Chapter 21 - DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

Section 531.

Section 531.

  §  531.    Department;  commissioner.   There shall be a department of
parks and recreation the head of which  shall  be  the  commissioner  of
parks and recreation.

Section 532.

Section 532.

§  532.  Deputies.  The commissioner may appoint three deputies.

Section 533.

Section 533.

  §  533.  Powers and duties of the commissioner. Except with respect to
the functions of the board of education and except as otherwise provided
by law, the commissioner shall have the power and it shall be his or her
duty:
  a. Parks
  1. to manage and care for all parks, squares and  public  places,  the
sidewalks immediately adjoining the same and all playgrounds, playground
fixtures  and  other  recreation  properties,  except  those  within the
jurisdiction of the board of  education  or  other  agencies,  but  such
jurisdiction  shall not extend to or include the buildings which are now
or hereafter may be erected in  parks,  squares  or  public  places  for
governmental purposes other than those of the department;
  2.  to  prepare  plans for the establishment and improvement of a park
system for the city with due  regard  to  proper  connections  with  the
systems  of  federal, state and county parks and recreation areas in the
city and the counties adjacent to the city, and execute  the  same  when
authorized in accordance with the provisions of this charter;
  3.  to  maintain  the beauty and utility of all parks, squares, public
places, playgrounds and  other  recreational  properties,  except  those
within  the  jurisdiction of the board of education and to institute and
execute all measures for the improvement thereof for ornamental purposes
and for the beneficial uses of the people of the city;
  4. to plant and maintain trees and to construct, erect  and  establish
seats,  drinking fountains, statues and works of art in any place within
his or her jurisdiction, and  to  determine  when  and  where  lamps  or
lighting  appliances  shall be placed and lighted therein and the design
thereof;
  5. to authorize and regulate the use of and  the  projections  on  and
determine  the  line or curb and the surface construction of all streets
and avenues lying within any park, square or public place  or  within  a
distance of three hundred fifty feet from the outer boundaries thereof;
  6.  to  maintain  buildings and structures now or hereafter erected or
established in any park, square, public place or playground under his or
her jurisdiction and to carry out and perform  existing  contracts  with
corporations  or  institutions  for  the construction and maintenance of
such buildings and structures;
  7. to provide the necessary instruments, furniture and  equipment  for
the  several buildings and structures within his or her jurisdiction and
to develop and improve the same subject to the  provisions  of  law  and
existing contracts;
  8.  to  have  the  management,  direction  and  control of all real or
personal property granted, devised, bequeathed or conveyed to  the  city
for the extension, improvement or ornamentation of the parks, squares or
public  places  in  the  city  or  for the establishment or maintenance,
within the  limits  of  any  such  park,  square  or  public  place,  of
playgrounds,  other  recreational properties and other facilities within
the department's jurisdiction and upon such trusts and conditions as may
be prescribed by the grantors or donors  thereof  and  accepted  by  the
commissioner,  or  proposed  by  the  commissioner  and  accepted by the
grantors or donors thereof;
  9. to establish  and  enforce  rules  and  regulations  for  the  use,
government  and protection of public parks and of all property under the
charge or control of the department, which rules and regulations so  far
as practicable shall be uniform in all boroughs and shall have the force
and  effect  of law. Such rules and regulations shall apply to and shall
be enforceable within public parks, recreational  facilities  and  other
property  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the Hudson river park trust, the
battery park city authority and the  Brooklyn  bridge  park  corporation

provided  that  such  trust,  authority or corporation have entered into
agreements  with  the  commissioner  to  provide  for  the  maintenance,
protection  and/or government of such property by the department, except
to  the  extent  that  such  rules and regulations are inconsistent with
specific rules and regulations of  the  Hudson  river  park  trust,  the
battery park city authority or the Brooklyn bridge park corporation.
  (i)  Any  violation of such rules or regulations, except any violation
of subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, shall be a  misdemeanor  triable
by  a judge of the criminal court of the city of New York and punishable
by not more than ninety days imprisonment or by a fine of not more  than
one  thousand  dollars  or  by  both.  Any  violation  of  such rules or
regulations shall also subject the violator to a civil  penalty  of  not
more than ten thousand dollars for each violation which may be recovered
in  a proceeding before the environmental control board. Such proceeding
shall be commenced by the service of a notice of violation returnable to
the environmental control board.
  (ii) Any violation of a rule or  regulation  concerning  the  unlawful
cutting,  removal  or  destruction  of  any  tree shall be a misdemeanor
triable by a judge of the criminal court of the city  of  New  York  and
punishable  by  not  more than one year imprisonment or by a fine of not
more than fifteen thousand dollars or by both. Any violation of  a  rule
or regulation concerning the unlawful cutting, removal or destruction of
any  tree shall also subject the violator to a civil penalty of not more
than ten thousand dollars for each violation which may be recovered in a
proceeding before the environmental control board. Such proceeding shall
be commenced by the service of a notice of violation returnable  to  the
environmental  control board. The environmental control board shall have
the power to impose the civil penalties prescribed herein;
  9-a. by agreement with the  battery  park  city  authority  (a  public
benefit  corporation  established  pursuant  to  title twelve of article
eight  of  the  public  authorities  law),  to  enforce  the  rules  and
regulations  of such authority or of a not-for-profit corporation acting
on behalf of  such  authority,  relating  to  the  use,  government  and
protection  of  public parks and recreational facilities of and adjacent
to battery park city within  the  jurisdiction  of  such  authority.  In
addition  to  or  as  an alternative to any of the remedies or penalties
provided under any other provision of law, violation of such  rules  and
regulations shall be punishable by a civil penalty of not more than five
hundred  dollars  for  each  violation,  which  may  be  recovered  in a
proceeding before the environmental control board. Such proceeding shall
be commenced by a notice of violation returnable before such board.  The
procedures  set  forth  in  section  one  thousand  forty-nine-a of this
charter applicable to the  adjudication  by  the  environmental  control
board  of  violations  within the jurisdiction of the commissioner shall
apply to the adjudication of violations of such rules and regulations by
such board and final orders of such board imposing civil  penalties  for
such  violations  shall  constitute  judgments  that  may be entered and
enforced as set forth in such section.
  9-b. by agreement with the Hudson river park trust (a  public  benefit
corporation  established  pursuant  to  section five of the Hudson river
park act, chapter five  hundred  ninety-two  of  the  laws  of  nineteen
hundred  ninety-eight),  to  enforce  the  rules and regulations of such
trust relating to the use, government and protection of the Hudson river
park, created pursuant to section four of such act. In addition to or as
an alternative to any of the remedies or penalties  provided  under  any
other provision of law, violation of such rules and regulations shall be
punishable  by a civil penalty of not more than five hundred dollars for
each violation, which may  be  recovered  in  a  proceeding  before  the

environmental  control  board.  Such  proceeding shall be commenced by a
notice of violation returnable before such  board.  The  procedures  set
forth in section one thousand forty-nine-a of this charter applicable to
the adjudication by the environmental control board of violations within
the  jurisdiction of the commissioner shall apply to the adjudication of
violations of such rules and regulations by such board and final  orders
of  such  board  imposing  civil  penalties  for  such  violations shall
constitute judgments that may be entered and enforced as  set  forth  in
such section.
  9-c.  by  agreement  with  the  Brooklyn  bridge  park  corporation (a
not-for-profit corporation formed pursuant to section four  hundred  two
of  the  not-for-profit  corporation  law),  to  enforce  the  rules and
regulations of such corporation, relating to  the  use,  government  and
protection  of  public  parks  and  recreational  facilities  within the
jurisdiction of such corporation. In addition to or as an alternative to
any of the remedies or penalties provided under any other  provision  of
law,  violation  of  such rules and regulations shall be punishable by a
civil penalty of not more than five hundred dollars for each  violation,
which  may be recovered in a proceeding before the environmental control
board. Such proceeding shall be  commenced  by  a  notice  of  violation
returnable  before  such  board. The procedures set forth in section one
thousand forty-nine-a of this charter applicable to the adjudication  by
the environmental control board of violations within the jurisdiction of
the  commissioner  shall apply to the adjudication of violations of such
rules and regulations by such board  and  final  orders  of  such  board
imposing  civil penalties for such violations shall constitute judgments
that may be entered and enforced as set forth in such section.
  10. to plan, conduct, supervise, coordinate and promote  conservation,
environmental,   and   nature   education   programs  and  research  and
demonstration projects relating thereto and to  plan,  acquire,  design,
construct,  improve, alter, maintain and manage areas and facilities for
conservation and the preservation of natural beauty; and subject to  the
approval  of  the mayor, undertake to enter into arrangements with other
city, state  or  federal  agencies  and  recommend  to  the  mayor  such
arrangements  with  private,  voluntary  or  commercial  agencies, to be
entered into subject to the provisions of law, for  the  performance  of
functions  relating  to  conservation  and  the  preservation of natural
beauty;
  11. to plan, plant and maintain trees and other plantings and to plan,
acquire, design, construct, improve, alter, repair and maintain works of
art, as same are defined in  subdivision  a  of  section  eight  hundred
fifty-four  of  the  New  York  city  charter,  on  or over the streets,
avenues, squares, parks, docks, piers or other public  places  belonging
to  the  city,  except as otherwise provided by law; and, subject to the
approval of the mayor, undertake to enter into arrangements  with  other
agencies  of the city, state and federal government and recommend to the
mayor such arrangements with private, voluntary or commercial  agencies,
to be entered into subject to the provisions of law, for the performance
of functions relating to neighborhood beautification.
  b. Recreation
  1.  to plan, acquire, construct, improve and manage facilities for the
recreation of the public;
  2. to plan, develop, conduct and supervise recreation programs for the
public including research and demonstration projects relating thereto;
  3. to review and coordinate recreation  activities  and  programs  and
facilities  conducted  by  agencies of the city and the budget estimates
submitted by such other agencies  for  such  activities  and  make  such

recommendations to the mayor with respect to them as may be appropriate;
and
  4.  to  undertake,  subject to the approval of the mayor, and to enter
into arrangements with other agencies of  the  city,  state  or  federal
government and to recommend to the mayor such arrangements with private,
voluntary  or  commercial  agencies  to  be entered into, subject to the
provisions of law, for  the  performance  of  any  recreation  functions
conferred upon the department by this chapter or otherwise.