Council Votes on Tree Planting Notification « NYC Council Parks & Recreation Committee Blog

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On November 16, 2010, the New York City Council Committee on Parks and Recreation, chaired by Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito, met to consider Proposed Int. No. 311-A, A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring notification prior to tree planting. At this meeting, the Committee voted 6-0 in favor of the bill.

Proposed Int. No. 311-A was placed before the New York City Council at the November 18th stated meeting. Council Members voted in favor of the bill, which will now be reviewed by the Mayor. Mayor Bloomberg is expected to act on this legislation within the coming weeks.

There have been concerns that the sudden planting of trees can result in logistical stresses, such as safety concerns at certain institutions, such as schools and hospitals. Proposed Int. No. 311-A seeks to balance the need for a tree canopy with the needs of certain institutions to function properly and serve the interests of their clientele. Proposed Int. No. 311-A would require the Department of Parks and Recreation to notify a school or hospital between 30 days and 120 days prior to a tree being planted by the Department that would be located on a sidewalk within 100 feet of any entrance or exit of the school or hospital. The notification would be by personal service, facsimile or regular mail. The notice to a school would be to the principal or a designated representative. For a hospital, the notice would be to the hospital administrator.

Minority Leader James Oddo (Staten Island) is the lead sponsor for Proposed Int. No. 311-A

Bloomberg Curries Favor With City Council Republicans by Elizabeth Benjamin - The Daily Politics - NY Daily News

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Mayor Bloomberg administers the oath of office to the five members of the City Council's new Minority Conference. From left to right: Council Member Eric Ulrich of Queens, Council Member James Oddo of Staten Island, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Council Member Peter Koo of Queens, Council Member Vincent Ignizio of Staten Island and Council Member Dan Halloran of Queens. Photo Courtesy of Steven Stites - Halloran Campaign

Mayor Bloomberg today congratulated the City Council Republicans and their leader, Jimmy Oddo, for their "historic membership increase" and said he's looking forward to working with the five-man conference in the coming year.

"Let me congratulate you for an historic membership increase for 2010," the mayor said. "Is this the largest percentage increase in Republicans ever? Probably is. One fell swoop. Two to five. Can anybody do the math in terms of the percentage increase? Well, it’s 150 percent. Just to get the numbers right."

(There was some disagreement as to whether the mayor's math was correct. A few people said the answer is actually 250 percent. But, according to the DN's Bill Hammond, who is far better than I am at figures, the new number is 250 percent of the old number, but the percentage change is indeed 150).

At Oddo's request, the mayor conducted a ceremonial swearing-in ceremony in the Council chamber of the Republican lawmakers - newcomers Dan Halloran and Peter Koo and incumbents Oddo, Vincent Ignizio and Eric Ulrich.

The brief ceremony took place after Bloomberg met privately with the conference in Oddo's office.

Before conducting his swearing-in duties, Bloomberg, a Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-independent, made a point of stressing that governing should be an a-political undertaking.

"We’re going to work together - not as Republicans, not as independents not as Democrats - but as New Yorkers," Bloomberg said. "The challenges that face city government are nonpartisan challenges. They are real life challenges."

Pols Want New Name for Mets Home: Citi/Taxpayer Field - USATODAY.com

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Two New York City Council members say that Citigroup should show its thanks for a federal bailout by sharing the naming rights to the new Mets ballpark in Queens.

The struggling bank is slated to pay $400 million over the next 20 years to name the stadium Citi Field.

The bank made the commitment years ago, when it was flush with cash. Now that Citigroup is getting billions of dollars in federal aid, Staten Island Republicans Vincent Ignizio and James Oddo say the ballpark's name should be changed to Citi/Taxpayer Field.

Citigroup and Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon have been saying that they have no plan to alter the naming-rights deal for the ballpark, which hosts its regular-season opener April 13.

Wilpon and Citigroup spokesman Steve Silverman said they had no comment on the proposal.

City Council Members Get $277G for Little Extras, on Top of $112G Salary by Benjamin Lesser and Kathleen Lucadamo - NY Daily News

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City Council members are taking cabs, buying MetroCards, hiring photographers and paying pricey consultants on the taxpayers' dime, the Daily News has learned.

Lawmakers spent $7,364 on MetroCards last fiscal year, $11,234 on photographers, $254,480 on consultants and $17,502 on travel, which includes black cars, E-ZPasses and cabs, documents show.

The perks are allowed under funding each member receives for staffing and other office matters. They have wide latitude on how to spend the funds, and it's one of the few areas not being reduced in the upcoming year.

Councilwoman Sara Gonzalez (D-Brooklyn) topped the charts with $41,923 in consulting fees, according to records obtained under the Freedom of Information Law. Half went to her communications director, Michael Schweinsburg, and $11,000 went to Promotional Strategies, a Queens-based campaign consulting agency. Gonzalez defended her spending, noting, "I'm very careful."

Gonzalez was hardly alone in her consultant spending spree.

Councilman Alan Gerson (D-Manhattan) dished out $32,833 to consultants, including youth services director David Feiner.

Councilwoman Helen Sears (D-Queens) gave $30,997 in consulting fees to civic leaders who serve as community liaisons. "We don't have staff to work day and night," she said.

Each Council member received $277,336 for staff and office expenses last year. Committee leaders got an additional $40,000. Each earns a base of $112,500.

Councilman Larry Seabrook (D-Bronx) shelled out $1,140 on MetroCards. Councilwoman Helen Foster (D-Bronx) followed with a $1,100 tab.

Sears, however, spent the most on local travel - $4,208 - and was trailed by Councilman Eric Gioia (D-Queens), who logged $3,414 in cab fares. Councilman James Gennaro (D-Queens) dished out $1,319 to Masada II Car Limo Service for travel.

Sears defended her spending, saying the cabs are used to get to meetings throughout the day.

Few rules govern where the cash goes and how much is spent.

Councilwoman Letitia James (WFP-Brooklyn) spent $9,300 on maids and exterminators while at least three members spent nothing. Her two-level office with three bathrooms in a Brooklyn brownstone is "a lot to clean," she said.

More startling were the differences in rental payments.

Council Speaker Christine Quinn, whose district includes trendy Chelsea, spent $52,167 for the year, while Gerson, of lower Manhattan, spent nothing. He uses free government offices, his spokesman said.

Councilwoman Jessica Lappin (D-Manhattan) paid about $30,000 for her upper East Side offices, the same as Councilman James Oddo (R-S.I.) paid for his New Dorp digs. "It's a challenge," Lappin said.

The war chest for individual office spending has increased 15% in the past five years.

The revelations come as the Council is under fire for relying on phantom organizations to siphon money to pet projects in various districts.

"Because of the recent Council scandals, they have to make sure all money is being spent appropriately," said Elizabeth Lynam, research director at the Citizens Budget Commission.

"As we've seen, there are practices that have been historic that may not be appropriate."

blesser@nydailynews.com

Et Tu, Bloomy? Mike Bares Own Slush Fund by David Seifman and Tom Topousis - New York Post

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Five weeks into a federal probe of City Council slush funds, Mayor Bloomberg revealed yesterday that he kept his own secret taxpayer-funded cash stash - and used it to reward favored lawmakers.

The mayor's $4.5 million slush fund had never before been made public - and some council members said they weren't even aware of it.

After being doled out to selected lawmakers, the money was passed along to dozens of nonprofit groups supported by legislators - including at least one with a checkered history.

The largest chunk, $1.9 million, went to Councilman Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn), one of the mayor's most ardent supporters.

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, who has publicly praised Bloomberg as the greatest mayor in city history, received $900,000 to help fund two popular concert series.

Councilman Erik Dilan (D-Brooklyn) won $100,000, including $60,000 for the North Brooklyn Community Council, which has come under question because it is run by his wife.

That was on top of the $187,000 he delivered to the group through the council over the past three years.

"They recognized that the North Brooklyn Community Council has done great things over the year," said Dilan spokesman Woody Pascal.

"There was no quid pro quo," Pascal added.

One source said seven out of the eight council members who received funds endorsed Bloomberg for re-election in 2005. Only Helen Sears of Queens did not.

Bloomberg's slush funds were channeled through various city agencies to 45 groups and weren't listed on the document released each year by the council that delineates how some $50 million in discretionary spending is allocated.

The U.S. Attorney's Office and the city Department of Investigation are investigating the council's use of slush funds - first revealed by The Post to be hidden under the names of nonexistent sham organizations.

In a memo to Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor Ed Skyler conceded the process lacks transparency and "can create a mistaken impression that the Mayor's Office is funding its own 'member items.' This should be rectified."

In the future, Skyler said, the groups receiving the mayor's funds would be made public along with the council sponsors when the budget is adopted each June.

Bloomberg aides wouldn't reveal whether special grants had been made in prior years and said they are reviewing them.

The practice dates back at least to the Giuliani administration.

"I always believed it started as a way for the then-mayor to help the minority [Republican] delegation members," said Councilman James Oddo (R-Staten Island).

A spokesman for Markowitz said the borough president never requested the funds, but they had instead been sought by a nonprofit organization.

James Oddo - Get the f*** out of my office

Interview with James "Get the "F" Out of My Office" Oddo...

James Oddo, a Staten Island Republican member of the New York City Council completely loses it when interviewed by a Norwegian comedian.

He uses some explicit language - dropping the "F' bomb a few times..and ends the interview by threatening to beat up the woman and throw her gear out the window..!