Section 43.11. Powers and duties of the commission

The commission shall
  have the following powers:
    1. To have a seal and alter the same at its pleasure;
    2. To acquire, hold and dispose of personal property for its corporate
  purposes;
    3. To make by-laws for the management and regulation of its affairs;
    4. To appoint an executive officer, officers, agents and employees, to
  prescribe their qualifications and to fix their compensation and to  pay
  the same out of funds of the commission;
    5.  To enter into contracts and leases, and to execute all instruments
  necessary  or  convenient  with  any  person,   firm,   partnership   or
  corporation, either public or private, or the state;
    6.  To  accept  gifts, grants, loans, or contributions from, and enter
  into contracts or other transactions with, the  United  States  and  the
  state  or any commission of either of them, any municipality, any public
  or private corporation, individual or other legal entity, and to use any
  such gifts, grants,  loans  or  contributions  to  advance  any  of  its
  corporate purposes;
    7. To designate the depositories of its money;
    8. To establish and re-establish its fiscal year;
    9.  To prepare an annual report on the conduct of its activities which
  shall include a financial statement for that year and a  work  plan  for
  the next year which may include an estimate of the resources required to
  complete  the  commission's  activities  to be sent to the governor, the
  temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly  and  the
  chair of the Niagara county legislature;
    10. To contract with the state as a not-for-profit corporation;
    11.   To   organize   and  meet  with  a  committee  of  planners  for
  municipalities adjacent to the heritage area regarding regional projects
  and the provision of planning services;
    12. To create advisory committees to advise on  matters  of  interest;
  provided,  however,  there  shall  be  created  at a minimum a citizens'
  advisory  committee  consisting  of  representatives  of  local   civic,
  commercial,  historical,  educational,  recreational,  and  conservation
  organizations; and
    13. To do all things necessary or convenient to carry out its purposes
  and exercise the powers  expressly  given  in  this  article,  including
  implementation  of the management plan; provided, however, that no power
  is provided to the commission to take  property  by  eminent  domain  to
  impose  operating  standards upon any component of the heritage area, or
  to operate any region of the heritage area.
    * NB Repealed April 30, 2013