2023 New York Laws › GMU - General Municipal › Article 12-E - Narcotic Guidance Council › 239-U - Creation of Drug Abuse Prevention Council.

§  239-u.  Creation  of  drug  abuse  prevention council. 1. The local
legislative body of any county, city, town, village or community boards,
as such term is defined in article fifty-two-A of the education law, may
by resolution create one or more drug abuse  prevention  councils.  Such
council shall develop a program of community participation regarding the
control  of the use of narcotics and dangerous drugs at the local level.
Such council shall direct itself toward accomplishing the following:
(a) develop and implement community drug abuse prevention programs;
(b) recruit, train, and utilize volunteers from the community to serve
without charge in its programs;
(c) make immediately  available  to  the  community,  basic  knowledge
acquired in the field of drug abuse;
(d)  create  a  climate  in which persons seeking assistance in coping
with  narcotics  and  dangerous  drug   problems   can   meet,   without
embarrassment, with responsible individuals or agencies in a position to
render assistance;
(e)  authorize  persons approved by the council to contact and counsel
persons  within  the  community  suspected  of  using  narcotics  and/or
dangerous  drugs  or  those  persons  allegedly having knowledge of such
usage; and
(f) cooperate with other drug abuse  prevention  councils,  the  local
agency  as  defined in section 83.03 of the mental hygiene law, and with
the state, and federal drug abuse agencies in planning and  implementing
local  programs  staffed by volunteers, for the prevention of drug abuse
among those at risk within the local community.
2. Such council shall consist of not less than  three  nor  more  than
seven  members  who  shall be appointed by the local legislative body or
community board for a term not exceeding three years and may  include  a
member of the clergy, an attorney, a physician or other persons who have
shown   an   active   interest  in  the  problems  of  drug  abuse  and,
notwithstanding  any  inconsistent  provision  of  law,  persons   under
twenty-one years of age.
3.  The  presiding  officer  or  chairman  of  the  council  shall  be
designated by the local legislative  body  from  among  the  members  so
appointed  to  the  council.  The  local  legislative  body  shall  have
authority to remove any member of said council so appointed  for  cause,
after  a public hearing, if requested. A vacancy shall be filled for the
unexpired term in the same manner as an original appointment.  The local
legislative body may provide for compensation to be paid to the  members
of   the   council   and  is  empowered  and  authorized  to  make  such
appropriation as it may see fit for expenses incurred  by  the  council.
Such  council may appoint such clerks and other employees as it may from
time to time require with the approval of the  local  legislative  body.
The  expenses of the council shall not exceed the appropriation that may
be made therefor by the local legislative body.  In  the  event  a  town
creates  or  continues  a drug abuse prevention council which develops a
program pursuant to the provisions of this  article,  the  cost  thereof
shall  be  a  town  charge,  provided,  however, that in counties with a
population in excess of seven hundred fifty thousand, no  tax  shall  be
levied  on  real  property  in a village wholly or partially within such
town for such cost if the village creates and continues a  village  drug
abuse  prevention  council.  The  council  may, with the approval of the
local legislative body, apply to the local agency designated to  prepare
and  implement  the comprehensive plan under article eighty-three of the
mental hygiene law, for support from special grants for local  volunteer
programs  which  conform  to  and  are included within the comprehensive
plan.