New York Codes, Rules and Regulations › Title 9 - EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT › Subtitle A - Governor's Office › Chapter I - Executive Orders › Part 5 - Executive Orders (George E. Pataki) › Section 5.102 - Executive order no. 102: establishing the quality communities interagency task force

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 28, July 10, 2024
WHEREAS, New York's renewed economic vigor and growth over
					 the last five years -- as is evidenced by the creation of 560,000 new private
					 sector jobs since 1995 -- highlights the importance of coordinating economic
					 growth and the many factors bearing on the quality of life in New York's
					 communities;
WHEREAS, New York has given unprecedented protection since
					 1995 to the State's open space resources by acquiring fee title to or
					 conservation easements over nearly 250,000 acres of important natural and
					 recreational resource lands, including the largest land conservation project
					 ever undertaken by the State, the permanent conservation of 139,000 acres in
					 the Adirondack Park;
WHEREAS, New Yorkers have acted to protect and enhance the
					 environment through passage of the $1.75 billion Clean Water/Clear Air Bond Act
					 of 1996, which provides funds for environmentally important projects, such as
					 the cleaning of brownfields, water quality protection, drinking water supply
					 improvements, air quality protection, and the protection of farmland, open
					 space and aquatic habitat;
WHEREAS, New York's quality of life also has been enhanced
					 by the record high funding levels of the Environmental Protection Fund, which
					 supports numerous State and local environmental programs, including the
					 acquisition of priority open space projects such as Sterling Forest and Bearpen
					 Mountain in the High Peaks of the Catskills, local waterfront revitalization,
					 landfill closure and parkland acquisition and development;
WHEREAS, New York's strong tradition of home rule
					 necessitates a dynamic partnership between local and State government, and New
					 York's urban, suburban and rural communities have exercised their powers
					 creatively in developing plans to revitalize central cities, preserve
					 neighborhoods, conserve farmland and redevelop existing industrial areas to
					 enhance their economic vitality and quality of life;
WHEREAS, over the past five years substantial progress has
					 been made to improve the relationship between State and local governments
					 through such programs as the "one-stop-shop" effort in the Department of State,
					 under which local officials can make a single contact with state government for
					 assistance, and the local park, historic preservation and heritage area
					 preservation grants program in the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic
					 Preservation;
WHEREAS, certain State programs, statutes and regulations
					 -- such as New York's outmoded building code, which impedes adaptive reuse of
					 urban, historic and mixed-use structures -- may inhibit revitalization and
					 encourage sprawl; and State and municipal regulatory activities may need reform
					 to ensure predictability, consistency and coordinated program delivery between
					 agencies and among levels of government;
WHEREAS, it is important to encourage redevelopment of main
					 streets, downtown and historic districts, and brownfields in order to
					 revitalize certain areas of the State and to preserve community character and
					 New York's precious open space resources;
WHEREAS, New York State and its local governments require
					 creative strategies to combine growth and environmental protection in order to
					 enhance economic vitality and quality of life;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE E. PATAKI, Governor of the State
					 of New York, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
					 Laws of the State of New York, do hereby order as follows:
I. Quality Communities Interagency Task
				  Force.
There is hereby created the Quality Communities Interagency
					 Task Force. The Task Force shall be chaired by the Lieutenant Governor and
					 shall include the Commissioners of the Departments of Agriculture and Markets,
					 Economic Development, Environmental Conservation, Health, Transportation, the
					 Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the Division of Housing
					 and Community Renewal, the Secretary of State and the Director of the Budget.
					 In addition, the Chair may appoint representatives of other State agencies and
					 local governments to the Task Force as ad hoc members as she deems necessary,
					 and such members shall serve at the pleasure of the Chair. The Secretary of
					 State shall serve as Vice-Chair and shall exercise the powers of the Chair in
					 her absence or whenever the Chair shall so designate.
To assist the Task Force, there is hereby created an
					 Advisory Committee to be appointed by the Chair. The Chair shall appoint to the
					 Advisory Committee local government officials and representatives of
					 environmental, business, agricultural and other related interests.
The members of the Task Force and Advisory Committee shall
					 receive no compensation but shall be entitled to reimbursement for any
					 necessary expenses incurred in connection with the performance of their
					 duties.
II. Powers and
				  Responsibilities of the Task Force.
(A) The
				  Task Force shall inventory key local, State and federal programs which affect
				  the various community development, preservation and revitalization goals of New
				  York's urban, suburban and rural municipalities, and make recommendations for
				  coordinating, reorganizing and improving the consistency of the delivery of
				  those programs with the choices of New York's communities;
(B) The Task Force shall obtain information
				  and comment from the public, including the business community, local
				  governments, environmental and civic organizations, professional and trade
				  associations, regional organizations and others, through regionally based
				  fora;
(C) The Task Force shall make
				  recommendations to strengthen the capacity of local governments to develop and
				  implement land use planning and community development strategies through a
				  voluntary program to provide technical assistance and promote inter-municipal
				  cooperation;
(D) The Task Force
				  shall make recommendations for changes in State regulations and legislation to
				  enhance community choices in land development, preservation and
				  rehabilitation;
(E) In developing
				  its recommendations, the Task Force shall give consideration to such factors as
				  balanced growth and economic development; federally required planning
				  processes; creating a range of housing opportunities; fostering and preserving
				  distinctive communities; preserving open space; farmland protection; preserving
				  and enhancing environmental resources; integrating transportation decisions
				  into local land use planning; making development decisions predictable,
				  sustainable, fair and cost effective; and encouraging community participation
				  in development decisions.