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Council Member Restler discusses DEP's $30 billion flooding risk plan
1:45:44
·
144 sec
Council Member Lincoln Restler acknowledges DEP's work on green infrastructure projects in District 33 and inquires about the $30 billion plan to address flooding risks in 86 locations over 30 years. He expresses concern about the long timeline and asks how to reconcile this with immediate community needs.
- Restler thanks DEP for their partnership in District 33, specifically mentioning projects in McCarren Park.
- He references a plan identifying 86 locations with severe flooding risks, requiring $30 billion in infrastructure upgrades.
- Restler questions the practicality of telling communities they will have to wait 30 years for solutions to severe flooding issues.
Lincoln Restler
1:45:44
Thank you so much, chair.
1:45:46
And I wanna thank the DEP team for your thoughtful work on these issues and your partnership in District 33.
1:45:53
Just specifically wanna recognize deputy commissioner Lacada for her initiative in revamping the Newtown Creek long term control plan.
1:46:02
And I want to thank Melissa for her partnership, particularly in McCarran Park where we have two sites that I think are gonna be tremendous green infrastructure projects for our community that we're really grateful for your all's responsiveness and partnership in our community.
1:46:19
I had the privilege for stepping in for our chair at the budget hearing.
1:46:26
And forgive me if the stuff in my brain didn't stick exactly the right way, but the thing that I was kind of kicking myself after the hearing that I felt like I should have pushed the commissioner on more was that I think he said basically that you all have identified 86 locations where we have severe flooding risks and it's going to cost about $30,000,000,000 to upgrade our infrastructure to better protect communities in those areas.
1:46:54
We've got about $10,000,000,000 funded and it's a thirty year timeline.
1:46:57
Is that broadly Did I get those things right?
1:47:00
Okay, so I was listening.
1:47:05
I know there aren't magic wands, and I know that doing $30,000,000,000 of work can't happen in a year or two.
1:47:12
And at the same time, it's really freaking hard to look a community in the eye and say, yes, we recognize you have a severe flooding crisis in your community, your highly vulnerable area, and we are gonna get to it in thirty years.
1:47:26
Like, what do how do we how do we, I don't know, square that circle?
1:47:32
Like, help me, you know, think through this because to me that just feels like I I I appreciate the reasonable constraints that you face, and at the same time, the answer is totally unacceptable.
1:47:43
Right?
1:47:44
And so what can and I know you're spending more on capital money.
1:47:47
You're you know,
1:47:47
DP capital budget has increased significantly, including more funding going to issues like the the things that we all care about, the focus of this hearing today.
1:47:54
I realize there's improvements happening under commissioner Eggerswald's leadership and this team, so I'm not missing that.
1:48:01
But help me square the circle.
1:48:03
How do we look that community eye and say we will get to this in thirty years?
James F. Gennaro
1:47:02
And
Paul Gallay
1:47:47
the
Angela Licata
1:48:07
You want to bring them up?