Section 184.506

Title XI EDUCATION AND LIBRARIES

Chapter 184

Effective - 28 Aug 2010   

  184.506.  Commission to govern, members, terms, meetings, quorum — immunity for members. — 1.  The district shall be governed by the commission, which shall be a body corporate and politic and subdivision of the state and shall be composed of resident electors, as follows:

  (1)  One member of the governing body of each eligible county that is a part of the district, who shall be appointed by a majority vote of such county's governing body;

  (2)  One member of the Kansas City, Missouri, board of parks and recreation, who shall be appointed by a majority vote of such board;

  (3)  One member shall be the executive director of the Kansas City zoo;

  (4)  One member shall be appointed by the governing body of each eligible county which establishes the district under section 184.503 in the following manner:

  (a)  The Friends of the Zoo, Inc., shall provide the names of three individuals to the governing body of each eligible county.  Each individual named shall be at least twenty-one years of age, a resident of such eligible county, and a registered voter of such eligible county;

  (b)  Within sixty days of receiving the three names provided under paragraph (a) of this subdivision, the governing body of each eligible charter county shall select by a majority vote one individual from the three names provided under paragraph (a) of this subdivision who shall then serve as a member of the district's commission for a term described under subsection 2 of this section.  Within sixty days of receiving the three names provided under paragraph (a) of this subdivision, the governing body of each eligible noncharter county shall select by unanimous vote one individual from the three names provided under paragraph (a) of this subdivision who shall then serve as a member of the district's commission for a term described under subsection 2 of this section.

  2.  The term of each commissioner, initially appointed by a county governing body, shall expire concurrently with such commissioner's tenure as a county officer or three years after the date of appointment as a commissioner, whichever occurs first.  The term of each succeeding commissioner shall expire concurrently with such successor commissioner's tenure as a county officer or four years after the date of appointment as a commissioner, whichever occurs first.  The term of the commissioner initially appointed by the Kansas City, Missouri, board of parks and recreation shall expire concurrently with such commissioner's tenure as a member of the Kansas City, Missouri, board of parks and recreation, or one year after the date of appointment as a commissioner, whichever occurs first.  The term of each commissioner succeeding a commissioner appointed by the Kansas City, Missouri, board of parks and recreation shall expire concurrently with such successor commissioner's tenure as a member of the Kansas City, Missouri, board of parks and recreation or four years after the date of appointment as a commissioner, whichever occurs first.  The term of each commissioner initially appointed by the governing body of an eligible county shall expire four years after the date of appointment as a commissioner.  The term of each commissioner succeeding a commissioner appointed by the governing body of an eligible county shall expire four years after the date of appointment as commissioner.  If an eligible county withdraws under subsection 7 of section 184.503, then the position of commissioner appointed by such eligible county ends on the date on which the withdrawal becomes effective.  The term of the executive director of the Kansas City zoo shall not expire but shall transfer automatically to the current executive director of the Kansas City zoo or any interim director.  Any vacancy occurring in a commissioner position for reasons other than expiration of terms of office shall be filled for the unexpired term by appointment in the same manner that the original appointment was made.  Any commissioner may be removed for cause by the appointing authority of the commissioner.

  3.  The commission shall select annually, from its membership, a chairperson, a vice chairperson, and a treasurer.  The treasurer shall be bonded in such amounts as the commission may require.

  4.  The commission may appoint such officers, agents, and employees as it may require for the performance of its duties, and shall determine the qualifications and duties and fix the compensation of such officers, agents, and employees.

  5.  The commission shall fix the time and place at which its meetings shall be held.  Meetings shall be held within the district and shall be open to the public.  Public notice shall be given of all meetings.

  6.  A majority of the commissioners shall constitute, in the aggregate, a quorum for the transaction of business.  No action of the commission shall be binding unless taken at a meeting at which at least a quorum is present, and unless a majority of the commissioners present at such meeting shall vote in favor thereof.  In the event a quorum is present and there is a tie vote on a pending motion, the executive director of the Kansas City zoo shall have the power to break the tie by exercising an additional vote.  No action of the commission taken at a meeting thereof shall be binding unless the subject of such action is included in a written agenda for such meeting, the agenda and notice of meeting having been mailed to each commissioner by postage-paid first class mail at least fourteen calendar days prior to the meeting.

  7.  The commissioners shall be subject to the provisions of the laws of this state, which relate to conflicts of interest, in any zoological activity supported by the district or commission or in any other business transaction of the district or commission.  A commissioner shall disclose any conflict of interest in writing to the other commissioners and shall abstain from voting on any matter relating to such facility, organization, or activity or such business transaction, except that the executive director of Kansas City zoo shall not be required to abstain from voting on matters relating to the Kansas City zoo.

  8.  Commissioners shall enjoy official immunity under the common law for any action at law or equity, or other legal proceeding against any commissioner relating to any act or omission of the commissioner arising out of his or her performance of duties as a commissioner.  If any action at law or equity, or other legal proceeding, shall be brought against any commissioner for any act or omission arising out of the performance of duties as a commissioner, the commissioner shall be indemnified in whole and held harmless by the commission for any judgment or decree entered against the commissioner and, further, shall be defended at the cost of expense of the commission in any such proceeding.

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(L. 2010 H.B. 1316 merged with H.B. 2297)