New York Note: NYPD Commissioner, City of Yes, Congestion Pricing

Jessica Tisch Appointed NYPD Commissioner

Last Wednesday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the appointment of Jessica Tisch as the new Commissioner of the New York City Police Department. Tisch takes over from Thomas Donlon, who has been serving as Interim Commissioner since the resignation of Edward Caban in September.

Tisch most recently served as Commissioner of the NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY), where she led many of the administration’s waste management initiatives, including the launch of the containerization effort and the implementation of universal curbside composting. Before her time at DSNY, Tisch spent 12 years at the NYPD in various civilian roles, including Deputy Commissioner of Information Technology, where she oversaw operational changes with initiatives like the Domain Awareness System, body-worn cameras, and real-time communication tools for officers. She also served as Commissioner of the NYC Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) under former Mayor Bill de Blasio, overseeing municipal IT, introducing text-to-911 capabilities, and playing a key role in the city’s COVID-19 response.

Tisch, set to become only the second woman to serve as NYPD Commissioner, will officially begin in her role on Monday. Meanwhile, there has not yet been a formal announcement on who will replace her at DSNY.

City of Yes for Housing Opportunity

Last Thursday, the NYC Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises and Committee on Land Use advanced the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity plan, with modifications.

The Council’s modifications do not eliminate parking minimums citywide, as originally proposed, but establishes zones with varying parking requirements for new development. The Council also restricted where accessory dwelling units (ADUs) can be built. As part of the final deal between Mayor Adams and the Council, NYC and NYS also committed to funding up to $5 billion for affordable housing development, infrastructure upgrades, and programs to support tenants and homeowners. Mayor Adams committed to $4B, while Governor Hochul will provide $1B from the state’s budget.

The compromise includes a three-zone system throughout the entire City, with some areas retaining parking mandates, others with reduced mandates, and others with no mandates. Zone 1, containing all of Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn and Queens, will have parking mandates eliminated entirely. Zone 2 will have mandates reduced on multi-family developments, but kept in place on smaller developments, such as one- and two-family homes. Zone 3 will contain “modest” parking requirements.

Additionally, basement and attached ADUs will not be allowed in areas with historic flooding issues or in coastal zones. Backyard and attached ADUs will not be allowed in historic districts or low-density areas unless they are near transit. ADUs may not exceed one story, unless parking is provided on the first story, or built to take up more than 1/3 of a backyard.

The Council also restricted the applicability of the transit-oriented development proposal, which is intended to build more housing near transit stations. Transit-oriented development will only apply within a quarter mile from LIRR and Metro-North stations, rather than the proposed half mile, and will be removed entirely from single-family zoning areas.

The modifications will now go before the City Planning Commission, followed by a final vote by the full Council on December 5th.

Congestion Pricing Approved by Federal Highway Administration

The Federal Highway Administration has approved the new congestion pricing tolling scheme, proposed by Governor Hochul two weeks ago. The plan is set to take effect on January 5, meaning that most drivers will pay $9 to enter Manhattan below 60^th President-elect Trump is opposed to the tolling plan, and has vowed to undo it once he enters office, though he may have difficulty now that the Federal Highway Administration has signed off. Nine lawsuits still threaten the plan, and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy stated that he “will continue to do everything we can to fight this unfair and unpopular plan in the courts.”

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 bills improving data collection on outcomes in the domestic violence shelter system, and expanding services for the older adult community. Additionally, the Council formally introduced legislation establishing requirements for containerization for residential buildings. Legislation was also introduced that would require a plan for the City to develop universal broadband access, and a bill was reintroduced that would establish timelines for decisions regarding the sale of co-op apartments. You can find all of the legislation that was passed and introduced here.

City & State NY Women 100

Rose Christ and Katie Schwab, New York Public Strategies Co-Chairs, have been named in City & State NY’s Power of Diversity: Women 100 list. They noted recent advocacy helping the Whitney Museum of American Art create a large-scale installation in Hudson River Park, and working on the new Children’s Museum of Manhattan.

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