New York – New York City Councilmember Bill de Blasio joined outdoor advertising industry representatives from Clear Channel, OTR Media, Lamar, Fuel Outdoor and others, union members, and other elected officials at a press conference to call on the Department of Buildings (DOB) to end, what he believes is its unreasonable and selective crackdown on advertising signs installed on buildings, and to instead place greater focus on overseeing the safety hazards involved in construction and development projects.
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While New York City’s economy suffers, the DOB is going after an industry that supports thousands of local jobs and provides critical revenue to building owners throughout the city. The DOB over zealously targets outdoor advertisers and grossly over-penalizes them for non-harmful violations, while serving comparatively smaller fines for numerous potentially life-threatening violations at construction sites, including many related to crane operation,” said deBlasio.
Councilmember de Blasio called for the DOB to 1) revise its penalty schedule so that it does not inflict unreasonable harm on the advertising industry while going lighter on safety issues; 2) end the practice of issuing what he feels are excessive violations; and 3) come to the table to work collaboratively with the industry and those who rely on it to reform billboard regulations.
“Given the danger inherently involved in the construction and maintenance of buildings, ensuring New Yorkers’ safety must be the DOB’s top priority. We saw last year just how grave the consequences can be when these regulations do not receive adequate enforcement. I intend to work with the Department of Buildings, my colleagues in the City Council and the industry to develop clear, consistent policies that enhance the protection of our City’s residents from construction related safety hazards without strangling the outdoor advertising industry,” said deBlasio.
Recent analysis illustrate that all but one of the penalties issued for crane and derrick violations are far lower than penalties for outdoor advertising violations. For example, exceeding the zoning size limit for a billboard nets a fine of $10,000. By contrast, operating a crane without a certificate of onsite inspection – an obvious safety issue – only costs violators $2,400. The large discrepancy between these two fines and others illustrates the need for the DOB to reassess its priorities. In addition, industry representatives estimate that the sheer number of violations received have increased over the past two years by a range of 400 – 1,000%.
“New York is the advertising capitol of the world, and billboards are as important to the city’s character and economy as yellow cabs, Broadway shows, and parades,” said Ari Noe, CEO of OTR Media Group. “But when it comes to imposing fines, the Buildings Department has put a target on our backs, and is threatening jobs in the process. We have tried repeatedly to meet with the Buildings Department to facilitate a rational process that makes sense for the city yet doesn’t cripple the industry – unfortunately to no avail. We appreciate the effort now being made by Councilmember de Blasio and other members of the Council to bring sanity to this situation.”
“The Department of Buildings even gives our industry and our property owners a difficult time on legal advertising signs,” said Levi Eichenstein, EVP of OTR Media. “We support the local economy, small and large businesses rely on us and as an industry, we employee thousands of workers. Business in NYC shouldn’t have been like this.”
“Billboards are an essential and cost-effective means of marketing for local small businesses. And just as importantly, they are a necessary revenue stream for landlords during these tough times in the real estate market,” said landlord David Sitt, vice president of Sitt Asset Management LLC. “All we’re asking is that the Buildings Department regulations be fair and reasonable.”
Local law 14 of 2001 set the maximum penalty for outdoor advertising violations at $15,000. Industry representatives report, however, that the DOB often issues as many as eight different violations for each sign, totaling anywhere from $80,000 – $120,000 per sign.
de Blasio is also working with the outdoor advertising industry with respect to the content on signage and its sensitivity to the areas that they’re in.
Don’t you realize the DOB is there to make money for the city, period.
How can anyone know what is the size limit of a billboard in a given area?
Does it depend if it free standing or if it’s attached flat against the side of a building?
Wow, it is impossible to do businesss (or to live) in this city.
First they tax you to death then they fine you to death again!
Wait. So now we like billboards?
These billboard companies have been running one of the most lucrative rackets in the City for many years by erecting billboards wherever they could sell advertising for the most $$$$$$$$$$, while completely disregarding the laws restricting certain types of signs in residential areas an commercial areas that are already saturated with too many billboards. Can you blame the city for finally getting their act together and cracking down?
Why, exactly, can’t they simply place the billboards on buildings that have permits?
So he stands out in front of City Hall with a yarmulke and proclaims that I have broken the law, and will continue to do, so please be nice to me?
If they like to change the law, have de Blasio introduce legislation to change the building code.
those billboards just makes no sense ..wherever you drive they distract drivers from the road the same way talking on the cell phone distarcts drivers..the city which wants to go GREEN does not need every sewer ,tree company ,on billboards..MR.Noe has his own interest making $$$$$ …
Maybe if the buildings Department would do their jobs and focus on saftey instead of how they can make more money we wouldnt have cranes collapsing around the city endangering the saftey of the people.
I think that for the sake of Ari Noe alone we should all stand behind this protest. He is a world renowned philanthropist, who supports generously every cause – public or private – and we should support unanimously his quest for fairness in his business, and we should all cry out against the ridiculous fines that he receives from the City on a daily basis.
People in the billboard business feel that these fines are ordered by the Mayor himself, who is secretly seeking to ruin the small advertising firm’s, and leave only the 2-3 largest companies operating. The best way for the Mayor to accomplish this is to slap them with heavy fines for every imagined violation, and literally choke them financially.
Ari, who owns the 4th largest firm in NY, OTR Media, has decided to fight back, and together with his colleagues and several council members, took the fight to the streets. They are announcing to the world the corruption in City hall, and we should all close ranks behind our distinguished friend Ari, and let’s send the Mayor packing in the upcoming elections. Forget about the 3rd term Mr. Mayor, we are tired and disgusted of your dirty politics! Good riddance to you!
Go Ari GO!
Is Ari running for some type of office?
There are laws and if you break them and get cought you will pay for it.
DeBlasio wants to help? Change the law in the City Council.
This whole thing smells fishy.
Chiam Yankel, Mr. Noe is not breaking any law he ownes a 200%legal business, Mayor Bloomberg broke the law when he changed the term limts that is illegal..
I don’t get it there is a heimishe yingerman trying to keep up his business and you guys are bussy bashing him how do you know he did not pay fir your chasunah or for your brothers come on yiden what’s with you guys are you jealous at him ? We have enough goyim who hate us we don’t need yiden to hate each other on stupid issues
i just dont get it, how could you write like this on a chushver yid that is mioser nafash his life and money for torah and all jews 58 hours a day and a well knowen respected businessman and bal tzdukah and also a big talmid chucim????
In New York City, when you show up 9:31 to move your car on street cleaning days you already have a ticket.
When you park 14 feet away from a fire hydrant yo uget ticketed, when you park on inch into a cross walk you get ticketed, and we are all outraged.
Its probably no different with sign enforcement tickets.
Why cant people and businesses in New York City breath or get the benfit of the doubt under the Bloomberg Admin.?
Kudos to Councilman Deblasio, a politician who shows he understands the people and sticks up for them!
What they are essentially saying is that fines should be reduced to a level where they are factored into the cost of doing business, and that they can continue to ignore the laws.
Billboards in most of NY are illegal, and they get away with it because of an exploited loophole and a legal decision by a judge. If they were to follow the laws, they’d be out of business. They want the city to lower the fines, so they can just make more money and reduce their cost of doing business. This is not about them trying to follow the law. If DeBlasio was serious about reform, he should try to pass a law in City Hall, and not go to the press and intimidate the DOB. The DOB fines are in the law, and are not randomly chosen. DeBlasio has the power via law to change it, but doesn’t do so, and rather tries public pressure, knowing well that it won’t work.
As a Landlord who had a building with a sign on it, I fully understand this outrage.
I had a 100% Legal sign for many years. Several years ago they changed the zoning in the area and the Dept. of Buildings revoked the sign permit.
I tried to fight them but I went nowhere and the fines started piling up.
I am losing the income that I used to get from the sign for this property , while my cost and taxes are all going up.
This is a legitimate fight agianst an unfair government, I am telling you this first hand, I am sure may other landlords can attest to this.
Ari..you look very nervous on this photo..u usually full of smiles..Come on Ari..dont loose your smile over a few $$$..you will be ok..hashem loves u so do all of us….
If you actually read the article, councilman de blasio is calling for a rewrite of the law to work with the industry. He’s not just trying to intimidate the DOB. And if you’re suggesting that the violation amounts are the cost of doing business, why would either of the crane accidents that they reference get penalties that are less than four times the penalties for the billboards? Billboards are nice and they belong here in NYC.
Ari,
Great picture & for those of you who knock him is cause you envy him and his success. Keep fighting & many thanks to Councilman Deblasio.
stop to think about it, guys, how much hassle do you have to go thru when you want to install a simple stop sign on your block? you go thru hell with meetings and votes etc… so how did the city come in and change so quietly the billboard laws in one day, effectively putting the smaller firm’s out of business, and they didn’t even know about it????? does it smell? like sholesh seudos the third day yom tov!!!! and then they create a fine of 10 to 15k for every violation? more then an illegal crane which kills? its dirty, its disgusting, its our Mayor! and his cronies like felder and the rest of them….. obnoxious arrogant city hall….
Mayor Mike Bloomberg is a billionaire Ari Noe is a millionaire, he gave more charity to our communities and Hamish and Jewish causes then Mike Bloomberg!!! The Mayor changed the law only to benefit his media empire and for another big billboard company who wants to control the NYC market.
Councilman Bill deBlasio is a real friend for the Jews and our community he is the real PUBLIC ADVACATE!
I thing it’s a bad idea for the Bloomberg to go after Mr. Noe he is very respected in our communities a man that is always involved with Shalom peace between all parties and Chasidim a man who is also very well respected in the business community and a real success story.
This is what the press confrence was all about:
January 4, 2009
Please join me for a press conference this Wednesday, January 7th, at 10am calling on the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) to end its unreasonable crackdown on the outdoor advertising industry, and to instead focus on the far more serious construction violations that the Department is responsible for enforcing.
The DOB over zealously targets outdoor advertisers and grossly over-penalizes the industry for non-harmful violations. In comparison, hazardous construction site violations, such as operating a crane without a certificate of on-site inspection, are met with fines that are thousands of dollars lower. I will be calling for much-needed reforms, including regulations that are rational and transparent, and enforcement practices that do not distract the Department from its serious responsibility to protect New Yorkers from harm.
Billboards provide critical revenue for landlords throughout the city, and also serve to support local businesses. The industry employs thousands of workers, including union construction workers, lighting and printing producers, and marketing personnel.
Press Conference Details:
What: Press Conference Calling for Department of Buildings Reforms
Who: Elected officials and representatives from the outdoor advertising industry.
When: Wednesday, January 7th, 10am
Where: City Hall steps
For additional information or to confirm you participation, please contact Freya Riel in my City Hall office at 212-788-6969 or freya.riel
gmail.com.
Sincerely,
Councilmember Bill de Blasio
Ben, Mayor Bloomberg and the DOB is not only going after OTR Media as you can see in the picture and the article it’s the entire billboard industry joined by the union members that employees thousands of jobs and landlords who is relying for the income because they need to pay there mortgage.
Nice to see someone in the frum community standing up against Bloomberg’s unfair and hostile policies. It really is a breath of fresh air instead of our community being represented by Bloomberg’s shoe shine boy, Simcha Felder who led the way for Bloomberg to get a third term.
GO ARI GO!! He is the only yarmulke out there Kol Hakuvod!! He is “Makadish Sham Shimyim Brabim” when ever he intervenes with his competitors to remove signs with bad content on the call of our community leaders (askonim) and rabbinic council. KEEP UP YOUR GOOD WORK!!
Give ari noe credit for standing up to the DOB’s hypocrosi the city and all municipal org do what ever they want but private buisneses get fined
What you people don’t realize and I am sure Ari, Bill & company understand is that the DOB also uses selective enforcement which is 1000000000% illegal. They never seem to go after VAN WAGNER, but give them special permits like for some of their signs around Penn Station where by LAW, billboards are NOT permitted. So, you want to do for one, you must do for the rest!!
This industry will not be censored by Bloomberg and his cronies.
Funny how they make a multi-million dollar deal with Cemusa to install new bus shelters and newspaper stands and now they want to enforce the code when they have been extremely relaxed for many, many years.
Why is it that VAN WAGNER’s signs at the Hotel Gansevoort don’t get penalties and the signs are bigger than allowed by the law?