WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER, Governor                    Ch. 311

comments and recommendations concerning such proposals. These
comments and recommendations must be considered by the Authority
before action on the proposals, but they shall not be in any way
binding upon the Authority. The council must submit its comments
and recommendations to the Authority within 30 days after receipt
by it of these proposals from the Authority, unless the Authority
deems the matter involved to be of such urgency as to require
prompt action, in which case the council shall submit its
comments and recommendations within 5 days.

(b) The advisory council is composed of 11 members. If an
executive director of the Authority has been appointed by the
Authority, the executive director shall be an ex officio member
of the council, and his tenure of office shall coincide with the
term for which he shall hold the position of executive director
of the Authority. The ex officio member of the council has all
rights incidental to membership on the council, except that he
does not have the right to vote on matters coming before the
council. However, the ex officio member may participate in all
discussions on those matters and to be present at the time of the
vote. In the event of a vacancy in the position of executive
director, the ex officio seat on the council shall be taken by
the interim or permanent successor to that position. In the event
that the position of executive director of the Authority does not
exist, the ex officio seat on the council shall be taken by a
person designated by the Authority. The executive director or the
person appointed by the Authority to take the ex officio seat of
the executive director on the council shall act as chairman of
the council. The Maryland Agricultural Commission shall appoint 5
members of the council. Those produce merchants who are tenants
in the produce market facility in the market shall appoint from
among their number 5 members of the council. The Maryland
Agricultural Commission and the produce merchants shall determine
their respective methods of appointment of members of the
council. Their successors shall be appointed for terms of 1 year
from the date of expiration of their terms of office, except that
any person appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve only for the
unexpired term. Any member of the council is eligible for
reappointment. Compensation may not be paid to members of the
council for performance of their duties, but the Authority may
reimburse them for actual expenses necessarily incurred in the
performance of their duties.

(c) The advisory council shall meet at least annually. All
meetings of the council shall be called by the chairman of the
council by written notice to each member at least 10 days in
advance of the meeting. Five members of the council constitute a
quorum. The ex officio member of the council may not be counted
for purposes of determining the existence of a quorum. Action by
the council shall be by majority vote, each member, excluding the
ex officio member, being entitled to 1 vote. A vacancy in the
council does not impair the right of a quorum to exercise all of
the rights and perform all of the duties of the council. The

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