§ 38-84. County tourist development council.

(a)

Confirmed. The establishment of the county tourist development council is hereby confirmed as previously organized by said resolution, and the council shall continue to be organized in the manner set forth hereinafter for the purpose of advising the board of county commissioners of the county, regarding the matters hereinafter specified.

(b)

Membership, terms, meetings.

(1)

The council shall consist of nine members who shall meet the qualifications set out in F.S. § 125.0104 and shall be appointed by a majority vote of the board sitting at a regular or special meeting.

(2)

Membership shall be staggered four year terms, except that the terms of the initial membership which shall be three each of three, two and one years.

(3)

The council shall convene at least quarterly, and a quorum shall consist of a majority of the membership. The council may adopt rules of procedure and shall provide reasonable notice to the public in advance of its meetings. The chairperson of the council shall be appointed annually by the chairperson of the board of county commissioners, which appointment may be delegated by the chairperson to the council.

(4)

The qualifications for the nine member council shall be as follows:

a.

Two members will be elected municipal officials of municipal corporations in the county;

b.

Three members will be owners or operators of motels, hotels, or other tourist accommodations in the county and subject to the tourist development tax;

c.

Three members will be involved in the tourist industry and will have demonstrated an interest in tourist development, but will not be owners nor operators of motels, hotels, or other tourist accommodations in the county subject to the tax;

d.

All members of the council shall be electors of the county.

(5)

Members of the council appointed by the board of county commissioners in its resolution, dated August 16, 1999, establishing the initial council, shall continue to serve in said capacity for the terms set forth herein or until he resigns the position. Members of the council may be reappointed for one or more successive terms, provided that he continues to meet the qualifications for membership. A vacancy on the council not occurring by expiration of term shall be filed by the board of county commissioners by appointment for the unexpired terms.

(6)

Members may be removed by the board of county commissioners by majority vote of said board.

(c)

Powers and duties. The council shall exercise all of the powers and shall perform all of the duties specified in F.S. §§ 125.0104(4)(c) and 125.0104(4)(e), which shall include the duties set forth hereafter.

(1)

The council hereby established shall, from time-to-time, make recommendations to the board of county commissioners for the effective operation of the special projects or uses of the tourist development tax revenues and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by ordinance or resolution of the board of county commissioners.

(2)

Prior to making recommendations to the board of county commissioners as indicated above, the council shall review each proposal for expenditure of funds and determine that such expenditures comply with the tourist development plan of this article.

(3)

The council shall continuously review all expenditures of revenue from the tourist development trust fund and shall receive, at least quarterly, expenditure reports from the board of county commissioners or its designee. Expenditures which the council believes to be unauthorized by the provisions of this article shall be reported to the board of county commissioners and the state department of revenue. The board of county commissioners, upon receiving notification of expenditures believed to be unauthorized by the council, shall review the council's findings and take such administrative or judicial action as it deems necessary to ensure compliance with this article and F.S. § 125.0104.

(Ord. No. 00-25, §§ 5—7, 2-21-2000)