Dear Neighbors,
To all who will be observing Yom Kippur this week, I wish you and yours L'Shanah Tovah Um’tukah.
A reminder to all that this Friday, October 11th is the deadline to register to vote in the November 5th, 2019 general election. Please note that early voting will be available for the first time this year! For more information, click here. Also of note, this year's ballot includes several proposed changes to the City Charter. Learn more here. My upcoming e-blasts will include additional information about these proposals.
Time to Submit Your Ideas for Participatory Budgeting!
Participatory Budgeting (PB) is off and running! PB empowers residents to decide how to spend $1 million to improve our neighborhood. The 2018-2019 project competition was our most successful to date --- almost 5,300 residents voted for their favorite community initiatives.
We are now soliciting project ideas for next year's vote! In order to qualify for the ballot, PB projects must 1.) be physical improvements or equipment (not staff or programming); 2.) be located on City property; and 3.) cost at least $50,000.
Click here to learn more about the PB process and submit a project idea. Want to be a PB community delegate? Email us at [email protected]. (Delegates need to be available for evening meetings in November and December.)
I'm thrilled to report that a previous District 6 PB project, a new fitness/recreation area in Riverside Park at 76th St, is complete and will be opening tomorrow. The new area includes 5 fitness units, a junior basketball court, benches, and a bottle filler/drinking fountain.
 
After extensive renovation, the Parks Department also plans to re-open the Joan of Arc stairs and paths on October 21st. They will be restoring the lawn nearby as well. All of these improvements are real assets to the park and would have been impossible without PB.
Shredding Event: October 20th
Please spread the word that free and secure onsite shredding services will be available on Sunday, October 20th, from 12-3pm. Location: 2537 Broadway (at 95th Street). Thank you to the office of Assembly Member Danny O'Donnell for co-sponsoring this event with us.
Senior Resource Fair- Save the Date!
If you are a senior, or are caring for a senior, please join us for our second Senior Resource Fair on Tuesday, October 29, from 3:30 - 5:30 pm at Clinton Neighborhood Center, 530 W. 55th Street. We are delighted to be co-sponsoring this fair with the office of City Council Speaker Corey Johnson. Senior-focused resources and information covering a broad range of topics, from housing to long-term care, will be available.
Our first Senior Resource Fair this May was a huge success with an estimated 350 residents attending. To RSVP for October 29th, or make an accessibility request, please contact Rita Genn in my District Office at (212) 873-0282 or [email protected].
NEWS FROM CITY HALL
Borough-Based Jails Plan
On October 17th, the City Council will be voting on the land-use component of the City's plan to close the jail on Rikers Island by 2026 and construct four new “justice centers" for men in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. Female inmates will be housed in a dedicated section of the men's Queens facility.
I support the plan overall and will be voting in favor of the land-use changes necessary to carry it out. However, many of us in the City Council are seeking additional assurance that it accomplishes certain key objectives. On Friday, I and other members of the Council's Progressive Caucus sent a letter to the Mayor, requesting that as part of its plan, the City:
- Legally ensure that Rikers will be permanently closed
- Continue to reduce the number of people detained in its facilities
- Commit to significant investment in communities disproportionately harmed by incarceration
- Codify a set of minimum standards of conditions for criminal justice facilities
- Increase the ratio of counselors and social workers to incarcerated New Yorkers
- Transition people with serious mental health and acute medical needs to a treatment setting outside of NYC Dept of Correction control
- Establish a timeline for the demolition and reconstruction of borough facilities in order to prevent current detainees in Brooklyn and Manhattan from being placed on Rikers
- Explore a standalone facility for women, trans, and gender non-conforming (TGNC) New Yorkers.
This July I participated in a discussion about the closure of the Rikers Island jail and what this means for incarcerated women. The discussion was organized by the Women's Community Justice Association, an advocacy organization led by women who have been detained at the Rose M. Singer Center on Rikers.
As Chair of the Committee on Women & Gender Equity, I have been especially focused on the design of the proposed women's section, and how it can best support recovery, rehabilitation, and family reunification. The vast majority (85%) of females held on Rikers are mothers. Now is the time to plan for a women’s facility which can help break the cycle of incarceration and recidivism, and enable incarcerated women to build long-lasting, holistic support networks.
Sexual Harassment Training Across New York State
According to new State legislation, every employer in New York must provide employees with annual sexual harassment prevention training -- all employees should have received their annual training by October 9th. Learn more here. Employers are also required to adopt a sexual harassment prevention policy. If they do not adopt the State's model policy, they must ensure that their policy meets certain minimum standards.
In May 2018, Mayor de Blasio signed the City Council’s groundbreaking "Stop Sexual Harassment in NYC Act" into law. Speaker Johnson and I spearheaded this Act, which expanded protections to all workers in New York City and required anti-harassment training in every workplace for the first time. Learn more here.
Overall, new State laws have dramatically increased protections against workplace sexual harassment and discrimination. State Human Rights Law no longer relies on the “severe or pervasive” legal standard for demonstrating discrimination. This burdensome standard has long impeded employees experiencing harassment from bringing claims forward.
Other changes include extending the statute of limitations to 3 years for filing a discrimination complaint (my 2018 legislation extended it to 3 years in New York City), amending the State constitution to expand protected classes, and increasing language access for employees filing a complaint. Click here to learn what you can do if you are experiencing harassment.
As always, don't hesitate to contact my City Hall (212-788-6975) or District (212-873-0282) offices with any questions about our work.
Warmly,
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