By Council Members Kallos, Mendez, Richards and Gentile

A Local Law to amend the New York city charter, in relation to the appointment of a board of standards and appeals coordinator within the department of city planning

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Section 191 of the New York city charter is amended to read as follows:

§ 191 Department and director of city planning. a. There shall be a department of city planning, the head of which shall be the director of city planning. The director of city planning shall be the chair and a member of the city planning commission and shall serve at the pleasure of the mayor.

b. The director of city planning shall:

1. Advise and assist the mayor, the borough presidents and the council in regard to the physical planning and public improvement aspects of all matters related to the development of the city.

2. Provide staff assistance to the city planning commission in all matters under its jurisdiction.

3. Be the custodian of the city map and record thereon all changes legally authorized.

4. Conduct continuous studies and collect statistical and other data to serve as the basis for planning recommendations.

5. Provide community boards with such staff assistance and other professional and technical assistance as may be necessary to permit such boards to perform their planning duties and responsibilities under this chapter.

6. Assist the mayor in the preparation of strategic plans, including the preparation of the report provided for in section sixteen concerning the social, economic and environmental health of the city, the strategic policy statement provided for in section seventeen and the ten-year capital strategy provided for in section two hundred fifteen.

7. Appoint a deputy executive director for strategic planning.

8. Make a complete transcript of the public meetings and hearings of the commission available for public inspection free of charge within sixty days after any such meeting or hearing. The director shall also provide a copy of any requested pages of such transcript at a reasonable fee to cover the costs of copying and, where relevant, mailing.

9. Designate a board of standards and appeals coordinator who shall attend all meetings of the board.  The director shall post on the department’s website such coordinator’s name and contact information. 

10. Provide on the department’s website, a record of each hearing of the board of standards and appeals at which the department or the city planning commission presents testimony, and a copy of any written testimony submitted in connection therewith in searchable and machine-readable format or formats.

11. Perform such other functions as are assigned to him or her by the mayor or other provisions of law.

c. The department shall employ such planning experts, engineers, architects and other officers and employees as may be required to perform its duties, within the appropriation therefor.

§ 2.  This local law takes effect 90 days after enactment.