Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez - Chair, Council Transportation Committee - What Comes Next for Citi Bike


What Comes Next for Citi Bike?

Dear Friends and Neighbors

Cycling in New York City has become one of the best ways to get around. With new bike lanes making cycling safer, cycling is one of the the easiest, most inexpensive, clean and efficient transportation options available to New Yorkers. This is especially true for all those who use and enjoy Citi Bike.

For communities like the one I represent however, while cycling remains popular, we are still waiting for those bright blue bike to make it further uptown. For us to be included in what is now the largest bike share network in the United States, we need to work hard to push the city to keep the expansion going.

That is why I write to invite you to a hearing on Monday, November 28th at 11 AM at City Hall in the Council Chambers, where we will discuss the successes, challenges and future of Citi Bike in NYC. As some of you may know, Citi Bike's plans for expansion will be completed next year unless creative measures are taken. As a major proponent for Citi Bike I believe its important that Citi Bike keep expanding further out, especially into areas of lower income New Yorkers, not often well served by public transit.

If you feel the same way, I hope you can make it on Monday and offer testimony about why you feel Citi Bike should be supported. This will be an ongoing effort we hope to form a strong coalition around as we head into the new year and the upcoming budget negotiations.

If you wish to testify, please RSVP with my Chief of Staff Russell Murphy (rmurphy2@council.nyc.gov). Looking forward to great turnout for each. 

Thank you and have a wonderful holiday with your family and friends.

Sincerely,

Ydanis Rodriguez
Chair, Council Transportation Committee


  With Thanksgiving approaching, State Senator Jeff Klein, and Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj distributed hundreds of turkeys to local organizations, senior centers, community groups, and residents.  Senator Klein and Assemblyman Gjonaj began the distribution on Monday and brought holiday cheer to many people in need.
“Thanksgiving is a reminder that we must continue to give back to those in need and also be grateful for our friends and family that we hold dear.  Over the past few days, we have brought much joy to many families.  I hope that everyone has a happy, healthy, and safe Thanksgiving,” said Senator Jeff Klein.
“It is always a pleasure and a privilege to be able to give back to our community during this time of year. We look forward to the hundreds of happy families and their smiling faces when receiving our turkey donation,” said Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj.
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Tuesday, November 22, 2016

TWO NYC DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION OFFICERS INDICTED IN BEATING OF INMATE AND COVERUP


   Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and New York City Department of Investigation Commissioner Mark G. Peters today announced that two New York City Department of Correction Officers have been indicted for filing false reports to cover up an assault on a Rikers Island inmate by one of the officers. 
   District Attorney Clark said, “We trust Correction Officers to be the front line of security in the jails, and we will not tolerate any officer who uses excessive force or covers it up. The crimes these officers are accused of only add to the culture of brutality and corruption that we are trying to transform.”
   Commissioner Peters said, “DOI and the Bronx District Attorney are arresting Rikers Correction Officers for both breaking the law and lying about it to cover up, according to the indictment. These are the 35th and 36th arrests of DOC staff since DOI started its broad investigation into violence and corruption at Rikers and we will continue until the problem is brought under control.” 
  District Attorney Clark said the defendants, Sean Smith, 41, a Correction Officer since 2001, and Velma Rogers, 55, a Correction Officer since 2013, were indicted for first-degree Falsifying Business Records, first-degree Offering a False Instrument for Filing and Official Misconduct; Smith also was charged with third-degree Assault and second-degree Harassment.
  They were arraigned today, November 22, 2016, before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Steven Barrett. They are due back in court on January 31, 2017. If convicted of the top charge, they could face up to 1 1/3 to four years in prison.
  According to the investigation, on March 23, 2014, in the Rose M. Singer Center on Rikers Island, inmate Shonda Brown was on suicide watch and had changed into the smock given to such inmates for their safety. 
  According to the investigation, Brown had removed the smock, put it in a bag, and threw it at Correction Officer Smith. He allegedly grabbed Brown by the hair and punched her repeatedly in the head while Rogers stood nearby watching. Neither Smith nor Rogers filed a Use of Force report during that shift.
  When Brown made an allegation that she was assaulted, the Department of Correction investigated the incident and instructed the officers to file an allegation report as part of its investigation. The officers allegedly filed reports that did not mention Smith striking the inmate. Video from a surveillance camera showed Smith pummeling the inmate. 
  The DOI investigated and referred to the case to the Bronx District Attorney’s Office.
  The case was investigated and prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Petersen of the Public Integrity Bureau, under the supervision of Omer Wiczyk, Deputy Chief of the Public Integrity Bureau, and Wanda Perez-Maldonado, Chief of the Public Integrity Bureau, under the overall supervision of Stuart Levy, Deputy Chief of the Investigations Division and Jean T. Walsh, Chief of the Investigations Division. 
   District Attorney Clark thanked DOI's Office of the Inspector General for the New York City Department of Correction for their assistance in the investigation, specifically Inspector General Jennifer Sculco, Assistant Inspector General Whitney Matthews and Investigator Dylan Kress, as well as DOC’s Investigations Division. 
  An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

Bronx Jewish Community Council Breakfast Right Around the Corner Wednesday November 30th



   

Don't keep them waiting in 
line any longer!

Help support our food pantry, the 4th 
largest in the Bronx, at this year's 
fundraiser.

Tickets for the breakfast can be purchased 
at our NY Charities Page. We need your 
journal ads ASAP! 

We're up on Amazon Smile. Select "Bronx 
Jewish Community Council" in your account. 
Every $ matters.  

Looking forward to seeing you on 
November 30. 
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MAYOR DE BLASIO AND POLICE COMMISSIONER O’NEILL URGE GOVERNOR CUOMO TO SIGN LEGISLATION TO PROTECT LAW ENFORCEMENT AND TAKE ILLEGAL VEHICLES OFF THE ROAD


Legislation would require the testing of window tint density at annual safety and emissions inspections

   Mayor Bill de Blasio, Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill, NYPD Sergeant Herman Yan and Tatyana Timoshenko – mother of Sgt. Yan’s fallen partner, Detective Russel Timoshenko – today joined forces with law enforcement leaders and legislators outside the David N. Dinkins Manhattan Municipal Building to urge Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to sign legislation that would protect New York police officers by taking illegal vehicles off the road due to excessive window tint.

“Law enforcement officers face increased danger every time they pull over a vehicle and are unable to view the interior. There is no justification for sacrificing officer safety in order for vehicle owners and manufacturers to apply what is a cosmetic detail to vehicles operated on the roadways of the State. This bill would protect law enforcement officers from the unnecessary risk of walking into unexpected and dangerous situations,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “I stand with the Timoshenko family and law enforcement throughout the State in urging the Governor to sign this bill.”

“This legislation is about making cops safe. It’s about helping cops do their job. I’m calling on the Governor to pass this bill, immediately. To veto this legislation would be a direct assault on cops and the safety of law enforcement officers across the state,” said Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill.

The tragic death of Detective Russel Timoshenko in 2007 brought a new focus on the unacceptable danger presented to law enforcement officers by motor vehicles bearing illegal levels of window tint. Police Officer Timoshenko and his partner, Sergeant Herman Yan, were shot in the course of conducting a routine traffic stop. The officers faced especially grave danger because of the excessive tint on the vehicle’s windows, preventing them from being able to see into the vehicle.

It is currently illegal for a vehicle to be operated on New York State roads in violation of light transmittance standards as provided in Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 375(12-a). The proposed legislation would amend Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 301(c)(1)(a) to include light transmittance of a vehicle’s windows as part of the yearly motor vehicle safety inspection. The bill is sponsored by State Senator John DeFrancisco and Assembly Member Michael DenDekker. It has passed both houses. The bill was delivered to the Governor on November 16 and action is due by midnight on Monday, November 28.

Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 375(12-a) requires a minimum of 70 percent light transmittance on front windshields, on front seat side windows and on rear side windows of station wagons, sedans, hardtops, coupes, hatchbacks and convertibles. However, this crucial safety feature is not currently included in the annual safety and emissions inspections vehicles are subjected to pursuant to the Vehicle and Traffic Law. This bill provides a proactive method to ensure compliance with existing law by adding light transmittance standards to the list of safety features provided in State law, in order to address and curtail the proliferation of blacked-out windows in a routine and predictable fashion. 

Should this bill become law, vehicle inspection centers would be required to purchase an inexpensive device which is readily available in retail markets to calibrate the tint density and perform the requisite testing. These devices generally retail for between $100-$150 and are already owned and operated by many auto body shops throughout the State. If the glass on a vehicle is found to be tinted beyond 30 percent of light transmittance, that vehicle would not pass the New York State safety inspection. In this instance, the window tint would have to be removed or altered before it could be re-inspected for compliance.

The NYPD performs over one million car stops annually and issues approximately 65,000-70,000 tinted windows summonses per year. These numbers underscore the potential danger that police officers may encounter with every car stop they perform, and they provide the justification for the enactment of this common-sense measure to protect our police officers.

“Police Officers put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers safe. This legislation would go a long way toward providing police officers with the protection and security we deserve while conducting vehicle stops, especially at night,” said NYPD Sergeant Herman Yan.

"Car Stops have always been a dangerous situation for police officers to get involved in. In the present day with the many acts of violence against officers and the constant threat of terrorism, cops are on high alert so the timing of this bill is very good. Giving cops a clearer view and a clearer picture of what is going on inside a vehicle will make it safer for both the cops and the occupants,” said Michael Palladino, President of the Detectives’ Endowment Association and New York State Association of PBA’s. “On Behalf of the 5,500 active NYPD detectives and the thousands of hard working men and women of law enforcement throughout New York State, I strongly encourage Governor Cuomo to sign this bill into law."

“Car stops are one of the most dangerous actions our Officers perform on a regular basis. No car stop is routine, and each stop puts our officers’ personal safety in jeopardy. We in the law enforcement community always welcome and support any legislation that enhances the safety of our officers,” said Louis Turco, President of the Lieutenants’ Benevolent Association

"Vehicle stops are among the most dangerous situations that police officers face on a regular basis, and excessively-tinted windows only amplify that danger. As the murder of Police Officer Russel Timoshenko tragically demonstrated, a police officer's ability to see inside of a stopped vehicle can be a matter of life and death,” said Patrick J. Lynch, President of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association. “We urge Governor Cuomo to sign this legislation to protect all of the women and men who keep New Yorkers safe."

Upcoming Cultural and Holiday Events at JASA Van Cortlandt Senior Center


Below are activities for the Van Cortlandt Senior Center located at 3880 Sedwick Avenue on the first floor. You can call Ms. Sharon Wolfe the Executive Director of the center for more information at 718-549-4700.

Sun. Dec. 11th Enjoy the upbeat international music of the East SideTrio:   Deborah Karpel, Vocals; Ismail Butera, accordion & Sprocket Royer, Bass at 2:00 PM. Festive meal served at 1:00 PM: Souphoney lemon chicken or sole fillet, kasha varnishkes (w/bow ties), California blend vegetables and dessert. Recommended senior meal contribution: $3.00 and event contribution: $2.00. Please call the senior center office at 718-549- 4700 for meal reservations by Wed. Dec. 7th.

Wed. Dec. 14th: Pierre Montiel, film historian, will present on the life accomplishments of Doris Day, actress/singer, at 1:00 PM. Lunch of turkey meatloaf or tuna salad will be served at 12:15 PM. Recommended senior meal contribution: $2.00 and event contribution: $1.00. Please call the senior center office 718-549-4700 for meal reservations by: Mon. Dec. 12th.

Thurs. Dec. 22nd: Sasha Papernik, pianist/singer/composer, with her trio will present: “I Speak Music: Songs of a Second Generation Russian American.” She will explore how Russian Jewish first generation musicians like Irving Berlin shaped popular American music. Program features classical, Russian folk and original works. She has performed “I speak Music” as part of the Meet the Artist program at Lincoln Center and the Musical Explorer series at Carnegie Hall in 2014.  A delicious pre-holiday meal of Shake & Bake chicken or sole fillet, potato kugel and zucchini w/tomatoes, fruit and dessert will be served at: 12:15 PM. Recommended senior meal contribution: $3.00 and event contribution: $2.00. Please call the senior center office 718-549-4700 for meal reservations by: Mon. Dec. 19th.

Janice Hermalyn, Couselor/Educator, will present  on Non-verbal and Verbal Communication on Tues. Dec. 27th at 1:00 PM. Chicken francaise or egg salad will be served at 12:15 PM

Wed. Dec. 28th: Holiday party with Joe Salvatore, dynamic sax player, at 1:00 PM. Joe will play all the old favorites by Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and more. Festive meal of roast oregano chicken or breaded tilapia, potato pancakes, green beans, apple sauce and dessert will be served at 12:15 PM.  Recommended senior meal contribution: $3.00 and event contribution: $2.00.  Please call the senior center office 718-549-4700 for meal reservations by: Fri. Dec. 23rd.

Thurs. Dec. 29th: Hanukkah celebration with Rose (piano), Meir (tof/vocals) and Yael (flute) at 1:00 PM. A holiday lunch will be served at 12:15 PM. Festive Menu: Soupbaked Salmon or stuffed cabbage, potato knish, winter blend vegetables, strawberry & apple sauce plus dessert. Recommended senior meal contribution: $3.00 and event contribution: $2.00.  Please call the senior center office 718-549-4700 for meal reservations by: Tues. Dec. 27th.

Wakefield Town Hall Meeting by Mayor Bill de Blasio and Councilman Andy King


  It should come as no secret that the town hall meetings by Mayor bill de Blasio have come in council districts where the council member is favorable to the mayors positions, and last night's Wakefield Town Hall meeting was held in Councilman Andy King's district. Councilman King has been a friend to Mayor de Blasio, and it has shown in his district by the placement of a new YMCa to be built in Councilman Kings district. The dream of a new youth and community center was on the minds of residents of the12th council district for many years before Councilman King and Mayor de Blasio elected into office, but it was Councilman King and Mayor de Blasio with help from the new Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie who made the dream happen. 
   Hundreds of residents attended the Town Hall meeting with questions about NYCHA, the MTA, Coop-City, Senior affairs, getting a traffic light installed, education, water bills, and many more. Councilman King went around the room to choose the people who then asked the mayor their question. The mayor brought with him Agency and Department heads who the mayor would bring up to further give the answer when the mayor wanted to make sure the person who asked the question knew just who to see after the Town Hall meeting was over. This Town Hall meeting lasted over two hours, and even longer as the mayor hung around to take photos with many of those who stayed the entire night. Others found the department or agency person to give them more information, or to answer any questions not said at the Town Hall meeting. Photos of the Town Hall meeting are below.


Above - After being introduced by Councilman King, Mayor de Blasio spoke for a few minutes before answering questions from the audience.
Below - The mayor gives an answer on the topic of the MTA.




Above - The mayor brought up Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie the local assembly member to say a few words. Also on hand were newly elected 36th State Senator Jamaal Bailey, and Bronx District attorney Darcel Clark who also said a few words.
Below - The mayor got real close to the audience when answering some of the questions.




Above - The mayor answers a question, and you can see the agency and department heads or Bronx representatives and Bronx Borough police command in the background to be called upon when needed to answer specific questions that the mayor needed help on. 
Below - The mayor brings up a Deputy Chancellor to answer a specific question about overcrowding in the school district. 




The mayor listens to a question from a young student who wants to know why she can't get a metro card because she has to take three buses to school and home.




MAYOR DE BLASIO, A.G. SCHNEIDERMAN AND GOVERNOR CUOMO ANNOUNCE REVOCATION NOTICES SENT TO OWNERS OF 178 BUILDINGS RECEIVING 421-A BENEFITS


Latest action by joint Real Estate Tax Compliance Program to protect City tenants and taxpayer dollars means owners lose tax benefits retroactively unless they comply within 90 days

   Mayor Bill de Blasio, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman and Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) issued letters notifying owners of 178 residential buildings – with a total of 1,400 rental apartments – that their 421-a tax benefits will be revoked retroactively if they don’t comply with the requirements of the 421-a program, including registering their apartments as rent-regulated.

“Owners wrongfully receiving 421-a are on notice – comply with the law or your tax benefits will be revoked. Since day one, my Administration has made enforcement of rent regulation laws and protecting tenants a priority. With our state and law enforcement partners, we will continue to fight for a reformed 421-a program that better serves New Yorkers,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

"We're taking aggressive action to protect rent-regulated tenants from those who seek to cheat the system and deprive hardworking New Yorkers of a safe, affordable place to call home. These latest actions send a strong message – bad actors will be held accountable, these unscrupulous practices will not be tolerated and this Administration, with our local partners, will always work to protect the rights of millions of tenants across New York," said Governor Andrew M. Cuomo.

“The 421-a tax program is a two-way street: landlords who receive these lucrative tax benefits must afford their tenants rent-stabilized leases and protections. But investigations conducted by my office have found that some landlords are flouting these requirements and instead, using the tax break to simply increase their profits,” said Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman. “We will never hesitate to protect tenants or New York City’s affordable housing stock, which is critical to the economic stability of many families.”

This is the latest action under the Real Estate Tax Compliance Program, a joint initiative of the Attorney General, HPD and the Governor’s Tenant Protection Unit to ensure building owners receiving 421-a benefits are in compliance with the law. 

In September, as part of the enforcement program, HPD instructed the City’s Department of Finance to revoke benefits to 35 other buildings. Those buildings have a total of 244 apartments, and would receive a total value of $4.5 million in tax benefits under 421-a.

The enforcement letters mailed yesterday are focused on 178 cooperative and condominium buildings that receive 421-a benefits but that have been operating as rental buildings without fulfilling the law’s rent-regulation requirements, including having their initial aggregate rent roll approved by HPD and registering their apartments as rent-regulated with DHCR.

In 2014, the agencies began coordinating on a broad tax compliance and enforcement effort. That year, the Attorney General initiated an investigation of multifamily rental buildings that claimed to be operating as cooperatives or condominiums. As a result, in 2015, compliance letters were sent to landlords of 285 buildings targeted by the Attorney General’s investigation, and the Real Estate Tax Compliance Program was established to address ongoing violations of rent stabilization requirements of the 421-a law.

Of the 285 buildings, 35 had their benefits revoked in September, and an additional 178 were sent revocation notices Monday. The rest either proved they are in compliance, or are curing the violations that have been uncovered.

“This is the latest shot across the bow at landlords who don’t play by the rules,” said HPD Commissioner Vicki Been. “Since the start of this Administration, we have sought to crack down on those who would abuse the system, cooperating across levels of government to use all of our enforcement powers to go after owners who try and skirt the law. We will not stop until every property is brought into compliance.” 

New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner James S. Rubin, said, “The law is clear and so are we: arbitrary noncompliance with the rent laws is not an option. These buildings that received these 421-a benefits are subject to rent regulation; the apartments must be registered; owners must provide rent-regulated leases to the tenants; and annual rent increases must be limited to what is prescribed by the New York City Rent Guidelines Board and the Rent Stabilization Law. This collaborative enforcement initiative draws on the full force of both the State and the local municipality to impose penalties. Under the Governor’s leadership the Tenant Protection Unit is poised to address any violations of the rent laws.”

Tenants in rental buildings identified as non-compliant are entitled to the protections of a rent-stabilized lease by their landlords. Even if benefits are revoked, the 421-a law provides that the owners do not get out of the 421-a tax exemption requirements, including rent stabilization. In addition to HPD commencing proceedings to revoke their tax benefits, DHCR’s Tenant Protection Unit can simultaneously pursue additional actions against owners.

The vast majority of buildings identified as non-compliant contain less than 50 units and are located in four boroughs, all but Manhattan and with the majority in Brooklyn and Queens.

The Tenant Protection Unit (TPU), established by Governor Cuomo in 2012, created a new frontier in enforcement of the rent laws. Since its inception, the TPU has used data analytics, metrics, audits and investigations to proactively identify if landlords are complying with the rent regulation statutes. This initiative, along with the creation of the joint Tenant Harassment Prevention Task Force, is one TPU’s many multi-agency enforcement actions that protect tenants from harassment. To date, the Tenant Protection Unit has successfully returned more than 55,000 units to rent regulation.
Tenant Protection Unit staff working on the 421-a initiative include Attorney Thomas Mennecke, Special Assistant Jamie Reyes, TPU Legal Director Vernitta N. Chambers, and Forensics Director Harvey Akerman, under the supervision TPU Bureau Chief Gregory C. Fewer and under the overall supervision of DHCR Deputy Commissioner Richard R. White.

New York State enacted Section 421-a of the Real Property Tax Law in 1971 to incentivize the construction of rent- regulated housing and condominiums in New York City. The law provides a partial exemption from New York City property taxes for the owners of newly-constructed, residential multi-family buildings for at least ten years. Under the Governor’s’ leadership, when the current iteration of 421-a expired, additional affordability options were added to the law as well as fairer wage guidelines for those involved in the construction of these buildings. The current agreement negotiated by the Real Estate Board of New York and the Construction Trades Council of Greater New York, based on the framework supported by Governor Cuomo, provides for more affordability for lower-income families and a fair wage for workers. In 2015, the de Blasio administration worked to significantly reform the 421-a law to increase the amount of affordable housing required of every developer receiving the subsidy, require affordability for lower incomes than ever before, and demand affordable housing everywhere in the City. These reforms were captured in the 2015 state reauthorization of the program. The reauthorization also included a provision that suspended the law unless the Real Estate Board of New York and the construction trade unions agreed on the wages that would be paid to construction workers hired to build the projects receiving the tax exemption. The law remains suspended until the legislature re-enacts the program, or until REBNY and the Trades reach an agreement that does not require legislative action.

Further information on the Real Estate Tax Compliance Program is available on the Attorney General’s website, at http://www.ag.ny.gov/421a-compliance-program.