N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law § 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.