Excellent news!

This is the New York City Council’s press release containing Mayor Bloomberg’s remarks on Int. 57a, which he signed yesterday:

MAYOR BLOOMBERG SIGNS LEGISLATION TO ESTABLISH A BED BUG ADVISORY BOARD

Remarks by Mayor Bloomberg at a Public Hearing on Local Laws

“The third bill before me is Introductory Number 57-A, sponsored by Speaker Quinn and Council Members Brewer, Foster, Gentile, Gerson, Gonzalez, James, Mark-Viverito, Martinez, Mendez, Nelson, Palma, Sanders, Weprin, White, Koppell, Liu, Recchia, Sears, Vallone, Garodnick, Jackson, Avella, Arroyo, Dickens, Mealy, Lappin, Stewart, Rivera, and Gennaro. Introductory Number 57-A establishes a Bed Bug Advisory Board.

“Bed bugs are small insects that often hide in cracks in furniture, floors, or walls and are usually active at night. The physical impact to those living with bed bugs may start with painless bites which can later turn in to large, itchy welts. These bites are a great nuisance and can have a negative impact on the quality of life of New Yorkers.

“Bed bugs have resurfaced in New York City in recent years and we are not alone. Urban centers throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe are experiencing a resurgence in bed bugs. In response, we have instituted a multi-pronged approach to address the issue which includes: prevention through public education, creation of guidelines and protocols for residents, health care providers, businesses, and pest management professionals, and a systematic response to bed bug complaints.

“Despite all of our efforts, there is currently inadequate data to understand the full extent of the bed bug problem in the City. The creation of the Bed Bug Advisory Board, comprised of experts in the pest management, entomology, and public health fields and representatives from the Departments of Health and Mental Hygiene, Consumer Affairs, Sanitation, Information Technology and Telecommunications, and Housing Preservation and Development will examine the bed bug problem in further detail, systematically evaluate, study, identify and develop appropriate strategies to control and eradicate the bed bug problem in the City. The Advisory Board will report back their findings to the Mayor and the Speaker within nine months of their appointment.

“I would like to thank the commissioners and staff of the Departments of Health & Mental Hygiene, Consumer Affairs, Sanitation, Information, Technology & Telecommunications and Housing Preservation & Development for their work in this bill. I would also like to thank the Council for approving this legislation.”

Update (3/19):

Responses from the New York Times City Room blog’s Jennifer 8 Lee and Roy Edroso on the Village Voice’s Running Scared blog.

Update (3/20):

You can download and view a video of the signing here. It’s a long video, but the three or so minute bit which is relevant to Intro. 57a comes in at about 8:42 (so you can let it run and leave the room for a few minutes!)

It’s worth watching the video, because there is a lot there that is not contained in the text announcement on NYC.gov. A lot. For example:

Mayor Bloomberg tells people not to buy used mattresses (!), and also asks Gale Brewer why bed bugs came back (she answers “no more DDT;” Bloomberg quips, “Thanks, Rachel Carson!”) In fact, as we know, we can’t blame Rachel Carson for the resurgence of bed bugs: it is a complex issue and bringing back DDT would not necessarily be a help to bed bug sufferers, since bed bugs began to show resistance to DDT in the 1940s. (See this post for more.)

Council Member Gale Brewer thanks city agency officials from HPD (for the HPD bed bug seminars — she says “close to 1000 people” every single HPD bed bug seminar), DoIT (for making it possible to track 311 bed bug-related calls — this year she says there have been 22,000 bed bug information requests and 9,000+ requests for a bed bug inspection from HPD) and DCA.

Outside of city agencies, Brewer thanks wonderful bed bug advocate Renee Corea (of New York vs. Bed Bugs), entomologist Dr. Lou Sorkin, Pest Control Operator Jeff Eisenberg of Pest Away, Gary Carter and Ray Lopez from Little Sisters of the Assumption, Cornell (Cornell entomologist Dr. Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann testified at the hearing), and the Dept. of Health.

Mayor Bloomberg also points out that bed bugs are a problem everywhere and he has had friends who have had them. That is an important statement for the mayor to make.

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• Intro. 57: bed bug task force to get New York City Council vote on 3/11
• Wednesday’s New York City Council vote on the Bed Bug Advisory Board: it passed!
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• New York Daily News: NYC bed bug complaints up 34% in one year
• Bed bugs bite Edmonton

I just received the following message below from Gale Brewer, updating us on the status of the Bed Bug Task Force bill, Intro. 57.

Another section of the same bill — the part which bans the sale of reconditioned mattresses — is not being voted on concurrently. Since support for the Bed Bug Task Force was unanimous and strong at the 2/24 New York City Council Hearing on three bed bug bills, but support for the section of the same bill banning reconditioned mattresses was not unanimous, the consideration of 57-A (the Bed Bug Task Force Advisory Board) independently of the reconditioned mattress legislation is good news, in my opinion, since it surely makes it easier for this part of the Bill to get through, quickly.

And we do need this New York City Bed Bug Task Force Advisory Board to get to work, quickly.

We actually need a Bed Bug Task Force; hopefully the Advisory Board will advise: action!

[Emphasis in bold, below, is mine.]

Dear New Yorker:

Thank you for your advocacy on the creation of a bed bug task force. Because I share that goal, I introduced Intro 57-2006 which prohibits the sale of reconditioned mattresses and calls for the formation of a bed bug task force.

On Tuesday, February 24, 2009, the Council Committees on Health, Consumer Affairs and Sanitation held a public hearing on Introductions 57-2006, 872-2008 and 873-2008. Entomologists, exterminators, health care professionals, advocates and members of the public offered testimony for 5 hours in Council Chambers. Representatives from the following NYC Departments: Health and Mental Hygiene, Housing Preservation and Development, Consumer Affairs and Sanitation all testified in support of the creation of a Bed Bug task force.

I am pleased to announce that the Council’s Committee on Consumer Affairs is scheduled to vote on Intro 57A-2006, which creates a Bed Bug Advisory Board, on Wednesday, March 11, 2009 at 10am in the Committee Room of City Hall. The text of the final bill is below. The measure is expected to pass and it will then be voted on the same day by the full Council at the Stated Council Meeting, which is scheduled to start at 1pm in the Council Chambers. All members of the public are invited to attend, although there will be no opportunity to offer testimony during either meeting.

After the Council approves the bill (which it is fully expected to do!), the Mayor has 30 days to sign it into law. We will share the bill signing information with you as soon as it available as you are all invited to attend.

We still have a long way to go in addressing bed bugs in our City, but thank you for your tireless efforts in getting us to this important milestone.

Sincerely,
Gale A. Brewer
City Council, District 6: Manhattan

Int. No. 57-A

By Council Members Brewer, The Speaker (Council Member Quinn), Foster, Gentile, Gerson, Gonzalez, James, Mark-Viverito, Martinez, Mendez, Nelson, Palma, Sanders Jr., Weprin, White Jr., Koppell, Liu, Recchia Jr., Sears, Vallone Jr., Garodnick, Jackson, Avella, Arroyo, Dickens, Mealy and Lappin

A Local Law in relation to the creation of a Bed Bug Advisory Board.

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Legislative findings and declaration. Sometimes referred to as “red coats,” “chinches,” or “mahogany flats,” bed bugs, Cimex lectularius Linnaeus, are blood-feeding parasites of humans, chickens, bats and occasionally domesticated animals. Bed bugs are wingless and spread from infested to non-infested areas through the transportation of clothing, luggage, furniture and bedding. In the early stages of infestation, bed bugs are found mainly in the tufts, seems and folds of the mattress and bed covers. However, they later spread to cracks and crevices in the bedsteads.

According to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (“DOHMH”), bed bugs often seek refuge in bedding during the day and feed on occupants at night. Bed bugs feed primarily on humans by piercing the skin as people sleep. Although bed bugs are not generally considered human disease carriers, they inject a fluid to assist in drawing blood, which causes a welt that becomes irritated, inflamed and uncomfortable. After feeding, bed bugs crawl back into hiding, where they may remain for 80 to 140 days before returning to feed.

Bed bug infestations diminished substantially after the development and use of modern insecticides, such as DDT. However, pest management professionals have noticed a marked increase in bed-bug related complaints since 1995. Experts believe this may be related to the increased number of people traveling and returning from abroad with these insects hiding in their suitcases and clothing.

According to the DOHMH, the use of appropriate pesticides and the thorough cleaning of all bedding with water at extremely high temperature may help reduce the chance of infestation. However, even with professional extermination, a bed bug problem may be impossible to eliminate. If even one adult female bed bug survives, the area may quickly become infested again as the adult female lays one to five eggs every day and each egg takes only 17 to 28 days to hatch.

The Council finds that the Cimex lectularius population is ubiquitous and affects the quality of life of residents throughout the City. Based on this finding, the Council determines that it is necessary to create an advisory board to study this issue further and draft concrete recommendations for the most effective methods for treating and preventing bed bug infestations in New York City .

§2. Bed Bug Advisory Board. a. There shall be an advisory board to study health concerns associated with cimex lectularius, commonly referred to as the bed bug, and to make specific recommendations to the mayor and council for the prevention and treatment of bed bug infestations throughout the city.

b. Such advisory board shall consist of ten members as follows:

i. Three members shall be appointed by the mayor, provided that at least one such member shall be from the pest management industry and shall have experience in bed bug control and/or extermination and at least one member shall have advanced specialized training in and knowledge of entomology;

ii. Two members shall be appointed by the speaker of the council, provided that at least one such member shall have a background in community health;

iii. The commissioners of the department of health and mental hygiene, the department of consumer affairs, the department of sanitation, the department of information technology and telecommunications, and the department of housing and preservation, or the designees of such commissioners, shall serve ex officio.

iv. At its first meeting, the advisory board shall select a chairperson from among its members by majority vote of the advisory board.

c. Each member, other than members serving in an ex officio capacity, shall serve for a term of 9 months, to commence after the final member of the advisory board is appointed. Any vacancies in the membership of the advisory board shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. A person filling such vacancy shall serve for the unexpired portion of the term of the succeeded member.

d. No member of the advisory board shall be removed from office except for cause and upon notice and hearing by the appropriate appointing official.

e. Members of the advisory board shall serve without compensation and shall meet as necessary.

f. The advisory board shall issue a report to the mayor and council no later than nine months after the final member of the advisory board is appointed. Such report shall include specific recommendations on the following topics:

i. Prevention and treatment of bed bug infestations in private dwellings;

ii. Prevention and treatment of bed bug infestations in public accommodations and institutions, including, but not limited to, schools, hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, jails and residential shelters;

iii. Tracking and reporting of bed bug infestations;

iv. Disposal of bed bug infested items;

v. Bed bug training and/or education for urban pest management professionals;

vi. Bed bug training and/or education for city workers;

vii. The development and most effective distribution of public education and resource materials on bed bug prevention and treatment, including, but not limited to, information on the rights and responsibilities of landlords, tenants and homeowners.

g. The advisory board shall terminate upon the publication of the report.

§3. This local law shall take effect immediately.

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We are getting more press on bed bugs this week, presumably due to the excellent City Council Hearing held on three bed bug bills on Tuesday. I personally don’t feel I am seeing enough coverage of the event itself.

The Daily News weighed in today with “Boro with the most bedbug calls: B’klyn 42% jump in complaints to 311.”

Newsday is working the same AMNY story I posted about Tuesday.

And the New York Times has what is mostly a standard-issue article about a bed bug dog team. No offense to Bedbug Finders in Connecticut, but the Times should be dealing with the bills covered in the Hearing and the related issues in more depth, this week.

When the last hearing on Intro. 57 happened in 2006, there were news stories on NY1 and another channel, including interviews with people who testified, people who had had bed bugs, as well as Council Member Gale Brewer.

Even though Brewer held a press conference Tuesday before the Hearing, I have not personally seen any footage in the television news. Have you?

(Stay tuned for more from me on the hearing.)
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The press is starting to appear about the hearing yesterday.

Frank Lombardi in the Daily News said,

Prodded by rising complaints and pressure from some elected officials, activists and the media, the Bloomberg administration gave limited support Tuesday to launching a war on bedbugs.

Testifying at a City Council hearing, representatives of the health, housing and sanitation departments announced their support for Council legislation to establish a task force to study the city’s widening bedbug problem and recommend remedies.

Although it is true that some of the experts and departmental officials who testified rejected some or other of the bills or provisions (more on that in a later post), I am not sure how limited the support was. Among those who testified, support for the Bed Bug Task Force was unanimous, and I suspect this had a profound effect on the City Council Members.

Done properly, and quickly, and peopled with the right individuals, a bed bug task force can really make things happen.

City Room blog (NYTimes.com) quoted Gale Brewer, the City Council Member who has so long been trying to pass legislation on this issue that her City Hall peers call her “The Bed Bug Lady:”

Ms. Brewer is optimistic about the formation of a task force, though there is considerable debate over the specifics, such as the mattress legislation.

“I was glad that all the questions are all out there,” she said in an interview during the hearings. It is a multifaceted problem involving the city’s health department, public housing agencies, the Police Department (since prisons are infested), the Sanitation Department (since it involves disposal of furniture), and Department of Consumer Affairs. “You have to do it as a collaborative effort,” she said.

AMNY covered the event too, and gave a taste of what people with bed bugs go through:

Those who have lived with the pests say it often takes multiple exterminations – and sometimes thousands of dollars – to get rid of them.

“I threw away everything,” said Sirajul Laskar, 42, of Jackson Heights, who added that 22 of the 52 apartments in his building have had bed bugs. “They sprayed three times and still bedbugs.”

Overall, I had a positive impression of the event. The City Council members took the testimony very seriously, and do seem to grasp the importance of the bed bug problem — especially the wonderful Council Member Robert Jackson, who himself lived with bed bugs as a child, and who mentioned having seen bed bugs recently, in New York city, in public places.

It’s nice to have someone on the City Council with this sort of first hand experience and awareness of the problem, though of course we don’t wish bed bugs on anyone.

I also want to say how grateful I am to everyone who testified, especially Renee Corea who represented New York vs. Bed Bugs, and a second of my fellow New York vs. Bed Bugs co-founders who represented herself in testimony, entomologists Lou Sorkin and Jody Gangloff-Kauffmann (both also Advisors to New York vs. Bed Bugs), Rick Cooper and Gil Bloom, and the many citizens who had battled bed bugs themselves and testified about their experiences. The witnesses did a wonderful job of conveying the problems of bed bugs, which are complex indeed.

I am also grateful to everyone who showed up to support the speakers and the cause.

I will be posting more of my impressions and notes later today…

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Renee Corea of New York vs. Bed bugs broke the news today that the EPA is holding a meeting on bed bugs on April 14th.

Renee writes:

We have just received information, from our one and only contact at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), that EPA is set to hold a public meeting on bed bugs on April 14 in Washington, DC.

We think this is a watershed event. The public health interest is clear and can no longer be ignored. No more dithering about bed bugs and their public health importance. This attention is utterly warranted and, in fact, overdue.

It’s really wonderful to see this happening.

I know you’ll want to follow up by reading the rest of the post over at New York vs. Bed Bugs.

And, New York City folks, you surely already know our big day is tomorrow (Tues. 2/24/2009), when the City Council is holding a public hearing on three bed bug bills.

If you can come, it starts at 1 pm at City Hall, directions here; if you are able to testify for 2 minutes, you can sign up on the spot.

If you can’t testify, just come out and support those who will be speaking. The more of us that show up, the better, because it makes a strong statement about how much New York City citizens and voters care about solving the bed bug problem in New York City.

More details, on the hearing tomorrow and on the bills under consideration, from New York vs. Bed Bugs.Similar Posts:

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There’s a new New York Times Editorial on bed bugs today, and of course, we are always glad to see bed bugs mentioned in the media, especially in articles calling for New York City officials to do more about the problem.

The editorial carries no byline, and calls for a bed bug task force.

It also calls for more education and better training for pest control workers (two concerns, incidentally, which are addressed by Intro. 873 currently under consideration by the New York City Council, a bill which adds a bed bug report-and-information hotline to boot; more on that in a moment).

Unfortunately Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has done much on other quality-of-life issues, has not made bed bugs a big deal. We hope Ms. Brewer, other Council members and state lawmakers — and the mayor — will press for better training and more rigorous certification of exterminators, more public education about these pests, tougher standards for used furniture and a task force to figure out how to stay ahead of an army [of bed bugs ] that seems to be growing every year.

Can’t really argue with any of that, since we’ve been making many of the same recommendations around here since 2006.

But I have to say the article seems a bit understated, frankly.

It seems really odd to publish a bed bug editorial calling for the city to take action, right now, and not mention the bed bug bill, Intro. 873, currently being considered in the city council. Brewer was one of the 17 primary sponsors of the bill — but she’s the only city council representative mentioned in the article, where she’s portrayed as being on a one-woman anti-bed bug campaign.

If you want the city to make a change, why not mention Intro. 873, which readers might tell their city council representatives to support? The article does not say a word about its existence.

Or if you don’t like that bill, why not say so, and say why?

We know the media isn’t saying much about Intro. 873, but surely the New York Times editors have heard of it?

Most New Yorkers are likely to have no idea it’s under consideration right now.

Curious, isn’t it?

See our previous posts on Intro. 873, and those of New York vs. Bed Bugs — and, it goes without saying, any New Yorkers who agree that New York needs to take action on bed bugs should sign up and make their views known to their political representatives. New York vs. Bed Bugs makes it easy, with links to your City Council reps, and to a sample letter. Similar Posts:

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Click here to listen to this brief news item on New York City Council’s Intro. 873 from WNYC news, New York.

The tone of the item is dominated by the Health Department’s reminder that bed bugs are only “a stressful and unpleasant nuisance,” and that the health department already has a page on its website about bed bugs, and that “the Department of Housing, Preservation and Development takes complaints, performs inspections and issues violation summonses when appropriate.”

Yes, and the city’s response to bed bugs so far has been so effective that bed bugs are (somehow, still) spreading at an alarming rate. I judge this only by the reports to HPD, since we don’t have a more complete set of data.

Some cities, like Cincinnati (well, okay — only Cincinnati), actually attempt to find out what percentage of their inhabitants have (or have had) bed bugs. The answer — in Cincinnati? 14.5%.

I would not be surprised if a similar percentage of New Yorkers had been afflicted with bed bugs.

But the way things are going, we will never know, because we are completely in denial about it and no one is asking the question and therefore we don’t have to deal with the answer.

As a general rule, I don’t wish bed bugs on anyone. Not even my worst enemy.

But I do wish a knowledge of what it is like to have bed bugs on those who feel they are merely “a stressful and unpleasant nuisance.” Lice are a stressful and unpleasant nuisance. Detected and treated, they usually do not trouble a person for more than a few days.

We regularly hear from people in New York, Cincinnati, London, Boston, Vancouver, and all points in-between who are getting bed bug treatment and yet are troubled by bed bugs for weeks and even months on end.

They lose a lot of sleep.
They suffer a lot of stress.
They use money — often thousands of dollars which should go to health insurance, or medications, or buying vegetables for their kids — to pay for treatment, endless rounds of laundry, plastic bags, and more treatment.
They get their belongings gassed with sulfuryl flouride.
They sometimes have to move.
They go to job interviews with red welts all over their faces and remain unemployed.
They stop having friends and family over, for fear others will become infested.
Those in multi-unit buildings who cannot afford to move may never get rid of the problem.

Think this causes very real psychological and physical health problems? You bet.
It is a lot worse than a nuisance.
The health effects of bed bugs are often a lot more serious than a bit of stress.

In this economy, in this expensive city, the Health Department is being a bit short-sighted not to see the potential of any problem that causes ongoing stress and saps one’s financial resources as a genuine health concern.

More on Intro. 873 here.

And read Renee’s response on New York vs. Bed Bugs. She did not receive the Health Dept.’s comments well either.
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Renee of New York vs. Bed Bugs uncovered a surprise on the New York City Council website: a new bed bug bill, Int. no. 873, calls for the Department of Health to get involved in the bed bug fight in New York City, by

• training PCOs in proper bed bug treatment,
• providing a list of those PCOs to the public,
• training property owners in how to eliminate bed bugs, prevent their spread,
• providing information on the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene website, and
• providing information about bed bugs to 311 callers, and taking reports of bed bug infestations via 311.

The bill does not go into a lot of detail on these steps, for example, I’d love to know more how these training programs will be carried out.  It’s essential that the best advice and bed bug expertise will be sought in creating and implementing them.

And what will be done with the reports of bed bug infestations?  I hope they’ll be used to track where bed bug infestations occur.  Right now, someone in New York City knows which tenants have called 311 to complain about bed bugs.  If violations are found, we have a limited degree of access to this information.  We have no idea how many tenants in NYC have bed bugs, nor how many homeowners do.

However, despite these questions in my mind, there’s a lot to be hopeful about here.  Education of property owners and the general public is crucial to eliminating specific infestations and to reducing the spread of bed bugs in the city.  The Department of Health is a very appropriate agency to get involved in this issue.  And we’d love to see the city tracking bed bug infestations via 311.

For that reason, I think we all need to get behind this bill.  If you’re in New York City, please click over to New York vs. Bed Bugs for more information on what to do, and to join our campaign.

——————————————————————-

The full text of Intro. 873 follows:

Section 1. Chapter 1 of title 17 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 17-194 to read as follows:

§17-194 Bed bug techniques training program. a. The department shall establish a program to train exterminators in the proper techniques to eliminate bed bugs. Upon successful completion of this program, the exterminator shall be considered trained pursuant to this provision, in the proper techniques of bed bug extermination.

b. The department shall establish a program to train property owners in the proper techniques to eliminate bed bugs and to prevent the transfer and spread of any bed bug infestation. Upon successful completion of this program, such owner shall be considered trained pursuant to this provision in the proper techniques of bed bug extermination.

c. Any training programs developed pursuant to this section shall include, but not be limited to, identification of bed bugs and understanding their life cycle, inspection procedures to identify infested areas and furnishings, techniques to prepare infested sites for containment and extermination, encasement techniques, and proper techniques for the moving and disposal of infested furnishings and materials. Any training program should also provide instruction on which techniques and pesticides are inappropriate for bed bug elimination.

d. The department shall make available on its website general information on bed bug awareness, infestation and control.

e. The department shall ensure that a toll-free hotline number, such as the 311 citizen service center, shall be made available to the public for any person seeking to report an incidence of bed bug infestation or to request information on bed bugs.

f. A list of exterminators trained pursuant to this section shall be made available to the public on the department’s website, upon request by calling the 311 citizen service center, and upon request in person at department offices to be located in each of the five boroughs, as determined by the department.

§2. This local law shall take effect ninety days after its enactment, provided, however, that the department of health and mental hygiene shall take any necessary actions to implement this law, including the promulgation of rules, prior to such effective date.

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The annual open house at Council Member Gale Brewer’s district office will be held tonight and tomorrow night.

Gale Brewer (Manhattan 6th District) has been at the forefront of the efforts to introduce meaningful bed bug legislation in the New York City Council for the past three years. We recently had an update on those efforts.

In January of this year, as the city launched its bed bug seminars, Council Member Brewer had this to say to NY1:

“The bottom line is bed bugs must be dealt with. And they are a mental health issue if they are not a physical health issue,” said City Councilwoman Gale Brewer. “New Yorkers really need to know their government is behind them in trying to get rid of bedbugs.”

My own theory for why these efforts have not yet yielded control measures that are appropriate to the high levels of infestation in New York City is that the stigma of bed bugs prevents many New Yorkers from voicing their concerns, asking for help and supporting the legislative proposals.

Or could it be that there aren’t enough bed bugs in New York City!? Is there or isn’t there an epidemic? Will you come to the open house to meet Council Member Brewer and tell her what you think?

Thanks to Crawledon for the open house info!

GALE BREWER’S SPRING OPEN HOUSE

Sunday, May 18, 4-7PM & Monday, May 19, 5:30-8:30 PM

Council Member Gale A. Brewer’s District Office at 563 Columbus Ave. (at 87th St.)

Refreshments

Details via Manhattan Community Board No. 4 news.Similar Posts:

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I found this press release on Room 8, a NYC politics blog.

Oddly enough, I could not find it on the NY City Council website or on Brewer’s defunct blog.
THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
COUNCIL MEMBER GALE A. BREWER

CITY HALL
NEW YORK, NY 10007
TEL: 212-788-6975
FAX: 212-513-7717
www.nyccouncil.info

Brewer Bedbug Battle Continues!

February 28, 2008 – For the last two years I have worked with the Bloomberg Administration to develop a public education program to inform residents about bedbug prevention, identification, and treatment. Since early January 2008, public education seminars, led by the staff from the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, have been held in Queens and Manhattan, with a third planned for Brooklyn in March.

At every gathering hundreds upon hundreds of residents have attended; it is standing room-only because New Yorkers are desperate for accurate information about bedbugs. In our outreach to the community, residents are encouraged to contact 311 if they cannot attend one of the initial launch seminars or to request a seminar for their own community. Due to the overwhelming response, HPD has partnered with Operation Hope in West Harlem to host a seminar this evening. Additional seminars for April and May are planned and HPD is also folding bedbug education into the Owner?s Night curriculum.

But we also have a lot more to do. I am currently drafting legislation requiring the City to provide large plastic bags and brightly colored “Caution! This May Contain BedBugs!” stickers to City residents in order to completely encase infested furniture and other household items intended for curb-side pick-up. Both the bags and stickers would be available through 311 and at City agency offices. Piloted by the City of Boston, this service would increase the public?s awareness of bedbugs, as well as help protect sanitation workers who pick up infested furniture. I have also introduced legislation to mandate coordination of city agencies on this topic and to focus on the transportation of new and used mattresses.

Contact: Shula Warren 347-563-1295Similar Posts:

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