1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to the Metropolitan Airports Commission; 
  1.3             requiring senate confirmation for certain 
  1.4             appointments; providing term limits for certain 
  1.5             members; requiring commissioners to have aviation 
  1.6             experience and knowledge; creating a nominating 
  1.7             committee; modifying a reporting requirement; amending 
  1.8             Minnesota Statutes 2004, sections 473.604, subdivision 
  1.9             1; 473.621, subdivision 1b. 
  1.10  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.11     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 473.604, 
  1.12  subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.13     Subdivision 1.  [COMPOSITION.] (a) The commission consists 
  1.14  of: 
  1.15     (1) the mayor of each of the cities, or a qualified voter 
  1.16  appointed by the mayor, for the term of office as mayor; 
  1.17     (2) eight members, appointed by the governor, one from each 
  1.18  of the following agency districts: 
  1.19     (i) district A, consisting of council districts 1 and 2; 
  1.20     (ii) district B, consisting of council districts 3 and 4; 
  1.21     (iii) district C, consisting of council districts 5 and 6; 
  1.22     (iv) district D, consisting of council districts 7 and 8; 
  1.23     (v) district E, consisting of council districts 9 and 10; 
  1.24     (vi) district F, consisting of council districts 11 and 12; 
  1.25     (vii) district G, consisting of council districts 13 and 
  1.26  14; and 
  1.27     (viii) district H, consisting of council districts 15 and 
  2.1   16. 
  2.2   Each member shall be a resident of the district 
  2.3   represented.  Each member's term expires on September 30, 2005.  
  2.4   The members must be appointed by the governor as follows:  the 
  2.5   terms of the members from districts A, C, E, and G begin on 
  2.6   October 1, 2005, and end on March 14, 2007; the terms of the 
  2.7   members from districts B, D, F, and H begin on October 1, 2005, 
  2.8   and end on March 14, 2009.  The successors of each member must 
  2.9   be appointed to four-year terms.  Before making an appointment, 
  2.10  the governor shall consult with each member of the legislature 
  2.11  from the district for which the member is to be appointed, to 
  2.12  solicit the legislator's recommendation on the appointment; 
  2.13     (3) four members appointed by the governor from outside of 
  2.14  the metropolitan area to reflect fairly the various regions and 
  2.15  interests throughout the state that are affected by the 
  2.16  operation of the commission's major airport and airport system.  
  2.17  Two of these members must be residents of statutory or home rule 
  2.18  charter cities, towns, or counties containing an airport 
  2.19  designated by the commissioner of transportation as a key 
  2.20  airport.  The other two must be residents of statutory or home 
  2.21  rule charter cities, towns, or counties containing an airport 
  2.22  designated by the commissioner of transportation as an 
  2.23  intermediate airport.  Each member's term expires on September 
  2.24  30, 2005.  The members must be appointed by the governor as 
  2.25  follows:  one for a term of one year, one for a term of two 
  2.26  years, one for a term of three years, and one for a term of four 
  2.27  years.  All of the terms start on July 1, 1989 two for terms 
  2.28  beginning on October 1, 2005, and ending on March 14, 2007, and 
  2.29  two for terms beginning on October 1, 2005, and ending on March 
  2.30  14, 2009.  The successors of each member must be appointed to 
  2.31  four-year terms commencing on the first Monday in January of 
  2.32  each fourth year after the expiration of the original term.  
  2.33  Before making an appointment, the governor shall consult each 
  2.34  member of the legislature representing the municipality or 
  2.35  county from which the member is to be appointed, to solicit the 
  2.36  legislator's recommendation on the appointment; and 
  3.1      (4) a chair appointed by the governor for a term of four 
  3.2   years.  The chair may be removed at the pleasure of the governor.
  3.3      (b) Appointments to the commission are subject to the 
  3.4   advice and consent of the senate as provided in section 15.066. 
  3.5      (c) Appointed members of the commission must have 
  3.6   demonstrated aviation experience and knowledge. 
  3.7      (d) The commissioner of transportation shall create a 
  3.8   nominating committee, composed of nine members appointed by the 
  3.9   commissioner.  The nominating committee consists of:  the 
  3.10  director of aeronautics, who is the chair; a representative of a 
  3.11  major airline at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport; a 
  3.12  representative of a major airline union at Minneapolis-St. Paul 
  3.13  International Airport; and a representative of each reliever 
  3.14  airport.  The nominating committee shall oversee the nominating 
  3.15  process for the 12 members of the commission appointed by the 
  3.16  governor.  Following the submission of applications as provided 
  3.17  under section 15.0597, subdivision 5, the nominating committee 
  3.18  shall conduct public meetings, after appropriate notice, to 
  3.19  accept statements from or on behalf of persons who have applied 
  3.20  or been nominated for appointment and to allow consultation with 
  3.21  and secure the advice of the public.  Following the meetings, 
  3.22  the committee shall submit to the governor a list of nominees 
  3.23  for each appointment.  The governor is not required to appoint 
  3.24  from the list.  
  3.25     (e) In addition to the notice required by section 15.0597, 
  3.26  subdivision 4, notice of vacancies and expiration of terms must 
  3.27  be published in newspapers of general circulation in the 
  3.28  metropolitan area and the appropriate districts and in aviation 
  3.29  oriented publications published in the state.  The notices must 
  3.30  describe the appointments process and invite participation and 
  3.31  recommendations on the appointment. 
  3.32     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 473.621, 
  3.33  subdivision 1b, is amended to read: 
  3.34     Subd. 1b.  [ANNUAL REPORT TO LEGISLATURE.] The corporation 
  3.35  shall report to the legislature under section 3.195 and 
  3.36  specifically to the house of representatives and senate 
  4.1   committees with jurisdiction over aviation issues by February 15 
  4.2   of each year concerning operations at Minneapolis-St. Paul 
  4.3   International Airport each airport in the metropolitan airports 
  4.4   system.  The report must include the number of aircraft 
  4.5   operations and passenger enplanements at the airport in the 
  4.6   preceding year, current airport capacity in terms of operations 
  4.7   and passenger enplanements, average length of delay statistics, 
  4.8   and technological developments affecting aviation and their 
  4.9   effect on operations and capacity at the airport.  The report 
  4.10  must include information in all the foregoing categories as it 
  4.11  relates to operations at Wayne County Metropolitan Airport in 
  4.12  Detroit.  The report must compare the number of passenger 
  4.13  enplanements and the number of aircraft operations with the 1993 
  4.14  Metropolitan Airports Commission baseline forecasts of total 
  4.15  passengers and total aircraft operations.  The report must 
  4.16  include the commission's proposed operating and capital budgets, 
  4.17  capital improvement program, and a review of rates and other 
  4.18  charges set by the commission.