Dear John
Redistricting is fast approaching! I’m not talking about the mess going on with the congressional maps - I mean for our very own City Council. This summer, there will be multiple opportunities to weigh in on how the new council districts will look and your opinion can help shape the outcome. As we’ve seen, these maps can often be drawn to favor political allies instead of keeping communities together so it’s very important to show up and make your voice heard. There is one meeting coming up in May so check out this link for the schedule of public hearings.
Participatory Budgeting Winners!
We are excited to share the following six projects that were voted on by community members to be funded in District 39.
- Modernizing the Bathrooms at PS. 154: In this cycle and throughout Participatory Budgeting, we consistently hear the question from constituents - why are school bathrooms on the ballot at all? Fixing our school’s critical infrastructure shouldn’t have to fall on community advocacy, but we’re proud that one of this year’s winning projects is directly meeting the needs of our students. I’ll continue to fight in the Council to ensure public dollars are always adequately funding the needs of our students.
- Restore the Esdale Bridge in Prospect Park: This beautiful rustic bridge is in desperate need of repair and as COVID-19 has shown us, our public and green spaces are vital to our public health. We are excited that one of this year’s winners is helping to beautify our parks!
- Upgrading the Big Yard playground at PS 107: Another investment in our schools! This outdoor area which serves as a playground and auditorium will be an amazing new space for close to 500 students at PS 107. We’re so happy that another winner on this year’s ballot is not only investing in students but our outdoor spaces as well!
- Youth Organizing for Menstrual Equity. Period: Four students in District 39 advocated for better menstrual products at their middle school, and now they will be scaling up their organizing! This investment will help them bring students from other schools into the conversation to learn about the fight for menstrual equity, period stigmatization, medical racism and sexism, and how to be health advocates in their schools. We’re so excited to be partnering with these passionate young people. If you are interested in learning more about this project you can sign up here.
- Art Spaces in Vacant Places: It’s no secret that our recovery from COVID-19 must center arts and culture workers. This project will convert three empty storefronts into pop-up community arts spaces to help our communities recover with art projects that everyone can enjoy.
- Neighbors with Dementia: This project will provide guided nature walks in Prospect Park for neighbors living with dementia and their care partners. This is a wonderful idea that furthers our mission of building a more caring and compassionate City for all of our residents.
Thank you to everyone who voted, volunteered, or participated in our community's 11th cycle of Participatory Budgeting! We’ll be sharing out information this summer about how to get a jump start on next year’s cycle so stay tuned.
Our First Local Law
This week the City Council passed my first piece of City law! In response to the Twin Parks fire, our Council has taken up a suite of legislation designed to address the root causes of this tragedy. My bill, Intro. 106, will ensure that heaters are as safe as possible in order to prevent future fire by requiring all space heaters sold in New York City to be equipped with:
- A thermostat;
- An automatic function that disables the heater upon overheating or tipping over;
- And safety certification from a nationally recognized testing laboratory.
This may seem like a small change to our City’s administrative code, but every year there are over 1200 fires in the United States caused by space heaters, including the tragic Twin Parks fire. In conjunction with Council Members Carr, Sanchez, and Feliz, my bill is part of a broad legislative package designed to be a meaningful first step by our City government to ensure such tragedies never happen again in our City.
All of the 17 victims of the Twin Parks fire were Muslim immigrants. The lives lost were not just preventable, but the result of unsafe conditions that are rife in working-class communities. The tale of two cities is still alive and well in New York, with one that is safe and accessible for the rich and another that is dangerous and inaccessible for the working-class and poor. We still have a lot of work to do, but today we take one step forward in creating a safer City for all.
COVID-19
Our City is now experiencing a high level of community transmission both defined by the CDC guidelines and our own City alert level. So what does this mean? It is highly recommended to wear a high-quality N95 mask when indoors and you should exercise caution when in crowded indoor settings. This also means that hospitalizations are once again on the rise in our City, but are still thankfully lower than other surges we’ve experienced. I know we’re all feeling the fatigue of the pandemic as we enter into another wave, but increased community transmission will only lead to more variants and a prolonged public health crisis so it’s more important than ever to get tested and get your booster shot if you haven’t already.
The federal government has also opened up a new round of free testing and if you haven’t stopped by your local library to pick up a test - all Brooklyn branches have free at-home testing kits. When you pick yours up, be sure to post about it on social media and spread the word! There is a massive information gap right now about where to access testing in the CIty so we need to make sure people know where they can pick up free and reliable tests. Last but not least, if you test positive for COVID-19, you can call 212COVID19 to get screened for free antiviral treatments. If you’re not eligible, our City is well stocked with COVID-19 treatment options you can pick up from your primary care provider.
Community Bulletin
- Thank you to everyone who has filled out our newsletter survey so far! We’re keeping it open until the end of May so please help us help you and fill it out today. It’s quick and will shape the future of the content you see every Sunday.
- In-person appointments to meet with our Constituent Services Director Faiza are starting June 1st! We’ll be open for in-person meetings most Wednesdays so if you’re looking to come by for help on a constituent issue, check out the scheduling link on our website when it goes up next week. Remember, you must fill out the COVID-19 screening form before your appointment.
- A graduate student at the Newmark Journalism School at CUNY is doing a project to learn more about how South Brooklyn residents have been impacted by flooding during large storms like Ida and Sandy. There is a short survey (it shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes!) in English or aqui en español that will help the City develop more ways for South Brooklyn residents to find the information needed to prepare!
- Some initial survey takeaways…
In Solidarity,
Shahana
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