64-5-203 - Membership of board Proxy voting Executive committee Board meetings open to public. - Tennessee Statutes

64-5-203. Membership of board Proxy voting Executive committee Board meetings open to public.

(a)  The membership of the board shall be as follows:

     (1)  The county mayor of each county in the region shall be an ex officio member of the board;

     (2)  The mayor of each county seat municipality in the region, except for the mayor of Trousdale County, shall be an ex officio member of the board. The Trousdale County chairman pro-tem shall be an ex officio member of the board;

     (3)  The mayor of any incorporated municipality in the region with a population in excess of twenty-five thousand (25,000) according to the latest federal census shall be an ex officio member of the board;

     (4)  The county industrial development board in each of the five (5) counties of the region shall elect one (1) of its members every two (2) years to serve on the board for a term of two (2) years, beginning at the first organizational meeting of the board;

     (5)  One (1) member shall be appointed by and be a representative of the governor who shall serve at the pleasure of the governor;

     (6)  One (1) member shall be appointed by and be a representative of the United States representative representing either all or the greatest number of the people of the region and shall serve at the pleasure of the United States representative;

     (7)  The members of the general assembly representing all or part of the region shall elect a senator member and a representative member to serve as a member of the board for a term of three (3) years or until that member is no longer serving in the general assembly. The senators serving the region shall meet and elect the senator member. The representatives serving the region shall meet and elect the representative member;

     (8)  One (1) member may be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the board of directors of the Tennessee Valley authority; and

     (9)  One (1) member may be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the board of directors of each electric cooperative operating pursuant to the Rural Electric and Community Services Cooperative Act, compiled in §§ 65-25-201 65-25-229, that furnishes electricity to, and assists in the development of, any industrial park owned, operated or managed by the Four Lakes Regional Industrial Development Authority.

(b)  Any member of the board may authorize someone to represent that member and vote by proxy upon written notification of the same to the chair of the board prior to commencement of the board meeting in which the member is to be absent.

(c)  The board may establish an advisory committee consisting of twenty-five (25) members, with five (5) members from each of the five (5) counties in the region selected in such manner as the board determines to provide a wide range of viewpoints. The board shall endeavor to have the advisory committee reflect a broad range of socioeconomic backgrounds in its membership. The terms of the members of the advisory committee shall be set by a resolution of the board in such manner as to create a staggered-term system to provide continuity on the advisory committee.

(d)  At least annually, the board shall hold a meeting at which members of the general public are allowed to address the board. Further, prior to the adoption of any resolution authorizing a bond issue pursuant to the provisions of this part, the board shall hold a public hearing to examine the opinions of members of the general public on the issue.

(e)  All meetings of the board and advisory committee shall be public and shall comply with the state law on open meetings codified in title 8, chapter 44.

[Acts 1986, ch. 789, § 3; 2001, ch. 150, §§ 1, 2; 2003, ch. 90, § 2; 2006, ch. 614, §§ 1, 2.]