Section 1153. Onondaga county water authority

1. A corporation known as
  "Onondaga County Water Authority" is hereby created for the purposes and
  charged with the duties and having the powers provided  in  this  title.
  The  authority  shall  be  a  body  corporate and politic constituting a
  public benefit corporation and shall be  a  "public  district"  for  the
  purposes  of  section  eighty-nine-l of the public service law. It shall
  consist of five members, all of whom shall be residents of  the  county,
  who  shall  be  appointed by the chairman of the board of supervisors of
  Onondaga county subject to confirmation by a majority of  the  board  of
  supervisors of Onondaga county. The first members shall be appointed for
  the following terms from the effective date of this act, as follows: two
  for  a  term  of  three years, two for a term of two years and one for a
  term of one year. Subsequent appointments shall  be  made  in  the  same
  manner  and for terms of three years. All members shall continue to hold
  office until their successors  are  appointed  and  qualify.  The  first
  chairman  shall  be  designated  by the board of supervisors. Subsequent
  chairmen shall be elected annually by  the  members  of  the  authority.
  Vacancies,  occurring  otherwise  than  by expiration of term of office,
  shall be filled by appointments by the  board  of  supervisors  for  the
  unexpired terms. Members of the authority may be removed from office for
  the  same  reasons  and in the same manner as may be provided by law for
  the removal of officers of the county.   The members  of  the  authority
  shall  receive such compensation for their services as shall be fixed by
  the board of supervisors and shall be reimbursed for  all  their  actual
  and  necessary  expense  incurred in connection with the carrying out of
  the purposes of this title. The powers of the authority shall be  vested
  in and be exercised by the members at a meeting duly called and held and
  three members shall constitute a quorum. No action shall be taken except
  pursuant  to the favorable vote of at least three members. The authority
  may delegate to  one  or  more  of  its  members,  officers,  agents  or
  employees such powers and duties as it may deem proper.
    2.  The  authority  and  its  corporate existence shall continue for a
  period of twelve years and thereafter until  all  its  liabilities  have
  been  met  and  its  bonds have been paid in full or such liabilities or
  bonds have otherwise  been  discharged  and  thereupon  all  rights  and
  properties of the authority shall pass to and be vested in the county of
  Onondaga.
    3.  The  officers  of  the  authority  shall  consist of a chairman, a
  vice-chairman and a treasurer, who shall be members  of  the  authority,
  and  a  secretary,  who  need  not  be  a  member  of the authority. The
  vice-chairman,  treasurer  and  secretary  shall  be  appointed  by  the
  authority  and  shall  serve  at  the  pleasure  of  the  authority. The
  authority may appoint and at pleasure remove an attorney and an engineer
  which positions, in addition to the position of secretary, shall  be  in
  the  exempt  class of the civil service and such additional officers and
  employees as it may require for the performance of its duties,  fix  and
  determine  their qualifications, duties and compensation, subject to the
  provisions of the civil service law of the state of New  York  and  such
  rules  as  the  civil  service  commission of the county of Onondaga may
  adopt and make applicable to such public authority.  The  authority  may
  also  from  time  to time contract for expert professional services. The
  treasurer  shall  execute  a  bond,  conditioned   upon   the   faithful
  performance  of  the duties of his office, the amount and sufficiency of
  which shall be approved by the authority and the premium therefor  shall
  be paid by the authority.
    4.  It  is  hereby  determined and declared that the authority and the
  carrying out of its powers, purposes and duties are in all respects  for
  the benefit of the people of the county of Onondaga and the state of New

  York,  for  the  improvement of their health, welfare and prosperity and
  that the said purposes are public purposes and that the authority is and
  will be performing an essential governmental function in the exercise of
  the powers conferred upon it by this title.
    5.  Upon  creation  of  the  authority, from time to time the board of
  supervisors, may, by resolution, appropriate sums of money to defray the
  preliminary expenses of the authority. The moneys so appropriated  shall
  be  repaid  by  the  authority  to the county out of the proceeds of the
  first bond issue of the authority.
    6. Neither the public  service  commission  nor  any  other  board  or
  commission of like character, shall have jurisdiction over the authority
  in  the  management  and  control of its properties or operations or any
  power over the regulation of rates fixed or  charges  collected  by  the
  authority.