Such council shall consist of fifteen (15) members to be appointed in the following manner:

(1)  Nine (9) public members shall be appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the senate; one of whom shall be a member of a chamber of commerce within Rhode Island, three (3) of whom shall be people who have experience with relevant not-for-profit groups such as local land trusts or conservation commissions, two (2) of whom shall have experience in environmental law, environmental science or planning, and one of whom shall have experience in communication, public outreach or education; one member shall be the general manager of the water resources board or his or her designee who shall be a subordinate within the water resources board who shall serve as a nonvoting ex officio member; one member shall be the director of the department of environmental management or his or her designee who shall be a subordinate within the department of environmental management; one member shall be the executive director of coastal resources management council or his or her designee who shall be a subordinate within the coastal resources management council who shall serve as a nonvoting ex officio member; one member shall be the director of the department of administration or his or her designee who shall be a subordinate within the department of administration; one member shall be the executive director of the economic development corporation or his or her designee who shall be a subordinate within the economic development corporation who shall serve as a nonvoting ex officio member; and one member shall be the president of the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns or his or her designee who shall serve as a nonvoting ex officio member.

(2)  All duly appointed members as of the passage of this act [April 20, 2006], shall continue as members until the expiration of their term. Upon expiration of the terms of members of the council who were appointed by the governor or the lieutenant governor prior to the effective date of this act [April 20, 2006], new members shall be appointed by the governor as prescribed in subdivision (1). Members shall be appointed during the month of January of each year by the governor and in the event of a vacancy occurring in the council, said vacancy shall be filled in a like manner as the original appointment for the remainder of the unexpired term. Members shall serve until their successors are appointed and qualified. The term of appointed members shall be three (3) years. The members of the council shall be eligible to succeed themselves. The members of the council shall serve without compensation. No one shall be eligible for appointment unless he or she is a resident of this state.