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Friday, July 21, 2023
Bronx Chamber of Commerce - Bronx Business News You Can Use
KRVC - This Sunday, July 23rd, Concert in Van Cortlandt Park
Join us on the beautiful grounds of the
Van Cortlandt House Museum
Bring a picnic and enjoy
Sunday, July 23rd, 5-7pm
Morrisania Band Project
will be here...
Morrisania Band Project is an award-winning R&B soul collective founded in September 2016. Their mission is to add vibrancy to the South Bronx through music, community engagement, and social initiatives. With creative energy and loads of talent, MBP delivers the sounds of iconic soul, pop, and funk artists, while promoting awareness for issues like gun violence and adult literacy.
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MAYOR ADAMS UNVEILS NEW GUIDELINES TO ALLOW RESPONSIBLE DRONE USAGE IN NEW YORK CITY
New Rules Create Permitting Process for Use of Drones with Safeguards to Protect New Yorkers’ Safety and Privacy
Paves Way for City Agencies to Deploy Technology for Municipal Services, Ensuring It Can Be Done Faster and More Cost-Effectively
New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced that the city is issuing new rules setting forth a permitting process and guidelines for the take-off and landing of unmanned aircraft in New York City. The rules including building inspections, infrastructure inspections, and capital project planning. Additionally, the rules ensure the proper safeguards are in place to protect the safety and privacy of all New Yorkers.
“Today, New York City is flying into the future, using drones to make city services faster and safer, and likely saving taxpayer dollars as well,” said Mayor Adams. “Drones are already saving lives, such as in the tragic garage collapse in Lower Manhattan, but their true potential is just taking off. With these rules, we are paving the way for drones to help in New Yorkers’ everyday lives — not just in emergency situations. Drones are going to allow us to make façade inspections faster and safer, help us inspect and maintain our bridges, tunnels, and critical infrastructure, and allow us to monitor our beaches more easily for unauthorized swimmers and hazardous conditions, among other things. This is how we ‘Get Stuff Done’ for New Yorkers.”
“To keep our infrastructure strong and sound our operational agencies are getting eyes in the sky,” said Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi. “360 degrees views, going where humans can’t, drones will vastly increase the effectiveness and quality of our critical infrastructure inspections and ultimately the safety of New York City.”
“Today marks the beginning of a new chapter for the city,” said Chief Counsel to City Hall and the Mayor Brendan McGuire. “Drones are the future, and this administration continues to embrace technology to serve New Yorkers in new, more efficient and more cost-effective ways.”
“Drones are not new to New York City or the NYPD,” said New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Edward A. Caban. “This amazing technology has been growing and evolving for years. Today, we are doing our part to ensure New Yorkers can access this technology safely and lawfully. I want to think the mayor, and our city, state, and federal partners for their hard work in getting this off the ground.”
“The New York City Department of Transportation is excited about the opportunity to further innovate our work by adopting drone usage to conduct bridge inspections and highlight our transformative street projects,” said New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “We thank Mayor Adams and our sister agencies for their partnership in advancing these important reforms.”
“While our parks and greenspaces already uplift New Yorkers, we’re excited to see this new program take flight,” said New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks) Commissioner Sue Donoghue. “Drones have the potential to help us both keep New Yorkers safe with a birds-eye-view of our beaches to monitor for sharks, and plan for the future of greenspaces with an expanded aerial view during our design and construction process. We look forward to working with NYPD to implement this new policy and will continue to coordinate with them on matters of safety in our parks and beaches.”
“Across the world, aerial drones are already being effectively utilized by design professionals, who leverage these tools to supplement the critical surveying work they perform on construction and building maintenance projects. With these new rules, the Adams administration is opening the door for design professionals in New York City to potentially use these same tools to supplement the important up close safety inspections they perform,” said New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) Commissioner Jimmy Oddo. “DOB believes that drones will play an important role in New York City's development and construction industries going forward. Just this past month, a group of DOB inspectors, members of Allied Building Inspectors IUOE Local 211, traveled to Texas for a comprehensive drone training, giving the department a team of qualified and soon-to-be licensed drone pilots.”
Under the new rules, individuals and entities will be required to apply for a permit to legally take-off or land a drone or any other kind of unmanned aircraft in New York City. The permitting process will be administered by the NYPD. The permits will include a site temporarily designated as a take-off or landing site by the DOT. Applicants will also be required to comply with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, and to have obtained authorization to operate their devices from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Further, the rules implement appropriate safeguards to protect the safety and privacy of New Yorkers. Any permittee of an unmanned aircraft must notify the NYPD of any crash or accident that takes place during takeoff, operation, or landing. They also must notify the New York City Cyber Command of any cybersecurity incidents involving devices. Further, if a permittee intends to capture video, photo, or audio, they will be required to notify the relevant community boards, and public notices within 100 feet of the take-off and landing sites in advance.
Drones are already used for several emergency services by the NYPD and the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY), often in circumstances where agency personnel cannot be safely deployed. During the recent tragic garage collapse in Lower Manhattan, for example, the FDNY used drones to assess the interior conditions and conduct searches for survivors without putting firefighters’ lives at risk.
“Reaping the full benefits of emerging tech requires striking a regulatory balance that ensures safety without stifling innovation — and these rules will do just that,” said Julie Samuels, president and executive director, Tech:NYC. “When we convened a summit on drone technologies with Mayor Adams earlier this year, the potential benefits were immediately apparent: Safe drone usage could make a real difference for our city, from inspecting bridges and buildings and monitoring the impacts of climate change, to the exciting use cases still to come, like delivering essential goods to New Yorkers without contributing to street congestion. We look forward to working with the Adams administration to chart a smart path forward that will help this industry grow and contribute to New York’s long-term success.”
Leader of International Drug-Trafficking Organization Sentenced for Cocaine Distribution
A leader of an international drug-trafficking organization (DTO) was sentenced today to life in prison for conspiring to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine for importation into the United States.
According to court documents, between 2003 and April 2016, Gerardo Gonzalez-Valencia, aka Lalo, 45, was a leader of Los Cuinis, a DTO responsible for importing large quantities of cocaine from South America, Mexico, and elsewhere into the United States. Los Cuinis is closely aligned with the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), which is based in the State of Jalisco in Mexico. Together, Los Cuinis and CJNG form one of the largest, most dangerous, and most prolific drug cartels in Mexico. They are responsible for trafficking significant quantities of illegal drugs into the United States and employing extreme violence to further that objective.
“Gonzalez-Valencia’s prosecution marks another step in the Justice Department’s pursuit of the top leadership of drug-trafficking organizations like Los Cuinis and the CJNG,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The significant sentence imposed today also reflects the magnitude of harm these drug-trafficking organizations wreak on our communities. The Criminal Division will continue to hold accountable those like Gonzalez-Valencia, who profit from importing large quantities of dangerous substances into the United States and who support the extraordinary violence committed in furtherance of that objective.”
Gonzalez-Valencia personally invested in and coordinated multi-ton shipments of cocaine for importation into the United States. Some of these shipments were interdicted by law enforcement, including the seizure of approximately 280 kilograms of cocaine from a semi-submersible interdicted by the U.S. Coast Guard and the seizure of 750 kilograms of cocaine concealed in frozen shark carcasses destined for the United States and seized by Mexican law enforcement. Gonzalez-Valencia also directed the murders of rival drug traffickers and used and supplied weapons in furtherance of the drug-trafficking conspiracy.
“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message to the leaders of drug cartels that DEA will stop at nothing to dismantle the criminal networks that threaten the safety and health of the American people,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “Under Gonzalez-Valencia’s leadership, Los Cuinis – a cartel closely aligned with the Jalisco (CJNG) Cartel – shipped massive quantities of cocaine into the United States and killed rivals that threatened the cartels’ trafficking organizations. The men and women of DEA are working relentlessly to hold all drug traffickers accountable that seek to profit from the Jalisco Cartel’s violent and deadly drug trafficking network.”
This case is supported by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).
The DEA Los Angeles Field Division investigated the case with the assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, Investigative Operations Division.
The Justice Department thanks Uruguayan authorities for their assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Gonzalez-Valencia.
Attorney General James’ Office of Special Investigation Releases Report on Death of Lashawn McNeil
New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation (OSI) today released its report on the death of Lashawn McNeil, who killed two members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD), on January 21, 2022 in Harlem. The OSI was required to conduct this investigation pursuant to New York State Executive Law 70-b. The investigation, which included review of body-worn camera (BWC) footage, crime scene evidence, medical examiner reports, and witness interviews, concluded that the officer who shot Mr. McNeil was legally justified in his use of deadly force, as Mr. McNeil had just killed two of his fellow officers and was approaching him and two civilians.
In the early evening of January 21, 2022, Mr. McNeil’s mother called 911 to report an ongoing domestic dispute with her son. Shortly after, three officers responded to the residence where Mr. McNeil lived with his mother and brother. His mother answered the door and confirmed she called 911, and told the officers that Mr. McNeil was at the back of the apartment. Two officers walked down the hallway towards the back of the apartment while the third officer remained in the front room.
When the first officer got to the doorway of a bedroom in the back of the apartment, Mr. McNeil emerged and shot him at close range. The first officer fell to the ground and the second officer retreated to the front room while exchanging gunfire with Mr. McNeil. Mr. McNeil’s shots struck the second officer, who then fell to the ground as well. The third officer, who had taken cover in the kitchen with Mr. McNeil’s mother and brother, emerged and shot Mr. McNeil as he came into the front room from the hallway. The first and second officers and Mr. McNeil were transported to a local hospital, where they were each pronounced dead.
The OAG offers sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of Detectives Wilbert Mora and Jason Rivera, who were tragically killed in the line of duty during this encounter.
United States Sues Owners And Operators Of Orange County Horse Training Facility For Filling Wetlands In Violation Of Federal Clean Water Act
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Lisa F. Garcia, the Regional Administrator for Region 2 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), announced that the United States has filed a civil lawsuit against THOMAS PUSHKAL, JENNIFER VANOVER, EDWARD PUSHKAL, FRANCES PUSHKAL, and MAPLEWOOD WARMBLOODS, LLC (collectively, the “defendants”) for allegedly filling wetlands in Orange County protected by the federal Clean Water Act. The Complaint asks the Court to award injunctive relief and civil penalties for the violations.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, the defendants violated the Clean Water Act by discharging concrete, metal, glass, and other fill material into wetlands that are part of the waters of the United States. This lawsuit will hold the defendants accountable for allegedly violating our environmental laws and require them to remedy the alleged significant damage they have caused to protected wetlands.”
EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia said: “Wetlands serve a vital role in decreasing water pollution, providing habitat for fish and wildlife, and reducing risks from flooding and storm surges. Unlawful and unmitigated dredging and filling activities can destroy wetlands. EPA will continue to protect these vulnerable ecosystems and fight for the health of wetlands by enforcing the law under the Clean Water Act.”
As alleged in the Complaint filed today in White Plains federal court:[1]
From 2015 to 2019, defendants THOMAS PUSHKAL, JENNIFER VANOVER, and their business MAPLEWOOD WARMBLOODS, LLC discharged fill material without a federal permit into approximately 3.5 acres of wetlands, in areas referred to in the Complaint as the Bart Bull Road Site and the Expansion Site. These discharges were made in the course of operating and expanding their horse breeding, boarding, and training facility in the Town of Wallkill, Orange County.
Specifically, from in or about June 2015 to March 2016, these defendants directed or permitted construction and demolition material to be trucked in and deposited at the Bart Bull Road Site and directed or permitted the use of heavy machinery to spread the fill material to level and raise the grade of the property.
At the end of November 2018, EPA learned of the potential development activity at the Expansion Site and, in December 2018, cautioned defendant THOMAS PUSHKAL by phone that if he was filling protected wetlands on any additional properties, he would need a federal permit.
Nonetheless, beginning in or about December 2018 and continuing to April 2019, without a permit, these defendants used dump trucks and other heavy machinery to engage in extensive earthmoving, grading, and filling activities to construct private access roads through the Expansion Site. The construction of these roads caused fill to be discharged into 1.5 acres of wetlands at the Expansion Site. Some wetlands filled at the Expansion Site are on property owned by defendants EDWARD PUSHKAL and FRANCES PUSHKAL, who, at a minimum, knew or should have known of, but failed to exercise their authority to prevent, the discharges.
The wetlands that are the subject of the Complaint are adjacent to the Wallkill River, a traditional navigable water. The fill material discharged into the wetlands included, among other things, dirt, rock, brick, wood, electrical wiring, ceramic, asphalt, concrete, rebar, PVC piping, metal, and glass.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitution only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Governor Hochul Announces $20 Million Available to Enhance Local Public Safety and Emergency Communications Systems
Grant Funding Now Available for Eligible Counties to Improve Land Mobile Radio Interoperability for Public Safety Agencies
Deadline is September 8, 2023; Request for Applications and Additional Information Can Be Found Here
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the availability of $20 million to improve the State's emergency communications systems through the State Interoperable Communications Grant Targeted program, which reimburses eligible counties across the state for various activities associated with emergency communication systems. This year’s grant funding objective aims to improve the overall status of land mobile radio interoperability for public safety agencies within New York, as well as its border states.
“In an emergency, every second counts,” Governor Hochul said. “This grant funding will help ensure our communities across the state have the modern communication tools they need to act quickly and effectively to protect New Yorkers and save lives.”
New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, "Communications are the backbone of emergency response and this funding will improve our public safety equipment across the board. Counties can apply for this funding to enhance their existing communications systems.”
A total of $20 million in State funding is available for eligible counties to support the core objectives of program funding, including improving redundancy and resiliency of public safety radio systems, expanding coverage and frequency band capabilities of National Interoperability Channels, and developing or enhancing shared radio and other systems.
Applications are open and the deadline for the SICG-Targeted program is September 8, 2023.
For more information, please visit the DHSES Grants web page.
Governor Hochul previously announced additional investments and measures to improve Statewide emergency response services from the FY 2024 Budget, including:
- $105 million to upgrade the State Emergency Operations Center, which serves as the State's centralized location for coordination of all major emergency preparedness and response activities.
- $25 million to provide capital grants to volunteer fire departments for construction, renovation, or purchase of facilities and equipment.
- $20 million to assist counties in transitioning to a Next Generation 911 network that would connect to Public Service Answering Points (PSAP) in each county.
- $10 million to provide a State-funded stipend to volunteer firefighters who complete foundational training.
- $45 million in SICG-Formula grant funding is available to eligible counties and New York City.
- $10 million in grants to eligible applicants in support of operations and improvements of PSAPs. The State provides reimbursement for operating expenses, including personnel costs.
NYS Private Sector Employment Up 15,000 Jobs in June 2023
The Number of Private Sector Jobs in New York State Grew by 0.2% in June, Rising Faster Than the Nation
According to preliminary seasonally adjusted figures released today by the New York State Department of Labor, the number of private sector jobs in New York State increased over the month by 15,000, or 0.2%, to 8,260,000 in June 2023. The number of private sector jobs in the U.S. increased by 0.1% in June 2023.
New York State's private sector jobs (not seasonally adjusted) increased by 190,200, or 2.3%, over the year in June 2023, which was lower than the 2.4% increase in the number of private sector jobs in the U.S.
New York State's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held constant at 3.9% in June 2023. At the same time, New York State's labor force (seasonally adjusted) increased by 31,200. As a result, the labor force participation rate increased from 61.0% to 61.2% in June 2023.
The number of private sector jobs in New York State is based on a payroll survey of New York businesses conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Monthly payroll employment estimates are preliminary and subject to revision as more complete data become available the following month. The BLS calculates New York State’s unemployment rate based partly upon the results of the monthly Current Population Survey (CPS) of approximately 3,100 households in the State.
Note: Seasonally adjusted data provide the most valid month-to-month comparison. Non-seasonally adjusted data are valuable in year-to-year comparisons of the same month – for example, June 2022 versus June 2023.
Statewide Industry Employment
June 2023 – Seasonally Adjusted
- On a net basis, the total number of nonfarm jobs in the state increased by 28,100 over the month, while private sector jobs increased by 15,000 in June 2023.
- At the same time, the total number of nonfarm jobs in the nation increased by 209,000, while private sector jobs increased by 149,000.
NYS Job Growth Outpaces That of the Nation
Over-the-Month % Change in Total Nonfarm & Private Sector Jobs, May – June 2023
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Total Nonfarm and Private Sector Jobs Increased in June 2023
Total Nonfarm and Private Sector Jobs (in 1000s), January 1990 – June 2023
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Statewide Unemployment
June 2023 – Seasonally Adjusted
In June 2023, the statewide unemployment held constant at 3.9%.
New York City’s unemployment rate increased from 5.3% to 5.4%. Outside of New York City, the unemployment rate held constant at 2.9%, its lowest rate on records dating back to 1976.
The number of unemployed New Yorkers increased over the month by 1,900, from 382,200 in May to 384,100 in June 2023.