37.05 - Mohawk Valley heritage corridor commission.
* § 37.05 Mohawk Valley heritage corridor commission. 1. The Mohawk Valley heritage corridor commission is hereby established to be a body corporate and politic constituting a public benefit corporation and to consist of up to seventeen voting members who shall reside within the heritage corridor. One member each shall be appointed by the chief elected official from each of the counties of Albany, Schenectady, Montgomery, Schoharie, Herkimer, Fulton, Saratoga and Oneida. The legislative body of each city, town and village in such counties may recommend prospective appointees to its respective county. The Capital District Regional Planning Commission and the Oneida/Herkimer Counties Comprehensive Planning Program each may designate a representative to participate as non-voting members of the commission. The remaining nine members shall be appointed as follows: two members shall be appointed by the temporary president of the senate; two members shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly; one member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the senate; one member shall be appointed by the minority leader of the assembly; three members shall be appointed by the governor, at least one of whom shall be the chief elected official of a city, town or village located in whole or in part within the Mohawk Valley area. The commission may increase the number of its members by one, to reach a total of eighteen members, to provide for representation of a Native American Indian nation with federal and/or state legal recognition who resides in the Mohawk Valley. All persons responsible for appointing members of the commission shall be mindful of the importance of assuring adequate representation on the commission of the interests of various municipal entities, conservationists, business owners and operators, tourism promotion agencies, persons engaged in agricultural pursuits, minorities and educators, and persons having an interest and experience with at least one of the four heritage area goals of preservation, recreation, education, and economic development. The commissioner, the commissioner of economic development, the commissioner of agriculture and markets, the commissioner of environmental conservation, the chairman of the New York state thruway authority and canal corporation and other members of the New York state heritage areas advisory council, or their representatives, and the mayors, supervisors or other chief elected officer of any city, town, or village located in whole or part in the Mohawk Valley area may participate in commission meetings as non-voting members and shall receive notice of all commission meetings. Appointment to the commission shall be filed with the commissioner who shall convene the first meeting of the commission following the commissioner's approval of the management plan and the filing of a majority of the appointments. 2. The term of office for appointees shall be four years. Members may serve on the commission until they resign or are replaced. 3. In the event of a vacancy occurring other than by the expiration of a member's term, such vacancy shall be filled for the balance of the unexpired term in the same manner as the original appointment. A majority of the members of the commission shall constitute a quorum. 4. The members of the commission shall receive no compensation for their services, but shall be entitled to reimbursement for their expenses actually and necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties hereunder. 5. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provisions of law, general, special, or local, no officer or employee of the state or any civil division thereof, shall be deemed to have forfeited or shall forfeit his office or employment by reason of his acceptance of membership on the commission.6. At the initial meeting, the commission shall elect officers, who shall serve at its pleasure. 7. The commission shall meet at least once every six months and shall encourage attendance at such meetings of representatives from municipalities and other interested parties. Copies of the minutes of each meeting with the date of the next scheduled meeting shall be made available to interested parties at their request. * NB Repealed April 1, 2013