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This bill would create a Small Business Disaster Recovery and Resiliency Advisory Board to study and make recommendations on potential legislation, regulation, policies, procedures and initiatives for helping small businesses engage in strategic planning to become more resilient to future natural and human-caused disasters and rebuild and reopen after suffering damage during a disaster. In addition to establishing basic procedures and requirements for the composition of the board, the bill would require that the board hold public meetings at least five times annually (once in each borough) and report its findings on May 1 of each year to the Mayor and the Council.

  • Filed (End of Session)

History

City Council
Filed (End of Session)
City Council
Referred to Comm by Council
City Council
Introduced by Council

Int. No. 969

 

By Council Members Ulrich, Cornegy, Chin, Cumbo, Deutsch, Eugene, Gentile, Johnson, Koo, Mendez, Richards, Rose, Vallone, Cohen and Rosenthal

 

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to the creation of a small business disaster recovery and resiliency advisory board

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

 

Section 1. Title 22 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new chapter 9 to read as follows:

CHAPTER 9

DISASTER RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY

§ 22-901 Definitions. For purposes of this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:

Board. The term “board” means the small business disaster recovery and resiliency advisory board.

Disaster. The term “disaster” means an event that causes widespread and severe damage to property or human life, regardless of the cause of such damage.

§ 22-902 Small business disaster recovery and resiliency advisory board. a. Board created. There is hereby created a small business disaster recovery and resiliency advisory board.

b. Purpose of board. The board shall study and report on disaster-related issues affecting small businesses in the city. The board shall make recommendations to the mayor and the council on potential legislation, regulation, policies, procedures and initiatives for helping small businesses to:

1. Engage in strategic planning to become more resilient to future disasters; and

2. Rebuild and reopen after suffering damage during a disaster.

c. Composition of board; term; vacancy; removal of member; compensation. 1. The board shall consist of nine members, five of whom shall be appointed by the mayor and four of whom shall be appointed by the speaker of the council. The board shall comprise at least one member residing in each borough and no more than two members from any borough.

2. Members of the board shall be appointed for two-year terms, and any vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.

3. No member of the board may be removed except for cause. Before a member may be removed, such member shall be provided with notice of the alleged cause for removal and a hearing before the elected official who appointed such member, which official shall determine whether cause for removal exists. The board shall be led by a chairperson, who shall be selected by a majority vote of the total membership of the board at the board’s first meeting.

4. The board shall select a chairperson from among its members by a majority vote of the total membership at the board’s first meeting. Thereafter, the board shall select a new chairperson in the manner provided by this paragraph whenever necessary to fill a vacancy.

5. Members of the board shall serve without compensation.

d. Meetings of the board. 1. The board shall meet no fewer than five times annually, and at least one meeting shall be held in each borough annually.

2. All meetings of the board shall be open to the public.

3. Notice for meetings of the board shall be provided in accordance with section 104 of the public officers law.

e. The board may request information from city agencies in furtherance of its purpose as stated in this section. Any agency from which the board requests information shall designate a liaison to work with the board and shall provide the board with the requested information in a timely manner, as practicable.

f. No later than May 1 of each year, the board shall report its findings and recommendations to the mayor and the council. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, no report is due until at least 90 days have passed after this section becomes law.

§ 2. This local law takes effect immediately.

 

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LS #4393

10/6/2015 9:40 AM