Section 37.05. Mohawk Valley heritage corridor commission

1. The Mohawk
  Valley heritage corridor commission is hereby established to be  a  body
  corporate  and  politic constituting a public benefit corporation and to
  consist of up to seventeen voting members who shall  reside  within  the
  heritage  corridor.  One  member  each  shall  be appointed by the chief
  elected official from each  of  the  counties  of  Albany,  Schenectady,
  Montgomery,  Schoharie,  Herkimer,  Fulton,  Saratoga  and  Oneida.  The
  legislative body of each city, town and village  in  such  counties  may
  recommend  prospective  appointees to its respective county. The Capital
  District Regional Planning Commission and the  Oneida/Herkimer  Counties
  Comprehensive  Planning  Program  each may designate a representative to
  participate as non-voting members of the commission. The remaining  nine
  members shall be appointed as follows: two members shall be appointed by
  the temporary president of the senate; two members shall be appointed by
  the  speaker  of  the  assembly;  one  member  shall be appointed by the
  minority leader of the senate; one member  shall  be  appointed  by  the
  minority leader of the assembly; three members shall be appointed by the
  governor,  at least one of whom shall be the chief elected official of a
  city, town or village located in whole or  in  part  within  the  Mohawk
  Valley  area.  The  commission may increase the number of its members by
  one, to reach a total of eighteen members, to provide for representation
  of a Native American Indian  nation  with  federal  and/or  state  legal
  recognition  who  resides  in the Mohawk Valley. All persons responsible
  for appointing members  of  the  commission  shall  be  mindful  of  the
  importance  of assuring adequate representation on the commission of the
  interests of  various  municipal  entities,  conservationists,  business
  owners  and  operators,  tourism  promotion agencies, persons engaged in
  agricultural pursuits, minorities and educators, and persons  having  an
  interest  and  experience  with  at  least one of the four heritage area
  goals of preservation, recreation, education, and economic  development.
  The   commissioner,   the  commissioner  of  economic  development,  the
  commissioner  of  agriculture   and   markets,   the   commissioner   of
  environmental  conservation,  the chairman of the New York state thruway
  authority and canal corporation and other members of the New York  state
  heritage  areas  advisory  council,  or  their  representatives, and the
  mayors, supervisors or other chief elected officer of any city, town, or
  village located  in  whole  or  part  in  the  Mohawk  Valley  area  may
  participate  in  commission  meetings  as  non-voting  members and shall
  receive notice of all commission meetings. Appointment to the commission
  shall be filed with the commissioner who shall convene the first meeting
  of  the  commission  following  the  commissioner's  approval   of   the
  management plan and the filing of a majority of the appointments.
    2.  The term of office for appointees shall be four years. Members may
  serve on the commission until they resign or are replaced.
    3. In the event of a vacancy occurring other than by the expiration of
  a member's term, such vacancy shall be filled for  the  balance  of  the
  unexpired  term  in  the  same  manner  as  the  original appointment. A
  majority of the members of the commission shall constitute a quorum.
    4. The members of the commission shall  receive  no  compensation  for
  their  services,  but  shall  be  entitled  to  reimbursement  for their
  expenses actually and necessarily incurred in the performance  of  their
  duties hereunder.
    5.  Notwithstanding  any  inconsistent  provisions  of  law,  general,
  special, or local, no officer or employee of  the  state  or  any  civil
  division thereof, shall be deemed to have forfeited or shall forfeit his
  office  or  employment  by reason of his acceptance of membership on the
  commission.

    6. At the initial meeting, the commission shall  elect  officers,  who
  shall serve at its pleasure.
    7.  The commission shall meet at least once every six months and shall
  encourage  attendance  at  such   meetings   of   representatives   from
  municipalities  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.
    * NB Repealed April 1, 2013