City & State New York 12182017 by City & State

LOSER OF THE

YEAR? * DOES ANYONE REALLY CARE ABOUT THE WINNERS?

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@CIT YANDSTATENY

Dec. 18, 2017-Jan. 1, 2018

City & State New York

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

EDITOR’S NOTE Every year, Time selects its Person of the Year. This year, the magazine recognized “The Silence Breakers,” the women – and men – who have been at the forefront of a cultural shift by speaking out and sharing deeply personal stories about being subjected to sexual harassment. The year before, the Person of the Year was Donald Trump, then the president-elect who has changed the national conversation in other ways. Here at City & State, we took a different approach. Each week, one of our most popular features is a rundown of New York’s biggest political winners and losers. So we thought: Why not recap the year with a list of the Winners & Losers of the Year? In this week’s magazine, we identify the year’s five biggest winners and losers, but as always, we leave it to our readers to decide the best and the worst (which you can do by voting online at cityandstateny.com). Looking back on 2017 as the year comes to a close, we recap the top political storylines, and we bring back Creative Director Guillaume Federighi’s favorite covers of the year.

JON LENTZ Editor-in-chief

CONTENTS COMMENTARY ... 6

Nicole Gelinas says Congress’ tax reform won’t do New York any favors

COUNCIL SPEAKER RACE ... 35

The candidates offer hints as to next year’s budget

WINNERS & LOSERS ... 42

Who was up and who was down last week

YEAR IN REVIEW

INVESTIGATION

Who were the biggest winners and losers of 2017? ... 15

How lawmakers bent over backwards to help one of NYC’s “worst landlords” ... 8

LOSER OF THE

YEAR? * DOES ANYONE REALLY CARE ABOUT THE WINNERS?

THE CRUSADING PROSECUTOR, MEDIA DARLING AND SPRINGSTEEN FAN IS ON ALMOST EVERYONE’S SHORT LIST FOR MAYOR/GOVERNOR/SENATOR. BUT DOES HE WANT IT? CIT YANDSTATENY.COM CIT YANDSTATENY.COM

@CIT YANDSTATENY

September 26, 2016

City & State’s 10th anniversary “Newsmaker of the Decade”

@CIT YANDSTATENY

Dec. 18, 2017-Jan. 1, 2018

CONSTRUCTION

The industry fights back on New York’s MWBE rules ... 24

CityAndStateNY.com

The

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

Latest A TWITTER WAR OF WORDS President Donald Trump attacked U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand after she called on him to resign over sexual misconduct allegations. He said she came “begging” for campaign contributions and “would do anything” for them. She responded by saying women won’t be silenced and called the president’s remarks a “sexist smear” – and many observers agreed.

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON RIDING THE SUBWAY A would-be suicide bomber strapped a pipe bomb to his chest and detonated it in a busy New York City subway corridor. Fortunately, things didn’t go as planned for 27-year-old Akayed Ullah and the bomb exploded early. No one died and only three people were injured – or four, counting the bomber, who sustained serious injuries. Many New Yorkers regarded it with relative nonchalance in typical New York fashion and carried on with their daily routines, albeit with some delays that made commuters late to work. Federal prosecutors have brought terrorism charges against Ullah, who said he was inspired by the Islamic State group.

The

Back & Forth

A Q&A with former NYPD Commissioner

Bernard Kerik

C&S: What steps do you think should be taken to prevent another attack like last week’s pipe bomb attack in midtown Manhattan? BK: The most successful way to identify people like this is through criminal and predictive profiling. But nobody is going to tell you that. Nobody in a political position today is going to admit that. You want to know who these guys are? Where they hang out? What they’re doing, who they’re talking to? You’re going to have to profile. And people are scared to death to say that because they consider that racial profiling. But the bottom line is, take any one of the 14 guys that were on the four planes that flew them into the World Trade Center – all of them fit a certain predictive profile. Had nothing to do with their racial background. It has to do with a bunch of other stuff – where they went to school, who they associated with, what their internet links were, what their prior associations were. The mosques they attended, things like that.

CUTTING TAXES AND CUTTING DEALS House and Senate Republicans reached a deal on the massive federal tax overhaul bill, with a final vote planned for this week. But it is still wildly unpopular, even among some Republicans. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said it will put the state “at a competitive disadvantage,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called it “disastrous” and several said the vote should wait until U.S. Sen.-elect Doug Jones of Alabama is seated.

C&S: What do you think New Yorkers should know about how this situation and others are being handled? BK: New York City has resources nobody else has, whether there is the police department and federal agencies together, whether it’s our intelligence capabilities – we actually have New York City cops that are assigned abroad. In the Middle East, in Europe, in Asia, there are New York City detectives that feed on a real-time basis the authorities from New York City on those locations. So, if anything goes on around the world, we know about it instantly. And all that said, you’re not going to stop every one of these. There’s millions of people. Somebody’s going to slip through the cracks. You can only hope that when they do, and if they do, that you’re on top of them, that they are unsuccessful as this guy was. But that’s it.

“Who wields the SCIMITAR? It’s the city of NEW YORK’S MAYOR. Put your MONEY where YOUR MOUTH is, Mr. Mayor.

— MTA board member CHARLES MOERDLER, on de Blasio needing to match state funding to repair the subway system, via the Daily News Get the kicker every morning in CITY & STATE’S FIRST READ email. Sign up at cityandstateny.com.

ROB BENNETT, MICHAEL APPLETON/MAYORAL PHOTOGRAPHY OFFICE; ALEXANDR JUNEK IMAGING, CHRISTOPHER HALLORAN/SHUTTERSTOCK; ANDREW SCHWARTZ

City & State New York

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

Winners & Losers, by the numbers Every Friday, we pick the week’s five biggest winners and five biggest losers in the New York political world – and then we let our readers decide who’s the best of the best and the worst of the worst in our highly unscientific online poll. Here are some highlights from the past year.

THE BIG TWO Total Appearances

Winner

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio

Top Loser

11 Total Appearances 11 7

Winner

Top Winner

Top Winner Loser

De Blasio and Cuomo may not like to share, but they did share one thing – the title of the week’s biggest loser, when they appeared on the ballot together after they failed to show up after an A train derailment in June.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Most Consistent Loser: Steve McLaughlin

He may not have appeared on the losers list the most number of times, but all three times he did, the people voted him the week’s biggest loser.

Losers’ Biggest Winners:

Too Close to Call:

While deemed a loser of the week by City & State, our readers seemed to think otherwise, casting no votes for them.

In the only tie of the year, the state Senate Democratic leader and Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s top aide both received 26.4 percent of the vote for a shared win.

John Porcari, Naquan Hill & Geoffrey Szymanski

Andrea Stewart-Cousins vs. Melissa DeRosa

Loser

Top Loser

Winners’ Biggest Losers:

Srini Penumalla & Jason Wilcox

These two – a New Jersey technology executive and a Bronx police official – made it on to the winners list only to receive exactly zero votes.

Shankar / Jimmy K.

– This lucky bull escaped a Brooklyn slaughterhouse and led police on a wild bull chase for a little while. After being caught, he was sent to an animal sanctuary in New Jersey and renamed, thus avoiding his original fate: death and eventual consumption.

Staten Island Chuck

– The lucky groundhog avoided the manhandling of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio after hizzoner dropped Chuck in 2014. The trauma was not to be repeated as de Blasio skipped the annual ceremony for the second year in a row.

THE ZOO

Who says winners and losers have to be humans?

Peanut – Nicole Malliotakis’ pet chihuahua acted as a press conference prop for the Republican New York City mayoral candidate, but one fateful appearance didn’t go so well. The dog tripped up Malliotakis, causing her to fracture her foot and continue the campaign in a boot.

G. Steven Pigeon – While not an actual animal, he gets a mention for sharing a name with one. He’s a loser for the multiple charges of actual felony corruption.

WORST MASCOT Mr. Met The baseball-headed mascot found his way on to one week’s losers list when he flipped off a fan. But the recognizable mascot gets to spend his days with Mrs. Met, so he’s still doing pretty well overall, despite the Mets missing the playoffs this year.

CityAndStateNY.com

COMMENTARY

THE TAX BILL WON’T HELP NY CLEAN UP ITS ACT

Congress’ legislation will only help states deflect the blame By NICOLE GELINAS

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

City & State New York

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

SHEALAH CRAIGHEAD/WHITE HOUSE

ongress’ tax plan is not a done deal, but it’s getting close enough that New Yorkers must realistically ponder its impacts. How will the most radical changes to state and local governance in at least a generation – enacted with no hearings and thus Congress not benefiting from outside analysis – affect New York City and state?

The most obvious change is to state and local tax deductibility. The original U.S. Senate plan was to kill such deductions altogether, but now Congress appears to have reached a compromise with the House to cap all such deductions at $10,000. This provision disproportionately hits New York and its neighbors. Because of its high income and high taxes, New York, with just 6.1 percent of the country's population, comprises 13.3 percent of state and local tax deductions, according to the conservative Tax Foundation. And the deduction is worth more to New York than to anyone else: a full 9.1 percent of income, or more than $7,200 annually per filer. Our neighbors, too, depend on these deductions, with Connecticut and New Jersey comprising similar disproportionate shares. Many observers, including myself, have written about the risk of making it harder for state and local governments to raise revenue. States already face nearly $700 billion in future payments for public sector retiree health care benefits and another $1.1 trillion in similarly unfunded pension payments. The grim reality is that the states that depend the most on these tax deductions are broke. New York state’s pension funds are nearly fully paid up, although we do owe $72.8 billion in retiree health care benefits. New Jersey, by contrast, has set aside just 30.9 percent of its estimated $243.6 billion in future pension costs, according to Bloomberg. Connecticut has put away just 44.1 percent of its $61.1 billion liability. Proponents of eliminating the state and local tax deductions have said the change will spur these states to address these liabilities. The opposite may be true:

Congress has now given the public sector unions that resist any and all changes to benefits, and the politicians who depend on them, a fresh enemy to attack. From now on, it won’t be Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s, New Jersey Gov.-elect Phil Murphy’s or Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy’s fault, or the fault of their predecessors, that each state has failed to tackle these costs. It will be the fault of out-of-state Republican lawmakers for taking away the means of states to attempt to pay for them. Even with the changes to future pension and health care benefits that states should be working on anyway, with or without Congress’ “help,” tax hikes and spending cuts are highly likely. Congress is simply making such tax hikes more expensive for the people who would pay them. Ray Dalio, chairman of the Bridgewater Associates hedge fund, estimated that high-earning New Yorkers could see a 3.3 percent increase in their effective marginal tax rate by removing the deduction – equivalent to a second New York City income tax. That’s not for better services. That’s just to keep up with our retirement promises while still struggling to keep up with our crumbling public infrastructure, such as subways and streets. New York is unlikely to benefit much from the worse plight of its neighbors. New York derives value from its proximity to smaller financial centers in Connecticut and New Jersey, set up three decades ago in part to avoid high taxes. If even a few high earners in such states give up and move to Florida, it harms the whole region’s economy. Connecticut and New Jersey, too, are home to much of the city’s workforce.

New Yorkers face another risk. The state is home to three of the country’s nine counties with property taxes above $10,000 annually, according to ATTOM Data Solutions, a real estate research firm. The three in New York are Westchester, Rockland and Nassau counties and five of the remaining six are in New Jersey or Connecticut. If you’re expecting your home value to decrease as Congress curtails the property tax deduction and the mortgage interest deduction at the same time, and you’re worried about paying an effectively higher income tax rate, too, what is the natural thing to do? Cut back on today’s spending. Is someone facing an extra cash call of potentially several thousand dollars a year going to buy a new car? For many families, this tax bill, at least in the short term, will feel like the opposite of getting a raise. That’s not just a New York problem, but an American one. The six states responsible for more than half of the country’s state and local tax deductions are home to 121 million people, or nearly 40 percent of the country’s population. This isn’t some theoretical tax debate then. This is abruptly changing the fiscal condition of, well, much of the whole country: the people who pay high state and local taxes, and the people who depend on those payments for government services. Congress will only know for sure how they’ll all react after it’s done.

■

Nicole Gelinas is a contributing editor to the Manhattan Institute’s City Journal.

THE GRIM REALITY IS THAT THE STATES THAT DEPEND THE MOST ON THESE TAX DEDUCTIONS ARE BROKE.

CityAndStateNY.com

ROUGH-HEWN TEMPLE OF imported Jerusalem stone evokes an ancient monument lit against the night sky in Fresh Meadows, Queens. Inside, a wrought iron and crystal chandelier hangs high above a limestone lobby. The richly appointed synagogue proudly proclaims its benefactor, whose family name is carved into the side: DISHI. Across town, at least a dozen other buildings in Upper Manhattan owned by New York City landlord Avi Dishi suffer from chronic building violations, leaving low-income, often rent-regulated tenants with broken windows, faulty locks and no heat, according to city records. Dishi, once listed among the city’s worst landlords, is poised to benefit from a law written by Assemblyman David Weprin and sponsored by state Sen. Leroy Comrie. The legislation was tailored specifically to forgive more than $250,000 in tax debt the landlord incurred on the property where the synagogue stands. The bill became law after Weprin accepted a $2,000 campaign contribution from the landlord himself and then $2,500 from the synagogue, Congregation Beth-El Sephardic Center of Jamaica Estates. The religious charity’s contribution appears to have violated state and federal laws that forbid political campaign activity by 501(c)(3) nonprofits, although Weprin appears to have returned that contribution nearly three months later. Six charity and campaign finance experts consulted by City & State said the timing of the payments to Weprin and the passage of the bill that Weprin shepherded through the state Capitol raises serious questions about whether Dishi improperly influenced Weprin to push the bill through. “If I were in charge of the Charities Bureau today, I would definitely take a look at this organization,” said Sean Delany, executive director at Lawyers Alliance for New York and a former chief of the Charities Bureau, which is part of the state Attorney General’s Office. Dishi, in a phone interview, insisted that there was nothing untoward about he and his charity requesting and receiving a tax forgiveness law from Weprin while giving him campaign contributions. “Nothing was for him to help, to give contribution, this is not a case like this,” Dishi said. “People never ask for anything and just do good for the community. $2,500? This doesn’t make anyone do for you something. But this is his community. This is his area. This is something he should do for us. I don’t think it is fair, what you are trying to lead this whole story to.”

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

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City & State New York

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

MLORD BI ANY How state lawmakers bent over back wards to help one of NYC’s “worst landlords” By FRANK G. RUNYEON

CityAndStateNY.com

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

CONGREGATION BETH-EL SEPHARDIC CENTER OF JAMAICA ESTATES

Dishi said he gives campaign contributions to “maybe 100” local officials wherever he does business, although he said, “I don’t remember all the names.” But a search of New York City and state election filings found only two contributions by anyone with the last name Dishi. The most recent was Avi Dishi to Friends of David Weprin. Weprin first introduced the legislation benefiting Dishi in 2016, but it stalled in committee. On Oct. 19, 2016, “Avraham Dishi” contributed $2,000 to Weprin’s campaign fund, according to a state Board of Elections filing. Congregation Beth-El Sephardic Center of Jamaica Estates, a 501(c)(3) synagogue in Fresh Meadows, Queens, made its apparently illegal contribution of $2,500 to Weprin on May 3, three weeks before the bill passed in the state Senate on May 24, with Comrie sponsoring it. On June 14, Weprin’s bill passed the Assembly unanimously. Weprin said he returned the charity’s money and provided City & State with a copy of a bank check made out to the charity dated July 25. On Aug. 21, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the bill into law. Weprin denies he made a deal with Dishi. Dishi told City & State he was insulted by the idea that he paid Weprin to make the law. On the surface, the bill forgives property taxes for the synagogue, but the real effect of the bill is to absolve Dishi of his personal tax liability, since he owned the building for the tax years in question. Dishi owned the property from 2006 until the

end of 2015, when he transferred it to the religious charity, which he controls. He is the president and five of its seven board members are family members. While it’s unclear exactly what bookkeeping maneuvers Dishi made, three New York tax experts told City & State that Dishi could have benefited himself in a number of ways. By holding the property in his own name, as he did, for nearly a decade, it appreciated from an assessed value of less than $30,000 to more than $1.4 million, according to city records. Then, when he transferred it to the charity in December 2015, he could have potentially written off over $1 million in taxable income for his contribution to his own charity. In addition, this would allow him to potentially avoid capital gains taxes on the nearly $1.4 million appreciation in property value. Finally, he could then leave the $250,000 property tax debt with the synagogue to be forgiven by Weprin’s bill. Dishi said it’s all a mistake and blamed the charity treasurer for ever paying any property taxes, which amounted to less than $5,000 quarterly before skyrocketing, along with the rising property value, to about $50,000 quarterly in 2014. Dishi doesn’t believe he should have ever paid any taxes. “We got everyone we could to help,” Dishi said. “They were supposed to give us a refund for the five years before that.” Instead, the bill only gives Dishi two years of tax forgiveness. Alan Blass, a forensic accountant, certified

public accountant and former deputy chief investigative auditor for the New York City Department of Investigation, doubts it was all a mistake. “I think he manipulated this whole thing in order to get the bigger charity write-off and to get the lower amount of taxes for all the years he owned it,” Blass said. “But I’m wondering how he did it and who may have helped him.” Nevertheless, it appears the city will soon erase Dishi’s debt. A spokesperson for the New York City Department of Finance said once the charity provides documentation that shows the property was used for a tax-exempt purpose, operating as a synagogue, for instance, “We would approve the retroactive exemption.” The department noted in an email to City & State that the bill is “specific” because “it allows an organization to receive a real property tax exemption under 420a when it was not the fee owner.” Nevertheless, the agency will grant the exemption if the synagogue provides affidavits or other proof that it was operating as a religious institution and will cancel the debt incurred by Dishi. It is not unusual for a charity to request tax forgiveness and for state lawmakers to pass laws forgiving it, but experts said a bill passed to effectively forgive a privately incurred tax debt was highly unusual – especially the private debt of a wealthy landlord. “In my experience, it is unusual for the legislature to enact a law that gives the city the discretion to forgive the property taxes owed on privately owned property prior to that property becoming tax-exempt,” said Richard Pomp, a law professor at University of Connecticut and former director of the New York Tax Study Commission. Weprin told City & State that “Dishi never got a tax bill” for the property, but that is untrue. His name is at the top of every property tax bill from October 2006 until February 2016. That final tab, addressed to Dishi, totals $256,515.25. The more than a quarter-million dollars in property taxes incurred by Dishi will likely be canceled or annulled for tax years 2014-2015 and 2015-2016. Dishi personally owned the property from October 2006 until December 2015, when he sold it for $0 to the charity, according to city records.

“Comrie lied. We have

thet

FRANK G. RUNYEON

ranscr

City & State New York

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

What he said

is not true.”

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY

FRANK G. RUNYEON

— state Sen. TONY AVELLA

“There are enough coincidences, you could say, related to the timing, that an aggressive U.S. attorney might make something of it,” said Marc Owens, a partner at Loeb & Loeb, who was director of the Internal Revenue Service’s Exempt Organizations Division for 10 years, in charge of enforcement programs for charities and political organizations. Considering the political contributions and what seems to be a bill that excuses a personal tax liability, Owens said, “You’ve got elements of the sort of thing that certainly the U.S. government or state attorney general would be interested in.” Weprin said he never should have accepted the synagogue’s money. “Yeah, they might have been grateful, but it’s certainly not a legal contribution,” Weprin said of the charity’s $2,500 campaign donation. “We shouldn’t have accepted it. It was a mistake.” All charities are barred from making campaign contributions to political candidates, although experts note that a few organizations accidentally write checks to candidates every year. Nevertheless, “Contributions to political campaign funds … clearly violate the prohibition against political campaign activity,” according to the Internal Revenue Service. But Weprin dismissed experts’ concerns about an exchange of favors with the landlord who controls the religious charity. “There was absolutely no deal,” Weprin said. “I didn’t know anything about this Avi Dishi stuff. And I had no dealings with Dishi. It was all with the rabbi” – Rabbi Yakov Nasirov, the prominent local rabbi at Congregation Beth-El. Weprin only shrugged when asked about Dishi’s personal $2,000 campaign contribution. “I’ve known Rabbi Nasirov as a rabbi in my district in another synagogue around the corner, so I’ve known him for 15 years or so,” Weprin said. “He was the one who came to me.” The synagogue is just five blocks from Weprin’s district office. City & State tried to speak with a synagogue leader by phone and then visited the building last week, finding only a few

cript.

men praying alone in the gilded sanctuary. Nasirov called City & State the following morning, but quickly grew frustrated with the line of questioning and declined to answer specific questions about the campaign contributions and Weprin’s law. “David Weprin is a very nice man,” Nasirov said. “He is a very honest man. You ask him any favor and he will do it. Not about any personal interest, only for help, you know? Especially in a holy place, like a synagogue.” “No politics, no money, no interests here,” he added. Nasirov refused to answer questions about Weprin’s account of returning the money to him. “I did hand-deliver the $2,500 check to the rabbi,” Weprin said, adding he returned the money on July 25 and said Nasirov seemed confused as to why the money was being returned to him. “I actually brought it to his house.” While the state Board of Elections has no record of the charity’s money being returned yet, Weprin said the refund will be reflected in the next filing period. “This creates the perception of a quid pro quo,” said Alex Camarda, senior policy consultant for good government group Reinvent Albany. “It is unfortunate this illadvised state law appears to require the city to waive property taxes for a landlord who has been perpetually sued for violations and does not seem to provide basic services to or maintain his buildings.”

to maintain his buildings and for creating a hazardous living environment. City records show complaints settled for injuries caused by negligence, cases won by tenants for overcharging for rent and multiple cases where heat was cut off. “Every winter she could look forward to freezing,” Maddy Tarnofsky said of her client, Zeynep Osman, an elderly resident in a rent-controlled Manhattan property. Osman is an unusual tenant for Dishi – she’s an exiled Afghan princess who lives on Lexington Avenue south of East 74th Street, whose peculiar plight was chronicled by the Times in 2014. The eviction proceedings Dishi has brought against her have stalled, and remain unresolved. But many of Osman’s complaints mirror those of less noble heritage and address – no repairs and no heat. The problems at one building at the corner of St. Nicholas Avenue and West 183rd Street in Upper Manhattan earned Dishi’s name a place on then-Public Advocate Bill de Blasio’s worst landlord list, according to his archived website. Dishi has been sued 23 times by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development for violations at that one building, including for lead paint and no heat or hot water. The building has 74 unresolved violations, as of Dec. 11, including 16 issued in the past three months.

AVRAHAM DISHI, OR AVI DISHI AS he is known, owns a portfolio of residential and commercial properties in New York and Florida. In New York City, Dishi owns both multimillion-dollar mansions in midtown Manhattan and rent-regulated housing in lower-income neighborhoods. Dishi paid $24.5 million, at over $1,000 per square foot, in 2010 to buy the Upper East Side mansion of famed sex therapist Ruth Westheimer, better known as Dr. Ruth, The Real Deal reported. Dishi also snapped up another building nearby for $10.1 million in 2011, The New York Times reported. But Dishi has been sued many times by city regulators and his tenants for neglecting ASSEMBLYMAN DAVID WEPRIN

CityAndStateNY.com

“That is crazy, you don’t see that,” said Judith Goldiner, attorney-in-charge at The Legal Aid Society, as she looked at the number of lawsuits against Dishi. “Based on these records, this is a bad landlord.” “After years of litigation, he still has 74 violations,” she added. Dishi said that the problems at his properties can be blamed on a combination of bad tenants, a bad neighborhood and previous bad management. “It was poor management that we had for the last many years. But now I am stepping in with my children,” Dishi said. “Ninetyeight percent of all the violations you see, 75 or 200 violations, most of them are done.” “Generally we are on top of it,” Dishi said. City & State visited the Upper Manhattan building and found the front door unlocked. The elevator, which has an unresolved building violation for a safety issue with an unpaid fine of $5,000, was open and operating. A window up the stairs from the lobby was shattered. Four tenants described their experience living in the building with responses ranging from “fine” to “terrible.”

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

The building does not appear to be an outlier: Of 12 residential buildings in that area owned by Dishi, there were an average of 63 open violations per building, according to a survey by City & State. “He should be using his tax savings to repair the buildings where he has rentpaying tenants,” Tarnofsky said. “But I wouldn’t hold my breath.” THE BILL TO FORGIVE THE TAX DEBT incurred by Dishi was first introduced by Weprin in May 2016, but it stalled in committee. Weprin reintroduced the legislation in February 2017. The state Senate bill was sponsored by Comrie, whose district abuts the congregation and where “most of the congregants” that attend the synagogue actually live, according to Comrie. Just before the Senate vote, the bill was vociferously opposed by state Sen. Tony Avella, who argued that since the property was not owned by the organization at the time the taxes were owed, it could not be forgiven, and that building itself had many outstanding violations with the New York City Department of Buildings.

One violation, classified as hazardous, has remained open since 2013 for operating as a synagogue without a valid certificate of occupancy. Comrie defended his tax forgiveness bill on the Senate floor, saying the property was “abandoned and difficult to move for over a dozen years” and that the congregation was working hard to clear up the violations in order to be able to get a mortgage to buy the property. “Comrie lied,” Avella said. “We have the transcript. What he said is not true.” In fact, the property was not abandoned. The congregation had been meeting on that spot in an older building for many years. Dishi, who has controlled the charity since its incorporation in 2007, owned the property himself since 2006 and could have transferred it at any time. In terms of violations, the charity apparently had failed to get a basic piece of certification, its certificate of occupancy, since it opened in 2013. And even as Comrie spoke, the congregation had no need of a mortgage – it already owned the property outright since December 2015.

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NEW YORK STATE SENATE

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

Nevertheless, moments later, the Senate passed the bill. Weprin said that what Comrie said was not true. When asked why Comrie defended his bill with false information on the Senate floor, Weprin smirked and said, “I don’t know. I wasn’t there.” Comrie declined to comment after City & State sent a detailed list of questions to his office. Avella said he is “shocked that the governor signed it,” explaining that although he had sent out two press releases in May denouncing the bill, he had not known the bill was signed into law. “I think it’s outrageous.” A spokesperson for Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office said that the day City & State sent its questions was the first time the governor’s office had heard of complaints from Avella. “This is one of dozens of bills that pass the legislature every year that would allow localities to provide tax exemptions to not-for-profit corporations,” said Abbey Fashouer, a Cuomo spokeswoman. “The city was

consulted, as is customary, on this legislation and expressed no objections. To be clear, this bill does not require the city to provide the exemption, rather it simply allows them to issue the exemption if they deem it appropriate. That final determination lies with them, not the state.” Avella, who caucuses with the state Senate Independent Democratic Conference, called on New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to have the city’s finance office reject the application to clear Dishi’s tax obligations to the city. A REGAL RESIDENCE OWNED BY Avi Dishi, just a 15-minute walk from the synagogue, is surrounded by a stone wall with massive sconces, one of which is missing, leaving wires exposed to the rain on a recent weekday evening. Most of the lights were out, but security cameras with glowing red diodes hung in the trees, keeping watch. A “no trespassing” sign was staked into a planter. No one answered the doorbell. Across the street, a neighbor said she sees the Dishi family only occasionally –

STATE SEN. LEROY COMRIE

they seem to rotate between their many houses, she explained. In front, a “for sale” sign swung in the damp air. The real estate broker said you can buy Dishi’s house for $3.99 million.

■

Zach Williams contributed reporting.

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City & State New York

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

We all have bad days, but how do you decide which political player had a bad year? Should a downfall speak to larger issues, such as the national Democratic wave that may have taken down Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino? Or are they perpetual duds like former Rep. Anthony Weiner, who was one of our Losers of the Decade last year and somehow managed to have his worst year yet?

WINNERS One big consideration is their standing at the end of the year compared to the beginning. This disqualified nominees like Bo Dietl, who started the year as an undignified political hack and ended the year with the data to prove it.

& LOSERS OF 2017 Our winner considerations went much the same way. Winner nominee U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer started the year as minority leader, cautiously hopeful about a fellow New Yorker as president. He ends the year in the same position, but with less hope. But change is constant in a world with term limits, so enjoy the Winners & Losers of the Year as a snapshot of our time – and know that positions can change in the time it takes to say “indictment.”

CityAndStateNY.com

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

ANDREW

CUOMO

The governor’s seventh year wasn’t his luckiest, but he ended it with plenty of political and policy wins. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton celebrated his “free tuition” plan, and he raised the age of criminal responsibility, expanded ride-hailing services upstate and revived the renamed Affordable New York tax credit for developers. Cuomo bypassed lawmakers by taking his State of the State message on the road, beat back efforts to impose more oversight over state economic development funds and gained more budgetary powers in the event of federal cuts. Of course, the Trump administration’s attacks on Obamacare and its sweeping tax reform plan had Cuomo playing defense. Scandals involving former aides Joe Percoco and Sam Hoyt didn’t help. And of course, the inexorable decline of New York City’s subway system hurt his approval ratings. But politically, having an enemy to battle in Washington could help his political fortunes – possibly paving the way for a presidential bid in 2020.

LAURA CURRAN Laura Curran began the year as a Nassau County legislator in the Democratic minority, and ended it as the county executiveelect. She won her campaign against Republican Jack Martins by focusing heavily on ethics reform. She tied her opponent to outgoing County Executive Edward Mangano, who was indicted on corruption charges in late 2016, and is set to be tried in March alongside former Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto. Not only is Curran the first woman to serve as Nassau County executive, her party-flipping victory in Nassau County could signal a Democratic wave in the state in 2018. It remains to be seen whether she can actually clean up Nassau, which is also the home of former state Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, who will be retried on corruption charges next year. Her commitment to reform will be tested when she takes office, but Curran-tly, at least, she’s a big winner.

BILL DE BLASIO

City & State New York

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

How does New York City’s mayor, reviled by some as a lazy, lecturing leftist, win re-election with two-thirds of the vote? Because the race was won long before the primary, as a murderer’s row of political power players declined to challenge him. One by one, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz Jr. – even Hillary Clinton! – decided against joining the primary. Republican John Catsimatidis stayed away and Paul Massey Jr. ultimately dropped out, leaving only Nicole Malliotakis, fighting well above her weight class. De Blasio’s incumbency helped scare them away, as did his record of ever-falling crime numbers and ever-rising pre-K enrollment. But the real win-before-the-win was in March, when federal and state prosecutors announced they wouldn’t bring criminal charges against de Blasio or his aides after investigating pay-to-play allegations. De Blasio will retain the role of political punching bag for another four years as he nurtures the smallest, saddest sprig of hope for a 2020 presidency this side of Mount Kisco.

KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND Politics is about timing, and state’s junior senator used the big moments of 2017 to her advantage. She burnished her progressive credentials by taking a stand against President Donald Trump’s nominees, voting against more than any other senator – even liberal icons like Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. After sexual harassment scandals shook Washington, Gillibrand – who has long crusaded against sexual assault in the military – established herself as a leader of the #MeToo movement. She said that former President Bill Clinton, an ally, should have resigned after the Monica Lewinsky affair. Then, she became the first senator to call for Sen. Al Franken to step down, precipitating an avalanche of censure from his colleagues and resulting in his resignation the next day. Getting personally targeted by the president didn’t hurt her brand as a leader on the left either. Gillibrand could be positioning herself for a presidential run in 2020.

JAMES O’NEILL The new NYPD commish may not have had the name recognition or the bravado of his two predecessors, but that may have worked to his advantage. O’Neill has kept a relatively low profile since getting appointed while New York City has continued to achieve record-low crime rates. He took up the reins right before a terror attack in Chelsea, a turbulent event for even the most seasoned commissioner. But he kept cool and performed well under pressure. He stepped up again this year after another terror attack left eight dead on Halloween. O’Neill hasn’t had any high-profile police-related deaths since he’s taken command, and he hasn’t drawn the ire of advocacy groups. A recent compromise with the City Council on police reform legislation didn’t please the police unions, but O’Neill’s boss, Mayor Bill de Blasio, was satisfied. All in all, he didn’t stir up any controversy, controversy didn’t find him and he kept New York City safe.

CityAndStateNY.com

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

ANTHONY WEINER The name says it all – it’s everything you never wanted to know and more. Weiner has descended to a special little circle of political hell that comes complete with iron bars and restrictions on being near children. Like a prop plane stalling before a nosedive, Weiner had reached such promising heights. He was once the youngest to win a New York City Council seat, then won a House seat before beginning his sudden downward spiral, with increasingly sordid revelations of sexting (then more sexting … then sexting with minors) causing political onlookers to either cringe and look away or dance with schadenfreude-powered glee. Lately, his appearances on our list have been more by begrudging necessity. But as he heads up to the big house near Boston, he’ll likely never register another vote as a winner or loser. But then again … Weiner is beginning to seem like that Hollywood monster who just keeps popping up.

JOSEPH PONT It was like a parable gone wrong: the New York City correction commissioner who lost his job for flaunting his freedom. Ponte – “bridge” in Italian – was brought in as a reformer, hoping to span the gulf between Mayor Bill de Blasio’s progressive vision and the vicious culture of Rikers Island, New York’s “toughest precinct.” Instead, Ponte spent his time crossing other bridges, driving to his riverfront Maine vacation home in his city-owned vehicle. Those drives alone broke policy, but it was the frequency of the trips that brought Ponte down. He spent 90 days in just one year in Maine, sometimes billing 14-hour days from the “Prettiest Village in Maine.” All the while, his Department of Correction was dealing with inmate stabbings, three slashings of officers and escape attempts. Under pressure, Ponte resigned in May. After three years at the helm, he could point to reforms like increased inmate programming and decreased solitary confinement. But from three states away, he never managed managed to fix the basic facts of “Torture Island.”

ELIZABETH CROWLEY Incumbents often seem bulletproof in Gotham. Not so for poor New York City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, the only one to lose re-election this year. Her wiley challenger Bob Holden leveraged a potent mix of neighborhood NIMBYism, a realpolitik GOP endorsement and savvy marketing to wage an insurgent campaign to beat Liz at the ballot box … by 137 votes. It’s hard to say exactly what messaging magic from Maspeth that Bob conjured to put him over the top – although that Republican endorsement certainly didn’t hurt. Perhaps it was the prospect of a horrible homeless Holiday Inn? Or was it Crowley’s smiling shove that was made famous on social media? Perhaps a sudden genius brought on by Holden’s campaign headquarters construction concussion? But worst of all, just look at us, we’re ignoring Crowley. Oh well, she’ll need to get used to that when she bows out. Despite nepotism being all the rage in the White House, I guess having a powerful cousin isn’t all it takes to win in New York City.

City & State New York

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

ROB ASTORINO

NTE

It’s OK to lose a gubernatorial race. It happens, especially when you choose to run in a blue state as a Republican. You get back on the horse and try again in four years. Unless you’re Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino and you lost your own re-election bid to a Democrat. He wanted to run for governor again – and was seen as a decent option after winning a respectable 40 percent of the vote in 2014 – but couldn’t even retain his incumbency. Even with government employees being told take time to support him at the polls, he couldn’t muster up the votes needed to beat his Democratic opponent, state Sen. George Latimer. Needless to say, Astorino ruled out a 2018 run against Gov. Andrew Cuomo after his embarrassing loss. Truly a crushing defeat for a former rising star. He was another casualty of the Democratic wave that occurred this year.

PREET BHARARA Preet can be beat. Praised as a knight in shining armor for his crusades against insider trading and international skulduggery, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York also made his mark with investigations and prosecutions targeting political corruption in New York City and Albany. But it all came to an end this year when President Donald Trump fired the federal prosecutor, even though the president indicated Bharara would stay on. Not that it was his fault, but the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in the McDonnell case also paved the way for former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and former state Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos – two of his biggest targets – to have their convictions overturned. Some speculate that he’ll run for office one day, but for now, teaching, podcasting and commentating probably aren’t as rewarding as the best job he ever had.

CityAndStateNY.com

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

THE BIGGEST POLITICAL STORYLINES OF 2017 In a year full of never-ending breaking news alerts, a few themes emerged again and again as New York’s most important political stories. From corruption scandals to the ongoing feud between the governor and the mayor of New York City, here are five of the biggest storylines of 2017. By GRACE SEGERS

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

PUBLIC CORRUPTION

Last

began with blockbuster reports by The New York Times and The New Yorker in October, revealing that film producer Harvey Weinstein had allegedly sexually harassed and assaulted multiple women. Suddenly, a wave of allegations were raised against men in almost every sector, including entertainment, journalism and politics. The effects have reverberated across New York, where the NYPD is investigating allegations against Weinstein. Of course, New York had already been rocked by sexual misconduct scandals. This year, disgraced former Rep. Anthony Weiner was sent to prison for sexting an underage girl. Sam Hoyt, a state economic development official, abruptly resigned amid a sexual harassment investigation and after revelations of an extramarital affair. Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin, the Rensselaer County executive-elect, was sanctioned by the Assembly and had his intern privileges revoked due to sexual harassment allegations – although those consequences will not follow him into his next office. If the revelations of 2017 are any indication, there could be a reckoning for men who abuse their powerful positions in 2018, and New York is not immune to the fallout.

year, the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in the McDonnell v. United States case raised the bar for what counts as political corruption. Some of the biggest ex-politicians to benefit from the McDonnell precedent are in New York, where former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and former state Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos had their corruption convictions vacated this year. Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano filed a motion in August to get a corruption case against him dropped based on the ruling, although he has thus far been unsuccessful. Meanwhile, former Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto, who was indicted alongside Mangano in 2016, was hit with additional charges this year. Former Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota was indicted for allegedly covering up the county police chief’s beating of a suspect, and Rensselaer County District Attorney Joel Abelove was charged with perjury and misconduct over his handling of an investigation into a police shooting. Former state Sen. John Sampson and ex-New York City Councilman Ruben Wills were sent to prison. And there are more chapters to be told in this sordid story. The trial of Joe Percoco, a former aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo who was charged with bribery, begins in January. Former SUNY Polytechnic Institute President Alain Kaloyeros, who faces related charges, will be tried in May. The trial for Mangano and Venditto is set for March. The Silver retrial is set to begin April 16 and the Skelos retrial will start on June 18.

ELECTION BATTLES

W OVIDIU HRUBARU/SHUTTERSTOCK; ARMAN DZIDZOVIC; PATRICK CASHIN/MTA; GEORGE LATIMER; OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

OVIDIU HRUBARU/SHUTTERSTOCK; ARMAN DZIDZOVIC; PATRICK CASHIN/MTA; GEORGE LATIMER; OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

When December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

Cuomo coined the ominous term “summer of hell,” referring to the transit disruptions caused by Amtrak track repairs at New York Penn Station over the summer, he might as well have called it the “year of hell.” The year began and ended with uncertainty over the future of the state’s transportation systems, from New York City’s failing subways to the Gateway rail tunnel project. Thomas Prendergast left as MTA chairman in January, and was replaced by Joe Lhota in June. After train derailments put a spotlight on problems with the increasingly creaky subway system, the MTA proposed an $800 million plan to fix the system. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is pushing for a millionaires tax to pay for subway upgrades, but Cuomo has come out in favor of a congestion pricing plan. Amid the fight over funding plans, the MTA has continued to announce plans for the future, including a proposal to replace MetroCards with tap cards and being able to pay by waving cellphones, debit and credit cards over turnstile sensors. Meanwhile, Cuomo and New York’s congressional delegation have called on the Trump administration to provide funding for the stalled Gateway Program, a plan to build a tunnel under the Hudson River connecting New York City and New Jersey.

TRAIN DELAYS

Although

the excitement of the gubernatorial and congressional elections won’t come until 2018, the 2017 elections in New York had a few surprises. De Blasio was overwhelmingly re-elected to a second term as mayor, although Republican Nicole Malliotakis had a strong showing. A state constitutional convention was soundly rejected, as expected, largely due to union opposition. A few seats shifted from one party to the other. Democrat Laura Curran defeated Republican Jack Martins to become the next Nassau County executive, and Democrat George Latimer defeated Republican incumbent Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino. With other Democratic victories across the country, these wins could signal a blue wave hitting the state next year. However, not all the victories were Democratic. Running on the Republican line, Robert Holden won an upset victory against Democratic New York City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley. Republican Steve McLaughlin defeated Andrea Smyth to become the next Rensselaer County executive, and independent Ben Walsh will be the next mayor of Syracuse. The 2017 elections could be a harbinger of progressive activism to come in 2018, or just a blip on the political radar sandwiched between two big election years.

City & State New York

CUOMO VS. DE BLASIO

Blasio and C u o m o have at least two things in common – they are rumored to have presidential ambitions, and they strongly dislike each other. The two feuded over the status of the New York City subway system several times during the year. Each man suggested that the other is in charge of the MTA, which is controlled by the governor. De Blasio has also refused to pay for half of the MTA’s $800 million short-term rescue plan. Meanwhile, Cuomo denounced de Blasio’s proposal to fund the MTA with a millionaires tax as “dead on arrival.” Cuomo also declined to endorse de Blasio in the Democratic primary, although he grudgingly did so for the general election. The attacks got even more personal by the end of the year, as the two accused each other of prioritizing national ambitions over the people of New York. De Blasio criticized a plan to reunify state Senate Democrats, saying Cuomo only worried about it because he was “running for president.” Cuomo’s press secretary retorted that de Blasio was the one “walking around Iowa,” referring to his planned keynote speech at an Iowa fundraiser this week. If de Blasio and Cuomo choose to run for president in 2020, their personal animosity could become even nastier – and perhaps impact their individual chances for the nation’s highest office.

C O V E R I N G P O L I T I C S

CityAndStateNY.com

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

The best CITY & STATE covers of the year “To give an overall thought about the 2017 covers, I think it’s a pretty good year,” City & State Creative Director Guillaume Federighi said. He and his design team help draw readers into the magazine, which was a little easier this year. In general, people have been more interested in politics since the 2016 election, Federighi said, “So I think it worked in both ways, where we expanded our horizons, and also I think readers and viewers are more concerned and more aware and educated of what’s going on.”

FEB. 20

JAN. 16

FEB. 13 ALSO INSIDE

The last populist POTUS: TRUMP vs. FDR Who CUOMO overlooked in his STATE of the STATE The NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL’s top priorities

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@CIT YANDSTATENY

CIT YANDSTATENY.COMJanuary @CIT 16, YANDSTATENY 2017

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@CITYANDSTATENY

February 13, 2017

“This cover got a lot of attention from our readers and beyond on social media. It was during the protests right after Trump was elected. … We thought the subway would be the best medium to make the voices of New Yorkers heard.”

“I drew it myself. … It showed how de Blasio was so delusional, in a way, and had his own way of seeing the city and pretending everything was working well when actually it wasn’t. It’s actually an homage to comic book artist Robert Crumb. … He’s an inspiration.”

Creative direction and graphic design: Guillaume Federighi

MARCH 13

MAY 8

HEY! TEACHER! Will BETSY DeVOS leave them kids alone?

DE BLASIO’S

STATE OF THE CITY ENERGY SPOTLIGHT:

WHAT’S NEXT FOR INDIAN POINT ALSO INSIDE:

GRAD SCHOOL SUPPLEMENT

IN THE

ROOM

WITH

CARL HEASTIE

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February 20, 2017

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@CIT YANDSTATENY

March 13, 2017

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May 8, 2017

“2017 was really about having more portraits on the cover. … So we started with (state Comptroller Thomas) DiNapoli. That turned out very well. That was by (photographer) Celeste Sloman, that one set the tone. And then Carl Heastie. I shot Carl Heastie, so I’m very proud of it, because I don’t really specialize in photography.”

“Betsy DeVos was really good as the teacher being bullied by the students. Javier has a great style for us because it’s between illustration and photo. He has a great sense of humor. We don’t always just want a portrait, but something that tells more of a story, so he’s the perfect artist for that.”

“I liked the collage of New York City about homelessness. It was a comparison between the ’80s and today, to see how much the city changed. Has it actually gotten better or not? So we chose something very raw and just cut out a bunch of images. The sign was handwritten. We wrote it on cardboard and scanned it.”

Creative direction and graphic design: Guillaume Federighi

Creative direction: Guillaume Federighi Illustration: Javier Muñoz Fernández

Creative direction: Guillaume Federighi Graphic design: Aaron Aniton

City & State New York

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

J U LY 3 1

MAY 22

SE PT. 18

STATEN ISL AND

SPECIAL SECTION:

Can NYC conquer the MUSIC WORLD again? CIT YANDSTATENY.COM

@CIT YANDSTATENY

May 22, 2017

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@CIT YANDSTATENY

July 31, 2017

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September 18, 2017

“Another cover from Javier Muñoz Fernández was President Donald Trump and Gov. Andrew Cuomo arm-wrestling. That was sarcasm, a play on the film ‘Over the Top.’”

“The subway situation is terrible in New York these days. I basically took the New York subway map and redrew the lines and made a huge mess, almost like spaghetti, all mixed with each other. … It speaks to everyone – larger than just our space. Anybody who lives in New York has horrible transportation.”

“Malliotakis, that was great. We actually inspired her campaign, apparently (which later ran a TV ad shot in a boxing gym). That was also interesting because it was one of the first shoots where we didn’t just take a portrait, but had the subjects act a certain way to tell the story better. She totally played along.”

Creative direction: Guillaume Federighi Illustration: Javier Muñoz Fernández

Creative direction: Guillaume Federighi Graphic design: Aaron Aniton

Creative direction: Guillaume Federighi Photography: Celeste Sloman

OCT. 2

DEC. 4

DEC. 11

CON CON’S DEAD. What NOW?

SPEAK FOR

YOURSELF ANDREW CUOMO

HOW

ERIC BECAME A TRUMP CIT YANDSTATENY.COM

@CIT YANDSTATENY

UNDERCOVER REPUBLICAN?

DOE S I T MAK E A DIF F ER ENCE WHO ’S SELE CTED SPE AK ER ?

October 2, 2017

CIT YANDSTATENY.COM

@CIT YANDSTATENY

December 11, 2017

December 4, 2017

“Eric Trump was interesting. We actually shot him in Trump Tower. It was pretty quick. It’s all about time management in their corporation, I guess. We had to go through a process just to get in. We had to get clearance from security. That was pretty unique. For the shoot, we had like 15 minutes tops.”

“The Speak for Yourself cover is a really, really cool cover. The council speaker candidates were all very happy with our photos, which is a good thing for both parties. That was a really interesting cover, mixing all those faces all together. Creating one person with multiple people, basically, a multifaced person.”

“I like the last one too, Cuomo as a Republican elephant.”

Creative direction: Guillaume Federighi Photography: Celeste Sloman

Creative direction: Guillaume Federighi Photography: Celeste Sloman Graphic design: Kewen Chen

Creative direction: Guillaume Federighi Illustration: Javier Muñoz Fernández

CityAndStateNY.com

December 18, 2017 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; January 1, 2018

SPOTLIGHT ON

CONSTRUCTION

City & State New York

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

NEW YORK STATE, construction is king. From massive infrastructure projects, such as the replacement of the Tappan Zee Bridge with the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, to the constantly evolving urban landscape of New York City, the state has one of the most active, storied and experienced building industries in the country. And with new upstate projects popping up across the region’s cities and small towns in recent years – many of them primed with lucrative incentives as part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s aggressive economic development policies – the frenzy has only grown in its furious pace. But with so many large and complex projects playing out in a state where politics also reigns, the debates over policy can be intense. Whether it’s pushing for more minorities and women to be awarded state contracts, trying to cut through some of the bureaucratic red tape that can make projects infuriatingly expensive and slow, or arguments over whether government investments aimed at creating jobs bring a good return for taxpayers, battles are constantly being waged over policy at the state Capitol and in city halls across New York. So put on your hard hat, as City & State takes you through a few of these issues and where they stand as state lawmakers gear up for another legislative session.

ELBUD/SHUTTERSTOCK

NY Structural Steel_CS111615_FP.indd 1

11/17/15 5

City & State New York

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

FIGHTING BACK THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY QUESTIONS THE CITY AND STATE’S TARGETS FOR CONTRACTING WITH

MINORITY- AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES

By JUSTIN SONDEL

NEW YORK STATE THRUWAY AUTHORITY

THE STATE MADE MUCH OF REACHING OUT TO DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES DURING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE GOV. MARIO M. CUOMO BRIDGE.

IN NEW YORK, progressive politicians have fought hard to help minorities and women get a foothold in the state’s lucrative and expansive construction industry for decades. The state Division of Minority and Women’s Business Development within Empire State Development dates back to 1988 under the late Gov. Mario Cuomo. And now his son, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio have

put forth some of the most aggressive goals in the country for getting government contracts to minority and female business owners. New York City and state have each set goals of driving 30 percent of its contracts to minority- and women-owned businesses. Contractors must make a good faith effort to meet that goal, and if they are unable to, they must apply for a waiver and provide proof that the goal was not reachable.

The state has seen marked improvement in the number of MWBE businesses getting contracts. The city has enjoyed some gains in recent years as well. But now, trade groups and contractors have been pushing back on putting so much stock in the numbers. The Associated General Contractors of New York State even filed a lawsuit against the state for records on how the goals are being established on individual projects.

CityAndStateNY.com

Mike Elmendorf, the president and CEO of AGC, said that while increasing the participation of MWBE contractors in the industry is a shared goal between industry and government, setting the same goal for every project is the wrong way to go about achieving that goal – on top of being illegal. “You end up with MWBE goals on projects which cannot be achieved because they are not based on reality or the law,” Elmendorf said. “Contractors and agencies are spending a lot of time trying to achieve a goal that wasn’t properly established in the first place.” The lawsuit produced little in the way of documents. But the documents that were returned under court order showed that even when internal state agency studies were done to establish realistic goals on individual projects, those numbers were ignored and the 30 percent goal was used. In some cases agencies admitted that they never conducted a study, as is required under the law. The Cuomo administration has maintained that the goals are being set legally and that there is no such requirement that individual studies be conducted for each project. “Contractors are legally entitled to a waiver if they can demonstrate through their good faith efforts that no MWBEs are reasonably available to participate on the contract,” Alphonso David, Cuomo’s counsel, told the Times Union last month. “In the 2016 fiscal year, the state granted over 85 percent of the waivers requested by contractors. Allegations that contractors must prove the ‘impossibility’ of achieving (those) goals are ridiculous, and not borne out by the facts.” Elmendorf stressed that the objection to the statewide goal of 30 percent was not meant as an objection to the goals of the program, but rather a push to make the program more effective. “We support the MWBE program and we object to discrimination in all forms,” Elmendorf said. “We would like to see more

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

“WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE DIVERSITY IN THIS INDUSTRY. BUT, WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE, IT IS DETACHED FROM THE LAW AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, REALITY.” — MIKE ELMENDORF, Associated General Contractors of New York State president and CEO diversity in this industry. But, what’s happening here, it is detached from the law, the regulations that underpin the law and, more importantly, reality.” Lawmakers who monitor MWBE participation want the 30 percent goal to continue on all projects. In fact, Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte, who chairs the Oversight of Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises Subcommittee, argued that based on disparity reports the number should be bumped up to 40 percent. In her experience, not all contractors are on board with trying to meet the goals, Bichotte said. “The reality is some people, some organizations just don’t want to have it,” Bichotte said. “That’s just the bottom line.” State Sen. James Sanders Jr., the leader of a Senate task force on MWBEs, said that the higher goals have helped to push the overall numbers higher. “There’s a saying that if you aim at nothing, you usually hit it,” he said. Still, these lawmakers agree that the MWBE program needs other reforms.

“THERE’S A SAYING THAT IF YOU AIM AT NOTHING, YOU USUALLY HIT IT.” — state Sen. JAMES SANDERS JR.

There is a wide consensus that some of the most effective ways to help MWBEs gain ground in the construction industry would be to increase access to bonding, insurance and other funding often out of the reach of contractors just starting out, but looking to take the next step. “MWBEs can’t get larger contracts because their challenges and the obstacles they meet are that they can’t get financing, they can’t get bonding, they can’t afford insurance because of Scaffold Law,” said Lou Coletti, the president and CEO of the Building Trades Employers’ Association of New York City. “To me, that’s the heart of the change you have to get to increase the opportunities for MWBE contractors. Those are the real business-related issues that are real obstacles to them in terms of more fully participating in the construction industry.” Coletti cited the New York City School Construction Association, which has a program that prequalifies all contractors, as a model. But other agencies “don’t have the resources to both certify that the companies are owned 50 percent by MWBEs and then to go certify that everybody on those lists can perform a commercially useful function, which is required by the law,” he said. Bichotte said she would love to see substantial funding added to state and city revolving funds for MWBEs, programs she described as “miniscule” at their current funding levels. “I agree with a lot of the agencies, with a lot of the contractors’ recommendations,” she said.

■

Louis J. Coletti President & CEO

ACHIEVING

30% “

MWBE GOALS

When goals can’t be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps. -CONFUCIUS (500 B.C.)

”

To achieve 30% goals, both the public and private sectors need to do more.

ABOUT THE BTEA

construction managers, general contractors and specialty

We need to focus our conversation on building the capacity of MWBE contractors. BTEA contractors, MWBE advocates and government officials need to come together to make the necessary changes to support MWBE contractors.

The Building Trades Employers’ Association is New York’s largest Contractor Association. It represents 26 individual construction contractor associations and 1,000

trade subcontractors. In 2016, BTEA Member Contractors had construction revenues of $35 billion in commercial, residential, interior renovation, healthcare, education, cultural, transportation, infrastructure and other projects while achieving the City’s best safety record in NYC.

1 4 3 0 B r o a d w a y, S u i t e 1 1 0 6 • N e w Yo r k , N Y 1 0 0 1 8 • 2 1 2 -7 0 4 - 9 74 5 • b t e a n y. c o m

CityAndStateNY.com

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

COLOR SCHEMES AND SIDEWALK SHEDS

RICK CHANDLER Commissioner, New York City Department of Buildings

C&S: Your department just introduced a new online construction dashboard, with lots of colored, interactive graphs showing permits filed, the biggest projects each quarter and more. It’s pretty, but what’s the point? RC: (laughs) Thank you for the highlights of our color scheme. Why we do it? The thing that I have been preaching to my staff, and actually to City Hall as well since we started, is that the department sits on a mountain of data, always has. And my goal after starting here was to start leveraging this information for a variety of reasons. Having this information at our fingertips helps us to better under-

stand how we can assign our resources. The goal here is to walk that dual imperative we have: to provide the best customer service, but also the enforcement and safety aspects of the construction industry. C&S: Nobody likes sidewalk sheds. Is there anything the Department of Buildings can do to limit them on streets? City Councilman Ben Kallos has legislation that would limit that kind of scaffolding to six months. Do you support that legislation? RC: We’re very aware of the inconvenience and some of the frustrations related to sheds … The mayor, with all these town halls that he’s

been going to, it’s a question that comes up on virtually every town hall and he has requested that we provide some draft plan so that we might address some of those very issues that council member Kallos is concerned about. I’m not sure his legislation, the way it’s drafted, is something we can support in its current form. Six months is certainly laudable, but I’m not sure how realistic it is, so we’re happily engaged in trying to explain the challenges around that. But (we) are totally committed, as is he and other council members, to try to address this issue. Such sheds have made a huge impact on the city, and we’d like to do something about it.

City & State New York

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

INVITING BOLD NEW IDEAS

POLLY TROTTENBERG Commissioner, New York City Department of Transportation

C&S: It’s easy to see why contractors and developers would prefer the design-build method of procurement. Why should average citizens care about it? PT: Saving money and time is profoundly important, particularly in this city and this state. We have among, if not the highest, project delivery costs. We have among the most slow and cumbersome of procurement processes. It is profoundly important that we do a better job delivering for the taxpayers and giving the public trust by reducing the time it takes to

do projects, and the cost. C&S: What is a benefit of using design-build beyond saving money and time? PT: The opportunity to innovate. I’ve talked to other agencies and entities, not only here in New York, but all around the country, and design-build gives you more of an opportunity to let proposers and private sector consortiums come in with some bold new ideas on how to do things. That is also immensely important. We benefit tremendously from private sector partners who can come in with

a freer hand and give us their best ideas. C&S: The expansion of the program failed in the state Legislature despite broad and bipartisan support. Where do you see the effort going next year? PT: I think we have a very powerful coalition. It’s no secret that getting things done in Albany is never easy. It’s a complicated legislative process. I was heartened by the progress that we did have. But when we come back anew (next) year, we’ll see what questions and concerns pop up.

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CityAndStateNY.com

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

A SINGLE BID NYC AGAIN LOOKS TO STATE TO EXPAND

DESIGN-BUILD AUTHORIZATION ON By JUSTIN SONDEL

PUBLIC PROJECTS

AT THE END of last year’s state legislative session, it seemed as though the broad coalition of industry advocates, legislators and bureaucrats were going to get what they have been seeking for years: the ability to use the design-build procurement method on government projects in New York City, quickening the pace of construction projects and cutting costs that are ultimately borne by taxpayers. The bill had passed the Assembly and it looked to have support in the state Senate. But the final days of the session end-

ed with the regular flurry of bills without the Senate version finding its way into the legislation conglomerate pushed through the state Legislature, usually in the wee hours, known to Albany insiders as the “Big Ugly.” Assemblyman Michael Benedetto, a Bronx lawmaker who sponsored the design-build bill, expressed optimism that the legislation will get through in 2018. Design-build, which can be used by five state agencies at the moment but is prohibited from use by other government agen-

cies, combines portions of projects required under state law to go through separate procurement processes into one bid. “Anything that saves money, while at the same time ensuring that it’s quality construction going on, is also saving money for the taxpayers,” Benedetto said. “That’s a no brainer.” The legislation enjoys bipartisan support and, at least publicly, has been pushed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Some speculate that the state Senate’s Republican leadership did

NEW YORK STATE THRUWAY AUTHORITY

THE GOV. MARIO M. CUOMO BRIDGE WAS ONE OF THE LARGEST DESIGN-BUILD PROJECTS IN THE COUNTRY.

City & State New York

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

not want to hand de Blasio, a sworn enemy, something he explicitly asked for during testimony in their chamber last year. Others have said that perhaps the governor and and the mayor, who are also locked in a very public and ongoing feud, couldn’t come to terms on how exactly the program would work or who would get credit for its implementation. And while the legislation has the support of some unions, there are labor leaders who are concerned that it might cut their workers out of certain stages of the construction process or curtail efforts to raise the number of minority- and women-owned businesses getting contracts. But the push is on again and lawmakers and bureaucrats seeking the expansion of the program to New York City are optimistic. New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg said that given how close the bills previously came to passing, she has hope that next year it may be easier to get through the state Legislature. “Given that we did have some momentum at the end of last year’s session, we’d like to get to it as soon as we can for the 2018 session,” she said.

“ANYTHING THAT SAVES MONEY, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME ENSURING THAT IT’S QUALITY CONSTRUCTION GOING ON, IS A NO BRAINER.” — Assemblyman MICHAEL BENEDETTO Trottenberg and Benedetto both pointed to an upcoming reconstruction project on a section of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway as a prime example of why passing the legislation next year is critical. Using the design-build program for the project is projected to shave about two years off the construction time. That reduction in time, plus the money that would be saved on the project, has an immediate impact on New Yorkers, both

those who live in nearby neighborhoods and those who use the highway to get to and from work every day, Trottenberg said. “That makes a real difference in people’s lives,” she said. While the outlook for the legislation is good, Benedetto cautioned against counting on anything in the state Capitol. “The winds of Albany blow in many directions,” he said. “Right now, I’m hoping for fair weather and good sailing.”

NEW YORK STATE THRUWAY AUTHORITY

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the Problem... and The Solution! • • • • • •

Illegal rentals cost New York City over $226 million in annual tax revenue City efforts to curb illegal rentals have failed The Hotel Association of NYC projected a $805 million loss in revenue to Home Sharing sites Home sharing sites have taken 13,000 long term housing units off the market Hostels in New York City will be a direct solution to illegal rentals The $320 billion Youth Travel industry will create tourism dollars and taxes for the city

It’s Time for a Hostel Licensing Law in Commercial Districts

City & State New York

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

CITY COUNCIL BUDGET CUTS?

ALI GARBER

By JEFF COLTIN

and ed to hurt New York ct pe ex is at th ul ha e thing: “It is no a national tax over Torres was sure of on ET CUTS looming, e hi DG tc Ri BU L an m RA cil DE un FE austerity. ty Co WITH g under conditions of cession, New York Ci in re rn ic ve go om on be ec to g g in in m fears of a co ur years, we’re go January.” red to the previous fo pa m co at th n et cutting as early as tio dg es ty & State’s Inbu qu of s es oc pr e eaker debated at Ci begin th sp ld cil ou sh un cil Co un ty co Ci e rk th Yo embers for I think candidates for New ly elected council m n w ve ne se e r ar he ep ot pr e to th d nt Torres an ay event mea ber Retreat, an all-d cut. coming Council Mem city budget could be e th of s ea ar t ha w input on the ates were asked their new position. and are likely to give ar , the speaker candid ye ns xt tio es ne qu cil r un he co ot e g Amon will serve on th become speaker, all While only one will me of their ideas. budget. Here are so

PROCUREMENT

City Councilman Mark Levine targeted the city’s capital process, essentially what it takes to build new things. “The average cost for building a comfort station in a park is $3 million. The average cost for renovating a comfort station in a park is $1.7 million. That’s unacceptable,” he said, and pointed to smarter contracting as a way to save money. City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez agreed, saying that reforming the procurement system would be a way to save money. “So much red tape that has to be cut … it’s too much, too expensive,” he said.

CityAndStateNY.com

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

OUTSIDE CONSULTANTS

In a similar vein, City Councilman Donovan Richards said the city needs to look at outside contracts. “We really need to focus our nearly $86 billion budget. A lot of contracts are going in and out the window,” he said. “We need to make sure that whatever we can do in house is what we’re focusing on and doing it to be more efficient.” City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer said the council would need to review the use of “outside consultants at every agency.”

PEG

City Councilman Corey Johnson brought up the Program to Eliminate the Gap, or PEG, through which the mayor’s office in the past has asked each city agency to find 5 percent in savings. Those across-theboard cuts have been done as an exercise, he said, but New York should make it real. “When you look through what they cut, through savings, it was stuff that probably should have been cut,” Johnson said. “We should probably go through that exercise.” City Councilman Jumaane Williams also spoke about across-the-board cuts, but urged caution. “If we do have to make those cuts, we have to do it equitably,” he said. “We can’t leave $5 billion in the police department and then cut all of the youth jobs for people.”

FINDING REVENUE

A number of the candidates suggested other responses, such as raising taxes. “Can we push Albany even further on the millionaires tax, the transfer tax, things of that nature?” Williams asked. “We should think of that first.” City Councilman Robert Cornegy Jr. and Johnson also brought up the city’s reserve fund, which could be tapped to help close budget deficits.

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CityAndStateNY.com / PUBLIC and LEGAL NOTICES

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018 IWK CONSULTING LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 11/21/2017. Office loc: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Pryor Cashman LLP, Attn:Gideon Cashman, Esq., 7 Times Square, NY, NY 10036. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

December 18, 2017

Notice of Qualification of New Mountain Net Lease GP, L.L.C. (“L.L.C.”). Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 12/4/17. Office location: New York County. L.L.C. formed in Delaware (DE) on 6/6/17. SSNY is designated as agent of L.L.C. upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 787 7th Ave, FL. 49, NY, NY 10019. DE address of L.L.C.: 1209 Orange St, Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011. Purpose: any lawful activity Notice of Formation of Striver Management LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 12/5/17. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 25 Robert Pitt Dr., Ste 204, Monsey, NY 10952. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is Vcorp Agent Services, Inc., 25 Robert Pitt Dr., Ste 204, Monsey, NY 10952. Purpose: any lawful activity.

NOTICE OF FORMATION OF Respectful Productions LLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) 7/10/17. Office loc: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail any process to: The LLC, Attn: James Flanagan, 508 E 79th Apt 4F, NY, NY 10075. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. Notice of Formation of W14 MARKET LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 11/7/17. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 54 E. 13th St, Unit 2A, NY, NY 10003. Purpose: any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of Hostiles LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/09/17. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o CT CORPORATION SYSTEM, 111 Eighth Ave., NY, NY 10011. Purpose: any lawful activities.

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF KINGS, GREEN TREE SERVICING LLC, Plaintiff, vs. NASSER KHALIL A/K/A NASSER KHALIL, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly filed on October 31, 2017, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Kings County Supreme Court, Room 224, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY on January 11, 2018 at 2:30 p.m., premises known as 453 85th Street, Brooklyn, NY. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York, Block 6026 and Lot 61. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 17466/14. Leo Salzman, Esq., Referee Berkman, Henoch, Peterson, Peddy & Fenchel, P.C., 100 Garden City Plaza, Garden City, NY 11530, Attorneys for Plaintiff

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1306950 FOR LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 255 W 55TH ST NEW YORK, NY 10019. NEW YORK COUNTY, FOR ON PREMISE CONSUMPTION. MINT FOOD INC. Notice of Formation of Tarrytown Apartments LLC. Arts of Org. filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 10/11/17. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011. Purpose: any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of OMAK, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 11/6/17. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 405 Lexington Ave, NY, NY 10174. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of WILLIAMSPORT DIRECT LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of N Y (SSNY) on 11/15/17. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Andrew J. Stamelman, Esq., Sherman Wells Sylvester & Stamelman LLP, 210 Park Ave., 2nd Fl., Florham Park, NJ 07932. Purpose: Any lawful activity. 428 SEVENTH STREET BROOKLYN LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 11/03/2017. Office loc: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 16 W. 16th St., 14 S-N, NY, NY 10011. Reg Agent: Barbara Ensor, 16 W. 16th St., 14 S-N, NY, NY 10011. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose. Notice of Qualification of 55I, LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 8/1/17. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 6/28/16. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 250 W. 55th St, Fl. 15, NY, NY 10019. DE address of LLC: 1013 Centre Rd, Ste 403-B, Wilmington, DE 19805. Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of EASTSIDE HOLDINGS, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/23/17. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: the Company, c/o Van Wagner Group, LLC, 800 Third Ave., NY, NY 10022. Purpose: any lawful activities. Notice of Formation of Polygravity Media, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 8/14/17. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is National Registered Agents, Inc., 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011. Purpose: any lawful activity.

LEGALNOTICES@ CITYANDSTATENY.COM Notice of Formation of EJ NY Consulting, LLC filed with SSNY on 10/20/17. Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: c/o Eric Jennings, 435 W 23rd St, Ste 1BB, NY, NY 10011. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

Notice of Formation of Tony Venture LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 9/7/17. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 20 W. 47 St, Ste 205, NY, NY 10036. Purpose: any lawful activity. NOTICE OF FORMATION of North Hill Sportswear, LLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/7/17. Office loc: NY County. SSNY designated agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to US Corp. Agents, Inc. 7014 13th Ave., #202, BK, NY 11228. Princ bus addr: 246 E. 49th St., NY, NY 10017. Purpose: any lawful act. People & Paintings Gallery, LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY 11/14/17. Office loc: Richmond County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, Attn: Dmitry Iofe, 26 Star Ct., Staten Island, NY 10312. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose. Cellco Partnership and its controlled affiliates doing business as Verizon Wireless (Verizon Wireless) proposes to collocate wireless communications antennas on a rooftop with an overall height of 183 feet at the approx. vicinity of 505 West End Avenue, New York, New York County, NY 10024. Public comments regarding potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30 days from the date of this publication to: Trileaf Corp, Erika, e.diak@ trileaf.com, 10845 Olive Blvd, Suite 260, St. Louis, MO 63141, 314-997-6111. Notice of Qualification of New Mountain Net Lease Partners, L.P. (“LP”). Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 12/1/17. Office location: New York County. LP formed in Delaware (DE) on 11/1/17. SSNY is designated as agent of LP upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 787 7th Ave, Fl. 49, NY, NY 10019. DE address of LP: 1209 Orange St, Wilmington, DE 19801. List of names and addresses of all general partners available from SSNY. Cert. of Limited Partnership filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of BTWN 5th and 6th, LLC filed with SSNY on November 3, 2017. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 30 West 21st Street New York, NY 10010. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

Notice of Qualification of FOX CAPITAL FUNDING LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 10/19/17. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 8/3/17. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 65 Broadway, Ste 804, NY, NY 10006. DE address of LLC: 1013 Centre Rd, Ste 403-B, Wilmington, DE 19805. Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful activity. Notice of formation of MATTY & COMPANY LLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/28/17. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to:C/O Lee & Miao, PLLC, 31 W. 34th St., Ste. 7067, NY, NY 10001. Purpose: any lawful act. Notice of Formation of Kessler 211 East 46th Street, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 11/22/17. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 211 E. 46th St, NY, NY 10017. Purpose: any lawful activity. PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, PURSUANT TO LAW, THAT THE NYC DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2017 AT 2:00 P.M. AT 42 BROADWAY, 5TH FLOOR, ON A PETITION FOR 23 LEXINGTON TENANT LLC TO ESTABLISH, MAINTAIN, AND OPERATE A SMALL UNENCLOSED SIDEWALK CAFÉ AT 23 LEXINGTON AVE IN THE BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN FOR A TERM OF TWO YEARS. REQUEST FOR COPIES OF THE PROPOSED REVOCABLE CONSENT AGREEMENT MAY BE ADDRESSED TO: DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, ATTN: FOIL OFFICER, 42 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10004. Notice of Qualification of Northwestern Enterprises LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 11/13/17. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 7/17/17. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Arianna F. Faucetta, Esq., 430 Park Ave, Fl. 10, NY, NY 10022. DE address of LLC: 16192 Coastal Hwy, Lewes, DE 19958. Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful activity.

PUBLIC and LEGAL NOTICES / CityAndStateNY.com

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018 Notice of Formation of L & Co Holdings LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 11/27/17. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 105 Mulberry St, Ste 202, NY, NY 10013. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of ER FUND 1 INVESTORS GROUP LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 11/13/17. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 125 Park Ave, Fl. 7, NY, NY 10017. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Form. of Gabby Makeup NYC LLC. Art. of Org. filed with SSNY 11-9-17. Office Location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC for service of process. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process to c/o The LLC, 28 E 10th St., Apt. 9H NY, NY 10003. Purpose: Any lawful act or activity.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1306885 FOR LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL LIQUOR, WINE, & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 107-12 70TH RD FOREST HILLS, NY 11375. QUEENS COUNTY, FOR ON PREMISE CONSUMPTION.

Notice of Formation of AHIG LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 11/13/17. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 745 5th Ave, Fl. 5, NY, NY 10151. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is Grossman LLP, 745 5th Ave, Fl. 5, NY, NY 10151. Purpose: any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of SuperbiaUSA LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 11/20/17. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 505 W. 37th St, PHC, NY, NY 10018. Purpose: any lawful activity. Notice of Qualification of TSTY Create LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 3/16/12. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 6/21/11. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 25 Robert Pitt Dr., Ste 204, Monsey, NY 10952. DE address of LLC: 1013 Centre Rd, Ste 403-B, Wilmington, DE 19805. Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful activity. Notice of Qualification of Mutual Gains Domestic LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 11/30/17. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 7/25/17. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011. DE address of LLC: 1209 Orange St, Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011. Purpose: any lawful activity.

MCRB CORP. Notice of Formation of Sherrington Holdings, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 9/12/02. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 347 5th Ave, Ste 300, NY, NY 10016. Purpose: any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of SD Wallingford Property Manager LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/24/17. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: the Company, c/o Simon Baron Development LLC, 757 Third Ave., 17th Fl., NY, NY 10017, Attn: Jonathan Simon. Purpose: any lawful activities. Notice of Qualification of MUTUAL GAINS US LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 12/1/17. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 7/25/17. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011. DE address of LLC: 1209 Orange St, Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011. Purpose: any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of Noble Desktop NYC LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 12/7/17. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 25 Robert Pitt Dr., Ste 204, Monsey, NY 10952. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is Vcorp Agent Services, Inc., 25 Robert Pitt Dr., Ste 204, Monsey, NY 10952. Purpose: any lawful activity.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A LICENSE, SERIAL # 1306823 FOR WINE & BEER HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR BY THE UNDERSIGNED TO SELL WINE & BEER AT RETAIL UNDER THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL LAW AT 667 CLASSON AVE BROOKLYN, NY 11238. KINGS COUNTY, FOR ONPREMISE CONSUMPTION. NATURAL TREE LLC. GALLO WARD LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 12/08/2017. Office loc: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 53 Litle West 12th St., 3rd Fl, NY, NY 10014. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose. Notice of Qualification of 308 West 90 Street, LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 11/9/17. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Maryland (MD) on 3/13/04. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 446 E. 86th St, Apt 9F, NY, NY 10028. MD address of LLC: 100 Light St, Baltimore, MD 21202. Cert. of Formation filed with MD Secy of State, 300 W. Preston St, Baltimore, MD 21201. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is Roderick L. Hickey III, 446 E. 86th St, Apt 9F, NY, NY 10028. Purpose: any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of Great Studio, LLC filed with SSNY on 11/28/16. Office: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 35 Great Jones St, #4, NY, NY 10012. Purpose: any lawful act or activity.

Notice of Qualification of Yalber SPV I, LLC. Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/02/17. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in DELAWARE (DE) on 10/27/17. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Yalber SPV I, LLC, 315 W 36th St., NY, NY 10018. Address to be maintained in DE: Registered Agent Solutions, Inc., 9 E. Loockerman St., Ste. 311, Dover, DE 19901. Arts of Org. filed with the DE Secy. of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful activities. Notice of Formation of SMA F&B LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 11/7/17. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 54 E. 13th St, Unit 2A, NY, NY 10003. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Operandi Centre LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 10/30/17. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 333 Rector Pl., Ste 601, NY, NY 10280. Purpose: any lawful activity. LAGALANTE PLLC Art. Of Org. Filed Sec. of State of NY 11/1/2017. Off. Loc.: New York Co. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY to mail copy of process to The LLC, 380 Lexington Avenue, Suite 2120, New York, NY 10168. Purpose: Any lawful act or activity. Notice of Formation of Barnea Bistro, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 11/22/17. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 211 E. 46th St, NY, NY 10017. Purpose: any lawful activity. Notice of Qualification of 93 Worth Retail LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 11/1/17. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 7/14/14. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011. DE address of LLC: 160 Greentree Dr., Ste 101, Dover, DE 19904. Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is National Registered Agents, Inc., 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011. Purpose: any lawful activity. Notice of Qualification of BRIGADE CAPITAL CLO FUNDING II LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/09/17. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 11/07/17. Princ. office of LLC: Attn: Aaron Daniels, 399 Park Ave., 16th Fl., NY, NY 10022. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the princ. office of the LLC. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. Of State of the State of DE, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., Federal & Duke of York Sts., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. CHURCHILL REALTY, LLC Art. Of Org. Filed Sec. of State of NY 11/9/2017. Off. Loc.: New York Co. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY to mail copy of process to The LLC, PO Box 933, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632. Purpose: Any lawful act or activity.

NOTICE OF Qualification of Zanna Roberts Rassi LLC filed with SSNY on 10/23/2017. Office loc: NY County. LLC formed in DE on 9/7/11. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to: Walls Financial Group, 435 W 23rd St, Ste 1BB, NY, NY 10011. Cert of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, PO Box 898, Dover, DE 19903. Purpose: any lawful act or activity

CITYANDSTATENY.COM BROADWAY ACTOR’S STUDIO LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 08/04/2017. Office loc: NY County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Stephanie Rosenberg, 215 W. 95th St., Apt. 5N, NY, NY 10025. Reg Agent: Stephanie Rosenberg, 215 W. 95th St., Apt. 5N, NY, NY 10025. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose. Notice of Formation of FORM50 LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 08/01/17. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Qualification of TESM LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 11/3/17. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 10/12/17. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 222 Broadway, #1851, NY, NY 10038. DE address of LLC: 12 Timber Creek Ln., Newark, DE 19711. Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of TASUIL LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/14/17. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: c/o Paul Hastings LLP, 200 Park Ave., NY, NY 10166. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Attn: Martin L. Edelman, Esq. at the princ. office of the LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of Entiere 17th Street Tenant LLC. Arts of Org. filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 10/27/17. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 29 W. 17th St, FL. 9, NY, NY 10011. Purpose: any lawful activity.

FAMILY COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK: COUNTY OF QUEENS AMENDED SUMMONS Docket No.: B-24295/17 ------------------------------X In the Matter of MESSIAH LEBRAUN CHAMBERS, A dependent child, under the age of 14 years, to the custody of SCO Family of Services, alleged to be a permanently neglected and abandoned child, pursuant to Section 384b of the Social Services Law. -----------------------------X IN THE NAME OF THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK: TO: LAMAR TUSSIX COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL SERVICES OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK A verified Petition having been filed in this Court alleging that the above-named child in the care of SCO Family of Services, the petitioner, is a permanently neglected and abandoned child as defined by Article 6, Part 1 of the Family Court Act and Section 384-b of the Social Services Law, a copy of said Petition being annexed hereto; YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to appear before the Family Court at 151-20 Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica, New York, Part 5, 2nd floor on the 27th day of February, 2018, before the Hon. Piccirillo at 10:00 o’clock in the forenoon of said day to show cause why the Court should not enter an Order depriving you of all the rights of custody of MESSIAH LEBRAUN CHAMBERS, awarding the custody of said child to the petitioning authorized agency as a permanently neglected and abandoned child as provided by law. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that if said child is adjudged to be a permanently neglected and abandoned child, and, if custody is awarded to said authorized agency, said child may be adopted with the consent of said authorized agency without further notice to you and without your consent. In the event of your failure to appear, said failure to appear will result in the termination of all your parental rights to the child. PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that your failure to appear will result in the termination of all your parental rights to the child. PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that your failure to appear shall constitute a denial of an interest in the child, which denial may result in the transfer or commitment of the child’s care, custody, guardianship or adoption of the child, all without further notice to the parents of the child. PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that you are entitled to be represented by an attorney, and, if you cannot afford to retain an attorney, one will be appointed to represent you by the court free of charge to you. Dated: December 5, 2017 By Order of the Court Clerk, Family Court, Queens Co.

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Notice of Formation of Hope 10-A, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/17/17. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Theresa Hoffman, c/o Hoffman & Hoffman, P.A., 66 W Flagler St., Ste. 200, Miami, FL 33130. Purpose: any lawful activities. Notice of Articles of Organization of Suffolk PHD, LLC filed with NY Secretary of State (SSNY) on 09/14/2017. Office location: New York County SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Mark Mingelgreen, Peyser & Alexander Management, Inc., 500 5th Ave, Suite 2700, NY, NY 10110. Purpose: Engage in any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of MEREDITH ROSEN GALLERY LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/31/17. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Legalinc Corporate Services Inc., 1967 Wehrle Dr., Ste. 1-086, Buffalo, NY 14221, also the registered agent upon whom process may be served. Purpose: any lawful activities. Notice of Formation of HEH-ML7 Management, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with NY Dept. of State on 12/4/17. Office location: NY County. Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o ML Seven, Inc., 501 Madison Ave., 14th Fl., NY, NY 10022, principal business address. Purpose: all lawful purposes. Notice of Formation of Webster Ice, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 11/27/17. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 31 W. 34th St, NY, NY 10001. Purpose: any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of Gattie & Lopez Films, LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 12/8/17. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 151 E. 85th St, 6H, NY, NY 10028. Purpose: any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of HEH-ML7 Grand, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with NY Dept. of State on 12/4/17. Office location: NY County. Sec. of State designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail process to: c/o ML Seven, Inc., 501 Madison Ave., 14th Fl., NY, NY 10022, principal business address. Purpose: all lawful purposes.

Notice of Qualification of WILDFLOWER LTD. LLC, Fictitious name: WILDFLOWER HOLDINGS LLC. Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/26/17. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in DELAWARE (DE) on 09/25/17. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Douglas Gladstone, Esq., Goldfarb & Fleece LLP, 560 Lexington Ave., 6th Fl., NY, NY 10022. Address to be maintained in DE: National Registered Agents, Inc., 160 Greentree Dr., Ste. 101, Dover, DE 19904. Arts of Org. filed with the Secy. of State of DE, John G. Townsend Bldg., Federal & Lockerman Streets, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful activities. Notice of Formation of ReImagining Student Excellence, LLC filed with SSNY 10/3/17. Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to: US Corp., 7014 13th Ave, Ste 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228. Purpose: Any lawful act. MAP LIMO LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 08/24/2017. Office loc: Richmond County. SSNY has been designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: The LLC, 88 Lovell Ave, Staten Island, NY 10314. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose. Notice of Formation of MimMor, LLC filed with SSNY on November 1, 2017. Office: New York County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to LLC: 1220 Park Avenue, Apt 9D New York, NY 10128. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. Notice of Qualification of 104 Franklin LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 9/26/17. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 7/21/17. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011. DE address of LLC: 1209 Orange St, Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful activity. Notice of formation of GLJ REAL ESTATE LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/19/2017. Office location, County of New York. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o David Gibber, 255 W. 88th St., Apt. 9B, NY NY 10024. Purpose: any lawful act.

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018 Notice of Qualification of 320 WEST 31ST ASSOCIATES, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/07/17. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 03/13/17. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to c/o Onyx Equities LLC, 900 Rt. 9 North, Ste. 400, Woodbridge, NJ 07095. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State, Div. of Corps., 401 Federal St., Ste. 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Qualification of INDUS SEZ IT HOLDINGS, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/27/17. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 09/26/17. Princ. office of LLC: Attn: Brian Guzman, 888 Seventh Ave., 26th Fl., NY, NY 10019. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the princ. office of the LLC. DE addr. of LLC: c/o Corporation Service Co., 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with Secy. of State of the State of DE, Div. of Corps., John G. Townsend Bldg., Federal & Duke of York Sts., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of HAMILTON EXHIBITION, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/31/17. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 1501 Broadway, 24th Fl., NY, NY 10036. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of CORRECTIONAL FACILITY MEDICINE SERVICES PLLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 05/05/17. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of PLLC: 55 W. 100 25th St., Ste. 1001, NY, NY 10027. SSNY designated as agent of PLLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Purpose: Practicing medicine

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Notice of Formation of 8 FERDINAND PARTNERS LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) o n 10/17/17. Office location: NY County. Princ. office of LLC: 63 Wall St., #1512, NY, NY 10005. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, Attn: Mr. Michele Chiari at the princ. office of the LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of Big & Fast, LLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 7/25/17. Office loc: NY County. SSNY designated agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process to: US Corp. Agents Inc., 7014 13th Ave, #202, Brooklyn, NY 11228. Princ bus addr: 210 E 90th St #4B NY, NY 10128. Purpose: any lawful act. New York 2150, LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY 07/31/2017. Office loc: NY Co. SSNY designated agent upon whom process against LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: US Corp Agents, Inc, 7014 13th Ave, Ste 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228. LLC princ bus addr: c/o Harry Assouline, 233 W 83rd St, NY, NY 10024. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

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Notice of Qualification of 72andSunny Midco LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 10/26/17. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 6/6/13. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011. DE address of LLC: 1209 Orange St, Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901. The name and address of the Reg. Agent is CT Corporation System, 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011. Purpose: any lawful activity. NOTICE OF FORMATION of Aquarius Technologies Solutions, LLC App for Auth filed with Secy of State of NY (SSNY) 12/7/17 07. Office loc: NY County. LLC formed in WI 12 30/16. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served and shall mail copy of process to: 111 Eighth Ave 13th Fl, NY, NY 10011. Princ bus add of LLC: 420 Technology Way Ste D, Saukville, WI 53080. Cert of LLC filed with Secy of State of WI at: 201 W Washington Ave, Madison, WI 53703. Purpose: any lawful act or activity

Notice of Qualification of MAYFLOWER VERNON HILLS INVESTOR, LLC Appl. for Auth. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/02/17. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 10/26/17. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, Attn: Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. The regd. agent of the company upon whom and at which process against the company can be served is Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 122072543. DE addr. of LLC: 251 Little Falls Dr., Wilmington, DE 19808. Cert. of Form. filed with DE Secy. of State, John G. Townsend Bldg., 401 Federal St., Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: Any lawful activity. Notice of Qualification of CLEANCHOICE ENERGY COMMUNITY, LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 9/26/17. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 6/22/15. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 1055 Thomas Jefferson St, Washington, DC 20007. DE address of LLC: 1013 Centre Rd Ste 403-B, Wilmington, DE 19805. Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St. Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful activity. Notice of Qualification of 353-357 Broadway Member LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 10/20/17. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 10/16/17. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 111 8th Ave, NY, NY 10011. DE address of LLC: 1209 Orange St, Wilmington, DE 19801. Cert. of Formation filed with DE Secy of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful activity. Notice of Formation of Small Packages, LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/19/17. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: Robert Fried, c/o Withum, 1411 Broadway, 9th Fl., NY, NY 10018. Purpose: any lawful activities. Notice of Formation of Ross Mechanical LLC. Arts of Org. filed with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on 10/30/17. Office location: New York County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 1700 York Ave, Ste B2, NY, NY 10128. Purpose: any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of 11-11 creative, LLC filed with SSNY 7/17/17. Office: NY County. SSNY designated agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to LLC: attn: US Corp Agents, Inc. 7014 13th Ave, Suite 202 Brooklyn, NY 11228 Purpose: any lawful act or activity. Notice of Qualification of Level Z LLC, Fictitious Name: Level Z New York LLC. Authority filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/10/17. Office location: NY County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 10/05/17. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 21 West St., Apt 14j, NY, NY 10006. Address to be maintained in DE: Harvard Business Services, Inc., 16192 Coastal Hwy, Lewes, DE 19958. Arts of Org. filed with the Secy. of State, 401 Federal St, Ste 4, Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful activities. NOTICE OF FORMATION of SUMTYPE TECHNOLOGY, LLC. Arts of Org filed with Secy. Of State of NY (SSNY) on 9/19/17. Office location: NY County, SSNY designated agent upon whom process may be served and shall mail copy of process against LLC to US Corp. Agents Inc. 7014 13th Ave, #202, Brooklyn, NY 11228. Purpose: any lawful act. App. for Auth. (LLC) Man Global Private Markets SLP LLC. App. for Auth. filed w/ the Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/10/17. LLC formed in DE on 10/26/17. Office Location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Corp. Creations Network Inc., 15 N. Mill St., Nyack, NY 10960, registered agent upon whom process may be served. Purpose: Any lawful act/activity. Notice of Qualification of Stand Alone Productions LLC. Authority filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 9/6/17. Office location: New York County. LLC formed in Florida (FL) on 10/13/05. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 255 W. 98 St, #7C, NY, NY 10025. FL address of LLC: 12920 S.W. 112 Ave, Miami, FL 33176. Cert. of Formation filed with FL Secy of State, 2661 Executive Center Cir., Tallahassee, FL 32301. Purpose: any lawful activity. HARRY ASSOULINE, LLC, Arts. of Org. filed with SSNY 07/26/2017. Office loc: NY Co. SSNY designated agent upon whom process against LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: US Corp Agents, Inc, 7014 13th Ave, Ste 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228. LLC princ bus addr: c/o Harry Assouline, 233 W 83rd St, NY, NY 10024. Purpose: Any Lawful Purpose.

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018 SUPREME COURT – COUNTY OF KINGS THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON FKA THE BANK OF NEW YORK, AS TRUSTEE FOR THE CERTIFICATEHOLDERS OF CWALT, INC., ALTERNATIVE LOAN TRUST 2006-OA14, MORTGAGE PASS THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2006-OA14, Plaintiff against MIRIAM RIVERA A/K/A MIRIAM R. RIVERA; JOE R. RIVERA A/K/A JOE RIVERA; ANA RIVERA; JOE RIVERA, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on October 25, 2017. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 224 of the Kings County Courthouse, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, N.Y. on the 4th day of January, 2018 at 2:30 p.m. premises described as follows: All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York, Bounded and described as follow: BEGINNING at a point on the Westerly side of Nicholas Avenue, distant 128 feet 6 inches northerly from the corner formed by the intersection of the westerly side of Nicholas Avenue and the Northerly side of Conduit Street; SAID POINT ALSO being distant 179.83 feet more or less Southerly from corner formed by the intersection of the southerly side of Jamaica Avenue and Westerly side of Nicholas Avenue; RUNNING THENCE WESTERLY at right angles of Nicholas Avenue, 100 feet; THENCE NORTHERLY parallel with Nicholas Avenue, 46 feet 6 inches; THENCE EASTERLY at right angles to Nicholas Avenue, 100 feet to the Westerly side of Nicholas Avenue; THENCE SOUTHERLY along the Westerly side of Nicholas Avenue, 46 feet, 6 inches to the point or place of BEGINNING. Said premises known as 12 Nichols Avenue, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11208. (Block: 4109, Lot: 112). Approximate amount of lien $628,907.05 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgement and terms of sale. Index No. 511600-15. Doron A. Leiby, Esq., Referee. Stern & Eisenberg, PC Attorney(s) for Plaintiff Woodbridge Corporate Plaza 485 B Route 1 South – Suite 330 Iselin, NJ 08830 (732) 582-6344 Notice of Formation of LONDON GREY LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/09/17. Office location: NY County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207-2543. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

PUBLIC and LEGAL NOTICES / CityAndStateNY.com

FAMILY COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK: COUNTY OF QUEENS SUMMONS Docket No.: B-22418/16 ------------------------------X In the Matter of SHAMAEL LATEEK WITHERSPOON, A dependent child, under the age of 14 years, to the custody of SCO Family of Services, alleged to be a permanently neglected and abandoned child, pursuant to Section 384b of the Social Services Law. -----------------------------X IN THE NAME OF THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK: TO: TONY ROBINSON COMMISSIONER OF SOCIAL SERVICES OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK A verified Petition having been filed in this Court alleging that the above-named child in the care of SCO Family of Services, the petitioner, is a permanently neglected and abandoned child as defined by Article 6, Part 1 of the Family Court Act and Section 384-b of the Social Services Law, a copy of said Petition being annexed hereto; YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to appear before the Family Court at 151-20 Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica, New York, Part 5, 2nd floor on the 23rd day of January, 2018, before the Hon. Piccirillo at 11:00 o’clock in the forenoon of said day to show cause why the Court should not enter an Order depriving you of all the rights of custody of SHAMEAL LATEEK WITHERSPOON, awarding the custody of said child to the petitioning authorized agency as a permanently neglected and abandoned child as provided by law. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that if said child is adjudged to be a permanently neglected and abandoned child, and, if custody is awarded to said authorized agency, said child may be adopted with the consent of said authorized agency without further notice to you and without your consent. In the event of your failure to appear, said failure to appear will result in the termination of all your parental rights to the child. PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that your failure to appear will result in the termination of all your parental rights to the child. PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that your failure to appear shall constitute a denial of an interest in the child, which denial may result in the transfer or commitment of the child’s care, custody, guardianship or adoption of the child, all without further notice to the parents of the child. PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that you are entitled to be represented by an attorney, and, if you cannot afford to retain an attorney, one will be appointed to represent you by the court free of charge to you. Dated: November 10, 2016 By Order of the Court Robert Ratanski Clerk, Family Court, Queens Co.

LEGAL NOTICES? WE CAN PUBLISH! CALL DANIELLE 212-268-0442, EXT 2039 LEGALNOTICES@CITYANDSTATENY.COM

CityAndStateNY.com

December 18, 2017 – January 1, 2018

CITY & STATE NEW YORK MANAGEMENT & PUBLISHING CEO Steve Farbman, President & Publisher Tom Allon tallon@cityandstateny.com, Vice President of Strategy Jasmin Freeman, Comptroller David Pirozzi dpirozzi@cityandstateny.com, Business & Operations Manager Patrea Patterson

Who was up and who was down last week

PRODUCTION creativedepartment@cityandstateny.com Creative Director Guillaume Federighi, Senior Graphic Designer Alex Law, Graphic Designer Kewen Chen, Junior Graphic Designer Aaron Aniton, Digital Content Coordinator Michael Filippi, Multimedia Director Bryan Terry

LOSERS KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND Before last week, your average Iowa Democrat may not have known Kirsten Gillibrand from Kristin Chenoweth. But thanks to President Donald Trump’s shocking tweet, Gillibrand’s seeming more like the perfect foil to Trump in 2020. Extra-damaging damage control from Trump’s adult son and a barn-burning editorial from USA Today helped extend her moment, but Gillibrand worked for it too, introducing bipartisan truck safety legislation and timely reforms to sexual harassment reporting in Congress.

OUR PICK

WINNERS

Republicans in Washington were on the verge of a long-awaited victory last week with a deal on their sweeping tax plan, but some kinks remain. While the federal plan would have major impact on New York – and likely a negative one – we’ll look closer to home for last week’s Winners & Losers.

MARTY GOLDEN First, his driver allegedly tried to use a bike lane to get around traffic. Then, the Brooklyn state senator flashed his parking placard and claimed he was a cop, according to cyclist Brian Howald, who was in his way. Finally, the lawmaker tried to avoid being photographed as he sped away – which Howald posted on Twitter. Golden – who actually was a cop once – denied impersonating one, but the incident has dredged up other evidence of more bad driving behavior.

THE BEST OF THE REST

THE REST OF THE WORST

MICHAEL FEDORKO

ANDREW CUOMO

His Port Authority police officers were the real heroes of Monday’s terrorist attack.

While hiding from the press, he landed on GQ’s list of “least influential people.”

PAT GALLIVAN & AMY PAULIN

SHAWN MORSE

DANIELLE LARAQUE-ARENA & RANDY WOLKEN

ANTHONY SANTINO

ANTONIO REYNOSO

CHRISTOPHER ST. LAWRENCE

They got Cuomo – of all people! – to sign a bill to boost transparency.

The odds were in Central New York’s favor in this year’s Upstate Hunger Games. Everybody loves the city councilman’s piece of the Right to Know Act .

EDITORIAL editor@cityandstateny.com Editor-in-Chief Jon Lentz jlentz@cityandstateny.com, Managing Editor Ryan Somers, Digital Editorial Director Derek Evers devers@cityandstateny.com, Copy Editor Eric Holmberg, Senior Reporter Frank G. Runyeon frunyeon@cityandstateny.com, Staff Reporter Jeff Coltin jcoltin@cityandstateny.com, Digital Reporter Grace Segers gsegers@cityandstateny.com, Editorial Assistant Rebecca Lewis

Turns out the domestic violence claims against the Cohoes mayor span decades. The outgoing Hempstead supervisor’s raises all around don’t sound nearly as good to constituents. Is a baseball stadium in Ramapo really worth getting sent to prison?

WINNERS & LOSERS is published every Friday morning in City & State’s First Read email. Sign up for the email, cast your vote and see who won at cityandstateny.com.

ADVERTISING Vice President of Advertising Jim Katocin jkatocin@ cityandstateny.com, Account/Business Development Executive Scott Augustine saugustine@cityandstateny.com, Account/Business Development Executive Danielle Mowery dmowery@cityandstateny.com, Sales Associate Cydney McQuillan-Grace cydney@cityandstateny.com EVENTS events@cityandstateny.com Events Manager Lissa Blake, Senior Events Coordinator Alexis Arsenault, Marketing & Events Coordinator Jamie Servidio

Vol. 6 Issue 48 December 18, 2017-January 1, 2018

LOSER OF THE

YEAR? * DOES ANYONE REALLY CARE ABOUT THE WINNERS?

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@CIT YANDSTATENY

Dec. 18, 2017-Jan. 1, 2018

Cover direction Guillaume Federighi Photography Andrew Kist

CITY & STATE NEW YORK (ISSN 2474-4107) is published weekly, 48 times a year except for the four weeks containing New Year’s Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving and Christmas by City & State NY, LLC, 61 Broadway, Suite 1315, New York, NY 10006-2763. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to City & State New York, 61 Broadway, Suite 1315, New York, NY 10006-2763. General: (212) 268-0442, info@cityandstateny.com Copyright ©2017, City & State NY, LLC

Catholic Charities Congratulates and Welcomes all new and returning New York City Council Members

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