It may be too late for Mayor Bill de Blasio to secure state funds to provide rental subsidies for homeless families leaving the city's shelter system. Gilbert Taylor, de Blasio's commissioner of homeless services, told the City Council yesterday he planned to head to Albany to seek state funding for the subsidy program but a spokesperson for Gov. Andrew Cuomo said it was too late in this year's budget negotiations to expect the change. The state budget is due by the end of the month. The Cuomo administration said the de Blasio administration never submitted a formal request for the funding changes. The two administrations have been wrestling over pre-kindergarten funding and charter schools for weeks now.
State Budget Talks Remain Fluid (YNN)
Senate Leaders Say Prison For Inmates is 'Non Starter' (Pressconnects)
Feds Accuse Rikers Officer of Ignoring Dying Plea (NY Times)
17 Months After Hurricane, Recovery Plods Along (NY Times)
Wife of Celebrity De Blasio Supporter Wins Gig With City (Daily News)
Council Proposal Would Levy Fee on Plastic Shopping Bags (NY Post)
Councilman Wants Lights, Sirens Added to Snow Plows (Daily News)
Council Forms Budget Negotiating Team (Capital)
De Blasio Continues Apology Tour on Charter Schools (Crain's)
Advocates Seek More State Education Funding (Albany Times Union)
Espaillat Brings Beefed Up Campaign Machine to Second Rangel Fight(Politicker)
Mayor Bill de Blasio and Senator Chuck Schumer announced over the weekend that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has agreed to pay $100 million for new boilers at 110 public housing buildings in the city that have been stuck with unreliable temporary boilers since superstorm Sandy. The boilers heat nearly 9,000 homes in buildings across the Rockaways, Coney Island, and the Lower East Side of Manhattan. FEMA also agreed to reimburse the city for the $56 million it's spent to rent the temporary boilers. Before the agreement, new boilers were being held up because the city had to negotiate with FEMA over each boiler. But now, cost estimates from independent engineers will be accepted. The new boilers will be more water-resistant, isntalled at higher elevations, and burn natural gas instead of oil. Installation is scheduled to begin within six months.
New from Gotham Gazette
Beyond Pre-K: What Else is at Stake for NYC in the State Budget
While the debate over pre-K funding continues to dominate the headlines, there are several other key budget decisions being made in Albany. David King's latest dispatch from the capital outlines several under-the-radar aspects of budget negotiations to be aware of. Read more here.
Other Stories We're Following
Central Park Case Settlement Could Cost Millions (Wall Street Journal)
Beneath Cities, A Decaying Tangle Of Gas Pipes (NY Times)
De Blasio Wants Conservancies To Share With Poorer Parks (Politicker)
De Blasio Softens Rhetoric On Charters (WNYC)
Citi Bike Operators Doing Shabby Job (Daily News)
De Blasio Won't Bail Out Citi Bike (Politicker)
Proposals For Long Island College Hospital Made Public (DNAinfo)
Activists Upset With Klein Over DREAM Act (NY Times)
NY Attorney General Wants DREAM Act In Budget (Daily News)
Bill Would Require NYPD To Share Collision Reports (WNYC)
New Rules Guide Restaurants On How To Avoid Fines (Crain's)
Port Authority Didn’t Pay To Install WTC Security Cameras (NY Post)
>The popular Citi Bike program is facing serious financial and operational troubles, and officials are looking for ways to raise tens of millions of dollars to save it. Those running the program are hoping the de Blasio Administration will allow them to raise rates. One reson for the revenue shortfall is that more 24-hour rentals were expected, as opposed to the less profitable yearly memberships. Damages from Superstorm Sandy and software glitches created other problems. But advocates blame Alta Bicycle Share, the company operating Citi Bike, for failing to improve the program, resolve problems, and find new sponsors beyond Citigroup.
Other Stories We're Following
Mayor Vows Reforms On Rikers Island (NY Times)
Kid Sneaks To Top Of WTC, Which Has No Cameras (NY Post)
Congestion Pricing Plan Gains Actual Momentum (Capital)
De Blasio Finding Victories In Pursuit Of Liberal Agenda (NY Times)
Public Authorities' Financial Data Now Available Online (Associated Press)
City To Broker Peace Between Schools Sharing Space (WNYC)
Pols Silent As Thousands Await Charter Spots In Their Districts (NY Post)
City To Revamp Bloomberg’s Restaurant Grades (Capital)
Dream Act Revived In Assembly Budget Negotiations (Wall Street Journal)
Housing Chief Says Plan Will Be Unveiled By May (Crain's)
D Train Grimiest In Subway System (DNAinfo)
Tuberculosis Cases Rise In City (am New York)
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