Law and Justice Commission
Mobile Training Unit 8
BY-LAWS
ARTICLE I - NAME
Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the Law and Justice Commission MTU #8, herein after referred to as the Commission in these by-laws.
ARTICLE II - PURPOSES
Section 1. The purposes and powers of the Commission shall be to provide law enforcement training within the boundaries of the region, comprised of Ford, Iroquois, Livingston, and McLean Counties. These by-laws are intended to guide the Commission in the establishment of procedures and methods of operation granted by the General Not for Profit Act of the State of Illinois.
Section 2. The Commission is established under Act P.A. 82-674, approved and effective September 17, 1981, authorizing the establishment of Mobile Team In-Service Training Units to provide regional in-service refresher and update training to State and Local law enforcement officers.
ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Board membership shall be limited to those units of local governments whose primary responsibility is law enforcement and/or corrections. For purposes of the Commission, law enforcement is defined as any person who by virtue of his/her office or public employment is vested by law with a duty to maintain public order or to make arrests for offenses whether that duty extends to all offenses or is limited to specific offenses. Corrections shall be defined as a penitentiary, state farm, reformatory, prison, jail, house of correction, or other institution for the incarceration or custody of persons under sentence for offenses or awaiting trial or sentence for offenses.
Section 2. Upon a two-thirds positive vote of the Board of Directors, a non-voting associate membership may be allowed. An associate member is defined as any unit of local government whose primary duties are other than law enforcement, corrections, or coroner (coroner added), but are generally considered a part of the criminal justice system, such as, but not limited to, Court Services, Probation, Coroner or State's Attorney. Associate members may request schools pertinent to their operations or duties either in writing or by attending regularly scheduled Board meetings. The fees for approved training shall be determined by the Board and administered by the Executive Director. Associate members may attend MTU #8 training sessions that they deem suitable to their operations or duties by notifying the director's office of their desire to be in attendance. With regards to class attendance, priorities shall be given to voting members and their employees.
Section 3. A Board of Directors shall direct the Commission. The Board consists of:
- The County Board Chairman of each member county
- The Sheriff of each member county
- The Coroner of each member county (Added)
- The Chief Executive Officer of each member municipality
- The Chief of Police of each member municipality
- The Chief Executive Officer and the head of the law enforcement agency of any other unit of local government which may be a party
- The Executive Director or the Chairman of the Illinois Local Governmental Law Enforcement Officer's Training Board
Section 4. The Board of Directors, by affirmative vote of two-thirds of all the members of the Board, may suspend or expel a member for cause after an appropriate hearing. The Board may terminate the membership of any member who becomes ineligible for membership or suspend or expel any member who shall be in default in the payment of dues for the period fixed in Article IX of the by-laws. This is accomplished by a majority vote of those present at any regular constituted meeting.
Section 5. Any member agency may resign by filing a written resignation with the Secretary, but such resignation shall not relieve the member agency so resigned of the obligation to pay any dues assessments or other charges theretofore accrued and unpaid.
Section 6. Upon written request signed by a former member agency and filed with the Secretary, the Board of Directors may by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members of the board reinstate such former member agency to membership upon such terms as the Board of Directors may deem appropriate.
Section 7. A quorum of the Board shall consist of five (5) representatives of the Commission unless intergovernmental agreements among participating units provide otherwise.
ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of the Commission shall be chosen from the Board membership and shall consist of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer.
Section 2. The officers shall be elected yearly by majority vote of those members present at a regular meeting of the Commission in the month of June of each year. Officers shall be eligible for re-election. In the event of a vacancy, a successor shall be elected at the next regular meeting of the Commission.
Section 3. The Chairman shall supervise the affairs of the Commission. He shall preside at meetings of the Commission and shall appoint such committees as authorized by the Commission to carry out the business of the Commission.
Section 4. The Vice-Chairman shall perform such duties as may be delegated to him by the Chairman. In the absence of the Chairman, he shall perform all the duties and exercise all the powers of the Chairman.
Section 5. The Secretary shall be responsible for recording and maintaining minutes of the meeting of the Commission. Open meeting minutes shall be public record. The Secretary shall be responsible for keeping a record of attendance of members of each meeting. In the absence of the Secretary, the Chairman shall designate a temporary Secretary for that meeting.
Section 6. The Treasurer shall be responsible for receiving and dispersing funds of the Commission in accordance with regulations established by the Illinois Local Governmental Law Enforcement Officer's Training Board. The Treasurer shall be bonded.
Section 7. The Board of Directors may remove any officer or agent elected or appointed by the Board of Directors whenever in its judgment the best interest of the Commission would be served thereby. Such removal shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the person so removed.
ARTICLE V - MEETING
Section 1. The Commission shall meet at least once per quarter on a date, place and time specified and established by the Commission. At the discretion of the Commission, meetings may be held monthly on a date, place and time specified and established.
Section 2. The Chairman may call special meetings of the Commission. Any three (3) members may call a special meeting with five days written notice to each member. In the case of an emergency as declared by the Chairman the five-day period shall be waived.
Section 3. All member agencies shall have equal voting rights.
Section 4. All meetings shall be open to the public and conform to the "Open Meeting Act".
Section 5. Except where these rules and regulations otherwise provide, Robert's Rules of Order shall govern.
ARTICLE VI - FISCAL
Section 1. Any and all funds received for use by the Commission shall be deposited in the bank designated by the Commission. Checks shall be issued over the signature of at least two Board Officers or one Board Officer and the Executive Director.
Section 2. All disbursements of funds shall be made in compliance with the annual budget adopted by the Commission and in accordance with regulations established by the Illinois Local Governmental Law Enforcement Officer's Training Board.
Section 3. The Commission's fiscal year shall be from July 1 to June 30, or otherwise as determined by the Illinois Local Governmental Law Enforcement Officer's Training Board.
ARTICLE VII - COMMISSION STAFF
Section 1. The Commission shall appoint an Executive Director who shall be operating manager for the Commission and direct the staff and operations of the Commission as determined by the current job description.
Section 2. Staff members shall be appointed by the Executive Director and with the approval of the Commission. Staff Members shall be subject to the supervision of the Executive Director and will perform duties as requested or directed by him/her.
ARTICLE VIII - GENERAL
Section 1. Proposed amendments to the By-laws shall be presented in writing to each member of this Commission at least ten (10) days before the meeting at which the proposed amendments are to be considered. A two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the members present or by proxy is required to adopt any amendment.
Section 2. The By-laws shall be in full force and effective upon their adoption by the Commission at a regular meeting.
ARTICLE IX - DUES
Section 1. The Board of Directors will determine from time to time the amount of fee, if any, and annual dues payable to the commission by members.
Section 2. When any member defaults in the payment of dues for a period of three (3) months from the beginning of the period for which such dues became payable, the membership may thereupon be terminated by the Board of Directors in the manner provided in Article III of these By-laws.
Adopted at a meeting of the Board on March 6, 2007.