444.520.  Commission, membership, qualifications, terms, compensation, powers — department director, limitation on. — 1.  There is a Missouri mining commission whose domicile for administrative purposes is the department of natural resources.  The commission shall consist of the following eight persons:  the state geologist, the director of the department of conservation, the director of staff of the clean water commission, and five other persons selected from the general public who are residents of Missouri and who shall have an interest in and knowledge of conservation and land reclamation, and one of whom shall in addition have training and experience in surface mining, one of whom shall in addition have training and experience in subsurface mining, but not more than two can have a direct connection with the mining industry.  The five members from the general public shall be appointed by the governor, by and with the advice and consent of the senate.  No more than three of the appointed members shall belong to the same political party.  The three members who serve on the commission by virtue of their office may designate a representative to attend any meetings in their place and exercise all their powers and duties.  All necessary personnel required by the commission shall be selected, employed and discharged by the commission.  The director of the department shall not have the authority to abolish positions.

  2.  The initial term of the appointed members shall be as follows: two members, each from a different political party, shall be appointed for a term of two years, and two members, each from a different political party, shall be appointed for a term of four years.  The governor shall designate the term of office for each person appointed when making the initial appointment.  The terms of their successors shall be for four years.  There is no limitation on the number of terms any appointed member may serve.  The terms of all members shall continue until their successors have been duly appointed and qualified.  If a vacancy occurs in the appointed membership, the governor shall appoint a member for the remaining portion of the unexpired term created by the vacancy.  The governor may remove any appointed member for cause.

  3.  All members of the commission shall serve without compensation for their duties, but shall be reimbursed for necessary travel and other expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties.

  4.  At the first meeting of the commission, which shall be called by the state geologist, and at yearly intervals thereafter, the members shall select from among themselves a chairman and a vice chairman.  The members of the commission shall appoint a qualified director who shall be a full-time employee of the commission and who shall act as its administrative agent.  The commission shall determine the compensation of the director to be payable from appropriations made for that purpose.