SCHUMER PUSHES NEW ACTIONS TO STOP DESTRUCTIVE CHANGES IN THE POSTAL SERVICE IMPACTING SOUTHERN TIER & DEMAND SENATE CALL DEJOY FOR HEARINGS THIS WEEK; DRIVES LEGISLATION TO FORCE DEJOY TO ‘BACK OFF’; PLAN WOULD UNDO CHANGES NOW SLOWING DOWN THE MAIL & WOULD ALSO ENSURE OUR MAIL-IN BALLOTS ARE TREATED AS FIRST CLASS PRIORITY

 

Senator Has Warned Postmaster About Actions That Will Jeopardize Southern Tier Delivery Of Medications, VA Benefits, SS & Of Course Hobble The Nov. Election & Now Plans New Fight     

  Warning that destructive changes to the U.S. postal service continue without reprieve, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, who has been leading efforts to undo these changes, pushed new actions, today, against Postmaster DeJoy and the policies being implemented to undermine the U.S. postal service. Standing at the U.S. Post Office in the City of Norwich, Schumer also demanded DeJoy be in U.S. Senate hearings this week as he drives legislation to force the postmaster to “back off.” Schumer’s plan would reverse changes now slowing down the mail and would also ensure our mail-in ballots are treated as First Class priority. Schumer said he has warned DeJoy 1:1, highlighted problems across New York, including the Southern Tier, but now the Senate needs to act in an immediate way if the attack on the USPS might stop.

“What has been—and continues—to go on with the postal service, the undermining and destructive policies that are so clearly intent on upending a system that has worked for generations has simply got to stop,” said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. “I’m pushing new action here to undo the changes and get DeJoy to back off. Moreover, we will use the letter of the law to call the postmaster for hearings this week while driving legislation to fix the mess he’s purposely made. Bottom-line, we will not stand for the in-your-face slowing down of the mail and the undermining of Americans who depend on medications, VA benefits, paychecks, even food, and we will not allow of this to take place all in an effort to hobble the November election—no way.”

Schumer said he will demand the Senate call Postmaster DeJoy for hearings this week AND drive new legislation that would:

1)    Undo the changes slowing down the mail

2)    Ensure our mail-in ballots are treated as First Class priority mail

Schumer warned that if DeJoy continues to go unchecked, the Southern Tier’s more than 3,900 postal jobs would be jeopardized, along with its critical functions that support everyday door-to-door service but also ensure critical medications, VA benefits, Social Security checks paychecks, food and more make it to their destinations. Specifically, In addition, Schumer said there are 1,351 postal workers who operate within NY’s 19th congressional district, which includes neighboring Otsego County and the mid-Hudson Valley region, and 1,308 in NY’s 23rd congressional district.  

Schumer said he remains seriously concerned because the USPS recently directed operational changes in post offices and processing centers. On August 7, 2020, the USPS announced a significant reorganization of Postal Service leadership and functions, which could impact the Southern Tier.

The destructive changes, Schumer notes, include the elimination of extra mail transportation trips, the reduction of overtime, the start of a pilot program for mail sorting and delivery policies at hundreds of post offices, and the reduction equipment at mail processing plants. Schumer said these decisions absolutely have an impact on New York and America, a case he made to the postmaster in person.

In urging the postmaster, both in letters and personally, Schumer argued the Postal Service is an “essential public institution with an obligation to serve every community in the nation.” Schumer told DeJoy he should not make changes in the Southern Tier that will slow down mail or compromise service for veterans, small businesses, rural communities, seniors, and millions of Americans who rely on the mail for medicines, essential goods, voting, correspondence, and for their livelihoods.  The Postal Service has characterized these changes as efficiency or cost-saving measures and add they minimized any “temporary service issues” as an “inevitable” side effect of implementing new procedures, Schumer and colleagues noted in a recent letter.

Schumer has argued that in the midst of a pandemic, these actions, whether intentional or not, are already causing mail delays across the country and appear to constitute an unacceptable threat to the Postal Service and the millions of Americans who depend on it. According to Time, amid the pandemic, many postal service employees have seen their workload double because Americans started ordering more medicine and food online from inside their homes. But the volume of letter mail – the USPS’s biggest revenue stream – has fallen. In April, the U.S. Postmaster General, told the Congressional Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that revenue losses this fiscal year could reach $13 billion. Schumer said that the USPS is like any other business that has been provided relief and assistance and that the numbers prove they’ve been hard hit.

Schumer was joined by Nicole Burnett, President of American Postal Workers Union Local 257, and a Chenango County resident dependent on USPS services: Howard Davisson, a South New Berlin resident and veteran who receives his medication through the mail.

Schumer explained he has received dozens of complaint calls to his office in recent weeks from USPS customers throughout the Southern Tier. 

Mayor de Blasio on Public School openings, and COVUD-19 August 17, 2020,

 

  Mayor Bill de Blasio: Well, good morning, everybody. I want to talk, in a moment, about the first day of the new school year. And it certainly symbolizes a new beginning every year. It's a time of great hope and possibility every year. This year, it's going to take on so much greater meaning as we fight back from the coronavirus crisis, as we make sure our kids have the bright futures they deserve. We're going to have a lot to say about that in a moment. But first I want to talk about a great New Yorker who we lost in the last few days, Claire Shulman, former borough president of Queens. This is a true New York story. Claire Shulman always wanted to do something to help people and she had a passionate what-you-see-is-what-you-get way about her. And she would make things happen wherever she went. She started out as a PTA president in Bayside, and she let people know that the school had to be better for her kids and everyone's kids. She became a nurse and served people in need, and she brought that compassion forward and everything she did in her life – this is someone who came up from the grassroots. She wasn't part of a political dynasty. She wasn't born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She was just someone who wanted to serve her fellow Queens residents, and she did so with extraordinary tenacity and an understanding of what life was like in the neighborhoods of Queens. Extraordinary tenure, 16 years as borough president, making sure that Queens got its fair share and making lives better for so many people in her beloved borough. So, for everyone in Queens today who knew Claire Shulman or heard about what she did for all of you and for all of New York City, we mourn her passing, and her family is in our thoughts and prayers today.

 

So, that just gives you some indication of the preparations underway already. I want to thank everyone who's a part of this, all the custodial service staff that's working so hard, and I've met a lot of these men and women. They care deeply about our kids. They are doing this work because they know how important it is to get it right. Everyone at the School Construction Authority, who's working hard all the time to improve our school facilities. Folks have been working now for months and months, and we still have weeks ahead to continue to improve and focus every inch of the school on safety and health. Now, look, the message in that video is whatever our schools need they're going to have. We're going to send them the supplies in great bulk before school begins and then constantly resupply as needed. This is about everything, everything a school can need, whether it's the hand sanitizer or the wipes or soap, you name it, face shields, surgical masks. Whatever our educators need, whatever the staff needs, whatever our kids need, we're going to make sure it's there. So, this is about being ready. It's about moving past fear to resiliency, getting ready to have a school year where our kids get served in a safe way and putting in place the precautions needed.

 

Now the point that we keep making, whatever the school needs, it will get, and we are establishing a new hotline for principals. Principals will get the information later today. The hotline will be up and running this week so that principal can call if there's anything they need. If they need additional PPEs for their educators, if they need additional cleaning supplies, it will be immediately delivered. Any principal can call with any request and there'll be action right away to get it to them. Everything our educators need, of course, will be provided for free. Their health and safety is crucial here. So, I want people to be clear – and I know the Chancellor feels this deeply – that we need our educators and our staff to know that all of this support will be in place for them ahead of school opening and then if anything comes up where there needs to be rapid response, we can do rapid resupply to schools, just a phone call away. Now the Chancellor is not only going to give the order. The Chancellor himself is going to go out and do unannounced spot inspections of schools to make sure that everything's in place before and during the school year. We're going to have ongoing monitoring by a number of Department of Education officials, unannounced safety checks to make sure that things are right for the whole school community.

 

Now, let me turn to another very important matter as we fight the coronavirus. Obviously, everything we're doing right now is to beat back this disease so that we can start moving forward as a city, so people could get their livelihoods back, so people can have the assurance that we're getting safer. This is about, of course, our schools, it's about small businesses, it's about every part of our lives. What we need to always do is if we see a problem act on it very, very quickly. I talked to you a few days ago about a concern we had about Sunset Park, Brooklyn. And since then there's been a massive outreach effort. 7,300 doors have been knocked, 77,000 robocalls, 35,000 live calls talking to residents of Sunset Park. Over the last few weeks, we've done 5,200 tests, almost 800 of them through mobile vans, just in the last few days. Here's what we know at this point. We do not see a cluster situation at this point in Sunset Park, based on the information we gleaned over the last few days from this intensive testing. We do see individual households with specific problems and those households are being engaged intensely to ensure that they quarantine, that they safely separate. And what we're finding is actually a very, very strong response. The vast majority of households, readily working with our Test and Trace team to safely separate because they understand the extent of the challenge and they're working with us to keep the disease contained so it doesn't spread in the community as a whole.

 

Now we've got to continue this focus on testing in Sunset Park. So, this week at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, there will be free testing available to all members of the community, including antibody testing, and the City will provide a shuttle bus in Sunset Park to get folks to the Brooklyn Army Terminal for free testing. There will be pick-up and drop-off at 6th Avenue and 44th Street, as well as 7th Avenue and 60th Street. It will be going from 9:00 AM to 6:30 PM every day, this week. And everyone will be kept safe, obviously, with face coverings when they're on that bus. And the important thing here is, if you live in Sunset Park and you haven't yet been tested, or you haven't been tested recently, please take advantage of this free testing. It will help us all. We'll keep giving you updates. But we do know, again, that we do not have a cluster situation there at this point based on the information we have. And we do know that with our intensive outreach, to those who – families that have at least one person who's tested positive, we're seeing about a 90 percent compliance rate with safely separating. And again, we are doing constant follow-up with those families to make sure that continues to be the case.

 

Now, meanwhile, right in the same neighborhood, you know, we gave a lot of warnings in the last days of last week. I think a lot of people heard that there was a problem in Sunset Park. So, you’d think it would be the last place that anyone would choose to do an illegal gathering that would put other people's lives in danger. But unfortunately, that's just what some people did. A small number of people in the scheme of things, but enough people to be worried about. Several hundred gathered in indoor spaces. Exactly what we cannot have. Two illegal raves, in fact, in Sunset Park. The Sheriff's Office stepped in quickly, broke up these raves. They are holding accountable those who organized them. It's just unacceptable. I want to be abundantly clear. You cannot organize a large gathering that's going to put people's lives in danger, or you will suffer the consequences. And I want to command everyone at the Sheriff's Office. They've been vigilant. They've really been heroes throughout this crisis. They broke up these two gatherings quickly. And I'll say to everyone, we all understand that people are feeling cooped up and looking for things to do, but whatever you are looking to do, you have to do it the safe way. You cannot take the chance of endangering other people's lives.

 

Now, we’ll get some updates as we continue to battle back this disease. We do see day by day, week by week, some real improvement and some specific steps towards our reopening. And a couple of things today that are notable because they are things that people love and they're starting to come back to life. A little step towards normalcy. And so, the State announced some additional standards over the last few days. For some people, this is truly a passion – bowling, bowling alleys will reopen at 50 percent capacity and that's happening today. And then next Monday, museums, aquariums, and other low risk cultural spaces can open at 25 percent capacity. And this comes with a whole host of precautions. There's timed ticketing, staggered entry, everyone has to wear face coverings, constant cleaning. So, the State rules are very stringent, as they should be, but it is a good step forward to give people some other options, but safe options so we can keep moving forward.

 

Let's go over today's indicators. Number one, daily number of people admitted to hospitals for suspected COVID-19, threshold 200 patients, today's report 57. Number two, daily number of people in Health + Hospitals ICUs, threshold 375 patients, and today's report 264. And three, percentage of people testing positive citywide for COVID-19, threshold 15 percent, today, once again, one percent. That is my favorite testing number besides zero and again, commend all New Yorkers for the progress we've made.

JIM OWLES LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC CLUB ANNOUNCES MANHATTAN DA FORUM

 

 The Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club has announced that it will hold the first forum for all nine declared candidates for Manhattan District Attorney on Tuesday, August 18 at 6 p.m. The online forum will be open to the public, with registration required in advance, and all club members may participate. The link to register is on the attached invitation.

The Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club is scheduling this forum to give club members and others interested an early opportunity to assess the nine candidates. Allen Roskoff, the club President, said, “this forum is a historic opportunity to get an early look at the candidates for one of the most important offices in the country.”

The forum grows out of the club’s strong, longstanding interest in criminal justice issues. The club has advocated for many years for clemency for elderly and other prisoners who have paid their debt to society and proven they are ready to contribute once again. The club has been a leader in the effort to enact progressive legislation to make the legal system less punitive and more oriented towards rehabilitation, including proposed state legislation to decriminalize sex work, and to repeal an anti-loitering statute commonly known as the “walking while trans” law.

Mr. Roskoff noted, “The Manhattan District Attorney is an extremely high profile position, and its importance cannot be emphasized enough. In recent years, cities from Philadelphia to San Francisco have elected progressive district attorneys determined to reverse the excesses of over-zealous prosecution. The Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club intends to do everything possible to ensure that the next Manhattan District Attorney sets a standard for progressive values that is second to none. 

The following nine candidates will participate in the forum: Tahanie Aboushi; Alvin Bragg; Liz Crotty; Diana Florence; Lucy Lang; Janos Marton; Eliza Orlins; Assemblymember Dan Quart; and Tali Farhadian Weinstein. 

Governor Cuomo Announces 7 Million COVID-19 Tests Conducted to Date in New York State - AUGUST 16, 2020

 

0.78 Percent of Yesterday's COVID-19 Tests were Positive — 9th Straight Day that the Percentage Positive was Under 1 Percent

6 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday

SLA and State Police Task Force Observes Violations of State Requirements at 33 Establishments

Confirms 607 Additional Coronavirus Cases in New York State - Bringing Statewide Total to 425,508; New Cases in 35 Counties

  Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced 7 million diagnostic tests for COVID-19 have been conducted to date in New York State, and that the number of positive cases yesterday — 0.78 percent — was below 1 percent for the ninth day in a row.

"Our numbers reflect the hard work of New Yorkers, and as other states across the nation see surging cases, our numbers remain steadily low. For more than a week, we've seen our positivity rate stay below 1 percent, and to date New York has done 7 million tests—these are remarkable accomplishments that New Yorkers should be proud of," Governor Cuomo said. "New York State is demonstrating that a response guided by science and data - not politics or opinion - is the only effective way to deal with this virus. But, we must not become complacent and risk slipping backwards — everyone must remember to wear their masks, socially distance, wash their hands regularly, and stay New York Tough."

Yesterday, the State Liquor Authority and State Police Task Force visited 1,170 establishments in New York City and Long Island and observed 33 establishments that were not in compliance with state requirements. A county breakdown of yesterday's observed violations is below:

• Bronx - 5 
• Brooklyn - 8 
• Manhattan - 9 
• Queens - 3 
• Nassau - 8

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

• Patient Hospitalization - 527 (+4)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 79
• Hospital Counties - 30
• Number ICU - 128 (+8)
• Number ICU with Intubation - 59 (+1)
• Total Discharges - 74,154 (+73)
• Deaths - 6
• Total Deaths - 25,250

Two Ocean County Companies Agree to Resolve Price-Gouging Charges Involving 11 Million Items of Scarce Personal Protective Equipment by Selling Them at Cost

 

  Two Ocean County, New Jersey, import companies have agreed to resolve violations of the Defense Production Act (DPA) of 1950 for price-gouging customers of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic by agreeing to sell at cost approximately 11 million items of PPE seized from three warehouses by law enforcement in April 2020, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.

The two companies – CSG Imports LLC and KG Imports LLC, both of Lakewood, New Jersey – have also agreed to disgorge $400,000 in profits relating to transactions with two customers who purchased PPE from CSG Imports at excessive prices and to compensate those customers for their losses.

“The defendants in this case sought to profit illegally from a pandemic just as it was starting to sweep across the country,” U.S. Attorney Carpenito said. “Today’s agreements will ensure that needed personal protective equipment gets into the hands of the people who need it, and at a fair price. We will continue to investigate these price-gouging cases with our law enforcement partners and make sure that vendors stop trying to make excess profits during this national emergency.”

“Profiteers who choose to shamelessly defraud the America public should know the FBI will utilize every means under the law to bring them to justice,” FBI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Joe Denahan said.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, CSG Imports had never imported PPE or health-care equipment or products of any kind. KG Imports was formed after the pandemic began specifically to import PPE into the United States.

The resolutions arise out of law enforcement’s April 22, 2020, seizure of over 11 million items of PPE – predominantly N-95 respirator face masks and three-ply disposable face masks – owned by CSG Imports and KG Imports from three warehouses in Lakewood. Law enforcement seized the PPE after learning that the companies were violating the DPA by offering for sale and selling scarce PPE at prices in excess of prevailing market prices for those items.

Both CSG Imports and KG Imports entered into deferred prosecution agreements with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey in connection with criminal complaints filed today charging each company with one count of violating the DPA. CSG Imports has committed to selling the seized PPE at cost and compensating two entities that it sold PPE to in excess of prevailing market prices in the amount of $400,000. The agreement provides that CSG Imports must pay a minimum of $200,000 to these entities directly in amounts proportionate to CSG Imports’ profits on PPE sold to those entities and that CSG Imports may compensate the remaining portion of the $400,000 by transferring PPE to these entities at no cost. Pursuant to a separate deferred prosecution agreement, KG Imports has also agreed to sell the seized PPE at cost. 

According to the admissions:

CSG Imports

            Beginning in March 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic affecting New Jersey and the rest of the United States and world, CSG Imports began to obtain directly from international manufacturers and import various items of PPE into the United States. When it did not deliver directly to customers, CSG Imports stored the PPE at warehouses in Lakewood and sold the PPE to customers, including hospitals, health care providers, health care suppliers, and end users in New Jersey and elsewhere.

            From March 2020 through May 2020, CSG Imports imported into the United States and offered for sale PPE and other health and medical resources that were Designated Scarce Materials in excess of prevailing market prices. For example, CSG Imports imported N-95 masks for a blended per-unit cost of $3.47 and sold them with markups ranging from $0.78 to $2.53. CSG Imports also imported three-ply disposable face masks for a blended per-unit cost of $0.37 and sold them with markups ranging from $0.09 to $0.28.

KG Imports

            Beginning in March 2020, KG Imports also began to import various items of PPE that were stored in warehouses in Lakewood and sold to customers in New Jersey and elsewhere. Until that time, KG Imports had not dealt in such products.

            From April 2020 through May 2020, KG Imports offered and sold these items at prices that exceeded prevailing market prices. For example, KG Imports imported three-ply disposable face masks for a blended per-unit cost of $0.37 and sold them with markups ranging from $0.11 to $0.43.

As part of the agreements, both CSG Imports and KG Imports agreed to continue to cooperate with the government in any ongoing or future criminal investigations during the term of their respective agreements. 

The government reached these resolutions with CSG Imports and KG Imports based on a number of factors, including: both entities’ failure to timely and voluntarily self-disclose the conduct that triggered the investigations; the nature and seriousness of the offenses; and credit for each company’s respective cooperation. Both entities also agreed to sell all PPE seized by the government at prices not to exceed their costs in obtaining the PPE and to provide semi-annual written reports to the government regarding their PPE sales.

Attorney General William P. Barr created the COVID-19 Hoarding and Price Gouging Task Force, led by U.S. Attorney Carpenito, who is coordinating efforts with the Antitrust Division and U.S. Attorneys across the country wherever illegal activity involving protective personal equipment occurs. The Secretary of Health and Human Services has issued a Notice designating categories of health and medical supplies that must not be hoarded or sold for exorbitant prices. 

Please report COVID-19 fraud, hoarding or price-gouging to the National Center for Disaster Fraud’s National Hotline at (866) 720-5721, or e-mail: disaster@leo.gov

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Joe Denahan, with the investigation leading to today’s resolutions. He also thanked the Lakewood Police Department for its assistance.

BRONX DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE TO SPONSOR COVID-19 TESTING IN CONCOURSE PLAZA

 

Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark gets a COVID-19 test this week, provided by Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE), a charitable organization that has partnered with state and federal agencies nationwide to provide free COVID-19 testing. 

The Bronx District Attorney’s Office will sponsor the testing on Monday, August 17 through Wednesday, August 19, 2020 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm in the Concourse Plaza parking lot, next to the Bronx DA’s Office at 198 E. 161 St. Only the nasal swab test will be given, not antibody testing. You should bring some form of identification and your insurance card if you have a health insurance provider. Tests results should be returned directly to you within three to five days. For more information visit CORE’s website at www.coreresponse.org

Comptroller Stringer Audit Reveals DOT’s Shoddy Maintenance of Street Name Signs

 

Three years after Comptroller Stringer recommended needed reforms, DOT still lacks a complete inventory of the City’s 250,000 street name signs and has no comprehensive plan to identify the signs that need repair and replacement.

Follow-up audit reveals that DOT still lacks a standard procedure to investigate and address, reasonably promptly, thousands of complaints New Yorkers submit through 311.

Comptroller Stringer calls for a streamlined system, recommends that the DOT ensure service request numbers are appropriately exported to an online database so that it can track and report complaint dispositions.

  New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer released a follow-up audit of the Department of Transportation (DOT), which revealed the agency’s persistently inadequate oversight of the installation and maintenance of street name signs. DOT failed to implement several recommendations from Comptroller Stringer’s prior audit, issued in 2017 — including that it develop a complete inventory of street name signs throughout the City and a comprehensive plan for identifying those that need repair and replacement, and that it ensure that complaints filed through the City’s 311 service are investigated and addressed in a reasonable time frame.

The Comptroller’s audit also revealed that DOT still lacks a concrete plan to implement those needed reforms. Auditors found, for example, that DOT failed to address 46 of 50 sampled 311 complaints it received in July 2017 and January 2018 timely. DOT’s continuing failure to address 311 complaints promptly means that New Yorkers may never know whether the problems they report resulted in action. This issue is of even greater concern because DOT primarily relies on complaints to identify issues involving street name signs. Of the 5,574 street sign complaints DOT received between July 2017 and February 2019, the overwhelming majority—5,187 complaints—came through the 311 service.

“Our streets form the physical foundation and framework of our city, and move millions of people and goods throughout the five boroughs every day. If we want New Yorkers to get around efficiently, we need reliable corridors that are clearly marked,” said New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “Structurally sound street signs are imperative for maximizing safety and efficiency in our streets, and keeping New York City functioning and running smoothly. The DOT is dragging its feet on making necessary upgrades to its system for installing and maintaining street name signs. Consequently, its program remains riddled with deficiencies, as progress on recommendations I made three years ago lags far behind. What New York City needs and all New Yorkers deserve is accountability and a streamlined, thoughtfully planned system to identify, track, and fix defective street name signs and address all complaints in a timely manner.”

Comptroller Stringer conducted an audit in 2017 that found significant deficiencies in DOT’s maintenance efforts and tracking system and made six recommendations to address the weaknesses found. Of the six prior audit recommendations, DOT implemented one recommendation—that it ensure that work orders are approved before being sent to the contractor. DOT also partially implemented a recommendation that it continue its efforts to develop a methodology for tracking and documenting intersections where street name sign surveys have been conducted.

However, DOT did not implement the four remaining recommendations:

• Take steps to identify and document its full inventory of standard street name signs throughout the City;
• Develop a comprehensive plan for conducting surveys to identify street name signs that need to be repaired and replaced throughout the City;
• Establish protocols to ensure that 311 complaints are investigated and addressed in a reasonable time frame;
• Establish time standards for addressing street name sign repairs/replacements once the need has been identified and regularly monitor how well it is meeting those standards.

As a result of DOT’s failure to implement the Comptroller’s recommendations, delays continue to affect its installation and maintenance of street name signs. For example, in a sample of 309 work orders, the Comptroller’s auditors found that:

• On average 125 business days (ranging from 70 to 765 business days) elapsed between the date a DOT inspector prepared a work order and the date a DOT director approved it for assignment to a DOT contractor to repair or replace a street name sign.
• It took DOT an average of 213 days (ranging from 116 days to more than 3 years) to complete a work order—from the date a DOT survey found that a sign needed repair or replacement to the date DOT verified that its contractor completed the job.

While examining the implementation status of the previous recommendations, Comptroller Stringer identified additional weaknesses in DOT’s controls over street name sign installations. Specifically, the audit found that the complaints DOT received through the 311 service were not consistently recorded and mapped in its Geographic Information System (GIS) database. The audit also found that 35 of 50 sampled complaints were recorded in the GIS database without service request numbers.

Based on the audit, Comptroller Stringer made the following recommendations:

• DOT should take steps to (1) identify and document its complete inventory of standard street name signs throughout the City and (2) develop protocols to periodically update its records to reflect changes in a timely manner.
• DOT should develop a comprehensive plan for conducting surveys to identify street name signs that need to be repaired or replaced throughout the City, and regularly monitor its implementation of that plan.
• DOT should establish procedures to ensure that 311 complaints regarding street name signs are investigated and addressed in a reasonable time frame.
• DOT should develop a system to track intersections that it surveys using its web-based system where it finds that no work is needed.
• DOT should establish time standards for addressing street name sign repairs and replacements once the need for them has been identified, and regularly monitor how well it is meeting those standards.
• DOT should strengthen its controls over the mapping process to ensure that the GIS database is regularly updated to include all complaints the agency receives through the 311 system and ensure that the GIS database is regularly reviewed for completeness and accuracy in reflecting the status of all such complaints and the corresponding surveys and work orders.
• DOT should ensure that service request numbers are appropriately exported to the GIS map so that it can track and report complaint dispositions.

SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCE NEARLY $6 MILLION IN FEMA FUNDING FOR FIREFIGHTERS

 

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced $5,333,677.90 in federal funding to provide essential PPE, training, and supplies for firefighters responding to the COVID-19 outbreak across New York State. Additionally, the Morrisvile Fire District received $642,857.14 to purchase emergency rescue vehicles. This federal funding was administered through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) - COVID-19 Supplemental Program. 

“From the peak of the pandemic to normal times, our brave firefighters are always on the front lines, risking their lives to protect their communities,” said Senator Schumer. “These courageous firefighters deserve all the federal support possible to help them do their jobs. I’ve fought my whole career to bring more federal resources to support our heroic firefighters, and I’m proud to deliver this funding so New York’s fire departments have the critical PPE, training, and support they need to stay safe as they keep New Yorkers safe during the pandemic.”

“New York State’s brave essential workers have dedicated their lives to protecting our communities throughout the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Senator Gillibrand. “As our communities reopen, we must ensure firefighters have the necessary PPE and equipment needed to respond to emergencies safely. I am proud to fight for New York’s firefighters and will continue working to ensure first responders are protected when they enter the line of duty.”

Funding Recipients Listed Below:

Western Region

Aurora Colden Fire District No 6 - West Falls, NY	$168,164.76
Town of West Seneca - West Seneca, NY	$153,270.48
Village of Warsaw - Warsaw, NY	$9,514.29
City of Dunkirk - Dunkirk, NY	$155,304.76
Village of Falconer - Falconer, NY	$125,238.10
City of Lockport - Lockport, NY	$96,468.35
Olcott Fire Co Inc - Olcott, NY	$40,471.43
Farmersville Fire Department - Farmersville Station, NY	$97,268.57
Town of Batavia Fire Department, Inc. - Batavia, NY	$57,132.38
Village of Springville - Springville, NY	$4,857.14

Southern Tier Region

City of Cortland- Cortland, NY	$32,380.95
City of Ithaca - Ithaca, NY	$36,981.82
Virgil Fire District - Cortland, NY	$47,619.05
Village of Freeville - Freeville, NY	$106,285.71

Millport Volunteer Fire Company - Millport, NY                      $53,333.33

Capital Region

Niagara Engine Company No. 6, Inc. - Schoharie, NY	$91,428.57
Speigletown Fire District - Troy, NY	$28,000.00
Red Rock Volunteer Fire Company, Inc. - East Chatham, NY	$220,819.05

Hudson Valley Region

Village of Larchmont - Larchmont, NY	$17,714.29
Village of Spring Valley - Spring Valley, NY	$4,110.59
Fairview Fire District - Poughkeepsie, NY	$104,761.90
Ulster Fire District #1 - Kingston, NY	$110,564.76

Central Region

City of Little Falls - Little Falls, NY	$114,285.71
New Haven Volunteer Fire Corporation - New Haven, NY	$37,619.05
Morrisville Fire District - Morrisville, NY (Vehicle Acquistion)	$642,857.14
Preble Volunteer Fire Department - Preble, NY	$82,666.67
Lake Delta Volunteer Fire Department - Rome, NY	$94,761.90
Sennett Fire Department - Auburn, NY	$114,190.48
Village of West Winfield - West Winfield, NY	$10,494.20
Deansboro Fire District - Deansboro, NY	$80,942.86
Village of Sherburne - Sherburne, NY	$91,650.48
South Onondaga Fire Department, Inc. - Nedrow, NY	$135,809.52
Volney Volunteer Fire Corporation - Fulton, NY	$47,619.05
Liverpool Fire Department, Inc. - Liverpool, NY	$721,454.55

Finger Lakes Region

Cheshire Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. - Canandaigua, NY	$23,604.76
Penfield Fire District - Penfield, NY	$319,545.45

North Country Region

Village of Rouses Point - Rouses Point, NY	$180,000.00
Town of Adams - Adams, NY	$488,095.24

Long Island Region

Montauk Fire District - Montauk, NY	$106,371.43
Floral Park Centre Fire Co Inc - Floral Park, NY	$49,714.29
Atlantic Steamer Fire Company Number One - Oyster Bay, NY	$214,761.90
Jamesport Fire District - Jamesport, NY	$89,047.62
Village of Saltaire, Bay Shore, NY	$101,428.57
Brookhaven Fire District - Brookhaven, NY	$446,818.18
Lido And Point Lookout Fire District - Point Lookout, NY	$21,105.71

EDITOR'S NOTE:

Why is New York City not included in this list?