NY Pub Auth L § 2777 (2021)
2021 New York Laws PBA - Public Authorities Article 8 - Miscellaneous Authorities Title 32 - Albany County Airport Authority 2777 - Statement of Legislative Findings and Purpose.

§ 2777. Statement of legislative findings and purpose. The legislature   hereby finds and declares as follows:1. The economic well-being of the state and the general welfare of its   people  require  adequate,  safe,  secure  and  efficient  aviation  and   transportation facilities at a reasonable cost to the people.2. The  strengthening  and  improvement  of  aviation  facilities  and   related  services  is  a  matter  of  vital  importance  not only to the   residents of the capital district but to all the state's  residents  and   is, therefore, a matter of state concern.3.  In  order to insure a healthy economy for such area and to promote   the general welfare of its residents, it  is  necessary  to  expand  and   improve  the  existing aviation facilities and services in Albany county   in such a manner as to stimulate and  promote  increased  local,  state,   national  and  international air travel and commerce through the capital   district.4. The health, welfare, safety and security of the  state's  residents   and  of  those  passengers using air transportation requires coordinated   operation of aviation facilities and services  in  Albany  county  by  a   public benefit airport authority.5.  The  purposes  of  such  authority  shall be: (a) to promote safe,   secure, efficient and economical air transportation  by  preserving  and   enhancing  airport  capacity;  (b)  to  acquire, construct, reconstruct,   continue, develop, equip, expand, improve, maintain, finance and operate   aviation and other related facilities and services within Albany county;   (c) to stimulate and promote economic development,  trade  and  tourism;   (d)  to  form an integral part of a safe and effective nationwide system   of airports to meet the present and future needs  of  civil  aeronautics   and  national  defense  and  to  assure  inclusion  of  the  authority's   facilities  in  state,  national  and  international  programs  for  air   transportation  and  for  airport  or airway capital improvement, all in   accordance with the provisions of this title; and  (e)  to  insure  that   aviation  facilities authorized pursuant to this title shall provide for   the protection and enhancement of the natural resources and the  quality   of the environment of the state and the capital district area.6.  Such  purposes are in all respects public purposes for the benefit   of the people of the state of New York and for which public funds may be   expended and both the county and the authority  in  carrying  out  their   respective  powers  and  duties  under  this title shall be deemed to be   acting  in  a  governmental  capacity.  The  acquisition,  construction,   reconstruction,    development,   expansion,   improvement,   equipping,   operation and maintenance of any project financed or undertaken  by  the   authority  or  the  county  shall  be deemed to be the performance of an   essential governmental function by the authority or the county acting in   its governmental capacity,  whether  such  project  shall  be  owned  or   operated by the authority or by any person or public corporation.7.  It  is  hereby found and declared that it has been and remains the   policy of the  state  of  New  York  to  promote  equal  opportunity  in   employment  for  all persons, without discrimination on account of race,   creed, color, national origin, sex, age, disability or  marital  status,   to  promote  equality of economic opportunity for minority group members   and women, and business enterprises owned by them, and to eradicate  the   effects of private and governmental discrimination which has erected and   continues  to  maintain  barriers  that  unreasonably  impair  access by   minority  and  women-owned  business  enterprises  to   state   contract   opportunities.Recent  reviews and analyses of contracting in New York, including the   study by the division of minority and women's  business  development  of   the  department  of economic development entitled "Opportunity Denied! A    Study  of  Racial  and  Sexual  Discrimination  Related  to   Government   Contracting  in  New  York  State,"  confirm  through direct evidence of   racial and sexual discrimination in and by New York state sufficient  to   justify  race  and sex conscious remedies. For the purpose of furthering   the state's compelling interest in eradicating the effects of racial and   sexual discrimination therefore, it is necessary and proper that article   fifteen-A of the executive law,  concerning  participation  by  minority   group  members  and  women and business enterprises owned by them, shall   apply to the Albany county airport authority.