Final Letter Report On The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission’s Compliance With Local Law 25 Of 2016 Regarding Translation Of Agency Website
Executive Summary
This Final Letter Report concerns the New York City Comptroller’s audit of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission’s (LPC’s) compliance with Local Law 25, which governs the translation of websites of New York City agencies. The objective of this audit was to determine whether LPC is complying with Local Law 25, which is intended to make City agencies, and ultimately the City as a whole, more accessible to foreign-born residents whose primary language is not English. Our audit of LPC is one in a series of audits we are conducting on the City’s compliance with Local Law 25.
LPC, the largest municipal preservation agency in the nation, is the New York City agency responsible for protecting the City’s architecturally, historically, and culturally significant buildings and sites by granting them landmark or historic district status and regulating them after designation. Among other things, LPC evaluates and considers dozens of potential landmarks and historic districts each year. The landmark designation process includes outreach to property owners, public meetings, and public hearings. LPC also works with elected officials and community groups to ensure these historically significant sites are preserved for future generations. According to the Landmarks Law, the purpose of safeguarding the buildings and places that represent the City’s cultural, social, economic, political, and architectural history is to: stabilize and improve property values; foster civic pride; protect and enhance the City’s attractions to tourists; strengthen the City’s economy; and promote the use of historic districts, landmarks, interior landmarks, and scenic landmarks for the education, pleasure, and welfare of the people of the City.
Audit Findings and Conclusions
Our audit found that LPC generally complies with Local Law 25. LPC’s website, found at https://www1.nyc.gov/site/lpc/index.page, includes a translation feature for viewing text and essential information in various languages, including the above-noted top 10 languages. LPC’s website also provides important information regarding its functions and services, which includes information pertaining to LPC’s various divisions, office locations, contact information, forms, brochures, request forms, application forms, status letters, instructions, access to records, and grants for both homeowners and non-profits. All information on the website can be translated and viewed in each of the top 10 noted languages.
Audit Recommendations
We recommend the following two measures to ensure that LPC maintains general compliance and attains full compliance with Local Law 30 and LPC’s Language Access Plan and that it effectively meets the needs of residents with limited English proficiency who access City services online:
- LPC should maintain its current level of compliance with Local Law 25 and Local Law 30 by continuing to offer (a) direct online translation of its web pages’ primary content in the 10 designated languages that Local Law 30 prescribes, and (b) on-request translation of the key documents linked to those pages as a temporary measure until it offers direct online translation of those documents.
- LPC should make translations of the essential documents linked to its web pages directly available to users in the 10 designated languages as required by Local Law 30.
Agency Response
In its response, LPC agreed with the audit’s findings and recommendations, stating, “The Landmarks Preservation Commission appreciates the opportunity to respond to the above referenced draft report, which states that your audit found that LPC generally complies with Local Law 25. LPC is committed to providing equitable service to the population it serves, including persons with Limited English Proficiency (LEP). LPC has taken and continues to take reasonable steps to ensure LEP persons have access to the agency’s programs and services.”