The citymeetings.nyc logo showing a pigeon at a podium with a microphone.

citymeetings.nyc

Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.

AGENCY TESTIMONY

DEP's perspective on Intro 816: Notification of rental payments

0:45:14

·

82 sec

The commissioner presents DEP's perspective on Intro 816, which would require notification about Water Board rental payments. He outlines concerns and alternative approaches to achieving the bill's objectives.

  • DEP agrees that people should understand what their water rate payments are spent on
  • Concerns include the cost of dedicated first-class mailings and the unpredictability of rental payment requests
  • DEP does not set water rates; they are set by the Water Board through a public process
  • The rental payment is not the only factor in rate setting
  • DEP is exploring ways to inform New Yorkers about how their water bills are spent, similar to other utilities
Rohit T Aggarwala
0:45:14
Intro-816 would require DEP to notify by 1st class mail all owners of property with water sewer service when the city requests a rental payment on a strict timeline.
0:45:24
I certainly agree.
0:45:25
That people should understand what their water rate payments are spent on.
0:45:29
I would like to work with the council though on the details.
0:45:32
For example, a dedicated first class mailing would cost about $1,000,000.
0:45:36
Further, under the city's lease to the water board, we do not actually always know when the will request a rental payment.
0:45:43
Above all, DEP does not set water rates, rather they are set as the chair noted, every year by the water board through a legally prescribed process that requires public hearings and notices.
0:45:53
The waterboard is a state entity as the chair noted.
0:45:56
It is also important to note that the rental payment, if there is one, is not the only factor that is included in rate setting.
0:46:02
As is illustrated in the chart included in the testimony, from our fiscal year 25 rate hearings earlier this year.
0:46:11
We have already been exploring the potential to let New Yorkers know how their water bills are being spent as many other utilities do.
0:46:18
An example of what that might look like is in the testimony.
0:46:21
If ratepayers understand what their payments are going to, they would have the context to be more informed when looking at rate proposals for future years.
0:46:30
Entro 900 would require DEP to install 500 drinking fountains around the city by 2030.
Citymeetings.nyc pigeon logo

Is citymeetings.nyc useful to you?

I'm thrilled!

Please help me out by answering just one question.

What do you do?

Thank you!

Want to stay up to date? Sign up for the newsletter.