FY Review Input Memo, March 28, 2002

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

for the analysis of the data in a more comprehensive fashion. Currently, when a permit, certificate or registration expires, an inspector is sent to the premise to determine if the equipment is still in use. If the equipment is still in use, and no attempt has been made to renew, a violation is issued.

At this time, due to the Bureau’s increased confidence in the integrity of the data, in lieu of sending an inspector to the premise, a violation will be issued based on Department records. These violations will be automatically generated through AFS, which will allow the Bureau to reassign the inspectors now dedicated to this function, to complaint response and to locate businesses that have never filed permit applications.

Noise Code Rewrite:

Several Bureaus’ within the Agency have undertaken the task to update the Department’s Noise Code. The Code currently in place does not adequately address changes in the development pattern in the City that have resulted in different sources of noise complaints. The Code was promulgated in the early 197O’s when there were much clearly divisions of manufacturing/commercial uses from residential uses. As we see more and more mixed use buildings and mixed uses areas, more residential users are exposed to commercial noise sources that occur 24 hours a day. These sources were not as much of an issue when the Code was first drafted because these commercial business areas essentially closed and the noise source was not heard by anyone during the overnight hours. This effort is to identify sections in the noise code that can be improved. The areas for change and modification are coming from the experiences of the enforcement staff, which have documented the difficulty in issuing a notice of violation for certain problems. The violation is our tool to gain compliance.

Additionally, this panel will look at the Codes of other Agencies with regard to noise issues and will attempt to reconcile some of the inconsistencies and to make suggestions that will strengthen efforts to achieve noise reductions.

Consolidation Project for Periodic Boiler Filings.

Both the New York City Department of Buildings (DoB) and DEP require that boilers operating at a certain level be inspected periodically. DoB requires that all boilers in dwellings equal to six families or greater and all boilers in commercial or mixed use buildings be inspected annually for safe operation and a report filed with the Department. DEP requires that a report be filed every three years, for boilers operating at equal to or greater than 350,000 BTU’s, to ensure that the emission standards are acceptable. It is a hardship on filers to be required to submit reports to two separate agencies for the same piece of equipment.

DEP has proposed to DoB that a “one-stop” process be implemented for boilers regulated by both agencies. Both agency’s filings require that much of the same information be provided (i.e. address, owner, block «& lot, equipment make and model, etc.), DEP has drafted a form that will accommodate the information^ needs of each. The inspection report will be filed at the

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