1501.25 Muskingum river advisory council.
1501.25 Muskingum river advisory council.
(A) There is hereby created the Muskingum river advisory council consisting of the following members:
(1) Two members of the house of representatives, one from each party to be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives after conferring with the minority leader of the house, and two members of the senate, one from each party to be appointed by the president of the senate after conferring with the minority leader of the senate;
(2) Four persons interested in the development of recreational and commercial uses of the Muskingum river, to be appointed by the governor;
(3) Two representatives of the department of natural resources to be appointed by the director of natural resources, one representative of the department of development to be appointed by the director of development, one representative of the environmental protection agency to be appointed by the director of environmental protection, one representative of the department of transportation to be appointed by the director of transportation, and one representative of the Ohio historical society to be appointed by the director of the society;
(4) Twelve persons to be appointed from the four counties through which the Muskingum river flows, who shall be appointed in the following manner. The board of county commissioners of Coshocton county shall appoint two members, and the mayor of the city of Coshocton shall appoint one member. The board of county commissioners of Muskingum county shall appoint two members, and the mayor of the city of Zanesville shall appoint one member. The board of county commissioners of Morgan county shall appoint two members, and the mayor of the city of McConnelsville shall appoint one member. The board of county commissioners of Washington county shall appoint two members, and the mayor of the city of Marietta shall appoint one member.
(5) One member representing the Muskingum watershed conservancy district, to be appointed by the board of directors of the district.
Members shall serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority. Vacancies shall be filled in the manner of the original appointment.
The council biennially shall elect from among its members a chairperson and a vice-chairperson. One of the representatives of the department of natural resources shall serve as secretary of the council unless a majority of the members elect another member to that position. The council shall meet at least once each year for the purpose of taking testimony from residents of the Muskingum river area, users of the river and adjacent lands, and the general public and may hold additional meetings at the call of the chairperson.
The chairperson may appoint members of the council and other persons to committees and study groups as needed.
The council shall submit an annual report to the general assembly, the governor, and the director of natural resources. The report shall include, without limitation, a description of the conditions of the Muskingum river area, a discussion of the council’s activities, any recommendations for actions by the general assembly or any state agency that the council determines are needed, and estimates of the costs of those recommendations.
The department of natural resources shall provide staff assistance to the council as needed.
(B) The council may do any of the following:
(1) Provide coordination among political subdivisions, state agencies, and federal agencies involved in dredging, debris removal or disposal, and recreational, commercial, tourism, and economic development;
(2) Provide aid to civic groups and individuals who want to make improvements to the Muskingum river if the council determines that the improvements would be beneficial to the residents of the area and to the state;
(3) Provide information and planning aid to state and local agencies responsible for historic, commercial, and recreational development of the Muskingum river area, including, without limitation, suggestions as to priorities for pending Muskingum river projects of the department of natural resources;
(4) Provide updated information to the United States army corps of engineers, the department of natural resources, and the Muskingum conservancy district established under Chapter 6101. of the Revised Code concerning potential hazards to flood control or navigation, erosion problems, debris accumulation, and deterioration of locks or dams.
Effective Date: 09-26-2003