Mayor de Blasio signs three bills into law on September 28, 2020. Image Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

The bills help provide protections for workers amidst the ongoing pandemic and economic crisis. On September 28, 2020, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed three bills into law. This package of bills expands protections for workers, consumers, and commercial tenants by expanding the City’s paid safe and sick leave, extending protection for commercial tenants, and protecting the jobs of hotel workers. (more…)

Image Credit: Office of the Comptroller

The DOT still does not have a complete inventory of the City’s 250,000 street name signs. On August 14, 2020, New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer released a follow-up audit of the Department of Transportation, three years after the original audit of their street name sign maintenance. The 2017 audit of the Department of Transportation revealed significant inadequacies in the Department’s ability to install and maintain street signs, and the 2020 audit revealed that the Department still lacks a standard procedure to address street name sign complaints in a timely manner. (more…)

Mayor de Blasio signs Executive Order 59 on July 28, 2020. Image Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

The City awarded over $3 billion in contracts to minority and women-owned businesses in FY19. The City is On July 28, 2020, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed Executive Order 59 to increase the City’s utilization of Minority and Women-Owned Businesses (M/WBEs), and also announced numerous programs with the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity that will connect Black and Latinx entrepreneurs to business opportunities. (more…)

Mayor Bill de Blasio at New York City first ever virtual bill signing Image Credit: Mayor’s Office

Local Law addressing personal liability provisions in commercial leases raises constitutional law discussion. On May 26, 2020, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed seven COVID-19 relief bills into law during New York City’s first ever virtual bill signing. Among the laws, Local Law 55 of 2020, sponsored by Council Member Carlina Rivera, temporarily prevents the enforcement of personal liability provisions in commercial leases or rental agreements involving COVID-19 impacted tenants.  The law also makes it a form of harassment to attempt or threaten to enforce personal liability provisions on the COVID-19 impacted tenant. Several of the bills were heard by their respective committees on April 29, 2020 and all were approved by their committees and the full Council on May 13, 2020.  To read CityLand’s prior coverage of the other COVID-19 Relief Bills and Local Law 55 at public hearing, click here. For the coverage of the Third Party Delivery Service bills and the Stated Meeting click here.

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Ross Sandler, Center for New York City Law Director

The number of persons killed by contact with subway trains is truly alarming and, worse, consistent year to year. The victims include persons with severe mental problems and drug and alcohol addiction on the one hand, and, on the other hand, adventuresome youths who see romance and challenge in the subways’ dark tunnels, speedy trains and endless tracks. All the deaths are tragedies. (more…)