§ 503 — Powers of municipalities

§ 503. Powers of municipalities. Every municipality is hereby\nauthorized to plan and undertake one or more urban renewal projects and\nshall have the powers necessary or convenient to carry out and\neffectuate such project or projects and the purposes and provisions of\nthis article, including but not limited to the following powers:\n (a) Cooperate with the federal government and apply for and accept\nadvances, loans, grants, subsidies, contributions and any other form of\nfinancial assistance from the federal government, or from the state,\ncounty or other public body, or from any sources public or private, for\nthe purposes of this article; and to give such security as may be\nrequired and to enter into and carry out contracts or agreements in\nconnection therewith; and to include in any contract for financial\nassistance with the federal government for or with respect to an urban\nrenewal project, or with respect to any other program authorized under\nthe housing act of nineteen hundred forty-nine, and all other federal\nlaws amendatory and supplemental thereto, such conditions imposed\npursuant to federal laws as the municipality may deem reasonable and\nappropriate and which are not inconsistent with the purposes of this\narticle. Such conditions may include but shall not be limited to (1)\nprovisions requiring payment of not less than certain minimum salaries\nand wages to architects, engineers, technicians, laborers, mechanics and\nother personnel; (2) provisions prohibiting rebates and kick backs; and\n(3) provisions requiring contractors and subcontractors to furnish\nreports and other data to the secretary of labor;\n (b) Provide local grants-in-aid, as provided under such federal laws,\nin the form of appropriations, cash, municipal services and facilities,\nor any other form;\n (c) Borrow money and issue bonds or other obligations for the\nacquisition of property in the same manner as for the acquisition of\nproperty for other public purposes or as otherwise provided in article\ntwo of the local finance law;\n (d) Provide for demolition and clearance of property, improvement of\nproperty, or development and use of air rights and concomitant easements\nor other rights of user necessary for the use and development of such\nair rights and air right sites, including the remedying of unsuitable\ntopographical, subsoil or other physical conditions which impede\ndevelopment within the urban renewal area, and construction of\nfoundations and platforms as well as other necessary site work by the\nmunicipality or by the person, firm or corporation to whom such\nproperty, air rights and easements or air rights site, is sold or\nleased, provided, however, that any such work upon or affecting railroad\nproperty, right-of-way or facilities shall be subject to the approval of\nand joint supervision by the railroad company or companies affected. No\nwork upon or affecting railroad property, right-of-way or facilities\nshall be progressed without the approval of the railroad company or\ncompanies, and in connection with all such projects upon or affecting\nrailroad property, right-of-way or facilities appropriate standards for\nsafety of operations, ventilation and lighting shall be subject to the\napproval of the railroad company or companies affected. In the event\nthat such demolition, clearance, improvement or development is done by\nthe municipality or funded by the municipality, the cost thereof may be\nfinanced in the same manner as acquisition costs. Any municipality with\na population of one million or more persons may provide a loan for the\npurpose of carrying out such demolition, clearance, improvement or\ndevelopment and use to the person, firm or corporation to whom such\nproperty, air rights, easements or air rights site is sold or leased.\nSuch loans shall be made upon terms and conditions approved by the\nagency, for a term not to exceed thirty years;\n (e) Develop, test and report methods and techniques and carry out\ndemonstration and other activities in relation to or in connection with\none or more programs of urban renewal or other programs relating to the\narrest and prevention of conditions of deterioration or blight. In\ncarrying out such demonstration and other activities a municipality may\nitself reconstruct, repair, rehabilitate or otherwise improve such real\nproperty or may sell, lease or otherwise dispose of such real property,\nfor the effectuation of such activities or purposes by the purchaser or\nlessee thereof, pursuant to the provisions of section five hundred seven\nof this article;\n (f) prepare or cause to be prepared a general neighborhood renewal\nplan for an area consisting of an urban renewal area or areas, together\nwith any adjoining areas having specially related problems, and which is\nof such size that urban renewal activities may have to be initiated in\nstages;\n (g) prepare or cause to be prepared a community-wide plan or program\nfor urban renewal which shall conform to the comprehensive community\nplan for the development of the municipality as a whole.\n (h) for the purpose of preserving the integrity of an urban renewal\nplan, to require, for a maximum period of three years after approval of\nan urban renewal plan pursuant to section five hundred five of this\narticle, the consent of the agency to the issuance of a building\nconstruction or alteration permit or certificate of occupancy for a\nstructure or use within the urban renewal area or within that part or\nportion of such area for which a plan has been so approved (except for\nconstruction, alteration or use which is necessary for the immediate\nprotection of public health or safety). Such consent shall be based upon\na determination by the agency that the proposed construction, alteration\nor use is not inconsistent with the plan.\n (i) notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained elsewhere in\nthis chapter, or in any general, special or local law, in addition to\nany other powers of a municipality, to appropriate the necessary funds\nfor and authorize the payment of the actual reasonable moving and\nrelated expenses as well as supplemental and additional payments to be\npaid to individuals, families, business concerns or non-profit\norganizations displaced by reason of urban renewal or other\nfederally-aided activities, so that disproportionate injuries are not\nsuffered as a result of such programs, in accordance with federal law,\nrules and regulations, as may be imposed by any contract for financial\nassistance between the municipality and federal government, in\nconnection with an urban renewal project or other authorized program,\npursuant to such conditions as the municipality may deem reasonable and\nappropriate and which are not inconsistent with the purposes of this\narticle.\n