CHAPTER 9
Chuuk Visitor's Bureau
§ 1401. Findings and declaration of policy.
§ 1402. Creation.
§ 1403. Governing body.
§ 1404. Term of office.
§ 1405. Compensation of Board members.
§ 1406. Organization meeting.
§ 1407. Quorum.
§ 1408. Executive Director.
§ 1409. Powers and duties of the Bureau.
§ 1410. Accounts and records.
§ 1411. Annual report.
§ 1412. Transfer of property to the Visitor's Bureau.
The Truk District Chuuk State Legislature finds that tourism is an important developing industry, and has great potential as a source of business and employment opportunities for the residents of the State of Truk Chuuk. It is hereby declared to be the policy of the Truk Chuuk State Government that the development of the tourist industry will be encouraged and in order to provide for the orderly development of this industry and to realize its full potential, it is necessary to utilize Truk Chuuk's tourist oriented business, government, and community leaders in a concerted and
unified manner.
Source: TSL 6-39, § 1, modified.
The Truk Chuuk
Visitor's Bureau, hereinafter referred to as the "Visitor's Bureau," is
hereby created.
Source: TSL 6-39, § 2, modified.
The Visitor's Bureau shall be governed by a Board of Directors, to be composed of nine (9) members, five (5) of whom shall be appointed by the Governor of Truk Chuuk State with the advice and consent of the Truk Chuuk State Legislature, and four (4) of whom shall be appointed by the President and Speaker of the Truk Chuuk State Legislature. Of the nine (9) members appointed by the Governor and the President and the Speaker, five (5) shall be from the private sector tourist-oriented businesses and four (4) shall be selected from among the people of Truk Chuuk State. The Director of the State
Department of Resources and Development shall be the technical staff of
the Board until the Executive Director of the Bureau is appointed by the
Board.
Source: TSL 6-39, § 3, modified.
Term of office for all members of the Board of Directors shall be two (2) years. Vacancies on the Board due to illness, death or resignation shall be filled in the same manner as initially filled, and shall be for the remainder of the unexpired term of the affected member. Any member may be removed from the Board for good cause, as determined by the affirmative votes of five (5) members of the Board, taken during a quorumed meeting of the Board.
Source: TSL 6-39, § 4, modified.
All members of the Board of Directors of the Visitor's Bureau shall be entitled to compensation, or allowance in lieu of compensation, as provided by law for boards and commissions, when actually performing their official duties as members of the Board at the direction of the Board; provided, except that those members who are employees of
the national and state governments and who attend meetings of the Board
during their government regular working hours shall not be entitled to
compensation or allowance other than their respective government
salary.
Source: TSL 6-39, § 5, modified.
Within thirty (30) days after the confirmation of the members of the Board, the State Director of the Department of Resources and Development shall call the first meeting of the Board and preside over that meeting. At the first meeting, the Board shall elect from among its members a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, and a Secretary. The Board may also elect other officers as it shall deem necessary. The Board shall meet at least once every quarter at a time and place to be determined by the Chairman. The Chairman may also call additional meetings of the Board as he shall deem necessary, or upon the petition of five (5) members of the Board.
Source: TSL 6-39, § 6.
Six (6) members of the Board shall constitute a
quorum of the meetings of the Board, and the concurrence of the majority
of the members of the Board shall be necessary for official action of the
Board; provided, a quorum is present during the taking of such action.
The Chairman of the Board shall be the Executive representative of
the Bureau and its certifying officer.
Source: TSL 6-39, § 7.
The day to day activities of the
Bureau shall be supervised and managed by an Executive Director, who shall
be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Board. The Board
shall provide such staff and clerical employees as it deems necessary,
subject to the imitations imposed by law and availability of funds, to
assist the Executive Director in carrying out the functions of the
Bureau.
Source: TSL 6-39, § 8.
The Bureau shall, through the Board
of Directors, have the following powers and duties:
(1) to attract tourists to the islands of Truk Chuuk State;
(2) to conduct programs of advertising publicity and promotion designed to familiarize the traveling public with Truk's Chuuk's diving wrecks, historic significance, sport fishing, cultural and other attractions and increase the number of visitors to Truk Chuuk;
(3) to advise the Governor and the Truk Chuuk State Legislature on the need for expansion and improvement of existing tourist facilities and recommend steps to provide an increasing degree of visitor satisfaction after arrival;
(4) to encourage the investment of private funds for expansion and improvement of tourist facilities in Truk Chuuk;
(5) to operate the Truk Chuuk Ethnographic Exhibition and to establish reception and information booths and other facilities and provide staff for the same to operate on arrival of tourists;
(6) to promote island-wide clean-up, planting and beautification programs;
(7) to prepare information booklets in English, Japanese, and other appropriate languages, for distribution to all incoming visitors;
(8) to study and survey tourist needs and facilities;
(9) to recommend and request acquisition of sites suitable for tourist facilities;
(10) to cooperate with public and private group and organizations;
(11) to coordinate its efforts with departments and agencies of the State and municipal governments;
(12) to employ technical services and any other staff as it may require to effectively promote the functions of the Bureau;
(13)
to obtain membership in any regional or international tourist
organization which will effectively promote the functions of the
Bureau;
(14) to adopt, with the approval of the Governor, such rules and regulations as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this act Chapter; and
(15) to compile such statistics as may be helpful to carry out the purpose of this act Chapter.
Source: TSL 6-39, § 9, modified.
The Truk Chuuk Visitors Bureau shall keep such accounts and records as may be necessary to enable the Truk Chuuk State Legislature to determine whether the provisions of this act Chapter are being complied with. Such accounts shall at all times be available for inspection and audit, as may be determined by the Truk Chuuk State Legislature.
Source: TSL 6-39, § 10, modified.
The Truk Chuuk Visitor's Bureau shall make an annual report to the Governor and the Truk Chuuk State Legislature at the close of each
fiscal year, which shall set forth a summation of its activities, balance
sheets showing all assets, liabilities, and fund equity, and a statement
of revenues, expenditures, and changes in fund balance, and its
recommendations for improvement.
Source: TSL 6-39, § 11, modified.
Upon the effective date of this act Chapter , the following properties shall
be transferred to the Visitor's Bureau:
(1) all supplies, records, statistics, brochures, maps, and other items related to tourism which are owned by the Department of Resources and Development of the State of Truk Chuuk; and
(2) All historic artifacts, handicrafts, photographs, displays, and other items at the Truk Chuuk Ethnographic Exhibition Center which are owned by the State Department of Resources and Development.
Source: TSL 6-39, § 12, modified.