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Q&A
Local Law 97 implementation and DOB preparations
4:42:41
·
5 min
Council Member Sanchez inquires about the Department of Buildings' preparations for the upcoming Local Law 97 compliance deadline. Deputy Commissioner Laura Popa provides a comprehensive overview of DOB's readiness, including the opening of the reporting portal, staff training, and outreach efforts.
- DOB has opened a reporting portal and is conducting training sessions for service providers.
- The department has significantly increased staffing, with 72 staff members primarily focused on Local Law 97.
- Outreach efforts include webinars, email blasts, and collaboration with programs like Accelerator to assist building owners, particularly those with low and middle-income properties.
Pierina Sanchez
4:42:41
So on Local Law 97, hello Laura, we are approaching of course a major milestone for buildings that need to comply with Local Law 97, which imposes the local law which imposes strict emission limits for buildings over 25,000 gross square feet and fines for those who are out of compliance.
4:43:00
On May 1, just over a month away, the first annual emissions report is due for these buildings.
4:43:06
You talked a little bit about it in your opening remarks, but can you expound upon how DOB is ensuring it's prepared for this major milestone?
4:43:13
How are you working with low and middle income co ops and condos in particular, many of which are in older buildings that require significant rehabilitation work, but face financial constraints?
4:43:25
And specifically is the Department of Buildings doing specific or special outreach about the passage of the J51 abatement last December.
4:43:39
Good
Laura Popa
4:43:39
afternoon councilmember.
4:43:42
So yes, we have been working on the rollout for Local Law 97 since well for several years, and we are completely ready.
4:43:54
Our reporting portal opened almost three weeks ago and so we worked with an entity that was funded by DOE, the federal DOE to create the portal and we are receiving reports.
4:44:11
You are right that the deadline is May 1, but there's a built in sixty day grace period, so that takes us through June 30.
4:44:19
And on top of that, building owners can apply for an extension, which takes them through August 29.
4:44:25
And actually it's important that there is a several month period to submit the reports because everything's new for everyone.
4:44:33
And we've been working with service providers to educate them about how to submit reports.
4:44:38
Today we did our eighth training with service providers, and those webinars are online, and we have two more to go.
4:44:46
And each training has some familiar items and then it's specific for a particular topic.
4:44:52
So today we talked about how to apply for an adjustment if you have external or financial constraints, and our next topic is complex reports.
4:45:01
So we have a lot of people who come to those and we have a team of staff who answer questions in real time while they're happening.
4:45:10
So we're definitely working to educate on that.
4:45:15
We staffed up we have 112 physicians in the bureau, which is just very exciting, and 69 of those are really fully focused on Local one ninety seven.
4:45:28
The rest of the team works on the energy code.
4:45:31
And then we have three additional positions that are funded by NYSERDA to help with that.
4:45:36
So that's a total of 72 staff that are really primarily focused on 97 and other laws that support that, like benchmarking and audits and retro commissioning and the energy grades.
4:45:48
So of course we onboarded all those staff with the incredible assistance of our HR and budget teams, and we're ready to review the reports basically.
4:45:59
On the outreach, so we have an outreach team.
4:46:04
It's a small but mighty outreach team, and they, along with really a ton of the other Local N97 staff, do these webinars, work with Accelerator, right, and we know that that's the program funded by the city to help building owners.
4:46:21
They provide free assistance for building owners.
4:46:24
We send out notices, we send out email blasts, we go to events, we have in your district events, we're constantly hosting webinars and just trying to do outreach to these groups.
4:46:37
The primary way that there is outreach done for things like J51 and for LMI housing is through Accelerator.
4:46:51
Called building owners to get them a case manager focused on buildings that we're concerned are over their limits.
4:47:00
We work very closely with HPD.
4:47:03
They have the three-two-one Go program.
4:47:04
They work with Accelerator, and the whole goal is to make sure that affordable housing owners and LMI co op and condos can comply with 97.
4:47:17
And as I mentioned to Councilmember Brewer earlier, we will work with any building that works with us.
4:47:23
So we have our mediated resolutions, and if there's a building owner, as you know, the three twenty one buildings are one and done.
4:47:31
They either follow the 2,030 compliance path now or they do their prescriptive energy conservation measures.
4:47:37
And so if they need a little bit more time but they've put in the work already, we will work with them to get them more time, and we're not interested in being punitive for people who are working with us.
4:47:50
So I hope that answered all of your question.