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Majority Leader Amanda Farías introduces six pieces of legislation for voting
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4 min
Majority Leader Amanda Farías, chair of the Committee on Economic Development, introduces six pieces of legislation to be voted on during the meeting. These include bills on community hiring reports, community benefits transparency, helicopter noise reduction, and economic development transparency. She provides detailed explanations of each piece of legislation and emphasizes the importance of addressing helicopter noise issues in New York City.
- Farías highlights her own bill, Intro 26-A, which aims to prohibit non-essential helicopter flights that don't meet federal noise standards from using city-run heliports.
- She acknowledges the work of various council staff members and expresses gratitude for their contributions.
- Farías announces an upcoming press conference with Stop the Chop New York, New Jersey to discuss efforts in reducing helicopter noise.
Amanda Farías
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Good morning and welcome to this meeting of the New York City Council's Committee on Economic Development.
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I am majority leader Amanda Farias, chair of the Committee on Economic Development.
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I would like to begin by thanking the members of the the committee that are present today, acknowledging council members Riley, Salamanca, Aviles, and Vernikov.
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I'd also like to welcome the members of the public who have joined us in the gallery.
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If you would like to show any express any support for any of the items today, you may use a silent approval gesture.
0:00:49
Today, we will be voting on six pieces of legislation proposed introduction number eight sixty a sponsored by council member Aviles would establish an annual community hiring report submitted to the council and the mayor and posted on the New York City Economic Development Corporation's website.
0:01:06
This report will include performance metrics for goals established for community hiring programs and a performance assessment reflecting the prior fiscal year, and a description of best efforts by lessees, developers, or other parties to transactions covered by a community hiring program when there is a failure to meet such hiring goals.
0:01:25
Proposed introduction number eight sixty one a, also sponsored by council member Aviles, will alter the terms of the contract between the city and the EDC by requiring the EDC to include in its annual annual report certain details regarding any commitments by an organization to provide community benefits to residents of a neighborhood affected by the EDC project.
0:01:45
Reso number 85 a sponsored by council member Gennaro calls on the New York State legislature to pass and the governor to sign a two five eight three, which would establish a noise tax on non essential helicopter and sea plane flights in cities with a population of 1,000,000 or more.
0:02:03
Resolution two twenty six a, sponsored by council member Gail Brewer, calls on the New York state legislature to pass and the governor to sign a sixty three eleven and s seventy three eighty one, which would prohibit certain nonessential flight operations at municipal heliports and Hudson River Park.
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Resolution two thirty three a, also sponsored by council member Brewer, calls upon the United States Federal Aviation Administration to ban all nonessential helicopter travel, including tourist and charter helicopter flights over New York City.
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Lastly, is proposed introduction number 26 a, which I introduced.
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This legislation would prohibit non essential helicopter flights that do not meet certain federal noise standards from taking off or landing at city run heliports.
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This bill would also require that prior to the ban taking effect, the council and the mayor receive reports on the percentage of helicopter flights landing and leaving city run heliports that do not meet such noise standards.
0:02:57
I wanna take a minute to discuss my bill before turning the microphone over to council member Aviles for her opening remarks.
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By voting in favor of this legislation, we are taking a significant step towards helping communities that have been negatively impacted by helicopter flights over the past decades, particularly by their excessive noise.
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I believe my bill starts the ball rolling towards policy that will help New York City create a quieter and safer airspace.
0:03:22
Over the last three years in the council chairing this committee, we've held oversight hearings looking at the regulatory measures in place to address the negative impacts made by helicopter flights and the lack of reporting transparency from helicopter vendors to the Economic Development Corporation.
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What we saw was a lack of transparency, a disregard to New Yorkers complaints, and the impacts made on them, and no tangible results contract after contract, to right those wrongs or even address them.
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I have taken this role as chair as a privilege, and despite coming from a borough where this issue is not prevalent, it is an issue for a majority of New York City.
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I worked tirelessly over the years with advocates, aviation stakeholders and experts, the Economic Development Corporation, my council committee staff, and so many others to find ways where we can begin regulatory measures and forthcoming reporting to forge a pathway for us as a city to lead in the right direction.
0:04:14
While this is step one, I'm here for the long haul.
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I'm fighting for all New Yorkers.
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Right after this vote, I will be holding a press conference in City Hall Park with Stop the Chop New York, New Jersey who have been longtime advocates for reducing helicopter noise, particularly for non essential helicopter flights.
0:04:30
Finally, would like to thank the economic development team here at the council, senior counsel Alex Polinoff, senior policy analyst William Hongacs, counsel Luke Hamill, and finance analyst Glenn Martoloni for all their hard work preparing for this hearing.
0:04:44
Additionally, I would like to thank deputy director of the governmental affairs division Rachel Cordero for her stewardship of proposed intro 26 a, And lastly, I'd like to thank my chief of staff Rebecca Nieves who has been critical in navigating partners in the aviation sector for my office.
0:04:59
I will now turn it over to my colleague, council member Aviles, to say a few words about her bills.