[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Fulton 9-26-1963 by L.L. No.
2-1963 (Ch. 7 of the 1991 Code). Amendments noted
where applicable.]
The New York State Defense Emergency Act, in § 29-a
thereof,[1] authorizes political subdivisions of the state to provide
for the continuity of their governments in the event of an actual
or imminent attack upon the United States by an enemy or foreign nation.
The General Municipal Law, in § 60 thereof,[2] authorizes political subdivisions to provide for the continuity
of their governments in the event of other public disasters, catastrophes
or emergencies. Based on the authority contained in such laws, this
chapter is adopted so that, on such occasions, the government of the
City of Fulton, New York, may continue to function properly and efficiently
under emergency circumstances.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall mean and
include:
Any attack, actual or imminent, or series of attacks by an
enemy or foreign nation upon the United States causing, or which may
cause, substantial damage or injury to civilian property or persons
in the United States in any manner by sabotage or by the use of bombs,
shellfire or nuclear, radiological, chemical, bacteriological or biological
means or other weapons or processes.
A person authorized to perform all the powers and duties
of a public office in the event that the office is vacant or at such
times as it lacks administration due to the death, absence or disability
of the incumbent officer, where such authorization is provided pursuant
to the provisions of any general, special or local law other than
this chapter.
A person designated pursuant to this chapter for possible
temporary succession to the powers and duties, but not the office,
of a City officer in the event that neither such officer nor any duly
authorized deputy is able, due to death, absence from the City or
other physical, mental or legal reasons, to perform the powers and
duties of the office.
A disaster, catastrophe or emergency, actual or imminent, of
such unusual proportions or extent that:
A substantial number of the residents of the City of Fulton
either sustain injury, become ill, are infected with disease, have
their lives imperiled, are killed or die as the result of injury,
disease or exposure or the property of a substantial number of such
residents is imperiled, damaged or destroyed; and
It is necessary and essential in the interest of public safety,
health and welfare that the continuity of the government of the City
of Fulton be assured in order that it be enabled to function properly
and efficiently and to exercise its essential powers in meeting emergency
conditions.
Such disasters, catastrophes and emergencies may include, but
shall not be limited to, conflagrations, explosions, earthquakes or
other convulsions of nature, floods, tidal waves, pestilence, riots,
insurrections, storms, prolonged failure of electric power or essential
transportation services or any incident or occurrence which causes
or threatens to cause danger to life, health or property from exposure
to noxious materials or radiation.
A.
Elective officers. Within 30 days following the effective date of
this chapter, and thereafter within 30 days after first entering upon
the duties of his office, each elective officer shall, in addition
to any duly authorized deputy, designate such number of emergency
interim successors to the powers and duties of his office, and specify
their rank in order of succession after any duly authorized deputy,
so that there will be not fewer than three duly authorized deputies
or emergency interim successors, or combination thereof, to perform
the powers and duties of the office.
B.
Appointive officers. Each officer or body of officers empowered by law to appoint officers shall, within the time specified in Subsection A of this section, in addition to any duly authorized deputy, designate for each such appointive officer such number of emergency interim successors to such officers, and specify their rank in order of succession after any duly authorized deputy, so that there will be not fewer than three authorized deputies or emergency interim successors, or combination thereof, for each such officer. Where such a body of officers consists of members having overlapping terms, such body of officers shall review and, as necessary, revise the previous designations of emergency interim successors by such body of officers within 30 days after a new member elected or appointed to such body of officers first enters upon the duties of his office as a member of such body of officers.
C.
Review of designations. The incumbent, in the case of those elective officers specified in Subsection A of this section, and the appointing officer or body of officers specified in Subsection B of this section shall from time to time review and, as necessary, promptly revise the designations of emergency interim successors to ensure that at all times there are at least three duly authorized deputies or emergency interim successors, or combination thereof, for each elective and appointive officer of the City.
D.
Qualifications. No person shall be designated to nor serve as an
emergency interim successor unless he is legally qualified to hold
the office of the person to whose powers and duties he is designated
to succeed.
E.
Status of emergency interim successor. A person designated as an
emergency interim successor shall hold that designation at the pleasure
of the designator, and such a designation shall remain effective until
replaced by another by the authorized designator.
F.
Compensation. An emergency interim successor shall serve without
salary, unless otherwise provided by local law. He shall, however,
be entitled to reimbursement for actual expenses necessarily incurred
in the performance of his powers and duties.
If, in the event of an attack or a public disaster, an officer described in § 21-3A or B of this chapter or his duly authorized deputy, if any, is unable, due to death, absence from the City or other physical, mental or legal reasons, to perform the powers and duties of the office, the emergency interim successor of such officer highest in rank in order of succession who is able to perform the powers and duties of the office shall, except for the power and duty to discharge or replace duly authorized deputies and emergency interim successors of such officer, perform the powers and duties of such officer. An emergency interim successor shall perform such powers and duties only until such time as the lawful incumbent officer or his duly authorized deputy, if any, resumes the office or undertakes the performance of the powers and duties of the office, as the case may be, or until, where an actual vacancy exists, a successor is duly elected or appointed to fill such vacancy and qualifies as provided by law.
[Amended 12-1-2009 by L.L. No. 6-2009]
The name, address and rank in order of succession of each duly
authorized deputy and emergency interim successor shall be filed with
the Clerk/Chamberlain, and each designation, replacement or change
in order of succession of any emergency interim successor shall become
effective when the designator files with such Clerk/Chamberlain the
successor's name, address and rank in order of succession. Such
Clerk/Chamberlain shall keep an up-to-date file of all such data regarding
duly authorized deputies and emergency interim successors, and the
same shall be open to public inspection. The Clerk/Chamberlain shall
notify in writing each designated person of the filing of his name
as an emergency interim successor and his rank in order of succession
and also shall notify in writing any person previously designated
who is replaced or whose place in order of succession is changed.
At the time of their designation, or as soon thereafter as possible,
emergency interim successors shall take such oaths and do such other
things, if any, as may be required to qualify them to perform the
powers and duties of the office to which they may succeed.
In the event of an attack or a public disaster, the Mayor or
his duly authorized deputy or emergency interim successor performing
his powers and duties may suspend quorum requirements for the Common
Council. If quorum requirements are suspended, any local law, ordinance,
resolution or other action requiring enactment, adoption or approval
by an affirmative vote of a specified proportion of members may be
enacted, adopted or approved by the affirmative vote of the specified
proportion of those voting thereon.
