Section 2608. New York state olympic regional development authority

1.  For
  the  purposes  of effectuating the policy declared in section twenty-six
  hundred six of this title, there is hereby created the "New  York  state
  olympic  regional  development  authority", referred to in this title as
  "the  authority",  which  shall  be  a  body   corporate   and   politic
  constituting  a  public benefit corporation. The authority shall consist
  of  ten  members  who  shall  be  the  commissioner   of   environmental
  conservation,  the  commissioner of commerce, the commissioner of parks,
  recreation and historic preservation and seven persons to  be  appointed
  by  the  governor,  by and with the advice and consent of the senate. Of
  the seven persons appointed by the governor, by and with the advice  and
  consent   of   the   senate,  one  each  shall  be  appointed  upon  the
  recommendation of the temporary president of the senate and the  speaker
  of the assembly.  Three of the persons appointed by the governor, by and
  with  the  advice  and consent of the senate shall be appointed upon the
  recommendation of the town board of the town of North Elba and shall  be
  residents  of  the  park  district.  One of the persons appointed by the
  governor, by and with the advice and consent of the senate, shall  be  a
  resident  of  Warren county. The governor shall appoint a chairman and a
  vice chairman from among any of the members of the  authority  and  such
  chairman  and vice chairman shall serve at the pleasure of the governor,
  provided, however, that the vice chairman  shall  be  appointed  on  the
  recommendation  of  the  town  board  of  North  Elba.  From  among  any
  candidates recommended by the chairman,  the  members  shall  appoint  a
  president/chief executive officer of the authority.
    The  members first appointed by the governor shall be appointed within
  thirty days of the effective date  of  this  title.  The  members  first
  appointed  by  the  governor  upon  the  recommendation of the temporary
  president of the senate and the speaker  of  the  assembly  shall  serve
  terms  of  three  years  respectively from January first next succeeding
  their appointment. The remaining four members  first  appointed  by  the
  governor shall serve terms of one, two, four and five years respectively
  from  January  first next succeeding their appointment. The fifth member
  appointed by the governor shall serve a term of two years  from  January
  first,  next  succeeding  his  or her appointment. Each appointment of a
  member following the expiration of the original terms of the appointment
  shall be for a term of five years. Members shall continue to hold office
  until their successors have been appointed and qualified. In  the  event
  of  a  vacancy  occurring  during the term of a member's appointment, by
  reason  of  death,  resignation,  disqualification  or  otherwise,  such
  vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired term in the same manner as the
  original appointment.
    2.  The  members  of the authority shall not receive a salary or other
  compensation for their services as members of  the  authority  but  each
  member  shall  be  allowed  reimbursement  for  the necessary and actual
  expenses which he or she shall incur in the performance of  his  or  her
  duties under this title.
    3.  The  president/chief executive officer shall serve at the pleasure
  of the members and  shall  be  responsible  for  the  discharge  of  the
  executive  and  administrative  functions  and  exercise of any power or
  function of the authority.
    4. Six members of the authority shall  constitute  a  quorum  for  the
  transaction  of any business or the exercise of any power or function of
  the authority. The authority may delegate to one or more of its members,
  officers, agents and employees, such powers and duties as  it  may  deem
  proper. The commissioner of environmental conservation, the commissioner
  of  commerce,  the  commissioner  of  parks and recreation and any other
  member of the authority who is a full time employee of the state or  who

  holds public office may designate one person from his department or from
  the  public  corporation  in which he holds a public office to represent
  him at all meetings of the authority  from  which  such  member  may  be
  absent.  Any representative so designated shall have the power to attend
  and to vote at any meeting of the authority from  which  the  member  so
  designating  him  is  absent,  with  the same force and effect as if the
  member designating him were present and voting. Such  designation  shall
  be  by  written  notice  filed with the chairman of the authority by the
  member making the designation and shall be for a term  of  one  year  or
  until such representative shall resign or shall no longer be employed by
  the  department  of  which  such  member  making  the  designation is an
  employee or by the public corporation of which such  member  making  the
  designation  holds a public office or until revoked by the person making
  such designation. Such designation shall not  limit  the  power  of  the
  member  making  the  designation  to  attend  and  vote in person at any
  meeting of the authority.
    5. The authority shall  be  a  "state  agency"  for  the  purposes  of
  sections seventy-three and seventy-four of the public officers law.
    6.  Notwithstanding  any  inconsistent provisions of this or any other
  law, general, special or local, no officer or employee of the state,  as
  defined  in  the  public  officers law, or of the park district shall be
  deemed to have forfeited or shall forfeit his office  of  employment  or
  any  benefits  provided  under the retirement and social security law or
  under any public retirement system maintained by the state or any of its
  subdivisions  by  reason  of  his  acceptance  of   membership   on   or
  chairmanship  of  the authority; provided, however, a member or chairman
  who holds such other  public  office  of  employment  shall  receive  no
  additional  compensation  for  services rendered pursuant to this title,
  but shall be entitled to reimbursement  for  his  actual  and  necessary
  expenses incurred in the performance of such services.
    7.  The  governor  may  remove  any member of the authority for cause,
  other  than  the  commissioner  of   environmental   conservation,   the
  commissioner  of  commerce and the commissioner of parks and recreation,
  after giving him a copy of the charges against him and an opportunity to
  be heard, in person or by counsel in his defense, upon not less than ten
  days' notice. If any member shall be so removed, the governor shall file
  in the office of the department of state a complete statement of charges
  made against such member, and his  findings  thereon,  together  with  a
  complete record of the proceedings.
    8.  The principal office of the authority shall be located in the town
  of North Elba.