(a) Transfer of powers. The Commissioner and Department of Housing shall assume all rights, powers, duties, obligations and responsibilities ("powers") that were formerly exercised by the Commissioner and Department of Planning and Development and transferred to the Commissioner and Department of Housing pursuant to this Chapter 2-44, including:
(1) All related personnel, books, records, property and funds;
(2) The administration of any related federal, state, local or private grant or loan programs, except to the extent prohibited by the grantor or grant agreement; and
(3) The related rights and duties under existing contracts, appropriations, grant agreements, redevelopment agreements, leases, indentures, or other agreements or ordinances.
(b) Legal status of existing rules. All rules issued by the Commissioner of Planning and Development in connection with such transferred powers, and in effect as of the effective date of this Chapter 2-44, shall remain in effect until amended or repealed by the Commissioner of Housing.
(c) Transition period. In order to facilitate an orderly, gradual and efficient transfer of the powers set forth in subsection (a) of this section, a transition period beginning on January 1, 2019 is hereby established, during which time the Department of Planning and Development and its Commissioner ("DPD Commissioner") shall continue to exercise those powers until such time that a new Housing Commissioner is appointed and confirmed and such Housing Commissioner determines that the newly established Department of Housing is sufficiently operational to administer any specific power(s) transferred to it pursuant to this enabling Ordinance. During this transition period, the DPD Commissioner shall retain any and all powers necessary or appropriate to complete or continue the negotiation, execution or implementation of any agreement or other instrument pertaining to affordable housing or otherwise within the purview of the DPD Commissioner’s former powers initiated prior to January 1, 2019 and thereafter until such time that the Commissioner of Housing determines that the transfer of powers is complete.
(Added Coun. J. 11-14-18, p. 90308, Art. I, § 1)