444.520. Commission, membership, qualifications, terms, compensation, powers--department director, limitation on.

MISSOURI STATUTES AND CODES

444.520. Commission, membership, qualifications, terms, compensation, powers--department director, limitation on.

Commission, membership, qualifications, terms, compensation,powers--department director, limitation on.

444.520. 1. There is a land reclamation commission whosedomicile for administrative purposes is the department of naturalresources. The commission shall consist of the following sevenpersons: The state geologist, the director of the department ofconservation, the director of staff of the clean watercommission, and four other persons selected from the generalpublic who are residents of Missouri and who shall have aninterest in and knowledge of conservation and land reclamation,and one of whom shall in addition have training and experience insurface mining, but not more than one can have a directconnection with the mining industry. The four members from thegeneral public shall be appointed by the governor, by and withthe advice and consent of the senate. No more than two of theappointed members shall belong to the same political party. Thethree members who serve on the commission by virtue of theiroffice may designate a representative to attend any meetings intheir place and exercise all their powers and duties. Allnecessary personnel required by the commission shall be selected,employed and discharged by the commission. The director of thedepartment shall not have the authority to abolish positions.

2. The initial term of the appointed members shall be asfollows: Two members, each from a different political party,shall be appointed for a term of two years, and two members, eachfrom a different political party, shall be appointed for a termof four years. The governor shall designate the term of officefor each person appointed when making the initial appointment.The terms of their successors shall be for four years. There isno limitation on the number of terms any appointed member mayserve. The terms of all members shall continue until theirsuccessors have been duly appointed and qualified. If a vacancyoccurs in the appointed membership, the governor shall appoint amember for the remaining portion of the unexpired term created bythe vacancy. The governor may remove any appointed member forcause.

3. All members of the commission shall serve withoutcompensation for their duties, but shall be reimbursed fornecessary travel and other expenses incurred in the performanceof their official duties.

4. At the first meeting of the commission, which shall becalled by the state geologist, and at yearly intervalsthereafter, the members shall select from among themselves achairman and a vice chairman. The members of the commissionshall appoint a qualified director who shall be a full-timeemployee of the commission and who shall act as itsadministrative agent. The commission shall determine thecompensation of the director to be payable from appropriationsmade for that purpose.