New York Desk

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

CITYWIDE

BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS HEAD FOR FINAL WEEK

Negotiations on Mayor Bloomberg’s $52.7 billion proposed budget are headed to their final week as the City Council tries to pare down its wish list of initiatives before hammering out an agreement with the administration. The deadline for a budget accord looms a week from today, and despite daily meetings by the council’s bargaining team, members say they do not expect a deal before at least the middle of next week. While finance officials from the council and administration have begun meeting, final talks hinge on lawmakers settling on the amount of new and expanded initiatives they want funded.An initial list totaling about $400 million has been whittled to about $250 million, sources say, and the council leadership is looking to ultimately cut that number down to between $50 million and $100 million.

– Staff Reporter of the Sun

COUNCIL TO LIMIT PARKING FOR AUTO DEALERS

The City Council’s Transportation Committee agreed to “work closely” with the Department of Transportation to pass legislation that creates limitations on the parking of motor vehicles by auto dealers on city streets, at a hearing yesterday. The committee rejected the Greater New York Automobile Association’s testimony that said that the legislation is “problematic,” because it could “negatively impact dealerships’ sales.” The legislation, introduced by a council member, Tony Avella, would make it illegal for dealers to park, store, or maintain vehicles on the streets, “improving the quality of life for residents who live near dealers.”

– Special to the Sun

AUDIT: DHS OVERPAID HOMES FOR HOMELESS BY MORE THAN $1M

The Department of Homeless Services overpaid Homes for the Homeless by more than $1 million, a comptroller audit found. DHS paid for legal fees, real estate taxes, and rooms that were already covered, according to the audit. DHS has recouped the legal fees and real estate tax expenses, and denies that it overpaid for any rooms. “DHS strongly disagrees with the audit’s findings. Public resources were appropriately used because we received what we paid for,” a spokeswoman for the DHS, Angela Allen, wrote in an e-mail. But the city comptroller, William Thompson, said DHS entered into a non-written contract to pay for an extra 33 rooms in the Saratoga Family Inn in Queens, and the DHS paid for the rooms in their regular billing in addition to paying through the what Mr.Thompson termed a “handshake agreement.” He called for the DHS to recoup all the additional payments and commit to ensuring that all contracts were properly documented. The DHS has initiated the process to include the additional rooms in the contract with HFH.

– Special to the Sun

FAMILIES RESCUE KITTENS, UNAWARE ONE WAS RABID

Families that took in three abandoned kittens are undergoing treatment now that one of the tiny animals has been found to have rabies, health officials said yesterday. About a dozen people who came into contact with the kittens are being treated to prevent infection, and officials are seeking others who may have had contact with the animals, a spokeswoman for the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, said. Although only one kitten tested positive for rabies, it is believed all three may have been infected. The animal had to be euthanized before the test could be performed. The second kitten is awaiting euthanatizing and testing, while the third died and was cremated before health officials could test it, the spokeswoman said.

– Associated Press

POLICE BLOTTER

2-YEAR-OLD DROWNS IN BACKYARD POOL

A 2-year-old girl drowned in her backyard pool in Queens yesterday, police officials said. The girl, identified as Jolie Annecco of 137-9 Whitelaw St., was found at 10:36 a.m. floating in the pool. Paramedics brought her to Jamaica Hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival. Police said there was no criminality involved in her death.

– Staff Reporter of the Sun

DEAD MAN FOUND BENEATH GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE

A dead man was found floating off the Washington Heights section of Manhattan yesterday, police officials said.The man wasn’t identified yesterday, but he was described as a white male in his 30s. He was found beneath the George Washington Bridge in the vicinity of 178th Street and Fort Washington Avenue. The medical examiner’s office is investigating the cause of death.

– Staff Reporter of the Sun

ALBANY

BUSH LETTER TO MALONEY ON CONTRACEPTION ENDS STALEMATE

A letter sent on President Bush’s behalf to New York Representative Carolyn Maloney saying that the administration supports safe, effective, and readily available contraception was released yesterday, ending a nearly year-long stalemate between Ms. Maloney and Mr. Bush. The letter came in response to five letters that Ms. Maloney sent Mr. Bush, dating back to July 12, 2005, in which she asked Mr. Bush to clarify his position on contraception after his press secretary, Scott McClellan, refused to answer a reporter’s question on the issue. Ms. Maloney’s latest letter included the signatures of 41 other Congressmen. After receiving a response, Mrs. Maloney sent another letter pushing Mr. Bush to make Plan B pills available over the counter and to ensure that pharmacists do not prevent the availability of contraception.

– Special to the Sun

IN THE COURTS

JUDGE WEIGHS WHETHER CITY HAS IMMUNITY FROM 9/11 LAWSUITS

A lawyer asked a judge yesterday to protect New York City and about 150 private contractors from lawsuits filed by thousands of emergency workers who got sick after working in the dust of the World Trade Center.

– Associated Press


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