Councilman Eric Ulrich this week announced his intention to run in the special election for Public Advocate.

By Michael V. Cusenza

After weeks of speculation, City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) announced on Monday that he is running for Public Advocate in the upcoming special election for the citywide post that Tish James will vacate on Jan. 1 when she is sworn in as State attorney general.

Ulrich, 33, made it official with a 70-second YouTube video filmed in his native Ozone Park.

“Now, more than ever, New Yorkers are looking for someone who’s willing to stand up to Mayor de Blasio and his so-called progressive agenda,” Ulrich said.

For years, the councilman, who has represented South Queens on the council since 2009, has been quite vocal about his disdain for de Blasio and his politics, often relishing his role as the wily fly in Hizzoner’s liberal liniment.

“If you ask the mayor who on the City Council annoys him the most,” Ulrich said at a 2017 Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic meeting, “he’ll tell you it’s me.”

The YouTube clip presents more of that anti-de Blasio bravado. Ulrich uses the platform to make his case as the best man to bring checks and balances back to Gotham politics.

“I’m running for Public Advocate because I believe that we as a city deserve better, and because I want to give a voice to the majority of New Yorkers who this mayor continues to ignore,” Ulrich said. “Time and time again, this mayor has let us down, or he sold out the people of this city in exchange for a campaign contribution or a political favor. It’s no secret that it’s the special-interest groups and the lobbyists that are calling the shots at City Hall. It must end. And it can end.”

Ulrich enters an already crowded fray. On Wednesday, Gotham Gazette estimated that there are “roughly two-dozen candidates who have officially declared or indicated they are exploring a run in the expected February special election for New York City Public Advocate.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

Finally.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last Friday released the highly anticipated Draft Integrated Hurricane Sandy General Reevaluation Report and Environmental Impact Statement, or Rockaway/Jamaica Bay Reformulation Report, which examines coastal storm risk management problems and opportunities for the East Rockaway Inlet to Rockaway Inlet and Jamaica Bay project area that was devastated by the impacts of Superstorm Sandy in October 2012.

The long-stalled analysis will ultimately determine the best possible coastline defense to protect the whole Rockaway peninsula and communities surrounding Jamaica Bay from storms and floods in a way that is sustainable over the long-term, both for the natural coastal ecosystem and for nearby neighborhoods.

The Tentatively Selected Plan, with a price tag of several billion dollars, extends along approximately 152,000 linear feet of project area from the eastern end of the Rockaway Peninsula at Inwood, Nassau County, to the western end of the peninsula, at Breezy Point, where the plan wraps around the existing shoreline past the Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge. Near Jacob Riis Park a storm surge barrier crosses Rockaway Inlet landing at Floyd Bennet Field, Brooklyn. The plan continues up Flatbush Avenue before turning west along the existing shoreline and continuing west until Norton Point.  From Norton Point, the line of protection continues on the north side of Coney Island, crossing Coney Island Creek.  From Coney Island Creek it continues north along the shoreline to high ground.

The plan along the Atlantic Ocean Shorefront consists of:

• A reinforced dune (composite seawall) with a structure crest elevation of +17 feet (NAVD88) and dune elevation of +18 feet (NAVD88), and a design berm width of 60 feet extending approximately 35,000 LF from Beach 9th to Beach 149th. The bottom of dune reinforcement extends up to 15 feet below the dune crest.
• A beach berm elevation of +8 ft. NAVD and a depth of closure of -25 ft. NAVD;
• A total beach fill quantity of approximately 804,000 cy for the initial placement, including tolerance, overfill and advanced nourishment with a 4-year renourishment cycle of approximately 1,021,000 cy, resulting in an advance berm width of 60 feet;
• Obtaining sand from borrow area located approximately 2 miles south of the Rockaway Peninsula and about 6 miles east of the Rockaway Inlet. It’s about 2.6 miles long, and 1.1 miles wide, with depths of 36 to 58 feet and contains approximately 17 million cy of suitable beach fill material, which exceeds the required initial fill and all periodic renourishment fill operations.
• Extension of five existing groins; and construction of 13 new groins.

The alignment along Jamaica Bay and Rockaway Inlet (on the Queens side) consists of:

• Reinforced Dune along the shoreline in Reaches 1 and 2 of the Atlantic Coast Planning Reach, from Beach 149th Street to Breezy Point.
• Levee and from approximately B227th Street north overland across Breezy Point, thence eastward from B222nd Street to B201st Street. Approximately 450,000 cubic yards of sediment required for levee construction.
• Concrete floodwall south along B201st Street extending east along north side of Rockaway Boulevard to B184th Street, thence north to existing shoreline. Concrete floodwall continues east to storm surge barrier approximately 2,300 ft. east of the Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge/Marine Parkway Bridge.
• A 3,970-foot storm surge barrier across Rockaway Inlet from near Jacob Riis Park to Floyd Bennet Field.

The public comment period will open on Sept. 2 and end on Nov. 2, according to the USACE. For more information, visit nan.usace.army.mil.

By Michael V. Cusenza

City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) came out swinging this week, fast and furiously – blasting the mayor for his “poor handling” of a Superstorm Sandy reconstruction program, then demanding the immediate resignation or termination of Hizzoner’s top storm recovery official.

The political pugilism started on Monday morning on Beach 117^th Street in Rockaway Park, where Ulrich ripped Mayor Bill de Blasio at a press conference, saying the mayor “refuses to take responsibility for the failure of Build it Back. There is a total lack of accountability and compassion.”

Ulrich lambasted Build it Back and the current administration “for not delivering on their promise to help people get back into their homes after Superstorm Sandy.”

To illustrate his point, Ulrich held the event in front of the unfinished home of the Nichtern family, Ellen and her mom. The Nichterns have been out of their home for the past five months, during which time Build it Back has not done any work on the residence, Ulrich said, nor has Build it Back remained in contact with Ellen to let her know the status of the project.

Ulrich called Build it Back’s treatment of Nichtern “and the many people in the same situation entirely unacceptable.

“Like so many of my constituents affected by Superstorm Sandy, Ellen Nichtern has been let down by the bureaucrats at Build it Back,” the councilman continued. “This program is a complete disaster. Everyone knows it.”

Ulrich, who is openly flirting with a campaign to unseat de Blasio next fall, also said that Build it Back Director “Amy Peterson should resign today and allow new leadership to run the program more effectively. If she won’t resign, Mayor de Blasio should fire her.”

Several elected officials, including de Blasio, quickly came to Peterson’s defense.

“When Mayor de Blasio took office and appointed Amy Peterson to run the program, not one homeowner had received a check or seen construction. That is why this administration immediately overhauled the program and took over direct management – resulting in 80 percent of homeowners served to date. Further, $120 million in reimbursement checks have been issued to residents,” said Raul Contreras, spokesman for the Mayor’s Office. “We are continuing to elevate and rebuild homes across the city to complete the program – as the Mayor committed – by the end of this year.”

And on Monday afternoon, Councilman Mark Treyger (D-Brooklyn) said that “Build it Back may face challenges, but Amy Peterson is not one of them. She deserves much credit for improvement of [the] program post-Bloomberg.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Forum Staff

Elected officials joined the City Housing Recovery Office last week to unveil a pilot program to address abandoned, Superstorm Sandy-damaged properties in several Big Apple communities.

The plan will allow the City to identify and purchase deserted, run-down 1-4 unit homes in one strategically chosen neighborhood in each of the three major Build it Back boroughs: Brighton Beach in Brookly; Edgemere in Queens; and New Dorp on Staten Island.

Properties, HRO Director Amy Peterson noted, will be identified through a canvassing effort outlined below, vetted by a Technical Review Committee, and their owners will be invited to apply to the Build it Back Acquisition Program for further eligibility review, benefit determination, acquisition offer and closing.

“The pilot program is an exciting extension of Build it Back’s work – leveraging federal dollars provided by HUD to solve a local problem that our selected neighborhoods have faced since the storm,” said Amy Peterson, Director of the New York City Housing Recovery Office. “To ignore the abandoned properties would not only negatively impact the homeowners that Build it Back strives to serve, but would ultimately endanger the investment of public dollars used to restore and improve the housing stock in these communities.

According to the administration, the methodology for determining which neighborhoods to target for the program resulted in a focus on Sandy-impacted neighborhoods in which the problem of abandoned properties is most prevalent. To ensure that the selected neighborhoods matched those where the most recovery work is occurring, only neighborhoods where 50 or more Build it Back repair, elevation, rebuild or acquisition applicants reside were considered.

The City has pledged an external physical assessment that will be combined with a review of other relevant property specific information to create a more detailed assessment of potential abandonment.

“While many residents returned to their homes after Sandy, there are still properties that have been abandoned leaving blight right in the middle of our communities,” said City Councilman Donovan Richards (D-Laurelton). “Now, Build it Back is stepping up to secure those properties to find better uses for the land in flood zones, so neighborhoods like Edgemere are not left dealing with eyesores. I’d like to thank Amy Peterson for working to identify these homes across the city and finding ways to use that land to lift up these communities.”

Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-Brooklyn and Staten Island) added, “We’ve been working with the City of New York to formulate this plan to address the problem of abandoned properties, which have plagued our neighborhoods following Hurricane Sandy. Many buildings were left structurally-unsound by the storm, in danger of collapsing at any moment, and some have served as breeding grounds for harmful mold. We also fielded an unsettling number of complaints of rodent infestation on properties like these. If these buildings are not surveyed, cleaned and repaired, not only will our recovery efforts be impeded, but a new set of health issues could arise in communities full of families that have suffered enough in the storm’s wake.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

Of the 1,257 newly minted Members of the Service who graduated last week from the Police Academy, 100 have been assigned to the various commands within Patrol Borough Queens South.

“You are coming along at an ideal time – a force that is succeeding more and more, innovating more and more, is proving its abilities more every day,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said to the probationary officers during the commencement ceremony at Madison Square Garden. “And you’re going to be change agents. You’re going to be the next generation that makes us better, that bonds police and community in a way we’ve never seen before. You are going to be part of that generation that will look back on in years and say, we’re the generation who brought policing to the next level.”

Police Commissioner Bill Bratton added, “We have sought to do everything in our power to improve your training.”

The rookies now find themselves part of that successful, innovative police force to which de Blasio referred in his remarks. And for Bratton, the cornerstone of that force is Neighborhood Policing.

Rolled out in December 2015, the Neighborhood Policing Plan, now in 31 commands, is designed to greatly increase the cop/community connectivity without in any way diminishing the NYPD’s crime-fighting capabilities.

“We want to police with the community, not at the community,” said Assistant Chief Terrence Monahan, one of the architects of the NPP.

The plan divides precincts into four or five fully staffed sectors that correspond, as much as possible, to the boundaries of actual existing neighborhoods. Sector officers assigned to these sectors work the same neighborhoods on the same shifts, increasing their familiarity with the local residents and local problems. The radio dispatchers, supervisors, and sector officers work together to maintain “sector integrity,” meaning that the sector officers and sector cars do not leave the boundaries of their assigned sectors, except in genuine emergencies. The plan seeks to foster a sense of ownership among sector officers for the people, the problems, and even the perpetrators in a particular sector; a sense of geographic responsibility and accountability.

“It operationalizes community policing in a way that eluded previous models and reestablishes the primacy of patrol as the backbone of preventive policing,” Bratton said.

Eight precincts comprise PBQS, and its headquarters is the 107^th Precinct in Fresh Meadows. Assistant Chief David Barrere is the commanding officer.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

Elected officials joined concerned southern Queens and Rockaway civic leaders last Friday in urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to release the draft report and immediately thereafter hold neighborhood meetings regarding the proposed Rockaway Reformulation Study – the long-stalled analysis which will ultimately determine the best possible coastline defense to protect the whole Rockaway peninsula and communities surrounding Jamaica Bay from storms and floods.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Howard Beach) have also penned a letter to the USACE NY District, detailing the significance of the draft report and public forums.

“Families in southern Queens and Rockaway deserve to have ample opportunity to understand the report and provide formal feedback on the plans in the draft report,” Schumer and Goldfeder wrote. “We understand the Corps plans to release the draft report shortly and we urge you do this in a timely manner that maintains the current schedule without delay and looks to expedite it where possible.”

Initially, the Superstorm Sandy relief bill that was signed into law required that the feds pick up 65 percent of the project. Immediately after the bill’s passage, Schumer said he began working with the USACE and Office of Management and Budget to re-categorize the effort as “ongoing construction,” and therefore eligible for full federal funding.

However, the bill was passed into law over two years ago, and the Corps has yet to release the draft General Reevaluation Report publicly or hold formal community meetings—the next steps in the process to start construction.

Schumer and Goldfeder said it’s time for the feds to give Rockaway the update it deserves and one it has been patiently awaiting.
“Rockaway residents, some of whom are still feeling the devastating impact of Superstorm Sandy, deserve to see the essential details on the Rockaway Reformulation Study being planned in their community and have an opportunity to provide feedback,” Schumer said. “The Army Corps should release the draft plan and engage with the community ASAP. Public meetings will allow residents to voice their concerns, improve the plan and ask important questions that affect their future.”

Immediately after Sandy, the USACE allowed for emergency sand replacement to protect Rockaway from future storm surges. The Corps has since completed that work, placing 3.5 million cubic-yards of sand in Rockaway. But since that sand placement, Rockaway already experienced significant erosion. The long term comprehensive coastal storm risk reduction plan for Rockaway and Jamaica Bay requires the completion of hard, protective features including a sea wall, jetties, and groins.

“Communities in Rockaway and around Jamaica Bay are only as strong and resilient as the weakest link in our storm protections,” Goldfeder said. “The Army Corps’ proposed Rockaway Reformulation Study has the potential to strengthen our shorelines and protect thousands of families from the devastation from sea level rise and storms like Sandy. With the future of our communities at stake, families deserve to see the long awaited study released, work commence and the Army Corps ensure our voices are heard at every step in the process.”

The USACE New York District told The Forum that the draft report is on its way.

“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers appreciates Sen. Schumer and Assemblyman Goldfeder’s ongoing interest and support for the reformulation report for Rockaway. The New York District is in the process of finalizing the draft reformulation report and it is expected to be released for public review in July 2016. Public information meetings are scheduled to be conducted beginning in late summer regarding the report.

Sen. Schumer and Assemblyman Goldfeder will be informed directly by the New York District of planned public information meetings prior to the meetings.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Forum Staff

From the Lower Chamber to higher education.

Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder’s (D-Howard Beach) next stop will be Yeshiva University, according to the school, which made it official on Tuesday.

The District 23 representative is slated to step in as director of Government Relations for the Manhattan-based research institution.

“I have dedicated my life in public service to ensuring a better future for all our families. This begins by providing our children with a world-class education that will enable them to be successful and contribute to the community,” said Goldfeder. “I’m excited to utilize my diverse experience to advance the mission and goals of the University.”

Goldfeder stunned colleagues and constituents earlier this month when he announced that he would not seek a fourth term. He has officially endorsed Rockaway Democratic district leader Stacey Pheffer Amato as his successor in the Assembly.

“It has been a real pleasure to serve alongside Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder,” said Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx). “Phil’s departure, while a tremendous loss for the Assembly, will be a great gain for Yeshiva University. His leadership, energy and enthusiasm have been an invaluable contribution to the Assembly and to the state of New York. I wish him all the best in this new role.”

Goldfeder’s career in public service began as a community liaison for the City Council. He went on to become Queens director for the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit under Michael Bloomberg. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) later hired him as his office’s director of Intergovernmental Affairs. In September 2011, Goldfeder emerged victorious from special election for the D23 seat.

“I have had the privilege of knowing and working with Phil for many years from the time he worked in the Mayor’s Office, through his work with Senator Schumer and most recently as a New York State legislator,” said Andrew (Avi) Lauer, vice president for Legal Affairs and general counsel at YU. “I look forward to working closely with him and have every confidence that he will represent YU with the same passion, professionalism and vigor as he has his constituents for so many years.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

If government malfeasance, rampant and blatant violations of the public trust, or greed at the expense of the downtrodden make you want to put your fist through water-logged sheetrock, then stay away from the Frontline/National Public Radio special report “The Business of Disaster.”

The piece, which debuted on Tuesday night, takes a look at what happens when the wind and rain die down and it’s time to assess the damage. Specifically, reporter Laura Sullivan examines the aftermath of Mother Nature’s malevolent 2012 masterpiece Superstorm Sandy, and who stands to actually gain from another’s loss.

“My instructions to federal agencies: Cut through the red tape and bureaucracy,” President Barack Obama said shortly after the storm eviscerated parts of the city, including many south Queens communities. “Get the resources to the people that need it.”

About that “red tape and bureaucracy,” Mr. President…

“I should be at home in my house and part of my community, and instead I’m out here doing this,” said a visibly frustrated Doug Quinn, whose Toms River, N.J., home was destroyed by Sandy.

Quinn’s story is alarmingly not unique. His $250,000 flood insurance policy only paid out $90,000 – not remotely close to what he needed to rebuild his house and life.

“My back was against the wall, because I knew something was wrong,” Quinn said.

So he hired an attorney.

The report goes on to rehash the fraudulent scheme made public by whistle-blowing building engineers. Private engineering companies purposefully altered reports so as to not fully reflect the true impact and damage caused by Sandy to New Yorkers’ homes, which led to the unjust denial or underpayment of flood insurance claims. Hundreds of flood-damage reports were allegedly falsified, and both engineering firms and insurance companies were placed under investigation by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General and State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman for possible criminal conduct.

“I never saw anything worse in my entire life,” said John Houghtaling, a New Orleans attorney who previously fought the Federal Emergency Management Agency and insurance companies after Hurricane Katrina – and won (and won, and won, and won…) “They’re making up fake facts to come up with exclusions.”

As a result, federal officials announced that FEMA had agreed to reopen and review every flood insurance claim—approximately 144,000—filed by Sandy victims.

FEMA takes a beating in “The Business of Disaster.” But the agency is not alone. Insurance companies, represented here by a single spokesman, spend a prolonged period of time in the barrel during the one-hour report.

Sullivan said she pored over documents trying to figure out just how much money insurance companies clocked after Sandy, as, strangely, none of them wished to divulge their profit margin. She believes that altogether they made more than $400 million.

“They can’t begin to fathom the amount of financial wreckage they’ve created for average people,” said Quinn, who was able to get his claim reviewed – but legal fees ate up most of the adjusted payout. “It makes me angry to see these people profiting unfairly off other people’s misery. We’re average, middle-class people…and we’re in ruins.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

The City’s Superstorm Sandy employment initiative will be making additional free pre-apprenticeship training opportunities available to low- and middle-income residents of Sandy-impacted areas, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last week.

For the first time, select Sandy Recovery Workforce1 pre-apprenticeship training programs will host certain classes in these Sandy-impacted communities, de Blasio noted last Friday.

“Since the beginning, we have been committed not just to our recovery, but to providing opportunities to New Yorkers in our hardest-hit neighborhoods,” he added. “Build it Back has thus far connected 680 Sandy-impacted New Yorkers to high-quality employment, including many to the construction trades through union pre-apprenticeship vouchers. We are now increasing our capacity so that more Sandy-impacted New Yorkers can access these life changing opportunities.”

De Blasio launched Sandy Recovery Workforce1 in 2014 as part of an overhaul of the City’s Build it Back program and larger reconstruction effort. The program is part of the broader mission of the Mayor’s Office of Housing Recovery Operations to connect Sandy-impacted residents with careers in the unionized construction industry and jobs related to the recovery and rebuilding of these communities. According to the administration, residents from the affected communities have been hired through Workforce1 and Build it Back for jobs such as construction managers, procurement managers, residential construction inspectors, administrative assistants, and customer service representatives.

Through the Sandy Recovery Hiring Plan, the de Blasio administration has urged recovery construction managers to hire locally. They have been encouraged to work with community groups and job-training programs to identify candidates for construction-related work.

As a result of collaboration between the City, the NYC Building and Construction Trades Council and pre-apprenticeship training providers, New Yorkers will be able to enroll in designated classes, de Blasio said.

The pre-apprenticeship offerings include: a class in May which will have its first week hosted in the Rockaway Workforce1 Career Center on Rockaway Beach Boulevard, run by The Edward J. Malloy Initiative for Construction Skills; a class in June run by NYC District Council of Carpenters Building Works open to Sandy-impacted communities; and a class in July for women in Sandy-impacted communities run by Nontraditional Employment for Women.

Additionally, HRO indicated that Sandy Recovery Workforce1 will continue its partnership with New York City Helmets to Hardhats, which serves as a direct entry pathway into construction unions for veterans. Each provider has State Department of Labor-approved direct entry agreements with DOL-registered and City Building and Construction Trade Council-affiliated apprenticeship programs.

All pre-apprenticeship vouchers are funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery Program. To date, according to the administration, 84 vouchers have been distributed and 66 people have graduated from the programs using our vouchers, preparing them for union work as roofers, metal lathers, painters, laborers, and carpenters.

Residents in Sandy-impacted ZIP codes interested in taking advantage of the pre-apprenticeship opportunities should visit their nearest Sandy Recovery Workforce1 office at sandyrecoveryopportunities.com. Sandy-impacted Queens ZIP codes are: 11102, 11414, 11420, 11422, 11433, 11434, 11691, 11692, 11693, 11694, and 11697.

By Michael V. Cusenza

And baby makes… Five!

Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Howard Beach) and wife, Esther, last week welcomed the latest addition to Assembly District 23: a healthy baby boy.

“This tremendous blessing fills our family with joy,” Goldfeder said last Thursday, “especially our daughter Eliana and son Asher, who have a new baby brother.”

Both mother and son are happy, healthy, and resting comfortably.

“As someone born and raised in Rockaway, my work has always been driven by the desire to make our community a better place for my children and for every family,” the assemblyman added. “The birth of our son serves as a humble reminder to continue this work of ensuring a better future for all.”

Speculation out of the Peninsula is Goldfeder feels he now has the numbers to approach Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and request the formation of a new Assembly Subcommittee on Cute Kid Pics.

Stay tuned.

By Forum Staff

Borough President Melinda Katz’s Hurricane Relief Task Force this week reviewed the progress of the work thus far in Queens by the City’s “NYC Build it Back” Program, which is dedicated to assisting homeowners, landlords, and tenants in the five boroughs whose homes and properties were damaged by Hurricane Sandy of October 2012. Over 60 percent of Queens homeowners in the Build it Back program have been served thus far, according to the Mayor’s Office of Housing Recovery Operations, with construction completed on hundreds of more homes in the past year.

The Hurricane Relief Task Force prioritizes effective inter-agency collaboration and increases community engagement in the planning process by bringing together multiple local, state and federal government agencies, elected officials and civic leaders to one table to discuss relevant recovery and rebuilding issues.

“The Task Force – including HRO and Build it Back – has done a steady job in conducting comprehensive outreach to Sandy-affected communities toward the rebuilding and resiliency efforts,” said Katz. “A considerable amount of progress has taken place since Superstorm Sandy, the bulk of which since 2014 under the de Blasio administration. Much work still remains, however, and the Task Force continues to work together in close coordination with full community input. The city agencies on the Task Force have assured there will be no rest until all remaining items in the pipeline are complete.”

Queens has the largest population of Build it Back constructions and elevation/rebuilds citywide. Queens neighborhoods most served under Build it Back have been Howard Beach, Belle Harbor, Breezy Point, Far Rockaway-Bayswater, Rockaway Park, and Arverne. A total of 3,962 Queens single-family homeowners who were impacted by Hurricane Sandy are active applicants under the Build it Back program, 60 percent of whom (2,389 homeowners) have been served thus far.

Of the 2,389 Queens homeowners, 2,717 selected construction options through Build it Back; construction on 655 homes (24 percent) is now complete, up by 433 since May 2015 when Katz approved the amendment to the “Citywide Flood Resilience Text Amendment,” lifting the regulatory barriers that had previously burdened entire neighborhoods and prevented homes from fully rebuilding after Hurricane Sandy.

Of the 1,181 Queens homeowners (2,043 citywide) who selected the option to both repair and elevate their homes to comply with flood elevation standards, 28 have been completed to-date. Reimbursement checks have been issued to 2,254 Queens homeowners totaling $49.8 million (of the 5,555 totaling $109.5 million citywide) to cover the costs incurred in repairing their homes themselves.

By Forum Staff

The Assembly last week approved a group of bills designed to streamline homeowner insurance payouts, standardize policies and simplify confusing contract language.

The legislation, sponsored by Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Howard Beach) comes at a time of increased scrutiny over flood insurance company practices, with the federal government currently reviewing homeowners’ claims of fraud and abuse by insurance company adjusters under the National Flood Insurance Program.

“So many families in southern Queens and Rockaway were victimized twice during Sandy,” said Goldfeder. “The unscrupulous actions and fraud perpetrated by flood insurance companies added insult to injury for families who suffered so greatly during the storm itself. The passage of these disaster bills will cut down on abuse and protect families when they need help the most.”

In an effort to expedite an often lengthy insurance claims process, the package includes provisions aimed at cutting red tape often faced by families. Under bill A.2946, the courts would be required to provide for expedited judicial review for claims relating to damages occurring within State Disaster Emergency areas declared by the governor.

In addition, bill A.4458 establishes a set time period insurance providers would have to let policyholders know if their claim would be accepted or rejected. Specifically, insurers would have fifteen days after receiving all necessary proof of loss to inform the policyholder of the decision. Upon settlement, the insurer would then have three days to pay the claim.

The package also includes two bills that direct the state’s top financial regulator to simplify complicated insurance policy language. Bill A.1230-A requires the superintendent of the state Department of Financial Services to provide standard definitions for commonly used terms and phrases found in homeowner and commercial line policies relating to lost or damaged property.

Under bill A.7537, DFS would be required to establish reasonable standards for triggering catastrophic windstorm premium deductibles applied to homeowner’s policies. The bill is also designed to help reduce the confusion many homeowners often feel when required to cover deductibles during insurance payouts. Unlike health coverage and other forms of insurance, windstorm policies often include deductibles expressed as a percentage of a homeowner’s value of the property, leading to unexpectedly high deductibles for many families. To better educate families, the bill would require insurers to send notifications explaining their policies and deductibles to homeowners prior to each hurricane season.

The four bills must now be approved by the Senate, where the legislation currently awaits committee review.

“Rising flood waters and rising insurance premiums threaten to destroy the neighborhoods we know and love,” Goldfeder said. “Reforming insurance company practices will help our families meet the challenges of future storms and ensure that our communities remain affordable for years to come.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

It’s that time of year: Scam Season.

The annual income tax filing period is a gold mine for schemers that use the phone and computer to take advantage of targets and pilfer money and identities.

This year, Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Howard Beach), is calling on area homeowners that were victimized by Superstorm Sandy to remain especially vigilant in securing their personal information as they begin to receive responses to their requests for review of their flood insurance claims.

According to Goldfeder, families have contacted his district office recently after receiving emails from adjusters regarding their request for review of National Flood Insurance Policy flood claims filed last year. In one such email from the organization NFIP iService, adjusters use language such as “significant payout recommendation” and request personal information including date of birth, city and state of birth, and flood policy numbers.

Goldfeder contacted the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which oversees the NFIP, to confirm the company’s identity. FEMA officials indicated that NFIP iService is legitimate, explaining that FEMA has contracted the company as a third party to oversee the claims-review process. FEMA has offered to work with Goldfeder’s office in verifying the identity of individual adjusters that may contact homeowners in regard to their claims.

“After everything our families have gone through during Sandy, it’s shameful that there are people that will still try to take advantage of victims,” Goldfeder said. “As policyholders begin to hear back on their claims, I urge families to remain vigilant in protecting their personal information and ensuring the identity of adjusters that may reach out to them. We’ve been through so much in the last three and a half years and the last thing we need is to see families victimized all over again.”

Last March, federal officials announced that FEMA has agreed to reopen and review every flood insurance claim filed by Sandy victims, and not limit corrective action to just the 2,200 that were in litigation as of spring 2015.

Early last year, FEMA admitted to its role in a fraud scandal, detailing how NFIP may have cheated thousands of Sandy homeowners out of millions in insurance funds.

As of March 3, 2016, 3,690 claims have been closed within the Sandy Claims Review process, Goldfeder said, resulting in payments of more than $25 million to 1,700 policyholders.

Additionally, Goldfeder last year introduced legislation to create the New York Flood Insurance Association – a joint underwriting alliance aimed at providing homeowners with an alternative to rising federally-backed flood insurance premiums by offering “economical, fair and non-discriminatory policies; and protect families from the unfair flood damage claims practices experienced following” Sandy.

Goldfeder also recently sponsored the Insurance Good Faith Act, which establishes grounds for filing civil lawsuits to recoup damages.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

This fall, southern Queens and the Rockaway Peninsula will mark four years since Superstorm Sandy eviscerated communities, leaving residents and business owners of tight-knit neighborhoods like Hamilton Beach or Breezy Point to pick up the tattered, shattered pieces, rebuild and move on—physically, at least.

However, Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Howard Beach) this week blasted the City Department of Buildings for a backlog of pre-Sandy violations holding up applications in the Build it Back program.

The criticism was sparked, Goldfeder said, by an email exchange last week with Buildings Commissioner Rick Chandler.

Goldfeder faulted the agency for not prioritizing Sandy recovery and called on Chandler to intervene. The assemblyman added that members of his staff have spent “hours and days” working with borough DOB officials to resolve permitting issues and provide assistance to families still waiting to rebuild.

“Many families are still struggling to obtain building permits or clear outstanding pre-Sandy violations. More than three years after Sandy, it is unacceptable that DOB is still not dedicating the resources to get people home,” Goldfeder wrote in the email to Chandler. “Sandy victims must be a priority and sadly at DOB, that doesn’t seem to be the case.”

Goldfeder made a point in his message to praise Queens DOB officials, who he said have done a “great job” working through the backlog. Still, Goldfeder suggested that DOB place additional staff within Build it Back to supplement the work of the borough office and help “navigate and deal with ancient violations that are preventing progress.”

DOB has made Sandy victims a priority, Chandler shot back, adding that the agency has committed “significant resources” to help speed recovery efforts.

Constituents that have reached out to Goldfeder and staff have reported lengthy construction delays due to red tape, including buildings permitting issues. Multiple Build it Back applications have been hampered by open permits and unresolved violations. Many of these cases, Goldfeder noted, appear to be clustered in Queens communities like Broad Channel, Hamilton Beach and Breezy Point, where unique housing stock characteristics and proximity to protected wetlands have stalled rebuilds.

“Actions speak louder than words and after three years of red tape from the Department of Buildings, we expect real results,” Goldfeder said on Monday. “Our recovery will not be complete until every family is safe and secure, back in their own home.”

A Buildings spokesperson told The Forum on Tuesday that Sandy victims have been at the top of the list since the end of 2012.

“Helping New Yorkers displaced by Sandy rebuild and return home safely is a priority for the Buildings Department. DOB has more than 50 staff members dedicated to supporting the Build it Back program, and we are increasing staffing levels in Queens to guide homeowners and help resolve any outstanding issues. Working in close coordination with the Housing Recovery Office, DOB staff is also assisting with plan examinations and project sign-offs,” according to the spokesperson.

In the meantime, Assemblyman Goldfeder pledged to help Cardinale and other families struggling to recover from Superstorm Sandy. With a large portion of the city’s Build it Back applicants in his district and with many still waiting to return home, Goldfeder considers resolving Sandy permitting issues the next big step in the community’s recovery from the 2012 storm.

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Michael V. Cusenza

A Brooklyn city councilman has introduced a piece of legislation, part of a larger package of bills, that seeks to protect property owners, lessees, or occupants from receiving fines and penalties from the Department of Buildings while City-operated natural-disaster recovery programs are evaluating, or have already scheduled their properties for repair and/or remediation.

The proposed legislation introduced last week by Councilman Mark Treyger (D-Brooklyn), chairman of the Committee on Recovery and Resiliency, would also create a reimbursement program for anyone who has already been forced to pay a penalty. The bill’s parameters are likely to be expanded to include violations received from other city agencies, including the Department of Sanitation, Treyger noted.

The bill would provide help to many who have dealt with, or are still dealing with, related issues stemming from the effects of Superstorm Sandy, and would also ensure that a fair enforcement policy is already in place in the event of future disasters, he added.

“People waiting for assistance from the City’s Build It Back program should not be issued a violation by the Department of Buildings and forced to pay a fine simply because the program had not yet repaired their property. It undermines the public’s trust, faith and willingness to participate in recovery programs,” Treyger said. “Nobody should be left worse off by the recovery process than if they never participated in it at all, and the onus should be on the City and contractors to comply with rules and regulations related to Sandy recovery work, not residents. When the City makes you wait for repairs, you should not be penalized for it. And, when the City hires a contractor to perform recovery work on your house, you should not be penalized if the City or its contractor fails to do the work properly.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

By Forum Staff

The Mayor’s Office of Housing Recovery on Tuesday announced the procurement for new Temporary Housing Service providers for Build it Back applicants needing to relocate during construction.

The new providers, which will be fully funded by the City through existing U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funding, Mayor Bill de Blasio said, will allow the program to continue to accelerate construction towards the goal of completing and closing out BIB by the end of 2016.

In addition, HRO is calling on landlords throughout Superstorm Sandy-impacted communities to offer available apartments for Build it Back applicants to temporarily rent.

“As we move forward towards the Mayor’s goal of completing Build it Back by the end of the year, we are taking unprecedented steps to assist homeowners needing to relocate due to construction,” said HRO Director Amy Peterson. “Building on the pilot program we launched with the Mayor’s Fund and [New York Disaster Interfaith Services] this past year, we will be vastly expanding our resources to help homeowners find temporary apartments and to help them with all aspects of the move-out process. Additionally, we are looking to partner with landlords in the community who can offer temporary leases. As we reflect on our New Year’s resolutions, we are calling on New Yorkers to make a renewed commitment to helping their Sandy-impacted neighbors.”

According to HRO, these new initiatives, supported by HUD, build off  programs put in place in the past year as part of de Blasio’s “broader Sandy recovery overhaul,” including:

Build it Back Temporary Relocation Assistance Program: In April of 2014, the City dedicated funding for a Temporary Relocation Assistance program which covers rental expenses for homeowners displaced during construction. To date, more than 200 claims have been made.

Sandy Temporary Rental Program: In June, Build it Back, the Mayor’s Fund to Advance NYC and NYDIS launched the one-year, privately-funded Sandy Temporary Rental Program to provide housing assistance for vulnerable and under-resourced homeowners for the duration of construction. Administered by NYDIS and funded by the American Red Cross, Robin Hood Foundation, the Building Trade Employers’ Association, the Salvation Army and the United Methodist Committee on Relief, this program operates in conjunction with Build it Back’s Temporary Relocation Assistance program, which already provides rental reimbursement for homeowners relocated for at least a month due to construction.

To date, the program has placed 23 homeowners. These services will continue uninterrupted until the citywide services provider is selected.

“One of the most inspiring aspects of the Mayor’s Fund mission is our ability to work with city agencies to identify urgent challenges and a means by which private resources can help address them. We are proud to have done exactly that with the Sandy Temporary Rental Program, collaborating with our generous private partners to place Build it Back applicants in short-term housing and ensure construction can move forward on their homes,” said Darren Bloch, executive director of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City. “We look forward to seeing our Temporary Rental Program’s model expanded with this new procurement.”‎

By Michael V. Cusenza

Members of the City Council whose districts would be impacted by the Citywide Ferry Service slated to set sail in 2017 penned a joint letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio earlier this month to express concerns about the plan and its execution, according to an exclusive New York Daily News report.

The six stressed councilmembers said that the company that wins the bid to operate the service “must provide predictable and on-time service with a fleet large enough so that no one is left on the docks high and dry,” the News wrote in its story posted last Wednesday.

Asked for reaction to the legislators’ worries, City Economic Development Corporation Spokesman Ian Fried told The Forum, “We are currently in negotiations to secure a Citywide Ferry operator that would provide the highest quality service for New Yorkers at the lowest cost. New ferry service will link all five boroughs for the price of a subway fare. It will be a fast, convenient system that will knit together growing communities in need of new public transit options.”

De Blasio unveiled his vision of a new five-borough ferry system that would “knit together existing East River routes with new landings and services to Astoria, the Rockaways, South Brooklyn, Soundview and the Lower East Side” during his State of the City address last February. Backed by City operating support and a $55 million capital commitment, the project is considered on schedule, with the first three routes set to open in 2017.

The service will consist of five new ferry routes in addition to the existing East River Ferry service, charging a fare of $2.75, according to the EDC. When CFS is fully operational in 2018, the six routes will carry an estimated 4.6 million trips per year. EDC is leading the project by building ten new ferry landings and renovating six others.

“Beyond connecting residents to jobs in Manhattan, our new Citywide Ferry System will spur the development of new commercial corridors throughout the outer boroughs,” de Blasio said last year.

“We’re serious about bringing new infrastructure and transportation to communities across the five boroughs,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Alicia Glen. “The new Citywide Ferry System will link together neighborhoods that haven’t had access to affordable and convenient public transit—connecting people and businesses to support the growth of emerging commercial corridors, while helping more New Yorkers access jobs in established business districts. This is an important new investment for our administration, and we’re proud to see it moving ahead rapidly.”

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

Talk about adding insult to injury.

A Long Island contractor and his construction company have been charged with stealing more than $175,000 from victims whose Breezy Point homes were destroyed by Superstorm Sandy in October 2012 and who had contracted with the man to build their new homes, according to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.

Andrew Troiano, 51, of Maple Grove, and his corporation, Alt Design & Construction Consulting Inc., which at the time of the alleged crimes had offices in West Hempstead and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Troiano and his corporation were arraigned last Wednesday night on a criminal complaint charging each of them with violating New York State Lien Law 79-A-1 (second- and third-degree misappropriation of funds of trust), second-, third- and fourth-degree grand larceny and first-degree scheme to defraud.  Troiano, who faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted, was released on his own recognizance and ordered to return to court on Feb. 2.

In the case of Alt Design & Construction Consulting, conviction of a felony is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 or double the amount of the illegal gain.

According to the criminal charges, following the destruction of their Graham Place home during Superstorm Sandy, a Breezy Point couple hired Alt Design & Construction as their contractor on July 23, 2013, to purchase and construct a modular home which would be erected on their property.  The payment of the contractor’s price was spread out over time and payment became due based on specified acts listed in the contract. For example, it is alleged that a payment of $63,750 was due to Alt Design upon completion of the concrete foundation by a subcontractor. When the couple received an invoice from Alt Design for the completed foundation, it is alleged that they paid the company with a check dated March 31, 2014, for $63,750 and that said check cleared their account and was to be used by Alt Design for no other purpose than to pay for the foundation job.

According to the complaint, Troiano hired Malbro Construction as a subcontractor in November 2013 to install a concrete foundation and perform other construction services at the Breezy Point couple’s Graham Place location. During the course of performing the job, Malbro Construction allegedly received a partial payment of $13,000 from Alt Design, and that when the job was completed on or about April 30, 2014, Alt Design had an outstanding balance of $49,182 owed to Malbro Construction.  A demand by Malbro Construction for payment from Alt Design allegedly resulted in no further payments and that although the defendants never disputed the payment due, to date, they have not paid any of the outstanding balance due.

The complaint alleges that, in all, three families became victims of Troiano and his company.

A forensic review of Alt Design’s bank records allegedly revealed that a total of $178,750 was received from the three Breezy Point homeowners and credited to Troiano’s account, but no payments were ever made to the subcontractors.  And after a Breezy Point couple living on Hillside Avenue paid $55,000 to Alt Design for the ordering of their modular house, the money was used by Troiano and the company for unrelated matters, including cash withdrawals totaling more than $8,000, payments for unrelated jobs, payments to attorneys, Cablevision, Verizon Wireless, Goodyear Auto and purchases at various liquor stores and restaurants.

On Thumbtack.com, a website that delivers customized quotes so consumers can compare pricing, read reviews, and hire professionals, a user with the handle “Gina Haggerty H.” posted a one-star review on Alt Design’s page on Nov. 23: “Gave a deposit and he didn’t do a thing! We are a young couple who lost their home in sandy and he stole our money!”

User “Andrew L. from ALT Design & Construction, Inc.” replied on Dec. 10: “Mrs. Haggerty forgot to tell you that her project is being litigated with the court system. She does not answer her certified, and also feels that our company should pay for her engineering fees.”

By Michael V. Cusenza

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

Gov. Andrew Cuomo last week visited Breezy Point, a community that, nearly three years later, is still on the mend, to sign the so-called Breezy Bill—legislation that provides a two-year extension to a 2013 waiver of requirements relating to rebuilding and repairing homes devastated by Superstorm Sandy.

Under the extension, the city Department of Buildings will be allowed to continue to sign off on certain Sandy rebuild work without the property owner needing to first obtain approval from the Board of Standards and Appeals, a process that can take up to a year to complete.

The waiver’s extension will also help expedite the pace of rebuilds under the city Build it Back program.

Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Howard Beach), who drafted the bill and the original BSA waiver in 2013, joined Cuomo at the Point Breeze Club House and remarked that many families in his district are still struggling to rebuild.

“In Breezy Point, time-consuming red tape threatened to add months or years to an already costly and painful rebuilding process,” Goldfeder said. “Signing the ‘Breezy Bill’ into law will save our families time and heartache as they work to rebuild their homes and community. I want to thank Gov. Cuomo for signing this two-year extension to the Breezy Bill and ensure that we as a community and state will not rest until every family is back in their home.”

Last Friday, Goldfeder gave credit to Breezy Point Co-Op General Manager Artie Lighthall and Assistant General Manager Denise Neibel for first bringing the issue to his office’s attention. He also thanked state Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) for his work in getting the bill approved in the Senate.

More than 130 Breezy Point homes were destroyed by fire, and hundreds more devastated by flooding, during Sandy.

By Michael V. Cusenza

michael@theforumnewsgroup.com