MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES NEW CAMPAIGN OF DIGITAL BILLBOARDS IN FIVE FLORIDA MARKETS DENNOUNCING ‘DON’T SAY GAY’ LAW AND INVITING FLORIDIANS TO MOVE TO NEW YORK

 

Billboards Will Deliver an Estimated 5 Million Impressions, Reaffirm Adams Administration’s Commitment to LGBTQ+ Community and Preserving Free Speech

 

Creative Content for Campaign Donated by WPP Companies, VMLY&R, GroupM, BCW, H+K Strategies, and Kinetic

 

Donated Ad Space Secured by Kinetic

 New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the launch of digital billboards and creative ads denouncing the recent passage of “Don’t Say Gay” in five Florida cities. The campaign is a reaffirmation of Mayor Adams’ commitment and unconditional support for the LGBTQ+ community. The new legislation bans instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through third grade — a targeted attack on the LGBTQ+ population. New York City’s response is to double down on its commitment to preserving the right to free speech and building a city that welcomes everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. With this new creative campaign, New York City is making a direct call to Floridians who are under attack.

 

“I am the mayor of New York City, but I have a message for Florida’s LGBTQ+ community — come to a city where you can say and be whoever you want,” said Mayor Adams. “Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill is the latest shameful, extremist culture war targeting the LGBTQ+ community. Today, we say to the families living in fear of this state-sponsored discrimination that you will always have a home in New York City.”

 

Creative content for the billboards was designed in partnership with WPP companies, VMLY&R, GroupM, BCW, and H+K Strategies. All of the donated ad space was secured by Kinetic, a GroupM company. In total, there will be five unique pieces of creative art that will run across digital billboards and social media.

 

“Educators work every day to make New York City public schools safe and supportive environments for LGBTQ+ youth,” said New York City Department of Education Chancellor David C. Banks. “From what we teach, to how we care for young people, we create schools that affirm and lift up the students and honor who they are. Children bring the totality of who they are into our classrooms, and the cruel actions being taken across this country to attack LGBTQ+ children is contrary to everything we believe in as educators.”

 

“LGBTQ+ youth deserve the same things that all young people deserve: to be seen, to be heard, and to be respected,” said Kevin Jennings, CEO, Lambda Legal; and founder, Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. “Schools and curriculums that are inclusive of all young people and their families literally save lives. We’re here with a welcoming, loud, and proud message to let LGBTQ+ young people know they are not alone.”

 

“New York City stands firmly with LGBTQ+ youth across the country during these difficult times,” said Elisa Crespo, executive director, NEW Pride Agenda. “We are here for you, we see you, and we will always have your back and fight for you.”

 

“The New York City Anti-Violence Project stands in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community of Florida,” said Beverly Tillery, executive director, New York City Anti-Violence Project. “Attempting to silence and deny LGBTQ+ people, especially youth, the support they need is violence and can lead to poor mental health outcomes, interruptions in education, and youth homelessness. If you are an LGBTQ+ survivor of violence and need help, you can call or text our 24-hour, bilingual hotline for support and referrals: 212-714-1141.”

 

“Mayor Adams is making an excellent statement with these ads — in New York City, everyone is welcome,” said Daniel Dromm, LGBTQ+ activist; former chair, New York City Council Committee on Finance. “As a New York City public school teacher for 25 years, I have news for Florida: Students are already saying gay. They see us on the news and on television shows. They know that LGBTQ+ people are their family, friends, and neighbors. These ads will reaffirm New York City’s commitment to creating an inclusive school environment, in sharp contrast to the discriminatory policies of Governor DeSantis.”

 

“Over 40 percent of the 2,000 LGBTQ+ youths Ali Forney Center sees every year come from outside the Empire State, and a majority come to us from the south,” said Alex Roque, executive director, Ali Forney Center (AFC). “New York City has been a beacon of acceptance, hope, and love. AFC applauds the City of New York for supporting proudly, loudly, and visibly efforts to demonstrate for LGBTQ+ youths that they are welcome here to be who they are.”

 

The outdoor campaign and activation will be aimed and run in the following markets of Florida from April 4 through May 29, for a total of eight weeks — delivering an estimated 5 million impressions:

 

• Fort Lauderdale
• Jacksonville
• Orlando
• Tampa
• West Palm Beach

No COVID-19 Update From Governor Hochul Today Sunday April 3, 2022. The First Time Since the Data Was Being Reported

 

Starting Friday April1, 2022 the New York State COVID-19 Update press release will be issued Monday through Friday. Daily data will continue to be available at the New York State Department of Health's online COVID tracker: ny.gov/covid19data

This was no April Fool's Joke by Governor Hochul as the positive rate has been steadily increasing over the past two weeks from its lowest levels in a long time.

NEW YORK STATE TO HOST DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES CRITERIA EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS

 

April Virtual Information Sessions Will Detail Criteria and Development Process and Offer Opportunities to Ask Technical Questions

 The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), in partnership with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), will host two virtual information and educational sessions on the State’s draft disadvantaged communities (DAC) criteria on Wednesday, April 13, and Tuesday, April 19.

New York’s Climate Justice Working Group (CJWG) consists of representatives from Environmental Justice groups from across the State. The CJWG voted to release the draft criteria for identifying disadvantaged communities for public review. The criteria are based on geographic, public health, environmental hazard, and socioeconomic factors, and once approved, will be used to help meet the directives of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act) related to reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as to inform regulatory impact statements and inform the State’s clean energy and energy efficiency investments. The draft disadvantaged communities criteria was released last month for public review and comment.

The April public education sessions are an opportunity for interested stakeholders to review the CJWG’s process and methodology for selecting DACs and to answer technical questions on the draft criteria and maps. These are not public hearings to receive public comments. A schedule for in-person and virtual public hearings on the draft criteria and indicators is being developed and will be announced soon. To submit public comments, please visit https://climate.ny.gov/Our-Climate-Act/Disadvantaged-Communities-Criteria, email DEC at DACComments@dec.ny.gov, or send via U.S. mail to: Attention: Draft DAC Comments, NYS DEC, Attn. Office of Environmental Justice, 625 Broadway, 14th Floor, Albany NY 12233.

Information and education sessions are:

Session 1: Wednesday, Apr. 13, 2022 - 12:00 pm | (UTC-04:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)

Attendees join link: https://meetny-broadcast-pilot.webex.com/meetny-broadcast-pilot/j.php?MTID=mdefbecea7780c6aaaf9be7d48a3c50dc

Webinar number: 2339 337 3154

Webinar password: DAC-Apr13 (32202771 from phones)

Join by phone: +1-518-549-0500 USA Toll

Enter access code: 233 933 73154

Session 2: Tuesday, Apr 19, 2022 - 6:00 pm | (UTC-04:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)

Spanish Translation Services will be available

Attendees join link: https://meetny-broadcast-pilot.webex.com/meetny-broadcast-pilot/j.php?MTID=m466e21b3d31187e01454265702c75002

Webinar number: 2337 652 8847

Webinar password: DAC-Apr19 (32202771 from phones)

Join by phone: +1-518-549-0500 USA Toll

Enter access code: 233 765 28847

Note: Closed captioning will be available for both webinars. In addition, Spanish interpretation will be available for the April 19 webinar. Please direct requests for additional language interpretation for either the April 13 or 19 webinars by email to Language@dec.ny.gov or telephone to 518-402-8044. Interpretation is provided free of charge and all interpretation requests must be received no later than April 5.

For more information visit: Draft Scoping Plan Currently Out for Public Comment and Review. The sessions will be recorded and posted on DEC’s website for reference throughout the comment period. 

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz Digest:

 

• GET VACCINATED AND BOOSTED! •

What's Happening in the 81st Assembly District?

Dinowitz to DOT: Install Left Turn Signals First Before Making Major Changes to Riverdale Avenue Design Thoughts on Spending State Dollars on Stadium for Buffalo Billionaires Local Update: Noisy Stagg Development Project at 3745 Riverdale Avenue Albany Update: New Laws Taking Effect in April REMINDER: MetroCard Van Services in Woodlawn and Central Riverdale Next on Friday, April 29 Updates from Government & Community Partners

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Dinowitz to DOT: Install Left Turn Signals First Before Making Major Changes to Riverdale Avenue Design

Last night, the Bronx Department of Transportation finally shared their road diet proposal for Riverdale Avenue with the general public at a Community Board 8 Traffic & Transportation Committee meeting. A "road diet" is a term that is used to describe roadway redesigns which reduce the total number of lanes available for vehicular travel. In this case, Bronx DOT plans to convert four travel lanes (two going north, two going south) into two travel lanes (one going north, one going south) and a center lane that will be used for left turns. The proposal also includes a pair of unprotected bike lanes (one going north, one going south) between the parking lanes and travel lanes on either side. These changes would be in effect from West 254th Street (where the Henry Hudson Parkway diverges from Riverdale Avenue) to West 263rd Street (the Bronx County line), and Bronx DOT has told me that they have not communicated with Yonkers about their road diet plan and how it would connect with the Yonkers segment of Riverdale Avenue. To be clear, I support improved safety along Riverdale Avenue — and I have long advocated for safety improvements including left turn signals to be installed for northbound traffic at West 256th Street and West 259th Street. I generally support expanding our network of bike lanes so that we have an active transportation network that is actually useful in helping people get where they need to go without relying on cars, just as I have supported expanding the pedal-assist e-bike program into our topographically diverse community. I support expanded speed enforcement on Riverdale Avenue through speed cameras and other measures, so that people aren't treating our neighborhood like a superhighway. However, I am concerned that the Bronx DOT's road diet proposal completely ignores the issue of double-parked vehicles on Riverdale Avenue — especially around arrival and dismissal times at PS81. I have yet to receive any data, whether anecdotal or scientific, about whether reducing the number of lanes reduces double-parking behavior. Based on my experience with Johnson Avenue, which is a single travel lane in both directions, it will have no impact at all on the prevalence of double-parking activity. Bronx DOT may want to pass the buck on double-parking, calling it an enforcement issue that needs to be addressed by NYPD — but we need to be realistic about how people actually behave and come up with solutions that reduce harm created by improper behavior such as double-parking. I am concerned that the Bronx DOT road diet proposal simply ignores reality in this respect. I wonder if the simplest and most sensible safety measure that can be put into place on Riverdale Avenue is the addition of left turn signals and left turn only lanes for northbound traffic at West 256th Street and West 259th Street. Perhaps DOT should take those steps first and evaluate their effect before making wholesale changes to all of Riverdale Avenue by reducing the number of lanes. If you have opinions on this issue, please share them with me by voting in the poll of the week further below, or by sending me an email. You can also contact Bronx DOT directly at 212-748-6680 or online here.

Thoughts on Spending State Dollars on Stadium for Buffalo Billionaires

Some of you may have heard that the owners of the Buffalo Bills, who happen to have a net worth of at least $5 billion, have reached an agreement with the Governor to fund the construction of a new stadium for the Bills. According to media reports, this agreement would include $850 million in public funding for the stadium (which itself would cost $1.4 billion in total). Of this $850 million — a reported $600 million would come from the state, while $250 million would come from Erie County. The Pegula family, which owns the Bills, would contribute a combined $550 million from themselves and from the NFL. The Governor's Office claims that the Bills generate $27 million in direct revenue per year for New York State, Erie County, and the City of Buffalo as well as $385 million in economic activity per year. They also say the stadium project would create approximately 10,000 construction jobs (using union labor). The current stadium and adjoining complex would also be transferred to the State, and the State will own the new stadium and adjoining complex and will lease it to the Bills. This funding would need to be allocated in the state budget, which has not been passed yet. According to media reports, the bulk of the state's proposed share in this stadium would be funded by $418 million in payouts from the Seneca Nation of Indians from back casino payments that had been held up in litigation for several years. I oppose this proposal to spend $600 million in state money on a new stadium for a privately-owned sports team, especially considering the immense wealth of the team owners. Additionally, I strongly believe that this is an inappropriate use of casino revenue from the Seneca Nation of Indians. This being said, I want to explain a little bit of context about how the budget generally works in New York (and frankly in governments across the country). We will almost certainly not be given an opportunity to vote yes or no on the issue of the Bills stadium funding by itself. Typically, there are a series of omnibus budget bills, each dealing with different types of programs. Legislators then have to vote on an entire bill, which inevitably includes various programs that an individual legislator does not support along with many programs which that individual strongly supports. Part of being in a democracy is working together with colleagues to reach consensus, even if we don't get every single thing we want (or if we do get some things that we don't want). I will certainly speak out against the spending of state money on the Bills stadium, but it is important to remember that this is something that 149 other Assembly Members will have an opinion on as well.

Local Update: Noisy Stagg Development Project at 3745 Riverdale Avenue

My office has received several calls and emails from constituents who are concerned about the noise coming from the Stagg development project at 3745 Riverdale Avenue (which goes all the way through to Oxford Avenue). As I have said before (here), I think this proposal is way too big and it does not create family-friendly apartments that are large enough for people to raise their kids in. I am also very concerned that these apartments will not be affordable for most Bronxites, even with so-called affordable housing tax credits that are supposed to encourage developers to build affordable homes. However, under our current system of land use rights and zoning regulations, developers are allowed to build projects without community consent as long as they stay within whatever the zoning regulations allow. As long as they have the appropriate permits from the NYC Department of Buildings, the Fire Department, the Department of Transportation, and whoever else — the most we can really do (barring legal action from community residents) is work hard to ensure that the rules on construction are being followed. My office has already corresponded with the Stagg Group about the takeover of metered street parking spaces by their work crews, and we have been told that they spoke to their workers and will find other places to park. If you notice that workers are inappropriately blocking metered parking spaces (meaning that they have cones or vests or whatever on their car and are not paying for the meter), please let me know and my office will follow up. On the specific issue of construction noise, please understand that some degree of noise is unavoidable. The standard regulations for construction noise allow construction activity between the hours of 7am and 6pm on weekdays. Additional permits are required to do construction work outside of these hours or on weekends. If you believe that the noise being made is excessive, or is being made outside of appropriate hours, please submit a 311 complaint while the activity is occurring. This includes trucks that are backing up or unloading at the site before 7am. I understand that it is really annoying to have to contact 311 at 6 in the morning, but that is the way that we can create a record of any problems that occur. You can also file a complaint online if you don't want to deal with the telephone operators: https://portal.311.nyc.gov/article/?kanumber=KA-01091 Additionally, Community Board 8's Land Use Committee is having a public meeting on this development on Monday, April 4 at 7pm. The log-on information for that meeting is below: VIDEO CONFERENCE LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2114033690    or DIAL-IN NUMBER: (646) 558-8656    Pin:2114033690#

Albany Update: New Laws Taking Effect in April

As we continue to work on the state budget over the weekend, I wanted to take a moment to share new laws that are taking effect this month: Effective Date: 4/1/2022 • Chapter 92 of 2021 Enacts certain provisions of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act that authorize the sale of cannabis in the state and establish a structure for taxation. • Chapter 56 of 2021, Part JJ, Subpart A Requires social services to provide any parent or guardian receiving public assistance with educational materials about adverse childhood experiences, the importance of protective factors and the availability of services for children. • Chapter 56 of 2021, Part OO Clarifies the powers of a social services official to receive and dispose of a deed, mortgage or lien. • Chapter 59 of 2021, Part GG, Section 2 Extends the income tax credit for individuals or entities investing in low-income housing. • Chapter 527 of 2021 Makes it illegal to sell, offer for sale, or install a cut-out, bypass or similar device for the muffler or exhaust system of a motor vehicle or motorcycle. • Chapter 781 of 2021 Enacts the Make Voting Easy Act, which requires the board of elections to designate early voting polling places and extend the hours polls are open for early voting. • Chapter 834 of 2021 & Chapter 170 of 2022 Establishes the chief disability officer within the executive chamber to advocate on behalf of people with disabilities and ensure they are afforded the opportunity to exercise all of the rights and responsibilities accorded to citizens of the state of New York. • Chapter 117 of 2022 Changes the process for canvassing absentee, military, special and affidavit ballots in order to obtain the results of an election in a more expedited manner and to assure that every vote is counted. Effective April 5, 2022 • Chapter 434 of 2021 Directs the Office of Addiction Services and Supports to maintain an online directory of distributors of opioid antagonists. Effective April 6, 2022 • Chapter 446 of 2021 Requires weight loss services or products to provide consumers with a weight loss and dieting information notice, which includes the dangers of rapid weight loss, dieting information, and risks associated with certain medications used with weight loss programs. • Chapter 459 of 2021 Requires municipalities to consider the use of renewable energy sources when designing local building and planning regulations. • Chapter 465 of 2021 Updates the education and experience requirements for professional engineers by requiring at least a bachelor's degree in an engineering program or the substantial equivalent. • Chapter 473 of 2021 Requires charter buses to have commercial global positioning (GPS) technology. Effective April 7, 2022 • Chapter 593 of 2021, Section 4 Enacts a provision of the Consumer Credit Fairness Act, which reduces the statute of limitations to file a debt collection action from six years to three years. Effective April 9, 2022 • Chapter 672 of 2021 Reinstates a tax credit and tax exemption for the rehabilitation of historic barns. Effective April 20, 2022 • Chapter 682 of 2021 Authorizes the operation of autocycles with either a class D driver's license or class M motorcyclist's license.  • Chapter 688 of 2021 Requires real estate brokers to receive two hours of training in cultural competency. • Chapter 701 of 2021 Establishes a dedicated telephone line for housing discrimination complaints. • Chapter 705 of 2021, Section 2 & Chapter 66 of 2022, Section 1, 2 Requires the Department of Health to translate the Nursing Home Bill of Rights to the 10 most common languages spoken by individuals with limited-English proficiency. Also requires nursing homes to post the nursing home complaint hotline and the contact information of the regional ombudsman where notices are commonly displayed, and ensures this information is provided to staff as well as every patient and their appointed personal representative at the time of admission to the facility. • Chapter 153 of 2022, Section 1 Requires real estate brokers to institute standardized operating procedures for the prerequisites prospective homebuyers must meet prior to receiving any services. Effective April 21, 2022 • Chapter 745 of 2021 Requires every state agency, board, or commission that collects data on ethnic origin for residents of the state of New York to use separate categories for a number of Asian groups, including but not limited to: Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Indonesian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Taiwanese. • Chapter 786 of 2021, Part B Requires gas and electric corporations to provide residential customers with a $25 credit on the balance of their bill for each 24-hour period of service outage that occurs for more than 72 consecutive hours after an emergency event, as well as reimburse for medication and food that expires or spoils due to a service outage that lasts longer than 72 consecutive hours after an emergency event, up to $540 for food. Effective April 23, 2022 • Chapter 496 of 2021 Designates human organ delivery vehicles as authorized emergency vehicles. • Chapter 499 of 2021 Requires contractors and subcontractors to disclose the existence of property and casualty insurance before they begin work on a home. Effective April 26, 2022 • Chapter 520 of 2021 & Chapter 149 of 2022 Enacts the Jose Webster Untraceable Firearms Act, which criminalizes the sale of ghost guns and requires gunsmiths to register and serialize firearms, rifles, shotguns, and unfinished frames or receivers they assemble. • Chapter 94 of 2022 Clarifies that the provisions of the Scott J. Beigel Unfinished Receiver Act, which prohibits the possession and sale of unfinished frames or receivers in New York State, apply to licensed dealers in firearms and to the sale of unserialized frames and receivers. Effective April 30, 2022 • Chapter 831 of 2021 Provides that the rate of interest on money judgments in actions involving consumer debt shall be calculated at a rate of two percent.

REMINDER: MetroCard Van Services in Woodlawn and Central Riverdale Next on Friday, April 29

At our request, the MTA has agreed to provide their MetroCard van in central Riverdale and in Woodlawn once again during the months of March, April, and May. This is an easy way for you to apply for a reduced-fare MetroCard, to refill a MetroCard (including reduced-fare MetroCards), or to deal with any other MetroCard-related issue you may be having. The MetroCard van will be available at West 235th Street and Johnson Avenue between 9:30am and 11:30am, and will be available at the Woodlawn Library (Katonah Avenue and East 239th Street) between 12:30pm and 2:30pm on the following dates: • Friday, April 29 • Tuesday, May 31 As a reminder, the MetroCard van is also available on a recurring basis at the following locations: • Riverdale at Skyview Shopping Center (Riverdale Avenue between West 256th Street and West 259th Street) on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month between 10:30am and 12:30pm • Kingsbridge at West 231st Street and Broadway on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month between 1:30pm and 3:30pm • Knolls Crescent Mall (11-21 Knolls Crescent) on the 2nd and 4th Friday between 10am and 12pm My office will continue to advocate for the restoration of MetroCard van service to the Van Cortlandt Senior Center as well as the permanent addition of the locations in central Riverdale and Woodlawn to their regular schedule. The MTA has also indicated that riders can refill their MetroCards at participating retailers throughout the city. For a list of these retailers, please visit: tripplanner.mta.info/metrocardmerchants/BoroughMetroCardMap.aspx?zone=BX.