[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Central Square 10-27-2014 by L.L. No. 3-2014. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Officers and employees — See Ch. 30.
The possibility that emergency and disaster occurrences could result in the disruption of government functions necessitates that all levels of local government and their departments develop and maintain guidelines to ensure the continuity of government. Pursuant to the authority of Subdivision 1 of § 27 of the Executive Law of the State of New York, the Board of Trustees of the Village of Central Square hereby provides for the continuity of village government during a natural or man-made disaster.
A. 
In the event of a natural or man-made disaster, if the Mayor of the Village of Central Square is absent from the territorial boundaries of the Village or is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his/her office, the following Board members and additional Village officials and/or employees, if not disabled or absent from the Village, in the order of succession so listed, shall be empowered to act in the capacity of Mayor:
(1) 
Mayor.
(2) 
Deputy Mayor.
(3) 
The remaining Village Board members in descending order from the most senior Village Board member, as determined by longevity in office.
(4) 
DPW Superintendent.
(5) 
Police Chief.
(6) 
Village Clerk.
(7) 
Code Enforcement Officer.
B. 
Statutory authority is given to the Mayor, as chief elected official, to designate and be responsible for an emergency situation occurring in or affecting the Village. The Mayor, or his or her successor, is the only person who may declare a local state of emergency, issue emergency orders, or request assistance from the next higher level of government. For the Village, the next higher level of government is the county government. The designees identified above may, under those conditions where the Mayor is unavailable or his or her arrival constitutes an unacceptable delay, issue a declaration of a state of emergency which shall be followed by the steps required by Executive Law Article 2-B and the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.
It is the responsibility of the elected officials to ensure that all legal documents of both a public and private nature recorded by designated officials be protected and preserved in accordance with existing laws, statutes, and guidelines. Each department/agency is responsible for the preservation of essential records' continued operational capabilities.
The Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan heretofore adopted by the Village Board of Trustees, and on file in the office of the Village Clerk, is hereby referenced as the official operational plan in the event of a natural or manmade disaster. Such plan shall be reviewed and updated at least annually by a joint town/Village committee who shall then make such recommendations as necessary to the Board of Trustees for amendments to the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.