New York Laws
Article 2-A - Powers of Cities
20 - Grant of Specific Powers.

(b) The term "master electrician" as used in this subdivision shall
mean and include any person, firm, co-partnership, association or
corporation having a regular place of business, who or which performs
the work of or who is engaged in the business of electrical contracting
and/or of installing, altering and repairing or contracting to install,
alter or repair any electric wires or wiring apparatus, fixtures and
other appliances used or to be used for the transmission of electricity
for light, heat or power, or signaling system where more than fifty
volts is required for its operation.
(c) The term "special electrician" as used in this subdivision shall
mean and include any person who is in the exclusive employ of the owner,
lessee or manager of a building to install, alter or repair electric
wiring or appliances for light, heat or power, or to install, alter or
repair signalling systems where more than fifty volts is required for
operation. Such license may be limited in its scope to any particular
premises to be specified in such license, but if so limited the holder
thereof shall be entitled to have such location changed from time to
time upon application to the board.
(d) Such ordinances shall not apply to a plant operated by a
municipality authorized to generate or sell electricity nor to electric
corporations as defined in the transportation corporations law, nor to
any person or corporation engaged in their behalf, nor to the employees
of any of them in performing such work in the conduct of the business of
such corporations in installing, maintaining or repairing wires,
apparatus or fixtures, or other appliances used by such companies and
necessary for or to their business, whether or not such wires, conduits,
apparatus, fixtures or other appliances are on its own premises, unless
the work in connection therewith is done within a building not owned by
such corporation. Such ordinances shall not apply to the installation,
maintenance or repair of elevators, dumb-waiters and escalators, nor to
the electrical work of a telephone, telegraph, central station, of a
protective, railroad or radio broadcasting company, nor to persons
performing electrical work for such a company where said electrical work
is an integral part of the plant or service used by such company in
rendering its duly authorized service to the public. Such ordinances
shall not apply to the maintenance, repairing or operation of electrical
equipment within a theatre, or other place of public assemblage where
entertainment or exhibition is provided, motion picture studio,
theatrical studio, or motion picture film laboratory, nor to the
installation of temporary electrical cables, assembling or erecting of
such theatrical, sound recording, sound reproducing or motion picture
equipment where such equipment is an integral part of the theatre,
traveling production, motion picture studio or laboratory used in the
production or exhibition of stage or motion picture attractions. An
ordinance adopted hereunder shall provide that either of said licenses
shall be issued upon proof that the applicant has been continuously
engaged in work of the character herein defined for a period of five
years prior to the enactment of such ordinance, without further
examination, provided that such application be made to such board within
one year after the enactment of such ordinance.
(e) Any existing board for the examination and licensing of master
and/or special electricians in any city to which this subdivision
applies, which has been created by the legislative body of said city, is
hereby validated and continued until otherwise provided by ordinance. No
such board shall possess powers other than those which might be granted
to a board created pursuant to an ordinance authorized by this
subdivision.
(f) The provisions of this subdivision shall not apply to any city
having a population of less than four hundred thousand or more than one
million inhabitants.
28. (a) To contract by its local governing body, on recommendation of
the board of health or other local health officer or agency, with any
non-profit institution organized to conduct research and investigation
into the control of diseases of importance to the public health for
research and investigation by such institution into the prevention and
treatment of communicable diseases and other matters relating to public
health. Such contract shall run for a term of not less than ten years

and may contain provisions and conditions for renewals thereof, from
time to time, for terms of not less than ten years each, provided,
however, that during such term or any renewal thereof the mayor or other
chief executive officer, the comptroller or other chief fiscal officer
and the commissioner of health or other local health officer of such
city shall be ex officio members of the board of directors of such
institution.
(b) The local governing body is further authorized and empowered to
appropriate the sum required to be paid to the institution under the
terms of such contract and shall include the sum so appropriated in its
budget for the next ensuing fiscal year. The expenditure of all moneys
appropriated to the institution shall be subject to the audit of the
comptroller or other chief fiscal officer.
29. To contract, by its board of estimate or other local governing
body, and in the case of any city with a population of one million or
more inhabitants, by its board of estimate, with a non-profit membership
corporation, organized under article forty-three of the insurance law
and approved by the superintendent of financial services and the state
board of social welfare, for the purpose of furnishing medical and
surgical services and hospital service as defined in such article
forty-three, to persons who contract with such corporation. Any city
with a population of one million or more inhabitants, acting by its
board of estimate, may make such a contract or contracts with one or
more insurance companies authorized to do business in this state or with
one or more of such corporations organized under article forty-three of
the insurance law, and any such contract or contracts or any health
insurance plan or plans of such city effectuated by such contract or
contracts shall be administered by the department of personnel of such
city or, if there be no such department therein, by a department, agency
or officer thereof designated by the board of estimate or other
governing board or body of such city. Any such contract entered into by
a city shall permit any officer or employee or group of officers or
employees of an agency or department who is paid out of the city
treasury voluntarily to subscribe to a plan or plans providing for
medical and surgical services and hospital service to such officers or
employees and their families. The comptroller or other disbursing
officer of the city shall be authorized to deduct from the wages or
salary paid by the city to such officer or employee, with the prior
consent of such contracting or subscribing officer or employee, the sums
required to be paid by such officer or employee to such corporation or
company. Such board of estimate or other local governing body, and in
the case of any city with a population of one million or more
inhabitants, the authorities authorized by law to make expense budget
appropriations, if such contract or plan provides that the employer
shall contribute a share of the cost of such medical and surgical
services and hospital service, shall have power to appropriate a sum
required to be paid under such contract by the city as employer. The sum
to be paid under such contract, in the discretion of such board or body,
may be a payment equal to the sum of the contributions of individual
officers or employees who have subscribed to the plan or plans of such
corporation or company, and in the case of any city with a population of
one million or more inhabitants, may be a payment equal to all or any
part of the sum to be paid under such contract. The sum so appropriated
shall be included in the city's budget for the next ensuing fiscal year.
The city shall be authorized to pay directly to such corporation or
company the total of such appropriation and of such officer or employee
deductions.

29-a. To contract, by its board of estimate or other local governing
body, and in the case of any city having a population of one million or
more, by its board of estimate, with such non-profit membership
corporation organized under article forty-three of the insurance law,
and in the case of any city with a population of one million or more
inhabitants, with one or more insurance companies authorized to do
business in this state or with one or more of such corporations
organized under article forty-three of the insurance law, for the
purpose of providing and administering, as in subdivision twenty-nine of
section twenty of the general city law, health insurance for retired
officers and employees of an agency or department and their spouses and
their dependent children and for the widowed spouses and dependent
children of employees of an agency or department of such city whose
death was the natural and proximate result of an accident sustained
while an employee of such city and while in the performance of duty.
During any period in which a retired employee voluntarily subscribes to
such plan or plans after the date of his retirement, the comptroller
shall be authorized to deduct from his retirement allowance the
contribution required to be paid by such officer or employee to such
corporation or company. During any period in which the widowed spouse or
dependent children of an employee of any agency or department of such
city voluntarily subscribes to such plan or plans after the death of
such employee, the comptroller shall be authorized to deduct from the
pension or other allowance payable to such widowed spouse or dependent
children the contribution required to be paid by such spouse or children
to such corporation or company. Where an authority, created under the
public authorities law or defined in section three of the public housing
law, which performs its functions wholly within a city having a
population of one million or more inhabitants, is providing for its
former officers and employees, who are retirees of a retirement system
maintained by such city, a health insurance plan or plans with any such
carrier or carriers similar to a health insurance plan or plans provided
by such city for its retirees, the comptroller or other disbursing
officer of such city shall be authorized to deduct from the retirement
allowance of any such retiree of an authority the contribution or share,
if any, required to be paid by such retiree who voluntarily elects
coverage under any of such plans.
29-b. To reimburse any retired officer or employee who:
(1) at the time of retirement was an employee of an agency or
department and was paid out of the city treasury;
(2) is receiving a retirement allowance, pension or other retirement
benefit from a retirement or other pension system maintained by the
city; and
(3) is enrolled in a choice of health plans program offered by the
city;
for premium charges for supplementary medical insurance benefits under
the federal old-age, survivors and disability insurance benefit program
for such officer or employee, if he is enrolled under such federal
program, and for his spouse, if he or she is so enrolled. Such
reimbursement may be made monthly or at other intervals, and shall not
exceed the amount of premium charges paid for such supplementary medical
insurance benefits.
30. To enact ordinances creating a lien for towing, storage and
incidental expenses upon vehicles found standing or parked in violation
of ordinances and removed and stored as an abatement of a nuisance, and
imposing a charge against the owner or persons entitled to possession of
such vehicles and providing the procedure for the determination of

ownership or right to possession and the collection of such lien or
charge, including public sale of the said vehicle.
31. May permit the use of any city-owned street or highway machinery,
tools or equipment by a county in which such city is wholly or partly
located or by a municipal subdivision, district, district corporation or
school district, wholly or partly within such a county, upon such terms
as may be agreed upon but with the payment to the city of not less than
the hourly rate as fixed by the state commissioner of transportation for
the rental or hiring of such machinery, tools or equipment by the city.
Moneys received by a city pursuant to the provisions of this subdivision
may be applied to the payment of any existing obligations of the city or
transferred to the general fund.
32. To create by resolution of the local governing body a board,
commission or department of traffic control in order to more effectively
regulate and control vehicular and pedestrian traffic and better to
serve the public convenience, promote public safety and to protect human
life, health and property. Such a traffic agency shall consist of not
less than five nor more than nine members who shall be appointed by the
mayor. The chairman or head of such agency shall be a licensed
professional engineer who shall have at least ten years' experience in
traffic engineering. He shall also be the city traffic engineer and
shall receive an annual salary. Such agency members shall include the
commissioners of police and public works and the chairman of the city
planning commission or the officials occupying analogous offices and one
other qualified person and the mayor may designate other qualified city
officers or employees to serve as members ex officio and without
additional compensation. Such traffic agency may contain within its
departmental structure a bureau of traffic engineering which bureau
shall be under the immediate supervision of the city traffic engineer.
Whenever such a traffic agency shall be created as in this subdivision
provided it shall, notwithstanding any other provision of law, possess
exclusive power and authority within such city to (a) regulate, direct,
restrict and otherwise to control the movement of vehicular and
pedestrian traffic, but not inconsistent with the provisions of the
vehicle and traffic law in relation thereto, (b) limit the carrying
capacity of vehicles used in the business of carrying passengers for
hire, except omnibuses operated pursuant to certificates of public
convenience and necessity issued by commissioner of transportation, (c)
determine the location of garages, parking lots and parking meters, (d)
determine the design, type, size, method of erection, installation,
removal, maintenance, operation and location of any and all signs,
signals, markings, and similar devices for guiding, directing or
otherwise regulating and controlling such traffic and, with the approval
of the local governing board, may relinquish for transfer and assignment
to any other agency of the city government part or all of one or more
such powers and duties, and (e) make rules and regulations for the
conduct of vehicular and pedestrian traffic in the use of the public
streets, squares and avenues as such board, commission or department may
deem necessary. Such rules and regulations shall be filed with the city
clerk and shall become effective when published in a paper published by
the city or, if no paper be published by such city, in not less than
three newspapers having a general daily circulation in such city, except
that in a city having a population of not more than thirty thousand,
such rules and regulations shall be published in one newspaper published
or having a general circulation in such city. The violation of any
provision of any such rule or regulation shall be triable by a city
magistrate and punishable by imprisonment of not more than thirty days
or by a fine of not more than fifty dollars or both.

Nothing in this subdivision contained shall affect or impair the
powers or duties of the city planning commission or of any analogous
agency of city government to determine the location of garages and
parking lots or affect the power or duty imposed on the police
department or other analogous agency to regulate hacks, taxicabs and
taxi drivers pursuant to the provisions of any city charter, local law
or ordinance and any such power and duty shall continue to be exercised
and performed under the jurisdiction and control of such department or
agency.
Upon the adoption of a resolution creating such a traffic agency, and
except as in this subdivision otherwise provided, all of the functions,
powers and duties vested in such traffic agency which theretofore were
exercised and performed by any other agency of the city government of
such city, together with all records, property and equipment used in the
exercise and performance of such functions, powers or duties shall, on
the date fixed in such resolution, pass to and be in addition to the
functions, powers and duties vested in such traffic agency by this
subdivision.
33. By resolution of its legislative body to authorize the payment of
a reasonable mileage allowance for the miles actually and necessarily
traveled on official business by any city officer or employee by the use
of his own automobile.
34. To adopt a local law providing that every deed given by such city
pursuant to any general or special law providing for the foreclosure of
a tax lien by action in rem, shall be presumptive evidence that the
action and all proceedings therein and all proceedings prior thereto
from and including the assessment of the lands affected and all notices
required by law were regular and in accordance with all provisions of
law relating thereto.
After two years from the date of the record of such deed, the
presumption shall be conclusive, unless at the time that such local law
takes effect the two year period since the record of the deed has
expired or less than six months of such period of two years remains
unexpired, in which case the presumption shall become conclusive six
months after such local law takes effect. No action to set aside such
deed may be maintained unless the action is commenced and a note of
pendency of the action is filed in the office of the proper county clerk
prior to the time that the presumption becomes conclusive as aforesaid.
35. To adopt a local law or ordinance compelling the repair or removal
of any building or structure that, from any cause, endangers the health,
safety or welfare of the public, providing as follows:
a. For an inspection and report by the director of buildings of the
city.
b. For the service of a notice upon the owner, and all other persons
having an interest in such property or structure, either personally or
by registered mail, addressed to his last known address as shown by the
records of the officer or agency of the city charged with the assessment
of real property therein or collection of real property taxes thereon
and/or in the office of the county clerk or county register, containing
a description of the premises, a statement of the particulars in which
the building or structure is unsafe or dangerous and an order of the
director of buildings requiring same to be repaired or removed; and if
such service be made by registered mail, for the posting of a copy of
such notice on the premises.
c. For the time within which the owner so served shall commence the
repair or removal of such building or structure.
d. For the filing of a copy of such notice in the office of the county
clerk of the county within which such building or structure is located,

which notice shall be filed by such clerk in the same manner as a notice
of pendency pursuant to article sixty-five of the civil practice law and
rules, and shall have the same effect as a notice of pendency as therein
provided, except as otherwise hereinafter provided in this paragraph. A
notice so filed shall be effective for a period of one year from the
date of filing, provided, however, that it may be vacated upon the order
of a judge or justice of a court of record or upon the consent of the
corporation counsel. The clerk of the county where such notice is filed
shall mark such notice and any record or docket thereof as cancelled of
record upon the presentation and filing of such consent or of a
certified copy of such order.
e. For a hearing before the director of buildings, notice of which and
the time and place thereof to be specified in the notice to repair or
demolish, served upon the owner and such persons having an interest in
the property or structure as is herein prescribed.
f. For the removal of such building or structure by the city in the
event such owner fails or refuses to repair or remove the same within
the time provided.
g. For the assessment of all costs and expenses incurred by the city
in connection with the proceedings to repair or remove such building or
structure, including the cost of actually removing the same, against the
land on which such building or structure is located.
h. The powers conferred by this subdivision thirty-five shall be in
addition to all other powers conferred upon cities in relation to the
same subject matter. Nothing contained in this subdivision shall be
construed to amend, repeal, modify or affect any existing local law or
ordinance or provision of any charter or administrative code pertaining
to the subject matter to which this subdivision relates, or to limit or
restrict the power of any city to amend or modify any such existing
local law, ordinance or provision of any charter or administrative code,
or to restrict or limit any power otherwise conferred on any city by law
with respect to the subject matter to which this subdivision relates.
36. In cities having a population of fewer than one million
inhabitants, to lease to any person, firm or corporation, for commercial
or private use, the air rights over or the subsurface area under any
property of the city acquired or to be acquired for street or highway
puposes, together with easements or other rights of user necessary for
the use and development of such air rights or subsurface areas, as are
not needed for public purposes, subject to such reservations,
restrictions and conditions as the city deems necessary to assure
adequate protection to the safety and the adequacy of street or highway
facilities and to abutting or adjacent land users and as the city deems
necessary to minimize or avoid public utility facility relocation costs
which would otherwise ensue if such facilities were removed without
regard to their compatability with the intended use of such air rights
or subsurface areas. Any such lease may be for a term not exceeding
ninety-nine years and may be renewed for such additional term or terms
as the city council may provide. Any buildings, structures,
substructures or superstructures, the title to which remains in the
lessee, shall be deemed to be real property for purposes of taxation as
defined in subdivision twelve of section one hundred two of the real
property tax law. Nothing in this subdivision shall be deemed to create
any liability arising from the cost of public utility facility
relocation not recognized at common law or otherwise created by statute.
37. To adopt ordinances or local laws prohibiting and punishing
loitering; provided however, that such ordinance or law shall only
prohibit loitering for a specific illegal purpose or loitering in a
specific place of restricted public access and shall therein set forth

guidelines for application of such prohibitions by law enforcement
officers so as to prevent arbitrary or discriminatory enforcement of
such prohibitions.
38. a. A city having a population of more than one hundred twenty-five
thousand and less than one million, is authorized and empowered to enter
into a lease, sublease or other agreement with the dormitory authority
providing for the financing or refinancing of all or a portion of school
district capital facilities or school district capital equipment in
accordance with section sixteen hundred eighty of the public authorities
law and with the approval of the commissioner of education. Such lease,
sublease, or other agreement may provide for the payment of annual
rentals and other payments to the dormitory authority, and contain such
other terms and conditions as may be agreed upon by the parties thereto,
including the establishment of reserve funds and indemnities. For
purposes of this subdivision, school district capital equipment shall
have the meaning ascribed thereto in section sixteen hundred seventy-six
of the public authorities law.
b. Notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary, the
dormitory authority and the board of education are hereby authorized and
empowered to perform any and all acts and to enter into any and all
agreements necessary or desirable to effectuate the purposes of this
subdivision.

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