CEAT By-Laws

C.E.A.T.
THE CODE ENFORCEMENT ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS
BY-LAWS
APPROVED REVISIONS 2-16-2005

For bylaw information or inquiries please contact our new Sergeant-At-Arms:
Lois J. Balka, City of Beaumont
phone 409/880-3719,  fax 409/880-3775

ARTICLE I. NAME, TERRITORY AND PURPOSE

SECTION 1.

NAME
The name of this organization is the Code Enforcement Association of Texas. In this document, the Code Enforcement Association of Texas is referred to as “C.E.A.T.” and/or “Association”. This shall be a non-political, non-profit corporation and shall be self-supporting.

TERRITORY
The geographical sections that C.E.A.T. represents shall be all participating villages, cities, townships, counties and state agencies within the boundaries of the State of Texas.

SECTION 2.

PURPOSE
The purpose of C.E.A.T. shall be to study and advance the science and practice of code enforcement through certification to further the interests of the profession to promote fellowship and understanding among its members; without regard to race, creed, color, and national origin, or sex.


ARTICLE II. MEMBERSHIP

SECTION 1.
RESERVED

SECTION 2.

ACTIVE MEMBERS
Any person involved in the regulation of health and safety in the environment, both natural and man-made, and resides or works in the State of Texas, shall be eligible for regular membership; and, upon payment of established dues shall be known as an “Active Member.”

SECTION 3.

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
Any student, non-resident, or individual interested in code enforcement.

SECTION 4.
RESERVED

SECTION 5.

MEMBER AGENCY
A participating governmental agency shall be considered a member agency with a $100.00 contribution, renewable annually at $100.00.

SECTION 6. 

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP
For any individual or organization who has rendered outstanding meritorious service in furtherance of the objectives of C.E.A.T.

SECTION 7.

TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP
A. Any member leaving the code enforcement profession for a period in excess of six months will cease to be an active member.
B. Any member that has acted in such a manner as to bring discredit upon C.E.A.T. may be suspended and/or terminated from membership. Determination of membership will be made by the Executive Board and with a majority of the Voting Delegates taken by secret ballot.
C. Any member in default of his/her financial responsibilities for a period of three (3) months shall be dropped from the C.E.A.T. membership. This section does not preclude reinstatement upon payment of dues.

ARTICLE III. FISCAL ADMINISTRATION

SECTION 1.

FISCAL YEAR
The C.E.A.T. fiscal year shall be from October 1 through September 30 of each calendar year.

SECTION 2.

ANNUAL BUDGET
The annual budget shall be prepared and presented by the Budget and Finance Committee appointed by the Executive Board. An independent review will be performed at the end of the outgoing treasurer’s two (2) year term of service or upon their departure. It shall be the responsibility of the executive board to acquire this independent review service.

SECTION 3.

DUES 
Annual membership dues shall be $40.00 per active member and associate member, $100.00 per member agency and no charge for lifetime membership. Said annual dues shall cover a period from October 1 through September 30.

SECTION 4.

VOUCHERS
All approved claims owed for payment by C.E.A.T. shall be submitted to the Treasurer in the form of a written and signed statement. The Executive Board shall verify all expenditures from C.E.A.T. funds. The Treasurer and/or President must sign all checks. The establishing of the C.E.A.T. bank account shall be the responsibility of the Executive Board and the account shall be placed in a financial institution that provides branch banking within the State of Texas.

ARTICLE IV. BOARD OF DIRECTORS, OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE BOARD

SECTION 1.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Board of Directors for C.E.A.T. shall be appointed by the Executive Board to serve as an advisory council and shall consist of three members, and the Board of Director Emeritus, serving a one-year term. The Board of Directors members may be appointed to consecutive terms of office on an annual basis. The Board of Directors Emeritus shall serve as deemed necessary by the Executive Board.

SECTION 2.

NUMBER AND NAME OF OFFICERS
The officers of C.E.A.T. shall be eight (8) in number and there shall be a President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, 3rd Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Sergeant-at-Arms and Immediate Past President (Ex-Officio).

SECTION 3.

ELIGIBILITY FOR OFFICE
A. An active member of C.E.A.T. in good standing shall be eligible for office with current Certifications as a Code Enforcement Officer through the Texas Department of Health.
B. All nominees running for office must be registered and present at the annual business and educational conference to have their names entered on the official ballot; exception to this paragraph may be granted by majority vote of the Executive Board. 
C. All nominees must meet the following criteria

1. Dues must be current.
2. Must be a member of C.E.A.T. for at least two (2) years.
3. Must have actively served a minimum of one year on a C.E.A.T. committee.
4. Must be willing to serve in the nominated position.

SECTION 4.

TERMS OF OFFICE 
A. The normal term of office shall be two (2) years for the executive board officers commencing at the end of the annual business and educational conference with the exception of the 1st vice president, president and ex-officio, who will serve a one (1) year term due to succession. 
B. No Officer shall be elected to more than two (2) consecutive full terms, with exception of the 1st vice president, president and ex-officio who will be limited to one (1) term, due to succession.
C. Any officer who is elected to a normal term of office, who has acted in such a manner as to bring discredit upon C.E.A.T. or who has neglected to carry out the duties of his/her office in a manner satisfactory to and in compliance with those duties as set out in Article IV Section 5 of the By-Laws, may be removed from the office upon the recommendation of an Executive Board member and a majority vote of the remaining members of the Executive Board. 

SECTION 5.

DUTIES OF OFFICERS
President – The President shall be directly responsible for the supervision and guidance of the affairs of this Association and shall preside over all C.E.A.T. meetings. The President shall enforce the Constitution and By-Laws of this Association and perform other duties that would be recognized as being part of the office. The headquarters of the Association shall be the office of the President, so long as it is located in the State of Texas.
1st Vice President – The 1st Vice President shall be the President-elect and will preside over all C.E.A.T. meetings in the absence of the President. The primary duty of 1st Vice President shall be to chair the Conference Committee and to assist the Treasurer in carrying out the duties of his/her office. 
2nd Vice President – The 2nd Vice President shall preside in the absence of the 1st Vice President and in the absence of the President at all C.E.A.T. meetings. The primary duty of the 2nd Vice President shall be to chair the Education Committee, Steering Committee and to keep the President informed of the current progress and future plans of this committee.
3rd Vice President – The 3rd Vice President shall be responsible, in the absence of the 2nd Vice President, 1st Vice President and President, to preside over all C.E.A.T. meetings. The primary responsibility of the 3rd Vice President is to serve as the Membership Chairperson. The 3rd Vice President shall keep an up to date roster of all members and shall maintain the membership database. This database shall be a continuous record of active and associate members as qualified in article ii. Section 2, 3 And Article V. Section 4.
Secretary – The Secretary shall keep an accurate and complete record of all proceedings of the Association and shall be the recording officer and custodian of the records, except when specifically assigned. The primary duties of office shall include the recording of all regular and special Association meetings and meetings of the Executive Board. The Secretary shall be responsible for the Association correspondence, newsletters and shall keep readily available at all meetings such records as the book of minutes, a copy of the By-Laws and Articles of Incorporation, a complete list of any standing or special committees, current correspondence and other records as necessary.
Treasurer – The Treasurer shall be bonded to protect the association from monetary loss, and the custodian of all monies of the Association and chair the Budget and Finance Committee. The Treasurer shall be responsible to see that the dues of all members are paid in full prior to the opening of the annual business and educational session, and report to the President, Executive Board and Board of Directors. All collections and expenditures from C.E.A.T. funds shall be checked and signed by the Treasurer and the President. The Executive Board shall audit the Treasurer’s books and records each year prior to the annual business and educational conference. A report of all expenditures shall be made available to all members of the Association at the annual business and educational conference of C.E.A.T. The Treasurer shall keep an up to date record of all members. The Treasurer shall investigate all tax laws and shall keep C.E.A.T. advised of any laws that directly affect the Association so that we may be in compliance with all such laws and procedures and establish this Association in its rightful and correct position as so stated in Article I. Section I. 
Sergeant-at-Arms – The Sergeant-at-Arms shall be the parliamentarian and shall maintain order in all meetings and functions of the Association. The Sergeant at Arms shall chair the “Wes Castolenia Code Enforcement Officer of the Year Award” and the “Charles W. Daniels C.E.A.T. Scholarship Award” (Scholarship recipient can only receive the award one time) and the By-Laws/Policy and Procedures Committee. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall be responsible for ensuring that all voters are in accordance with provisions described in Article V.


SECTION 6.

EXECUTIVE BOARD
A. There shall be an Executive Board comprised of the President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, 3rd Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Sergeant-at-Arms, with the immediate past President as Ex-Officio member. Executive Board Members are not eligible in the following categories: the “Charles W. Daniels C.E.A.T. Scholarship Award”, the “Wes Castolenia Code Enforcement Officer of the Year Award”, and recipients of any door prizes. 
B. Except as otherwise provided by the C.E.A.T. By-Laws, the Executive Board may transact Association business in the interim between annual meetings; shall determine when committee reports are to be issued; shall effectuate motions voted by the Association; and may adopt rules for the regulation of its proceedings.
C. Official findings and recommendations of the Executive Board shall be determined by a majority vote. All members of the Executive Board shall have one vote.


ARTICLE V. ELECTIONS AND VOTING

SECTION 1.

NOMINATION OF OFFICERS
A. At least sixty (60) days prior to the annual meeting, the Executive Board shall appoint a Nominating Committee consisting of three or more persons who are active members in good standing of the Association as referred to in Acticle IV, Section 3(A.) and (B.).
B. The Nominating Committee shall prepare a slate of nominees after soliciting from the general membership by mail as listed on the membership roster for the offices of the 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, 3rd Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Sergeant-at-Arms. 
C. The Nominating Committee will present a slate of candidates in accordance with criteria stated in article IV. Section 3 (A.) and (B.).
D. In the event there is only one nominee for any particular office, the membership assembled may instruct the Secretary, by proper motion, to cast a ballot for the full number of qualified voters at the meeting for the said nominee; whereupon the President shall declare said person elected by acclamation.
E. Nomination of officers from the floor at the annual business and educational conference will not be permitted.
F. The President shall announce the result of all balloting and shall declare all elections.
G. The Secretary shall prepare and mail formal notification of the election result to each C.E.A.T. member.

SECTION 2.

VACANCIES
In the event a vacancy is created in the office of the President, the 1st Vice President shall immediately vacate the office and assume the office of the President, and at which time the Executive Board shall have the power to fill any vacated office until a regular election is held with an interim appointee and the President shall succeed himself. In the event a vacancy is created by any other officer on the Executive Board, this Board shall have the authority to fill the vacancy until a regular election can be held.

SECTION 3.

VOTING
A.Only active C.E.A.T. members shall be eligible to vote on matters of this association. Associate members will not have voting privileges.

B.The Executive Board shall determine the eligibility for voting on specific business matters, except in the case of election of officers, and the secretary shall possess a current list of active C.E.A.T. members.

C. A quorum for a valid vote shall be a majority of those eligible C.E.A.T. members casting ballots.

D. Identification must be presented before receiving a ballot.

E. All voting will be done by written ballot, which should be preserved for two (2) years.

SECTION 4.

VOTING DELEGATES
The voting delegate for each participating governmental agency shall be chosen by the C.E.A.T. membership within that agency. When the voting delegate is a member of the executive board, his/her vote will be transferred to a designee unless the executive board member is the only voting delegate representative present. There will be only one voting delegate per agency.

ARTICLE VI. MEETINGS

SECTION I.

ANNUAL MEETINGS
A. There shall be an annual meeting held during the month of February.
B. The membership shall receive the annual report from the retiring Association officers.
C. The primary purpose of the meeting shall be:
    1. To receive the annual report from the outgoing President.
    2. To elect officers to the Executive Board.
    3. To adopt the Association’s operating budget for the following fiscal year.
    4. To receive the annual committee report from the Association officers.
D. Concurrent to the annual meeting there shall be an annual business and educational conference with 
the primary purpose being to:
    1. Provide seminars addressing specialized areas of code enforcement.
    2. Provide seminars addressing code enforcement administration programs and innovative code enforcement.
    3. Discuss changes, policies or laws, which affect code enforcement.
    4. Further the exchange of information between members of the code enforcement profession.

E. Said year to commence immediately upon conclusion of the annual meeting business and educational 
conference. 

SECTION 2.

SPECIAL MEETINGS
The Executive Board may call a special meeting at such time, date, and place as they may consider appropriate.

SECTION 3.

NOTICE OF MEETINGS
A written notice of annual business and educational conference shall be mailed to C.E.A.T. members sixty (60) days prior to the annual meeting.

SECTION 4.

PROGRAMS
It shall be the responsibility of the Executive Board to appoint a program coordinator to ensure that each program provided for the membership shall be of the highest quality and consistent with the established purposes and goals of this Association.

SECTION 5.

MINUTES OF BUSINESS MEETINGS
A. The Secretary shall record complete minutes of each business meetings. In absence of the Secretary, the President shall appoint a designated Executive Board member to record the minutes.
B. All minutes, once recorded and approved by the appropriate body as to accuracy, shall become part of the permanent record of which the Secretary is custodian.
C. The minutes of the Annual Business And Educational Conference shall be recorded by the secretary. 

ARTICLE VII. COMMITTEES

SECTION 1.

APPOINTMENT
The President shall, whenever necessary and appropriate, appoint special committees to perform specific and limited duties and shall appoint the following standing committees: Budget and Finance, Certification, Steering, Membership, Contract Administration and the By-Laws Committee. The Chairman of each of these standing committees, with the exception of the Contract Administration Committee, are listed in the duties of each Executive Board Member (Article IV, Section 5, Duties of Officers).

SECTION 2.

TENURE
A. The tenure of each special committee shall be for the duration of the specific duty assigned. Tenure shall not exceed beyond the end of the C.E.A.T. fiscal year in which the particular committee was appointed. The succeeding President may continue any special committee the following year.
B. Standing Committees have a specific job description and are appointed by the President to serve until the end of the C.E.A.T. fiscal year, unless the succeeding President continues their service for another year.

SECTION 3.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF STANDING COMMITTEES
A. The Budget and Finance Committee shall meet on a quarterly basis, to review the current Budget and Financial responsibilities of the Association. A written report shall be submitted to the Executive Board for the fiscal year.
B. The Steering Committee comprised of the Regional Chairpersons is responsible for educational programs in their regions.
C. The Membership Committee shall meet as necessary and is responsible for the active recruitment of new members and the retention of present members.
D. The Educational Committee prepares all educational programs for the annual business and educational conference. The committee provides assistance to the Steering Committee as needed. The committee also promotes statewide education and certification ranging from a basic level to an advanced level in the best interest of the association.
E. The Contract Administration Committee is established and empowered to administer the terms of any contracts entered into by and for C.E.A.T. The Contract Administration Committee shall be appointed as necessary by the current Executive Board and shall continue until the completion of said contract.
F. The By-Laws Committee shall meet as necessary and shall be held responsible by the Executive Board for overseeing revisions to the Association By-Laws, which in turn must be approved by the eligible membership.

ARTICLE VIII. AMENDMENTS

SECTION 1.

PROPOSAL
Any proposed amendment shall require a majority vote of the eligible membership. The vote shall be by secret ballot.

SECTION 2.

ADOPTION
Any proposed amendment shall require a majority vote of the eligible membership for adoption. The vote shall be by secret ballot.

ARTICLE IX. ORDER OF BUSINESS

SECTION 1.

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURES
Parliamentary procedure shall be defined in the current edition of Roberts Rules of Order.

SECTION 2.

ORDER OF BUSINESS
The order of business of this Association shall be as follows:
1. Invocation and roll call of officers
2. Approval of minutes of previous meeting
3. Announcements
4. Reports of officers and minutes
5. Program
6. Unfinished business
7. New business
8. Election of officers and seating of same
9. Adjournment and benediction

SECTION 3.

SELECTION OF CONFERENCE SITE
A. The selection of the annual business and educational conference site for the year following the next annual conference shall be decided by a majority vote of the delegates at the convened conference.
B. Any city bidding shall make a presentation to the Executive Board during their pre-conference meeting. The cities wanting to bid for the conference shall set up information centers during the convened conference so members can receive information regarding hotels, food, costs, and amenities in order to make a decision and inform their voting delegates of their preference.
C. The vote shall be taken by official ballot, and announced prior to the closing of the convened conference.

ARTICLE X. SEVERABILITY 

That if any part of these By-Laws be declared unconstitutional or invalid by a Court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.