REMARKS
Council Member Shaun Abreu's opening remarks for the DSNY snow preparedness hearing
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ยท
3 min
Council Member Shaun Abreu, chair of the Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Management, opens the oversight hearing on the Department of Sanitation's snow preparedness for the 2025 winter season. He acknowledges the recent work of DSNY during a snowstorm, introduces key attendees, and outlines the purpose and structure of the hearing.
- Abreu acknowledges a injured sanitation worker and emphasizes the importance of worker safety.
- He introduces two bills to be discussed: Intro 355 and Intro 534, related to DSNY emergency plans and penalties for businesses failing to remove snow.
- The hearing will examine borough-based snow plans and DSNY's approach to snow removal in various areas of the city.
Shaun Abreu
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Good morning, everyone.
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I am council member Sean Abreu, and I'm the chair of the Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Management.
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First, I would like to acknowledge Ahmad Ladson, a 32 year old city sanitation worker who was critically injured when struck by a large SUV while performing his collection route last month.
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We are extremely grateful for mister Latson's service to the city and continue to keep him and his family in our thoughts.
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We know that New York's strongest manage one of the most dangerous and critical jobs in the city, and we need to do everything we can to prioritize their safety.
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Next, I'd like to acknowledge my colleagues who have joined us today, council member Vicki Paladino.
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Thank you for being here.
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I'd also like to thank representatives from the Department of Sanitation, acting Commissioner Javier Lohan, Deputy Commissioner of Management and Budget, Joseph Antonelli, Deputy Commissioner of Public Affairs and Customer Experience, Joshua Goodman, and Assistant Commissioner of Support Services, Reginald Timothy.
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I know we're just coming out of a recent snowstorm and that the men and women of the department have been working day and night to keep our streets clear and safe.
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And for that, we're very grateful.
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Thank you for making the time for being here today.
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Finally, I'd like to thank each member of the public who is here to testify.
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We welcome your thoughtful input.
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Before we begin, please place electronic devices on vibrate or silent to minimize disruption.
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Welcome to this oversight hearing about the Department of Sanitation snow preparedness for the 2025 winter season.
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Local law 28 of 2011 requires DSNY to submit to the council and to make public an annual snow plowing and removal plan for each of our 5 boroughs.
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This hearing will examine those borrow based snow plans while we seek to understand how the current season's weather has impacted the SNY's snow operations.
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I am also interested to learn more about the department's removal of snow and ice and pedestrian areas like parks, bike lanes, and sidewalks, as well as how the department plans for efficiency despite year over year differences in winter weather.
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In addition to this oversight, we are hearing 2 bills today.
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Intro number 355, sponsored by council member Sandy Nurse, in relation to emergency and resiliency plans of the Department of Sanitation.
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And intro number 534, sponsored by council member Justin Brannen, in relation to increasing penalties on chain businesses for failure to remove ice, snow, and dirt from sidewalks.
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I look forward to hearing from DSNY and other interested individuals.
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I would like to thank everyone on my team and in the legislative division for their work drafting this legislation and preparing for today's oversight hearing.
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Today, we will begin with testimony from the Department of Sanitation, followed by council member questions.
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We will then move to testimony by members of the public, starting with in person attendees, followed by those testifying on Zoom.
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I will now turn it over to our committee council to administer the oath.