Section 72-17-4 - Definitions.
72-17-4. Definitions.
Except where the context otherwise requires, the definitions in this section govern the construction hereof:
A. "act" means the Las Cruces Arroyo Flood Control Act [72-17-1 to 72-17-103 NMSA 1978];
B. "acquisition" or "acquire" means the opening, laying out, establishment, purchase, construction, securing, installation, reconstruction, lease, gift, grant from the federal government, any public body or person, endowment, bequest, devise, condemnation, transfer, assignment, option to purchase, other contract, or other acquirement, or any combination thereof, of facilities, other property, any project, or an interest therein, herein authorized;
C. "authority" means the Las Cruces metropolitan arroyo flood control authority hereby created;
D. "board" means the board of directors of the Las Cruces metropolitan arroyo flood control authority;
E. "chairman" means the chairman of the board and president of the authority;
F. "condemnation" or "condemn" means the acquisition by the exercise of the power of eminent domain of property for any facilities, other property, project, or an interest therein, herein authorized. The authority may exercise in the state the power of eminent domain, either within or without the authority, and in the manner provided by law for the condemnation of private property for public use, may take any property necessary to carry out any of the objects or purposes hereof. In the event the construction of any facility or project herein authorized, or any part thereof, shall make necessary the removal and relocation of any public utilities, whether on private or public right-of-way, the authority shall reimburse the owner of such public utility facility for the expense of such removal and relocation, including the cost of any necessary land or rights in land;
G. "cost," or "cost of the project," or words of similar import, means all or any part designated by the board of the cost of any facilities, project, or interest therein, being acquired, and all or any property, rights, easements, privileges, agreements and franchises deemed by the authority to be necessary or useful and convenient thereof or in connection therewith, which cost, at the option of the board, may include all or any part of the incidental costs pertaining to the project, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, preliminary expenses advanced by any municipality from funds available for use therefor in the making of surveys, preliminary plans, estimates of cost, other preliminaries, the costs of appraising, printing, employing engineers, architects, fiscal agents, attorneys at law, clerical help, other agents or employees, the costs of capitalizing interest or any discount on securities, of inspection, of any administrative, operating and other expenses of the authority prior to the levy and collection of taxes, and of reserves for working capital, operation, maintenance or replacement expenses or for payment or security of principal of or interest on any securities, the costs of making, publishing, posting, mailing and otherwise giving any notice in connection with the project, the taking of options, the issuance of securities, the filing or recordation of instruments, the levy and collection of taxes and installments thereof, the costs of reimbursements by the authority to any public body, the federal government or any person of any moneys theretofore expended for or in connection with any facility or project, and all other expenses necessary or desirable and appertaining to any project, as estimated or otherwise ascertained by the board;
H. "director" means a member of the board;
I. "disposal" or "dispose" means the sale, destruction, razing, loan, lease, gift, grant, transfer, assignment, mortgage, option to sell, other contract or other disposition (or any combination thereof) of facilities, other property, any project, or an interest therein, herein authorized;
J. "engineer" means any engineer in the permanent employ of the authority or any independent competent engineer or firm of such engineers employed by the authority in connection with any facility, property, project or power herein authorized;
K. "equipment" or "equip" means the furnishing of all necessary or desirable, related or appurtenant, facilities, or any combination thereof, appertaining to any facilities, property, project, or interest therein, herein authorized;
L. "facility" means any of the water facilities, sewer facilities, or other property appertaining to the flood control system of the authority;
M. "federal government" means the United States of America, or any agency, instrumentality, or corporation thereof;
N. "federal securities" means the bills, certificates of indebtedness, notes or bonds which are direct obligations of, or the principal and interest of which obligations are unconditionally guaranteed by, the United States of America;
O. "governing body" means the city council, city commission, board of commissioners, board of trustees, board of directors, or other legislative body of the public body proceeding hereunder in which body the legislative powers of the public body are vested;
P. "hereby," "herein," "hereinabove," "hereinafter," "hereinbefore," "hereof," "hereto," and "hereunder" refer to this act and not solely to the particular portion thereof in which such word is used;
Q. "improvement" or "improve" means the extension, widening, lengthening, betterment, alteration, reconstruction, repair or other improvement (or any combination thereof) of facilities, other property, project, or any interest therein, herein authorized;
R. "mailed notice" or notice by "mail" means the giving by the engineer, secretary, or any deputy thereof, as determined by the board, of any designated written or printed notice addressed to the last known owner or owners of each tract of real property in question or other designated person at his or their last known address or addresses, by deposit, at least ten days prior to the designated hearing or other time or event, in the United States mails, postage prepaid, as first class mail. In the absence of fraud, the failure to mail any such notice shall not invalidate any proceedings hereunder. The names and addresses of such property owners shall be obtained from the records of the county assessor or from such other source or sources as the secretary or the engineer deem reliable. Any list of such names and addresses may be revised from time to time, but such a list need not be revised more frequently than at twelve-month intervals. Any mailing of any notice herein required shall be verified by the affidavit or certificate of the engineer, secretary, the deputy, or other person mailing the notice, which verification shall be retained in the records of the authority at least until all taxes and securities appertaining thereto have been paid in full, or any claim is barred by a statute of limitations;
S. "may" is permissive;
T. "municipality" means the city of Las Cruces or any other incorporated city, town or village in the state, whether incorporated or governed under a general act, special legislative act or special charter of any type. "Municipal" pertains thereto;
U. "person" means any human being, association, partnership, firm or corporation, excluding a public body and excluding the federal government;
V. "president" means the president of the authority and the chairman of the board;
W. "project" means any structure, facility, undertaking or system which the authority is herein authorized to acquire, improve, equip, maintain or operate. A project may consist of all kinds of personal and real property. A project shall appertain to the flood control system which the authority is hereby authorized and directed to provide within and without the authority's boundaries;
X. "property" means real property and personal property;
Y. "publication" or "publish" means publication in at least the one newspaper designated as the authority's official newspaper and published in the authority in the English language at least once a week and of general circulation in the authority. Except as herein otherwise specifically provided or necessarily implied, "publication" or "publish" also means publication for at least once a week for three consecutive weeks by three weekly insertions, the first publication being at least fifteen days prior to the designated time or event, unless otherwise so stated. It is not necessary that publication be made on the same day of the week in each of the three calendar weeks, but not less than fourteen days shall intervene between the first publication and the last publication, and publication shall be complete on the day of the last publication. Any publication herein required shall be verified by the affidavit of the publisher and filed with the secretary;
Z. "public body" means the state of New Mexico or any agency, instrumentality, or corporation thereof, or any municipality, school district, other type district, or any other political subdivision of the state, excluding the authority and excluding the federal government;
AA. "qualified elector" means a person qualified to vote in general elections in the state of New Mexico, who is a resident of the authority at the time of any election held under the provisions of this act or at any other time in reference to which the term "qualified elector" is used;
BB. "real property" means:
(1) land, including land under water;
(2) buildings, structures, fixtures and improvements on land;
(3) any property appurtenant to or used in connection with land;
(4) every estate, interest, privilege, easement, franchise and right in land, legal or equitable, including without limiting the generality of the foregoing, rights-of-way, terms for years, and liens, charges or encumbrances by way of judgment, mortgage or otherwise, and the indebtedness secured by such liens;
CC. "secretary" means the secretary of the authority;
DD. "secretary of state" means the secretary of the state of New Mexico;
EE. "securities" means any notes, warrants, bonds, temporary bonds, or interim debentures or other obligations of the authority or any public body appertaining to any project, or interest therein, herein authorized;
FF. "sewer facilities" means any one or more of the various devices used in the collection, channelling, impounding or disposition of storm, flood, or surface drainage waters, including all inlets, collection, drainage or disposal lines, canals, intercepting sewers, outfall sewers, all pumping, power and other equipment and appurtenances, all extensions, improvements, remodeling, additions, and alterations thereof, and any and all rights or interest in such sewer facilities;
GG. "sewer improvement" or "improve any sewer" means the acquisition, reacquisition, improvement, reimprovement, or repair of any storm sewer, or combination storm and sanitary sewer, including but not limited to collecting and intercepting sewer lines or mains, submains, trunks, laterals, outlets, ditches, ventilation stations, pumping facilities, ejector stations, and all other appurtenances and machinery necessary, useful or convenient for the collection, transportation and disposal of storm water;
HH. "shall" is mandatory;
II. "state" means the state of New Mexico, or any agency, instrumentality, or corporation thereof;
JJ. "street" means any street, avenue, boulevard, alley, highway or other public right-of-way used for any vehicular traffic;
KK. "taxes" means general (ad valorem) taxes pertaining to any project herein authorized;
LL. "taxpaying elector" means a qualified elector of the authority who is an owner of real or personal property within the boundaries of the authority, which property is subject to general (ad valorem) taxation at the time of any election held under the provisions of this act or at any other time in reference to which the term "taxpaying elector" is used. A person who is obligated to pay general (ad valorem) taxes under a contract to purchase real property in the authority shall be considered as such an owner. The ownership of any property subject to the payment of a specific ownership tax on a motor vehicle or trailer or of any other excise or property tax other than such general (ad valorem) taxes shall not constitute the ownership of property subject to taxation as herein provided;
MM. "treasurer" means the treasurer of the authority.