N.Y. County Law § 252: Powers of county agency

§ 252. Powers of county agency. 1. The agency, as empowered by the

board of supervisors, may assemble data relating to (1) the water

resources available to the county, both within and without, (2) the

number and location of private wells within the county, the contaminants

present in the water supply in the county's private wells, (for the

purposes of this section, "contaminants" shall mean those substances

found in amounts or concentrations which violate federal, state or local

laws, guidelines or rules and regulations relating to drinking water or

which may pose a risk to public health), the extent of contamination of

the water supply in the county's private wells, and the availability of

appropriate treatment technologies for the contaminants found to be

present, or which are reasonably expected to be found, currently or in

the future, in the water supply in the county's private wells, (3) the

sewage collection, conveyance, treatment and disposal problems of the

county, (4) the problems of collection, conveyance and disposal of storm

water and other waters, (5) the problems of the collection and

disposition of garbage, ashes, rubbish and other waste matter within the

county, or (6) any measures reasonably related to lake protection and

rehabilitation, including surveys of sources of degradation, treatment

of aquatic nuisances, and the elimination or alleviation of such

problems and the possibility of developing and utilizing existing

facilities to make them available to the several municipalities and

other political subdivisions within the county, and may employ such

engineering, legal, professional and other assistance as from time to

time may be needed, and may incur such other expenses as may be

necessary within the amounts made available therefor by budget

appropriations. When authorized by the board of supervisors, the agency

may also apply for and expend state aid for comprehensive studies and

reports pursuant to section 17-1901 of the environmental conservation

law and comprehensive water studies and reports pursuant to title

thirteen of article fifteen of the environmental conservation law. Where

the agency has sufficient engineering and technical staff available, the

board of supervisors may authorize the agency to render engineering and

related technical services to municipalities located within the county

pursuant to contract on terms and conditions to be agreed upon by the

agency and the municipality.

2. In the county of Suffolk, the county sewer agency may undertake

such other duties, powers and responsibilities as may from time to time

be approved by or delegated to it by the board of supervisors and when

authorized by the board of supervisors, the county sewer agency, subject

to the prior consent of the "local governing body" within whose

jurisdiction there exists a "sewer system" constructed, operated and

maintained by a sewerage disposal corporation organized pursuant to the

transportation corporations law, may acquire by purchase, gift,

dedication, condemnation or otherwise such "sewer system" from, or all

of the stock of, such "sewerage disposal corporation", and when

authorized by the county board of supervisors may expend county funds

for the acquisition of such "sewer system", and thereafter may operate,

manage and maintain said "sewer system". The terms "local governing

body", "sewer system" and "sewerage disposal corporation" being defined

in article ten of the transportation corporations law. The board of

supervisors may finance in whole or in part, pursuant to the local

finance law, any expenditures made pursuant to this section. Subject to

confirmation by the board of supervisors, the county sewer agency may

impose sewer rents as provided by the general municipal law, provided

that before any such sewer rents are finally established, the county

sewer agency shall hold at least one public hearing thereon. Appeals

may be taken from any rate fixing determination of the county sewer

agency to the board of supervisors. The board of supervisors shall

prescribe the manner of holding such hearings and of taking appeals. The

provisions of section two hundred sixty-six of this chapter shall apply

to the imposition, collection and application of sewer rents by the

county sewer agency hereunder.