"The next bill before me is Introductory Number 510, sponsored by Council Members McMahon, Brewer, Clarke, Fidler, Gerson, Jackson, James, Koppell, Liu, Monserrate, Recchia, Sears, Lopez, Lanza, Nelson, Gennaro and Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum. This bill will enable the City to improve enforcement of laws requiring vacant lot owners to keep their lots clean.

"Current law prohibits the city from issuing summonses for dirty conditions observed inside a vacant lot. The City can only take action against vacant lot owners if a lot is in such bad condition that it rises to the level of being a nuisance. This standard is often a difficult legal threshold to meet. Intro 510 will allow the Department of Sanitation to issue violations to owners of vacant lots based on the same standard to which other property and business owners are now subject.

"Intro 510 is an important measure that will enhance the appearance of neighborhoods as well as increase overall street cleanliness all across the City.

"I would like to thank the Department of Sanitation and the City Council for their work on this bill."