As used in this act:
"Contracting local unit" means a local unit which enters into a contract with another local unit for the construction, maintenance, improvement, acquisition or financing of a flood control facility for its own use;
"Contractor" means a local unit, which enters into a contract with a contracting local unit to construct, maintain, improve, acquire or finance flood control facilities for the contracting local unit;
"Cost" as applied to flood control facilities or extensions or additions thereto, means the cost of construction, reconstruction or maintenance, improvement, the cost of all labor, materials, machinery and equipment, the costs of all lands, property, rights and easements acquired, financing charges, interest on bonds issued to finance a facility prior to, during and after acquisition or construction, the cost of plans and specifications, surveys or estimates of costs and of revenues, the cost of engineering and legal services, and all other expenses necessary or incident to determining the feasibility or practicability of the construction, reconstruction, improvement, or maintenance of a facility, administrative expenses and such other expenses as may be necessary or incident to the construction, maintenance or acquisition of a facility, and the financing herein authorized. Any obligation or expense incurred by a local unit in connection with any of the foregoing items of cost prior to the issuance of bonds or notes as authorized herein may be reimbursed to the local unit out of the proceeds of bonds issued under the provisions of this chapter;
"Department" means the Department of Environmental Protection;
"Flood control facilities" means the dams, drainage ways, structures and other real and personal property acquired, constructed, operated, financed, maintained or improved or to be acquired, constructed, operated, financed, maintained or improved by a local unit for the purposes of flood control, including storage reservoirs, dikes, diversions, dams, spillways, levees, revetments, drains, ditches or channel improvements, such as widening, deepening, straightening, clearing, desnagging, sloping, building and filling in, and other plants, structures, boats, conveyances and other real or personal property and rights therein, and appurtenances necessary for the control of flooding, the preservation of stream flow and the management of surface water and storm water, including any storm sewers, storm drains, drainage facilities, and detention basins, and the dredging or desnagging of any drainage ways;
"General obligation bonds" means general obligations of the local unit which are payable from unlimited ad valorem taxes additionally secured by a pledge of the revenues derived from the assessment of such local improvement charges as may be assessed;
"Local unit" means a county or municipality;
"Parties to the contract" means a contractor and a contracting local unit which have contracted for the construction, maintenance, improvement or acquisition of flood control facilities.
N.J.S. § 40A:27-3