Audit reveals that Department of Buildings did not inspect non-compliant POPS locations. On November 22, 2017, the Office of the City Comptroller Scott Stringer released a report of a follow-up audit to determine whether the Privately Owned Public Spaces (POPS), previously found noncompliant in an April 18, 2017 audit, now provided all required amenities, and what action if any were taken by the Department of Buildings to bring these POPS into compliance. To read CityLand’s… <Read More>
Search Results for: Scott Stringer
Speed Up the Redesign and Modernization of Privately-Owned Public Spaces
Over half the existing plazas and other public spaces located on private property lack the benches, vegetation, artwork, lighting and other amenities required by the City’s zoning code or promised by the developers in return for permission to build taller and larger buildings, as reported by Comptroller Scott Stringer in an April 18, 2017 audit. Stringer recommended more inspections by the Department of Buildings to bring these privately-owned public spaces (so-called “POPS”) into compliance. But … <Read More>
Comptroller Audit Finds that HPD Review of Affordable Housing Sponsors Was Effective
Comptroller audit finds that HPD’s controls to ensure that housing incentives were rewarded to qualified applicants were largely effective. On June 27, 2017, the Office of the city Comptroller Scott Stringer released a report of an audit of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. The audit sought to evaluate whether HPD had adequate controls to ensure that its housing incentive projects were properly awarded to property owners and developers that qualified for the program, … <Read More>
Comptroller Reveals that Half of Privately Owned Public Spaces, Including Three Trump Properties, Were In Violation of Law
Comptroller’s audit finds that the City has fallen substantially short in its duty of overseeing Privately Owned Public Space agreements, including agreements with Trump Tower, Trump International Hotel, and Trump Plaza. On April 18, 2017, the Office of the City Comptroller Scott Stringer released a report of an audit of how adequately the City oversees Privately Owned Public Space agreements with developers and building owners. Privately Owned Public Space agreements are created by developers in … <Read More>
Eric Garner’s death: No Justice, No Peace
Three years have passed since Eric Garner’s choking death at the hands of police officer Daniel Pantaleo, and the episode remains unresolved. The grand jury’s secrecy and its decision not to indict anyone, along with Comptroller Scott Stringer’s unusually swift civil settlement with the Garner Family, have left the public with insufficient answers and a sense that justice has been denied. Civil rights organizations and governmental investigators have made additional attempts to obtain information, but … <Read More>
Comptroller Audit Reveals that DOF Misclassified Staten Island Properties
Comptroller’s audit finds that the DOF misclassified for tax purposes at least twelve Class 1 properties on Staten Island. On February 24, 2017, the Office of the City Comptroller Scott Stringer released a report of an audit of Department of Finance property classifications on Staten Island. The audit sought to evaluate whether payments to Samaritan and the payment rates were reasonable, appropriate, and adequately supported, and whether Samaritan was complying with its contract with DHS. … <Read More>