Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
Invites you to Celebrate
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Thursday, March 21, 2019
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Friday, March 15, 2019
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. - Women's History Month
Is Jeffrey Dinowitz in For The Primary of His Life?
From the New York Post Thursday March 14, 2019.
A group that helped Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeat veteran Rep. Joe Crowley is threatening to back other insurgents against Democrats in the Assembly next year, The Post has learned.
The New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America is part of a coalition going after the Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee for accepting more than $400,000 from real estate interests since 2015.
The coalition is threatening to back primary opponents against the co-chairs of the DACC — Joe Lentol and Peter Abbate of Brooklyn and Jeff Dinowitz of the Bronx — if they don’t adopt a more pro-tenant, pro-labor agenda, sources said.
The opening salvo came in a letter the coalition is sending Thursday to three Assembly members as debate heats up over renewing New York’s rent stabilization law, which expires in June.
“We need to know that our elected officials are independent and will listen to and take the side of their constituents in Albany — especially with the rent laws set to expire again this June,” the letter says.
“If the Democratic Assembly is with us, DACC must return the $414,115.18 of dirty money raised and declare that you will no longer accept contributions from the compromised industry. Too often we have been burned because our elected officials have been too close with monied interests.”
The coalition specifically takes issue with a bill authored by Lentol that would allow tenants to list one apartment — but no more — on such home-sharing sites as Airbnb.
That would “convert rent stabilized housing into commercial properties,” the coalition contends.
“Last year six faux Democrats who sided with big real estate and kept Senate Republicans in power lost their seats, but it doesn’t seem like Joe Lentol got the message,” said Gus Christensen of No IDC, another group that’s part of the coalition.
IDC refers to the Independent Democratic Conference, a group of Democrats who caucused with Republicans for about a decade in the state Senate. Most of those Democrats were ousted from office last year.
“We have two words for him — watch out. If Lentol continues to side with wealthy landlords at the expense of expanding tenant protections for struggling families, we will aggressively support a challenger to make him unlucky number seven,” said Christensen.
Coalition members plan to hold a protest rally outside Lentol’s Brooklyn district office Friday, a source said.
Other members of the coalition who co-signed the letter include include New York Communities for Change, Tenants PAC, Churches United for Fair Housing, Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing, Ridgewood Tenants Union, Riverside Edgecombe Neighborhood Association, Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village Tenants Association, West Side Neighborhood Alliance, and Tenants and Neighbors and Mount Vernon Tenants United.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
In February we asked Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz how he was getting along with the new elected officials in the Bronx. His answer was that everything was fine, but we said that it looked like a storm was brewing.
We also warned City Council members Mark Gjonaj and Ruben Diaz Sr. at the beginning of January that they were going to be challenged by this group, and a similar article came out in City & State at the end of January stating exactly what we had said.
Thursday, March 14, 2019
MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES RESILIENCY PLAN TO PROTECT LOWER MANHATTAN FROM CLIMATE CHANGE
Comprehensive resiliency plan advances $500 million in capital projects and interim measures that will protect up to 70% of Lower Manhattan; for remaining 30%, recommends extending the shoreline into East River to protect Seaport & FiDi
Mayor de Blasio today released findings of a study that determined the City’s comprehensive strategy for the Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency (LMCR) project. The study evaluated dozens of adaptation measures and identified a set of strategies to build resilience in Lower Manhattan. The recommendations include developing a plan to extend the Manhattan shoreline into the East River to protect the low-lying and highly constrained Seaport and Financial District area. In addition, the city will advance $500 million for four capital projects to reinforce Lower Manhattan’s coastal areas and provide interim flood protections for the Seaport, parts of the Financial District and Two Bridges neighborhoods, to begin construction between 2019 and 2021.
The Lower Manhattan Climate Resilience Study findings are available here.
“Hurricane Sandy showed us how vulnerable areas like Lower Manhattan are to climate change,” said Mayor de Blasio. “That’s why we not only have to reduce emissions to prevent the most cataclysmic potential effects of global warming, we have to prepare for the ones that are already inevitable. Our actions will protect Lower Manhattan into the next century. We need the federal government to stand behind cities like New York to meet this crisis head on.”
Since Hurricane Sandy, the City has worked to assess the impacts and risks of climate change and analyze coastal protection options along the 3.3 miles of shoreline comprising Lower Manhattan. The Resilience Study projects that by the 2050s, 37 percent of properties in Lower Manhattan will be at risk from storm surge. By 2100, with over 6 feet of projected sea level rise, almost 50 percent of properties will be at risk from surge, and 20 percent of Lower Manhattan streets will be exposed to daily tidal inundation. Groundwater table rise is projected to put 7 percent of buildings at risk of destabilization and expose 39 percent of streets with underground utilities to corrosion and water infiltration.
Seaport & Financial District – Extending the shoreline into the East River
The Study examined a range of options for protecting all of Lower Manhattan, including the Seaport and the Financial District. These areas present unique challenges, including low-lying topography, a lack of available space, dense infrastructure above and below ground, and an active waterfront. The proximity of the FDR, Battery Tunnel and A/C subway tunnels further constrain the sites. Taken together, these elements mean that more traditional on-land flood protection measures are not feasible. Ultimately, the Study found that extending the shoreline into the East River is the only feasible way to protect these vulnerable and vital parts of the city.
The shoreline may be extended by a maximum of 500 feet, or two full city blocks. This will create a new piece of land with high points at or above 20 feet from current sea-level. The new shoreline will act as a flood barrier during storms and protect the neighborhoods against projected sea-level rise. The exact extent of the new shoreline, along with the design and construction of this innovative flood protection system, will be determined through an extensive public engagement process.
Over the next two years, ORR and NYCEDC will complete a Financial District and Seaport Climate Resilience Master Plan, which will include a comprehensive design for the shoreline extension and establish a new public-benefit corporation to finance, construct, and manage it. To begin this process, the City will immediately procure a team of engineers and designers through a Request for Qualification RFQ later this month. The Master Planning Process will be complete in 2021 and will identify a first phase project.
Protecting Against Future Risks
In response to these risks, the City is advancing approximately $500 million worth of investments in climate resilience as part of an overall strategy that includes both capital projects and additional planning for increasing the resilience of Lower Manhattan.
The City is making targeted, ambitious investments that will deliver significant climate adaptation measures for key neighborhoods of Lower Manhattan:
In the South Street Seaport area, parts of the Financial District and Two Bridges neighborhoods, Emergency Management (EM) will spend $3.5 million to deploy a combination of just-in-time Tiger Dams and pre-deployed HESCO barriers by the 2019 hurricane season as temporary measures in advance of a permanent solution.
In Battery Park City, the Battery Park City Authority (BPCA), with $134 million in bonds, will reconstruct its esplanade and open space to adapt to new climate conditions. BPCA kicked off design in 2018 and will start construction in 2020.
In The Battery, NYCEDC, in partnership with NYC Parks, BPCA and the Battery Conservancy, will invest $165 million to elevate the wharf and esplanade and integrate a protective barrier such as a berm at the back of the park. This design will preserve the look and feel of the existing park while strengthening the shoreline. Construction will begin in 2021.
In the Two Bridges neighborhood, NYCEDC is designing an integrated flood protection system comprised of permanent barriers and deployable or ‘flip up’ protections that will protect view corridors and public access. DDC will manage construction of the $200 million investment, which will begin in 2021.
Community Engagement
Beginning in the Spring, the City will establish a robust community engagement process to discuss the study, its strategies, dedicated investments, and further planning. Dedicated community outreach programs will take place for each of the advancing capital projects as well as for the Financial District and Seaport Climate Resilience Master Plan. Community engagement for the Master Planning Process will inform the extent of the shoreline extension and topside programming and identify a first phase project.
Updated Climate Resiliency Design Guidelines
As part of ongoing citywide efforts to increase the resiliency of City buildings and infrastructure to the impacts of climate change, the City also released the third version of its Climate Resiliency Design Guidelines. Since New York City facilities built today will remain in use for many decades to come, it’s critically important that they be designed to withstand the long-term impacts of climate change based on the best available science.
These publicly available guidelines, which are recommended for use in municipal capital projects, equip engineers, architects, and planners with the tools and information they need to integrate future climate data into their designs. These guidelines were developed using local climate change projections that have been collected and refined over 10 years by the New York City Panel on Climate Change (NPCC). Using the Guidelines helps protect the built environment and the services New Yorkers rely upon, while avoiding future damages and higher operational costs.
Comptroller Stringer Agency Watch List: Department of Correction
DOC on the Comptroller’s Watch List for the second consecutive year
Comptroller Stringer calls for more data transparency on staffing needs, mental health services, and programs for detainees
Ahead of the New York City Council Committee on Criminal Justice hearing on the Preliminary FY 2020 Budget, Comptroller Stringer today released an “Agency Watch List” report on the Department of Correction (DOC) – an agency which appears on the watch list for the second year in a row due to concerns about increased spending and meager measureable results. The trends spotlighted in the 2019 Watch List report show that even as the jail population has fallen by 20 percent in the last four years (FY 2015 to FY 2019), total agency spending is projected to rise 19 percent over the same period – while the agency’s performance remains troubling.
First announced in 2018, the Agency Watch List calls attention to city agencies that raise the most budgetary concerns. This year’s watch list will review trends at the Department of Correction (DOC), Department of Buildings (DOB), and multi-agency spending on homelessness – and recommend indicators that should be reported and monitored to evaluate the effectiveness of agency spending in achieving the Administration’s stated goals.
“Last year, when we introduced the Agency Watch List, we spotlighted agencies that were moving in the wrong direction – spending was soaring but results were failing to improve. But lagging results at the Department of Correction means lives are being put at risk – and that’s why we’re placing them on the Watch List for the second year,” said Comptroller Stringer. “Safety in our jails must be one of our highest criminal justice priorities because this is about more than officers and inmates – it’s about parents, siblings, friends and our communities. To reform our criminal justice system, and ensure that New Yorkers see real change, we need our programs to make a difference. That’s why we need to keep the pressure on at DOC for stronger results.”
This year’s watch list report on DOC shows:
- For three consecutive years, the DOC has employed more correction officers than the average daily jail population;
- In the first four months of FY 2019, the share of the jail population with a serious mental health diagnosis rose sharply to 17.0 percent, from 14.3 percent in FY 2018; and
- Across a range of indicators, rates of violence, including detainee-on-detainee incidents and assaults on staff, rose in the first four months of FY 2019.
To better track the performance of city jails, the report calls for improved transparency on staffing needs, the provision of mental health services, and detainee programming, including reporting on:
- The average number of fixed posts requiring coverage;
- The hours of required training per correction officer;
- The share of detainees with a mental health diagnosis who receives services;
- The percent of the jail population eligible for discharge planning who receives a plan;
- Detainees earning a GED;
- Post-release job placements and retention; and
- Readmissions and recidivism.
Comptroller Stringer Proposes New Vision for BQE Reconstruction
New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer released an alternative approach developed by his office for the rehabilitation of the triple-cantilevered section of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE). Officials have said that if action is not taken to repair the crumbling highway, trucks will have to be re-routed by 2026 and a full closure will be necessary by 2036. To date, the City has outlined two possible options to repair the highway, both preserving the mid-century, Robert Moses status-quo of dividing, dissecting, and destroying neighborhoods with noisy and polluting highways.
Comptroller Stringer’s proposal, which he has formally submitted to the Department of Transportation (DOT) for consideration, would help foster a healthier, more sustainable, more vibrant city and enhance public transportation while balancing essential freight traffic needs. It would convert the triple cantilever and the Cobble Hill trench into a scaled down, truck-only thruway and redesign the remaining roadway into a new, two-mile linear park with space for ball-fields, dog runs, bike paths, playgrounds, and other amenities to be developed in concert with the community. The reimagined public space would run from the newly pedestrianized middle level of the cantilever to a deck over the Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens trench to an upgraded pedestrian bridge and new park in Red Hook. It would directly connect each of these communities to Brooklyn Bridge Park, the Promenade, DUMBO, and Brooklyn Heights — reintegrating neighborhoods that have long been divided by the BQE.
“Repairing the BQE is an opportunity to reimagine a vital section of our city,” said Comptroller Stringer. “But to really do that, we need to broaden our vision and consider all the options. We cannot simply preserve the Robert Moses status-quo that nearly destroyed our communities and bankrupted our city. That’s why my office is proposing a balanced way forward that will allow the City to fix the dilapidated highway, limit disruptions to the community, save valuable dollars, and start to build a better, greener, and more vibrant future for our city.”
“This is a chance to invest in more sustainable and healthier neighborhoods across the boroughs. The plan we’re putting forward has been made in consultation with elected officials and community stakeholders, and balances traffic, environmental, and residential considerations. It doesn’t just mitigate local traffic concerns in the near-term, but will incentivize more sustainable transit for decades to come. We need to engage in a transformative, community-focused process, and I hope the Department of Transportation will evaluate the merits of this plan.”
In a letter sent to New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, Comptroller Stringer detailed the urgent need for a different approach to reconstruction and formally requested that the agency consider his proposed option for a new, two-mile linear park and undertake a detailed traffic analysis of the proposal. Many cities around the globe, from San Francisco to Paris to Seoul, have removed aging, smog-producing highways in recent years and replaced them with linear, pedestrian-friendly promenades that include both park amenities and enhanced public transit options such as express buses and bike paths, as Stringer’s plan recommends.
To read the Comptroller’s letter to DOT and presentation outlining the proposal, click here
EDITOR'S NOTE:
We would like to see Comptroller Stringer's idea on how to fix the Cross Bronx Expressway, and other roads in the Bronx.
MAYOR DE BLASIO, CHANCELLOR CARRANZA, AND BROOKLYN BOROUGH PRESIDENT ADAMS ANNOUNCE CITYWIDE MEATLESS MONDAYS
Beginning in the 2019-20 school year, all schools will serve vegetarian menus on Mondays
Mayor Bill de Blasio, Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza, and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams announced all New York City public schools will have “Meatless Mondays” beginning in the 2019-2020 school year. The program, which was first piloted in 15 schools in Brooklyn in Spring 2018, will provide students with healthy, all-vegetarian breakfast and lunch menus every Monday.
“Cutting back on meat a little will improve New Yorkers' health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We're expanding Meatless Mondays to all public schools to keep our lunch and planet green for generations to come.”
“Meatless Mondays are good for our students, communities, and the environment,” said Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza. “Our 1.1 million students are taking the next step towards healthier, more sustainable lives. Our students and educators are truly leaders in this movement, and I salute them!”
“I stood beside Mayor de Blasio and then-Chancellor Fariña in 2017 to announce that fifteen schools in Brooklyn were undertaking Meatless Mondays. In less than eighteen months, we can announce that Meatless Mondays has spread to more than one million children at every school across the city, putting us on the path to make our kids, communities, and planet healthier,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. “I am grateful to Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Carranza, as well as our incredible parent and student advocates who have made this a reality. I could not be more energized by our progress and more ready to take on the work ahead.”
“Reducing our appetite for meat is one of the single biggest ways individuals can reduce their environmental impact on our planet,” said Mark Chambers, Director of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Sustainability. “Meatless Mondays will introduce hundreds of thousands of young New Yorkers to the idea that small changes in their diet can create larger changes for their health and the health of our planet.”
“Meatless Mondays gives our patients – and now every Department of Education student – the option of a healthier meal choice,” said Mitchell Katz, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of NYC Health + Hospitals. “I thank Mayor de Blasio, Chancellor Carranza and Brooklyn Borough President Adams for championing this healthy choice and allowing our youth the opportunity to add plant-based meals to their diet.”
“Congratulations to Mayor de Blasio, Chancellor Carranza, and Brooklyn Borough President Adams for the citywide implementation of Meatless Mondays in our public schools, which contributes to better food and health equity for our students,” said Director of Food Policy Barbara Turk. “Meatless Mondays is one of many positive steps the Department of Education is taking in their broader progress to provide healthy school food, which also includes their leadership in the administration-wide participation of the Good Food Purchasing Program.”
Meatless Mondays is a national movement focused on healthy, environmentally friendly meal options, and it was piloted in 15 Brooklyn schools last year in collaboration with Borough President Eric Adams, who has championed plant-based diets. This fall, the pilot was brought to schools across the City in in order to evaluate student feedback on a broader scale. Through evaluation of participation metrics—which has remained stable—and student feedback, the DOE has decided to officially bring Meatless Mondays citywide for 2019-20. The expansion will be cost-neutral, and the DOE’s Office of Food and Nutrition Services will meet with students to get qualitative feedback before the menu for next fall is finalized.
Meatless Mondays builds on the City’s efforts to provide free, healthy meals to all students. This initiative will be part of New York City’s Free School Lunch for All, which launched in the 2017-18 school year and provides free, nutritious, healthy breakfast and lunch to all participating New York City schools. In the 2017-18 school year, more than 150 million breakfasts and lunches were served free of charge. Each summer, the DOE provides free breakfast and lunch to any New Yorker under 18 through the Summer Meals program. Since 2015, New York Thursdays have provided schools with locally sourced or produced food.
New York City has also made strides in making cafeterias eco-friendly and sustainable, including compostable plates rather than polystyrene trays, and placing clearly labeled Recycling Stations in every cafeteria. Since the 2011-2012 school year, 761 schools now take part in the City’s Organic Collection program. The DOE’s Office of Sustainability supports these schools through training for students and staff on proper sorting of organic waste. Of the 761 schools, 108 are Zero Waste Schools, a partnership with the Department of Sanitation which seeks to divert all recyclable and compostable waste in five years, beginning in 2016. Since launch, 144 tons of organic compostable and recyclable waste have been diverted from landfills.
MAYOR DE BLASIO FULFILLS PROMISE TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES MORE EASILY START AND GROW IN NEW YORK CITY
City initiative will save small businesses more than $50 million annually
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the City has made significant strides in making New York City a better place for small businesses. The City has successfully implemented Small Business First, a set of interagency policy and procedural changes that are expected to save businesses $50 million annually. Since the launch of this initiative, the time to complete common business transactions, such as obtaining permits and licenses, has been reduced by 30 percent.
New York City is home to over 230,000 small businesses, of which nearly 50 percent are owned by foreign-born New Yorkers. Creating an environment in which these businesses can thrive is critical to the economic health and global competitiveness of the City. Through Small Business First, the Administration has executed 30 commitments across more than 10 City agencies based on feedback from over 600 business owners along with advocates, community leaders and elected officials in all five boroughs. Since the initiative began in 2015, the City also launched its first online portal through which businesses can manage transactions such as permit applications and licenses.
“When business owners have access to resources and tools that help their businesses thrive, the city as a whole will share the benefits of their success,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “That’s why we’re putting small businesses first by implementing policies and programs that expand economic opportunity and cut red tape, helping small businesses establish themselves and grow. Focusing investment on small businesses makes New York City’s economy stronger and fairer for everyone.”
"I'm excited to see the fulfillment of the goals of Small Business First, an all-encompassing multiagency program that was tailored and implemented with the very needs of our City's small business owners, especially minority and immigrant owners, front and center," said Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives Phillip Thompson. "The program is a good example of what we are doing in other areas in this administration which is aligning economic inclusion goals with business creation and expansion and I commend the tremendous work by all the City agencies involved for getting us closer to building a sustainable path for small businesses to succeed in our city."
“I’m proud to partner with fellow City agencies to reduce the burden of bureaucracy and promote equity of access for the City’s over 230,000 small businesses,” said Gregg Bishop, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. “Together, we’re demonstrating that New York City is open for business.”
"Small Business First highlights the value and importance of agency collaboration across New York City," saidJeff Thamkittikasem, Director of the Mayor's Office of Operations. "From the outset our goal was to improve government efficiency and clear the way for more small business owners to succeed. I'm proud of what this initiative has accomplished."
“It is important for entrepreneurs to know that the City offers so much in the way of public information, resources, and services curated for business owners and that our goal is to make these tools more accessible and user-friendly than ever. Improving access leads to increased diversity; we have applied this operating principle at the Mayor’s Office of M/WBEs as well as the feedback from minority and women entrepreneurs in developing the one-stop-shop M/WBE website hosted on NYC Business Portal,” said Jonnel Doris, Director of the Mayor's Office of M/WBEs.
Small Business First aims to ensure that City regulations are easy to navigate while still protecting the health and safety of New Yorkers. The achievement highlights below are based on four key recommendations from thereport:
Provide clear information with coordinated services and support
- Launched the NYC Business Portal, an online platform that allows business owners to track licenses, permits, and violations in one place. The portal boasts nearly 3 million visits and nearly 14,000 business accounts since June 2016.
- Established a Small Business Support Center in Jamaica, Queens that offers business owners in-person support from multiple City agencies. Nearly 32,000 services have been provided to small businesses through the center.
Reduce the burden imposed by complex regulations and fines
- Revised the Rules of the City of New York to simplify regulations. This includes 80 rule modifications that positively impact businesses.
- Streamlined filing and review processes for regulations by eliminating areas of overlap between agencies. This is expected to save businesses a total of about $10.5 million in fees and 1.5 months in total processing time.
- Reduced the amount in fines collected by the City by over 30 percent and reduced the number of violations issued to businesses and commercial properties by nearly 10 percent.
Understand and comply with City regulations
- Expanded remote adjudication options to regulatory agencies, which allows business owners to contest a summons without leaving their business.
- Launched compliance consultations to help businesses prevent potentially costly fines through no-cost assessments for potential violations and expert advice.
Ensure Equal Access for All Business Owners
- Trained City staff to provide information to small business owners in a more accessible manner. Ten City agencies have published 25 simplified guides which have been translated into six or more languages.
Small Business First is led the Department of Small Business Services and the Mayor’s Office of Operations in conjunction with the Board of Standards and Appeals, Department of Buildings, Department of City Planning, Department of Citywide Administrative Services, Department of Consumer Affairs, Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Finance, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications, Department of Sanitation, Department of Transportation, Fire Department of NY, Landmarks Preservation Commission, Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, Mayor’s Office for International Affairs, Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings, and Taxi & Limousine Commission.
“Our diverse small business community is the backbone of our local neighborhoods. We are proud to support international businesses that are interested in moving to New York City,” said Penny Abeywardena, Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs. “Together with our partners at the Department of Small Business Services, we are thrilled to make our global city an even more attractive destination for small businesses.”
“Small businesses are the economic engine of New York City, and local government is committed to their success,” said Lisette Camilo, Commissioner of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services. “This new portal will serve as a digital one-stop-shop that will help small business owners save time, save money, and seamlessly interface with City government.”
“Collaboration across city agencies helps remove barriers to economic progress for all New Yorkers,” said Thomas Fariello, RA, Acting Commissioner of the Department of Buildings. “Online tools like the NYC Business Portal and our DOB NOW system, as well as our weekly open house sessions for small business owners, help reduce red tape, improve customer service, increase transparency, and make it easier to build the businesses on which our city depends.”
“The NYC Business Portal is a terrific example of how technology can be leveraged to benefit the hundreds of thousands of small businesses operating here in New York City,” said Samir Saini, Commissioner of the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications. “We’re proud to have contributed to this effort with SBS, taking a human-centered design approach to ensure business transactions with city agencies are made as easy and intuitive as possible.”
“Small businesses are the backbone of New York City – they create jobs, serve our communities, and are essential to the City's economy," said Lorelei Salas, Commissioner of the Department of Consumer Affairs. “DCA is committed to helping our small businesses thrive. It’s why we regularly conduct Business Education Days and offer easy-to-read Inspection Checklists in more than 40 industries and in many languages so businesses know what inspectors look for during inspections. Under this crucial initiative, DCA has significantly reduced fines assessed during our patrol inspections. We have also increased our efforts to provide financial empowerment services to our business communities. This includes offering free financial counseling to help small business owners learn about and access services aimed at helping them achieve financial stability. We look forward to working alongside our sister agencies to continue to develop more programs and initiatives that will help small businesses succeed.”