News from Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson - Resources and Updates

 

Dear Neighbors,   We had a great week as we traveled across the borough spending time with many of you. On Thursday, we held our Women's Herstory Month event and honored some incredible leaders and trailblazers making a difference in our city. Our office joined colleagues for street co-namings, we celebrated Ghanaian Independence Day, cut the ribbon on an affordable housing development, we honored senior center program directors, and so much more.   I also want to remind you that tax season is here. If you or someone you know needs assistance, New York City has a number of free resources available to you and your family. You can visit BronxWorks for more information.   If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 718-590-3500 or by emailing webmail@bronxbp.nyc.gov.   In partnership, Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson

STATEMENT FROM BOROUGH PRESIDENT GIBSON ON SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF FIRST CONFIRMED COVID-19 FATALITY IN NEW YORK CITY   "As a city, we saw an unprecedented attack on our way of life with the spread of COVID-19 in our communities. Countless lives lost as a result of this pandemic. Friends, family, neighbors, loved ones and so many others who were taken from us too soon. We unfortunately know this too well in the Bronx because our borough was the epicenter of the pandemic in our city. Our neighborhoods were disproportionally impacted by COVID-19 as a result of years of systemic health inequities and we are still fighting for health justice in the Bronx.   Today, is a reminder that we must never forget those that we lost. We owe it to them and our essential workers that continue to be on the front-lines everyday keeping us safe, to not only keep their memories alive, but continue to fight for health justice for all New Yorkers.   We will light Bronx Borough Hall amber this evening in remembrance of those we have lost to COVID-19 and as a reminder that there is continued work that needs to be done."

In the Community

BP Gibson joins Bridgefield Civic League and their Women's Empowerment event. BP Gibson joins Council Member Althea Stevens for the Street Co-Naming in honor of business owner and community leader Andy "The Barber" Foxe.

BP Gibson attends the Hello Spring Pop-up shop with the Garifuna Community supporting local businesses. BP Gibson joins Mayor Adams for the release of his Economic Development Plan in Hunts Point.

BP Gibson celebrates Ghanian Independence. BP Gibson joins with clergy leaders and the community to remember the lives of a Bronx mother and her 6 year-old child who lost their lives due to domestic violence.

BP Gibson joins Executive Superintendent Tobia and Principal Soler at PS 68 to discuss issues impacting The Bronx community and our students. BP Gibson joins colleagues, HPD, Phipps Houses and Acacia Network to cut the ribbon on Santaella Gardens, an affordable housing development in Soundview.

Borough President Gibson joins Council Member Althea Stevens for the Street Co-Naming in honor of Bishop Roy Bryant Senior. Borough President Gibson joins with Program Directors from R.A.I.N. Inc Senior Centers from all around the borough. Celebrating Culture in The Bronx

On Thursday, March 10, 2022, Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson hosted her first Annual Women's HerStory Month celebration at The New York Botanical Garden. This year's honorees included: Executive Director and Co-Founder of Amplify Her Marti Speranza Wong Founder of Black Trans Nation T.S. Candii President and CEO of The Bronx Community Foundation Meisha Ross Porter FDNY Fire Lieutenant Joann Diaz Women's Academy of Excellence Student Yasmeen Muthana received a youth award.

City Hall Updates

Economic Blueprint New York City Mayor Eric Adams unveiled “Rebuild, Renew, Reinvent: A Blueprint for New York City’s Economic Recovery,” outlining his vision for the city’s economic recovery and the future of the city’s economy, all built on equity and inclusivity. “As we attempt to recover from the devastating financial impact COVID-19 had on our economy, I look forward to working with Mayor Adams, the Bronx Overall Economic Development Cooperation, and all of our industry partners in restarting the New York City economic engine,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson. “We need to leverage our public-private partnerships and relationships with community partners to support our businesses, business improvement districts (BIDs), entrepreneurs, cultural partners, and chambers of commerce to create a more inclusive economy. Every industry has been impacted by the pandemic, and we need to make sure we provide them with the necessary resources to come back stronger than before.” Summer Rising New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced an expanded summer program that will connect 110,000 elementary and middle school students to fun, culturally-relevant, hands-on experiences to strengthen their academic, social, and emotional skills. Enrollment will begin in early April for Summer Rising, a free program that will be administered by the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) and the New York City Department of Education (DOE). The program will build on the support Mayor Adams is already providing New York City youth after his announcement of 100,000 summer jobs for city youth last month.    "Investment into our communities starts with investing in our youth, and The Summer Rising Program is doing just that," said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson. "This program, which will provide 110,000 students with opportunities this summer, on top of the expansion of The Summer Youth Employment Program announced last month, demonstrates a real commitment from Mayor Adams and his administration to ensuring our youth have access to resources and opportunities that allow them to learn, grow and prepare themselves for the future. Thank you to Mayor Adams, Chancellor Banks and everyone who collaborated to make this possible."

City Council Members and Bronx BP Gibson Introduce Legislation Capping Credit Card Minimums  This legislation will support consumers by regulating outsized credit card minimums that put an unfair financial burden on customers   New York City Council Members Keith Powers, Marjorie Velázquez, Julie Menin, Carlina Rivera, and Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson introduce legislation to bolster consumer protections in credit card transactions across New York City. The proposed law prohibits businesses from setting a minimum purchase requirement greater than $10 for credit card transactions.  “COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on our residents and many are still attempting to recover financially,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson. “Prohibiting businesses operating in NYC from setting a minimum dollar value greater than ten dollars for credit card purchases is an important step towards economic equity and justice in our city. As we encourage our communities to put money back into our local economy, we want to ensure no one is punished for their socioeconomic status or for using a credit card. I thank Council Member Powers for his partnership on Intro. 611 and I look forward to pushing this important legislation forward.” “Too often, New Yorkers are faced with outsized credit card minimums, forcing them to either buy more items than they’re prepared for or take their business elsewhere—which generally is a larger retailer,” said City Council Member Keith Powers. “This important legislation eliminates that choice by ensuring consumers aren’t priced out of establishments, while still providing businesses with ample room to navigate transaction fees. It’s a win-win for consumers and businesses alike.” This bill will strengthen existing federal law by providing New Yorkers with clear disclosure of credit card transaction maximums at cash terminals, a transparent, publicly-accessible reporting mechanism, and ultimately, a much-needed local enforcement structure to ensure businesses are in compliance. As our city only becomes more reliant on credit cards, this legislation is imperative as it strengthens consumer protections and makes it easier to use credit cards across the city. In 2010, the federal government passed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. This monumental package included a provision stating that businesses are allowed to set credit card minimums only up to $10 dollars, as long as the same standard applies to all credit cards accepted by that merchant.    The legislation introduced today, however, will give the City the necessary power to enforce and execute this provision of the Dodd-Frank Act on a local level through the Department of Consumer and Workplace Protections (DCWP). It will also maximize transparency by requiring businesses to post notice of the prohibition on or near any sale terminal, and order the DCWP to create a form online so the public can report any businesses in violation.

State Senator Gustavo Rivera on Senate One House Budget Resolution

 

“The Senate One-House Budget Resolution adopted today is not only fiscally responsible, but it adequately invests resources to uplift working class New Yorkers across our state. After decades of austerity budgets that slashed government services that New Yorkers rely on, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic further straining our safety net programs and institutions, the Senate’s One-House proposal puts forward a financial plan that will deliver the resources needed for our state to thrive.

As the Chair of the Health Committee, I am proud that significant measures to improve New Yorkers access to quality care are part of this resolution, including: 

• $1 billion for assistance to financially distressed or safety net hospitals.

• An additional $345 million to expand the Essential Plan to all uninsured individuals under 250 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, regardless of their immigration status.

• The Fair Pay for Home Care Act, which raises the minimum wage for home care workers to 150% of the regional minimum wage and increases the reimbursement to home care agencies and fiscal intermediaries.

• Repeal of the Medicaid Global Cap 

• Extension of the Medicaid coverage period for all new mothers to a period of one year beginning on the last day of pregnancy. 

PUBLIC ADVOCATE STATEMENT ON THE SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST CONFIRMED COVID-19 DEATH IN NEW YORK CITY

 

"On March 14, 2020, New York mourned the first known death from COVID-19 in our city. In the two years since, nearly 40,000 lives have been lost across the five boroughs, nearly 70,000 across the state. Today we lift up the lives and memories of those we have lost, and support one another in both the individual pain and the collective trauma that this pandemic has wrought – a trauma that sees recovery stymied by repeated resurgences of the virus.

"We know that we can, and we will, move forward from this moment, but recovery means remembering. Two years ago, we had little concept of the severity of what we would face. Now, we feel the loss of lives and livelihoods in those years; the hope that we can realize to a new normal through vaccination and continued mitigation measures; and the somber resolve to honor the pain, suffering, the ongoing grief in our city by doing all we can, as individuals and in government, to protect one another and prevent future pain."

Attorney General James Secures Over $2 Million for Consumers Deceived by Energy Service Company

 

Family Energy Overcharged New Yorkers and Switched Consumers’ Energy Service Provider Without Their Consent

 New York Attorney General Letitia James secured $2.15 million in restitution from an energy services company, Family Energy, for deceiving and misleading thousands of New Yorkers across the state. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that Family Energy’s dishonest business practices resulted in New York consumers paying more for their gas and electric services — sometimes hundreds of dollars more per year — than they would have paid to their utilities. As a result of Attorney General James’ agreement, Family Energy is required to stop its deceptive practices.

“Family Energy used deception to fool countless New Yorkers,” said Attorney General James. “My office has zero tolerance for deceptive and unlawful practices by energy service companies that hurt New Yorkers. Utility companies have a duty to be honest and accurate and we are committed to holding them to that standard. Today's actions should send a clear message to all energy service companies: if you don't follow the law, expect to hear from my office.”

Family Energy is an energy services company that offers electric and gas products throughout the state. An OAG investigation found that it lured consumers with false promises of savings, and then charged them significant early termination fees when they tried to get out of their contracts. Many consumers did not even realize they had been enrolled with Family Energy, since sales representatives falsely claimed to represent the consumers’ utility and even enrolled consumers without their consent. Hundreds of consumers complained about Family Energy’s practices to the New York Public Service Commission (PSC). In fact, Family Energy had the highest volume of PSC complaints in both 2020 and 2021.

As a result of OAG’s agreement with Family Energy, the company is required to pay $2,150,000 in restitution to impacted consumers. In addition, Family Energy is required to take measures to prevent deceptive practices in the future, including adequate training of customer service representatives, recording telephone communications between customers and sales representatives that result in a sale, refraining from misleading marketing and advertising that implies savings, regularly monitoring sales calls, and implementing appropriate disciplinary procedures for violations of the law.

New Yorkers who bought electricity from Family Energy may be eligible for a refund if they were subject to certain deceptive practices. New Yorkers can submit a complaint online or call (800) 771-7755 to receive a complaint form by mail and return it to the Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau at 28 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10005.

When purchasing gas and electricity, consumers have two choices: 1) buy directly from a utility company or 2) contract the purchase through an energy services company (ESCO) that purchases energy on the open market and then sells that energy to consumers. Because ESCOs buy the electricity and gas they supply to their customers from the same sources as the utility companies, there is no qualitative difference between the electricity and gas supplied by ESCOs and utilities. The PSC has recognized problems with the ESCO industry and has adopted regulations that restrict the kinds of plans ESCOs can offer to residential and small business consumers. In addition to guaranteed savings products, ESCOs can offer green products or fixed rate products that do not provide savings over utility rates.

The agreement with Family Energy is part of OAG’s long-standing, ongoing investigation of ESCOs. Investigations into this industry have resulted in ESCOs paying millions of dollars in restitution and penalties. Over the last five years, OAG has recovered nearly $7 million in settlements from five ESCOs.

Consumers can protect themselves from unscrupulous ESCOs by remembering the following tips:

•    If you receive an offer for energy services, make sure you understand whether the offer is from your utility or an ESCO.
•    You do not have to choose an ESCO to supply your gas or electricity. You may choose to use your utility as your direct supplier.
•   Make sure you understand whether an ESCO contract involves an early termination fee and, if so, the fee amount and the length of your contract commitment.
•    Before accepting any offer, ask the ESCO to show you how its rates have compared with your utility’s rates during each month in the past year. This can help you judge how competitive the ESCO’s rates may be in the future.
•    Remember that you have the right to cancel an ESCO contract with no obligation within three days if you change your mind.
•   If you are uncomfortable with how a marketer behaves, end the conversation with a request to look over their offer in writing so you can get back to them when you have made a decision free of any pressure.
•    If you receive a notice that your service is being switched to an ESCO and you did not authorize the switch, contact the utility and the ESCO immediately to tell them to halt the switch. If you are unable to get an ESCO switch cancelled, contact PSC at 1-888-697-7728.

MAYOR ADAMS’ STATEMENT ON SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF FIRST CONFIRMED COVID-19 FATALITY IN NEW YORK CITY

 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today released the following statement on the second anniversary of the first confirmed COVID-19 fatality in New York City:

 

“Today, we mourn the nearly 40,000 New Yorkers who lost their lives because of COVID-19. This pandemic has caused incalculable suffering and pain for our families, friends, and neighbors.

 

“As we work to recover and rebuild New York City, we must remember those that we have lost, and carry on their stories. We will never forget their names, their faces, or the ways they have shaped this great city, and we recommit ourselves, in their memories, to remake our city into one that is more just, equitable, and resilient.”

 

Mayor Adams today ordered City Hall and the following city buildings to be lit amber this evening in honor of the anniversary:

 

• The David N. Dinkins Manhattan Municipal Building
• Bronx Borough Hall
• Brooklyn Borough Hall
• Queens Borough Hall
• Staten Island Borough Hall

Statement from NYC Comptroller Brad Lander on Transparency in Government

 

“New Yorkers deserve to know when their elected officials meet with people who seek to influence public policy because transparency is essential to maintaining public trust. The Administration’s decision to forgo regular reporting of high-level meetings with lobbyists is a mistake that may undermine that trust. My office will regularly disclose any meetings that I or my senior staff have with registered lobbyists, as part of our commitment to transparency and accountability.”

Governor Hochul Announces New Actions to Increase Transparency and Access to Public Records

Office of Information Technology Services Takes Next Step in Procurement Process for New Software to Expeditiously Process FOIL Requests  

Hochul Administration Has Committed to Improving FOIL Process and Completed More FOIL Requests Since Taking Office Less Than Seven Months Ago Than Had Been Processed In All Of 2019 Or All Of 2020 Based On Preliminary Data 

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that New York State is moving forward with improvements to the process of responding to public records requests. Building on efforts announced in October to streamline the Freedom of Information Law process, including directing agencies to proactively post commonly-requested documents online and allowing agencies to respond to FOIL requests without Executive Chamber review, Governor Hochul has directed the New York State Office of Information Technology Services to issue a Request for Quotes to secure a software platform which will accelerate and streamline the State's process for receiving, processing and responding to FOIL requests. The announcement comes during Sunshine Week, an opportunity to spotlight efforts to increase openness and transparency in government.  

"On my first day in office, I pledged to turn the page on the old ways of Albany and restore New Yorkers' faith in their government,"Governor Hochul said."We're taking meaningful action to streamline the process to access public records, so journalists and members of the public can more easily access information to which they are entitled. While there's always more work to do, I'm proud of the steps my administration has taken to increase transparency and accountability in New York State government."  

In October 2021, Governor Hochul announced improvements to the FOIL process, with the goal of providing more public records on a faster timeline and reducing the backlog of thousands of FOIL requests inherited by theHochul Administration. Agencies are no longer required to send FOIL responses to the Executive Chamber for review, but instead will process FOIL requests directly through their agency's General Counsel. Agencies are also required to take steps to identify and publicly post frequently requested documents and documents that have public significance, so interested parties can find relevant information without needing to file a FOIL request. The Executive Chamber is reviewing agency requests to fill FOIL staffing and software capacity needs, as well as provide FOIL trainings to all state agencies.    

Based on preliminary data, more than 400 FOIL requests have been processed and completed by the Executive Chamber since Governor Hochul took office. The Hochul Administration has processed and completed more FOIL requests over the past seven months than in all of 2019 (323 requests completed) and all of 2020 (368 requests completed).  

Building on this progress, the Office of Information Technology Services today took the next step in the procurement process by issuing an RFQ for a software platform which will serve to accelerate and streamline the State's process for receiving, processing and responding to FOIL requests. Such a software platform will be a major step toward increasing transparency and timely access to public records. The new software platform will use technology to streamline the receipt, processing and response to FOIL requests, thus allowing a more efficient and expeditious process. Now that the RFQ is issued, ITS expects a contract to be finalized in the coming weeks.  

NYS Office of Information Technology Services (ITS) Chief Information Officer Angelo "Tony" Riddick said, "Today's announcement is a major step forward for all New Yorkers who believe that state government should be open, honest, transparent and accountable. I commend Governor Hochul for her commitment to breaking down the barriers to sharing information and data with the public in a timely way. ITS is proud to assist the Governor in executing her vision of what is possible when openness and transparency becomes the rule and not the exception."

This announcement is the latest effort from Governor Hochul to increase transparency, accountability and ethics in state government. In her State of the State address, Governor Hochul announced proposals to reform the Joint Commission on Public Ethics and institute term limits and outside income bans for statewide elected officials. Weeks after taking office, Governor Hochul publicly released transparency plans from more than 70 state agencies, recusal policies for top State officials, and instituted new human resources policies to protect employees across state government and within the Executive Chamber from discrimination and harassment.