Friday, July 14, 2017
Thursday, July 13, 2017
Mayor de Blasio Rat Plan In Three Most Infested Areas of the City
Mayor Bill de Blasio yesterday announced a $32 million, multi-agency plan to reduce the city’s rat population that targets the three most infested parts of city: the Grand Concourse area, Chinatown/East Village/Lower East Side and Bushwick/Bedford-Stuyvesant. This interagency initiative aims to reduce rat activity by up to 70 percent in the targeted zones by minimizing food sources and available habitats.
However Mayor e Blasio, what about the rest of the city? Below are two different rat infestations from two different problems. One is across the street from where an state assemblyman lives, and the other is next to a park where a state senator is planning to have a night time summer concert.
However Mayor e Blasio, what about the rest of the city? Below are two different rat infestations from two different problems. One is across the street from where an state assemblyman lives, and the other is next to a park where a state senator is planning to have a night time summer concert.
Above - This wood fence has been around this property located on Blackstone Avenue between West 237th and West 238th Streets. The house that once stood here was torn down about two years ago to make way for an eight story apartment building. The wall on the Blackstone Avenue side is full of graffiti, and has many holes at the bottom.
Below - On the West 238th Street side you can see several holes at the bottom of the fence, and a NYC Department of Health Rat Box that has been broken when it was run over.
Above - The fence opening is high enough to let out almost any rodent such as a rat who may be living inside the torn down property.
Below - Look a dead rat that was probably living inside the fence.
Above -Here you can see the building where Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz lives is right across the street from the fenced in empty property and where I found this dead rat. Sorry Assemblyman, but I wanted to prove a point that this rat problem knows no difference where it occurs.
Below - you can see two rat hole in the tree pit here that was confirmed by a Department of Health official at the Mayors town hall meeting.
Above - The DOH person confirmed that the hole around this sewer was made by rats.
Below - This tree and the sewer are across the street from one of the highest priced coops in the Bronx.
And both are next to a public library, and park where State Senator Jeff Klein has scheduled a summer concert for August. Sorry Senator Klein, but the NYC DOH has to care care of these Rat Problems that do not always occur in HYCHA properties.
DE BLASIO ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES $32 MILLION NEIGHBORHOOD RAT REDUCTION PLAN
Mayor Bill de Blasio yesterday announced a $32 million, multi-agency plan to reduce the city’s rat population that targets the three most infested parts of city: the Grand Concourse area, Chinatown/East Village/Lower East Side and Bushwick/Bedford-Stuyvesant. This interagency initiative aims to reduce rat activity by up to 70 percent in the targeted zones by minimizing food sources and available habitats.
This integrated pest management approach will build on the success of the City’s current rat abatement programs and attack environmental factors conducive to rats, which is more effective than poisoning rats alone. By dramatically reducing the available habitats and food sources in targeted areas, rat reproduction will diminish and rat colonies will decline. The City will achieve this by cementing dirt basements in NYCHA, purchasing better waste containers, increasing trash pickup and increasing enforcement of rat-related violations in these areas. All aspects of this plan will be launched by the end of 2017.
“All New Yorkers deserve to live in clean and healthy neighborhoods,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We refuse to accept rats as a normal part of living in New York City. This $32 million investment is a multi-pronged attack to dramatically reduce the rat population in the City’s most infested areas and improve the quality of life for residents.”
“The Department of Sanitation is proud to join with our sister agencies to step up the fight against rats in New York City,” said Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia. “The best way to eliminate rats is to deprive them of food, including garbage in homes and litter on New York City streets. Increasing service and adding rodent resistant litter baskets will achieve this goal. I am excited to bring these and other approaches to the fight against rats in these targeted zones to significantly reduce the rat population. This plan promotes a healthier, safer and cleaner New York for all.”
“We are very excited to be part of this collaborative effort that builds upon the success of our rat reservoir program and strengthens the City’s capacity to prevent rat activity,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett. “Our rat reservoir program has proven to be a valuable tool in reducing rat activity in some of the City’s most infested neighborhoods. As we get ready to graduate eleven rat reservoirs around the five boroughs, we are grateful for this new influx of resources and personnel to continue our work.”
“Protecting the health and safety of NYCHA residents is critical. Through this interagency initiative, we are improving the conditions of communities and investing in our residents’ quality of life,” said NYCHA Chair and CEO Shola Olatoye. “With Mayor de Blasio’s partnership, we’re taking an important step forward to provide safe, clean and connected communities for the 1 in 14 New Yorkers who call NYCHA home.”
“Keeping parks safe and beautiful means keeping them clean – and that means keeping rats at bay. New funding for state-of-the-art waste containers, improved steel baskets, and more frequent trash collection represents a major enhancement in Parks’ efforts against rats,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP.
“HPD is proud to join this multi-agency task force created to protect New Yorkers from the health and safety issues presented when rats are present in large numbers in and around multifamily buildings. We look forward to lending our services to perform these very important inspections for the safety of all New York City residents,” said New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Maria Torres-Springer.
“We look forward to working with our partner agencies to help address rat infestations and improve the quality of life of all New Yorkers,” said Buildings Commissioner Rick D. Chandler, PE.
Rats contaminate food, have the potential to spread diseases and can reduce overall quality of life. Their gnawing and burrowing can damage utilities and erode the structural integrity of buildings. To reduce the rat population, the de Blasio Administration will implement the following new programs in the three mitigation zones:
New waste containers: The City will purchase 336 solar compactors that restrict access to trash with a “mail-box” opening and that have resulted in 90% rat reductions when fully deployed in concentrated areas. The City will also replace all the remaining wire waste baskets in the zones with 1,676 steel cans—both in parks and on street corners—which should meaningfully reduce rats’ access to food sources compared to current wire baskets. Installation of solar compactors and steels cans will begin by September.
Rat Pads in NYCHA buildings: The City will allocate $16.3 million in capital spending to replace dirt basement floors with concrete “rat pads” in prioritized NYCHA buildings within the Mitigation Zones. The cementing of basements, complemented by extermination and cleanouts, has been evidenced to reduce resident-generated work orders related to rats at NYCHA facilities by 40%. Additionally, $8.8 million in will be invested in new NYCHA trash compactors to properly store waste, often replacing machines more than twenty years old and far past normal useful life. Requests for Proposal will be issued before the end of the year, with installation set to begin in 2018.
Better trash management in DOHMH-designated areas: The plan proposes a local law that requires buildings containing more than ten units within the Mitigation Zones to curb garbage after 4am the day of trash collection, greatly reducing the availability of rats’ food source. To further minimize rats’ food source, local laws will be proposed to require enrollment in organics collection by Food Service Establishments and low-performing buildings in the DOHMH-designated areas. A citywide local law will also be proposed to increase fines for illegal dumping by private business from $1,500 to $5,000 for first time offenses, with fines reaching up to $20,000 for additional violations.
More frequent trash pickup and anti-rat staff: The plan calls for increased DSNY basket and residential service in the most critical areas within the Mitigation Zones. Similarly, NYC Parks basket pickup will become an everyday occurrence in all parks within the Mitigation Zones, accompanied by targeted litter removal from parks. Increased DSNY and NYC Parks waste basket pick up has already begun, with increased DSNY residential pick up beginning by the end of August. Eight staff will be added to DOHMH’s anti-rat team; seven front-line staff and a sophisticated data scientist to allow DOHMH to conduct data-driven rat mitigation efforts. Finally, NYCHA’s MyNYCHA mobile app will be modified to ensure tenants can effectively create work orders for trash removal and rat mitigation.
Ramped-up enforcement of rat-related violations: DOHMH will lead full-building, multi-agency inspections of targeted private buildings alongside DOB, HPD, and DSNY to identify conditions that contribute to rat infestations, order owners to make repairs and issue violations when warranted. DSNY will undertake a three-month enforcement blitz against illegal dumping at major NYCHA facilities to pilot tactics that can reduce rat food sources and habitat. In addition, DSNY will focus outreach and enforcement to promote waste management best practices, including separating organic waste.
New laws to require better trash management: We will work with City Council to introduce new laws to improve trash management and reduce food for rats in these mitigation zones. These laws will require buildings with 10+ units to put out trash at 4 AM in DOHMH set areas, call for low-performing buildings to enroll in organics collection, instruct Food Service Establishments to enroll in organics in areas set by DOHMH, and increase fines for improper waste disposal and illegal dumping.
This plan builds on the Administration’s previous efforts to manage rodent populations. In 2014, the Health Department piloted the Rat Reservoir program in six sites with high concentration of rats in Manhattan and the Bronx. The Rat Reservoir program targets rat colonies and conditions conducive to rats in sidewalks, catch basins, tree pits, and parks, in addition to buildings. In the first year of the pilot program, the Department’s efforts in the areas resulted in an 80 to 90 percent drop in active rat signs.
In 2015, Mayor de Blasio increased funding by $2.9 million to expand the City’s Rat Reservoir Program. The investment expanded the pilot program from the original six sites to 45 areas around the city. Prior to this investment, the City conducted pest control work with nine staff for a cost of $611,000 in six neighborhoods. The rat reservoir initiative significantly expanded the program to 50 staff and this new investment will bring that team up to 58.
“While New York City has made important strides to curb the rodent population, it’s clear more needs to be done to significantly and permanently reduce the scourge of rats across the five boroughs,” said Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “That’s why I’m proud to support this new initiative that will allow the City to further reduce the rat population by better targeting the City’s most infested neighborhoods and minimizing food sources and nesting areas. This comprehensive new plan builds on existing rat abatement efforts and will tackle this quality of life issue and I thank Mayor de Blasio for his commitment to this pressing issue and for working with the City Council on real solutions to mitigate the rat population in NYC.”
“A rodent-free community is a healthier and safer place to live, work and play. This much-needed investment will help decrease rodent infestation in parts of my borough that have been affected the most by rodents and the health impact they can have on a community. I commend Mayor de Blasio for providing much-needed funding and organizing a multi-agency response to this public health menace,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
“As the Ranking Member of Senate Health Committee and as a Bronx elected representative, I am elated that our City’s administration is putting in place a comprehensive plan of action to properly reduce the rat population in three of the most infested areas in our City. Particularly along the Grand Concourse, which is the heart of my district,” said State Senator Gustavo Rivera. “This multi-agency effort will implement adequate measures that will not only provide New Yorkers with basic health standards, but in doing so, will also improve the quality of life in these neighborhoods. I’m committed to continue working with city agencies, community partners and constituents to ensure that every Bronx resident lives in a healthy and safe environment that is rodent free.”
“All too often, tenants are subjected to living conditions which are unfit and unsanitary,” said Assembly Member Victor Pichardo. “Rat infestations can spread disease and pose a serious health risk to our families and neighbors. The funding secured by Mayor de Blasio will make critical improvements to rat abatement and ensure a cleaner, more suitable living environment for tenants across the city.”
“Rats are destroying neighborhoods and endangering people. I’ve seen the impact of rat infestations in my district- parents afraid to leave children alone in their beds, family members suffering from rat bites, homes structurally damaged. It’s time to take major steps to fix this problem. I commend Mayor de Blasio’s multi-agency approach to strengthen rat abatement programs and reduce rat activity by 70%,” said Council Member Fernando Cabrera.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
We could not agree more with the mayor and above quoted Bronx elected officials. I say that because there is a rat problem not only in NYCHA houses and parks as you will see in the next posting, but even in so-called upscale neighborhoods such as Riverdale, and right across from where one elected official lives, and where one plans to have a summer concert.
Wave Hill Events Jul 27–Aug 3 Salsa Take One!
Thu, July 27 Evening Garden Walk
Enjoy an evening stroll in the gardens with a Wave Hill Garden Guide. Free with admission to the grounds.
MEET AT THE PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 6:30PM
Thu, July 27 Evening Yoga
Enjoy yoga on the lawn select Thursday evenings. Participants should bring a mat, dress appropriately and expect to be outside unless precipitation or excessive humidity occurs. Classes are offered in partnership with Yoga Haven. All levels welcome. $25/$15 Wave Hill Member. Pre-registration recommended, online atwavehill.org or onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center.
ON THE GROUNDS, 6:30PM–7:30PM
Sat, July 29 Family Art Project: Sundials and Sunprints
Celebrate the glory of sunshine. Through handmade sundials, learn about the sun’s shadows and discover a simple and fun way to tell time. Add a traditional motto or create your own. Then, using shapes, found natural materials and special paper, create a print using only the sun’s rays. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.
WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM
Sat, July 29 Garden Highlights Walk
Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.
MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM
Sat, July 29 Meet the Artists: Jan Mun & David Rios Ferreira
Join us at this artist talk in the Sunroom Project Space. Jan Mun combines digital and living media to explore the movement of plant species and the immigrant experience, while a window installation by David Rios Ferreira contains drawings and collages with cartoon-inspired characters, along with historical, cultural and contemporary pop references. Film director and producer Nina Alvarez will lead the discussion with Mun, and Genevieve Hyacinthe, professor at the School of Visual Arts, will be in conversation with Rios Ferreira. Free with admission to the grounds.
GLYNDOR GALLERY, 2PM
Sun, July 30 Family Art Project: Sundials and Sunprints
Celebrate the glory of sunshine. Through handmade sundials, learn about the sun’s shadows and discover a simple and fun way to tell time. Add a traditional motto or create your own. Then, using shapes, found natural materials and special paper, create a print using only the sun’s rays. Free with admission to the grounds.
WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM
Sun, July 30 Garden Highlights Walk
Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the grounds.
MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2PM
Mon, July 31
Closed to the public.
Tue, August 1 Garden Highlights Walk
Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.
MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM
Tue, August 1 Gallery Tour
Wave Hill’s Curatorial Fellow leads a tour of the summer exhibitions in Glyndor Gallery. An exuberant counterpoint to Wave Hill’s lush summer gardens, Flora Fantastica! shows the work of four artists who share an interest in using pattern derived from cultural and botanical sources to create fantastic hybrid forms. Nancy Blum, Amy Cheng and Elisabeth Condon each has an entire room for their paintings. Jill Parisi creates an installation for the entry foyer. In the Sunroom Project Space, Jan Mun combines digital and living media to explore the movement of plant species and the immigrant experience, while a window installation by David Rios Ferreira contains drawings and collages with cartoon-inspired characters, along with historical, cultural and contemporary pop references. Free with admission to the grounds.
GLYNDOR GALLERY, 2PM
Wed, August 2 Sunset Wednesdays Outdoor Music: Salsa Bruja with Caridad de La Luz & Dancers
Salsa Bruja takes salsa from the clubs and theaters to this beautiful garden setting. The show features singer Caridad De La Luz, widely known as “La Bruja” (“The Witch”), as the evening’s MC and vocalist. Best known for her performances on Russell Simmons’ HBO series “Def Poetry Jam,” she is one of America’s leading spoken-word poets. Her awards include recognition as a “Bronx Living Legend” by the Bronx Music Heritage Center and inclusion in a list of “Top 20 Puerto Rican Women Everyone Should Know.” She just finished the successful Off Broadway run as China Rodriguez, the revolutionary daughter turned Young Lord in the musical “I LIKE IT LIKE THAT.” For the performance at Wave Hill, local dancers showcase the choreography of Nilsa De La Luz. Free with admission to the grounds. On Sunset Wednesdays, admission is $10, $6 for students and seniors 65+, and $4 for children ages six to 18. Free to Members and children under six.
ON THE GROUNDS, 7PM
Thu, August 3 Evening Garden Walk
Enjoy an evening stroll in the gardens with a Wave Hill Garden Guide. Free with admission to the grounds.
MEET AT THE PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 6:30PM
Thu, August 3 Evening Yoga
Enjoy yoga on the lawn select Thursday evenings. Participants should bring a mat, dress appropriately and expect to be outside unless precipitation or excessive humidity occurs. Classes are offered in partnership with Yoga Haven. All levels welcome. $25/$15 Wave Hill Member. Pre-registration recommended, online atwavehill.org or onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center.
ON THE GROUNDS, 6:30PM–7:30PM
A 28-acre public garden and cultural center overlooking the Hudson River and Palisades, Wave Hill’s mission is to celebrate the artistry and legacy of its gardens and landscape, to preserve its magnificent views, and to explore human connections to the natural world through programs in horticulture, education and the arts.
HOURS Open all year, Tuesday through Sunday and many major holidays: 9AM–5:30PM, starting March 15. Closes 4:30PM, November 1–March 14.
ADMISSION $8 adults, $4 students and seniors 65+, $2 children 6–18. Free Saturday and Tuesday mornings until noon. Free to Wave Hill Members and children under 6.
PROGRAM FEES Programs are free with admission to the grounds unless otherwise noted.
Visitors to Wave Hill can take advantage of Metro-North’s one-day getaway offer. Purchase a discount round-trip rail far and discount admission to the gardens. More at http://mta.info/mnr/html/
DIRECTIONS – Getting here is easy! Located only 30 minutes from midtown Manhattan, Wave Hill’s free shuttle van transports you to and from our front gate and Metro-North’s Riverdale station, as well as the W. 242nd Street stop on the #1 subway line. Limited onsite parking is available for $8 per vehicle. Free offsite parking is available nearby with continuous, complimentary shuttle service to and from the offsite lot and our front gate. Complete directions and shuttle bus schedule at www.wavehill.org/visit/.
Information at 718.549.3200. On the web at www.wavehill.org.
ENGEL, PELOSI, HOYER INTRODUCE HOUSE VERSION OF SENATE RUSSIA-IRAN SANCTIONS BILL
Bill Resolves All Procedural Issues, Clearing the Way for House Vote
Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs; House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi; and House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer today introduced a House version of the Russia-Iran sanctions bill (H.R. 3203) that passed 98-2 in the Senate last month. Identical to the original Senate-passed bill, this legislation resolves procedural concerns that have delayed House action on the tough sanctions package.
“It's time to stop the delays and vote on this sanctions bill. Our legislation puts to rest all the technical questions and allows the House to finally vote on the same legislation that won overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate,” said Ranking Member Engel. “We need to hold Russia and Iran accountable for their aggressive behavior, and I urge House leaders to act on this bill without delay.”
“For weeks, Republicans have dragged their feet and used every trick in the book to avoid holding Russia accountable for its brazen interference in our election,” said House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. “While Republicans shirk their constitutional duty to protect our democracy, House Democrats are introducing the bipartisan Senate-passed Russia sanctions bill and challenging House Republican leadership to bring it to the floor for an immediate vote. After this indefensible delay and the explosive new Trump-Russia revelations, Republicans must also immediately join Democrats to create an outside, independent commission to get to the bottom of Russia's assault on our democracy and to prevent it from ever happening again.”
“Tonight I joined Leader Pelosi and Ranking Member Engel in introducing the Senate’s bill in the House because Congress must hold the Administration accountable on Russia sanctions. It is critical that the House join our Senate colleagues in sending a clear, bipartisan message that we support strong sanctions against Russia and Iran. I hope that we can act together without delay,” said House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer.
As a House bill, this legislation avoids the so called “blue-slip” problem that delayed action on the Senate-passed version. Additionally, this bill ensures that provisions allowing tough, bipartisan oversight of potential sanctions relief would remain intact.
