07.01 - Benefit Level Increase and Bylaws

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� BYLAWS OF THE PEQUOT LAKES FIRE RELIEF ASSOCIATION ARTICLE I - NAME Section 1- NAME. The name of the relief association shall be the Pequot Lakes Fire Relief Association. Section 2- PURPOSE. The purpose of the Pequot Lakes Fire Relief Association (Association) is to provide retirement relief and other benefits to its members and dependents. The Association is a governmental entity that receives and manages public money to provide retirement for individuals providing the governmental services of firefighting. All benefits issued by this Association are governed by these bylaws and federal and state laws. ARTICLE II - MEMBERSHIP Section 1- MEMBERSHIP. All active members of the Pequot Lakes Fire Department are eligible for membership in the Association. Application for membership shall be made in writing on a form supplied by the Secretary of the Association and reviewed by the Board of Trustees for compliance with federal/state statutory and plan requirements. Section 2- EXCLUSION. No applicant may be excluded except if the member is under eighteen `, years of age or has some medically determinable physical or mental impairment or condition that would constitute a predictable and unwarranted risk of imposing liability for an ancillary beneiit at any age earlier than the minimum age specified for receipt of a service pension. Section 3- EXPULSION. Any member may be expelled from the Association for cause by a 2/3 vote of all members present at a regular or special meeting of the general membership. Cause for expulsion includes, but is not limited to, failure to account for money belonging to the association, or feigning illness or injury for the purpose of defrauding the association. The member shall have the right to a hearing before a quorum of the Board of Trustees. Written notice via registered mail will be sent to the individual at least 10 days prior to the hearing. Section 4- VOTING. Each member shall be entitled to one vote on any matter voted upon by the membership. Voting by proxy is not permitted. All votes, unless specified prior to the vote, shall be conducted by a voice vote. If a majority cannot be determined by voice vote, the officer in charge of the vote shall ask for a vote by secret ballot. Section 5- YEAR OF ACTIVE SERVICE. For purposes of computing benefits or calculating vesting requirements, a year of service shall be defined as a period of 12 full months of active service in the Fire Department. Section 6- ACTIVE SERVICE. Active service shall be defined as the active performance of fire suppression or prevention duties or the supervision of fire suppression or prevention duties. The � performance of iire suppression duties or the supervision of fire suppression duties includes