Rhode Island § 45-67-6 - Block Island Utility District Act of 2017

§ 45-67-6. Membership of board of utility commissioners.

(a) The board of utility commissioners shall consist of five (5) members, no less than three (3) of whom shall be residents of the town of New Shoreham as defined by the Revised Ordinances of the town of New Shoreham, Chapter 2, Article I, Section 2-2. A majority of the board shall constitute a quorum and a majority of the members shall be necessary for all actions taken by the board. No vacancy in the membership of the board shall impair the right of a quorum to exercise all the rights and perform all the duties of the board. The initial elected members of the board of utility commissioners shall be elected with staggered terms of two (2) years and four (4) years. The three (3) candidates receiving the most votes will serve four-year (4) terms; the two (2) candidates receiving the next highest number of votes will serve two-year (2) terms. Thereafter, the members of the board of utility commissioners of the utility district shall be elected for a term of four (4) years by ballot of qualified electors.

(b) The election of the initial board of utility commissioners shall be administered by the town of New Shoreham using the list of qualified electors provided by BIPCo.

(c) Each member of the board of utility commissioners shall be a qualified elector. A qualified elector shall be eligible to be a candidate for election to the board; provided, however, that they shall first have filed a declaration of candidacy with the secretary of the board of utility commissioners not later than thirty (30) calendar days prior to the scheduled date of the election through which such person seeks to be elected. In the event of a vacancy occurring on the board of utility commissioners by reason of death, resignation, or other cause, the board itself may select an eligible candidate to fill the vacancy until the next annual election. In the event that an active account is in the name of a corporation or other entity, the designated qualified elector of such an entity shall also be eligible to be a candidate for election to the board.

(d) The board of utility commissioners shall elect each year from among its members:

(1) A chairperson;

(2) A vice chairperson;

(3) A secretary; and

(4) A treasurer.

(e) The board of utility commissioners shall establish and adopt bylaws for the management and conduct of the utility district’s affairs and other aspects of the governance of the utility district not otherwise controlled by this chapter.