Comptroller Stringer Audit Finds Widespread Misuse of Funds at 47th Street BID

Comptroller Stringer Audit Finds Widespread Misuse of Funds at 47th Street BID

Audit revealed the 47th Street Business Improvement District (BID) improperly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on security services outside the district and did not adequately monitor expenses

BID’s former Executive Director collected a salary $25-38K higher than heads of similarly sized BIDs and used BID funds totaling $87k for unauthorized payments and personal expenses

Comptroller Stringer recommends the 47th Street BID maintain and monitor detailed documentation on salaries, contracts, invoices, and purchases

 New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer released a new audit of the 47th Street Business Improvement District (BID), also known as the “Diamond District,” which found that the not-for-profit organization engaged in gross financial mismanagement by improperly spending BID funds and potentially misreporting its financial activities. Since 1997, the City, under the purview of the New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS), has contracted with the 47th Street BID to deliver services for the area of 47th Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues (the District) including security, marketing, maintenance, and administration funded by property assessments levied on property owners within the BID, which the City collects and disburses to the BID.

Comptroller Stringer’s audit found that the BID Board and management improperly used BID funds, contrary to its contractual obligations with SBS, including, most notably by spending $210,835 on security services in Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17) for a building located outside of the District, and paying between $25,242 and $38,664 more for the salary of its former Executive Director than other similarly sized BIDs in New York City. The audit also revealed that the BID’s former Executive Director processed unauthorized raises, commissions, and benefits payments for himself and the former Executive Assistant, totaling $68,318, and paid for nearly $19,000 in personal expenses in FY17 with BID funds.

“New York City’s Business Improvement Districts are charged with bolstering our commercial corridors, beautifying our streets and connecting residents and visitors with the small local businesses that fuel our economy,” said New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “Instead, this audit of the 47th Street BID revealed blatant misuse of funds, and potentially a violation of the public trust. I urge the 47th Street BID to heed the recommendations in the report and implement best practices for greater oversight, accountability, and transparency New Yorkers deserve.”

Comptroller Stringer’s audit of the 47th Street BID found that the BID grossly misspent BID funds in the following ways during Fiscal Year 2017 (FY17):

• The BID’s former Executive Director processed unauthorized raises, commissions, and benefits payments for himself and the former Executive Assistant, totaling $68,318, and paid for personal expenses totaling $18,686 with BID funds, including for taxis ($10,127), cell phone service ($6,390), and meals ($2,169) onto the BID’s debit card.

• The former Executive Director also made inadequately supported payments totaling $70,500 to an outside consultant—his son—who was also married to the former Executive Assistant.

• The BID improperly spent $210,835 on security services that did not principally benefit properties located within the BID.

• The BID failed to document that it had conducted a competitive procurement process for purchases of goods and services that totaled $263,970; nor did it justify and obtain approval from the BID Board for procuring those goods and services on a non-competitive basis, as its own procedures require.

• The BID did not execute written contracts or obtain invoices adequately detailing the scope of services provided to the businesses in the District for expenditures totaling at least $133,237.

Comptroller Stringer’s audit further found deficiencies in governance and contract performance at the 47th Street BID, such as the following:

• The BID had no written conflict of interest policy and failed to comply with its own by-laws regarding Board composition and meeting minutes.

• The BID did not post required information on its website about its Board, management, finances, programs, and services, and the businesses served in the District.

• The BID Board improperly included members who do not own or lease and occupy space in the District.

Comptroller Stringer’s audit included a series of recommendations to the 47th Street BID to ensure the not-for-profit organization maintained adequate financial records and engaged in ethical practices. The recommendations included:

• The BID should stop providing security services that do not principally benefit properties within the 47th Street BID as required by its contract with SBS.

• The BID should seek reimbursement for the cost of security services it improperly incurred, including but not limited to the $210,835 it spent in FY17 to provide security services through the New York City Police Department (NYPD) paid detail program to a building located outside the BID.

• The BID should monitor and review salaries, bonuses, and other financial transactions to ensure they are approved before being paid out.

• The BID should maintain copies of vendor contracts and invoices documenting services, payment terms, and authorization.

To read Comptroller Stringer’s audit of the 47th Street BID, click here.

Happy Holidays from the South Bronx - Third Avenue Business Improvement District

LIVE.     WORK.     SHOP.     THRIVE.

VISION ZERO: DE BLASIO ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES NEW CRACKDOWN ON DANGEROUS DRIVING DURING THE HOLIDAYS AND LOWER SPEED LIMIT ON TWO OF BROOKLYN’S BUSIEST STREETS

Expanded enforcement during holidays; new 25 MPH speed limit along Third and Hamilton Avenues in Brooklyn 

 Today, de Blasio Administration officials came together in Queens to announce increased traffic enforcement during the holiday season, and that the City will lower the speed limit from 30 MPH to 25 MPH along Third and Hamilton Avenues in Brooklyn starting next month. The period around Christmas and New Year’s Day, the darkest days of the year, has also generally been among the deadliest of the year on city streets. Officials also issued an update on traffic fatality trends for 2019: despite setbacks, this year is on track to conclude as the second-safest in New York City’s recorded history.

“While we’ve made tremendous progress over the past six years with Vision Zero, there is still undoubtedly more work to do to make our streets safer,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “The recent traffic fatalities have made us even more determined to keep Vision Zero moving forward. We’re increasing our traffic enforcement efforts and lowering the speed limit on two of Brooklyn’s busiest streets to ensure that all New Yorkers arrive home safely for the holidays.”

“Any life lost is a tragedy, and while we continue to build off the progress from Vision Zero, this year’s challenges reminded us of the work still to be done,” said Deputy Mayor Laura Anglin. “During this final week of 2019, which has historically proven to be one of the most dangerous times of the year, we will be cracking down on dangerous drivers so that everyone can get home to their families for the holidays.”

The Administration, in response to the recent 6 traffic fatalities, announced expanded enforcement efforts, both via the NYPD and through automated enforcement.

Dusk and Darkness, cont’d: The period between Christmas and New Year’s Day, among the darkest weeks of the year, is also usually among the deadliest of the year for pedestrians.  In 2018, five people – including four pedestrians—were killed from December 23 to 31. This coming week, as part of its Dusk and Darkness campaign, NYPD will be expanding their enforcement efforts to ensure the streets are safe for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.

Expanded Truck Enforcement: With increasing number of crashes in 2019 involving cyclists and pedestrians being struck by trucks, the NYPD has increased enforcement against commercial trucks to ensure these vehicles are following all traffic laws.

A Safer 25 MPH speed limit on Third Avenue and Hamilton Avenue in Brooklyn: Following 6 fatalities in 2019, DOT will lower the speed limit from 30 MPH to 25 MPH along Third Avenue from Prospect Ave to 62^nd St (2.3 miles), and Hamilton Ave from Luquer St to 18^th St (1.9 miles), in January 2020.

More life-saving speed cameras: After a new and stronger speed camera law was enacted in Albany and took effect on July 11^th, DOT has continued its unprecedented expansion of cameras.  As 2019 ends, DOT has 364 camera zones now in operation, up from 140 at the beginning of 2019, and will expand cameras at a pace of 60 zones per month in the coming year. The agency is on pace to meet the Mayor’s goal of reaching each of the law’s maximum 750 school zones by next summer.

“We had a difficult and challenging year under Vision Zero, and as 2019 comes to a close, we want to make sure that this holiday season is a joyous and safe one for all New Yorkers,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “We have grieved at the loss of life on our streets this year, particularly along Third Avenue, which has seen six fatalities this year as opposed to two in 2018. The Mayor has asked DOT and NYPD to take aggressive action on this corridor with its challenging mix of residential and industrial uses and heavy traffic on and off the Gowanus Expressway. We believe that lowering the speed limit along Third and Hamilton Avenues, coupled with strong enforcement, will help calm traffic in the burgeoning neighborhoods of Gowanus, Red Hook and Sunset Park.  In 2020, DOT will also install additional roadway engineering and capital improvements to help make this challenging corridor even safer.”

“As the start of 2020 approaches, the NYPD renews its commitment to protecting all New Yorkers from dangerous driving behaviors,” said NYPD Chief of Transportation William Morris. “The vision of New York as a city where all members of the community, and particularly bicyclists and pedestrians, can use roads safely without the threat of death or injury remains as compelling as ever.  We will continue to work closely with our Vision Zero partners to ensure the successful implementation of the Green Wave Plan.”

Administration officials today also noted the notable Vision Zero trends of 2019:

Traffic fatalities increased for first time since Vision Zero began in 2014, but 2019 will likely be New York City’s second safest year: As of December 22, traffic fatalities are now at 215, more than the 203 recorded in all of 2018, New York City’s safest-ever year – with a year-to-year rise in fatalities of below 10 percent.  Under current trends, 2019 is likely to end as the second-safest year in the City’s recorded history.  Six of the seven safest years for traffic fatalities have occurred since New York City became the first American city to institute Vision Zero in 2014.

Pedestrian deaths in NYC continue to hold steady, but more SUVs/light trucks on the road create challenges: After a dramatic decline in pedestrian fatalities two years ago (when fatalities fell from 148 in 2016 to 108 in 2017), NYC pedestrian fatalities have remained at about the same level: 117 as of December 22 compared to 115 in all of 2018.  Nationally, pedestrian fatalities have risen every year for the last decade, a change that has been partially attributed to the increased share of SUVs/light trucks, which are deadlier to pedestrians and cyclists in crashes.  This year, DOT released new data showing that the share of deadly crashes involving SUVs/light trucks rose from 40% in 2013-17 to 46% since the start of 2018.

Cyclist deaths were up, but motorcyclist deaths were down: After a record-low year for bicycle fatalities in 2018 (10 fatalities), bicycling deaths in New York City increased in 2019 by the largest margin of any travel mode.  To date this year, 28 cyclists have been killed, the most of any year since 1999.  Meanwhile, motorcyclist fatalities have declined from 40 last year to 25 so far this year.

Sharp increase in Brooklyn cyclist fatalities: Of the 28 cyclist deaths in 2019, 17 happened in Brooklyn.  In 2018, Brooklyn saw only 2 cyclist fatalities.

Borough breakdown: safest-year ever in the Bronx: The Bronx saw the safest year in its recorded history, with 27 fatalities thus far in 2019, compared to 38 last year. (Its previous record low was 32 in 2007.) Staten Island, which had its safest-ever year last year (with 7 fatalities) has seen its second-safest year in 2019 with 8 fatalities thus far.  In Manhattan and Queens, fatality trends were largely unchanged, with only Brooklyn seeing a notable increase.

Agency officials also pointed today to a number of major initiatives undertaken by Vision Zero Task Force agencies in 2019:

Major projects for pedestrians: Noting the increased fatalities of the last few weeks, DOT has committed to studying and addressing immediate safety fixes along corridors and at intersections where those traffic fatalities occurred. Other streets have been identified for major safety upgrades in the next year are Northern Boulevard and Queens Boulevard, both identified for safety upgrades in the updated Borough Pedestrian Safety Action Plans, released by the Mayor last February. Meanwhile, the new Glacier Rock Pedestrian Space in Long Island City is among dozens of projects that DOT undertook in 2019 that offer safety benefits to pedestrians. Other major successful projects in 2019, some in partnership with NYPD, included new-shared streets in downtown Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan; the expansion of pedestrian space along 8^th Avenue in Midtown and the increased pedestrian space around Rockefeller Center for the holiday season. 

Green Wave, making cycling safer: In July, in response to the upturn in cyclist fatalities, the de Blasio Administration released its Green Wave plan to dramatically expand cycling infrastructure.  DOT crews had installed 21.4 miles of new protected bike lanes (PBLs) for 2019, including the Administration’s 100th PBL mile along Fountain Avenue in East New York, Brooklyn. Under the Green Wave and with the enactment of the Safe Streets Master Plan, DOT expects to install 60 additional miles of protected bike lanes by the end of 2021 (30 miles in each of the next two years) – increasing the size of New York City’s on-street protected bike lane network by 60%.  Among major protected bike lane projects completed in 2019: Central Park West, 11^th Avenue, 52^nd and 55^th Streets in Manhattan; 4^th Avenue and 7^th Avenue in Brooklyn; and Willis Avenue in the Bronx.  For the first time during UN General Assembly week in September, the NYPD and DOT also partnered to maintain uninterrupted PBL access along First and Second Avenues.

Better Buses: As part of the Administration’s Better Buses plan, DOT made street improvements that improve bus speeds, but those changes have also been shown to increase safety for all street users.  Among the major projects undertaken in 2019 were Manhattan’s 14^th Street busway, as well as Brooklyn’s Church Avenue and Fresh Pond Road in Queens, congested streets where new bus lanes were added.

Safe Fleet Transition Plan: DCAS is purchasing vehicles with improved safety features, including automatic braking, back-up cameras, driver alerts, designs that improve driver visibility, heated mirrors, and other technologies that monitor speeding and instances of reckless driving. DCAS also leads the country in installing side-guards, barriers that prevent vehicles and cyclists from sliding under large trucks during side-impact collisions. To date, 2,700 vehicles have been equipped with side-guards and more are being added every day.

TLC: The TLC connected drivers and bicyclists in its first Bike Ride and Discussion event this June. Drivers rode on Citi Bikes through Brooklyn with cyclist advocates, followed by a discussion of the experience, challenges they encountered, and safe ways to share the road. In addition, the TLC distributed over 32,000 "Look for Cyclist" stickers to driver centers across the city. Our annual Honor Roll this year recognized 433 drivers, of which 101 were repeat honorees. Over 11,000 drivers received Vision Zero education in 2019, and the TLC has held a total of 661 driver outreach meetings since 2014.  The TLC also increased its enforcement in 2019 around unsafe driving behaviors, such as illegal street hails, speeding, failure to yield, and stop sign violations.

Commercial Waste Collection Reform: In past years, progress on Vision Zero has been hindered by the continued high number of fatalities caused by collisions with private carting trucks -- including eight such deaths in 2019.  The plan enacted by the City Council in 2019 will dramatically reduce the number of vehicle-miles traveled by these trucks, and also gives the Business Integrity Commission (BIC) new regulatory powers -- including requirements for safer driving practices among carting drivers.

New Mayoral Vision Zero website: This week, the Mayor’s Office of Operations has unveiled a new and improved website that will help track and measure progress of Vision Zero initiatives.  Please see ww.nyc.gov/visionzero.

  

“This year we have seen an increase in pedestrian and cyclist deaths across the City. We have also made many strides to make our streets safer for all New Yorkers. We have drastically increased speed cameras around school zones as well as the number of protected bike lane miles across the City,” said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, Chairman of the Transportation Committee. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: We left in the comment from the City Council Traffic & Transportation Chair, because he and the city council have been ineffective going against drivers while not educating pedestrians to also be careful as was done in previous administrations. Cameras do not take bad drivers off the road, police officers do.

Drivers have to watch out for not only other vehicles, but pedestrians darting out from anywhere (even from behind large parked trucks) expecting the driver to see them and then stop so they can cross the street anywhere. Then there are the bike and E-Bikes riders who ignore traffic signals or signs, some with no lights or reflectors at night.

MORE CARE, MORE SUPPORT: CITY UNVEILS PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC HEALTH REFORMS

Recommendations set forth by the Health Department and NYPD will provide new ways for City agencies to reach the narrow population of New Yorkers with untreated mental illness who may pose a danger to themselves or others

 The de Blasio administration announced today that it will strengthen and expand its approach to supporting the narrow population of New Yorkers with untreated serious mental illness who pose a risk for violent behavior. City agencies will work together to refer more New Yorkers to treatment and keep them engaged in the right level of care—ensuring that no person in need falls through the cracks. This commitment stems from a 30-day review led by the Health Department and the NYPD.

“We have an obligation to address our broken mental health system and do all we can to connect people who are struggling to treatment,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “That includes the small percentage of those with mental illness that, left untreated, are at risk of committing violence against themselves or others. These reforms will keep our neighborhoods and city streets safe, ensuring that no New Yorker in need falls through the cracks.”

To address the broken state of our mental health system at the state and federal level, the de Blasio Administration has pledged historic investments in programs and services. Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who have mental health needs are successfully treated in the community each year. Over the last few years the City has created new programs to connect even more New Yorkers in need to treatment. Additionally, to reach the narrow population of New Yorkers with untreated serious mental illness who also pose a concern for violent behavior, the City created NYC Safe in 2015. NYC Safe a network of intensive mental health intervention programs for people with untreated serious mental illness who pose a risk of violence and whose care requires close coordination between City services. The program is overseen by a team at the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene that triages cases and connects high-risk individuals with treatment and follow up.

In 2016, the City launched new mobile mental health treatment teams, which provide intensive, ongoing clinical care to people in their communities, in addition to Co-Response Teams, which are comprised of a mental health professional and police officers who proactively engage clients with serious mental health needs and demonstrated violence, connecting them to care and other stabilizing supports such as housing or family.

Through a new, $21 million investment, the City will fund $9.4 million for the Health Department to expand its mobile treatment teams with the goal of connecting more New Yorkers to intensive mental health services and resources. In addition to offering intensive mental health services through the mobile treatment teams, the increased funding will permit the hiring of additional social workers, housing specialists, and legal assistance services to ensure those who are currently undergoing intensive mental health treatment receive comprehensive support.

The Administration will also invest $11 million in Health + Hospitals to create hospital-based outreach teams to coordinate care for people who frequent emergency rooms and other acute care settings. Through this effort, it is estimated that emergency room visits made by this population would decrease by 10%.

As a result of the Review, the City will make the following reforms to reach the narrow population of New Yorkers with untreated mental illness who may pose a danger to themselves or others:

     Improve communication between agencies and the process of referring New Yorkers to treatment:

• Train more city agency staff that come into contact with people who have serious mental illness – such as the Department of Homeless Services and Health + Hospitals – to refer these individuals for intensive mobile treatment.

• Deploy NYPD resources to increase referrals to the Triage Desk, which sends both Co-Response Teams and Health Engagement and Assessment Teams (HEAT) to assist those in need of mental health interventions.

• The city will share data related to high-risk individuals to enhance PSYCKES, a web based application developed by the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) and widely used by hospitals and outpatient providers. The city and OMH will also collaborate on the development of new PSYCKES features for providers to support identification and care coordination for vulnerable high risk individuals. 

     Connect more New Yorkers to the right level of treatment:

• Create an interagency coordination team between the Department of Homeless Services and Health + Hospitals to ensure smooth transfer between agencies for people who are experiencing homelessness. The coordination begins prior to hospitalization and continues throughout the hospital stay.

• Immediately hire additional staff at the Health Department to process the 20% expected increase in mental health referrals as a result of the strategies announced today and make assignments to appropriate level of care.  This will result in approximately 900 additional people each year receiving the treatment they need.

• Make it easier for intensive treatment teams to visit clients in correctional facilities.

     Actively engage New Yorkers who drop out of treatment to keep them in care:

·         Provide NYPD Officers with notice of individuals with AOT orders who have dropped out of court mandated treatment so that when an officer encounters them, they will be brought to a hospital. Additionally, NYPD will develop a protocol to transport people with AOT warrants to hospitals, as required by law, so they can be assessed and reconnected to treatment.  

·         Convene care conferences to ensure individuals in homeless shelters stay connected to treatment.

·         The Health Department will review information with the Department of Homeless Services, NYPD, Health + Hospitals, and the Department of Correction to determine whether anyone who has been missing from treatment has had contact with any of those agencies to help reconnect them to care.

·         Revise the Riker’s release process to increase successful connections to a treatment team at time of release.

·         Increase Kendra’s Law applications to courts for review, and explore critical, legislative changes to state law to maximize the use of Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT):

·         Nearly 2,500 individuals were mandated to Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT under Kendra’s Law) last year, a 27% increase since the beginning of this administration. The proposed changes would build on this approach, and ensure that the narrow population of individuals who may pose a threat to themselves or others remain connected to treatment. 

The agencies involved in the initial review – DOHMH, NYPD, H+H, DHS, FDNY, NYPD and the Mayor’s Office of ThriveNYC– will continue exploring ways to improve how people with serious mental illness are connected to care. 

“Our commitment to mental health for all demands that we reach New Yorkers living with the most serious mental illness to ensure they are meaningfully connected to care and treatment,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Raul Perea-Henze. “This approach takes deeper collaboration across City government and strategic investments to ensure access to care for all those who need it.”

“People with serious mental illness are our neighbors, friends, and family and they deserve support instead of stigma,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot. “We want New Yorkers in need to be able to easily connect to the right level of treatment in their communities where they can remain connected to their families and other support networks.”

“NYPD officers ensure the safety of every New Yorker in every neighborhood across the five boroughs,” said Chief of Department Terence Monahan. “They are well trained and equipped to connect people with mental illness to the proper services they deserve. Working alongside our partner agencies we remain committed to our mission of helping every person we proudly serve.” 

“Our City is committed to connecting our neighbors experiencing significant challenges with the help and support they need to find stability,” said Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks. “Through close partnerships, innovative approaches, and new proactive interventions, we will continually enhance our efforts to support New Yorkers in need, from addressing housing crises to resolving mental health challenges through a holistic range of services. As we all work together to close gaps in programs and strengthen our safety net for all, we are determined to keep doing better by those we serve, as well as those who may need our services, but may not be ready to accept assistance yet.”

“As we strengthen our support and safety net system for people with serious mental illness, a coordinated approach to behavioral health care is critical,” said Mitchell Katz, MD, President and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals. “Constant communication between all agencies who serve this population, will ensure that they receive the necessary care and services they need and deserve.”

EDITOR'S NOTE:

We intentionally left out the comments of the few elected officials the mayor could get to praise these recommendations, and they are recommendations not new policy which the new mayor who was very vocal at the time he was Public Advocate should have done in at least his second or third year, not in his sixth year as mayor.

A mayor who was a city councilman for eight years, and then Public Advocate for only four years should know what New York City needs in his run for mayor of the city. Does it take this mayor ten years to find out the real problems of the city he has now run for six years as mayor, and four years as Public Advocate?

A Holiday Message from Fernando Aquino

Dear Friend,

I hope this message finds you and your loved ones in good health as you enjoy the holiday season. I would like to begin by thanking all of you for the outpouring of support for my candidacy for NYC Council District 14 in the Bronx. I feel lucky to call this district home. I look forward to meeting and hearing from more of you in the upcoming year.

As we say goodbye to 2019 with gratitude, and celebrate our lives with friends and family, let us move forward together with clarity of purpose. May we open our hearts and minds to welcome this new year with the love,energy and decisiveness needed to improve our communities.

Let us stand in solidarity with those who are suffering during this holiday season and offer big and small acts of kindness wherever we can. May our faith in peace and justice provide us with the strength to use all the tools necessary to make this a better world.

Happy Holidays! Good health and success in 2020, and beyond!

MAYOR DE BLASIO APPOINTS LEADERSHIP TEAM FOR THE FOURTH NEW YORK CITY PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Group of independent, expert scientists to advise on climate risks and lead development of new assessment report building on prior research

   Today, Mayor de Blasio announced the leadership team for the fourth New York City Panel on Climate Change (NPCC). This team consists of a diverse and distinguished group of academics, researchers, and practitioners with expertise in the disciplines of climate science, environmental studies, demography, urban planning, architecture, and design. Effective today, Deborah Balk, Christian Braneon, Robin Leichenko, Richard Moss, and Joel Towers will join the NPCC, where they will oversee the selection of the full panel and lead the development of the NPCC4 assessment report.

“I am confident that this diverse and talented leadership team will fight to protect all New Yorkers from the effects of global warming,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “With expertise in climate science, environmental studies, demography, urban planning, architecture, and design, this team will ensure that we are looking at every possible way we can make New York City more resilient.” 

The NPCC is an independent body that analyzes climate risks to New York City and advises on resiliency and adaptation to help ensure the city is prepared to withstand and emerge stronger from the multiple impacts of climate change.

“This diverse and highly credentialed leadership team will play a pivotal role in creating a more resilient New York City. Their formidable expertise will be invaluable as the City continues to urgently prepare for a warmer and more volatile world,” said Jainey Bavishi, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Resiliency. “We look forward to completing our inclusive process for appointing the rest of the NPCC early next year and encourage qualified individuals from all disciplines to respond to the Call for Nominations by the January 13^th deadline.

The NPCC is responsible for producing science on current and projected climate trends for the NYC metropolitan area. Climate projections are the foundation of the City’s adaptation planning.  For example, they are used in the engineering and design of coastal resiliency projects and help to prioritize the City’s adaptation investments.

Past NPCC work has also yielded important information on direct and indirect impacts from climate change including recurring “sunny day” flooding events, the impact of heat waves on public health, and ways to combat social vulnerability by incorporating equity into adaptation planning. This information has contributed to the development of New York City’s multi-hazard adaptation strategy, which includes over $20 billion of investments and major coastal resiliency projects in all five boroughs.

The call for nominations for the remaining 15 members of the NPCC has been extended through January 13^th, 2020. Nominations can be submitted at https://www1.nyc.gov/site/orr/challenges/nyc-panel-on-climate-change.page.

In early 2020, the leadership team will review these submissions and make recommendations to the Mayor for the remaining appointments to complete the panel.

The NPCC will then undertake the development of its fourth assessment initiative, with the goal of releasing the first in a series of NPCC4 products starting in late 2021.The NPCC’s fourth assessment will    meet the requirements of local law and the evolving needs of the public good by enhancing the City’s understanding of and response to impacts and vulnerabilities, as well as assessing the state of adaptation to potential climate impacts.

“New York City is a world leader in preparing for climate change. With NPCC 4, that tradition promises to continue by incorporating a much deeper analysis of vulnerability, impacts, and adaptation, and by bringing even more stakeholders into the process. I’m honored to part of the NPCC leadership team,” said Deborah Balk.

“Cities have a critical role in the global response to climate change. I am extremely pleased to serve alongside this dynamic group of professionals as New York City continues to lead through inclusive climate action and climate-smart planning,” said Christian Braneon.

“Prior NPCC assessments established New York City as a global leader in urban climate adaptation planning. I look forward to building upon this foundational work to identify transformative opportunities that prepare the city for climate change and are also attentive to issues of equity and long-term sustainability," said Robin Leichenko.

"Cities and states around the country are taking up the slack in federal government climate policy. New Yorkers can be proud of the leadership of Mayor de Blasio and his administration. Looking to the future, the impacts of climate change are just beginning and will get more severe. Like other cities, New York needs more information to guide operations, planning, and investments. I look forward to working with other members of the NPCC to provide trustworthy, actionable climate science to guide the City to a resilient and sustainable future," said Richard Moss.

“Climate change underlies a paradigm shift in how to think about, design, and construct the city.  The NPCC is critically important to understanding the nature of this change and assuring a just and prosperous transition. I am honored to join my colleagues in this work,” said Joel Towers.

“As the founding Co-Chairs of the NPCC we are excited to see the City of New York continuing the process to construct new climate knowledge that will further help effective and equitable public policy action at the city and neighborhood scale,” said Cynthia Rosenzweig and William Solecki, Founding Co-Chairs of the NPCC

DC37 Endorses Michael Blake for Congress

Michael Blake for Congress

I am thrilled to announce that we have won the endorsement of DC37 for standing as a dedicated ally of labor and pledging to protect unions so they can continue to provide critical services for their constituents.

DC37 is a division of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and is the largest public employee union in New York City, representing 150,000 members, including 9,000 crossing guards, social workers, and accountants, among others, within New York’s 15th District.

You can’t ignore a union that has 9,000 members in the congressional district and 125,000 members in the city.

In Solidarity,

Michael Blake for Congress