A. There is created and established a fire-rescue control board for the new district. The fire-rescue control board of the new district shall consist of members appointed by the council from recommendations made by the rural fire departments. There shall be one member for each participating department who shall be a resident registered voter of the area of responsibility of the department he or she represents. The member may be an officer or director of the department he/she represents. If a municipality has a contract for fire protection services with the fire-rescue commission, it shall also have one representative on the board of fire control.

B. Nominations to the board shall be made within sixty (60) days of notice of a vacancy:

1. In the case of all the rural departments within the county, by the governing body of each department.

2. In the case of any municipal fire department, the fire-rescue commission or a commissioner designated by the fire-rescue commission, shall hold a public meeting within the department’s area of responsibility and receive nominations from any person who is resident of the district. Such nominations as are approved by a majority of the town council, present and voting at such meeting, shall be presented to county council. Notice of the meeting shall be prominently displayed at the main entrance to the department’s office and at the meeting place for fourteen (14) days immediately preceding the meeting and notice shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the department’s area of responsibility once a week for two weeks prior to the meeting. The meeting shall not be held before the fifteenth day after the first such publication.

C. If the Colleton County council should decline to appoint any nominee, the nominating authority shall present a new nominee within sixty (60) days of notice of such action by council.

D. Failure to make a nomination within the time provided shall be deemed a waiver of the right to nominate, and county council may appoint any person qualified pursuant to subsection A of this section.

E. The members of the fire-rescue control board shall be appointed for terms of four years. As departments, if any, are added to the new district, additional membership (one member per department) with terms of four years shall be established. If any department shall cease operating as a participating department, the seat allocated to that department shall cease. Any member whose term expires shall continue to serve in such capacity until such time as his successor is duly appointed and qualified. The members upon being duly appointed and qualified shall take office at which time the terms shall commence and shall expire as indicated upon the certificate of each member. Any member of the fire-rescue control board shall be eligible for reappointment but may serve no more than two consecutive terms. The members of the fire-rescue control board shall serve without pay. In addition to the members appointed by the council, the chairman of the Colleton County fire-rescue commission shall serve as an ex-officio non-voting member of the fire control board.

F. All meetings of the fire-rescue control board shall be subject to the S.C. Freedom of Information Act and any amendment thereto. (Ord. 93-O-17 § 4.01, 1993)