Establishes a seven member task force to create a comprehensive plan for the future of the Southampton campus of Stony Brook University; empowers the task force to appoint a 15 member community advisory board; makes related provisions.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6790
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 10, 2023
___________
Introduced by Sen. PALUMBO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT in relation to establishing a task force to create a comprehen-
sive plan for the future of the Southampton campus of Stony Brook
University
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature finds that
2 in 2006, the state of New York acquired and established a new campus at
3 Southampton under the auspices of Stony Brook University. The legisla-
4 ture further finds that it has made a commitment to maintain and expand
5 opportunities for higher education at this campus.
6 However, Stony Brook University has failed to achieve the full poten-
7 tial of the campus. Seventeen years after assuming stewardship of the
8 Southampton campus, Stony Brook University has failed to adopt and
9 implement a long term plan for the campus. In fact, of the 41 buildings
10 located on the campus, 17 are considered to be unsafe for use and occu-
11 pancy, including historic Southampton Hall. Further, Stony Brook Univer-
12 sity has failed to even apply for state and federal funding that could
13 have been utilized to restore or replace these buildings for future use
14 on the campus.
15 Such neglect is unacceptable.
16 A vision for the future of the campus must be created working with the
17 local community. The first step to create that vision and realize that
18 the full potential of the campus is the development of a comprehensive
19 plan for the Southampton campus. Such a comprehensive plan will identify
20 the capital investment and programmatic initiatives that are necessary
21 to achieve the full potential of the campus.
22 Therefore, the intent of this legislation is to establish a task force
23 to create a comprehensive plan for the future of the Southampton campus.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10862-01-3
S. 6790 2
1 § 2. 1. There is hereby created the Southampton campus comprehensive
2 plan task force.
3 2. Such task force shall consist of 7 voting members as follows: (a)
4 the member of the senate representing the campus; (b) the member of the
5 assembly representing the campus; (c) the Suffolk county legislator
6 representing the campus; (d) the town supervisor of the town of South-
7 ampton; (e) the village mayor of the village of Southampton; (f) the
8 chairman of the tribal trustees of the Shinnecock Indian Nation; and (g)
9 the president of Stony Brook University, or their designees. The task
10 force shall be empowered to appoint a community advisory committee of
11 not more than 15 members to include representatives of business, envi-
12 ronmental, educational, civic, and community interests.
13 3. The chair of the task force shall be elected by the task force from
14 among its members. Four members of the task force shall constitute a
15 quorum for the purposes of organizing the task force and conducting the
16 meetings thereof. Members of the task force shall serve without salary
17 or other compensation. The task force shall meet not less than once a
18 month at the Southampton campus until a final report and recommendations
19 are submitted in accordance with subdivision six of this section.
20 4. Such task force shall develop recommendations for the future use of
21 the Southampton campus, including but not limited to a comprehensive
22 plan and a 5 year action plan. Such plan shall consider both the capital
23 and program needs of the campus to maximize its full educational and
24 community potential. The state university and all other state agencies
25 shall provide their expertise and, where possible, their resources to
26 assist the task force in fulfilling its duties and responsibilities.
27 5. Within 2 months of the effective date of this act, the task force
28 shall hold a public hearing. Additional hearings may be held at the
29 discretion of the task force. The task force shall adopt preliminary
30 recommendations within 6 months of the effective date of this act.
31 Following the adoption of such preliminary recommendations, the task
32 force shall hold at least one additional public hearing.
33 6. The task force shall develop and submit a final report of recommen-
34 dations to the governor, the temporary president of the senate and the
35 speaker of the assembly within 9 months of the effective date of this
36 act.
37 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
