Official Bylaws of the Maryland Building Official Association

ARTICLE I. Name

The name of this organization shall be "Maryland Building Officials Association."

ARTICLE II. Purpose – Objective

Section A. The primary purpose of the Association will be to stimulate progress and improve the standards of building code enforcement practices in the Cities and Counties within the State of Maryland.

Section B. To improve the prestige of building officials and building inspectors by the promotion of high standards of efficiency in the administration of building and related codes and ordinances through continuous education and training.

Section C. To create a better public understanding of the proper administration of building and related codes and ordinances, and their importance to the safety, welfare and prosperity of the municipalities and counties within the State of Maryland.

Section D. To assemble with building officials, building inspectors and organized groups concerned with codes and ordinances to exchange ideas and discuss mutual problems.

Section E. To develop courses of instruction concerning new materials and methods of construction in cooperation with recognized educational institutions.

Section F. To promote proper interpretation, enforcement and administration of building codes, related codes and ordinances.

Section G. To assist Maryland municipalities and counties to organize and maintain adequate building code enforcement departments, codes and related ordinances.

Section H. To represent the building officials and building inspectors in all matters in furthering the development of a Maryland Building Code and the building industry.

Section I. To promote maximum safety to life, health and property at minimum building costs through the education and training of building officials and building inspectors.

Section J. This organization will not attempt to formulate any building code or related ordinances for adoption by any Maryland municipality or county; however, this restriction shall not prohibit the recommendation of revisions to any legal or organized building code department provided that any recommended revisions must be approved by the association in a regularly constituted meeting.

ARTICLE III. Non-Profit

The Association is not organized for profit, and no part of the income shall inure to the benefit of any member or officer except as reimbursement for necessary expenses actually incurred for the Association.

ARTICLE IV. Membership

Section A. Active Membership
Active membership shall be open to employees of State or local governments which administer formulate or enforce laws, ordinances, rules, or regulations effecting building construction, fire safety, building maintenance, or land use.
Modified December 8, 2005

Section B. Professional Membership
Professional membership shall be open to any individual, organization, or firm engaged directly or indirectly in the construction industry who is interested in the promotion and improvement of code enforcement.

Section C. Honorary Membership
Honorary Membership shall be restricted to individuals who have rendered outstanding services in the furtherance of the purposes and objects of the Association. Honorary membership shall be conferred after presentation to the membership of the Association by the Executive Committee and approved by a 2/3 majority of the vote of the active members present at any regular or special meeting of the Association. Such Honorary Members shall retain the right and privileges of their previous class of membership, if any, and shall be exempt from the payment of any annual dues.

Section D. Application
Applications for each class of membership shall be made in writing and must be endorsed by an Active Member of the Association in good standing and referred to the Membership Committee for consideration. Upon their recommendation, an applicant may be voted into membership at any regular meeting of the Directors.

Section E. Forfeiture of Membership
Any member shall forfeit his or her membership whose conduct has proved detrimental to the welfare, interest or good name of the Association, by a vote of two-thirds of the members of the Executive Committee. Such vote or action shall be taken only after a hearing at which the member accused shall be given the opportunity to appear in his or her own defense or to reply in writing to the charges of which he or she shall be advised in writing. The member if expelled, shall have the right to request a review of the action by the general membership at a regular meeting and a majority vote of the members present shall be final.

Section F. Voting
Only individual active members, shall have sole and exclusive right to vote, and at no time shall voting by proxy be permitted. If an active member shall call for a written ballot on any issue at a meeting of the Association, and if approved by a two-thirds vote of the active members present, the voting shall be conducted in such a manner. Whenever the number of nominees for election to an office or to the Executive Committee exceeds the number of vacancies, voting for the contested position or positions shall be by written ballot.
Modified December 8, 2005

Section G. Privileges of the Floor
Active members or the representative of active members of all classes shall be entitled to the privileges of the floor for discussion at all meetings of the Association during such Meetings.

ARTICLE V. Officers

Section A. The officers of the Association shall be active members of the Association, elected as provided in the Bylaws and shall consist of a President, a First Vice President, a Second Vice President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer, who shall be elected at the Fall meeting of the Association in each odd numbered year.

Section B. The terms of all officers shall be for two years and end on the 31st day of December in each odd numbered year, at which time the officers elected at the preceding annual meeting of the Association shall take office.

Section C. In the event of a vacancy occurring in the office of President, the unexpired term shall be filled by the First Vice President. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Vice President or any other office, the Executive Committee shall elect, by a majority vote, a member of the Association to fill the unexpired term.

ARTICLE VI. Executive Committee

Section A. There shall be an Executive Committee which shall be composed of the President, the First Vice President, the Second Vice President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the immediate Past President, and the four Directors who are active members of the Association and who shall be elected at the fall meeting in each odd numbered year. The terms of the four directors shall be for two years and end on the 31st day of December in each odd numbered year.

Section B. The Executive Committee shall be responsible to the membership for the management of the affairs of the Association, for the promotion of the purposes of the Association, and for the meetings of the membership. The Executive Committee shall outline policies and present recommendations concerning matters of interest for action by the Association. The President of the Association shall preside as Chairman of the Committee.

ARTICLE VII. Amendments

Section A. Any amendments to this constitution may be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the representatives of the active members present at any meeting of the Association, provided written notice of the proposed amendment shall have been given by mail to the members at least two (2) weeks prior to the meeting.

ARTICLE VIII. Nominations and Elections of Officers

Section A. Election of Officers
The election of officers and directors shall be held at the Fall meeting in each odd numbered year. Only representatives of active members in good standing may vote.

Section B. Nominating Committee
Not less than one month before the fall meeting, the President shall appoint a committee consisting of five members to be known as the Nominating Committee. The duties of this committee shall be to make nominations with the consent of those nominated, and to prepare a ballot for the election of such officers. Said ballot will be presented to the members at the fall meeting.

Section C. On the day of the fall meeting, the President shall appoint a committee to be known as the Committee on Elections. The duty of said Committee on Elections is to supervise all necessary activities to facilitate an orderly election.

Section D. Any member in good standing may be nominated from the floor for an office and if duly seconded, may participate in the election.

Section E. A majority of all votes cast shall be necessary to determine the choice of any officers to be elected.

ARTICLE IX. Duties of Officers and Directors

Section A. The President
The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association. He or she shall appoint such standing or special committees as he or she shall consider necessary or as instructed by the Executive Committee and shall be an ex officio member of such committees. He or she shall be responsible to the Executive Committee for the functioning of said committees. He or she shall be empowered to sign all checks, and shall sign on behalf of the Association all contracts and other formal instruments. He or she shall perform such other duties as may from time to time be assigned to him or her by the Executive Committee. He or she shall be responsible for calling meetings of the Executive Committee and other prescribed meetings of the Association.

Section B. The First Vice President
The First Vice President shall have and exercise all of the powers and duties of the President in the event of his or her absence or inability to act, and perform such duties as the President may direct and also shall be empowered to sign checks as an alternate in the absence of either the President or the Treasurer.

Section C. The Second Vice President
The Second Vice President shall have and exercise all the powers and duties of the First Vice President in the event of his or her absence or inability to act, and perform such duties as the President may direct.

Section D. The Secretary
The Secretary shall receive and process all official communications addressed to the Association, he or she shall keep the records of membership, attendance at meetings, membership dues paid, minutes of the regular meetings of the members, Executive Committee meetings, and Special meetings. The Secretary will reproduce and distribute minutes of the above meetings. He or she will prepare and affix his or her signature to all official correspondence.

Section E. The Treasurer
The Treasurer shall mail the annual dues statement to the members, receive and record all funds, deposit same in an accredited banking institution, disburse funds on order of the Executive Committee, he or she shall be empowered to sign all checks. His or her accounts and books shall at all times be open to the President, Executive Committee, and any authorized auditors. He or she shall present all bills to the Executive Committee for approval, give a financial report at all meetings, and an annual report at the annual meeting. The fiscal year of the Association shall end December 31st. The Treasurer will be bonded at the expense of the Association.

Section F. The Directors
Each of the four Directors at Large shall serve as the Chairman of a standing committee as designated by the President.

ARTICLE X. Meetings

Section A. Association
There shall be at least two meetings per year, one in the spring and one in the fall. The Fall meeting will be the Annual meeting and include the election of officers in each odd numbered year. The time and place of all meetings of the Association shall be designated by the President and with the approval of the Executive Committee. Notice of Spring and Fall meetings shall be given to the membership thirty (30) days prior to such meetings.

Section B. Executive Committee
There shall be at least four (4) meetings of the Executive Committee; one meeting prior to each regular meeting of the members; these meetings and any other Special meetings shall be called by the President who shall specify the time and place for said meetings. Meetings of the Executive Committee may also be called by the Secretary upon written request of at least three (3) members of the Executive Committee. At least seven (7) days notice of the time, place and purpose of all Committee meetings shall be given to Committee members.

Section C. Special
When deemed necessary, special meetings of the Association may be called either by the President, the Executive Committee or by fifteen (15) active members, provided that the entire Association membership is notified at least fifteen (15) days in advance. Meetings of the Committee may be called by the President or by any three (3) members of the Executive Committee.

Section D. Terminations*
A member of the Executive Committee absent from three (3) consecutive meetings shall no longer be a member of the Executive Committee.
*Approved 9/19/1996

ARTICLE XI. Committees

Section A. Standards and Evaluation Committee
Each year the President shall appoint a Standards and Evaluation Committee to review and evaluate building codes and related standards. The Committee shall review and evaluate proposed code changes developed by local jurisdictions.The Committee will review state-sponsored legislation impacting on the interest of code enforcement officials. Where practical, the Committee shall recommend the position of the association to promote uniformity and consistency in code enforcement.

Section B. Education and Qualification Committee
Each year the President shall appoint an Education and Qualification Committee to develop and promote educational programs for the membership. It will prepare workshops and the annual seminar, and address the concerns for the development of qualified code enforcement persons. The Committee shall promote professionalism through the national certification program for construction code inspectors.

Section C. Each year the President shall appoint a Code Compliance and Enforcement
Committee to address issues relevant to application and enforcement of the codes and standards. The Committee will promote uniformity in code compliance and assess enforcement practices of the jurisdictions.

Section D. Membership Committee
Each year the President shall appoint a Membership Committee to seek prospective members and inform them of the function and objects of the association and who shall also act as a screening committee to process applications and recommend or disapprove acceptance to the membership.

Section E. Special Committees
Each year the President shall appoint at his or her discretion such other committees as necessary to achieve the objects of the Association.

ARTICLE XII. Dues

Section A.
Annual dues for Active Members shall be: $20.00
Annual dues for professional members shall be: $50.00
Annual dues for honorary members shall be: Gratis
Modified December 8, 2005

Section B. Only such members who have paid their dues and possess a current membership card shall be considered members in good standing.

Section C. Any member whose dues have not been paid on or before the first (1st) day of November, loses all benefits, and if after notice by the Treasurer, any member fails to pay his or her dues within thirty (30) days, he or she shall be liable to loss of membership.
Modified December 8, 2005

Section D. Every member shall be entitled to one (1) copy of each publication that is made under the auspices of the Association.

ARTICLE XIII. Quorum

Section A. Four (4) members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum thereof. Twenty (20) representatives of the active members shall constitute a quorum to transact business at a meeting of the Association.

ARTICLE XIV. Authority of Bylaws

Section A. "Roberts Rules of order" shall be the parliamentary authority for all matters of procedures not specifically covered by the Bylaws.

ARTICLE XV. Amendments

Section A. Amendments to the Bylaws may be adopted by a majority vote of the representatives present at any meeting of the Association, provided written notice of the proposed amendment shall have been given by mail to the members by the Secretary at least two (2) weeks prior to the meeting.