Q&A
Council Member Menin questions Commissioner Tisch on proposed Intro 1108 regarding enforcement in public spaces
1:04:12
·
116 sec
Council Member Julie Menin questions Commissioner Jessica Tisch about the proposed Intro 1108, which would give the Department of Sanitation authority to enforce cleanliness rules in public spaces managed by entities with franchise agreements. Tisch explains the current lack of enforcement power and the potential impact of the bill.
- The bill would allow DSNY to enforce cleanliness rules for entities like bus shelters, city bikes, and micro hubs.
- Tisch emphasizes the prevalence of these spaces, estimating they exist on at least half the blocks in New York City.
- The proposed legislation is presented as crucial for maintaining city cleanliness.
Julie Menin
1:04:12
Great.
1:04:12
Thank you so much, Chair.
1:04:13
Commissioner, thank you for your testimony.
1:04:15
Had a couple follow-up questions regarding my bill proposed intro 1108.
1:04:21
Can you explain what currently happens if an entity has a franchise agreement with the city on a public space and does not keep the street clean?
1:04:32
What happens currently now?
Jessica Tisch
1:04:34
Yeah.
1:04:34
We can't do anything.
1:04:35
Like, the Department of Sanitation is literally powerless to enforce the cleanliness rules that we enforce for every business and every residence in the city for these entities that occupy massive portions of our curbside space.
1:04:55
So bus shelters, city bikes, the new micro hubs.
1:05:01
We absolutely need the authority to hold these companies that, that manage, maintain, operate, the these programs accountable for the bare very basic rules that we have in New York City around cleanliness.
1:05:22
Nothing more than we require of anyone else, but certainly nothing less.
Julie Menin
1:05:26
Great.
1:05:26
And can you quantify if this bill goes into effect the difference that it will make?
1:05:31
I mean, how many of these public spaces would you estimate that we have that you're not currently able to have jurisdiction over?
Jessica Tisch
1:05:38
I'm embarrassed that I can't give you an answer, but, like, anecdotally, on there is one on half the at least half the blocks in in New York City.
1:05:51
I mean, with the proliferation of the city bike and the bus shelters and the micro hubs going all over the that was envisioned to go all over the place, like, we need this.
1:06:02
The city needs this for its cleanliness.
Julie Menin
1:06:05
Great.
1:06:05
Those are my only questions.
1:06:06
Thank you so much.
Jessica Tisch
1:06:07
Thank you.
