A Department of Developmental and Community Services, to be known as the Office of Developmental and Community Services, is hereby established in and for the City of Binghamton. The head of the Department, until such time as the position of Director of Community Development is reclassified pursuant to the Civil Service Law, shall be the Director of Community Development, who shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Mayor.
[Adopted 6-14-1982 by L.L. No. 1-1982 (Sub-Part XXXVIII of the 1970 Code)]
The powers and duties of the Director of Community Development, under the general direction of the Mayor, shall include but not be limited to the inauguration and direction of comprehensive programs for the development and redevelopment of properties in the City of Binghamton through clearance, reconstruction, renewal, rehabilitation, conservation, restoration or improvement, or any combination of these, for the arrest, prevention and elimination of substandard and unsanitary areas, slums and blight; the coordination of capital improvement programs of the City for purposes of obtaining maximum assistance for urban renewal and economic development from the state and federal governments; the inauguration and undertaking of programs, designed to retain, restore or expand the City's commercial, industrial and residential tax base; the inauguration and development of social programs of the type and nature presently administered by the Community Development Department; the inauguration and development of programs of public information in all areas concerned with the development and redevelopment of properties and the development of social programs; the implementation of programs to promote understanding and support for proposed projects and to promote cooperation with interested citizens' groups in the development of interest and participation in public projects; and the submission of applications for federal or state funds, subsidies, grants or grants-in-aid for the development of social programs and the conservation, urban renewal or redevelopment through clearance, replanning or rehabilitation of any areas as may be authorized by the City Council.
In addition to those powers and duties set forth above, the Director of Community Development shall possess all of the powers and duties heretofore exercised by the City Planning Director, including those of Zoning Director.
The current administrative and operational organization of the Community Development Department shall become part of the Department of Developmental and Community Services. The Department of Developmental and Community Services shall be in all respects the successor in interest to the Community Development Department as created by State Local Law 2 of 1974.
City Council shall authorize by ordinance the creation of bureaus or divisions within the Department of Developmental and Community Services upon the submission of administrative and operational reorganization plans by the Director of Community Development.