November 13, 2012
By Stephanie West
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn and Comptroller John C. Liu at a press conference November 12, 2012. announced a $500 million emergency plan to make critical repairs to public schools and public hospitals damaged by Hurricane Sandy.
The plan calls for an appropriation of $200 million for the Department of Education and $300 million for the New York City Health and Hospital Corporation to repair extensive damage to school and hospital buildings.
The repair needs include structural restorations, new boilers, new electrical systems, roofs repairs, flood remediation and more.
The City Council is expected to vote on the appropriation plan at today's Council hearing. The funding will be an addition to capital funds in the current year (Fiscal Year 2013) Capital Commitment Plan. The Administration and Comptroller Liu have also worked together to approve emergency spending for Hurricane Sandy relief, which now totals $134 million. The spending plan announced and emergency spending represent only a portion of the spending that will be required and additional appropriations will be made this year as necessary.
The Mayor, Speaker and Comptroller made the announcement at P.S. 207 in Howard Beach, Queens, one of 23 school buildings housing 37 schools closed for repairs. The building will need new oil tanks and electrical wiring. Students, teachers and staff have been reassigned to other school sites in the interim.
