GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL OF PARKS 



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LEGISLATION FOR COUNTY PARK SYSTEMS 

 The law making possible the Westchester County, New York, system 



of parks follows: 



Westchester County Park Law, Chapter 292, Laws 

 of 1922. An Act to provide for the location, creation, 

 acquisition and improvement of parks, parkways and 

 boulevards in and by the County of Westchester, 

 authorizing the borrowing of money and issuing of 

 bonds therefor; providing for the management and 

 maintenance thereof; creating a commission therefor, 

 and denning the powers and duties of such commission. 

 Became a law March 27, 1922, with the approval of 

 the governor. Passed, three-fifths being present. 



The people of the State of New York represented in 

 Senate and Assembly do enact as follows: 



Section I. Appointment and terms of commissioners. 

 The board of supervisors of the county of Westchester 

 shall within thirty days after this Act becomes a law 

 appoint nine citizens and residents of said county, who 

 when so appointed shall constitute a board of com- 

 missioners under the name and style of Westchester 

 County Park Commission. Three of such commissioners 

 shall hold office for a term to expire June i, 1923; three 

 for a term to expire June I, 1924; and three for a term 

 to expire June i, 1925. In case any of the persons so 

 appointed shall not undertake the office of said com- 

 mission, or in case of a vacancy occasioned by the 

 expiration of term of office or otherwise, such vacancy 

 shall be filled by a majority vote of the said board of 

 supervisors and the persons so appointed shall hold 

 office for the term of three years from the date of the 

 expiration of the term of office of the commissioner 

 whose office he is appointed in place thereof, except 

 that when a person is appointed to a vacancy occurring 

 before the term of office in which the vacancy occurs 

 shall have been completed such person so appointed 

 shall hold his office for the remainder of the said term 

 not completed by his predecessor and until another 

 shall be appointed in his place. No member of said 

 commission shall receive any compensation for his 

 services as commissioner, but each commissioner shall 

 be entitled to receive his actual disbursements and 

 expenses in performing the duties of his office. 



2. Each commissioner shall before entering upon the 

 duties of his office take and subscribe the oath pre- 

 scribed by the constitution of the state, which oath 

 shall be filed in the office of the county clerk of West- 

 Chester County. The clerk of the board of supervisors 

 of Westchester County shall call a meeting of said park 

 commissioners to be held at the courthouse, in the 

 City of White Plains, New York, within ten days after 

 their appointment for the purpose of organization. 

 Such park commissioners shall thereupon proceed to 

 organize and at such meeting, or at any subsequent 

 meeting, select a president, vice-president, secretary and 



treasurer, who shall, except the secretary, be members 

 of the commission. Such commission may adopt a seal 

 and a majority of such commissioners shall constitute 

 a quorum for the transaction of business. The com- 

 mission may employ such counsel as may be necessary 

 and may also employ experts and other assistants and 

 incur such other expenses as may be found necessary 

 within the amounts appropriated by the board of 

 supervisors of said county. The commission shall keep 

 a record of its proceedings which, together with its 

 approved maps, adopted plans, documents and acts, 

 shall be a public record and be open to public inspection 

 at such times and under such reasonable regulations 

 as the commission shall determine. The said commis- 

 sion shall maintain a suitable office where its maps, 

 plans, papers and records shall be kept and for the 

 purposes of this Act. Such commission is empowered 

 to employ and at pleasure discharge such officers and 

 employees as it may deem necessary and may deter- 

 mine their duties and fix their compensation to be paid 

 as other county salaries are paid, provided, however, 

 that the total of such salaries shall be within the amount 

 appropriated by the board of supervisors for that pur- 

 pose. It shall be a misdemeanor for any member of 

 said park commission or any clerk, architect, engineer, 

 superintendent or other assistant appointed by said 

 park commission, or for any officer of said county to 

 be in any way interested, directly or indirectly, in 

 furnishing any of the materials, supplies or labor for 

 the erection or construction of any building or improve- 

 ment contemplated by the provisions of this Act, or in 

 any contract which said park commission is empowered 

 by this Act to make. Such employees shall include one 

 or more persons who may be employed for the purpose 

 of enforcing law, order and the observance of the ordi- 

 nances established by said commission for the govern- 

 ment and use of the public reservation under its care. 

 Each person as and when so employed, and during the 

 term of such employment,' shall be designated as a 

 Westchester County park patrolman and shall be a 

 peace officer as defined by Section 154 of the code of 

 criminal procedure, and shall have, within the limits 

 of the cities, towns and villages containing territory 

 included within such reservation all the powers of a 

 constable, marshal, police constable, or policeman of a 

 city, town or village in the execution of criminal process; 

 and criminal process issued by any court or magistrate 

 of a county, town, city or village containing territory 

 included within such reservation may be directed to, 

 and executed by any such patrolman, notwithstanding 

 the provisions of any local or special Act, ordinance, 

 or regulation. 



