This Week in New York – de Blasio To Replace New York City Office of Emergency Management Commissioner & Next Week's Meetings

de Blasio To Replace New York City Office of Emergency Management Commissioner

After days of speculation, Mayor de Blasio confirmed on Monday that he will replace New York City Office of Emergency Management Commissioner Joseph Esposito. The mayor did not clarify when Esposito would be out of the job, but in a statement said that a search for his replacement is underway. Media reports claimed that Esposito had been fired by Deputy Mayor Laura Anglin last Friday because of his agency's handling of the November snowstorm. However, despite numerous reports, City Hall would not publicly confirm the firing on Friday. Esposito's termination came only days after the NYC Council held a hearing to discuss the city's response to November snowstorm. Several city council members including Speaker Corey Johnson voiced their outrage on social media after learning of the firing, claiming that many agencies were involved in the response to the snowstorm and that it was a mistake to singling out Esposito.

Next Week's Meetings

Next Monday evening, the Council's Charter Review Commission will hold a meeting at City Hall to solicit feedback and recommendations from members of the public. The Council's Commission is separate from the Charter Revision Commission responsible for the recommendations put forth on the November ballot, which was convened by Mayor de Blasio. For more information on the City Council's Charter Commission, please click here. On Tuesday, the New York City Council will meet at a stated meeting to introduce and approve legislative matters. On Wednesday, the Council's Committee on Economic Development will hold an oversight hearing to discuss Amazon's plans to open HQ2 in Long Island City Queens. This will be the first of what is expected to be a series of three Council hearings on Amazon HQ2. To view the entire calendar of hearings in the NYC Council, please click here.