Addabbo Partners With NC State Senator On Hurricane Florence Relief Effort
State Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D- Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Glendale, Middle Village, Maspeth and parts of South Ozone Park, Ridgewood, Woodside, The Rockaways), after seeing the devastation left behind by Hurricane Florence, reached out to State Sen. Bill Rabon (R-NC) to see how he could help support the victims of the hurricane.
Rabon, whose district includes Brunswick, Bladen, New Hanover, and Pender Counties — battered and underwater – is also a veterinarian, who saw his office and his house destroyed. Rabon and his staff personally responded to Addabbo’s call and was grateful for the offer.
So in order to help, Addabbo will be holding a supply drive for the victims of Hurricane Florence. The drive will begin on Thursday, September 20, and will conclude on Thursday, October 4. The donated items will then be shipped to North Carolina State Senator Bill Rabon.
“This simple supply drive will go a long way in helping the victims of Florence begin to get their lives back together,” Addabbo said. “I remember that after Sandy, donated items and gift cards, which allowed families to buy specific items needed, were extremely helpful. You don’t realize how important little things, like soap and toothbrushes, are until you don’t have them. This is a great way to help your fellow human beings in a time of great need.”
Rabon and his constituents are in need of toiletries including toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, feminine hygiene products, soaps and shampoos, and other products, as well as Visa and MasterCard gift cards.
Residents who wish to help the people of North Carolina during this difficult time can drop off items at any of Addabbo’s three district offices from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday at Howard Beach at 159-53 102nd Street, Middle Village at 66-85 73rd Place, and the Rockaways at 88-08 Rockaway Beach Boulevard.
Lancman Files Lawsuit To Force NYPD To Release Fare Evasion Enforcement Data
City Council Member Rory I. Lancman (D-Kew Gardens Hills, Pomonok, Electchester, Fresh Meadows, Hillcrest, Jamaica Estates, Briarwood, Parkway Village, Jamaica Hills, Jamaica), along with other attorneys and legal service providers today will hold a press conference to discuss the lawsuit that Lancman filed to force the New York City Police Department to comply with New York City Administrative Code § 14-172, regarding fare evasion enforcement data.
In December 2017, the City Council unanimously passed Lancman’s legislation, Intro. 1664, requiring the NYPD to report quarterly on the number of arrests and civil summonses issued for fare evasion at each of the city’s 472 subway stations. The legislation specified that the data must be broken down into the following categories: subway station where enforcement action took place, transit bureau district, and race, sex, and age group of the individual who was arrested or issued a TAB summons.
However, as media reported, the NYPD has refused to follow the law and release the quarterly reports to the public. To date, the NYPD has failed to produce three quarterly reports (due January 30, 2018; April 30, 2018; July 30, 2018).
The lawsuit comes after Lancman made every good faith effort to obtain this data, both through the legislation that passed and then through the FOIL process.
The press conference is slated for 12 noon, today, Sept. 20 outside the City Hall R Train Stop on Warren Street and Broadway in Lower Manhattan.
Koo, Holden Hail City’s Release Of Annual Open Data Report
City Council Members Peter Koo (D-Downtown Flushing, Murray Hill, Queensboro Hill) and Robert Holden (D-Glendale, Maspeth, Middle Village, Ridgewood, Woodhaven, Woodside) this week hailed the de Blasio administration for releasing its annual update on Open Data for All and the NYC Open Data Plan.
The plan pulls back the curtain on digital government to show how the City collects data, how data powers city operations, and how publishing that data publicly creates value in communities across the five boroughs.
Over the last year, dozens of agencies have released datasets to the NYC Open Data Portal, bringing increased transparency to all aspects of the City’s operations, from the rental market to community projects and more. Over 600 new datasets have been published by 38 agencies, including:
- Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) datasets on Rooftop Drinking Water Tank Inspections, Dog Licenses and MenuStat (an online database of nutrition and menu information from top national restaurant chains)
- Department of Transportation (DOT) street furniture location information, including bus stop shelters, bike parking shelters, newsstands, and parking meters
- A series of data tables from a relational database on Housing Development Projects Receiving City Financial Assistance (Local Law 44) from the Department of Housing Preservation & Development
- 2017 Intimate Partner Violence Related Snapshots at the NYC community board-level from the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence (ENDGBV) (formerly known as the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence (OCDV))
- The NYCgov Poverty Measure from 2005-2016, published by the Mayor’s Office of Economic Opportunity
The 2018 Open Data report features NYC Data at Work, a series of vignettes highlighting how open data powers government efficiency in NYC from emergency services to M/WBE contracting opportunities, as well as ways New Yorkers use open data in their products, research, and advocacy. It also reveals over 400 new datasets that will be added to the Open Data Plan for future release and over 200 unique agency civic engagement commitments. The report is accompanied by a new video on the Open Data homepage that shows the public data behind City operations New Yorkers encounter every day.
“Open data powers the research, analysis, and reporting of essential city services. The more varied datasets we incorporate today into the Open Data For Alland the NYC Open Data Plan, the more future generations will stand to benefit from historical statistics. This annual report shows a true commitment by the City of New York to a more transparent and efficient government, and we will continue to expand these efforts so that all have access to this important information,” said Koo, Chair of the Committee on Technology.
“Taxpayers deserve accountability from their government, and increasing access to datasets on how the government functions is essential in democracy. Increased transparency to all aspects of New York City’s operations is something that I can truly advocate for, and I hope this trend of greater accountability and oversight continues. I applaud the city on its Open Data Plan,” said Holden.
New York City Charter Commission 2019 Queens Hearing
The New York City Charter Commission 2019 will hold a public hearing tonight in Queens to get feedback from the public on changes they plan to make on the city’s charter.
The city’s charter is the city’s constitution. Among their recommendations are to increase public funding of local elections and put term limits on community board membership.
The hearing is slated for 6 p.m., tonight, Sept. 20 at Queens Borough Hall, 120-55 Queens Blvd. in Kew Gardens.
