Bill > S07870

This bill requires the New York City Parks and Recreation Commissioner to establish a formal, publicly-available application process for sole-source concession agreements, which are special arrangements allowing not-for-profit organizations to operate unique programs in city parks. The bill mandates that within six months of the act's effective date, the city must create an application process for these agreements, and within 120 days of receiving an application, must either detail negotiation parameters or deny the application with a valid reason. The city must then complete negotiations within three years, with specific six-month benchmarks established early in the process. If the city fails to respond within 180 days or complete negotiations within three years, independent arbitration can be authorized to generate the concession agreement. The bill defines sole-source concession agreements as documents issued to organizations offering diverse programming like museums, educational initiatives, urban agriculture, and special events, emphasizing that while these are not competitive processes, organizations must justify their unique value to the Franchise and Concession Review Committee. Additionally, any organization receiving such an agreement must hold insurance and indemnify the city, and the city's parks, revenue, and community partnership divisions will oversee these agreements.

Government Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S7870