Florida Senate - 2010 (Corrected Copy) SB 2470
By Senator Thrasher
8-01495B-10 20102470__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to Northeast Florida regional
3 transportation; creating the Northeast Florida
4 Regional Transportation Study Commission; providing
5 for membership and organization; providing for
6 reimbursement of expenses; providing for removal and
7 suspension of commission members; providing for staff
8 of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority to act as
9 staff to the commission; providing for funding of
10 staff and facilities; providing for committees within
11 the commission; providing for commission meetings;
12 providing for the commission to make available to the
13 public its meeting minutes, reports, and
14 recommendations and publish its reports and
15 recommendations electronically; directing the
16 authority to make its Internet site available for such
17 purposes; requiring the commission to submit reports
18 to the Governor and the Legislature; providing that a
19 county’s membership in the commission and
20 participation of a county’s appointees does not
21 constitute consent of the county to inclusion within
22 the jurisdiction of a regional transportation
23 authority; providing for expiration of the act and
24 termination of the commission; providing an effective
25 date.
26
27 WHEREAS, pursuant to House Bill 1213, 2009, the Department
28 of Transportation directed the Jacksonville Transportation
29 Authority to prepare a report to recommend to the Legislature
30 the framework for a regional transportation authority for the
31 northeast region of the state comprised of Baker, Clay, Duval,
32 Flagler, Nassau, Putnam, and St. Johns Counties, and
33 WHEREAS, the report was completed and received by the
34 Legislature on February 1, 2010, and
35 WHEREAS, based upon the recommendations of the report, it
36 is necessary and appropriate to create a study commission to
37 continue the work commenced, NOW, THEREFORE,
38
39 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
40
41 Section 1. Northeast Florida Regional Transportation Study
42 Commission.-
43 (1) There is created the Northeast Florida Regional
44 Transportation Study Commission, which shall be composed of 20
45 members designated and to be appointed as follows:
46 (a) Two citizens of Baker County appointed by the Board of
47 County Commissioners of Baker County.
48 (b) Two citizens of Clay County appointed by the Board of
49 County Commissioners of Clay County.
50 (c) Four citizens of Duval County appointed by the City
51 Council of the City of Jacksonville.
52 (d) Two citizens of Flagler County appointed by the Board
53 of County Commissioners of Flagler County.
54 (e) Two citizens of Nassau County appointed by the Board of
55 County Commissioners of Nassau County.
56 (f) Two citizens of Putnam County appointed by the Board of
57 County Commissioners of Putnam County.
58 (g) Two citizens of St. Johns County appointed by the Board
59 of County Commissioners of St. Johns County.
60 (h) The chair of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority,
61 who shall serve as chair of the commission.
62 (i) The Department of Transportation’s district secretary
63 serving in district II, who shall be a nonvoting member of the
64 commission.
65 (j) The chair of the Northeast Florida Regional Council,
66 who shall be a nonvoting member of the commission.
67 (k) The chair of the North Florida Transportation Planning
68 Organization, who shall be a nonvoting member of the commission.
69 (2)(a) Members shall serve until the work of the commission
70 is completed and the commission is terminated, except that
71 persons serving under paragraphs (1)(h)-(k) shall cease
72 membership if they no longer serve in the position indicated in
73 paragraphs (1)(h)-(k) and shall be replaced by the person
74 replacing them in such position.
75 (b) Members of the commission shall serve without
76 compensation but shall be reimbursed for all necessary expenses
77 in the performance of their duties, including travel expenses,
78 in accordance with s. 112.061, Florida Statutes.
79 (c) A county commission, or the city council in the case of
80 Duval County, may remove or suspend a member appointed by it for
81 cause, including, but not limited to, failure to attend two or
82 more meetings of the commission during any 9-month period.
83 (3) The staff of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority
84 shall act as staff to the commission and, subject to the
85 appropriation of funding by the board of the Jacksonville
86 Transportation Authority and such other funds as the commission
87 may receive, shall supply such information, assistance, and
88 facilities as are deemed necessary for the commission to carry
89 out its duties under this act.
90 (4) The commission shall have such committees with such
91 membership, duties, and other matters as the chair shall
92 determine. Members of such committees need not be members of the
93 commission and may include persons from airport authorities,
94 port authorities, rail or other transportation industries, and
95 others. All committees shall report to the commission at each
96 commission meeting and shall present their final reports for
97 consideration by the commission in accordance with the direction
98 of the chair.
99 (5)(a) The commission shall meet at the times and locations
100 as the chair shall determine. There shall be regular monthly
101 meetings, to the extent reasonably convenient, that are held in
102 one or more central locations; however, at least one meeting
103 must be held in each of the counties throughout the region. Each
104 meeting must include provision for public comments.
105 (b) The commission shall make available to the public its
106 meeting minutes, reports, and recommendations upon request and,
107 to the extent feasible, shall publish its reports and
108 recommendations electronically. The Jacksonville Transportation
109 Authority shall make its Internet website available to the
110 commission for such purposes.
111 (6) By December 31, 2012, the commission shall prepare and
112 submit to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the
113 Speaker of the House of Representatives a report detailing its
114 findings and making specific legislative recommendations,
115 including a regional transportation elements plan, the defining
116 characteristics of transportation elements of regional
117 significance, and an implementation plan for undertaking a
118 regional transportation elements plan, and which may include the
119 establishment of the regional transportation authority, draft
120 legislation consistent with this act, and any other
121 recommendations it deems appropriate.
122 (7) A county’s membership in the commission, and the
123 participation of a county’s appointees in the work of the
124 commission, is not intended to constitute the consent of the
125 county to inclusion within the jurisdiction of a regional
126 transportation authority.
127 (8) This act shall expire and the commission shall
128 terminate upon delivery of the final report required in
129 subsection (6).
130 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.