Statements in support of the City Council legislative package, which includes a small business and non-profit recovery plan, a food and water bill, and a traffic and fuel management system in the wake of natural disasters

STATEMENT FROM STEVEN BANKS, ATTORNEY-IN-CHIEF, THE LEGAL AID SOCIETY

“As our front line staff saw in communities that were devastated by Superstorm Sandy, for too many affected children and adults the City’s response was too little and too late. Based on our experience in providing comprehensive disaster relief legal services, we support the common sense legislation proposed by the Speaker, which will help create a legal framework, consistent with court orders already in place, to protect the rights of homeless New Yorkers, to make sure that this never happens again.”

STATEMENT FROM CARLO A. SCISSURA, PRESIDENT AND CEO, BROOKLYN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

“The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce commends your efforts to address the concerns of the small business and non-profit communities that stemmed from damage caused by Hurricane Sandy; and now creating a plan of action to ultimately reduce property damage, inability to provide services to communities and economic loss, should another natural disaster occur. Therefore, Int. No. 1072-A is a very timely proposal being presented the NYC Council, as it effectively uncovers systemic gaps that may have existed prior to Hurricane Sandy, analyzes the needs of small businesses and non-profits, and most importantly unfolds a plan to close those gaps, which will ultimately reduce the negative impact that natural disasters can have on this fragile group.”

STATEMENT FROM NANCY PLOEGER, PRESIDENT, MANHATTAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

“The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce applauds the initiative of the Council to help support better communication in a post disaster situation for all small businesses and communities throughout the 5 boroughs. This plan would be so very helpful in establishing a road map for us all should we again be faced with a disaster of this magnitude or for any disaster, even if just affecting one community. Thank you for your leadership in this endeavor.”

STATEMENT ON FROM GOOD SHEPHERD SERVICES

“Good Shepherd Services (GSS) submits this legislation which will help the City and the Office of Emergency Management better support not-for-profit organizations – and the communities they serve – in the event of another storm or other natural disaster. Developing strategies in advance through the measures in the plan proposed by this bill will be critical to capture the lessons learned from Sandy and use them to heighten the City’s level of preparedness to respond in event of a future disaster; this includes positioning communities to recover more quickly by strengthening the ties between government, not-for-profits, and the provisions of services in neighborhoods as a whole. We thank the City Council, and in particular Speaker Quinn and Council Member Reyna, for supporting this effort.”

STATEMENT FROM JACK FRIEDMAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, QUEENS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

“On behalf of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, I applaud the initiative of the Council to help support better communication and a more coordinated response to all small businesses and affected communities after Sandy-like disasters. Overall, this bill would be a tremendous help to our small business community and to our Chambers when we again will be faced with a disaster of this magnitude or even worse. Thank you for addressing these vital needs and for taking the appropriate pro-active measures that will insure better communication, strategic planning and engaging all stakeholders in future emergencies.”

STATEMENT FROM KATE MACKENZIE, DIRECTOR, POLICY AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS, CITY HARVEST

“City Harvest offers its support for the proposed Food and Water Bill. In the days immediately following Hurricane Sandy, we were surprised to find that no clear disaster feeding plan existed. In the days and months following the storm, City Harvest worked closely with city government to ensure that feeding needs were met, however it is imperative that a clear plan is established in advance of future events. We commend the City Council for addressing this vital issue and look forward to quickly beginning advance planning that will ensure future success.”

STATEMENT FROM FOOD BANK FOR NEW YORK CITY

“Food Bank For New York City supports the development of a food and water access plan by the Office of Emergency Management. Every year, approximately 1.5 million New York City residents rely on Food Bank’s programs and services, and during emergency conditions, that need grows. In the days following Super Storm Sandy, various government and community leaders contacted Food Bank and other emergency food providers to request assistance in their communities, and it quickly became clear that a more efficient system for responding to these requests could be created. Food Bank appreciates the City Council’s recognition of this challenge in requiring the plan to include a communications strategy for managing requests and sharing information about the distribution points for and availability of food and water services.”

STATEMENT FROM JEFFREY FREDIANI, LEGISLATIVE ANALYST, AAA NEW YORK

“AAA New York, which serves almost 1.6 million members, supports the Council’s effort to require the City of New York develop or update traffic and fuel management plans to be implemented during and after emergency conditions. With power knocked out and traffic lights not functioning as well as streets flooded and impassible, it is crucial that a traffic management plan is implemented before another natural disaster strikes. It is especially important to assess potential transportation routes to allow fuel providers to reach their destinations within the City of New York. These proposals will help ensure the City of New York is better prepared to contend with the severe impacts of another “superstorm” and we are pleased to support its enactment.”

STATEMENT FROM ROLAND LEWIS, PRESIDENT AND CEO, METROPOLITAN WATERFRONT ALLIANCE

“I am writing to express the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance’s support for Int. 1076-A. From 9/11 and the blackout to the transit strike and Superstorm Sandy, ferries are consistently the first form of transit to come back on line to restore mobility to hard-hit areas. For this reason, the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance applauds the City Council’s incorporation of ferries into its emergency traffic management plan. While ferries are a fast, efficient, cost-effective, and enjoyable mode of public transportation under normal circumstances, they become essential emergency management assets when transit becomes incapacitated, and it is critical that they be central to contingency transit plans.”

STATEMENT FROM CARL SICILIANO, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ALI FORNEY CENTER

“The Ali Forney Center had our drop-in center completely destroyed during hurricane Sandy. Our story illustrates why it is critical that the resiliency of non-profit organizations be part of the City’s disaster recovery plans and why we support this bill. In particular, we support the requirements that the Department of Small Business Services consult with non-profits when developing its disaster recovery plan, that it account for our losses after a disaster, and that it develop better systems for communicating with us about disaster preparedness and how to obtain recovery resources.”

STATEMENT FROM ALLIANCE FOR A JUST REBUILDING

“The Alliance for a Just Rebuilding (AJR), a citywide coalition of community, labor, policy, environmental, and faith organizations, today praised the City Council for passing a package of legislation that will help protect and strengthen the most vulnerable New Yorkers in the communities hit hardest by Hurricane Sandy.”

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