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Chair Menin Asks DOT About Outreach to Pandemic-Era Participants

New York City Council · Apr 23, 2025 · starts 2:23:37 · 59 sec

Chair Julie Menin asks DOT if the agency sent direct communications to all 13,000 restaurants that participated in the temporary pandemic-era program.

Julie Menin

Of the thirteen thousand one hundred and four restaurants that were just referenced, have you sent a letter to every single one of them to see if they want to apply for the new program?

Margaret Forgioni

We've visited each and every one of them several times.

Margaret Forgioni

We've sent them each numerous emails, and we've also reached out to them by phone in many cases.

Julie Menin

So a DOT staff member of the eight people that you have working on this has gone to all 13,000 establishments?

Margaret Forgioni

No.

Margaret Forgioni

Um we have inspectors that are outside of the 24 that we talked about earlier.

Margaret Forgioni

We have 24 staff members in the dining out program.

Margaret Forgioni

Then we have a group of inspectors that deal with the restaurants on the street to make sure they're in compliance, et cetera.

Margaret Forgioni

Those are the people that visit.

Margaret Forgioni

And every single one has been visited.

Margaret Forgioni

Yes, and in some cases the restaurants aren't there anymore due to the nature of the industry.

Julie Menin

Okay, I'll turn it over to Councilmember Lewis for questions.

Farah N. Louis

Thank you, Chair.

Farah N. Louis

And first deputy commissioner, thank you for being here today.