Dear John,

Please note: Next week, we will re-enter the formal "communications blackout" period, less than 90 days before the November 2025 general election. To comply with election law, we will be restricted in the content we can share through mass communications until Election Day.

In August, we will take a small hiatus from our regular weekly newsletters and send one out every other week. In September, we will resume sending out a weekly newsletter to keep our community informed. Please bear with us as we adjust our content to ensure compliance with election regulations. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.

Carroll Gardens Library Renovation Update and Interim Pop-up Library Opening

It’s been over two years since the historic Carroll Gardens Library Branch was closed for renovations. The 120+ year old branch is undergoing essential upgrades overseen by the NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) to include a new teen space on the mezzanine, updated HVAC systems, improved lighting, fire and safety upgrades, and restoration of the building’s historic architectural features. While the renovation was initially scheduled for completion by July 2025, the reopening has now been delayed until Summer 2026 due to additional structural reinforcements needed at the site to accommodate new energy-efficient heating and cooling units.

The absence of a library has been deeply felt by neighbors in the surrounding community in Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Gowanus, and the Columbia Waterfront. With construction delays stretching on, my colleagues and I knew we couldn’t let the neighborhood go any longer without a library. I’m proud to have partnered with Assemblymember Simon, State Senator Gounardes, the Brooklyn Public Library, Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), and Community Board 6 in responding to the community’s need for ongoing access by helping to establish a temporary pop-up library location just minutes away at 250 Baltic Street in early July. IKEA Brooklyn also generously donated supplies and furniture to bring the space together.

As work continues at the Carroll Gardens branch, the pop-up library will provide books, programs, and a welcoming space for connection and learning. It is part of a range of services designed to offer support during construction, including bookmobile services and programs held in community spaces at St. Paul’s Church on Wednesdays. The pop-up space will be open on Monday and Tuesday from 1 PM to 5 PM, on Thursday from 3 PM to 7 PM, and on Friday from 10 AM to 2 PM.

A big thank you to the community for their patience and advocacy, especially to the Friends of Carroll Gardens Library and Cobble Hill Association, as we work to restore and improve this beloved neighborhood institution. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to the Carroll Gardens Library in 2026, but until then, we hope to see you at 250 Baltic!

Council Member Shahana at the ribbon cutting for the Carroll Gardens Pop-Up Library

Legislation Station

On Friday, my bill, Local Law 98 of 2025, passed into law after the Mayor allowed it to lapse unsigned. In response to a spike in immigration legal services fraud, this law requires DCWP to develop an outreach campaign to educate New Yorkers about common fraudulent schemes and how to avoid them. See coverage on this bill here.

The Trump administration’s anti-immigrant policies have sown fear and confusion in our city, leaving many New Yorkers vulnerable to exploitation. Too often, we’ve seen bad actors offer false promises, charge exorbitant fees, and even derail immigration cases. With Intro. 205-A becoming law, the City is stepping up to educate our communities by helping people identify scams, connect with reputable legal services, and report fraud when it happens.

Together with Council Member Won’s Local Law 102 of 2025, which increases civil penalties for businesses engaging in these exploitative practices, New York City now has strongest local laws in the country addressing this pervasive issue.

Progressive Caucus Priority: Universal Daylighting

Last week, the Progressive Caucus, which I co-chair, voted internally to make Intro 1138 a core legislative priority. If passed, this bill would establish universal daylighting at every intersection across New York City. Daylighting is a street safety update that clears and upgrades the curb space next to crosswalks with community-centric infrastructure like benches, bioswales, and bus shelters. Daylighting ensures that drivers and pedestrians in crosswalks can see each other, reducing incidents of traffic violence.

It’s essential that we take every measure we can to make our streets safer, and universal daylighting, implemented across every other municipality in the state, is a simple, evidence-based way to do so. I’m proud to be one of the first Council Members to call for universal daylighting, and I’m looking forward to working alongside my colleagues to make this a reality for all New York City streets. See coverage of this development here.

Participatory Budgeting is Back!

We are looking for volunteers who want to join our Participatory Budgeting Cycle as Delegates. As a delegate you will work on developing projects for the Participatory Budgeting ballot, either that you have submitted yourself or working with the individual/group that submitted an idea. Sign up here.

Constituent Services Corner

After hearing concerns from constituents about a long-dead and potentially dangerous tree on East 5th Street, our office took action. We worked with NYC Parks, who promptly removed it. We’ve also submitted a formal request to have a new tree planted at the location.

NYC Parks removing the potentially dangerous tree

Community Bulletin

• NYC Public Schools just released their Cell Phone and Electronic Device Policy Guide here to help families understand the new policy that prohibits student use of personal internet-enabled electronic devices—such as smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches—during the school day.  

• Our District Office is serving as a drop-off site for Camp Friendship’s and Gowanus Mutual Aid’s school supply drives! See details here and here.

• Are you interested in getting involved in advocacy to improve school bus service? Sign-on to the Road to Better Busing Coalition’s platform here and sign up for their email list here.

• For the fifth year running, Brooklyn Conservatory of Music’s (BKCM) Midsummer Nights series is bringing free music to BKCM’s front stoop. Check out the lineup and RSVP here.  

  
  

In Solidarity,

Council Member Shahana