Espinal Bill Establishes Pet Harbor Pilot Program
City Council Member Rafael Espinal (D-Bushwick, East New York) this week saw his bill establishing a pilot program for allowing pet harbors to be placed on sidewalks adjacent to business storefronts pass the city council.
In 2017, DogSpot — a woman-owned and Brooklyn-manufactured business — came to New York City with a new product for pet owners: pet harbors. The hi-tech pet harbors take up little space, but provide a secure and air-conditioned way to leave dogs outside while consumers shop inside. The Department of Transportation (DOT) issued a cease and desist for their use of sidewalk space, despite having the permission of the business owners.
The bill, Int. 886, would direct an agency or office designated by the Mayor to establish a pilot program in Brooklyn for the placement of pet harbors on sidewalks adjacent to commercial establishments.
“Instead of supporting the innovation of a woman-owned and Brooklyn-manufactured business, New York City took a backwards approach by removing all pet harbors without warning. It’s our City’s job to create an environment where small businesses can thrive, and this pilot program will do just that for pet harbors. Pet harbors are a win-win innovation; they’re good for businesses, good for dog-owners, and good for dogs,” said Espinal.
Lentol Announces $1 Million Allocation For Roadway Safety Improvements
Assemblyman Joseph R. Lentol (D-Greenpoint, Williamsburg) announced yesterday he is allocating $1 million in state funding to the city’s Department of Transportation (DOT) to implement immediate roadway safety infrastructure for cyclists and motorists in Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Fort Greene, and Clinton Hill.
The announcement comes in the wake of three separate incidents involving cars and cyclists across New York City, all on the same day. Two of the cyclists involved were killed and the third was left fighting for his life.
“I am sickened by the escalating number of deaths and injuries to cyclists, pedestrians and drivers in New York City. We must devise and implement safety solutions to reverse this trend and protect everyone on the road. I am committing these funds in order to swiftly implement safety measures in my district because we must find a way to make streets safer for all modes of transportation,” said Lentol.
While implementing these immediate measures, Lentol also urged the DOT to explore even more safety measures, such as improved travel patterns, better bicycle lane barriers, and use of electronic signage that can alert motorists when they are entering an area extensively used by cyclists.
Gounardes Calls For State Hearings On Power Grid Reliability
State Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D-Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, Gravesend, Gerritsen Beach, Manhattan Beach, Marine Park) yesterday called for state hearings on the reliability of the city’s power grid today following a blackout in Brooklyn affecting 33,000 customers, including many in his district.
Some residents in Marine Park and other neighborhoods were without power for days at the height of the summer heat. Gounardes urged that hearings be held promptly and feature representatives from Con Edison, National Grid and the Public Service Commission.
“What happened in southeastern Brooklyn from Sunday through Tuesday is the predictable result of strain on the grid coupled with a failure to prepare. Today, I call for a series of hearings to illuminate not just what happened in this blackout but how we can move to a safer, more reliable 21st Century grid where people aren’t regularly plunged into darkness on the hottest nights of the year or denied service for basic energy needs,” said Gounardes.
“People in my community want answers, but more than that, they want solutions. We must take steps towards a city where every person can rest assured that the power they rely on will work. These hearings can serve as an essential step,” he added.
Rose Pushes Effort Prohibiting Exorbitant Flood Insurance Hikes
U.S. Rep. Max Rose (D-Southern Brooklyn, Staten Island) is backing a bipartisan proposal that will protect homeowners from steep flood insurance rate hikes due to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) proposed Risk Rating 2.0 program.
“Staten Islanders and South Brooklynites have been failed time and again by the government when it comes to flooding, and to add insult to injury, are getting hammered by rising flood insurance premiums,” Rose said. “We’re still rebuilding from Hurricane Sandy, and only finally starting to build the East Shore Seawall to better protect our homes and livelihoods—but FEMA’s new proposals could put homeowners underwater financially. We need to fight back and make sure that Staten Islanders and South Brooklynites can afford to stay in their homes.”
The bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program, which Rose is co-sponsoring, would protect policyholders from exorbitant premium hikes by capping annual increases at 9 percent—half of the current cap on premium hikes.
Currently, premiums can more than double every 5 years. The bill also addresses the long-term solvency of the NFIP, limits profits and provides oversight for private insurance companies that participate in the NFIP Write Your Own (WYO) Policy program, and increases individual policyholders’ ability to appeal or litigate their reimbursement claims to FEMA
Colton Demands Property Violations Be Removed
Assemblyman William Colton (D–Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, Dyker Heights) has called for property violation removals if city contractors do the repair work in and around the owners’ property.
Colton made the demand after recently walking through the most of his district, and speaking with a number of homeowners and explaining their rights, what to expect and what to do when city inspectors issue violations and then city contractors come to do repair work on their property.
“I am outraged with the city inspectors and contractors that have been hired by the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT). During my journey through the streets, I happened to speak with a few homeowners. One told me that at the time of the inspection a contractor was present and advised him to do repairs with them and not to hire his own contractor because it will be more costly. He was also told that he will need to pay him $30.00 then the violation will be removed from his property,” said Colton.
“Another homeowner informed me that the city made repairs to the sidewalk by his property and now, two years later, he has received a violation for the repairs that were done by the city contractors! The city can’t hold homeowners responsible for their repairs and slap them with the same violation again. The violation must be taken off the property as soon as repairs are completed by the city contractors. As an elected official my job is to inform and protect people, especially from the corrupt individuals that are trying to take advantage of them,” he added.
Colton’s office has sent over 400 letters to homeowners to notify them about orange markings that the DOT has painted by their properties. People need to know their rights and responsibilities as homeowners and most of all what to do when they’ll get a bill for the repairs, Colton said.
Treyger Bill Helps Car Owners Fight Parking Tickets
City Council member Mark Treyger (D-Coney Island, Bensonhurst, Gravesend) this week saw the city council approve his legislation that will allow car owners to get parking tickets dismissed if the no parking signage is illegible.
Currently, if a parking sign is illegible, people have no notice that a restriction is in effect but despite an illegible sign, they can still receive a ticket. It is within the Department of Finance’s (DOF) discretion to dismiss these tickets, but the department is not required to do so, and many people don’t know that they can often get tickets dismissed for illegible signs.
This legislation holds the DOT accountable for replacing signage that is illegible and allows residents an option to contest a ticket by displaying (with a photo) that a sign is indecipherable. It allows people to fight a ticket by showing that both sides of the sign were illegible (parking signs are double-sided) and there were no other signs on the same side of the block that applied to the same violation and the same spot.
“My bill, Intro 570, will resolve a frustration for residents that receive a parking ticket when there’s illegible signage. Residents don’t know what the parking regulation is and get hit with a ticket due to the city’s lack of maintenance. Drivers absolutely have to do their part to be safe, responsible and follow all traffic laws, including parking only in appropriate places. This bill does not excuse unacceptable behavior. However, the DOT must maintain its infrastructure and make sure parking signage is available and clear. It is a common-sense solution to holding the DOT responsible for upholding the infrastructure of our city,” said Treyger.
The measure will take effect 90 days after enactment which will be approximately in late November 2019.
Simon Addresses Recent Floods
Assemblywoman Jo Anne Simon (D-Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Downtown Brooklyn) said in her recent newsletter that these last few weeks her district has seen all too clearly the impact of inclement weather and how aging infrastructure have caused significant subway breakdowns, blackouts, and flooding.
“There was a particularly bad flood in Gowanus on Carroll Street near 4th Avenue. The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has informed my office that the rainfall exceeded 3” per hour and the intensity of the rain was the main cause of the flooding, exacerbated by it being a low point in the neighborhood which brought rain from other locations, including downhill from the east (the flood was from stormwater and not a breach of the canal),” she wrote.
“They were also examining if construction barriers and sites had an impact. The flooding highlights even more reason to be conscious of new density and environmental concerns in this fragile area during the upcoming re-zoning of Gowanus,” she added.
Simon will also hold a ‘Get the Scoop at Java with Jo Anne’ event for constituents to bring up community issues and current events with her.
The event is slated for 4:30-6:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 1 at the Ample Hills Creamery Fireboat House at Brooklyn Bridge Park, 1 Water Street in DUMBO.
Deutsch Decries Dousing NYPD Officers
City Councilman Chaim Deutsch (D-Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach, Homecrest, Midwood) yesterday condemned the recent incidents depicted in two videos taken which show the dousing of NYPD officers with buckets of water.
“Videos of police officers being attacked with water and buckets stunned all New Yorkers of good conscience this week. I am very pleased to learn that the NYPD has suspects in these assaults in custody. Let this be a lesson to lawbreakers: we will not tolerate this behavior and treatment of our men and women in blue,” said Deutsch.
“New York City violent crime rates are at an all-time low right now, and that’s thanks to the dedication of our Police Department. Maintaining law and order is crucial to ensuring that crime rates continue to stay on a downward trend,” he added.
Persaud Calls Power Outage Victims To Get Reimbursed
State Sen. Roxanne J. Persaud (D-Canarsie, East New York, Brownsville, Mill Basin, Sheepshead Bay, Bergen Beach, Marine Park, Flatlands, Mill Island, Georgetown, Ocean Hill, Starrett City) yesterday has asked her Southeast Brooklyn colleagues to join her in calling on Con Edison to reimburse all customers affected by the power outage.
On Sunday evening, July 21, following an intense heatwave, Con Edison stated that approximately 33,000 households in Canarsie, Georgetown, Mill Basin, Bergen Beach, Flatlands and other nearby communities in Southeast Brooklyn lost electricity. The electric company reported working on making repairs, reducing voltage throughout the affected area to prevent a more significant blackout, and restoring service as quickly as possible. They also cautioned that power might not return until the next day.
By early Monday morning, Jul 22, Con Edison reported restoring electricity for roughly 30,000 customers, but thousands of households still suffered in the heat throughout the day and into the night. Monday night’s severe thunderstorm and flash flood caused additional outages and delay in the restoration of electricity.
“For days New York and the entire tri-state area were warned about the incoming heatwave, yet Con Edison was unprepared. Over 30,000 households were in the dark and unable to keep cool in their homes when they needed it most. That is unacceptable,” Persaud said. “Con Edison must answer for this disastrous turn of events and adequately compensate those who suffered from their inadequacy.”
Persaud is calling on Con Edison to sufficiently credit the utility bills of residents who were impacted by the power outages as well as waive the requirement for their reimbursement claim. She noted that customers who lost electricity for less than twelve hours should be allowed to submit reimbursement claims for perishable goods, and that requiring receipts should be waived.
Joining in on her call for reimbursement were fellow Southern Brooklyn lawmakers including Assemblymember Jaime R. Williams and City Council Members Alan Maisel and Mark Treyger.
