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Chair Pierina Sanchez opens committee meeting with remarks on sidewalk shed and tenant protection bills
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Council Member Pierina Sanchez, chair of the Committee on Housing and Buildings, opens the meeting by introducing a series of bills related to sidewalk sheds, facade inspections, and tenant protections. She provides historical context for the facade inspection program and acknowledges key individuals present, including Lori Gold, sister of Grace Gold whose death prompted the creation of FISP.
- Sanchez outlines five bills related to sidewalk sheds and facade inspections, sponsored by Council Members Powers and Bottcher.
- Three resolutions calling for state action on tenant protections and eviction cases are also introduced.
- The chair emphasizes the importance of balancing safety with the need to address the proliferation of sidewalk sheds in New York City.
Pierina Sanchez
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I am councilmember Pierina Sanchez, chair of the committee on housing and buildings.
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Today, we are voting on proposed intro number three ninety one a sponsored by councilmember Keith Powers in relation to studying sidewalk shed designs and improving the aesthetics of existing sidewalk sheds.
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Proposed intro three ninety three a sponsored by council member Powers in relation to penalties for sidewalk sheds in the public right of way.
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Proposed intro number three ninety four a sponsored by council member Powers in relation to exterior wall inspection requirements.
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Intro number six six six sixty a, also, sponsored by council member Eric Bacher in relation to the requiring the required lighting under sidewalk sheds and proposed intro number six six one a sponsored by council member Batra in relation to penalties for failing to complete facade repairs in a timely manner.
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I wanna give everyone listening a bit of historical context on how we got here today.
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The current system for facade inspections in New York City or FISP was created after the tragic death of Grace Gold in 1979.
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Grace was a student at Barnard College and was fatally struck by a piece of masonry that fell from the Seventh Floor of a Manhattan building.
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The incident and tireless advocacy from her sister, Lori Gold, prompted the passage of local law 10 of 1980, which created cyclical inspections of facade facades taller than six stories, and later, local law 11 of 1998 solid solidified the current facade inspection and safety program.
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Laurie is with us here today.
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I understand she made the trip all the way from Washington to DC to see these bills passed.
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And so, Laurie, your work to keep your sister's memory alive is incredibly inspiring, and I wanna offer you my gratitude as chair of this committee for your advocacy and your presence.
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Thank you so much.
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Facade inspections are crucial to keep to keep New Yorkers safe, yet the current system allows for the unchecked proliferation of sidewalk sheds, with New York City currently home to approximately 378 miles worth of sidewalk sheds.
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Together, these bills are another step toward ensuring that sidewalk sheds remain in place for only the necessary amount of time by encouraging building owners to complete repairs in a timely manner while also moving us towards safe, aesthetically pleasing, and cost effective sidewalk shed alternatives.
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Today, we'll also be voting on proposed resolution number 11 one nineteen a by council member Crystal Hudson, calling on New York State legislature to Pat and the governor to sign a 1621 and senate bill fourteen ninety eight in relation to prohibiting property owners eviction proceedings for tenants who reside in buildings with substantial pending housing maintenance code violations.
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Proposed resolution number two four six a by council member Sandy Nurse calling on the New York state legislature to pass and the governor to sign legislation requiring unlawful eviction cases to be heard within five days.
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And proposed resolution five twenty four a by council member Kevin Riley calling on New York state the New York state legislature to pass and the governor to sign senate bill one twenty six in relation to legal representation in certain mortgage foreclosure actions.
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These three, these three resolutions call upon our state partners to continue creating vital protections for homeowners and tenants alike.
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I cannot see who is in the room at this very moment, so I'm gonna leave it to the committee clerk to call the roll.
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But I also wanna shout out former deputy mayor Mira Joshi whose tireless advocacy also allowed us to move forward on these sidewalk shed bills.
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I will now invite council member Powers to speak on his bills, followed by council member Bottcher.