 Missed my cue there always always so dazzled when the mayor walks in Good morning, I'm Rick Agarwal. I'm the chief climate officer for New York City and commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection Three months ago the mayor launched an amnesty program to help struggling New Yorkers many of whom fell behind during the pandemic Save money and catch up on unpaid water bills The program offered to forgive interest payments for customers who paid their bills in full and offered discounts for those who entered into payment plans To tell you more about how this program is going. I'd like to introduce our mayor mayor Eric Adams Thank you, Rick and really want to thank the Assemblyman who really brought this our attention after a community meeting Cinnamon Burgess Stopped us stopped me and pulled me over to the side He was talking about one of the residents in his community a large co-op where middle-income New Yorkers were really behind in the payment of the water bill because of the amount of interest and He stated that if we can just get the interest under control the short having community in the Bronx will be able to deal with the underlining amount and Between the assemblymen and councilmen far as we were just able to put out Our thoughts in the right direction when you talk about just the short haven area alone You talk about four hundred thousand dollars and so really kudos to you Assemblymen for being on the ground and creating the partnership that's needed council person as well as we deal with the essentials of water and so Written his team over at DEP Wanted to come up with a very thoughtful way of how do we ensure people receive the necessity? That they deserve a water clean water New York City has some of the best water in in the country and We want to continue to allow that water to flow But at the same time we needed the payments for that water to flow We're able to keep the cost of water down Even in the increase that you're seeing around four percent is below in the inflation because of what we are doing here where all New York is Chip in to make sure we have adequate water and the major projects that we are experiencing it costs money and When you have particularly large locations like the one you see here That are several thousand dollars behind and water payment. It hurts fellow New York is New York's municipal water as I stated is is something that we should all be proud of and Unlike other municipalities believe it or not. We only pay one cent per gallon for water That helps us maintain a critical infrastructure that we need every time you go to your faucet you turn it on There's not a nine-to-five operation of your water flow It's 24 hours seven days a week and that is an amazing feat when you think about a large municipality like New York We want to make sure that every New Yorker can pay their water bills. So DEP has extended The embassy program by one extra month May 31st and we're going to continue the outreach That we have been doing but we're also going to really partner with our local electives So they can do an analysis within their districts to see Who needs to be part of the embassy program although we're doing a massive outreach on several different methods We want to make sure we can reach as many New Yorkers as possible because the embassy program saves Dollars if you with this embassy program means if you pay the principle of your unpaid bill in full We would forgive 100% of your interests All of your interests will be forgiven. This allows New Yorkers to pay off their debt and save in paying interest That's more money and working people's pockets. That's what we have stated over and over again, and we have been successful thus far The current embassy program has brought in nearly 80 million dollars So far and has helped New York to save more than 12 million dollars in interest so for those who continue to fail to pay of Their bills are signed up for a payment plan because you can also get a payment plan You don't have to pay your bill all at once if you can't for whatever reason we could put you on a payment plan But if you if you refuse to do so We have to take stronger steps because if we don't it's going to fall on the backs of your fellow, New Yorkers And we cannot allow mega builders in particular and mega Mansions to fail to pay their water bills anymore a notice was placed on one of these structures this morning Around 7 30 approximately around 10 30 we got we receive a response of Attempting to rectify the outstanding amount and if you can see decoration and design building that's worth over 250 million dollars the old New York City more than $400,000 in unpaid water bills those are real dollars and we have to recoup them to continue The water service that we are provided And three hours We also want to be clear something that's very important. We don't want to shut off anyone's water The goal is to keep water on But we can't overburden taxpayers who have fallen the rule and we have put in place many different initiatives Because we want to help you know these are tough times, but we're having good programs We could overcome these tough time times and we will set up a payment plan will assist in the payment and there are other Services out there for low income or struck struggling New Yorkers We were really proud to work with the assemblyman member of Burgess and Councilman of Farias and the resident of Shorehaven Community in the Bronx and by doing so as I stated of we are saved them $400,000 we're making sure every New Yorker knows about our embassy program Without aggressive outreach and the goal is to get as many people as possible Signed up so we can keep your water flowing and at the same time keep the money flowing So we can have a system that we all can be proud of Rick great job for Union team great partnership with our local electors Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Mayor For those of you who are Ted lasso fans, you know the phrase football is life, but really water is life It's a part of all of us and it's everywhere in our environment. It's critical and yet we often take it for granted To deliver New York City's clean world-class water each day requires massive infrastructure and labor and money That's why we have water bills Many New Yorkers don't appreciate that our water infrastructure is not funded by taxes It's funded by the water bills that 800,000 buildings pay New Yorkers frankly like me who live in in rental apartments They don't know because they never see the water bill But that's how we pay for it and each day we supply a billion gallons of water to more than 9 million people in the city and a little in a few upstate While the average New York City household uses 70,000 gallons of water per year as the mayor said you pay just a penny per gallon for both water supply and Sewers But when people don't pay it impacts all of us because it is a closed system And every year we have to balance our budget if people do not pay their water bills That means the rates have to go up higher for those people who do and so for this amnesty program We we believe it's a good deal to bring those people who are delinquent back into paying on time Take the burden off the rest of the ratepayers so that we don't have to increase rates extensively And i'm very pleased to say we've had great success 86,000 customers across new york city roughly 40 of the people who owed money and roughly 10 of all new york city Accounts were able to use this program to save some amount of money The 80 million dollars that we recouped came largely from seriously delinquent customers who had owed more than a thousand dollars for more than a year And we're really glad to see this program help people get out of debt and make a fresh start We also have i'm sorry, but as the mayor said we are going to take action against those who aren't willing to take advantage of this program Because we have got to ensure that we protect the rest of the ratepayers by not paying you aren't merely cheating the city You're taking money out of your neighbor's pockets This money goes directly back into the water system This fall we'll be repairing the main water tunnel that brings the brings water to the city the Delaware aqueduct We're expanding ways to make our water treatment plans part of our organic system We're consistently looking for ways to deal with climate change and as as the mayor announced last september My agency is working on a comprehensive strategy around storm water To deal with the new challenges of resilience And as the mayor mentioned part of this program includes a targeted effort approved by the water board To help hdfcs and other low income housing complexes come into The green in terms of their debt and we are really excited that not only were we able to help the shore haven houses But I will say there's another 19 hdfcs that we have been able to assist already and we are working in conversation with more than 20 additional ones So this is a really exciting program Both to bring down the hammer on the folks who haven't paid and probably can But also to make sure that we are helping the people who genuinely have trouble And with that, I'd love to invite assemblymember bergos to say a few words Good morning. Uh, first off, I want to get off a few. Thank yous. Of course a huge. Thank you to our mayor Eric Adams who throughout this we wouldn't be here, of course I want to thank deputy mayor joshi. I want to thank soon be commissioner auto who also was very instrumental in this Commissioner agawala who i'm not mispronouncing Deputy commissioner jeff linge good friend of mine an entire team at d.p. Who was hugely helpful My councilman amanda farious and one of my favorite constituents Ida dosario who is the president of shore haven and even without her We couldn't even get to this point because if it were not for her and her board Shore haven wouldn't even be in the financial standing to pay this bill. So thank you Uh, and this program listen, it's simple, but it's transformation for so many families because it's for one most basic needs water I came to the mayor last fall with a problem shore haven being a working class community probably the picturesque community of the middle class here in new york city And they were struggling ironically with water And for years they faced this sky high insurmountable water debt that went to the millions due to previous mismanagement Unforseen circumstances and of course the cova 19 pandemic When it came to me, they didn't ask for forgiveness. They didn't ask for a handout They asked for a more manageable way to pay this debt because they knew they could but the interest was obviously a huge problem There were meetings financial plans lawyers letters zooms, but all of that proved to be insurmountable Until I spoke to mayor adams last fall He put me in contact with mirio joshi with jimmy auto and himself and simply said Find out if it's a law or a policy If it's a policy we fix it and they did And a matter of months a problem that had persisted for years Was resolved and this forgiveness program will save the residents of shore haven I know it stated 400 000, but I think our president will put another number on that based on some future numbers But again, so we talk about the solving the affordability crisis here and this is what we're talking about Programs like this We know this is an expensive city But when we work together in government from state and city and local electeds This is government at its best saving new yorkers money new yorkers who fuel this city every single day And I just want to put a shameless plug in here. Mr. Mayor if you wouldn't mind I hope to see this exact program rolled out in the state because there's another issue We have in the state of new york when it comes to tolling when it comes to the three-way authority mta And the poor authority of new york and new yorkers being hit with countless bills and tolls and fines and fees That are putting them it's a huge debt And I hope you looking at this program we can prove that if you let new yorkers just pay their bills Take away the interest take away the fines and the fees that we always hit them with We can keep this city and state rolling and new yorkers would pay their their bills. So thank you Thank you assembly member next i'd like to invite um councilmember amanda faras Good morning everyone and i'm gonna Reissue the sentiment of the thank yous to everyone that was in partnership to to get this done and also To my assembly member who worked really hard on this And made sure that we worked in partnership Overdue water bills and the interests they accrue have long been a point of stress for my district Especially in the classroom point and harding park communities that shore haven is encompassed Mayor adams and the department of environmental protection have recognized That communities and homeowners like mine around the city are struggling to keep up each month I have seen homeowners and homeowner associations alike Trying to recuperate and save money for future planning while also clearing debt and delinquent bills These are new yorkers who are working class middle income and folks with fixed incomes Who really needed assistance and the city to step up? And here we are we did The water amnesty program has been transformative for new york city residents Helping to relieve the burden these bills impose and put money back into the pockets of new yorkers The nearly 86 000 new yorkers who have signed up for the program have saved over 12 million in interest so far We're not just putting back money into the pockets of our neighbors But also back into our city using the money recouped through this program to invest in our water systems resilience and to keep water rates low long term Thank you to mayor adams My assembly member bergos And I are super grateful for hearing our calls to action and calls for concern for our community And ensuring that you've made a priority of the shore haven community in the Bronx Thank you to the department of environmental protection for extending the amnesty program through the end of the month of may And I hope to continue working with all of you Ndp specifically to create more innovative solutions to help our city residents and infrastructure alike and maybe even Creating something in the state since we're going to lead by example Thank you. And uh before I invite our final speaker I did just want to express, you know my own gratitude to my direct boss Mayor joshu who's constantly supportive when we come up with crazy and innovative ideas And um helps us figure out how to get it done And I and I will echo the assembly member's gratitude to jeff lynch our deputy commissioner for customer service Who's done a tremendous job of of not only figuring out how this program could work But getting it done and his team including people like albert kramer standing there And with that, I'd like to invite id rosario the president of the shore haven homeowners association Good morning everyone And thank you for giving us the opportunity to share You know This moment and to share the success of the program And I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the shore heaven community To express our appreciation for the leadership the commitment the hard work of assembly member burgos council member Faria's and especially the office of major adams For putting this program in place which as he was described allow the shore heaven community This is not a handout It allows the community to meet our obligation to pay our bill At the same time Of not putting at risk our financial stability or jeopardizing our ability to move forward Um This is a success that did not happen overnight. It's a success that shows And i'm going to say that twice that leadership matters representation matters Who is at the table matters? We struggle with this for over three years And assembly member burgos has been helping the shore heaven community Way before he was assembly member burgos trying to figure out a way a viable way A reasonable way for us to meet our obligation without holding us back As soon as council member faria was elected she jumped on board and both of them brought the issue To the attention of major adams and it is amazing How swift the response is which is why I say that leadership matters We were surprised That our efforts that were consistent relentless for three years. We thought it Served as an inspiration For a program that is not only going to help the Shore heaven community But it's going to help others throughout new york city and I totally express You know on behalf of our community, which is the best kept secret in the bronze We have We have 899 members and a community of about 3 000 residents. We cover about 40 acres So this has a real impact in the community that it's over way over $400,000, but it's not only the money that we saved Is that we shortened the life of the agreement to only three years That means that we're going to be able to fix our infrastructure our sidewalk our pavement and really keep moving forward With an association of hardworking homeowners I mean that is what it's all about when you will help hardworking Homeowners and workers it really help everyone. So thank you again everyone I don't want to overextend my time, but I I really want people to Get a clear sense that that that what happened with the amnesty program didn't fall out of the blue sky It was the work of of leaders do who heard us who heard the nature of our requests Who understood that we were not asking for a handout? We were asking for a reasonable way to meet our obligation They step up to the plate And for that we are grateful. Thank you Yeah Before we do that, I think that what you laid out was so important and what the assemblyman and the council person was able to accomplish Yes, it helped shorehaven But what they did is going to help broken class people across the city It's a game changer When you can Get rid of the burden of a of the interest payment It really keeps money in your pocket This is local government at its best and he said something else that my team knows so well And you will hear often in our administration I follow the law, but I make policy and so whenever a problem is brought to me The only question I ask is it the law or is it policy if it's policy we're fixing it We're not going to be stuck in the bureaucracy of what we can't do This is a city of yes We need to find ways to do it and that is how we operate law or policy We follow laws, but policy I make sure that we use them appropriately and that is how we got this problem solved It's such a short period of time anybody could come and say why you can't do something deputy mayor Mayor joseph went to ritt it came with one thing the mayor is clear We need to find a way to get this done and they got stuff done. So we open to a few questions So we do have some data And I I can certainly share for example that that we have a list of about 50 office buildings That's that I was accumulative seven million dollars Um, and that's the that's one of the lists that we will be proceeding We started as as the mayor said with the shutoff notice to this property And to two single family homes that owe more than a hundred thousand dollars for a single family home Whereas the mayor said we're really talking about mega mansions here um and The interestingly enough the top 50 single family homes actually owe more than the top 50 office buildings They owe 8.7 million dollars. Um, and one of the things that's happened is that that what we see And it's interesting. It's a direct contrast to kind of the the Eagerness of of shore haven as as the president said not to ask for a handout but just to ask for for a way to make good Um, but some of these higher end properties They just don't want to talk to us and they are using their water bill as a form of cash management Um, which is just not fair because that means they are they are Um, without consent. They are borrowing money from their neighbors Um, and so we will be proceeding. Uh, you know, as the mayor said, this is good news because we never want to shut anybody's water off There's a long train of things we do the the number of outreaches we make the phone calls the letters the warnings This building received a certified letter a week ago. They ignored it They only responded when we put a sticker up this morning Other buildings, whether it's a single family home or an office The stickers are coming for you When buildings like these are So much money when it comes to enforcement How important it is to recruit this money when you know, this goes into the budget and how you balance that No, it is extremely important because we have to use the projections of our water bill as part of our overall analysis Of how we balance the budget and so when you have 50 builders all own such a substantial amount of money 50 mega mansions owing even more money It impacts in our ability to Provide good to services to the people of the city. Now you have Just the overwhelming number of new yorkis. They look at the water bill. They understand We have to pay it so that we could have the services we want and it's kudos to them We commend them and we want to make sure that everyone is doing they share, you know As as the commissioner stated, we don't pay the water based on taxes We pay the water based on people paying for the use of water sticker Did they cut a check for the 25% that you're asking to avoid shutoff or was it just like hey commissioner, let's talk Uh, they they look all I know second hand. They actually didn't call me personally. Um, but uh, you know No, uh No, people like the assembly member get to talk to the mayor firstly, but not a bad actor like this Um, no, they called our call center. They said they are interested in making a payment and asked for instructions on How to do so quickly we shall see the water shutoff notice is in effect until the check clears Quick follow-up. There might be some skeptical viewers who are saying to themselves. Yeah, right Well, I've asked the mayor a couple of times and he keeps backing us up. So I'm gonna say 100% I mean, we are not kidding around here, uh, because if we don't do this Our bond rating is at risk and that'll drive up our interest rates That means water bills go up for everybody our ability to invest and maintain in the system will decline Right, there are all sorts of consequences here and this is the problem There there's so much debt that went uncollected during the pandemic We know some people were struggling during the pandemic and that's why we did the amnesty program We also know that there are some people who are just making a business decision that they don't think DEP will ever follow up And if somebody wants to call our bluff I think the tables will be on them I can get you, uh, we can get you a fact sheet with some of the statistics The total outstanding debt is roughly 800 million dollars So we have a long list of buildings as you would imagine There's a long tail of of folks like as as I mentioned the bulk of the people who have made use the amnesty Well with thousand dollars or five thousand dollars And you know our goal is again, we're not we're not looking to shut anybody's water off But our goal is to make sure that people appreciate that that paying your water bill is not an optional activity. It is a requirement Thank you, um Question probably for the commissioner too. Is there a parameter for like which buildings are going to get this shut-off notice if you hold over Say a certain dollar amount We do we have a criteria, um, or we have a set of criteria It that sequences it basically anybody who's more than 180 days Overdue with their water bill is potentially at risk of water shut-offs Now we are not going to shut off everybody's water at the same time So we are prioritizing and we are prioritizing Those buildings that owe large balances starting with buildings that owe more than a hundred thousand dollars That have owed it for more than 180 days because that's obvious Um, and we are starting targeting buildings with very high property values Because our goal here is to get the money in the door. So we are starting with buildings where we believe there's an ability to pay But we will be working down that list Again, I can get you I mean it's a total pool of Tens of thousands of buildings that have some debt it adds up to about 800 million dollars And so we can we can get you lots of different ways to slice and dice it But the point is overall it's a large number A lot of them have big balances and a lot of them have absolutely the ability to pay