Q&A
Proposal to reduce complainant compensation and cap total revenue generated
1:11:18
·
102 sec
Council Member Restler discusses the proposed reduction in the percentage of fines given to complainants and suggests implementing a cap on the total amount an individual complainant can generate in revenue annually. Commissioner Aggarwala and Deputy Commissioner Lubin respond to these proposals.
- Restler proposes capping the total amount a single complainant could generate in revenue per year
- The DEP officials state that they haven't considered this option and would need to research its legal basis
- Restler argues that a cap could discourage people from making a full-time job out of filing idling complaints while still encouraging ordinary citizens to participate
Lincoln Restler
1:11:18
Fair.
1:11:20
I I just think that these those 2 things should go hand in hand.
1:11:25
If we're tightening the time frame up and only giving people 5 days to submit the complaint, and we should streamline the process and make it easier to do it.
1:11:33
So I'm open to those kinds of trade offs.
1:11:35
I just think they need to happen.
1:11:37
Other thing that I wanted to ask about is I have a couple of things actually.
1:11:42
But another thing I'd like to ask about is the reduction in the percentage of the fine collected going back to the complainant and imposing a flat fair as well or flat fine amount as well.
1:11:55
Have you considered capping the total amount that a single complainant could generate in revenue in the course of the year?
1:12:07
Complaint and x could generate up to x 1000 of dollars in revenue from submitting ideal end complaints.
Rohit T. Aggarwala
1:12:13
Right.
1:12:13
Right.
1:12:14
It's not something that I have considered.
1:12:18
I I don't know if if there's a basis in law.
Julie Lubin
1:12:22
That that's not something that we've considered today.
1:12:26
And as the commissioner said, if that was something that the council were interested in, you know, it would have to be the subject of legal research.
Lincoln Restler
1:12:34
Great.
1:12:34
I do think it's worth considering.
1:12:36
I think that if we wanna encourage Jane and John Doe to capture idling, submit the complaint, we want it to be an easier process for them to submit it, and we want everyone to be thinking about how we can do that.
1:12:46
If we wanna discourage somebody from giving up their job and just spending all day filing idling complaints that having a cap might be a way to pursue that.
1:12:55
So, you know, I just think it's a different approach that's worth considering as well.
