BY EILEEN STUKANE | On Wednesday, April 2, the packed room at the Community Board 4 (CB4) Full Board Meeting at Roosevelt Hospital (10th Avenue between West 57th and 58th Streets), heard from more than its usual share of elected officials. Two days earlier, on March 31, the New York State Executive Budget had been approved and Albany officials brought news of state funds to be spent on health, education, transportation and more.
First to the podium, however, was Midtown South Precinct’s Commanding Officer Edward Winski. He was invited by CB4 to speak about actions the precinct was taking to improve safety in the community, particularly pedestrian safety (Midtown South extends from east of 9th Avenue to Lexington Avenue, from 29th to 45th Streets). He reported that Mayor de Blasio has enlisted the NYPD to strongly pursue his Vision Zero program for ending traffic deaths and injuries on the streets and to that end, the precinct is taking a stand. Auxiliary police have distributed educational materials to cyclists and drivers, and now there will be greater law enforcement on the streets.
“Tomorrow we’re going to be out in force on the bike lanes on Eighth and Ninth Avenues enforcing the rules of the road,” he said, and continued, “My analyses of fatalities involving pedestrians show that half of the pedestrians are inside the crosswalk, crossing with the light, and a driver fails to yield to that pedestrian, leading to tragic circumstances. We are going to be aggressively enforcing traffic laws.” He also plans on addressing the gridlock on Ninth Avenue between West 35th and 40th Streets caused by traffic heading to the Lincoln Tunnel, and cracking down on electric bikes, now deemed illegal. Anyone using an electric bike can expect a summons and confiscation of the bike.
Officer Winski reported that crime in his precinct is 85 percent property crime, grand larceny and burglary, and that the trend is downward. Crime so far, is six percent lower this year.
Anyone with an issue can reach out to Midtown South. Officer Winski can be reached at: 212-239-9806, or email edward.winski@nypd.org. Community Affairs Officer, Detective Paul Spano can be reached at: 212-239-9846, or email paul.spano@nypd.org.
BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS AND MORE, FROM STATE ELECTEDS
Assemblymember Richard Gottfried was first to speak about the new state budget’s allocated $300 million for universal pre-kindergarten. He had supported city funding for Pre-K through Mayor de Blasio’s proposed tax on high-income earners. “We got the money, that’s good,” said Gottfried, “I’d rather we would have gotten it the way Mayor de Blasio wanted rather than taking it from what else might have been paid for in the state budget, such as snow removal on state highways, and I think that fight is going to continue.” He invited everyone to watch him speak about taxes on the floor of the Assembly by visiting assembly.state.ny.us, clicking “Assembly Members” and then his name.
Edward Winski, commander of Midtown South Precinct, responds to a question about traffic safety.
He reported that with other Assembly Members he fought for the return of the $40 million that was to be pulled from the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s (MTA) budget to help pay its bonds. Of the $40 million, $10 million went back into subway and bus services. Gottfried also has co-sponsored legislation to increase the number of traffic enforcement speed-sensitive cameras to 160. Right now there are only 20 such cameras installed in school speed zones as part of last year’s pilot program.
New York State Senator Brad Hoylman spoke next about what he called “some of the low lights” of the state budget, before getting to more highlights. “We did not get comprehensive finance reform, which we are continuing to work on, but more disturbing is that funding for the Moreland Commission (officially known as the Commission to Investigate Public Corruption) was eviscerated. I was not supportive of that,” said Hoylman.
Among the highlights of the budget, there is now a 30 percent cap on rent for low-income residents in housing programs and for people with HIV/AIDS, a victory for activists. Also income eligibility for the Senior Citizens Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) was raised from $29,000 to $50,000, net after deductions. There are additional resources for New York City shelters. A new 25 percent live theater tax credit was instituted. The tax credit will be available to producers who open their shows in the city and take them on the road to upstate New York.
Hoylman noted with importance that Governor Cuomo has launched The Plan To End AIDS in New York, with the goal of bringing viral loads among HIV positive people down to virtually zero. “With modern medicine this can be done with one pill,” said Hoylman. “It doesn’t work for everyone, but it does for a lot of people. If we do that for one generation of people who are HIV positive you can extinguish the pandemic. This is an amazing approach.”
Hoylman wanted the community to know that he voted against a bill that removed the city’s control over the location of charter schools. “We are institutionalizing the battle between charter schools and public schools,” he said. “Charter schools are public schools and we need the city of New York to have control over them.” In conclusion, Hoylman invited everyone to bring old batteries and drink organic New York State wine, at his Earth Day Open House, Tuesday, April 22, 4-6pm, Office of State Senator Hoylman, 322 8th Avenue (at West 26th Street) Suite 1700. RSVP: 212-633-8052 or hoylman@nysenate.gov.
Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal brought more state budget highlights with news that the money for Rape Crisis Centers was raised by $1.8 million. Also the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Program (EPIC) was expanded by $4.1 million to assist seniors who meet certain income limits in paying for expensive prescription drugs. The state Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) received an additional $9 million for a total of $162 million. However, Rosenthal expressed her dismay in the fact that crossbow hunting is now allowed, as opposed to the formerly approved bow-and-arrow.
Rosenthal’s latest proposed legislation is a bill to end the restriction of rent regulated tenants from amenities such as rooftop decks, pools, fitness centers in buildings that only allow market-rate tenants the use of those facilities. She proposes that rent-regulated tenants be charged a fee, just as market-rate tenants are, for the use of amenities. A landlord who does not comply would be subject to a $25,000 fine and a forfeit of rent increases until the violation is cured. Rosenthal and other electeds also wrote to NYC Police Commissioner Bratton to request that, for the security of students, schools be closed on primary election days, just as they are on general election days.
For Governor Andrew Cuomo, Eric Botcher took the podium to announce that this spring and summer the Emergency Preparedness Core Training Program will be coming to Manhattan. The Governor’s office in partnership with the National Guard will be presenting two-hour programs about what to do in the event of an emergency and will be distributing equipped “go-bags.” The goal is to train 100,000 for emergency readiness.
NEWS FROM CITY COUNCILMEMBERS
NYC Councilmember Corey Johnson (District 3) noted that the city’s budget of $73 billion would not be adopted until June, and input from local groups was being sought. CB4 had 19 pages of recommendations for the budget to be voted on later in the evening. His welcome news was that 11th Avenue bus service is being expanded from Columbus Circle all the way down to the West Village. Johnson said that his March 25 Town Hall meeting was attended by 200 people and representatives of 14 city agencies who answered questions. More Town Halls will be scheduled.
NYC Councilmember Helen Rosenthal (District 6) announced that her first Town Hall meeting will be on Wednesday, April 30, 6-8pm at John Jay College, 524 West 59th Street (between 10th and 11th Avenues). Her major concern expressed at the meeting was related to the TF Cornerstone project, a 1,189 unit apartment building scheduled for 606 West 57th Street, across the street from the planned Durst building, two developments which together will bring about 5,000 new residents to the area. Rosenthal showed deep concern about the lack of planned infrastructure for such a rapid rise of population. According to TF Cornerstone’s Environmental Impact Statement, the project would not adversely affect public schools. Rosenthal begs to differ, saying that she has not heard anything from city agencies or the developer about consideration of the subway station at West 59th Street, schools, libraries, all of which are currently overcrowded. She is also weighing the fact that the affordable housing availability will be for people at 60 percent or below the Area Median Income (AMI) and has asked TF Cornerstone to provide more options for middle-income households.
REPORTS FROM THE BOARD
CB4 district manager Bob Benfatto announced NYPD’s 2014 Community Career Day on Saturday, May 3, from 11am to 4pm, at Lafayette High School (2630 Benson Avenue, Brooklyn). It’s an opportunity to meet police officers and learn about jobs in specialized units. For more information, call 212-RECRUIT, or visit nypdrecruit.com.
Benfatto also reminded that the deadline for NYC children born in 2010 to apply for September 2014 Pre-K is April 23. Parents can call 718-935-2009. Applications can be made at Enrollment Offices, or at nyc.gov/schools/prek.
CB4 chair Christine Berthet has been busy testifying at the NYC Department of City Planning in relation to the TF Cornerstone West 57th Street development as well as other projects in CB4. At the request of the Manhattan Borough President’s office, CB4 submitted a list of potential affordable housing sites in Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen. These suggestions are ultimately going to the Commissioner of Economic Development and Housing for integration into an overall plan.
Berthet also announced that a major Town Hall meeting is going to be held for Vision Zero. Maps will be available for the public to cite dangerous intersections. Pedestrian and traffic safety are priorities for CB4, and in addition to the visit from Midtown South Precinct, there will be visits at future meetings from the 10th Precinct and Midtown North. Coinciding with CB4’s interest in traffic safety, the evening’s agenda included a ratification of a letter to the executive director of Port Authority of NY and NJ, supporting the Port Authority’s plan to build the Galvin Plaza Bus Annex on the north side of West 39th Street between 10th and 11th Avenues to relieve the pressure on the existing terminal and create a connection allowing buses to bypass city streets entirely.
The board voted on 23 agenda items covering transportation, land use, physical culture, business licenses and permits. One agenda item was a 19-page response to Mayor de Blasio’s $73 billion preliminary budget for NYC. No questions were asked in the meeting’s public session and although one board member read a list of comments, thorny issues were ironed out prior to the evening’s meeting by CB4’s Budget and Jobs Task Force. The vote to approve the 19 pages went smoothly. Most discussion centered around the composition of letters to Empire State Development (ESD). The letters outlined the need for a comprehensive plan that includes CB4’s input, in ESD’s request for proposal (RFP) for the sale of air rights over the Farley Post Office for Phase 2 of its conversion into Moynihan Station. CB4 and elected officials had been blindsided when learning of this RFP last month.
There was also discussion about the request by Zonea Food & Beverage Inc., owners of Bea Restaurant & Bar, 430 West 43rd Street, to extend closing hours to 3am from presently closing at 12:30/1am. Zonea’s attorney had spoken in support of Bea while Linda Ashley, president of West 44th Street Better Block Association/Friends of Pier 84, had spoken in opposition. CB4’s letter to the NY State Liquor Authority (SLA) strongly recommended denial of additional hours. Other letters to the SLA were for approval or denial with certain stipulations. The meeting adjourned shortly after 9pm.
