§ 980-n. Cooperative operation and management of business improvement
districts. (a) Whenever two or more municipalities have each created a
business improvement district pursuant to this article, the
municipalities may enter into, amend, and terminate agreements with each
other for the operation and management of their respective business
improvement districts, in accordance with this article and each district
plan, on a cooperative basis, provided that the business improvement
districts are contiguous, and provided further that the goals and
objectives of the districts are compatible.

(b) Any such agreement shall be approved by each participating
municipality by a majority vote of its governing board, and may contain
provisions relating to the rights and responsibilities of the respective
municipalities, a method for equitably allocating costs and other
matters, consistent with this article, as may be reasonably necessary
and proper to effectuate the cooperative operation and management of the
districts. Nothing herein shall be construed as authorizing the
participating municipalities to issue joint indebtedness and any
indebtedness which has been heretofore issued by a municipality in
connection with a business improvement district shall remain the sole
responsibility of the issuing municipality.

(c) Municipalities which have agreed to operate and manage business
improvement districts on a cooperative basis shall either establish a
district management association for each business improvement district
as provided in section nine hundred eighty-m of this article, or if
agreed to by all of the participating municipalities, may establish a
single cooperative district management association. Such cooperative
district management association shall have the same powers and duties as
provided in section nine hundred eighty-m of this article.

(d) Where a cooperative district management association is
established, the board of directors of such district management
association shall be composed of representatives of owners and tenants
within each district, provided, however, that not less than a majority
of its members shall represent owners and provided further that tenants
of commercial space and dwelling units within the districts shall also
be represented on the board. The number of such representatives of
owners and tenants from each district shall be in an equitable
proportion as determined by agreement of the participating
municipalities. The board shall include, in addition, three members from
each participating municipality as follows: a member appointed by the
chief executive officer of each participating municipality; a member
appointed by the chief financial officer of each participating
municipality; and a member appointed by the legislative body of each
participating municipality.

(e) Where the municipalities which have agreed to operate and manage
their business improvement districts on a cooperative basis decide to
terminate their agreement, such cooperative district management
association shall be dissolved, and shall be replaced by separate
district management associations in accordance with section nine hundred
eighty-m of this article.