Council also voted to require reporting on payments to early childhood care and education providers
The New York City Council voted to limit the terms of emergency contracts to 90 days, unless the City Comptroller and Corporation Counsel approve terms for a longer period. The bill, which is part of a legislative package to reform the City’s procurement system to improve transparency and accountability, is intended to limit abuses and vulnerabilities to emergency contracting that became particularly acute during the COVID-19 pandemic and the influx of asylum seekers.
The Council also passed legislation requiring the Department of Education (DOE) to report on invoices it receives from early childhood care and education providers, with the goal of improving timely payments.
Reforming Emergency Contracts to Limit Abuses
In 2024, an audit from the Comptroller of the Adams Administration’s $432 million contract with Rapid Reliable Testing NY LLC (also known as DocGo) found that nearly 80% of payments were unsupported and should be recouped, costing taxpayers millions of dollars. The decisions of the last two mayoral administrations while managing emergencies have demonstrated the need for improved oversight over emergency procurements. Earlier this month, the Council passed Introduction 5-A, sponsored by Speaker Julie Menin, and Introduction 510-A, sponsored by Council Member Julie Won. The following bill represents the final piece of the legislative package.
Introduction 2-B, sponsored by Speaker Julie Menin, limits the term of any emergency contract to 90 days, unless a prior approval is offered by the City Comptroller and Corporation Counsel for a longer period. Any emergency contract exceeding 90 days will require an explanation on why a longer term is necessary to avoid or mitigate a serious danger to life, safety, property, or service. The bill also requires emergency contracts to be submitted to the City Comptroller for an audit within 15 days of when the contract is executed.
“No bid emergency contracts cannot become business as usual. We are restoring accountability and putting real guardrails in place so crisis spending is transparent, justified, and fiscally responsible. New Yorkers deserve smart oversight, not blank checks,” said Speaker Julie Menin. “We owe it to the taxpayers to ensure that every dollar spent is tied to a verifiable service and a responsible vendor. I am grateful to my colleagues for their support in passing this critical legislative package.”
Requiring Reporting on Payments to Early Childhood Care and Education Providers
Introduction 203-A, sponsored by Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez, requires the Department of Education (DOE) to report quarterly on invoices received from early childhood care and education providers that the DOE has contracted with to provide these services. The reporting required in the bill would include the number and value of invoices in total, how many are approved versus rejected, the average amount of time it takes to process invoices, the number and value of contracts for which advances are made, an identification of the main reasons for rejections, and recommendations for improvements to the process.
Requiring Reporting on Deaths by Suicide and Suicide-Related Behavior Among Youth
Introduction 291-A, sponsored by Council Member Farah N. Louis, requires the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) to regularly report on deaths by suicide in New York City and on suicide-related behaviors among youth. Within six months of the law taking effect, and every year after, the Department would publish a report on suicides in the city, including the total number of deaths and available demographic information such as age group, occupation, race and ethnicity, borough of residence, sex, veteran status, and method of suicide. The bill would also require the Department, within six months of enactment and every two years after, to publish a report on suicide-related behaviors among youth, including information related to sexual orientation and gender identity, to the extent such data is available. Both reports would be required to describe any limitations in the data and to protect individual privacy and law enforcement interests.
Clarifying Structure and Responsibilities of the Youth Board
Introduction 448-B, sponsored by Council Member Althea Stevens, implements a two-term limit for members of the New York City Youth Board and reduces the maximum number of board members from 28 to 20, with each borough receiving representation on the Board. The Youth Board would be tasked with providing policy recommendations to the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD). DYCD would then be required to submit a report to the Mayor and the City Council within 90 days describing the board’s activities, the recommendations received from the board, and the Department’s responses to recommendations. Additionally, DYCD would be required to post information about the Youth Board members, their term limits, and any other information the commissioner deems relevant.
Improving Maintenance of Newsracks and Communication with their Owners
Introduction 68-A, sponsored by Majority Leader Shaun Abreu, would require newsrack owners to provide their email address to the Department of Transportation (DOT) when registering a newsrack, and would permit DOT to communicate with them via email. It would additionally require owners to regularly clean and repaint their newsracks, and to remove refuse from the newsrack if a notice of correction is issued. DOT would be permitted to treat a newsrack as abandoned if it is missing all required identifying markings, or if there is no owner on record for the newsrack, and would allow DOT to issue a notice of violation alongside a notice of correction for certain violations related to newsrack maintenance. The notice of violation must be withdrawn if the owner corrects the violation within the time allotted.
Permitting Special Activations of the Open Streets Program on Holidays
Introduction 257-A, sponsored by Council Member Rita C. Joseph, would modify the existing Open Streets program to permit community organizations to request special activation opportunities, which are days and times the Open Street may be operated in addition to their regular hours of operation. These special activation opportunities may include Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Halloween, or other time periods where there is significant pedestrian traffic.
Land Use:
217-14 24th Avenue – will facilitate the development of a new eight-story residential and senior housing building with approximately 248 apartments, including 55 affordable units under MIH Option 2, and 65 senior housing units, in Council Member Vickie Paladino’s district.
63-12 Broadway Rezoning – will allow the development of a new nine-story mixed-use commercial and residential building with approximately 67 units, approximately 17 of which will be affordable, in Council Member Julie Won’s district. The Council is modifying this application to strike MIH Option 2 and add MIH Option 3.
Seaside Park & Community Arts Center – an application by New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) to facilitate the improvement and reactivation of the Seaside Park & Community Arts Center outdoor amphitheater in Council Member Kayla Santosuosso’s district.
Prospect Farm Acquisition – approval of the Parks Department’s acquisition of a community garden in Council Member Shahana Hanif’s district, allowing the garden to be eligible for public services and capital improvements through the GreenThumb Program.
Constellation HPD – will facilitate the development of eight new affordable homeownership buildings on vacant city-owned land, including 96 affordable homeownership units to be developed by Habitat for Humanity in partnership with New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) in the districts of Council Members Darlene Mealy and Chris Banks.
1417 Avenue U – will facilitate the development of a new seven-story mixed-use building with approximately 76 units, 23 of which will be affordable under MIH Option 2, in Council Member Inna Vernikov’s District. The Council is modifying the application to strike MIH Option 1 and require MIH Option 2.
Landmarks Preservation Commission designation of two historic districts in Council Member Rita Joseph’s district: Beverley Square West Historic District and Ditmas Park West Historic District, located in Flatbush, Brooklyn, are characterized by free-standing houses built in the late Queen Anne, early Colonial Revival, and Shingle styles.
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