The New York State Senate

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

                                  1954

                       2017-2018 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            January 17, 2017
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  ENGLEBRIGHT -- read once and referred to the
  Committee on Local Governments

AN ACT to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law,  in
  relation to the reporting of alienation of municipal parkland

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

  Section 1. The parks, recreation  and  historic  preservation  law  is
amended by adding a new article 16 to read as follows:
                               ARTICLE 16
                      MUNICIPAL PARKLAND ALIENATION
SECTION 16.01 DEFINITIONS.
        16.03 PARKLAND ALIENATION REPORTING.
        16.05 PARKLAND ALIENATION ENFORCEMENT.
  § 16.01 DEFINITIONS. WHEN USED IN THIS ARTICLE:
  1.  "MUNICIPAL PARKLAND" SHALL MEAN REAL PROPERTY OR INTERESTS THEREIN
THAT IS OWNED BY A MUNICIPALITY THAT PROVIDES PUBLIC  PARK,  RECREATION,
OR  OPEN  SPACE  PROTECTION PURPOSES. MUNICIPAL PARKLAND INCLUDES: LANDS
THAT HAVE BEEN DEDICATED FOR SUCH PURPOSES BY THE MUNICIPALITY THROUGH A
FORMAL RESOLUTION OR SIMILAR ACTION; LANDS THAT HAVE BEEN  PURCHASED  OR
ACCEPTED FOR SUCH PURPOSES; OR LANDS THAT CURRENTLY OR HISTORICALLY HAVE
BEEN AVAILABLE TO AND USED BY THE PUBLIC FOR SUCH PURPOSES.
  2.  "MUNICIPAL PARKLAND ALIENATION" SHALL MEAN ANY ACTION BY A MUNICI-
PALITY TO SELL, LEASE, DISCONTINUE, OR CHANGE THE USE OF MUNICIPAL PARK-
LAND.
  3. "MUNICIPALITY" SHALL MEAN A COUNTY,  TOWN,  CITY,  OR  VILLAGE.  IT
SHALL  ALSO  MEAN  A  SCHOOL  DISTRICT OR OTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISION IN
INSTANCES WHERE SUCH ENTITY HAS OBTAINED STATE OR FEDERAL GRANT  FUNDING
FOR THE CREATION OF MUNICIPAL PARKLAND.
  4. "PARKLAND ALIENATION LEGISLATION" SHALL MEAN LEGISLATION INTRODUCED
IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE AUTHORIZING A MUNICIPALITY TO ALIENATE PARKLAND
UNDER ITS JURISDICTION.

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

                                                           LBD03244-02-7

A. 1954                             2

  §  16.03  PARKLAND  ALIENATION  REPORTING.  ANY  MUNICIPALITY THAT HAS
RECEIVED ALIENATION AUTHORIZATION THROUGH ENACTMENT OF  MUNICIPAL  PARK-
LAND ALIENATION LEGISLATION SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE OFFICE NO LATER
THAN  DECEMBER THIRTY-FIRST OF THE CALENDAR YEAR FOLLOWING THE ENACTMENT
OF  THE  LEGISLATION.  SUCH REPORT SHALL BE SIGNED BY THE MUNICIPALITY'S
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND SHALL INCLUDE:
  1. A NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION OF THE STATUS OF  THE  PARKLAND  ALIENATION
ACTIONS AUTHORIZED AND REQUIRED IN THE LEGISLATION; AND
  2.  AN  ATTESTATION THAT THE MUNICIPALITY HAS COMPLIED WITH ALL CONDI-
TIONS OF THE PARKLAND ALIENATION LEGISLATION, INCLUDING  THE  DEDICATION
OF  ANY  REQUIRED  REPLACEMENT PARKLAND OR, IN THE CASE OF UTILITY EASE-
MENTS, THE DEDICATION OF FUNDING FOR THE ACQUISITION OF ADDITIONAL PARK-
LAND OR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS TO EXISTING PARKLAND FACILITIES; OR
  3. IN THE EVENT THAT ANY CONDITION OF THE PARKLAND  ALIENATION  LEGIS-
LATION  HAS NOT BEEN FULLY COMPLIED WITH, THE MUNICIPALITY SHALL PROVIDE
THE OFFICE WITH AN INTERIM REPORT DETAILING THE STATUS  OF  ITS  ACTIONS
AND AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY CERTAIN CONDITIONS HAVE NOT BEEN MET, ALONG
WITH  THE  ANTICIPATED  DATE  BY  WHICH SUCH CONDITIONS WILL BE MET. THE
MUNICIPALITY SHALL CONTINUE TO FILE INTERIM REPORTS ANNUALLY UNTIL  SUCH
TIME  AS  THE  CONDITIONS  HAVE  BEEN  MET  AND A FINAL REPORT IS FILED.
UNLESS A LONGER TIME PERIOD IS SPECIFIED IN THE LEGISLATION  AUTHORIZING
THE ALIENATION, IF THE CONDITIONS OF THE ALIENATION HAVE NOT BEEN MET BY
DECEMBER THIRTY-FIRST OF THE THIRD CALENDAR YEAR FOLLOWING THE ENACTMENT
OF PARKLAND ALIENATION LEGISLATION, THE MUNICIPALITY SHALL BE SUBJECT TO
ENFORCEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 16.05 OF THIS ARTICLE.
  §  16.05  PARKLAND  ALIENATION  ENFORCEMENT.  AN ACTION FOR INJUNCTIVE
RELIEF AS PROVIDED IN THIS SECTION AGAINST A MUNICIPALITY VIOLATING  ANY
PROVISION  OF  THIS  ARTICLE MAY BE BROUGHT BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL UPON
REFERRAL BY THE OFFICE OR UPON HIS OR HER OWN  INITIATIVE.    A  MUNICI-
PALITY  MAY  BE  ENJOINED  FROM ALIENATING PARKLAND WHERE IT ACTS OR HAS
ACTED IN FURTHERANCE OF PARKLAND ALIENATION WITHOUT COMPLIANCE WITH  THE
REQUIREMENTS OF THIS ARTICLE, INCLUDING REPORTING REQUIREMENTS AND PARK-
LAND ALIENATION LEGISLATION REQUIREMENTS.
  §  2. The state commissioner of parks, recreation and historic preser-
vation is authorized to promulgate  such  guidelines  and/or  rules  and
regulations  as he or she deems necessary to implement the provisions of
this act on or before its effective date.
  § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of January next  succeed-
ing the date on which it shall have become a law.