Whereas, the Port of Eastport provides valuable economic benefits to all the people of Washington County; and

Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. P&SL 1977, c. 14, §1, 2nd ¶ is repealed.

Sec. 2. P&SL 1977, c. 14, §1, 3rd ¶, as amended by P&SL 1993, c. 82, §1, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:

A board of directors is established to exercise the power and duties of the authority.__The board consists of the following 13 voting members:

1.__The city manager of Eastport, who serves ex officio;

2.__The president of the Eastport City Council, who serves ex officio;

3.__A representative appointed by the Department of Transportation;

4.__Four members who are residents of the City of Eastport.__ The members must be elected by a majority of the legal voters at an election, for terms of 4 years, in the same manner and at the same time as Eastport city councilors.__The term for a member elected under this paragraph begins January 1st and that member serves until a successor is duly elected and qualified; and

5.__Six members, consisting of 2 members from each of the 3 Washington County commissioner districts established under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, section 66, subsection 15.__ The county commissioners of each district must initially appoint 2 members by majority vote within 30 days of the effective date of this paragraph.__These members serve until December 31, 2000.__ The members must be elected at the next general election, to be held November 2000.__At that election, members from the 3 county commissioner districts must be elected by a majority of the legal voters of those districts voting at that election.__The election