Committee on Public Safety

Good morning, good morning. Welcome to the New York City Council Committee vote on public safety. At this time, we ask that you please silence all electronics and please do not approach the dais. Chair, you may begin. Thank you so much. Good morning, everyone. My name is Oswald Feliz, and I am the chair of the Committee on Public Safety.

I would like to recognize members of the committee, including Councilmembers Hanks, Justin Sanchez, Hankerson, Councilmember Vernikov, Wong, and Banks.

Today the committee will vote on proposed introduction number 489A sponsored by Councilmember Ina Vernikov. This bill will require the city to create and maintain a centralized online database that allows a member of the public to search for information related to vehicles that have been towed from public or private property. by the city or licensed private tow operator.

This centralized database will replace existing procedures that often frustrate vehicle owners, where individuals must search competing tow databases or contact the local police precinct to locate vehicles towed within the city. Additionally, the centralized database will have functionality to allow vehicle owners to opt in to a notification system that allows vehicle owners if their vehicle information is entered into the towing database.

I urge my colleagues to support this common-sense piece of legislation that will improve the city's delivery of services and simplify the process for drivers to locate towed vehicles. Before turning the clerk— before turning to the clerk to collect the vote, I'd like to invite Councilmember Ina Vernikoff to say a few words on her bill.

Thank you everyone for being so patient. Thank you, Chair Feliz, members of the Public Safety Committee. I am thrilled that this bill is up for a vote today. This bill is the result of a lot of bipartisan cooperation, many, many meetings, work of many agencies, towing businesses, and a lot of drafts. Introduction 489A will create a centralized database, online database, that allows the public to search for information on any vehicle that has been moved or towed from public or private property by a city entity or licensed private tow operator.

This will replace a very old, nonfunctional system and procedures that have frustrated many vehicle owners. Where before they'd be searching through many different old databases with little success or calling police precincts, New Yorkers will be able to go on to one centralized portal to locate their towed vehicle, which will greatly limit frustration and save them time, hassle, and perhaps some money for the most difficult cases.

Additionally, the database will have a function to allow vehicle owners to opt in to notifications that alerts them if their vehicle was moved or towed. I'd like to thank all those who over the past couple of years have helped to see this bill through— Speaker Menin, Chair Feliz, members of the Public Safety Committee, NYPD, DCWP, Department of Finance, and the many different agencies involved in helping to work out the details, including Senior Legislative Attorney for New York City Council Josh Kingsley, Executive Director of the Minority Delegation Peter Spencer, my Legislative Director Troy Olson, as well as members of the public and towing industry who came to me with their input that helped inform the version you'll be voting on today.

Thank Thank you very much, and I look forward to the public having the convenience of utilizing this great tool. Thank you.

Thank you so much, Councilmember Vernikov. I'll now turn it to the clerk for a vote. Thank you. Good morning. William Martin, committee clerk. Roll call vote, Committee on Public Safety, proposed introduction 489A. Chair Feliz? Aye. Gutierrez? Aye. Hanks? Aye. Nurse. Banks. Aye, and congratulations on your bill. Hankerson. I just want to say to Councilmember Vernikoff, I love this bill.

I needed it 2 years ago, so thank you. Justin Sanchez. Aye. Wong. I vote aye. Areola. With a vote of 7 in the affirmative, 0 in the negative, and no abstentions, item has been adopted by the committee.

Thank you so much. I want to congratulate Councilmember Vernikov. I could have used this bill, could have been helpful to me. About a year ago, I woke up, went to my car, and learned that my car had literally disappeared and had no idea where it went. So Congratulations. Thank you for working on this.

We'll hold the vote open for a few minutes, uh, for, um, a few council members who will join. Thank you. Thank you so much, everyone. The bill passes unanimously. The vote is now closed.