(a) There shall be a Connecticut Greenways Council which shall be within the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for administrative purposes only. The council shall consist of eleven members, five to be appointed by the Governor, one to be appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, one to be appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, one to be appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one to be appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, one to be appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives and one to be appointed by the minority leader of the Senate. All appointments to the council shall be made on or before October 1, 1995. Three of the members initially appointed by the Governor shall serve a term of two years and two of the members appointed by the Governor shall serve a term of four years. All members appointed by the Governor thereafter shall serve a term of four years. The terms of all members appointed by members of the General Assembly shall be coterminous with the terms of members of the General Assembly. The appointing authority shall fill any vacancy by appointment for the unexpired portion of the term vacated. The chairman of said council shall be selected by the Governor. Members of said council shall receive no compensation for their services on the council. The council shall hold one meeting each quarter and such additional meetings as may be prescribed by council rules. Special meetings may be called by the chairman or by any three members upon delivery of forty-eight hours’ written notice to each member. The council may employ an executive director, exclusive of the provisions of chapter 67, and such additional staff and contractors and consultants as may be necessary to carry out its duties and may share the personnel and resources of the council on environmental quality, within available appropriations. The council may receive aid or contributions from any source, including grants-in-aid from any state agency.

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(b) The duties of the council shall be: (1) To advise and assist in the coordination of state agencies, municipalities, regional planning organizations, as defined in section 4-124i, and private citizens in voluntarily planning and implementing a system of greenways; (2) to operate a greenways help center to advise state agencies, municipalities, regional planning organizations, as defined in section 4-124i, and private citizens in the technical aspects of planning, designing and implementing greenways, including advice on securing state, federal and nongovernmental grants; (3) to establish criteria for designation of greenways; (4) to maintain an inventory of greenways in the state which shall include the location of greenways transportation projects which have received grants under sections 23-101, 32-9qq and 32-328; (5) to advise the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development on the distribution of grants for greenways transportation projects pursuant to sections 32-9qq and 32-328; and (6) to advise the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection on the distribution of grants pursuant to section 23-101.