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Friday, January 19, 2024
The Bronx Chamber of Commerce - Bronx Business News You Can Use
Governor Hochul Announces Special Election in 77th Assembly District
Governor Kathy Hochul announced that a special election to fill the vacancy in the 77th Assembly District created by the resignation of Latoya Joyner will be held on Tuesday, February 13. Governor Hochul issued the proclamation on January 12 pursuant to the Public Officers Law.
"With Latoya Joyner's departure from the Assembly, a special election to ensure representation for the 77th District will be held in February," Governor Hochul said. "I’m grateful for the extraordinary service Latoya has performed for her constituents and our State. I wish her luck as she embarks on a new journey, and I look forward to working with the next representative to deliver for New York."
NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE'S STATEMENT ON MAYOR ADAMS VETOING A BAN ON SOLITARY CONFINEMENT TO DEFEND THE STATUS QUO ON RIKERS
New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released the following statement after Mayor Eric Adams vetoed Intro 549-A, which would ban the isolation of solitary confinement in city jails. The City Council passed the bill with a with veto-proof majority last month.
"With this veto, the mayor has condemned New Yorkers to suffer in solitary confinement and isolation, and he did so after the cameras were turned off and backs were turned. It’s cowardly, weak, shameful, and entirely expected from this version of this mayor.
"I don’t think there’s a single person in the city outside the mayor’s office who thinks the status quo on Rikers right now is good and effective. The ongoing use of solitary confinement and isolation in New York City – no matter what the administration calls it – is indefensible, and vetoing the ban is inexcusable. If we want different results, we have to do something different, and banning isolation – while allowing for separation and de-escalation – is good for public safety. The mayor’s veto makes our jails and our city less safe.
"The administration needs to get its stories straight before it decides to deceive New Yorkers about our bills, otherwise they’ll continue to contradict themselves and deliberately confuse the issues. Which is it – that solitary confinement doesn't exist, or that they don’t want to ban it?
"The federal monitor is right that Rikers is in a dangerous state, one that the administration has shown themselves unwilling or unable to correct. But fears that the Department of Correction will be unable to operate without isolating detainees are not a valid reason to oppose improving conditions. We don’t make laws to conform to failing systems, we make laws to change them. We would be happy to work with the administration on the most effective ways to implement this legislation, but that would require them engaging in good faith, which they have repeatedly refused to do.
"We would be happy to clarify for the administration the key elements of a bill they clearly haven’t read, after the City Council overrides this misguided, performative, ego-driven veto."
IN LINE WITH FEDERAL MONITOR, EDITORIAL BOARDS, UNION, MAYOR ADAMS VETOES CITY COUNCIL BILL THAT WOULD MAKE NEW YORK CITY JAILS LESS SAFE FOR THOSE IN CUSTODY AND EMPLOYEES
Bill Interferes With Restrictive Housing Program Designed in Consultation with Federal Monitor
Bill Contradicts Best Practices for Correctional Safety
Federal Monitor Says He Has “Deep Concerns” About Intro. 549-A, Which Could “Inadvertently Undermine the Overall Goals of Protecting Individuals From Harm”
New York Daily News Editorial Board Knocks Bill as “Choice to Put Those Other Detainees at Unnecessary Risk” and Calls Out “Bill’s Defenders [for] Often Us[ing] a Sleight of Hand”
New York Post Makes Clear Bill “Guarantee[s] More Violence, Chaos and Suffering” as “Detainees Will Be Victimized”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams today vetoed Intro. 549-A, a New York City Council bill that would have jeopardized the safety of both those in the city’s custody and correctional staff, interfered with the restrictive housing program designed in consultation with the federal monitor in the Nuñez case, and contradicted best practices for correctional safety.
Last week, Federal Monitor Steven Martin provided an assessment stating that he “has deep concerns about many of [Intro. 549-A’s] provisions,” and added that, “Many of the provisions, as currently drafted, could inadvertently undermine the overall goals of protecting individuals from harm, promoting sound correctional practice and improving safety for those in custody and jail staff. Consequently, this could impede the Department’s ability to comply with the Nuñez Court Orders.”
“Under our administration, the city’s jails are getting safer — but this bill would have taken us in the wrong direction. Vetoing this bill will keep those in our custody and our correction officers safer,” said Mayor Adams. “Our administration does not support solitary confinement in our jails, and New York City has not used the practice for years. In fact, we have achieved significant reductions in key indicators of violence in our correction system without solitary confinement. But despite the misleading nickname, had it taken effect, the Department of Correction would no longer be able to protect people in custody, or the union workers charged with their safety, from violent individuals. I implore the City Council to work with our administration and follow the federal monitor’s guidance to abandon this misguided bill.”
“I have had deep seated concerns about 549-A and the serious threat it poses to the safety of my staff and people in our custody if it were to be implemented,” said New York City Department of Correction (DOC) Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie. “I’m grateful that Mayor Adams has vetoed this bill, and I urge the council to reconsider its provisions. We all want to make our jails safer, but 549-A will not accomplish that shared goal.”
DOC Commissioner Maginley-Liddie explained the department’s significant concerns with the legislation in a video.
While the bill incorrectly purports to ban solitary confinement, New York City has not used the practice since before the Adams administration took office. Under Mayor Adams’ leadership, DOC has made significant progress in many areas to address the deeply rooted problems at Rikers that have existed for generations. Slashings and stabbings, assaults on staff, and serious injuries to people in custody were all down by double digits in 2023.
Additionally, the New York Daily News editorial board opined that the bill could result in putting “detainees at unnecessary risk,” while simultaneously noting that “the bill’s defenders have often used sleight of hand,” concluding, “Now, Mayor Adams must act on Martin’s recommendation by vetoing the bill before it automatically becomes law.”
The New York Post editorial board makes clear that the bill would be “guaranteeing more violence, chaos and suffering” at Rikers Island. Adding, “It’s not just jail staff at risk: Other detainees will be victimized as much or more if there’s no way to control violent inmates,” wrote the New York Post editorial board in September 2022. The editorial board added, in December 2023, “To be clear, the real victims are New Yorkers who deserve better: [The] bill would make jails more dangerous for detainees and staff.”
“Intro. 549 will all but ensure that inmate assaults against Correction Officers and non-violent inmates will surge, jeopardizing thousands of lives in our jails,” wrote Antoinette Anderson, New York City correction officer and corresponding secretary, Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association. “Everyone in our jails deserves to be safe!”
MAYOR ADAMS, CHANCELLOR BANKS LAUNCH CITYWIDE NYC SCHOOL BUS APP
New Tool Will Provide Parents and Caregivers Peace of Mind as Students Travel to and From School
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Education (DOE) Chancellor David C. Banks today launched the new, citywide NYC School Bus App that provides peace of mind to families with students who ride yellow school buses by allowing them to track their students’ bus trips in real-time. For a city with the largest school district in the nation — busing approximately 150,000 students each day — the launch is a critical step in the Adams administration’s effort to provide better service to DOE families and improving systemwide accountability, transparency, and performance of bus vendors.
“From the start, our administration has set a new standard for how government uses technology to serve hard-working families,” said Mayor Adams. “New York families are busy all day long, and the NYC School Bus App will make their lives a little easier by helping them manage pick-ups and drop-offs right from their home computers or smartphones, while giving them additional comfort as they follow the bus route’s their young children take on their way to and from school.”
“Every eligible student has a right to transportation service that truly serves them. I’m thrilled to be launching this system for families across the city and to provide peace of mind to parents as they send their babies off to school each day,” said DOE Chancellor Banks. “I’m thankful to our partners in the City Council who helped advocate for this tool for our school communities, and for our bus vendors and drivers for working in partnership with us to roll this out for families.”
“The NYC School Bus App exemplifies this administration's commitment to leveraging technology to provide working families with immediate access to trusted information that improves their lives,” said New York City Chief Technology Officer Matthew Fraser. “This free tool demonstrates the importance of our continuous efforts by supplying families with real-time knowledge and an invaluable sense of comfort about their child's commute to and from school.”
The NYC School Bus App — developed in collaboration with Via — is a partnership between bus drivers, families, and schools. For families to utilize the NYC School Bus App, the assigned route driver must be subscribed to the platform. Subscription rates across the city are currently greater than 75 percent.
If a specific route is not available to be tracked during a student’s designated busing hours, parents can reach out to their school bus company to let them know that their driver is not subscribed and request that the driver sign up.
In order to access the platform, families will need access to their New York City Schools Account (NYCSA) and have their student’s ID number. If families don’t have a NYCSA account, they can learn how to get started online or by contacting their school.
As families and community members provide feedback on the app, the DOE will make updates and add new features, including the expected arrival time of the school bus, information about the time and location where their child is getting on and off the school bus, and notifications about delays.
City Planning to Host Public Info Sessions on City of Yes for Housing Opportunity Proposals
Monthly Info Sessions to Describe Details of Historic Proposal for “A Little More Housing in Every Neighborhood”
Department of City Planning (DCP) Director Dan Garodnick today announced that DCP will hold monthly public information sessions on components of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity proposal, highlighting how they will benefit New Yorkers and address the city’s housing crisis. Held once a month from January to April via Zoom, the info sessions will offer the public opportunities to learn and ask questions about the Universal Affordability Preference (UAP), diverse housing types (ADUs, conversions, and shared and small homes), “Missing Middle” housing types, and the proposal as a whole, respectively.
- Tuesday, January 30: The Universal Affordability Preference – register here
- Tuesday, February 27: Diverse Housing Types (ADUs, Conversions, & Shared/Small Homes) – register here
- Wednesday, March 27: “Missing Middle” Housing Types (transit-oriented development and “town center” zoning) – register here
- Wednesday, April 17: Overview of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity Proposal – register here
Each of the info sessions will take place from 6:30-8:30 PM.
In September, Mayor Adams unveiled the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity initiative, which will address New York’s housing crisis by building a little more housing in every neighborhood. It is currently undergoing environmental review, and will be referred for public review by borough presidents and community boards later this spring; it is anticipated to reach the City Planning Commission and City Council for a vote in the fall.
The proposal includes support for homeowners by legalizing accessory dwelling units (“ADUs”); allowing three-to-five-story apartment buildings near transit (“transit-oriented development”) and on commercial corridors (“Town Center zoning”) in low-density districts; granting a roughly 20% increase in allowed housing so long as the additional housing is affordable (UAP); lifting onerous and expensive parking mandates for new housing; facilitating office-to-residential conversions; granting campuses greater flexibility to build housing; supporting shared housing models and smaller units; and more.
Together, these proposals could add an estimated 100,000 homes to expected housing production over the next 15 years, create nearly 260,000 temporary jobs and an additional 6,300 permanent jobs, and provide $58.2 billion in economic impact to the city over the next 30 years. These zoning changes build on the Adams administration’s investment in income-restricted affordable housing, including financing a record-breaking 14,227 new homes in 2023. The administration has also advanced a number of other creative solutions, including an office conversation accelerator, new proposed rules to streamline approvals for sustainable housing, a Housing-at-Risk Taskforce, and pilots to help fund accessory dwelling units and mixed income housing development, among other visionary efforts.
City of Yes for Housing Opportunity is the third of three City of Yes initiatives to update New York City’s zoning for a more sustainable, prosperous, and affordable city. The first, for Carbon Neutrality, was adopted by the City Council in December. The second, for Economic Opportunity, is currently being considered by community boards and borough presidents, and will come before the City Planning Commission for a hearing and vote later this winter.
NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE'S STATEMENT ON MAYOR ADAMS VETOING POLICING TRANSPARENCY BILL
New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released the following statement after Mayor Eric Adams vetoed Intro 586-A, which would require basic reporting for police transparency. The City Council passed the bill with a with veto-proof majority last month. The Public Advocate will further address the veto, the harm it will do to public safety, and next steps at a media availability in the City Hall Rotunda at 11:15 AM on Friday.
"With this veto, the mayor is threatening New Yorkers’ safety to advance his own ideological and personal political agenda. Either he is vetoing the bill without reading it, or he has been deliberately deceiving people to scare New Yorkers and justify his dangerous choice. I’m angered by his selfishness.
"Mayor Adams isn’t just following in the footsteps of Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg, he is going further into the wrong side of history. He is threatening New Yorkers’ safety to protect his ego.
"Transparency in policing should not be a point of conflict or confrontation, it should be a shared goal and basis for conversation. This is a basic reporting bill, rooted in what the NYPD is already required to do, and yet the mayor has engaged in the most flagrant misinformation campaign I have seen from any administration in my time in office, misleading both the public and the police. Through simple reporting on NYPD stops, we can prevent the kinds of bias-based policing we’ve seen in the past, build trust in often over-policed areas, and continue the work that began a decade ago amid the height of the abuses of Stop, Question, and Frisk. This isn’t preventing police work, this is police work. The mayor is opposing a bill that doesn’t exist, and perpetuating harm against the Black and Brown communities he claims to speak for.
"When the City Council overrides this veto, hopefully the administration will move forward to faithfully execute the legislation instead of sabotaging it and hurting public safety."
MAYOR ADAMS VETOES CITY COUNCIL BILL THAT COULD MAKE NYC STREETS LESS SAFE
Intro. 586-A Could Slow NYPD Response Times, Undermine Community-Oriented Policing, and Add Tens of Millions of Dollars in Overtime to NYPD’s Budget
Overall Crime and Violent Crime Are Down Under Adams Administration, But New Bill Threatens Progress Made Over Past Two Years
Following vocal opposition from faith leaders, community advocates, business organizations, district attorneys, law enforcement professionals, and everyday New Yorkers, New York City Mayor Eric Adams today vetoed Intro. 586-A, which could make New York City less safe by forcing New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers to spend more time filling out reports after Level 1 interactions with the public instead of patrolling the street and keeping the public safe.
Under the Adams administration, overall crime — including violent crime — was down in 2023. However, Intro. 586-A could slow NYPD police response times, erode years of progress building police-community relationships and preventing crime through community-oriented policing, and add tens of millions of dollars in additional NYPD overtime each year, while Mayor Adams looks to lessen spending on overtime.
“As young men, my brother and I were beaten by the police in the basement of a local precinct, but I turned my pain into purpose and joined the police force to effect change from within the system. And, in my time as a police officer and throughout my career in public service, I have fought for transparency and against abusive policing tactics that targeted communities of color. While Intro. 586 has good intentions behind it, the bill is misguided and compromises our public safety,” said Mayor Adams. “Our administration supports efforts to make law enforcement more transparent, more just, and more accountable, but this bill will handcuff our police by drowning officers in unnecessary paperwork that will saddle taxpayers with tens of millions of dollars in additional NYPD overtime each year, while simultaneously taking officers away from policing our streets and engaging with the community. That is why I am vetoing this legislation today. I ask my colleagues in government to please work with our administration to improve public safety because New Yorkers want their police out on patrol — taking criminals off our streets and keeping them safe.”
“The hardworking men and women of the NYPD are energized by the fact that New York City has a mayor who steadfastly supports the goals of our public safety mission, which is to eradicate violence and disorder while simultaneously enhancing the quality of life of all the people we serve,” said NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban. “We know that good policing is all about accountability and, as the largest municipal police department in the nation, the NYPD is already our country’s most intently watched, deeply scrutinized, and openly transparent law enforcement agency. The measure vetoed by the mayor today is an overreach that would result in the unintended consequence of literally slowing down the city’s progress. On our watch, there is a continuation of lower overall crime, including a reduction in bellwether indicators like murder, burglary, and assault. We just ended a year in which NYPD officers reduced shooting incidents citywide by a factor not seen in nearly 30 years. And as of this week, index crimes in New York City have dropped another 5 percent compared to last year — and an incredible 74 percent from three decades ago. Each day and night, NYPD officers carry on the dangerous, critical work of fighting crime on the streets. Terrorist plots have also been thwarted, and there is a renewed commitment among our rank and file to further build trust and strengthen relationships in every community. These vital efforts will continue — and must continue, unimpeded by bureaucratic time-wasting tasks — because that is what New Yorkers expect and deserve.”
In 2023, the city saw a drop in overall crime, including five of the seven major crime categories, a 12 percent decline in homicides, and a 25 percent decrease in shooting incidents. Crime has fallen as a result of proactive strategies deployed by the Adams administration, including the continued focus on community-oriented policing, and plans to crack down on auto thefts, retail thefts, and gun violence through a $500 million blueprint to keep communities safe. The NYPD also made the most grand larceny auto arrests in 20 years, shut down more than 50 illegal smoke shops while seizing more than $23 million in illegal products, and took more than 6,500 illegal guns off the street last year — including the highest number of 3D-printed ghost guns in New York City history — bringing the total number of firearms taken off New York City streets to more than 13,700 since the start of the Adams administration.