For the purposes of this chapter, the words or phrases set forth below shall have the meaning herein indicated, unless another meaning clearly arises from the context:
(a) Mayor.— Is the Chief Executive of the municipal government.
(b) [Municipal] Legislature.— Is the body with legislative duties concerning municipal matters, duly constituted and officially known as “municipal legislature”.
(c) Appropriation.— Is any sum of money authorized by the Legislature [of Puerto Rico], the municipal legislature or the federal government to carry out a specific activity or achieve certain objectives.
(d) Certification.— Is the document proving ownership that substitutes a public deed by virtue of which the conditional transfer of title of the patrimonial real estate of the Department to the municipalities is executed.
(e) Registry certification.— Is the certification issued by the Property Registrar as to the outcome of the contents of the Register (fees and charges on the real property or registered right, the existence of any document introduced and pending evaluation and any other matter included by the Registrar).
(f) Department.— Is the Sports and Recreation Department created by virtue of § 3 of Act No. 126 of June 13, 1980, known as the “Sports and Recreation Department Organic Act”.
(g) Recreational or sports facility.— Is any space or physical area, with or without a structure, that because of its size and daily use mainly serves neighboring communities and is used for recreational purposes or for practicing some sport. This definition includes the expression “patrimonial real estate” as defined in subsection (m) of this section. This definition also includes the definition for “facility” established in § 4001(o) of this title, parf of the Autonomous Municipalities Act; provided that because of its nature, design or use is used for recreational or sports purposes.
(h) Regional facilities.— Are those real properties that because of their size, complexity and daily use serve for conducting activities that attract persons from around the whole Island.
(i) Municipality.— Is the geographical boundary to include all its barrios, with a specific name, that is governed by a local government constituted by a legislative power and an executive power. This furthermore includes the meaning of juridical entity of the local government, subordinate to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and to its laws.
(j) Municipalization.— Is the organized, orderly and effective transfer of ownership of the community sports and recreational facilities of the Department to the municipalities, according to their geographical boundaries.
(k) Ordinance.— Is any legislation duly approved under the municipal jurisdiction of a general or specific nature whose effectiveness is indefinite. This includes the affirmative expression of the municipal legislature accepting the transfer ordered and provided by this chapter.
(l) Municipal or public property.— Is any recreational or sports facility for community use that the municipality acquires by virtue of the transfer of ownership by the Department, as authorized and ordered by this chapter.
(m) Patrimonial community property.— Any facility owned by the Department such as parks, courts, and centers or areas and premises whose nature or use is devoted to recreational or sports activities that are located in the communities and that because of their size or daily use mostly serve the residents of neighboring communities. This definition excludes stadiums, sports complexes or any facility that because of its nature or size is mostly used for regional or national activities.
(n) Secretary.— Is the Secretary of the Sports and Recreation Department created by virtue of § 4 of Act No. 126 of June 13, 1980.
History —Aug. 17, 2001, No. 120, § 2.