New York City Council Member
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ERIC DINOWITZ
11th Council District, Bronx · 277 West 231st, Bronx, NY 10463 ·
Tel: (718) 549 - 7300
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Dear Neighbor:
As the holiday season approaches, I've had the pleasure of celebrating with so many of you throughout the district. Whether it's Christmas tree lighting in Woodlawn, Bedford Park, and Norwood, or a Chanukah celebration at City Hall with students from SAR, everyone can feel the joy of the holiday season.
We're also working hard to keep our children safe. After much advocacy by Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and myself, window guards are now installed at the Manhattan University migrant shelter. See below for more details!
At City Hall, we're working on legislation to license e-bikes, and voting on land use items like Mayor Adams's City of Yes proposal. Read below for more information about what's happening at City Hall.
As always, stop by our office anytime between 9:30am- 5pm, or call 718-549-7300 to reach us.
When contacting our office, please leave your home address and phone number so we can better assist you.
Please see the helpful list of resources and events in my newsletter below.
Sincerely,
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In the Community
Merry Christmas, Woodlawn!
Merry Christmas! It is such a joy to join my neighbors to celebrate this most wonderful time of the year. In Woodlawn, we celebrated with friends, family, and importantly, SANTA! We lit the Christmas tree, listened to kids sing Christmas songs, and thanked our veterans.
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Christmas Tree on Mosholu Parkway I also celebrated Christmas and a Christmas tree lighting on Mosholu Parkway. With friends from Bronx Community Board 7, Future of Mosholu Parkland, the NYPD, and more, it was a great way to spend the evening.
Artists in our Community We have incredible talent in our community. I visited an art show where the work of District 11 resident, Suyapa Quinn, was proudly displayed. Congratulations Suyapa!
Working with our NYPD As you know, I work day in and day out to improve our quality of life. That is why a few short weeks ago I toured the district with the NYPD to highlight areas in District 11 where illegal carwashes and illegally parked tractor trailers and RVs were the cause of numerous constituent complaints. Whether you complained because these illegal vehicles and businesses were taking up parking, causing traffic jams, leaving garbage, causing environmental hazards, or simply because they were an eyesore, I heard you. As a direct result of our tour, the NYPD has started towing cars and has cleared out illegal carwashes in the district. I am proud of our collaboration with the NYPD, but there's more to do. Unless the NYPD continues to enforce already existing laws, these vehicles will return. I will continue to work with the NYPD to ensure our laws are enforced and your quality of life is improved.
Window Guards Installed at Overlook Manor Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and I are proud to announce that as a direct result of our advocacy, window guards have been installed at the Overlook Manor migrant shelter (435 West 238th Street). This critical safety measure ensures a safer environment for families with children in the building. It is part of our ongoing efforts to support the families sheltered at this site while addressing community concerns about transparency and safety. Please read the full press release here.
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Update on Frisch Field
Frisch Field, a ballfield located in Bronx Park, is in need of significant repair. This upgrade to the park was supposed to have been completed this month, but ran into significant delays due to underlying conditions at the park. I have been working with the Parks Department to move the project forward and ensure the community is informed of the timeline.
According to the Parks Department, the scope of the Frisch Field Reconstruction project has been expanded to address potential subsurface conditions that could negatively impact the long-term viability of the Capital work, such as collapsed drainpipes and poor soil structure. A leaking pipe, which affects drainage, has been discovered and needs to be reconstructed as well. Due to the broken DEP drain line, there is an additional scope of reconstructing the stone retaining walls that has also been added to this project.
As of now, the design is 100% complete, and they are in the procurement stage.
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Visit to Darul Ahnaf
I visited Darul Ahnaf, an Islamic education and Da'wah center in Norwood. The children spoke to me about their hopes and dreams for our community and I shared with them what I do and how I help our community.
I was moved by how dedicated the students were to the betterment of our community, and look forward to continued partnerships with Darul Ahnaf.
City Hall
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Education Hearing
During my time as a public school special education teacher, I incorporated health education into my classroom curricula, and served as a health advisor in the Health Resource Room. I believed then as I believe now, that the education of our students should not be limited to what is proscribed on a standardized test.
As a City Council member, the health and well-being of our students remains a paramount issue for me. The Education Committee of the NYC Council recently held a hearing on health and sex education in our school system. The Department of Education laid out the steps it is taking to ensure our students have quality health education in school. But much of their testimony lacked substance. They testified on the investments they made, but I was disturbed by the lack of data detailing the impact of their work. They were unable to testify whether individual students, schools, or districts are assessed on the health education curriculum, how the education provided impacts disparate health outcomes, how health education is incorporated into traditional academic curricula, or to what extent resources are allocated based on the needs of various neighborhoods.
Read the full letter I sent to the DOE requesting important information here.
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E-bike Registration
E-bike usage has soared in recent years. For some, e-bikes are a lifeline, allowing people to earn money delivering food. For others, they are a means of transportation, allowing them to get to and from work or a friend's house. But they're not without problems.
During my time in the Council, we have addressed the dangers of e-bike batteries with legislation and programs that ensure only safe batteries can be purchased, and that dangerous batteries can be traded in for safe, certified batteries.
Yet many of us remain concerned about motorized vehicles on our sidewalks and other illegal and dangerous driving behaviors that pose a hazard to pedestrians. That's why I am sponsoring legislation that would require every bicycle with electric assist, electric scooter and other legal motorized vehicle be licensed and registered, just like motorcycles and cars are licensed.
City of Yes
On December 5, the NYC Council voted to pass Mayor Adams's City of Yes plan by a relatively slim margin of 31-20. I advocated for significant improvements to the plan, many of which are reflected in the final text.
There was significant community input into my decision. I held numerous webinars and received feedback from my community survey, through emails, and by talking to you at community meetings and in the neighborhood. Your voices were critical in my final decision.
Ultimately, the plan did not meet the needs of our community and I voted no.
I encourage you to read a longer explanation of my vote by clicking here.
Thank you to everyone who reached out and made their voices heard on this critical vote.
Holding CUNY Accountable
As chair of the Committee on Higher Education, I am committed to ensuring all students feel safe and welcome on our CUNY Campuses.
Last month I conducted a hearing on Judge Lippman's report on Antisemitism and Discrimination on CUNY Campuses. Chancellor Mator Rodriguez testified, but there was critical information that was absent from his testimony. After the hearing, I formally requested information related to CUNY's response to discrimination on campus and progress on implementing the commission's findings.
I encourage you to read coverage of the hearing from the Daily News, the NY Post, and amNY. You can also watch a recording of the hearing online.
I will continue to work with partners in and out of government to ensure CUNY implements policies that keep its students safe.
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Happy Chanukah, New York City!
On Tuesday, I hosted the NYC Council's Second Annual Holiday Celebration. As Chair of the NYC Council's Jewish Caucus, I have worked to expand our cultural imprint within the Council and share our customs and celebrations with other Council Members and the community at large.
We were thrilled that the SAR Choir provided entertainment. They sang beautifully, and represented Riverdale well! We also honored two very special individuals, Charles Tebele and the comedian Modi.
Submit a Capital Project Idea!
I'm excited to announce that my office has created a feedback form to gather your valuable input on capital projects for our community as we prepare for Fiscal Year 2026.
As constituents of District 11, you have the opportunity to suggest new capital projects that require a minimum budget of $50,000. These projects could include improvements to parks, upgrades to schools, infrastructure enhancements, or the addition of community facilities that will benefit our neighborhood for years to come.
Past projects have included significant investments such as $5 million for renovating the JFK campus football field and $750,000 for a new playground at PS24. Your ideas can help shape our initiatives and ensure we are addressing the needs of our community. Please take a moment to fill out the form linked below.
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To see the calendar for upcoming committee hearings, please click on the following form or here.
To submit testimony, please click here!
Note to All Constituents
Please read all the terms and conditions of your leases to ensure you have full knowledge of what you are signing onto.
In addition, your leases MUST be signed by the respective landlord in order to be recognized as a legal document of the State of New York. If you are having difficulty with any of the above, our office is happy to assist.
The Major Capital Improvements (MCI) rent increases are rent increases applied for by landlords to sustain building-wide improvements. Please be advised that the Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) MUST approve them, and tenants are able to fight these increases. If you require assistance regarding MCI rent increases, our office will be happy to help you.
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