Dear Friend,
I hope you are staying safe and well as we head towards the beginning of summer. I am reaching out with some exciting updates from our office.
1. Passage of Healthcare Price Transparency Bill
2. Curb Your Dog Campaign Winner Announced
3. Celebrating Pride Month
4. Parks Department Spring and Summer Events
5. Budget Update
6. Delivery Cyclist Safety Event
7. Community Events and Updates
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1. Passage of Healthcare Price Transparency Bill
Back in December, I rallied on the steps of City Hall with activists and labor leaders to push for healthcare price transparency in our City. Later that day, I introduced a bill to create a municipal Office of Healthcare Accountability, the first entity of its kind in the country. After months of sustained advocacy, I am thrilled to announce that as the New York Times reported, last week the Council passed my bill with a 50-0 vote. The Daily News Editorial Board called the bill "a boon to patients" and the New York Post's Editorial Board called it a "meaningful step that could resonate nationwide."
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This is a monumental win for our city regarding both consumer protection and fiscal responsibility. This bill will empower consumers across the City who face starkly different prices for the same procedures performed at different hospitals. For example, a C-Section costs $55,000 at Montefiore Hospital while it costs $18,000 at New York City-run hospitals. There is no other service you procure as a consumer where you have no idea what you’re going to be charged. By making hospitals post their prices publicly in an accessible manner, consumers will best be able to make the right medical decisions in their time of vulnerability and need.
This can also provide the city fiscal relief. As the New York Post editorial board noted, "the hopes are that this will save the city up to $2 billion a year by driving down what it pays for health care." The City currently spends almost $11 billion annually, roughly 10% of its budget, on municipal employee healthcare. By creating a public repository for hospital prices that reveal the vast discrepancy between hospitals, the City can harness its purchasing power and negotiate a better deal for municipal employees. Municipal healthcare costs have gone up by almost $5 billion in the last 6 years and we must work to reign them in. I look forward to the implementation of this legislation.
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2. Curb Your Dog Campaign Winner
I have heard complaints from so many constituents about the proliferation of dog waste across our neighborhood and across the entire City. It is imperative that dog owners curb their dog and exercise good practices to keep our neighborhood sanitary. To combat this issue, my office conducted a contest for community members to design a new sign for a curb your dog campaign to be publicized across the District. Today, I am thrilled to announce that after reviewing dozens of submissions, we have chosen the winning design, submitted by Ellen Young.
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I am so grateful to the many community members who put passion and energy into crafting their own wonderful designs. Now, we must do the hard work of pushing this message out to the community. My office will be working with building management companies, schools, and neighborhood organizations to spread the message as well as posting them on LinkNYC kiosks. We will also be funding the creation of hundreds of aluminum signs to distribute to buildings to put up on tree pits and on facades. New York City stopped producing these signs 20 years ago so I am thrilled to reinvigorate these efforts and work with community stakeholders and agencies to make our streets cleaner. If you'd like to request a metal sign for your building, please reach out to hgale@council.nyc.gov.
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3. Celebrating Pride Month
June is Pride Month and I am so excited to be celebrating the LQBTQ+ Community and the values of acceptance, diversity, and equality. The Council is participating in numerous Pride Month celebrations and this is culminating with marching in the June 25th parade. My office and I will be marching in the parade on Sunday the 25th and I look forward to hopefully seeing many of you there at this wonderful celebration.
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4. Parks Department Spring and Summer Events
I am proud to allocate robust funding for programming at the Parks across our District every year. As we near the end of the fiscal year on June 30th, there are still some great opportunities to enjoy the beautiful Parks that our District has to offer. While we rank 47th out of 51st in terms of green space, we make sure to optimize the usage of our parks and make the most of our green space. Last week we held our second Family Fun Day of the spring which was at Carl Schurz Park and it was a tremendous success as well as our final "Movie under the Stars" which was at 24 Sycamores Park. However, we're not done yet as we still have tango classes from 4pm-5:30pm on Wednesdays in Sutton Place Park and on Fridays at Carl Schurz Park running through the end of the month. See below for more information and we hope to see you there!
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5. Delivery Cyclist Safety Event
My office receives frequent complaints from constituents regarding safety with E-bikes/mopeds/motor scooters and other vehicles. One way we're working to combat that is through working with DOT to sponsor an E-bike Safety Fair. The event, targeted for E-bikers, will be held tomorrow at James Cagney Plaza for delivery cyclists and other E-bike riders to receive safety training on lithium batteries, on the distinctions between legal bikes and illegal mopeds, and safety tips for riding. Helmets and other safety equipment will also be distributed during the training sessions. I know that addressing this safety issue is a top priority for constituents so I am excited to be allocating funding to this event to promote safer practices for all involved.
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6. Budget Update
Over the last few months, my Council colleagues and I have been hard at work on the City's annual budget which is finalized by the end of June. I participated in many executive budget hearings with the committees that I serve on. As we enter the home stretch, I wanted to update you that we're continuing to work with the Administration to address critical programs and the concerns of constituents. One issue where I have been very vocal on is my support for continued funding of the City's 3-K program. Given the exorbitant cost of childcare, it is critical that the City continues to build out its 3-K infrastructure and give parents that opportunity. I have also been working hard to deliver strong capital funding back to our District. Last year, I was thrilled to deliver $21 million in funding for our parks, schools, public housing, and more and this year I am confident that our District will once again receive strong funding in the City Budget. Stay tuned for a Budget update after passage in the next few weeks.
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7. Community Events and Updates
It's been a busy end to the spring and the calendar is filled with some great events. I wanted to highlight some upcoming events and announcements. If you'd like to feature something in our newsletter, please email ckoffman@council.nyc.gov
Community Board 8 Arts Show
The Community Board 8 Arts Show featuring over 100 artists and musical performances from students at Talent Unlimited and Julliard will be taking place this weekend on Saturday, see below for more info:
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Asphalt Green Movie Night
We're thrilled to be co-sponsoring a community movie night at Asphalt Green on Friday June 30th at 8pm with a screening of Cruella. I hope to see you there for a fun evening!
Muslim Volunteers Evening of Summer Fun
I am proud to fund the Muslim Volunteers for New York who do incredible work as the stewards of Ruppert Park. They will be hosting a concert that I am co-sponsoring coming up on Friday.
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Sutton Place Parks Conservancy Manhattanhenge
Join the Sutton Place Parks Conservancy on July 12, 2023 -- the night of the Manhattanhenge full sun -- from 6:00pm to 8:30pm in the Sutton Place Parks. The 57th Street entrance to the park is a prime viewing location for the setting sun at 8:20 PM sharp. The event features live music, expert photo tips, yoga and sun salutations and 10-minute chair massages. More details to come, visit https://suttonplaceparks.org/
Roosevelt Island Day
Due to air quality concerns, Roosevelt Island Day was postponed until June 17th. My office will have a table at this wonderful annual celebration and we hope to see you there from 11am to 4pm at the Meditation Lawn and Blackwell Plaza
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Contact Us
Email us at district5@council.nyc.gov, call our office at 212-860-1950, or visit us at 444 East 75th Street #1B (75th and York Avenue)
Best,
Julie
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