SENATE BILL No. 1342

 

 

August 4, 2004, Introduced by Senators SCHAUER and EMERSON and referred to the Committee on Technology and Energy.

 

 

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 2002 PA 48, entitled                                              

                                                                                

    "Metropolitan extension telecommunications rights-of-way                    

    oversight act,"                                                             

                                                                                

    by amending section 3 (MCL 484.3103).                                       

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 3.  (1) Pursuant to section 27 of article VII of the                   

                                                                                

2   state constitution of 1963 and any other applicable law, the                

                                                                                

3   metropolitan extension telecommunications rights-of-way oversight           

                                                                                

4   authority is established as  an autonomous agency within the                

                                                                                

5   department of consumer and industry services  a metropolitan                

                                                                                

6   authority, a local public body corporate and politic not within             

                                                                                

7   the executive branch of state government The director of the             

                                                                                

8   authority shall be appointed by the governor for a 4-year term.             

                                                                                

9   The director of the authority shall report directly to the                  

                                                                                

10  governor.  The department of consumer and industry services shall           

                                                                                

11  provide the authority all budget, procurement, and                          


                                                                                

1   management-related functions.  The department of consumer and               

                                                                                

2   industry services shall also provide suitable offices,                      

                                                                                

3   facilities, equipment, staff, and supplies for the authority in             

                                                                                

4   the city of Lansing.                                                        

                                                                                

5       (2) The authority shall be directed and governed by a board                 

                                                                                

6   of directors. The  director of the authority  board is                      

                                                                                

7   responsible for carrying out the powers and duties of the                   

                                                                                

8   authority under this act.  The board shall have all the powers              

                                                                                

9   and duties necessary to administer this act.                                

                                                                                

10      (3) The board of directors shall consist of 8 members.  The                 

                                                                                

11  governor shall appoint as members of the board of directors 4               

                                                                                

12  residents of this state representing municipalities and 4                   

                                                                                

13  residents of this state representing telecommunications                     

                                                                                

14  providers.  Of the initial board members appointed, the governor            

                                                                                

15  shall appoint 3 members to serve for terms expiring on December             

                                                                                

16  31, 2007, 3 members to serve for terms expiring on December 31              

                                                                                

17  2006, and 2 members to serve for terms expiring on December 31,             

                                                                                

18  2005.  After the expiration of the initial terms, members of the            

                                                                                

19  board shall be appointed for terms of 4 years.                              

                                                                                

20      (4) Upon appointment to the board of directors under                        

                                                                                

21  subsection (3) and taking the constitutional oath of office, the            

                                                                                

22  member may exercise the duties of the office.  A member of the              

                                                                                

23  board shall hold office until a successor has been appointed and            

                                                                                

24  qualified.  A member of the authority board may be suspended or             

                                                                                

25  removed from office by the governor for gross neglect of duty,              

                                                                                

26  corrupt conduct in office, or any other misfeasance or                      

                                                                                

27  malfeasance in office.                                                      


                                                                                

1       (5) In case of a vacancy on the board of directors, the                     

                                                                                

2   governor shall fill a vacancy by appointment in the same manner             

                                                                                

3   as under subsection (3).  A vacancy shall be filled for the                 

                                                                                

4   balance of the unexpired term of the office.                                

                                                                                

5       (6) The board of directors shall elect a chairperson, a                     

                                                                                

6   vice-chairperson, and a secretary from among its members.  If the           

                                                                                

7   chairperson is a member of the board appointed to represent                 

                                                                                

8   municipalities, the vice-chairperson shall be a member appointed            

                                                                                

9   to represent telecommunications providers.  If the chairperson is           

                                                                                

10  a member of the board appointed to represent telecommunications             

                                                                                

11  providers, the vice-chairperson shall be a member appointed to              

                                                                                

12  represent municipalities.                                                   

                                                                                

13      (7) Members of the authority board shall serve without                      

                                                                                

14  compensation, but shall be reimbursed for actual and necessary              

                                                                                

15  expenses.  A member of the board of directors shall discharge the           

                                                                                

16  duties of his or her position in a nonpartisan manner, with good            

                                                                                

17  faith, and with that degree of diligence, care, and skill that an           

                                                                                

18  ordinarily prudent person would exercise under similar                      

                                                                                

19  circumstances in a like position.                                           

                                                                                

20      (8) The board shall employ personnel and may enter into                     

                                                                                

21  contracts as necessary to carry out the functions of the board              

                                                                                

22  under this act.  The board shall appoint an executive director.             

                                                                                

23  The executive director shall perform all duties that the board              

                                                                                

24  assigns him or her.  The executive director shall be reimbursed             

                                                                                

25  for all actual and necessary expenses incurred in discharge of              

                                                                                

26  his or her official duties.  The executive director shall keep              

                                                                                

27  records of all proceedings of the board and shall preserve all              


                                                                                

1   records, books, documents, and other papers belonging to the                

                                                                                

2   board or entrusted to its care.  The executive director shall               

                                                                                

3   devote his or her full time to the duties of the office and not             

                                                                                

4   hold any other office or employment.                                        

                                                                                

5       (9)  (3)  The authority shall coordinate public right-of-way                

                                                                                

6   matters with municipalities, assess the fees required under this            

                                                                                

7   act, and have the exclusive power to assess fees on                         

                                                                                

8   telecommunication providers owning telecommunication facilities             

                                                                                

9   in public rights-of-way within a municipality in a metropolitan             

                                                                                

10  area to recover the costs of using the rights-of-way by the                 

                                                                                

11  provider.                                                                   

                                                                                

12      (10)  (4)  The authority shall file an annual report of its                 

                                                                                

13  activities for the preceding year  with the governor and the                

                                                                                

14  members of the legislative committees dealing with energy,                  

                                                                                

15  technology, and telecommunications issues  on or before March 1             

                                                                                

16  of each year  .  with all of the following:                                 

                                                                                

17      (a) The governor.                                                           

                                                                                

18      (b) The chairpersons and minority vice-chairpersons of the                  

                                                                                

19  legislative committees dealing with energy, technology, and                 

                                                                                

20  telecommunications issues.                                                  

                                                                                

21      (c) The executive director of the Michigan municipal league.                

                                                                                

22      (d) The executive director of the Michigan townships                        

                                                                                

23  association.                                                                

                                                                                

24      (11) The board shall establish policies and procedures                      

                                                                                

25  requiring periodic disclosure of relationships which may give               

                                                                                

26  rise to conflicts of interest.  The board shall establish                   

                                                                                

27  policies that are no less stringent than those provided for                 


                                                                                

1   public officers and employees by 1973 PA 196, MCL 15.341 to                 

                                                                                

2   15.348.                                                                     

                                                                                

3       (12)  (5)  The  authority  board may  promulgate  adopt                     

                                                                                

4   bylaws and rules not inconsistent with this act for the                     

                                                                                

5   implementation and administration of this act.  under the                   

                                                                                

6   administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to           

                                                                                

7   24.328.                                                                     

                                                                                

8       (13) The business that the board may perform shall be                       

                                                                                

9   conducted at a public meeting of the board held in compliance               

                                                                                

10  with the open meetings act, 1976 PA 267, MCL 15.261 to 15.275.              

                                                                                

11  The board shall adopt rules consistent with the open meetings               

                                                                                

12  act, 1976 PA 267, MCL 15.261 to 15.275, governing its procedures            

                                                                                

13  and the holding of meetings.                                                

                                                                                

14      (14) The authority shall comply with the uniform budgeting                  

                                                                                

15  and accounting act, 1968 PA 2, MCL 141.421 to 141.440a.