Tuesday, June 30, 2026, 10 a.m. (New York City time), 250 Broadway - 8th Floor - Hearing Room 3
Committee: Committee on Small Business
The Committee on Small Business, chaired by Council Member Shanel Thomas-Henry, met to vote on two coupled bills. Proposed Introduction 553-A would establish a small retail business security system program providing financial assistance to small retail businesses for purchasing and installing security technology. Proposed Introduction 910-A, sponsored by Council Member Stevens, would repeal the Local Law 75 of 2009 requirement that security grilles on certain buildings permit at least 70% visibility as of July 1, 2026, a deadline the chair said had surprised businesses due to lack of agency outreach. Both items were adopted: the package including Introduction 910-A passed 7 in the affirmative, 0 in the negative, and Introduction 553 was adopted separately by a vote of 6 in the affirmative and 1 in the negative, with Council Member Maloney stating she voted no on 553. The sponsor of Intro 553 spoke in favor of the 'small business protection act,' but the transcript's caption of that member's name is garbled ('Council Member for lease'), so those remarks cannot be reliably attributed. The meeting was adjourned after the votes.
0:06 This hearing is now called
0:06 oh good morning ladies and
0:12 gentlemen welcome to the New
0:12 York City Council vote for the
0:14 committee on small business at
0:16 this time I'd like to remind
0:17 everyone to please silence all
0:18 devices and at no point you
0:20 approach the dais during the
0:23 hearing chair we are ready t
0:27 obegin this hearing is now
0:28 called to order good morning
0:31 everyone I am councilmember
0:33 chanel Thomas Henry chair of
0:34 the committee on small
0:36 business thank you to my
0:39 colleagues Council Member
0:42 Council Member member council
0:45 Council Member felice council
0:47 member Brooks Powers and
0:48 Council Member murano and
0:51 Council Member on zoom.
0:53 Today we are voting on two
0:57 pieces of legislation proposed
1:00 introduction 5 53 a from
1:02 Council Member for
1:02 . Lease and proposed
1:05 introduction 9 10 a from
1:06 council members Stevens
1:09 proposed introduction 5 5
1:12 3would establish a small retail
1:13 business security system
1:15 program to provide financial
1:17 assistance to owners of small
1:19 retail businesses that would
1:20 reduce the cost of purchasing
1:22 and installing security system
1:26 technology this City depends
1:27 on its small businesses they
1:30 serve as unofficial safe
1:32 spaces or community
1:33 . Centers they become part of
1:35 our routines they are our
1:37 comfort in our lives so when
1:40 this critical space when these
1:42 critical spaces are subjected
1:43 to violence and theft that is
1:45 not only a disruption to the
1:47 business and it's owner but t
1:49 bill would create an
1:55 opportunity businesses to
1:57 equip their spaces with
1:57 security features that empower
1:59 and protect their workplaces
2:02 proposed introduction 9 10 a
2:04 resolves a looming concern for
2:06 New York City small businesses
2:08 in 2009 the council passed
2:10 local law 75 which required
2:13 security grills outside
2:14 certain businesses to have 70%
2:18 visibility
2:18 . Although the intention of
2:20 the original bill sought t
2:23 oaddress graffiti concerns this
2:25 bill's implementation delay t
2:29 ojuly first 20 26 and
2:29 subsequent lack of outreach by
2:32 City agencies resulted in
2:33 businesses across the City
2:35 being completely surprised by
2:36 the upcoming deadline.
2:38 Businesses have dealt with
2:40 so much over the past six
2:42 years in local law 75 would
2:44 have put numerous businesses
2:46 out of compliance or forced a
2:48 business to quickly replace
2:50 their grille adding
2:51 significant unplanned costs
2:52 we've heard these concerns and
2:55 therefore introduction 900 and
2:56 a.
2:56 Would repeal the requirement
2:58 originally set out in local
3:00 law 75 of 2009 that as of July
3:05 1 2026 all security grilles
3:06 installed in group b or m
3:11 buildings permit visibility of
3:12 at least 70% of the area
3:14 covered by the grille I want
3:17 to thank tyler walz rebecca
3:20 borrelia and austin malone
3:21 from central staff for their
3:23 support as well as my own
3:24 staff franklin richards sierra
3:27 smith and derrick slaughter
3:29 and everyone working in the
3:30 background to help make this
3:32 hearing possible at this time
3:33 I will now turn it over to
3:35 Council Member for lease some
3:38 words thank you so much chair
3:40 so thankful that we are
3:41 finally voting for the small
3:42 business protection act small
3:44 businesses are the heart of
3:45 our economy small business
3:47 owners work hard to support
3:48 their family and to support
3:50 their community they create
3:52 local jobs and they make
3:53 communities vibrant we must
3:54 protect them from a public
3:56 safety threats that can hurt
3:58 their ability to operate we
3:59 must ensure that they have the
4:02 tools to the terror conduct
4:03 that could harm their workers
4:04 and their business thankful
4:06 that we're finally voting for
4:07 the small business protection
4:09 act which will happen sure the
4:11 City can provide them with
4:13 direct assistance to help them
4:15 cover costs related t
4:17 osecurity technology including
4:18 cameras plexiglas for bodegas
4:22 and more small businesses work
4:23 hard and this will ensure that
4:25 we're helping protect their
4:26 hard work.
4:26 Were also sending a very
4:28 clear message that when it
4:29 comes to the safety issues
4:31 that they've consistently
4:32 raised our City is listening a
4:34 thank you and I encourage
4:35 everyone to support this bill
4:36 thank you so much chair thank
4:40 you Council Member for lease I
4:41 will now call on the clerk to
4:43 call the roll and also we have
4:45 been joined by a council
4:47 member santos uso matthew
4:51 destefano committee clerk
4:52 committee on small business
4:54 all items are coupled chair
4:58 Thomas Henry I Brooks Powers
5:03 ahora haneef I Salaam all
5:12 right Maloney I santos uso
5:18 . I vote no on 553 and yes on
5:21 900 thank you Morano I and a
5:29 congratulations to the of both
5:31 bills bills and chair thank
5:32 you for your advocacy and
5:36 leadership particularly on the
5:36 issue of the gates
5:39 . My vote of seven in the
5:41 affirmative they were in a
5:41 negative but no abstentions
5:44 the bills have been adopted
5:45 with the exception of intro
5:47 five times three which was
5:49 adopted by a vote of six in
5:50 the affirmative but one
5:51 negative no abstentions
5:56 . Thank you this meeting is
5:57 now adjourned oh no I'm sorry
5:58 hipaa logie zx thank you this
6:06 meeting is