committee: The purpose of the Scholarship Committee is to develop, review, and revise necessary policies, procedures and strategies required to develop, implement, and administer the scholarship program and to evaluate candidates for scholarship awards.

Section 5. Nominating Committee: The purpose of the Nominating Committee is to present nominations to the Chapter members for the Executive Board, ICC Directors, and letters of support for individuals running for other boards and associations. Nominating Committee shall be comprised of three (3) past presidents.

Article IX: Miscellaneous

Section 1. The Chapter shall be a not-for-profit (Non-profit? To be determined on our next BOAF meeting), non-political organization.

Section 2. No part of the net earnings of the Chapter shall inure to the benefit of or be distributable to its members, Directors, Officers, or other private persons except that the Chapter shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in Article II, notwithstanding any other activities not permitted to be carried on by an association exempt from Federal income tax under section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue law).

Article X: Annual Fees

Section 1. Dues shall be set by a vote of the membership at the March annual Chapter meeting.

Section 2. Membership Year: Dues are payable in December for the period of January 1 through December 31.

Article XI: Auditing Reports and Records

Section 1. The Executive Board may order or authorize an audit made of the books at the end of each fiscal year, which shall include an inventory of all equipment.

Section 2. The records of the Chapter shall be kept in the ordinary and usual course of business and open for inspection in accordance with the State laws of the State of Florida.

Article XII: Meetings

Section 1. The Chapter shall hold meetings each month at a time and place designated by the Executive Board.

Section 2. Special meetings of the Chapter may be called at any time by the President or upon written request of a majority of the members.

Section 3. Fourteen Active members shall constitute a quorum.

Article XIII: Parliamentary Authority

In the business of the Chapter, either in general session, Board meetings, or Committee meetings, Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern with respect to all questions of a parliamentary nature unless otherwise herein provided or as modified by the Executive Board.

Article XIV: Dissolution

Upon dissolution of the Chapter, it shall be the obligation of the Board of Directors to see that all just debts and claims are paid. Any funds remaining shall go the State BOAF.

Article XV: Amendments

The By-laws may be changed or amended by either of the following methods:

1. A two-thirds vote by the active membership present at the meeting after a minimum
  60-day written notification to the membership of the proposed changes or amendments.
2. The Executive Board may order any proposed amendments to be transmitted via USPS mail or electronic means to all Active Members and shall become effective upon receipt of the affirmative vote of a majority of such Active Members. Only such ballots or votes returned to the secretary within thirty-five days after notice is sent shall be recorded.

Article XVI: Indemnifications

The Chapter shall indemnify it’s Directors, Officers, Committee Members, and Employees for reasonable attorney fees and justifiable expenses stemming from liabilities which are deemed by the Executive Board to have been reasonably incurred as a result of a legal proceedings to which the indemnified person is made a party by reason of an indemnified person having been a Director, Officer, Committee Member or Employee of the Chapter at the time an actionable cause arose except where the Director, Officer, Committee Member, or Employee is deemed by a hearing to have been guilty of willful malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance in the performance of his or her obligations to the Chapter. In order to properly indemnify Directors, Officers, Committee Members, or Employees of the Chapter, the Executive Board may authorize adequate insurance to cover the indemnification authorized by this Article

ARTICLE XVII: Emergency Orders

In the event of a State or Federal Disaster Declaration, this provision will allow the Chapter Executive Board to draft an emergency order giving direction to the Chapter and if necessary, to suspend provisions of the Bylaws covering scheduled meetings, and quorum requirements for business decisions of the Chapter related to the Disaster. The Order will include an end date for the order. The Order will have the potential to be extended. This will not allow for permanent changes to the Bylaws or changes not related to the Disaster.