Terms Used In New York Laws > Public Authorities > Article 1 > Title 1 - Short Title; Definitions

• Appraisal: A determination of property value.
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Cost: means the cost of an approved project, which shall include appraisal, surveying, engineering and architectural services, plans and specifications, consultant and legal services, construction and other direct expenses incident to such project less any federal or state funds, other than those provided pursuant to this article, for such project received or to be received. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 56-0101
• Environmental restoration project: means a project to investigate or to remediate contamination pursuant to title five of this article. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 56-0101
• Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
• Governing body: means :
  
  (a) in the case of a county outside of the city of New York, the county board of supervisors or other elective governing body;
  
  (b) in the case of a city or village, the local legislative body thereof, as the term is defined in the municipal home rule law;
  
  (c) in the case of a town, the town board;
  
  (d) in the case of a school district, the board of education thereof;
  
  (e) in the case of a supervisory district, the board of cooperative educational services thereof;
  
  (f) in the case of a public benefit corporation, the board of directors, members or trustees thereof;
  
  (g) in the case of a public authority, the governing board of directors, members, or trustees thereof;
  
  (h) in the case of a not-for-profit corporation, the board of directors thereof or such other body designated in the certificate of incorporation to manage the corporation; and
  
  (i) in the case of an Indian tribe, any governing body recognized by the United States or the state of New York. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 56-0101
• Heritage area project: means a project undertaken by or through a municipality, public benefit corporation or a not-for-profit corporation identified in a management plan prepared and approved by the commissioner of the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation in accordance with the provisions of § 35. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 56-0101
• Historic preservation project: means a project undertaken by a municipality or a not-for-profit corporation to acquire, improve, restore or rehabilitate property listed on the state or national registers of historic places, including, but not limited to, projects at zoos, botanical gardens, and aquaria, to protect the historic, cultural, archeological, or architectural significance thereof, or undertaken by the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation to improve, restore or rehabilitate state historic properties listed on the state or national registers of historic places to protect the historical, cultural or architectural significance thereof. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 56-0101
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Marine holding tank: means any container aboard any vessel, as defined in § 2 of the navigation law, that is designed and used for the purpose of collecting and storing treated or untreated sewage from marine toilets. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 56-0101
• Municipality: means a local public authority or public benefit corporation, a county, city, town, village, school district, supervisory district, district corporation, improvement district within a county, city, town or village, or Indian nation or tribe recognized by the state or the United States with a reservation wholly or partly within the boundaries of New York state, or any combination thereof. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 56-0101
• Not-for-profit corporation: means a corporation formed pursuant to the not-for-profit corporation law and qualified for tax-exempt status under the federal internal revenue code. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 56-0101
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Office: means the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 56-0101
• Open space land conservation project: means acquisition projects undertaken with willing sellers including, but not limited to, the purchase of conservation easements, undertaken by the commissioner, the commissioner of the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation or by municipalities pursuant to Article 25 of the agriculture and markets law. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 56-0101
• Park project: means a project undertaken by a municipality, state agency, public benefit corporation, public authority, or not-for-profit corporation for the acquisition, development or improvement of parks, preserves, beaches, shorefronts, recreational sites and facilities including construction of structures, roads and parking facilities. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 56-0101
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• State assistance payment: means payment of the state share of the cost of projects authorized by this act to preserve, enhance, restore and improve the quality of the state's environment. See N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law 56-0101