New York City’s Independent Budget Office (IBO), which provides nonpartisan information about the city budget and tax revenues, reported that city agencies have rung up $154.1 million in overtime costs related to Superstorm Sandy.
The large figure comes as no surprise, considering the massive devastation Sandy heaped upon our area, but it’s interesting to note the breakdown of which agencies clocked the most overtime.
The NYPD took the bulk of it, racking up 46 percent of the total overtime. Next was the Department of Sanitation, which took in 35 percent of the overtime pie. Park workers, transit workers and firefighters also took home extra chunks.
According to Mayor Bloomberg, the storm’s total price tag, figuring in city and private losses, was a whopping $19 billion. City agencies accounted for $4.5 billion of that figure, which included overtime costs, cleanup and other expenditures.
Storm debris was taken to Riis Park and other locations, which were turned into makeshift dumps to handle the large volume of waste. (Photo by Anne F.)
For those who suffered severe flooding, it seems there’s almost no end to the amount of garbage and debris we’ve ripped from our homes. And with only so much space on the sidewalk, two full months still isn’t enough time to get it all curbside.
Thankfully, the good folks at the Department of Sanitation have extended the special collection of storm debris until Monday, January 14, giving homeowners an additional two weeks to get the last of it out.
“The men and women of the Department have been working around the clock since Super Storm Sandy hit in order to clear roads of sand and debris and remove massive amounts of flooded furniture, clothing and personal items left behind in its wake,” said Commissioner John Doherty in a press release. “We now are in the midst of the winter snow season and our full resources must be ready to tackle snow storms of any size and frequency. As such, we must cease special collections effective Monday, January 14, 2013.”
Sanitation crews have already cleared out 381,000 tons of debris from homes and streets since Superstrom Sandy hit. The special pickups are made the day before residents’ regularly scheduled collection day.
The Department has been removing non-commercial waste from homeowners engaged in small projects only. Homeowners who are undertaking large demolition and reconstruction projects must arrange for their own dumpster by contacting a private collection service.
Bulk and construction debris generated by hired contractors or fee-for-service personnel on home repair or renovation projects is considered commercial waste and it is the responsibility of the contractor to arrange for appropriate private disposal.
Source: tmcNYC/Flickr
From the Department of Sanitation:
The NYC Department of Sanitation will be conducting special collections for mulching and recycling of Christmas trees.
Collections will take place beginning on Wednesday, January 2 through Saturday, January 19, 2013.
Residents are encouraged to put out their discarded trees at curbside as early as possible during the collection period.
DSNY asks residents to remove all tree stands, tinsel, lights, and ornaments from trees before placing them out for collection. DO NOT place trees in plastic bags. Trees will be chipped into mulch that will be distributed to parks, playing fields, and community gardens throughout the city.
New Yorkers can also participate in NYC Parks & Recreation Mulchfest by bringing their holiday trees to designated sites throughout the five boroughs on Saturday or Sunday, January 12 & 13, 2013, from 10 am to 2 pm.
All of the trees will be chipped into mulch that will be used as ground cover to nourish plantings across the City. Before dropping off your tree, please remove all tree stands, tinsel, lights, and ornaments from trees.
Free mulch will be available at Mulchfest locations —bring a bag if you would like to take home some mulch.
The Department of Transportation has suspended Alternate Side Parking and parking meter regulations for Tuesday, January 1, in celebration of New Year’s Day. Stopping, standing, and parking, is permitted, except in areas where these rules are in effect seven days a week (for example, “No Standing Anytime”).
Similarly, the Department of Sanitation is also taking the day off, and there will be no garbage or recycling collection tomorrow morning.
Photo by Erica Sherman
Sure, Rapid Repairs may have gotten off to a sluggish, ineffective start. But we’re hearing things have really picked up, and thousands of homes have already been fixed up thanks to the innovative disaster program.
But the time to apply is nigh! On Monday, December 31, the city will no longer accept applications for Rapid Repairs. If you have any work that still needs to be done, make sure you apply today. It won’t hurt you to get in line even if you turn the service down.
You can find out more about Rapid Repairs here, and apply here.
Also, if you’ve still got junk and debris in and around your house from Superstorm Sandy, the Department of Sanitation – which has done a spectacular job over the last few months – will cease bulk garbage pickup on Monday as well. So make sure you get that junk to the curb, otherwise you will have to hire a private collector to haul it away.
Source: Judy Baron
The Manhattan Beach Community Group, which just celebrated its 71st anniversary, took time to honor the first responders who came to aid the Manhattan Beach community before, during and after the events of Superstorm Sandy. Over 175 people showed up for the group’s 71st annual gathering, which took place this past Wednesday at Public School 195, 131 Irwin Street.
Among those honored were Captain John Chell, commander of the 61st Precinct, who received the Dana Borell Community Service Award, for his service to the community during Superstorm Sandy. Captain Chell accepted the award on behalf of his those in his command, noting their exceptional service to the community. He also paid tribute to Cy Shoenfeld, a Manhattan Beach Community Group member and the group’s liaison to the 61st Precinct, who died during the storm.
Chaim Deutsch, founder and president of the Flatbush Safety Patrol, received the Charles S. Greene Memorial Award for his service and aid to the community. While accepting the award, Deutsch paid tribute to his fellow coordinators at the patrol.
Manhattan Beach native and NYPD Sergeant Richard Taylor, the entire local Department of Sanitation garage, and Assistant Commissioner Fred Kreizman of the Mayor’s Office, were all presented with Community Service Awards for their roles in the storm’s aftermath. State Senator Marty Golden also received a Community Service Award for his service.
Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz was also honored with a special President’s award, and accepted the award on behalf of all elected officials helping to provide relief to the community after the storm.
Port Sheepshead Marina, nothing but rubble.
Despite more than a week of cleaning, Emmons Avenue’s eastern end, a strip of waterfront condos, bungalows and boating clubs, remains in shambles.
We visited Emmons Avenue’s two waterfront bungalow colonies earlier this week, and, though Hurricane Sandy destroyed several homes and left families for the streets, there had been no visits from FEMA, Red Cross or any examples of the volunteer frenzy other neighborhoods have received.
In the absence of outside help, neighbors banded together to help each other.
Keep reading, and view a photo gallery of the destruction in the bungalow colonies.
State Senator Marty Golden will be hosting a town hall meeting tonight, October 23, 7:00 p.m. at the Salt Marsh Nature Center, 3302 Avenue U at East 33rd Street. Golden is inviting residents of the community to attend and discuss quality of life and legislative issues.
Representatives from the New York City Department of Finance, the Department of Buildings, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Parks and Recreation, the New York City Police Department, the New York City Fire Department and the Department of Sanitation have confirmed their attendance.
“I look forward to leading these conversations with the community so to provide an update on a variety of neighborhood issues and important legislation which I have recently been working on,” Golden stated. “I am glad to join with representatives of key City agencies to work with residents to resolve local problems in an effort to improve our quality of life. I hope you will join me…”
For more information, contact Golden’s office at (718) 238-6044 or email at golden@nysenate.gov.
GARBAGE GAZETTE: In our last edition of Garbage Gazette: Garbage Theory, we deemed the corner “officially a mess” after Sanitation workers failed to empty it on their Tuesday route, and garbage piled up to the point of mini-avalanches.
Friday morning the can was emptied, and again this morning.
On Friday, however, the can was emptied but remnants of the trash pile remained, with litter and debris swirling around the can, and bottles still clogging the sewer drain. Over the weekend, the can neared being full again, and some had placed tied up shopping bags around it. When workers came today, it looks like they must have also brought their brooms, and properly cleaned the corner.
Good on them.
Perhaps our Garbage Theory series will not only tell us whether or not adding a trash can to a corner makes it more messy, but also how often a can needs to be emptied in order to prevent a mess.
GARBAGE GAZETTE: With the trash bin long past full, people have started delicately balancing coffee cups and other wonderful decorations in nooks in the trash heap. But they haven’t stayed there long, as it looks like there’s been a few mini avalanches. The worst part is the area between the can and the light pole, which I didn’t capture very well in this photo.
It’s also pouring out more towards the street, and more litter is filling the sewer drain:
We say it again: before last week, when there was no can at this Avenue Z and East 14th Street corner, there was no garbage problem. Now we’ve got a can, and we’ve got a garbage problem.
Following our update yesterday, a few readers asked if we were suggesting that all trash cans be removed, or if more pickups are needed, or if just this can needs to be removed, or this or that or the other. The answer is, we don’t know. There was a theory that garbage cans lead to more garbage, not less, and so cans should be removed. We’ll let you draw your own conclusions.
But one thing’s for sure: this is officially a mess.
