Definition: Public Realm Improvement Fund Governing Group (Applicable from 81-60, 81-61, 81-611, 81-612, 81-613, 81-62, 81-621, 81-63, 81-631, 81-632, 81-633, 81-634, 81-64, 81-641, 81-642, 81-643, 81-644, 81-645, 81-65, 81-651, 81-652, 81-653, 81-66, 81-661, 81-662, 81-663, 81-67, 81-671, 81-672, 81-673, 81-674, 81-675, 81-676)
For the purposes of Section 81-60 , inclusive, the “Public Realm Improvement Fund Governing Group” (the “Governing Group”) shall be established to administer the Public Realm Improvement Fund (the “Fund”), and shall consist of 13 members: seven members shall be representatives of City agencies, appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the Mayor; one member shall be a representative of a citywide civic organization, appointed by the Office of the Manhattan Borough President; one member shall be a representative of the Office of the Manhattan Borough President; one member shall be a representative of the New York City Council member representing the City Council district encompassing the largest portion of the East Midtown Subdistrict; one member shall be a representative of the Speaker of the City Council; one member shall be a representative of Manhattan Community Board 5; and one member shall be a representative of Manhattan Community Board 6. The Governing Group shall be a local development corporation, organized pursuant to the New York State Not-for-Profit Corporation Law, and affiliated with City government for purposes of the New York State Public Authorities Law, whose organizational purpose shall be limited solely to the purposes set forth in this Chapter. Each member shall have one vote, and all Governing Group decisions, as set forth below, shall be upon a majority vote at a public meeting at which a quorum is present. A quorum shall consist of a majority of the members. The purpose of the Governing Group shall be to bolster and enhance East Midtown’s status as a premier central business district with a high-quality public realm, by allocating funds from the Fund to implement public realm improvement projects. The Governing Group shall establish and maintain a Public Realm Improvement Concept Plan (“Concept Plan”) for the purpose of creating a list of priority improvements, and shall have the authority to amend such Concept Plan, and associated list of improvements, as necessary. All priority improvements in the Concept Plan shall meet the criteria set forth in Section 81-683 (Criteria for improvements in the Public Realm Improvement Concept Plan). Establishment of the Concept Plan, amendment of the Concept Plan, calendaring of items for a vote to fund, and designation of funding for a specific public realm improvement on the Concept Plan shall be decisions requiring a majority vote of the Governing Group at a meeting at which a quorum is present. If only members of the Governing Group appointed by the Mayor vote to calendar a particular public realm improvement for a vote to fund it, the Governing Group shall conduct a public hearing on the matter prior to such improvement being placed on the calendar for vote.
calendar a particular public realm improvement for a vote to fund it, the Governing Group shall conduct a public hearing on the matter prior to such improvement being placed on the calendar for vote. In addition, if any member of the Governing Group puts forth a proposed public realm improvement, discussion of such improvement shall be added to the agenda of the next public meeting. Establishment of the initial Concept Plan shall be completed no later than November 1, 2017. In the event that more than 20 million dollars remains in the Fund for more than three years, the Governing Group shall be required to hold a vote either to fund a public realm improvement project or to retain the funds. The Governing Group shall adopt procedures for the conduct of its activities. Such procedures shall be consistent with the requirements of the New York State Open Meetings Law (Article 7, NYS Public Officers Law), which procedures shall also be consistent with the goals of the Subdistrict. Those procedures shall be publicly available by posting on the Department of City Planning’s website, and shall include rules requiring reporting and transparency including, but not limited to, the following: procedures on the adoption and amendment of the concept plan and opportunity for public comment thereon; requirements to provide a transcript or recording of all public meetings and hearings; and transparency and annual reporting requirements concerning deposits into and expenditures from the Fund. The Governing Group shall annually update the Concept Plan by providing a list of all projects on the Concept Plan to date, those added or removed in the past year, the dollar amount of funds designated to each project on the Concept Plan, to the extent available, the estimated cost of each project on the Concept Plan, and the schedule for all projects for which a decision to designate funding has been made by the Governing Group. Such annual update shall be posted on the Department of City Planning’s website no later than January 15 of each calendar year following the establishment of the initial Concept Plan. All meetings of the Governing Group shall be open to the public with advance public notice provided of all meetings and public hearings.