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Dear <<First Name>>,

I hope you are staying safe and well. Before I go into our weekly update, I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the devastating events playing out in Ukraine right now. Our heart goes out to the Ukrainian people and we pray together with the 150,000 Ukrainian immigrants who are part of the diverse fabric of our city. 

The bravery and strength of the Ukrainians in the face of this war and brutality is truly inspiring  as they fight for freedom. You can donate aid to support Ukrainians in this humanitarian crisis here. I know this is a time of great uncertainty and anxiety as we watch these events unfold. Our office is here to connect anyone to federal agencies and relief organizations so please reach out if we can assist in any way. 

Here's what we were up to last week:

1. Walkthrough of intersections with DOT Commissioner
2. Introduction of first bill in NYC Council
3. Regulating 15 minute Delivery apps
4. Op-Ed in NY Daily News about BIDs
5. Small Business walk with Commissioner Kim + Congresswoman Maloney
6. Mask + Tests Giveaway at Roosevelt Island Senior Center
7. First NYC Council Small Business Committee Hearing
8. CB8 Sanitation Committee
9. Constituent Service Corner
 
1. Safety Walkthrough with DOT Commissioner
On Wednesday, I joined DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez for a walkthrough of the neighborhood to review unsafe intersections. The 19th Precinct on the East Side was the Precinct in Manhattan with the most traffic injuries and deaths last year. We are in a traffic safety crisis and must recommit to Vision Zero to stop the rise in traffic deaths. I showed the Commissioner some intersections with a fatality last year and I also gave him a letter urging the DOT to include 44 intersections in our neighborhood in their redesign of 1,000 intersections across NYC. You can read more about our walkthrough here 
2. First Bill Introduced in NYC Council
On Thursday, I introduced my first bill in the NYC Council. Building off the work my office has been doing to bring accountability to questionable COVID testing site companies, I proposed a bill to mandate that 311 tracks complaints about COVID testing sites. Previously, complaints were referred to the State Department of Health and were going unaddressed. The bill will have 311 track the complaints with daily updates and New Yorkers will be able to see if locations have a history of questionable practices. I am thrilled that my first bill in the Council will be addressing such an important public health topic, you can see the video of me speaking about it in the Council here.
3. Regulating 15 minute Delivery Apps
As AM New York reported, after hearing from many constituents our office wrote a letter to GoPuff Delivery requesting they halt businesses practices causing a serious safety risk to New Yorkers and harming quality of life. The promise of delivery within 15 minutes causes unsafe conditions and it is unacceptable to prioritize these quick delivery times over the safety of the neighborhood. This is part of a broader push by my colleagues and myself to regulate companies like GoPuff, Gorillas, and Getir. I look forward to working further on this to ensure neighborhoods are not disturbed and people are not in danger. 
4. Op-Ed in Daily News about BIDs
Last week I published an op-ed in the New York Daily News about ways we can support Business Improvement Districts (BIDs). The businesses in BIDs make up about a quarter of New York City's annual sales tax revenue and many of these businesses are great neighborhood small businesses struggling to recover in the wake of the pandemic. Many of the BIDs, especially those in the outer boroughs, are unable to adequately support their businesses due to a high spending burden of administrative costs. I asked the Mayoral Administration to support BIDs with funding for administrative costs so they can better focus on sanitation, safety, and small business supports. 
5. Small Business Walk
On Friday, I invited Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and NYC Small Business Commissioner Kevin Kim to join me for a tour of small businesses in District 5. We went in the East 72nd Street corridor and were also joined by the President of the East 72nd Street Neighborhood Association. We visited a bunch of spots including Nino's to hear from owner Nino Selimaj about his restaurant's horrific gunpoint robbery just a couple weeks ago. We talked with Nino about ways we're all working to prioritize public safety, especially as I sit on the District Attorney's Small Business Alliance tasked with focusing on safety for businesses. 
6. Tests + Mask Giveaway on Roosevelt Island
On Wednesday, I went to the Carter Burden Senior Center on Roosevelt Island to give away test kits and masks. As COVID indicators continue to improve in the wake of the Omicron surge, it is so important that we can still provide at-risk populations with test kits and masks. I enjoyed visiting the Center and stay tuned for more upcoming giveaways.
7. First Small Business Committee Hearing
On Monday, March 7th at 10am, I will be Chairing my first hearing for the Small Business Committee. The topic is oversight on SBS's response to COVID-19. I look forward to hearing from many small business owners and other stakeholders about their experiences with SBS in the wake of the pandemic. You can sign up to testify at the hearing here.
 
8. CB8 Sanitation Committee
On Wednesday, I joined my colleague Council Member Keith Powers to speak on Community Board 8's sanitation committee. Alongside a rep from the Department of Sanitation, we took questions from the public and Board members about many different sanitation issues ranging from street cleaning to containerized waste to composting. We've been working hard on sanitation issues already and should hopefully have more exciting updated in coming weeks. Watch the whole meeting here.
9. Constituent Service Corner
Our constituent service team has been hard at work responding to many community concerns. We heard about graffiti in the pocket park on 58th Street by Sutton Place and worked with the Parks Department to get it cleaned up within a day. We also heard concerns about basketball hoops around the neighborhood missing nets. We partnered with Parks and CB6 Member Kevin O'Keefe to get nets installed on all the hoops in St. Catherine's Park. If you ever need anything from our team, email us at district5@council.nyc.gov
Follow us on Social media
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Our Office in the News
Daily News Op-Ed
Fox 5 News on Regulating 15 minute delivery apps
AMNY on Regulating 15 minute delivery apps
Our Town on regulating 15 minute delivery apps
Upper East Site on my bill to regulate COVID testing sites
Roosevelt Island Daily News on my bill to regulate COVID testing sites
Upper East Site on tour of UES intersections with DOT
Contact Us
You can reach our office at 212-860-1950 or at district5@council.nyc.gov

Best,
Julie
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Copyright © 2022 City Council Member Julie Menin, All rights reserved.


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