New Bills: Allergens to Parade Rules

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New Bills: Allergens to Parade Rules

Gotham Gazette - New York,NY*

by Gross

April 28, 2008

http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20080428/203/2513/

Though the City Council's budget scandal remains at center stage in

City Hall, the legislative process has continued on.

Over the past month, more than a dozen bills have been introduced on

the council floor, from fighting asthma triggers to overturning the

New York Police Department's parade rules.

Here is a sample of legislation you may have missed.

Reducing Asthma Triggers

New York City is known as having one of the highest asthma rates

among children in the country. It is the number one cause for the

hospitalization of children under 14. A study by the city's

Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in 2000 found kids in New

York City were twice as likely to be hospitalized for asthma

compared to children nationwide.

While many attribute this staggering rate to an urban environment

full of pollution and congestion, there are other culprits, like

mice, cockroaches and mold, some city officials said. To nab these

allergens, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum and Councilmember Rosie

Mendez introduced legislation (Intro 750) that requires owners of

buildings with multiple units to immediately remove allergens if the

building is occupied by an individual with respiratory issues. These

allergens would include mold, fungi and pests.

" These problems have serious health consequences and our bill will

force landlords and inspectors to take them seriously, " said Gotbaum

in a prepared statement. " There has never been a consistent or

appropriate standard for dealing with mold and pest infestations in

New York City, and that needs to change. "

Some mold infestations are violations of Department of Housing

Preservation and Development's regulations, but there currently is

no protocol to deal with most infestations and remediation. The

bill, city officials said in a prepared statement, would require a

landlord take immediate action.

Under the legislation, landlords would be required to inspect a unit

that is occupied with an asthmatic person at least once a year. If

landlords do not comply, the could be subject to six month

imprisonment or a $500 fine.

The legislation can also apply to apartment units where non-

asthmatic residents live, depending on the size of the infestation.

Policing Processions

The New York Police Department's parade permit process has come

under serious scrutiny ever since the Republican National Convention

in 2004, where hundreds of protesters were arrested and dozens of

lawsuits followed.

Last year the police department required any group to apply for a

parade permit if they were a demonstration comprised of more than 50

people. Since then, community groups and city officials have railed

against the department, calling the policy a violation of the first

amendment.

In response two pieces of legislation were introduced recently, one

by Councilmember Barron, the other by (Intro 740) Mendez

(Intro 743).

Barron's bill ensures the police department does not deny permits

based on race or ideology, and it also requires the department

employ the " least restrictive " measures to ensure the safety of the

public.

Mendez's bill would overhaul the department's permitting process and

overturn a department policy that requires of more than 50 to apply

for a permit. The bill, called the " First Amendment Assembly Act, "

would exempt demonstrations that are an immediate response to an

event from the permit process. It would also not require groups of

less than 100 to apply for a permit.

The rules were drafted from a Washington D.C. policy that reportedly

reduced tensions between police and protestors.

Parking Permits Reprise

Earlier this year, the Bloomberg administration decided to crackdown

on civil servant parking permits by 20 percent. The move came after

a New York Post report that found out 129 government agencies had

qualified to receive the parking perk.

As a follow up, Councilmember Tony Avella introduced legislation

(Intro 744) that would require the city create a public record of

every permit on its website. There are some exceptions, according to

the bill, including those who are victims of domestic violence.

Building Plans on the Web

Councilmember Mendez introduced legislation (Intro 749) that would

require the Department of Buildings make all of its records

available online. The bill would require any record be put online

after July 2008.

Synthetic Turf

Councilmember Baez introduced legislation (Intro 739) that

would put a moratorium on the use of artificial turf with crumb

rubber. Crumb rubber, which is made from recycled tires, can have

high concentrations of lead, according to some reports.

Other Related Articles:

Concerns Grow but the Grass Doesn't (2008-02-29)

Greening City Schoolyards (2007-11-13)