Section 2703. Development authority of the north county

1. A corporation
  known as the development  authority  of  the  north  country  is  hereby
  created  for  the public 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. Its
  membership shall consist of  a  board  of  thirteen  members  chosen  as
  follows:  five non-voting members appointed by the governor, one of whom
  shall be upon the recommendation  of  the  temporary  president  of  the
  senate,  and one of whom shall be upon the recommendation of the speaker
  of the assembly; two members, who shall be residents of  the  county  of
  Jefferson,  shall  be  appointed  by  the  board  of supervisors of such
  county; two members, who shall be residents  of  the  county  of  Lewis,
  shall be appointed by the county legislature of such county; two members
  who shall be residents of the county of St. Lawrence, shall be appointed
  by  the county legislature of such county; and two members, who shall be
  residents of the city of Watertown, shall be  appointed  by  the  common
  council  of the city of Watertown. The local governing bodies of each of
  the participating  counties  and  the  city  of  Watertown  shall  adopt
  resolutions  providing  for  the  appointments of such members and shall
  transmit copies of such  resolutions  to  the  governor,  the  temporary
  president  of  the  senate  and  the speaker of the assembly before such
  members take office.  The  first  members  of  the  authority  shall  be
  appointed  for  the  following  terms  from  the effective date of their
  appointment: one member to be appointed by the  county  legislatures  of
  each  of  the  counties  of  Lewis  and  St.  Lawrence,  the two members
  appointed by the governor  upon  the  recommendation  of  the  temporary
  president  of  the senate and the speaker of the assembly and one member
  to be appointed by the common council of the city  of  Watertown  for  a
  term  of  four  years;  one  member  to  be  appointed  by  the board of
  supervisors or county legislature of each  of  the  counties  of  Lewis,
  Jefferson  and St. Lawrence, and three members appointed by the governor
  for a term of two years; one member to be  appointed  by  the  board  of
  supervisors of the county of Jefferson and one member to be appointed by
  the common council of the city of Watertown for a term of two years. The
  voting  members  of  the  authority  shall  choose  from  their number a
  chairman by majority vote of such members then in  office.  Each  member
  shall  continue  in  office  until  such  member's  successor  has  been
  appointed and qualifies. Each appointment following  the  expiration  of
  the  original terms of appointment shall be for a term of four years. In
  the event of a vacancy occurring in the office of any member, other than
  by the expiration of a member's term, such vacancy shall be  filled  for
  the  balance of the unexpired term, if applicable, in the same manner as
  the original appointment.
    2. The powers of the authority shall be vested in the  voting  members
  thereof in office from time to time and a majority of voting members and
  a  majority  of  non-voting  members  shall  constitute  a quorum at any
  meeting of the authority. In cases of a tie  vote,  the  chairman  shall
  cast  an  additional vote. No vacancy in the membership of the authority
  shall impair the right of such members to exercise all  the  rights  and
  perform  all  the  duties  of  the  authority.  Any  action taken by the
  authority under the provisions of this title  may  be  authorized  at  a
  meeting  of  the  authority  by resolution approved by a majority of the
  total number of voting members then in office,  which  resolution  shall
  take  effect immediately, or, unless inconsistent with the provisions of
  article seven of the public officers law, any action may be taken  by  a
  resolution  circulated  or  sent  to each member of the authority, which
  shall take effect at such time as all of  the  voting  members  then  in
  office  shall  have signed an assent to such resolution and such assents

  are filed with the minutes of the proceedings. Any non-voting member who
  serves as an  officer  or  employee  of  the  state,  or  any  political
  subdivision  thereof, shall be entitled to designate a representative to
  attend,  in his or her place, meetings of the board and to act in his or
  her behalf. Written notice of such designation shall be furnished to the
  board by the designating member prior to any  meeting  attended  by  his
  representative.  Any  representative  shall serve at the pleasure of the
  designating member. No representative shall be  authorized  to  delegate
  any  of  his  duties or functions to any other person. The authority may
  delegate by resolution to one or more of its members,  officers,  agents
  and  employees  such  powers  and  duties as the voting members may deem
  proper.
    3. The members of the authority shall serve without  salary  or  other
  compensation  but  each  member  shall  be entitled to reimbursement for
  actual and necessary expenses incurred by such member in the performance
  of the official duties as a member.
    4. Subject to the provisions  of  this  subdivision,  members  of  the
  authority  may  engage  in  private  employment,  or  in a profession or
  business. The members, officers and employees of the authority shall  be
  deemed  to  be  state  officers  or employees and the authority shall be
  deemed to be  a  state  agency  solely  for  the  purposes  of  sections
  seventy-three  and  seventy-four  of  the  public  officers  law,  which
  sections are hereby made applicable to the authority  and  its  members,
  officers and employees.
    5.  Notwithstanding  any  inconsistent provisions of this or any other
  law, general, special or local, no officer or employee of the state,  or
  of  any political subdivision thereof, shall be deemed to have forfeited
  or shall forfeit any public office  or  employment  by  reason  of  such
  person's acceptance of a membership on the authority; provided, however,
  a  member who holds such other public office or employment shall receive
  no additional compensation or allowance for services  rendered  pursuant
  to this title, but shall be entitled to reimbursement for the actual and
  necessary expenses incurred in the performance of such services.
    6.  A member may be removed from office by the board for inefficiency,
  neglect of duty, conflict of interest or misconduct in office after  the
  authority has given such member a copy of the charges against him or her
  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,
  there  shall  be  filed  with  the  chairman of the authority a complete
  statement of the charges made against such member  and  the  finding  of
  such board thereon, together with a complete record of the proceeding.
    7.  The  authority  and  its  corporate existence shall continue until
  terminated by law, provided, however, that no such law shall take effect
  so long as the authority shall have bonds, notes  or  other  obligations
  outstanding,  unless  adequate  provision  has been made for the payment
  thereof. Upon termination of the existence of the authority, all of  the
  rights  and properties of the authority then remaining shall pass to and
  be vested in the counties in accordance with such law.