Mayor Bloomberg yesterday lifted the low sulfur requirements for fuel oil due to supply issues, following earlier moves to cut paperwork for boiler repair permits and eliminate biodiesel requirements.
ABO urges storm relief donations to the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City. Write Hurricane Sandy in the memo line of your check to the fund and send it to: Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, 253 Broadway, 8th Floor, NYC NY 10007.
ABO is also participating, through the National Association of Home Builders, with a FEMA Mitigation Assessment Team to document and evaluate the performance of commercial and residential buildings and infrastructure during the storm, and develop recommendations for improvements to building codes and standards, code enforcement and construction practices . Member Michael Azaria has volunteered to inspect properties with the FEMA team and ABO will be happy to pass along any insights other members may have.
The two great mysteries this week are when all power will be restored and when we will know who controls the New York State Senate. Democrats appeared to win the majority on Obama’s coattails Tuesday, but a couple of recounts and the Independent Democratic Caucus could shift the leadership in terms of both party and people. Stay tuned.
The future of rent control was on the ballot in Hoboken and Bayonne Tuesday with mixed and interesting results. Hoboken rejected a vacancy decontrol/recontrol plan by 436 votes of 13,238 cast. Bayonne voters sustained vacancy decontrol by 415 votes of 12,721 cast. Both votes are unofficial pending absentee ballots but are expected to stand. So, it seems when the people vote directly on rent control it is a close call and can go either way.
The American Ground Water Trusts full day seminar on geothermal energy was postponed until November 28th due to Hurricane Sandy, and geothermal opportunities are getting a closer look as a result of the storm because they are less prone to being knocked out by flooding.
The Massey Knakal Multifamily Summit is still scheduled next week and ABO members can use the discount 25ABOGNY to get a 25 percent discount at http://mkmultifamilysummit.com/