Article 3. The Mendocino Winegrape And Wine Commission of California Food And Agricultural Code >> Division 22. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 24.5. >> Article 3.

(a) There is in the state government the Mendocino Winegrape and Wine Commission. The commission shall be composed of six producers who are not vintners, four vintners, and one public member.
  (b) The public member and his or her alternate shall be appointed to the commission by the secretary from nominees recommended by the commission.
  (c) The secretary shall be a nonvoting, ex officio member of the commission.

(a) The secretary may require the commission to correct or cease any existing activity or function that is determined by the secretary not to be in the public interest or that is in violation of this chapter.
  (b) If the commission refuses or fails to cease those activities or functions or to make the corrections as required by the secretary, the secretary may, upon written notice, suspend all or a portion of the activities or functions of the commission until the time that the cessation or correction of activities or functions as required by the secretary has been accomplished by the committee.
  (c) Actions of the commission in violation of the written notice are without legal force or effect. The secretary, to the extent feasible, shall issue the written notice prior to the commission entering into any contractual relationship affecting the existing or proposed activities or functions that are the subject of the written notice.
  (d) Upon service of the written notice, the secretary shall notify the commission in writing of the specific acts that the secretary determines are not in the public interest or are in violation of this chapter, his or her reasons for requiring a cessation or correction of specific existing or proposed activities or functions, and recommendations that will make the activities or functions acceptable.

The commission or secretary may bring an action for judicial relief from the secretary's written notice, or from noncompliance by the commission with the written notice, as the case may be, in a court of competent jurisdiction, that may issue a temporary restraining order, permanent injunction, or other applicable relief.

When the secretary is required to concur in a decision of the commission, the secretary shall give his or her response to the commission within 15 working days from notification of the decision. The secretary's response may be a requirement that additional information be provided.

The commission shall reimburse the secretary for all expenditures incurred in carrying out his or her duties and responsibilities pursuant to this chapter. However, a court may, if it finds that the secretary acted arbitrarily or capriciously in restricting the activities or functions of the commission, relieve the commission of the responsibility for payment of the secretary's legal costs with regard to the that action.

Each member, except the ex officio members, shall have an alternate member selected by the member, subject to approval by the commission. An alternate shall, in the absence of the member for whom he or she is an alternate, serve in place of the member and shall have and be able to exercise all the rights, privileges, and powers of the member when serving on the commission. In the event of a change in status making a member ineligible to serve, or due to death, removal, resignation, or disqualification, of a member, the alternate shall act as a member of the commission until a qualified successor is elected or appointed.

Any individual serving as a producer member and his or her alternate member shall be a producer who is not also a vintner, or a management-level employee or representative of a producer who is not also a vintner, who has a financial interest in producing, or causing to be produced, winegrapes for market. The qualifications of producer members and alternate members shall be maintained during the entire term of office. No more than one member and his or her alternate member shall be employed by, represent, or be connected in a proprietary capacity with the same producer. However, producer membership in an agricultural nonprofit cooperative association or trade organization shall not be considered employment or being in a proprietary capacity.

Any individual serving as a vintner member and his or her alternate member shall be a vintner, or a management-level employee or representative of a vintner, who has a financial interest in producing winegrapes for market. The qualifications of vintner members and alternate members shall be maintained during the entire term of office. No more than one member and his or her alternate member shall be employed by, represent, or be connected in a proprietary capacity with the same vintner. However, vintner membership in an agricultural nonprofit cooperative association or trade organization shall not be considered employment or being in a proprietary capacity.

The public member and his or alternate member shall have all the rights, privileges, and powers of any other member of the commission. The public member shall not have any financial interest in the winegrape or wine industries.

The term of office of members and alternate members shall be for two years or until their successors have been elected and have qualified. However, of the first members of the commission, a portion of the producer members and their alternate members, and a portion of the vintner members and their alternate members, shall serve for one year so that the terms shall be staggered. The determination of the term of each member and his or her corresponding alternate member shall be made by lot. The commission may establish term limits for members and alternate members pursuant to procedures established by the commission and concurred in by the secretary.

Not less than six voting members shall constitute a quorum of the commission.

The vote of a majority of the members present at a meeting at which there is a quorum shall constitute an act of the commission.

The commission shall be and is hereby declared and created a corporate body. It shall have the power to sue and be sued, to contract and be contracted with, and to have and possess all of the powers of a corporation. It may adopt a corporate seal. Copies of its proceedings, records, and acts, when authenticated, shall be admissible in evidence in all courts of the state and shall be prima facie evidence of the truth of all statements therein.

The secretary or his or her representatives shall be notified and may attend meetings of the commission and any committee meetings of the commission.

No member or alternate member of the commission, or member of a committee established by the commission who is not a member of the commission, shall receive a salary. Each member of the commission and any alternate member serving in place of his or her member, except ex officio members, and each member of a committee established by the commission who is not a member of the commission, shall receive necessary traveling expenses and meal allowances, as approved by the commission, and may receive an amount not to exceed one hundred dollars ($100) per day, as established by the commission. This amount shall be paid for each day spent in actual attendance at, or in traveling to and from, meetings of the commission or committees of the commission, or on assignment for the commission, as approved by the commission.

All funds received by the assessments levied pursuant to this chapter or otherwise received by the commission shall be deposited in banks that the commission may designate and shall be disbursed by order of the commission through an agent or agents as it may designate. The agent or agents shall be bonded by a fidelity bond, executed by a surety company authorized to transact business in this state, in favor of the commission, in an amount of not less than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000).

(a) The state is not liable for the acts of the commission or its contracts. Payments of all claims arising by reason of the administration of this chapter or acts of the commission are limited to the funds collected by the commission.
  (b) No member, alternate member, or any employee or agent of the commission, is personally liable for the contracts of the commission or for errors in judgment, mistakes, or other acts, either of commission or omission, except for their own individual act of dishonesty or crime. Liability is several and not joint, and no member, alternate member, or any employee or agent of the commission is liable individually for the default, act, or omission of any other member, alternate member, or any employee or agent of the commission.