Mayor Appoints Lisa Zornberg as New City Hall Chief Counsel

July 27, 2023

Lisa Zornberg speaks at her appointment as the incoming City Hall Chief Counsel. Image Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office. On July 26, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams announced the appointment of Lisa Zornberg as the new City Hall chief counsel. Zornberg will serve as chief counsel to both Mayor Adams and City Hall, and will oversee the following agencies: he Mayor’s Office of Contract Services, the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary, the Mayor’s Office of Labor Relations, the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, the Mayor’s Office of Risk Management and Compliance, the New … <Read More>

Mayor and DOB Announce Overhaul of Sidewalk Construction Shed Rules

July 25, 2023

Sidewalk sheds stay up for an average of over 500 days, but some stay up for several years. On July 24, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams and Department of Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo announced “Get Sheds Down,” an overhaul of the rules relating to sidewalk construction sheds (scaffolding). While the sheds are required for construction, facade inspections, and repairs, existing laws often enable property owners to leave up the construction sheds for a long time, and … <Read More>

Mayor Adams Announces New NYCHA Appointments

July 7, 2023

On July 6, 2023, Mayor Eric Adams announced new appointments to the leadership for the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). Jamie Rubin will serve as the new chair of the NYCHA board, and Lisa Bova-Hiatt will be the new CEO.

Comptroller’s Report Finds Chronic Lack of Heat Issues in Over 1,000 Buildings, Recommendations to Enhance City Response

January 23, 2023

On January 9, 2023, the Office of Comptroller Brad Lander released a new report “Turn Up the Heat,” which reviews the City’s efforts in addressing chronic heat complaints. By law, from October 1 through May 31, landlords are required to maintain indoor temperatures at 68 degrees in the daytime when outdoor temperatures are below 55 degrees, and at least 62 degrees indoors at night, regardless of the outdoor temperature. Hot water must also be provided … <Read More>

Toppling Christopher Columbus; Public Statues and Monuments

January 4, 2023

Christopher Columbus is in trouble. Political pressure to remove Columbus monuments most recently dates from 1992 during the preparations for the 500^th anniversary of Columbus’s first voyage. The movement to remove the monuments accelerated in the summer of 2020 following the murder of George Floyd.

Speed of Subway Trains Challenged

November 29, 2022

Subway trains at the Spring Street station twice struck passengers lying on the tracks on separate occasions. How fast should subway trains be moving when they enter a station? The faster the subway trains go, the more people the trains can carry and the quicker people will get to their destinations. Even a slowdown of a few seconds per train can slow the entire system. Speed is so important to the mission of the Transit … <Read More>