File #: Int 0760-2008    Version: Name: The appointment of an independent monitor with respect to construction sites.
Type: Introduction Status: Enacted
Committee: Committee on Housing and Buildings
On agenda: 4/30/2008
Enactment date: 2/10/2009 Law number: 2009/006
Title: A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to the appointment of a safety compliance officer with respect to construction sites.
Sponsors: Jessica S. Lappin, Gale A. Brewer, Simcha Felder, Vincent J. Gentile, Letitia James, John C. Liu, Annabel Palma, Kendall Stewart, Alan J. Gerson, Charles Barron, James Vacca, Thomas White, Jr., Daniel R. Garodnick, James F. Gennaro, Robert Jackson, Mathieu Eugene, David I. Weprin, Helen Sears, Diana Reyna
Council Member Sponsors: 19
Attachments: 1. Int. No. 760 - 4/30/08, 2. Committee Report 5/6/08, 3. Hearing Testimony 5/6/08, 4. Hearing Transcript 5/6/08, 5. Committee Report 1/26/09, 6. Hearing Transcript 1/26/09, 7. Hearing Testimony 1/26/09, 8. Press Release, 9. Fiscal Impact Statement, 10. Committee Report - Stated Meeting 1/26/08, 11. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 1/28/09, 12. Mayor's Letter, 13. Local Law
Date Ver.Prime SponsorAction ByActionResultAction DetailsMeeting DetailsMultimedia
2/10/2009AJessica S. Lappin City Council Recved from Mayor by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
2/10/2009AJessica S. Lappin Mayor Signed Into Law by Mayor  Action details Meeting details Not available
2/10/2009AJessica S. Lappin Mayor Hearing Held by Mayor  Action details Meeting details Not available
1/28/2009AJessica S. Lappin City Council Approved by CouncilPass Action details Meeting details Not available
1/26/2009*Jessica S. Lappin Committee on Housing and Buildings Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
1/26/2009*Jessica S. Lappin Committee on Housing and Buildings Amendment Proposed by Comm  Action details Meeting details Not available
1/26/2009*Jessica S. Lappin Committee on Housing and Buildings Amended by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
1/26/2009AJessica S. Lappin Committee on Housing and Buildings Approved by CommitteePass Action details Meeting details Not available
5/6/2008*Jessica S. Lappin Committee on Housing and Buildings Hearing Held by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
5/6/2008*Jessica S. Lappin Committee on Housing and Buildings Laid Over by Committee  Action details Meeting details Not available
4/30/2008*Jessica S. Lappin City Council Referred to Comm by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available
4/30/2008*Jessica S. Lappin City Council Introduced by Council  Action details Meeting details Not available

Int. No. 760-A

 

By Council Members Lappin, Brewer, Felder, Gentile, James, Liu, Palma, Stewart, Gerson, Barron, Vacca, White Jr., Garodnick, Gennaro, Jackson, Eugene, Weprin, Sears and Reyna

 

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to the appointment of a safety compliance officer with respect to construction sites.

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

 

                     Section 1.  Chapter 2 of title 28 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new article 217 to read as follows:

Article 217

SAFETY Compliance Officer

§28-217.1 Definition.  For purposes of this article, the terms “Safety Compliance Officer” and “SCO” shall mean a person whose presence is required by the commissioner pursuant to section 28-217.2 and who satisfies the qualifications of section 28-217.4.

§28-217.2 Safety Compliance Officer. In addition to any other remedies or penalties authorized by law, the commissioner in his or her discretion may require the presence of a SCO at any permitted site that has received immediately hazardous violations that the commissioner determines adversely affect public safety and require the presence of a SCO to protect public safety. In any circumstance where a SCO is required, the commissioner shall state in writing the circumstances necessitating the SCO, and the duration of the compliance monitoring and/or conditions that must be satisfied prior to the termination of the compliance monitoring.   

§28-217.3  Compliance monitoring.  The SCO shall monitor the operations related to the circumstances and conditions that the commissioner has identified pursuant to section 28-217.2 until the areas of concern set forth by the commissioner have been addressed as determined by the commissioner, but in no case shall any monitoring period exceed ninety days.  For such purpose, the SCO and his or her employees shall be designated as authorized representatives of the commissioner with authority pursuant to section 28-103.13 of this code to enter upon and examine and inspect at all reasonable times any site, building or structure. In the event that the conditions set-out in the commissioner’s determination, pursuant to section 28-217.2, to require a SCO have not been satisfied within the prescribed monitoring period, the commissioner may appoint  another SCO, who shall be a different SCO than the initial SCO, to monitor operations for an additional period not to exceed ninety days.

§28-217.4  Qualifications. Safety Compliance Officers shall have experience in supervising the construction operations being monitored.  They shall be an architect or engineer who has experience supervising construction projects in New York City, a licensed site safety manager or coordinator or other licensee of the department, or a special inspector as provided for in article 115 of this title.  Safety Compliance Officers shall carry insurance as required by the department.

§28-217.5 Cost of a Safety Compliance Officer.  The owner of the site where the services of the SCO have been required shall reimburse the department for all direct costs and any related administrative expenses incurred by the department in the operation of the SCO program provided for in this article.  Reimbursement shall be made at such times as the department shall require, but in any event, before a temporary or permanent certificate of occupancy is issued for the building or structure that is being monitored.  No permit shall be issued for the job site at which a SCO has been assigned if reimbursements for the cost of the monitor are outstanding for more than thirty days. The department shall adopt rules establishing a process for the resolution of disputes concerning the costs of the SCO.

                     §28-217.6  The SCO shall document with photographs or other means any violation of the code.  The SCO shall submit an interim report, to be submitted at the midpoint of the appointment period, and a final report to the department in the manner and form prescribed by the commissioner.  The department will share the results of these reports with the general contractor and provide the general contractor an opportunity to comment.

§28-217.7  Records. The SCO shall keep and maintain records relating to the services performed on behalf of the department in such manner and for such period of time as shall be established by the commissioner by rule or by direction of  the commissioner.

                     §2. This local law shall take effect ninety days after enactment except that the commissioner of buildings shall take such actions, including the promulgations of rules, as are necessary for implementation of this local law prior to such effective date.