There shall be a department of public works under the direction of a commissioner of public works, who shall be appointed and serve in accordance with article IV of the charter. He shall be appointed on the basis of his professional experience and other qualifications appropriate for the responsibilities of his office.
[L.L. No. 3-1999, § 1]
Except as otherwise provided in the charter, the commissioner
shall:
(a)Â
conduct all operations of the department under the supervision of
the mayor and city administrator and subject to the policies and within
the appropriations determined by the common council.
(b)Â
supervise the city engineer and such subordinate engineers and other
employees of the department as required to carry out the mission of
the department.
(c)Â
act as commissioner of highways and superintendent of streets in
and for the city and have all the powers and perform all duties conferred
or imposed by law upon a superintendent of highways of a town in the
state.
(d)Â
exercise care and control over and supervise the design, construction,
reconstruction, renovation, installation, alteration, repair, maintenance
and cleaning of the streets, sidewalks, public squares, parking lots,
bridges, public parks and the portions of the Fallkill Creek and the
walls thereof within the bounds of the city.
(e)Â
supervise the design, construction, reconstruction, renovation, installation,
alteration, equipping, repair, maintenance, cleaning and operation
of waste water and storm water treatment facilities and collection
systems, water treatment facilities and distribution systems, solid
waste disposal and recycling facilities and collection systems.
(f)Â
supervise the design, construction, reconstruction, renovation, installation,
alteration equipping, repair, maintenance and operation of all buildings,
parking garages, docks, terminals and other improvements of the city.
(g)Â
cause and regulate the planting, setting out, protection, rearing,
trimming, spraying, cutting, removal and care of all trees, shrubs,
plants, flowers and lawns in the streets, parks and public places.
(h)Â
grant permits for, and regulate and control, the opening of the surface
or any portion of a street or public place for underground connections
or otherwise, and the restoration of such surface, including the power
to make regulations concerning the same.
(i)Â
compel every person to clean the ice and snow from the sidewalks
in front, or on the side of any house, building or lot, owned or occupied
in whole or in part by him/her, and in the case of neglect so to do,
the commissioner of public works shall cause a notice to be served
upon the owner of the premises if (s)he shall occupy the same, or
if the owner is not occupying the same or is absent therefrom, then
upon any person who shall be in possession of the premises, or if
the premises are unoccupied or access to the house thereof cannot
be obtained, then by posting such notice upon the premises, which
notice shall require the owner or person in possession to clean said
ice and snow from the sidewalk in front or on the side of said premises
within twenty-four hours of the date and time of the service or posting
of the notice. If at the end of the twenty-four hour period from the
time such notice is served or posted, said walks have not been cleaned,
then the Commissioner of Public Works may cause the same to be cleaned
and the expense thereof shall become a charge upon the said real property
upon the day the work shall be done, which shall be the actual cost
of such removal plus a sum equal to 5% of the actual cost for inspection
and other additional administrative costs in connection therewith,
and shall be collected in the same manner as other assessments and
unpaid water rates are collected as provided by this code. The Department
of Public Works shall on or before the fifteenth day of May in each
year report to the Commissioner of Finance of the City of Poughkeepsie
all unpaid charges for cleaning walks as provided in this section
and the Commissioner of Finance shall enter such charges against the
respective properties in a suitable book to be kept by him/her for
that purpose, and render statements thereto to the respective owners.
The commissioner shall have the power to recommend to the city
administrator the appointment of a city engineer, and such deputy
commissioners of public works, assistants and employees of the department
of public works as shall be authorized by the common council. All
persons so appointed, including the city engineer, shall be directly
responsible to the commissioner of public works, except where otherwise
provided by the charter, this code, or by applicable law.
It shall not be lawful for any person to throw or deposit, or
cause to be thrown or deposited, into any aqueduct, reservoir or reservoirs
constructed by the city, any dead animals or other offensive matter,
or anything whatever; and any person offending against the provisions
of this section shall be deemed guilty of a violation, and upon conviction
thereof shall be punished by a fine or imprisonment, or both, in the
discretion of the court; such fine not to exceed five hundred dollars
($500.00), and such imprisonment not to exceed the period of fifteen
(15) days.
[L.L. No. 2-1999, § 1]
The Sanitation Foreman and those Sanitation laborers and inspectors, as are designated by the Superintendent of Public Works, who are civilian employees of the City Department of Public Works and public servants of the City of Poughkeepsie are hereby authorized to issue and serve appearance tickets returnable in the City Court of the City of Poughkeepsie for any violation of Chapter 9 of the City of Poughkeepsie Code of Ordinances, entitled "Garbage, Trash and Weeds," and for any violation of Section 15-11 of the City of Poughkeepsie Code of Ordinances entitled "Sidewalks, requirements for cleaning."
