City Council Changes Penalties for Certain Civil Violations to Help Small Businesses

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.


City Resumes Curbside Composting, Expands Other Programs

The new version of the Curbside Composting service will make free composting services available to New Yorkers and the improved Program includes significant expansions. On April 22, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that New York City will be resuming its Curbside Composting Program, which was originally halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Earth Day announcement also included significant expansions to community composting, reuse, and hazardous waste disposal programs operated by the Department of … <Read More>


DEP Building Upgraded and Facade Maintained

The Brooklyn building houses the Department of Environmental Protection water tunnel and shaft maintenance staff. The Department of Design and Construction, along with the Department of Environmental Protection, announced the completion of the refurbishment and upgrades to the historic Flushing Avenue building at 350 Flushing Avenue, Brooklyn. The $31.6 million project was funded by the Department of Environmental Protection while the Department of Design and Construction managed the construction of the project.


COMPLETE VIDEO: NYLS’s Mayoral Election Law and Leadership Series #1 featuring Borough President Eric Adams and Former DSNY Commissioner Kathryn Garcia

Common themes discussed included the importance of listening to communities and emphasizing communication and a clear vision. On April 14, 2021, New York Law School hosted the first of two Law and Leadership forums where New York Law School students spoke with Mayoral candidates about their leadership styles.


City Announces New Clean Streets Initiatives

The three new initiatives focus on equitable city recovery, community engagement, and improving the quality of life of New York City. On March 30, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Department of Sanitation announced three new initiatives to better maintain clean New York City streets. The three initiatives include the Dedicated Litter Basket Service, the Precision Cleaning Initiative, and the Community Clean-up Van.


Mayor Announces Guidelines for Upcoming Open Culture Program

The newly announced program and its guidelines will allow artists and performers of all kinds to return to work safely. On February 8, 2021, Mayor de Blasio released guidelines for the upcoming Open Culture Program. The program will open up city streets for outdoor cultural performances and events throughout the five boroughs. The new program is modeled after a prior successful initiative lead by the city, the Open Streets Program. For CityLand’s prior … <Read More>