DOI INVESTIGATION LEADS TO ARREST OF CITY BUILDINGS INSPECTOR ON CHARGES OF IMPROPERLY WORKING IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY WHILE HE WAS ON APPROVED LEAVE FROM HIS CITY JOB

 

 Margaret Garnett, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), announced the arrest today of an Inspector with the City Department of Buildings (“DOB”) in connection with the undisclosed secondary employment of the Inspector while on approved leave from the DOB, collecting both his City pay while on leave and pay from secondary employment. DOI initiated an investigation after the DOB referred this matter to DOI. The investigation was worked in partnership with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and DOB.

 KEVIN MORONEY, 52 of Brooklyn, N.Y., was charged today with one count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class D felony. Upon conviction, a class D felony is punishable by up to seven years in prison.

 DOI Commissioner Margaret Garnett said, “This defendant not only concealed that he was working another job, while he told the City he was unable to perform his City position, but took a second job in the very industry in which he had oversight, according to the charges. Working for a company in the construction industry, while a City Buildings Inspector, is not only prohibited but compromises the very integrity of that role. DOI was pleased to work with the Buildings Department and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office on this investigation.”

 Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said, ““Our relentless focus on corruption in construction and development continues with this indictment of a Buildings Inspector who stole from the City and violated the public trust amid a fiscal crisis and rising unemployment. Thanks to innovative partnerships like our Construction Fraud Task Force, our office continues to hold those who engage in fraud, wage theft, and safety violations accountable, and we encourage anyone with information about these practices to contact us on WhatsApp at (646) 712-0298. I thank Commissioner Garnett and our colleagues at DOI for their meticulous investigation and continued collaboration.”

 City Buildings Commissioner Melanie E. La Rocca said, “Our inspectors are expected to uphold our values of safety and integrity, and we have zero tolerance for employees who violate the public trust. I want to thank DOI for their thorough investigation on behalf of the people of New York City."

 According to the indictment and DOI’s investigation, the defendant was a Construction Inspector assigned to DOB’s Construction Safety Compliance unit. As a Construction Inspector, the defendant’s duties included inspecting construction sites to ensure compliance with the Building Code and all applicable construction-related rules and regulations. On or about September 15, 2020, the defendant went on approved leave citing, among other things, difficulty with walking and lifting heavy objects. Under the terms of his approved leave, the defendant was prohibited from any secondary employment while out on leave, and as a DOB employee, the defendant was prohibited from working in any capacity within the construction industry, at any time. On or about January 6, 2021, during the course of a routine DOB inspection of a construction site located in Brooklyn, the defendant was observed on the site, while he was on approved leave at the time. The investigation found that on or about August 28, 2020, the defendant was hired by Royal Home Improvements, Inc., to identify potential construction violations on their sites and that he was working for Royal Home Improvements in that capacity during the January 6, 2021 inspection. Additionally, the investigation found that while the defendant was working as an employee of Royal Home Improvements, the defendant continued to collect his DOB salary, a value of approximately $5,489.

 MORONEY has been employed at the DOB since December 2018 and receives an annual salary of approximately $61,800. DOB has served MORONEY with termination papers.

 Commissioner Garnett thanked Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., and his staff, for their partnership on and prosecution of the case. Commissioner Garnett also thanked DOB Commissioner Melanie E. La Rocca and her staff for their cooperation on this investigation.

 An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty

205 Days and Counting

 

Thank God It's Friday, right Charlene? I've cut my workweek down to four days a week, and since July 4th falls on a Sunday we have a four day de Blasio weekend. 

Let's stay indoors until all those ATF agents get to New York, and clean up the city of all the violence. Who cares what Maya Wiley says about me, I still was her boss. Now Katheryn Garcia did everything I told her to do, and she did it well, as a matter of fact she probably was one of my best workers, no better yet my best commissioner. 

NY State Comptroller Di Napoli visits the Bronx to Discuss the Recent Trends and Impact of COVID-19 on the Bronx

 

While the press conference was at the Bronx Brewery in the Northeast Bronx Comptroller DiNapoli and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. had lunch at a nearby diner. 

Comptroller Dinapoli holds up his report Recent Trends and Impact of COVID-19 on the Bronx. The twenty page report had some interesting facts, but was not known to many who were gathered. As in the report most good things for the Bronx went down, while the bad things for the Bronx went up, not enabling the Bronx to give up its sixty-second place out of sixty-two counties in New York State.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. spoke of pre pandemic days during the first ten years of his administration where good things were going up, and bad things were on the decline, and then the pandemic hit, and hit the Bronx worse than any of the other boroughs of New York City. He said the Bronx is still recovering, and it will be up to the next borough president to continue the growth out of the pandemic. 

Judy Gonzalez, head of the New York State Nurses Union, spoke of what the pandemic did to healthcare workers, some of whom passed away, with others scared from all the sickness. She had to leave early for another event at Montefiore Hospital.

Before he spoke, Congressman Jamaal Bowman received some Bronx advice from Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

There was no getting around receiving a free bottle of 'The Bronx Hot Sauce', grown and manufactured in the Bronx.

Governor Cuomo Announces 13th Consecutive Day of Record-Low COVID Positivity Statewide

 

Statewide 7-Day Average Positivity is 0.47% - Has Declined for 66 Consecutive Days - Lowest in the Nation per Johns Hopkins University

104,488 Vaccine Doses Administered Over Last 24 Hours - 11 Million New Yorkers Have Now Received at Least One Dose - Statewide Vaccination Rate is 69.2%

State-Run Drive-Through COVID-19 Testing Sites Demobilizing as Demand for Testing Drops 88% from January to May

9 COVID-19 Deaths Statewide Yesterday

 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combatting COVID-19.

Governor Cuomo also announced the demobilizing of state-run drive-through COVID-19 testing sites across New York State beginning Friday, June 11. These testing site closures follow historically low positivity rates and an 88 percent decrease in drive-through testing demand from January to May 2021, allowing the State to focus its resources on getting more New Yorkers vaccinated. As New York State rapidly approaches the goal of a 70 percent vaccination rate, and with the abundance of various testing options in all areas of the State, the dependence on drive-through testing has dramatically decreased.

"New Yorkers have embodied the spirit of what it means to be New York Tough and it is because of their determination to defeat COVID-19 that we are able to demobilize these testing sites," Governor Cuomo said. "Since our nation-leading testing program began in March 2020, over 57 million tests have been conducted in New York State, with 1.6 million at our drive-through sites. This incredible effort was made possible through partnerships with our State agencies, their dedicated workforce, health care providers and the National Guard and I cannot thank them enough for their service to New Yorkers. I encourage all who are eligible to get vaccinated so we can continue our work to return to normalcy and reimagine a stronger, better and healthier New York."

As drive-through testing sites begin to demobilize, no current drive-through testing appointments will be impacted. Demobilization will begin tomorrow with the following state-run drive-through sites:

Friday, June 11

Bronx - Lehman College

2925 Goulden Avenue

 

Bronx, New York

Brooklyn - Brooklyn Developmental Center

888 Fountain Avenue

 

Brooklyn, New York 

Erie County - Buffalo Sabres Lot

Buffalo Sabres Lot

125 Perry Street

Buffalo, New York

 

Nassau County - Jones Beach State Park

Roosevelt Nature Center

1 Ocean Parkway

Wantagh, New York

 

Oneida County - Griffiss International Airport

Griffiss International Airport

800 Ellsworth Road

Rome, New York

 

Staten Island - Staten Island Seaview Avenue

OMH South Beach

777 Seaview Avenue

Staten Island, New York

 
Today's data is summarized briefly below:

·         Test Results Reported - 139,492
·         Total Positive - 566
·         Percent Positive - 0.41%
·         7-Day Average Percent Positive - 0.47%
·         Patient Hospitalization - 758 (-19)
·         Patients Newly Admitted - 105
·         Patients in ICU - 190 (-5)
·         Patients in ICU with Intubation - 113 (-7)
·         Total Discharges - 183,346 (+96)
·         Deaths - 9
·         Total Deaths - 42,833
·         Total vaccine doses administered - 19,820,785
·         Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 104,488
·         Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 594,115
·         Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 66.9%
·         Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 59.3%
·         Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 69.2%
·         Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 60.3%
·         Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 55.2%
·         Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 48.2%
·         Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 57.2%
·         Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 48.9%

NYC PARKS TO REOPEN 13 RECREATION CENTERS TO MEMBERS MONDAY, JUNE 14, WITH NEW HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES

 

NYC PARKS TO REOPEN 13 RECREATION CENTERS TO MEMBERS MONDAY, JUNE 14, WITH NEW HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES

 Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP announced that on Monday, June 14, the first phase of recreation center reopenings will begin with the opening of 13 centers to existing members; two additional recreation centers will reopen to members on Wednesday, June 23. To ensure proper social distancing and prevent overcrowding, initially, recreation centers will only be open to members who were active as of March of 2020.  

“Recreation centers sit at the heart of so many communities, providing New Yorkers of all ages the chance to participate in athletics and a variety of other programming,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “As we take these steps to reopen safely, I encourage everyone who isn’t vaccinated already to get their shot today.”

 

“As our city continues to take great strides in recovering and reopening, we are thrilled to begin the process of reopening our recreation centers for New Yorkers to enjoy,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP. “While we are excited to begin reopening our centers, we urge everyone to get vaccinated and continue to follow mask and social distancing guidance, so that we may fully emerge, together, from this pandemic.”

 

NYC PARKS RECREATION CENTER REOPENINGS:

 

June 14, 2021: Hunts Point (BX), Brownsville (BK), Hansborough (MN), Alfred E. Smith (MN), Highbridge (MN), Rec Center 54 (MN), Thomas Jefferson (MN), Tony Dapolito (MN), Al Oerter (QN), Lost Battalion Hall (QN), Greenbelt (SI), Lyons (SI), Faber (SI), 

 

June 23, 2021: McCarren (BK), and Ocean Breeze (SI).

 

As a precaution due to COVID-19, several new policies are being implemented to keep recreation members safe. The reopened centers will operate at reduced capacity, and mask wearing is required for all. Recreation center equipment has been arranged to promote social distancing and shared equipment will be cleaned frequently. Indoor pools remain closed to the public at this time. 

 

Parks recreation centers were closed in March 2020 as a result of the pandemic. Throughout the pandemic, recreation centers were repurposed in support of COVID-19 related services including youth education and childcare services, COVID-19 testing, vaccinations, and mask and food distribution hubs. 

 

Since 1910, the NYC Parks has provided the most affordable and extensive network of recreational services throughout New York City. Parks’ 36 recreation centers offer facilities such as indoor pools, weight rooms, basketball courts, and dance studios, art studios, game rooms, and libraries. All recreation centers also offer a range of programs for people of all ages. 

 

Hours of operation vary - please visit Parks’ Recreation Center page for more information: nycgovparks.org/facilities/recreationcenters.

COURT GRANTS MOTION BY BRONX DA DARCEL CLARK TO DISMISS OVER 6,000 MISDEMEANOR MARIJUANA CASES

 

Includes Pending Cases and Bench Warrants

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced that the Supervising Judge of Bronx Criminal Court, George A. Grasso, granted her Office’s motion to dismiss more than 6,000 cases that involved the charge of misdemeanor marijuana possession or sale, during a proceeding today in the Bronx Hall of Justice. 

 District Attorney Clark said, “The Legislature has de-criminalized the possession and sale of small amounts of marijuana to right the wrong of disproportionate enforcement and arrests in communities of color like the Bronx. We had long stopped prosecuting these offenses because they were not a threat to public safety, and they gave people a criminal record that had negative collateral consequences on employment, housing, education, and immigration.

 “Our application today is part of my Office’s pursuit of justice with integrity. There is no purpose in spending prosecutorial and judicial resources on conduct that the Legislature has decriminalized. Since Article 221 has been repealed, there is no longer any basis to continue the prosecution of open cases that contain a sole charge of misdemeanor marijuana possession and/or sale, or keep active warrants related to these matters, so we have moved to dismiss 6,089 cases.”

 Administrative Judge Grasso said, “Today is a historic day in Bronx Criminal Court. Our Criminal Justice System has responded swiftly to the actions and intent of the New York State Legislature with respect to over six thousand pending and closed matters relating to Marijuana charges. This means that thousands of individuals (many who are young people of color) can now go about their business without being under the cloud of a criminal matter. I take pride in our Court’s continuing partnership with the Office of the District Attorney and the Defense Bar in our efforts to effect fair and impartial justice in Bronx County!”

 Peter Jones, Attorney-In-Charge of the Bronx Trial Office at The Legal Aid Society, said, “We thank DA Darcel Clark for agreeing to dismiss thousands of marijuana cases for expungable offenses, and appreciate her recognition that continued prosecution for matters that have been legalized is unjust. For decades, our clients shouldered the brunt of marijuana prohibition, losing years of their lives ensnared in the criminal legal system and denied meaningful employment, housing and other opportunities. These dismissals are critical for our clients, the majority from communities of color, who can now move on with their lives.”

 District Attorney Clark appeared before Judge Grasso in his courtroom today to declare, “In the furtherance of justice, the People move to dismiss 6,089 cases with sole charge of misdemeanor possession or sale of marijuana.” This total includes 2,441 summonses, 1,998 pending cases with 1,974 open warrants, and 1,650 cases in which a plea was entered and there is an open warrant based upon the failure to complete a sentence.

MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES FUNDING FOR AMPHITHEATER, PUBLIC RESTROOMS, GREENWAY BRIDGE IN AMBITIOUS EAST SIDE COASTAL RESILIENCY PROJECT

 

Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced almost $140 million in new City funding to add more community amenities as part of East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR), the world-leading effort to protect Manhattan’s east side from the worst effects of climate change. The funding will support new public restrooms, a new amphitheater, and in a separate capital project, a $129 million flyover bridge to elevate the Manhattan Greenway over its narrowest point along the East River.

 

ESCR is a $1.45 billion climate resiliency project that will bolster flood protection and improve open spaces for more than 110,000 New Yorkers – including 28,000 public housing residents – on Manhattan’s East Side, from East 25^th Street south to Montgomery Street. These neighborhoods, which were pummeled by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, will now be home to one of the most ambitious infrastructure and climate justice projects in New York City history. The project is being managed by the New York City Department of Design and Construction.

 

“East Side Coastal Resiliency is one of the boldest and most ambitious infrastructure projects in this city’s history, and these improvements will help make Manhattan more accessible and safer than ever from the worst effects of climate change,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Our investments will add open space and recreation, while contributing to a more fair and equitable recovery for communities that were badly affected by both Sandy and the pandemic.”

Improvements to the project including:

• $4.83 million to replace the existing East River Park amphitheater structure with a new one at the same location.
• $5.8 million to build a comfort station at Murphy Brothers Playground, a 1.27-acre park at Avenue C and East 17^th Street. The playground was already scheduled to receive updated recreation facilities and flood protections. Other improvements to the playground will include a new basketball court, new synthetic turf ballfields, a new dog run, a new power source for the existing Little League scoreboard, and enhanced landscaping.
• $129 million, in a separate capital project, to the Department of Transportation to fully fund a future flyover bridge that will improve bike and pedestrian access through this critical part of the Greenway. The bridge will span the “pinchpoint” area of the Manhattan Greenway as it passes 14^th Street along the East River, an area where the Greenway narrows to just a few feet wide to fit between the river, the FDR Drive and adjacent Con Edison facilities. The bridge construction will be coordinated with ESCR.

 

“We’re excited to add these new elements that were community priorities to the program,” said NYC Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Jamie Torres-Springer. “The project has been responsive to community concerns while protecting residents and East River Park from severe climate events and improving open space and access, including through these investments as well as phasing project construction to keep almost 50% of the Park open at all times.”

 

“These projects support community priorities and will help to enhance waterfront parkland on Manhattan’s East Side with new infrastructure, amenities, and improved access,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP. “ESCR is on track to provide coastally resilient parks and integrated flood protection for more than 110,000 New Yorkers, and we are grateful to Mayor de Blasio for this additional investment in making sure these green spaces are neighborhood assets.”

 

“DOT is proud to be part of the great team of City agencies contributing to the massive and important East Side Coastal Resiliency project,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman. “We have made so much progress in the de Blasio Administration creating better pedestrian and cyclist access to Manhattan’s incredible waterfront.   One of the remaining challenges has been the four-foot wide pinchpoint on the Greenway at East 14th Street, its narrowest point.    The Mayor’s investment in a new flyover bridge will not only provide a wider and safer Greenway access, it will be an attractive addition that helps meet our ultimate goal of uninterrupted waterfront access around the entire borough of Manhattan.”

 

"As we work to address climate threats facing New Yorkers, we're also investing in amenities that help support vibrant and sustainable neighborhoods," said Jainey Bavishi, Director of the Mayor's Office of Climate Resiliency. "This additional funding will deliver on longstanding community priorities and make public spaces along the East Side of Manhattan more accessible and inviting to residents and visitors alike."  

 

"These community investments are great examples of how we can protect New Yorkers from rising sea levels worsened by climate change while improving the quality of life for local residents," said Ben Furnas, Director of the Mayor's Office of Climate & Sustainability. "This additional funding will increase access to open public spaces along the East River and create new infrastructure that prioritizes green transportation modes like walking and biking."

 

ESCR will include an integrated 2.4-mile system of raised parkland, floodwalls, berms and movable floodgates to create a continuous line of protection against sea level rise and the growing threat of stronger, more severe coastal storms worsened by climate change.

 

In addition to protecting New Yorkers from coastal storms and sea level rise, ESCR will also dramatically improve local parks, playgrounds and recreational facilities. The project involves significant upgrades to public open spaces and amenities, including improved waterfront access through reconstructed bridges and entry points. It will also upgrade existing sewer systems to capture and manage precipitation during storms.

 

Construction of ESCR began at Asser Levy Playground on East 25th Street in November 2020. In April, Mayor de Blasio announced the beginning of major construction activities on the project when crews began pile driving near Stuyvesant Cove Park. The entire project is projected to be completed by 2025, though the project’s flood protection will be fully operational by 2023.

 

COUNCILMEMBER REV. RUBEN DIAZ, SR. ANNOUNCES THE ANNUAL MORRISON FESTIVAL

 

Council Member Ruben Diaz, Sr. along with H.O.G.A.R, Bronx County Expo Association, and Freddy Perez, Jr. Entertainment, announces the 20-year celebration of Morrison Avenue Festival in Bronx County.

 

More than five thousand (5,000) people are expected this Saturday, June 12, during the celebration of the Annual Morrison Avenue Festival (Between Westchester & Watson Avenues) in the County of the Bronx. The Festival will start at 12 noon until 6 in the afternoon.

 

For the past 20 years, the Morrison Avenue Festival has been a day of fun, games, and entertainment for children and families completely free. "LA SONORA PONCEÑA" have been invited from Puerto Rico among other musical groups. 

At 3 p.m., guests of honor, dignitaries, and elected officials will address the public.

 

Note: Transportation to get to the Festival: Train # 6, Buses # 4, # 27 to the Morrison Avenue Stop