20.05 - Legislative findings and determinations, and statement of purposes.
§ 20.05. Legislative findings and determinations, and statement of purposes. 1. The legislature hereby finds, determines and declares: (a) that cultural institutions in the state promote public interest in and knowledge of the arts and other cultural activities; attract artists and others with creative talents who live in proximity to and perform work related to such institutions; and otherwise vitally contribute to educational, recreational and cultural activities and opportunities of benefit to the people of the state; and that such institutions provide a wealth of specialized educational and cultural activities designed for, among others, students, minority and ethnic populations, senior citizens, the unemployed, consumers and citizens interested in the performing arts; and that it is the sense of the legislature that the contributions of such institutions to the people of New York state have been exceptional; (b) that such institutions are essential to the existence of cultural centers in the state, contribute to the continued existence and growth in the state of industries related to the arts and other cultural activities, attract residents of and visitors to the state, including patrons of the arts, generate substantial tax and other revenues in and for the state, and otherwise vitally contribute to the economy and tax base of the state; (c) that recognizing the importance of and public purpose served by such institutions, the state has appropriated and expended substantial funds for and has otherwise supported and assisted such institutions; (d) that there is a serious shortage of required space and facilities for the continued existence, proper operation and needed growth of such institutions and that there is a serious shortage of required modern equipment, furnishing and installations for the continued existence, proper operation and needed growth of such institutions; (e) that owing to inflation, increases in the cost of energy and other economic forces, operating expenses of many such institutions exceed revenues from endowments and other sources; sufficient funds to pay operating expenses and the costs of needed expansion, improvement and rehabilitation of the space and facilities of such institutions are not available from the state, municipalities or counties in the state or other past sources of such funds; and unless corrective action is taken, the needed expansion, improvement, equipping, furnishing and rehabilitation of the space and facilities of such institutions will not be undertaken and such institutions will be required to invade their endowments and other capital assets to pay operating expenses, thereby endangering the continued existence and operation of such institutions; (f) that a public purpose would be served and the interests of the people of the state would be promoted if the collections, endowments and other capital assets of such institutions were preserved and expanded; if continued operation in the state and needed expansion, improvement and rehabilitation of the space and facilities of such institutions were encouraged; and if action were taken to permit such operation and expansion, improvement and rehabilitation without additional funds from or adverse effects on the tax base of the state, counties or municipalities of the state; (g) that many such institutions own or plan to acquire valuable real property or interests in real property which are unused or underuti- lized, and such institutions are unable properly to develop or otherwise fully to utilize and realize the value of such real property owing in part to lack of expertise and in part to risks to their endowment, collections and other capital assets; (h) that appropriate development and utilization of such real property and interest in real property and the purchase of capital equipment andother personal property would foster continued operation in the state and needed expansion, improvement and rehabilitation of the space and facilities of such institutions without additional funds from or adverse effects on the tax base of the state, counties or municipalities of the state; would help provide suitable housing accommodations, commercial uses and related facilities in proximity to such institutions; and would otherwise promote the interest of the people of the state; (i) that development of suitable housing accommodations, commercial uses, and related facilities compatible with and complementary to such institutions would help to maintain, strengthen and revitalize the areas in which such institutions are located, that such development would encourage such institutions to continue operation in such areas and permit needed expansion, improvement and rehabilitation of the space and facilities of such institutions, and that a public purpose would be served and the interests of the people of the state would be promoted by the development of such accommodations, uses and facilities in combination with the facilities of such institutions; (j) that many not-for-profit cultural organizations are in need of development and/or rehabilitation of sufficient and appropriate space to assure their continued existence and benefit for the people of the state; and that sufficient funds to pay the costs of such needed space and facilities of such organizations are not currently available from the state, counties or municipalities; and that a program which would utilize current resources and bring to bear other possible additional resources for the development and rehabilitation of such space is essential to the continued existence and operation of such organizations and is therefore found by the legislature to be in the public interest; and (k) that based on past experience, the private sector alone will continue to be unable properly to develop such real property and the requirements of such institutions will not be met unless corrective action is taken. 2. The legislature further finds, determines and declares that a public purpose would be served and the interests of the people of the state would be promoted by appropriate development of unused and underutilized real property and interests in real property of such institutions; that appropriate development of such real property includes construction of cultural facilities and of combined-use facilities consisting of institutional portions (including the expansion, improvement or rehabilitation of the space and facilities of such institutions) and non-institutional portions (including suitable housing accommodations, related facilities and other lawful uses compatible with uses of institutional portions of such facilities and embodying architectural and design characteristics acceptable to such institutions); and that construction of cultural facilities and of combined-use facilities often provides the only economically feasible method for utilizing such real property for needed expansion, improvement and rehabilitation of the space and facilities of such institutions. 3. The legislature further finds, determines and declares that a public purpose would be served and the interests of the people of the state would be promoted by the creation pursuant to this article of public benefit corporations, known as trusts for cultural resources, to provide for the appropriate development of unused and underutilized real property and interests in real property of such institutions and for the construction, equipping and furnishing of combined-use facilities, and of cultural facilities in accordance with this article; that it is necessary to grant to trusts for cultural resources the powers, rightsand duties provided by this article which include the delegation of part of the sovereign power of the state; that the creation of trusts for cultural resources, the exercise of such powers and rights, the performance of such duties, and the carrying out of the purposes of trusts for cultural resources are in all respects for the benefit of the people of the state and are and will serve a public purpose; and that in the exercise of such powers and rights, the performance of such duties and the carrying out of such purposes, trusts for cultural resources created under this article will be performing an essential public and governmental function.