City of Saratoga Springs, NY TITLE 5 The Commissioner of Public Works

The Commissioner of Public Works shall have responsibility to inventory, construct, and maintain City lands, buildings, facilities, and infrastructure except for those lands, buildings, facilities, and apparatus for which responsibility is specifically vested with the Commissioner of Public Safety.

The Commissioner of Public Works shall be responsible for overall operation of the Department of Public Works and its several departments and functions, and such duties as the Council may prescribe by ordinance and local law.

A. Streets and highways. The Commissioner of Public Works shall repair, replace and maintain City streets, highways, and public ways in accordance with Section 5.1 of this Charter and the laws of the State of New York.

B. Buildings and grounds. The Commissioner of Public Works shall maintain, operate, and repair City lands, buildings, and facilities in accordance with Section 5.2 of this Charter.

C. Utilities. The Commissioner of Public Works shall repair, replace, and maintain City water and sewer facilities and services in accordance with Section 5.3 of this Charter.

D. Office of the City Engineer. The Commissioner of Public Works shall coordinate and oversee the provision of engineering services to all City departments and entities in accordance with Section 5.4 of this Charter.

E. Beautification and composting programs. The Commissioner of Public Works may undertake responsibility for City beautification and composting programs or such program as the Council may from time to time establish.

F. Substitute for the Mayor. The Commissioner of Public Works shall act in place of the Mayor in the absence or disability of the Mayor and Commissioner of Finance.

The Commissioner of Public Works shall, on or before the second regularly scheduled Council meeting of March each year, submit to the Council and make available to the public at the City Clerk's office, a written report on the accomplishments and operations of the Department of Public Works and its several departments and functions for the previous year.

The Commissioner of Public Works may lawfully delegate the above-cited powers, duties, and responsibilities. The Commissioner shall ensure that employees of the Public Works Department have appropriate skills, work experience, and education to perform professional-quality work. The Commissioner shall have immediate responsibility for administering and operating the Public Works Department and shall organize the Department to provide efficient, cost-effective services. All City departments and personnel shall provide necessary data, assistance, and information required in the execution of these powers, duties, and responsibilities.

5.1 Streets and highways.

The Commissioner of Public Works shall repair and maintain the streets, highways, and public ways in the City.

5.1.1 Highway districts. The Inside Tax District and the Outside Tax District shall be separate highway districts.

5.1.2 Encroachments. The Commissioner of Public Works may require that property owners repair the sidewalks and curbs and remove the snow and ice from the sidewalks adjoining such property, pursuant to standards established by ordinance of the Council.

5.2 Buildings and grounds.

The Commissioner of Public Works shall maintain, operate, and repair the lands, buildings, and facilities of the City, except for those specifically vested with the Commissioner of Public Safety.

5.2.1 Maintenance, operation, and repair. The Commissioner of Public Works shall develop a maintenance, operation, and repair program for each City building, facility, and lands associated thereto. The Commissioner of Public Works shall develop the maintenance, operation, and repair program, in cooperation with the occupant and/or user, to schedule programs and public activities with minimal disruption. The program shall be included in the budget request of the occupant/user and forwarded to the Budget Chairperson in sufficient time for budget submission to the Council.

5.2.2 Rental and use. The Commissioner of Public Works shall develop with the appropriate City department or entity for each City-owned land, building or other facility available for rent or use, other than for official City use, a written public policy that shall detail the days and hours of availability, the recommended rates, and the means for reserving use. The Council shall determine the appropriateness of such rentals. It shall be the policy of the City to accommodate City residents as a first priority for the use of all such facilities. The public policy for each such facility shall be in written form and made available at the City Clerk's office for public review. The public policy for each facility shall become effective upon review and approval by the Council.

5.3 Utilities.

The Commissioner of Public Works shall ensure that the City water system provides sufficient quantities of safe potable water and that the stormwater system is adequate for runoff without flooding. The Commissioner also shall ensure that the City sewer disposal system provides sufficient capacity.

5.3.1 Responsibilities and duties. The Commissioner of Public Works shall:

a. Annually recommend rates for water and sewer charges for Council approval.

b. Develop, manage, and implement a comprehensive public utilities plan for the operation and maintenance of all City utilities and infrastructure, and shall submit such plan to the Council for its review and approval. The plan shall include a complete inventory of the utilities and infrastructure as provided by the City Engineer.

c. Manage, supervise, control, construct, and maintain the water supply, treatment and distribution system, sanitary sewage disposal system, and stormwater carrier system throughout the City.

5.3.2 Powers and authority. The Commissioner of Public Works may:

a. Require the owner of any property along any highway to lay water, sewer, and gas service pipes from the mains in front of such property to a point beyond the curbline.

b. Prevent the use of any sanitary facility not connected with the sewer system.

c. Require the owner or occupant of any property to connect any sanitary facility thereon with the sewer system in such manner as the Department may prescribe. If the person so required fails to immediately comply with any such requirement, the Commissioner of Public Works may cause the work to be done and, with three days' notice of hearing, sue, assess, and levy the associated expense on the property of such person, to be enforced by sale as for taxes.

5.4 Office of the City Engineer.

There shall be a City Engineer who shall be appointed by the Commissioner of Public Works. The Office of the City Engineer shall be located in the Department of Public Works. The City Engineer shall provide engineering services to all City departments and entities.

5.4.1 Engineering services. The Commissioner of Public Works shall be responsible for coordinating the provision of engineering services to City departments through the Office of the City Engineer. The Council shall determine the schedule and priority of work required if there are conflicting demands between departments for engineering services.

5.4.2 Qualifications. The Office of the City Engineer shall be headed by and staffed with employees who have the requisite skills, certifications, and experience required to ensure professional standards are maintained. The office shall have at least one individual on its full payroll who shall be a registered professional engineer (PE), certified by the State of New York and possessing all the qualifications required by the state on an ongoing in-service training basis.

5.4.3 Infrastructure inventory. The Commissioner of Public Works shall ensure that the Office of the City Engineer undertakes a comprehensive inventory of the infrastructure, including, but not limited to, the buildings, lands, utilities, water and sewer lines, facilities, and appurtenances owned by the City. The Inventory shall be listed by department and program and shall include for each item listed:

Location.

Physical description.

Present condition and expected remaining useful life.

Current value and estimated replacement cost.

Other information required by the City Capital Program Committee.

In undertaking this inventory the Commissioner of Public Works shall request the assistance of every City department head. The inventory shall be maintained by the Office of the City Engineer, updated annually by that office and, on completion each year, provided to the City's Capital Program Committee for their use in developing the City's mandated six-year Capital Program.