Lights, Camera…Action!

You may have noticed more film crews on Staten Island than ever before—that’s because there are more productions happening on Staten Island than at any other time in our history. The TV & Film industry has found Staten Island and they are here to stay (or rather, return). Thanks to support from our office and the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting, more production companies and directors are using Staten Island for its array of backdrops and settings for their projects.

This is great news for the borough for many reasons, but most of all it brings jobs for Staten Islanders and revenue for local businesses. From craft services (feeding the crew), to locations and public, private and non-profit properties, the industry brings with it a healthy shot in the arm for our economy.

My staff and I recently met with Julie Menin, the Commissioner of the Mayor’s office of Media and Entertainment, and toured several established and  potential film locations on the Island. We hope to collaborate with her to continue to bolster filming on Staten Island and ensure that our small businesses benefit from the multi-billion dollar film industry.

Here are just a few of the TV shows that have filmed on Staten Island in the last year:

-The Blacklist

-Gotham

-The Americans

-Vinyl

-Elementary

And, with the Broadway Stages project continuing the government review process, this industry will only increase.

To help connect production companies with locations to film, we’ve created a photo portfolio to showcase locations that are available on Staten Island. If you are interested in listing your home or business our film locations page, email Allison at my office at ACohen@StatenIslandUSA.com. You can check out the portfolio of filming locations here: https://statenisland.smugmug.com/

Staten Island: Home to the Largest Coast Guard Sector in the Nation

Many people are unaware the Staten Island is the home to both the United State Coast Guard Sector New York and USCG Station New York.  Currently, the Coast Guard operates under the auspices of the Department of Homeland Security, and they’re fully in charge of security for the Ports of New York and New Jersey.  Though they actively work with the NYPD and FDNY, the Coast Guard is top dog when it comes to port security.  On their website, they refer to duty at Station New York as “one of the most demanding environments in the country.”

Demanding environment, indeed.  It is the busiest east coast port in America.

What would eventually become the United States Coast Guard actually started in 1790 under the Treasury Department: they were a Revenue Cutter Service.  In 1915, Revenue-Marine was merged with the U.S. Lifesaving Service and the Coast Guard was born.

By law, the Coast Guard has 11 missions, all pretty much self-explanatory:

•Ports, waterways, and coastal security

•Drug interdiction

•Aids to navigation

•Search and rescue

•Living marine resources

•Marine safety

•Defense readiness

•Migrant interdiction

•Marine environmental protection

•Ice operations

•Other law enforcement

A USCG “Sector” is a geographical area that contains multiple Coast Guard Stations.  Sector New York, located on the grounds of Ft. Wadsworth and commanded by Captain Michael Day, has three stations under its jurisdiction: Kings Point (at the Merchant Marine Academy), Sandy Hook and New York, which is located on Bay Street. 

I’m proud to say that Station New York is the largest station in the Coast Guard, with over a hundred active duty members and 10 small boats assigned.

The legal basis for the Coast Guard is Title 14 of the United States Code, which states: "The Coast Guard as established January 28, 1915, shall be a military service and a branch of the armed forces of the United States at all times." Upon the declaration of war or when the President directs, the Coast Guard operates under the authority of the Department of the Navy.

As members of a military service, Guardians on active duty and in the Reserve are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and receive the same pay and allowances as members of the same pay grades in the other four armed services.

Coast Guard Day is celebrated throughout the country on August 4^th each year – commemorating that day in 1790 when Revenue-Marine was born.  The celebration is at the station in Ft. Wadsworth, a fantastic and fascinating place to bring the family.  Consider attending – I know I will.

Finally, I want to mention that we are in the process of applying to become a Coast Guard Community – a formal title bestowed upon a community by an act of Congress for developing a unique and supportive relationship with a Coast Guard Station or Sector.  As a borough, I believe it should install a deep pride in our identity should we succeed.

Will a HELP Truck Help? We Think So.

Earlier this year, at the end of February, we met with a handful of city and state agencies to discuss reducing the duration of traffic jams caused by minor accidents or breakdowns.  As you know, we have begun to address the “minor accident” aspect of the problem by trying to educate the driving public about pulling to the side of, or completely off, the road while exchanging information.

In the absence of injuries or the inability to move the vehicle, it is NOT necessary to call the police, nor is it necessary to remain in a travel lane – the shoulder will do just fine.  Almost daily, it seems, we are reminded that the message has been missed by many drivers, but we will keep at it.

At the aforementioned meeting we also learned of a New York State DOT effort to mitigate the traffic effects of simple breakdowns – running out of gas, an overheated engine, a flat tire – by having special trucks dedicated to patrolling certain corridors with the ability to get these vehicles moving again.  Known as H.E.L.P. trucks (Highway Emergency Local Patrol), these vehicles are equipped to deal with simple breakdown issues, and since they obviate the need to wait for city DOT tow trucks, get traffic moving again in a fraction of the time.  Of course, this service is free to motorists.

Currently, H.E.L.P. trucks patrol segments of Interstate 95 and 678 in the Bronx and parts of Interstate 495 and 678 in Queens.  Shortly after the meeting, we requested that NYSDOT Regional Director Sonia Pichardo examine the feasibility of adding H.E.L.P. trucks along the I-278 corridor from the Goethals Bridge to the RFK (Triborough) Bridge.  This would, of course, include the Staten Island Expressway and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, the source of so much morning aggravation for commuters.

I’m happy to report that Director Pichardo has heard our call, for which we express enormous appreciation, and agrees that H.E.L.P. trucks would be a benefit in the I-278 corridor.  She has directed her staff to evaluate the I-278 corridor to identify segments of this Interstate where we can achieve the greatest benefits with the HELP Program.

They will also undertake a review of the 2015 incident data from their Joint Traffic Management Center (JMTC), to assist in determining where the H.E.L.P. program would be most feasible for implementation.

Here’s some interesting facts about a program we didn’t know existed until this meeting:

• It is the mission of the NYS HELP program to facilitate the safe and efficient movement of people and goods by minimizing traffic congestion, and improving the operation of the highway system.
• The NYSDOT's H.E.L.P. program has grown into one of the nation's largest and most successful roadway service patrol programs.
• H.E.L.P. presently provides motorist assistance to vehicles traveling on 1485 miles of limited access interstate roadways, parkways, and expressways on Long Island, in New York City, the Lower Hudson Valley, Buffalo, Rochester, and the Albany Capital District.
• Currently, 100 service trucks, including backup trucks, cover 25 distinct patrol areas, or beats.
• These trucks are operated by NYSDOT employees or contracted to other service providers. The program is coordinated and monitored by the Department's local Transportation Management Centers (TMCs).

Have we done it?  Have we finally solved our morning commute problem?  Of course not – I wish such a thing were possible.  We have, however, done what we do here at Borough Hall every single day: made a small difference in the quality of life of Staten Islanders.  But we also recognize that small differences become big differences if you can string enough of them together, and that has become our mantra.  We keep chipping away at obstacles using every tool at our disposal, and we will keep doing so as long as we are blessed to work in this stately building.

A Thousand Words On Why It Takes NYC So Long to Build Anything…and I’ve Barely Scratched the Surface

“How,” we ask, “could our society have regressed to the point where a bridge that could be built in less than a year a century ago takes five times as long to repair today?”

That is just one of several cogent and “damn right” points in this smartly-written Boston Globe piece from a couple of weeks ago: in this country today we just don’t seem to build infrastructure projects on time and on budget.

For example, on the Bayonne Bridge raising project construction has been set back for two full years.

I have long railed about how long it takes New York City to complete capital projects.  I have snarkily mused that when someone in the government bureaucracy sneezes, intersection improvement projects are delayed six months.  It’s sarcasm, but it captures an all-too-real phenomenon that has existed in city government for far too long.  If the public knew how much time and energy we expend pushing and prodding these projects along each step of the way, cynicism and skepticism of their local government would grow exponentially.

And this is not a new phenomenon. This is decades in the making.

Speaking of bridges,  a few months ago I mentioned how  I was watching with wonder as the new Goethals Bridge rises, and how the Port Authority, never considered  a bastion of efficiency, was building the bridge in less time than it takes NYC to effect a relatively straightforward intersection improvement project.  That is a public-private partnership; draw your own conclusions.

Costs are crazy out-of-control as well.  See an example here of the breakdown of the $9 million project to redo the fields at the Berry Houses.

If we can get by the high prices and the lack of production, we still face procurement, the third dreaded “p” we must endure and overcome.

The City’s procurement process continues to be a nightmare.  Here’s a quick example: since arriving at Borough Hall in January 2014, we have placed an emphasis on increasing health & wellness across our borough.  We have undertaken dozens of initiatives to encourage, educate and empower Staten Islanders to get healthier or stay fit.  One simple idea we had was installing some outdoor gym equipment in a few of our public parks.  We’re talking about basic equipment, like pull-up bars, that Islanders could incorporate into their fitness routines as they spend time in our wonderful Borough of Parks. 

We allocated the funds in June 2014, during our first budget here at Borough Hall.  How’s that equipment (forgive the pun) working out, you ask?  Well, it’s not, because it hasn’t been installed yet.

The equipment for Bloomingdale Park was part of a bigger project and the bids came in “too high.”  The Wolfe’s Pond equipment will be installed at the same time the hockey rink work is being done, meaning that construction will START in the fall of 2016. Bloomingdale is being re-bid this month, so I can’t give you a construction start date.  Exactly when Staten Islanders will actually be using these physical fitness amenities is anyone’s guess.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the efforts by Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver to address Park’s historic capital and procurement problems. He has cut several months off the process, and knows that more needs to be done.  But we are a long way from being efficient, or even relatively so.

 

I also appreciate the numerous meetings and the time DDC Commissioner Feniosky Peña-Mora has spent with us at Borough Hall. He is not the problem. The process, the dreaded status quo, the way we do things or don’t do things, is an entrenched, amorphous, hard to change enemy.

This is the problem. Things are done this way because that’s how it’s always been done by the same middle managers who were in charge during previous administrations. There is simply no motivation for anyone within the bureaucracy to do anything differently. 

Maybe it is time to change the way we compensate some city workers to reward actions that speed projects up, to reward city employees who think out of the box and save the city money.  Maybe we should incentivize the process to motivate employees would be motivated to get projects moving more quickly and done on time, instead of seeking to delay, delay, and delay some more. If incentives can inspire greater creativity and productivity, maybe we should give it a try.

Maybe culture is part of the problem. It comes as no surprise that New York City government is run like a bureaucracy, because it is one.  Maybe we need to take some lessons from the tech startup culture, where innovation is paramount and the focus is on solving problems.  As it is, there is simply no incentive for an employee to figure out an innovative way to cut down the time for a capital project.   

We also need to tap into people with a fresh perspective, people with the expertise to offer concrete policy modifications.  Let’s, for example, take the City's environmental review process, which is simultaneously overly-broad and under-inclusive, and ultimately compels no mitigation. It simply does nothing to help the environment and, except for the lawyers and consultants who are hired to navigate the maze, it kills jobs.  Years ago, we pleaded with the Bloomberg Administration to review and implement some of the suggestions found in a white paper from Hope Cohen, then of the Manhattan institute, entitled “Rethinking Environmental Review: A Handbook on What Can Be Done.” Those requests fell on deaf ears.

The one thing we need immediately is a clarion call from the highest mountaintop of city government -- the Mayor -- that change must happen. Accountability, and thus substantive changes, will happen on a broader scale only if the Mayor forcefully compels the OMB Director and the Deputy Mayors to ride the commissioners, to demand from their agencies more efficiencies and a better way of running the city.  If that press from the mayor is not forceful and consistent, the culture of stagnation wins, and those bureaucrats who were there before this Mayor will live on after him, doing the same things in the same tired and stale ways. 

And nothing will get built on time, and that damn telephone pole still sits in the street bed at Victory Boulevard and Clove Road...

#LTCF

I was inspired to write this draft a few years ago, during a very emotional and trying time in my life.  On a handful of occasions since I have thought about sharing it publicly, but until now it has just sat in my desk, ripening, calling me back from time to time, but in each instance I found a reason not to post it. 

However, I recently heard some news from a dear friend that has moved me to take it out and dust it off, and now my heart is trumping my head and I want to share it - with the hope it will help and inspire others the way it has helped and inspired me.

Let me start by telling you about Jim Valvano, a legendary college basketball coach at North Carolina State University, who, at the age of 47, died of cancer in the prime of his life and career.  He gave a speech at the 1993 ESPY Awards in March.  By the end of April he was gone.

Please take a moment to watch this thirty-second clip; it has the potential to change your life.

Jimmy V, who was born in Corona, Queens, told the world that each day we should endeavor to do three things:  Laugh. Think. Cry.  If you do those three things, he said “that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special.”

I find that as events overtake us and we occasionally get glimpses of our own mortality, Jim Valvano’s heartfelt counsel rings more true than ever before:  Laugh. Think. Cry.

So I had this idea and I’m going to run with it.  Social media has been amazing tool that has allowed me to communicate my thoughts, ideas and feelings with thousands of Staten Islanders.  While at times that dialogue has proven to be more than a bit trying, in many instances - the truly important ones - it has reminded me how many genuinely good folks there are out there.  

So I invite you to join me; let’s see if we can help each other.

Let’s start Laugh, Think, Cry Fridays (LTCF).  I will post to #LTCF each week, and anyone inclined can post below it their laugh, think or cry moment of the week.  Who knows?  It could be cathartic and maybe together we can push back against the minutiae of life that often derails us from appreciating what truly matters.  Perhaps it will offer us a measure of solace and support as we each navigate those daunting hurdles life places in front of each of us, or maybe it simply will provide us with a moment’s relief and a smile.

Laugh, Think, Cry Fridays. I kind of like that.

If all drivers were aware of this, we would have fewer traffic jams

We’re all too familiar with the sad, depressing and inevitable drill, aren’t we?  Sitting in traffic on some baking or freezing highway, listening to a dizzying and never-ending succession of “Traffic and Weather on the 1’s” reports and wondering what massive multi-vehicle disaster is causing this excruciating delay.

And as we slowly make our way closer and closer, the catastrophe gradually reveals itself to our wondering eyes: two cars, nose to tail, damage barely perceptible to the naked eye, fully blocking an entire lane of traffic, while the drivers stubbornly wait for the police to arrive to adjudicate who was right and who was wrong. 

Problem is, the police aren’t going to do that.  Truth is, as long as the damage is minor and you can drive your car, and nobody is injured or killed, the officers don’t want to be there at all – they just want you to move out of the traffic lanes.  So do the thousands of cars queued up behind you.

Here’s the reality: If you are in an accident, you are required by the NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law to stop and exchange information with the involved drivers. YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO REMAIN AT THE SPOT OF THE ACCIDENT unless there are injuries or a death, or your vehicle is incapable of being driven safely.

In the event of a minor fender-bender, you should carefully pull over to a safe, nearby curb or shoulder, out of the flow of traffic, to exchange information.  It is NOT always necessary to call the NYPD. There will NOT be an on-site investigation.  In some cases, like when the damage is more than $1,000, you are required to file a police report – but that can be done any time within ten days of the accident.

If all drivers were aware of this we would have fewer of the morning messes that plague our commutes.

The following is from the NYS Department of Motor Vehicle website:

•If the accident caused property damage only, then exchange information about your driver license, insurance, and registration with the involved drivers.

•If a parked vehicle or other property is damaged, or if a domestic animal is injured, you must locate the owner or contact the police.

•If the property damage of any person is $1,001 or more, all the involved drivers are required by the NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law to file a Report of Motor Vehicle Accident [2] (MV-104). File form MV-104 with the DMV no more than 10 days after the accident. The DMV can suspend your driver license if you fail to report an accident.

•If a person is injured or killed, you are required by the NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law to immediately notify the police. All the involved drivers and the police must file an accident report with the DMV. It is a crime to leave the scene of an accident that causes personal injury or death.

The accident appears on the records of all the involved drivers. An accident listed on your driver record does not indicate that you were at fault. The DMV does not try to determine fault in an accident.

Some folks have expressed trepidation about insurance implications and the possibility of insurance companies not being responsive if cars were moved. IN FACT, here’s what some insurance companies say on their websites about this topic:

• Progressive Insurance:  If you're involved in a minor fender bender, such as another car rear-ending you or a car changing lanes into you, it's probably best to move your cars out of traffic after verifying no one is hurt. In fact, several states have signs along major highways that advise you to move your car off the road after a minor accident.

• Geico:  At the Accident Scene be sure to:
• Move your car to a safe nearby location, but be careful not to leave the scene.
• Check to see if anyone is hurt and call 911 for medical assistance.

• Allstate:  Immediately following a car accident, consider taking the following actions:
• Check yourself for injuries. If you're injured, call 911 or ask someone else to do so. If you're seriously injured, try not to move, and wait for emergency personnel.
• If you're not too hurt to move, check on the well-being of your passengers. If anyone's injured, get on the phone with emergency services or ask a bystander to call for help.
• Get to safety if you're able to, either on the side of the road or on a sidewalk. If your car is safe to drive and is causing a hazard where it is, pull it to the side of the road. Otherwise, leave it where it is and get yourself to safety.

• State Farm: Immediately After an Accident
• Take a deep breath and stay calm.
• Check for injuries; call an ambulance when in doubt.
• If accident is minor, move cars to a safe place, out of traffic.
• Turn on your vehicle's hazard lights and use cones, warning triangles or flares for safety.
• Call the police, even if the accident is minor.
• Notify your insurance agent immediately.