In order to enhance public participation and involvement in the identification and interpretation of subjects relating to the history and culture of Florida, there is created the “State Historical Marker Council.”(1) The council shall consist of three members who represent different areas of the state, are appointed by the Secretary of State, and are qualified through the demonstration of special interest, experience, or education in interpretation of the state’s history and historical properties. Each member shall have professional training and experience in one or more of the following fields: history, historic preservation, architecture, architectural history, or archaeology.
(2) Members shall be appointed for 2-year terms, except for an appointment to fill an unexpired term, in which event the appointment shall be for the remainder of the unexpired term only. No person shall serve more than two consecutive terms on the council.
(3) The director of the division or his or her designee shall serve without voting rights as secretary to the council. The division shall provide necessary staff assistance to the council.
(4) The council shall meet at the request of the division or at the request of a majority of its membership to carry out its responsibilities, however, the council need not convene a meeting but may give advice by means of written or telephonic communication. Members shall serve without pay, but shall be entitled to reimbursement for their expenses in carrying out their official duties, as provided in s. 112.061. (5) It shall be the responsibility of the council to provide assistance, advice, and recommendations to the division in evaluating proposals for Official Florida Historical Markers and identifying goals for the State Historical Marker Program. The process of evaluation shall seek to establish the significance of the subject proposed for a marker, but neither the division nor the council shall make proposal or evaluation requirements so complex or onerous as to preclude private citizens from directly submitting proposals without professional assistance.
