Leftover Legislation
January 4th, 2010
Over the last four years, the City Council has passed green buildings legislation, a ban on flavored tobacco, a bill keeping protesters father away from abortion clinics and several pieces of legislation to streamline the inspection process at buildings.
But there are hundreds (823 to be exact) of bills the council just never got to. Some we’ll see again — but the vast majority are headed towards legislative abyss.
Here is a sampling of some of the more interesting proposals — or the ones likely to be rerun.
Living Wages: (Intro 1105) At the council’s last session of 2009, council members Oliver Koppell and Annabel Palma introduced a bill to require living wages at development projects that receive public subsidies. A proposal many of the council’s 13 new incoming members took up during campaign season, we are sure to see this bill again. In fact, it will likely be introduced at the council’s inaugural 2010 meeting Wednesday.
Driveway Parking: (Intro 1100) Want to park in front of your neighbor’s driveway? Or want to use your own driveway as a supplemental street side spot? You could have under this bill, which would have also increased the fine for parking in front of a driveway that wasn’t your own to $100.
Lights Out: (Intro 1075) Come closing time, this bill would have forced all retailers to shut off their lights once they locked their doors. Talk about the end to window shopping.
Sick Leave: (Intro 1059) Garnering unusual public attention and debate, the council considered a bill to require all businesses in the city provide one hour of paid sick time for every thirty hours worked per employee. The bill had garnered 38 sponsors — well more than the majority needed for it to pass. However, it was left to die in committee at the end of the session, but some progressives have pledged to revive it this year.
Banning Bottled Water: (Intro 914) Citing excess cost and pollution, the City Council passed on passing a bill that would prevented any city agency from purchasing bottled water for city employees. The proposal urged opting for tap water instead.
Old Mattresses: (Intro 719) In an attempt to slow down the spread of beg bugs, this bill would have required old mattresses be put in containers when disposed off. Now it’s just the bill that’s been thrown out.
Muffling Motorcycles: (Intro 416) Cracking down on the cacophony of motorcycles will have to wait for another day. After drawing much attention from the city’s biking community (yes, they showed up to City Hall clad in heavy leather jackets), the council declined to move on a bill that would have required those bikes to quiet down.
Commercial Rent Regulation: (Intro 847) After filing a motion to dismiss then dismissing the motion, Councilmember Robert Jackson conceded that this was just not the year for his Small Business Survival Act — a bill that would have created the city’s first ever commercial rent control aimed primarily at small business owners.
You can see all of the leftover bills below.
By Courtney Gross on January 4, 2010, 5:09 pmIn category: City Hall, Economy, Electoral Politics, Eye Opener, Gotham City, Governing, Law, Measuring UP, nextNY | 1 Comment »



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January 4th, 2010 at 5:25 pm
Motorcyclist advocates claimed the anti-motorcycle-noise bill, as written, would have essentially made illegal overnight almost any motorcycle that has anything but a stock exhaust system, regardless of the noise output of that system. If that’s true, it’s an extremely problematic bill. I’m not a “loud pipes save lives” advocate but just because the exhaust system is non-stock doesn’t mean it’s too loud… hope that one goes back to the drawing board before it comes back. And really aren’t car alarms a bigger nuisance?