BILL NUMBER: S4331
SPONSOR: COMRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public authorities law and the New York city char-
ter, in relation to the creation of the New York city parks construction
authority
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill proposes to create the New York City Parks Construction
Authority. The purpose of this bill is to begin to obtain public comment
and input from the general public, the City of New York, and the NYC
Parks Department so that a NYC Parks Construction Authority may be
created in an effort to streamline and simplify the process to finance
and construct capital projects in parks located in New York City. In
addition, since the intent of this bill is to help to reduce the time
needed to construct capital projects in NYC parks, it is the sponsors'
hope that such projects can be completed not only sooner, but at a lower
cost so that more monies can be made available for additional capital
projects located in the City's park system.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Amends article 8 of the public authorities law by adding a
new title 7 which would create a New York City Parks Construction
Authority (PCA). This section would provide guidelines for the composi-
tion of the PCA, its functions, responsibilities, powers and duties, and
other provisions related to the functioning and operation of this
proposed authority
Section 2: Amends the opening paragraph of section 533 of the New York
City charter to authorize the creation of the New York City Parks
Construction Authority.
Section 3: Amends paragraphs 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of subdivision a of
section 533 of the New York City Charter as it relates to the installa-
tion, reconstruction, or establishment of new capital projects, infras-
tructure, or new recreational facilities with Parks located in the City
of New York.
Section 4: Amends paragraph 1 of subdivision b of section 333 of the New
York City charter as it relates acquiring land or building or rebuilding
new capital facilities or improvements in such parks.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
For years the New York City parks capital process has been the subject
or chronic complaints. From funding to completion, the timeline to
construct or re-construct public works in New York City's parks has been
riddled with many requirements, procedures, approvals, and burdensome
mandates. This current cumbersome process all but ensures that a state
or city legislative or administration supported project will not see
actual work begun or advanced for years at a time.
Frustration with the current NYC parks capital projects process is
common place and has been expressed by both state legislators and
members of the New York City Council who provide funding for parks
projects in their areas. Even with the best of efforts from the NYC
Parks Department staff and commissioners, their options to expedite
process are severely limited by built-in hurdles. By latest reports, as
of January 2017, the Parks Department ' boasts that the best case
scenario is a 30-45 month process to construct a public works project
within a New York City park. Further, this time line does not account
for any unexpected issues or delays related to such planning and
construction of such project.
The issue the Department faces is the legally mandated hurdles that
cannot be surmounted regardless of the importance or priority any given
project may demonstrate. Under current law, review and approvals are
required at different stages of the process and on multiple occasions by
certain governmental entities, including the following:
*New York City Comptroller *New York City Law Department
*Mayor's Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
*Mayor's Office of Contract Services (MOCS)
*Public Design Commission (PDC)
*Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC)
This legislation creating the New York City Parks Construction Authority
(PCA), is modeled directly after legislation that established the New
York City School Construction Authority (SCA). The SCA was created for
exactly the same reason - to expedite school construction projects and
to have such projects built at the anticipated projected costs with few
or no cost overruns. SCA bypasses many of these same redundancies that
are experienced to build a capital project in a park. However, it is
hoped by the sponsors of this bill to still strike the right balance of
checks and balances for good government oversight and public input. The
Parks Construction Authority Act, it is hoped by this bill's sponsors,
would streamline parks capital projects and help to alleviate countless
months of red tape and delays.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2024:S2765
2022:S5796
2020:S3235
2018:S5766
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Fiscal impact to the City of New York to be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediate.

Statutes affected:
S4331: 533 New York city charter as added by local law, 533(b) New York city charter as added by local law