Friday, August 4, 2017

Public Hearing Scheduled for the 5731 Broadway-Families with Children Shelter Contract


  This is for the Stagg building located at 5731 Broadway where Praxis Corp. and the Department of Homeless Services want to open 83 units of transitional housing.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Contract Public Hearing will be held on Thursday, August 17, 2017, at 1 Centre Street, Mezzanine, Borough of Manhattan, commencing at 10:00 A.M., on the following:


IN THE MATTER OF a proposed contract between the Department of Homeless Services of the City of New York and the contractor listed below, to operate a Stand Alone Transitional Residence for Homeless Families. The term of this contract will be from August 15, 2017 to August 14, 2022 with an option to renew from August 15, 2022 to August 14, 2026.

Vendor/Address:
Praxis Housing
Initiatives Inc.
17 Battery Place, Suite 307
New York, NY 10004

Amount: 
$26,413,130.00

The proposed contractor has been selected by means of the Competitive Sealed Proposal method (Open Ended Request for Proposals), pursuant to Section 3-03 (b) (2) of the Procurement Policy Board (PPB) Rules.

A draft copy of the proposed contract is available for public inspection at the Human Resources Administration of the City of New York, 150 Greenwich Street, 37th Floor, New York, NY 10007, on business days, from August 4, 2017 to August 17, 2017, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, from 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. If you need to schedule an inspection appointment and/or need additional information, please contact Paul Romain at (929) 221-5555.

Marjorie Velázquez Launches Community Petition over 2800 Bruckner Blvd Social Service Clearinghouse Concerns


Bronx Community Board 10 Treasurer and City Council candidate collects nearly 200 signatures from local residents amid recently-announced tenant eviction, concern over rumored plans to convert office building into social service clearinghouse

Change.org petition seeks greater community input and the halting of work and activity at 2800 Bruckner Blvd.; Velázquez also pens letter to property owner and developer seeking answers

  Amid growing concerns over the possible conversion of a Throggs Neck office building into a social service clearinghouse, Bronx Community Board 10 Treasurer and Democratic candidate for City Council Marjorie Velázquez has launched a petition urging more input from local residents and cessation of work currently underway. In addition to the effort, which has already gathered hundreds of signatures, Velázquez is also writing a letter to the landlord and developer to seek answers for the families living in the largely residential community.

"Throggs Neck families are up in arms. The hundreds of petition signatures we've gathered in the last few days reflects just how concerned we are about this property," said Marjorie Velázquez. "Local businesses and offices are being evicted so that developers can have their way with the site and force something on us that we were not informed about or had any opportunity to comment on. As a resident and member of this community, I will fight for the answers we deserve."

This past weekend, Velázquez launched a petition on the site change.org calling for an end to work at 2800 Bruckner Boulevard in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx. Velázquez's actions were spurred by growing confusion amid residents over the future of the commercial office property after office tenants were recently served with 30-day eviction notices. During this time, nearby residents also reported seeing beds and furniture moved into the property, and residents found job postings for substance abuse staff to work at the location, prompting fears that the site will be converted into a possible social service clearinghouse.

In just a few days, the petition has gathered over 190 signatures. The dozens of comments left by signers express a mix of fear, anger and frustration over the lack of community input in the proposed change, as well as concerns over the future of the site.

Velázquez echoes these concerns in a letter penned today to Steward Redevelopment and Bruckner East LLC, the two entities tied to the property. Velázquez notes attending a July 28th  evening meeting with local community leaders to discuss the issue, and that no advance notice was given prior to the evictions. Velázquez urges the companies to halt all work and present plans to the community board before any additional steps are taken.

"My community is fearful that the building will become a clearinghouse for programs that would negatively impact our quality of life. I stand with my neighbors to ensure that this building will not become a detriment to our neighborhood," said Velázquez.


New Yorkers for Mark Gjonaj - Can you chip in to help us reach our goal?



Dear Friends,

We are just 39 days away from the Democratic primary on Tuesday, September 12 and only 3 days away from our August fundraising deadline on Monday, August 7.
Support from friends like you is vital to my campaign and, together, we will make sure the needs of Bronx residents are strongly represented at City Hall. I will continue fighting for quality education, support for our seniors, and to combat drug abuse in the Bronx.
 

Your contribution will help us make meaningful progress in City Hall, for the people of the Bronx and New York City. Thank you again.
Respectfully,
Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj
Candidate for City Council District 13

2800 Bruckner Boulevard Second Community Meeting at the Crosstown Diner


  There was a second meeting about the status of the building at 2800 Bruckner Boulevard later at the Crosstown Diner. This meeting was by over 150 people from the community and merchants calling themselves Throggs Neck Strong, and conducted by Steve Kaufman Esq. Mr. Kaufman explained that tenants in the building asked him for help. He said that Mr. Michael Dalessio had sold the building to Stewart Developers, and they have given eviction notices to all tenants to use the building for another use, but not what for. 

 Petitions were handed out against what is happening at 2800 Bruckner Blvd. Robert Jaen (the President of the Throggs Neck Merchants Association), and elected officials on hand spoke. Since one elected official was a candidate all his primary opponents present also spoke as well as a few remaining tenants of 2800, and concerned neighbors. 

  The person with the most information was Assemblyman (and city council candidate) Mark Gjonaj. Mr. Gjonaj said that Hamzah Alameen who is rumored to be looking to place an Islamic center at 2800 contacted him for a meeting. Besides being a candidate for the 13th council district, Assemblyman Gjonaj is also involved in MP Realty located in Morris Park. Gjonaj said that he is setting up a meeting with other elected officials, but current Councilman Jimmy Vacca said that he was not contacted. The councilman then left the meeting, which continued. There will be a small meeting with Mr. Alameen set up to find out more on his plans. Remaining tenants were told not to move out since their leases do not expire on September first. There will be another meeting shortly after the meeting with Mr. Alameen at a much larger venue to acomidate everyone who came and others. 


Above - Steve Kaufman hands out petitions.
Below - Councilman Vacca, Assemblymen Benedetto and Gjonaj.





A remaining tenant of 2800 Bruckner Blvd. asks what to do, and is told not to move out.

2800 Bruckner Boulevard What's Happening



  State Senator Jeff Klein called a press conference in front of 2800 Bruckner Boulevard to try to let the community know what was happening at this large three story building. However did this event turn out to be a photo op for the candidates running for the 13th city council district, as you can see five of the six candidates in the photo above. 
  Tenants of 2800 Bruckner Boulevard have been told that they have to leave by September first by Stewart Developers (the new owners) who has said the building is going to be used for other uses, but only rumors fly as beds and other apartment furniture has been delivered to the site. Several former tenants have already left the building including the office of Congressman Joe Crowley. Councilman Jimmy Vacca and Assemblyman Michael Benedetto said that there have been no city or state permits issued or requested for the site, and that the site can not house people according to the Certificate of Occupancy. 
   People living around the building have been told a wellness center for autistic children, a detox center, an Islamic Center, and other rumors about what may replace the empty suites since the building was sold. This was to let those tenants left in the building, and neighbors that the elected officials are looking out for them.


Above and Below - Councilman Jimmy Vacca and Assemblyman Michael Benedetto assure the community that no permits have been requested, nor have any been issued to 2800 Bruckner Blvd. They also urged remaining tenants not to leave. 




Above - Assemblyman (and candidate for the 13th City Council district) Mark Gjonaj speaks to the worried neighbors.
Below - Community Board 10 First- Vice-Chair John Marano also assures that nothing has come to the community board about the building.



Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Comptroller Stringer: DOE Paying Out Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars on Leadership Coaching Without Required Evidence It Happened


98% of sampled payments lacked basic proof that services were provided
Lack of quality controls in $100 million in contracts expose the DOE to waste, fraud, and abuse
  In an alarming new investigation of the New York City Department of Education, Comptroller Scott M. Stringer has found that 98 percent of the New York City Department of Education’s (DOE’s) sampled payments to the New York City Leadership Academy (NYCLA) for teacher and principal “coaching” wasn’t supported by required documentation.
NYCLA, which provides professional development to educators citywide, charges DOE by the hour. To ensure that bills reflect services that were actually provided, the organization should maintain contemporaneous time records to support its tens of millions of dollars in billing. Yet, in a sample of roughly $500,000 in payments made to NYCLA by the DOE, the agency paid out over $385,000 without required evidence of the times and hours when the services were rendered. The lack of that basic information about the services billed for puts the City at risk of waste, fraud, and abuse.
“When it comes to our kids and their educators, every penny counts. Every child deserves a great classroom, and their teachers and principals deserve great professional development. But it’s the DOE’s job to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent efficiently – and that’s just not happening. If the DOE can’t be sure whether or when the professional coaching even happened, how do we know it was effective?” New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer said. “This investigation is about delivering basic accountability, about preventing waste, fraud, and abuse. That’s why we’ve called for City Council hearings — since this agency plays by a different set of rules than everyone else. We’re going to keep making noise, because this is about our kids, our teachers, and our principals. They deserve better.”
Between July 2008 and July 2014, the DOE entered into three contracts with the New York City Leadership Academy — a non-profit vendor that coaches teachers, assistant principals, and principals — to purchase training and professional development services. The three contracts were not to exceed a total of $101.4 million. One of the contracts — for up to $41 million — remains active today.
Auditors reviewed $559,667 in DOE’s spending on the NYCLA contracts from 2016, which included $394,007 for “leadership coaching” services and $165,660 for miscellaneous expenses. They found:
Payments Made Without Evidence Services Were Provided – Disregarding the safeguards in its own contracts and procurement rules, DOE spent $385,612 on leadership coaches — 98% of that type of spending — without obtaining records detailing the hours and dates the coaches worked.
Lack of Progress Reports and Contract Violations – The DOE did not request or receive any progress reports from the vendor, despite its contractual right to require them quarterly. Staff from the DOE did not meet with the New York City Leadership Academy monthly, even though the contract required monthly oversight meetings.
Taken together, these failings point to a broken procurement system that allows the DOE to spend freely, with inadequate oversight. The Comptroller’s Office has previously raised concerns about how the DOE contracts and spends differently from other agencies.
In today’s audit the Comptroller’s Office made a series of recommendations, including that the DOE:
  • Ensure that NYCLA maintains and submits contemporaneous time records — as required by the contract — to properly support payments;
  • Determine whether sufficient supporting documents exist for the $385,612 in spending that was flagged in this audit, and recoup any payments for services the DOE is not able to verify;
  • Require the New York City Leadership Academy to provide progress reports, as outlined in the contract; and
  • Hold oversight meetings with Leadership Academy monthly, as called for in the contract.
To read a copy of the audit, click here.

49th Precinct National Night Out



  The commanding officer of the 49th Precinct Captain Alps welcomes the large crowd to the 49th Precinct National Night Out. This had been held in previous years on the northern island of Pelham Parkway but was moved to Bronx Park East at Boston Road and Lydig Avenue. As usual everyone had a good time, and the candidates for the 13th Council District seat were also on hand. 



Above - State Senator Jeff Klein told those in attendance the wonderful job that the NYPD does, and that the officers try their hardest to keep the neighborhood safe.
Below - Senator Klein brought up his SUV (Stamp oUt Violence crew) that has been going around the district talking to those who are bent on violence to try to change their minds as they have changed,




Above - Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark was in hand to add to the hard work that the NYPD does.
Below - Councilman Ritchie Torres was in the house.




Above - Councilman Andy King joined Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj and Senator Klein.
Below - Assemblyman Gjonaj gave out his trademarked Yellow whistles while the ice cream give away reminded me of a past council race.




Above - 13th City Council Candidate Marjorie Velazquez was on hand also, as were candidates John Doyle and Egidio Sementilli.
Below - A proud dad with his two daughters, and not a candidate for the 13th city council.


Bronx Chamber of Commerce invites you to join us for our SummerFest MEET UP Membership Networking Mixer and Food Tasting