KANSAS ASSOCIATION FOR FLOODPLAIN
MANAGEMENT BY-LAWS

 

ARTICLE I – NAME

This organization is called the Kansas Association for Floodplain Management, hereinafter referred to as the Association.  The Association is incorporated under the laws of the State of Kansas as a nonprofit corporation.

ARTICLE II – PURPOSE

The Association was founded in 1999 by professionals interested and responsible to promote proper floodplain management in the State of Kansas.  The purposes of the Association are:

• To promote public awareness of proper floodplain management; and,

• To promote the educating, training, and networking of individuals involved with floodplain management; and,

• To explore any issues pertinent and necessary to the effective implementation of floodplain management matters and support needed changes; and,

• To promote communication and cooperation with local, state, and federal agencies involved with floodplain management; and,

• To develop partnerships with other professional associations, environmental associations, and the development community to further promote proper floodplain management; and,

• To encourage development of communications systems, to facilitate the sharing of information in a timely manner; and,

• To encourage technical assistance and mutual aide between jurisdictions to address floodplain management and flood disaster needs; and,

• To work to foster a sense of professionalism on the part of its members.     

 

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP

Membership is open to all persons involved in floodplain management and related disciplines in the State of Kansas; to design and engineering professionals who support our efforts; to insurance professionals engaged in underwriting and marketing flood insurance; to any Federal or State official engaged in emergency management; and to any of our counterparts in any other state in this Federal region.  Group membership shall be open to any political entity, corporation or other association engaged in floodplain or emergency management, or related field.  Persons seeking membership behalf of such organizations shall provide the Association a list of names of persons who will be their representatives in the Associations. Such representatives may be changed from time to time at the discretion of the Group.

The Association may, from time to time, bestow honorary membership on anyone who has demonstrated over time a commitment to goals of the Association and who has been uniquely supportive of its efforts.

The Association may, from time to time, bestow lifetime membership on persons who have retired from the field, and whose career over the years has brought honor to the Association and to the member.

ARTICLE IV – VOTING RIGHTS

Every active member of the Association shall be entitled to one vote.  For Group membership,  each Group shall be entitled to one vote, regardless of the size of its membership representation.  Honorary or Lifetime members may not vote.

ARTICLE V –DUES

Annual Dues.  The annual dues of the Association shall be $20 per person for an individual membership.  Group memberships shall be $100.  Dues are due September 1 of each year.  Any member delinquent in payment of dues for more than sixty (60) days shall be dropped from membership in the Association until such time as dues are paid.  The Association Treasurer will be responsible for sending out notices and collecting dues and will be assisted in this responsibility as directed by the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE VI – BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The members of the Steering Committee shall direct the activities of the Association until the by-laws are adopted and a Board of Directors is selected.  The Board shall consist of a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer and six (6) Regional Directors.  The terms for Regional Directors shall be for three years following the initial terms set out as follows.  Regions one (1) and six (6) will serve one (1) year, regions three (3) and four (4) will serve two (2) years, and regions two (2) and five (5) will serve three years for the first election of regional directors.

The terms of office for Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer shall be for a period of one year pursuant to an election as provided in Article XI and the terms shall continue until a new board is elected at the next annual meeting.  The Kansas National Flood Insurance Coordinator, or designee, and the state representative of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or designee shall be accorded honorary memberships to the Association and shall be accorded honorary memberships to the Association and shall have ex-officio, non-voting seats on the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE VII – QUALIFICATIONS FOR OFFICE

Only active members of the Association may serve on the Board of Directors.  Not more than two persons from any member entity shall be elected to concurrently serve on the Board.

ARTICLE VIII – VACANCIES

Should a vacancy occur on the Board of Directors for any reason, the vacancy shall be filled at the discretion of the Executive Committee for the unexpired term. Successors shall be appointed from the active membership of the Association and in the case of Regional Directors, a successor shall be appointed from the same region as the outgoing director.

ARTICLE IX – DUTIES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Chair of the Board of Directors shall be the principle executive officer of the Association and shall generally manage and control the affairs of the Association.  The Chair shall preside over and conduct all of the meetings of the Association and the Board.  They shall sign and execute any agreements, bonds, mortgages, deed or other contracts which have been duly approved by a majority of the Board of Directors.  The chair shall appoint an officer to fill a temporary absence of the secretary or treasurer.

The Vice-Chair shall serve as the Chair of the Association if the Chair is unable or unwilling to serve.  During such time they shall have all of the power of and constraints upon the Chair.

The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the general membership meetings, as well as those of the meeting of the Board of Directors.  They shall ensure that all notices required by these by-laws or by State law are made.  They shall keep a roll of the membership, together with their addresses and affiliations.

The Treasurer shall have charge and custody of and be responsible for all funds and securities of the Association, receive and give receipts for monies due and payable to the Association from any source whatsoever; deposit all such monies in the name of the Association in such banks, trust companies, or other depositories as shall be selected by the Board and, in general, perform all duties incidental to the office of Treasurer and such assigned by the Board of Directors.  The Treasurer will maintain a General Ledger Book and record all transactions therein.  This ledger will be available for inspection at all times during business hours.

All expenditures over $100 shall be approved by at least one other member of the Board of Directors.  All financial accounts of the Association shall have the Chairperson and the Treasurer’s names.

ARTICLE X – EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The Executive Committee shall consist of the Chair, Vice-chair, Secretary, and Treasurer.  The Executive Committee shall meet at times as directed by the Chair.  The Board of Directors may at other times establish committees to handle the business of the Association with said members being appointed from the general membership of the Association.  Any member of the executive Committee may be removed from office if said member is absent for three consecutive meetings.  Said removal shall be voted on by the remaining committee members at the next scheduled meeting.

ARTICLE XI – ELECTIONS

Elections shall be held at the annual meeting of the Association.  The Steering  Committee shall conduct the first election for the Board of Directors.  It shall appoint from the membership a nominating committee whose duty shall be to accept nominations for the various positions on the Board of Directors.  The nominating period shall be no more than thirty days in length and shall commence after good and sufficient notice has been given to the membership.  Election shall be by written, secret ballot.  However, if only one candidate has been nominated for an office, a motion may be made and seconded that the vote be by acclamation.  Ballots shall be tabulated by the Nominating Committee and the results communicated to the Steering Committee, who shall declare the winner for each of the various seats on the Board. Upon certification of the results, the Steering Committee shall automatically dissolve, and management of the Association shall be assumed by the Board of Directors, who shall assume office immediately.

Thereafter, the Board of Directors shall appoint a nominating committee of three members who shall post notice of the opening of nominations at least sixty (60) days prior to the election.  The nominating period shall be open for thirty (30) days.  The committee shall accept nominations; publish qualifications of the candidates; and present the list of qualified nominations to the membership not less than thirty (30) days prior to the election.

ARTICLE XII – MEETINGS AND QUORUM

There shall be an annual meeting of the Association.  The Board of Directors shall meet just prior to the annual meeting to discuss the business and affairs of the Association, propose policies and develop an agenda for the annual meeting.  Emergency meetings of the Board may be called by the Chair with at least ten (10) days notice.

At any meeting of the Board of Directors, a quorum shall consist of one half (1/2) of the serving Board Members.  A quorum of the Executive Committee shall consist of three of the committee members.  At full membership meetings, a quorum shall consist of those members present.

The Board of Directors shall, upon taking office, determine the rate of reimbursement for expenses incurred by Board Members and members of the Association in conducting the Association’s business.  Mileage shall be reimbursed at the current rate recognized by the Federal Internal Revenue Service.

ARTICLE XIII

The Regional Directors will be composed of six (6) individuals throughout the State.  Each area Director shall be represent the membership in one of the geographic regions defined as follows:

REGION ONE consists of the following counties:  Marshall, Nemaha, Brown, Dolphina, Riley, Pottawatomie, Jackson, Atchinson, Jefferson, Leavenworth, Wyandotte, Wabaunsee, Shawnee, Douglas, Johnson, Lyon and Osage.

REGION TWO consists of the following counties:  Jewell, Republic, Washington, Mitchell, Cloud, Clay, Lincoln, Ottawa, Ellsworth, Saline, McPherson, Dickinson, Marion, Geary, Morris and Chase.

REGION THREE consists of the following counties:  Cheyenne, Rawlins, Decator, Norton, Phillips, Smith, Sherman, Thomas, Graham, Rooks, Osborne, Wallace, Logan, Gove, Trego, Ellis and Russell.

REGION FOUR consists of the following counties:  Greenwood, Elk, Chautauqua, Coffey, Woodson, Wilson, Montgomery, Franklin, Anderson, Allen, Neosha, Labette, Miami, Linn, Bourbon, Crawford and Cherokee.

REGION FIVE consists of the following counties:  Rush, Pawnee, Edwards, Kiosa, Comanche, Barton, Stafford, Pratt, Barber, Rice, Reno, Kingman, Harper, Harvey, Sedgwick, Sumner, Butler and Cowley.

REGION SIX consists of the following counties:  Greeley, Hamilton, Stanton, Morton, Wichita, Kearny, Stevens, Scott, Finney, Haskell, Seward, Lane, Gray, Meade, Ness, Hodgeman, Ford and Clark.

Elections of Regional Directors to serve the following year, shall be accomplished by the regional members prior to the adjournment of the annual meeting.  Term of office will be three (3) years.

The Regional Directors shall be an individual member of the Association and must work or reside with the area that they represent.

ARTICLE XIV – PARIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

All meetings of the Board of Directors and all general membership meetings shall be conducted under Roberts’ Rule of Order.

AMMENDMENTS

The by-laws of the Association may be amended by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the votes at a general membership meeting.  Any proposed amendment must be published and circulated to the active membership no less than thirty (30) days prior to the annual meeting at which a vote is to be taken.

Proposed amendments from the floor during a general membership meeting may be adopted by a vote of seventy-five (75) percent of the membership present without a thirty (30) day notice.

This constitution shall be in force and effect from and after its adoption by a majority vote of the general membership.

Amended September 6, 2007 @ Annual Business Meeting
Amended September 4, 2008 @ Annual Business Meeting