Dear John,
Hope you all are enjoying the Star Wars jokes.
- Our Climate Justice themed Participatory Budgeting Cycle is looking for young people to join our Civic Assembly! The Civic Assembly is where community members will meet to deliberate on the ideas submitted to craft the PB ballot. Young people will bear the brunt of the effects of climate change so we want to hear the perspective of young people on what projects we should be funding to address it! If you or someone you know is 15-18 and is interested in participating, please fill out this form by 12/14! The Civic Assembly will take place over 4 meetings between January and February outside of school hours. Community service hours are available for participating students.
Stated Recap
Another stated, and you know what that means, another set of bills!
I’m pleased to report a selection of good government (what our Legislative Director affectionately calls ‘goo goo’) bills aimed at increasing the accessibility and improving the design of the ranked-choice voting ballot. As a supporter of ranked-choice voting, I was thrilled to see more legislation aimed at further improving the voting process, so every New Yorker knows how to cast their ballot. With continued changes, we’ll be able to reduce confusion and move toward a ballot that is accessible to everyone.
I was also proud to introduce two bills myself as well as sign on as a co-sponsor to several others. Read about them!
- A bill with Council Members Hudson and Velázquez to establish a Citywide Office of Refugee and Migrant Settlement to provide access to relevant resources like housing, healthcare, education, and food to people who have found a new home in New York City.
- A bill with Council Member Ung to make Lunar New York an official holiday.
- A bill from Council Member Brooks-Powers to create a task force to coordinate the removal of fallen trees due to a severe weather event. I know from speaking to our constituent services team that this is desperately needed legislation, so I’ll be fighting hard for its passage!
- A bill from Council Member Cabán to protect workers from arbitrary terminations by mandating just cause for everyone in New York City!
- A bill from Council Members Menin, Restler, and Joseph to mandate better reporting on payments to early childcare providers - a critical issue given the issues many providers have faced in receiving payments from DOE earlier this year.
- Finally, a resolution from Council Members Rivera, Restler, and Hudson calling on Congress to move funds away from the bloated military budget in order to fund social services!
One last note on Council business, before the end of the year, the Council will be voting on a Budget Modification. Much like how every year the Mayor proposes, and the Council votes on, a budget, there is a modification to that budget every November/December. These budget mods are typically uncontroversial and include few changes to the already adopted budget, but I have several reasons for concern. To start, even though our City has reported higher-than-expected revenue, the Mayor is still pushing forward with the 3% planned cuts across the board (unsurprisingly, the NYPD is excluded). At a time when the City workforce has an average 20% vacancy rate across dozens of agencies, we need to put more money into these vital institutions, not ask them to make do with less. The Mayor has also still not restored the funding cut from schools in the FY’23 budget, is backtracking on the planned 3k expansion, and is cutting money to CUNY. I share many of these concerns with fellow Council Members and will continue to update you all.
Community Bulletin
- GrowNYC Education has several resources for schools and parents to help teach young people about nature, healthy food, and sustainability! Check out the resources below to see what fits your needs
- Debates about the boundaries (or even the existence!) of hundreds of New York City neighborhoods are as old as the city itself. The New York Times is trying to create a reader-sourced map of where these boundaries are now. Check out this link to help them with their quest.
- Join Malikah for their Muslim Women Party & Talent Show next Sunday, 12/18 at 4PM for a night of joy, afrobeats, Arabic music, and 2000s throwbacks in Astoria and help raise funds for their safety and empowerment programming. RSVP required.
- On Saturday, 12/17, from 4-5:30 PM, the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music will be hosting a family songwriting workshop centered on the seven principles of Kwanzaa. All are welcome to join; no songwriting experience is required whatsoever! Proof of vaccination and masking is required for all guests.
- The Office of the Brooklyn Borough President is undertaking a comprehensive planning effort for the borough focused on public health outcomes for Brooklynites. Give your feedback on their current research and public engagement processes at their Comprehensive Planning Town Hall tomorrow, 12/12, at 6 PM at Brooklyn Borough Hall.
- If you love Open Streets as we do, make sure to check out this year’s application to learn more about how to transform public spaces into community hubs. NYC DOT works with community-based organizations, educational institutions, and groups of businesses to run Open Streets citywide. In coordination with community partners, NYC DOT can also help develop operational plans to manage the open street for multiple uses, including outdoor dining, programming, and outdoor learning/recreation for schools.
- This past year New Yorkers have dealt with significantly higher energy prices. To learn more about managing utility bills and staying safe during this upcoming winter season, stop by the New York State Department of Public Service’s Interagency workshop on 1/26.
In Solidarity,
Shahana
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