§ 88-A — Tourism signage task force

§ 88-a. Tourism signage task force. 1. There is hereby established a\ntourism signage task force consisting of the following members:\n (a) the commissioner or his or her designated representative from the\ndepartments of transportation, economic development, environmental\nconservation, agriculture and markets and of the office of parks,\nrecreation and historic preservation;\n (b) the chairperson, or his or her designated representative, of the\nNew York state thruway authority, the adirondack park agency and the\ntourism advisory council;\n (c) a representative of travel and vacation related business and a\nrepresentative of an organization of automobile users and owners\nappointed by the governor.\n 2. The chairman of the task force shall be the commissioner. The\nmembers of the task force may elect a vice chairman, secretary or such\nother officers as it may deem necessary for such terms as its members\nshall determine.\n 3. Members of the board, except for those representing New York state\ndepartments, agencies, authorities or councils, shall serve for a term\nof two years and may be reappointed in the same manner as provided for\ntheir initial appointment.\n 4. A majority of the members of the task force shall constitute a\nquorum for the transaction of any business or the exercise of any power\nor function of the task force. An act, determination, or decision of the\nmembers present and entitled to vote during the presence of a quorum\nshall be held to be the act, determination or decision of the task\nforce.\n 5. The task force shall meet at least quarterly at the call of the\nchairman. Additional meetings may be called by the chairman subject to\nthe giving of one week's notice, and shall be called by him at the\nrequest of a majority of the members of the task force.\n 6. Members of the task force shall receive no compensation for their\nservice as members. Members of the task force representing state\nagencies, departments, authorities or councils shall be compensated for\ntheir actual and necessary expenses by warrant of the comptroller and\nvoucher of their department, agency, authority or council. Members of\nthe task force not representing a state department, agency, authority or\ncouncil shall, under the warrant of the comptroller and voucher of the\ncommissioner, or his duly designated agent, be allowed their necessary\nand actual expenses incurred in the performance of duty.\n 7. The task force shall:\n (a) identify and define responsibilities with respect to the placement\nof tourism related directional and informational signage and promote\ninter-agency cooperation in order to encourage a uniform signage policy.\n (b) advise the commissioner on the development of a uniform and\ncomprehensive state policy on tourism related signage and other\ntraveller information services.\n (c) assist in the development of a working plan for the funding,\nplacement and maintenance of directional and informational signs in\naccordance with an established policy on tourism signage.\n (d) assist and advise on the preparation, publication and distribution\nof a handbook on tourism signage that will identify rules and laws\ngoverning tourism related signage, listing contact points for the public\nto use in soliciting information and to apply for placement of tourism\nrelated signage and identifying costs associated with such directional\nsignage.\n (e) advise and assist in the development of an adequate budget for the\ncommissioner to implement the plan for tourism signage and such other\ninformational services as are necessary to guide the travelling public.\n (f) advise the commissioner on the marking of motor touring trails\ndesignated by statute.\n (g) advise the commissioner on scenic, environmental, traffic safety\nor other concerns which may supersede the implementation of the tourism\nsignage plan and policy.\n (h) review, evaluate and advise the commissioner on conflicts\nassociated with overlapping jurisdiction governing signage, limitations\non the placement of signs, and establishing priority for placement of\nsignage when demand exceeds the available space for directional signage,\nand such other issues which may come to the attention of the task force.\n (i) evaluate and recommend to the commissioner or the legislature\ninitiatives to enhance or facilitate the development of a signage policy\nor plan.\n (j) report on or before January first of each year to the governor,\nthe temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, and\nthe chairman of the appropriate legislative committees on the activities\nof the task force with respect to its functions, powers and duties.\n 8. The task force may request and shall receive from any subdivision,\ndepartment, board, bureau, commission, office, agency, or other\ninstrumentality of the state, or any political subdivision thereof, such\nfacilities, assistance and data as it deems necessary and desirable for\nthe proper execution of its functions, powers and duties hereunder. Any\nexpenses of the task force, including compensation to such personnel as\nmay be employed by the task force, shall be payable out of moneys\notherwise appropriated to the state department of transportation.\n