§ 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.