Council will also vote on legislation to reform tax liens

City Hall – Today the City Council will vote on legislation to co-name 56 streets in New York City, including two streets being co-named in honor of fallen NYPD Detectives Liu and Ramos. The Council will also vote on legislation to reform tax liens in New York City. Additionally, the Council will vote on legislation to amend the City Charter in relation to the early intervention program.

Street Co-Namings

Introduction 620 will co-name 56 thoroughfares and public places, based on requests of Council Members whose district includes the location. Two of the streets will be co-named in honor of Detectives Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, who were assassinated on December 20th, 2014.

Detective Rafael Ramos Way will be on Ridgewood Avenue between Shepherd Avenue and Highland Place in Brooklyn. Detective Wenjian Liu Way will be on West 6th Street between Avenue S and Avenue T also in Brooklyn.

“The assassination of Detectives Rafael Ramos and Wenjin Liu are an unspeakable tragedy that shocked New York City and the entire world,” said Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “Detectives Ramos and Liu personified what it means to serve New York City with honor and courage. While we can never bring back our fallen Detectives, we can make sure that their sacrifices to our City are never forgotten. Detective Rafael Ramos Way and Detective Wenjin Liu Way will forever live on as a testament to the selfless sacrifices New York City’s finest make every day to protect New Yorkers.”

Tax Lien Reform

The Department of Finance Commissioner’s authority to sell tax liens expired on December 31st. Since 1996, the tax lien sale has been a tremendously useful tool in encouraging the payment of charges owed to the City. To ensure that the tax lien sale is fair, efficient, and effective, Introduction 612-A, sponsored by Council Members Julissa Ferreras, Carlos Menchaca, Ritchie Torres, and Jumaane Williams would do the following:

•Extend the Department of Finance’s Commissioner’s authority to sell tax liens until December 2016;
•Remove Superstorm Sandy affected properties from the lien sale;
•Require DOF to provide not-for-profit organizations with information about how to renew their property tax exemptions;
•Require DOF, DEP, and HPD to provide the Council with the results of lien sale outreach sessions, and allowing Council members to request an outreach session in their districts; and
•Create a Taskforce comprised of the Administration and the Council to examine ways to minimize non-payment of charges that are subject to the lien sale, including increasing awareness of, and participation in, tax benefit programs. The Taskforce would also be charged with evaluating payment agreements and evaluate the impact of the tax lien sale process on affordable housing, particularly as it relates to HDFCs.

The bill would take effect immediately.

“The Tax Lien Sale Reauthorization extends the Finance Commissioner’s authority to sell tax liens, and more importantly, adds several property-owner friendly items to the law, improving transparency, outreach to homeowners and giving protection to properties affected by Sandy. I am proud to be the prime sponsor of this legislation because it is the perfect display of a Council that is sensible and sensitive to the needs of residents of the City when legislating on how we collect fines,” said Finance Chair Julissa Ferreras.

School Environmental Reporting

It is important that parents, staff and others are informed of environmental issues affecting school buildings. It is also important for such information to be publicly disseminated.

Therefore, proposed Introduction No. 126-A would require the Department of Education (DOE) to submit to the City Council and post on the DOE’s website, an annual report regarding the results of environmental inspections and environmental reports concerning any public school. The bill would require the DOE to provide: (i) a summary of any inspections or reports for the prior school year including, but not limited to, inspections of groundwater, air, gas, soil and dust; (ii) information regarding any investigative or remedial work conducted in schools to address the presence of any hazardous substances; (iii) information regarding the timeframe within which the remedial action was taken and when parents and employees were notified; and (iv) an update on the DOE’s overall progress on improving air quality in schools.

The bill would require the DOE to notify current parents and employees of a school of the results of any environmental inspection required to be reported by the bill or environmental report regarding the school. The bill would also require notification of afterschool directors, elected officials, community education councils, and local community boards. The bill would also require the DOE to make reasonable efforts to notify parents of former students and former employees of any school that is the subject of any such environmental inspection or environmental report. Notification would be required within ten days of the receipt of the results that trigger the notification requirement, with appropriate exceptions for school vacation periods. The bill would take effect immediately.

“Students, parents, and staff have the right to know if their school environment is safe and free of airborne toxins. This legislation provides a way to improve school safety and increase the Department of Education transparency. It makes environmental information more readily accessible and it gives the school community the assurance that they are in a healthy and enriching environment,” said Council Member Fernando Cabrera.

Changes to the Early Intervention Program

The early intervention program offers a wide range of rehabilitative services to infants and toddlers with developmental disabilities or delays. Proposed Introduction 571-A, sponsored by Council Member Cohen, would amend the Charter by removing the requirement that the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) administer the early intervention program within its Division of Mental Hygiene. This bill would allow DOHMH to move the early intervention program from the Division of Mental Hygiene to the newly created Division of Family and Child Health. The move is intended to enhance program operations and the services provided to children and their families and to build a stronger continuum of services.

The bill would take effect immediately.

“As the Chair of the Mental Health Committee, I am sponsoring Introduction 571 to ensure that we offer the best possible resources to parents who have become concerned that their child is having a hard time reaching their developmental milestones. This bill calls for the Early Intervention Program to be overseen by the newly created Division of Family and Child Health. While the program is currently administered by the Division of Mental Hygiene, the change will allow the program to be overseen by a division that provides similar services to families and specializes in working with children. The earlier a child receives help for developmental disabilities, the better that child’s chances of reaching their full potential. Parents who are concerned with their child’s development can call 311 and ask for Early Intervention, there are professionals ready to help you,” said Council Member Andrew Cohen.

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