[Added 4-5-2005 by L.L. No. 6-2005;
amended 6-7-2011 by L.L. No. 15-2011; 3-6-2018 by L.L. No. 6-2018]
There shall be a Department of Planning, Development, and Public
Transportation under the direction of a Commissioner who shall be
appointed by the County Executive subject to confirmation by the County
Legislature. The Commissioner shall serve at the pleasure of the County
Executive. The Commissioner shall hold the minimum of a Bachelor's
Degree and shall be qualified for his or her position by training
and experience including administrative management, and supervision
of professional personnel and of support staff and shall have a minimum
of four (4) years of practical experience in government and knowledge
of federal, state and local statutes, rules and regulations pertaining
to, among others, land use, SEQR, Title VI, NEPA, and General Municipal
Law. He or she shall also have a minimum of eight (8) years of practical
experience in regional, county or municipal planning or shall possess
a law degree and shall be and remain duly licensed and entitled to
practice law in the State of New York. He or she shall have the power,
within budgetary appropriations, and in accordance with County policy,
or as may be otherwise required by law, to appoint and remove such
staff as he or she deems to be necessary. The Commissioner shall not
hold any other public or political office, whether elected or appointed,
as long as he or she remains in his or her current position of County
employment. He or she, as well as all full time managerial employees
in the department, shall serve on a full time basis and shall not
engage in any private practice nor be employed in their field of expertise
with the County by any private or other governmental entity.
Except as otherwise provided in the Charter, the Commissioner
shall have the power to:
(a)
Conduct technical evaluation, prepare proposals, position papers,
plans, letters, memorandum and/or reports on County issues, programs
and projects as required by the County Executive;
(b)
Administer Putnam County transit operations, including the coordination
of public transportation services with local, state, county and regional
public transit providers, the management of the County's transportation
operations and the compliance with all federal and state laws and
regulations related to public transit operations as well as the program
requirements of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council;
(c)
Conduct and/or supervise the preparation of planning studies
related to comprehensive master planning regarding County development
and the wise use of resources in Putnam County including, but not
limited to, transportation, land use, open space, recreation, County
facilities, farmland, natural and cultural resources, public works,
parks, demographic and socio-economic data and groundwater. Planning
studies shall be transmitted to the County Executive for submission
to the County Legislature.
(e)
Prepare and update, as needed, a Comprehensive Croton System
Water quality Protection Plan (Croton Plan) as set forth in Section
18-82 of the Rule and Regulations for the Protection, from Contamination,
Degradation and Pollution of the New York City Water Supply and its
sources;
(f)
Provide technical assistance, as required, with respect to the
implementation of the New York City Watershed Memorandum of Agreement
and any other related matter;
(g)
Research available grant programs at the local, state and federal
levels as well as through other revenue sources and prepare all applications
associated therewith so as to obtain the available financial assistance
for County programs;
(h)
Plan and implement all bikeway trail projects;
(i)
Exercise all the powers and duties prescribed by law for a county
or regional planning board, pursuant to General Municipal Law, Article
12-B § 239(l) - (n);
(j)
Assist the County Executive in executive planning including
the preparation and planning of the capital budget and capital programs;
(k)
Provide education and training programs in relation to transportation,
planning, development and the environment;
(l)
Perform analyses of the U.S. Census data, which is conducted
once every ten (10) years, as member[2] of the New York State Data Center Affiliate Program and
provide assistance to the public, not-for-profit agencies and other
municipalities regarding the Census and other data relevant to Putnam
County;
[2]
Editor's Note: So in original.
(m)
Review and prepare recommendations and comments on all municipal
referred projects involving the State Environmental Quality Review
Act as well as prepare all forms associated therewith on behalf of
the County when necessary;
(n)
Perform such other and related duties as may be required by
the County Executive; and
(o)
Perform all the duties now or hereafter conferred or imposed
by law.
