Testimonies at the public hearing revealed concerns about the two bills and their impact on the City’s tenants and landlords. On April 28, 2020, the City Council Committee on Housing and Buildings, and Committee on Consumer Affairs and Business Licensing held a joint public hearing on two bills that will provide protection to residential and commercial tenants who are financially impacted by COVID-19. Introduction 1912, sponsored by Council Speaker Corey Johnson, will prohibit court … <Read More>
Search Results for: COVID-19 Response
Non-Essential Construction in the City is Suspended Due to COVID-19 Emergency
All construction permits will need to be active and renewed during the suspension period. On March 30, 2020, the Department of Buildings announced that all work on non-essential construction and demolition sites is suspended for the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Buildings made the decision to suspend such construction and demolition following Governor Andrew Cuomo’s amended executive order and the Empire State Development Corporation’s guidelines. The executive order, which required non-essential businesses … <Read More>
Mayor Announces Creation of COVID Vaccine Command Center, Vaccine Equity Plan
The Vaccine Equity Plan focuses on 27 of the neighborhoods hit hardest by COVID-19. On December 11, 2020, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the launch of the COVID-19 vaccine command center and outlined the City’s Vaccine Equity Plan. The City expects to receive 465,000 doses of the vaccine by the start of January, and has currently delivered 42,900 doses. Initial vaccine doses are first being distributed to health care professionals and nursing homes, and then … <Read More>
Governor Cuomo Extends COVID-related Eviction Moratorium Until January 1, 2021
The State has taken several actions to protect residential and commercial tenants. On September 28, 2020, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the statewide moratorium on COVID-19 related residential evictions will be extended through January 1, 2021. The moratorium has been in effect since March 20th and has been extended multiple times.
City Announces Preliminary Plan for Upcoming School Year
The City’s plan offers three basic models schools can base their scheduling on to rotate students between in-person and remote learning. On July 8, 2020, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Department of Education Chancellor Richard Carranza announced the City’s preliminary plan to reopen public schools in September. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools have physically been closed since mid-March and operated remotely for the remainder of the school year. The “blended learning” approach will allow … <Read More>
Changes to Open Meetings Law Enable Hybrid Meetings But Present Ongoing Challenges
Community boards often do not have the same resources as City agencies to have hybrid hearings. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic resulted in many changes on how state and city governments conducted business, including public hearings. New York’s Open Meetings Law was originally designed to promote transparency, requiring hearings to be held in person and open to the public, with notice about how to participate. After meetings went virtual due to the pandemic, discussions began about … <Read More>