Mayor Announces Enforcement Effort for Abandoned Open Restaurants Sheds Among Challenges to Open Restaurant Program

Multiple lawsuits have challenged both the temporary and proposed permanent open restaurant programs. On August 18, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams announced a new enforcement initiative with multiple city agencies to remove abandoned outdoor dining sheds. The City’s temporary open restaurants program allowed for restaurants to build outdoor shed structures on sidewalks and in roadways to allow for safer outdoor dining during the pandemic. However, some of these structures have been abandoned by restaurants that have <Read More>


Contractor denied $2.5 million claim

Plumbing company claimed time extension due to delays. In May of 2012, the New York City School Construction Authority awarded BG National Plumbing & Heating Inc. a contract to perform accessibility and electrical upgrades for the New York City School Construction Authority. When it became evident that BG Plumbing could not meet the contractual deadline, BG Plumbing filed a notice of claim with the City alleging it was entitled to an extension because of certain … <Read More>


Council Committee Holds Hearing for Utility Advocate Legislation

The new office would advocate for New Yorkers who struggle with utility companies, but some question if another office is necessary. On June 30, 2022, the City Council’s Committee for Consumer and Worker Protection held an oversight hearing to discuss recent utility rate hikes and Int. 372-2022, a bill that would establish an Office of the Utility Advocate within the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP). The bill is sponsored by City Council Speaker … <Read More>


Assault Rifles and The Impact of New York State’s SAFE Act (REPRINTED FROM 2018)

***THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY RAN FOUR YEARS AGO IN CITYLAW*** The SAFE Act, the acronym for the Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act – New York State’s January, 2013 omnibus gun control law – provides an excellent opportunity to assess the potential impact of maximally politically feasible gun control, an exercise all the more relevant in the wake of the mass shooting in Las Vegas.  The SAFE Act did not have to be negotiated or compromised.  … <Read More>


Council Approves Requirement for Self-Closing Doors Inspections

The bill is a part of the Council’s response to the Twin Parks tragedy this past January. On June 2, 2022, the City Council voted to approve Int. 208-A, a bill that requires increased inspections for self-closing doors in multiple dwelling buildings. The bill is sponsored by Council Member Nantasha Williams. Int. 208-A is the most recent in a series of bills passed by the City Council in response to the tragic Twin Parks fire <Read More>


Mayor’s Executive Order Strengthens Fire Safety Enforcement and Education

The coordinated efforts will enhance inspections and increase fire safety outreach for residents, building owners and buildings. On March 20, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams signed a new Executive Order to strengthen fire safety enforcement and increase fire safety education. The executive order follows the aftermath of the Twin Parks fire this past January, where seventeen people were killed after a fire spread through an apartment building in the Bronx.