OAR 669-030-0020: Qualifications of Commissioners

(1) For purposes of this rule: (a) A "producer" is a person growing or producing within this state or procuring within the state, its rivers or the offshore waters, but not the Columbia River, for commercial handling within the state, a commodity for market, or receiving a share thereof as landowner, landlord, tenant, sharecropper, boat skipper or otherwise. A producer must have paid the commission assessment on the commodity in each of the preceding three calendar years. (b) A "handler" is any producer, processor, distributor or other person engaged in handling or marketing of or dealing in the commodity, whether as owner, agent, employee, broker or otherwise. A handler must have collected the commission assessment, if any, each of the preceding three calendar years. (2) Members of the Sweet Cherry Commission will have the following qualifications, which will continue during the term of office of the member: (a) One member of the commission will be a member of the public (Position M1) with an active interest in the positive economic development, production and/or marketing of the commodity, but who is not associated with the production or handling of sweet cherries; (b) A majority of the members will be producers; (c) At least one member will be a handler; (d) All members who are not a handler or the public member will be producers. (3) In addition to the qualifications set forth in subsection (2) of this rule, the number of commissioners from each of the following regions will be: (a) Two (2) producers from Western Oregon (all areas west of the Cascade Mountains); (Producer Positions P1 & P2); (b) Four (4) producers from the Columbia River area (Wasco and Hood River Counties); (Producer Positions P3 through P6); (c) Two (2) producers from Oregon at-large; (Producer Positions P7 & P8); (d) Two (2) handlers (one brine processor and one fresh handler); (Handler Positions H1 & H2); (e) Producer position 9 (P9) representing Eastern Oregon is eliminated with the effective date June 30, 2018. (4) Notwithstanding subsection (3) of this section, if following reasonable efforts to recruit a member from a particular region, a position remains vacant for more than one meeting, or two months, a person may be appointed at-large and may reside anywhere within the State of Oregon. Once that person’s term expires and he or she is not reappointed, the position will again be subject to the geographic qualification requirements of subsection (3) of this section.