Bronx County Chapter
New York State Society of Professional Engineers
National Society of Professional Engineers
The Birthplace of the Society
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Bronx County ChapterNew York State Society of Professional EngineersNational Society of Professional EngineersThe Birthplace of the Society
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City Council considering Charter Changes that would remove the requirements of Professional Engineer or Registered Architect from the Position of CommissionerMay 5, 2008 There will be a committee meeting on Wednesday, May 7, 2008 to consider revisions to the City Charter. These revisions would remove the current requirements that the Commissioner of the Department of Buildings be either a licensed Professional Engineer or a Registered Architect. We expect that the full Council will consider the revisions on Wednesday, May 14, 2008. This is a terrible idea! It puts the health, safety, and welfare of the public at risk. It could mean that a person without any technical background is running one of the most technically oriented departments in the city; a department that daily makes decisions about the built environment, the interpretation of the building codes, their application, and allowable exceptions to them. The NYSSPE issued a press release on this issue. The President of NYSSPE sent a letter to Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council opposing this change. The President of the Bronx County Chapter issued a letter opposing the action and included background information showing the applicable NYS law regarding license requirements, the NYS definition of the practice of engineering, the applicable parts of the City Charter, and information about the DOB. Chapters of the AIA and of NSPE have all condemned the proposal. You can help! Here is a petition expressing opposition to the proposed changes in the City Charter. Print a copy, get it filled with valid signatures and fax it to: 212-214-0919. Or, if you can, scan it and email it to info@bxnspe.org. If you can set up a table or similar at a market, store, or other high traffic area, that would be great. Here is a sign indicating what the petition is about that you can use to help people understand why they should sign.May 6, 2008 The following response was received from Council Speaker Quinn: May 6, 2008 Jack Kleinfeld Dear Mr. Kleinfeld, Thank you for contacting me regarding the Mayor's appointment of a new Department of Buildings (DOB) Commissioner. I greatly appreciate you taking the time to share your insights and concerns with me. As you may have heard, this Wednesday, May 7, 2008, at 1:00 p.m. in the Committee Room at City Hall, the Committee on Governmental Operations, chaired by Council Member Simcha Felder, will hold a hearing on a bill, Int. No. 755, that would amend the New York City Charter in relation to the qualifications of the DOB Commissioner. As always, public input is a very important part of our work here at the City Council, and anyone who wishes to is welcome to attend and speak at this hearing. Please be sure to check our on-line calendar at http://www.nyccouncil.info/html/calendar/calendar_new.cfm prior to Wednesday, as hearings are subject to rescheduling. In the event that you are unable to attend, I will be sure to forward a copy of your e-mail to the staff of the Governmental Operations Committee so that they are fully aware of the concerns you have raised regarding any change in the legal qualifications for filling the position recently vacated by Patricia Lancaster. Thank you again for writing to me about this important matter. If I can assist you further in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, Christine C. Quinn Speaker New York City Council
cc: Governmental Operations Committee |
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