(a) There is established a Connecticut Commuter Rail Council which shall consist of fifteen members appointed with the advice and consent of the General Assembly, all of whom shall be (1) commuters who regularly use the transportation services of the New Haven commuter railroad line which includes the New Canaan, Danbury and Waterbury branches of such line, (2) commuters who regularly use the transportation services of the Shoreline East railroad line, or (3) residents of a municipality in which the Commissioner of Transportation has proposed a new rail line or in which a rail line has commenced operation after July 1, 2013. Members shall be appointed as follows: (A) The Governor shall appoint four members, one of whom shall be the chief elected official of a municipality located on an operating or proposed new rail line; (B) the president pro tempore of the Senate shall appoint three members; (C) the speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint three members; (D) the minority leader of the Senate shall appoint one member; (E) the minority leader of the House of Representatives shall appoint one member; (F) the chairpersons of the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to transportation shall each appoint one member, one of whom shall be from a municipality in which the Commissioner of Transportation has proposed a new rail line or in which a rail line has commenced operation after July 1, 2013, and one of whom shall be from a municipality in which a station for the Shoreline East railroad line is located; and (G) the ranking members of said committee shall jointly appoint one member who shall be from a municipality served by the Danbury or Waterbury branches of the New Haven commuter railroad line. Each member shall serve for a term of four years. All initial appointments to the council shall be made by August 1, 2013, and initial members shall serve a four-year term commencing on August 1, 2013. Any vacancy shall be filled by the original appointing authority by appointment for the unexpired portion of any term. Members of the council shall serve until their respective successors are appointed and approved by the General Assembly.
(b) The members of the council shall choose one of the members of the council to be chairperson of the council. A majority of the members of the council then in office shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business, and action shall be by vote of a majority of the members present at a meeting. The council shall meet at least once during each calendar quarter and at such other times as the chairperson deems necessary or upon the request of a majority of the members in office. Special meetings shall be held at the request of such majority after notice in accordance with the provisions of section 1-225. Any member who fails to attend fifty per cent of all meetings held during any calendar year or who fails to attend three consecutive meetings shall be deemed to have resigned from office.
(P.A. 85-329, S. 1, 3; P.A. 89-87, S. 4, 5; P.A. 92-96; P.A. 13-299, S. 14; P.A. 15-18, S. 10.)
History: P.A. 89-87 amended Subsec. (a) to provide for the filling of vacancies by the original appointing authority by appointment, rather than by the governor, with the advice and consent of the general assembly, by appointment; P.A. 92-96 amended Subsec. (a) to add one member representing the Shoreline East railroad line to the council; P.A. 13-299 amended Subsec. (a) to replace “Metro North New Haven Rail Commuter Council” with “Connecticut Commuter Rail Council”, to add Subdiv. (3) re residents of a municipality where a new rail line is proposed or operating, to add Subpara. (A) to (G) designators and, in Subpara. (A), to add provision re chief elected official as member, to add criteria re members appointed by transportation committee chairpersons and ranking members, and to provide that initial appointments and terms commence August 1, 2013, and made technical changes in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 15-18 amended Subsec. (a) to add reference to appointment with advice and consent of the General Assembly, add provision re initial members' 4-year term to commence on August 1, 2013, and make a conforming change, effective June 5, 2015.