(1) The rail district organizational commission appointed pursuant to section 32-12-106 shall meet within twenty days after its appointment on a date designated by the district court. The rail district organizational commission shall elect a chairman and a vice-chairman from among its membership. Further meetings of the commission shall be held upon call of the chairman or a majority of the members of the commission. All meetings shall be open to the public. A majority of the commission shall constitute a quorum. The commission may adopt other such rules for its operations and proceedings as it deems necessary or desirable. Members of the commission shall receive no compensation but may be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred during the performance of their official duties as organizational costs. Such organizational costs may be paid from the bond or cash deposit provided in section 32-12-105 (4) if the organization is not effected or by the rail district if the organization is effected.
(2) (a) The rail district organizational commission shall determine which rail facilities are to be acquired and rehabilitated and what rail services are to be provided, together with the maximum ad valorem tax mill levy, if any, necessary to support the acquisition and rehabilitation by the proposed rail district upon its formation, subject to the approval of the eligible electors as provided in this article.
(b) The rail district organizational commission shall determine the manner in which the railroad facility acquisitions and services are to be submitted for consideration by the eligible electors at the formation election to be called by the district court, as provided in section 32-12108. Prior to the submission of the report to the district court, pursuant to paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of this section, the commission shall conduct a public hearing and cause notice to be published, stating the time and place of the public hearing, and shall apprise the general public of its right to attend the hearing and make comments regarding the proposals to be placed on the ballot.
(3) (a) Within ninety days after its initial meeting, the commission shall present to the district court a report listing proposed railroad facilities to be acquired and proposed services to be considered by the eligible electors in each county included in the rail district. A majority vote of the members of the rail district organizational commission shall determine the proposed railroad facilities acquisitions, the proposed services, and the maximum mill levy that shall be presented to the eligible electors for their approval or rejection.
The commission report shall also divide the rail district into five zones of approximately equal population in accordance with the provisions of section 32-12-109 for the purpose of electing candidates to the board. The board shall consist of seven members, including one member from each of the five zones and two at-large members. Such zones shall be numbered consecutively starting with number one, and the terms of office shall be as specified in section 32-12-109.
The commission shall specify the date for a special election for formation of the raildistrict, but, if the organizational commission's report is completed not more than one hundred eighty days and not less than eighty days before the next general election, the election may be held jointly or concurrently with the next general election.
The rail district organizational commission shall be dissolved as of the day on whichthe election is held pursuant to section 32-12-108.
Source: L. 82: Entire article added, p. 506, § 1, effective April 23. L. 92: (2), (3)(a), and (3)(c) amended, p. 919, § 185, effective January 1, 1993.