Res 0119-2018

By Council Member Vallone Whereas, Local Law 11 of 1998 requires all buildings in New York City that are greater than six stories to have a Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector ("QEWI") inspect all exterior walls and appurtences of the building, except exterior walls less than twelve inches from an adjacent building, at least once every five years to make sure they are safe and in good repair; and Whereas, The inspection process, commonly referred to as "Local Law 11 inspections" has been officially renamed the "Fa�ade Inspection and Safety Program" ("FISP") by the City's Department of Buildings ("DOB"); and Whereas, The FISP inspection covers all the exterior fa�ades and appurtenances of the building, including any balconies, fire escapes, parapets, window casings, and railings; and Whereas, At least one of the fa�ades, that is representative of the building's other exterior walls, must have a hands-on inspection from a scaffold or other observation platform, while the remaining fa�ades may be inspected visually, typically through the use of high-powered binoculars; and Whereas, After the QEWI has concluded the FISP inspection, he or she must file a technical fa�ade report with the DOB detailing the results of the inspection; and Whereas, The results of the inspection could either be: 1) Safe - which indicates that the fa�ade has no problems and is in good condition; 2) Safe With a Repair and Maintenance Program - which indicates that the fa�ade is safe, but requires repairs or maintenance; or 3) Unsafe - which indicates that the fa�ade has problems or defects that could pose a threat to public safety; and Whereas, Because the inspections require the construction of scaffolding or observation platform, the services of QEWI's who must be licensed architects or engineers, and the drafting of a detailed technical report, among other things, the inspections are extremely expensive and can cost thousands of dollars or more; and Whereas, In Class 2 condominium and cooperative buildings, these costs are generally passed on directly to the homeowners through increased maintenance fees or special assessments; and Whereas, Buildings are required to undertake these costly fa�ade inspections every five years even if they are diligent in safely maintaining their exteriors, thereby increasing the likelihood that the FISP inspection will result in a Safe rating; and Whereas, The homeowners in Class 2 condominiums and cooperatives whose fa�ades are deemed Safe after the FISP inspection should not have to bear the burden of the costly inspection process; and Whereas, In 2017, New York State Assembly Member Edward Braunstein and New York State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky introduced A.1357 and S. 4750, respectively; and Whereas, Those bills would authorize a tax credit to any Class 2 condominium or cooperative building that has been deemed Safe after the FISP inspection in the amount of all costs of such inspection with such credit being reevaluated every five years after the inspection is performed; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State Legislature pass, and the Governor to sign, A.1357/S.4750 which would establish a property tax credit for Class 2 cooperative and condominium buildings that are designated safe after a Fa�ade Inspection Safety Program inspection. RKC LS #2662/Old Res. 479/2014 LS #1053 1/2/2018