Int. No. 186

By Council Members Weprin and Comrie

A Local Law to amend the New York city charter in relation to public hearings for contract renewals.

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

                     Section 1.  Subdivision a of section three hundred and twenty-six of the New York city charter is amended to read as follows:

                     a.                     Prior to entering into any contract, or renewal of any existing contract, for goods, services or construction to be awarded by other than the competitive sealed bidding or competitive sealed bids from prequalified vendors, the value of which exceeds one hundred thousand dollars, the head or deputy head of the agency shall upon reasonable public notice conduct a public hearing to receive testimony regarding the proposed contract.  Immediately upon recommendation of a contract award that is subject to a public hearing, the agency shall provide notice of the proposed award to members of the council whose districts are affected by the proposed award and such notice shall not be delayed based upon pendency of the hearing schedule.  [The procurement policy board may by rule exempt from this public hearing requirement contracts to be let which do not differ materially in terms and conditions, as defined by the board, from contracts currently held by the city where the parties to such contracts are the same; provided that under no circumstances may such exemptions apply to any contract in value to exceeding ten million dollars.]

                     §2.                     This local law shall take effect 45 days after its adoption, but would only apply to contract solicitations issued after its effective date.