Pilot Program Aims To Avoid “Street Cuts” On Freshly Paved Staten Island Streets

Street cuts are still a problem in City streets undermining repaving efforts. On July 27, 2018, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a pilot program to prevent so-called “street cuts” on freshly paved streets. The pilot will mandate interagency cooperation and coordination to prevent fresh asphalt being marred with street cuts. According to Staten Island USA, street cuts are the name given to the patch job done in the wake of underground work performed by … <Read More>


Many Turn Out to Both Support and Register Concerns about Landmarks Rules Revisions

Revisions would see delegation of some work, including certain rear yard and roof top additions, to staff for review and approval. On March 27, 2018, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a public hearing on a proposed overhaul of the agency’s rules, found in Title 63 of the Rules of the City of New York. The proposed amendments were published in the City Record on January 30, 2018. Landmarks has made a PowerPoint presentation available <Read More>



$13 Million Investment for Heating Emergencies in NYCHA Buildings

Facing the recent below-freezing temperatures, Mayor Bill de Blasio has committed to help with NYCHA’s response to heating emergencies and failing equipment with a substantial investment. On January 18, 2018, Mayor de Blasio announced a $13 million investment to assist the New York City Housing Authority response to heating outages and replace equipment. The investment will allow NYCHA to replace malfunctioning boiler systems, acquire mobile boilers for emergencies, hire repair staff, and repair windows to … <Read More>


Prison Reform: The Monitor’s First Report in the Nunez Case

Recently the City got some good news about Rikers Island, a change from the bad news of recent years. On August 2, 2016, Mayor Bill de Blasio, together with Correction Commissioner Joseph Ponte, announced that for the first six months of 2016 the frequencies with which staff used serious force on inmates and inmates seriously assaulted staff dropped by nearly half over the past year. Overall uses of force and assault numbers were also down … <Read More>


Comptroller Finds Buildings Needs to Improve the Site Safety Professional Licensing Process

On June 30, 2016, New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer’s office released a Report on the Department of Buildings’ issuance of licenses to site safety professionals. There are two types of site safety professional licenses: site safety manager and site safety coordinator. City law requires that a site safety manager be onsite to oversee all work of any project to demolish or construct buildings 15 stories or more in height, and a site safety coordinator … <Read More>