Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Holds Public Hearings and Signs Intros 620, 612-A, 571-A, and 126-A

February 5, 2015

Video available at: https://youtu.be/ysPknxSiy_0

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Good afternoon, everyone. I’d like to welcome everyone. This is an important day for all of New York City. It’s an important day in particular for so many families who have given so much to New York City. So, we have a lot we want to cover. 

I want to first thank my colleagues – the council members who are here – Councilmembers Weprin, Cohen, Deutsch, Barron, Constantinides, Espinal, Van Bramer, Miller, Gibson, Maisel, Crowley, Ferreras, and Eugene. If I missed anyone, please let me know. 

Unknown: Treyger.

Mayor: Treyger. Thank you.

[Laughter]

You were right out of my line of vision. 

And I’m going to say at the outset that I am going to do my very best to pronounce everyone’s name right – and if I fail at any point, please feel free to correct me. 

So we have today – officially, we’re going to be signing Intro 620-A, which co-names 56 streets and public places all over the five boroughs. In combination, this legislation is sponsored by Councilmembers Arroyo, Barron, Cabrera, Chin, Cohen, Constantinides, Cornegy, Crowley, Dickens, Espinal, Gentile, Gibson, Greenfield, Ignizio, Kallos, King, Lancman, Lander, Levin, Levine, Maisel, Matteo, Mealy, Miller – 

[Phone rings]

– turn off your phone – Palma, Reynoso, Rodriguez, Rose, Rosenthal, Treyger, Ulrich, Vallone, Van Bramer, and Williams. 

This is one of the ways – one of the many ways – that we honor people who have done so much for this city. And there are many forms of service and sacrifice – none greater than when our men and women in uniform pay the ultimate price, make the ultimate sacrifice to protect others. So I first want to acknowledge that two of the streets we are renaming will be in honor of two of New York’s Finest, who died tragically in December in the line of duty. 

Detective Rafael Ramos Way and Detective Wenjian Liu Way will now be part of all that is New York City – will be a permanent part of this city and a permanent reminder, a permanent example to all New Yorkers of their heroism and sacrifice. We’ll be unveiling the streets in the communities in the near future, but at this moment I’d also like us to take a moment to acknowledge and thank the family members – the members of the Ramos family and the Liu family who are here with us now. Let’s thank them for all they do. 

[Applause]

I want to acknowledge other brave members of our uniformed services who have died in the line of duty. FDNY Lieutenant Matt Ambelas will have Matt Ambelas Way named after him – a 14-year FDNY veteran killed in the line of duty in Williamsburg last year. Kenneth Anthony Nugent Way will be named after a 13-year NYPD veteran killed while trying to stop a robbery at a store in Queens; excuse me – let me get this right – Kalyana Ranasinghe Way, named after an officer – an NYPD traffic officer – hit by a truck in Manhattan in the line of duty; Battalion Chief Charles L. Kasper Way, named for 28-year – 28-year – FDNY veteran killed trying to save others on September 11, 2001, posthumously promoted to deputy fire chief; Steven Frosch Way – a former member of the NYPD who went to work for the Sanitation Department, killed in the line of duty performing maintenance in his garage – in his sanitation garage. All of these families have given so much to us. All of these individuals served with such distinction and deserve this honor. Let’s also thank all the family members present from those families.

[Applause]

I’m going to read now the names of all of the people – in some cases, the organizations or entities – that we’re honoring – all of them indicating long achievement, lasting achievement, a lifetime of achievement – and that’s why they’re being honored in this fashion. I will not be able to describe each and every one of them to you – I’m going to list them because there are so many – but we can all say together we’re thankful to each of these people, each of these organizations that did so much to improve the life of the city – and they’re all worthy of being remembered and being held up as examples. So I’m going to read them off now, the names of the new locations, what they’ll be called going forward –– 

Dave Reid Jr. Place.

Prince Joshua Avitto Way.

Reverend Wenceslao Martinez Way. 

DJ Scott la Rock Boulevard.

If you feel moved to clap, you may.

Luis Muñoz Marín Way.

Basil Paterson Boulevard. 

[Applause]

Oscar de la Renta Boulevard.

[Applause]

Frank T. Modica Way.

Norman Buchbinder Way.

[Applause]

Bronx Science Boulevard.

[Applause]

Archbishop Iakovos of America Way.

James Baldwin Place.

[Applause]

Frank J. Santo Way.

Judge Hansel L. McGee Place.

[Applause]

Bishop Robert Green Way.

Jimmy Zappalorti Lane.

Milton Alexander Way.

Bishop Ignatius A. Catanello Way.

Barry Weinbrom Way.

Lyda Buffington Way.

One from my old community where I lived in Brooklyn and served as a city councilman – John Cortese Way.

Edwin Thomas Way.

[Applause]

Dr. Jerry F – excuse me, Jerry V. Burns Way.

Henry McCoy Jr. Way.

Kevin Lamont Miller Jr. Way.

[Applause]

Ann Maggio Way.

Max Bond Way.

Jacob Birnbaum Way.

Stanley Jay Way.

Vincent C. Pompa Way.

Cooper Stock Way.

PCS Way.

Barbara Dattilo Way.

Brother Jack SanFilippo Way.

This is one that will be important to a lot of people in this room who have served or are serving the NYPD – Jack Maple Place.

[Applause]

Robert C. Lohnes Way.

Alice Cardona Way. 

Luke Adams Way.

Pecola and Nicholas Rodriguez Way.

Debbie Bowden Way.

Margaret Mack Triangle.

[Applause]

We’re going to be making a few other changes on co-namings that were originally – or already, I should say – signed into law. So, we’re going to be making some changes updating them, and those include – 

George Carlin Way.

Barnard Way.

Angelo “Chubby” Campanella – who’s got a phone on? Okay – phone’s off, everyone – Angelo “Chubby” Campanella Way. 

Benjamin Fried Boulevard. 

Rabbi Weissmandl Way.

José Francisco Peña Gomez Boulevard.

William Creech Vietnam Veteran’s Way.

And Sunnyside Garden Arena Way.

Those are all of the re-namings, signifying so much that happened in this city, so many good people and organizations that did so much. 

Let me also thank the leaders of this administration who are present for this important moment – of course, our police commissioner, Bill Bratton, our first deputy commissioner, Ben Tucker, and our chief of department, Jimmy O’Neill – all from the NYPD; from the FDNY – our commissioner, Dan Nigro; from sanitation – our commissioner, Kathryn Garcia. I want to thank all of you for being a part of this today. I want to thank some of the labor leaders who are present. Again, people will be coming in and out, so we’ll update names as they go along. We have leaders from the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association; we have Michael Palladino, the president of the Detectives’ Endowment Association; Harry Nespoli, the president of the Uniformed Sanitationmen’s Association; and John Samuelsen, the president of the TWU. 

With that, I would like to now introduce Commissioner Bratton to say a few words. 

[…]

[Mayor de Blasio signs Intro 620]

Mayor: Okay. We good? All right – we’re going to continue this hearing. Everyone – I’d like to ask, if you’re staying around for the hearing, please do, and otherwise, if you could help us because we’re going to jump right into this now.

Next is Intro 612-A. Intro 612-A reauthorizes the city to sell tax liens through December 2016. It’s sponsored by the Finance Committee Chair Julissa Ferreras. In addition, it establishes a joint administration-council task force to make administrative and legislative recommendations in regard to the lien sale process. The administration worked hand in hand with the City Council to improve the fairness and efficiency of the process. 

I want to thank our commissioner of finance, Jacques Jiha; our DEP commissioner, Emily Lloyd; our HPD commissioner, Vicki Been; and of course, Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. And now, I’d like to introduce to speak Commissioner Jacques Jiha. 

[…]

Mayor: We have no one signed up for public testimony, so we will now sign this bill into law. 

[Mayor de Blasio signs Intro 612-A]

Mayor: Okay – here we go – next. Next is Intro 571-A – removes the requirement in the city charter that early intervention at the Early Intervention Program be administered by the Division of Mental Hygiene at the Department of Health. This is sponsored by Mental Health Committee Chair Andrew Cohen – thank you for that. Will allow the EIP to be placed within the new Division of Family and Child Health, which oversees a range of programs focusing on child development. Bringing EIP under this division will streamline services for children with developmental disabilities. And we must make sure that children who need services get them – and this will help us to do that. 

I want to thank our health commissioner, Dr. Mary Bassett, and her team. I want to thank our speaker, Melissa Mark-Viverito. And now it’s my pleasure to introduce the bill’s sponsor – Councilmember Cohen. 

[…]

[Mayor de Blasio signs Intro 571-A]

Mayor: Okay, last – the last bill we have is Intro 126-A, which requires the Department of Education –

[Applause]

– to report on – [laughs] – breaches – you can clap for the whole department, that’s good – to report on breaches of school environmental standards. It’s sponsored by Councilmember Fernando Cabrera. This bill addresses the reality whenever potentially hazardous substances are found above the appropriate levels, that the DOE must then notify school communities and post reports on their website with ten days of finding any such instance. The health and safety of our students and our staff, of course, is paramount – and this bill will help to create more transparency and focus, so I want to thank the councilmember for that. 

I also want to thank Chancellor Carmen Fariña and her whole team at DOE. I want to thank Lorraine Grillo, the president of the School Construction Authority, and her staff; of course, Speaker Mark-Viverito, and the chair of the education committee in the council, Danny Dromm. Do we have – we do have some public comments. 

[…]

Mayor: Anyone else from the public testimony? We got everyone? Great – let’s sign the bill. Please come on up.

[Mayor de Blasio signs Intro 126-A]