(A) There is hereby created within the public utilities commission the power siting board, composed of the chairman of the public utilities commission, the director of environmental protection, the director of health, the director of development, the director of natural resources, the director of agriculture, and a representative of the public who shall be an engineer and shall be appointed by the governor, from a list of three nominees submitted to the governor by the office of the consumers' counsel, with the advice and consent of the senate and shall serve for a term of four years. The chairman of the public utilities commission shall be chairman of the board and its chief executive officer. The chairman shall designate one of the voting members of the board to act as vice-chairman who shall possess during the absence or disability of the chairman all of the powers of the chairman. All hearings, studies, and consideration of applications for certificates shall be conducted by the board or representatives of its members. In addition, the board shall include four legislative members who may participate fully in all the board's deliberations and activities except that they shall serve as nonvoting members. The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint one legislative member, and the president of the senate and minority leader of each house shall each appoint one legislative member. Each such legislative leader shall designate an alternate to attend meetings of the board when the regular legislative member he appointed is unable to attend. Each legislative member and alternate shall serve for the duration of the elected term that he is serving at the time of his appointment. A quorum of the board is a majority of its voting members. The representative of the public and, notwithstanding section 101.26 of the Revised Code, legislative members of the board or their designated alternates, when engaged in their duties as members of the board, shall be paid at the per diem rate of step 1, pay range 32, under schedule B of section 124.15 of the Revised Code and shall be reimbursed for the actual and necessary expenses they incur in the discharge of their official duties.

(B) The chairman shall keep a complete record of all proceedings of the board, issue all necessary process, writs, warrants, and notices, keep all books, maps, documents, and papers ordered filed by the board, conduct investigations pursuant to section 4906.07 of the Revised Code, and perform such other duties as the board may prescribe.

(C) The chairman of the public utilities commission may assign or transfer duties among the commission's staff. However, the board's authority to grant certificates under section 4906.10 of the Revised Code shall not be exercised by any officer, employee, or body other than the board itself.

(D) The chairman may call to his assistance, temporarily, any employee of the environmental protection agency, the department of natural resources, the department of agriculture, the department of health, or the department of development, for the purpose of making studies, conducting hearings, investigating applications, or preparing any report required or authorized under this chapter. Such employees shall not receive any additional compensation over that which they receive from the agency by which they are employed, but they shall be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses incurred while working under the direction of the chairman. All contracts for special services are subject to the approval of the chairman.

(E) The board's offices shall be located in those of the public utilities commission.

Effective Date: 10-17-1985 .

Related Legislative Provision: See 129th General AssemblyFile No.39, SB 171, §4 .

Note: The amendment to this section by 129th General AssemblyFile No.10, SB 5, §1 was rejected by voters in the November, 2011 election.