REMARKS
Council Member Nantasha Williams presents Intro 1067-A to address groundwater flooding
0:22:14
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3 min
Council Member Nantasha Williams presents Intro 1067-A, a bill designed to address groundwater flooding issues in New York City, particularly in Southeast Queens. She explains the history of the problem, the bill's key provisions, and its potential impact on affected communities.
- The bill mandates DEP to contract a community-based organization to identify affected properties and connect homeowners with resources.
- It requires annual reporting on affected properties and establishes an interagency task force focused on Southeast Queens.
- Williams emphasizes the complexity of the issue, involving city, state, and federal responsibilities.
Nantasha Williams
0:22:14
Hello.
0:22:15
Thank you, and afternoon, chair members of the Committee on Environmental Protection.
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Today, I am proud to sponsor 1067 being heard today, a bill designed to address a pervasive and overlooked threat impacting residents across New York City.
0:22:31
Groundwater flooding.
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Grawwater flooding has damaged countless homes affected essential infrastructure and disrupted the lives of families in our communities yet.
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Despite the peace awareness of these challenges, little has been done to systematically identify effective properties or connect homeowners with the resources they need for repairs and flood adaptations.
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In Southeast Queens, groundwater flooding has worsened significantly since 1996 when the city's VP took over the Jamaica water supply company which had previously managed water levels by pumping from local wells.
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DP's secession of well pumping caused the water table to rise by at least 35 feet as admitted by the agency in 2007.
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DP recognized the need for interventions then but has yet to deliver an effective city wide solution.
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The results are evident throughout our communities.
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Constant basement flooding, damaged homes in schools, and ongoing health and safety risk.
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For years, residents have been left to run costly electric pumps 247 to keep floodwater out of their homes all while receiving little support from government.
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Intro 1067 offers a proactive solution to these ongoing issues and mandates that DDP issue a request for proposals to contract a community based organization or a CBO with direct ties to impacted neighborhoods.
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This CBO will be responsible for identifying property citywide that are impacted by groundwater flooding, and for connecting those properties with retrofit repair assistance and resources for long term management.
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For at least 5 years, the contracted CVO will also provide case management and informational support to homeowners through mailings and other outreach efforts.
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The bill further requires that the CDL submit an annual report detailing the properties affected, the extent of the damage, the estimated cost for retrofits, and any insights for improving assistance programs.
0:24:28
DP will then communicate these findings to relevant state and federal agencies because I do recognize, and I just wanna state for the record that this is a very complex issue, not solely on the city, but also too much responsibility of the state and federal government.
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This bill also establishes an interagency task force to focus on Southeast Queens, a community that has showed at the brunt of groundwater flooding.
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This task force will be charged with recommending changes in the legislation to improve flooding assistance for the area and will be dissolved upon the submission of its 5th annual report.
0:25:03
Control 1067 is about giving our communities a voice and ensuring they have the tools to respond to a crisis that D.
0:25:10
P.
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Knew would unfold.
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I urge the committee to support this measure, enabling us to bring relief to our constituents, protect their homes, and create a foundation of resilient citywide.
0:25:21
Thank you so much, Chair.
0:25:23
I looked at many documents from my constituents from a few decades ago and smiled to see that if you were the council member then and I know as a staffer, you can when Ashley Springer was the council member, you know this issue very well.
0:25:38
So thank you so much to you for hearing this bill today, and I look forward to working with DP.
0:25:43
We are working with them.
0:25:44
So thank you already to DP for really working with the Southeast Queen's community to find some sustainable solutions.
0:25:51
Thank you so much.
