WORLD WORLDWIDE USA New York NY New York City the city THE CITY News Journal Update - Rikers contract rejected, CUNY campuses lack cafeterias, shelter data

 

Dear New Yorkers,

Months after THE CITY’s investigations showed that the company running the commissary for city jails was engaging in dubious practices, City Comptroller Brad Lander’s office has rejected the group’s contract with the Department of Corrections (DOC).

The privately-owned Keefe Group has been embroiled in controversies around the country — including two bribery scandals and multiple legal challenges for price-gouging incarcerated people.

Last June, THE CITY reported that many of Keefe’s prices were more than twice as high as those at local stores. The inflated costs outright violated the contract, which stipulated that the local store rates should not to be exceeded.

In spite of that, the DOC awarded Keefe a no-bid $33 million contract. In rejecting the contract, Lander cited a “litany of procedural failures and contract shortcomings,” including routine overpricing of New York City detainees and delivery issues detailed in THE CITY’s investigation last summer.

Lander’s rejection will at least initially block the city from paying Keefe for services already rendered. But despite the comptroller's concerns, Mayor Eric Adams has the power to override Lander and sign off on the renewed accord.

Read more about the Keefe Group and its contract for Rikers here.

Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Monday’s Weather Rating: 5/10. Not a terrible start — and still fairly warm, with highs in the mid-50s. Clouds thicken as the day goes on and rain moves in late tonight. The vibes are…all right, for now.

Our Other Top Stories

Since late September of last year, the cafeterias at two CUNY community colleges in The Bronx have been closed after contractor A La Carte Menu Services Inc. abruptly ended on-campus dining services. Students have been left to find food in vending machines. “It’s expensive. It’s wild. It won’t last you long,” one student said. Almost half of the migrant families served with 60-day eviction notices have moved out of city shelters, according to data examined by THE CITY and Chalkbeat. But City Hall has little data on where they ended up. “Where did those nearly 2,500 parents go?” asked Comptroller Lander. They could be sleeping in overcrowded basements or sleeping on the street, he said. “We have no idea.”

Reporter’s Notebook

Fall Into the Ocean (or a Pool)

A City Council member from Queens this week introduced a bill to extend the time lifeguards are staffed at city-run beaches and pools — stretching the season well into autumn.

Under the legislation floated by Democrat Councilmember Shekar Krishnan, Parks Department run pools and beaches would open the second Saturday in May and end the second Sunday of October.

Currently, the beaches open the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and pools open in ;ate June, with both closing up the Sunday after Labor Day.

The bill would also extend daily operating times of pools and beaches by at least two hours.

While Krishnan’s Woodside-Elmhurst-Jackson Heights district does not have any beachfront, he is the chair of the Council’s Parks and Recreation Committee.

The proposal comes as the city continues to work towards ending a persistent lifeguard shortage. Last month, the NYPD said it would deploy drones to help swimmers in distress.

— Katie Honan

Things To Do

Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.

Tuesday, March 5: Virtual Verbal Description Tour: Giants, in which blind individuals and those with low vision are invited to a vivid verbal exploration of the Brooklyn Museum exhibition Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys. Free from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Zoom; registration required. Tuesday, March 5: Hidden Voices: Women's History Month — Session 1, a virtual workshop for students in grades 3-5, about “about three women whose stories have too often been ‘hidden’ from the traditional historical record, but whose lives and legacies continue to shape our collective history and identity in the city.”  Free; registration required. Thursday, March 7: Celebration of Women — The Art of Adventure, a creative workshop that incorporates art and team-building. Free from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center in The Bronx.

THE KICKER: Queens-born Iris Apfel, an interior designer who became an international fashion icon known for her bright and eclectic style in the later decades of her life, died on Friday at age 102.

Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Monday.

Love,

THE CITY

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