DOB ANNOUNCES ENFORCEMENT SWEEP OF CONSTRUCTION SITES ACROSS NEW YORK CITY

Proactive safety inspections to enhance work site safety in response to recent construction-related fatalities

  Department of Buildings Acting Commissioner Thomas Fariello, R.A. announced the deployment of more than 90 DOB inspectors throughout New York City to perform safety sweeps of construction sites, and educate workers about the importance of construction site safety. These construction inspectors, including those from the Department's newly created Construction Safety Compliance and Construction Safety Enforcement units, the Cranes and Derricks Unit, the Scaffold Safety Unit, and the Special Operations Unit, will be deployed throughout the city to ensure that construction sites are safe for both workers and the public. While performing these sweeps, DOB inspectors will issue enforcement actions if they observe safety violations, and shut down sites if they find serious safety lapses. This effort will hold accountable anyone in the construction industry who cuts corners at the expense of safety. Last week, three construction workers in New York City lost their lives in separate work-related accidents. These three accidents are still under active investigation, by the Department, our partner agencies, and law enforcement.  

“One death on a construction site in our city is too many,” said Commissioner Fariello. “We find that most construction accidents could have been prevented with the proper site safety precautions. That is why we are sweeping construction sites across the city, and taking aggressive enforcement actions when we find these precautions are being ignored.” 

DOB construction inspectors will be investigating work sites across the five boroughs for compliance with existing construction safety rules, ensuring that scaffold safety precautions are being followed, construction cranes are installed and used according to approved plans, C-hook suspended scaffolds are properly installed, and that appropriate fall protection systems are being utilized. During this sweep, they will be inspecting an estimated 5,000 construction sites. Work sites that are found to be unsafe for workers could face penalties of up to $25,000 for construction safety violations.

In an effort to increase safety on our city's construction sites over the last few years, DOB has quadrupled penalties for the most serious safety violations, added more than 250 additional inspectors to our ranks since 2015, required safety supervision for all major projects of four stories or greater, is implementing a first-of-its-kind safety training program for the city’s construction workforce, and is calling bad actors out publicly in monthly enforcement bulletins.

                                                         

The Construction Safety Compliance (CSC) and Construction Safety Enforcement (CSE) units were created at the Department of Buildings in August 2018, as part of a larger reorganization of the Department's enforcement branch. The CSC Unit is responsible for periodic inspections of active construction sites, reviewing construction site safety plans, and enforcing site safety training requirements set forth in Local Law 196 of 2017. The CSE Unit is responsible for performing emergency inspections, responding to construction safety-related complaints, performing follow-up inspections for previously issued violations and Stop Work Orders, and conducting regular sweeps of active job sites for construction safety compliance.

New Yorkers who observe unsafe conditions on a construction site are encouraged to let the Department know about it by submitting a complaint through 311. All complaints made to DOB are anonymous and will be inspected.

MAYOR DE BLASIO KICKS OFF LEAD-BASED PAINT TESTING AT 135,000 NYCHA APARTMENTS

Part of Mayor’s LeadFreeNYC Plan to eliminate childhood lead exposure

  Mayor Bill de Blasio kicked off NYCHA’s new lead-based paint testing program. For the first time ever, 135,000 apartments will be tested with a portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzers. Surpassing local and federal requirements, this effort will determine the presence of lead paint and abate any hazards found in these units. These 135,000 units were built before 1978, when lead paint was banned at the federal level. Testing will be completed by the end of 2020.

“New York City has driven down the number of kids exposed to lead by 90 percent, and now we will finish the mission,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.  “For the first time ever, we’re going into 135,000 NYCHA apartments to eradicate lead exposure. This aggressive new testing plan will help make New York the healthiest and fairest big city in America.”

“Today, we begin to aggressively tackle lead-based paint inspections for our residents and their children,” said NYCHA Interim Chair and CEO Kathryn Garcia. “We will continue to accelerate lead testing to ensure NYCHA is lead free and our residents are safe from lead-based hazards in their homes.”

NYCHA will then prioritize developments with the highest population of children under the age of 6, which is the age recognized in the City’s law requiring landlords to conduct regular lead-based paint visual assessments. Testing begins at Harlem River Houses on April 15 and the other seven developments will start on May 1.The first tranche of development to be tested are:

• Williamsburg Houses
• Harlem River Houses
• Bronx River Houses
• Saint Nicholas Houses
• Johnson Houses
• Red Hook West Houses
• Castle Hill Houses
• Marble Hill Houses

The remaining developments will be announced in the coming months. In addition to ensuring individual residents are receiving clear and rapid communication about results for their own

apartments once inspected, NYCHA will report its testing results online by May 1^st and will update this information every two weeks.

In July 2018, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new undertaking for the City and NYCHA to fully test for the presence of lead-based paint in public housing apartments. Released in December 2018, the Request for Proposal (RFP) sought the use of portable XRF testing.  In February 2019, NYCHA announced the selection of seven contractors to conduct the lead-based paint inspection services. The $88 million contract was awarded to Airtek Environmental, Arc Environmental, ATC Group, JLC Environmental, Lew Corporation, The ALC Group, and TRC Environmental. The contractors are expected to inspect approximately 5,000 to 7,000 apartments each month.

Beyond the testing, the scope of the contracts includes identifying hazardous conditions detrimental to residents’ health and safety. As part of the testing, the contractors will also perform the HUD annually required visual assessments for all apartments built prior to 1978 that have not been previously cleared of lead-based paint. NYCHA will correct any paint deficiencies observed during the visual assessments.

This testing initiative is part of LeadFreeNYC, the City’s roadmap to eradicate childhood lead exposure. LeadFreeNYC’s approach is twofold: prevent exposure to lead hazards in the first place, and respond quickly and comprehensively if a child has an elevated blood lead level. To protect New York City kids, the City will increase resources and support for children, parents, and healthcare providers.

Rev. Ruben Diaz For Congress

Rev. Ruben Diaz for Congress

P.O. Box 229

Bronx, NY 10460

RubenDiazForCongress@gmail.com

Dear Friends: As you may already know, my Birthday is on April 22nd, and each year as that day draws near, I knock on the doors of my friends to ask for support. After much prayer and careful discernment, and speaking with my family and friends, I am happy to say that I have decided to toss my cowboy hat into the ring and run for US Congress to fill the soon-to-be vacant seat in Bronx County’s 15th Congressional District. While I have received very kind words of support about this initiative, I need your help to win.

I am asking my friends to help to make my 76th Birthday very special by making a donation to Rev Ruben Diaz for Congress. Your birthday gift contribution to my campaign of $100, $250, $500 to the maximum of $2,800 will give my campaign a tremendous boost.  (No Church, Company or Not For Profit organizations donations are allowed) I believe that with your support, along with the ongoing trust of my constituents, I will have the great privilege of serving the South Bronx in the United States Congress. If you would like to contribute online, please click below:

Donate $25

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Mail-In Option If you would like to donate by check or money order, please make checks payable to: REV RUBEN DIAZ FOR CONGRESS. Please include your full name, address, employer & occupation. The mailing address is: REV RUBEN DIAZ FOR CONGRESS P.O. Box 229 Bronx, New York 10460 Your gift and support are greatly appreciated. Thank you for your help and friendship! In gratitude,

Reverend Ruben Diaz, Sr.  Donations are not tax deductible.

By making a contribution, I affirm that: This contribution is made knowingly and voluntarily from my own funds, not those of another and the contribution is not controlled by another individual or made from the proceeds of a gift given to provide funds to be contributed. This contribution is not made from the general treasury funds of a corporation, labor organization, or national bank. I am not a foreign national who lacks permanent resident status in the U.S., nor do I personally contract with the federal government for personal services or the sale of goods, land, or buildings. This contribution is made on a personal credit card for which I have the legal obligation to pay, and not through a corporate or business entity card or the card of another. I am over the age of 18 years of age. Federal election law requires us to use our best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation and name of employer of each individual whose contributions exceed $200 in an election cycle. Federal law prohibits contributions to the committee from the general treasury funds of corporations, labor organizations or national banks (including corporate or other business entity credit cards), from any person contributing another's funds, from a Federal government contractor, or from a foreign national who lacks permanent resident status (i.e. non-green card holder). Contributions are not deductible for federal income tax purposes. An individual may not contribute more than a total of $5,600 to the campaign; $2,800 for the primary election and $2,800 for the general election. PAC's may contribute a maximum of $10,000 to the campaign; $5,000 for the primary election and $5,000 for the general election.

ASSEMBLYMAN DINOWITZ ENDS HENRY HUDSON BRIDGE TOLL (FOR BRONX RESIDENTS)

  The Henry Hudson Bridge, long a costly charge for Bronx residents who wished to cross the Harlem River, will soon be free for anyone with a car registered in Bronx County who has an EZ Pass. Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, who secured the commitment for a Henry Hudson Bridge rebate, recently voted in favor of one of the largest investments in mass transit in New York’s history and the first congestion pricing program in the North America. An ardent opponent to congestion pricing when it was last seriously discussed in 2008, Dinowitz softened his opposition in 2019 due to an overwhelming need for significant revenue to fund the proposed Fast Forward plan put forward by NYCT President Andy Byford.

Assemblyman Dinowitz frequently said publicly and internally among colleagues and leadership that if his constituents were to be expected to pay more from their own pockets to fund mass transit improvements then there must be firm commitments to make tangible improvements to transit in the Northwest Bronx. In addition to the Henry Hudson Bridge rebate for Bronx residents, Dinowitz also secured two major commitments that he has championed for many years: accelerated subway accessibility and improved bus service in the Bronx.

The Henry Hudson bridge rebate would start in approximately one year. Residents would have to register with E-Z Pass to be eligible and their cars would have to be registered in Bronx County. When a participating car crosses the bridge, the toll would be charged to their account and then immediately credited back. The toll, which used to be only ten cents, is currently $2.80 for New York E-Z Pass users and $7.00 for those without E-Z Pass.

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (D - Bronx) said: “The Henry Hudson Bridge used to be known colloquially as the ten-cent bridge, but in recent years the toll has continued to rise. Many of my constituents have long complained that this leads to bridge shopping which causes increased congestion and pollution in Kingsbridge and Marble Hill. I made the elimination of this toll a top priority in budget negotiations, along with firm commitments to ADA accessibility and better bus service, and I am very pleased with this outcome. I thank Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie for his support and Governor Andrew Cuomo for his agreement on this important issue for residents of the Northwest Bronx.

“I understand that there are some transit advocates who may be disappointed with what they perceive as a congestion pricing carveout or a furtherance of incentivizing individual car usage, however I disagree with that characterization. People driving into the CBD will still have to pay the full toll and the best way to get people to stop driving is by making mass transit the clearly superior option. I believe that the commitments I got from the MTA on accessibility and bus service improvements will go a long way towards accomplishing this goal.”

Croton Facility Monitoring Committee Meeting Thursday, May 2, Agenda

Croton Facility Monitoring Committee Meeting

Thursday, May 2, 2019 – 6:30 PM

Mosholu Montefiore Community Center – 

3450 DeKalb Avenue

Agenda

I Welcome and; Call Meeting to Order 

Dr William Hall, Chair

II Consider, Adopt May 2, 2019 

Agenda CFMC Representatives

III Consider, Adopt Minutes from CFMC 

Representatives January 28, 2019 CFMC Meeting

IV Presentation by NYC Parks 

Andrew Penzi, NYC Parks Department

V Update on Van Cortlandt Park Pedestrian Bridge 

Department of Design and; Construction

VI Update on Golf Clubhouse 

Department of Design and; Construction

VII Croton Costs and Construction Update 

Bernard Daly, DEP

VIII Old Business 

CFMC Representatives and; Public

IX New Business 

CFMC Representatives and; Public

MAYOR DE BLASIO APPOINTS JACKIE BRAY AS DIRECTOR OF THE MAYOR’S OFFICE TO PROTECT TENANTS

  Today, Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed Jackie Bray as Director of The Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants. Bray currently serves as the First Deputy Commissioner at the New York City Department of Homeless Services. In this role, Bray helped develop and implement the Mayor’s “Turning the Tide on Homelessness in New York City” plan to transform the City’s haphazard shelter system and improve homeless services citywide. The Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants will spearhead the City’s anti-harassment initiatives, enhance interagency enforcement and closely engage with tenants and advocates.

“Bad landlords – you’re on notice,” said Mayor de Blasio. “As Director of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, Jackie will be the fighter in the corner of every New Yorker experiencing harassment. She will make existing programs better, and create new strategies to root out abuse.”

“I’ve spent the past three years working with New Yorkers experiencing homelessness. The more I did this work the more it became clear that securing stable, affordable housing has to be the highest priority for all of us. Rooting out bad landlords and supporting the right of tenants to live free from harassment and displacement cannot be the work of any single individual program or agency. As Director of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, I will ensure the entire force of City government is coordinated and laser focused on helping New Yorkers stay in their homes and holding bad landlords accountable for abuse,” said Jackie Bray, Director of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants.

Protecting tenants is a core part of the City’s strategy to confront the affordable housing crisis. On January 10^th at the State of the City, Mayor de Blasio signed an executive order establishing the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants to lead comprehensive outreach on anti-harassment initiatives and be the central point of contact for tenant advocates.

The office will:

Serve as central point of contact for advocacy groups and tenants to raise issues and get results from agencies

Lead policy development to strengthen tenant protections and better target problematic buildings and owners

Bring government and advocate task forces together to address challenges

Convene and coordinate activities of key city agencies including Department of Housing Preservation and Development, Department of Buildings, Human Resources Administration, Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, Law Department, Department of Finance, Mayor's Office of Special Enforcement, the Commission on Human Rights, and the Mayor's Office of Data Analytics

Strengthen the Tenant Harassment Prevention Task Force

Track outreach efforts across agencies and metrics at a building and neighborhood level

Attorney General James Announces Court Decision Allowing Continuation Of Multistate Fraud Case Against Harris Jewelry

  Attorney General Letitia James announced the court decision to allow the multistate, multi-year lawsuit against Harris Jewelry to proceed. The lawsuit, filed in October 2018, alleges that the retailer/financier specifically targeted servicemembers with their illegal and fraudulent business practices.   

The Court declined Harris Jewelry’s motion to dismiss the case in its entirety, and ruled that claims against Harris Jewelry for statutory and common law fraud and violations of the State’s charitable co-venturing laws may proceed. The court additionally dismissed claims related to interest rates and general business law, and preserved the Attorney General’s claims of wrongdoing against the individual business principals, board members, Consumer Adjustment Corp., and the company’s out-of-state related corporations.  

“The Court’s decision to move forward with this lawsuit allows my office to continue in our commitment to protect the financial welfare of servicemembers and hold those seeking to defraud them accountable,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “My office will not back down from its efforts to vigorously protect our military.” 

Owners Susan Harris, Beverly Harris, and Sandi Harris-Pleeter were sued individually along with board members/executives John Zimmermann, David Malane, and Richard Baum, in addition to Consumer Growth Partners, a private equity and investment firm led by Baum. 

Harris Jewelry, which is headquartered in Hauppauge, New York, has a retail store in Watertown, New York along with several other locations across the country, all strategically situated next to military bases for the express purpose of selling over-priced jewelry to servicemembers with in-house credit, as alleged by the Attorney General. The complaint includes allegations, for example, that the oft-sold Mother’s Medal of Honor is purchased at wholesale by Harris for under $78, but is sold as “quality” jewelry with store financing for $799 plus interest, over 10-times the wholesale amount. The lawsuit further alleges that servicemembers are defrauded by false representations about the benefits of Harris Jewelry’s proprietary financing and jewelry quality while force-placing warranty add-ons and failing to properly administer a charitable co-venture.

The lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction, restitution for defrauded consumers, and financial penalties.  

BAFA Parkchester Parade

Sunday BAFA the Bangladesh Academy of Fine Arts celebrated the Bengali New Year with a parade through the streets of Parkchester Sunday afternoon. 

The parade started outside PS 106 on Olmsted Avenue with a police escort from the 43rd. Precinct. The marchers turned right on Starling Avenue to Unionport Road where they moved north for two blocks before turning South on Unionport Road heading back to Starling Avenue. The marchers then went two blocks past Olmsted Avenue to Odell Avenue where the dancing began. 

After celebrating on Odell Avenue the almost 200 marchers asked the police officers who escorted the marchers to join in to take a few photos. 

Above - The BAFA Parade proceeded through Parkchester up Unionport Road.

Below - There was Dancing in the Street on Starling Avenue in Parkchester.

After the parade members of BAFA invited the police officers who guided the parade to join in on a group photo.