New York issuing 'recovery notes' to help city rebuild

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The city is issuing $1 billion worth of notes intended to help New York recover and rebuild following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Sunday.

The series A "recovery notes" will be available starting Monday morning from selected brokers, including Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and Morgan Stanley, the mayor said in a news briefing Sunday morning.

He called it a "nice symbolic gesture" and a way of "showing your confidence in New York." The sale was also announced in a full-page ad in the Sunday edition of The New York Times.

The mayor said 314 people are confirmed dead from the September 11 attacks, and that 255 of them have been identified. He said 1,074 death certificates have been applied for.

CNN.COM SPECIAL REPORT  CNN NewsPass Video  Agencies reportedly got hijack tips in 1998  MORE STORIES Intelligence intercept led to Buffalo suspects Report cites warnings before 9/11  EXTRA INFORMATION Timeline: Who Knew What and When? Interactive: Terror Investigation Terror Warnings System Most wanted terrorists What looks suspicious? In-Depth: America Remembers In-Depth: Terror on Tape In-Depth: How prepared is your city?  RESOURCES On the Scene: Barbara Starr: Al Qaeda hunt expands? On the Scene: Peter Bergen: Getting al Qaeda to talk

The number of people reported missing by family members is 4,657, he said. The police department reports 5,219 people missing, a number compiled from six separate sources, which means there will likely be redundancies.

The demolition of World Trade Center 4 was nearly complete Sunday, said Richard Sheirer, director of the Mayor's Office of Emergency Management. A wrecking ball Saturday began knocking down the seven-story building, which had partially collapsed when rubble from the twin towers fell on its roof.

Sheirer said the remains of other buildings around the site will be taken down, including buildings 5 and 6 at the World Trade Center complex.

The Bankers Trust building, 1 Liberty Plaza and the Millennium Hotel -- all of which are across the street from the complex and had suffered some visible damage -- are safe and will not be torn down, Sheirer said. Netting is being hung on their facades to protect workers at the site from falling pieces of glass or concrete.

Workers have removed 144,629 tons of debris in 9,748 truckloads, the mayor said.

The mayor assured city residents that the air is safe, despite lingering concerns over asbestos, chemical fumes and smoke. He said the air is being monitored "constantly" and that any smell is a result of the fires still burning at the World Trade Center site.

"It may be uncomfortable and it may be offensive," Giuliani said, "but the reality is it's not dangerous."

Looking ahead to the beginning of the workweek, Giuliani reminded commuters about carpooling restrictions going back into effect Monday. From 6 a.m. to noon each weekday, all cars entering the borough south of 63rd Street must carry more than one person.

Taxis, delivery vehicles, motorcycles and emergency vehicles are exempt.

"We are urging people to take public transportation," the mayor said. "That would be the best and most sensible way."

The mayor also suggested that commuters and businesses should consider staggering what time they come in to work as a way to reduce the volume of traffic.

Any unauthorized vehicles without a passenger will be turned back, Giuliani said. If drivers refuse to be turned back, then they will receive a summons.