SECTIONS 3951-3968 - California Statutes

FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL CODE

SECTION 3951-3968

3951. Fifty or more persons, who are residents of a district, may
form an association to be known as and designated as the ____
District Agricultural Association, for the following purposes:
(a) Holding fairs, expositions and exhibitions for the purpose of
exhibiting all of the industries and industrial enterprises,
resources and products of every kind or nature of the state with a
view toward improving, exploiting, encouraging, and stimulating them.
(b) Constructing, maintaining, and operating recreational and
cultural facilities of general public interest.

3952. Copies of the articles of association shall be filed with the
Governor, the Secretary of State, and the department.

3953. Each association is a state institution.

3954. Each association by its name has perpetual succession. It may
have a seal. An association may be sued and, with approval of the
department, may sue and may do any and all things necessary to carry
out the powers and the objects and purposes for which the association
is formed.

3955. Claims against an association shall be presented to the
California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board in
accordance with Part 3 (commencing with Section 900) and Part 4
(commencing with Section 940) of Division 3.6 of Title 1 of the
Government Code.

3956. The officers of the association shall consist of a board of
directors of nine members. The directors shall be citizens and
residents of the district.

3957. If two or more counties constitute a district, each county
shall be represented on the board by at least two persons who are
citizens and residents of such county.

3958. If, by reason of the formation of a new district, a director
in one district becomes a resident of another district, his term of
office as director expires 60 days after the formation of the new
district.

3959. The directors shall be appointed by the Governor.

3960. The term of office of each director, except that of a member
of the first board, is four years from the beginning of the term for
which he is appointed. Any vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired
term.

3961. The term of office of each member of the first board shall be
so fixed by the Governor that the terms of the directors of such
board shall expire in three groups of two, and one group of three, on
the 15th day of January of each year following the formation of the
association.

3962. The directors are state officers.

3963. The directors shall meet at a place within the district and
organize by the election of one of their number as president. The
term of office of the president shall be one year and until his
successor is elected.

3964. The directors shall also select a secretary, a manager, and a
treasurer from among persons who are not members of the board. One
person may be the secretary, the manager, and the treasurer. The
secretary, manager, and treasurer are state officers.

3964.5. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, a board may form any
advisory committee by resolution or any similar formal action.
(b) Meetings of an advisory committee shall be open and public and
notice thereof shall be delivered personally or by mail at least 24
hours before the time of the meeting to each person who has
requested, in writing, notice of the meeting.
(c) If the advisory committee elects to provide for the holding of
regular meetings, it shall provide in its bylaws, or by whatever
other rule is utilized by the board for the conduct of its business,
for the time and place for holding regular meetings. No other notice
of regular meetings is required.
(d) "Advisory committee", as used in this section, means a
committee composed solely of the members of the board which is less
than a quorum of the board.

3965. The board may, with the approval of the department:
(a) Fix the term of office, the amount of bond, salary, and
prescribe the duties of the secretary and of the treasurer.
(b) Manage the affairs of the association.
(c) Make all necessary bylaws, rules, and regulations for the
government of the association.
(d) With the approval of the Department of General Services,
arrange for and conduct, or cause to be conducted, or by contract
permit to be conducted, by any other individual, institution,
corporation, or association, upon its property at such time as it may
deem advisable, any activity, notwithstanding any other provisions
of the code.
(e) Delegate, as it may deem advisable, to its officers or
employees any of the powers which are vested in the board under
subdivisions (b) and (d) of this section. Any such delegation of
powers may be revoked at any time.

3965.1. Notwithstanding subdivision (d) of Section 3965 or Section
4051, the board may, with the approval of the department, enter into
the following types of contracts:
(a) Revenue generating contracts.
(b) Revenue generating contracts involving hazardous activities,
as determined by the department, as long as adequate insurance
coverage is provided, as determined by the department in consultation
with the Department of General Services.

3966. The board shall annually make to the department such report
as such department may direct.

3967. Any director who misses three consecutive regular meetings of
the board without the permission of the board is deemed to have
resigned as a director.

3968. Records of the board which are entries in events which are
scheduled for future judging and for overnight entries in races on
which there is parimutuel wagering prior to such events, judging
times, or races, shall not be open to inspection by the public.