🍎 citymeetings.nyc #23
Delivery Workers, ACS, Ebikes, Indigenous Arts, Kingsbridge Armory
Hi!
This week's highlights are from hearings on:
- Expanding delivery worker protections
- ACS preventive services
- Ebike registration
- A grant application for Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx
- NYC's support for indigenous arts and culture
For a complete listing of published meetings, visit https://citymeetings.nyc.
Vikram
Hearing on expanding delivery worker protections
Alejandro Grajales, a delivery worker, gives testimony.
A hearing on two bills that would extend minimum pay requirements and other protections to grocery delivery workers and other contracted delivery workers beyond just food delivery.
- Current delivery worker protections only cover workers contracting with third-party food delivery platforms. Link
- With these protections, workers' pay increased from an average of $5 per hour to $19.56 per hour before tips. Link
- Grocery delivery services have seen a 45% surge in revenue over the past year. Link
- Intro 1135 would immediately require third-party grocery delivery apps to pay workers the current minimum pay rate, while Intro 1133 would require all other delivery services to meet minimum pay obligations within 18 months. Link
- At least 20,000 more delivery workers would be covered immediately by the new bills, with thousands more expected within 18 months. Link
- Relay currently pays workers $13.50 per hour, below the $19.56 required for other apps. It was recently acquired by Wonder, which is also in the process of acquiring Grubhub. Link
- The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) notes that delivery apps are shifting towards more restrictive scheduling practices that limit workers' app access. Link
- Alejandro Grajales, a delivery worker, notes he was deactivated by DoorDash after a delayed delivery caused by an unexpected bridge opening, despite informing customer service and the customer understanding the situation. Link
- Food delivery worker tips have declined by 60% since the minimum pay standards were implemented in December, according to the Chamber of Progress. Link
- Raul Rivera, a TLC driver advocate, notes a driver with nearly 29,000 completed trips was deactivated by Uber after receiving just one complaint. Link
Hearing on ACS preventive services
Maria Hernandez, a parent, shares her experience with ACS.
An examination of ACS preventive services and family support programs.
- ACS serves approximately 32,000 children and families annually through preventive services. Link
- The FY 2025 budget for preventive services is $332 million, with an additional $31 million for home finding services. Link
- ACS provides housing stipends that recently increased from $300 to $725, available for up to 2 years and can be distributed as lump sum payments. Link
- Preventive service providers struggle to compete with public sector employers, with starting salaries for masters-level therapists at $56,500. Link
- Black families are 7 times more likely to be reported to the State Central Register compared to white families. Link
- An ACLU report shows 54% of emergency removals involve Black children and 36% Latino children in New York City. Link
- Mari Moss testified about an ACS worker allegedly assaulting her during a supervised visit, with her 2-year-old daughter being forcibly separated despite the child's distress. Link
- Maria Hernandez shared her experience of having her 4-month-old daughter removed for 10 months, detailing the emotional impact through her daughter's changing behavior and attachment issues. Link
- A young woman documented her experiences in foster care from age 11 to 26 in a book called "5 Feet of Water," including instances of sexual harassment, bullying by social workers, and poor living conditions. Link
Hearing on supporting indigenous arts and culture
Lenape elder George Stonefish gives testimony.
The first-ever council hearing specifically focused on supporting indigenous arts, culture, and history in New York City.
- Over 180,000 NYC residents identified as having American Indian or Alaska Native ancestry in the most recent census. Link
- Only two indigenous organizations receive city funding: Coopdanza ($15K) and Red Hawk Indian Arts Council ($19K) in FY2024. Link
- The Lenape Center, established in 2009, relies on partnerships with other cultural organizations to develop its educational programs and cultural expressions. Link
- Despite waiting in City Hall to meet with Mayor Koch, tribal elder Nora Thompson Dean was only given a souvenir pin of New York City. Link
- A meeting between Mayor Adams and Chief Brad Kills Crow at Gracie Mansion on November 1, 2024, represents a significant moment for Lenape-city relations after 40 years of limited engagement. Link
- There is only one Lenape language speaker remaining in the world, an 83-year-old woman named Diane Snake, who lives in a Lenape community in Canada. Link
- Growing up as a New York City native, George Stonefish spent every summer in Canada learning Lenape traditions. Link
- The Whitney Museum adopted its first land acknowledgment in 2022 after multiple years of conversation, research, and relationship building with indigenous communities. Link
- NYPL is planning a 2026 exhibition called 'Revolution at 250' that will explore the exclusion of indigenous peoples from early American identity. Link
- Coopdanza plans to host an international indigenous festival in 2025 that will include participants from the United States, New Zealand, Canada, Chile, and Colombia. Link
Hearing on legislation requiring e-bike registration
Peter Brown shares his story getting hit by an ebike.
Bob Holden's Intro 606 requires e-bikes to be registered with the DOT and have license plates affixed to them. Plenty's been written about the legislation and hearing.
134 people weighed in on it at this 8+ hour hearing. Here's the gist of what folks had to say.
- Some victims say they can’t identify hit-and-run e-bike riders, so they call for license plates to hold reckless individuals accountable.
- A Manhattan resident, hit so hard she broke her wrist, says without plates there’s no way to find the person who hit her. Link
- Another victim describes being knocked unconscious by an e-scooter and left with severe injuries, arguing that anonymous riders flee too easily. Link
- A man hit on the sidewalk by an e-bike rider recalls being thrown to the ground, severely injured, and never able to identify who did it. Link
- Others argue that cars cause the vast majority of fatal crashes, so focusing on e-bikes misses the main threat.
- A researcher’s data shows that nearly all fatal pedestrian collisions involve cars, not e-bikes. Link
- One speaker says the city should spend the proposed $19 million licensing cost on safer intersections and bike lanes. Link
- Another notes that cars are the leading cause of child fatalities, arguing that targeting e-bikes takes focus off the real danger. Link
- Delivery workers fear that license plates will lead to more stops and scrutiny, hurting those who rely on e-bikes daily.
- Many say existing laws already ban sidewalk riding and hit-and-runs, so proper enforcement should come first
- A shop employee notes that plenty of dangerous riding behaviors are already illegal, so why not enforce them before adding new steps? Link
- Another testifier argues that new registration requirements won’t reduce crashes because the core dangerous behaviors are already against the law; what’s needed is enforcing those existing rules. Link
Hearing on Kingsbridge Armory's $2MM Restore NY grant application
The Kingsbridge Armory. Credit: NYC EDC.
The NYC Economic Development Corporation is seeking approval to apply for a $2 million Restore New York grant to support the redevelopment of the historic Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx, which has been vacant for over 25 years.
- The Kingsbridge Armory's building envelope is not watertight, the roof is beyond its useful life, and the windows fail to meet current NYC energy standards. Link
- The Restore New York grant program aims to encourage community development and neighborhood growth by eliminating and redeveloping blighted structures. Link
- The Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment has significant financial requirements, requiring multiple funding sources and grants. Link
- EDC estimates total redevelopment costs could reach $500MM for a generic renovation of the armory, according to their June 2023 analysis. Link
- The city and state have jointly committed $216MM for critical infrastructure needs at the Kingsbridge Armory. Link
- The armory building encompasses approximately 588.8MM gross square feet of development potential. Link
- The Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises voted unanimously in favor of the grant application, with 6 votes in favor and no opposition or abstentions. Link
Thanks for reading!
Comments, questions, or feedback? Reply to this email or shoot me a note at vikram@citymeetings.nyc
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