NY State Senate Bill 2015-S7501

Senate Bill S7501

2015-2016 Legislative Session

Directs the department of environmental conservation to lease the Rogers environmental education center to the Friends of Rogers Environmental Education Center, Inc. for not less than 40 years

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Assembly Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jun 14, 2016	referred to environmental conservation delivered to assembly passed senate
Jun 08, 2016	ordered to third reading cal.1583 committee discharged and committed to rules
May 05, 2016	referred to environmental conservation

Votes

- Jun 14, 2016 - Floor Vote
  S7501
  
  56
  
  Aye
  
  5
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  2
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Floor Vote: Jun 14, 2016
      
      aye (56)
      
      Addabbo Jr.
      
      Akshar
      
      Amedore
      
      Avella
      
      Bonacic
      
      Boyle
      
      Breslin
      
      Carlucci
      
      Comrie
      
      Croci
      
      DeFrancisco
      
      Dilan
      
      Espaillat
      
      Farley
      
      Felder
      
      Flanagan
      
      Funke
      
      Gallivan
      
      Golden
      
      Griffo
      
      Hamilton
      
      Hannon
      
      Hassell-Thompson
      
      Kaminsky
      
      Kennedy
      
      Klein
      
      LaValle
      
      Lanza
      
      Larkin
      
      Latimer
      
      Little
      
      Marcellino
      
      Marchione
      
      Martins
      
      Montgomery
      
      Murphy
      
      Nozzolio
      
      O'Mara
      
      Ortt
      
      Panepinto
      
      Peralta
      
      Persaud
      
      Ranzenhofer
      
      Ritchie
      
      Rivera
      
      Robach
      
      Sanders Jr.
      
      Savino
      
      Serino
      
      Serrano
      
      Seward
      
      Stavisky
      
      Stewart-Cousins
      
      Valesky
      
      Venditto
      
      Young
      
      nay (5)
      
      Gianaris
      
      Hoylman-Sigal
      
      Krueger
      
      Perkins
      
      Squadron
      
      excused (2)
      
      Diaz
      
      Parker
  Jun 8, 2016 - Rules Committee Vote
  S7501
  
  22
  
  Aye
  
  2
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  1
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Rules Committee Vote: Jun 8, 2016
      
      aye (22)
      
      Bonacic
      
      Breslin
      
      Carlucci
      
      DeFrancisco
      
      Dilan
      
      Farley
      
      Flanagan
      
      Hannon
      
      Hassell-Thompson
      
      LaValle
      
      Lanza
      
      Larkin
      
      Little
      
      Marcellino
      
      Montgomery
      
      Nozzolio
      
      Parker
      
      Perkins
      
      Robach
      
      Seward
      
      Stewart-Cousins
      
      Valesky
      
      nay (2)
      
      Gianaris
      
      Krueger
      
      excused (1)
      
      Espaillat

co-Sponsors

2015-S7501 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A10077
Current Committee:: Assembly Environmental Conservation
Law Section:: Environmental Conservation Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §3-0301, En Con L
Versions Introduced in 2017-2018 Legislative Session:: A4633

2015-S7501 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Directs the department of environmental conservation to lease the Rogers environmental education center to the Friends of Rogers Environmental Education Center, Inc. for a term of not less than 40 years.

2015-S7501 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S7501

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the environmental conservation law,
in relation to providing for the lease of the Rogers environmental
education center in the town of Sherburne, county of Chenango, to the
Friends of Rogers Environmental Education Center, Inc., and providing
for certain terms of such lease

 PURPOSE :

To provide the statutory authority and structure of a formal lease
between the state of New York and the Friends of Rogers Center for the
operation, maintenance, and support of outdoor environmental programs
and education at the Rogers Center in Sherburne, NY

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section one adds a new subdivision six (6) which outlines the purposes
and terms of any lease between the department of environmental
conservation and the Friends of Rogers Environmental Education Center,
Inc for the operation, maintenance, support and improvement of the
Rogers Environmental Center in Sherburne, NY. Section two provides for
the effective date.

 EXISTING LAW :

No current law authorizes or requires a long term lease for the
Friends of Rogers Environmental Education Center. Chapter 267 of the
laws of 1988 authorizes an extended lease between the state office of
parks (OPR) and Friends of Hyde Hall for the maintenance of a state
historic site.

 JUSTIFICATION :

During New York's most recent fiscal crisis, the state department of
environmental conservation (DEC) moved to close the historic and
important environmental education center it operated for years in
Sherburne NY for the benefit of the public, including students. At
risk were significant outdoor educational programs for students, the
public, visitors and tourists, and the beneficial impact of those
visitors on the local economy. Rather than see the Rogers Center
close, and forfeit its important environmental education programs and
its beneficial economic impact, local citizens created a nonprofit
organization to take over maintenance and programming from the state
on indefinite terms with the DEC. Without the certainty afforded by an
extended lease, and flexibility in its fundraising, Friends of Rogers
has found it difficult to secure long term funding commitments to
invest in the buildings and grounds of the center.

The legislation seeks to capture and encourage local enthusiasm for
outdoor environmental education by supporting and strengthening the
efforts by volunteers and community citizens to maintain valuable
environmental programs at a historic and well known state facility at
a time when the state has reduced its commitment to outdoor
educational programs.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

New bill

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

Beneficial to the state. The subject nonprofit raises and expends
funds for the maintenance and betterment of state-owned facilities.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
Immediate

2015-S7501 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  7501

                            I N  S E N A T E

                               May 5, 2016
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sens. SEWARD, VALESKY -- read twice and ordered printed,
  and when printed to be committed to  the  Committee  on  Environmental
  Conservation

AN  ACT  to  amend  the  environmental  conservation law, in relation to
  providing for the lease of the Rogers environmental  education  center
  in the town of Sherburne, county of Chenango, to the Friends of Rogers
  Environmental  Education Center, Inc., and providing for certain terms
  of such lease

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  Section  3-0301  of the environmental conservation law is
amended by adding a new subdivision 6 to read as follows:
  6. THE DEPARTMENT, BY AND THROUGH THE COMMISSIONER, SHALL, IN ADDITION
TO ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW AUTHORIZING THE LEASING OF PROPERTY  UNDER
ITS  JURISDICTION,  LEASE  THE LAND, AND THE   BUILDINGS, STRUCTURES AND
IMPROVEMENTS THEREON, CONSTITUTING THE  ROGERS  ENVIRONMENTAL  EDUCATION
CENTER  IN  THE TOWN OF SHERBURNE, COUNTY OF CHENANGO, TO THE FRIENDS OF
ROGERS ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER,  INC.,  A  NOT-FOR-PROFIT  CORPO-
RATION,  FOR  A TERM OF NOT LESS THAN FORTY YEARS FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE
OPERATION OF SUCH CENTER TO PROMOTE THE UNDERSTANDING  OF  ENVIRONMENTAL
CONSERVATION.  SUCH EXTENDED LEASE TERM SHALL BE FOR ASSURING THE LESSEE
OF ADEQUATE PROTECTION AGAINST LOSS OF INVESTMENTS  IN  RENOVATIONS  AND
IMPROVEMENTS  TO,  AND THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE ROGERS ENVI-
RONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER DURING THE TERM  OF  THE  LEASE.  SUCH  LEASE
SHALL  REQUIRE  THE  LESSEE TO OPERATE SUCH CENTER IN A MANNER THAT WILL
ENCOURAGE INVESTMENT BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN MAINTAINING AND  OPERATING
THE  ROGERS ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER FOR PUBLIC USE AND ENJOYMENT,
IN FURTHERANCE  OF  ENVIRONMENTAL  EDUCATION  AND  PRESERVATION  OF  THE
NATURAL  RESOURCES OF SUCH CENTER. THE LESSEE SHALL HAVE SOLE DISCRETION
IN DETERMINING WHICH INVESTMENTS BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR, AND THE  PARTIES
MAKING  SUCH  INVESTMENTS  SHALL  BE  ACCEPTED  OR  REJECTED.  THE LEASE
REQUIRED BY THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL AUTHORIZE THE LESSEE  TO  IMPOSE  AND
COLLECT   REASONABLE  USE  FEES  FOR  EVENTS,  PROGRAMS  AND  ACTIVITIES
CONDUCTED BY IT UPON THE GROUNDS OF THE ROGERS  ENVIRONMENTAL  EDUCATION

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                           LBD15258-02-6

S. 7501                             2

CENTER  INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, SUCH EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, RECRE-
ATIONAL ACTIVITIES, USES OF SUCH CENTER AND FUNDRAISING EVENTS AS  SHALL
BE  DETERMINED  BY THE LESSEE IN ITS DISCRETION; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT
ALL  FEES  AND REVENUE COLLECTED BY THE LESSEE SHALL BE USED EXCLUSIVELY
FOR THE OPERATION AND  MAINTENANCE  OF  THE  CENTER.  SUCH  LEASE  SHALL
CONTAIN  SUCH TERMS AND CONDITIONS AS THE COMMISSIONER SHALL DEEM NECES-
SARY TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC INTEREST, INSURE PUBLIC  ACCESS  AND  PROTECT
THE  NATURAL RESOURCES OF THE CENTER, WHILE NOT RESTRICTING THE LESSEE'S
USE AND OPERATION THEREOF FOR THE BENEFIT AND ENJOYMENT OF THE PUBLIC.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S7501

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Sponsored By

James L. Seward