Int. No. 2378
By Council Members Cornegy, Holden, Louis and Yeger
A Local Law in relation to requiring the department of housing preservation and development to conduct an audit, seek stakeholder input, and submit a report as to certain violations issued by such department
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Internal audit. The department of housing preservation and development shall audit notices of violation issued by the department and identify the following types of notices of violation:
1. Open notices of violation issued by the department before August 1, 2016;
2. Open notices of violation for privately owned property where the department issued such notices of violation at a time when the city owned or managed such property;
3. Duplicate notices of violation for the same alleged violating condition;
4. Open notices of violation regarding repeated denials of access to a property; and
5. Open notices of violation where a person other than the owner or manager of a property engaged in conduct that created or contributed to the alleged violation.
§ 2. Stakeholder input. The department of housing preservation and development shall collect relevant stakeholder input by holding a listening session and by offering relevant stakeholders an opportunity to provide written testimony on next steps, regarding at least the following topics:
1. Potential uses of technology, including mobile devices, websites and photography equipment, to aid in identifying violations and issuing and clearing notices of violation, as well as privacy safeguards, data security, and data retention policies for such uses of technology;
2. Options for creating new classes of violations or adjusting the taxonomy of violations;
3. Options for waiving or reducing penalties for mitigating circumstances; and
4. Options for increasing penalties for aggravating circumstances.
§ 3. Report required. No later than July 31, 2022, the commissioner of housing preservation and development shall submit to the mayor and the speaker of the council an electronic report describing the findings of the audit and inspection performed pursuant to section one of this local law. Such report shall include, at minimum:
1. A summary of relevant stakeholder input as collected by the department pursuant to section two of this local law;
2. A review of potential and actual uses of technology, including mobile devices, websites, and photography equipment, to aid in identifying violations and issuing and clearing notices of violation; a review of privacy safeguards, data security, and data retention policies for such uses of technology; and the department’s recommendations for such potential uses of technology and privacy safeguards;
3. A review of options for creating new classes of violations or adjusting the taxonomy of violations and the department’s recommendations regarding such options;
4. A review of options for waiving or reducing penalties for mitigating circumstances and the department’s recommendations regarding such options; and
5. A review of options for increasing penalties for aggravating circumstances and the department’s recommendations regarding such options.
§ 4. This local law takes effect immediately.
CP
LS #17450
8/5/21 4:27 PM