The Council Votes: Idling Engines, Construction Safety

New York City Council is requiring the NYPD to keep more detailed and easily accessible information about the use of their firearms. (Right to Left) council members Peter Vallone, Christine Quinn, and Robert Jackson. (Jonathan Weeks/Epoch Times)

NEW YORK—The City Council voted on Wednesday to tighten vehicle idling regulations, give the Department of Buildings a new way to prevent construction site accidents, and extend health insurance to the family of a City worker who died on the job.

Vehicles Not to Idle Over One Minute at Schools

In 90 days, the maximum time drivers may idle in front of a school, be it public or private, will be reduced from three minutes to one minute.

The change is aimed to reduce childhood asthma, which is more prevalent in New York City than in most parts of the country. One in four children in New York City has asthma, according to the Asthma Free School Zone. Idling vehicles emit particulate matter that aggravates symptoms and accumulates in lungs.

While the citywide maximum idling time remains three minutes, more eyes will be on the lookout for violators. The Council allowed the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of Sanitation to join the Department of Environmental Protection in issuing tickets for idling violations. Violators will continue to be fined approximately $100. Citizens may also report violations to any appropriate agency.

The new rules will be in full effect in April. To cut costs, no street signs will be posted, according to Council Speaker Christine Quinn. Instead, parents, school bus operators, and delivery truck drivers will be notified through the school.

Department of Buildings to Monitor Construction Safety

To help the Department of Buildings better prevent construction-related safety incidents, the Council approved a bill that requires all contractors to apply for a safety regulation number with the Department. Without a number, contractors will not be issued construction permits. The number will allow the Department to track contractor performance and compliance with safety regulations.

In addition, the Department will be required to study safety data obtained in a 12-month period, and use it to establish guidelines for the denial, suspension, and revocation of offending contractors’ safety regulation numbers.

In the past, the Department would have to investigate contractors on a case-by-case basis after incidents are reported. With the new tracking system, contractors with a record of non-compliance will be required to hire an independent safety compliance officer. They will be the “eyes and ears” for the Department, said Councilmember Jessica Lappin, whose Manhattan district was the site of the crane collapse last year.

Councilmember Leroy Comrie, the lead sponsor of the bill, hopes the new tool will let the Department be more “proactive rather than reactive.”

Dead Sewage Plant Worker’s Family to Receive Health Coverage

The wife and two teenage children of Department of Environmental Protection worker Gennaro Montello, 45, are to continue receiving health coverage. Gennaro was killed on the job in Brooklyn’s Owl’s Head Waste Water Treatment Plant on Jan. 9. A conveyor belt collapsed on Gennaro when the steel supports failed.

Gennaro has worked at the Department since 2001. He left behind his wife Donna Montello, 45, and their children Gennaro Jr., 17, and Briana, 14. The Council amended the Administrative Code to allow Gennaro’s family to continue receiving health coverage.