KOPPELL OBTAINS $5,893,000 IN BUDGET FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS IN DISTRICT

Receives $507,651 For Expense Items Obtains Restorations for Mental Health Programs

Council Member Oliver Koppell is happy to announce that he has received $5,893,000 in the new $66 billion city budget for capital projects in his district.  Among the projects for which he has allocated funds are refurbishment of the Seton Park soccer field, the expansion of facilities at Riverdale Neighborhood House, rehabilitation of the Cooney Grauer field in Kingsbridge, creation of a dog run in the Williamsbridge Oval, creation of a greenstreet on West 236^th Street and Riverdale Avenue, the refurbishment of the basketball area in Ewen Park, technology at the Hebrew Home for the Aged and for a snow removal vehicle at Wave Hill.

 

Koppell allocated over $2 million to virtually every school in the district to upgrade technology for the students through the purchase of Smart boards, computers and laptop carts,  for improved electrical wiring, for surveillance cameras and for renovations.  Each school will receive approximately $75,000 for these projects.  In addition, he allocated $600,000 to the Kennedy Educational Campus towards the construction of a state-of-the- art library and media center

                                                          

 Expense Budget      

Koppell received $507,651 in expense money to support senior centers, social service agencies, arts and environmental organizations and youth programs throughout the district. These include after-school programs, enrichment activities and counseling services in schools, as well as cultural programs that contribute to the quality of life in the community. .   

 

Also, he designated $50,000 to Fordham University for its research on Familial Dysautonoma, a debilitating genetic disease.

 

Mental Health Programs

   As Chair of the Committee on Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Alcoholism, Drug Abuse and Disability Services, Koppell was successful in obtaining a $2, 000,000 budget restoration for Geriatric Mental Health Services, $1,250,000 for The Children Under Five Initiatives, and $1,250 for Autism Awareness, as well as funds for a range of  mental health services for suicide prevention chemical dependency and developmental disabilities.

 

“I am pleased that, despite difficult economic times, we passed a budget that averted teacher layoffs, firehouse closings, drastic cuts to libraries and daycare services and restored vital mental health services.  Furthermore, I believe that the discretionary funds I have allocated to projects and programs in the area will enhance our educational offerings and contribute to the enjoyment of life in our community.”

STATEMENT FROM BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ  RE: FY2012 Budget 

“Despite the dire fiscal situation this City currently faces, I am glad to see that Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council have put forward a budget that does as little harm to our most vulnerable populations as it possibly can. I am happy that the three Bronx fire companies that were slated for closure have been spared, that our libraries and senior centers will remain open, and that we have avoided teacher layoffs.

“I am also happy to see that the City has agreed to provide new funding to speed up the removal of toxic PCBs from our public schools. This issue has been a major priority of my administration, and this funding puts us one step closer to making sure that all of our school buildings are safe for both the children and adults that use them every day.

“Given that Albany did not come through for the City with the appropriate fiscal resources we deserve, this budget makes the best of a bad situation. I thank Mayor Bloomberg, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and the entire City Council for their efforts to put forward the best possible budget for the City of New York,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

AGREEMENT ON THE FUTURE OF CITYTIME

 

City Comptroller John C. Liu stated the following in response to questions concerning today’s agreement with the Mayor’s Office on the operation of  the CityTime system after the expiration of the contract with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) on June 30, 2011. The agreement calls for a gradual transfer of the management of the system from outside consultants to city employees for a savings of more than $20 million per year.

“This transition is possible because of the significant progress achieved due to the new paradigm we established in September forcing the project on the right track at no further expense to taxpayers to build the system. But make no mistake, the rapid completion of the project over nine months does not make up for fraud of epic proportions that has taken place over the past decade.  As we move forward, it is my hope that the city will be able to recoup every dollar stolen from taxpayers, and that the administration will continue to cut down on the use of outside consultants.”

The agreement was formalized with the passage of a resolution today by the Board of Directors of the Financial Information Services Agency (FISA), which is overseeing the CityTime project. FISA is jointly controlled by the Mayor and Comptroller, as defined by the City Charter. The resolution contains the following:

1.      Payment of the outstanding funds owed to SAIC will not be made until the relevant agencies clear SAIC from any wrongdoing and FISA’s Board agrees that payment should be made. (*See below)

2.      The Transition Staffing Plan will result in immediate savings of approximately $20 million per year and will be as follows:
       Approximately 71 Consultants will be eliminated and 83 Consultants will be retained and be subject to extensive background checks conducted by an independent third-party.
       The 83 Consultants will be phased out and replaced by City employees at a rate of approximately 20 employees per year.
       Quality Assurance and Systems Implementation vendors will be retained as necessary to reduce risk and provide limited advisory services.

3.      A competitive Request for Information (RFI) process will be launched in January of 2012 that may identify an alternative electronic timekeeping system.

4.      There are an estimated 20,000 employees (out of approximately 163,000 users) that only have access to the DCDs (hand scanning time entry devices). FISA will work to provide these employees with alternative options by December 31, 2011.

5.      Deputy Mayor Goldsmith will continue to work on the remaining deployment and assist with operational issues that may arise.

(*A September 28th agreement stopped all payments to SAIC for the completed implementation and deployment of CityTime. Upon full and timely completion of the installation, the City was scheduled to pay SAIC up to $32 million dollars for maintenance and support costs from Sept. 30, 2010 through June 30, 2011.)

CityTime currently has approximately 163,000 employees using the system, up from 73,000 employees in September of 2010.

 

BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ RELEASES

‘BRONX SENIOR RESOURCE GUIDE’

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. has released the first-ever “Bronx Senior Resource Guide,” a comprehensive publication designed to provide a wide variety of information to both senior citizens and their service providers.

The guide includes information on numerous senior citizen services available in the Bronx—from housing and healthcare to veterans’ benefits and transportation—in a handy, easy to use format.

“This guide will help senior citizens and our borough’s numerous senior resource providers take advantage of the many benefits and programs that are available to them, often at little or no cost. Our seniors are among our most vulnerable populations, and it is my hope that this guide will help make their lives a little easier,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

We must add that after viewing the 58 page Bronx Senior Resource Guide we think that BP Diaz and his staff have put together a very helpful guide and listing of services and providers that are available, that is a must have to many senior citizens and their family members.

The link for the “Bronx Senior Resource Guide”  http://bit.ly/kVzx4r  

    

City Council Budget

   Here is the link to the FY2012 New York City Budget which runs 712 pages. The budget is $66 billion dollars, and includes each and every member item that your local council member received. This year the council trimmed its pork by $9 million dollars down to $386 million dollars. Check to see what your local council member received, and for what organization.

   Restored were $6.5 million to all borough president budgets that the mayor had proposed cutting, and over $500,000 in restorations to the Public Advocates office. The council also restored many other cuts proposed by the mayor including restorations to the fire department to stop the proposed closing of 20 fire houses. 

   While proposed member items are not listed, it has been reported that Bronx Councilman Larry Seabrook currently under indictment for alleged fraud, still requested $400,000 in member items. 

Agenda

Croton Facility Monitoring Committee Meeting

Thursday, June 30, 2011 – 7:00 PM

DEP Community Office – 3660 Jerome Avenue, Bronx NY 10467 - (718) 231-8470

I  Welcome                        Father Richard Gorman, Chair

II Consider, Adopt 5/24/11 Meeting Minutes    CFMC Representatives

III Jerome Park Reservoir (JPR)             Mark Lanaghan, DEP
    DEP Follow up after 6-2 Public Hearing

IV Construction Update, Schedule & Costs        Vincent Moorehead, P.E., DEP
    Regular Report - also include status of

    $18,600,000 in CRO 311 for DEP/DPR MOU
    JPR Gate House 5, 6, 7;

Installation of Cap of Low Service Shaft

at Shaft & Meter Chamber (SMC)    

JPR Walls Core Sampling

    CRO 334 – Name of Project & Construction Managers,

& Timetable & Number of Bronx Jobs

    Status of Permits:

Sewer System Discharge

Harlem River Discharge

Emergency Discharge

    Sidewalk Closure at Gate House 6;

CSO at SMC;

   

Progress of Construction in Goulden Ave

   
    Status of Force Main                 Lauren Competello, P.E., DEP

V Current Report - Croton Jobs    Mark Lanaghan, DEP       

VI CFMC Discussion, Set Next Meeting        CFMC Representatives


VII Adjourn

LIU: DEP BILLING PRACTICES DON’T HOLD WATER 
Audit Finds Hotels Owed City $2.7 Million for Service

   New York City Comptroller John C. Liu announced that a recent audit determined that the City is owed nearly $2.7 million from approximately 70 hotels because the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) either did not properly bill them or failed to fully go after deadbeat customers.

“We’re pleased that DEP is finally collecting on this money we’ve identified,” said Comptroller Liu. “As water rates continue to soar and some residents are now threatened with lien sales because they can’t pay their bills, it’s only fair that DEP also collects from these major players.”

The hotels with outstanding balances were scattered across the City and included five-star luxury landmarks, downtown boutiques, airport chains, and single room occupancies. The unpaid bills fell into two categories:

1. Hotels that the DEP either did not bill or improperly billed;

2. Hotels that received bills and simply did not pay or did not abide by their payment agreements. 

Category 1:

Auditors found 20 hotels owed an estimated $1.1 million either because the DEP failed to bill them or they received incorrect bills.  These hotels included the W Hotel on Washington Street and the Ace Hotel. 

The DEP itself generally does not identify new hotels subject to water and sewer billing, but relies on licensed plumbers to request and return DEP permits. Not all plumbers follow this rule.  In these instances the DEP is left unaware of the new meter and cannot properly bill.  Hotels can go years without receiving water and sewer usage bills if the plumber installing the meter never informs the DEP.  In other cases, a plumber may install an incorrect meter and the DEP again cannot properly bill the hotel.

Some Category 1 hotels and their outstanding charges due the City include:

Lexington Marco LaGuardia Hotel	137-07 Northern Blvd. Queens	$127,804
Ace Hotel	1186 Broadway, Manhattan	$108,834
W Hotel	123 Washington Street, Manhattan	$76,657
Ravel Hotel	8-08 Queens Blvd. South, Queens	$41,815
Wyndham Garden Hotel Chelsea	37 W 24 ST, Manhattan	$39,566
Hotel Le Jolie	235 Meeker Avenue, Brooklyn	$30,815

                                                           

Category 2:

Another 49 hotels owed approximately $1.6 million because they were behind on their water and sewer bills. The DEP did not take action against 21 of these hotels, which had not paid a dime in six months, until the audit brought them to the agency’s attention.

Recommendations:

The agency agreed with four of the audit’s five recommendations, including:

§  The DEP should bill all hotels identified in the audit.  The DEP has stated that it has billed all identified hotels as of June 8.

§  The DEP should coordinate with the Department of Buildings to investigate why the 20 hotels obtained a certificate of occupancy without proper water metering and ensure the problem does not reoccur.

Background:

The DEP maintains 834,000 accounts for water and sewer service. There are 1,049 hotels that hold 1,509 of these accounts, which comprise some of the DEP’s customers that make heaviest use of water and sewer services.  The audit was launched in September 2010 in order to determine whether DEP properly billed hotels for water and sewer usage and collects on outstanding bills.  This audit covered water and sewer usage fees billed and collected through calendar year 2010.

Comptroller Liu credited Deputy Comptroller for Audit Tina Kim and the Audit Bureau for presenting their findings. The full report is available at http://comptroller.nyc.gov/audits.

LIU EXPANDS PENSION NYC WITH TWO NEW LIVE APPLICATIONS

   New York City Comptroller John C. Liu today launched the next phase of his Pension NYC initiative when an Online Library and Interactive FAQ went live this morning. Working in collaboration with the Boards of Trustees at the New York City Pension Funds, more information regarding the $122 billion pension systems is now publicly available than ever before.

The Online Library makes available to the public, for the first time in one convenient place, documents relating to the Pension Funds including Quarterly Pension Reports, Shareholder Resolutions, Meeting Agendas and Minutes, as well as Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports.

The Interactive FAQ application includes dozens of frequently asked questions pertaining to the City’s Pension Funds. This database will continue to grow over time as more users participate. The new applications are available at

http://comptroller.nyc.gov/mymoneynyc/pensionnyc.

In addition to the Online Library and Interactive FAQ, Pension NYC also hosts live webcasts of the City’s Pension Board investment meetings and archives those sessions for public viewing. Announced on March 28, Pension NYC is a set of five online tools serving in addition to Comptroller Liu’s My Money NYC, which allows the public to closely track how the City spends tax dollars.