The Council Will Hold Oversight Hearings to Examine the City\u2019s Performance During and After Hurricane Sandy <\/p>\n
City Hall, NY – Speaker Christine C. Quinn, Council Member Leroy Comrie, Council Member Sara Gonz\u00e1lez, Council Member Eric Ulrich, Council Member Jimmy Oddo and Council Member Maria del Carmen Arroyo today announced a package of bills to strengthen New York City\u2019s infrastructure to better prepare for severe storms.<\/p>\n
\u201cClimate change is an irrefutable reality, and New York City must be better prepared when the next storm strikes,\u201d said Speaker Christine C. Quinn. \u201cIf we want to protect our neighborhoods and prevent future devastation, we must act now. Our bills will expand flood protections and examine placing certain infrastructure underground to keep New Yorkers and our City safe during weather emergencies.\u201d<\/p>\n
The proposed bills would:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Study the Feasibility of Relocating Power Lines Underground
\nAs power outages in the days and weeks following Sandy\u2019s landfall showed, overhead power lines are particularly susceptible to damage during extreme storms. The Council Committee on Consumer Affairs will examine a bill that would require the Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability to conduct a study over the next six months on the feasibility of placing power lines underground. The study will review recent power outages in New York City and include a list of areas that would most benefit by relocating power lines underground.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Adopt FEMA\u2019s Advisory Base Flood Elevation Maps
\nWhen 14 feet of water surged into New York Harbor, areas outside of the City\u2019s FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) flooded, demonstrating that the FIRM is out of date. Legislation proposed by Council Members Erich Ulrich and Jimmy Oddo would adopt the new FEMA flood advisory maps, expected to be released this week, and would expand the areas that must adhere to flood proofing requirements in the City\u2019s Building Code.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Strengthen Flood Proofing Requirements for Buildings in Vulnerable Areas
\nLegislation proposed by Council Member Sara Gonz\u00e1lez would bring the City\u2019s Building Code in line with national and state flood construction requirements. The bill would raise elevation requirements for buildings in flood zones as well as their boilers and other critical equipment. The bill would also establish more restrictive flood construction standards for buildings in Coastal A-Zones, which are areas that may suffer not only flooding but flooding from the intensity of coastal waves.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Strengthen Flood Proofing Requirements for Health Care Facilities
\nSponsored by Council Member Maria del Carmen Arroyo, this bill would bring the elevation requirements for healthcare facilities, and their boilers and critical equipment, in line with national and state flood constuction requirements.<\/p>\n
Starting in January, the Council will hold a seven-week-long series of oversight hearings in over 20 Council Committees to assess the City\u2019s storm planning, management and recovery efforts related to public safety, transportation, housing, health services and more.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we are going to be thorough and truly forward-looking, the City\u2019s recovery must include an examination of what did and did not work in the days and hours leading up to Sandy\u2019s landfall, and in its aftermath \u2013 from the Rockaways to Red Hook; from Midland Beach to the South Street Seaport,\u201d continued Speaker Christine C. Quinn. \u201cThe more lessons we take away from this storm, the better prepared we will be for the next one.\u201d<\/p>\n
The series of hearings will include the following:<\/p>\n
Disaster Management
\nCommittees on Public Safety, Fire, Health, Aging, Mental Health\/Disabilities, General Welfare
\nMonday, January 14th
\n10:00 am
\nInvited to testify: Office of Emergency Management (OEM); Deputy Mayor Caswell Holloway; FDNY; NYPD; Department of Homeless Services (DHS); NYC Department of Health and Mental Health (DOHMH); State Department of Health (NYSDOH)
\nHearing focus:
\nAssessment of OEM\u2019s coastal storm disaster plan, the city\u2019s evacuation plan, public information and communication, logistics and emergency response efforts<\/p>\n
NYCHA Emergency Planning and Response
\nCommittee on Public Housing
\nWednesday, January 16th
\n1:00 pm
\nInvited to testify: New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)
\nHearing focus:
\nTiming and reasons for major decisions, disaster preparedness, evacuation plan, housing evacuated residents, restoration of utilities and communication with residents<\/p>\n
Assessing and Improving Public Utility Risk Mitigation Measures
\nCommittees on Consumer Affairs, Technology, Lower Manhattan Redevelopment
\nFriday, January 18th
\n1:00 pm
\nInvited to testify: Con Ed; Verizon; Comcast; Time Warner; Mayor\u2019s Office of Operations; New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT); OEM
\nHearing focus:
\nExamining the effect of Hurricane Sandy on the City\u2019s power and communications network, potential preemptive measures that could have reduced the impact and resulted in faster service restoration and mitigation of future risks<\/p>\n
How Did 911, 311 and Emergency Alerts Perform?
\nCommittees on Public Safety, Fire, Technology
\nTuesday, January 22nd
\n1:00 pm
\nInvited to testify: DoITT; Deputy Mayor Caswell Holloway; FDNY; NYPD
\nHearing focus:
\nThe performance of 311 and 911 before, during and after the storm, the function of Notify NYC and the amount of people it reached, the performance of the Personal Localized Alert Network (PLAN), which was used in the City for the first time<\/p>\n
Emergency Preparedness and Response at the City\u2019s Healthcare Facilities
\nCommittees on Health, Mental Health, Aging
\nThursday, January 24th
\n1:00 pm
\nInvited to testify: Health and Hospitals Corporation; OEM; Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH); New York State Department of Health; Greater New York Hospitals Association; Deputy Mayor Linda Gibbs
\nHearing focus:
\nDisaster preparedness and risk mitigation at hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and mental health facilities; reasons for generator failures; evacuation plan and implementation; continuity of care; and case management<\/p>\n
\u2003
\nShelter Management
\nCommittees on Health, Aging, Mental Health\/Disabilities, General Welfare
\nWednesday, January 30th
\n1:00 pm
\nInvited to testify: Deputy Mayor Linda Gibbs; DHS; DOH, Housing Preservation and Development (HPD); NYSDOH
\nHearing focus:
\nAvailability, capacity, management and staffing of shelters<\/p>\n
MTA\u2019s Response and the Long-term Impact on the City\u2019s Public Transportation System
\nCommittee on Transportation
\nThursday, January 31st
\n1:00 pm
\nInvited to testify: Metropolitan Transit Authority; OEM
\nHearing focus:
\nClosure and recovery plans for public transportation; timing for announcements regarding service suspension and suspension of MTA fares; current state of service and timeline for recovery<\/p>\n
Impact on the City\u2019s Roads, Bridges, Tunnels and Airports
\nCommittee on Transportation
\nTuesday, February 5th
\n1:00 pm
\nInvited to testify: Department of Transportation (DOT); Port Authority; OEM; Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC)
\nHearing focus:
\nClosure and recovery plans for roads, airports, bridges and tunnels; when to use a zone fare system for taxis; impact of the storm on the Port Authority\u2019s major capital projects<\/p>\n
Managing the City\u2019s Housing Needs in the Wake of Hurricane Sandy
\nCommittee on Housing and Buildings
\nThursday, February 7th
\n1:00 pm
\nInvited to testify: Department of Buildings (DOB); HPD
\nHearing focus:
\nIdentifying vacant housing and assisting with relocations for displaced populations; identifying and responding to unsound buildings; assisting homeowners and landlords in applying for loans and grants<\/p>\n
\u2003
\nRestoring and Growing the City\u2019s Small Businesses
\nCommittees on Small Business and Economic Development
\nMonday, February 11th
\n1:00 pm
\nInvited to testify: Department of Small Business Services; New York City\u2019s Economic Development Corporation; Department of Consumer Affairs; Small Business Administration; Deputy Mayor Robert Steel, NYSDOL
\nHearing focus:
\nImpact of the storm on small businesses and local, state and federal support and outreach strategies for small business owners<\/p>\n
Post-Storm Cleanup and the Effects on the City\u2019s Health and Infrastructure
\nCommittees on Sanitation, Parks, Health, Environmental Protection
\nWednesday, February 13th
\n1:00 pm
\nInvited to testify: Department of Sanitation (DSNY), Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), DOHMH, OEM, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
\nHearing focus:
\nEffect of contaminated water on buildings and neighborhoods; mold issues and how they affect cleanup efforts; response to fallen trees and debris; coordination and protection of volunteers; and management of DSNY\u2019s clean-up efforts<\/p>\n
Storm-related Impact on Schools and Students
\nCommittee on Education
\nTuesday, February 26th
\n1:00 pm
\nInvited to testify: Department of Education (DOE)
\nHearing focus:
\nDOE\u2019s storm recovery plans, including relocation plans for damaged schools and its implementation; and academic supports for students and families that have been displaced<\/p>\n
Rebuilding the City\u2019s Infrastructure
\nCommittees on Environmental Protection, Finance, Land Use, Waterfronts, Housing and Buildings, Transportation
\nTo be determined
\nInvited to testify: DEP; City Planning; Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability; Port Authority; EDC; OEM; Deputy Mayor Caswell Holloway; DOB; Army Corp of Engineers
\nHearing focus:
\nAssessment of long-term damage to the City\u2019s infrastructure and timeline for reconstruction; and examination of possible methods of preparing New York City and minimizing damage from future storms
\n##<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Council Will Hold Oversight Hearings to Examine the City\u2019s Performance During and After Hurricane Sandy <\/p>\n
City Hall, NY – Speaker Christine C. Quinn, Council Member Leroy Comrie, Council Member Sara Gonz\u00e1lez, Council Member Eric Ulrich, Council Member Jimmy Oddo and Council Member Maria del Carmen Arroyo today announced a package of bills to strengthen New York City\u2019s infrastructure to better prepare for severe storms.<\/p>\n
…<\/p>\n