(1) Each member of the commission may designate, by an instrument in writing over the member's signature and filed with the commission as a public record, an alternate with full authority to:
(a) Attend, in the absence of the appointing member for any reason, any properly- convened meeting of the commission; and (b) Participate in the consideration of, and voting upon, business and transactions of the commission.
(2) Any designation of an alternate may, at the appointing member's direction:
(a) Be limited upon the face of the appointing instrument to be effective only for a designated meeting or only for specified business;
(b) Be shown on the face of the appointing instrument to be on a continuing basis, but in no case for a period of more than four (4) years, whenever the appointing member is unable to attend;
(c) Be revoked by the appointing member in an instrument of like formality, similarly filed with the secretary as a public record of the commission.
(3) Any party transacting business with the commission or materially affected by the commission shall be entitled to accept and rely upon a joint certificate of the secretary of the commission and any member of the commission concerning the designation of any alternate, the time and scope of designation, and if of a continuing nature, whether the designation has been revoked, and when. The joint certificate shall be made and delivered to the party within a reasonable time after written request is made with acceptable identification of the business or transaction referred and of the requesting party's interest.
(4) Each alternate shall be a person on the staff of the appointing member or shall be in the employ of the appointing member's agency or department of the government of the Commonwealth.