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City & State’s On Transportation forum brings together panels of experts to discuss emerging trends, funding, and the future of taxis and ride-sharing.
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Increase your organization’s profile and awareness in front of: • Commissioner Matthew Driscoll, NYSDOT • Congressman Jerrold Nadler • Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez • Craig Stewart, MTA • Cordell Schachter, NYCDOT
• David Garten, Port Authority of NY & NJ • Assemblyman Robert Rodriguez • Meera Joshi, NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission • Bhairavi Desai, New York Taxi Workers Alliance • Assemblyman David I. Weprin
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July 18, 2016
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EDITOR’S NOTE / Contents
Jon Lentz Senior editor
In recent decades, the Democratic presidential nominating contest has been a free-for-all, while Republicans have rallied around the candidate who had put in his time and paid his dues. Mitt Romney, the 2012 nominee, was a runner-up the previous cycle. John McCain, the 2008 pick, had finished second to George W. Bush in 2000. And Bush, of course, had built-in backing as the son of former President George H.W. Bush. Among the Democrats, Vice President Al Gore was the establishment choice in 2000, but neither Bill Clinton nor Barack Obama were the frontrunners when they entered the fray. This year, the script has been flipped. Hillary Clinton is as establishment as it gets, having been secretary of state, a U.S. Senator and the spouse of a past president. In contrast, Donald Trump has no experience in elected office, and started out as more of a novelty than a favorite of party leaders and elites. With the conventions getting underway this month, we’ll soon find out which approach works this time around: the conventional, or the unconventional.
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RNC/DNC
Where to go and who to look for at the upcoming national conventions.
INDIAN POINT
A Q&A with Ivy Meeropol, whose documentary takes a critical look at the safety of the Hudson Valley nuclear facility.
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AGENCY FOCUS: HPD
An insider’s guide to the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
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SLANT
Radio host Frank Morano on which local pols could be the next Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders.
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CityAndStateNY.com
July 18, 2016
EDITORIAL editor@cityandstateny.com Editorial Director Michael Johnson mjohnson@cityandstateny.com Senior Editor Jon Lentz jlentz@cityandstateny.com Albany Reporter Ashley Hupfl ahupfl@cityandstateny.com
City & State is the premier multimedia news organization dedicated to covering New York’s local and state politics and policy. Our indepth, non-partisan coverage serves New York’s leaders every day as a trusted guide to the issues impacting New York. We offer round-the-clock coverage through our weekly publications, daily e-briefs, events, on-camera interviews, weekly podcast and more.
Buffalo Reporter Justin Sondel jsondel@cityandstateny.com City Hall Reporter Sarina Trangle strangle@cityandstateny.com Managing Editor Ryan Somers Associate Copy Editor Sam Edsill Web/Engagement Editor Jeremy Unger
CITY & STATE FIRST READ With over 20,000 subscribers, the free daily First Read e-brief summarizes the top political news, editorials, schedule items and more – all in your inbox before 7 a.m. cityandstateny.com/first-read CITY & STATE INSIDER Insider subscribers receive the weekly magazine, access to all policy events and an exclusive daily email featuring our take on the news and groundbreaking commentary. cityandstateny.com/insider CITY & STATE EVENTS City & State hosts dozens of panel discussions, live Q&As, receptions and more each year featuring powerful politicians, industry leaders and experts from across the state. cityandstateny.com/events CITY & STATE CAREERS City & State Careers connects professionals to career, continuing education, and professional development opportunities in and around New York government, advocacy, business and more. careers.cityandstateny.com SLANT Slant is City & State’s platform dedicated to opinion and analysis, providing an informed perspective on the daily news cycle via op-eds, columns and a weekly podcast. nyslant.com CITY & STATE PENNSYLVANIA City & State has expanded into Pennsylvania, bringing its daily morning e-news brief, a monthly magazine and unique public policy and recognition events to the Keystone State. cityandstatepa.com
Editorial Assistant Jeff Coltin SLANT Slant Editor Nick Powell npowell@cityandstateny.com Editor-at-Large Gerson Borrero gborrero@cityandstateny.com Slant Columnists Nicole Gelinas, Alexis Grenell, Bertha Lewis CREATIVE creativedepartment@cityandstateny.com Creative Director Guillaume Federighi Senior Graphic Designer Alex Law Marketing Designer Charles Flores Junior Graphic Designer Kewen Chen DIGITAL digitaldepartment@cityandstateny.com Digital Manager Chanelle Grannum Digital Content Coordinator Michael Filippi MULTIMEDIA Multimedia Director Bryan Terry
Vol. 5 Issue 28 July 18, 2016
MANAGEMENT & PUBLISHING Chairman Steve Farbman, President/CEO Tom Allon tallon@cityandstateny.com, Comptroller David Pirozzi dpirozzi@cityandstateny.com, Business & Sales Coordinator Patrea Patterson ADVERTISING Vice President of Advertising Jim Katocin jkatocin@cityandstateny.com, Account/Business Development Executive Scott Augustine saugustine@cityandstateny.com, Event Sponsorship Strategist Danielle Koza dkoza@cityandstateny. com, Digital Sales Director Brie Moran bmoran@cityandstateny.com EVENTS - events@cityandstateny.com Events Manager Lissa Blake, Senior Events Coordinator Alexis Arsenault, Events and Marketing Coordinator Jenny Wu
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CITY & STATE NEW YORK is published weekly 50 times a year except for one week in January and one week in November for $124.99 by City & State NY LLC, 61 Broadway, Suite 2235, NY, NY 10006. Application to mail periodical prices is pending at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: City & State NY, LLC, 61 Broadway, Suite 2235, NY, NY 10006. General (212) 268-0442 info@cityandstateny.com - Copyright ©2016, City and State NY, LLC
City & State New York
July 18, 2016
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THIS WEEK ON THE SLANT PODCAST
“WE ARE NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER”
FEATURING WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTERS MIKE VILENSKY AND JOSH DAWSEY
Their feud has been public for a year. Now, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is reportedly thinking about undermining Mayor Bill de Blasio’s re-election bid. “There isn’t a lot of precedent for the scenario where an incumbent tries to knock off an incumbent Democratic mayor. When I went to the great historian Jerry Benjamin, he brought up FDR and Jimmy Walker, which was a very long time ago. I do think it’s more a question for the people who are eyeing City Hall, the other ambitious Democrats in the city and them deciding whether or not to jump in. … There are ways you can see his hand without him pushing a candidate and damaging his own brand.”
MIKE VILENSKY
“Everyone says people make too much of this feud, blah, blah, blah. But if you cover city and state politics, you quickly realize that nothing dominates policymaking and what happens on a city and state level quite like the relationship between these two men. It’s not to be too simplistic and say it’s all that matters, but there are a lot of things, Brooklyn Bridge Park, homelessness, all sorts of issues that you would not see in the prism of this feud, but policy is made through the prism of this feud!”
JOSH DAWSEY Listen, subscribe and review this week’s podcast by searching for “New York Slant” on iTunes or Stitcher.
For a Bright Summer and a Brighter Future, We Need Great Energy Infrastructure B Y D R . M AT T H E W C . C O R D A R O
We rightly think of summer as the brightest season of the year—but, paradoxically, summer is also blackout season. As temperatures rise, so does demand for electricity, not only for air conditioning but also for all the other essentials, as well as the many leisure activities, that depend on this crucial source of power. This means serious strain on our transmission grid, which is already aged and ailing—and that increases the risk of losing electricity when we need it most. A blackout isn’t merely an inconvenience; it has serious implications for lives and livelihoods throughout our communities. Manufacturers have to stop production; providers of services and hospitality can’t serve their customers. Food spoils in nonworking refrigerators. Lack of elevator service strands residents and workers in high-rise buildings. Even worse, our hospitals using only emergency generators, struggle to provide services and
thousands of people who need medication or medical care may go without if they don’t have access to pharmacies or doctors. In the blackout of 2003, 90 New Yorkers lost their lives under these desperate circumstances. This summer the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) has reported that electricity supplies should be adequate. While that’s good news, we can’t afford to be complacent, because our grid remains vulnerable to other problems-like the extreme weather that crippled our region during Hurricane Irene in 2011 and Superstorm Sandy in 2012. One reason we have to be so concerned is that about 85 percent of New York’s high-voltage transmission lines are over 30 years old. Our state needs to invest in expansion and longoverdue upgrades in our grid and in augmented pipelines to increase the supply of natural gas to New York. These kinds of major infrastructure enhancements require decades to plan and complete. That makes it all the more important that we also work to sustain reliable electricity generation where we’re already fortunate enough to have it. When it comes to reliability, it’s worth remembering that the Indian Point nuclear plant supplies New York City and the surrounding region with 25 percent of its electricity—and
it operated throughout Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy without interruption. Despite these virtues, Indian Point has been the focus of vehement political opposition, including from Governor Cuomo—and if it were to close, it would be devastating. As you enjoy the activities and the air conditioning that make summer in New York pleasant and fun, take a moment to appreciate the power supply that keeps us comfortable and keeps us going day and night throughout the year—and support the infrastructure investments and trustworthy generation sources that will continue to make it all possible, no matter the season, in the years to come. About the Author: Dr. Matthew C. Cordaro is a member of New York AREA’s Advisory Board. He is also the founding president and former CEO of the Midwest Independent System Operator, the largest independent transmission system operator in the nation, and previously served as president and CEO of Nashville Electric Service, one of the ten largest public electric utilities in the country. SPECIAL SPONSORED SECTION
WWW . A R E A - A L L I A N C E . O R G
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July 18, 2016
POINT OF CONTENTION “INDIAN POINT” FILMMAKER IVY MEEROPOL A Q&A WITH
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hen Ivy Meeropol moved to the Hudson Valley a decade ago, she grew curious about the controversy surrounding the nearby Indian Point nuclear plant. So she began doing research for a documentary film about the plant, which sits about 25 miles from New York City. City & State’s Jon Lentz spoke with Meeropol about the impact of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, the effectiveness of federal nuclear regulators in the United States and her documentary about her grandparents, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were executed in 1953 for
spying for the Soviets. The following is an edited transcript. C&S: How did you get interested in Indian Point? IM: I moved from the city up to the Hudson Valley about 10 years ago, and I moved to a small town that is about 15 miles from the plant. You move to a town close to a nuclear power plant and you hear the sirens testing and you get a pamphlet in the mail from the Emergency Services Department titled “Are you ready?” So you’re supposed to know your evacuation route, you’re supposed to have potassium iodine in your
home and for your kids, and there are all these things that I had to think about. I also was commuting in and out of the city, so in the film when you see that view from the train, that’s my view. I became quite intrigued by how it looks, sitting there on banks of the Hudson. I had an inkling that Indian Point was a controversial plant, but I think many people living in the city have no idea how close it is. That also struck me: This is not that far from the city. C&S: What did you learn while making the documentary? IM: One of the first things I read as I was
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July 18, 2016
City and how there are so many things that can happen that are completely out of their control, I don’t think that Indian Point is sustainable. On top of that, learning about how much spent fuel continues to pile up there and other plants around the country – even though nuclear power can appear to be this great potential solution to our urgent concerns with climate change, the fact that we don’t know what to do with all this radioactive material, and it’s just sitting there, is really problematic.
SHUTTERSTOCK
IVY MEEROPOL
learning about plants across the U.S. and the relicensing process was that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission considered Indian Point the most contentious license renewal application that they’d ever seen. As a filmmaker, you think there’s potentially some drama, there’s a story, there’s tension. Right around that time, and this was still in the research phase, Fukushima happened. I really thought this is urgent. I didn’t know enough, but I wondered if this (would) change the debate, reinvigorate the activists who have been trying to close the plant, and also what would this do to the industry. I thought if I could get access to the plant, I would want to pursue this as a film. That’s how it started. Ultimately I managed to get the access that I wanted, and it took off from there. C&S: Did you come to any conclusions about nuclear power or this particular plant? IM: I found it strangely reassuring to go inside the plant. I don’t know what I expected, but I was definitely scared. I grew up in a “No Nukes” home, and as a kid going to “No Nukes” concerts with my parents, I grew up assuming this was a dangerous, terrible thing and something to be afraid of. I want to push against those preconceived notions and not let them get in the way of making a film. Going inside, I really did feel that these guys are on top of it, and thank goodness that they’re here. That said, everything I’ve learned about Indian Point and how close it is to New York
C&S: While watching the film, I was surprised by the disagreement at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission between then-NRC Chairman Greg Jaczko and the other commissioners. Are the regulators doing a good job? IM: That was a surprising turn for me, too. I started out making a film about Indian Point, the people outside trying to shut it down and the people inside just doing their job. But Fukushima made it so I was constantly paying attention to what was happening at the NRC, and I started following Greg Jaczko’s story, and I was impressed by how he was pushing back on the industry based on what they were learning at Fukushima. Then I learned that he had announced his resignation. I thought that was fishy, because here’s a young guy at the top of his game and his career, and he’s finding his voice and he’s doing what a regulator is supposed to be doing and he’s suddenly announced his resignation. So I wanted to get to the bottom of that. What I found is he was the subject of a witch hunt. They never found anything to back up the claims against him. I was surprised by how all these other commissioners at the NRC were so willing to gang up on him and remove him. It made me wonder how our regulatory bodies are captured by the industry that they regulate. That was the scariest thing to me. The guys at the plant can do their best effort all the time, but if we don’t have a regulatory body actually checking to make sure that the industry is doing what they’re supposed to and replacing parts and inspecting – their job is to fine Entergy if they see anything wrong, and they let them get away with a lot of problems. The short answer is, no, I think we have a big problem with the NRC. There are a lot of great staff members at the NRC doing their jobs, but if the leadership at the commissioner level is not in charge and they’re more interested pleasing the industry, that is a very dangerous situation. C&S: In New York, it’s clear that Gov.
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Andrew Cuomo wants to shut down Indian Point. IM: At the state level, the thing that could get the plant shut down is this water permit issue. That’s unprecedented. As far as I know, no other state has been able to deny a nuclear power plant a water permit. The only reason it hasn’t shut down the plant yet is Entergy keeps appealing, and they can keep it alive and keep it open for years. C&S: Your first documentary was “Heir to an Execution,” about your grandparents, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were convicted of spying for the Soviets and executed here in New York. How was this project different? IM: That film was as personal as you can get. I was interviewing my father and my uncle and talking about my family. I was trying to humanize my own grandparents, who I’d never met, who were considered ultimate evil by some people or these incredible innocent martyrs by others. They’re admired or hated, and lived in this mythic realm. I really wanted to understand who they were as people and I think that now is something that informs how I approach everything. I feel it’s good to humanize people on all sides of the story and remove the hysteria, if you can. That’s what I tried to do with Indian Point. This was a tougher project in some ways because there was no clear storyline. Until the Jaczko storyline happened, I didn’t have any kind of narrative that had any change or that evolved, in terms of structuring a film. With “Heir to an Execution,” the challenges were definitely more on a personal level. I would be nervous that I was pushing my father too much or that I was going places that would upset some members of my family, and I just had to barrel through. With “Indian Point,” it was more of an intellectual challenge. C&S: “Indian Point” opened on July 8. Where can people see it? IM: It opened at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, and we’re hoping people will come out to see it. It’s very challenging to get people to go to a film like this. C&S: What’s next for you? IM: I’m working on a documentary series for the National Geographic Channel right now called the “Years of Living Dangerously.” It’s an interesting program that will air this fall. They’re short documentaries all dealing with climate change.
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July 18, 2016
Everyone who has served in the military deserves our thanks, but last week City & State highlighted 10 remarkable veterans who have continued to serve their communities as public servants and business leaders or through charitable work at nonprofits. They were honored at a special celebration at Pier A Harbor House sponsored by the United War Veterans Council, LaGuardia Community College, NYU’s Tandon School on Engineering, AlliedBarton Security Services and the Metal Lather & Reinforcing Ironworkers Local 46. Keynote speakers included New York City Department of Veterans’ Services Commissioner Loree Sutton and Public Advocate Letitia James. To read profiles of these extraordinary citizens, visit cityandstateny.com.
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1. HONOREES LUIS W. OSORIO, JOHN MARTINKO, JEFFREY ROTH, YOLANDA ROBINSON, MICHAEL DRAKE, JOHN MATHENA, GREGORY FEWER, DOUG MCGOWAN, AND JOHN SOLLAZZO, WITH FRANCESCA FIORE, WHO ACCEPTED ON BEHALF OF VICKI BELLO. 2. NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS’ SERVICES COMMISSIONER LOREE SUTTON 3. ROBINSON WITH STATE COMPTROLLER THOMAS DINAPOLI 4. SOLLAZZO WITH NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC ADVOCATE LETITIA JAMES 5. JAMES, OSORIO AND OTHER ATTENDEES 6. DRAKE AND OTHER PARTY GUESTS 7. FEWER ENJOYS THE FESTIVITIES 8. MCGOWAN WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS
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July 11, 2016
unCONVENTIONal Previewing the Republican and Democratic national conventions
In April of 2015, Hillary Clinton announced her candidacy for president. Donald Trump jumped into the race a couple months later. Now, after more than a year of debates and speeches, controversial tweets and TV attack ads, policy proposals and populist appeals, the two major-party candidates are approaching the final sprint of what has been a marathon campaign. This week the Republican National Convention kicks off in Cleveland. Organizers are eager to put on a show in the swing state of Ohio while hoping that they won’t be overshadowed by demonstrators. Party figures are holding their breath to see if their nominee will become a more, well, conventional candidate. And as unpredictable as he is, Trump will undoubtedly find a way to make a splash. The following week, the Democrats respond with their own four-day nominating fest in Philadelphia. In the “city of brotherly love,” they’ll be putting on display their party unity and featuring left-leaning luminaries like Sen. Elizabeth Warren as they try to woo disgruntled Bernie Sanders fans. They’ll also seek to reintroduce Clinton as the adult in the room – and as a candidate that voters can actually trust, email servers aside. In both cities, the parties will seek to capitalize on the events as a turning point in a tumultuous contest that historians are already predicting will go down as one of the most unconventional presidential races in recent memory. In this preview of the RNC and the DNC, City & State provides everything New Yorkers need to know, from who’s attending to how to get around to what it all means for the Empire State.
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CONTENTS
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STAYING HOME
MANY GOP OFFICIALS HAVE YET TO EMBRACE TRUMP, LEADING TO SOME NOTABLE ABSENCES AT THE RNC
THE TRUMP CARD
NEW YORK REPUBLICANS BELIEVE THEIR PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE WILL BOOST LOCAL CANDIDATES IN NOVEMBER
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RNC SURVIVAL GUIDE
WHERE TO GO, WHAT TO SEE AND HOW TO GET AROUND IN CLEVELAND
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TEAM HILLARY/ TEAM BERNIE
AS DEMOCRATS SEEK TO UNITE BEHIND CLINTON AS THEIR NOMINEE, HERE’S WHAT NEW YORK DELEGATES ARE SAYING
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DNC SURVIVAL GUIDE
WHERE TO GO, WHAT TO SEE AND HOW TO GET AROUND IN PHILADELPHIA
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July 18, 2016
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
STAYING HOME Convention guest list missing notable names By JUSTIN SONDEL WITH THE REPUBLICAN National Convention kicking off this week, many New York GOP officials last week were making last-minute preparations – or explaining why they won’t be attending. A major question surrounding the convention has been who will show up, with some members of Congress, including two from New York, saying they won’t go, at least in part because they don’t support the presumptive nominee, Donald Trump. While many New York Republicans have expressed excitement about Trump’s campaign, an air of uncertainty remains. Battle lines have been drawn ahead of what is shaping up to be a tightly contested general election race, as the GOP looks to reclaim the White House after eight years under President Barack Obama. Tom Reynolds, a Republican and former
congressman from New York who helped with convention planning during his tenure, said he has never seen an election cycle like this one. “2016, I believe, will likely go down in history as altogether, just different than what conventional wisdom says on, really, both sides,” said Reynolds, who saw his fair share of national conventions over his 35 years in elected office, attending all of them from 1980 until his retirement in 2008. Two New York congressmen who declined to make the trip to Cleveland, Reps. Chris Gibson and Richard Hanna, are not running for re-election. Both have publicly questioned whether Trump is the best candidate the party could put forward. Gibson has said he still is not sure whom he will vote for, while Hanna has been more forthright with his denouncement of the New
York City real estate mogul and reality television personality. “I certainly don’t plan to vote for Hillary Clinton,’’ Gibson told the Democrat & Chronicle this spring. “And I am waiting to see how this campaign unfolds. Whether I vote for Donald Trump, vote for the Libertarian candidate or write somebody in, that’s going to be a decision I am going to make in the future.’’ Of course, neither will have to worry about turning off Trump supporters in the fall. Reps. Elise Stefanik and John Katko are the other two Republican members of New York’s congressional delegation not attending the RNC. They join a number of other state and local electeds up for re-election, including state Sens. Patrick Gallivan and Rob Ortt, who have told City & State they
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FORMER REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES MITT ROMNEY AND JOHN MCCAIN, FORMER PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH, STATE SEN. PATRICK GALLIVAN, U.S. REPS. ELISE STEFANIK, CHRIS GIBSON, JOHN KATKO AND RICHARD HANNA, NEW YORK CITY COUNCILMAN ERIC ULRICH AND STATE SEN. ROBERT ORTT ALL PLAN TO SIT OUT.
are skipping the convention to spend more time in their districts. New York City Councilman Eric Ulrich, who may challenge Mayor Bill de Blasio next year, also passed on the RNC. His spokesman, Kevin Tschirhart, said via email that it wouldn’t make sense for him to go. “Councilman Eric Ulrich is not a delegate, and accordingly he will not be going,” Tschirhart said. Chris Faricy, a professor of political science at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School, said that with the high degree of uncertainty surrounding this convention and Trump’s unpredictable and sometimes controversial style, many politicians, who tend to be risk-averse, may be playing it safe by not going to Cleveland. “The reason that they might not show up is because they don’t know what’s going to happen,” Faricy said. “They don’t know what’s going to be said.” On a bigger stage, former Republican presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush will not attend the RNC, though they also skipped the 2012 convention. The last two Republican nominees, U.S. Sen. John McCain and former Massachusetts
Gov. Mitt Romney, will also not attend. Reynolds said it is highly unusual for Republican standard-bearers, barring illness or other special circumstances, to sit on the sidelines. “I can’t recall a time where the elder statesmen of a party haven’t been there,” Reynolds said. While not all factions of the party are satisfied with their presumptive nominee, Trump’s ability to draw the public's attention is undeniable. The driving force behind record viewership for primary debates, Trump has done well among Republican voters at the polls, including in his native New York, where he won more than 60 percent of the vote in a four-way race. This year’s convention is expected to draw healthy crowds of both supporters and protesters outside Quicken Loans Arena. In addition, Trump has lined up some of his celebrity friends, including Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White, actor Antonio Sabato Jr. and former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, as speakers. Noting that even the last-minute finalization of the list of speakers was unusual, Reynolds said Trump’s unpredictabili-
ty has so far worked to his advantage. At every stage of the nominating process the presumptive nominee has defied the expectations of pollsters, party insiders and journalists. “You never want to underestimate him,” Reynolds said. And while some party insiders may be grumbling, Trump is again poised to make himself the focus of the nation’s attention next week, attracting many new viewers to a television event that – in a more typical election cycle – is watched primarily by politicos and dedicated party members. “You’ve got to recognize that there has been a different dimension of attention,” Reynolds said. “It’s one that, from every bar to barber shop to coffee shop, has got conversation going about Donald Trump.” Still, with Trump employing his off-thecuff style, many insiders wonder whether the general public will respond positively, as is usually the case right after the convention, with the candidate normally getting a bump in the polls, Faricy said. “It’s one thing to have eyeballs,” Faricy said. “It’s another for people to walk away with a positive message.”
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REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
THE TRUMP CARD
New York GOP hopes its presidential nominee boosts local candidates
FOR NEW YORK Republicans, the presumed nomination of Donald Trump for president brings an end to a long drought when it comes to having a New Yorker at the top of the ticket. The party’s last nominee to run as a New Yorker was Richard Nixon, who moved to New York City after losing the race for governor of California, in 1968. Before that, it was Dwight Eisenhower, in 1952, who registered to vote using his address at 60 Morningside Drive in Manhattan, where he lived while he was president of Columbia University. Since then the state’s political clout has waned as the nation’s population shifted south and west. New York went from having 43 House seats, the most of any state, to just 27 today. Now it is tied for third place with Florida, behind California and Texas. New York Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox said Trump’s candidacy has been a game changer for the state GOP by boosting its profile and attracting an army of new voters. Trump won the New York primary with
well over half a million votes, compared with the 118,000 votes Mitt Romney garnered in 2012. “Trump is helping us just about everywhere in the state,” Cox said. “Trump says we will win New York, but I tell him first let’s nail down Pennsylvania.” Cox attributes Trump’s appeal to his ability to tap into the anxiety of millions of voters “who no longer believe that their children will do better, or even as well as they did. They yearn for that feeling they once had that as Americans they were part of something bigger than just themselves.” The state GOP needs Trump’s boost, Cox said, because New York is a major battleground for the House of Representatives. Four of the state’s congressional seats now held by Republicans are considered tossups. “So that means four of the 20 most at-risk seats for the nation as a whole are here in our state,” he said. First-term Republican Reps. Lee Zeldin (1st Congressional District), Elise Stefanik
STATE GOP CHAIRMAN ED COX HOPES TRUMP WILL HELP REPUBLICANS IN RACES THROUGHOUT NEW YORK.
(21st) and John Katko (24th) are all considered vulnerable. Rep. Richard Hanna from the 22nd Congressional District, who was first elected in 2010, is retiring. Cox believes the Trump factor boosts his party’s chances to make inroads in places like the 3rd Congressional District, which includes Nassau, Queens and Suffolk counties, where Rep. Steve Israel is retiring, as well as hold on to outgoing Rep. Chris Gibson's seat in the 19th district. “Having our presidential nominee come from our state is really helping energize us,” said Courtney Canfield Greene, who chairs the Orange County Republican Party. Greene said she thinks Trump could help her party retake the 18th Congressional District, which it lost to Sean Patrick Maloney, a former aide to President Bill Clinton and New York’s first openly gay member of Congress. The latest Quinnipiac University Poll, which showed a dramatic shift of voter sentiment toward Trump in Florida and Pennsylvania, recently has some Trump’s New York boosters swinging for the fences. “I can see a real pathway for Trump to take New York,” said Adele Malpass, chairwoman of the Manhattan Republican Committee. “Rob Astorino ran against Gov. Cuomo and won 42 of the 46 upstate counties, even though he was massively outspent by Cuomo,” she said. “Add in Staten Island, Buffalo, Erie and Suffolk, which Trump will carry, and you’re right there. Of course, at the same time, you have to break the 25 percent threshold in the other four city boroughs.” Doug Muzzio, professor of political science at Baruch College, said it’s tough to determine with any precision the number of new voters Trump has pulled into the process. But Muzzio says he does think Trump voters are being undercounted by pollsters. “It is just like with the Brexit polling when people could have been reluctant to tell pollsters they were voting to leave (the European Union),” Muzzio said, “because that perspective was developing such a social stigma.”
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JUSTIN SONDEL
By BOB HENNELLY
City & State New York
July 18, 2016
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
RNC SURVIVAL GUIDE By JON LENTZ IN A PRESIDENTIAL cycle that has defied expectations, perhaps the biggest surprise – Donald Trump – is about to become his party’s standard-bearer. In Cleveland, which is hosting this week’s Republican National Convention, the stage is already set for the coronation of the presumptive nominee. As some 50,000 GOP delegates, elected officials, advisers, journalists and others flock to the swing state for four days of policy-making, politicking and partying, City & State has the inside scoop on how to get there, where to go and what to do.
GETTING THERE
Most delegates are flying into Cleveland’s Hopkins International Airport, which is about 12 miles outside the city center. The airport has taken steps to increase transit options into Cleveland, including more rental cars, faster processing for taxicab pickups, and staging areas for charter buses and limos as well as ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft – although some have warned of surge pricing. And as always, visitors can catch a Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority train for a direct connection to downtown. Head to the lower level of the airport’s terminal complex, buy a ticket for $2.25 and catch the Red Line for a 30-minute ride to Tower City Station. While at the Tower City Station hub, head to the customer service center to pick up a special RNC seven-day unlimited pass for just $20. Of course, some delegates from Western New York can just hop in a car and drive to Cleveland, which is closer to the Empire
State than you might think. From Buffalo, it’s about three hours along I-90.
GETTING AROUND
If you’re driving around town, tune into local radio for traffic updates or download the OHGO app. But with parking at a premium, The Regional Transit Authority recommends utilizing its commuter rail lines, which should run without delays. Security zones surrounding the convention area will be enforced, streets will be closed and traffic congestion is expected, with buses re-routed and trolleys running more slowly as a result. Once you’re downtown, much of the action will take place within walking distance. Local volunteers will also be on hand to help visitors get around.
WHERE TO STAY
If you don’t already have a room (an estimated 5,000 are already booked downtown), you are probably out of luck. Try again in the next host city in 2020!
WHAT TO DO
The main convention area is Quicken Loans Arena, home of the NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers (and a few additional sports teams you’ve probably never heard of). To get in, you’ll need a credential as either a delegate or a journalist. Just a few blocks away from “The Q” is the FirstMerit Convention Center, which is hosting the convention’s media center. At the main event, a number of marquee
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names in Republican politics are expected to speak during the sessions, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. Ted Cruz, as well as the vice presidential nominee, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. Members of Trump’s family, including his daughter, Ivanka, and his wife, Melania, are expected to speak as well. Other party luminaries, like Mitt Romney and the Bush family, have said they will not attend. Traditionally the nominee speaks on Thursday, the final night of the convention, but Trump has defied norms before. In addition, more than 1,000 events are reportedly planned around the city. Plus, a number of celebrities are expected, so keep your eyes out for former college basketball coach Bobby Knight and former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow (reportedly convention speakers), recording artist Kid Rock (who will be performing) and Caitlyn Jenner (who is calling for LGBT acceptance at a separate event).
WHAT TO SEE
Need a break from all the politics? Cleveland’s most well-known tourist destination is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with highlights like Jimi Hendrix’s guitar and the suit John Lennon wore for the Sgt. Pepper photo shoot. It overlooks the Lake Erie shore a little over a mile from Quicken Loans Arena. Also nearby are the Great Lakes Science Center and The Flats, a revitalized waterfront industrial neighborhood. And just in time for the RNC is the renovated Public Square, a historic plaza that had fallen into disrepair.
STAYING SAFE
Trump himself suggested that there could be violence during the convention. While his remarks were in the context of a possible contested convention, concerns about clashes with protesters remain, especially in the wake of altercations and confrontations at other Trump campaign events. However, Cleveland officials announced a “preparedness plan” and have promised to maintain the peace, and they will be assisted by state law enforcement and the Secret Service. Officials have introduced limits on demonstrations as well, restricting them to certain areas, enforcing set parade routes and requiring marches to end by 5 p.m. on Monday and by 2:30 p.m. the rest of the week. But some groups, like Black Lives Matter, have indicated that they will not comply with the restrictions. And while many organizers say their demonstrations will be nonviolent, both law enforcement and activist groups are bracing for the possibility of mass arrests.
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July 18, 2016
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION
CONVENTIONAL WISDOM
With U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ long-awaited endorsement of Hillary Clinton last week, the Democratic Party is finally coalescing around the former first lady, senator and secretary of state as its candidate in the presidential race this November. Ahead of this month’s Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, where Clinton will officially become the nominee, here’s what New York delegates – for both candidates – are saying. Here’s Team Hillary:
“I marched with @BernieSanders in People’s Climate March and look forward to working with him & all Dems to win this election #ImWithHer.” – KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, U.S. Senator “I would expect there to be a unifying of the party behind the nominee, Hillary Clinton. And I’m excited about that. This is the first convention I’ve ever attended. I’ve never been a delegate to the convention before. I think the next election in November is going to be pivotal to the future of the country and I wanted to be involved in it, in that process.”
ANDREW CUOMO, Governor
– JIMMY VACCA, New York City Councilman “What we celebrate in Queens and what makes us so special is the very thing that Trump is looking to stop and somewhat put an end to in terms of immigration and acceptance and opportunity for all. So I believe that (Hillary Clinton) is somebody who knows that we have to bring people together instead of put them against one another and separate them.”
CHARLES SCHUMER, U.S. Senator
– ELIZABETH CROWLEY, New York City Councilwoman BILL DE BLASIO, New York City Mayor ANDREA STEWART-COUSINS, State Senate Democratic Leader
LETITIA JAMES, New York City Public Advocate JOSEPH MORELLE, Assembly Majority Leader MELISSA MARK-VIVERITO, New York City Council Speaker
ERIC SCHNEIDERMAN, State Attorney General
SCOTT STRINGER, New York City Comptroller
THOMAS DINAPOLI, State Comptroller
KATHY HOCHUL, Lieutenant Governor
“Well, it’s totally up to her (on picking a running mate). I’m continuing to elevate women, so I definitely love Elizabeth Warren’s passion and commitment to the people that she serves and what she does on a national level for all of us. I also like Julian Castro, too. His platform is a platform that I definitely support, and his issues are issues that I fought for at a local level. But again, all the candidates are well qualified and will continue to make sure that the issues that we care about as Democrats and working people get the voice that they need.” – ANNABEL PALMA, New York City Councilwoman
City & State New York
July 18, 2016
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... and don’t forget Team Bernie: “Hillary has decided to move to the left to unify the movement that Bernie represents. I think it’s a wonderful thing because it now promises victory (to) Hillary. Bernie gets great credit for running a great primary race that allows the public to hear ideas that were sometimes taboo.” – BILL PERKINS, State Senator “If I had my way, Clinton’s VP pick would be Bernie Sanders. My second choice is myself! … If that is not the case, I personally would prefer Elizabeth Warren, and if not her, then it really doesn’t matter much. It all starts to blur. But let Hillary know, if called, I will serve!” – JAMES SANDERS, State Senator
PHIL STECK, Assemblyman RAFAEL ESPINAL, New York City Councilman JUMAANE WILLIAMS, New York City Councilman RITCHIE TORRES, New York City Councilman LUIS SEPULVEDA, Assemblyman
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CityAndStateNY.com
July 18, 2016
JOSEPH SOHM
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION
DNC SURVIVAL GUIDE By RYAN BRIGGS and RACHEL KURLAND
IN CASE YOU’VE been living under a rock for the last year or so: The Democratic National Convention is about to take over Philadelphia, including some 50,000 delegates, elected officials, reporters and political junkies. On many levels, it will be awesome. On many others, it’s going to be a nightmarish circus of humanity and thorny logistics. Let’s acknowledge the donkey in the room right off the bat: You’re not ready for what awaits you – but that’s OK, neither are some of the elected officials we talked to. Let City & State be your guide for who to meet, which yacht party to board and, of course, how to creatively make your way into the DNC.
GETTING AROUND
Visitors touching down in PHL have the convenient option of taking commuter trains downtown for just $8 – or at least they did until recently, when a manufacturer’s defect took one-third of SEPTA’s train cars out of commission. The transit authority says it will have 125 buses on hand to accommodate the crush. Delegates should have the option of private shuttle buses to their hotels, but the average Bernie Sanders supporter might be stuck with the slowest, most crowded form of socialist public transportation available. Monied lobbyists flying in to give Clinton their regards can at least expense a ride via Uber or Lyft, which has been made quasi-
legal in Philadelphia during the DNC. (Uber is normally illegal in Philadelphia). Ride-sharing isn’t the only activity to get a pass during the convention: drinking after the normal 2 a.m. last call will also be allowed, as will certain minor crimes frequently slapped on protesters, like disorderly conduct and public drunkenness – although the latter might be designed to avoid uncomfortable police encounters with a sloshed congressman or George Clooney. So, don’t let anyone tell you Philly doesn’t roll out the red carpet when enormously powerful out-of-town guests – and the city itself – are under intense public scrutiny. With the DNC split between day events at the downtown Convention Center and
JOSEPH SOHM
City & State New York
July 18, 2016
delegate nights at South Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center, organizers have arranged shuttle bus service. But with hundreds of other events at smaller venues across the city, many delegates expect to be hoofing it on the city’s walkable, colonial street grid. Or try Philadelphia’s bike-share program. For members of the media who are covering the chaos, you can rent a bike for a month-long unlimited membership for $12 instead of the usual $15 using the promo code DNCMedia. That may be more costefficient in the long run compared with the citywide $1 discount on walk-up rides for the convention, which is a one-time 30-minute trip for $4.
WHERE TO STAY
Virtually all of the city’s more than 15,000 hotel rooms are booked. Convention organizers have been suggesting latecomers resort to AirBnB to find a place to stay.
WHAT TO DO
First off: Don’t worry about being bored. There is a barrage of nearly 300 publicly advertised events spanning all four days, from policy discussions to partying. City & State will put on a Tuesday event at the Union League called “Cheesesteak vs. Cheesecake: a New York-Philly Food Fight,” co-hosted by Reps. Brendan Boyle (of Pennsylvania) and Carolyn Maloney (of New York), with samplings of New York City’s and Philadelphia’s most celebrated dishes. Pennsylvania Rep. Bob Brady will host a rager (invites provocatively list the event time as “9pm to ???”), in true Philadelphia blue collar fashion, at the Sheet Metal Workers Union Hall. Mayor Jim Kenney will host a $500-a-head fundraiser at Popi’s Restaurant in South Philly. Philadelphia City Councilman Kenyatta Johnson will host a yacht party on the Delaware River. Vice President Joe Biden is rumored to be planning a VIP dinner downtown at the swanky French restaurant Parc. Then there’s celebrity-watching. Snoop Dogg, a Clinton supporter, is hosting a Democratic unity concert, as are Lady Gaga, Ben Vereen and Alicia Keyes. And there are a string of events and speeches on the convention floor, but attending these events is no sure thing.
WHAT TO SEE
There will be plenty going on at the convention each night, but really, in terms of capacity, there will be about the same number of people in the arena as at your
average Flyers game. And while all eyes will be on the Wells Fargo Center, plenty of opportunities outside the convention arena await the intrepid. For example, those who enjoy sculpture al fresco may notice that Ben Franklin, Rocky and other hometown hero statues have some new company. Fifty-seven Fiberglas donkeys will be dispersed around the city, each painted to represent a different convention delegation. They’re only here until Labor Day, so try to find all of them with the themed scavenger hunt app Scavify. Even the city skyline will be doused in patriotic spirit: Boathouse Row and Avenue of the Arts will be decorated in America’s colors during the convention, and several buildings will turn blue each night, including the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, Cira Centre, FMC Tower, the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Macy’s and Three Logan Square. For an interactive experience with the democratic process that doesn’t involve getting credentials, check out PoliticalFest. This nonpartisan festival, which runs from July 22-27, effectively combines American history, government and politics just outside the DNC gatherings. Tickets are $15 for adults, $5 for children 18 and under, college students with a valid student ID and seniors 65 and up, and free for veterans and credentialed convention attendees. One ticket gets you access to all six days of the festival, which includes interactive displays, historical spectacles and special guest appearances (no spoilers) at seven different locations: the National Constitution Center, the Pennsylvania Convention Center, the National Liberty Museum, the Philadelphia History Museum, the Library Company of Philadelphia, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and the Heritage Center of the Union League.
THE ART OF THE DEALS
What better way to endorse a candidate arguing for tax reform than by enjoying discounts on some of our favorite comestibles? Venues are adding a dash of red, white and, in some cases, bleu (cheese) to their menus during the convention through a clever promotion called DNC Deals, which consumers can follow along on social media with the hashtags #DNCDontMissThis or #DNCDeals. Partaking in the $20.16 meal deals are places like The Olde Bar’s lump crab BLT, a crab salad comprised of hickory bacon, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, Dijon mustard and Old Bay potato chips. The Old City restaurant will also have drink specials for
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each night of the DNC, featuring a themed political cocktail, such as a coffee cocktail or a sherry cobbler – supposedly one of Thomas Jefferson’s favorites. At Tinto in Rittenhouse Square, the $20.16 special includes five happy hour bar snacks all night long throughout the week, along with colonial-era beverages like sherry and madeira. McGillin’s Olde Ale House in Center City will feature a red, white and bleu burger – topped with roasted red peppers, caramelized onions and crumbled bleu cheese – accompanied by some patriotic drinks. The Dublin Donkey, for instance, is a mix of ginger beer and a shot of Jameson, while the Red, White and Blue cocktail combines a strawberry daiquiri, a piña colada, Blue Curaçao and rum. To really get in the DNC spirit, the DNC Passyunk Passeggiata Street Festival will also stay open until 1 a.m. on July 27 to extend the South Philadelphia-meets-Italian market experience, with street food, outdoor bars, vendors, live music and, of course, the farmers market.
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AVOIDING UBER But while the city may be taking a soft line on ridesharing, Philadelphia’s Unified Taxi Workers Alliance says real Democrats shouldn’t take that Uber. “We’ve had a couple meetings with the DNC organizing committee – they’re going to be letting delegates know that ride-sharing services are illegal in Philadelphia,” said Ron Blount, president of the TWA. “They’ll be giving them taxicab vouchers to get around the city.” Blount’s group wants ride-sharing barred in Philadelphia until their contract workers are reclassified as full-time employees, and is actively working to get delegates to add that plank to the Democratic platform. “You may get an Uber ride for $4 or $5, and I’m sure the consumer and investors will be happy. but that poor driver is going to be taking the only thing he owns and making less than minimum wage,” he said. “I think it’s cruel.” Blount added that, under another agreement worked out with organizers, volunteers from the city’s construction unions would be assigned to shuttle delegates around as another alternative to ride-sharing services.
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CityAndStateNY.com
July 18, 2016
AGENCY FOCUS:
NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING PRESERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT When Bill de Blasio was running for mayor in 2013, portraying himself as the candidate who would bridge the gap between the city’s rich and poor residents, his ambitious campaign pledge was to create 200,000 units of affordable housing in New York City. In a city with a growing population – and growing inequality – more and more New Yorkers were struggling to find a place to live, de Blasio said. After winning the election, his administration quickly began work on a detailed proposal to follow through on his goal, and introduced its Housing New York plan a year ago. Leading the 10year effort, which could define de Blasio’s legacy as mayor, is the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development. The agency has already helped develop two key programs – Mandatory Inclusionary Housing and Zoning for Quality and Affordability – which were approved this year and will help pave the way for the administration to reach its housing targets. In coming years, HPD will continue to play a pivotal role in carrying out the program and navigating the pitfalls along the way. But that only begins to describe the role of HPD, which also provides financial incentives for new housing, assists in community planning and enforces the housing code. In City & State’s insider’s guide to HPD, we provide our readers with a snapshot of the agency’s progress in meeting its goals, a rundown of its key staffers, an analysis of its budget, and more.
CONTENTS
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A Q&A WITH HPD COMMISSIONER VICKI BEEN
22
THE ORG CHART: HPD’S TOP DEPUTIES
24
BEATING BAD LANDLORDS By JEFF COLTIN
28
HPD BUDGET ANALYSIS By MARIA DOULIS
City & State New York
July 18, 2016
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AIMING FOR AFFORDABILIT Y A Q&A WITH HPD COMMISSIONER VICKI BEEN C&S: When Bill de Blasio was campaigning for mayor and said he wanted to create 200,000 units of affordable housing, what did you think? VB: We’ve actually exceeded our goals (each year), so right now it doesn’t look like such a stretch, but it is a stretch goal. Every single person that I talked to about taking this job told me it was impossible, but we are doing it. One of the things that makes the mayor special is that he pushes people really hard, and that’s tough, but it makes you be more ambitious; it makes you go beyond what you really thought was possible. C&S: How would you assess the progress so far on the affordable housing plan? VB: We are ahead of schedule. There are subgoals that you really can’t judge until the end. The one goal that I think is always going to be the hardest for us is meeting the extremely low and very low income levels. We promised that we would have 20 percent of our affordable housing units be for people with extremely low or very low income. We’ve had to completely revamp all of our programs, and that’s just going to take a while. We’re making progress, but we’re not going to know that we’re there until literally the very end. C&S: With the East New York rezoning, city officials said they would try to use subsidies to reach those with lower income levels after the zoning passed. Is there a finite amount of resources you can put toward this? VB: We do have a limit. Money doesn’t grow on trees. The subsidies that we will commit to build affordable housing and to drive down the average median income levels that can be served, that’s part of the $8.2 billion. It’s in the 10-year capital budget. Now, it was budgeted based upon that commitment that we would do 20 percent of the created units at extremely low and very low income levels. If we were to do more than that, we would
have to pull money from somewhere else. But people should not be afraid that we won’t provide the affordable housing in a rezoning area, because that money is there. The only thing that’s not there firmly is we do use project-based vouchers from the federal government to reach a lot of those extremely low income levels. That we don’t control, but they’ve been relatively steady. C&S: What does the administration mean when discussing preserved affordable housing? VB: There are a whole bunch of different buckets of preservation. The traditional bucket was we build something, and it has a 30-year regulatory agreement. At the end of those 30 years, its regulatory agreement is expiring, so it could take all those units market rate after the current tenants vacate them. What we try to do, at that point, is to say, “You need a new boiler; you need a new roof. Let’s do that rehab. We will loan you the money, grant you some money, but then you need to re-up your regulatory agreement for another 30 years.” What we’ve tried to do is add a lot more buckets. So we will go to an owner that may never have had anything to do with us before and say, “We see you’re in financial distress … Let us work with you to give you a loan to buy that boiler and fix that roof. And then we need you to enter into an agreement to preserve the affordability for, lets say, 30 years.” C&S: There have been some cases where, once affordable housing is in place, rules are not followed. What role does HPD have in overseeing these developments? VB: We are subject to criticism there because you know, for example, we weren’t carefully checking on the 421-a tax abatement recipients. We worked with the attorney general. We’re cleaning all that up. But that should never have happened. We’re trying to build computer systems to make sure that no commitment, no requirement is not accounted for. We’re going to be rolling out in the fall what we call HPD Works, a sort of cradle-tograve picture of our housing. It will say, for example, we just closed this deal, the regulatory agreement requires the following things and here is the list of all the things that we need to watch. A trigger will go, “Mortgage
folks, you need to make sure that you start collecting the mortgage in five years; homeless marketing unit, you need to make sure that they’re providing their 10 percent of units for homeless families.” Are we there yet? No. This is a long-term plan. But we’ve invested very, very heavily in that. And then the other thing is that we’ve restructured our organization. It used to be that we had one assistant commissioner who was in charge of both intergovernmental affairs and regulatory compliance on things like prevailing wages. We’ve so ramped up our enforcement that I separated the jobs and we now have an assistant commissioner who is only in charge of regulatory compliance. C&S: Every year the city comptroller gives grades on how much business agencies do with minority- and women-owned businesses. I saw that HPD was the only agency that got an A. Do you have any specific strategies that have worked well? VB: One of the linchpins of the program is a capacity-building course. We get both people inside of HPD and HDC and some of the other agencies, but also the real leaders in the field, who come in once a week and teach them how to build affordable housing in the city. And it’s an incredible networking thing. A second thing that we’ve done is we said, “We have all of these MWBEs who have been building 50-unit projects, how do we get them to 100-unit projects?” They can’t win a request for proposals for a 100unit project because they’ve only built 50. So we set aside some city-owned land. Then we said, “Joe has done 50-unit projects; he’s done a good job, so we’re going to ask three Joes to bid on a 100-unit project. And we’re going to take a chance on them, and we’re going to watch very carefully so that they can’t fail.” And that nobody’s done.
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Editor’s note: This is interview was edited for brevity and clarity.
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR ASSET AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Under Hendrickson’s leadership, HPD is continuing to expand and improve various initiatives. This includes strengthening the city’s online affordable housing lottery system, Housing Connect, making it more accessible. For those whom English is not their first language, the system is now available in six other languages. Hendrickson introduced the Housing Ambassadors program, a partnership with community-based organizations to assist people through the affordable hous-
Mustaciuolo oversees seven divisions with almost 1,000 employees. OENS is responsible for all residential building code compliance programs enforcing the city Housing Maintenance Code as well as the state Multiple Dwelling Law. OENS responds to hundreds of thousands of complaints, performs multifamily residential inspections, makes emergency repairs and litigates against landlords to achieve compliance with the laws it is charged to enforce. Each year OENS imThomas is HPD's Chief Information Officer and has introduced processes and disciplines that foster quality and timeliness of technology solutions, including process automation for the enforcement of New York's housing code, decision support for building and preserving affordable housing and web access to opportunities for New Yorkers to obtain affordable housing. Prior to joining New York City government, Thomas was the chief technology officer and a key deci-
Trimble oversees HPD’s Budget, Fiscal, and Tenant Resources divisions. These divisions are combined to coordinate and maximize the allocation of resources across the agency. She advises all parts of the agency on how to improve efficiency and create funding opportunities to support the agency's mission. Trimble was key in modeling the funding strategy for Housing New York and achieved a striking $7.5 billion capital budget allocation to support the city’s affordable housing
ANNE-MARIE A. HENDRICKSON DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR ENFORCEMENT AND NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES (OENS)
VITO MUSTACIUOLO
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR TECHNOLOGY AND STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT
ANTHONY E. THOMAS
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT & TENANT RESOURCES
EVA TRIMBLE
COMMISSIONER
Shacknai oversees HPD’s divisions of Enforcement and Neighborhood Services, Asset and Property Management, Financial Management, Performance Analysis and Audit, Human Resources, Facilities, and Technology and Strategic Development. Among other key initiatives, he coordinates and prioritizes HPD’s IT initiatives, including the creation of new systems to enhance the agency’s development and asset management activities, and make it easier for New Yorkers to apply for affordable housing. Shacknai works closely with Enforcement and Neighborhood Services and Asset and Property Management to help meet the housing quality and preservation goals of the Housing New York plan. Shacknai came to HPD directly from the New York City Fire Department, where he served as first deputy fire commissioner. In this role, he was the primary management and policy advisor to the fire commissioner, and directly managed all department strategic planning, compliance, medical, and external affairs activities. In addition, he served as general counsel for the FDNY, overseeing legal counsel, litigation, investigative and disciplinary functions. Prior to joining the FDNY in 2002, Shacknai served as deputy general counsel for the New York City Administration for Children’s Services and as a litigation associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. Shacknai graduated from Bucknell University and Cornell Law School.
THE ORG CHART VICKI BEEN FIRST DEPUTY COMMISSIONER
CityAndStateNY.com
AGENCY FOCUS: HPD DON SHACKNAI
22 July 18, 2016
Bozorg works to identify, develop, and communicate agency priority initiatives and policies, and, in close partnership with the senior team and their respective divisions, ensures that they are successfully implemented. She serves as a critical liaison between the agency and City Hall on priority matters, including meeting the ambitious goals of the mayor’s Housing New York plan. She previously served as the chief of staff of HPD’s Office of Development, where she worked closely with the Deputy Commissioner for Development advancing the affordable housing production goals of the Housing New York plan. She holds a bachelor of arts in government studies from Wesleyan University and a master’s in city planning from MIT.
CHIEF OF STAFF
LEILA BOZORG
plan. In leading the Tenant Resources Team and overseeing the Section 8 program, Trimble encouraged the team to redefine how HPD serves its customers, which include subsidized tenants and landlords. Trimble received a B.A. in economics from UCLA and an M.P.A from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at NYU.
Quart led HPD’s efforts to ensure the successful adoption of the city’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program and Zoning for Quality and Affordability. Quart spearheaded the recent effort by HPD and its partners to purchase distressed homeowner mortgages from the federal government as New York City moves to stabilize neighborhoods still recovering from the mortgage crisis. The purchase marks one of the first times a municipality has stepped in to acquire distressed Federal Housing Administration notes, which would otherwise have been sold at auction to the highest bidder. Quart teaches urban economics as an assistant adjunct professor at NYU's Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. Quart received his master’s of urban planning from NYU Wagner, and his B.S. in engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR STRATEGY, RESEARCH AND COMMUNICATIONS
DAVID QUART
sion maker at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, the largest health care management company in New Jersey. He has established technology strategies and architectures at other respected brands in the financial, service, and manufacturing industries, including TIAA-CREF, American Express and DuPont. He holds an M.S. in physics from the University of Maryland.
As the first commissioner of ONS, created as part of Mayor de Blasio’s Housing New York Plan, Hernandez’s primary mission is ensuring that HPD’s housing investments achieve broad community objectives, by leveraging the resources of all city agencies. Under his guidance, ONS created the “Neighborhood Planning Playbook,” a project management and community planning tool to ensure effective collaboration among city agencies to meaningfully engage New York communities in planning and rezoning their neighborhoods. Hernandez led the on-the-ground planning and policy efforts that resulted in the approval of the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program, and the East New York Neighborhood Plan, the first neighborhood in which the MIH program will be applied. Hernandez is an adjunct professor at the Pratt Institute. He studied at the UCLA Graduate School of Architecture and is a Loeb Fellow at Harvard's Graduate School of Design.
Enderlin oversees HPD's Office of Development. He has primary responsibility for the agency’s housing production that, under the Housing New York plan, has reached historic levels. Among other initiatives, Enderlin and his team have secured the preservation of major affordable housing portfolios like Stuyvesant Town and Riverton Houses, spearheaded one of the first municipal purchases of distressed Federal Housing Authority notes, expanded programs to support mixed-income and mixed-use projects, and developed new financing for the housing of seniors and the formerly homeless. In addition, Enderlin ensures that the Office of Development is closely coordinated with other critical functions of the agency, including Neighborhood Strategies, Planning, Code Enforcement and Asset Management. Enderlin holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master of science in urban planning and policy, both from Rutgers University.
DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR DEVELOPMENT AND SPECIAL ADVISOR
ERIC ENDERLIN
DANIEL HERNANDEZ DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR THE OFFICE OF NEIGHBORHOOD STRATEGIES (ONS)
ing application process; automated the Mitchell-Lama housing lottery application process through Housing Connect; added an important preference for homeless veterans to HPD and HDC’s housing lotteries; and created the new Homeless Placements Services Unit, which coordinates placement of homeless individuals and families in apartments that are being re-rented. The division also introduced a new technology platform called “E-rent roll” to track vacancies and ensure that when units are re-rented, they remain affordable and are rented to qualified applicants. She is a graduate of the City College of New York.
proves the living conditions in thousands of residential buildings throughout the five boroughs. Mustaciuolo has served the people of New York City for over 34 years, including as Deputy Commissioner since 2009. Mustaciuolo, a lifelong New Yorker, received a Sloan Public Service Award in 2008 in recognition of the incredible work of his OENS team. July 18, 2016 City & State New York 23
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July 18, 2016
AGENCY FOCUS: HPD
DISCIPLINING
THE “DIRTY DOZEN” Can New York City win the fight against its most notorious landlords?
By JEFF COLTIN
PHOTOS BY JEFF COLTIN
”
City & State New York
July 18, 2016
DRUMMING ON FIVE-GALLON buckets and waving signs on a muggy July morning, a dozen tenants railed against the owner of their building at 2454 Tiebout Ave. in the Fordham section of the Bronx. The tenants, who are suing one of New York City’s most notorious landlords in Bronx Housing Court, shared stories of rats in the lobby, leaks in the ceiling and mold on the walls. “The tenants are fed up of their living conditions!” shouted an organizer with the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition. “The tenants are fed up of living with a landlord who does not attend to their needs!” The area’s state senator, Gustavo Rivera, a commanding presence in a shirt and tie among the organized tenants’ yellow t-shirts, joined in. “This is sadly not the first time and probably not the last time that I will be standing in front of a Parkash property.” Rivera was referring to Ved Parkash, who owns dozens of Bronx buildings, including 2454 Tiebout Ave., 750 Grand Concourse and 2015 Creston, and is best known for owning the top spot on Public Advocate Letitia James’ list of the 100 worst landlords in New York City. As Rivera suggested, this is not the first time tenants of a Parkash-owned building have made their complaints public. Stories like this go back for years. So the de Blasio administration is looking back even farther and reviving a 54-year old law to hit landlords right where it hurts – the balance sheet. And if the strategy works, rallies like the one at 2454 Tiebout may become less frequent. The plan works like this: New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development identifies a building where welfare recipients are living in “conditions which are dangerous, hazardous or detrimental to life or health.” In practice, this means Section 8 tenants in buildings with a high number of open violations. The Human Resources Administration and Department of Social Services then send a notice warning that if the landlord does not fix the violations, the city will not pay the Section 8 rent. This will ideally send the landlord into a frenzy of repairs. The building owners are then given 15 days to contact HPD and schedule a re-inspection to prove all their violations are cleared. The strategy is based on the Spiegel Law, named after a Manhattan Assemblyman who championed the New York social services legislation in 1962. But does it work as advertised? Seven weeks into the de Blasio administration’s first major implementation of the law, HPD says it is too early to know for sure.
Last year, the city used the Spiegel Law on two landlords, who responded quickly and fixed the violations in their buildings. That gave Mayor Bill de Blasio enough confidence to make a big announcement with James on May 26: The city would apply the Spiegel Law to eight other landlords who own 12 buildings in Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens. These were the worst of the worst, the “dirty dozen.” Parkash owns five buildings on the list. Now, HPD has put the “dirty dozen” on track for cleanup. All eight landlords responded within the 15-day window, so rent was never withheld. HPD says this is a positive development, since the threat was aimed at fixing the violations. HPD has since re-inspected the buildings and is currently evaluating the results. Though HPD is not saying anything about future plans, de Blasio was hopeful about the tactic. “This law was used aggressively during Ed Koch’s administration and to very good effect, but then stopped being used,” he said at the May announcement. “It’s time to bring it back.” But others aren’t so optimistic. Michelle Mesa is a tenant at Parkash’s building on Tiebout, where the city has not invoked the Spiegel Law. “We’ve tried it ourselves. It doesn’t work!” she said. Mesa and her family went on a rent strike last year after needed repairs kept adding up and their calls to Parkash went unanswered. He took Mesa to court, where the judge ordered her to pay and ordered Parkash to make repairs, she said. “They told me that they were going to
25
do repairs on April 22, 2015,” Mesa said. “I am still waiting for those repairs to be done.” While five of Parkash’s buildings are on the city’s “dirty dozen” list, records show that they are only the tip of the iceberg. One of his many limited liability companies, Parkash 2675 LLC, owns 11 Bronx buildings which, as of June 30, 2015, had 2,235 open violations – an average of 203 violations per building, or three open violations per unit. Parkash 2675 LLC is just one of more than 50 LLCs registered with his name in New York. Not only is Parkash prolific, he is also litigious. The New York State Unified Court System lists 1,972 cases with “Parkash” as a party. The overwhelming majority of these list Ved Parkash or one of his companies as the plaintiff. That puts HPD in a rare position – the department is the plaintiff in at least 24 active cases in Bronx and Queens County Civil Courts with Parkash or his companies as the defendant. Neither Ved Parkash nor Anurag Parkash, who often acts as his lawyer, responded to a request for comment. Despite past legal action by the city, Parkash has been a mainstay on the bad landlords list, and it’s unclear whether the latest effort will be more effective. However, the Spiegel Law is just one tool at the city’s disposal. HPD spokeswoman Melissa Grace said de Blasio has made protection of vulnerable tenants a priority. “That has included significantly increased funding for free legal services for New Yorkers facing their landlords
TENANTS AND HOUSING ADVOCATES LED BY STATE SEN. GUSTAVO RIVERA, OPPOSING PAGE, RALLY IN THE BRONX.
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July 18, 2016
in housing court, working directly with the state attorney general to stop landlords from evading laws that protect tenants, and activating important tools available to us – like Spiegel.” The day after the May announcement, de Blasio himself explained on “The Brian Lehrer Show” that withholding rent is only first part of HPD’s new strategy. “We’re not going to give them public money,” he said. “And we further will, if they don’t make repairs, we’ll go and make repairs ourselves – the city will do it – and then charge the landlord. And it could lead, Brian, to going as far as putting the building in receivership or in fact bringing either civil or criminal charges against the landlord.” None of these further actions, however, are part of the Spiegel Law as it is written. That law only covers the city’s withholding of the rent and stipulates that tenants may not be evicted or held liable for the city’s nonpayment until violations are corrected. To that effect, the city has assigned a dedicated tenant lawyer to each of the “dirty dozen” buildings, paid for by the mayor’s increase in funding for legal services for low-income tenants by more than $60 million in the last two years. Three miles south of the rally on Tiebout sits another Parkash building, the six-story, Art Deco-style 750 Grand Concourse. As one of the “dirty dozen,” the building has one of the dedicated lawyers for aggrieved tenants. But at least one tenant, Miguel Tepcela, had not yet heard of the service. Having lived in the building for seven years, he’s seen a host of violations, but the leaky ceiling is his current concern. “I report it. I have videos, I have photos,” Tepcela said earlier this month. “And sometimes I call the landlord. Sometimes they pick up the phone. Sometimes they don’t pick up the phone.” He also had no cooking gas for four months, he said, and the building often lacks hot water. Although Tepcela, who says he has always paid his rent on time, is not on Section 8, he would also benefit from the city’s latest intervention because landlords are required to fix violations in every unit in each targeted building. But six weeks after his landlord received the warning letter from the city, Tepcela has not noticed any changes at 750 Grand Concourse. Water is still seeping into his apartment. After years living under arguably the city’s worst landlord, Tepcela keeps his expectations low. When asked if he expects the violations to get corrected soon, he could only laugh and say, “I hope.”
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TENANTS SAY 2454 TIEBOUT AVE. IN THE BRONX IS PLAGUED BY RATS, LEAKS AND MOLD.
New York City’s “Dirty Dozen” buildings list VIOLATIONS
ADDRESS
LANDLORDS
123 167 379 143 141 138 139 172 309 188 128 48
133 FT. GEORGE AVE., MANHATTAN
Yecheskel Berman
514 W. 211 ST., MANHATTAN
Maurice Sohaye, Robert Farhadian
541 W. 150 ST., MANHATTAN
Jay Weiss
20 W. 190 ST., BRONX
Agron Berisha
212 W. KINGSBRIDGE ROAD, BRONX
Bashkim Celaj
2320 CRESTON AVE., BRONX
Leze Gazivoda, Alex Gazivoda
410 E. 173 ST., BRONX
Ferdo Skrelja
2015 CRESTON AVE., BRONX
Ved Parkash
750 GRAND CONCOURSE, BRONX
Ved Parkash
751 GERARD AVE., BRONX
Ved Parkash
315 E. 196TH ST., BRONX
Ved Parkash
90-23 171 ST., QUEENS
Ved Parkash
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July 18, 2016
THE DEEP DIVE
AGENCY FOCUS: HPD
An analysis by the Citizens Budget Commission By MARIA DOULIS of the CBC
City & State New York
July 18, 2016
JOEL RASKIN
HPD Revenue, FY 2017
HPD’s operating budget has increased 84 percent since de Blasio took office in fiscal New York City year 2014 and the number of personnel has $214 million State grown 25 percent to 2,486 full-time equiv16.8% $2 million alent positions. City funds increased to $212 0.16% million in fiscal year 2017 from $75 million. Most of the growth, however, is due to a sharp increase in federal community develFederal opment grants from $134 million to $563 Section 8 million. The city is receiving disaster re$492 million covery grants related to damages sustained 38.7% during Superstorm Sandy in fiscal years 2016 and 2017. Section 8 is HPD’s largest program and makes up 38 percent of its expenses in fiscal year 2017. While the New York City Housing Authority administers most of the Federal Community city’s Section 8 vouchers, more than 38,000 Development households were assisted by HPD Section 8 Block Grants vouchers in fiscal year 2016. After Section $564 million 8, the second-largest expense is develop44.3% ment, at $445 million and 35 percent of the total. This encompasses the range of activiSource: New York City Office of ties related to constructing and preserving Management and Budget, Adopted housing, including project finance, zoning, Budget for Fiscal Year 2017: Budget and design and construction support. Preservation programs are the next-largFunction Analysis est expense, at $125 million or 10 percent of the total. More than 1,000 HPD employees THE NEW YORK CITY Department of staff these programs, which include anti-abandonment initiatives for properties Housing Preservation and Development in disrepair, code enforcement, emergency is the nation’s largest municipal housing repairs, and lead paint remediation. In fisagency: Its current fiscal year operating budget is $1.3 billion and its capital budget is cal year 2015, HPD received 553,000 hous$1.1 billion. HPD is responsible for manag- ing maintenance complaints and closed ing affordable housing, enforcing the main- 548,000 complaints. It took an average of tenance code, and administering federal 13.3 days to close an emergency complaint, subsidies for low-income housing. More and 27.9 days for non-emergency comimportantly, the agency is spearheading the plaints; these response times have increased implementation of one of Mayor Bill de Bla- as the volume of complaints has grown. sio’s signature policies: an affordable hous- Similarly, housing code violations by private landlords rose to almost 409,000; the ing program to create or preserve 200,000 majority (53 percent) were corrected by the units over 10 years. owner, but HPD made the correction in 12 percent of cases. HPD has initiated more BUDGET BASICS Unlike most city agencies, HPD’s funding housing court cases as well; of the 6,365 comes predominantly from the federal gov- initiated in fiscal year 2015, 4,827 were seternment. In the current fiscal year, only tled and 721 resulted in judgments. The remainder of HPD’s expense budget 15 percent of HPD’s $1.3 billion operating budget comes from city sources; state funds is devoted to administration (13 percent) account for less than 1 percent. The bulk of and other operations (5 percent), including funding, 83 percent, comes from federal emergency shelter for distressed households sources: $563 million from community de- and management and disposition of cityowned properties and land. HPD manages velopment grants and $491 million in other funds, mostly for the Section 8 program. 4,600 buildings with 103,000 units. Section 8 is a federal program providing rent subsidies to low-income households; IMPLEMENTING THE the amount paid toward rent is capped at 30 AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM percent of household income and the federal HPD is one of the few municipal agengovernment subsidizes the balance through cies with explicit goals for its capital proa private voucher. gram: The mayor has set a goal to preserve
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120,000 affordable units and create 80,000 new ones. De Blasio’s plan requires $8.2 billion in city investment, $6.7 billion of which will be from city capital. In terms of priorities in the capital plan, housing ranks fourth after schools, the water and sewer system, and roads and bridges. The mayor’s housing plan focuses on low-income households: 78 percent of units will be geared toward households earning up to 80 percent of area median income, which equates to $67,100 for a family of four. This emphasis is appropriate; an analysis by the Citizens Budget Commission last year revealed 42 percent of New York City households are rent-burdened (when taking into account out-of-pocket rent paid and other supplemental income), with 22 percent severely rent-burdened, meaning these households pay more than 50 percent of income toward rent. Of the approximately 456,400 severely rent-burdened households, 93 percent are low-income. Between fiscal years 2014 and 2016, HPD committed $1.8 billion in city capital funds, started work on about 47,000 units and completed 29,000 units under the plan (although some of the completed units were launched under the prior administration). This puts the administration slightly behind schedule; all eyes will be on HPD to meet its target.
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HPD Expenditures, FY 2017 Preservation Administration $125 million 10% $162 million Operations 13% $60 million 5%
Development $445 million 35%
Section 8 $479 million 37%
Source: New York City Office of Management and Budget, Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2017: Budget Function Analysis
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NYSlant.com
July 18, 2016
A fresh perspective on opinions Edited by Nick Powell
WHICH LOCAL CANDIDATES COULD BE THE NEXT TRUMP OR SANDERS?
T
he Republican electorate is fired up by a right-wing populist with controversial positions on border security, a man who has never held elective office. Clinton has staved off a challenge from an anti-establishment populist with broad appeal to the disenfranchised and those on the left. A third-party candidate is becoming an attractive alternative for millions and having a noticeable presence in national polls. Meanwhile, here in New York, Gov. Cuomo, who is widely perceived to have national ambitions, is watching the election with great interest. The year? 1992. That’s right. Change is certainly in the air this year, and the last time you could sense Americans this determined to switch direction irrespective of their political affiliation was 24 years ago, when Pat Buchanan nearly bested a sitting Republican president in the New Hampshire primary, California Gov. Jerry Brown gave Bill Clinton, then the governor of Arkansas, agita right up until the Democratic convention, and millions of dissatisfied voters flocked to third-party candidate Ross Perot in the
JOSEPH SOHM
By FRANK MORANO
BERNIE SANDERS SUPPORTERS AT A RALLY IN JUNE IN CALIFORNIA.
general election. The parallels between the 1992 election and 2016 are striking, but one of the forgotten lessons from that year is that it was a harbinger of a dramatic sea change in local political races. One year after the ’92 election, New York City voters kicked out an incumbent mayor, David Dinkins, to elect a Republican, Rudolph Giuliani, for the first time in decades, a U.S. attorney who had never held elective office. They also overwhelmingly approved a referendum for term limits to “throw the bums out.” That same year, New Jersey voters ousted their incumbent governor, Democrat James Florio, in favor of Republican Christine Todd Whitman, who also had never held elective office. Then, in 1994, New Yorkers voted out longtime Democratic Gov. Mario Cuomo to take a chance on an obscure Republican state legislator from Westchester, George Pataki, while a Perot-esque independent
named Tom Golisano helped establish a new party with an insurgent gubernatorial candidacy. If past is prologue, and this year is 1992 on steroids, will next year be 1993 redux? Will 2018 be 1994 all over again? If so, who are the possible candidates best suited to be the local Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders? The factors that have played into the electoral appeal of Trump, Bernie and the third-party candidates are: · A populist ideology on the issues · Constant railing against “insiders,” “the establishment,” “a rigged system,” lobbyists, special interests and the leadership of both major parties · The thought that private sector business success would be an asset in government (in Trump’s case) · An absolute refusal (or inability) to speak in a politically correct manner
July 18, 2016
· Communicating in a plainspoken manner that’s easily understood by the masses · A remarkable ability to effectively garner and utilize media attention · An appeal to white rural voters, a bloc that is often ignored by presidential candidates but has been integral to the success of both Trump and Sanders So, who are the candidates best positioned to take advantage of this mood change on the part of the electorate in the races for mayor and governor? Here are a few possibilities: State Sen. Tony Avella. He’s a maverick’s maverick. Like Sanders, who has served in Congress as an independent, Avella does not sit with the traditional Democratic conference, but is a member of the Independent Democratic Conference. As Christine Quinn can tell you from her time working with him in the New York City Council, Avella has never gone along with the desires of the party leadership. Avella’s vote against a property tax hike, commuter taxes and term limits appeals to the same sort of outer-borough, white ethnic voters that will overwhelmingly vote for Trump in the general election. The fact that he’s repeatedly won elections for both City Council and the state Senate in a district that generally votes Republican is a testament to his non-partisan, populist appeal. So, while he certainly doesn’t have Trump’s money, in many ways he’s a hybrid of Sanders and Trump, who could do surprisingly well in a Democratic primary. Marty Markowitz. He sounds like Sanders with the same type of vintage Brooklyn accent. He’s as entertaining as Trump. He’s the closest thing to a non-politician in New York politics, and while he’s probably unlikely to run against New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, he would make a pretty compelling candidate. His campaign stump speeches would certainly be entertaining. John Catsimatidis. Is he gaffe-prone? Absolutely. Does he speak the King’s English? Certainly not. But neither do Trump and Sanders. He speaks in a way that regular New Yorkers understand plainly, which adds to his appeal. While many people have questioned Donald Trump’s actual wealth, no one can question John’s, nor can they question his willingness to spend it for political purposes. After getting some rookie mistakes out of the way in 2013 and learning from Trump’s successes and failures, coupled with the evolving tastes of the electorate, he is likely to be a far better candidate this time around. The appeal of not being beholden to donors or special interests will resonate with the public in light of all of de Blasio’s fundraising scandals. Curtis Sliwa. If there’s one person who
City & State New York
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STATE SEN. TONY AVELLA
CARL PALADINO
JOHN CATSIMATIDIS U.S. ATTORNEY PREET BHARARA
has the ability to utilize free media on a local level as effectively as Trump has done nationally, it’s Curtis. He attacks politicians on both sides of the aisle, and is incredibly well-known by New Yorkers from all walks of life, even those that don’t traditionally follow politics. A member of the Reform Party now, if he were to run as a third party candidate against a pair of politicians like Bill De Blasio and Eric Ulrich, his appeal might lead to some general election surprises. Carl Paladino. Paladino was Trump before Trump. The only thing missing from his 2010 gubernatorial race was a desire to build a wall between New York and New Jersey. Preet Bharara. I know that he’s repeatedly indicated he isn’t interested in running for governor, but for a guy who mentions reforming Albany and weeding out public
corruption 900 times a day, there’s no better role for a Teddy Roosevelt-style reformer. Rob Astorino. Astorino may already hold elected office, and he may have run before, but his populist positions on issues like term limits and Common Core, coupled with his “Albany outsider” appeal may find a more enthusiastic reception in 2018 than it did in 2014. Maybe I’m off-base, and 2016 just an anomaly that it will have no local ripple effect, but I doubt it. Who do you think is best positioned to capitalize on the broad based non-partisan populist fervor of the electorate?
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Frank Morano is a political activist and radio talk show host.
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July 18, 2016
PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES JULY 18, 2016
MARK-VIVERITO’S PUZZLING PUNT ON RIGHT TO KNOW
By NICK POWELL By scuttling the widely supported Right to Know Act legislation in favor of “internal changes” that the NYPD would institute, New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito blew her best opportunity to distance herself from an embattled mayor with whom she has been inextricably linked the last three years. Just as her predecessor, Christine Quinn, drew heavy criticism for supporting many Michael Bloomberg initiatives, Mark-Viverito has effectively hitched her wagon to de Blasio since the mayor expended political capital to make her speaker in 2014. The major difference between the two is that Quinn actually wielded the council’s veto override power when she and Bloomberg disagreed. Quinn presided over 27 overrides of Bloomberg vetoes, compared with an astonishing zero overrides during Mark-Viverito’s tenure. When Quinn did block legislation from a council floor vote – such as the Paid Sick Leave law, one of the first bills pushed through by de Blasio and Mark-Viverito – there were at least clear political implications for doing so. It was no secret that Quinn wanted to be mayor, and running afoul of the business community she had spent considerable time cozying up to was seen as potentially damaging to her 2013 candidacy. But for Mark-Viverito, who is term-limited and unlikely to run for mayor in 2017, the political calculus for the Right to Know compromise is puzzling, to say the least. As a lame duck, her only constituency (besides the residents of the 8th Council District that voted her into office) is the 50 other City Council members who elected her speaker. Mark-Viverito’s speaker candidacy was
buoyed by a commitment to inclusiveness that didn’t previously exist in the council – a complaint leveled by many of Quinn’s council colleagues. Instead, Mark-Viverito employed a Quinn-esque tactic – blocking the Right to Know Act from a floor vote, despite enough support for the legislation to pass, in order to broker a compromise with Bratton and de Blasio while one of the bill’s co-sponsors, Councilman Antonio Reynoso, was on vacation. The only transparent aspect of Mark-Viverito’s decision is her loyalty to the mayor. While I would never argue against loyalty as a virtue, not only has Mark-Viverito campaigned on police reform, but she was also well out in front of many city and state politicians on proposing to close Rikers Island, and has spoken eloquently about the dangerous proliferation of stop-and-frisk under Bloomberg and Bratton’s predecessor, Ray Kelly. The Right to Know Act was seen by many police reform advocates as another step in the right direction, and Mark-Viverito putting these bills to the side to let Bratton institute similar changes with no legislative oversight – at a time of heightened tension between police and communities of color – is bad optics. Nobody knows what’s next for Mark-Viverito after her speakership, and maybe there is a long-term rationale at play here that makes sense for her. Many political observers assume she has a good chance at getting a Cabinet post in a potential Hillary Clinton administration, given her early support of Clinton and prominent surrogacy during the 2016 primary campaign. But even Clinton, long criticized for being cautious, has seemingly embraced politically dicey positions on police reform, pledging to adopt many of the recommendations of President Obama’s 21st Century Policing Task Force. All of this adds up to a controversial decision that could end up being what Bloomberg’s third term was for Quinn – a blemish that clouds her political future.
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Nick Powell is the editor of Slant.
Notice of Formation of Roxy Ruby, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on May 24, 2016. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The Post Office address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC served upon him/her is: 10 West End Ave, Apt 8H, New York, New York 10023. The principal business address of the LLC is: 10 West End Ave, Apt 8H, New York, New York 10023. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. Notice of Formation of Carlson Design & Planning, LLC Arts of Org filed with the Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on May 31, 2016. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated agent upon whom process may be served against LLC to: PO Box 14 NY, NY 10276. Principal Business Address: 270 Lafayette St. NY, NY 10012. Purpose: any lawful act. Notice of Formation of Shaw PR. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on April 13, 2016. Office location: New York County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The Post Office address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC served upon him/ her is: 225 5th Avenue. The principal business address of the LLC is: 225 5th Avenue. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. Notice of Formation of FIUME LLC Arts. of
July 18, 2016
Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on June 02, 2016. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 118 Chambers St., Apt. 5, NY, NY 10007. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Eric Schwimmer at the princ. office of the LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of Inspirational Nest LLC. Arts of Organization filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on June 14, 2016. Office location: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to principal business address: 804 West, 180th Street Apt 65, NY, NY, 10033. Purpose: any lawful act. Notice of Formation of 171 EAST 84TH OWNERS LLC. Art. of Org. filed with the SSNY on June 27, 2000. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, c/o Gordon Hamm, 124 East 63rd Street, New York, NY 10021, which is also the address for registered agent. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of Formation of AARON SAVEDOFF, M.D., PLLC. Art. of Org. filed with NY Secretary of State (SSNY) June 23, 2016. Office location: New York County. SSNY designated agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against PLLC to principal business address: 7 Dey St, Ste 400, New York, NY 10007. Purpose: To practice medicine, or any lawful activity. Notice of Qualification of LEVEL EQUITY ASSOCIATES III, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed
City & State New York
with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on May 03, 2016. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 03/16/16. Princ. office of LLC: Two Grand Central Tower, 140 E. 45th St., 39th Fl., NY, NY 10017. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. DE addr. of LLC: 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Investment management. Notice of Qualification of PEG POOLED GLOBAL PRIVATE EQUITY INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS VI LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/27/16. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/02/16. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207. DE addr. of LLC: CSC, 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of 2733 CHURCH LLC. Art. of Org. filed with the SSNY on November 18, 2005. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 2733 Church Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11226. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Notice of Formation of 2229 UNI AVE LLC. Articles of Org. filed
with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on December 04, 2014. Office located in New York County. SSNY has been designated for service of process. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served against the LLC to: THE LLC, 9117 31st Ave. East Elmhurst, NY 11369: Purpose: Any lawful activity or purpose.
Notice of Qualification of ROBERTA’S COMMISSARY I EMPLOYER, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/30/16. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/29/16. Princ. office of LLC: 655 Madison Ave., 11th Fl., NY, NY 10065. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the princ. office of the LLC. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Corporation Service Co., 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Qualification of ROBERTA’S COMMISSARY I MANAGER, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/30/16. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 06/29/16. Princ. office of LLC: 655 Madison Ave., 11th Fl., NY, NY 10065. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the princ. office of the LLC. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Corporation Service Co., 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice of Qualification of PEG GLOBAL PRIVATE EQUITY INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS VI LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/27/16. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 05/15/15. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co. (CSC), 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207. DE addr. of LLC: CSC, 2711 Centerville Rd., Ste. 400, Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of LDV NoMad, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/07/16. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of PENINSULA (US) LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 07/06/16. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of FERA MORINGA LLC. Art. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 5/18/2016. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to the LLC, 7014 13th Ave #202, Brooklyn, NY 11228. Principal business address:
232 W 14th St. NY, NY 10011. Purpose: any lawful act. Notice of Qualification of Horizon Actuarial Services, LLC. Authority filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on 6/20/2016. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in DE on 10/2/2007. SSNY designated agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to principal business address: 900 Ashwood Parkway, Ste. 170, Atlanta, GA 30338. DE address of LLC: 1313 N. Market Street, Ste. 5100, Wilmington, DE 19801. Certificate of LLC filed with Secretary of State of DE located at: 401 Federal St. Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful act. NOTICE OF FORMATION of SBJCT LLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy. Of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/30/2016. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to principal business address: 435 W 23rd St. Ste. 1BB, NY, NY 10011. Purpose: any lawful act. IFARCO 349/119 LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 12/04/2015. Office in NY Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC upon whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to c/o Timothy O’Donnell, Esq., 40 Exchange Place, 19th Fl, NY, NY 10005. Purpose: Any lawful purpose. Principal business location: 301 East 69th St., NY, NY 10021.
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Notice of formation of HFBRE LLC filed with the Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 6/24/16. Office loc.: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. The address SSNY shall mail copy of process to is Fox Rothschild LLP, c/o Leonard Budow, Esq., 101 Park Ave., 17th Fl., New York, NY 10178. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of SITELIFT LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) on July 08, 2016. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 333 Pearl St., NY, NY 10038. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against him or her may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Danielle Djokic, Registered Agent at the princ. office of the LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
Notice of Qualification of Pearl Gamma Funding, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 06/22/16. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 05/22/16. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Pearl Gamma Funding, LLC, 100 William St 9th Fl NY NY 10038. DE addr. of LLC: CSC, 1209 Orange St.,Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
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CityAndStateNY.com
July 18, 2016
LOSERS BILL BRATTON - New York City’s top cop was showered with respect from all corners of the city this week. Even when Bratton’s comments raised eyebrows, like when he said Black Lives Matters protesters accomplish nothing and simply yell and scream, the mayor came to his defense, saying he disagreed, but nonetheless believed he and Bratton think so much alike that they’re virtually telepathic. On the City Council side, the speaker brokered a compromise with the administration and effectively thwarted votes on the Right to Know Act, reviled by Bratton as an unprecedented intrusion into his department. Oh, and the general public was pleased to see shootings hit a historic low over the past six months. THE BEST OF THE REST JOHN FLANAGAN - sky-high Senate GOP fundraising numbers BETH MOONEY - KeyBank’s merger with First Niagara OK’d ZEPHYR TEACHOUT - got “endorsement” from Cuomo HOWARD ZUCKER - HIV diagnoses hit new low
OUR PICK
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WINNERS
It was a tough week for many New Yorkers and a vacation is starting to sound great. Which may be why Mayor Bill de Blasio once again returned to his ancestral homeland and New York Republicans are either heading to Cleveland or running the other direction – fast. Even many of those who stuck around took staycations with the help of Pokémon Go. Check out our Winners & Losers list to see who left on a high note and who needed to get out of town.
HOWARD ZEMSKY – As if the head of the state’s economic development agency didn’t have enough to deal with (as the feds continue to look into the distribution of money on projects throughout upstate), Zemsky is now under the microscope after Empire State Development apparently failed to follow up on promises made by developers receiving state assistance as part of the state’s Excelsior Jobs Program, according to an audit from state Comptroller Tom Dinapoli’s office. Zemsky, a respected Buffalo developer who came to the position with much fanfare, must be wondering whether he made the right move.
THE REST OF THE WORST JOSE ARMAS - Armor Correctional accused of neglecting prisoners WAYNE ISAACS - video raises questions about cop’s shooting of Delrawn Small ERIC SCHNEIDERMAN - subpoenaed in Exxon Mobil probe ROBERT WILLIAMS - puts kibosh on rubber duck charity race
WINNERS & LOSERS is published every Friday morning in City & State’s First Read email. Sign up for the email, cast your vote and see who won at cityandstateny.com.
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Join the conversation on New York Education featuring Keynote speaker Carmen Fariña, NYC Schools Chancellor.
Program and Speaker Features: Standards and testing and how to make it work The future of public higher education and the challenges facing New York colleges and universities • Assembly Member Deborah Glick, Higher Education Committee Chair • H. Carl McCall, Chairman, State University of New York Emerging trends in education such as the implementation of technology and STEM learning • Josh Wallack, Deputy Chancellor, NYC Department of Education • Council Member Daniel Dromm, Committee on Education Chair • Cindy Getz, NYC Account Team Senior Manager, Custom Computer Specialists, Inc. • Marianne Vakalis, Ed.D., Dean of Strategic Initiatives, Berkeley College
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Co-hosted by: PA Democrat Rep. Brendan Boyle and NY Democrat Rep. Carolyn Maloney
Tuesday, July 26 • 2:30pm - 4:30pm during the Democratic National Convention Rep. Boyle and Maloney will join a panel of political reporters, food critics, and chefs to chew over New York and Philly’s most iconic dishes.
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