* 41.05 Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor commission. The commission is hereby established as a not-for-profit corporation. The commission shall be governed by the not-for-profit corporation law except where such law conflicts with this article, in which case the provisions of this article shall govern. The commission shall consist of up to thirteen voting members and seven non-voting ex-officio members. One member each shall be appointed by the governor, the temporary president of the senate, and the speaker of the assembly. Other members shall include the mayor of the city of Buffalo, or his or her designee, a representative of museum studies at the state university of New York College at Buffalo, two representatives of the department of Afro-American studies at the state university of New York at Buffalo, a representative from the Monroe Fordham regional history center at the state university of New York College at Buffalo, a representative from WUFO Studios, and a representative from each board governing the J. Edward Nash House, the Michigan Street Baptist Church, the Langston Hughes Institute, and the Colored Musicians Club. All appointments shall be residents of the city of Buffalo, but the commission has the authority to waive this requirement at its discretion. In addition, seven non-voting members shall serve ex-officio: the secretary of state, the commissioners of the office of parks, recreation and historic preservation, environmental conservation, economic development and education, one member from the congregation of the Michigan Street Baptist Church or their designee and the president of the city of Buffalo's convention and visitor's bureau, or their designees. Appointments to the commission shall be filed with the commissioner who shall convene the first meeting of the commission following the filing of a majority of the appointments. At the initial meeting, the members of the commission shall elect officers.
2. The term of office for appointees shall be four years. Members may serve on the commission until they resign or are replaced. In the event of a vacancy occurring other than by the expiration of a member's term, such vacancy shall be filled for the balance of the unexpired term in the same manner as the original appointment.
3. A majority of the voting members of the commission shall constitute a quorum.
4. The members of the commission shall receive no compensation for their services, but shall be entitled to reimbursement for their expenses actually and necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties.
5. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provisions of law, general, special, or local, no officer or employee of the state or any civil division thereof, shall be deemed to have forfeited or shall forfeit his or her office or employment by reason of his or her acceptance of membership on the commission.
6. Every state agency and public corporation having jurisdiction of land within the heritage corridor shall, to the fullest extent practicable, cooperate and assist the commission in carrying out the provisions of this article.
7. Every local agency relating to the heritage corridor may offer assistance to the commission in carrying out the provisions of this article.
* NB Repealed December 31, 2019
Last modified: February 3, 2019