Information that may be of interest...January 15, 2018

Mon, Jan 15, 2018 at 6:29 AM

The information in this eblast is provided by The Murray Hill Neighborhood Association. We are sharing the information as a service to our members. If this notice does not interest you, please disregard it.

The MHNA Discount Program

Full list of discounts offered to MHNA members: Restaurant and Food Discounts General Discounts

Visit the Resources pages on the MHNA website it you need information on government resources, substance abuse programs, heat season rules, local government ofices and officials, and more.

Murray Hill Photo Album How would you describe Park fountain covered with ice? email [email protected].

Kudos! If you have achievements to celebrate as an individual or business, please email [email protected].

Dynamics of Color, by Polly Guerin, shows how color is a universal language that governs the vast landscape of our existence in every aspect of daily life. The book is an easy-to-read compilation of practical information on the psychological aspects of colors and their effect on personality, lifestyle, food, art, culture and fashion. The basic historical information and Chakra definitions as well as inspirational advice enhance the readers' innate understanding of color as a valuable adjunct to acquiring a happy outcome. The book is available on Amazon for $20. The author, Polly Guerin, writes a blog www.pollytalk.com.

Upcoming events

January 17 7pm Town Hall with Mayor de Blasio and Council Member Kallos Council Member Ben Kallos (Council District 5) represents the Upper East Side of . The Town Hall offers residents the opportunity to speak directly with the Mayor and to raise any local concerns you have with him and the Council Member. Senior-level officials from many city agencies will also be in attendance and will be able to follow up on issues raised. As space is limited, please RSVP by January 16th at 5pm. at East Side Middle School 114 331 East 91st Street (Between 1st and 2nd Avenues)

From Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer's January E-News

February 1 Choose either the 10 am – 12 noon or the 6 – 8 pm session Tax assessment and appeals information sessions Each January, the Department of Finance mails City property owners a “Notice of Property Value” (NOPV), with your property’s updated market and assessed values, as required by state law. The City’s property tax rates will be applied to that assessed value to calculate property taxes for the next tax year (owners will receive the first tax bill for that year in June). But there are steps you can take if you disagree with that assessment, and the DOF will conduct outreach sessions to explain the process. Learn more online at this web page, on.nyc.gov/2lW2Jf5. at 1 Centre St Mezzanine Level (use the North Entrance)

New subway entrance at and (southeast corner) The new MTA subway entrance on the southeast corner of Lexington and 42nd Street has a tunnel that takes you to the subway plaza on the west side of the street under the Chanin Building. This new entrance is welcome, especially while the entrance under the Grand Hyatt at the northwest corner of Lexington Avenue is closed for construction, and when the Chanin Building subway entrance is not open during evenings and weekends.

Con Ed Work Notice - weekends on between 37th-38th Street East Side-Gas Upgrade Con Edison is upgrading the gas system in our area. The work will begin the weekend of January 13-14, and will last approximately 10 weeks. Time: Weekends 7am to 1pm Location: Park Avenue between East 37th and East 38th street. What to expect Limited street parking Noise Your gas service will not be affected. They apologize for any inconvenience this work may cause. Contact them at email [email protected]

The Landmarks Preservation Commission has shared this information about buildings near Murray Hill in NoMad and Midtown East:

New on the Commission's Calendar During the last quarter of 2017, the Commission voted to calendar 9 buildings as individual landmarks, 1 interior landmark and 2 historic districts. These proposed landmarks, which include buildings in Madison Square North and East Harlem, are now under consideration for designation by the Commission and can move forward in the process.

Hotel Seville Hotel Seville, now the James New York, at 22 East 29th Street, is a Beaux-Arts style Hotel building designed by Harry Allan Jacobs and built in 1901-04 with an annex designed by Charles T. Mott and built in 1906- 07. Read more about it here.

The Emmet Building The Emmet Building at 95 is a 16-story Neo- Renaissance office building designed by Barney & Colt for Dr. Thomas Addis Emmet in 1912.

Read more about it here.

550 Madison Avenue 550 Madison Avenue (the former AT&T Corporate Headquarters Building later Sony Building) is a granite-clad designed by Philip Johnson and John Burgee and built between 1978 and 1984 as the AT&T Headquarters Building. It is considered an icon of postmodern corporate design and one of the most recognizable buildings in the Manhattan skyline. Read more about it here.

Interactive Story Map: "NYC Landmarks and the Vote at 100" On November 2, 2017, the Commission launched NYC Landmarks and The Vote at 100, an interactive story map commemorating the centennial of women's suffrage.

Mayoral Advisory Commission on City Art, Monuments, and Markers Statue Study Fails To Pull Down Monuments, Moves 1 To Brooklyn January 12, 2018, patch.com, by Noah Manskar NEW YORK, NY — A city-appointed commission concluded a nearly five-month review of controversial monuments by deciding only to relocate one and leave the rest mostly as they are, officials said Friday. The city will move a Central Park monument to J. Marion Sims — an early gynecologist who experimented on enslaved black women — to Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, where he's buried. In a report to Mayor Bill de Blasio, the Commission on City Art, Monuments and Markers said the city should add plaques to other controversial landmarks — including the Columbus Circle statue — with historical information about their subjects' sordid past.

J. Marion Sims Statue To Be Moved From Central Park The monument to the doctor — who operated on enslaved black women without anesthesia — will be relocated to Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. January 12, 2018, patch.com, by Brendan Krisel Photo: J. Marion Sims statue in Central Park

State Senator Liz Krueger has shared this with us. It is also posted on the MHNA website in the Resources section. Heat Season Rules The City Housing Maintenance Code and State Multiple Dwelling Law require building owners to provide heat and hot water to all tenants. Building owners are required to provide hot water 365 days a year at a constant minimum temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Between October 1st and May 31st, a period designated as “Heat Season,” building owners are also required to provide tenants with heat under the following conditions: • Between the hours of 6AM and 10PM if the outside temperature falls below 55 degrees, the inside temperature is required to be at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit. • Between the hours of 10PM and 6AM the inside temperature is required to be at least 62 degrees Fahrenheit. Note that there is no longer any outside temperature requirement for night hours

Tenants who are cold in their apartments should first attempt to notify the building owner, managing agent or superintendent. If heat is not restored, the tenant should call the City’s Citizen Service Center at 311. For the hearing-impaired, the TTY number is 212-504-4115. The Center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

New York City and State politics Governor Cuomo's State of the State address 2018

Mayor Bill De Blasio Pledges More Progress At Inauguration January 1, 2018, patch.com, by Noah Manskar At his inauguration headlined by Sen. Bernie Sanders, the mayor pledged to keep New York a "beacon" of progress... Public Advocate Letitia James and City Comptroller Scott Stringer, both Democrats, also were sworn in for their second terms on Monday.

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer was sworn in for a second term of 4 years. New York City Council members Carlina Rivera (District 2) and Keith Powers (District 4) took their seats in the NYC Council on January 3. Their contact information can be found on the MHNA website in Resources.

On election as speaker, Johnson signals distance from mayor January 3, 2018, politico.com, by Conor Skelding Almost immediately after officially winning his new title, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson indicated that he would lead a legislative body more willing to challenge the mayor than the one under his predecessor...[T]he openly gay, HIV-positive legislator...began to lay out some policy goals, Johnson told reporters he planned to make the Council's independence a priority, hold city agencies accountable and fight for members... At the news conference, Johnson discussed one policy point he differs with the mayor on: congestion pricing. The speaker said he has never owned a car and that he supports the full Move New York plan, with tolls on the East River bridges and into Manhattan's Central Business District... Johnson promised more oversight of city agencies, a beefed up land use staff for the Council and more affordable housing... The next big news in the Council transition will be committee assignments, which Johnson said are still being hashed out, with many members after the same spots. He said he plans to meet with nearly every member over the next two days.

Give NYC’s charter a thoughtful revamp December 21, 2017, nydailynews.com, by Gale Brewer and Letitia James It’s been nearly 30 years since the last real overhaul of the City Charter, the governing document that functions as New York City’s constitution. With some minor changes made along the way, the 1989 charter has served us pretty well. But this city confronts new challenges — including widening income inequality, a new breed of complex development projects, and a hostile federal government threatening crucial funding streams — and it’s time to take another look at the ground rules of how our city government works and make improvements. Albany Watch: 4 State Proposals Could Have A Big Impact On NYC January 4, 2018, patch.com, by Noah Manskar With the state Legislature starting its 2018 session, here's a look at some plans that could mean the most for New York City: Congestion pricing, ending cash bail, election reforms, attacking sexual harrassment.

Trump's Tax Law Will Blow Up New York's School Funding Politics January 4, 2018, cityandstateny.com, by Richard Brodsky The recently enacted federal package of tax cuts and increases does much more than increase the state’s outsized contribution to the federal treasury. It will fundamentally transform New York’s government and politics by undermining support for current school funding arrangements.

Plastic Bag Task Force New York City's attempt to impose a plastic bag fee last year was stopped in Albany (which must approve "taxes.") Then a state Plastic Bag Task Force was appointed. From City & State: The state’s Plastic Bag Task Force’s 88-page report released Saturday suggested several options to address plastic bag waste in New York after failing to reach a consensus on one recommendation, drawing criticism from environmentalists, The Auburn Citizen reports.

National politics Trump signs order disbanding voter fraud commission January 4, 2018, msn.com, Jill Colvin WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is disbanding his controversial voter fraud commission amid infighting, lawsuits and state officials' refusal to cooperate... More than a dozen states, as well as the District of Columbia, had rebuffed the commission's request for voter data, citing privacy concerns and a fear that complying would legitimize the idea that voter fraud is widespread. While there have been isolated cases of people voting illegally, and many voter rolls contain outdated data, there is no evidence voter fraud is a widespread problem in the United States or has affected election results.

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