Transcript: Mayor Mamdani Invests $108 Million to Improve Sewer Performance Citywide, Enhancing Neighborhood Resiliency
Zohran Mamdani on NYC Mayor's Office transcripts.
Passages
Good afternoon, Sunset Park. It is a pleasure to be here, here in Sunset Park in Brooklyn, and I want to just first say it's a pleasure to be here alongside Council Member Alexa Avilés, as well as our DEP Commissioner, Lisa Garcia, who is here with us. And I also want to acknowledge the second vice chair of CB7, Cynthia Felix Jeffers, who's here with us, as well as all of the community members and leaders that we have joining us for today's announcement. Now, I want you all to just join me for a little bit of a journey through time. In 2015, Brooklyn rapper 2Milly introduced the term “Milly Rocking.” Now, if you believe as I do that Milly might be short for Milwaukee and, in fact, that this might be a reference to the fact that Milwaukee pioneered sewer socialism many years ago, today we may too be Milly rocking as we speak about the importance of delivering sewer socialism across the five boroughs of the place that we call home. Because today is a day when we are delivering the very kinds of public goods and public excellence that, too often for New Yorkers, have been missing in their day-to-day lives, especially in the moments where we see rainfall exceed the kinds that this city had anticipated many, many years prior when our sewage system was first put together. Now, when we're talking about catch basins in this city, we're speaking about an essential part of a 7,500-mile sewer network. There are more than 150,000 catch basins in our city. They channel stormwater into DEP's 14 wastewater facilities or directly into our waterways. And when basin grates are flooded — when the basin grates are blocked, rather — neighborhoods are flooded. And so, what we are here to do is to talk about the importance of cleaning and ensuring that catch basins are protected against flooding, extreme weather, and keeping streets in good condition. And so, I'm proud to be here alongside our intrepid City Councilwoman, our DEP commissioner, to announce that City Hall is going to be investing $108 million to replace and modernize older and outdated catch basins across our city. Now, this builds on $20 million that has already been invested for 40 new catch basin cleaning trucks because what we're speaking about in actuality is DEP replacing more than 6,700 catch basins over the next decade, starting in Queens and then moving to Brooklyn, Staten Island, as well as the Bronx. This is going to begin in July of this year. And what we're talking about is building upon the work the DEP has been doing, which has upgraded 1,776 basins since last year across our city and 350 grill replacements, curb pieces, bicycle-friendly grates, and slotted manhole covers added since this January alone. Now, we are going to continue to invest about $1.5 million per year for basin modernization. We're also going to be speeding up the catch basin cleaning. I'm proud to say that DEP has now managed to exceed the eight-business-day requirement for catch basin cleaning and is reporting being able to do so within three days of a complaint being filed with the city. Now, from 1910 to 1912, the Mayor of Milwaukee, Emil Seidel, once said, “Yes, we wanted sewers in the workers' homes, but we wanted much, oh so very much more than sewers.” We are here today to talk about one part of what City government must do, but when City government can show that when it rains in the city it doesn't have to flood, it also shows New Yorkers that we can dream of a tomorrow that is better than today. So, thank you all so much for joining me, and with that being said, I'm going to pass it over to our incredible new commissioner, Lisa Garcia.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source So, we are beginning in Queens in July. This will be guided by DEP, and I'm really glad to have our DEP commissioner who is here with us today. It is going to be over the course of a decade intensifying the work that's been done. Before I just get a little bit further into your question, I just want to lay [it] out. If you can see this right here, this is the entirety of a catch basin. Oftentimes, this is considered to be all the catch basin is, but it extends all the way down. There have been upgrades that have been made to catch basin grates, as the commissioner was speaking about, making them bike-friendly. We're also talking about the entirety of the catch basin as a whole, which is critical because our sewage system was built for the rainfall that was anticipated more than a century ago. And as we know, rainfall now is of a very different scale in this city. And as the councilwoman said, New Yorkers are well aware of that. We need to have City government also be well aware of it. But ultimately, it's going to be DEP that guides the question of where do we deliver this, and how is it in line with the needs of New Yorkers? I don't know if you want to add anything.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source And part of the reason we're here in Sunset Park is because we've also seen a persistent issue when it comes to flooding. And I appreciate the council member for having been an advocate of this neighborhood and this community so that City Hall is well aware of what's going on.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source Can you say the last part of the question one more time? Sorry.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source So, I'm going to follow up with DOT and then get back to you on the specifics of the delay and the implementation. And what I will say when it comes to the announcement that we're making today, [is] every single one of the investments that are being made when it comes to the replacement of these catch basins is going to be with a bike-friendly grade.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source So, when it comes to TikTok usage, there [are] going to be specific procedures, and also it will be authorized users who will be able to use this on city devices. Now, just to remind everyone, the concerns around privacy had to do, as was stated, with the prior ownership of TikTok. That ownership has now changed. We see the federal government is using TikTok. Our goal is to communicate with as many New Yorkers as possible. This is one way that many New Yorkers are engaging with the world around them.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source Look, if a company like Waymo finds itself in New York City, what they will also find is a City government that is committed to delivering for the workers who keep the city running, and those workers also include our taxi drivers who, for far too long, have been sold a dream of being able to work their way to the middle class, only to have the rug pulled out from under them.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source There haven't been any final determinations that have been made about this year. This is a practice that is based upon DEP's use of city infrastructure as part of its delivery of a lot of the essential things that New Yorkers rely upon it for. I don't know, commissioner, if you want to add anything. No? Okay.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source I can get back to you on that. I will tell you, however, any allegation and finding of improper behavior and action by a public servant is immensely concerning, and we will be following up on that.
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source We'll definitely be looking into these, because any allegation, especially if it's being substantiated, of improper action and behavior is one that has to be followed up on. Thank you. ###
Zohran MamdaniCheck at the source
Every passage above is taken from this recording: NYC Mayor's Office transcripts, Transcript: Mayor Mamdani Invests $108 Million to Improve Sewer Performance Citywide, Enhancing Neighborhood Resiliency.