THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS City Hall
New York, NY 10007
(212) 788-7116
**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
November 29, 2011 Contact: (212) 788-7116
Please email photo requests to walatriste@council.nyc.gov
Release #: 108-2011 COUNCIL VOTES TO INCREASE SAFETY AND INTERAGENCY CONSULTATION ON MAJOR TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS The legislation would require the Department of Transportation to consult with city agencies and provide more information to empower community boards.
The Council will also vote on legislation that will change how heat and hot water violations are enforced and to extend the city’s hotel tax for an additional two years.
City Hall - Today, the City Council will vote on legislation that will increase safety by requiring the Department of Transportation to consult with the city agencies before undertaking new projects. The Council will also vote on a bill that would examine the impact new transportation projects will have on emergency vehicle responses’ by requiring the Department of Transportation to conduct and submit assessments to affected Community Boards and Council Members after completion of major transportation projects. Additionally, the Council will vote on legislation that would allow the Department of Housing Preservation and Development to better allocate its resources by allowing property owners without any previous and heat hot water violations to pay a penalty of $250 for first-time violations corrected within 24- hours. The Council will also vote to extend Local Law 65 of 2008, which increased the City’s tax on hotel rooms from 5 percent to 5.875 percent. Finally, the Council will vote on resolution that would authorize the Council to file a lawsuit to prevent the Department of Homeless Services from implementing a new procedure for determining the eligibility of homeless single adults in the city’s shelters. INCREASE INTERAGENCY CONSULTATION ON MAJOR TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS The Council will vote on two transportation bills that will improve safety on major transportation projects by requiring the Department of Transportation to consult with other city agencies and provide affected Community Boards with assessment data from before and after the completion of new projects . The legislation would require the Department of Transportation to consult with the Police Department, the Fire Department, the Department of Small Business Services and the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities before undertaking new projects. The bill would also require the Department of Transportation to submit a report on the consultation to affected Council Members and Community Boards along with notice of the proposed project. The Council will also vote on a bill that would require the Department of Transportation to provide statistics related to a major transportation project not less than eighteen months following the completion of that project. These statistics will be required to be provided to relevant Community Boards and Council Members and to be posted on the City’s website. The report would include data on the average number of crashes over the five year period prior to installation and the one year subsequent to the project. In addition, DOT would have to report
other statistics that measure the impact the project has had on the flow of traffic in the area following the completion of the project. “When the city takes on a major transportation project, common sense would dictate the DOT consider input from relevant city agencies,” said Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn. “Thanks to our legislation, not only will city departments be involved in the planning of new transportation projects, but Council and Community Board members will have full access to the data, ensuring that the soundest decisions are made to better our neighborhoods.” “A plethora of new transportation projects - from bike lanes to pedestrian plazas - have arisen over the past few years in New York,” said Council Transportation Chair James Vacca. “While the benefits are clear to all, the downsides have been less clear. We should know whether these projects have disrupted vital emergency services and truly reduced the rate of accidents. These bills ensure that these facts will be made public and that public safety agencies will be fully involved in the planning stages of a new project, allowing us to make sure that new traffic plans work well for all New Yorkers.” INCREASE EFFIENCY IN HEAT AND HOT WATER VIOLATION ENFORCEMENT Additionally, the Council will vote on a bill that would allow the Department of Housing Preservation and Development to better allocate its resources by allowing property owners without any previous heat and hot water violations to pay a penalty of $250 for first-time violations corrected within 24 hours instead of going to court. The bill would also require the Department of Housing, Preservation and Development to, within five days after receiving a notice of correction, mail tenants in affected units information on when the violation was reportedly corrected and how the tenant may contest the notice of correction. "This legislation goes a long way in ensuring that all tenants are protected from bad landlords. Given the increase in heat/hot water complaints in this a slumping economy, it was high time that the Council passed stronger laws regarding heat and hot water complaints,” said Council Housing Chair Erik Dilan. “I am proud to be associated with Intro 666 and would like to thank all of the advocates and staff that worked so hard to advance the living conditions of the most vulnerable New Yorkers.” EXTEND HOTEL TAX FOR AN ADDITIONAL TWO YEARS The Council will also vote to extend Local Law 65 of 2008, which increased the City’s tax on hotel rooms from 5 percent to 5.875 percent, effective until Nov. 30, 2011. Today’s bill extends the Hotel Tax rate for an additional two years.
The higher rate will add about $2 to the average daily hotel room rate -$265 per night as opposed to $263. It will raise an additional $30 million for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2012 and a projected $56 million in Fiscal Year 2013. VOTE ON RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE COUNCIL TO FILE SUIT AGAINST THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELESS SERVICES
Finally, the Council will vote on a resolution that would authorize the Council to file a lawsuit to prevent the Department of Homeless Services from implementing a new procedure for determining the eligibility of homeless single adults in the city’s shelters.
DHS’ new eligibility procedure falls within the definition of a rule under the City Administrative Procedure Act (CAPA.) DHS did not follow the procedure for rulemaking in the New York City Charter, which would have required DHS hold public hearings and provide written notification to the Council before making rule changes. The Resolution would authorize the Council to file a lawsuit to stop DHS from implementing this policy which is both substantively flawed and was proposed in violation of the rulemaking procedures applicable to all City agencies.
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