Suffolk County, NY

Intro. Res. No. 1717-2014

Laid on Table 7/29/2014

Introduced by Legislators Calarco and Hahn

RESOLUTION NO. 811-2014, DIRECTING THE DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TO DEVELOP POLICY AND PROGRAM TO FACILITATE OPENING DATA TO THE PUBLIC

WHEREAS, the County of Suffolk operates departments and agencies to serve the needs of its 1.5 million residents; and

WHEREAS, the County generates large quantities of data in the process of its operation; and

WHEREAS, an increasing number of local and state governments, including New York City and the State of New York, are providing their citizens with open access to the data they collect; and

WHEREAS, providing open data improves government transparency and provides for increased accountability to the public; and

WHEREAS, Suffolk County should join the growing movement to provide open data to the public; and

WHEREAS, the County should establish an Open Data Committee to set policy on providing open data sets and create a web site or portal where members of the public can access same; and

WHEREAS, all County departments should work with Information Technology to publish data as part of a program directed by the Open Data Committee to determine the effectiveness of information sharing with the public; now, therefore be it

1st RESOLVED, that the Open Data Committee (“the Committee”) is hereby established to develop the County’s open data policy, implement an open data program and guide future County data policy, as needed; and be it further

2nd RESOLVED, that the Open Data Committee shall be comprised of the following ten (10) members:

1. The County Executive or his or her designee;

2. The Commissioner of the Department of Information Technology, or his or her designee;

3. The GIS Coordinator of the Department of Information Technology, or his or her designee;

4. A representative from the Budget Office who serves is an IT/data supporting role;

5. A representative from the Department of Social Services who serves is an IT/data supporting role, to be selected by the Commissioner of the Department of Social Services;

6. A representative from the Department of Health Services who serves is an IT/data supporting role, to be selected by the Commissioner of the Department of Health Services;

7. A representative from the Department of Public Works who serves is an IT/data supporting role, to be selected by the Commissioner of the Department of Public Works;

8. A representative from the Department of Economic Development and Planning, Planning Division who serves is an IT/data supporting role, to be selected by the Director of the Planning Division;

9. The County Attorney, or his or her designee; and

10. A member of the County Legislature, to be appointed by the Presiding Officer;

and be it further

3rd RESOLVED, that the Committee shall meet within 30 days of being established for the purposes of selecting a chairperson and vice-chairperson; and be it further

4th RESOLVED, that the Committee shall develop an open data policy for the County, which shall be provided to the County Executive, each member of the County Legislature and all Department heads within 120 days of the effective date of this Resolution; and be it further

5th RESOLVED, that the Committee shall meet on a monthly basis to review the County’s open data policy, implement the program called for in this Resolution, and make amendments as necessary to maximize the amount of data to be provided and published to the public; and be it further

6th RESOLVED, that six (6) members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum for the purposes of convening meetings; and be it further

7th RESOLVED, that, for the purposes of this resolution, the term “data” shall be defined as final versions of statistical or factual information in alphanumeric form which can be digitally transmitted and processed and is regularly created or maintained by a County agency or department and shall not include images or information protected by intellectual property laws; and be it further

8th RESOLVED, that, for the purposes of this resolution, the term “data set” shall be defined as a comprehensive collection of interrelated data that is available for inspection by the public and shall not include: data which an agency may deny access to pursuant to local, state or federal law, data that reflects internal deliberation or decision making, materials subject to intellectual property laws, proprietary materials or employment records or similar data; and be it further

9th RESOLVED, that Information Technology is hereby authorized, empowered and directed to develop a website or web portal within 60 days of the establishment of the open data policy by the Committee that provides public access to data sets that are published pursuant to its established policy; and be it further

10th RESOLVED, that the public web access called for herein shall be made available by Information Technology within one-year of the effective date of this resolution; and be it further

11th RESOLVED, that all County departments and agencies shall work with Information Technology to provide data sets that can be made available to the public; and be it further

12th RESOLVED, that data sets provided by County departments and agencies to Information Technology shall be published on the open web system designed by Information Technology; and be it further

13th RESOLVED, that Information Technology shall monitor the use of the open data web system and issue a written report to the County Executive and each member of the County Legislature on the use of the site, a list and description of all open data available to the public, and its recommendations on the continued and/or expanded publication of data sets to the public one year after the effective date of this Resolution; and be it further

14th RESOLVED, that this Legislature, being the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) lead agency, hereby finds and determines that this resolution constitutes a Type II action pursuant to Section 617.5(c)(20), (21) and (27) of Title 6 of the NEW YORK CODE OF RULES AND REGULATIONS (6 NYCRR) and within the meaning of Section 8-0109(2) of the NEW YORK ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION LAW as a promulgation of regulations, rules, policies, procedures, and legislative decisions in connection with continuing agency administration, management and information collection, and the Suffolk County Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is hereby directed to circulate any appropriate SEQRA notices of determination of non-applicability or non-significance in accordance with this resolution.

DATED: October 7, 2014

APPROVED BY:

/s/ Steven Bellone

County Executive of Suffolk County

Date: October 15, 2014