To amend sections 5512.05, 5512.07, and 5512.08 of the Revised Code to revise the membership of the transportation review advisory council.

Section 1. That sections 5512.05, 5512.07, and 5512.08 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:

Sec. 5512.05.  In performing its duty to develop the project selection process, and list of projects, the transportation review advisory council shall conduct no more than six at least one public hearings hearing per year at various locations around the state in each department of transportation district. At the hearings, the council shall accept public comment related to the project selection process, and on the merits of major new transportation projects. Members of the council shall attend the hearings in person.

Sec. 5512.07.  (A) There is hereby created the transportation review advisory council. No member of the general assembly shall be a member of the council. The council shall consist of nine seventeen members, one of whom is the director of transportation, who shall serve as an ex officio member. Six Twelve members shall be appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate. One member of the house of representatives shall be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and one member of the house of representatives shall be appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives. One member of the senate shall be appointed by the president of the senate. In making their appointments, the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the president of the senate shall consult with each other so that of the total number of eight appointed members, at least two are and one member of the senate shall be appointed by the minority leader of the senate. Legislative members of the council shall be nonvoting. Six of the members appointed by the governor shall be affiliated with the major political party not represented by the governor. In making the governor's appointments, Each person appointed by the governor shall appoint persons who reside in a different geographic areas of the state department of transportation district. Within ninety days after June 30, 1997, the governor, speaker, and president shall make the initial appointments to the council.

Appointed members shall have no conflict of interest with the position. For purposes of this section, "conflict of interest" means taking any action that violates any provision of Chapter 102. or 2921. of the Revised Code.

Each of the members the governor appoints shall have experience, within five years of the date of initial appointment, either in the area of transportation or in that of business or economic development.

One such member shall be selected from a list of five names provided by the Ohio public expenditure council.

(B) Of the governor's initial appointments made to the council, one shall be for a term ending one year after June 30, 1997, one shall be for a term ending two years after June 30, 1997, one shall be for a term ending four years after June 30, 1997, and one shall be for a term ending five years after June 30, 1997. Within ninety days after September 16, 1998, the governor shall make two appointments to the council. Of these appointments, one shall be for a term ending June 30, 2001, and one shall be for a term ending June 30, 2002. The speaker's and president's initial appointments made to the council shall be for a term ending three years after June 30, 1997. The governor, speaker, president, and minority leaders shall make the first appointments after the effective date of this amendment so that the members' terms of office begin on the first day of January in the first odd-numbered year after the effective date of this amendment. Members holding office on the effective date of this amendment are not eligible for reappointment, but shall continue in office until the first members appointed after the effective date of this amendment take office, provided the governor may make any interim appointments necessary to fill vacancies on the council. Of the governor's first appointments made to the council after the effective date of this amendment, each appointee who resides in an even-numbered department of transportation district shall be appointed for a four-year term and each appointee who resides in an odd-numbered department of transportation district shall be appointed for a two-year term. Thereafter, all terms of office, including the terms for those persons who are appointed to succeed the persons whose appointments are made within ninety days after September 16, 1998, shall be for five four years, with each term ending on the same day of the same month as did the term that it succeeds last day of December in even-numbered years. Each member shall hold office from the date of appointment until the end of the term for which the member was appointed. Members may be reappointed to not more than two terms of office, provided that a member first appointed to a two-year term is eligible to serve two additional four-year terms. Vacancies shall be filled in the manner provided for original appointments. Any member appointed to fill another member's unexpired term shall hold office for the remainder of that unexpired term. A member shall continue in office subsequent to the expiration of the member's term until the member's successor takes office.

(C) The director of transportation is the chairperson of the council.

Sec. 5512.08.  Members Voting members of the transportation review advisory council, except the director of transportation, shall be compensated at the rate of seven thousand five hundred dollars for service on the council from July 1, 1997, through June 30, 1998, and five thousand dollars for each subsequent year beginning on July 1, 1998. In addition, voting members shall receive necessary travel and other expenses related to their service on the council, except that the combined amount of compensation and expenses paid to any member under this section shall not exceed fifteen thousand dollars in any year. Council members who are members of the general assembly shall serve without compensation.

As used in this section, "year" means the first day of July through the thirtieth day of June.

Section 2. That existing sections 5512.05, 5512.07, and 5512.08 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.