NYC Council Passes and Introduces Legislation

Last Thursday, the NYC Council convened a Stated meeting, where they passed and introduced multiple pieces of legislation. The Council passed legislation requiring that NYC’s vehicle fleet consist of zero-emissions vehicles by 2025. The Council also approved legislation allowing a one-time exception for the maximum age requirement for FDNY employees looking to take civil service promotion examinations, and a bill requiring the creation of off-street parking for commercial trucks. Additionally, legislation was introduced to add new provisions to the POST Act, requiring that NYPD provide the Department of Investigation with an itemized list of all surveillance technologies used. You can find all of the bills that were passed and introduced here.

Mayor Appoints Executive Director of Office of Climate and Environmental Justice

Mayor Adams appointed Elijah Hutchinson as Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice. Hutchinson will lead the strategy for creating a resilient and sustainable city, and implementing PlaNYC: Getting Sustainability Done. Previously, he worked as Vice President for Waterfronts at NYC Economic Development Corporation.

$15 Million in Funding for City’s Trees

Mayor Adams and Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue announced that the city has received $15M in new federal funding to expand the city’s urban tree canopy and provide increased access to urban forests. The funding, provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service through the Inflation Reduction Act, will be used to establish the NYC Forested Natural Areas Care and Job Training program, along with the Stewarding Canopy and Community in Central Queens.