AUTOMATIC CREDIT: MAYOR ANNOUNCES $115 WATER AND SEWER CREDIT FOR OVER 53,000 HOMEOWNERS

NYC Water Board also authorizes extending credit to approximately 12,000 senior citizen homeowners & new credit for multi-family buildings for FY18

  Mayor de Blasio today announced that more than 53,000 low-income homeowners are receiving an automatic $115 credit on their water and sewer bill. In addition, the New York City Water Board has authorized the extension of the credit to approximately 12,000 additional senior citizens in FY18. The Water Board has also approved a new $250 per residential unit credit, to begin next year, for multi-family buildings that meet certain affordability, conservation and performance criteria. The new Multifamily Affordable Housing Credit will provide a total of $10 million of assistance to properties, serving as many as 40,000 units, while helping to incentivize affordability.

“We are putting water rate relief directly into the hands of low-income homeowners and senior citizens across the city,” said Mayor de Blasio. “Maintaining reasonable water and sewer rates is a key piece of the affordability puzzle for hard-working New York families.”

In 2015, the Home Water Assistance Program provided the first annual credit to 12,500 low-income homeowners who qualify for the federal Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP).  In 2016, the program was expanded to also include low-income senior and disabled homeowners who receive a DOF property tax exemption.  Beginning in FY18, the program will reach senior citizens with a combined annual income of less than $50,000.  DEP partners with HRA to identify qualified residents that receive a HEAP benefit, with DOF to identify customers with property tax exemptions, as well as HPD and HDC to identify eligible multi-family buildings that conserve water and enter into an agreement to keep rents affordable.

The $115 credit will appear on the next water and sewer bill for the following customers:

Bronx: 4,717

Brooklyn: 16,659

Manhattan: 101

Queens: 23,149

Staten Island: 8,451

“In New York City we know that every drop of water counts, but we also know that every dollar counts,” said DEP Acting Commissioner Sapienza. “Over the last few years tens of thousands of low-income residents have benefitted from the Home Water Assistance Program and we are thrilled to now expand it to even more of our senior customers, while still keeping water and sewer rates affordable for all New Yorkers.”

“We are proud to work with the Department of Environmental Protection to extend this important benefit to eligible New Yorkers,” said Department of Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks. “Programs like this and the Home Energy Assistance Program help seniors and other low income homeowners stay safely in their homes and communities.”

“The City is leaving no stone unturned in the effort to preserve and expand the stock of affordable housing across the city,” said HPD Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer. “This new Multi-Family Affordable Housing Credit will extend needed relief to owners struggling with rising operating costs, helping to safeguard the long-term affordability and health of their buildings.  We are grateful to DEP Acting Commissioner Sapienza for his leadership in conserving our precious water supply while supporting programs to create a more affordable and sustainable future for our city.”

“The expansion of the water and sewer bill credit in addition to the new Multifamily Affordable Housing Credit will ease the financial burden for many older New Yorkers,” said Department for the Aging Commissioner Donna Corrado. “Seniors shouldn’t have to choose between maintaining the roof over their head and paying for other essentials.”

DE BLASIO ADMINISTRATION RELEASES 2017 UPDATE TO OPEN DATA PLAN

Redesigned NYC Open Data Portal welcomes 50,000 new users a month and received over 3 million visits this year alone

  The Mayor’s Office of Data Analytics and the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications today released the annual update to the NYC Open Data Plan, a schedule of public datasetsCity agencies plan to release through 2018. Over the last year, agencies have released datasets across hundreds of categories, from the number of trees planted to FDNY incident dispatch numbers. The annual update is part ofOpen Data for All, a strategic overhaul around how the City collects and reports data to New Yorkers, with a focus on helping as many New Yorkers as possible view, understand, and engage with information that describes how government is helping them live, work, and play.

“Transparency is vital for a healthy government and flourishing democracy. That’s why Open Data for All is delivering more data, in more ways, to more New Yorkers than ever before,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.

“Open Data is more than a collection of ones and zeros—it’s truly a portrait of how New York City runs,” said Anne Roest, Commissioner of the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications.“We’ve focused on making sure that more New Yorkers are empowered to access this data and subsequently use it to lift up their communities. We’re proud that this year’s report tells those stories alongside the numbers.”

Since the launch of Open Data for All in 2015, the program has seen unprecedented success, including more than 3 million visits to the Open Data Portal—now home to over 1,700 datasets—in the last year alone. Over 165 new datasets have been added in the past year, including:

·         New York Police Department (NYPD) Complaint Data, specifically information on felony, misdemeanor, and violation crimes reported to the NYPD from 2006 through 2016. Historical data through 2015 can be found here, and 2016 data can be foundhere.

·        City Council Participatory Budgeting Data: contains details on all Participatory Budgeting Project projects from 2012 – present. Participatory Budgeting is a democratic process in which community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budget. Council Members choose to join Participatory Budgeting New York City (PBNYC), giving at least $1 million from their budget for the whole community to participate in decision–making. Through a public vote, residents then decide which proposals to fund.

·        Programs and Benefits API: This dataset provides benefit, program, and resource information for over 40 health and human services available to NYC residents, and is used on ACCESS NYCand Growing Up NYC. The data is kept up-to-date, including the most recent applications, eligibility requirements, and application dates.

·        Department of City Planning (DCP) Facilities Database: TheCity Planning Facilities Database, and the NYC Facilities Explorerinteractive map, aggregates more than 35,000 records from 50 different public data sources, capturing both publicly and privately operated facilities ranging from health and social services, recreation, education, to solid waste management.

Additionally, thirty-eight new datasets are now automatically updated,including the Department of Environmental Protection's Harbor Water Quality sampling information, and the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications' Building Footprints and Street Centerline maps.

The digital version of the 2017 Open Data for All Progress Report invites New Yorkers to give feedback on specific sections and share their own open data stories until September 1. The City’s Open Data team will also host anevent at Civic Hall on Wednesday, July 19 at 6 p.m., where New Yorkers featured in the report will discuss how they are using open data to improve their communities. The event will also be livestreamed.

"Open Data for All is a critical part of our commitment to transparency, equity, and quality service,” said Emily Newman, Acting Director of the Mayor’s Office of Operations. “We are thrilled that so many New Yorkers are using this tool to make an impact in their communities.”

“Open Data provides transparency on how government works and is critical for how entrepreneurs build better technologies for New Yorkers,” said Miguel Gamiño, New York City Chief Technology Officer. “The portal reaches an average of 50K new users per month, and a total of 140K users per month which demonstrates that this information is being consumed and of real value both to new and existing users.”

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and State Senator Peralta Urge Governor Cuomo to Sign Bill to Examine Lead Paint Levels at Elevated Subway Tracks

  Today, State Senator Jose Peralta and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz urged Governor Andrew Cuomo to sign into law their legislation (S.5754-A/A.7562-A) requiring the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the New York Transit Authority to undertake a study to determine the amount of lead paint in the elevated subway stations, tracks and trestles throughout the City. The Senate and the Assembly passed the bill last month.      

“This is about protecting New Yorkers and ensuring their safety. High levels of lead paint in chips falling onto the streets and sidewalk endanger the lives of neighbors, visitors, shoppers, and commuters,” said Senator Peralta. “It is imperative that we remove hazardous lead paint from above ground subway lines throughout the City. It is my hope the Governor sings this bill into law in order to solve these dangerous situations.”

Senator Peralta added, “By eliminating and evaluating this dangerous problem, the MTA can take a good first step in making sure our subway system is safe for everyone. In the heart of my district, the 7 Train runs above Roosevelt Avenue, a crowded area full of shops, restaurants and street vendors, so it is important we protect everyone from these falling paint chips containing high levels of lead. It is my hope that the MTA acts and remedies this situation and prevents anyone from getting sick from lead paint exposure, which can be poisonous.” 

“I am pleased that both houses of the legislature passed this important public safety measure. This bill requires the MTA and the NYCTA determine and report which areas of the aboveground transit infrastructure are plagued with hazardous levels of lead paint and which parts of New York City’s aging transit system must be immediately remediated before the thousands of New Yorkers who rely upon city transit become sickened or poisoned. We cannot expect people to live and work while being forced to use subway platforms coated in flaking lead-paint chips that may increase their risk of lead poisoning,” said Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz. “It is almost inconceivable in this day and age that people must put up with any lead-poisoning related dangers, yet this legislation will go some way toward ending this problem. Now we are counting on the Governor to sign this bill into law to protect New Yorkers.”

According to published reports, District 9 International Union of Painters and Allied Trades found that in some samples of paint chips falling onto the streets from the elevated 7 subway line structure contained 224,000 parts per million of lead paint, more than 40 times the 5,000 parts per million legal threshold.

In light of this situation, Senator Peralta and Assemblyman Dinowitz called on the MTA to resolve the problem created by the falling lead paint chips onto the streets underneath elevated train stations, elevated tracks and trestles. Additionally, the study by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority will establish the degree to which the state agency complies with federal and state laws and regulations, such as the Federal Clean Air Act.

The study will be conducted in cooperation with the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Health. The proposal also calls for the MTA to submit a report containing recommendations to eliminate possible exposure to lead paint by these falling chips and to “review past renovations to stations to determine the amount of lead paint abatement.”

EDITOR'S NOTE:

It makes no sense to us that the state legislature has to do this when the use of lead-based paint was banned in New York City in 1960, or was it? 

Lead Paint Law

The City's Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act (Local Law 1 of 2004) requires landlords to identify and remediate lead-based paint hazards in the apartments of young children, using trained workers and safe work practices. Lead-based paint  is presumed to exist in a multiple dwelling unit if:

• The building was built before 1960 (or between 1960 and 1978 if the owner knows that there is lead-based paint) and
• A child under the age of six lives in the apartment.

It seems that the state and federal government have made attempts to ban the sale and use of lead based paint, only to have these laws amended or not passed at all.

Why is the MTA still using lead based paint on the elevated subway lines?

All this really calls for is a study by the MTA, and not a ban on the MTA from using lead based paint period.

Where is the NYC Department of Environmental Protection?

Still removing Asbestos the DEP used in a building years after the use of Asbestos was banned? 

Senator Klein announces a $152,000 grant for Sports & Arts in Schools Foundation

Funding will support middle and high school summer programs in the Bronx.

Senator Jeff Klein announced that he is supporting the Sports & Arts in Schools Foundation (SASF) with a $152,000 grant in state funding. The funds have already been invested in free summer academy programs that are underway by SASF in the Bronx. The enrichment programs offer incoming middle and high school students an intensive, hands-on academic boost to ensure a smooth transition into the next phase of their education.

Senator Klein made the announcement on Thursday, July 13 at Pelham Lab High School at Lehman, one of four Bronx schools offering summer programs through SASF, benefiting from Klein’s grant. The other locations impacted by the grant will include P.S. 83, High School for Teaching and Professions and J.H.S 127.

“Students enrolled at the Sports & Arts in Schools Foundation summer programs learn from top-notch teachers who are committed to providing them with the resources needed to excel in their future years. I’m thrilled to provide this funding to SASF, which is giving hundreds of Bronx students within my district the tools needed to succeed,” said Senator Jeff Klein.

“We are delighted to receive the funds from State Senator Klein’s generous grant to support our summer program efforts,” shared Maureen Fonseca, CEO, Sports & Arts in Schools Foundation (SASF). “These critical funds will provide our incoming freshmen with the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully navigate high school, college, and beyond.”

"Summer learning is an essential element to closing the achievement gap and ensuring educational equity across our city and state,” said Principal Jason Wagner, Pelham Lab High School. “These 21st century skills will help these students achieve and compete in the years ahead."

The Pelham Lab High School 9th grade summer academy kicked off July 5, and will end on August 3. The program, which runs from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays, focuses on computer literacy, creative writing, photography, robotics, physical fitness and sports. The overarching goal of the freshman program is to ensure the students are equipped to succeed, both in high school and in higher education.

ABOUT SPORTS & ARTS IN SCHOOLS FOUNDATION

The Sports & Arts in Schools Foundation (SASF) is a non-profit organization and one of the largest providers of school-based afterschool programs in New York City and the metropolitan region. The organization impacts more than 25,000 students from over 110 sites in grades K-12 typically in underserved neighborhoods. Programs run before or after the school day, year-round (including Saturdays, over the summer, and holiday periods). To learn more, visit www.SASFNY.org.

R.A.I.N. 53rd Anniversary Celebrating Women of Influence.

The Bronx Chamber of Commerce and Turtle Cove invite you to join us for a "Meet Up" Networking Event and BBQ Party

THURSDAY JULY 27TH  - 6 - 10 PM

Bronx Democratic Party Annual Dinner

Join the Bronx Democrats for an evening of dining, networking, and celebrating the contributions and achievements of remarkable past and present.

UPDATE: The deadline for our Journal Ads has been extended to Monday, July 17th at 5:00 p.m.  Please make sure that all entry's are promptly posted by the date listed above.

Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj Delivers 6,094 Petition Signatures to the City's Board of Elections

Assemblyman Gjonaj delivers highest number of petition signatures for Bronx County

  To appear on the September 12th Democratic Primary ballot, Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj's campaign for City Council delivered 6,094 petition signatures to the City's Board of Elections office. 

This number confirms that Assemblyman Gjonaj delivered more petition signatures than any other political candidate in The Bronx. 

New York State's Election Law requires candidates to obtain signatures of 5% of the registered voters in the district from the political party whose line they seek. To ensure his name is on the primary ballot the Assemblyman needed 450 voter signatures.

"I am grateful for the immense amount of support The Bronx has show me. My team and I are very proud of the hard work that was done to collect the 6,094 petition signatures that will put my name on the September 12th ballot. The most important endorsement a candidate can receive is that of his neighbor. I would not have been able to do this without the dozens of volunteers who tirelessly knocked on doors and attended events to collect these signatures. I am incredibly thankful for their dedication to this campaign. The summer is just beginning and I look forward to continuing to meet with residents of District 13 to hear more about the issues that matter most to them," said Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj.

The delivery of these petitions comes at the heels of notable endorsements of Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj's campaign from the Bronx Democratic County Committee, the Council of Schools Supervisions and Administrators, Steamfitters Local 638, CSEA and 32BJ SEIU.

Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj is running for City Council to represent The Bronx’s 13th District. He currently represents the 80th Assembly District, which encompasses the neighborhoods of Allerton, Bedford Park, Morris Park, Mosholu Parkway, Norwood, Pelham Gardens, Pelham Parkway and Van Nest. He serves as Chair of the Subcommittee on Micro Business and is a member of several committees: Banks; Local Governments; Real Property Taxation; Small Business; Tourism, Parks, and Sports Development; and Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force.

Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj and his family stand by as his son, Nicholas, adds his signature to the stack of designating petitions. (L-R) Roza Gjonaj, Joseph Gjonaj (16), Nicholas Gjonaj (18), Assemblyman Gjonaj, Roberta Gonaj.