Except where the context otherwise requires, as used in the Solid Waste Authority Act:

A. “acquisition” or “acquire” means the opening, laying out, establishment, purchase, construction, securing, installation, reconstruction, lease, gift, grant from the federal government, any public body or person, endowment, bequest, devise, condemnation, transfer, assignment, option to purchase, other contract or other acquirement, or any combination thereof, of facilities, other property, any project or an interest therein authorized by the Solid Waste Authority Act;

B. “authority” means the solid waste authority;

C. “board” means the board of directors of the authority;

D. “chairman” means the chairman of the board and president of the authority;

E. “condemnation” or “condemn” means the acquisition by the exercise of the power of eminent domain of property for any facilities, other property, project or an interest therein authorized by the Solid Waste Authority Act. The authority may exercise in the state the power of eminent domain, either within or without the authority and, in the manner provided by law for the condemnation of private property for public use, may take any property necessary to carry out any of the objects or purposes of that act. In the event the construction of any facility or project authorized by that act, or any part thereof, makes necessary the removal and relocation of any public utilities, whether on private or public right of way, the authority shall reimburse the owner of the public utility facility for the expense of removal and relocation, including the cost of any necessary land or rights in land;

F. “cost” or “cost of the project” means all, or any part designated by the board, of the cost of any facilities, project or interest therein being acquired and of all or any property, rights, easements, privileges, agreements and franchises deemed by the authority to be necessary or useful and convenient therefor or in connection therewith, which cost, at the option of the board, may include all or any part of the incidental costs pertaining to the project, including without limiting the generality of the foregoing, preliminary expenses advanced by any municipality, county or other public body from funds available for use therefor in the making of surveys, preliminary plans, estimates of cost, other preliminaries, the costs of appraising, printing, employing engineers, architects, fiscal agents, attorneys at law, clerical help, other agents or employees, the costs of capitalizing interest or any discount on securities, of inspection, of any administrative, operating and other expenses of the authority prior to the levy and collection of taxes, and of reserves for working capital, operation, maintenance or replacement expenses or for payment or security of principal of or interest on any securities, the costs of making, publishing, posting, mailing and otherwise giving any notice in connection with the project, the taking of options, the issuance of securities, the filing or recordation of instruments, the levy and collection of taxes and installments thereof, the costs of reimbursements by the authority to any public body, the federal government or any person of any money theretofore expended for or in connection with any facility or project and all other expenses necessary or desirable and appertaining to any project, as estimated or otherwise ascertained by the board;

G. “director” means a member of the board;

H. “disposal” or “dispose” means the sale, destruction, razing, loan, lease, gift, grant, transfer, assignment, mortgage, option to sell, other contract or other disposition, or any combination thereof, of facilities, other property, any project or an interest therein authorized by the Solid Waste Authority Act;

I. “engineer” means any engineer in the permanent employ of the authority or any independent competent engineer or firm of such engineers employed by the authority in connection with any facility, property, project or power authorized by the Solid Waste Authority Act;

J. “equipment” or “equip” means the furnishing of all necessary or desirable, related or appurtenant, facilities, or any combination thereof, appertaining to any facilities, property, project or interest therein authorized by the Solid Waste Authority Act;

K. “facility” means any of the solid waste facilities or other property appertaining to the solid waste system of the authority;

L. “federal government” means the United States or any agency, instrumentality or corporation thereof;

M. “federal securities” means the bills, certificates of indebtedness, notes or bonds that are direct obligations of, or the principal and interest of which obligations are unconditionally guaranteed by, the United States;

N. “governing body” means the city council, city commission, board of county commissioners, board of trustees, board of directors or other legislative body of the public body proceeding under the Solid Waste Authority Act, in which body the legislative powers of the public body are vested;

O. “improvement” or “improve” means the extension, widening, lengthening, betterment, alteration, reconstruction, repair or other improvement, or any combination thereof of facilities, other property, project or any interest therein authorized by the Solid Waste Authority Act;

P. “municipality” means any incorporated city, town or village in the state, whether incorporated or governed under a general act, special legislative act or special charter of any type. “Municipal” pertains to municipality;

Q. “person” means any human being, association, partnership, firm or corporation, excluding a public body and excluding the federal government;

R. “president” means the president of the authority and the chairman of the board; S. “project” means any structure, facility, undertaking or system that the authority is authorized to acquire, improve, equip, maintain or operate. A project may consist of all kinds of personal and real property. A project shall appertain to the solid waste system that the authority is authorized and directed to provide within and without the authority’s boundaries;

T. “property” means real property and personal property;

U. “publication” or “publish” means publication in at least the one newspaper designated as the authority’s official newspaper and published in the authority in the English language at least once a week and of general circulation in the authority. Except as otherwise specifically provided or necessarily implied, “publication” or “publish” also means publication for at least once a week for three consecutive weeks by three weekly insertions, the first publication being at least fifteen days prior to the designated time or event, unless otherwise so stated. It is not necessary that publication be made on the same day of the week in each of the three calendar weeks, but not less than fourteen days shall intervene between the first publication and the last publication, and publication shall be complete on the day of the last publication. Any publication required shall be verified by the affidavit of the publisher and filed with the secretary;

V. “public body” means the state or any agency, instrumentality or corporation thereof or any municipality, county, school district, other type district or any other political subdivision of the state, excluding the authority and excluding the federal government;

W. “qualified elector” means a person qualified to vote in general elections in the state, who is a resident of the authority at the time of any election held under the provisions of the Solid Waste Authority Act or at any other time in reference to which the term “qualified elector” is used;

X. “real property” means:

(1)     land, including land under water;

(2)     buildings, structures, fixtures and improvements on land;

(3)     any property appurtenant to or used in connection with land; and

(4)     every estate, interest, privilege, easement, franchise and right in land, legal or equitable, including without limiting the generality of the foregoing, rights of way, terms for years and liens, charges or encumbrances by way of judgment, mortgage or otherwise and the indebtedness secured by such liens;

Y. “secretary” means the secretary of the authority;

Z. “secretary of state” means the secretary of the state of New Mexico;

AA.         “securities” means any notes, warrants, bonds, temporary bonds or interim debentures or other obligations of the authority or any public body appertaining to any project or interest therein authorized by the Solid Waste Authority Act;

BB.         “state” means the state of New Mexico or any agency, instrumentality or corporation thereof;

CC.         “street” means any street, avenue, boulevard, alley, highway or other public right of way used for any vehicular traffic;

DD.         “taxes” means general ad valorem taxes pertaining to any project authorized by the Solid Waste Authority Act; and

EE.         “treasurer” means the treasurer of the authority.