Ariel Russo Response Time Reporting Act would require the FDNY to monitor and report emergency service response times in New York City

The Council will vote to approve the development of the Kingsbridge National Ice Center

In honor of Mariano Rivera, the Council will vote to co-name a Bronx street after the retired Yankees player

New York, NY- Today, the City Council will vote on the Ariel Russo Response Time Reporting Act named after Ariel Russo who was struck and killed by an SUV on June 4. This bill would codify and expand emergency response time reporting practices that were implemented following the tragic death of this 4-year-old girl.

The Council will also vote to make newly constructed parking garages and open parking lots capable of providing electric vehicle charging in at least 20 percent of parking spaces, and to establish an electric vehicle advisory committee to promote the usage of electric vehicles.

To continue the Council’s commitment to ensure a rigorous and comprehensive set of lobbying laws, the Council will vote to amend these laws in order to implement the recommendations of the Final Report of the New York City Lobbying Commission.

Additionally, the Council will vote to modify the Business Owner’s Bill of Rights to inform business owners of their right to access information in a language other than English, and to request language interpretation services for agency inspections.

The Council will vote to approve the development of the Kingsbridge National Ice Center, also known as “The KNIC.”

In honor of New York Yankees legend Mariano Rivera, the Council will vote to co-name a street in the Bronx for the Bronx Bomber.

Ariel Russo Emergency 9-1-1 Response Time Reporting Act (Intro 143-A)

The goal of this bill is to compile and report complete response times to help the Fire Department (FDNY) determine how to best deploy limited resources and facilitate swift emergency response. Although reports indicate it took Emergency Medical Service (EMS) just over four minutes to respond to Ariel’s accident, once units were dispatched, it was discovered that there was a four minute delay in dispatching EMS units to the collision.

This bill would necessitate the FDNY to track the duration of time between a report to a 911 operator and the arrival of the first emergency vehicle to fire, medical and other emergencies. The legislation will also require the FDNY to submit periodic reports to the Council and to the Mayor on citywide response times disaggregated by borough.

“At the Council’s 911 response times hearing in June, I met Ariel’s parents, Sofia and Alan Russo, and promised them that the Council will continue to focus on what needs to be done to improve our emergency response system. That is why we’re passing this vital piece of legislation today,” said City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn. “The Russo family – and everyone within the five boroughs – deserves to know that when they call 911, help will arrive as soon as possible; it is the foundation of our public safety infrastructure.”

Council Member Lew Fidler said: “Anyone who has ever called 911 knows, nothing takes longer than the seconds and minutes until help arrives. When we measure the City’s emergency response time we need to take all of those seconds into account, because they matter to the person waiting and they matter to us when we are making decisions on resources based on those numbers. It is vitally important that our numbers reflect reality. With that in mind, I have named this bill in memory of Ariel Russo, a young girl whose life was sadly lost while waiting for help to arrive. The hearts of our entire City go out to her family, and we owe it to both them and to every one of us who will need help in the future to make sure we get this right.”

“When 911 is called every second counts. Under the Bloomberg Administration, response times were miscalculated. With this bill, from the second call is placed to the moment help arrives, New Yorkers will now know exactly how long it takes,” said Council Member Elizabeth S. Crowley.

Electric Vehicle charging in garages and open parking lots (Intro 1176-A)

This bill would require that newly constructed parking garages and open parking lots, as well as garages and open parking lots that are upgrading their electric capacity, have the ability to provide electric vehicle charging in at least 20 percent of parking spaces.

The bill creates the following exemptions: garages and open parking lots that are exclusively retail; garages and open parking lots that the Commissioner of the Department of Buildings finds are temporary and will be in use for fewer than 3 years; and garages and open parking lots in buildings where at least 50 percent of the units are set aside for people whose incomes are at or below 60 percent of the area median income, as determined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“Use of electric vehicles helps reduce the overall greenhouse gas emissions that comes from cars. With demand for electric vehicles expected to rise, it only makes sense for the city to take a preemptive step by passing legislation to ensure that the infrastructure is in place to support the increasing demand of charging these cars,” said Council Member Erik Martin Dilan. “By acting now and requiring new open parking garages and parking lots to have the infrastructure in place for electric vehicle charging stations, we lower the costs that are incurred for installation and avoid future upgrades that are more expensive. We also create an environment that will encourage more people to consider electric vehicles by having a greater number of places for them to charge their cars.”

Electric Vehicle Advisory Committee (Intro 844-A)

This bill would establish a committee to make recommendations on ways to promote the usage of electric vehicles among the general public, including methods to enhance the availability of charging methods, as well as parking, regulatory, technical and fiscal issues related to electric vehicles.

The committee’s members would include: Commissioner of the Department of Transportation (DOT), Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection, Commissioner of the Department of Buildings, Director of the Office of Long Term Planning, at least one member of the electric vehicle industry, the Council Speaker, the five borough Presidents and transportation and environmental advocates. The non-governmental members would be appointed by the DOT Commissioner, who would also appoint the chairperson of the committee.

“For years, I have been advocating for an increased commitment from New York City government to electric vehicle infrastructure. The bill we are voting on today will create an electric vehicle advisory committee, which will work to create a comprehensive plan to promote electric vehicle adoption, including the potential for more curbside charging stations, and other innovations. The market for electric vehicle charging is immense, and I believe that New York City has the potential to lead the nation in this field. We can transition personal vehicles, ambulances, delivery trucks, and more off of fossil fuels if we make a sincere effort to improve electric charging infrastructure in the City. This bill is a step in the right direction, and will demonstrate the City’s commitment to greening our transportation system,” said Council Member Gale A. Brewer.

Lobbying law amendments (Intro 1172-A)

This legislation would enhance New York City’s lobbyist registration law and continue the Council’s record of improving transparency and good government for all New Yorkers. The bill would expand the definition of lobbying to include any attempts to influence the Council, Council Members or the Mayor on bills or resolutions at any stage in the legislative process, as well as attempts to influence executive orders and oversight hearings.

Additionally, this bill raises the threshold for registration and reporting requirements to ease compliance for the smallest non-profits and conform to the state’s spending thresholds for the majority of lobbyists.

The legislation would also create an amnesty program to bring unregistered lobbyists into the system, codify the City Clerk’s penalty schedule and require the Clerk to conduct outreach to individuals who may be required to register as lobbyists. The bill requires lobbyist training every two years using new online tools, and would require the City Clerk’s office to improve the Clerk’s e-Lobbyist reporting system to make it more user-friendly.

“Today, the City Council will vote on legislation to implement many of the recommendations of the joint Mayoral-Council appointed Lobbying Commission. For several years, the Speaker’s Office, the Mayor’s Office, and the City Clerk have worked to come up with ways to expand the definition of lobbying, while reducing burdens on smaller organizations. With this bill, we will provide more information to the public about who is lobbying who in city government, while exempting certain activities and organizations from reporting requirements. This is an important step for municipal transparency, and is the result of many years of hard work. I want to thank Speaker Quinn and Mayor Bloomberg for their dedication to this effort, and I look forward to the implementation of this new Law,” said Council Member Gale A. Brewer.

Providing business owners the ability to indicate a language preference for agency inspections (Intro 1191-A)

The Council will vote to amend the Business Owner’s Bill of Rights so that business owners are informed of their right to access information in a language other than English and to request language interpretation services for agency inspections. The bill charges the Mayor’s Office of Operations to develop a plan for disseminating information about business owners’ inspection language preferences to all relevant agencies.

The legislation also requires the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Department of Consumer Affairs to include language preference or a request for language interpretation services for inspections with every permit or license application, or renewal of a license or permit.

“In so many of our neighborhoods, immigrant populations are the primary purveyors of our small businesses. Too often, they are not able to properly communicate during often complicated inspections, leading to a lack of understanding which can result in unnecessary violations being written or necessary permits not being issued,” said Council Member Sara M. González. “As a result of Intro 1191-A, applications for a new permit or permit renewal will contain an option for the inspection connected to that permit to be conducted in the language most comfortable to the applicant. I am excited by the prospect of this bill’s passage to support so many of our small business owners.”

College savings programs information (Intro 1091-A)

The Council will vote to require the Department of Education (DOE) to develop and distribute information on college savings programs to parents and students. The DOE must distribute this information to every student upon his or her entry in kindergarten, 6th grade, 9th grade and to every newly matriculated student.

“As we determine that education is the pathway to productive citizenship, it is imperative that we do all we can to help the parents of youngsters understand the financial load that must be assumed in order to send their child to a New York City or State college,” said Council Member Andy King. “It is our hope that through this legislation public school parents and students will be better equipped in the early years with the essential information needed to plan to make plans to attend a college of their choice.”

Reporting on instructional requirements for the arts (Intro 925-A)

The Council will vote on legislation to require the DOE to provide an annual report to the Council on the agency’s compliance with instructional requirements for the arts. The DOE would report on the total number and percentage of students who have met all instructional requirements for the arts in music, dance, theater and the visual arts. The legislation would also involve reporting on the total number of part-time and full-time licensed art instructors serving grades seven through twelve, and would require the DOE to provide demographic information on each school to the Council.

Food security assessment (Intro 1194-A)

The Council will vote on a bill calling for the Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability (OLTPS) to develop indicators to assess food security in New York City.

The legislation would require OLTPS to work with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Human Resources Administration and relevant community-based organizations to establish indicators to measure food security in the City, including an analysis of existing federal data on food security and the impact of governmental nutrition assistance programs. An assessment prepared by OLTPS must be included in the annual food system metrics report.

Council Member Annabel Palma said, “Over the last two years, nearly 1.4 million New York City residents lived in households that lacked sufficient food. Considering the high rate of unemployment, the prevalence of low-wage jobs, and the rising cost of food, it isn’t surprising that so many New Yorkers are experiencing food insecurity. Compounding the problem is the federal government’s assault on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Speaker Quinn has made food policy a priority in this city, in part to combat this troubling trend. This legislation, which I am proud to sponsor, will build on the Speaker’s work and improve our understanding of food security issues so that we may better target our limited resources.”

Potter’s Field burial database (Intro 803-A) and Potter’s Field visitation policy (Intro 804-A)

The Council will vote to require the Department of Corrections (DOC) to post and maintain a free, searchable electronic database of all burials on Hart’s Island since 1977. This will allow for easy access to information about those who are buried in Potter’s Field. In addition, the Council will vote to require the DOC to put its Hart’s Island visitation policy in writing, on its website and available to anyone who requests a copy.

The DOC maintains and operates the City Cemetery, commonly known as Potter’s Field, on Hart’s Island in Long Island Sound. People buried on Hart’s Island are either unclaimed, unidentified or could not afford a private burial.

Kingsbridge National Ice Center

The Council will vote to approve the development of the Kingsbridge National Ice Center also known as “The KNIC.”

This state of the art facility will include the creation of nine ice rinks; approximately 64,300 square feet of related program space, including a wellness/off-ice training center, curling rinks, and lockers/equipment storage, more than 58,100 square feet of retail space; and approximately 50,000 square feet of community facility space and an accessory parking garage containing approximately 457 spaces.

Ozone Park

The Council will vote today on the second largest rezoning in Queens, changing the Zoning Map for approximately 530 blocks in the Ozone Park neighborhood in Queens.

These zoning districts have remained unchanged since 1961 and demand a more flexible blueprint that reflects the prevailing building scale, density and housing types found within the neighborhood. This rezoning will accomplish three objectives:

• Reinforce residential character and current building patterns by replacing existing zoning with new lower density and contextual zones.
• Direct a modest amount of new residential and mixed-use development opportunities to major corridors and locations near mass transit resources.
• Prevent commercial encroachment into residential areas.

Council Member Eric Ulrich said, “Ozone Park demands a smarter and more flexible blueprint to help create a more livable neighborhood. The rezoning resolution that we will vote on is a perfect fit. It balances the need to reinforce the area’s predominant one- and two-family residential character with the potential to see new modest development, especially in the commercial districts. This will help stimulate economic development and encourage growth in the appropriate locations. I want to thank the Speaker and my colleagues in the City Council who will vote on this measure, as well as the City Planning Commission, Borough President Helen Marshall and Community Boards 9 and 10 for their hard work throughout this process.”

Reingold rezoning

The Council will vote to approve the development of ten mixed-use residential-commercial buildings with 977 units of housing, including 242 units of affordable housing, and more than 54,000 square feet of ground floor retail space, 504 off-street parking spaces, and publicly accessible open space in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn.

Greenpoint Landing

The Council will vote to approve a project that would create a seven story residential building and two 6- to 16-story residential buildings and approximately 8,700 square feet of ground floor retail space.

This action will facilitate the development of 431 units of affordable housing, approximately 263 units of market rate housing, approximately 3.3 acres of publicly accessible open space in the form of new parkland. The project includes $2.5 million in additional funding for the expansion of the existing Newtown Barge Park and the construction of an approximately 640-seat primary or intermediate public school.

Street co-naming in honor of Mariano Rivera

Mariano Rivera is known as The Great One, the Sandman, the Hammer of God, and Mo. A five-time world champion playing with the New York Yankees from 1995 until 2013, he is considered the best closing pitcher in the history of baseball.

He is Major League Baseball’s all-time leader in post-season saves and post-season Earned Run Average (ERA). He was a 13-time All-Star, won five American League Rolaids Relief Man Awards, three Delivery Man of the Year Awards and finished in the top three in voting for the American League Cy Young Award four times. He is Major League Baseball’s career leader in saves with 652 and games finished with 952.

He donates more than $500,000 annually to underprivileged children in the United States and his home country of Panama. He founded the Mariano Rivera Foundation which provides a range of services including mentoring programs and creating computer labs that provide underprivileged students with resources.

“A street co-naming is a small tribute to honor Mariano Rivera, and a celebration of the giant accomplishment by a humble man we loving call ‘Mo,’” said Council Member Maria del Carmen Arroyo.

Street co-naming in honor of Private Danny Chen

The Council will honor the life and memory of the late Private Danny Chen by approving the street co-naming of Private Danny Chen Way on Elizabeth Street between Canal Street and Bayard Street.

Private Danny Chen was born in Chinatown and raised on the Lower East Side. He had been deployed for two months with the U.S. Army when he died on October 3, 2011 of a “self-inflicted gunshot wound,” the direct result of prolonged racially-charged hazing and physical abuse at the hands of eight military superiors. All eight have since been discharged.

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