And some IRA info

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Dear John

Please note! We are in the formal “communications blackout” period, less than 90 days from the November general election. To comply with election law, we are restricted with what we can discuss in mass communications until election day. We will continue to send out a weekly newsletter to keep our community updated but bear with us as we pare down and change content to comply with election law. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out.
* Curbside composting is coming to Brooklyn on 10/2! To get ready, be sure to order your free Brown Bin while supplies last before 10/13. ([link removed])
* Our office has launched Cycle 13 of Participatory Budgeting! This initiative allocates $1.5 million in capital funding and $50,000 in expense funding to projects submitted and voted on by our neighbors. Join our office at our Arts & Culture, Environment, and Economic Justice Idea collection events ([link removed]) to meet your neighbors and share ideas to improve District 39.

Go Green, But Don’t Break The Bank

Going green, whether by composting or insulating your home, is essential to helping our City become more resilient as climate change becomes a greater threat. While individual actions will never successfully address climate change (we need government and mass action to do that on a global scale), recent incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) can help you go green on a personal level. Check some of them out below!
* IRS Fact Sheet On Home Improvement Invectives ([link removed])
* Tax Credit Information On Plug-In/Electric Vehicles ([link removed])
* IRA Electrification Tax Rebate Information ([link removed])

Office Intros Take 3

Hi District 39! My name is Mia Perez, and I have the privilege of being the Education and Land Use Director at Council Member Hanif’s Office. In my role, I serve as the Council Member’s education liaison, advocating on behalf of the school community to City agencies. I also cover land use and housing matters, including working with the Gowanus Oversight Task Force to ensure the City is held accountable for the $450 million in commitments made to invest in housing, infrastructure, and the broader Gowanus community as part of the Gowanus Rezoning.

My roots have given my work in Gowanus additional meaning, as my family immigrated from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic in the 60s to work in the industrial sector in Passaic, New Jersey. Like Gowanus, the neighborhood where I grew up is a mixed-use industrial and adjacent to the Passaic River, an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund site undergoing environmental remediation due to the centuries-long negligence of polluting companies. In other words, the fight for an equitable, sustainable, resilient Gowanus is close to home! From digging into the weeds of land use and housing policy to working alongside the school community for equitable, fully funded schools, I feel incredibly lucky to be able to work in local government, where the impact of my daily work is tangible and energizing. I’m also an avid cyclist and advocate for safe streets. My absolute favorite bike ride includes taking the Ocean Parkway bike lane (the first bike lane in the country!) to Coney Island,
especially when it ends with fireworks at the beach on summer Fridays!

A picture of a woman standing and smiling for the camera.

Our office headshots taken at the Old Stone House!

Community Bulletin
* Our office is excited to host our annual Brooklyn PTA Fun Run on 10/28 at 10 AM (bib pick-up and pre-race activities at 9 AM)! This family day brings our diverse communities together to mobilize support for PTAs across Brooklyn schools. Sign up now or donate ([link removed]) if you are unable to attend. We are also recruiting volunteers to join theHost Committee ([link removed]) to help raise money and register your school community! If you or someone in your school has financial difficulties in paying for the Fun Run, please contact Mia at our office, [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .
* The next Gowanus Oversight Task Force meeting is on 9/28 from 6 - 8 PM! Gowanus community members are encouraged to attend to get updates on the rezoning process, hear from City agencies on the status of the City commitments, and hold actors accountable on the 56 Points of Agreement as part of the rezoning process. RSVP here! ([link removed])
* The Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) invites you to the Nevins and Third Public Open House on Tuesday, 10/17 from 6-8 PM at the Wyckoff Gardens Community Center. ([link removed]) This open house will be an opportunity to learn about the Nevins Street and Third Avenue affordable housing development sites and discuss how the sites could serve the needs of the community. Snacks and refreshments will be provided!
* The City’s School Class Size Working group is hosting a virtual meeting ([link removed]) for Manhattan and Brooklyn parents on 9/26 from 5 - 7:30 PM. If you’re interested in helping our schools reduce their class sizes, attend and keep a look out for information on the in-person session on 10/2.
* Do you manage a chain business? New containerization rules for your business started on 9/5! If you have questions or need more information about how to safely dispose of your trash, attend the upcoming DSNY webinar on 9/27 ([link removed]) (3 PM).
* Calling everyone who loves Kensington! Join Council Member Hanif, Clean-Up Kensington, and Big Reuse for a Community Clean-up Day on 10/1 at 10 AM at Beverley Road Plaza. We will care for young street trees with mulch and compost at this event and pick up litter. Let us know if you are coming by RSVPing ([link removed]) . Friends, family, and kids are welcome!
* Looking for some live music in the community? The North Flatbush Business Improvement District is hosting live bands every Wednesday (starting 10/4) at the 6th Avenue Triangle from 4-6 PM. It's a great, family-friendly series for everyone in the community to enjoy!
* Join Brooklyn Children’s Museum on their rooftop on 10/5 for the third annual Anti-Racist Family Day in partnership with the Brooklyn Public Library. Participants will learn about age-appropriate anti-racist practices, including celebrating and affirming different races and identities, talking about injustice and fairness in our society, and modeling ways young children can engage in activism. The event will feature storytelling with local authors, a protest art-making workshop, and book giveaways!
* Applications for Brooklyn Arts Council's 2024 grants cycle are NOW OPEN! Check out BAC’s website ([link removed]) for grant guidelines, applications, and info sessions. All applications are due Sunday, 10/8.
* The Vision Zero Youth Council (VZYC), a youth-led organization advocating for safe, sustainable, equitable, and accessible transportation systems, is hosting a virtual Youth Networking and Showcase on 10/12 at 7 PM! This event will bring together youth interested in road safety, transportation/mobility, and/or urban planning, and those with projects/initiatives are encouraged to sign up to present! Learn more and sign up. ([link removed].)

In Solidarity,

Shahana
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New York City Council
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