Councilman Mark Gjonaj's NYC Moving Forward Week in Review - 7/2/2020 - Part 2

Increase in Car & Bicycle Thefts in District 13

There has been an increase in car and bicycle thefts in Council District 13. Lock your cars, bicycles and keep your valuable items hidden to prevent theft and damage. Please find the list of NCOs in the NYPD 45th and 49th Precincts below.

Celebrate 4th of July Safely

As we get closer to the 4th of July, our office has received many complaints about fireworks being set off around the clock, disturbing communities and quality of life in our district. An astounding 8,967 complaints of illegal fireworks have been reported to the City’s 311 system. In NY, fireworks are illegal and using them can be dangerous. Let's all be safe this July 4th!

Transportation Informational Tele-Townhall

Councilman Mark Gjonaj's NYC Moving Forward Week in Review - 7/2/2020 - Part 1

Dear Friends: I hope you and your families are continuing to stay well as we make strides and cautiously move forward. While we prepare to mark July 4th, due to the coronavirus pandemic, many parades, firework displays and celebrations are canceled. We would have loved to celebrate in person as always, but we have to put the safety and health of our communities first, celebrate differently and dedicate this July 4th to the strength and resilience of NYC and to the service and dedication of our first responders, medical personnel and essential employees.  Passing the city’s budget is one of the most important duties of the New York City Council. Earlier this week, the Mayor and Council reached an agreement on an $88 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2021. And while I was able to secure one million dollars in funding for programing and over seven million dollars in capital improvements for our district, I had to cast my vote against the overall spending package as I believe this budget could have gone much further in providing the relief that New Yorkers deserve especially during these difficult times.  Since the start of the pandemic our office has done over 90 food giveaway events in our district to help our neighbors in need. We are greateful to GrowNYC, Catholic Charities, ICNA Relief, AAOHA, Bronx Community Council, Martin Brower Distributors, Toli Management and others for their generosity. Starting next week if anyone in District 13 is in need of food, please check the attached flier for Food Pantries in District 13 or contact our office. To ensure you receive the best assistance with any issues, please contact us at (718) 931-1721, email us at MGjonaj@council.nyc.gov and follow us on social media for the most updated news. May this Independence Day bring prosperity and harmony to your families and may the stories of courage and selflessness of our First Responders, US troops, Medical Personnel and Essential Employees make this July 4th memorable by counting our blessings and truly appreciating our freedom and democracy. May God bless the United States of America! Sincerely, NYC Councilman Mark Gjonaj District 13, Bronx

NYC Council Passes Fiscal Year 2021 Budget

"Passing the city’s budget is one of the most important duties of the New York City Council. Earlier this week, the Mayor and Council reached an agreement on an $88 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2021. And while I was able to secure one million dollars in funding for programing and over seven million dollars in capital improvements for our district, I had to cast my vote against the overall spending package. It was a hard decision but I felt that the budget didn’t represent the best interest of District 13 and the Bronx. First, our community pays the highest effective property tax rate than any other district in the entire city but yet this budget does nothing to address this injustice – and actually goes even further in unfairly burdening the renters and homeowners of our community. Secondly, the COVID-19 crisis has devastated lives, families and business. I believe this budget could have gone much further in providing the relief that New Yorkers deserve. For instance, locally owned businesses are barely staying afloat – and far too many have completely shut down – but this budget doesn’t set aside a single penny in grants or loans to help community-based businesses keep their doors open. Lastly, as we head into the summer, sufficient youth employment will be critical in ensuring that our young adults have constructive opportunities to learn, help provide for their families and contribute to our community. I believe that this budget could have gone much further in that regard. These are just a few of the reasons that I couldn’t in good faith support the budget presented to my colleagues for review and approval. But now that the budget has been passed, I will work to make sure that District 13 gets its fair share of funding and I will continue my fight to secure tax relief for a community that is already overburdened." NYC Councilman Mark Gjonaj District 13, Bronx

MAYOR DE BLASIO ANNOUNCES LOCATIONS FOR EXPANSION OF OUTDOOR DINING OPTIONS

Program will provide more street space for seating on select restaurant corridors throughout the five boroughs

 Mayor de Blasio today revealed the first 22 locations for the expansion of outdoor dining options under an initiative that combines two popular programs, Open Streets and Open Restaurants. The program expands restaurant seating options onto car-free streets for select corridors throughout the five boroughs. Selected corridors will be operational on weekends starting tomorrow evening, Friday, July 3.

Twenty-two locations citywide will be open to pedestrians and have been approved for expanded street dining. Another 10-20 corridors will be approved beginning Friday, July 17. Restaurants on these corridors will be able to place seating farther away from the curb than other Open Restaurants participants, and the remaining street space will be open to pedestrian traffic.

“Combining our popular Open Streets and Open Restaurants programs will give more New Yorkers the space they deserve to enjoy the outdoors safely – and give small businesses the chance to rebuild after facing unprecedented challenges this spring,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “I’m excited to enjoy more outdoor meals soon, and we look forward to expanding the program in the coming weeks.”

“As we head into the July 4th weekend, we are excited to be able to start giving restaurants the additional room they need to welcome more customers, so that we can all work together to rebuild this key sector of our local economy in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg. “We thank everyone from all the BIDs and other neighborhood organizations who made the case that expanding the vision of our Open Streets program to grow outdoor dining will be good for New Yorkers’ quality of life and the city’s bottom line.”

The locations announced today are focused on streets that are already participating in the Open Streets program, on corridors represented by organizations that have worked with DOT on street closures in the past. The second tranche of locations will include additional applicants, such as ad hoc groups of restaurants that coordinate through a single entity acting as a partner organization.

The hours of operation for this new expanded seating option for restaurants will be from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday nights, and noon to 11 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Expanded seating will last until Labor Day.

Organization	Street	From	To	Borough
Belmont BID	Arthur Ave	E 188th St	Crescent Ave	Bronx
DUMBO	Dock St	Front St	Water St	Brooklyn
DUMBO	Main St	Plymouth St	Water St	Brooklyn
DUMBO	Washington St	Water St	Front St	Brooklyn
DUMBO	Anchorage Place	Water St	Front St	Brooklyn
Park Slope 5th Ave BID	5th Ave	Dean St	Park Pl	Brooklyn
Red Hook Business Alliance	Reed St	Conover St	Van Brunt St	Brooklyn
Chinatown BID	Doyers St	Bowery	Pell St	Manhattan
Uptown Grand Central	E 101st St	Lexington Ave	Park Ave	Manhattan
Meatpacking BID	Gansevoort St	Washington St	W 13th St	Manhattan
Meatpacking BID	9th Ave	14th St	15th St	Manhattan
Meatpacking BID	13th St	Hudson St	Washington St	Manhattan
Meatpacking BID	Little W 12th St	9th Ave	Washington St	Manhattan
Flatiron Partnership	Broadway	25th St	28th St	Manhattan
LES Partnership	Orchard St	Delancey St	Grand St	Manhattan
LES Partnership	Broome St	Ludlow St	Allen St	Manhattan
Times Square Alliance	W 46th St	8th Ave	9th Ave	Manhattan
Little Italy Merchants Association	Mulberry St	Hester St	Broome St	Manhattan
Little Italy Merchants Association	Hester St	Mulberry St	Mott St	Manhattan
Bayside Village BID	Bell Blvd	39th Ave	41st Ave	Queens
Bayside Village BID	41st Ave	Bell Blvd	214th Pl	Queens
New Dorp BID	New Dorp Ln	S. Railroad Ave	Hylan Blvd	Staten Island

BIDs and community-based organizations can apply here. The City will quickly review applications and consult with elected officials and Community Boards to ensure optimal safety and appropriate design.

“I thank the Mayor for his innovative approach of using Open Streets for outdoor dining. This is a much-needed lifeline for restaurants struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I hope to see this program expand in the coming days to areas in Brooklyn that have not historically been prioritized for safe streets and economic development initiatives, like East New York and Canarsie,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.

"I'm thrilled to share the news that Bayside's Bell Boulevard was selected to participate in the Open Streets: Restaurants initiative, which gives restaurant owners the power to expand dining on the weekends and offer more diners food service in the open air, giving New Yorkers a safe way to enjoy a meal out while supporting their favorite local eateries," said Council Member Paul Vallone, Chair of the Committee on Economic Development. "I thank the Bayside BID for their partnership and welcome this economic boon for our local restaurants, whose success will be a critical part of a strong economic recovery for New York City."

“Thank you to DOT, SBS, the NYPD, and the Mayor for giving us a fair hearing on this plan and agreeing to implement it so quickly. New Dorp Lane, with almost 30 restaurants, is a true ‘restaurant row,’ and with these closures those restaurants who call it home will have the opportunity to dramatically increase their outdoor capacity. This is a win-win-win since it will help local businesses survive, it will allow for appropriate social distancing, and it will give Staten Islanders a safe outdoor place to enjoy a meal with their families on weekend nights," said Council Member Steven Matteo.

"Between our customers and the business owners, it’s hard to tell who is happier,” said Christine Silletti, Executive Director, Bayside Village BID.

“While Little Italy in the Bronx has been operating during COVID-19 due to our essential businesses including butchers, pharmacies, fish markets, delis, bakeries, pizzerias, and many other specialty stores and services, we have looked forward to reopening our restaurants which make up the other half of our historic, multi-generational neighborhood. Streets will remain open during normal business hours every day while the weekend evenings will be a new opportunity for visitors to experience our own Little Italy in the Bronx piazza-style al fresco dining. The Belmont BID is thankful to the NYPD 48th Precinct, led by Captain Joseph Tompkins and the Department of Transportation for their help, coordination and support of this initiative,” said Peter Madonia, Chairman of the Belmont BID.

Morris Park Rally In Support of Police

  Tuesday evening hundreds of people came out to show support for the police in Loretto Park. The rally opened up with God Bless America, and God Bless the Police Department.

No elected officials were present, but the Republican candidate for the 14th Congressional District John Cummings was on hand to denounce what is going on by the mayor and City Council. He said how can you cutback the police when crime is rising? He added that people want Safe Streets, Good Education, and a better quality of life. 

As this rally was going on several counter protesters gathered trying to disrupt the Pro Police rally. The counter protesters wanted cuts to the police department, and held signs Black Lives Matter. Captain Natiw of the 49th Precinct was on hand with several of his police officers. While order was kept reinforcements came from the 45th, 43rd, and 41st precincts. 

Above - Republican candidate for the 14th Congressional District speaks.
Below - Proud members of the Morris Park Community Association were on hand to support the NYPD.

Above - Counter protesters assembled outside a gate to the park while one makes signs for them to hold.

Below - The counter protesters go at it with the Pro Police rally attendees, with only a chain link fence separating them.

Above - Police officers keep the outnumbered counter protesters safe from community members who have begun to gather outside  the park behind the protesters.
Below - Police escort one suspected agitator away before any trouble can occur. 

This is exactly what the protesters wanted, to disrupt a peaceful rally that is not part of their agenda.