REMARKS
Council Member Julie Menin explains the importance of the Safe Hotels Act
0:24:39
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129 sec
Council Member Julie Menin expresses her support for the Safe Hotels Act, which will establish a licensing program for hotels in New York City. She explains the need for regulation in the hotel industry and outlines the key provisions of the bill, including safety measures and accountability for hotel operators.
- Menin cites examples of criminal activities in hotels and the difficulty in shutting down problematic establishments without licensing.
- The bill has garnered support from various stakeholders, including district attorneys, labor unions, and over 40 council members.
- Key provisions include cleanliness standards, panic buttons for employees, human trafficking training, and restrictions on subcontracting in larger hotels.
Julie Menin
0:24:39
Thank you so much.
0:24:40
I'm thrilled that New York City will finally join other cities and licensing hotels.
0:24:44
Licensing is a critical regulatory tool that DCWP uses to regulate over 45,000 businesses such as barber shops and parking garages in over 40 industries.
0:24:57
While the hotel industry is an important economic driver for our great city and the majority of hotels are wonderful places to stay, there is desperate need for regulation.
0:25:07
As mentioned by the New York Times, oversight of the hotel industry has essentially been laissez faire.
0:25:13
Hotels that host criminals can be difficult to shut down as we saw all too well in cue gardens, queens with the umbrella hotel when hundreds of neighbors complained about that hotel.
0:25:23
And finally, in 2021, there was a murder.
0:25:26
The city tried to shut the hotel down, but had difficulty doing so in large part because it was not licensed.
0:25:33
Hotel related complaints to DCWP have doubled in the past 4 years.
0:25:38
There have also been over 14,000 criminal complaints to the NYPD about hotels and motels and 39 murders.
0:25:46
That is why the 5 district attorneys, the New York attorney general, HTC, Central Labor Council, 32bjdc37, Nizan, the PBA, and over 40 council members have signed on and supported the bill.
0:25:59
The Safe Hotels Act would ensure protections for communities and guests.
0:26:02
It requires hotels maintain the cleanliness of each guest room equip all core employees with panic buttons and provide human trafficking training.
0:26:11
The Safe Hotels Act prohibits subcontracting in larger hotels, which one's sure the hotel operator is accountable for what occurs on hotel premises rather than shifting responsibility for day to day operations to a third party.
0:26:24
This will result in important public safety measures.
0:26:27
I want, in particular, thank HTC for their incredible leadership and support.
0:26:31
I wanna thank Hanuk and the other stakeholders who gave us valuable feedback, and I wanna thank Speaker Adams, Jeremy John, Jeff Baker, Rachel Caudreras, Sarah Swain, Natalie Melcer, Jonathan Shutt, Brandon Jordan, and Mercedes Anderson, and I urge all of my colleagues to vote I on this important legislation.
0:26:48
Thank you.
Amanda FarÃas
0:26:48
Thank you.
