Kim Smith of Harlem Task Force calls for accountability and more inspectors

Hello, I am Kim Smith, founder of the Harlem Legionnaires Task Force.

Once again, thank you, Chair Shulman.

I was here last year testifying with another founding member of the Harlem Legionnaires Task Force.

So I'm here first and foremost to extend my deepest condolences.

When I heard of the first deaths on the Upper East Side, I literally wept.

Because it's a

It didn't make a difference because it occurred on the Upper East Side.

It's humanity.

When it happened last year in 2025, we were literally petrified in our community because we didn't receive all of the information that, thankfully, the Upper East Side is receiving.

And I've said to our community, because we had our senator advocating on our

behalf, and we worked closely with the former administration to make sure that we said, God forbid, if this were to happen again, please give information.

And that has been done.

So I keep saying we have to make sure that we highlight the pros and the cons.

So I'm just hoping, A, that we get greater accountability, greater enforcement, more transparency, because I'm concerned it's about...

5,000 cooling towers across the five boroughs and 56 water ecologists are supposed to be enough.

Like right there, I'm saying to myself, wow, there may need to be more.

That's very minimal.

And additionally, how to ensure that information is disseminated properly.

Like when they had their issue at 3333, you know, I reached out to contacts at the health department to say, hey.

You know, they may not understand.

And thankfully, with the rapport that we've built, the Legionnaires Task Force, DOHMH, they did step up.

They made sure of that stuff.

But it can be more at the end of the day.

So I just wanted to say I'm here because I pray to God that 2027 is not a trifecta.

We had 25, 26.

We hope nothing in 2027.

I agree with you.

And we'll take all of this back.

So I really appreciate both of you giving that testimony.

And I do remember the address because I get notified as the chair of the committee about, so I remember when this happened.

But I'm sorry that it's still happening.

So I'll take a look too.

Okay?

All right.

Thank you so much.

Thank you both.

We will now move to virtual testimony.

Please wait for your name to be called to testify and please select unmute when prompted.

Please keep the testimony to two minutes.

If you have lengthy testimony, you could submit it to testimony at council.nyc.gov within 72 hours of the end of this hearing.

The first person.

We have is Ronald Katter, K-A-T-T-E-R.