Int. No. 329

By Council Members Kallos, Lander, Espinal, Constantinides, Johnson, King, Koo, Levin, Mendez, Rodriguez, Menchaca, Koslowitz and Ulrich

A Local Law to amend the New York city charter, in relation to an office of food policy.

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Chapter one of the New York city charter is amended by adding a new section 21 to read as follows:

                     § 21. Office of Food Policy. a. There shall be an office of food policy. Such office may, but need not, be established in the executive office of the mayor and may be established as a separate office or within any other office of the mayor or within any department the head of which is appointed by the mayor. Such office shall be headed by a director who shall be appointed by the mayor or by the head of such department. The director shall hire staff for such office as needed. For the purposes of this section only “director” shall mean the director of the office of food.

                     b. Powers and duties. The director shall have the power and duty to:

                     1. develop and coordinate initiatives to promote access to healthy food for all residents of the city of New York;

                     2. increase access to and utilization of food support programs for those who cannot afford to purchase food;

                     3. coordinate with the office of long term planning and sustainability on the development of the annual food metrics report as established by section 3-120 of the code; and

                     4. work with the commissioner of health and mental hygiene to update the city agency food standards for all meals or food supplies that are purchased, prepared or served in agency programs or other relevant settings.

                     c. New York city food analysis. No later than June 1 2015, and annually thereafter, the director shall prepare and submit a report to the mayor and the speaker on the food systems in the city. Such report shall be posted online. Such report shall include, at a minimum:

                     1. an analysis of the food system in the city, including the identification of areas that need improvement or expansion, and recommendations for city action including timelines for implementation;

                     2. a discussion of the following issues including, but not limited to: hunger and food insecurity; nutritional well-being and food health; the prevention of food and diet-related illnesses; food waste; energy use, climate and environmental impact; infrastructure related to the production, processing, and distribution of food and food products; food procurement; the regional food shed; and the economic vitality and sustainability of the food industry and related workers.

                     d. There shall be a food policy council to make recommendations on food policies and to advise the director and mayoral agencies on issues that affect food policies in the city.

                     1. Such food policy council shall consist of seventeen members as follows:

                     i. Three members shall be appointed by the mayor, provided that members shall have expertise in one or more of the following areas: architecture and design; community gardening; environmental sustainability and natural resource conservation; food retail including farmers’ markets, large scale and small scale; food wholesale; land use and planning; regional and urban agriculture; and waste management.

                     ii. Three members shall be appointed by the speaker, provided that members shall have expertise in one or more of the following areas: academia; consumer advocacy; anti-hunger and food insecurity; economic development; emergency food; the faith community; food and nutrition education; nutrition; philanthropy; public health; and school food.

                     iii. Each borough president shall appoint one member from each of the five boroughs, provided that the members shall have expertise in one or more of the following areas: finance; food business development; food chain labor including unions and workers’ centers; food distribution including food co-ops, community supported agriculture, and large scale distribution; food justice and community organizers; food marketing; food processing and manufacturing; mobile food vending; private institutions including schools, hospitals and colleges; and restaurants.

iv. One member shall be appointed by the public advocate.

                     v. Upon the completion of all other appointments, the food policy council shall appoint five additional members by a majority vote.

                     vi. The mayor shall select the chairperson of the food policy council from among its members.

2. Each member shall serve for a term of three years to commence after the final member of the food policy council is appointed. Any vacancies in the membership of the food policy council shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. A person filling such vacancy shall serve for the unexpired portion of the term of the succeeded member.

3. No member of the food policy council shall be removed except for cause and upon notice and hearing by the appropriate appointing official or by a majority vote of the food policy council for such members appointed by the food policy council.

4. The food policy council shall meet at least quarterly and hold at least one public hearing at the citywide level and one public hearing in each borough annually.  Meeting dates, times, and agendas for such hearings shall be posted online prior to such hearings. The food policy council shall convene information sessions that are open to the public as needed.

5. Membership on food policy council shall not constitute the holding of a public office, and members of such food policy council shall not be required to take and file oaths of office before serving. All members shall serve without compensation.

6. The food policy council shall:

i. in conjunction with the director, assist in the creation, development and continued evaluation of the New York city food analysis pursuant to subdivision c of this section;

ii. produce an annual state of food addendum to the New York city food analysis pursuant to subdivision c of this section;

iii. suggest revisions to the annual food metrics report as established by section 3-120 of the code;

iv. advise on food-related federal, state, and local legislation, regulations, budget proposals, spending plans, program operations, and other governmental activities;

v. conduct policy research and guide the  production and provision of food-related data;

vi. make recommendations on food related pilot programs;

vii. designate at least one member to attend the meetings of the interagency food policy pursuant to subdivision e of this section; and

viii. convene issue-focused working groups as needed.

e. The director shall convene an interagency food policy task force, which shall have representation including, but not limited to, the department of health and mental hygiene, the department of education, the human resources administration, the speaker and/or one or more designees of the speaker and any other agencies that the director may designate. Such interagency task force shall meet and provide recommendations to the director as necessary.

§2.  This local law shall take effect immediately.

AV

LS 1410

4/29/14