Image credit: New York City Council.

The bill reduces or eliminates some fines. On June 17, 2021, the City Council voted to pass a bill that reduces fines and allows opportunities to remedy certain violations for 185 civil penalties. Int. No. 2233-A, sponsored by Council Member Vanessa Gibson, provides civil penalty relief from 185 different sanitation, health, transportation, consumer affairs, noise control and buildings violations. (read more…)

Image credit: New York City Council.

The bill provides better transparency and helps potential purchasers and agents. On June 17, 2021, the New York City Council passed a bill to require the City’s Board of Standards and Appeals to record a copy of a decision affecting a parcel of land made by the Board in the appropriate title recording system. The bill, Int. 2257-2021, will require the Board to record the decision with the Automatic City Register Information System (ACRIS) for properties in Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn or Queens and with the Richmond County Clerk’s database for properties in Staten Island. The bill was sponsored by Council Member Fernando Cabrera. (read more…)

Green fences around stalled construction sites like these will be replaced with chain link fences under a new law. Image Credit: Google Maps.

The law will affect construction sites that have been stalled for over two years. On June 28, 2021, Local Law 74 was enacted by the NYC Council. The law which originated as Intro 1128 was introduced on September 26, 2018 by Council Member Robert Holden. The new law will amend the New York City Building Code by requiring the green fences that are in place at construction sites that have discontinued or stalled work for over two years be replaced with chain link fences and should work resume the chain link fences would again have to be replaced by the green wooden fences. (read more…)

Image credit: New York City Council.

The increased voucher amounts help take advantage of decreased rents. On May 27, 2021, the New York City Council passed legislation that increases the number of apartments available to homeless New Yorkers and helps move more New Yorkers out of shelters and into permanent housing.  The legislation, titled Int. 146-C, requires the City to pay higher rates to homeless New Yorkers receiving rental assistance vouchers and eliminates the program’s previous five-year cap for vouchers. The bill was sponsored by Council Member Stephen Levin. (read more…)

An Open Street in Morris Park, Bronx last year. Temporarily restricting vehicular access provided pedestrians with places to walk, cyclists to move, and children to play. Image Credit: CityLand

The program began as a way to provide more public space during the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 29, 2021, the City Council voted to pass Int. 1933-A, a bill to make a permanent Open Streets program. The Open Streets program closes streets for a given time period to provide pedestrians and cyclists with open street space free of vehicular traffic.  (read more…)