A. Creation: The Oak Lawn Foreign Fire Insurance Board (Board) is hereby created to consist of four (4) members. Four (4) officers shall comprise the Board and shall be elected from all employees of the Fire Department and shall have full voting privileges on any matter before such Board:
1. President
2. Vice President
3. Treasurer
4. Secretary
The offices of the Board shall be filled by election by the employees of the Fire Department. In addition to the officers as provided above, the Chief of the Fire Department or his designee shall be an ex officio member, unless otherwise elected to the Board at an election held in accordance with the provisions of this Section. As an ex officio member, the Fire Chief shall not have any voting privileges, but shall have the right to participate in all open or closed session discussions regarding the management of foreign fire insurance tax funds, preparation of annual budgets, or any other matter within the scope of the powers and duties of the Board, and shall receive notice of any regular or special meeting in the same manner given to any voting member.
B. Definition: The term "employee" as used in this Section shall mean any full-time sworn firefighter, engineer or officer of the Oak Lawn Fire Department, including the Fire Chief and all promoted positions. No probationary employee of the Fire Department may hold an office during the period of his probation.
C. Election: The initial and successive elections of the Board shall be held prior to March 1, 1996 and March 1 in even-numbered years thereafter. Officers shall take office on March 1 and shall serve up to and including the last day of February two (2) years later. The terms for all officers shall be two (2) years. The initial election shall be held in accordance with guidelines and procedures established by the Village Attorney and, thereafter, the board shall adopt all necessary rules and regulations governing the nomination and election of such officers for subsequent elections.
D. Fund Established: An Oak Lawn Fire Department Foreign Fire Insurance Tax Fund (the fund) is hereby created and all revenue received by the Village from the Foreign Fire Insurance Tax, as provided for in section 3-2-8 of this Code, shall be deposited in the fund and shall be held and expended according to the following procedures:
1. The Village Treasurer shall provide the Treasurer of the board a monthly accounting of receipts and expenditures of the fund.
2. By September 1 of each year the officers of the board shall approve a preliminary budget for the expenditure of the funds received pursuant to the Foreign Fire Insurance Tax. The officers of the board shall, no later than November 1 of each year adopt a final budget for the collection and expenditure of the Foreign Fire Insurance Tax, to be approved by the President and Board of Trustees, as part of the Village budget ordinance, in order to comply with the statutory mandate of a prior appropriation for all expenditures. The final budget may be amended at any time by a majority vote of the officers of the board with the concurrence of the President and Board of Trustees consistent with established practice. Expenditures shall be made only for items specifically described in the final budget as originally adopted or subsequently amended.
3. The board shall have the power to approve the expenditure of monies from the fund for the maintenance, use and benefit of the Fire Department. Any expenditure in excess of five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) shall be subject to the approval of the President and Board of Trustees; provided, however, said expenditure shall be approved if it is for the maintenance, use and benefit of the Fire Department.
4. Any expenditure made from the fund shall be made in accordance with Village rules and regulations, practices and ordinances, as may be amended from time to time, which govern the procurement of goods and services.
5. No expenditure shall be made from the fund without approval of the board.
6. The Board Treasurer shall annually give a bond, in an amount equal to three (3) times the amount of Foreign Fire Insurance Tax revenue received by the Village during the previous year, to the President and Board of Trustees to ensure the faithful performance of the Board Treasurer of his duties imposed by law and by board rules and regulations. Fees for said bond shall be paid from the funds collected from the Foreign Fire Insurance Tax.
7. The Board Treasurer shall be responsible for paying the service charge levied by the Illinois Municipal League for the collection of the Foreign Fire Insurance Tax from the proceeds of the Foreign Fire Insurance Tax, provided such fee is chargeable by State law, and provided that the service charge has not already been retained by the Illinois Municipal League prior to disbursement of the tax.
E. Meetings: The board shall, in accordance with the Open Meetings Act, establish a regular time and place for its meetings. The President shall preside at the meetings. The Secretary shall keep a record of all resolutions, proceedings and actions of the board, and these records shall be open to the public. Three (3) members of the board shall constitute a quorum for the purposes of the approval of business before it. Special meetings, with appropriate notice, may be called by the President or by no less than three (3) members of the board. Any person shall be entitled to appear to be heard on any matter before the board.
F. Duty: The board shall develop and maintain at all times an updated listing of those items that the board feels are appropriate items to be funded with Foreign Fire Insurance Tax revenues.
G. Rules And Regulations: The board may promulgate written rules and regulations governing board matters so long as such rules and regulations are not inconsistent with any applicable law. All rules and regulations promulgated by the board must be approved by a majority of the President and Board of Trustees in the same manner as for passage of Village ordinances. All rules and regulations shall be posted in each fire station, the Oak Lawn Municipal Complex, and a copy provided to the Village Clerk. Before any rule or regulation shall become effective, such rule or regulation shall be filed with the Village Clerk and shall be made available for public inspection. Rules or regulations of the board shall become effective when approved by the President and Board of Trustees. The Board Secretary shall maintain a record of all board rules and regulations, which shall be available for public inspection.
H. Authority: At no time shall the actions of the board or its officers interfere with the rights of the Fire Chief, the composition of the Fire Department, the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners, or in any way impede the ordinary operation of the Fire Department.
I. Audit: Pursuant to 65 Illinois Compiled Statutes 5/11-10-2, as part of the Village's annual audit, the Foreign Fire Insurance Tax funds shall be audited to verify that the purchases made therewith are for the maintenance, use and benefit of the Fire Department. (Ord. 95-24-111)