Proposed Bylaw Changes Vote to Begin on Aug. 22

Every two years, the Chapter President appoints a Bylaws Committee, chaired by the Chapter Secretary, to review the Bylaws and identify any changes needed for consistency with national APA bylaws or Chapter practices and policies. The current Bylaws Committee members are Rochelle Lawandales, FAICP, Lara Bouck, PE, AICP, Brad Cornelius, AICP, LEED GA, Susan Poplin, AICP, Roxann Read, AICP, CFM, Katie Shannon, AICP, CNU-A, LEED GA, and Jill Quigley, AICP (Chair and APA Florida Secretary).

Based on the work of the Bylaws Committee, the APA Florida Executive Committee proposes the changes listed below to the APA Florida Bylaws. In addition to the proposed changes listed below, other minor wording and formatting revisions are proposed throughout to improve grammar and clarity.

To view the actual proposed language, click here. A summary of the proposed changes is below.

The proposed bylaws amendments require approval by a majority of those chapter members voting. Voting will occur from Aug. 22 - Sept. 21. All members will receive an electronic notice with the link to cast a ballot. Please contact APA Florida Secretary Jill Quigley, AICP, here if you have any comments or questions about the proposed changes.

Summary of Proposed Changes:

Article III – Definitions

1. Included a definition for Chapter Administrative Procedures and Policy Manual.
2. Revised the definition of “Strategic Plan”.

Article VI – Chapter Officers, Executive Committee, Electronic Voting, Terms of Service and Removal

1. Revised (1) to clarify language and expectations of Chapter Officer participation in the Executive Committee.
2. Revised (2) a to clarify the timeframe for the adoption of the Strategic Plan by the membership and adding the requirement to approve the Chapter Administrative Procedures and Policy Manual.

Article VII – Duties of Executive Committee Members

1. Revised (1) for conciseness.
2. Revised (2) to account for assistance by the Executive Director with the Chapter Administrative Procedures and Policy Manual.
3. Revised (4) to indicate that the Vice President for Conference Services will serve as the Chair of the Conference Committee rather than a Co-Chair.
4. Revised (5) to indicate the Vice President for Membership and Outreach Services inclusion on the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee.
5. Revised (7) to include training and technical assistance for Sections as part of the Vice President of Section Affairs duties.
6. Revised (9) and (10) to reflect the name change of the Editorial Committee to the Communications Committee.
7. Revised (11) to reflect a correction in the name of the Strategic Plan instead of Strategic Operational Plan.

Article VII – Elections

1. Update the name of this article to “Nominating Committee and Elections”
2. Update the name of (1) to “Nominating Committee and Regular Elections”
3. Revise (1)a to indicate that proposed nominees for Chapter Officers shall be members in good standing with both APA and the Florida Chapter and to ensure that the Nominating Committee considers the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion in the slate of nominees.
4. Addition of new (1)b to include the membership of the Nominating Committee previously included as part of 1(a) and adding the Chair of the EDI Committee to the Nominating Committee.
5. Revise (1)c to require the call for nominations to be published on the Chapter’s website and not in the Chapter newsletter.

Article VIII – Committees

1. Revise (3) to indicate that the Vice President of Conference Services serves as the Chair of the Conference Committee and to include the Section Chair of the successive year’s host Section on the Conference Committee.
2. Delete subsection 3(b) to remove the committee Co-Chair.
3. Revise (8) to change the name from Editorial to Communications Committee and include additional duties for this committee.
4. Revise (12) to include service on the Nominating Committee as one of the EDI Committee’s duties.

Article X – Membership Meetings

1. Revise (2) to remove requirements for notice of the membership meeting to be placed in the Chapter newsletter and require posting on the Chapter website instead.
2. Revise (3) to remove the requirement for a called meeting to be included in the Chapter newsletter.

Article XI – Financial Management

1. Update the name of (1) to “Budget and Strategic Plan”
2. Revised 1(a) to reflect the duty of the Executive Committee and not just the President to create and amend the Strategic Plan.
3. Revised 1(b) to reflect the biannual timing of the Strategic Plan.
4. Revised 1(d) to remove the requirement of including the Strategic Plan and budget in the Chapter newsletter.
5. Revised 1(e) to correct the name of the “Strategic Plan.”

Article XIII – Executive Director

1. Revise (2) to include the Strategic Plan as part of the Executive Director’s duties.
2. Revise (4) to include budgeting as part of the Executive Director’s duties.