Council Member Ariola on mayor's absence and DOH building compliance

Thank you, Councilmember.

Is that right?

Okay.

Councilmember Areola.

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Speaker.

You know, earlier today, I was listening to the testimony of Valerie Massim from Community Board 8, and she testified that Mayor Mamdani did not visit the area

where 94 people became sick with Legionnaire's disease and 11 died of the same disease.

I sat there, I listened, and I could not believe the horror in her voice that the mayor's absence was so obvious during a life-threatening, life-taking crisis

in his city, and yet he did not show up.

Why didn't he show up?

He certainly was available because he was performing for the cameras to say that he was going to arrest Bibi Netanyahu when he came here to New York City, which turned out to be false.

So he wasted his time and the people of this city's residents'time.

By not giving them the personal attention they deserved for this crisis.

And thankfully, the speaker

this chair, this committee, and this body would not do the same.

Question.

Are both the new DOH building at 40 West 137th Street and 2238 5th Avenue, both located in Harlem,

fully staffed and in compliance with the New York City Fire Code and the building code with stationary engineers that are responsible for the operations and maintenance and water treatment of the cooling towers and air conditioning systems?

Let me get to your second question in a second, but first let me start with a response to the initial statement.

The mayor has been and was from the beginning involved in this cluster.

We spoke every single day during this cluster.

Okay, I don't really want to use up time on this, but he wasn't present.

And that's where he should have been, not trying to fool the residents of New York City thinking that he could have Bibi Netanyahu arrested when there were people dying in this city.

That's where he should have been.

So please answer the question.

The question was these two specific buildings and the inspection history.

Are they fully staffed in compliance with the New York City Fire Code and Building Code with stationary engineers that are responsible for operations and maintenance and water treatment of the cooling system, towers, and air conditioning systems?

We're going to get back to you on the details on those two specific buildings, Councilmember.

Okay, so do you know that the stationary engineers who operate these

Machines are responsible for checking the water treatment logs and testing required by the DOH is part of their job as their civil service description provides.

Are you aware of that?

The buildings that you're describing, I'm not sure which buildings you're describing.

We're going to get back to them in details.

If they have towers.

So you know how you could answer that?

One more moment?

Yeah.

Is if Assistant Commissioner John Beattie was here to testify, because he's in charge of those operations, and he's in charge of that maintenance of those buildings.

And why isn't he here to answer questions like that?

Because those are very important questions to ask moving forward to make sure that Legionnaire's disease does not have additional outbreaks.

These answers should be able to be given to us today.

But again, the mayor's office has failed to have the proper people at the dais answering questions.

Councilmember, we have the right people here able to answer your questions.

We will get back to you on the details of those two specific buildings.

These questions should be able to be answered now, and I thank you for the extra time.

Okay, thank you.