People who commit low-level offenses like public urination or alcohol-drinking could be steered away from the criminal courts under legislation being considered by the New York City Council.

But the NYPD would still retain discretion of whether to issue a civil summons or make a criminal arrest, part of a compromise following a year of negotiations between the NYPD, the council and the mayor’s office, officials said.

Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito had pushed for such changes in her 2015 State of the City address. On Wednesday, she called the legislation being considered “a bold step towards reforming a system which for too long has disproportionately punished low-level, nonviolent offenses.”

“By increasing the use of civil adjudication instead of relying on our broken criminal summons system, we can reduce the long-term consequences of over-criminalization while ensuring that the penalties fit the offense and that police have the tools they need to keep us safe,” Mark-Viverito (D-Manhattan) said in a statement.

Mark-Viverito’s office said the bills aim to address a bureaucratic challenge facing the courts: the 1.2 million active warrants “which have clogged our criminal justice system.”

Under the proposals being considered, for example, someone caught urinating in public, spitting or littering could face a noncriminal, penalty ranging from $50 to $250, to be heard before a civil tribunal, said Councilman Rory Lancman (D-Queens).

Failure to pay would mean a civil judgment and jeopardize the ability to get a credit card or mortgage.

Sign up to get the latest updates Get Newsday's Breaking News alerts in your inbox. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy.

“You will not be handcuffed, arrested and sent to jail,” Lancman said.

A persistent quality-of-life violator could still face arrest, Lancman said, “but the vast majority who gets these summonses are ordinary, decent people who made an error in judgment,” then forget to pay a fine or show up to court and “are now turned into criminals with arrest warrants just like alleged bank robbers.”