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Mayor Bill de Blasio Signs Legislation to Improve Coastal Storm Emergency Preparedness

March 3, 2015

Video available at: https://youtu.be/JIW__fC3Iho

Legislation also creates Hurricane Sandy charitable organization and house of worship recovery task force

NEW YORK—Mayor Bill de Blasio today signed into law Int. 519-A, in relation to the distribution of localized emergency preparedness materials; Int. 562-A, in relation to the creation of a Hurricane Sandy charitable organization and house of worship recovery task force; Intro 384-A, in relation to an annual report on non-governmental funding for New York City parks; Int. 655, in relation to the sale of tax liens, and Int. 615-A, in relation to allowing the Taxi and Limousine Commission to consider improved trouble lights for use in licensed vehicles.

The first and second bills, Intro 519-A and Intro 562-A, build on the work this city has done to ensure the city stays safe and resilient during and after emergencies. Intro. 519-A requires OEM to distribute emergency preparedness materials to communities at risk during coastal storms and hurricanes, including information on local evacuation zones and resources. Intro. 562-A creates a Hurricane Sandy charitable organization and house of worship recovery task force. This task force will make recommendations on how to streamline the allocation of resources and support. The bill was approved by the City Council at the Stated Meeting on February 12, 2015. 

“After the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, we promised our residents that we would rebuild a stronger and more resilient city—and that we would be better prepared for the next coastal storm. Today’s two bills are another strong step in this direction, by helping ensure that we are better prepared for extreme weather the next time we need to be,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “I want to thank the City Council, led by Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, and Council Member Mark Treyger, for making the safety of our city’s coastal communities a top priority.”

“The Council is proud to support legislation strengthening our city’s emergency preparedness, improving transparency in our parks system, and increasing the safety of our cab drivers,” said Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “As we continue our work to make New York City better for all of our residents, I thank my colleagues and the de Blasio administration for their collaboration on these important issues.”

“As we continue the recovery from Sandy, it is imperative that we do not forget about the charitable organizations and houses of worship that opened their doors to storm victims and played a vital role in the hours, days and weeks after the storm hit our city. It is also critical that we learn from this experience and find ways to better connect residents in vulnerable communities with information that is specific to their neighborhood. This legislation will help accomplish these goals and better prepare us for the next major storm or emergency. My thanks to Mayor de Blasio, Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, members of the Committee on Recovery and Resiliency, and my Council colleagues for supporting these important proposals and for helping to create a safer, more resilient New York City,” said Council Member Mark Treyger, Chair of the Committee on Recovery and Resiliency.

The third bill, Intro 384-A, will ensure that a DPR report on non-governmental entities now includes data relating to the expenditures or donations made to City parks by entities that run or maintain certain parks. The bill was approved by the City Council at the Stated Meeting on February 12, 2015. In his remarks, the Mayor thanked the bill’s sponsors, Council Members Mark Levine and Brad Lander, for supporting this legislation.

“In order to truly tackle the parks equity problem in New York City, we have to understand how big the gap is. Currently, we do not know exactly how much money is coming in to conservancies from private sources, and many major conservancies are not even included in the report. I want to thank Mayor de Blasio for signing Intro 384-A into law today and ensuring that we correct this issue. For the first time we will have a comprehensive and consistent report regarding conservancy spending, helping us make informed decisions on how we allocate public funds,” said Council Member Mark Levine, Chair of the Parks Committee.

“The law the Mayor is signing into law today will help policy makers, advocates, and the public to know what resources are being devoted to each of the parks in their neighborhood,” said Council Member Brad Lander. “This is an important step forward, and there is much work that remains to be done. I commend both the Parks Department and our conservancies for supporting this law and the Mayor for signing it, and look forward to working closely together to achieve greater parks equity in New York City.”

The fourth bill, Intro 655, will make technical amendments to legislation the Mayor signed earlier this year that reauthorizes the City to sell tax liens. The bill was approved by the City Council at the Stated Meeting on February 12, 2015. In his remarks, the Mayor thanked the bill’s sponsor, Council Member Julissa Ferreras, for supporting this legislation.

The fifth bill, Intro 615-A, allows the Taxi & Limousine Commission to update requirements for trouble lights in licensed vehicles. Currently, taxis are using outdated trouble light technology, which sends distress signals to law enforcement in the event of a potential crime. Intro 615-A will allow the TLC to consider new technologies that are more visible to police passing by. The bill was approved by the City Council at the Stated Meeting on February 12, 2015. In his remarks, the Mayor thanked the bill’s sponsor, Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, for supporting this legislation.

“Trouble lights have become outdated and of little use to the licensed drivers of our city. With Vision Zero, we’re asking drivers throughout our city to drive safer; shouldn’t we also focus on making them safe while they drive? Int. 615 will make trouble lights relevant again by allowing the TLC to use modern technology to better alert passing police officers of when a driver is under attack. Thank you to Speaker Mark-Viverito and Mayor Bill de Blasio for your commitment to increasing the safety of our drivers and swiftly enacting this lifesaving legislation,” said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, Chair of the Transportation Committee.

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