Section 224.10-NEW - [Newly enacted section not yet numbered] [Effective 7/15/2024](1) The Kentucky Board of Certification of Water and Wastewater System Operators is hereby established. The board shall recommend qualified applicants to the cabinet for certification and perform other acts as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this section. Members of the board shall be appointed by the Governor. The board shall consist of eight (8) members who shall have professional backgrounds as follows: (a) One (1) employee of a municipality who holds the position of either city manager, city engineer, director of public works, or the equivalent thereof; (b) One (1) member who is a faculty member of a college, university, or professional school whose major field is related to water treatment, water distribution, or wastewater treatment; (c) One (1) ex officio member representing the cabinet; (d) One (1) member who is an operator of an industrial wastewater system; (e) Two (2) members currently employed as operators holding valid water treatment or water distribution certificates; and (f) Two (2) members currently employed as operators holding valid wastewater certificates. (2) After the expiration of the initial appointments, board members shall serve four (4) year terms. The ex officio member representing the cabinet shall serve as executive secretary and treasurer and shall be responsible for maintaining records. The members of the board shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for all actual and necessary expenses incurred while discharging their official duties. At least five (5) members of the board shall constitute a quorum. (3) On or before December 31, 2024, the board, working in conjunction with the Drinking Water Advisory Workgroup and the Clean Water Advisory Workgroup, shall submit to the cabinet recommendations for the establishment of the following voluntary certification programs for supervisors or certified operators of water treatment plants, water distribution systems, public or private sewage systems, or any portions thereof: (a) A voluntary certification program for supervisors of certified operators, which shall be available to any current supervisor or any certified operator interested in taking on a supervisory role at his or her system or plant. Supervisor certifications recommended under this subsection shall be classified by the size, type, and physical characteristics of the systems they supervise, in the same manner as operator certifications; (b) A voluntary shared services certification program for supervisors or certified operators working in, or interested in working in, regionalized systems or plants that serve multiple communities. The voluntary shared services certifications recommended under this subsection shall be classified by the size, type, and physical characteristics of the systems they supervise, in the same manner as operator certifications; and (c) A program or strategy for recruiting applicants to work in the operation of systems or plants who are not currently participating in any apprenticeships or certification programs administered by the cabinet. Added by 2024 Ky. Acts ch. TBD,§ 1, eff. 7/15/2024.