Croton Facility Monitoring Committee Meeting (CFMC) - Agenda - Thursday, September 29, 2016

Agenda

Croton Facility Monitoring Committee Meeting (CFMC)

Thursday, September 29, 2016 – 6:30 PM

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

I  Welcome, Call Meeting to Order

Dan Padernacht, Chair

II Consider, Adopt September 29 CFMC Agenda -

CFMC Representatives

III Consider, Adopt Minutes from June 15, 2016 Meeting

      CFMC Representatives

IV Jerome Park Reservoir Task Force Report

Bill Hall & Task Force on Public Access

V  Future Construction at Jerome Park Reservoir

Vincent Sapienza, Commissioner DEP

VI Croton Costs Report & Construction Update

Bernard Daly, DEP

VII Old Business CFMC Representatives, & Public

VIII New Business CFMC Representatives, & Public

IX Adjourn

Bronx Chamber of Commerce Hispanic Heritage Luncheon: Thursday, September 22 at Tosca Marquee

Bronx Borough President - Annual Ecuadorian Heritage Month Celebration

Ischia Bravo for Assembly - THANK YOU

                    THANK YOU                             

I would like to thank everyone who supported our campaign. I am truly humbled by the amount of support we received. From the start we focused on how we could draw attention to the issues which affect our community.  From the lack of resources for our schools, to the need for representation for our tenants against greedy landlords, to residents living in squalor while paying high rents - we worked to draw attention to the problems our neighborhoods must deal with. We knew what we were up against - an incumbency defined by a 35-year status quo. And although we were not successful this time, we still know that we deserve a representative that will work for us. It was and is time for change. We deserve to be represented throughout the year, not just when campaigns are in effect. Thirty five percent of this district stood for change and I won't let them down. This has been my home and will continue to be my family's home. I met so many wonderful people throughout this journey who believe that our community deserves better.  I will continue to work on issues that directly affect us through my advocacy on Community Board 7 and the 52nd Precinct Community Council. And I eagerly await the day to represent you in Albany.  Until that time,  Team BRAVO and I will continue to work hard in support of you, our residents.

Those Who Make Money Out of the Suffering of the Poor and the Homeless

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz
District 32 Bronx County, New York

  You should know that there are many people who are making a lot of money out of the suffering of the poor and the homeless.

It is important for you to know that as the homeless population in the City of New York nears 60,000 and everyone talks about ways we can help the homeless – and even though the City and State spend exorbitant amounts of taxpayer dollars on homeless families, the money doesn’t really go to the homeless. It goes to people who are taking advantage of the situation, who will go

Some individuals who are exploiting the homeless situation are landlords, who raise the rents higher and higher until they push their tenants out onto the streets. This way, their empty apartments can be converted to “cluster sites” or shelter units.

Whereas in the past, a landlord may have been charging $1,000 per month for an apartment for a lease-holding tenant, under these new circumstances, that same landlord can get $109 per night, in some cases up to $3,400 per month to use these same apartments as municipal shelters.

Those landlords have many friends in high places, and they are protected by powerful people.

You should also know that throughout the City of New York, they are building more and more self-storage facilities than housing units. There are places where every two blocks you will find a self-storage facility being built. These storage facilities are a growth industry that feed off the homeless situation.

The owners of these storage facilities don’t have to employ too many people, pay workers insurance, health insurance and unemployment benefits, because the homeless people who use the facility have to do all of the manual labor themselves to store their furniture and belongings.

As you can see, my dear friend, the self-storage facilities not only feed off of the homeless but also use them to do work for them.

While families are being displaced from their apartments and are being thrown into the streets, the City of New York will place them in cluster site shelters and at the same time, the City will pay the storage costs for the families’ furniture and belongings.

My dear friend, it is important for you know that each storage unit can cost up to $150 to $200 per month.  Add that to the moving costs the City pays to relocate the evicted family from their home to a shelter – which can run between $500 to $1000 per move, plus the $3,400 landlord charge and the administrative costs to run the shelter. Wow!

Some New York City cluster site shelters only permit families to reside there for 6 months, and if the family continues to remain homeless, more money is spent to transport the families to yet another shelter or cluster housing site.  The tax dollars that New Yorkers pay to transport and shuttle homeless families from shelter to shelter continue to keep homeless families with no stability while making other people rich.

My dear reader, it’s not just me who says this. The Coalition for the Homeless website states: “The City’s “cluster-site” program creates powerful, perverse incentives for owners to displace lease-holding tenants in favor of lucrative shelter deals with the City.”

It is important for you to know that there are motels throughout the City of New York that are being transformed into cluster housing shelter sites for families.  Without kitchen facilities available, additional funds have to be provided to feed families in those sites. These meals may merely consist of cold sandwiches, and again, the providers get to make even more money.

Instead of using our taxpayer dollars to make some people rich, like paying landlords three times the rent in cluster sites and shelters, and paying for the cost of storage units, along with any number of other expenses that don’t directly help our families, the City of New York should be building long-term permanent housing for our families.

Ladies and gentlemen, taking some words out of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King’s Drum Major Instinct Sermon, I would like to say:

You don't have to have a college degree. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics. You only need to have common sense to know that the City of New York is spending so much money to help some people get rich at the expense of the suffering of the poor and the homeless.  Common sense tells us that taxpayers would save so much money and help our families and communities if they would use our money to help provide permanent housing for the homeless.  

I am Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz, and this is what you should know.

DE BLASIO ADMINISTRATION RELEASES MAYOR’S MANAGEMENT REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2016

Decreases in emergency response times, murders, traffic fatalities

Increases in graduation rates, IDNYC cardholders, construction inspections, housing & preservation starts under Housing NY

  The de Blasio administration today released the Mayor’s Management Report (MMR) for fiscal year 2016, an analysis of City agencies’ performance from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016. In fiscal year 2016, 59% of indicators show improved or stable performance, compared to 57% in fiscal year 2015 and 56% in fiscal year 2014. For critical indicators, which are key measures of agency performance, 56% show improved or stable performance in fiscal year 2016, compared to 56% in fiscal year 2015 and 55% in fiscal year 2014. The MMR presents more than 2,000 metrics from City agencies, showing the City’s performance in providing services to New Yorkers.

“From increases in the number of IDNYC cards and graduation rates, to decreases in murders and emergency response times, we’re seeing improvements across the board in key areas,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “This MMR highlights all of the hard work we’ve done to lift up all New Yorkers and make this city a stronger and more equitable place to live.”

“The MMR is a vital instrument of public accountability, transparency, and data-driven performance management, and we’re proud of its evolution under Mayor de Blasio’s leadership,” said Mindy Tarlow, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Operations. “From fundamental service delivery that New Yorkers count on every day, to innovative, multi-agency initiatives such as ThriveNYC, the MMR reflects the far-reaching work of City government.”

Key Improvements Include:

·         NYPD: Murder and non-negligent manslaughter decreased 2% (from 348 to 341); murder related to domestic violence decreased 13.1% (from 61 to 53); major felony crimes in schools decreased 13.4% (from 614 to 532); other criminal activities in schools decreased 2.9% (from 2,286 to 2,219); and burglary decreased 8.6% (from 15,828 to 14,463). End-to-end average response time decreased for all crimes in progress by 23 seconds (from 10:58 to 10:35); for critical crimes in progress by 20 seconds from (7:29 to 7:09); and for serious crimes in progress by 14 seconds (from 9:38 to 9:24)

·         FDNY: End-to-end combined response time to life-threatening medical emergencies by ambulance & fire units decreased by 1 second (from 8:18 to 8:17) and by ambulance units by 4 seconds (from 9:13 to 9:09); structural fires decreased 1.0%, (from 27,189 to 26,922).

·         DOT: Citywide traffic fatalities decreased 5.2% (from 249 to 236); traffic fatalities of motorists and passengers decreased 6.7% (from 90 to 84); lane miles resurfaced citywide, in-house plus contracted, is 1,281 – the largest number of lane miles resurfaced citywide in more than 25 years; Staten Island Ferry ridership increased from 21,911,000 to 23,067,000, a change of 5.3%; Citi Bike trips increased 39.6% (from 8,765,000 to 12,234,000); annual Select Bus Service ridership increased 27.8% (from 45,200,000 to 57,762,000).

·         DOE: The four-year graduation rate in School Year 2015 rose two percentage points to 70.5%; English results increased in each of the City’s 32 Community School Districts across all five boroughs; students in grades 3 to 8 meeting/exceeding standards in Math increased 1.2 percentage points (from 35.2% to 36.4%) and meeting/exceeding standards in English increased 7.6 percentage points (from 30.4% to 38%); students in grades 3 to 8 scoring below standards and progressing into a higher level in English increased 8.8 percentage points (from 29.5% to 38.3%); students in grades 3 to 8 progressing from below standards to meeting standards in English increased 6.2 percentage points (from 12.2% to 18.4%); parents attending parent-teacher conferences increased 3.8% (from 1,910,000 to 1,983,000).

·         DPR: Capital projects completed increased 15.5% (from 84 to 97); total recreation center attendance increased 25.0% (from 3,422,683 to 4,277,349).

·         DOHMH: New tuberculosis cases (CY preliminary) decreased 1.7% (from 585 to 575); new HIV diagnoses (CY preliminary) decreased 9.9% (from 2,718 to 2,449); childhood blood lead levels decreased 4.2% (from 818 to 784); and units of supportive housing available to persons with serious mental illness increased 5.3% (from 5.7 to 6.0).

·         ACS: Substantiated abuse and/or neglect reports for children in child care decreased 12.5 percentage points (from 27.6% to 15.1%).

·         HPD: Affordable units completed under Housing NY jumped 395% (from 2,079 to 10,292); affordable units completed jumped 82.1% (from 10,128 to 18,442); heat and hot water complaints reported fell10.3% (from 122,612 to 109,950).

·         NYCHA: Applicants placed through Section 8 vouchers increased 91.3% (from 892 to 1,706); resident job placements increased 30.1% from (1,084 to 1,410); time to resolve emergency service requests decreased 11.0% (from 14.7 to 13.1 hours);  turnaround days for vacant apartments decreased 14.0% (from 58.1 to 50.0).

·         DOC: Serious injury to staff as a result of inmate assault on staff decreased by 42.9%. Total inmate assault on staff decreased by 8.5%.

·         DHS: The percentage of households and people who returned to shelter within one year after exiting to permanent housing decreased by 6.5 percentage points for families with children (from 16.5% to 10%); by 5.5 percentage points for adult families (from 14.2% to 8.7%); and by 0.3 percentage points for single adults (from 3.6% to 3.2%).

·         DEP: Water main breaks decreased 29.8% (from 563 to 395).

·         EDC: Businesses served by industry-focused programmatic initiatives (including NYCEDC’s incubator network and centers for excellence, technology competitions, partnership funds and programmatic ventures) nearly doubled (from 1,366 to 2,722); average monthly ridership on the East River ferry increased 16.3% (from 113,366 to 131,896).

·         TLC: Active medallion taxis that are accessible increased 53.1% (from 572 to 876); Active Boro Taxis that are accessible increased 12.3% (from 1,240 to 1,393).

·         DSNY: Streets rated acceptably clean increased 2.3 percentage points (from 92.7% to 95.0%).

·         HRA: SNAP application timeliness rate increased 12.5 percentage points (from 81.4% to 93.9%); cash assistance application timeliness rate increased 3.1 percentage points (from 94.4% to 97.5%).

·         311: Wait time for calls decreased 7 seconds, from 23 to 16 seconds.

·         IDNYC: total number of IDNYC cards issued increased 62.5% (from 334,794 to 544,083).

See full report here: http://www.nyc.gov/mmr

Mosholu Parkland 1st Annual Fall Festival Saturday, Oct 8th, 12PM-4PM @ Mosholu Playground

   The Mosholu Parkland 1st Annual Fall Festival is being held on Saturday, October 8th 12PM-4PM at the Kossuth Playground, East Mosholu Parkway North between Jerome Avenue and Van Cortlandt Ave.

   Join your neighbors and friends for a fall fun day of activities that include - a giant spider web obstacle, games, crafts and prizes, daffodil planting project, and guitar by Steve Oates.

   This is being hosted by the Friends of Mosholu Parkway.

  

CORRECTION OFFICERS SENTENCED IN ASSAULT OF INMATE AND ATTEMPT TO COVER IT UP

Former Department of Correction Security Chief Receives 6 ½ Years in Prison, Captain Gets 5 ½ Years in Beating of Inmate Who Glared at Chief

  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that eight New York City Department of Correction Officers—including a former DOC security chief—have been sentenced for their roles in assaulting an inmate and attempting to cover up the beating in a Rikers Island jail. 

  District Attorney Clark said, “I hope these sentences will deter those who think a uniform and a badge gives them license to brutalize inmates or cover for officers who do. A security chief and a captain received 6 ½ and 5 ½ years respectively, proving that neither rank nor position will protect you from prosecution. These Correction Officers must now pay the price, as will anyone who commits a crime of violence or corruption on Rikers Island.” 

  District Attorney Clark said Eliseo Perez Jr., former Assistant Chief for Security who ordered the beating of Jahmal Lightfoot, was sentenced to 6½ years in prison and three years post-release supervision, and Captain Gerald Vaughn was sentenced to 5½ years in prison and three years post-release supervision. Correction Officers Alfred Rivera, Tobias Parker, David Rodriguez and Jose Parra were sentenced to 4½ years in prison and 2 ½ years post-release supervision. 

  District Attorney Clark said that the defendants were convicted in June after a 12- week trial before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Steven Barrett of first-degree Attempted Gang Assault, first-degree Attempted Assault, second-degree Assault, first-degree Falsifying Business Records, and Official Misconduct. Rivera, Parker, Rodriguez, and Parra, were also found guilty of first-degree Offering a False Instrument for Filing, and Vaughn was also convicted of first-degree Offering a False Instrument for Filing and Official Misconduct.

  Correction Officers Harmon Frierson and Dwayne Maynard, convicted of Official Misconduct, a Class A Misdemeanor, were sentenced to one-year Conditional Discharge and 500 hours of community service.

  According to trial testimony, on July 11, 2012, Perez, while overseeing an institutional search of the jail, ordered members of the Emergency Services Unit to assault inmate Jahmal Lightfoot in the intake area at the George R. Vierno Center. 

  According to testimony, after Lightfoot locked eyes with him, Perez said, “This guy thinks he’s tough; when you get him to the intake area, take him to the Intake Search Pen and knock his ------ teeth out.” 

  Minutes later, Rivera, Parker, Parra, and Rodriguez carried out the order in the Intake Search Pen, which was covered with a sheet and had no video surveillance cameras. An officer held down Lightfoot’s arms, another held down his legs and the other three kicked Lightfoot in the face with their boots about a dozen times, causing fractures to both of his eye sockets and other facial bones. While the beating was taking place, Perez, Vaughn, Frierson, and Maynard stood guard directly outside the search pen. 

  The defendants were convicted of falsifying their DOC Use of Force Reports. They had claimed that Lightfoot had attacked Rivera with a sharpened piece of metal and they used force to restrain Lightfoot. Frierson and Maynard, who did not participate in the beating, were found guilty of Official Misconduct for making false entries in their reports to conceal the commission of the crime. 

   The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Lawrence Piergrossi, now Deputy Chief of Trial Bureau 50; Pishoy Yacoub, now Deputy Director of the Litigation Training Unit; and Raymond Valerio, Director of DNA prosecutions. They had tried the case as assistants in the Public Integrity Bureau.