Regional planning councils; creation; membership.

(1) A regional planning council shall be created in each of the several comprehensive planning districts of the state. Only one agency shall exercise the responsibilities granted herein within the geographic boundaries of any one comprehensive planning district.

(2) Membership on the regional planning council shall be as follows:

(a) Representatives appointed by each of the member counties in the geographic area covered by the regional planning council.

(b) Representatives from other member local general-purpose governments in the geographic area covered by the regional planning council.

(c) Representatives appointed by the Governor from the geographic area covered by the regional planning council, including an elected school board member from the geographic area covered by the regional planning council, to be nominated by the Florida School Board Association.

(3) Not less than two-thirds of the representatives serving as voting members on the governing bodies of such regional planning councils shall be elected officials of local general-purpose governments chosen by the cities and counties of the region, provided each county shall have at least one vote. The remaining one-third of the voting members on the governing board shall be appointed by the Governor, to include one elected school board member, subject to confirmation by the Senate, and shall reside in the region. No two appointees of the Governor shall have their places of residence in the same county until each county within the region is represented by a Governor’s appointee to the governing board. Nothing contained in this section shall deny to local governing bodies or the Governor the option of appointing either locally elected officials or lay citizens provided at least two-thirds of the governing body of the regional planning council is composed of locally elected officials.

(4) In addition to voting members appointed pursuant to paragraph (2)(c), the Governor shall appoint the following ex officio nonvoting members to each regional planning council:

(a) A representative of the Department of Transportation.

(b) A representative of the Department of Environmental Protection.

(c) A representative nominated by the Department of Commerce.

(d) A representative of the appropriate water management district or districts.

The Governor may also appoint ex officio nonvoting members representing appropriate metropolitan planning organizations and regional water supply authorities.

(5) Nothing contained in this act shall be construed to mandate municipal government membership or participation in a regional planning council. However, each county shall be a member of the regional planning council created within the comprehensive planning district encompassing the county.

(6) The existing regional planning council in each of the several comprehensive planning districts shall be designated as the regional planning council specified under subsections (1)-(5), provided the council agrees to meet the membership criteria specified therein and is a regional planning council organized under either s. 163.01 or s. 163.02 or ss. 186.501-186.515.