Summary of Meeting
Progress Made: The $24 million dolars in funding promised by Borugh President Helen Marshall to the West 12th Road Blok Association at her May 14th press conference on West 12th in Broad has been made available and coverted to a Capital Project Initiative (CPI) under the auspices of N.Y.C. D.O.T. and D.D.C. Presently, three (3) areas within Broad Channel have been identified for flood mitigaton work under this project - West 11th, 12th and 13th streets, with additional areas to be identified with additional areas as yet unidentified. Flood mitigaton constructon under this project will begin with West 12th Road.
Problems Encountered: The New York City D.O.T. Legal Division denied the "emergency declaration" which would have expedited this project. The New York City D.O.T. failed to commuicate this denial on the part of their Legal Division to the West 12th Road Block Association in a timely manner.
Actions To Be Taken: The city has stated they will formalize their method of communicaton with the West 12th Road Block Association to obviate additional failures of timely communication to the West 12th Road Block Association regarding any substantive issues arising regarding this project. Additionally the city has stated they will revisit the DOT Legal Division's denial of an "emergency declaration" in this matter to ascertain if it can be changed. At the same time, the city has stated that D.D.C. will ascertain how their involvement in this project may be expedited.
Pending Notificatons: The city has stated that initial email notification of all "Actions to be taken" will be made to the West 12th Road Block Association by Friay, August 13, 2010.
Next Sheduled Task Force Meeting: To be scheduled.
Minutes of W12th Rd Block Assoiation Task Force Meeting
Pursuant to previously agreed protocols between the Office of the Queens Borough President and the West 12th Road Block Association of Broad Channel, an initial Tidal Street Flooding Task Force meeting was held in the Borough President’s Conference on Wednesday, August 11, 2010.
Attending this meeting were:
Office of the Queens Borough President
Alexandra Rosa - (Chairperson: Representing Borough President Marshall)
Jerry Lamura
Anthony Gulotta
V. Viuker
N.Y.C. D.O.T.
Maura McCarthy
Ron Bramsen
N.Y.C. D.E.P.
Rick Muller
N.Y.C. D.D.C.
Tony Pollio
Irina Braginskaya
Ben Patel
N.Y. State Senate
Senator Shirley Huntley
(Warren Gardiner - Staff)
N.Y. State Assembly
Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer
(JoAnn Shapiro - Staff)
N.Y. C. Council
Bart Haggerty (representing Council Member Eric Ulrich)
Community Board #14
Jonathan Gaska
West 12th Road Block Association, Broad Channel
John Heaphy
Judith Heaphy
Peter J. Mahon
Sophia Vailakis-DeVirgilio
Scott Valentine
Broad Channel Civic Association
James Harper
The meeting was convened by Chairperson Alix Rosa at 10:40 a.m. who stated that “Although Borough President Marshall was looking forward to attending this first meeting of the task force, she was required to to attend another event with the Mayor.”
After allowing everyone in attendance to introduce themselves, Chairperson Rosa stated that our meeting today was indicative of “government listening and responding to the needs of its constituents although in this particular case, it has taken a very long time.”
Chairperson Rosa then introduced DOT Queen Borough President Maura McCarthy who stated that the previously promised $24 million dollars in funding for flood mitigation on West 12th Road and other Broad Channel areas has been advanced into the city’s budget with DOT and a Capital Project Initiative (CPI) involving DOT and DDC had been started and that three streets in Broad Channel have been tentatively identified a requiring flood mitigation work. Those streets were identified by Commissioner McCarthy as…
West 11th Road
West 12th Road
West 13th Road
Commissioner McCarthy also stated that she was looking for assistance from this task force to assist in identifying other streets and areas in Broad Channel that require such flood mitigation.
The West 12th Road Block Asociation at that time stated on the record that regardless of the final determination of areas/streets within Broad Channel to be the subject of flood mitigation construction, initial construction work shall be directed towards and take place on West 12th Road as previously agreed to.
Commissioner McCarthy then introduced Mr. Tony Pollio from DDC who stated that that the Capital Project Initiative (CPI) for the three (3) Broad Channel streets mentioned above has been estimated to cost approximately $3 million of the total allocation of $24 million dollars allocated for this project.
Mr. Pollio went on to state that his office received this CPI about one month ago and he feels that it will take approximately another three (3) months in order to hire a consultant to assist in the design phase of this project.
Mr. Pollio then stated that he feels the design phase of the project should start in January of 2011 and that such design phase should take approximately one (1) year to complete with actual construction to start sometime in 2012.
At this time the West 12th Road Block Association pointed out to all attendees that Mr. Pollio’s description of the “time line” of this project was contradicted by the “time line” proffered by Borough President Helen Marshall during her May 14, 2010, press conference held on West 12th Road in Broad Channel at which time it was stated that an “emergency allocation” of $24 million dollars has been set aside effective July 1, 2010 for this project. Additionally, at that same time, Commissioner McCarthy stated that “The plan is to do the design over the next year and to begin construction a year from (this) July but I don’t know how long that construction will take.”
Mr. Pollio was asked why the DDC “time line” of this project has construction starting sometime in 2012 whereas Commissioner McCarthy has previously stated that construction would start in July of 2011.
At that time Mr. Pollio explained that his agency’s involvement with this CPI was being handled as a routine project with no accompanying “emergency” declaration which would have markedly expedited the project’s “time line.”
After much discussion, it was ascertained that the Borough President’s “emergency” declaration at her May 14th press conference in Broad Channel had been denied by DOT’s legal division prior to the CPI being forwarded to DDC over a month ago.
At this time the West 12th Road Block Association expressed its disappointment that the city had failed to communicate the fact that this promised “emergency” declaration had been denied by DOT to the residents of West 12th Road in a timely manner and that we were only being made aware of same at this time (August 11, 2010), one month after the fact.
Additionally, the West 12th Road Block Association made it clear that the DDC’s proposed “time line” which would not allow for actual construction to begin prior to 2012 was unacceptable, especially in light of the documented unsafe and unsanitary conditions as well as accompanying personal harships, caused by serious street tidal flooding.
A general discussion was then held regarding the need for a clear, constant and open line of communication between the West 12th Road Block Association and all city agencies involved with this project. All parties confirmed possession of all attendees email addresses and that any and all changes, amendments or other factors affecting this project would be communicated to all parties in a timely manner.
At that time it was decided that that the city would expeditiously pursue several avenues of redress in this matter including:
Reviewing DOT’s legal division denial of the “emergency declaration” for this project to ascertain if it can be reinstated,
and,
having DDC explore the possibility of addressing this project on a “design and build” basis to obviate much of the time consuming protocols existent within their present plan.
Chairperson Alix Rosa stated that an email communication would be forthcoming by this Friday, August 13, 2010, regarding the status of the above two possible avenues of redress in this matter.
The meeting adjourned at 12:20 pm with a date for a follow up task force meeting to be set at a later date.
Peter J. Mahon
for
The West 12th Road Block Association
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