City Council Passes Bill for Hurricane Sandy Committee, Seeks Report on Outcomes, Recommendations for the Future

Paul Stremple -
Council Member Mark Treyger of the 47th District (Photo via Council Member Treyger’s Office)

Five years on from Hurricane Sandy, a new task force will prepare New York City for future natural disasters.

Yesteday, on Tuesday, October 16, the City Council voted unanimously on Councilmember Mark Treyger’s (47th District) recently proposed bill, Intro 1720-A, creating the Hurricane Sandy recovery task force.

Brooklyn Councilmembers Carlos Menchaca (38th), Alan Maisel (46th) and Vincent Gentile (43rd) were co-sponsors of the bill.

The bill calls for the creation of a task force which would report on the city’s efforts to recover from Hurricane Sandy. Additionally, the task force will make recommendations to the city about how to prepare for potential future natural disasters.

The committee will consist of 15 members, including a representative from each of the city’s five boroughs, as well as reps from relevant city agencies.

According to the official press release, the committee would analyze the city’s recovery efforts post-Sandy, from outreach and language access programs to case management, workforce development and the role of non-profit organizations, eventually presenting a report on their findings.

Looking to the future, the committee would also make a series of recommendations “for building resiliency and improving preparedness against future natural disasters,” which would include case management, design standards, damage assessments and any proposed regulatory changes.

“Our recovery has not been without its setbacks,” said Treyger, “But those challenges have afforded us the opportunity to gain valuable insight on what went right and what we can do better.”

Last month, Council Member Treyger called an oversight hearing for the Committee on Resiliency and Recovery, looking into ongoing work and disenrollment in the Build It Back campaign for Hurricane Sandy recovery, taking the director of the Mayor’s Office of Housing Recovery to task for poor outcomes.

Intro 1720-A is currently awaiting Mayor De Blasio’s signature.