Many elected officials raised concerns about DOT’s ability to handle the scale and capacity of a citywide permanent open restaurants program. On February 8, 2022, the City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises held a joint hearing with the Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection on the proposed permanent open restaurant program. The proposed permanent open restaurant program will replace the temporary program and establish a new streamlined program for the creation, management and enforcement … <Read More>
Search Results for: Legislation
City Council Passes Law to Promote Transparency for Rental and Utility Emergency Assistance Grants
The bill promotes transparency of the program due to possible heightened need as the eviction moratorium is set to expire on January 15th. On December 15, 2021, the City Council passed Int. 2081-A, a bill that provides more transparency around emergency assistance grant programs. These grants, run by the Human Resources Administration (HRA), are “one shot deals” that can assist New Yorkers with rent or utility payments when they are facing an unforeseen situation or … <Read More>
Mayor Signs Executive Order for Small Business Violations Reform
The executive order requires agencies to evaluate their most common summonses issued. On January 4, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams signed the “Small Business Forward” Executive Order to help small businesses face fewer fines and penalties as they continue to recover from the impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The executive order requests that agencies like the Department of Buildings, Fire Department, Department of Consumer Worker and Protection, Department of Sanitation, Department of Environmental Protection and … <Read More>
City Releases Master Plan for City Streets
On December 1, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Council Speaker Corey Johnson and the Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Hank Gutman announced the release of the New York City Streets Plan. The plan’s purpose is to help guide road design and infrastructure for the next five years.
City Releases Right-to-Counsel Progress Report
The implementation of the program citywide happened ahead of the scheduled 2022 goal. On November 17, 2021, the de Blasio administration released the Right to Counsel Progress Report for Fiscal Year 2021. The Right to Counsel Program works to address the gap in access to legal representation for tenants in eviction cases.
City Planning Commission Votes to Approve Permanent Open Restaurants Program Text Amendment
The zoning text amendment now moves on to City Council for approval. On November 15, 2021, the City Planning Commission voted to approve the Permanent Open Restaurants Program zoning text amendment in a special public hearing. The proposed Permanent Open Restaurants program will transfer the control of sidewalk cafes to the Department of Transportation from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (formerly Consumer Affairs) and aims to create a more streamlined approval process for … <Read More>