Marvin Mandel, Governor                        1231

istrative Departments," subtitle "Ocean City Convention Hall Com-
mission" be and the same is hereby repealed and re-enacted, with
amendments, to read as follows:

405.

(a)    A State Commission to be known as "The Ocean City Con-
vention Hall Commission" is created as part of the Department of
Economic and Community Development, with members, duties, pow-
ers and functions provided in this section.

(b)    The Commission shall have five members to be appointed by
the Secretary of Economic and Community Development, with the
approval of the Governor, for terms of five years[, but for the first five
years their terms shall be so arranged that the term of only one
member shall expire in any year. At the expiration of their first
appointed terms, they, or their successors, shall be appointed for
terms of five years each]. The Secretary of Economic and Commu-
nity Development, with the approval of the Governor, shall name
one member as chairman and the Commission shall elect a vice-
chairman at its first organizational meeting. At least two of the
members shall be either residents or owners of real property within
the corporate limits of Ocean City. The presence of three members
at any meeting shall be a quorum.

(d) The Commission shall acquire at no cost to the State or the
Commission necessary land from the mayor and council of Ocean
City and arrange for having a suitable structure erected thereon for
housing religious, business and professional conventions, cultural
conferences, industrial exhibits, trade shows, such other events that
might further stimulate the tourist trade and the economy of the
State of Maryland. The structure shall be known as "Ocean City
Convention Hall." After completion of the structure, the Commis-
sion, subject to approval of the Secretary of Economic and Com-
munity Development, shall establish policy and adopt rules and regu-
lations as necessary to assure successful operation thereof.

(f) The Commission in addition to the powers which are nor-
mally possessed by a commission of this type shall, subject to ap-
proval of the Secretary of Economic and Community Development,
have the following express powers:

(1)    To accept from the mayor and council of Ocean City an
appropriate site for the structure and adjacent parking facilities,
said site to be approved by the Director of the State Planning
Department.

(2)    To negotiate and contract for necessary planning, architec-
tural and engineering services.

(3)    To negotiate and contract for construction of the building
and necessary equipment therefor; provided, however, that the loca-
tion and building plans shall first be approved by the [Planning
Director of the State] Secretary of State Planning of Maryland and
the mayor and city council of Ocean City.

(4)    To employ a manager or executive director, a secretary and
such other necessary personnel, whose salaries shall be as set by
the Commission, SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE SEC-
RETARY OF ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.