NEW YORK—City Council held several hearings in the upheaval following the blizzard that had hit the city Dec. 26, 2010, and shut down the streets for days. Allowing city agencies, the public, and other concerned parties to testify, the council assessed shortcomings in preparation for, and reaction to, the “Christmas Blizzard of 2010.”
On Wednesday, over two months after the event, the council presented 16 pieces of legislation they hope will help the city better handle future blizzards. The aftermath of the Christmas Blizzard brought inconvenience to those who were trapped in their homes and tragedy to those whose loved ones died as ambulances got stuck in the snow-covered streets.
“The stories we heard told of hardship, frustration, and even tragedy,” said Councilwoman Letitia James of the public testimony the council had heard during their review. “Today we are here to put forward several legislative ideas that grew out of that process.”
Elizabeth Weinstein, director of the Mayor’s Office of Operations, objected to every piece of legislation put forth.
“[The proposed legislation] can make snow recovery more inefficient by establishing rigid rules and predetermined actions when a more flexible response is necessary and advisable,” Weinstein insisted. She pointed to the Winter Weather Emergency Plan that the city, albeit imperfectly in the case of the December blizzard, operates on. She also highlighted the 15-point plan the Bloomberg administration presented at a City Council hearing in January, which provides amendments in light of those failures.
While City Council members admitted that these plans were good, they maintained that laws must be established to cement these tenets.
“It’s an excellent document [the Winter Weather Emergency Plan]. I wish it had been followed during the blizzard,” commented James.
Some bills introduced by the council on Wednesday provided detailed suggestions for a planned course of action. Most, however, left room for the mayor’s office to fill in the details, simply calling on the administration to establish a firm plan and make it law.
Another flaw the council saw in the administration’s plans, aside from their impermanent nature, was a lack of transparency. As James read from the mayor’s Winter Weather Emergency Plan, she noted the words “not for circulation, for official use only” that appeared on every page. The document is not meant for the eyes of the public.
“It is a document that gives a high level of specificity about agency operations,” responded Weinstein. She agreed that more information could be released to the public, even if not in the format of that exact document.
The Bloomberg administration has admitted its faults in the Christmas Blizzard response, and Weinstein repeated the apologies from the mayor’s office. She agreed to work with City Council to establish a future action plan agreeable to all.
“These proposals contain worthwhile ideas that address many of what the administration’s failures have been thus far,” said Weinstein of the council’s legislation. “However, we are concerned by some of the unintended consequences some of these bills are likely to have,” she added.
Weinstein said that creating a registry of volunteers, stipulated in Councilman Peter Koo’s plan, could place liability on the city’s shoulders. She suggested that this task should be left to nonprofits. She also pointed out that holding parking fees, specified in Councilman Domenic Recchia’s proposal, could leave parking spots in front of businesses occupied. Without space for customer cars, this could adversely affect sales.
Council members stressed that their legislation grew out of dialogue with the public and expressed hope that the mayor’s office would take them into consideration.
On Wednesday, over two months after the event, the council presented 16 pieces of legislation they hope will help the city better handle future blizzards. The aftermath of the Christmas Blizzard brought inconvenience to those who were trapped in their homes and tragedy to those whose loved ones died as ambulances got stuck in the snow-covered streets.
“The stories we heard told of hardship, frustration, and even tragedy,” said Councilwoman Letitia James of the public testimony the council had heard during their review. “Today we are here to put forward several legislative ideas that grew out of that process.”
Elizabeth Weinstein, director of the Mayor’s Office of Operations, objected to every piece of legislation put forth.
“[The proposed legislation] can make snow recovery more inefficient by establishing rigid rules and predetermined actions when a more flexible response is necessary and advisable,” Weinstein insisted. She pointed to the Winter Weather Emergency Plan that the city, albeit imperfectly in the case of the December blizzard, operates on. She also highlighted the 15-point plan the Bloomberg administration presented at a City Council hearing in January, which provides amendments in light of those failures.
While City Council members admitted that these plans were good, they maintained that laws must be established to cement these tenets.
“It’s an excellent document [the Winter Weather Emergency Plan]. I wish it had been followed during the blizzard,” commented James.
Some bills introduced by the council on Wednesday provided detailed suggestions for a planned course of action. Most, however, left room for the mayor’s office to fill in the details, simply calling on the administration to establish a firm plan and make it law.
Another flaw the council saw in the administration’s plans, aside from their impermanent nature, was a lack of transparency. As James read from the mayor’s Winter Weather Emergency Plan, she noted the words “not for circulation, for official use only” that appeared on every page. The document is not meant for the eyes of the public.
“It is a document that gives a high level of specificity about agency operations,” responded Weinstein. She agreed that more information could be released to the public, even if not in the format of that exact document.
The Bloomberg administration has admitted its faults in the Christmas Blizzard response, and Weinstein repeated the apologies from the mayor’s office. She agreed to work with City Council to establish a future action plan agreeable to all.
“These proposals contain worthwhile ideas that address many of what the administration’s failures have been thus far,” said Weinstein of the council’s legislation. “However, we are concerned by some of the unintended consequences some of these bills are likely to have,” she added.
Weinstein said that creating a registry of volunteers, stipulated in Councilman Peter Koo’s plan, could place liability on the city’s shoulders. She suggested that this task should be left to nonprofits. She also pointed out that holding parking fees, specified in Councilman Domenic Recchia’s proposal, could leave parking spots in front of businesses occupied. Without space for customer cars, this could adversely affect sales.
Council members stressed that their legislation grew out of dialogue with the public and expressed hope that the mayor’s office would take them into consideration.
