§ 15-6-103 - Definitions.
15-6-103. Definitions.
As used in this chapter:
(1) "Commission" means the Arkansas Rural Development Commission as established by this chapter;
(2) "Department" means the Department of Rural Services established by this chapter;
(3) "Director" means the chief administrative officer of the Department of Rural Services as established by this chapter;
(4) "Federal agency" means any department, office, council, or agency of the federal government or any public benefit corporation or authority authorized by federal statute;
(5) "Governing body" means:
(A) The city council or board of directors for a city of the first class or a city of the second class;
(B) The town council for an incorporated town; or
(C) The quorum court for a county;
(6) "Local governmental units" or "local agency" means a city of the first class or a city of the second class, an incorporated town, or a county or an office or department thereof;
(7) "Municipality" means any city of the first class, city of the second class, or incorporated town established under the laws of the State of Arkansas;
(8) "Political subdivision" means a county, municipality, and any other unit of local government, including a school district and an improvement district, authorized by law to perform governmental functions;
(9) "Rural area" or "rural community" means all the territory of the State of Arkansas that is not within the outer boundary of any city or town having a population of twenty thousand (20,000) or more according to the latest federal decennial census or within the city's or town's neighboring urbanized areas;
(10) "Rural development and revitalization" means those policies, programs, laws, regulations, or other matters having to do with rural areas, including, but not limited to, economic development, employment, local government services and management, business, agriculture, environment, land use and natural resources, human services and community life, health care, education, transportation, community facilities, and housing;
(11) "State" means the State of Arkansas;
(12) "State agency" means any department, board, commission, office, or agency of the State of Arkansas; and
(13) "Urbanized area" means the areas of dense settlement and suburbanization contiguous to the central city of a metropolitan area.