261—59.2 (15E) Definitions. In addition to the standard definitions located in 261—Chapter 173, the following definitions apply to the EZ program:
“Act” means Iowa Code sections 15E.191 to 15E.197 as amended by 2007 Iowa Acts, House File 648.
“Agricultural land” as defined in Iowa Code section 403.17 means real property owned by a person in tracts of ten acres or more and not laid off into lots of less than ten acres or divided by streets and alleys into parcels of less than ten acres, and that has been used for the production of agricultural commodities during three out of the past five years. Such use of property includes, but is not limited to, the raising, harvesting, handling, drying, or storage of crops used for feed, food, seed, or fiber; the care or feeding of livestock; the handling or transportation of crops or livestock; the storage, treatment, or disposal of livestock manure; and the application of fertilizers, soil conditioners, pesticides, and herbicides on crops. “Agricultural land” includes land on which is located farm residences or outbuildings used for agricultural purposes and land on which is located facilities, structures, or equipment for agricultural purposes. “Agricultural land” includes land taken out of agricultural production for purposes of environmental protection or preservation.
“Annual base rent” means the business’s annual lease payment minus taxes, insurance and operating or maintenance expenses.
“Biotechnology-related processes” means the use of cellular and biomolecular processes to solve problems or make products. Farming activities shall not be included for purposes of this definition.
“Blighted area” as defined in Iowa Code section 403.17 means an area of a municipality within which the local governing body of the municipality determines that the presence of a substantial number of slum, deteriorated, or deteriorating structures; defective or inadequate street layout; faulty lot layout in relation to size, adequacy, accessibility, or usefulness; insanitary or unsafe conditions; deterioration of site or other improvements; diversity of ownership, tax or special assessment delinquency exceeding the fair value of the land; defective or unusual conditions of title; or the existence of conditions which endanger life or property by fire and other causes; or any combination of these factors; substantially impairs or arrests the sound growth of a municipality, retards the provision of housing accommodations, or constitutes an economic or social liability and is a menace to the public health, safety, or welfare in its present condition and use. A disaster area referred to in Iowa Code section 403.5, subsection 7, constitutes a “blighted area.” “Blighted area” does not include real property assessed as agricultural land or property for purposes of property taxation.
“Business closure” means a business that has completed the formal legal process of dissolution, withdrawal or cancellation with the secretary of state.
“Commission”  or “enterprise zone commission”  means the enterprise zone commission established by a city or county to review applications for incentives and assistance for businesses located within or requesting to locate within certified enterprise zones over which the enterprise zone commission has jurisdiction under the Act.
“Contractor”  or “subcontractor”  means a person who contracts with an eligible business or subcontracts with a contractor for the provision of property, materials, or services for the construction or equipping of a facility, located within the economic development zone, of the eligible business.
“Eligible business” means a business which meets the requirements of rule 261—59.5(15E).
“Enterprise zone” means a site or sites certified by the department of economic development board for the purpose of attracting private investment within economically distressed counties or areas of cities within the state.
“Permanent layoff” means the loss of jobs to an out-of-state location, the cessation of one or more production lines, the removal of manufacturing machinery and equipment, or similar actions determined to be equivalent in nature by the department. A permanent layoff does not include a layoff of seasonal employees or a layoff that is seasonal in nature. For purposes of these rules, a permanent layoff must occur on or after February 1, 2007.
“Project” means the activity, or set of activities, proposed in the application by the business, which will result in accomplishing the goals of the enterprise zone program, and for which the business requests the benefits of the enterprise zone program.
“Project initiation” means any one of the following: the start of construction of new or expanded buildings; the start of rehabilitation of existing buildings; the purchase or leasing of existing buildings; or the installation of new machinery and equipment or new computers to be used in the operation of the business’s project. The purchase of land or signing an option to purchase land or earth moving or other site development activities not involving actual building construction, expansion or rehabilitation shall not constitute project initiation.
“Project jobs” means all of the new jobs to be created by the location or expansion of the business in the enterprise zone that meet the qualifying wage threshold requirements described in 261—Chapter 174.
“Tax credit certificate” means a document issued by the department to an eligible business which indicates the amount of unused investment tax credit that the business is requesting to receive in the form of a refund. A tax credit certificate shall contain the taxpayer’s name, address, and tax identification number, the date of project completion, the amount of the tax credit certificate, the tax year for which the credit will be claimed, and any other information required by the department of revenue or the department.
“Transportation enterprise zone” means a site or sites certified by the Iowa department of economic development board for the purpose of attracting private investment within economically distressed areas of cities within the state which are in close proximity to transportation facilities.
“Value-added agricultural products” means agricultural products which, through a series of activities or processes, can be sold at a higher price than the original purchase price.