Politics & Government

City Hall Roundup: December

News from City Council Member Al Vann

Legislation Passed on December 20th:

Student Safety Act -- The Council passed legislation (Intro 442-A) that would provide unprecedented information regarding student disciplinary measures and actions related to school safety. The legislation would require the Department of Education and the NYPD to submit reports to the New York City Council detailing school safety matters and disciplinary measures.

The reports will provide detailed information about school-based disci;linary actions, such as suspensions, and policing in schools, including information on the number of arrests and summonses issued by school safety agents or police officers who are members of the school safety division.

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To provide further transparency, information in the report will be broken down by categories of race/ethnicity, gender, grade level, age and whether the student has special education or English Language Learner status. Accurate and detailed reporting about policing in schools will be a valuable tool to monitor activity in schools, as well as identify and address any problems that may occur.

 

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Legislation Passed on December 8th:

Sidewalk ATMs -- The Council passed legislation (Intro 257-A) that would increase the penalties on property owners who permit illegal sidewalk ATMs to be adjacent to their property. Currently, a lack of regulation has led to the widespread proliferation of so-called "rogue" ATMs that encroach on City sidewalks, obstruct public passageways and attract graffiti and other vandalism.

The legislation would require the Department of Transportation (DOT) to serve an order to the property owner whose property the ATM is adjoining.

The order would require the owner to remove the ATM within 30 days of notice. If the property owner fails to remove the ATM, s/he would be fine $2,500 to $5,000 for the first day and an additional $5,000 for every five days the ATM remains on the sidewalk. In addition, DOT would be permitted to seize the ATM if the offending property owner accrued fines greater than $50,000 that remain unpaid for a period of ninety days.

Human Rights Commission Transparency -- The Council passed legislation (Intro 396-A) that would increase transparency in the Commission on Human Rights' efforts to combat discrimination in New York City by requiring that certain information be included in its annual report.

The current law requires the Commission to submit an annual report to the Council and the Mayor, but does not set forth a deadline for submission or provide any guidelines for what the report should contain. This legislation would require the Commission to submit its report by March 1st of each year, and require the report to include specific information on inquiries received from the public, complaints filed, and the Commission's outreach and education efforts.

Energy Efficiency -- The Council passed legislation (Intro 343-A) that would reenact a new city energy conservation code. The code adopts the 2010 State Energy Code and is based upon the 2009 Edition of the International Energy Conservation Code and will apply to both residential and commercial buildings throughout the city.

Street Co-Namings -- The Council passed legislation (Intro 428-A) that would co-name 67 thoroughfares and public places throughout the City. One of the 67 co-namings included in the legislation was Jefferson Avenue, between Tompkins and Throop Avenues, co-named after the late Hon. Bertram L. Baker. Baker was the first Black elected official from Brooklyn and represented Bedford-Stuyvesant in the New York State Assembly for 22 years.


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