(a)  The council may designate qualified United States Bureau of the Census divisions or delineations as enterprise zones upon receiving notice from the appropriate governing authority that the governing authority agrees to:

(1)  Devise and implement a program of police protection within the enterprise zone;

(2)  Give priority to the use in the enterprise zone of any urban development action grant (UDAG), community development block grant (CDBG), economic development administration (EDA) or job training, housing or economic development assistance funds or job training funds received from the federal government;

(3)  Assist the council in certifying employers to be eligible for the benefits of this chapter;

(4)  Promulgate local regulations and ordinances which serve to encourage economic development within the enterprise zone;

(5)  Assist the council in evaluating progress made in any enterprise zone within its jurisdiction; and

(6)  Amend local zoning ordinances or regulations.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 42-64.3-4

  • Governing authority: means the governing body of a state, city or town within which a qualified United States bureau of the census division or delineation lies. See Rhode Island General Laws 42-64.3-3
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • United States: include the several states and the territories of the United States. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-8
  • zone: means an economically distressed United States bureau of the census division or delineation in need of expansion of business and industry, and the creation of jobs, which is designated to be eligible for the benefits of this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 42-64.3-3

(b)  The council may designate five (5) zones per year but shall be limited to designating a total of ten (10) zones in the next three (3) years and this designation shall remain in effect for five (5) years unless redesignated by the council after a request of the appropriate governing authority.

History of Section.
P.L. 1982, ch. 396, § 1; P.L. 1991, ch. 340, § 1; P.L. 1992, ch. 255, § 1; P.L. 1993, ch. 96, § 1; P.L. 1994, ch. 338, § 1; P.L. 2002, ch. 64, § 1.