First in the Nation Legislation Will Retrofit Older City Buildings for a Greener Future<\/p>\n
City Hall, April 22, 2009 \u2013 At today\u2019s Stated Council meeting, Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, together with Environmental Protection Committee Chair James Gennaro and Council Members Daniel R. Garodnick, Dominic Recchia and Melissa Mark-Viverito, will introduce the final two pieces of a legislative package that will have a dramatic impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from New York City buildings.<\/p>\n
The Members of the City Council will also vote to:<\/p>\n
Install precautionary signs around city playgrounds that warn of the possible dangers of hot playground equipment and surfaces;
\nDevelop a comprehensive city program for the remediation and reuse of brownfields;
\nRequire the Department of Correction (DOC) to compile and post yearly census and security data amongst adolescents in city jails.
\nThe Council will also vote on a budget modification as well as on two resolutions that support the Congressional Haitian Protection Act of 2009 and New York City\u2019s application for funding for capital projects under the New York State Urban Development Act.<\/p>\n
GREEN BUILDINGS LEGISLATION<\/p>\n
Working to meet the commitment of reducing the City\u2019s greenhouse gas emissions 30% by 2030, the Speaker and her colleagues in the City Council will complete a comprehensive legislative package to cut emissions that come from buildings. Nearly 80% of all greenhouse gases come from the roughly 950,000 buildings across the City. Today\u2019s legislation addresses a critical component of creating a more environmentally friendly New York \u2013 bringing aging existing infrastructure into the 21st Century. <\/p>\n
The bills being introduced today include: <\/p>\n
Bringing the Past into the Future: Requiring owners of existing buildings over 50,000 square feet to make cost-effective energy efficiency improvements to their buildings once every ten years by conducting an audit, retro-commissioning, and retrofitting their building.<\/p>\n
Lighting the Way: Requiring that lighting systems in large buildings be upgraded to meet the requirements of the New York City Energy Conservation Code. <\/p>\n
The legislation already in the Council include:<\/p>\n
Setting a Standard: Requiring a benchmarking standard for city buildings. Since nearly 80% of New York City\u2019s emissions come from energy consumed in buildings, it is important to measure their efficiency as the City fulfills its commitment to reduce citywide greenhouse gases by 30%. Benchmarking will empower building owners to take steps towards minimizing energy use and maximizing the economic benefits inherent to energy conservation.<\/p>\n
Realizing Potential: Currently, New York is one of 42 U.S. states using the same standard energy code known as the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). However, New York is the only state that amends this code with a loophole that allows buildings to skirt the energy code if they are not taking on massive renovations. A critical component of NYC\u2019s Green Buildings Plan is to move beyond this amendment and create a NYC code that would require all buildings comply with the un-amended version. This means any time a renovation takes place in one of NYC\u2019s 1 million buildings, this work would be required to conform to a set of easily applied standards, resulting in both a significant energy reduction and cost savings. <\/p>\n
Hearings on the entire legislative package are expected in June. <\/p>\n
\u201cOur skyline has been a symbol of our City\u2019s identity since the Flatiron Building was constructed over a hundred years ago,\u201d said Speaker Christine C. Quinn. \u201cBy announcing the first-of-its-kind legislation that will upgrade the City\u2019s existing buildings with energy efficient technology, we are bringing that proud tradition into the 21st Century \u2013 and creating jobs is the process.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTwenty years from now people will look back at Earth Day 2009 and this landmark legislative package as the moment when city government, critical stakeholders and concerned citizenry came together to transform our buildings into centers of environmental innovation, showcases of engineering excellence and engines of economic revitalization. These bills are transformative for our environment, a boon to our economy and a beacon to other cities on the journey to environmental sustainability. I am honored to work with our visionary leaders, Mayor Bloomberg and Speaker Quinn, in shepherding these bills through the legislative process,\u201d said Environmental Protection Committee James F. Gennaro.<\/p>\n
\u201cNew York City already has the most iconic skyline in the world; now it can be the picture of efficiency, as well,\u201dsaid Council Member Dan Garodnick. \u201cRequiring buildings to conform to industry standards for energy conservation will make them dramatically more efficient without putting a burden on new development.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA full one-fifth of New York City\u2019s energy is used for lighting, so it\u2019s an area where we can achieve major steps in reducing our carbon footprint,\u201d said Council Member Domenic Recchia. \u201cEnergy-efficient lighting fixtures will pay for themselves in energy savings within one to two years, and we\u2019ve ensured that building owners have ample time to meet this new standard. This is a common sense solution, and an important step in our battle against global warming.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cBy setting reasonable standards of efficiency for buildings around the City, we can help building owners reduce our carbon footprint, save money and create jobs,\u201d said Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito. \u201cThis is a common sense way to bring our entire skyline, new and old, into the 21st Century.\u201d<\/p>\n
PLAYGROUND SIGNAGE SAFETY BILL<\/p>\n
To protect the safety of children playing on hot playground equipment, the Council will vote to require the Department of Parks and Recreation to install precautionary signs in city run playgrounds that warn of the possible dangers hot playground equipment and surfacing materials. The signs, which would be multilingual in certain parks, would be placed at all playground entrances. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis legislation will go a long way to ensure that children can play safely and that their parents are warned of potential harm that may occur due to excessively hot surfaces. It is a win-win situation for the children, the parents and the City,\u201d said Parks and Recreation Committee Chair Helen Foster.<\/p>\n
\u201cParents have a right to know about dangers to their children,\u201d said Council Member Jessica Lappin, lead sponsor of the bill. \u201cWhen these playground mats get hot, they are a danger. This law will require signage that makes it clear to parents what they must do to protect their children.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a serious problem with a simple solution. By alerting parents to the potential dangers posed by equipment in the summer heat, we are enabling them to effectively protect their children from serious burns. If we act now, before summer arrives, we can keep children in the playground and out of the hospital,\u201d said Council member Bill de Blasio, lead sponsor of the bill.<\/p>\n
BROWNFIELDS LEGISLATION<\/p>\n
Helping to revitalize underutilized and vacant industrial space around the five boroughs, the Council will vote to develop a comprehensive program for the remediation and reuse of brownfields. Brownfields are abandoned or underused industrial and commercial sites that are viable for re-use. Specifically, this bill formally establishes an Office of Environmental Remediation which will develop programs for sustainable growth in consultation with the Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability. Currently, there is no local cleanup process for owners of City brownfield sites to participate in.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith well over 7,000 acres of brownfields in the five boroughs, developing a workable program to clean and redevelop these sites is an environmental and economic imperative for New York City. This bill not only creates such a plan, it also creates an office to administer it, a process for educating and engaging communities most in need of this development, and funding for community based organizations to explore possible brownfields opportunities. In the absence of New York State Brownfields Program that serves the City well, this bill does what needed to be done \u2013 creates a brownfields program for New York City, run by New York City,\u201d said Environmental Protection Committee James F. Gennaro. <\/p>\n
In the past, many New York City brownfield sites have been rejected from the state brownfields Cleanup program for being contaminated by historic fill. This bill will allow New York City sites to be addressed that were denied participation in the state program. <\/p>\n
Adolescent Jail Reporting Bill<\/p>\n
To help monitor conditions of adolescents in city jails, the Council will vote to require the Department of Correction (DOC) to compile and post yearly census and quarterly and yearly security data amongst adolescents in city jails on its official website. The security data, would be broken down by individual facility and would include, among other indicators, as the number of stabbings\/slashings, hospital admissions as a result of use of force assaults on staff, fights resulting in serious injury, attempted suicides, and incidents of sexual assault.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur city has a responsibility to ensure the safety and security of those in its custody, especially when it comes to adolescents,\u201d said Fire and Criminal Justice Committee Chair James Vacca. \u201cThis bill will help the City Council and the public monitor the level of violence occurring in our jail system and hopefully help us prevent any further tragedies of the scale we witnessed last October. I want to thank Council Member James for taking the lead on this issue.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis local law will provide crucial oversight for adolescents in City jails,\u201d said Council Member Letitia James, co-sponsor of the bill. \u201cRikers Island currently houses nearly 900 youth between 16 and 18 years old, and several allegations of criminal acts against adolescent inmates were exposed following the fatal beating of Christopher Robinson. Routine public reports by the Department of Corrections containing updated information on adolescents, is imperative to safeguard young inmates from the tens of thousands of individuals making up the daily inmate population, as well as DOC staff. More detailed and accurate data about these adolescents is also necessary to address particular needs, which could then assist with ending the cycle of recidivism.\u201d<\/p>\n
HATIAN PROTECTION RESOLUTION<\/p>\n
The Council will vote on a resolution in support of the Congressional Haitian Protection Act of 2009 which calls on the U.S. government to grant Haiti temporary protected status (TPS). If granted, TPS would permit eligible Haitian nationals living in the United States at the time of the designation to remain in this country while Haiti recovers from its current wave of political difficulties and natural disasters, which combine to create a state of grinding poverty, maternal\/child death, hunger and instability. New York City has one of the largest Haitian populations in the nation<\/p>\n
RESTORE NEW YORK<\/p>\n
The Council will vote on a resolution supporting New York City\u2019s application for funding for capital projects under the Restore New York Community Initiative pursuant to the New York State Urban Development Act, for Arverne East in Queens and Bush Terminal in Brooklyn.<\/p>\n
Under the New York State Urban Development Act and Empire State Development Corporation\u2019s (ESDC) rules and regulations, applications for funding must be submitted to ESDC by the Mayor and approved by the Council through a resolution. The City is authorized in this round of proposals to seek funding for up to two projects and as much as $10 million per project.<\/p>\n
BUDGET MODIFICATION<\/p>\n
The Council will also vote on revenue and expense budget modifications that recognize downward movement in tax forecasts. The revenue modification being voted on today leaves the City down $341 million from the Fiscal Year 2009 adopted budget.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
First in the Nation Legislation Will Retrofit Older City Buildings for a Greener Future<\/p>\n
City Hall, April 22, 2009 \u2013 At today\u2019s Stated Council meeting, Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, together with Environmental Protection Committee Chair James Gennaro and Council Members Daniel R. Garodnick, Dominic Recchia and Melissa Mark-Viverito, will introduce the final two pieces of a legislative package that will have a dramatic impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from New York City buildings.<\/p>\n
…<\/p>\n