🍎 citymeetings.nyc #1
Hearings on Disparities in Women's Health, Shore Power for Cruise Lines, MWBE Access to Infrastructure Projects, DYCD's Family Support Services, Rezoning in East Harlem, and Landmark Designations
👋 Welcome to citymeetings.nyc Issue #1. You're receiving this email because you were subscribed to Keys to the City Council, which has been replaced by this newsletter. This newsletter is focused on highlighting clips and testimony from NYC government meetings.
This issue covers 5 NYC City Council hearings from 2/12/2024 to 2/26/2024.
Note: citymeeting.nyc's meeting research tools do not work on mobile yet. You'll need to access links below on your desktop
Do you have questions you'd like answered about the hearings below? Reply to this email or shoot me a note at vikram@citymeetings.nyc.
Hearing: Addressing Women's Health Disparities
On 2/14 the council held a hearing on disparities in women's health, focusing on care inequities, reproductive rights, and conditions including heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and cancer. Features testimonies from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOH) and the public.
Clips:
- These are the specific areas DOH is focusing where data shows higher levels of inequity. [View]
- In 2021 the rate of premature death from cancer was about 41% higher among Black New Yorkers compared to the city average. [View]
- What does DOH attribute to the disparities in the provision of women's health care? [View]
- Council member Lynn Schulman shares her breast cancer diagnosis story. [View]
- "I'm a lazy patient." Council member Schulman explores how to meet people where they are to provision healthcare. [View]
- Council member Marmorato has a 24-year career in breast imaging, she asks about making breast imaging more accessible (including a mobile mammography van). [View]
Testimonies:
- Dr. Michelle Morse, Chief Medical Officer at the Center for Health Equity at DOH delivers unusually thorough agency testimony. [View]
- Dorea Kyra Batté, Attorney at Legal Momentum, on Discrimination in Drug Testing of Pregnant Women. [View]
- Chris Norwood, Executive Director of Health People, on Diabetes and Alzheimer's Disparities Among Women. [View]
- Elise Panusa, Government Relations Manager at Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, on Reproductive Health Services Post-Roe v. Wade. [View]
- Lauren Schuster, Vice President of Government Affairs at Urban Resource Institute on Domestic Violence. [View]
- Rosemary Martinez, Domestic Work Organizer at Carroll Gardens Association, on Empowering Domestic Workers. [View]
- Yesenia Mata, Executive Director of La Colmena, on Empowering Immigrant Women Workers. [View]
- Christopher Leon Johnson on Food Deserts and Health Disparities. [View]
Hearing: Shore Power for Cruise Lines
Cruise lines cause major traffic congestion in Red Hook and don't currently use shore power when docked in NYC, emitting fumes while they're docked.
Council member Aviles is proposing a bill that requires cruise operators to use a terminal's shore power system while docked in order to get docking access from the Economic Development Corporation (EDC).
On 2/15 the council held a hearing on the bill, conditions in Red Hook, and the expansion of shore power at NYC's cruise terminals with testimony from the EDC and the public.
Clips:
- Ships have grown, there's been a proliferation of last mile facilities in Red Hook, and ships may have 5,000 guests and 2,500 staff entering the community. [View]
- Ships strain the power grid and EDC needs to make sure Red Hooks doesn't end up without power to power cruise ships. [View]
- Who addresses what fuels are burned at sea, and what needs to change when ships enter port? [View]
- It'll be years until ships are plugged into shore power. What interim solutions are there to reduce ship emissions? [View]
- Potential loopholes that would allow cruise ship operators not to plug in. [View]
Testimonies:
- EDC's Opening Testimony. [View]
- On the historic exploitation of Red Hook. [View]
- A long-time resident whose son was born in Red Hook in 2003. [View]
- On EDC misrepresentations. [View]
- Chair of Red Hook Business Alliance on the lack of any economic activity in Red Hook from cruise operations. [View]
- Chair of CB6 and Executive Director of StreetsPAC on traffic issues and environmental impact. [View]
Hearing: MWBE Access to Infrastructure Projects
On 2/14 the council held a hearing on improving access to infrastructure projects for Minority and Women-Owned Businesses (MWBEs) with testimony from the Department of Design and Construction (DDC) and Department of Transportation (DOT), Brad Lander (NYC Comptroller), and Charlotte Hamamgian (Deputy Comptroller)
Clips:
- These agencies are required to submit a disparity report to the city council every two years. This has not been done since 2018 (using 2015 data). [View]
- CUNY will now be conducting the study. [View]
- Chief Business Diversity Officer from the Mayor's Office shares what they think is contributing to disparities in contracts awarded to MWBE vs. other businesses. [View]
- Council member Narcisse asks about how they prevent non-minorities from getting certified as MWBEs. [View]
- On the involvement of MWBEs in migrant transport contracts. [View]
- A video Brad Lander showed with clips from roundtables with MWBEs discussing MWBEs going through the procurement process. [View]
- Non-sequiturs: the DOT is present, so why not ask about projects in a council member's district while they're under oath? [Queensboro Bike Path Delays] [Long Island City Road Repairs]
Testimonies:
- On a small MWBE getting blacklisted from doing work on city projects. [View]
- A member of True Patriots of America alleging feminist collusion. [View]
- Christopher Leon Johnson alleging fraud in the MWBE certification process. [View]
- Manhattan Chamber of Commerce. [View]
Hearing: DYCD's Family Support Services
On 2/23 the council held a hearing on the Department of Youth & Community Development (DYCD)'s Family Support Services exploring their Fatherhood Initiative, their Healthy Families support programs, adult literacy, crime prevention, and efforts to fill Neighborhood Advisory Boards (NABs) and promote under-publicized services.
Clips:
- DYCD describes their Fatherhood Initiative. [View]
- DYCD describes their Neighborhood Development Area (NDA) initiative. [View]
- DYCD describes their senior services. [View]
- DYCD describes their Health Families support programs. [View]
- What services are part of the Healthy Families program? [View]
- A story about a dad served by the Fatherhood Initiative. [View]
- How do dads learn about the Fatherhood Initiative? [View]
- What can be done to promote and uplift these programs? [View]
- What are the achievements of the Neighborhood Development Area (NDA) initiative? [View]
- What constitutes a functioning Neighborhood Advisory Board (NAB)? [View]
Testimonies:
- Ira Yankwitt, Executive Director, Literacy Assistance Center, Addresses RFP Concerns. [View]
- Dionis Fernandez, Founder of Father's Pick Up on Struggles for Fathers' Rights. [View]
- Ursula Cooper-Hunter, Department Director from Bronx Works on Enhancing Youth Programs. [View]
- Shirley Fevere on Enhancing NDA Area 17 Family Services. [View]
- Anna Kaganova from Center for Family Life Testifies on Healthy Families Program. [View]
Hearing: Timbale Terrace in East Harlem, Landmark Designations
Presentations, hearings, and testimony on the Timbale Terrace project in East Harlem and landmark designations for Joseph Rodman Drake Park, Barkin Levin Office Pavilion, and the Modulator Building.
Clips:
- Presentation on the Joseph Rodman Drake Park Landmark Designation. [View]
- Presentation on the Barkin Levin Office Pavilion Landmark Designation [View]
- Presentation on the Modulator Building Landmark Designation [View]
- Timbale Terrace Presentation: Remarks from Agata Naklicka (Manhattan Borough Planner, HPD) [View]
- Timbale Terrace Presentation: Remarks from Michelle Ponce (Mega Contracting Group) [View]
- Timbale Terrace Presentation: Remarks from Jorge Chang (Architect)
Testimonies:
- None on landmark designations.
- Many regarding Timbale Terrace -- testimonies start here.
Questions/comments/feedback? Reply to this email or send me a note at vikram@citymeetings.nyc.