NY Hwy L § 131-J (2021)
2021 New York Laws HAY - Highway Article 6 - County Roads 131-J - Development of Highways and Other Improvements in Certain Counties.

§  131-j.  Development  of  highways and other improvements in certain   counties. 1. The board of supervisors of any county having a  population   of  more than twelve thousand and adjoining a county having a population   of four hundred thousand or more may appoint seven citizens and resident   taxpayers of said county, who when so appointed shall constitute a board   of commissioners under the name and style of "..........................   county planning and development commission," the name of the  county  to   be  inserted  in  the  blank  space.  Two  of  such  commissioners first   appointed shall hold office for a term to expire  December  thirty-first   of  the  year  in  which  they are appointed; three for a term to expire   December thirty-first of the year  next  following  the  year  of  their   appointment;  two  for  a  term  to  expire December thirty-first of the   second year following the year of their appointment; and thereafter each   commissioner shall hold office for a term of three years, such terms  to   expire  December  thirty-first  of  the  third  year. In case any of the   persons so appointed shall not undertake the office of said  commission,   or  in case of vacancy occasioned by the expiration of term of office or   otherwise, such vacancy shall be filled by a majority vote of  the  said   board of supervisors, and the persons so appointed shall hold office for   the  term  of three years from the date of the expiration of the term of   office of the commissioner in whose place he is appointed,  except  that   when  a  person  is  appointed to a vacancy occurring before the term of   office in which the vacancy occurs shall have been completed such person   so appointed shall hold his office for the remainder of  the  said  term   not completed by his predecessor and until another shall be appointed in   his  place.  No member of said commission shall receive any compensation   for his  services  as  commissioner,  but  each  commissioner  shall  be   entitled  to receive his actual disbursements and expenses in performing   the duties of his office.Each commissioner shall before entering upon the duties of his  office   take and subscribe the oath prescribed by the constitution of the state,   which  oath shall be filed in the office of the county clerk.  The clerk   of the board of supervisors of the county shall call a meeting  of  said   commissioners  to be held at the court house within ten days after their   appointment for the purpose of organization.  Such  commissioners  shall   thereupon  proceed to organize and at such meeting, or at any subsequent   meeting, select a president, vice-president,  secretary  and  treasurer,   who  shall,  except  the  secretary,  be members of the commission. Such   commission may adopt a seal and a majority of such  commissioners  shall   constitute  a quorum for the transaction of business. The commisison may   employ such counsel as may be necessary and may also employ experts  and   other assistants and incur such other expenses as may be found necessary   within  the  amounts  appropriated  by  the board of supervisors of said   county, and the disbursements and expenses of the commission within  the   amounts thus appropriated are hereby declared to be a county charge. The   commission  shall  keep  a record of its proceedings which together with   its approved maps, adopted plans, documents and acts shall be  a  public   record  and  be  open  to public inspection at such times and under such   reasonable regulations as  the  commission  shall  determine.  The  said   commission  shall  maintain  a  suitable  office  where its maps, plans,   papers and records shall be kept. And for the purposes of this act  such   commission  is  empowered  to  employ  and  at  pleasure  discharge such   officers and employees as it may deem necessary and may determine  their   duties  and  fix their compensation, to be paid as other county salaries   are paid, provided, however, that the total of such  salaries  shall  be   within  the  amount  appropriated  by  the board of supervisors for that   purpose. 3. The commission shall from time to time and at  least  semi-annually   make a report to the board of supervisors of the work done by it.4.  The  commission  shall from time to time prepare and submit to the   board of supervisors of the county proposed plans  and  suggestions  for   action  by  such  board  of supervisors for the construction of highways   within the county and such plans may show the proposed changes in  width   or  route  of such highways and the location of desirable new trunk line   highways. Such plans  shall  also  show,  so  far  as  practicable,  the   subdivision  of the county into drainage areas and adequate water supply   system and other matters  which  would  tend  to  improve  the  sanitary   conditions of the county.5. The commission shall have the right on behalf of the county to take   in  fee  or  otherwise  by  gift  or devise lands or rights and interest   therein, or to  receive  by  gift,  contribution  or  bequest  money  or   property  to  be  used for any of the improvements as may be approved by   the board of supervisors as herein provided, all of which gifts, devises   or bequests shall be to and in the name of the county, which  is  hereby   authorized  by  and through the commission to accept the same for one or   more of the purposes as in this act provided, or  to  reject  the  same.   All  such moneys so given or bequeathed shall, unless otherwise provided   by the terms of such gift or  bequest,  be  deposited  with  the  county   treasurer  and  be  subject  to  the  order  of the commission as may be   provided by resolution of the board of supervisors.6. The commission on behalf  of  the  county  may  and  it  hereby  is   authorized  to  apply to the proper authorities of the state of New York   for a grant or grants of land under water, adjacent to any  uplands  now   or  hereafter  owned  by  the  county and the land board, or other state   officials authorized to make and execute grants of land under water  for   and  on  behalf  of  the  state  of  New  York shall and they hereby are   authorized and directed to release to the county any and all  rights  of   the  state  therein,  such  grants  to be subject to such conditions and   restrictions as to it or them shall  seem  proper,  but  for  a  nominal   consideration.7.  The  board of supervisors may by resolution passed at any regular,   special or monthly meeting adopt, modify and ratify or reject any  plans   or  suggestions that may be reported to it by said commission and if and   when so adopted, modified and ratified said board of supervisors may  at   the  same  time  estimate the cost of the improvements, or at any one or   more subsequent time or times, and may make additional estimates of  the   cost of such improvements to be made as by such plans or suggestions set   forth,  and  also  the  expenses  of  said  commission  as  the board of   supervisors may by resolution from time to time authorize.8. It shall be the duty of the board of supervisors  to  cause  to  be   raised  annually in each fiscal year by tax upon the taxable property of   said county in the same manner as other taxes are levied and  collected,   a  sufficient  sum  to pay the principal of and interest on any bonds or   notes issued to carry out the provisions of this section. It shall  also   be  the  duty of said board of supervisors in like manner to cause to be   raised annually in each fiscal year a sum sufficient to pay all  charges   and  expenses  legally  chargeable  against  the  county  for  the care,   maintenance and operation of any public improvement created as specified   in this section.