§ 3. Greater Orlando Aviation Authority.

1.

There is hereby created a board or commission to be known as the "Greater Orlando Aviation Authority," and by that name the Authority may sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded, contract and be contracted with, and have an official seal. The Authority is hereby constituted an agency of the City, and exercise by the Authority of the powers conferred by this act shall be deemed and held to be an essential municipal function of the City. The Authority shall consist of seven members who shall be elected or appointed as follows: one member shall be an incumbent member of the Orlando City Council, who may be the Mayor-commissioner or any other commissioner elected by a majority vote of such council; one member shall be an incumbent member of the Board of County Commissioners of Orange County, Florida, who may be the chairman or any other commissioner elected by a majority vote of such commission; and five members shall be appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate. Three members appointed by the Governor shall be residents and electors of Orange County, Florida; one member appointed by the Governor shall be a resident and elector of Osceola County, Florida, effective April 1992; and one member appointed by the Governor shall be a resident and elector of Orange County, Florida, or Seminole County, Florida. All seven members shall be entitled to an equal voice and vote on all matters relating to the Authority and its business. Two of the five appointed members initially appointed by the Governor shall be appointed for a term of two years and three members shall be appointed for a term of four years, the term of each member so appointed to be designated by the Governor at the time of the appointment. All subsequent appointments shall be for a term of four years. The member of the City Council and the member of the County commission shall be elected for a term of two years each; provided, however, that any such commissioner's term shall end at such time as he may cease to be a City or County commissioner, at which time a successor or successors shall be elected for any unexpired term. The terms of all members shall end at the expiration of their terms, or as otherwise herein specified.

2.

Each appointed member of the Authority shall be a person of integrity, responsibility and business ability, who is competent and knowledgeable in one or more fields which include, but are not limited to, public affairs, law, economics, accounting, engineering, finance, natural resource conservation, energy, or another field substantially related to the duties and functions of the Authority. The Authority shall fairly represent the above-stated fields, and function on a nonpartisan basis. It is desirable, but not essential that one or more appointed members be experienced in some aviation-related field. No person then employed by the City of Orlando or by the County of Orange shall be appointed as a member of the Authority. No person then transacting business with the Authority or who can be reasonably expected to transact business with the Authority, either for himself or as an employee of, agent for, or consultant to any other person or legal entity shall be appointed as a member of the Authority. The initial appointment and election of members hereunder shall be accomplished by the Governor, the Orlando City Council and the Orange County Board of County Commissioners within thirty days after the effective date of this act, and the terms of all then present members shall expire effective the date of said appointments and elections.

3.

At least thirty days prior to the date of expiration of the term of any member of the Authority, or within thirty days after the creation of any vacancy in the membership of the Authority resulting from the death, resignation, change of residence or removal of any such member or from any other cause, the successor of such member shall be appointed or elected in the same manner as his predecessor. Any appointed member of the Authority shall be eligible for reappointment; provided, that no member shall serve more than two consecutive terms or eight consecutive years, whichever is the greater. Subject to the foregoing provisions, the successor in each case, except the representative of the City Council and the representative of the Board of County Commissioners, shall be appointed and shall hold office for a term of four years from the date of expiration of the term of his predecessor. Any person appointed or elected to fill a vacancy shall serve only for the unexpired portion of the term. Notwithstanding anything else herein provided, any appointed member of the Authority shall serve until his successor shall have been appointed and shall have taken office, except in the case of any such member who has been suspended or removed during his term.

4.

The Authority shall elect one of its members as its chairman. The chairman shall be elected for a term of two years. If the elected chairman shall cease to be a member of the Authority, or shall for any reason not serve as chairman, a successor shall be elected for the unexpired portion of his term. No person shall serve more than two consecutive terms as chairman or four consecutive years, whichever is greater. The Authority may also elect a secretary, who may or may not be a member of the Authority. The secretary shall hold office at the will of the Authority. The Chief Financial Officer of the City of Orlando, or any other person elected by the Authority and approved by the City Council, shall be the treasurer of the Authority. Four members of the Authority shall constitute a quorum and the vote of four members shall be necessary for any action taken by the Authority. No vacancy in the Authority shall impair the right of a quorum of the Authority to exercise all of the rights and perform all of the duties of the Authority. [See Florida Statutes § 331.21, which permits chairman to serve for eight consecutive years.]

5.

Upon the effective date of his appointment, or as soon thereafter as practicable, each appointed member of the Authority shall enter upon his duties, but before doing so, he shall take an oath to faithfully perform the duties of his office and file the same with the City Clerk of the City of Orlando, and shall execute a bond in the penal sum of ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) payable to the City of Orlando and conditioned upon the faithful performance of the duties of his office, which bond shall be approved by the City Council and filed with the City Clerk, the cost of the premium on any such bonds to be treated as part of the cost of operation.

6.

The members of the Authority shall serve without compensation; provided, that they shall be reimbursed by the Authority for their reasonable out-of-pocket, travel, and per diem expenses incurred in attending meetings of or on behalf of the Authority, or otherwise in engaging in the business of the Authority. The secretary shall receive such salary as may be fixed by the Authority, or, in case such officer shall be a member of the Authority, he shall receive such salary for his services as such officer as may be fixed by the Authority with the approval of the City Council.

7.

The County commission member and any appointed member may be suspended from office by the Governor, and the City Council member may be removed from office by majority vote of the members of the City Council, for good cause affecting his ability to perform his duties as a member, for misfeasance, malfeasance or nonfeasance in office, or for violating the conflict of interest provisions of this act. A County commission member or appointed member, who is suspended by the Governor, may be removed from office by majority vote of the Senate, but only after a hearing at which such member is given the right to present evidence in his own behalf and only upon a finding by majority vote of the members of the Senate that good cause for removal affecting the member's ability to perform his duties as a member exists, that he was guilty of misfeasance, malfeasance or nonfeasance in office, or that he violated the conflict of interest provisions of this act.

(Laws of Fla. ch. 57-1658 § 3; Laws of Fla. ch. 67-1834, § 2; Laws of Fla. ch. 75-464, § 6; Laws of Fla. ch. 78-578, § 1; Ord. of 12-6-1999, § 2, Doc. #32481)