§ 980-N — Cooperative operation and management of business improvement districts

§ 980-n. Cooperative operation and management of business improvement\ndistricts. (a) Whenever two or more municipalities have each created a\nbusiness improvement district pursuant to this article, the\nmunicipalities may enter into, amend, and terminate agreements with each\nother for the operation and management of their respective business\nimprovement districts, in accordance with this article and each district\nplan, on a cooperative basis, provided that the business improvement\ndistricts are contiguous, and provided further that the goals and\nobjectives of the districts are compatible.\n (b) Any such agreement shall be approved by each participating\nmunicipality by a majority vote of its governing board, and may contain\nprovisions relating to the rights and responsibilities of the respective\nmunicipalities, a method for equitably allocating costs and other\nmatters, consistent with this article, as may be reasonably necessary\nand proper to effectuate the cooperative operation and management of the\ndistricts. Nothing herein shall be construed as authorizing the\nparticipating municipalities to issue joint indebtedness and any\nindebtedness which has been heretofore issued by a municipality in\nconnection with a business improvement district shall remain the sole\nresponsibility of the issuing municipality.\n (c) Municipalities which have agreed to operate and manage business\nimprovement districts on a cooperative basis shall either establish a\ndistrict management association for each business improvement district\nas provided in section nine hundred eighty-m of this article, or if\nagreed to by all of the participating municipalities, may establish a\nsingle cooperative district management association. Such cooperative\ndistrict management association shall have the same powers and duties as\nprovided in section nine hundred eighty-m of this article.\n (d) Where a cooperative district management association is\nestablished, the board of directors of such district management\nassociation shall be composed of representatives of owners and tenants\nwithin each district, provided, however, that not less than a majority\nof its members shall represent owners and provided further that tenants\nof commercial space and dwelling units within the districts shall also\nbe represented on the board. The number of such representatives of\nowners and tenants from each district shall be in an equitable\nproportion as determined by agreement of the participating\nmunicipalities. The board shall include, in addition, three members from\neach participating municipality as follows: a member appointed by the\nchief executive officer of each participating municipality; a member\nappointed by the chief financial officer of each participating\nmunicipality; and a member appointed by the legislative body of each\nparticipating municipality.\n (e) Where the municipalities which have agreed to operate and manage\ntheir business improvement districts on a cooperative basis decide to\nterminate their agreement, such cooperative district management\nassociation shall be dissolved, and shall be replaced by separate\ndistrict management associations in accordance with section nine hundred\neighty-m of this article.\n