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User Group Constitution

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Preamble

AASHTOWare Bridge Management (BrM) is the primary bridge management software used by a majority of transportation agencies across the U.S. The AASHTOWare Bridge Task Force manages BrM development and the development contractor’s efforts on behalf of AASHTO and the user community. Active user community involvement is necessary to ensure user priorities and needs are effectively conveyed to AASHTO, the Bridge Task Force, and the development contractor for future incorporation into the product.

Article I – Name

The name of this organization shall be Bridge Management Users Group (BrMUG), a nonprofit organization, hereinafter call the Users Group.

Article II – Purpose and Objectives

The purpose of the Users Group:

  1. To provide a forum for a unified voice to direct the course of AASHTOWare Bridge Management, hereinafter called the Product, or any products that may supersede the Product.
  2. To provide cooperative technical support of the Product.
  3. To encourage acceptance of the Product as a national bridge management system.

The objectives of the Users Group:

  1. To hold an annual Users Group meeting as a forum for establishing Product priorities and follothe wing objectives:
    1. Promoting the Product through a combination of training sessions and presentations on the use of the Product by members of the Users Group or the development contractor, hereinafter referred to as the Contractor, for the Product.
    2. To receive updates by the AASHTOWare Bridge Task Force, hereinafter referred to as the Task Force, and the Contractor on the continued development of the Product.
    3. To accept nominations to fill any vacancies in the Users Group Board of Directors and hold elections on said nominations.
    4. To allow members of the Users Group to propose software enhancement priorities for the coming year, to discuss and debate the proposals presented, and to vote on the proposals, which shall become the user priority list for the Task Force and the Contractor.
    5. To provide members of the Users Group the opportunity to propose motions, which if passed successfully, will result in recommendations by the Users Group to AASHTO on any matters considered relevant to the goals of the Users Group as outlined herein.
    6. To champion prioritized enhancements by working with the Contractor, the Task Force, and other interested members of the Users Group, to develop Functional Design Specifications for enhancements.
      1. To seek financial support to fund enhancements.
      2. To participate on Technical Advisory Groups to ensure adequate testing and conformity of enhancements.

Article III – Membership

An organization that holds a site license for the Product from AASHTO shall be a member of the Users Group. Failure to renew the site license for the Product will result in forfeiture of membership in the Users Group and removal from the mailing list.

Each member is entitled to a single vote. Only one of its representatives can hold a single office as defined in Article IV, Section 1.

Article IV – Board of Directors

Section 1 – Officers

The governing body of the Users Group shall be a Board of Directors consisting of the Users Group President, three Vice Presidents (one Vice President representing Modeling, one Vice President representing Structure Inspection, and one Vice President representing Project Management), and the Secretary. Individuals serving on the Task Force may not serve concurrently as the President of the Users Group Board of Directors. 

The office of the Secretary shall be a member representative of the hosting state for the next Users Group annual meeting. If the hosting state of the next meeting does not wish or cannot hold the office due to agency policy constraints, the office may be left empty until the next annual meeting.

Section 2 – Terms of Office

The term of office for President and Vice-Presidents shall be two years. The office of Secretary shall be for 1 year. The office of the Users Group President may be held by an individual for a maximum of two full consecutive terms, with any partial term not counting towards this limit. Once two full terms have been served (a total of four years in office), the person serving as President shall be ineligible to hold the office for a third consecutive term. A former president shall be eligible to serve a third term after they have been out of office for at least one year. This limitation shall not apply to the other officers. Current members of the Task Force shall not be eligible to serve as the Users Group President.

Section 3 – Vacancies

Elections for filling Users Group Board of Directors vacancies shall be held during the annual Users Group meeting. Nominations for Board of Director positions may be made by anyone in attendance and nominees must be members. 

Should the office of the President become vacant outside the normal two-year election cycle, the departing President may appoint one of the Vice Presidents as Acting President until the next annual Users Group meeting, when an election to fill the office shall be conducted. If the President fails to make such an appointment, the Vice Presidents shall decide, among themselves, who will fill the office as Acting President, with the Secretary having a tiebreaker vote if the Vice Presidents are unable to come to a majority agreement. If a Task Force member is a Vice President at the time of President vacancy, this person may be appointed as Acting President. 

Should vacancies occur within other offices, outside the normal two-year election cycle, the President (or Acting President) may appoint someone to serve as an acting officer in the vacant position. The individual appointed shall only serve until the next annual Users Group meeting, at which time an election shall be held to fill the vacancy. There is no restriction on individuals serving as acting officers from being nominated and elected to any office at the annual Users Group meeting. 

Time served in an acting capacity shall not be counted towards term limitations.

Section 4 – Powers/Responsibilities

The President (or Acting President) shall be the official Users Group representative at all functions including the AASHTOWare Bridge Task Force meetings if invited. The President may delegate this responsibility to any officer of the Board of Directors.

Vice Presidents shall act in coordination with committees, the task force, and interested members of the user group to further the development of the Users Group prioritized enhancements to the Product.

The Secretary shall act in coordination with the Board of Directors and the AASHTO Bridge project manager and the local DOT agency to coordinate the activities and logistics of the annual Users Group meeting.

Any of the duties specified in the Constitution and By-Laws as the responsibility of the Board of Directors may be delegated to committees appointed by the President and confirmed by a majority vote of the Board of Directors present at a meeting.

The Board of Directors is empowered to represent the Users Group in proposing specific projects to such organizations like the Federal Highway Administration and AASHTO for financing and will present any recommendations successfully passed and prioritized by the Users Group at the annual meeting to AASHTO and the Task Force.

Article V – Meetings

Meetings of the membership shall be held annually. The Board of Directors is responsible for the development of the annual meeting agenda with support and input from AASHTO, the Task Force, and the Contractor. A draft of this agenda will be sent to the members at least 30 days in advance of the annual meeting. Members may request topics to be included on the agenda. 

Special interim meetings of the membership may be called by the President and Vice Presidents with notice to the membership of no less than 14 days. The call of a special meeting must state the business to be transacted, and no business shall be transacted except that stated in the call.

Article VI – Quorum

A quorum of the Board of Directors shall consist of the President (or Acting President) and a minimum of two other officers. 

A quorum at the annual Users Group meeting shall consist of a simple majority of the Members.

Article VII – Adoption and Ratification

Adoption and ratification of this constitution are accomplished once a motion has been made, seconded, and sixty-seven percent (67%) of a quorum of the Users Group has voted for adoption at an annual meeting.

Article VIII – Amendments

Proposed amendments to this constitution or bylaws require notification of users at least 30 days in advance of a meeting. Amendments are adopted once a motion has been made, seconded, and sixty-seven percent (67%) of a quorum of the Users Group has voted for adoption at an annual or interim meeting.