Powers, Rivera Introduce Package of Bills to Limit Security Deposits
City Councilman Keith Powers (D-Upper East Side, Carnegie Hill) and City Councilwoman Carlina Rivera (D-East Village, Gramercy Park) have introduced a package of bills designed to limit security deposits for renters in New York.
The package includes a measure that will place a one-month limit on security deposits and broker fees. It also includes several other pieces of legislation created to alleviate the burden borne by New York renters, including a cap on broker fees and consumer protections for tenants.
“It’s not news that New York City is one the most expensive places to live in the country, but there is something we can do about it,” Powers said in a statement. “With this legislation, New Yorkers will not only be able to make more informed housing decisions, but tenants—particularly young and low-income tenants—will no longer have to pay thousands and thousands of dollars to build a home here.”
Levine Mourns Loss of NYPD Officer
City Councilman Mark Levine (D-Manhattan Valley, Manhattanville) posted on Twitter yesterday to mourn the loss of Det. Brian Simonsen, an NYPD officer who was shot and killed responding to an armed robbery earlier this week.
Simonsen, 42, received a 911 call Tuesday night from a convenience store owner who said he was being robbed at gunpoint. Simonsen and several other officers appeared on the scene to confront the assailant, and at some point during the confrontation, Simonsen was shot. The incident is believed to be a case of friendly fire.
In the history of the NYPD, 907 men and women have given their lives in the line duty,” Levine said in a tweet. “The name of the latest hero added to this tragic list is Det. Brian Simonsen, 42, killed responding to an armed robbery in Queens yesterday. Flags at half mast in his honor at City Hall today.”
Brewer Leaves L Train Hearing Unsatisfied
Upon leaving an MTA briefing about the L train shutdown, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer tweeted that she still had some reservations about their plan.
Yesterday, the MTA shared the details of their L train rehabilitation plan. It will involve reductions in L train service on weeknights and weekends, with said reductions beginning as early as 8 p.m. on weeknights – thus giving MTA workers the time they need to rebuild the Canarsie tunnel.
Brewer was somewhat less than pleased, claiming that the plan places undue burdens on subway riders who rely on the L line.
“The new service plan lacks options riders deserve—service every 20 mins on evenings and weekends won’t cut it and making the 1st & 3rd Ave stations exit-only to deal with overcrowding is unacceptable,” said Brewer. “Historic overcrowding, exit-only stations, poor alternate service: this new plan is a shutdown by another name.”
