§ 15-2303. River improvement districts.\n 1. Bodies corporate which shall consist of and be known as river\nimprovement districts may be created as herein provided to carry out the\npurposes of title 23 of this article on some particular stream or part\nthereof. Such river improvement districts are declared to be public\ncorporations and shall have perpetual existence and the power to\nacquire, hold or sell such real estate or other property as may be\nnecessary, to sue and to be sued, to incur contract liabilities, to\nexercise the right of eminent domain and of assessment and taxation and\nto do all acts and exercise all powers necessary to accomplish the\npurposes of title 23 of this article. Such powers shall be exercised by\nand in the name of the district. The governing body of the district\nshall be the department, unless such district be combined with a river\nregulating district as provided below. Any watershed of the state or any\nintegral part of such watershed may be created into a river improvement\ndistrict pursuant to the provisions of title 23 of this article. The\ndebts, liabilities and obligations incurred by a river improvement\ndistrict shall in no event be construed as debts, liabilities or\nobligations of the State of New York, and neither the department nor any\nmember thereof in his individual capacity shall be liable therefor. Any\nriver improvement districts heretofore formed under the provisions of\nthis chapter are hereby declared to be bodies corporate and all the\nprovisions of this section shall be applicable to such river improvement\ndistricts. The general provisions and definitions appearing in sections\n15-1903 and 15-2101 are also applicable to title 23.\n 2. Any county, city, town or village, or any person or persons owning\nlands situated on, bordering on or near any river or watercourse may\npresent to the department a petition, duly verified, praying for the\nformation of a river improvement district. The petition shall set forth\nthe facts as to the effects on life, health, welfare and property of the\npresent flow of the stream and may state the method whereby the\npetitioners believe that the conditions complained of can be remedied or\nbettered. The department may by rule prescribe the form and nature of\nthe contents of such petition. On receipt of such petition the\ndepartment shall cause the matter to be investigated. The department may\nmake tentative determinations as to remedial measures, what properties\nwould be benefited, the cost of the work and the division of such costs\nbetween public corporations and private owners; or it may find that the\nrelief sought is impracticable or not of sufficient importance to\nwarrant state interference.\n 3. Notice of a hearing shall be given as follows:\n a. The department shall set forth the material in subdivision 2 above\nin a report which shall be filed and notice of such filing, together\nwith the notice of a public hearing thereon, shall be given. If the\nreport is favorable, the notice shall also state that the department\ncontemplates the making of a survey and of an assessment of the costs of\nthe project, the costs of which survey and assessment will be assessed\non the properties and public corporations surveyed or assessed as\nbeneficiaries.\n b. Whenever the department is required to give notice of a hearing or\nof any act performed or contemplated, it shall be given in accordance\nwith the provisions of subdivision 1 of section 15-0903.\n 4. At the hearing the department shall hear testimony and arguments\nwith regard to the proposed project. Thereafter the department shall\ndetermine whether the public health, safety or welfare require the\nformation of the district and shall make a final order with regard\nthereto. Such an order forming a district shall describe the boundaries\nthereof and state the name of the district and shall include orders to\nmake surveys, studies, estimates and assessments. The final order sha
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