Make Recommendations Regarding Rikers Island

LL16 § 1: "Rikers Island advisory committee.

1. There shall be established a Rikers Island advisory committee, which shall consist of 15 members, as follows: the commissioner of citywide administrative services or such commissioner’s designee, the commissioner of environmental protection or such commissioner’s designee, the commissioner of parks and recreation or such commissioner’s designee, the commissioner of sanitation or such commissioner’s designee, the commissioner of buildings or such commissioner’s designee, the director of long-term planning and sustainability or such director’s designee, two members appointed by the mayor, and seven members appointed by the speaker of the council. No less than four of the nine members appointed by the mayor and the speaker of the council shall be persons who have been impacted directly by incarceration on Rikers Island, provided that not less than two of such four members shall be persons who were in custody at a facility on Rikers Island and the remainder of whom may be persons whose immediate family members were in custody at a facility on Rikers Island. No less than three of the nine members appointed by the mayor and the speaker of the council shall be persons with an expertise in environmental justice or sustainability. The nine members appointed by the mayor and speaker of the council should represent the geographic diversity of communities impacted by incarceration on Rikers Island or environmental justice communities. The commissioner of citywide administrative services shall serve as chairperson of the committee. The commissioner of correction, or such commissioner’s designee, may participate as a non-voting member in the meetings of the advisory committee, for the purpose of providing operational information, up to and until August 31, 2027, or the date by which Rikers Island is fully transferred, whichever comes first. Members shall serve without compensation.

2. No later than 180 days after the effective date of this subdivision, the Rikers Island advisory committee shall hold its initial meeting, and thereafter shall meet at least quarterly, to evaluate and make recommendations regarding prospective uses of Rikers Island, both with regard to those portions of Rikers Island transferred to the commissioner of citywide administrative services pursuant to paragraph 1 of subdivision a of this section and with regard to the entirety of Rikers Island, for sustainability and resiliency purposes, including but not limited to renewable energy, wastewater treatment, organics removal, organic waste processing, and other purposes conforming to section 24-803 of this code. Such evaluations shall consider the potentially beneficial uses of existing buildings, structures, and facilities.

3. The advisory committee may make recommendations on prospective uses to the mayor and the speaker of the council at any time after the date of its initial meeting. Additionally, no later than three years after the date of its initial meeting, the advisory committee shall submit recommendations to the mayor and the speaker of the council regarding prospective uses of Rikers Island that shall include no less than three options that the committee recommends be considered for further study or possible implementation."