MAYOR ADAMS, DDC, NYC PARKS BREAK GROUND ON $141 MILLION SHIRLEY CHISHOLM RECREATION CENTER IN EAST FLATBUSH

New Center Will Feature Gymnasium; Walking Track; Indoor Swimming Pool; Fitness, Strength, and Cardio Rooms; Media Lab; and Teaching Kitchen 

Project Will Be Completed Two Years Faster Than Through Competitive Bidding Thanks to DDC’s Design-Build Program 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Commissioner Thomas Foley, and New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) Commissioner Sue Donoghue were today joined by New York City Councilmember Farah N. Louis, New York State Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte-Hermelyn, and community members to break ground on the new, $141 million Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center at the Nostrand Playground in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. DDC is managing the construction on behalf of NYC Parks.

 

The new center is named for Brooklyn-born politician, and the first African American woman to serve in Congress, Shirley Chisholm. The daughter of immigrant parents from Guyana, Chisholm also made history as the first woman and African American to seek the nomination for president of the United States from one of the two major political parties. Her contributions to her community and country are reflective of her desire to affect change.

 

“Shirley Chisholm inspired millions of young girls to pursue dreams they never thought possible. And when the Shirley Chisholm Recreational Center opens, her name will once again inspire another generation, while providing the residents of East Flatbush with a state-of-the-art recreational center that honors the rich history and heritage of this vibrant community,” said Mayor Adams. “I am especially pleased to see that the media lab will bear the name of a personal friend and mentor, Dr. Roy Hastick, who was a true champion of the Caribbean community in East Flatbush. With this project, our administration is using all the tools at our disposal to deliver amenities for New Yorkers more quickly and efficiently than ever before.”

Rendering of the Shirley Chisholm Recreational Center in East Flatbush. Credit: New York City Department of Design and Construction

“Shirley Chisholm dared to be a catalyst of change, and this state-of-the-art recreation center will be the inspirational starting blocks for the next generation of New Yorkers to make their mark in the history of our city and beyond,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “Thanks to DDC’s design-build program, we will complete this project two years faster than under design-bid-build contracting, and with higher M/WBE utilization rates. Facilities like these underscores the urgency of additional tools, as outlined by the Capital Process Reform Task Force, that will help us to deliver much-needed capital projects throughout the city faster, cheaper, and with greater participation.”

 

“This project is not only a monument to the famed civil rights leader Shirley Chisholm, it also represents a milestone in city construction as we continue to implement design-build in our capital program,” said DDC Commissioner Foley. “The design-build method involves contracting teams’ designers and builders together as one unit, leading to fewer delays and conflicts, better problem solving, and faster and more efficient projects. Using design-build, we plan to complete the new Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center by the end of 2025 — two full years faster than would be expected with lowest bidder contracting.”

 

“New Yorkers remember Shirley Chisholm as a trailblazer, organizer, and icon. Soon, generations of New Yorkers will also associate her name with this vibrant community hub in the heart of Central Brooklyn — a demonstration of the city’s investing in communities that have historically been neglected,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Donoghue. “True to Shirley Chisholm’s legacy, this administration believes that all New Yorkers — regardless of race, gender, or ZIP code — deserve to be full participants in our city’s cultural, social, political, and economic life. With this new recreation center, the first new Parks recreation center to begin construction in the past eight years, Central Brooklyn residents will have access to vital recreation resources, a beautiful community space, and a state-of-the-art media lab.”

 

Upon its completion at the end of 2025, the state-of the art recreation center will offer a host of programming offerings and amenities to encourage learning, recreation, and community and civic engagement. The center’s features will include multipurpose rooms; a gymnasium; a walking track; an indoor swimming pool; fitness, strength, and cardio rooms; and a teaching kitchen. The center will also include a media lab named in honor of Dr. Roy A. Hastick, Sr. A Grenadian emigrant and community stalwart, Dr. Hastick founded the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry and served on a number of economic development and community boards to advocate on behalf of the East Flatbush community.

 

The project is part of DDC’s design-build pilot program and will be completed by the end of 2025, a full two years faster than would be expected under the preexisting lowest-bidder contracting system. Under design-build, design and construction firms cooperate under one overall contract for all design and construction services. This approach increases cooperation between the teams and can cut nine to 12 months off a project’s timeline. The use of design-build also means that construction can begin while the building’s final design is still being developed, something that would not be possible under lowest-bidder contracting.

 

Earlier this year, Mayor Adams’ Capital Process Reform Task Force — comprised of a group of leaders representing the construction industry, labor, and minority- and women-owned business enterprises — released a slate of 39 recommendations to improve the city’s capital process, from project initiation to closeout. One recommendation advocated for New York state to authorize progressive design-build, a one-step procurement process that would allow the city to quickly select a project team based on qualifications and collaborate throughout the essential early phases of design. This step would build on the city’s successful use of design-build, which was authorized by the state in 2019 and implemented in 2022.

 

“The Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center has the inspiring mission of serving the community with the same dedication as its namesake, so we are honored to bring our design-build expertise to this important project,” said Steve Sommer, executive general manager and president, east coast region construction, Lendlease. “By collaborating with Studio Gang, DDC, and NYC Parks, we are excited to successfully deliver this recreation center in East Flatbush.”

 

“I am grateful to have the opportunity to honor Shirley Chisholm’s legacy of public service with a building that will be a true community asset,” said Jeanne Gang, founding principal and partner, Studio Gang. “We designed this building to welcome everyone to gather, learn and play together, and enjoy the park in a renewed way.”

AS NUMBER OF ASYLUM SEEKERS IN CITY’S CARE TOPS 64,100, CITY ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL POLICIES FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS IN CITY SHELTERS

 

Announcement Builds on City’s Work Offering Intensified Casework Services and Distributing Notices to Adults

 

Upon Opening, Floyd Bennett Field to Serve Approximately  500 Families with Children in Semi-Congregate Facilities

 

White House Cites New York City’s Efforts as “Best Practices”

 New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced additional policies to help asylum seekers in the city’s care take the next steps in their journeys, as the current surge at the border and additional bussing from the State of Texas results in an unsustainable spike of migrants arriving in New York City seeking shelter. The city has made every effort to continue serving the more than 126,700 asylum seekers who have arrived in New York City since last spring, but with an average of approximately 600 people arriving daily in the last week and over 64,100 migrants still currently in the city’s care, New York City is full and past its breaking point — having responded to this humanitarian crisis without the level of support needed from other levels of government to manage this national crisis.

 

As the city still seeks further and timely support from federal and state partners, it will begin providing 60 days notice to families with children seeking asylum to find alternative housing along with intensified casework services to help them explore other housing options and take the next steps in their journeys. Each household given notice will have multiple touchpoints with case workers over their 60 days to discuss their options and plan their next steps. This announcement builds on the city’s work giving 30 day and 60 day notices to adults and providing intensified casework services.

 

Additionally, the city announced that Floyd Bennett Field will open in the coming weeks to serve families with children seeking asylum in a semi-congregate setting. Privacy dividers with locks will be installed to provide approximately 500 families with children a place to stay.

 

As cities and states across the nation continue to see an unsustainable surge in migrants, just this week, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker joined the calls of Mayor Adams, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, and others for a national solution to this national crisis. In response, the White House cited New York’s “best practices” put in place to deal with the asylum seeker crisis.

 

“For over a year, New York City has led the response to this national crisis, but significant additional resources, coordination, and support are needed from all levels of government. With over 64,100 asylum seekers still in the city’s care, and thousands more migrants arriving every week, expanding this policy to all asylum seekers in our care is the only way to help migrants take the next steps on their journeys,” said Mayor Adams. “This step builds on our work providing notices and intensified casework services to adults in the city’s care to help them move to alternative housing. We appreciate the White House citing our ‘best practices’ as other cities also deal with this crisis, but with the current surge we’re seeing, a comprehensive, coordinated effort from the federal government to decompress the pressure New York City is under is needed now.”

 

 “As we continue to respond to this ongoing humanitarian crisis and manage this unprecedented surge, we must continue to implement new strategies to relieve the pressure on our shelter system,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “This action of providing time specific notices to families paired with intensive and sustained case management will help us resettle people more quickly helping them on their journey to independence and providing some relief to our already strained emergency housing system. Without additional support from our federal partners, we have to use all of the tools available to us to manage this humanitarian crisis.”

 

“Our mission is to help asylum seekers complete their journeys and find a better life for themselves and their children,” said Ted Long, MD, MHS, senior vice president, Ambulatory Care and Population Health, NYC Health + Hospitals. “Throughout this crisis, New York City has proudly helped over 126,700 asylum seekers, and with our help nearly half have taken the next step in their journey and left our city system. Going forward, case management will be a cornerstone of our response, giving us the ability to provide targeted support to help asylum seekers and their families resettle. This will ensure we continue to deliver life-changing assistance for the thousands of asylum seekers from around the world who turned to us for help.”

 

Since this humanitarian crisis began, the city has taken fast and urgent action, already opening over 210 emergency shelters, including 17 total large-scale humanitarian relief centers; standing up navigation centers to connect asylum seekers with critical resources; enrolling thousands of children in public schools through Project Open Arms; launching the Asylum Application Help Center to help thousands of migrants with their asylum applications; and more. Earlier this spring, the city released “The Road Forward: A Blueprint to Address New York City’s Response to the Asylum Seeker Crisis,” detailing how the city will continue to manage the influx of asylum seekers and advocate for support from federal and state partners.

Governor Hochul Announces All 532 Eligible Police Agencies in New York Have Received State Certification for Officer Employment as Required by the Professional Policing Act of 2021

Certification Demonstrates That These Municipal, Authority, State, and Railroad Police Agencies Follow Comprehensive State Hiring Standards for Police Officers and Meet Requirements to Report Misconduct and Employment Information

Each of the Agencies Obtained Certification as Required in Advance of Today’s Statutory Deadline

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that 532 police agencies in New York State – 100 percent of all eligible agencies – have received state certification for compliance as required by the Professional Policing Act of 2021. This certification demonstrates that these municipal, authority, railroad and state police agencies follow comprehensive state hiring standards for police officers and requirements to report misconduct and employment information to state agencies. Each of these agencies obtained certification as required in advance of today’s statutory deadline.

“Public safety is my top priority, and I'm committed to providing law enforcement in New York with the tools they need to successfully do their jobs,” Governor Hochul said. “We'll continue working with our partners in law enforcement to ensure every community in New York is safe and treated with dignity.”

The Professional Policing Act took effect on October 16, 2021, strengthening state oversight of police departments and sheriffs’ offices with the goal of ensuring that individuals employed as police officers are qualified, of good moral character and physically and psychologically fit to do the job. Before the law’s enactment, agencies had their own hiring standards, resulting in inconsistent practices and criteria for employment across jurisdictions. The state did not mandate that agencies follow best practices for hiring – requiring police candidates to undergo fingerprint-based criminal history background checks or psychological exams and verifying whether an officer’s training or license had been revoked for misconduct – for example, even though many agencies did. The law also gave agencies two years from enactment date to obtain mandatory certification with hiring and reporting standards.

Division of Criminal Justice Services Commissioner Rossana Rosado said, “New York was the first state in the nation to mandate basic training for new police officers. The Professional Policing Act builds upon that legacy requiring rigorous, comprehensive standards for hiring and reporting. I want to thank the members of my team who have spent many hours over the past two years working with agencies and reviewing documentation to ensure implementation of these critical reforms.”

Hiring standards require police departments and sheriffs’ offices to conduct psychological assessments and background investigations for police officer candidates. The background investigation must include, but not be limited to, a comprehensive application and personal history statement by the candidate that addresses components of moral character outlined in the standard; a fingerprint-based criminal history check; and at minimum, a review of information provided by family members, personal references, educational institutions, previous employers, prior neighbors or landlords, organizations and affiliations; credit agencies; the courts; law enforcement agencies where the application has lived or worked; the state Department of Motor Vehicles, and the U.S. Armed Forces.

Police departments and sheriffs’ offices must conduct in-person interviews of candidates, and request searches of the state’s Central Registry of Police and Peace Officers, which is maintained by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), and the National Decertification Index for training certificate or license revocations due to officer misconduct.

Agencies also must report officer misconduct to the appropriate state agency. Village, town and city police departments and county sheriffs’ offices must report any officer about whom they have received five or more complaints within two years to the state Attorney General’s Law Enforcement Misconduct Investigative Office; police departments operated by state agencies must report misconduct to the state Inspector General’s Office, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Port Authority police departments must report misconduct to their inspector generals’ offices.

All agencies must comply with reporting requirements to the Central State Registry of Police and Peace Officers. That information includes, but is not limited, hire dates, completion of basic training dates, and removals for cause. Under state law, a police or peace officer’s basic training certificate is immediately invalidated when an officer is removed for cause for misconduct, or an officer has resigned or retired subsequent to, or in connection with, allegations of misconduct. DCJS maintains a list of police and peace officers whose training has been decertified on its website and updates it monthly.

The state’s Law Enforcement Agency Accreditation Council, to which DCJS provides staff support, oversees the mandatory certification process and a voluntary accreditation program for police departments and sheriffs’ offices. The Council awarded certification on a rolling basis, beginning in December 2022, and concluding earlier this month. This allowed the 532 agencies to compile all documentation necessary to demonstrate compliance, provided DCJS staff adequate time to review those documents, and resulted in all agencies meeting the October 16, 2023, statutory deadline. Agencies must be recertified every five years.

The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services is a multifunction criminal justice support agency with a variety of responsibilities, including law enforcement training; collection and analysis of statewide crime data; maintenance of criminal history information and fingerprint files; administrative oversight of the state’s DNA databank, in partnership with the New York State Police; funding and oversight of probation and community correction programs; administration of federal and state criminal justice funds; support of criminal justice-related agencies across the state; and administration of the State’s Sex Offender Registry. Follow the agency on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).

 

The Bronx Chamber of Commerce - Understanding Your Credit, 10/18/2023, 8:30am - virtual

 

Join the Bronx Chamber of Commerce and Bank of America and learn how to get your business' financial house in order. During the virtual workshop you will learn:

Building a financial foundation

Gain an understanding of personal banking, money management and credit as it serves as the basis for learning about running a small business.

 

•   Banking terms and processes
•   Budgeting, saving and managing debt
•   How to build credit
•   Separating personal and business finances

Starting a small business

Learn the key components that go into launching or growing a small business, including how to build an entrepreneurial mindset and the elements of creating a business plan.

•   Important considerations before starting a small business
•   Components of a business plan
•   Strategies for boosting cash flow
•   Ways to network and promote your small business

Growing your small business

Understand the main elements of ongoing business-related finances as well as discuss common reasons why small businesses fail and how to help set yourself up for success.

•   Budgeting, borrowing, saving and managing debt
•   Building resiliency and navigating the current times
•   Using digital solutions
•   Establishing a small business emergency fund

Reserve Your Spot - Click Here

MAYOR ADAMS, CORPORATION COUNSEL HINDS-RADIX MOVE TO SHUT DOWN SELLERS, DISTRIBUTORS OF FLAVORED VAPES

 

City Investigation at Sample of Retail Stores Found Flavored Vapes Distributed by Defendants Available in at Least 200 New York City Stores

 

Motion for Preliminary Injunction Would Immediately Block Distribution and Sale of Flavored Vapes by Three Companies

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Corporation Counsel Judge Sylvia O. Hinds-Radix today took steps to immediately prevent three companies from distributing and selling flavored e-cigarettes (vapes) in violation of federal, state, and city laws. The City of New York today filed a motion for a preliminary injunction against Magellan Technology, Demand Vape (Magellan’s sister company), and Empire Vape as part of a lawsuit initiated in July by the Adams administration. The motion includes new evidence of how the companies continue to flagrantly violate the law in spite of the city’s ongoing lawsuit. 

 

“Our administration will not sit by while companies break our laws, sell illegal products, and poison our children,” said Mayor Adams. “We will use every tool in our toolbox to protect young people from the corruptive influence of illegal flavored nicotine products and hold bad actors responsible for endangering the health of our children. And to any company continuing to sell and distribute these products: You are on notice that we will not hesitate to hold you accountable if you put profits over people.”

 

“The city is seeking a preliminary injunction against vape distributors that continue to fuel an epidemic of e-cigarette use among the youth in our communities,” said Corporation Counsel Hinds-Radix. “Based upon the detailed evidence in the city’s motion, we are asking the court to immediately enjoin these defendants from their illegal activity while the case is litigated. Protecting the health of our youngest New Yorkers is vitally important to the city.”

 

“We will always protect our young people, and when companies put children in danger and violate the law, we will hold those companies accountable,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “This lawsuit will help keep our city and its residents safe from dangerous, illegal flavored e-cigarettes.”

 

“These laws protect public health, and they have teeth,” said New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “New York City has been a leader in sensible tobacco and vaping regulations and this administration is ensuring that these groundbreaking laws are followed. Reducing tobacco and vaping use is key to health, and especially when corporate practices are targeting our kids. Thank you to Mayor Adams for your support of public health.”

 

“It is crucial that we hold distributors accountable for their involvement in enabling, promoting, and selling these harmful products that jeopardize the well-being of our children and communities,” said New York City Sheriff Anthony Miranda. “The Sheriff’s Interagency Task Force will continue to work with all of our partners to tackle the alarming health and safety risks posed by illegal and unregulated products.”

 

The city’s motion for a preliminary injunction lays out a wealth of evidence that the three companies have flagrantly broken laws against selling flavored vapes — publicly advertising on their website, for example, that the Hyde brand of products they sell and distribute have “so many flavors,” and that they “boast an impressive range of flavored products” that is “constantly growing.” Empire Vape’s website banner states specifically, “Flavor ban? No worries. We got you.”

 

E-cigarettes may not be placed on the market without U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorization. The FDA affirmatively rejected Magellan Technology’s application for pre-market authorization for these products, yet Magellan, Demand Vape, and Empire Vape continued to distribute and sell them. Additionally, an investigation into flavored vape availability at a small sample of retail outlets conducted as part of the Adams administration’s ongoing lawsuit revealed that flavored vapes distributed by the defendants were available at no fewer than 200 stores throughout New York City.

 

Most e-liquids provide nicotine levels far exceeding those of conventional cigarettes — some with as much nicotine as 175 to 350 cigarettes. Additionally, federal health authorities, including the U.S. surgeon general and the FDA, say youth-friendly flavors in e-cigarettes — such as “strawberry milkshake,” “cola,” and “pina colada” — are among the flavors that tempt kids to “vape” high levels of nicotine. Child-friendly, cartoon character packaging on e-cigarettes targeted at young people has also contributed to the epidemic of nicotine addiction among young people in middle and high school.

 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey revealed that 15.2 percent of New York City high school students and 7 percent of New York City middle school students surveyed reported current use of electronic vapor products. The FDA has not authorized the sale of any flavored vape (except tobacco-flavored), and every sale of a flavored vape in the U.S. is illegal under the federal Family Smoking and Protection Act. Outright flavor bans have also been enacted in New York City and across New York state, as well as in many other cities and states nationwide.

 

Additionally, the federal Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act prohibits anything other than face-to-face sales of disposable e-cigarettes, unless the sales comply with all state and local laws of the jurisdiction in which the sale occurs. This scenario cannot occur in New York City and New York state, where the New York Public Health Code and the New York City Administrative Code prohibit the sale of flavored disposable e-cigarettes altogether.

U.S. Government Reaches Settlement in Class Action Family Separation Case Seeking Injunctive Relief

 

On Oct. 16, the United States reached a settlement in Ms. L., et al. v. ICE, et al., a class action litigation filed in 2018 seeking injunctive relief relating to the separation of parents and children at the southwest border. The proposed settlement agreement is subject to final approval by the district court after notice to the class and an opportunity to object.

“The practice of separating families at the southwest border was shameful,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This agreement will facilitate the reunification of separated families and provide them with critical services to aid in their recovery. I am grateful to Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta and the Department’s Civil Division for their work on this matter.” 

Under the proposed settlement, new standards will be established to limit family separations in the future. The settlement provides for continued family reunifications, immigration relief, and certain support services for separated families, including behavioral health services, targeted legal support related to immigration claims, limited housing assistance, and certain medical coverage. The settlement does not involve the payment of monetary damages. Those who believe they are class members may submit claims of class membership to the Family Reunification Task Force through the Together.gov website.

“The separation of families at our southern border was a betrayal of our nation’s values,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “By providing services to these families and implementing polices to prevent future separations, today’s agreement addresses the impacts of those separations and helps ensure that nothing like this happens again.”

On Feb. 26, 2018, a plaintiff identified as “Ms. L” filed a complaint in the Southern District of California alleging she had been unlawfully separated from her child. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) later filed an amended complaint to add class action claims contending that the separation of putative class member parents from their children violated procedural and substantive due process, as well as the asylum statute. On June 26, 2018, the district court certified a class of separated parents and issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting future separations except in certain specified circumstances. The court also required the reunification of families previously separated.

Since that time, the Justice Department, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have worked with plaintiffs to identify class members and their children, developed plans for reunification, and reunified class members with their children. On Jan. 26, 2021, the Justice Department rescinded the Department’s 2018 zero-tolerance policy for offenses under 8 U.S.C. § 1325(a). In Feb. 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order establishing the Interagency Task Force on the Reunification of Families, comprised of representatives from various federal agencies, including the Justice Department, DHS, and HHS. The parties have worked extensively to reunify families in accordance with the Executive Order and subsequent orders from the district court. The task force has searched through thousands of government records to identify separated families and has thus far reunited more than 750 children with their families and has identified 85 additional children who are currently in the process of being reunited with their families. The task force has also identified more than 290 U.S. citizen children who were separated from their parents during the relevant time frame, is working to confirm that they have been reunified with their families, and will offer them services to support their reunification.

NYC Comptroller Lander & Pension Trustees Urge Occidental Petroleum Corporation to Halt Import of Asbestos

 

Letter highlights risk to workers and first responders who may be in contact with this chemical daily 

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, on behalf of trustees of the New York City New York City Fire Pension Fund & New York City Police Pension Fund, wrote to Occidental Petroleum Corporation (parent company of OxyChem) urging the company to commit to ceasing imports of asbestos and expedite its transition to non-asbestos technology. The Police & Fire Pension Funds own a total of $61 million of OxyChem securities as of September 1, 2023.

“Given that OxyChem’s major competitors in the U.S. have already made this commitment and no longer import raw asbestos, we believe that making this commitment now is prudent and will reduce legal and regulatory risks for OxyChem and ensure that the company’s industrial chlorine production remains profitable, sustainable and safe for OxyChem’s customers, end-users, employees, and the communities in which the company operates for years to come,” the letter reads.

First responders, such as the police officers and firefighters who serve New York City, are already at a heightened risk for asbestos inhalation. When the chemical becomes disturbed or damaged by fire or fire suppression activities its particles can become airborne leading to inhalation by firefighters and other first responders. The deadly risks of asbestos are well documented, and research has shown they can directly cause cancers, including lung cancer and mesothelioma. Prolonged asbestos exposure in the line of duty has also led to members of the Police & Fire Pension Funds retiring on accidental disability pensions.

Despite the well-known deadly hazards of raw asbestos use and companies continuing to transition to non-asbestos technology, OxyChem has opposed an asbestos phase-out and has asserted that elimination of asbestos cannot be accomplished in less than 25 years. They remain the only asbestos importer in the country. In 2022 alone, OxyChem imported over 300 metric tons of chrysotile asbestos from Brazil and China to continue to employ at the company’s diaphragm cell (the chlor-alkali production method that uses asbestos) plants.

Read the Funds’ letter to Occidental Petroleum Corporation.

In addition to Comptroller Lander, the trustees of the New York City Fire & Police pension funds are as follows:

New York City Fire Pension Fund (Fire): Mayor Eric Adams’ Representative Bryan Berge, Director, Mayor’s Office of Pension and Investments;  New York City Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh (Chair); New York City Finance Commissioner Preston Niblack; Andrew Ansbro, President, Robert Eustace, Vice President, Chris Viola, Treasurer, and Eric Bischoff, Staten Island Representative and Chair, Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York; Sean Michael, Chiefs’ Rep., Joe Camastro, Lieutenants’ Rep. and Liam Guilfoyle, (Chair), Uniformed Fire Officers Association; and Peter Devita, Marine Engineers Association.

New York City Police Pension Fund (Police): Mayor Eric Adams’ Representative Bryan Berge, Director, Mayor’s Office of Pension and Investments; New York City Finance Commissioner Preston Niblack; New York City Police Commissioner Edward Caban (Chair); Chris Monahan, Captains Endowment Association; Louis Turco, Lieutenants Benevolent Association; Vincent Vallelong, Sergeants Benevolent Association; Paul DiGiacomo, Detectives Endowment Association; and Patrick Hendry, Daniel Terrelli, Albert Alcierno and Arthur Egner all of the NYC Police Benevolent Association.

About the New York City Fire Pension Fund & New York City Police Pension Fund

The New York City Fire Pension Fund and the New York City Police Pension Fund, serve 117,000 members comprising active and retired firefighters and police officers and their beneficiaries. The two Funds have a total of $68.62 billion in assets under management as of August 31, 2023.

The New York City Comptroller serves as trustee to, and custodian and investment advisor for the Funds, which are governed independently. The Comptroller’s Bureau of Asset Management oversees the investment portfolio for each System and related defined contribution funds for the Systems on behalf of the Comptroller.

Governor Hochul Announces More Than $4.7 Million for New Addiction Treatment Programs

Comprehensive Integrated Outpatient Treatment Programs Designed to Increase Access to the Full Continuum of Services for Opioid Use Disorder

Second Round of Funding through New York State’s Opioid Settlement Fund to Support the Development of These Programs

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced more than $4.7 million to support the development of new comprehensive integrated outpatient treatment programs for addiction. This is the second round of funding for these programs to be awarded through the state’s Opioid Settlement Fund. To date, the Office of Addiction Services and Supports has awarded $10.6 million in settlement funding to support the development of 20 of these programs, plus $3.4 million in federal funding for 14 additional programs, for a total of approximately $14 million.

“Far too many New Yorkers have been impacted by addiction, and my administration remains committed to addressing the opioid and overdose epidemic across our state,” Governor Hochul said. “Through the Opioid Settlement Fund, we are supporting New Yorkers and families who have been affected by expanding access to important services and programs throughout the state to send a message that help is available for anyone in need.”

OASAS Commissioner Dr. Chinazo Cunningham said, “Providing comprehensive addiction treatment, as well as additional health services in one location, is making it easier for us to reach people in need, and save lives. The approach offered by these new facilities is helping to address some of the barriers that people may face when seeking treatment, and increasing their access to lifesaving help and support.”

Comprehensive integrated outpatient treatment programs provide more opportunities to access person-centered comprehensive services, including medication treatment for opioid use disorder. Programs receiving this funding will operate both an outpatient treatment program and an opioid treatment program (OTP) at the same site.

This initiative is part of ongoing efforts by OASAS to establish integrated programs across New York State. These programs are designed to centralize medication treatment, including methadone, and other addiction and healthcare services to make it easier for New Yorkers seeking treatment for substance use disorders to access multiple services in one location.

Awardees are listed below:

Finger Lakes

• CASA-Trinity, Inc. - $660,000
• Helio Health, Inc. - $760,000

Mid-Hudson

• St. John's Riverside Hospital, Inc. - $373,598

Mohawk Valley

• Helio Health, Inc. - $760,000

New York City

• START Treatment & Recovery Centers, Inc. - $400,614
• Odyssey House, Inc. - $760,000

North Country

• St. Joseph's Rehabilitation Center, Inc. - $652,644

Western NY

• The Community Action Organization of Western New York, Inc. - $401,990

New York State is receiving more than $2 billion through various settlement agreements with opioid manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies that were secured by Attorney General Letitia James. A portion of the funding from these settlements will go directly to municipalities, with the remainder deposited into a dedicated fund to support prevention, treatment, harm reduction and recovery efforts to address the ongoing opioid epidemic.

The same legislation that established the dedicated fund also created the Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board, which is tasked with making recommendations on how settlement dollars should be allocated to best serve those in need. Board members issued their first recommendations on November 1, 2022, identifying the expansion of harm reduction services and treatment as top priorities.

New York State has instituted an aggressive, multi-pronged approach to addressing the overdose epidemic, and created a nation-leading continuum of addiction care with full prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction services. The state has worked to expand access to traditional services, including crisis services, inpatient, outpatient, and residential treatment programs, as well as medication to treat addiction, and mobile treatment and transportation services.

Governor Hochul was a member of the NYS Heroin and Opioid Task Force, which in 2016, recommended new, non-traditional services, including recovery centers, youth clubhouses, expanded peer services, and open access centers, which provide immediate assessments and referrals to care. These services have since been established in numerous communities around the state and have helped people in need access care closer to where they live.

The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports oversees one of the nation’s largest substance use disorder systems of care with approximately 1,700 prevention, treatment and recovery programs serving over 731,000 individuals per year. This includes the direct operation of 12 Addiction Treatment Centers where doctors, nurses, and clinical staff provide inpatient and residential services to approximately 8,000 individuals per year.

New Yorkers struggling with an addiction, or whose loved ones are struggling, can find help and hope by calling the state’s toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (Short Code 467369).

Available addiction treatment including crisis/detox, inpatient, residential, or outpatient care can be found using the NYS OASAS Treatment Availability Dashboard at FindAddictionTreatment.ny.gov or through the NYS OASAS website.

If you, or a loved one, have experienced insurance obstacles related to treatment or need help filing an appeal for a denied claim, contact the CHAMP helpline by phone at 888-614-5400 or email at ombuds@oasas.ny.gov.