Section 3-60A-4 - Definitions. - New Mexico Statutes

3-60A-4. Definitions.

As used in the Metropolitan Redevelopment Code [3-60A-1 to 3-60A-13, 3-60A-14 to 3-60A-48 NMSA 1978]:   

A.     "public body" means a municipality, board, commission, authority, district or any other political subdivision or public body of the state;   

B.     "local governing body" means the city council or city commission of a city, the board of trustees of a town or village, the council of an incorporated county or the board of county commissioners of an H class county;   

C.     "mayor" means the mayor or the chairman of the city commission or other officer or body having the duties customarily imposed on the head of a municipality;   

D.     "municipality" means any incorporated city, town or village, whether incorporated under general act, special act or special charter, an incorporated county or an H class county;   

E.     "clerk" means the clerk or other official of the municipality who is the chief custodian of the official records of the municipality;   

F.     "federal government" includes the United States of America or any agency or instrumentality, corporate or otherwise, of the United States;   

G.     "state" means the state of New Mexico;   

H.     "slum area" means an area within the area of operation in which numerous buildings, improvements and structures, whether residential or nonresidential, which, by reason of its dilapidation, deterioration, age, obsolescence or inadequate provision for ventilation, light, air, sanitation or open spaces, high density of population, overcrowding or the existence of conditions that endanger life or property by fire or other causes, is conducive to ill health, transmission of disease, infant mortality, juvenile delinquency or crime and is detrimental to the public health, safety, morals or welfare;   

I.     "blighted area" means an area within the area of operation other than a slum area that, because of the presence of a substantial number of deteriorated or deteriorating structures, predominance of defective or inadequate street layout, faulty lot layout in relation to size, adequacy, accessibility or usefulness, insanitary or unsafe conditions, deterioration of site or other improvements, diversity of ownership, tax or special assessment delinquency exceeding the fair value of the land, defective or unusual conditions of title, improper subdivision or lack of adequate housing facilities in the area or obsolete or impractical planning and platting or an area where a significant number of commercial or mercantile businesses have closed or significantly reduced their operations due to the economic losses or loss of profit due to operating in the area, low levels of commercial or industrial activity or redevelopment or any combination of such factors, substantially impairs or arrests the sound growth and economic health and well-being of a municipality or locale within a municipality or an area that retards the provisions of housing accommodations or constitutes an economic or social burden and is a menace to the public health, safety, morals or welfare in its present condition and use;   

J.     "metropolitan redevelopment project" or "project" means an activity, undertaking or series of activities or undertakings designed to eliminate slums or blighted areas in areas designated as metropolitan redevelopment areas and that conforms to an approved plan for the area for slum clearance and redevelopment, rehabilitation and conservation;   

K.     "slum clearance and redevelopment" means the use of those powers authorized by the Metropolitan Redevelopment Code for the purpose of eliminating slum areas and undertaking activities authorized by the Metropolitan Redevelopment Code to rejuvenate or revitalize those areas so that the conditions that caused those areas to be designated slum areas are eliminated;   

L.     "rehabilitation" or "conservation" means the restoration and renewal of a slum or blighted area or portion thereof in accordance with any approved plan by use of powers granted by the Metropolitan Redevelopment Code;   

M.     "metropolitan redevelopment area" means a slum area or a blighted area or a combination thereof that the local governing body so finds and declares and designates as appropriate for a metropolitan redevelopment project;   

N.     "metropolitan redevelopment plan" means a plan, as it exists from time to time, for one or more metropolitan redevelopment areas or for a metropolitan redevelopment project, which plan shall:   

(1)     seek to eliminate the problems created by a slum area or blighted area;   

(2)     conform to the general plan for the municipality as a whole; and   

(3)     be sufficient to indicate the proposed activities to be carried out in the area, including but not limited to any proposals for land acquisition; proposals for demolition and removal of structures; redevelopment; proposals for improvements, rehabilitation and conservation; zoning and planning changes; land uses, maximum densities, building restrictions and requirements; and the plan's relationship to definite local objectives respecting land uses, improved traffic patterns and controls, public transportation, public utilities, recreational and community facilities, housing facilities, commercial activities or enterprises, industrial or manufacturing use and other public improvements;   

O.     "real property" includes all lands, including improvements and fixtures thereon, and property of any nature appurtenant thereto or used in connection therewith and every estate, interest, right and use, legal or equitable, therein, including terms for years and liens by way of judgment, mortgage or otherwise;   

P.     "bonds" means any bonds, including refunding bonds, notes, interim certificates, certification of indebtedness, debentures, metropolitan redevelopment bonds or other securities evidencing an obligation and issued under the provisions of the Metropolitan Redevelopment Code or other obligations;   

Q.     "obligee" includes any bondholder, agent or trustee for any bondholder or lessor demising to the municipality property used in connection with a metropolitan redevelopment project or any assignee or assignees of such lessor's interest or any part thereof;   

R.     "person" means any individual, firm, partnership, corporation, company, association, joint stock association or body politic or the state or any political subdivision thereof and shall further include any trustee, receiver, assignee or other person acting in a similar representative capacity;   

S.     "area of operation" means the area within the corporate limits of the municipality and the area outside of the corporate limits but within five miles of such limits or otherwise on municipally owned property wherever located, except that it shall not include any area that lies within the territorial boundaries of another municipality unless an ordinance has been adopted by the governing body of the other municipality declaring a need therefor;   

T.     "board" or "commission" means a board, commission, department, division, office, body or other unit of the municipality designated by the local governing body to perform functions authorized by the Metropolitan Redevelopment Code as directed by the local governing body; and   

U.     "public officer" means any person who is in charge of any department or branch of government of the municipality.