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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Michael Streeter, Participant in the Citizen Air Complaint Program
4:23:07
ยท
113 sec
Michael Streeter, a participant in the citizen air complaint program, testified about the program's impact on his neighborhood and advocated for better compensation for DEP air inspectors. He criticized the proposal to cap awards in Intro 941, arguing it would slow progress in reducing idling behavior.
- Streeter emphasized the positive impact of his participation in the program on his neighborhood in District 33.
- He praised the DEP idling team's work and argued for better pay for air inspectors and complaint reviewers.
- Streeter suggested that increasing resources for handling complaints would lead to quicker summonses and behavior adjustment, rather than capping awards to reduce workload.
Michael Streeter
4:23:07
Hello.
4:23:08
My name is Michael Streeter.
4:23:09
I'm a I'm also a participant in the citizen air complaint program and submit well well, I submit as many idling complaints as I can as well as illegal dust complaints.
4:23:19
My participation has made a direct and noticeable impact in my neighborhood, which is in in your District 33.
4:23:27
I feel that I have a a good working relationship with the DEP idling team with the with the air inspectors and the complaint reviewers to take in and process my complaints.
4:23:36
Reviewing and then joining hearings at Oath is a very complex, nuanced role.
4:23:41
The the the team does a great job, and they they deserve better pay.
4:23:45
I sometimes listen to the to the hearing audio for a for a hearing, and I'm continually impressed by how well spoken and well prepared the the inspectors are and how great of a job they do representing the city and the DEP, at these hearings where usually it's you know, lawyers are doing what they can to get their clients out of a ticket.
4:24:02
So as I have at budget hearings in the past, I'm once again going to advocate for the air inspectors and, again, argue that they deserve proper compensation for their skilled work.
4:24:12
Also, I think it's incredibly cynical to suggest that, Intro nine four one would would reduce the workload for for these inspectors and reviewers.
4:24:20
Capping awards to lower the workload, as mentioned before, is like like Trump cutting funding for the IRS.
4:24:26
The way to reduce the workload is to reduce idling behavior.
4:24:30
We are on that path right now, but if you have an eight month backlog, that only slows down the progress.
4:24:37
Respondents are often getting summonses nearly a year after the violation occurred.
4:24:42
Put more resources into handling those complaints.
4:24:45
Proper resource allocation for the DEP's air inspectors would mean that respondents can get their summonses sooner and promptly adjust their behavior.
4:24:53
And would also free up inspectors to devote more time to the, to, you know, to the other areas, that that, deserve their attention.
4:25:00
Thank you.