Assemblyman Steve Otis, and County Legislator Catherine Parker
By Nina Recio
After a week of unprecedented upheaval in our nation, local legislators New York State Senator Shelley Mayer, New York State Assemblyman Steve Otis and Westchester County Legislator Catherine Parker spoke, via Zoom, at the Local Summit’s first program of 2021 on Tuesday, January 12.
The panelists acknowledged their deep concern for the potential dangers now confronting the nation after last week’s assault on the Capitol and discussed the safety measures being taken at their respective legislatives houses to protect legislators and staff from both potential acts of violence and Covid-19. These measures include remote participation in legislative sessions and committee meetings and social distancing.
Senator Mayer expressed her confidence in the security being provided by state police. Notwithstanding their concerns for the safety and welfare of the nation and state, as well as themselves, our legislators displayed a preparedness and appetite to tackle the persistent problems facing our state and local communities as a result of the events of this past year.
There was agreement among the legislators that the priority is to address the impact of the pandemic and to improve the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine, which has not been as smooth as desired. The panelists also noted that the pandemic’s impact was disproportionately affecting poor people and people of color, underscoring the inequities in our society.
Among the efforts cited by the panelists to help New Yorkers, particularly its lower income citizens, is the extension of the eviction moratorium until May 2021. In order to take advantage of this program a tenant must certify that the hardship is Covid-related. Assemblyman Otis advised that financial assistance also is available to small landlords.
Additionally, Legislator Parker reported that the County has allotted money for a study on legislation that would provide “right-to-counsel” in eviction proceedings, similar to a law which currently exists in New York City. The study should be completed within the first six months of the year, according to Legislator Parker. Senator Mayer mentioned a proposal for free broadband for every child in the state to ensure equal access to education.
The panelists were clear that the pandemic has had an enormous adverse economic impact on the state. The speakers reported that all revenues, but especially New York City revenues (“the engine of the state”) are way down resulting in a significant state budget shortfall that will affect county and local municipalities. This has resulted in the suspension of all state grant programs, such as clean water infrastructure. The panelists were united in expressing the need for federal assistance but also expressed optimism that this would be a priority of the incoming Biden administration and, hopefully, the aid would arrive quickly as New York has an April budget deadline.
Also of concern to the panelists was the difficulties confronting the restaurant and food service industries due to the pandemic. Assemblyman Otis explained how the problems manifest in several ways. In addition to a restaurant’s limited ability to serve patrons, many restaurants have been subjected to abuse by food delivery services, described by Assemblyman Otis as “hostage-taking”. This occurs when a delivery service charges the
the restaurant an exorbitant percentage for the delivery of orders and/or creates the appearance on-line of a special relationship with a restaurant where none in fact exists. Assemblyman Otis reported that some delivery services would download old menus with incorrect offerings and prices, to the detriment of the restaurant. He said that legislation was recently passed to address this problem.
Restaurant employees also face particular difficulties, according to Senator Mayer, as many are “excluded” workers, ineligible for unemployment benefits. Many of those employees turn to non-profits for assistance. Assemblyman Otis would like to see aid to those non-profits prioritized since they are keeping many others afloat.
Legislator Parker, who is the co-chair of the County Pandemic Reopening Task Force, reported that the county has already passed its budget and was able to continue all services. It is now looking towards passing additional legislation to help small business owners and start-ups.
The panelists were clear that there are other issues also vying for legislative attention. The county recently voted to appropriate money to improve Mamaroneck’s waste water treatment center. Flooding in Mamaroneck is also on the minds of the legislators. The Army Corps of Engineers plan to address flooding had bi-partisan support and had been green-lighted, but it was halted under the Trump administration which determined that the project didn’t pass the cost-benefit test. The legislators were hopeful that Senator Schumer would be able to secure the needed funds and restart the project.
Among the other matters of concern to the legislators are voting rights and police conduct. Assemblyman Otis stated that we need more polling places for early voting and more resources to facilitate voting and process votes. Legislator Parker indicated that this issue is part of a package of priority legislation. With respect to policing, the governor has issued an executive order requiring a comprehensive review of police procedures and policies and the county has organized a task force for reimagining policing in Westchester County and local governments are also undertaking an examination of local police.
This forum was co-hosted by the Larchmont-Mamaroneck Local Summit and LMC Media. The Local Summit is an informal community council that seeks to make life better for all in the tri-municipal area. To view this Zoom Forum: http://bit.ly/SummitJan12Legislators. To learn more about The Local Summit: https://www.localsummitlm.org/. To learn more about LMC Media: https://lmcmedia.org/. Our next program will be held on Tuesday, February 9, 2021 at 8:00 am.
