Reconstitutes the Roosevelt Island operating corporation to be the Roosevelt Island community

BILL NUMBER:S4405A

Title of bill

An act to amend chapter 899 of the laws of 1984, relating to the creation of the Roosevelt Island operating corporation, in relation to the management of such corporation

Purpose or general idea of bill

To reorganize the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, in order to give Island residents a higher degree of self-governance.

Summary of specific provisions

Section one amends chapter 899 of the laws of 1984 establishing the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC). Provisions included:

1) provide for community elections for members of the RIOC board of directors; 2) reconstitute the RIOC board into a 9 member body with at least six members being residents of the Island, five having been elected and two appointed by the mayor of NYC, and the Commissioner of the Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) and the NYS Budget Director serving as ex-officio members; 3) require purchase and contracts to be entered into in accordance with a program adopted under §2879 of the public authorities law; 4) require the newly-elected board to commission audits of the fiscal condition of the corporation and an independent engineering study of the Island's physical structures, improvements and infrastructures; 5) direct the budget director to provide written certification to the governor and legislative leaders of the corporation's fiscal needs and proposals to meet them, and another study regarding the capital needs of the corporation and recommending funding alternative; 6) provide for the power to issue bonds, up to twenty-five million dollars if necessary and feasible to meet the corporation's long-term capital needs; and 7) prohibits development on designated open space areas in the general development plan for other than park purposes. section two sets the effective date.

Justification

RIOC was created in 1984 to manage Roosevelt Island, oversee its continued development through the Master Plan and allocate state capital funding and operational support. In recent years however, state assistance has evaporated and the Island has essentially had to become self-sufficient. At the same time, residents have become increasingly disenchanted with RIOC governance. This bill would provide a much stronger measure of self-governance for Island residents by reconstituting the RIOC board and providing for the election of residents to the board. The legislation also provides for an orderly transition to citizen governance, and establishes a process to identify sources of operating funds and capital within and outside of the governmental process in the event that major capital or operational needs are identified in this transition period.

Prior legislative history

A.9321A of 2008/S.3128 A.11865 of 2006/S.8235

Fiscal implications for state and local governments

To be determined.

Effective date

This act will take effect immediately.