HP0412, LD 568, item 1, An Act To Change the Composition of the Maine Land Use Planning Commission

An Act To Change the Composition of the Maine Land Use Planning Commission

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

Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §683-A, sub-§§1 and 2, as amended by PL 2013, c. 256, §3, are further amended to read:

1. Appointment by the Governor. Except as provided in subsection 2, the Governor shall appoint one member 3 members to the commission. In selecting an appointee, the Governor shall actively seek and give consideration to persons residing in or near the unorganized and deorganized areas of the State and to persons residing on unorganized coastal islands. An appointee under this subsection must be familiar with the needs and issues affecting the commission's jurisdiction and must:

A. Reside in the commission's jurisdiction;

B. Work in the commission's jurisdiction;

C. Be a former resident or be retired after having worked for a minimum of 5 years within the commission's jurisdiction; or

D. Have expertise in commerce and industry, fisheries and wildlife, forestry or conservation issues as they relate to the commission's jurisdiction.

2. Appointment of members representing a county. One member must be appointed by each of the 8 6 counties with the most acreage in the unorganized or deorganized areas subject to the jurisdiction of the commission. The board of county commissioners for each of the counties shall appoint by majority vote a resident of that county to serve as a member of the commission. A county commissioner who is a candidate for appointment to serve on the commission may not vote on that appointment. In making the appointment, the board of county commissioners shall actively seek and give consideration to persons residing in or near the unorganized or deorganized areas within the county. The board of county commissioners shall advertise the position in the same manner as the county advertises personnel positions. The board of county commissioners shall accept written or electronic applications from candidates, conduct interviews with candidates as determined by the board and select from among those candidates an appointee.

An appointee under this subsection must have expertise in commerce and industry, fisheries and wildlife, forestry or conservation issues as they relate to the commission's jurisdiction and must:

A. Reside in the commission's jurisdiction;

B. Work in the commission's jurisdiction; or

C. Be a former resident or be retired after having worked for a minimum of 5 years within the commission's jurisdiction.

If a board of county commissioners fails to appoint a member to the commission under this subsection within 90 business days of a vacancy on the commission to be filled by that county, the Governor shall appoint a resident of that county meeting the criteria in subsection 1 to fill the vacancy.

For any county appointee, the board of county commissioners shall provide to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives the name and address of the appointee, together with information concerning that person's background and qualifications, in the same manner required of the Governor for nominations made pursuant to Title 3, section 154. A board of county commissioners has the same authority as the Governor, pursuant to Title 3, section 154, to withdraw the name of an appointee at any time before the Senate votes. The provisions of Title 3, sections 155 to 158 apply to the process of legislative review and confirmation of all county appointees to the commission.

Sec. 2. Transition. Notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 683-A, subsection 1 or 2, a member of the Maine Land Use Planning Commission serving the commission on the effective date of this Act may serve the remainder of that member's term.

SUMMARY

This bill amends the laws governing the composition of the Maine Land Use Planning Commission to increase the number of members appointed by the Governor from one to 3 and to decrease the number of members appointed by the counties from 8 to 6.

HP0412 LD 568	Session - 129th Maine Legislature		LR 1300 Item 1
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