§ 961 — Application for empire zone designation

§ 961. Application for empire zone designation. (a) A city, county\n(other than a county located wholly within a city), town or village may\nadopt a local law authorizing such municipal corporation to prepare and\nsubmit an application to the commissioner for designation of an area\ntherein as an empire zone; and the adoption of such a local law by the\nmunicipal corporation within which the proposed empire zone is to be\nlocated shall be a prerequisite to the submission of an application for\nsuch designation. Such local law shall also designate the boundaries of\nsuch area, provided, however, that:\n (i) a town shall not be authorized and empowered to apply for\ndesignation of an area as an empire zone which is located wholly or\npartly within a village unless such action is concurred in by the\ngoverning body of such village, and that a county shall not be\nauthorized and empowered to apply for designation of an area as an\nempire zone unless such action is concurred in by the governing body of\neach city, town or village in which such zone is located; and\n (ii) no application for designation of an area as an empire zone\npursuant to this article shall be accepted unless the applicant\ndemonstrates that it has, to the maximum extent feasible, solicited and\nconsidered the views of residents of the proposed zone, the views of\nstate and local officials elected to represent such residents and the\nlocal private organizations representing such residents.\n (b) Each application shall:\n (i) be prepared in a manner and form prescribed by regulations\npromulgated by the commissioner, and the chief executive of the\napplicant shall ensure that the information contained in such\napplication, to the maximum extent possible, is accurate and complete;\n (ii) include evidence of the adoption of an empire zone development\nplan by the local governing body of the area in which the empire zone is\nto be located;\n (iii) identify the local empire zone certification officer and local\nempire zone administrative board;\n (iv) include a map of the area comprising the proposed empire zone,\nshowing existing streets, highways, waterways, natural boundaries and\nother physical features;\n (v) include evidence that the applicant has, to the maximum extent\nfeasible, solicited and considered the views of residents of the\nproposed empire zone and the local governmental and private\norganizations representing such residents; and\n (vi) include a statement from the private industry council governing\nboard of the service delivery area established under the job training\npartnership act (P.L. 97-300, as amended) that encompasses the proposed\nempire zone setting forth the assistance to be provided and the\nresources to be allocated for the training of residents in the area and\nthe operation of job training programs;\n (vii) include a statement from the industrial development authority\nserving the municipality in which the zone is located and from any other\ndevelopment finance entity supported by public money setting forth the\nassistance to be provided and the resources to be allocated to business\ndevelopment activities in the zone.\n (viii) specify goals and objectives, both short term and long term,\nfor the economic revitalization of the proposed zone;\n (ix) include a description of plans and strategies for providing and\nimproving human resource development services to residents of the area\ncomprising the proposed zone and to employees of businesses within said\narea, and the methods by which performance in implementing said plans\nand strategies will be evaluated;\n (x) identify financial commitments the applicant will make to the zone\nfor activities, including, but not limited to, marketing of the zone for\nbusiness development, human resource services for zone residents and\nbusinesses, and services for small and minority and women-owned\nbusinesses;\n (xi) identify publicly controlled and other developable lands and\nbuildings within the proposed zone which are or could be made available\nfor industrial and commercial development;\n (xii) include a statement from the applicant and local economic\ndevelopment entities, including but not limited to the local development\ncorporation, local development councils, authorities, agencies and all\nother such entities concerned with the economic development of the\nmunicipality; ensuring the complete integration and cooperation of\nresources and services for the purposes of providing essential support\nfor the zone administrator in order for the zone to realize such goals;\n (xiii) include demonstration that there is no viable alternative area\navailable that has existing public sewer or water infrastructure other\nthan the proposed empire zone.\n