Council Member Marjorie Velázquez - Back to School + Community Round-Up

Dear Neighbor,

This week has been full of excitement and I am truly excited to see unity in the district continue. As we enter the fall season in the coming weeks, it’s important that we focus on two things: unity and empathy.

Our communities thrive off of the values instilled over years of development. As we continue to grow, unity and empathy are critical values that we must continue to demonstrate in our everyday lives. With school starting and the holiday season quickly approaching, we must remind each other that our youth are a reflection of not only us as individuals but our values. As we show our children what unity looks like, let’s remind ourselves to lead by example.

In this week’s newsletter, you will read about some of the changes coming to our City and upcoming events in our district. I invite you all to complete each survey (click here for my office’s Congestion Pricing Survey or here to submit a Congestion Pricing Testimony), ask questions and provide suggestions because we are all here, united, to make our community a better place.

If you have questions about any of the resources below, you can reach out to my office Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM at (718) 931-1721 or via email at District13@council.nyc.gov

In the meantime, I look forward to this weekend’s event and hope to see you all there!

Sincerely,

Council Member Marjorie Velázquez

What’s Happening In District 13?

Welcome Back to School!

This week, our students and educators stepped back into the classroom to kick off a fantastic year. I stopped by a few schools to share this moment, especially with students entering our schools for the first time. There were many smiles as students high-fived their teachers with our favorite teachers and their friends at MS X101. Thank you, Principal Rosoff, for such an exciting morning. Here’s to an amazing year!

LEGISLATIVE CORNER

A Message For Our Homeowners

Recently, I helped pass a law within the New York City Council that has since been signed by Mayor Adams, indicating that eligible New York City homeowners will receive property tax rebates of up to $150.

The majority of eligible property owners have received their checks automatically and did not need to take any action. However, many property owners are unaware they may be eligible for this rebate, and we are working to ensure our residents have access to information to determine their eligibility.

Owners may be eligible for a property tax rebate if they own their home, it serves as their primary residence, and their household income is $250,000 or less. More information about the rebates is available at www.nyc.gov/propertytaxrebate.

Constituents who believe they meet the eligibility criteria but do not receive a check by the end of September can take the following steps by November 15, 2022:

1. Visit www.nyc.gov/dofsmartfile.

2. If you do not already have an account, select “Create Account” and log in.

3. Select “2022 - Property Tax Rebate Form.”

4. Complete the information and upload the documentation requested.

5. Remember to click “Submit.” The Department of Finance will notify property owners whether they are eligible for the rebate.

If you have any questions about the rebate initiative, please contact the Department of Finance via our online customer service portal, www.nyc.gov/dofcustomerservice, or call 311.

NYC Congestion Pricing

The MTA recently announced their draft Environmental Assessment for the ‘Central Business District Tolling Program,’ commonly known as congestion pricing. This program would call for tolls ranging from $9 to $23 to enter and travel through Manhattan, south of 60th Street by car. If you were unable to attend a hearing to testify, click here for a list of upcoming regional meetings and environmental justice public meetings

Previous hearings, meetings and video presentations explaining the project can be found on the MTA’s project website by clicking here.

Upcoming Regional Public Meetings (Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island)

• Thursday, September 23, 2021 (click here to view meeting)

• Thursday, September 30, 2021 (click here to view meeting)

Reminder: Today is the last day to submit a testimony through the MTA website by clicking here. For many of our neighbors, congestion pricing is a huge factor that will effect one’s ability to commute between their homes and Manhattan. I am also including a link here to a survey that has been put together by my office, so that we can support those in our district in regards to congestion pricing.

For information on how Congestion Pricing can impact our community, click here.

Serving Our Seniors

PROTECTNG OUR SENIORS AGAINST DIGITAL MONEY TRANSFER FRAUD

In recent years, digital money transfers have been increasingly popular. Unfortunately, many individuals, particularly our seniors, have been a victim of digital money transfer fraud. Scammers come in all forms, and can contact you requesting payment through a Wire Transfer or digital service such as Venmo, CashApp, or Zelle, which allow money to be sent instantly and are often difficult to recover and monitor. Below are a few tips on how to protect yourself from digital money transfer fraud.

There are many entities that will try scam you; you should never transfer money to:

• Anyone who claims to be from a government agency

• Any stranger, no matter what reason they give

• A telemarketer trying to sell you something

• Anyone claiming your account is compromised

• Unauthorized, unverified cryptocurrency sites or salespeople

• Anyone asking you to send money to yourself

To view the video on the risks of digital money transfers, please click here.

Upcoming Events - Family Achilles International in partnership with Citi Bike and Lyft have established an adaptive cycling program, which will provide free, weekly sessions where people with disabilities can reserve a tandem bike or handcycle for recreational use. The program runs through November 2022; to RSVP for the Bronx session on Wednesdays at 11 AM, fill out the registration form by clicking here.

Important Information - JOBS Click to Apply Important Information - PARKS Join us on Monday, October 24th at 6 PM for a virtual town meeting to discuss and share your input on the upcoming renovations at Ferry Point Park Playground. All participants must pre-register at least 24 hours ahead by clicking here.

STATEMENT ON WATER SITUATION AT RIIS HOUSES

 

The following is a statement from Fabien Levy, press secretary to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, on the water situation at the Jacob Riis Houses in Manhattan:

 

“Today, Environmental Monitoring and Technologies — the original lab that provided the initial test results claiming there was arsenic in the water at Riis Houses issued a full retraction and released revised results, calling their initial results ‘incorrect.’ Worse yet, the company has now admitted to being the ones that introduced arsenic into the samples, leading to the false results.

 

“Environmental Monitoring and Technologies also today released results of a retest they initiated of the original samples and found the results to be negative for arsenic. This matches the separate retest we conducted through a different vendor, LiRo Environmental. We have now tested more than 140 points — both at the source and at the point of delivery — and we can confidently say the water at Riis Houses is and has been free of any discernable amount of arsenic since the initial tests were initiated in August. Needless to say, neither NYCHA nor any other city agency will test water through Environmental Monitoring and Technologies any longer, and the city intends to pursue all available legal options on behalf of the residents of Riis Houses.

 

“Above all else, the health and safety of residents remain our top priorities and we continue to approach the situation with an extreme level of care, which is why, earlier this week, we initiated a number of additional tests through LiRo Environmental for other contaminants. Initial results for typical contaminants have now come back negative. We expect to have additional results for non-typical contaminants tomorrow. In the meantime, out of an abundance of caution, we are continuing to ask Riis Houses residents not to drink or cook with the water in their buildings until these final test results are returned and analyzed. We continue to provide clean water for anyone who needs it.

 

“We have and will continue to be transparent about the information we receive. As such, we will be releasing the initial arsenic reports from Environmental Monitoring and Technologies that we now know to be inaccurate and the revised reports from the company provided to us today, as well as the negative results we received from LiRo Environmental earlier this week. We will continue to provide updates as we get them.”

 

Environmental Monitoring and Technologies today issued the following “Statement of Retracted and Revised Results” on their initial arsenic tests at the Jacob Riis Houses.

 

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

 

Governor Encourages New Yorkers to Keep Using the Tools to Protect Against and Treat COVID-19: Vaccines, Boosters, Testing, and Treatment

11 Statewide Deaths Reported Yesterday

 Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating COVID-19. 

"As we look toward the fall, I urge New Yorkers to remain vigilant in keeping themselves and their loved ones safe and healthy," Governor Hochul said. "Take advantage of the vaccine by staying up to date on doses. Test before gatherings or travel and if you test positive, talk to your doctor about potential treatment options."

Earlier this week, Governor Hochul announced the availability of bivalent COVID-19 vaccine boosters from Pfizer-BioNTech for anyone age 12 or older and from Moderna for those 18 or older. To schedule an appointment for a booster, New Yorkers should contact their local pharmacy, county health department, or healthcare provider; visit vaccines.gov; text their ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find nearby locations.

In addition, Governor Hochul announced that masking is optional in multiple settings where they were previously required, including on public transportation, in for-hire vehicles, at airports, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, and detention centers. Masks are still required at adult care and health care facilities regulated by the state Department of Health, and in clinical settings regulated by the Office of Mental Health, Office of Addiction Services and Supports, and Office for People With Developmental Disabilities.  

Today's data is summarized briefly below:   

• Cases Per 100k - 21.81
• 7-Day Average Cases Per 100k - 17.64
• Test Results Reported - 62,519
• Total Positive - 4,263
• Percent Positive - 6.71%**
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 5.94%**   
• Patient Hospitalization - 2,179 (-20)
• Patients Newly Admitted - 356
• Patients in ICU - 234 (+5)
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 86 (1)
• Total Discharges - 339,552 (+339)
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 11
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 57,782

** Due to the test reporting policy change by the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and several other factors, the most reliable metric to measure virus impact on a community is the case per 100,000 data -- not percent positivity.   

The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only.   

Important Note: Effective Monday, April 4, the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is no longer requiring testing facilities that use COVID-19 rapid antigen tests to report negative results. As a result, New York State's percent positive metric will be computed using only lab-reported PCR results. Positive antigen tests will still be reported to New York State and reporting of new daily cases and cases per 100k will continue to include both PCR and antigen tests. Due to this change and other factors, including changes in testing practices, the most reliable metric to measure virus impact on a community is the case per 100,000 data -- not percent positivity.   

• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 73,826

This daily COVID-19 provisional death certificate data reported by NYS DOH and NYC to the CDC includes those who died in any location, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, at home, in hospice and other settings.   

• Total vaccine doses administered - 40,132,820           
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 11,380
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 33,151
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 93.3%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 84.7%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 95.0%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 88.4%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 85.4%
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 74.9%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 83.3%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 75.3%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 92.1%
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 78.5%

Each New York City borough's 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows **: 

Borough	Tuesday, Septemer6, 2022	Wednesday,September 7, 2022	Thursday, September 8, 2022
Bronx	6.19%	6.12%	6.05%
Kings	3.34%	3.35%	3.35%
New York	4.75%	4.89%	5.15%
Queens	7.13%	7.07%	6.98%
Richmond	6.21%	6.01%	5.94%