Florida Senate - 2013 SB 412
By Senator Detert
28-00762-13 2013412__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the governing board of the
3 Southwest Florida Water Management District; amending
4 s. 373.073, F.S.; revising the number of governing
5 board members and the membership residency
6 requirements; providing for applicability; providing
7 an effective date.
8
9 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
10
11 Section 1. Subsection (1) and paragraph (e) of subsection
12 (2) of section 373.073, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
13 373.073 Governing board.—
14 (1)(a) The governing board of each water management
15 district shall be composed of 9 members who shall reside within
16 the district, except that the Southwest Florida Water Management
17 District shall be composed of 13 members who shall reside within
18 the district. Members of the governing boards shall be appointed
19 by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate at the
20 next regular session of the Legislature, and the refusal or
21 failure of the Senate to confirm an appointment creates a
22 vacancy in the office to which the appointment was made. The
23 term of office for a governing board member is 4 years and
24 commences on March 2 of the year in which the appointment is
25 made and terminates on March 1 of the fourth calendar year of
26 the term or may continue until a successor is appointed, but not
27 more than 180 days. Terms of office of governing board members
28 shall be staggered to help maintain consistency and continuity
29 in the exercise of governing board duties and to minimize
30 disruption in district operations.
31 (b) Commencing January 1, 2014 2011, the Governor shall
32 appoint the following number of governing board members in each
33 year of the Governor’s 4-year term of office:
34 1. In the first year of the Governor’s term of office, the
35 Governor shall appoint four members to the governing board of
36 the Southwest Florida Water Management District and appoint
37 three members to the governing board of each other district.
38 2. In the second year of the Governor’s term of office, the
39 Governor shall appoint three members to the governing board of
40 the Southwest Florida Water Management District and two members
41 to the governing board of each other district.
42 3. In the third year of the Governor’s term of office, the
43 Governor shall appoint three members to the governing board of
44 the Southwest Florida Water Management District and two members
45 to the governing board of each other district.
46 4. In the fourth year of the Governor’s term of office, the
47 Governor shall appoint three members to the governing board of
48 the Southwest Florida Water Management District and two members
49 to the governing board of each other district.
50
51 For any governing board vacancy that occurs before the date
52 scheduled for the office to be filled under this paragraph, the
53 Governor shall appoint a person meeting residency requirements
54 of subsection (2) for a term that will expire on the date
55 scheduled for the term of that office to terminate under this
56 subsection. In addition to the residency requirements for the
57 governing boards as provided by subsection (2), the Governor
58 shall consider appointing governing board members to represent
59 an equitable cross-section of regional interests and technical
60 expertise.
61 (2) Membership on governing boards shall be selected from
62 candidates who have significant experience in one or more of the
63 following areas, including, but not limited to: agriculture, the
64 development industry, local government, government-owned or
65 privately owned water utilities, law, civil engineering,
66 environmental science, hydrology, accounting, or financial
67 businesses. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other general
68 or special law to the contrary, vacancies in the governing
69 boards of the water management districts shall be filled
70 according to the following residency requirements, representing
71 areas designated by the United States Water Resources Council in
72 United States Geological Survey, River Basin and Hydrological
73 Unit Map of Florida—1975, Map Series No. 72:
74 (e) Southwest Florida Water Management District:
75 1. One member Two members shall reside in Hillsborough
76 County.
77 2. One member shall reside in the area consisting of
78 Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties.
79 2.3. One member Two members shall reside in Pinellas
80 County.
81 4. One member shall reside in Manatee County.
82 3.5. One member Two members shall reside in Polk County.
83 4.6. One member shall reside in Pasco County.
84 5. One member shall be appointed at large from Sarasota and
85 Manatee Counties.
86 6.7. One member shall be appointed at large from Levy,
87 Citrus, Sumter, and Lake Counties.
88 7.8. One member shall be appointed at large from Hardee,
89 DeSoto, and Highlands Counties.
90 8.9. One member shall be appointed at large from Marion and
91 Hernando Counties.
92 9.10. One member shall be appointed at large from DeSoto
93 Sarasota and Charlotte Counties.
94 Section 2. The amendments made by this act to s. 373.073,
95 Florida Statutes, do not apply to:
96 (1) An incumbent member of the governing board of the
97 Southwest Florida Water Management District until expiration of
98 the member’s current term of office.
99 (2) The governing board of a water management district
100 other than the Southwest Florida Water Management District.
101 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.