Bill would authorize study to examine relocating utility wires in vulnerable neighborhoods to be buried underground to keep New Yorkers safe during weather emergencies
New York, NY- In a continued effort to strengthen the city’s infrastructure following Hurricane Sandy, the City Council will vote to order a study examining the feasibility of relocating overhead power lines underground. The bill would require the Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability (OLTPS) to conduct the study in order to determine areas of the city where relocation would be most advantageous.

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“With the announced closure of Lage Car Wash’s SOHO location, I hope that they will behave like any good New York business owner and place the workers at one of their other 23 locations throughout the city. In these tough economic times, I stand with these car wash workers and urge John Lage to do the right thing for the employees and their families.”

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Council hearing explored emergency sheltering process and conditions and services in evacuation and transitional shelters during and after Hurricane Sandy

City Hall, NY — Today, the Council Committees on General Welfare, Oversight and Investigations, Aging, Health and Mental Health held an oversight hearing to examine the City’s use of evacuation shelters and hotels to temporarily house those displaced by Hurricane Sandy.

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“The NLRB’s latest ruling only reinforces the need for the City to respect Judge Milton Mollen’s offer and engage in a cooling off period and suspend consideration of the special education transportation bids. It is absolutely critical that the strike ends as soon as possible so that we can get the much needed drivers back to work transporting students safely to and from school.

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“We thank Governor Cuomo for signing this important legislation into law today that will greatly help New York City’s resident co-op and condo owners, as well as help keep the city’s affordable housing stock in a state of good repair. This law is a major step in the right direction toward our goals of improving the city’s property tax system and providing relief to low and middle income homeowners.

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Statement by Speaker Christine C. Quinn:

“This Council is committed to reaching a responsible, balanced budget that protects the vital services New Yorkers depend on. We look forward to working with Mayor Bloomberg to ensure that a fair and balanced budget is reached on time and truly meets New Yorkers’ needs.

“The Council has serious concerns about the negative consequences reflected as a result of the absence of a deal on teacher evaluations.

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New laws would target those who commit crimes of opportunity during states of emergency

New York, NY – Today, City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn advocated for the passage of new laws that would create criminal and civil penalties for those who target vulnerable New Yorkers during a local state of emergency. Based on a proposal first presented in recently introduced legislation sponsored by Minority Leader James Oddo and Council Member Eric Ulrich, Speaker Quinn expressed her support for the concept and committed to working towards passing even more comprehensive legislation.

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“The passage of this legislation is a major victory for New York City’s resident co-op and condo owners, and the renewal of the J-51 program is critical to helping keep the city’s affordable housing stock in a state of good repair. Additionally, the renewal of the revised coop-condo tax abatement marks an important step towards our goal of providing better equity, transparency and predictability in our property tax system.

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Proposals will streamline NYCHA management and bring transparency and accountability to the Housing Authority

City Hall, NY – Today, Speaker Christine C. Quinn and Public Housing Committee Chair Rosie Mendez laid out broad-ranging proposals to improve the management of the New York City Housing Authority.

The reforms will increase accountability at NYCHA and will bring transparency to the housing authority by overhauling its flawed Section 8 computer system and enabling New Yorkers to check the status of outstanding work orders online.

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