NY Env Conserv L § 44-0105 (2021)
2021 New York Laws ENV - Environmental Conservation Article 44 - Hudson River Valley Greenway 44-0105 - Hudson River Valley Greenway Communities Council.

§ 44-0105. Hudson river valley greenway communities council.1.  The  governor's  council  on  the  Hudson  river  valley is hereby   recreated within the executive department to be the Hudson river  valley   greenway  communities  council.  The council shall consist of a total of   twenty-seven voting members. The governor shall appoint two members, one   of whom shall be the chairperson.  The legislative body  of  each  town,   city or village other than the city of New York which is adjacent to the   Hudson river may forward the names of a recommended council appointee to   the  chief  elected  official of the county in which it is incorporated.   One voting member shall be appointed from among the names  forwarded  by   the  towns, cities and villages by the chief elected official of each of   the ten counties of Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Columbia, Rensselaer,   Albany, Greene, Ulster, Orange and  Rockland,  and  two  voting  members   shall  be  appointed  by  the  mayor  of  the  city  of  New  York after   consultation with the presidents  of  the  boroughs  of  the  Bronx  and   Manhattan.    Two  voting  members  shall  be appointed by the temporary   president of the senate, one of whom must reside in the countryside  and   two  voting  members  shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly,   one of whom must reside in the countryside.  One voting member shall  be   appointed  by  the  minority  leader of the senate and one voting member   shall be  appointed  by  the  minority  leader  of  the  assembly.  Such   appointed  legislative  representatives  may designate a duly authorized   representative to attend council meetings and to act in their place. The   following seven members shall be ex officio members:  the  commissioner,   the  commissioner  of  parks,  recreation and historic preservation, the   secretary  of  state  and  the  commissioners   of   general   services,   transportation,  agriculture  and  markets  and  economic development or   their designated representatives who, to the extent  practicable,  shall   be   residents  of  the  Hudson  valley.  All  persons  responsible  for   appointing members of the council shall be mindful of the importance  of   assuring  adequate  representation  on  the  council of the interests of   various  municipal  entities,  conservationists,  business  owners   and   operators,  persons  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits, minorities and   educators.     Notwithstanding  the   foregoing   provisions   of   this   subdivision,  in the event that there is no vacancy in the membership of   the council and there is no member of the council who is a member of  an   organized  sporting  association, club or society, the membership of the   council  shall  be  increased  to  twenty-eight  voting   members.   The   twenty-eighth  voting  member shall be a representative of the organized   sporting community and shall be selected  from  the  population  of  the   Hudson river valley by a vote of the council.  In the event of a vacancy   occurring  in  the office of any member, such vacancy shall be filled in   the same manner as the original appointment.  The members of the council   shall serve without compensation, except that members shall  be  allowed   their necessary and actual expenses incurred in the performance of their   duties  under  this article.  Any person other than an ex officio member   who serves as a member of the council, shall not serve as  a  member  of   the conservancy.2.  The  council  shall  meet at least once every two months and shall   encourage attendance at such  meetings  of  representatives  from  local   governments  in the greenway 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.3.  Every  state  agency and public corporation having jurisdiction of   land or water within  the  greenway  or  of  programs  relating  to  the   purposes  and  goals  of  this  article  shall,  to  the  fullest extent   practicable, offer full cooperation and assistance  to  the  council  in   carrying out the provisions of this article. 4. Every local agency with programs relating to the greenway may offer   assistance  to  the  council  in  carrying  out  the  provisions of this   article.