The FEDERATION shall study and recommend new and proposed legislation and existing laws, rules and regulations concerning planning and zoning consistent with and in support of its objectives and report its findings and recommendations to its members.

The FEDERATION may also advance the collective views and ideas of its members in order to foster improved techniques and methods for achieving sound planning and zoning practices and administration.

ARTICLE III
Membership
SECTION 1. Any municipality, governmental planning agency or zoning board of appeals in New York State shall be eligible for membership in the FEDERATION. Where membership is by the municipality, only one (1) member of its planning board or agency, or zoning board of appeals shall be its designated representative. Only one (1) vote shall be cast on behalf of such municipality, agency or board by its designated representative.

SECTION 2. The right to hold office shall be limited to members of the member planning board or agency or zoning board of appeals. Any Director who has lost his/her municipal appointment through no fault of his/her own shall continue to serve as a Director for the remainder of his/her term.

SECTION 3. A Director who has served at least two full consecutive terms shall automatically become a non-voting, non-dues-paying life-time Associate Member of the FEDERATION.

SECTION 4. Associate membership without vote shall be open to any individual or organization in the planning, zoning or allied fields or to any civic organization or individual.

ARTICLE IV
Government
SECTION 1. 1. There shall be a Board of Directors which shall consist of Officers, Regional Directors (hereinafter referred to as Directors) and an Associate Director and at large members as amended.

2. The Officers of the FEDERATION shall be a President, a First Vice President and a Second Vice President, all of whom shall be elected from the Board of Directors, and whose term shall be for one (1) year, being eligible for reelection for a second term of one (1) year. No Officer shall serve more than two (2) consecutive terms. Where a Director is elected as an Officer, then his/her term shall terminate as Director and a vacancy shall occur during his/her un-expired term as Director.

3. There shall be two (2) Directors from each of the Regions indicated below, who shall be elected from among the voting members of the FEDERATION at the annual meeting of the INSTITUTE from each of the designated regions:

Region I Long Island: Nassau, Suffolk.
Region II Metropolitan: New York City.
Region III Mid & Lower Hudson: Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, Westchester.
Region IV Upper Hudson: Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie.
Region V Adirondack: Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence, Warren, Washington.
Region VI Southern Tier: Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins.
Region VII Central: Cayuga, Herkimer, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego.
Region VIII Finger Lakes: Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Yates.
Region IX Western: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Niagara, Wyoming.

4. The Board of Directors shall include one Associate Director and an Alternate Associate Director who shall be duly elected at the annual business meeting at the Institute by the associate members, to represent them as their elected representative on the Board of Directors. As an Associate Director, he/she shall have the right to vote on matters before such Board but shall not otherwise vote or hold office. Those Associate Members present at the annual business meeting shall constitute a quorum.

5. The Alternate Associate Director shall take the place of the Associate Director on the Board of Directors and perform his duties during his absence or disability but shall not otherwise participate as a Director.

6. Each Director and Associate Director shall be elected for a three (3) year term, being eligible for reelection for up to three subsequent three (3) year terms.

7. All Directors and Associate Directors shall exercise the powers and execute the duties of the office as specified in the BY-LAWS.

8. The Board of Directors shall meet at least once a year and decide upon the policies of the FEDERATION.

9. All Past Presidents who have completed full terms shall become non-voting ex-officio members of the Board and may attend all meetings of the Board. This will apply also to those who have served in that capacity prior to the adopting of this amendment. The immediate Past President, however, shall continue to be a voting member of the Board for a period not to exceed two (2) years.

10. No Director or Associate Director shall serve more than three (3) consecutive full terms or a total of nine (9) years.

SECTION 2. There shall be an Executive Committee consisting of the elected Officers and the chairmen of the Budget & Finance Committee and the Education & Program Committee, who shall meet as necessary between meetings of the Board of Directors, to implement the expressed policies of the FEDERATION as determined by the Board of Directors, or to consider special matters. The Executive Committee shall have power to receive and administer funds, to make contracts and authorize expenditures for the objectives of the Federation, and to perform all functions and exercise all powers not specifically reserved to the membership.

SECTION 3. Operation of the FEDERATION office shall be the responsibility of the Executive Committee. An Executive Director and other persons shall be hired as necessary with the approval of the President and/or the Executive Committee, to assure the proper preparation of the publications and operation of the FEDERATION'S business. As it becomes necessary, the Executive Committee will prepare an organization chart with appropriate titles to show the functions of the office staff.

SECTION 4. Upon termination of this FEDERATION, the assets remaining after payment of all due accounts shall be distributed by the Board of Directors to accredited educational institutions for the furtherance of research and the provisions of scholarships in the field of municipal planning.

ARTICLE V
Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting of the FEDERATION shall be held in the last third of each year coincidental with the Annual Planning & Zoning Institute.

ARTICLE VI
Amendments
This Constitution may be amended by two-thirds (2/3) of the votes cast at any Annual Meeting, or at any other meeting for that purpose, provided that the proposed amendments shall be stated in the call for the meeting at which they are to be considered and that ten (10) days notice of such meeting shall be given to each member. Such notice may be printed in the PLANNING NEWS or in an enclosure sent with the publication.

ARTICLE VII
Enactment
This Constitution shall become effective at the end of the meeting at which it is ratified or amended by two-thirds (2/3) of the votes cast, provided that the call for the meeting included an announcement that such vote would be taken.

NEW YORK PLANNING FEDERATION BY-LAWS ARTICLE I
Membership
Membership shall become effective upon payment of dues.

ARTICLE II
Financial Support and Dues
SECTION 1. For the support of the FEDERATION to attain its objectives as are authorized in ARTICLE 12-B of the General Municipal Law, the municipalities and associates comprising its membership shall pay as membership dues as shall be fixed by the Board of Directors.

SECTION 2. Such sums, payable in advance, become due on January 1 for each year and each member is in good standing only when such dues are paid.

SECTION 3. Membership dues shall include a subscription to PLANNING NEWS.

ARTICLE III
Duties of Officers & Directors
SECTION 1. The duties of the Officers and Directors shall be such as are implied by their respective titles and such as are specified in these By-Laws.

SECTION 2. The President shall preside at all meetings of the FEDERATION, of the Executive Committee, and of the Board of Directors. He/she shall appoint the standing committees and name the Chairman. He/she shall be an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.

SECTION 3. The Vice-Presidents shall act in an advisory capacity to the President and together with the President and the chairmen of the Budget & Finance Committee and the Education & Program Committee shall constitute the Executive Committee. They shall act on behalf of the President when he/she is unable to fulfill his/her duties.

SECTION 4. The Executive Director shall perform the duties usually and heretofore executed by the offices of Secretary and Treasurer.

SECTION 5. The duties of the Directors shall be to further the objectives of the FEDERATION, adopt policy to be pursued by the FEDERATION, represent their Region and vote on all matters before the Board. However, a majority of the Board of Directors present at its meetings may refer a question of policy to the general membership at the Annual Meeting for final action.

SECTION 6. The duties of the Associate Director shall be to further the purposes of the FEDERATION, represent the associate members, and vote on all matters before the Board. He/she shall not, otherwise, vote or hold office.

ARTICLE IV
Elections and Terms of Office
SECTION 1. Election of Officers and Directors shall be held at the Annual Meeting. A Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the President not less than ninety (90) days prior to such meeting, which Committee shall present to the FEDERATION at the Annual Meeting one (1) or more names for each of the several offices. Additional nominations may be made from the floor. A majority of the votes cast shall be necessary to elect. (See Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution.) Except in the case of a single nomination for office, voting shall be by written ballot. Those voting members present shall constitute a quorum.

SECTION 2. All terms of office shall start and end at the time of swearing in at the Annual Institute of the FEDERATION.

Any Director who has lost his/her municipal appointment through no fault of his/her own shall continue to serve as Director for the remainder of his/her term.

A Director who has served at least two full consecutive terms shall automatically become a non-voting, non-dues-paying life-time Associate Member of the FEDERATION.

SECTION 3. All Past Presidents who have completed full terms shall become non-voting ex-officio members of the Board and may attend all meetings of the Board. This will apply also to those who have served in that capacity prior to the adoption of this amendment. The immediate Past President, however, shall continue to be a voting member of the Board for a period not to exceed two (2) years.

No Officer shall remain in the same office for more than two (2) consecutive terms.

SECTION 4. Any Regional or Associate Director who fails to attend two (2) consecutive regular and/or special meetings of the Board of Directors without the permission of the President and without good and sufficient cause acceptable to a majority of the members present at a regular and/or special meeting of the Board, shall be deemed to have resigned and will no longer serve as a Director.

Absence due to confining illness shall be conclusively deemed to have been excused by the President.

SECTION 5. In the event of a vacancy in office through resignation, death or other cause, the Executive Committee shall appoint, subject to confirmation by a majority of the Board of Directors, a person to serve for the un-expired term. Any Officer or Director appointed and confirmed to complete such un-expired term may still be elected at the end of such un-expired term and reelected for full terms in accordance with these By-Laws and the Constitution.

ARTICLE V
Meetings
SECTION 1. Meetings of the FEDERATION other than the Annual Meeting specified in the Constitution, shall be held at such other times as the Executive Committee may determine.

SECTION 2. Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be prior to the Annual Meetings and at other times on call by the President or upon written request of five (5) members thereof.

SECTION 3. Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held on call by the President or by any three (3) members of the Committee. Three (3) members shall constitute a quorum.

ARTICLE VI
Committees
SECTION 1. Standing Committees of the FEDERATION shall be Membership, Program and Education, Finance and Legislative. Other Committees may be appointed by the President with the advice of the Executive Committee. Associate Directors may serve on Committees.

SECTION 2. It shall be the duty of the Membership Committee to hold and increase the membership of the FEDERATION. It shall further be their duty to assist the Program and Education Committee by advising on the value of the program for attracting new members and retaining the present membership. All members of the Board of Directors shall be members of the Membership Committee.

SECTION 3. It shall be the duty of the Program and Education Committee to work out a well coordinated program in harmony with the objectives and related interests of the membership. Programs for the various meetings shall be prepared so that they may be printed in the issue of PLANNING NEWS at least thirty (30) days before the scheduled meeting.

SECTION 4. It shall be the duty of the Finance Committee to investigate the financial conditions of the FEDERATION and to formulate annually a proposed budget containing a complete plan of proposed operating expenditures and estimated revenue for the following fiscal year which it shall submit to the Executive Committee and Board of Directors at the first meeting of the Board following the Annual Institute, and at each meeting of the Board thereafter.

It shall also be the duty of the Finance Committee to explore ways and means of raising funds to further the Objectives of the FEDERATION and to report and make recommendations thereon to the Executive Committee and Board of Directors at each of its meetings.

SECTION 5. It shall be the duty of the Legislative Committee to collect information concerning new and proposed legislation and existing laws, rules and regulations for the benefit of the members of the FEDERATION.

ARTICLE VII
Parliamentary Authority
The rules contained in Roberts Rules of Order, Revised shall govern the FEDERATION in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the Constitution and By-Laws of this FEDERATION.

ARTICLE VIII
Amendments
These By-Laws may be amended by a majority of the votes cast at any meeting called for that purpose, provided that notice of such proposed amendment(s) shall be stated in the call for the meeting at which they are to be considered and that at least ten (10) days notice of such meeting shall be given to each member. Such notice may be printed in the PLANNING NEWS or in an enclosure sent with the publication.

ARTICLE IX
Enactment
These By-Laws shall become effective at the end of the meeting at which they are ratified or amended by a majority of the votes cast, provided that the call for the meeting included an announcement that such vote would be taken.