Residents battle sewage floods in Queens Village
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After several recent rainstorms, residents of 231st Street near Seward Avenue claim they faced a deluge of water in their basements that they were scrabbling to clean.
Read MoreFive Queens CMs have yet to support homeless housing bill
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“Having this set-aside is only a logical step to moving families out of shelter.”
Read MoreFlushing residents push for a path through tangled roadways
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Local organizations have championed several park projects, including a plan called the Kissena Way, which would create a network of pedestrian paths and cycle trails.
Read MoreFifteen Queens lawmakers say they’re ‘watching’ Amazon warehouse working conditions
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The Queens signatories include both supporters and opponents of Amazon’s high-profile plan to build a corporate campus in Long Island City.
Read MoreSix Queens CMs call for Andy King’s expulsion
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Six Queens councilmembers called for the expulsion of their Bronx counterpart Andy King for ethics violations and serial harassment during a contentious council meeting Monday.
Read MoreThree Queens CMs hit with campaign finance penalties
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Candidates who do not pay their fines are not able to receive public funds in future elections, forcing them to be more accountable.
Read MoreQueens’ 15 councilmembers weigh in on the city’s jails plan
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Three Queens councilmembers flat-out say they will vote against the plan.
Read MoreThe 17th annual Seniors Appreciation Month begins
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“Senior Appreciation Month is a very special time for us, as we honor the legacy of our senior citizens and their contributions to our society.”
Read MoreCity schools “not sufficiently prepared” for mass shooting incident, 27 councilmembers say
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Councilmember Adrienne Adams wrote a letter to the Department of Education stating that city schools are “not sufficiently prepared” for a mass shooting incident. The letter was signed by 27 councilmembers. Photo via City Council/Flickr.
By Jonathan Sperling
More than two dozen city councilmembers agree that the Department of Education’s schools are “not sufficiently prepared” for a mass shooting incident, according to a letter signed by the pols and addressed to Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza.
Queens Councilmember Adrienne Adams, who formerly served as the education chairperson of Community Board 12 in Southeast Queens, wrote the letter following an audit by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. A total of 27 councilmembers signed onto the plea for preparedness.
DiNapoli’s audit found that the DOE can do more to comply with the Safe Schools Against Violence in Education, or SAVE Act, which lays out a comprehensive policy for school staff and administrators regarding the protection of students.
“It is alarming to know that erroneous, outmoded and untimely safety plan submissions are prevalent in our school system,” the letter reads, before urging the DOE to mandate compliance with the SAVE Act prior to the start of the 2019-2020 school year.
DiNapoli’s audit also found that five “of the 25 sampled schools did not conduct the minimum number of evacuation or lockdown drills and, for the 2016–17 school year, 3 of the 25 schools did not conduct drills within the required time frames,” among other findings.
A bevy of Queens councilmembers, including Councilmembers Donovan Richards, Paul Vallone, Robert Holden, Barry Grodenchik and Peter Koo also signed off on the letter.
The councilmembers encouraged the DOE to follow DiNapoli’s recommendations, which include working with the Education Department to develop a process to submit School Safety Plans to state police, as required under both the law and the state regulations, as well as reviewing procedures for monitoring emergency drills to ensure that all drills required by law are completed within the required time frames.
Queens pols say bus schedule cost-cutting move hurts riders
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Riders across the city will be left “lost and confused without a physical printout of the bus schedule to guide them,” the lawmakers said.
Read More2020 is ‘The Year of the Parks’
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“A year when parks will be safer, greener and more accessible in every single season throughout the year.”
Read MoreNew Parks Committee Chair Peter Koo talks Grodenchik, safety and upkeep
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He takes over the position at a time when parks across the city — and Queens, in particular — are in desperate need of upgrades and upkeep.
Read MoreQueens councilmembers remain silent on Grodenchik resignation
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Only two Queens councilmembers, Rory Lancman and Robert Holden, responded to request for comment last week.
Read MoreStaffer accuses Grodenchik of sexual harassment
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“No one should ever be made to feel uncomfortable in the workplace and singled out for unwanted attention.”
Read MoreQueens Celebrates the Year of the Pig
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“The Lunar New Year is a time for families to come together, often from across the world.”
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