NYC NOW - June 12, 2023: Evening Roundup

Episode Date: June 12, 2023

New York City Council members are expressing concern over the city’s ability to enforce a new law over short-term vacation rentals. Plus, a look at what passed and what didn’t pass now that New York lawmakers have ended their legislative session. Also, food delivery workers will soon get a raise. And finally, WNYC’s Michael Hill and Matt Katz discuss what to expect during a federal court hearing regarding disturbing incidents at Rikers Island.

Good evening and welcome to NYC Now. I'm Jenae Pierre for WNYC. New York City Council members are expressing concern over the city's ability to enforce a new law aimed at short-term vacation rentals. The law requires residents who post rentals on sites like Airbnb to register their properties with the mayor's office of special enforcement or face fines. But the office has only half the staff members it was budgeted for, and it's only fully reviewed 13% of the nearly 800 applications it's received since registration opened in March.

Just 36 registrations have been approved. Airbnb sued the city to block the law. Enforcement was scheduled to begin in May, but has been postponed until September 5th. Lawmakers wrapped up their legislative session in Albany over the weekend. WNYC's Elizabeth Kim explains what passed and what didn't. The 2023 session will likely be remembered for state lawmakers' failure to tackle New York's affordable housing crisis. Although Governor Hokel made housing a cornerstone of her agenda this year, her fellow Democrats failed to coalesce around any policies to spur development. Democrats did notch several wins, however, like the Clean Slade Act.

That law would seal criminal records after a certain period, giving those convicted of crimes a fresh start. lawmakers also paved the way for a commission to consider compensation for those affected by the legacy of slavery. If Hockel signs the bill, New York would be only the second state after California to consider reparations. Public school students also have a reason to rejoice. The state legislature approved DeWali, the South Asian Festival of Lights, as the newest city holiday. Food delivery workers will soon see. an increase in their take-home pay. WNYC's Tiffany Hansen has that story. After months of back and forth between delivery workers, politicians and apps like Uber and DoorDash, Mayor Eric Adams announced

a deal that secures delivery workers a minimum wage. City officials say that currently many of the city's 60,000 delivery workers take home less than $15 an hour. But under the new plan, by mid-July, workers will make at least $17.96 an hour plus tips. By 2025, that amount will jump to at least $19.96. Still, City Comptroller Bradlander calls the rule watered down. According to calculations made by his office, the average worker would actually be paid $12.69 per hour due to what he called, quote, regulatory double speak. Stay close. There's more after the break. There have been several trouble. incidents at the Rikers Island Jail Complex recently, all of which will be the focus of a federal court hearing Tuesday. It comes after the federal monitor who oversees Rikers said that the Adams administration

has become so resistant to providing information about dangerous situations in the city jails that he can't even be sure how many people have died there this year. For the latest, my colleague Michael Hill talked with WNYC's Macketts. Would you tell us first what's happening with the reporting of deaths at Rikers-Arma? So let me back up with a little context first. Almost eight years ago, a federal monitoring team was installed to issue reports to a judge about conditions at Rikers. This was the centerpiece of a landmark legal settlement involving the city, federal government, legal aid society over violence there. But since that point, all rates of violence, use of force by officers, slashes and stabbings, and yes, deaths have increased. The monitor had been able to

to get data about this violence from the city correction department and report it publicly, which was one of our real windows into understanding what's happening at Rikers. But now the monitor says that the correction department is either ignoring its request for information or providing shoddy data that it can't rely on. And so in a footnote in its report last week to the court, the federal monitor, Steve Martin, made this startling comment. He said that although there have been three reported deaths of people who were held at Rikers, this year, quote, given recent concerns about accuracy and transparency of data provided,

it is possible this number could be higher. What does the city say about this, man? Are corrections officials hiding deaths at Rikers? The city tells me, no, there have been only three deaths this year, which is a far lower death rate than last year. Detainee Joshua Vez died last month after complaining of severe headaches. His death will actually be discussed at a federal Rikers oversight court here. during tomorrow because the monitor says the department has not been forthcoming about how the 31-year-old died. Correction Commissioner Lewis Molina initially said no foul play occurred. But then it was revealed that Valles actually died of a fractured skull, which raises a lot of questions about what happened.

And it conflicts with how the department had initially reported the incident. Another man, Rubu Zau, died by suicide after jumping from a top tier in a jail facility. The monitor wants the judge to order the department to consider the installation of a barrier, to prevent such incidents in the future. There was also another death back in February due to a seizure. But going forward, the news organization, the city, reported that the correction department will not, as it has in the past, proactively notify the media about deaths. That means from now on reporters will have to hear about a detainee who dies, get it leaked to us,

essentially, and then the correction department would confirm it. These are the sort of transparency issues that the monitor is raising a red flag. about, isn't that right? Yeah, exactly. Monitor Steve Martin said that the department's leaders ignore, delay, or act offensive when asked for information by the monitoring team. He says that violates federal court orders that the city is under to fix these jails with Martin's assistance. Martin also says correction officials fail to implement reforms that it promises to make to the court. He asserted that the department defied a promise to remove certain problematic officers from a team known for using

excessive chokeholds, chemical spray, head strikes against detainees, and he's particularly concerned about the department blocking information about five violent incidents in May, including one confrontation with officers that left a detainee paralyzed. Another word detainee was assaulted by other detainees and then left, quote, naked and alone and ignored by officers for hours. That man had several broken ribs and ended up having to get his spleen removed. What do you expect to come out of this federal hearing? We expect the city to report progress to the federal judge. That's what they told us in a statement last week, saying that although violence has gotten worse during the monitor's long, almost eight-year tenure, some indicators like officer use of force and stabbing's have actually decreased this year compared to last year.

We'll also hear outrage from defense attorneys from the legal aid society who want the city jails taken over by a federal receiver because they see. the city and the Adams administration can no longer manage them humanely. But the wild card, I think, will be what prosecutors from U.S. Attorney Damien Williams' office will say in court because they have so far not joined the growing call for that federal takeover through a federal receivership. The judge on the case is also so far, not keen on that idea either, but, you know, we shall see. That's WNYC's Mad Katz, talking with my colleague Michael Hill. Thanks for listening to NYC now from WNYC.

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