CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
Revised May, 2005
ARTICLE I: NAME
This organization shall be known as OHIO ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTORS (“OAPSD”)
ARTICLE II: PURPOSES
Section 1. The purpose of this organization shall be to provide an opportunity for Public Safety officers to meet as a separate group for the discussion of municipal problems generally or the special problems, responsibilities and experiences of public safety officers as a special class of officials and to promote the general welfare of the cities and villages of this State by appropriate means, including but not limited to the following:
(a) the maintenance of a central bureau of information and research for collection, analysis and dissemination of information dealing with public safety;
(b) the fostering of conferences of safety officials, schools and short courses for the discussion and study of public safety problems and techniques involved in their solution; the rendering of such special and general services as may be deemed advisable; the publication and circulation of an official newsletter and such bulletins and reports on public safety as may be compiled from time to time; and
(c) the securing of the cooperation of universities and institutions of higher learning in furnishing the services of members of the faculty and students in assembling and analyzing information concerning public safety and in the conduct of schools and short courses in the field of public safety administration.
(d) the securing of harmony of action among the municipalities of Ohio and other agencies of government in all matters which affect the citizens of Ohio in creating the awareness of all levels of government of the problems and challenges of public safety in Ohio by presenting the facts and experiences upon which to formulate sound policies.
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Any city in Ohio by proper action of its legislative body, and the payment of the annual dues prescribed in Article IV, may become a member of The Ohio Association of Public Safety Directors.
Section 2. Applications for membership shall be in writing on forms supplied by The Ohio Association of Public Safety Directors, accompanied by the dues; and shall include the name of the chief public safety officer of the city who shall serve as official representative of the city.
Section 3. Each city holding membership in The Ohio Association of Public Safety Directors shall be equally privileged with every other city holding membership therein in its voice and vote in the election of officers and upon any proposition presented for discussion or decision at any meeting of the members.
Section 4. Such other classes of membership may be established as the Board of Trustees may from time to time determine, but such membership shall carry no voting privileges.
SECTION 5. The board may establish, from time to time, a category of membership known as “associate members” to have such privileges as determined by the board, other than voting on matters coming before the OAPSD's members. The associate members, if any, appointed by the board to be a non-voting member of the board shall be appointed for a two year term. Persons or organizations shall become associate members only upon the approval of the board of trustees by a majority vote of the members of the board.
ARTICLE IV: DUES
Section 1. The dues of this Association to Be Paid by Members and “Associate Members”, if any, shall be determined by the Board of Trustees.
Section 2. No representative of any member not in good standing shall be eligible to hold office or serve as a member of the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees shall from time to time, adopt and amend such regulations as it shall deem advisable concerning the cancellation of membership, discontinuance of services and reinstatement of members not in good standing. Effective January 1, 1985, all officers shall be elected by the membership for a two (2) year term of office.
ARTICLE V: OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of The Ohio Association of Public Safety Directors shall be a President, a First Vice President, a Second Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer elected by the membership for a two-year term.
Section 2. DUTIES OF OFFICERS:
PRESIDENT - The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association, Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee. The President will appoint all committees and have general supervision of the work of the Association. The President will be an ex officio member of all committees of the Association.
FIRST VICE PRESIDENT - The First Vice President will preside and serve in all capacities in the absence of the President and shall also serve as Chairman of Conference and Meeting Committees.
SECOND VICE PRESIDENT- The Second Vice President will preside and serve in all capacities in the absence of both the President and the First Vice President and shall also serve as Chair of the Legislative Committee.
SECRETARY - The Secretary will preside and serve in all capacities in the absence of the President, First Vice President, and Second Vice President. The Secretary shall keep an accurate record of the meetings of the Association, the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee, and will transmit same to his/her successor. The Secretary will have charge of all correspondence and will issue all notices of meetings and shall also serve as Chair of the Membership Committee.
TREASURER - The Treasurer will receive and disburse, with approval of the Board of Trustees, all funds of the Association and will keep an accurate account of the same. The Treasurer will make a financial report to the Association., Board of Trustees or Executive Committee upon request. The Treasurer shall also serve as Chair of the Finance Committee.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - The Executive Director will perform such duties as are delegated by the Board of Trustees.
Section 3. BOARD OF TRUSTEES - The Board of Trustees shall consist of the President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, immediate past president, and five Trustees excluding any associate members appointed pursuant to section 5, of article iii of this constitution and by laws, shall be elected from the membership for a term of two (2) years each. Nominations of Trustees, other than a trustee that is an associate member, shall be made by a Nominating Committee of three (3) members appointed by the President. Additional nominations may be made by the membership.
Section 4. MEETINGS OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES.- The Board of Trustees shall meet at least three (3) times in each calendar year to transact any business properly brought before it. The Budget of the Association shall be considered and adopted by the Board during the first quarter of each calendar (fiscal) year.
Section 5. QUALIFICATION - TERM - VACANCY - except as provided herein, each member of the Board of Trustees and each officer of The Ohio Association of Public Safety Directors with the exception of the Executive Director, shall be at all times during his/her term of office a qualified public safety official of a member city; provided that an additional member, if authorized by the board, may be an associate member. The associate member, if any, shall be elected by a majority vote of the board of trustees and shall have no vote on matters before the board. The terms of office of the President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and immediate past president shall be two (2) years commencing on the first day of January next following the meeting at which selected and until a successor has been chosen and qualified. There shall be no automatic progression in office and no such officer shall be eligible to succeed himself/herself except if he/she shall be filling the unexpired term of his/her predecessor in such office. A vacancy shall occur in any office of the Association in the event that the person holding that office resigns, ceases to be an official of a member city, or ceases to occupy the municipal position he/she held when elected or appointed as an officer, or if the officer misses three consecutive meetings of the Board in any fiscal year of the Association unless such absences shall be excused by the Board, and the reasons therefore entered into the proceedings of the Board. All vacancies on the Board of Trustees and in the office of President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary or Treasurer shall be filled by the remaining members of said Board, and each person so elected or appointed shall serve for the unexpired term of the person in whose stead he/she is elected.
ARTICLE VI: MEETINGS
Section 1. ANNUAL -There shall be at least two (2) meetings of the general membership in each calendar year. One of those meetings shall be designated by the Board of Trustees as the Annual Business Meeting. The time and place of the meetings as well as the business to be conducted shall be determined by the Board of Trustees.
Section 2. SPECIAL - Special meetings of the Association may be called by the President, by the Board of Trustees, or by not less than any fifteen (15) city members upon ten (10) days written notice mailed to each member of the Association stating the purpose or purposes of such meeting, and no other subject shall be there considered.
Section 3. MAIL VOTING - Voting shall be conducted on election of officers and members of Board of Trustees, amendments of By-Laws, and on issues of importance as may be determined by the Board of Trustees. The board of trustees may take action without a meeting as authorized by the general laws of ohio for nonprofit corporations or in the manner provided in these by laws, if any such provision exists. Written ballots, stating the issue (s) to be voted upon, shall. be mailed to each member of the Association not less than thirty (30) days prior to the return deadline which shall be marked clearly on each ballot.
Section 4. QUORUM - The presence of representatives from twenty percent (20%) of the member cities shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the Ohio Association of Public Safety Directors. Return of ballot from twenty percent (20%) of the membership shall constitute a quorum for mail voting conducted in accordance with section 3. A vote of at lease a majority of a quorum shall be required to take any action, other than as required in article viii of these by laws pertaining to amendments of these by laws.
ARTICLE VII: COMMITTEES
Section 1. The standing committees of the Association shall be the following: Executive, Program, Membership, Finance, and Legislation. Only members of the Board of Trustees shall serve as Chair of the standing committees. The President may appoint such special committees as are necessary.
Section 2. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE - The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and the Immediate Past President of the Association. This committee, of which the President is Chair, will have charge of all business affairs of the Association and will consider all matters concerning the welfare of the Association, and may present recommendations to the Board of Trustees for approval. The Executive Committee will meet no less than quarterly.
Section 3. PROGRAM COMMITTEE - The Program Committee, of which the First Vice President is Chair, will have charge of the general educational program of the Association. It shall prepare or cause to be prepared, the agenda for each meeting of the Association including topics and speakers.
Section 4. MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE - The Membership Committee, of which the Secretary is Chair, will consider each application for membership, determine whether or not it is proper and in order and report thereon to the Board of Trustees. This committee will be responsible for maintaining Association membership and attendance.
Section 5. FINANCE COMMITTEE - The Finance Committee, of which the Treasurer is Chair, will have charge of all financial affairs of the Association and shall make an annual audit of the books of account of the Association.
Section 6. LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE - The Legislative Committee, of which the Second Vice President is Chair, will consider any recommendations for legislation to be introduced in the Ohio General Assembly and will maintain contact with the Ohio Municipal League on all legislative matters.
ARTICLE VIII
AMENDMENTS
Section 1. The Constitution and Bylaws of The Ohio Association of Public Safety Directors may be amended by mail vote of the membership or at any meeting called in accordance with this constitution by a two-thirds vote of all the member cities represented at any such meeting or two thirds of the members voting to approve the amendment by mail ballot, a quorum being present or responding to the mail ballot, shall be sufficient for approval of the amendment if notice of the proposed amendment and the language of such proposal shall have been mailed to each member city not less than thirty (30) days prior to such meeting.
