The Charter of the City of Rensselaer may be
read in evidence from the volume containing such Charter, printed
by the authority of the Common Council, or from a copy certified by
the City Clerk or from the session laws of the State of New York containing
the same.
Upon the trial of any issue or the prosecution
of any proceeding or upon the taking or making of any inquisition,
appraisal or award or upon the judicial investigation of any facts
whatever or in any action or proceeding in any court or before any
judge, to which issue, proceeding, inquest, investigation, award or
action the city or its boards, commissions or officers or any of them
is a party or in any way interested, no person is to be deemed incompetent
as a judge, referee, commissioner, appraiser, arbitrator, witness
or juror by reason of his being an inhabitant, freeholder or taxpayer
of the city.
As soon as practicable, the Common Council shall
revise all ordinances of the city and adopt all ordinances necessary
for the carrying into effect of the provisions and purposes of this
Act. All ordinances of the Common Council, rules and regulations governing
or regulating the several boards or commissions not inconsistent with
the provisions of this Act shall remain in force and are not to be
deemed repealed by the enactment thereof.
All elective or appointive officers whose successors
are by this Act required to be elected or appointed shall continue
to hold their respective offices until the expiration of the terms
for which they were elected or appointed and perform the duties of
their respective offices, as prescribed by this Act, and be subject
to the removal therefrom as though they were originally appointed
or elected to office under the provisions of this Act.
This Act shall not be constructed as an act
in derogation of the powers of the state but as one intended to aid
in the execution of its duties by providing adequate powers of local
government to the City of Rensselaer.
All acts and parts of acts inconsistent herewith
are repealed so far as they affect the City of Rensselaer, and the
acts enumerated in the following schedule are repealed: Laws of 1913,
Chapter 481.
Nothing herein contained, however, shall be deemed to repeal or in anywise affect the validity of the provisions of Chapter 529 of the Laws of 1898, as amended by Chapter 332 of the Laws of 1909; Chapter 306 of the Laws of 1899, as amended by Chapter
179 of the Laws of 1907; Chapter 303 of the Laws of 1908; Chapter 671 of the Laws of 1901; or Chapter 358 of the Laws of 1905.
The repeal of a law or any part of it by the
provisions of this Act shall not affect or impair the title or interest
of the city to or in any property heretofore acquired by the city
and owned by it at the time of the passage of this Act or any bonded
indebtedness of the city at the time of taking effect of this Act
or any act done or right accruing, accrued or acquired or penalty,
forfeiture or punishment or any bar, limitation or defense incurred
prior to the time when this Act takes effect, under or by virtue of
the law so repealed, but the same may be asserted, enforced, prosecuted
or inflicted as fully and to the same extent as if such law had not
been repealed, except as to bars, limitations and defenses, which,
as specifically provided herein, may not be asserted or enforced against
the city, its boards, commissions or officers; and all actions or
proceedings, civil or criminal, commenced under or by virtue of any
of the laws so repealed and pending when this Act takes effect may
be prosecuted and defended to final effect in the same manner as they
might under any such law so repealed unless it be otherwise specifically
provided herein. Any limitation or bar imposed by any act repealed
hereby shall be computed from the time when the same begins to run,
and, if the whole time thereof has been completed when this Act takes
effect, such bar or limitation shall become absolute, except as to
bars, limitations and defenses which it has specifically provided
herein may not be asserted or enforced against the city, its commissions,
boards or officers, but if the whole time thereof has not been completed,
the time thereof which has run before the taking effect of this Act
shall be computed as a part of the time provided by this Act as such
limitation or bar. The repeal hereby of a law or part thereof does
not revive a law repealed by the law or part thereof hereby repealed
and includes all laws amendatory to the laws repealed.
This act shall take effect immediately.