1 1 2 CITY COUNCIL 3 CITY OF NEW YORK 4 -------------------------------x 5 THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE MINUTES 6 of the 7 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 8 -------------------------------x 9 10 April 30, 2008 11 Start: 2:29 p.m. Recess: 4:20 p.m. 12 City Hall 13 Council Chambers New York, New York 14 15 B E F O R E: 16 BETSY GOTBAUM Public Advocate 17 18 COUNCIL MEMBERS: Speaker Christine Quinn Joseph Addabbo 19 Maria Arroyo Tony Avella 20 Maria Baez Charles Barron 21 Gale Brewer Leroy Comrie 22 23 24 LEGAL-EASE COURT REPORTING SERVICES, INC. 17 Battery Place - Suite 1308 25 New York, New York 10004 800-756-3410 2 1 2 A P P E A R A N C E S (CONTINUED) 3 COUNCIL MEMBERS: 4 Bill DeBlasio Inez Dickens 5 Erik Martin-Dilan Matthew Eugene 6 Simcha Felder Lewis Fidler 7 Helen Foster Daniel Garodnick 8 James Gennaro Vincent Gentile 9 Alan Gerson Eric Gioia 10 Sara Gonzalez Vincent Ignizio 11 Robert Jackson Letitia James 12 Melinda Katz G. Oliver Koppell 13 Jessica Lappin John Liu 14 Miguel Martinez Michael McMahon 15 Darlene Mealy Rosie Mendez 16 Hiram Monserrate James Oddo 17 Annabel Palma Domenic Recchia 18 Diana Reyna Joel Rivera 19 James Sanders Larry Seabrook 20 Helen Sears Kendall Stewart 21 James Vacca Peter Vallone, Jr. 22 Albert Vann Melissa Mark Viverito 23 David Weprin Thomas White 24 David Yassky 25 3 1 2 A P P E A R A N C E S (CONTINUED) 3 STAFF: Billy Martin 4 Council Clerk 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 4 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 SPEAKER QUINN: We will start with our 3 ceremonials, ceremonial. And Helen, if you could 4 come up. Also Jimmy, you, too, for Safe Horizon. If 5 I could ask the Safe Horizon folks to come up. Safe 6 Horizon come on up. Come on. 7 So, as the Safe Horizon gang comes 8 up, I want to thank all of them, but I want to 9 particularly thank Stephanie March, one of the stars 10 of Law and Order, for being with us today. And I 11 think, I hope she knows what a difference it makes 12 when a celebrity lends their name and their 13 celebrity and their cachet to a not-for-profit 14 organization, it really helps that organization get 15 attention and focus that they need. So, I want to 16 thank you for being with them for such a long time, 17 as you told me before. So, thank you very, very 18 much. 19 And I want to note that we're all 20 wearing these beautiful orange scarves and ties 21 which are featured on this month's cover of Redbook, 22 not by me, but by Mariska Hargitay, and they are 23 symbolic of the fact that we are in Child Abuse 24 Awareness Month, Child Protection Month. And that's 25 something that is incredibly important to all of us 5 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 in the City Council. Because one of our first 3 priorities two and a half years ago was to try to 4 expand the amount, expand the number and services of 5 child advocacy centers in the City. And obviously, 6 our ultimate goal is to have less children suffer 7 horrible abuse in the City. Until we get to that 8 place, we need to make sure that those children have 9 the best care possible, and that it's done in a way 10 that treats them as sensitively as possible that 11 really protects them and does that in a way that 12 also gets law enforcement all the evidence they need 13 to go out and capture and prosecute the people who 14 have done this to kids. And I just want to thank 15 Safe Horizon for running so many of those centers 16 for us, for working with us in so many of those 17 centers, for protecting kids, for protecting people 18 who have been the victim of all kinds of crime. And 19 I also want to thank you because every time in this 20 City Council when we have called on Safe Horizon, 21 when we have been the victims of crime in this very 22 chamber, when we have had personal and tragic losses 23 in the Council, when we have had constituents who 24 weren't getting what they needed from the Crime 25 Victims Board, even though they had been the victims 6 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 of terrible crimes, Safe Horizon did for us what you 3 do for every person who calls. You said, yes, how 4 could I help? And you rolled up your sleeves and 5 helped the City Council. So, thank you all for doing 6 that every day and we're going to stand by you in 7 your efforts to do that for New Yorkers. 8 And let me ask the clerk to read the 9 Proclamation and then we'd love to hear from all of 10 the Safe Horizon Gang. Maybe not all, but most of 11 the Safe Horizon Gang. 12 COUNCIL CLERK: City of New York -- 13 SPEAKER QUINN: Clerk, if you can hang 14 on one second, I'm going to actually first call on 15 Helen Sears the Chair of our Women's Issues 16 Committee, who launched a particularly important 17 initiative with Safe Horizon, and then Alan Gerson 18 wanted to add one thing. 19 COUNCIL MEMBER SEARS: Thank you very 20 much, Ms. Speaker. 21 Safe Horizon is about to launch a new 22 initiative on human trafficking. And it has finally 23 reached where it should be, recognized by everybody. 24 It's not just sex, it happens to be child labor, it 25 happens to be kidnapping. And it is on the rise in 7 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 New York City, so I really want to thank our Speaker 3 and my colleagues for making that initiative 4 possible, and to thank Safe Horizon for all that 5 they do, because you're really helping to make life 6 better for a lot of children and a lot of people, 7 and we thank you. We're very grateful. 8 SPEAKER QUINN: Alan. 9 COUNCIL MEMBER GERSON: Just also 10 ditto, having worked with Council Member Sears and 11 other colleagues and our Speaker on that human 12 trafficking issue, thank you. 13 But also, on behalf of the Lower 14 Manhattan Council district I represent, we will 15 never forget the indispensable role Safe Horizon 16 played in those terrible days following 9/11. You 17 literally provided a lifeline to us. So, thank you, 18 on behalf of everyone I represent, keep up your 19 great work. I will always continue to support your 20 efforts for everyone in need in any part of our City 21 and beyond. 22 SPEAKER QUINN: And now the clerk. 23 COUNCIL CLERK: City of New York, 24 Proclamation. 25 Whereas: The Council of the City of 8 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 New York, in observance of National Child Abuse 3 Prevention Month, is proud to honor Safe Horizon, 4 one of the nation's leading victim assistance 5 organizations, for its tremendous service to the 6 community; and 7 Whereas: For more than 25 years, Safe 8 Horizon has responded to child abuse, domestic 9 violence and other violent crimes by helping the 10 victims and their families heal and rebuild their 11 lives; it provides a wide array of practical 12 services, 24-hour hot lines, to safe shelter as 13 food, as well as essential support services, like 14 mental health counseling. With the assistance of 15 Safe Horizon's compassionate dedicated staff, 16 victims can find hope, and a safe place to sleep, or 17 a clear compass through criminal justice system; and 18 Whereas: Safe Horizon is to be 19 commended for its unwaivering determination to 20 protect others, especially those who are too young 21 to protect themselves; and, now, therefore 22 Be It Known: That the Council of the 23 City of New York honors Safe Horizon for its 24 outstanding services to the community, and we 25 declare this 30th day of April, the Year 2008, to be 9 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 Child Abuse Awareness Day in the City of New York. 3 Christine C. Quinn, Speaker for the 4 Entire Council. 5 MR. MILLSTEIN: Thank you very much. 6 My name is Scott Millstein. I'm the Interim CEO for 7 Safe Horizon, and on behalf or the staff, our Board, 8 and most importantly, the 350,000 New Yorkers that 9 we help every year, thank you for this recognition. 10 We are here today for Child Abuse 11 Awareness Month. 12 Last year in New York City there were 13 60,000 children reported abused all across the five 14 boroughs. 15 Fortunately, with the support and the 16 leadership with the City Council, we will soon be 17 opening up a fully co-located child advocacy center 18 in every single borough that will provide safe, 19 supportive and effective and compassionate services 20 to the victims of child abuse and their families so 21 that they may heal and rebuild their lives. 22 At Safe Horizon we believe that every 23 child in New York is entitled to a life free of 24 violence, and full of possibilities, and we are so 25 pleased to count the New York City Council as a 10 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 partner of ours in this mission. 3 Thank you, again. 4 SPEAKER QUINN: Thank you all very 5 much for all of your work. Thank you. 6 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: All rise. 7 Pledge of Allegiance. 8 (Pledge of Allegiance.) 9 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: Roll call. 10 COUNCIL CLERK: Addabbo. 11 COUNCIL MEMBER ADDABBO: Here. 12 COUNCIL CLERK: Arroyo. 13 COUNCIL MEMBER ARROYO: Here. 14 COUNCIL CLERK: Avella. 15 COUNCIL MEMBER AVELLA: Here. 16 COUNCIL CLERK: Baez. 17 COUNCIL MEMBER BAEZ: Here. 18 COUNCIL CLERK: Barron. 19 COUNCIL MEMBER BARRON: Here. 20 COUNCIL CLERK: Brewer. 21 COUNCIL MEMBER BREWER: Here. 22 COUNCIL CLERK: Comrie. 23 COUNCIL MEMBER COMRIE: Here. 24 COUNCIL CLERK: DeBlasio. 25 COUNCIL MEMBER DEBLASIO: Here. 11 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 COUNCIL CLERK: Dickens. 3 COUNCIL MEMBER DICKENS: Here. 4 COUNCIL CLERK: Dilan. 5 COUNCIL MEMBER DILAN: Here. 6 COUNCIL CLERK: Eugene. 7 COUNCIL MEMBER EUGENE: Here. 8 COUNCIL CLERK: Felder. 9 COUNCIL MEMBER FELDER: Here. 10 COUNCIL CLERK: Fidler. 11 COUNCIL MEMBER FIDLER: Here. 12 COUNCIL CLERK: Foster. 13 COUNCIL MEMBER FOSTER: Here. 14 COUNCIL CLERK: Garodnick. 15 COUNCIL MEMBER GARODNICK: Here. 16 COUNCIL CLERK: Gennaro. 17 COUNCIL MEMBER GENNARO: Here. 18 COUNCIL CLERK: Gentile. 19 COUNCIL MEMBER GENTILE: Here. 20 COUNCIL CLERK: Gerson. 21 COUNCIL MEMBER GERSON: Here. 22 COUNCIL CLERK: Gioia. 23 COUNCIL MEMBER GIOIA: Here. 24 COUNCIL CLERK: Gonzalez. 25 COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ: Here. 12 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 COUNCIL CLERK: Ignizio. 3 COUNCIL MEMBER IGNIZIO: Here. 4 COUNCIL CLERK: Jackson. 5 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: Here. 6 COUNCIL CLERK: James. 7 COUNCIL MEMBER JAMES: Here. 8 COUNCIL CLERK: Katz. 9 COUNCIL MEMBER KATZ: Here. 10 (Outburst from audience.) 11 SPEAKER QUINN: If I can just make an 12 announcement. 13 We're not going to have shouting out 14 during this Council meeting. So, there will be two 15 warnings. This is the first. If after the second 16 warning, shouting out and disruption of the meeting 17 continues, we will clear the Chambers. People will 18 have roll call and they will be able to vote in a 19 dignified fashion. 20 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: Quiet, 21 please. That's number one. 22 SPEAKER QUINN: This is your first 23 warning. Continue with the roll call, please, Madam 24 Public Advocate. 25 COUNCIL CLERK: James. 13 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 COUNCIL MEMBER JAMES: Here. 3 COUNCIL CLERK: Katz. 4 COUNCIL MEMBER KATZ: Here. 5 COUNCIL CLERK: Koppell. 6 COUNCIL MEMBER KOPPELL: Here. 7 COUNCIL CLERK: Lappin. 8 COUNCIL MEMBER LAPPIN: Here. 9 COUNCIL CLERK: Liu. 10 COUNCIL MEMBER LIU: Here. 11 COUNCIL CLERK: Mark-Viverito. 12 COUNCIL MEMBER MARK-VIVERITO: Here. 13 (Outburst from the audience.) 14 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: That's 15 number two. 16 COUNCIL CLERK: Martinez. 17 COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ: Here. 18 COUNCIL CLERK: McMahon. 19 COUNCIL MEMBER McMAHON: Here. 20 COUNCIL CLERK: Mealy. 21 COUNCIL MEMBER MEALY: Here. 22 COUNCIL CLERK: Mendez. 23 COUNCIL MEMBER MENDEZ: Here. 24 COUNCIL CLERK: Monserrate. 25 COUNCIL MEMBER MONSERRATE: Here. 14 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 COUNCIL CLERK: Nelson. 3 (No response.) 4 COUNCIL CLERK: Palma. 5 COUNCIL MEMBER PALMA: Here. 6 COUNCIL CLERK: Recchia. 7 COUNCIL MEMBER RECCHIA: Here. 8 COUNCIL CLERK: Reyna. 9 COUNCIL MEMBER REYNA: Here. 10 COUNCIL CLERK: Sanders. 11 COUNCIL MEMBER SANDERS: Here. 12 COUNCIL CLERK: Seabrook. 13 COUNCIL MEMBER SEABROOK: Here. 14 COUNCIL CLERK: Sears. 15 COUNCIL MEMBER SEARS: Here. 16 COUNCIL CLERK: Stewart. 17 COUNCIL MEMBER STEWART: Here. 18 COUNCIL CLERK: Vacca. 19 COUNCIL MEMBER VACCA: Here. 20 COUNCIL CLERK: Vallone. 21 COUNCIL MEMBER VALLONE: Here. 22 COUNCIL CLERK: Vann. 23 COUNCIL MEMBER VANN: Here. 24 COUNCIL CLERK: Weprin. 25 COUNCIL MEMBER WEPRIN: Here. 15 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 COUNCIL CLERK: White. 3 COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE: Here. 4 COUNCIL CLERK: Yassky. 5 COUNCIL MEMBER YASSKY: Here. 6 COUNCIL CLERK: Oddo. 7 COUNCIL MEMBER ODDO: Here. 8 COUNCIL CLERK: Rivera. 9 COUNCIL MEMBER RIVERA: Here. 10 COUNCIL CLERK: Speaker Quinn. 11 SPEAKER QUINN: Here. 12 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: We have a 13 quorum. 14 All rise, please, for the Invocation 15 by Rabbi Joseph Potasnick. 16 RABBI POTASNIK: Thank you. I want to 17 thank Council Member Garodnick for calling me 18 recently and saying, "Rabbi, do you believe in free 19 speech?" I said, "I do, Councilman." He said, "Well, 20 I want you to come give one." So, thank you very 21 much. 22 There was a beautiful story that was 23 not reported in the New York newspapers. Of a 24 nursing home in Brooklyn, the Cabbs Nursing Home, 25 that presently has all Christian residents except 16 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 one Jew. And shortly before Passover, all of those 3 Christians decided that it would be important to 4 have a Passover Seder for that one individual. 5 Because as they felt, one person is as important as 6 the next. 7 And, therefore, when you travel 8 internationally from Kennedy Airport, you have to 9 pass the interfaith chapels. When you approach the 10 Verrazano Narrows Bridge of Brooklyn, you have to 11 pass the interfaith chapels. The message for all of 12 us is, if we want communities to cooperate with one 13 another, we in the communities have to communicate 14 more with one another. 15 If we as communities want to live 16 with one another, then we in the communities have to 17 listen more to one another. When that happens, then 18 Jews will find Shalom, Muslims Salaam, Christians 19 peace. 20 Amen. 21 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: Motion to 22 spread the Invocation. I don't see Council Member 23 Yassky. 24 Oh, Council Member Weprin, would you 25 do the honors, please? 17 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 COUNCIL MEMBER WEPRIN: Yes. I'd like 3 to state I want to thank Rabbi Potasnik for his 4 service for the entire City, particularly after 5 September 11th, 2001, as Chaplain for the Fire 6 Department. He was involved in numerous, numerous 7 amount of ceremonies, activities at Ground Zero. I 8 know he spent personally weeks and months at Ground 9 Zero himself. And really sacrificed on behalf of all 10 of the residents of our City and we should all be 11 very grateful to him for that. And I proudly move to 12 spread the invocation on the record. 13 So ordered. 14 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: Adoption of 15 the Minutes. 16 Council Member McMahon. 17 COUNCIL MEMBER McMAHON: Madam Public 18 Advocate, I make a motion that the minutes of the 19 Stated Meeting of March 12th, 2008 be adopted as 20 printed. 21 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: So ordered. 22 Messages and Papers from the Mayor. 23 COUNCIL CLERK: M 991. Submitting 24 Glenn Newman for reappointment as President of the 25 New York City Tax Commission. 18 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 SPEAKER QUINN: Rules, Privileges and 3 Elections. 4 COUNCIL CLERK: M 992. Submitting 5 Aladar Gyimesi for appointment to the New York City 6 Tax Commission. 7 SPEAKER QUINN: Rules, Privileges and 8 Elections. 9 COUNCIL CLERK: M 993, submitting 10 Alice Olick for reappointment to the New York City 11 Tax Commission. 12 SPEAKER QUINN: Rules, privileges and 13 elections. 14 COUNCIL CLERK: M 994 Mayor's veto of 15 Introductory No. 729. 16 SPEAKER QUINN: Sanitation and Solid 17 Waste Management. 18 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: 19 Communication from City, County and Borough Offices. 20 COUNCIL CLERK: M 995 through M 1018 21 on page five, base station license applications. 22 SPEAKER QUINN: Transportation. 23 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: Petitions 24 and Communications. 25 COUNCIL CLERK: M 1019. 19 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 SPEAKER QUINN: Received, ordered, 3 printed and filed. 4 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: Land Use 5 Call-Ups. 6 COUNCIL CLERK: None. 7 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: Excuse me. 8 Council Member Seabrook, did you want 9 to vote? 10 SPEAKER QUINN: There are no Call-Ups, 11 though, I think, Madam. 12 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: No, but 13 Councilman Seabrook wants to vote. 14 COUNCIL MEMBER SEABROOK: Yes, Madam 15 President, with special permission I'd like to vote 16 aye on all coupled and General Orders and also the 17 Resolution. I vote aye. 18 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: So ordered. 19 Council Member Vann, you also want to 20 vote? 21 COUNCIL MEMBER VANN: Madam Public 22 Advocate, I'd like unanimous consent to vote on all 23 public General Orders, Resolutions, Land Use 24 Call-Ups. 25 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: So ordered. 20 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 COUNCIL MEMBER VANN: Aye. Aye on all. 3 Thank you. 4 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: 5 Communication from the Speaker. 6 SPEAKER QUINN: Thank you. 7 We are voting today on Intro., among 8 other things, Intro. 395-A, a piece of legislation 9 that was introduced by the Chair of our 10 Environmental Protection Committee, and passed by 11 our same Committee, by our Chair Jim Gennaro. 12 I want to thank Laura Popa and Jeff 13 Haberman and Samara Swanston, who worked on this 14 piece of legislation. 15 Intro. 395-A takes the Mayor's Office 16 of Sustainability and makes it a permanent part of 17 City government, which will make sure that the 18 efforts we're engaged in now for long-term 19 environmental planning, for long-term sustainability 20 planning, that those are something that government 21 is permanently committed to doing. 22 It goes a step further and actually 23 requires that the Mayor's Office of Sustainability 24 every four years write, draft, produce and share 25 with New Yorkers every four years a long-term plan 21 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 for the environmental and sustainability future of 3 our City. 4 I think 395-A is a great legacy to 5 leave for the City of New York once we leave our 6 term of office to make sure that environmental 7 planning is constant and ongoing in our City and I 8 want to thank Chairperson Gennaro for yet another 9 environmental effort on his and his Committee's 10 behalf and I want to call on him to speak. 11 COUNCIL MEMBER GENNARO: Thank you. 12 Thank you, Madam Speaker. Thank you for your 13 leadership and all of my colleagues. 14 It's critically important that the 15 good work that we've been doing with regard to 16 sustainability continue in the next Council and the 17 next Administration and in perpetuity and it's 18 critical important that we get this done. 19 When the Mayor's Office wants to get 20 involved in a very significant way, like it has on 21 these issues, they are able to bring to bear a lot 22 of experts and a lot of resources that we don't 23 really have access to here in the Council, and 24 forging this partnership between the Administration 25 and the Council, with regard to environmental 22 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 planning, is a great step forward for the future of 3 the City, and as the Speaker said, will be a great 4 legacy for us to leave for future generations of New 5 Yorkers. I urge passage of it, and like the Speaker, 6 I wish to thank all the staff that worked so long 7 and hard on this, and all of the Council members 8 that have been so supportive. 9 Thank you, Madam Speaker. 10 SPEAKER QUINN: Thank you. 11 We are also voting on Intro. 657-A 12 today. I want to thank Kamilla Sadani, Ben Goodman 13 and Jeff Haberman, who worked on that piece of 14 legislation. 15 657-A is a piece of legislation that 16 was passed out of our Housing and Buildings 17 Committee and I want to thank Chairperson Dilan for 18 his work on this. 19 I want to thank Council Member Maria 20 del Carmen Arroyo, who is a prime sponsor of this 21 legislation. 22 This bill is going to go a long way 23 to help solve a problem that homeowners have had 24 throughout our City, a problem of homes being built 25 on top of the common sewers, which make it 23 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 practically impossible for repairs to occur when 3 that is needed in the common sewers, which has cost 4 homeowners tremendous amounts of money and caused 5 tremendous accidents and damage to their homes. 6 So, I want to thank Council Member 7 Arroyo for identifying this problem, and thank both 8 Council Member Arroyo and Council Member Dilan for 9 moving us toward this solution. 10 Let me first call the Chair, Council 11 Member Dilan and then the sponsor, Council Member 12 Arroyo. 13 COUNCIL MEMBER DILAN: I absolutely 14 want to thank Council Member Arroyo for this idea, 15 and the idea is, I guess what they call in the 16 private sector, one of those water cooler moments. 17 I remember talking to Council Member 18 Arroyo about problems in my district around new 19 development and common sewers, and we talked about 20 it in front of the coffee machine downstairs right 21 in front of the Speaker's Office, and we both got 22 the look in each other's faces, like who is going to 23 be the first one to rush and introduce the bill? And 24 I said, you know, Carmen, by all means, go ahead. It 25 doesn't matter who the original sponsor is, this is 24 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 important for both of our communities, so it would 3 be my honor to support you in this, because too many 4 people, whether it be in the Bronx, whether it be in 5 Brooklyn, whether it be in Jamaica, Queens, buy a 6 new home that's disposed by the City, they actually 7 buy the property from the City, and they're buying 8 an inferior product when it comes to their plumbing. 9 And then after they made the most 10 significant investment they'll ever make in their 11 life, they turn around and find that they have to 12 spend individually up to $50,000, in some cases we 13 heard a the hearing, on new plumbing lines to the 14 main sewer, and they have a common sewer, and the 15 problem didn't start in their house, it started at 16 their neighbor's house who lives five doors down and 17 makes up to 20 rows of new homes affected all with 18 the same problem. 19 So, I'm hopeful that this will affect 20 new development of small homes and this will be a 21 practice that at least can be fixed more cost 22 effectively in the future. 23 And, again, I want to thank Council 24 Member Arroyo on behalf of the constituents she 25 represented in the Bronx so ably and this definitely 25 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 benefits some of the new homeowners in Bushwick who 3 are going through similar problems. So this is an 4 important measure, and I am hopeful that everybody 5 votes yes on this item. 6 SPEAKER QUINN: Thank you. And I want 7 to call on Council Member Arroyo and also 8 congratulate her, because I think this is the first 9 piece of legislation that you passed as the prime 10 sponsor. So, congratulations. 11 COUNCIL MEMBER DEL CARMEN ARROYO: 12 Applause, please. 13 (Applause.) 14 COUNCIL MEMBER DEL CARMEN ARROYO: 15 Thank you, Madam Speaker. 16 First I'd like to thank my 17 co-sponsor, Council Member Dilan, and Council Member 18 White. They experienced the very same issues that 19 three developments in my district are experiencing 20 currently. 21 For decades many homeowners have 22 experienced serious qualify of life financial 23 distress, as a result of common sewer (microphone 24 malfunction.) 25 UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Use this one. 26 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 COUNCIL MEMBER DEL CARMEN ARROYO: 3 Okay. My time to shine and the mike doesn't work. 4 Many homeowners in three developments 5 in my district combined about 300 units of housing 6 have experienced a great deal of financial distress 7 as a result of common sewer failures, back-ups to 8 their single-, two- and three-family homes. In 9 addressing the concerns that these homeowners have 10 in my district we realized very quickly that the 11 City's Building Code is silent regarding how common 12 sewers are to be built and installed in new 13 developments. 14 It is the intent with Intro. 567-A, 15 we amend the Building Code to add specifications 16 that limit how this type of sewer system must be 17 constructed. 18 This legislation will help ensure 19 families embarking on the American dream of 20 purchasing a new home, do not experience the many 21 concerns that have resulted in development where 22 common sewer failures have occurred. 23 I want to thank Council Member Dilan, 24 Council Member White, for their support in allowing 25 me to be the prime sponsor of this introduction, the 27 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 Bronx Borough President's Office for their work with 3 the constituents in my district in trying to get 4 HPD, DEP, to the table to get some relief to the 5 current homeowners that are experiencing the 6 problems, and the folks at the Department of HPD and 7 DEP for their long hours and discussions around this 8 issue. 9 In particular, the legislative staff 10 here, Rob Newman, Jeff Haberman and Laura Popa for 11 their work and their patience with me, because 12 initially my intent was to ban the use of common 13 source in totality. But today I understand that in 14 areas of this City that is common sewers make common 15 sense, because of the geographical nature of certain 16 neighborhoods. 17 So, I want to thank all of my 18 colleagues for their support, urge you to please 19 vote yes and help to ensure that what my 20 constituents have experienced for the last decade or 21 so do not happen to new homeowners in this City 22 again. 23 SPEAKER QUINN: Thank you very much, 24 and congratulations, Council Member Arroyo. 25 I just want to make an announcement, 28 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 not about something we're voting on today, but I 3 think many folks may know that our friend John 4 Doyle, who many folks know and have worked with for 5 a long time in different capacities, suffered a 6 heart attack recently and had to have double bypass 7 surgery and he is home as of yesterday and doing 8 well. But Gary Altman has a Get Well card that we're 9 going to send to him, so if any Council members or 10 staff have not yet gotten to sign that for John 11 Doyle, please see Gary so we can send it out after 12 today's meeting. 13 Gary has it right there. John Doyle 14 works for REBNY. So I just wanted to tell folks to 15 do that. 16 Among other things we are voting on 17 today, one of the major items we are voting on is 18 the River-to-River 125th Street rezoning. And I want 19 to start off by congratulating my colleagues, my 20 colleague, Council Member Inez Dickens, for her 21 tremendous work on this. 22 (Outburst from the audience.) 23 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: Quiet, 24 please. Quiet. We'll have to remove you if you 25 continue to do that, we're going to have you 29 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 removed. 3 Quiet, please. 4 SPEAKER QUINN: Let's try and see if 5 we can get through the Stated -- 6 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: If you're 7 going to do that, we're going to have you removed. 8 You cannot speak out like that. 9 SPEAKER QUINN: Please. Please. If we 10 can try to get through this without clearing the 11 Chambers, clearing the balcony, I think it would be 12 everybody's preference, so let's try to just not 13 have shouting out during the rest of the meeting, 14 please. Okay? 15 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: We're voting 16 today on the River-to-River 125th Street rezoning. I 17 want to thank all of my colleagues, the Chair of our 18 Land Use Committee, Melinda Katz, Council Members 19 Melissa Mark-Viverito and Robert Jackson, and in 20 particular, Council Member Inez Dickens, who has 21 done so much work on this. 22 (Outburst from the audience.) 23 SPEAKER QUINN: This rezoning sets a 24 historic level of 48 percent affordable housing. A 25 level that has never been reached before in a 30 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 rezoning. 3 It also sets home ownership 4 opportunities that we have never seen before, and an 5 arts bonus that will preserve important arts 6 organizations. 7 I want to thank Council Member 8 Dickens for her work, but not just her work on 9 behalf of 125th Street. I want to thank her for 10 setting a precedent which all of us in the City 11 Council are going to strive to follow and reach. 12 (Outburst from the audience.) 13 SPEAKER QUINN: So, if I could please 14 ask -- 15 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: I think we 16 should remove them. 17 SPEAKER QUINN: All right. We're going 18 to have to clear the balcony. 19 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: All right, 20 we're going to clear the balcony. 21 SPEAKER QUINN: If the 22 Sergeant-At-Arms could please clear the balcony. 23 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: We're 24 clearing the balcony. We've asked you nicely and 25 politely and you have not listened to what we've 31 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 asked you. 3 Sergeant-At-Arms, would you clear the 4 balcony, please. 5 Clear the balcony, Sergeant-At-Arms. 6 (Tape recorded turned off.) 7 COUNCIL MEMBER KATZ: (Already in 8 progress)... City Planning Commission hearing 9 testimony, the Community Board hearing testimony, 10 the Borough President's Office hearing testimony, 11 and then finally resolving this issue in a vote. 12 This is a 24-block, 125th Street 13 corridor rezoning. I need to start off by thanking 14 the Speaker for her guidance on this issue, thanking 15 Council Member Dickens for her relentless work for 16 her community, Council Member Mark-Viverito and 17 Jackson, for all of their work. But I particularly 18 need to thank the Community Board and the civic 19 leaders and everyone in the public there who came 20 out to testify, made their opinions known, and I 21 believe that because of that discussion, because of 22 those meetings, because of those hearings that we 23 went through relentlessly, that this is a much, much 24 better project than it was originally, and City 25 Planning agreed with us and sent it to us with the 32 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 modifications, and we appreciate that. 3 This was a rezoning that was in place 4 in 1961. For the most part this district had 5 absolutely no height limitations on the buildings 6 and did not require any street wall or contextual 7 issues. In general, it no longer was appropriate for 8 the district. We ended up with a special district 9 and a rezoning. 10 And Madam Speaker, you are correct, 11 this is a monumental feat for the City of New York. 12 This is the first time ever that we have 46 percent 13 affordable housing for any rezoning in the entire 14 City of New York. There are 900 units that are going 15 to be available at 60 percent AMI, 200 units at 40 16 percent AMI or lower. And everyone here should know 17 that 50 percent of those affordable housing, 50 18 percent of those units, are going to be preferenced 19 in that community, and I believe that that is a 20 great effort and a great thing for the community and 21 was a great win for Council Member Dickens and the 22 other members. 23 There are height restrictions, 160 24 feet south side of 125th Street, 195th Street (sic), 25 north side of that -- 125th Street, north side of 33 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 that is going to be 195 feet of a height 3 restriction. This is the first time that the City 4 Planning Commission and the City Council have agreed 5 on an art bonus, if you provide an area where you 6 can have arts, where you can have performing arts 7 and theater, that there is going to be a bonus for 8 building there as well, to keep the character of the 9 area. 10 So, Madam Speaker, I will say that 11 this was a great compromise and a great win. It is 12 one of those rezonings that I believe in 20 years we 13 are going to be walking down 125th Street and we are 14 going to be proud of the work that this Council and 15 the Administration and the community did, and that 16 is a great tribute, not only to us, but also to the 17 community. 18 And, so, I want to thank them, 19 because quite honestly, maybe everyone in the world 20 is not happy with this rezoning, but the fact of the 21 matter is, it is a good project for the City. We 22 will be proud of this in years to come. It set a new 23 standard for affordable housing in the City of New 24 York. It set preference for the very people that we 25 would like to keep in the community, and that, I 34 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 believe, is going to be a great asset for the City 3 of New York. The Land Use Committee voted for this, 4 I recommend a vote of aye. Thank you. 5 SPEAKER QUINN: Thank you very much. I 6 next want to call on Council Member Inez Dickens. 7 COUNCIL MEMBER DICKENS: Thank you, 8 Madam Speaker. 9 The important part for all of us to 10 know is that the current law that governs Martin 11 Luther King Boulevard offers no protections for my 12 community. Absolutely none. And the only way to 13 ensure that those protections are put in place is to 14 change that law. 15 Chair Katz spoke about the housing 16 that will be brought to this community, would not 17 otherwise be brought without this rezoning. 18 She also told about the height 19 restrictions which are not in place today. But I 20 want to thank this Administration for also agreeing 21 to write a new program that will provide for 22 Citywide income-targeted families to be able to 23 purchase inclusionary zoning units - never before 24 done in the history of this great City. 25 In addition, there were 71 possibly 35 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 impacted businesses, but I want this Council to 3 understand that 1.6 percent of those businesses were 4 actually minority-owned businesses. The balance 5 includes non-minority owned and chain stores, such 6 as Lane Bryant and Mack Make-Up. 7 Because of this, I asked SBS, and 8 they agreed, to expand the business district 9 boundaries to the south side of 116th Street, 10 through to the north side of 135th Street, so that 11 indeed minority-owned businesses would have access 12 to the benefits that this community fought for. 13 In addition, in the current law there 14 are no protections for historically indigenous 15 cultural institutions. With this rezoning, my 16 cultural, historically indigenous cultural 17 institution will be protected. 18 In addition, 25,000 square feet will 19 be deeded over to a consortium of those cultural 20 institutions at no purchase price. 21 In addition, there is a $15 million 22 build-out associated with it that the Administration 23 has agreed will be absorbed by the developer. 24 Marcus Garvey Park, which is one 25 block south of this district, will get $6 million in 36 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 refurbishment for the senior program and the youth 3 program there and the Harlem Little League, as well 4 as the Ampitheater. 5 The Harlem Renaissance Healthcare 6 Network, which my community fought for for years 7 because of the closing of two of our acute care 8 facilities will remain on 125th Street. 9 I ask my colleagues to vote yes on 10 this modified plan. I need no one to document my 11 commitment to my community. I was indeed born and 12 raised in Harlem. I want to thank -- 13 (Outburst from audience.) 14 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: Quiet, 15 please. You're going to be removed. 16 COUNCIL MEMBER DICKENS: I want to 17 thank my colleagues, Council Member Robert Jackson, 18 and Melissa Mark-Viverito, for sharing in this 19 fight. I want to thank the Land Use Committee 20 Melinda Katz, because she indeed came up to Harlem 21 and met with Community Board 10. My community boards 22 are here, the Chair of 10, Frank Perry, 9, Pat 23 Jones, and 11, Robert Rodriguez, as well as Barbara 24 Askins of the 125th Street BID, many of my religious 25 community, my ministers, my pastors, for more than 37 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 70 religious institutions in Harlem, as well as 3 businessmen and residential communities, are all 4 here. 5 I thank particularly, my Council Land 6 Use Division Director, Gail Benjamin, and Alonzo 7 Carr, for standing with the three of us as we met 8 with the Administration to fight, based upon what 9 the community boards put in as their resolutions. 10 And those resolutions from the community board were 11 put in based upon the input from the actual 12 community, and not those from outside of the 13 community. 14 I thank the Speaker's staff, Chuck 15 Meara and Ramon Martinez, CP Commission Chair 16 Burden, Shaun Donovan, Kate Levin, and the rest of 17 the agencies -- 18 SPEAKER QUINN: We're going to need to 19 have quiet. 20 COUNCIL MEMBER DICKENS: -- That sat 21 at the table night after night as this was shaped, 22 as well as Matt Lambour (phonetic), Larry Scott 23 Blackman, from SBS, and the phenomenal Ken Knuckles 24 from UMEZ, and EDC Jennifer Sohn (phonetic) and 25 Carol Lee Fink. I thank my staff, Lynn, Matt, 38 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 Justin, Lamon, Leslie, Dominique, my interns, 3 because this would not have been crafted alone. This 4 was done with all of us. 5 I thank you for your time, and I ask 6 you to please join with me to support and protect my 7 community. Thank you. 8 (Outburst from audience.) 9 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: Quiet, 10 please. Quiet. I can't get them -- they won't quiet. 11 All right, enough. 12 SPEAKER QUINN: Quiet. Quiet. 13 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: I think we 14 should remove people. 15 SPEAKER QUINN: Okay, we're going to 16 need to have quiet. 17 Again, the Public Advocate and I are 18 asking for quiet. If we can't have quiet, we're 19 going to have to remove you. 20 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: Please be 21 quiet. You can demonstrate quietly, but be quiet. 22 SPEAKER QUINN: Can we please get 23 quiet in the balcony. 24 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: All right, 25 we're going to have you removed. 39 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 We're going to have you removed. 3 SPEAKER QUINN: Can we get quiet in 4 the balcony, please. 5 Council Member Jackson. 6 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: Quiet. 7 Quiet. 8 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: Thank you, 9 Madam Speaker. Good afternoon, my colleagues, and 10 ladies and gents. 11 I stand here as a member of the City 12 Council, elected by the people that I represent, and 13 I stand here in favor of the 125th Street rezoning. 14 As my colleague -- 15 (Outburst from the audience.) 16 SPEAKER QUINN: Quiet. 17 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: Madam 18 Speaker, I want to say that I cannot speak when I'm 19 constantly being interrupted by people yelling out. 20 And I'm asking for order. If not, remove them from 21 the House. 22 SPEAKER QUINN: We're going to have to 23 clear the balcony. 24 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: Clear the 25 balcony. Let's clear the balcony. 40 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 SPEAKER QUINN: If the Sergeants and 3 the Police -- 4 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: This is 5 ridiculous. You are not allowing us to have any kind 6 of conversation. 7 We've been very patient. Clear the 8 balcony please. 9 SPEAKER QUINN: Please. 10 The meeting is going to stand in 11 recess while we clear the balcony. If the Sergeants 12 and the police officers could clear the balcony. 13 Council members, we're going to stand 14 in recess. If you'd like to go to the lounge, we'll 15 get you from the lounge when the recess is done. 16 The Council meeting is standing in 17 recess. 18 (Recess taken.) 19 SPEAKER QUINN: (Already in 20 progress)... Councilmen in the lounge that we're 21 resuming the meeting, please. If the Sergeant could 22 make an announcement in the lounge, please. 23 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: Okay, please 24 everybody take your seats. 25 And as soon as everybody gets back in 41 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 their seats, we'll go back to Council Member 3 Jackson. 4 SPEAKER QUINN: Council Member Jackson 5 is speaking. Please take your seats and be quiet. 6 Thank you. 7 Council Member Jackson. Quiet, 8 please. 9 Please sit down and be quiet, I don't 10 want to have to... Quiet, please. 11 Council Member Jackson. 12 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: Thank you, 13 Madam Public Advocate. 14 As I was saying earlier, that I stand 15 here as an elected member of the City Council, 16 representing the 7th Councilmatic District, 17 approximately 163,000 people, and I've been involved 18 in the rezoning process at Columbia. And right now 19 we're here today concerning the 125th Street 20 rezoning. 21 And let me say to everyone here at 22 City Hall and to all of the constituents in Northern 23 Manhattan, that under the leadership of Inez 24 Dickens, my colleagues representing the 9th 25 Councilmatic district, whose primary redevelopment 42 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 is the majority of the 125th Street rezoning, she 3 has done an excellent job on behalf of the people of 4 Northern Manhattan. And I say that because in my 5 experience in this particular negotiations, knowing 6 that from day one, under the current zoning pattern, 7 there is no height limitations, and any developer 8 can come in and do whatever they want to do, and 9 knowing that there is no affordable housing 10 currently in place or anything else. And I said to 11 Amanda Burden, when she first called me as a City 12 Council Member whose district the 125th Street 13 rezoning was in, that the process was going to start 14 in order to start the rezoning. And I said to her 15 loud and clear: I hear you. I understand you. But 16 let me be loud and clear - I will be taking my lead 17 from Inez Dickens. 18 And Inez, let me say to you, you have 19 everything to be proud of, nothing to be ashamed of, 20 with respects to this particular rezoning. You led 21 us to a point where, as the Speaker said, that all 22 rezonings in New York City will try to emulate what 23 you have achieved here today. 24 So, on behalf of the part of 125th 25 Street rezoning that I represent, and on behalf of 43 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 all of my constituents that I represent, let me just 3 thank you for doing what you have done on behalf of 4 the people of Harlem. 5 I urge our colleagues to vote yes on 6 this 125th Street rezoning. 7 Thank you, Madam Public Advocate. 8 SPEAKER QUINN: Thank you. And before 9 I call on Melissa Mark-Viverito, Inez, I want to say 10 the only problem, as RJ alluded to, is you set the 11 bar so high, none of us may ever be able to reach 12 it. So, that could be the only problem is that 13 you're going to make us all look bad with how great 14 a deal you put together on this rezoning. 15 So, Council Member Melissa 16 Mark-Viverito. 17 COUNCIL MEMBER MARK-VIVERITO: Thank 18 you, Madam Speaker. 19 I also stand here as Council Member 20 and colleague representing the 8th Councilmanic 21 District to say that I support this rezoning. And 22 echoing the words of my colleague Jackson, and 23 saying to Inez Dickens that we really want to thank 24 her for pushing and pushing as hard as she did. And 25 I, too, had the same conversation, Robert, with 44 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 Amanda Burden. When she called me to ask for my 3 opinion, I said that we needed to really support and 4 take the lead from Inez, and I'm really glad that we 5 stood strong with her. 6 One of the responsibilities that we 7 have as legislators is to really push the public 8 policy discussions in this City, and we pushed with 9 this rezoning. 10 When we talk about the affordability 11 of rentals that we're talking about at the 40 12 percent or below, these are levels that were never 13 even considered to be subsidized and to be funded by 14 HPD. When we talk about home ownership at 50 percent 15 of AMI and below, these are discussions and these 16 are levels that HPD had never considered. 17 When we talk about using the 18 inclusionary housing bonus for home ownership 19 opportunities, that never has been discussed in the 20 City of New York. So, we have pushed the envelope 21 with this rezoning, and we must not forget that as 22 legislators that is our responsibility. We will get 23 criticized, we will get hit, we will get picketed in 24 front of our offices, but we have a greater 25 responsibility also to the City of New York to 45 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 assure that we continue to push the boundaries of 3 discussion and debate so that ultimately all of 4 those that are the working poor and the working 5 class in this City do benefit from public policy and 6 the decisions of the different City agencies. 7 So, for those reasons and many others 8 as have been outlined by Council Member Katz and 9 also Inez Dickens, there is much to be proud of with 10 this rezoning. I want to thank everyone that was 11 involved, and first and foremost I want to thank 12 Inez Dickens for standing strong on behalf of all of 13 us. 14 Thank you. 15 SPEAKER QUINN: Thank you very much. 16 And that concludes Communication from the Speaker. 17 Discussion of General Orders. 18 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: I'm sorry. 19 Excuse me. Thank you, Chris. 20 Discussion of General Orders. 21 Council Member Barron. 22 COUNCIL MEMBER BARRON: Thank you, 23 Madam Advocate. You know, the reason why people are 24 angry today, because some see this as a 25 river-to-river success, affordable housing, jobs, 46 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 contracts, cultural money, others see it as a 3 river-to-river sellout. 4 Just as Speaker Quinn and others did 5 not want the Jets Stadium in their district, they 6 was promised affordable housing, they was promised 7 jobs and contracts. They didn't want it. It didn't 8 come. 9 Fifty-two percent will be luxury 10 housing. The character of Harlem will change. Fifty 11 percent of affordable housing can come outside of 12 the community. Contracts, those things will be 13 discussed. We can have development without changing 14 the total character. Some of the buildings will be 15 as tall as the Theresa Hotel, some taller. So, if 16 people are upset that their vision wasn't more taken 17 into consideration, and that's why people are angry. 18 They have a right to be angry. 19 I notice when the clapping happens 20 you don't want to clear the balcony, but as soon as 21 the booing comes, then you want to clear the 22 balcony. So, if there's no outbursts, then don't 23 have any outbursts from either side. 24 Development in this City is through 25 the vision of rich developers more than they are 47 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 through the communities that live in those 3 communities. And, yes, you're going to get 4 affordable housing. Yes, you're going to get jobs. 5 But that's not the only thing in life. As important 6 as that is, we can have that, plus the kind of 7 character that we want in our community. 8 We should get funding for our 9 culturals. We should get all of that. But we don't 10 have to sell out to rich white developers for this 11 to happen. And I know you don't like that word 12 "sellout," but that's how people really feel, and 13 some of us are going to express the feeling that 14 other people have. 15 We've got Willets Point, we've got 16 downtown Brooklyn, we have several development. Look 17 out, y'all. Watch out that you don't get those 18 things in life that you think are good, because ten 19 years from now, ten years from now when this thing 20 is built, they're already changing their commitment 21 in the downtown Brooklyn deal. This is going to be 22 built ten, 12 years from now, I guarantee you 23 housing will not be affordable. 24 Thank you. 25 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: Council 48 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 Member Avella. 3 COUNCIL MEMBER BARRON: And I 4 encourage my colleagues to vote no. 5 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: Council 6 Member Avella. 7 COUNCIL MEMBER AVELLA: Thank you, 8 Madam Public Advocate. 9 Before I talk about the subject that 10 is obviously on everybody's mind, I would like to 11 bring to -- just mention, if I can find it here 12 quickly, Land Use No. 732 and 733, which is commonly 13 referred to as the "Street Tree proposal" and the 14 "Yard Text Amendment," that City Planning has 15 initiated. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of 16 them. They are two very important amendments that 17 City Planning has brought forth, basically as 18 requested by ourselves here in the City Council. 19 Council Member Melinda Katz and I 20 were able to secure a modification to the Street 21 Trees proposal, eliminating one and two-family 22 existing housing. But the Yard Text Amendment, I 23 have to tell you, is something that is extremely 24 important to preserving the character and 25 residential neighborhoods throughout the entire 49 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 City. 3 So, although we haven't mentioned it, 4 I felt it was appropriate, I urge my colleagues to 5 vote for it. 6 I would also like to congratulate 7 Council Member Arroyo on her bill, and I can't find 8 the number here, regarding the sewer situation. I 9 did bring up in Committee the issue that I'm not 10 sure, and we haven't been able to clarify it, that 11 private roads, in other words, roads or streets that 12 developers have created in conjunction with the 13 project, are included in this legislation. An if we 14 find that it isn't, I urge the Committee and I urge 15 the Council to do some follow-up action. 16 Finally, when it comes to the 125th 17 Street rezoning, I have to say that I agree with 18 Council Member Barron, and while I congratulate 19 Council Member Dickens for the wonderful work she 20 did in getting amendments for the proposal, for me, 21 as Chairman of the Zoning Committee, I voted against 22 it in my Committee, I voted against it in the Land 23 Use Committee, and I intend to vote against it here 24 today, mainly because it's planning from the top 25 down. It is not something that was community based. 50 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 It's a vision by the Department of City Planning for 3 Harlem and not the community themselves. And, yes, 4 you know something? We'll be walking down that 5 street and I think it was Council Member Katz that 6 said 20 years from now, but it's not going to be the 7 Harlem that the people there think it's going to be, 8 it's going to be Park Avenue, it's going to be 9 Madison Avenue; is that what they want? I think they 10 said here today quite clearly no. 11 So, while I disagree with my 12 colleagues who are in favor of the plan, I would 13 urge my colleagues to vote no. 14 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: Anybody 15 else? 16 Okay, report of Special Committees. 17 COUNCIL CLERK: None. 18 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: Reports of 19 Standing Committees? 20 COUNCIL CLERK: Report of the 21 Committee on Environmental Protection. 22 Intro. 395-A. Environmental 23 Sustainability Action Plan. 24 SPEAKER QUINN: Amended and coupled on 25 General Order with message of necessity. 51 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 COUNCIL CLERK: Preconsidered Intro. 3 756. 4 SPEAKER QUINN: Coupled on General 5 Order. 6 COUNCIL CLERK: Preconsidered Reso 7 1390. 8 SPEAKER QUINN: Coupled on General 9 Order. 10 COUNCIL CLERK: Report of the 11 Committee on Finance. 12 Intro. 722 and 723 on page six, 13 Bryant Park Business Improvement District. 14 SPEAKER QUINN: Coupled on General 15 Orders. 16 COUNCIL CLERK: Report of the 17 Committee on Housing and Buildings. 18 Intro. 657-A. Common sewers. 19 SPEAKER QUINN: Amended and coupled on 20 General Orders. 21 COUNCIL CLERK: Report of the 22 Committee on Land Use. 23 LU 664 and Reso 1394 through LU 730 24 and Reso 1402 on page seven, various ULURPs and 25 UDAAPs. 52 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 SPEAKER QUINN: Coupled on General 3 Orders. 4 COUNCIL CLERK: LU 732 and 733. 5 Regulations pertaining to street trees. 6 SPEAKER QUINN: Approved with 7 modifications and referred to the City Planning 8 Commission, pursuant to Rule 11.70-b of the Rules of 9 the Council and Section 197-D of the New York City 10 Charter. 11 COUNCIL CLERK: LU 738 and Reso 1403, 12 and LU 742 and Reso 1404. 13 SPEAKER QUINN: Coupled on General 14 Orders. 15 COUNCIL CLERK: LU 743 and Reso 1405 16 through LU 745 and Reso 1407. Landmarks Preservation 17 Commission designation. 18 SPEAKER QUINN: Coupled on General 19 Orders. 20 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: General 21 Order Calendar. 22 COUNCIL CLERK: LU 697 and Reso 1408 23 through LU 733 and Reso 1411, various zoning 24 amendments. 25 SPEAKER QUINN: Coupled on General 53 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 Orders. 3 COUNCIL CLERK: Resolution appointing 4 various persons Commissioner of Deeds. 5 SPEAKER QUINN: Coupled on General 6 Order. 7 At this point I ask for a roll call 8 on all items that have been coupled on the General 9 Order Calendar, please. 10 COUNCIL CLERK: Vacca. 11 COUNCIL MEMBER VACCA: I vote aye on 12 all. 13 COUNCIL CLERK: Weprin. 14 COUNCIL MEMBER WEPRIN: Aye on all 15 coupled General Orders. 16 COUNCIL CLERK: Addabbo. 17 COUNCIL MEMBER ADDABBO: Aye. 18 COUNCIL CLERK: Arroyo. 19 COUNCIL MEMBER ARROYO: Aye. 20 COUNCIL CLERK: Comrie. 21 COUNCIL MEMBER COMRIE: Permission to 22 explain my vote? 23 I just would like to congratulate 24 Council Members Dickens, Jackson and Mark-Viverito 25 on the landmarks and raising the bar on everything 54 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 that they did to protect the people along 125th 3 Street and throughout the Harlem area. I think what 4 they did is truly groundbreaking. I'm more than a 5 little jealous, you know, because what they've done 6 is really raised the bar for all of us. 7 So, congratulations. Aye on all. 8 COUNCIL CLERK: Avella. 9 COUNCIL MEMBER AVELLA: I thought you 10 forgot me there for a second. 11 I vote aye on all, except on Land Use 12 No. 697 and Reso 1408, and Land Use No. 791, Reso 13 1409. I vote no on those two items -- four items 14 actually, and I vote yes on everything else. 15 COUNCIL CLERK: Baez. 16 COUNCIL MEMBER BAEZ: Aye. 17 COUNCIL CLERK: Barron. 18 COUNCIL MEMBER BARRON: I vote no on 19 LU 697 and Reso 1408. No on LU 719 and Reso 1409 and 20 aye on all others. 21 COUNCIL CLERK: White. 22 COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE: I vote aye on 23 all Land Use Call-Ups, aye on all coupled General 24 Orders and Resolutions, I vote aye. 25 COUNCIL CLERK: Brewer. 55 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 COUNCIL MEMBER BREWER: I vote aye. 3 And certainly congratulations to the three Council 4 members and to the community boards and to say, as 5 somebody's whose experience, perhaps the most 6 gentrification of any community, it's a very hard 7 negotiation to be able to say what you can for the 8 neighborhood. Unfortunately, the only way to do it 9 wholesale is to buy every single building as a 10 non-profit, and that's not possible. There is no 11 other way to save the entire neighborhood with this 12 kind of pressure. And there will be challenges and 13 we'll have to make sure that there is support for 14 those situations where people are being heard, but I 15 congratulate setting the bar so high and look 16 forward to making this a model. 17 Thank you very much. 18 COUNCIL CLERK: DeBlasio. 19 COUNCIL MEMBER DEBLASIO: Aye. 20 COUNCIL CLERK: Dickens. 21 COUNCIL MEMBER DICKENS: Aye. 22 COUNCIL CLERK: Dilan. 23 COUNCIL MEMBER DILAN: Aye on all. 24 COUNCIL CLERK: Eugene. 25 COUNCIL MEMBER EUGENE: Aye. 56 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 COUNCIL CLERK: Felder. 3 COUNCIL MEMBER FELDER: I vote yes on 4 all, except Land Use Item 733 and accompanying 5 Resolution 1411, I vote no on that item. 6 COUNCIL CLERK: Fidler. 7 COUNCIL MEMBER FIDLER: If I may, I 8 just want to say that I have never seen anyone fight 9 as ferociously for the interests of our community on 10 any issue as did Inez Dickens on this one. And to 11 Inez and to RJ and Melissa, I just wanted to remind 12 them of the old adage that no good deed goes 13 unpunished. And I am proud to join them and I vote 14 aye on all. 15 COUNCIL CLERK: Foster. 16 COUNCIL MEMBER FOSTER: I'd like to 17 explain my vote? 18 I'm not always one that is interested 19 in change when it affects a community, and I know it 20 very well from Yankee Stadium. I think the 21 difference here is that with the Yankee Stadium plan 22 the Community Board voted against it and there was 23 outstanding opposition from the community and it 24 still passed and it went through City Planning and, 25 of course, here. 57 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 There will always be problems. I 3 don't think it will be via 125th Street that we know 4 now it's not what I knew as a child. But I am 5 concerned that we make sure everyone is heard and 6 heard equally and in terms of removing people from 7 this body, we have to make sure that we do it across 8 the board evenly and we have set a bar here today, 9 and so the next time any group is disruptive, we 10 need to make sure we move in the way we moved in 11 today. Because I have some concern with the numbers 12 that were brought out when we had Viola Plumber and 13 we had more officers in this Chambers than we've 14 ever had before, and the same with today, and I 15 would like to think that we do it across the board 16 and not based upon color. 17 That having been said, I do trust in 18 Inez to be the guarder of what is happening on 125th 19 Street because as she said, this is her community. 20 And I am encouraged to see the clergy because they 21 have an even higher calling than just what we do 22 here. 23 That having been said, I vote aye on 24 all. 25 COUNCIL CLERK: Garodnick. 58 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 COUNCIL MEMBER GARODNICK: Aye. 3 COUNCIL CLERK: Gennaro. 4 COUNCIL MEMBER GENNARO: Yes. 5 COUNCIL CLERK: Gentile. 6 COUNCIL MEMBER GENTILE: With 7 particular thanks to Councilman Avella and 8 Councilwoman Katz for the front-yard amendment, I 9 will vote yes on all. 10 COUNCIL CLERK: Gerson. 11 COUNCIL MEMBER GERSON: Madam Public 12 Advocate, all of us concerned with preserving and 13 expanding affordable housing owe a great -- must 14 acknowledge the great work of Council Members Inez 15 Dickens, along with our colleagues Council Members 16 Jackson and Mark-Viverito, for their success in 17 raising the bar in the preservation and the creation 18 of affordable housing. That must become a new 19 minimum standard for our entire City, in addition to 20 the other successes reflected by this agreement. 21 So, with that, and if there are any 22 doubt whatsoever in my mind, the fact that -- I see 23 that we're joined by my old buddy Stanley Gleaton in 24 the honored box, makes it clear to me that we should 25 vote aye on this and all items on the agenda today, 59 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 as I so vote. 3 COUNCIL CLERK: Gioia. 4 COUNCIL MEMBER GIOIA: Yes. 5 COUNCIL CLERK: Gonzalez. 6 COUNCIL MEMBER GONZALEZ: Aye. 7 COUNCIL CLERK: Ignizio. 8 COUNCIL MEMBER IGNIZIO: As I vote 9 aye, I just want to commend Inez Dickens, and as 10 well having a willing participant in Chairwoman 11 Burden and City Planning, I'm grateful for them, and 12 I proudly vote I on all. 13 COUNCIL CLERK: Jackson. 14 COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON: Aye on all. 15 COUNCIL CLERK: James. 16 COUNCIL MEMBER JAMES: May I be 17 excused to explain my vote? 18 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: So ordered. 19 COUNCIL MEMBER JAMES: First of all, 20 I'm voting aye on the Bryant Park Business 21 Improvement District, with some reservations, 22 because some models that perform in the fashion 23 show, particularly models of color, have contacted 24 my office regarding their exclusion in the fashion 25 show. And we are trying to work that out, and I 60 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 would hope that the next time the BID comes before 3 us and that there is any subsidies that goes to that 4 fashion show, that our voices are heard. 5 Let me congratulate Council Member 6 Dickens, Jackson and Mark Viverito on creating more 7 affordability in Harlem, more than ever before, I 8 congratulate them on this wonderful model, and look 9 forward to going to Syliviers and to all the 10 wonderful restaurants in Harlem, and I'm confident 11 that under this agreement they will survive. I vote 12 aye on all. 13 COUNCIL CLERK: Katz. 14 COUNCIL MEMBER KATZ: I vote aye on 15 all and I just want to give a special thank you to 16 the Land Use staff, Gail and Alonzo and Carol, and 17 everybody. Alonzo came to several meetings also in 18 Harlem with us and they did great work on this, and 19 I vote aye. 20 COUNCIL CLERK: Koppell. 21 COUNCIL MEMBER KOPPELL: Aye on all. 22 COUNCIL CLERK: Lappin. 23 COUNCIL MEMBER LAPPIN: I want to say 24 to Council Member Dickens, I have great admiration 25 for your courage and you should be very proud of 61 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 what we're voting on today, and I vote aye. 3 COUNCIL CLERK: Liu. 4 COUNCIL MEMBER LIU: Yes. 5 COUNCIL CLERK: Mark-Viverito. 6 COUNCIL MEMBER MARK-VIVERITO: Aye on 7 all. 8 COUNCIL CLERK: Martinez. 9 COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ: May I be 10 excused to explain my vote? 11 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: So ordered. 12 COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ: I'm going to 13 vote aye. And since it's an aye, because I'm in the 14 process of looking at a rezoning in my district, and 15 what Inez has done has made me work harder. So I 16 proudly vote aye on all. 17 COUNCIL CLERK: McMahon. 18 COUNCIL MEMBER McMAHON: Echoing 19 Council Member Martinez's comments, I congratulate 20 Inez Dickens, a totally great lady who has made us 21 all look good but has raised the standards so if we 22 don't work as hard, we're not going to look as good. 23 I'm glad we're voting this through 24 for the people of Harlem and Manhattan, but in 25 particular, it will help us now because Staten 62 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 Island's City Planning Commissioner, Amanda Burden, 3 can now return her attention to Staten Island. And 4 Shawn Donovan, represented by Deputy Commissioner 5 Holly Leicht from HPD, can return their attention 6 back to Staten Island where I know they prefer to 7 spend 75 percent of their time, and of course, 8 Speaker Quinn, Staten Island's Speaker, all working 9 together to make a better City for all, I proudly 10 vote aye on all. 11 COUNCIL CLERK: Mealy. 12 COUNCIL MEMBER MEALY: Could I explain 13 my vote? 14 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: So ordered. 15 COUNCIL MEMBER MEALY: I want to 16 congratulate Inez Dickens and my other colleagues, 17 but I do want to echo what my colleague Council 18 Member Foster said, with clearing this Chambers, we 19 have to do it with everyone and not just a select 20 few, and I'm going to definitely stay with her. She 21 always has been an advocate on what happens in this 22 Chamber. And I think I will be her little mini 23 Foster. So, aye on all. 24 COUNCIL CLERK: Mendez. 25 COUNCIL MEMBER MENDEZ: I vote aye on 63 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 all, and I want to state that Alan Gerson and I are 3 working on a rezoning, and Chair Burden, we're going 4 to bring Inez Dickens to those negotiations, because 5 we've only been asking for 30 percent, so I think, 6 right Alan, we want a little bit more, at least 30, 7 but 40, 50? Inez, what can you get us. Forty-six? I 8 think you've got to go higher now if you're going to 9 come and join us on this. 10 Congratulations to all. I think 11 nothing is ever a win/win but when we talk these 12 kind of numbers of affordable housing, I'm certainly 13 in favor. Congratulations to everybody. 14 COUNCIL CLERK: Monserrate. 15 COUNCIL MEMBER MONSERRATE: Aye on 16 all. 17 COUNCIL CLERK: Palma. 18 COUNCIL MEMBER PALMA: Aye. 19 COUNCIL CLERK: Recchia. 20 COUNCIL MEMBER RECCHIA: May I be 21 excused to explain my vote? 22 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: So ordered. 23 COUNCIL MEMBER RECCHIA: I would just 24 like to congratulate Council Member Jackson, 25 Mark-Viverito and especially Inez Dickens. Because 64 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 as Chairman of Cultural Affairs Committee, the fact 3 that you included the cultural community, the 4 theaters, the art community, I just have to say 5 thank you, Inez. And I know that community and all 6 of the City appreciates what you have done. You're 7 an outstanding member. 8 And to Amanda Burden, I hope I get 9 treated as good as Inez Dickens did. Thank you. 10 I vote aye. 11 COUNCIL CLERK: Reyna. 12 COUNCIL MEMBER REYNA: Permission to 13 explain my vote? 14 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: So ordered. 15 COUNCIL MEMBER REYNA: Thank you, 16 Madam Public Advocate. 17 I just wanted to take this 18 opportunity to say in 2005 we had set a precedent of 19 33 percent, when this Administration was telling us 20 zero percent was what we could achieve on affordable 21 housing. I'm glad to see the day when we're passing 22 46 percent affordable housing. 23 This is something that we have to 24 practice more so than trying to put obstacles 25 between the poor and the communities that can of 65 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 affluence afford to live in the City of New York. 3 And for Council Member Inez Dickens, 4 Jackson, Mark-Viverito, you have worked your utmost 5 to deliver to the communities you represent, and in 6 retrospect, no protections is something that would 7 have clearly eliminated a community that has fought 8 so hard to maintain its cultural identity, its 9 existence, and to see that at the very least people 10 have to consider that development has been slowed 11 down, that development is now going to be 12 responsible and accountable for, is something that 13 we should all be celebrating. 14 I think we're losing sight of that in 15 this City, and instead of calling for more housing 16 as a human right, we're allowing City workers to go 17 and live outside of this City of New York because 18 they cannot afford to stay in the City of New York. 19 So, I congratulate all three of you, especially you, 20 Council Member Dickens. Thank you. 21 COUNCIL CLERK: Sanders. 22 COUNCIL MEMBER SANDERS: Permission to 23 explain my vote? 24 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: So ordered. 25 COUNCIL MEMBER SANDERS: This, for me, 66 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 is a very, very difficult vote. It's not an easy 3 one. Harlem, of course, has a historical meaning to 4 many communities, mine especially, and the 5 gentrification that is taking place in New York City 6 is something that all should be aware of. 7 I am also aware that this term 8 affordable housing needs to be defined better. 9 I'm glad that Council Member Dickens 10 and others had defined it, but as it's loosely 11 tossed out, affordable housing starts at $60,000 for 12 a family of four, based on the AMI of New York City. 13 This gentrification problem is not 14 simply a question of Harlem. It is going all over. 15 For example, in my community you're 16 being addressed with Land Use issues. 747 is coming 17 before you today. The Arverne East Project, it 18 speaks of 1,600 homes and a hotel but doesn't even 19 put in a school in this thing. 20 We need to study this problem. We 21 need to come up with an idea and an approach to deal 22 with this issue, because if we're truly going to be 23 a government of the people, we've got to find a way 24 to make sure that New York is New York for all New 25 Yorkers. 67 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 So, with much fear, but faith in my 3 colleagues and my learned clergy, I am voting for 4 this issue, but I have great fear in it. 5 I vote aye on all. 6 COUNCIL CLERK: Sears. 7 COUNCIL MEMBER SEARS: Aye. 8 COUNCIL CLERK: Stewart. 9 COUNCIL MEMBER STEWART: First I would 10 like to kind of congratulate the Housing crew, which 11 is DMJ, and for those of you who don't know what is 12 DMJ, that is Dinkins, Mark-Viverito and Jackson. 13 I'd like to congratulate them on 14 their fine work, and I vote aye on all. 15 COUNCIL CLERK: Vallone. 16 COUNCIL MEMBER VALLONE: Aye on all. 17 COUNCIL CLERK: Yassky. 18 COUNCIL MEMBER YASSKY: Aye on all. 19 COUNCIL CLERK: Oddo. 20 COUNCIL MEMBER ODDO: Yes. 21 COUNCIL CLERK: Rivera. 22 COUNCIL MEMBER RIVERA: I vote aye. 23 COUNCIL CLERK: Speaker Quinn. 24 SPEAKER QUINN: I knew there would be 25 a way Mike McMahon would find to make this a Staten 68 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 Island issue. But with, again, tremendous 3 congratulations to Inez Dickens, I proudly vote aye. 4 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: Thank you. 5 All items on today's General Order 6 Calendar were adopted by a vote of 49 in the 7 affirmative, zero negative, zero abstentions, with 8 the exception of LU 697 and Reso 1408, which is 9 adopted by a vote of 47 in the affirmative, two 10 negative, zero abstentions; and LU 719 and Reso 11 1409, which is adopted by a vote of 47 in the 12 affirmative, two negative and zero abstentions; and 13 LU 733, and Reso 1411, which is adopted by a vote of 14 48 in the affirmative, one negative. 15 Introduction and Reading of Bills. 16 SPEAKER QUINN: All bills are referred 17 to committees as indicated on the agenda, please. 18 PUBLIC ADVOCATE GOTBAUM: Discussion 19 of Resolutions. 20 Council Member Koppell. 21 COUNCIL MEMBER KOPPELL: Just briefly, 22 Madam Speaker, and colleagues. We have a resolution 23 that calls on the State to allow us to require that 24 recycled plastic be used instead of hard wood for 25 municipal procurement. 69 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 Unfortunately we cannot do this 3 without State Legislation because of bidding 4 requirements. I want to thank Lisette Camilo from 5 the Contracts Committee for helping to draft this 6 and I want to urge its adoption. 7 SPEAKER QUINN: If it could get a 8 little quiet while the Council Member is speaking on 9 resolutions. 10 Thank you. 11 It is particularly appropriate that 12 we encourage the use of plastics rather than hard 13 wood on the day that we pass the Office of 14 Sustainability. This is something we've got to do 15 repeatedly in all of our municipal dealings and 16 private dealings as well. 17 Thank you, Madam Speaker, and I urge 18 everyone to vote yes. 19 MAJORITY LEADER RIVERA: Thank you 20 very much. 21 Now we're going on to the Discussion 22 of Resolutions. 23 Okay, at this point in time we're 24 going to call a vote on the resolutions. 25 All in favor, say aye. 70 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 Opposed say nay? 3 Any abstentions? 4 The ayes have it. 5 General Discussion. 6 Council Member Comrie. And if we can 7 get some silence in the background, please? No? He's 8 not here. 9 Okay, seeing nothing else -- oh, 10 Council Member Fidler and then Council Member 11 Gerson. And if we can please get some silence in the 12 Chambers? If not, we'll have to remove everybody. 13 SPEAKER QUINN: Just as folks exit, 14 and some Council members are speaking so we just 15 need quiet, please. 16 COUNCIL MEMBER FIDLER: Last week 17 Council Press Office sent out a press release on the 18 count that we commissioned of homeless youth in the 19 City of New York, and somehow in all the attention 20 that we've drawn here at the City Council, not one 21 newspaper, not one TV camera, not one radio station 22 saw fit to comment on it. 23 Maybe they ought to direct some of 24 their attention to the things that are really 25 important in this City and to the work that this 71 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 Council is actually doing on things of substance. 3 But I just want to remind everybody 4 and I want to remind anyone from the media that's in 5 this group that what that study told us again was 6 that on any given night in the City of New York, 7 3,000 children are sleeping without a bed. 1,500 of 8 them slept in a subway station, Port Authority, in a 9 box, 156 of them spent the night with a sex worker 10 of some kind. If that's not the kind of issue that 11 demands the attention of the public in this City, I 12 don't know what is. 13 And this Council has worked 14 diligently to find shelter beds and programs for 15 those young people. And we have a ways to go and the 16 Executive Budget tomorrow, we'll find out whether or 17 not we take it two steps back or one step forward. 18 But those are the issues that I want to be talking 19 about here at City Hall, and those are the issues 20 that we ought to be working on. 21 MAJORITY LEADER RIVERA: Thank you 22 very much. 23 Council Member Gerson. 24 COUNCIL MEMBER GERSON: Thank you, I 25 was going to say Mr. Public Advocate, but Mr. Leader 72 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 -- not yet -- but thank you very much. 3 I just want to say, I rise to say let 4 the light shine, but let the light shine in an 5 energy efficient way, and a way which directs the 6 light to where it should be directed and avoids 7 excessive luminosity pollution, shining into and 8 disrupting places where people live. 9 That will be the result of Intro. 10 757, which I introduced, which we introduced today, 11 as part of a light pollution control program, that 12 will put our City at the forefront of energy 13 efficient lighting and light luminosity control. I 14 urge all of my colleagues to join me in this 15 straightforward, but significant environmental 16 improvement effort. 17 Also, I want to call my attention, 18 the attention, my attention as well, to Resolution 19 1391. It's been one of those days. But this 20 addresses a true travesty just a few blocks from 21 where we sit today, and I refer to this exhibition 22 in the South Street Seaport called "Bodies." At 23 first many of us liked it or didn't like it, and 24 that's just a question of -- first it appeared to be 25 a question of just sensibility or taste, but we then 73 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 discovered that there's a possibility that some of 3 those human remains on exhibit may have come from 4 victims of political torture, political terrorism in 5 other parts of the world, with their bodies used 6 without their permission or any, permission of any 7 loved ones. We looked into legislation to address 8 that. Our ability to do so is limited by law, so we 9 have introduced a resolution supporting pending 10 State legislation which would deal with this 11 atrocious situation. 12 I urge the Council to pass that 13 swiftly. Thank you. 14 MAJORITY LEADER RIVERA: Thank you 15 very much, Council member. 16 Seeing no others -- Council Member 17 Comrie. 18 COUNCIL MEMBER COMRIE: I just wanted 19 to announce today that my staff member, who started 20 out as an intern, Mr. Guy Cohen, is leaving my 21 office to start his own entrepreneur activities. I 22 just want to thank him for his service. As I said, 23 he started out as an intern, he proved invaluable to 24 our office. He was a great addition and a resource 25 and he will be missed. And I just want to thank him 74 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 for his time and service. 3 Guy? Wave your hand, Guy. 4 I just wanted to thank him because 5 he's truly indicative of the spirit that there are 6 people that want to work in government, they want to 7 add positivity and class to government, and Guy 8 Cohen is all of the above. Thank you. 9 MAJORITY LEADER RIVERA: Thank you 10 very much. Council Member Dilan, then Council Member 11 Tish James. 12 COUNCIL MEMBER DILAN: Yes. Thank you, 13 Mr. President Pro-Tem. Just on that note, I just 14 want to thank Kamilla Sjodin, the Counsel to the 15 Housing and Buildings Committee, who will be leaving 16 the City Council this Friday, I want to thank her 17 for all of her work on behalf of the Committee. 18 She's sitting in the back. 19 I just want to thank her for all of 20 the work, with the heavy workload we had in the 21 Housing and Buildings Committee, and wish her 22 success in her future endeavors. 23 MAJORITY LEADER RIVERA: Council 24 member, I cannot hear the great remarks from Council 25 Member Dilan with such great applause that you gave. 75 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 COUNCIL MEMBER FELDER: I apologize. 3 MAJORITY LEADER RIVERA: You 4 apologize? Thank you. 5 Council Member James. 6 COUNCIL MEMBER JAMES: Last Friday at 7 9:07 a verdict was rendered in the City of New York 8 which sent shock waves all throughout the City. In 9 fact, all throughout this nation. Fifty bullets, and 10 no one was held accountable. 11 As I went throughout my district, and 12 as I went throughout Brooklyn and the City of New 13 York, every woman, particularly woman of color, had 14 a stain of tears on their face. They were let down 15 by a system that they totally believed in, a system 16 which basically devalued the testimony of two men 17 because of their backgrounds. 18 Last night I held a Town Hall meeting 19 in my community, a community of blacks and whites 20 and Jews came together and we put forth a plan of 21 action and we put forth recommendations which 22 included better training for undercover police 23 officers, sobriety tests for police officers, and a 24 number of other initiatives. 25 I urge all of my colleagues, and 76 1 STATED COUNCIL MEETING 2 particularly this body, to come forward and seek 3 reforms in CCRB. Seek reforms in training and seek 4 reforms and recognizing that in the City of New York 5 we've got some healing to do, but we also have to 6 address the institutional racism, which is alive and 7 well, within NYPD. 8 Again, this day, for me, would not be 9 complete unless someone made a statement, a loud 10 statement, about the injustice that occurred in the 11 justice system last week. 12 Again, I seek justice for Shawn Bell, 13 because I am Shawn Bell. Thank you. 14 MAJORITY LEADER RIVERA: Thank you 15 very much. 16 Seeing no other members talking 17 today, the meeting is adjourned. 18 (Hearing concluded at 4:20 p.m.) 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 77 1 2 CERTIFICATION 3 4 5 STATE OF NEW YORK ) 6 COUNTY OF NEW YORK ) 7 8 9 I, CINDY MILLELOT, a Certified 10 Shorthand Reporter, do hereby certify that the 11 foregoing is a true and accurate transcript of the 12 within proceeding. 13 I further certify that I am not 14 related to any of the parties to this action by 15 blood or marriage, and that I am in no way 16 interested in the outcome of this matter. 17 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto 18 set my hand this 30th day of April 2008. 19 20 21 22 23 --------------------- 24 CINDY MILLELOT, CSR. 25 78 1 2 C E R T I F I C A T I O N 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 I, CINDY MILLELOT, a Certified Shorthand 10 Reporter and a Notary Public in and for the State of 11 New York, do hereby certify the aforesaid to be a 12 true and accurate copy of the transcription of the 13 audio tapes of this hearing. 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 ----------------------- CINDY MILLELOT, CSR. 25