CENTRAL NEW YORK WATERWORKS CONFERENCE
BY LAWS
(As proposed to be amended at a regular meeting of the Conference)
March 16, 2023
ARTICLE I – NAME
- The name of this organization shall be the Central New York Waterworks Conference.
ARTICLE II – PURPOSE
- The purpose of this Conference shall be to:
- Disseminate information relating to the improved practice in the design, construction, operation, and management of potable water supply systems.
- Provide a forum for the interchange of ideas and information.
- Supply a mechanism for joint action in matters affecting the public welfare and efficiency of potable water supply systems.
ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
- The membership will be limited to people associated with the waterworks industry in the central New York region namely, the counties of Cayuga, Cortland, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Montgomery, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, and Thompkins.
- There shall be four classifications of membership.
- Active Members
- Employees of water supply or wastewater systems.
- Commissioners and administrative officials of water supply or wastewater systems.
- Members of governmental regulatory agencies involved with waterworks operations.
- Associate Members
- Privately employed consulting engineers.
- Representatives of manufacturers or corporations supplying materials or services.
- An Associate membership shall be held by an individual only and not by a group or corporation. Dues shall be paid on an individual current rate basis.
- A manufacturer‘s representative may attend any meeting if they are a member in good standing, i.e., paid his Associate Membership dues.
- Members of the academic community involved with the potable water supply or wastewater industry.
- Student Members
- Any student interested in the potable water supply or wastewater field shall be eligible for a student membership. Said membership shall have all the rights and privileges of an active membership except the right to vote or hold office. Student Members shall have membership dues waived.
ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS
- The officers of the Conference shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
- The Board of Directors shall consist of at least six (6) directors, the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and the immediate or latest living Past-President.
- The Secretary and Treasurer shall be appointed with full voting privileges by the Board of Directors for a term to coincide with that of the President and Vice-President. The Secretary and Treasurer may be reappointed for successive terms but may not participate in the selection process.
- The immediate or latest living Past-President shall assume the same status as elected directors.
- The Board of Directors shall have at least two Associate members on the Board.
- The Board of Directors of the Conference shall execute its business in accordance with the bylaws and regulations of the Conference.
- All Conference business meetings and meetings of the Board of Directors shall be conducted according to the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order. All questions before the Board of Directors of a Conference's meeting shall be decided by majority vote, unless otherwise provided for in these bylaws. No individual or officer may have more than one vote.
- The term of each of the Officers and Directors shall be from the close of the annual meeting at which they were elected for the period as provided hereinafter, or until a successor is chosen.
- All officers of the Conference shall be active or associate members.
ARTICLE V - DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS
- The duties of the President shall be to supervise and coordinate all the affairs of the Conference. In so far as possible he shall preside at all meetings of the Conference and of the Board of Directors. He shall appoint all committees of the Conference, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors, unless otherwise specifically stated herein or directed by the Board.
- The Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President in the latter's absence, together with such other regular duties as may be assigned to him by the president or by the Board of Directors.
- The President of the Conference shall preside at meetings of the board. In the President's absence the Vice-President shall preside and in the absence of both the Secretary shall preside.
- The Secretary and Treasurer shall attend all meetings of the Conference and of the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall see that all monies due the Conference are collected and shall promptly deposit the same to the credit of the Conference in a depository, which has been approved by the Board of Directors. They shall perform such other duties as specified by the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE VI - DUTIES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
- There shall be a minimum of four (4) annual meetings of the Board of Directors of the Conference. Meetings of the Conference may be called by the President on his own initiative, or at the request of quorum of the Board of Directors.
- A quorum of the Board of Directors shall consist of at least three (3) Directors and two (2) Officers.
- The Board of Directors shall have general supervision over all the affairs of the Conference and shall be its legal representative in all matters except as this duty may be specifically delegated, the Board of Directors shall conduct the business of the Conference. It shall enforce regulations not in conflict with these bylaws. It shall amend same as necessary.
ARTICLE VII - ELECTION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
- Each Director, the President and Vice-President shall be elected for a term of three (3) years, The terms of office of the Directors shall be staggered so that two (2) Directors are elected annually.
- Nominations by the Nominating Committee shall be presented at the annual meeting in the spring. Additional nominations from the floor may be received.. A majority of votes cast by qualified voting members shall elect. Newly elected Officers and Directors shall assume office immediately.
- In the event of no nominations from the floor, ballots may be distributed, and votes cast at the' annual meeting, provided more than 50 percent of the eligible voting membership is present.
- The unexpired term of office of any Director may be filled by appointment of the Board of Directors.
ARTICLE VIII - MEETINGS, POLICIES AND COMMITTEES
- The Conference shall hold at least two general meetings each calendar year, one in the spring and the other in the summer. The spring meeting shall be held in March and shall be designated as the Annual Meeting.. Meetings of the Board of Directors may be held as provided for in these Bylaws.
- The times and locations of all meetings of the Conference shall be set by the Board of Directors or by a committee they appoint subject to the other provisions of this Article.
- It shall be the policy of this Conference to endeavor to cooperate with other local waterworks conferences in avoiding a conflict of meeting dates and in holding joint meetings when it is mutually beneficial to the memberships.
- The Conference President shall appoint chairpersons and members of standing committees, and of such, other committees as the Board of Directors may establish. These appointees shall be subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.
- Standing committees shall be the Workshop Committee and the Membership Committee.
ARTICLE IX - AMENDMENTS
- Proposals for the amendment or revision of these Bylaws may originate by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors, or they may originate by the submission to the secretary of a written petition signed by at least ten (10) members of the Conference.
- Approval of amendments to these Bylaws of the Conference may be made at any meeting by a majority vote of the membership attending, provided such amendments are presented to the membership at a prior meeting.
ARTICLE X – DUES
- All dues shall be payable in advance for one (1) year.
- A member in good standing shall not be delinquent in payment for more than six (6) months.
- The schedule of annual dues for the various classifications of membership shall be set by the Board of Directors. The current schedule of membership dues is on file with the Secretary and Treasurer.
ARTICLE XI - DISSOLUTION
- In case of dissolution of the Conference, the balance of all funds of the Conference shall be donated to the New York Section of the American Water Works Association.