(1) "Department" means the department of treasury, unless a different department is explicitly identified.

    (2) "Improvement" means 1 or more of the following:

    (a) The construction, improvement, maintenance, and repair of storm or sanitary sewers or combined storm and sanitary sewer systems.

    (b) The construction, improvement, maintenance, and repair of potable and nonpotable water systems.

    (c) The construction, improvement, maintenance, and repair of public roads.

    (d) The acquisition or construction, improvement, and maintenance of public parks, public bicycle paths, and other public recreational facilities, excluding golf courses.

    (e) The construction, improvement, maintenance, and repair of elevated structures for foot travel over roads in the authority district.

    (f) The collection and disposal of garbage and rubbish.

    (g) The construction, improvement, maintenance, and repair of erosion control structures or dikes.

    (h) The planting, maintenance, and removal of trees.

    (i) The installation, improvement, maintenance, and repair of lighting systems.

    (j) The construction, improvement, maintenance, and repair of sidewalks.

    (k) The eradication or control of aquatic plants.

    (l) The construction, improvement, maintenance, and repair of private roads.

    (m) The construction, improvement, maintenance, and repair of waterways, harbors, marinas, seawalls, and channels.

    (n) The construction, installation, improvement, maintenance, and repair of fences, gates, intercommunication systems, and other structures and devices related to security.

    (o) The construction, improvement, maintenance, and repair of structures to control or direct surface water runoff.

    (p) The improvement of land and the construction, improvement, maintenance, equipping, or operation of a building to be used by the authority or for other public purposes, and any necessary or desirable appurtenances to a building to be used by the authority or for other public purposes.

    (q) The reclamation of blighted areas, including the replanting, grading, and restoration of land; the removal of minerals; and the removal of waste that is not hazardous waste as defined in part 111 (hazardous waste management) of the natural resources and environmental protection act, Act No. 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.11101 to 324.11152 of the Michigan Compiled Laws.

    (r) Easements necessary for an improvement under this subsection.

    (s) Demolition of structures and site preparation related to an improvement under this subsection.

    (t) The payment of any operational and administrative costs of the authority including, but not limited to, architectural, engineering, legal, and accounting fees as determined by the authority board and costs under section 37, not otherwise considered to be part of the costs of an improvement under section 18(1).

    (3) "Person" means an individual, partnership, corporation, association, governmental entity, or other legal entity.

    (4) "Record owner" means a person possessed of the most recent fee title or a land contract vendee's interest in real property as shown by the records of the county register of deeds.

    (5) "Statement of approval" means a statement of approval of the establishment of an authority issued by the department pursuant to section 6.