As used in this part 36, unless the context otherwise requires:

1. (1) Department means the department of local affairs.
2. (2) Executive director means the executive director of the department or the executive director's designee.

3. (3)

   1. (a) Rural means:

      1. (I) A county with a population of fewer than fifty thousand; or
      2. (II) A municipality with a population of fewer than twenty thousand if the municipality is not contiguous to a municipality with a population of twenty thousand or more.
   2. (b) The executive director may modify, by rule, the definition of rural as necessary to implement this part 36.
4. (4) Significant economic event or event means an economic event occurring within a rural community or region, such as a plant closure or layoffs, including industry-wide layoffs, that may have a significant, quantifiable impact on the total number of jobs within the rural community, as determined by the executive director when considering applications for nonmonetary assistance pursuant to section 24-32-3604.

Source: L. 2018: Entire part added, (SB 18-005), ch. 53, p. 497, § 1, effective August 8.