23-3586.

Hospital authority; hearing; county board; findings; initial trustees; qualifications; terms.

Such petitions, written objections, findings, and recommendations filed as provided in sections 23-3584 and 23-3585, if any, shall be heard by the county board without any unnecessary delay. In making its determination with respect to whether or not a proposed authority should be declared a public corporation of this state, the county board shall ascertain, to its satisfaction, that all of the requirements set forth in the Hospital Authorities Act have been met or complied with. If the county board determines that the formation of such authority will be conducive to the public health, convenience, or welfare, it shall declare the authority a public corporation and body politic of this state and shall declare the trustees nominated, or in case of meritorious objection thereto, other suitable trustees who shall be electors residing within the county in which the authority is situated, to be the board of trustees of the authority to serve until their successors are appointed and qualified. The board of trustees shall not consist of more than eleven members. In arriving at its determination as to who should be appointed to initial membership on the board of trustees of an authority, the county board shall give due consideration to each nominee's general reputation in the community, his or her education and experience in areas such as education, medicine, hospital administration, business management, finance, law, engineering, and other fields which might be of benefit to the authority, his or her background in public service activities, the amount of time and energy that he or she might be expected to be able to devote to the affairs of the authority, and such other factors as the county board may deem relevant. One or more of the trustees initially appointed shall be consumers of health care services as distinguished from providers of health care services. The county board in appointing the initial trustees shall classify such initial trustees so that approximately one-third of their number shall serve for two years, approximately one-third of their number shall serve for four years, and approximately one-third of their number shall serve for six years, their successors to be thereafter appointed for terms of six years each.