They didn't >> I don't know why the parks I live by two parks they never work by me. It's like a whole sidewalk. >> Hi. >> Hello. Hi everyone. Hope everyone is staying safe in this weather. First of all, I want to say hi to a uh friend, Era Lewis, who I'm so glad is here today. He is here with his wonderful students. Students, can you raise your hand? Okay. Thank you. We really appreciate you joining us and you're here with a a core of journalists and I know you are future journalists. So, we look forward to you you welcoming you to city hall today. Uh so, the snow. So, I'm glad everyone made it to work today uh in these conditions. And I first want to acknowledge uh that the winter storm obviously was very tough uh for many New Yorkers. I really want to thank DSNY and all of our city agencies who worked tirelessly uh on the snow removal. We are so grateful to them for clearing our crosswalks, plowing our streets, and literally laying tens of millions of pounds of salt throughout the five burrows. And as temperatures drop, I obviously want to urge everyone to continue to take safety precautions. bundle up and most importantly check in on your neighbors. There are warming centers throughout our city. I now want to move um to uh the topic um of Islamophobia. So this past week we hosted a roundt with the Muslim community leaders to discuss ways that this city council can combat Islamophobia and secure funding for halal food. We heard a lot um from various Muslim leaders throughout the city that this was a real area of concern and so the council has taken some of these ideas back and we're going to be working very closely to secure additional funding for halal food. Uh during the holy month of Ramadan, it was such a great opportunity to hear about actionable items from a wide range of very thoughtful voices and leaders. um and particularly during the holy month. Obviously, no family should be worrying about access to halal food. So, that is something that we take very seriously. Uh and the rise in Islamophobia is not something that we will tolerate in our city. Even a single instance has no place in our streets, on our subways, or in our schools. So, accordingly, I have repeatedly called out council member Vicky Paladino's Islamophobic rhetoric online. To be clear, I have repeatedly called this out and I have now instructed the ethics committee uh last week. I instructed them to meet immediately to conclude their process and so I will actually be at that meeting and we are going to have a very clear and strong process uh to address these issues. Um, as allies to the Muslim community, our voices must be loud and as elected officials in our city, our actions must be effective. And so to that end, I'm really happy to say that we've already formed a committee to combat hate that is chaired by council member Ysef Salam. And we already have legislation in the pipeline that would make the five burough safer for our Muslim communities. We are going to in fact be hearing our bills tomorrow to protect all houses of worship. Um and our bills to increase security funding towards schools including Islamic schools and all different um parochial schools that may need additional funding on security cameras. Um, and also I do want to just say that for the hearing tomorrow, and I'll talk a little bit more about that, but the hearing we're hearing a number of very important bills that protect all houses of worship. On a lighter note, I am proud to announce that a child care center in my district is set to open later this year. The building has actually been finished uh since July of 2025. And for too long, so many families were walking past and saying, "I don't understand. This facility is actually completely finished. Why is it closed? What is happening?" And soon the wait will be over. Um, and so I really want to thank the mayor because he joined me at that facility a couple days ago to announce the opening of it. This is so important and I know we've got council member Gutierrez here who's chairing our early childhood committee. The council is deeply committed to universal child care. I do want to note we've actually lost 853 providers in New York City in recent years. So we know that the demand for child care is higher than ever, but the supply has unfortunately diminished. So this is something that we really need to address. So I very much appreciate the mayor's decisive action in opening up this uh child care facility in my neighborhood. Um certainly as as a mom, this issue is personal to me. Child care gives um our children the strongest possible start in life and puts them on a path to learn, to grow, and to thrive. And for millions of working parents, it's just shameful that they literally have to choose between um uh taking care of their kids and food on the table. We know that uh several hundred,000 parents, mainly women, left the workforce in recent years because they could not find affordable and accessible child care. So, it's our responsibility to fill fulfill that promise of affordable, accessible, and equitable child care in our city. Um, and that opening also serves as an urgent reminder that the deadline to apply for 3K and preK. Yes. And I do want to say the council had organized a day of action. It was supposed to be on Monday. Unfortunately, we couldn't do that. >> It's going to be really great. >> Yeah. But it's going to be really great. And um we want to make sure that families with children aged 3 to four can go online to my school's portal or to in person to any NYC family welcome center. There are literally only 3 days left. So we urgently want to remind New Yorkers because one of the things that we saw in recent years is that some families did not know about 3K or prek options uh that were located near them. About a week ago, we also felt the passing of one of our nation's great civil rights activists, Reverend Jesse Jackson. On Saturday, I had the great honor of speaking at a memorial service that truly honored the irreplaceable contributions that he made to the equality to the cause of liberty, justice, and equality. And Reverend Jackson turned words into deeds, not simply because of the millions who heard them or the platform he spoke from, but from the hope that they truly awakened. and the change that they unleash. Um the memorial was incredibly moving and I just want to say that his words brought together the communities of the rainbow coalition. He also stood up for the LGBTQ community and we heard really powerful words about that as well at the memorial which was so important. And um I want to say that while his voice may be resting obviously the change that he inspired in all of us continues very strongly. Um uh so I mentioned that tomorrow we've got our hearing in the committee to combat hate. So I wanted to say a word about that. In the past few days we've had incredibly productive conversations with Commissioner Tish. We've updated the legislation to account for the NYPD's feedback and we very much appreciate their thoughtful input. In short, the bills establish clear considerations for buffer zones around entrances and exits for houses of worship and schools. And the bills um both create those buffer zones, but also protect the right to peacefully protest and honor protesters first amendment rights. Um specifically, the bills mandate that the NYPD publish a public plan. So this um is very important for transparency and for accountability. So now the plan will be public. So it um mandates that NYPD publish a public plan to address the risk of injury, intimidation or interference and that will increase transparency between law enforcement and those that they have a sworn an oath to protect. Um, I do just also want to mention one of the changes in the bill, and we'll talk more about that obviously in the hearing tomorrow, is it removes the specific 100 ft stipulation to give the NYPD flexibility on the exact size of the perimeter, uh, whether it be both smaller or larger, and to ensure that there is a safe environment for anyone trying to enter schools and houses of worship. At the same time, the legislation um obviously honors the first amendment right to peacefully protest and ensures that that is sacriinct. The bills don't infringe on protest rights, labor rights, or create any new criminal penalties. They actually don't discuss penalties at all. Uh so they are there to protect those institutions as well as increase transparency for clergy, congress, students, and protesters alike. uh because what happened at Park East Synagogue and Q Garden should never happen again. And so incorporating the NYPD's input reinforces our commitment to the public safety of all New Yorkers. And so we're grateful to them that we can move forward uh with tomorrow's hearing with their support. And now I'm going to move on to our stated agenda. So first we'll vote on the following land use items. a resoning that would facilitate the development of a commercial and residential building in council member Juan's district, a development of a new mixeduse building in council member Vernikov's district, and a development of a new residential and senior housing building in council member Paladino's district. will also vote on the development of eight new affordable home ownership buildings in the districts of council members Mey and Banks. buildings which are on vacant city-owned land and include 96 affordable units to be developed by Habitat for Humanity in partnership with HPD for council members Santaos's district will vote on an application by EDC to facilitate the improvement and reactivation of the Seaside Park and Community Art Center outdoor amphitheater. Uh for council member Hanife's district will vote on the approval of the parks department's acquisition of a community garden granting it eligibility for public services and capital improvements through the green thumb program. And for council member Rita Joseph's districts will vote on the landmarks preservations commission designation of two historic districts located in Flatbush uh Beverly Square West Historic District and Dipmas Park West Historic District. Um, today we will also vote on the following pieces of legislation. Oh, come on over here. Here we've got plenty of room. We have plenty of room. Okay. Uh, we're going to vote on the following pieces of legislation which my colleagues are all here to talk about which is exciting. So, um, Council Member Shahana Hanife, is she? No, she's not. Okay. So, I will go back to that. Um, okay. I'm going to go to Council Member Joseph. Uh, Council Member Joseph has a bill that will allow open street partners to request special activation opportunities during holidays or other periods of high pedestrian activity. And I want to invite Council Member Joseph to speak about her legislation. Thank you, Speaker. So, good [snorts] afternoon. And I'm proud to say that today we're making strides and expanding access to our incredible Open Street program in our city as we poise to pass Intro 257A. Open Street has become one of the most powerful ways to bring community to life. It transform ordinary blocks into places of connection where children play freely, small businesses thrive, and neighborhoods celebrate together. This bill simply gives community organizations more flexibility, allowing special activation days beyond regular hours, including moments like Memorial Day, Junth, the 4th of July, Labor Day, Halloween, and other hightra celebrations. Because the community doesn't operate on limited schedule, and neither should opportunity. In intro 257A recognizes that our streets are more than roadways. They are public spaces that should reflect the culture, joy, and energy of our neighborhoods. When we open our streets, we open doors to connections, economic opportunity, and to safer, more vibrant communities. I'm proud to support this legislation and continue to build a city where our public space truly belong to the people. Thank you. >> Thank you, Council Member Joseph. And I'm now going to um mention a bill that Majority Leader Shawn Abrao has sponsored. It will require newsreck owners to provide their email address to the Department of Transportation, permit electronic communication, and improve enforcement options. So, Majority Leader, >> thank you, Madam Speaker. Despite the rise of the iPhone, the internet blog, and the New York Times Wordle, there is an iconic vestage of print media that still survives in our city, and that's the news rack. News racks have presided along our sidewalks for as long as any of us can remember. But some of them aren't looking so good these days. Unused, falling apart, or abandoned. Neglected news racks become isors that contribute to sidewalk clutter. Our streetscapes should be clean and accessible spaces. I'm proud to sponsor this legislation that will ensure that every news rack across New York is regularly maintained and accounted for by its owner and that the Department of Transportation has the tools it needs to enforce those standards. We'll make sure that the stocked and cared for news racks continue to serve their purpose while letting the forgotten ones go. Thank you, Speaker, for your support of this effort. >> Thank you so much. Uh, Council Member Althia Stevens has sponsored a bill that would modernize the structure and responsibilities of the youth board. So, I want to invite Council Member Stevens to speak. Um, thank you, Speaker Menon. Um, good afternoon. As chair of the um as chair of the committee on children and youth, I'm honored to be here to pass intro 448B alongside my colleagues, advocates, and most importantly, the young people whose voices continue to be continue to shape the work that we all do. History has shown us that some of the greatest movements in our world have been led by young people. Our responsibilities as leaders is not just to employ their passions, but to build structures that solidify their power and their perspective. The youth board plays a cr critical role in elevating the live and experience of young people, young people across New York through education, health care, social services, workforce development, and community life. This legislation modernizes and strengthens the structures of the youth board to ensure that they can operate more effectively and accountability that the the advisory holds by establishing two term limits that sag with stagnant appointments, reducing the board size to create a more focused body and then ensuring that both burough representation and youth representation are serving with experience. We are building on a board that reflects the diversity and expertise of our city. Importantly, more importantly, this bill also creates a strong feedback loop between the youth board and DYCD by requiring formal recommendations and public reporting within 90 days. Um, we'll be reinforcing transparency and ensuring that youth informed ideas are not only heard but implemented effectively. This legislation is reflective of our council's continued commitment to supporting young people in meaningful ways. When we say we believe in youth voice, we must build systems that prove it. To the young people of this city, let me remind you your leadership is not the future. It is the present. And today, we are strengthening the structures that ensure your voices and and shapes the city in a real way in long-lasting ways. Thank you. >> Thank you. And now, council member Farah Lewis has sponsored a very important bill that will require the department of health and mental hygiene to regularly report on deaths by suicide in New York City and on suicide related behaviors among youth. This is such an important issue. By finally having more upto-date data, it will help us to inform this work and hopefully to prevent future suicide. So, I want to ask Council Member Lewis to come up. Thank you, Speaker Menon, for this opportunity to share more information about this bill. And good afternoon, everyone. Um, New York is confronting a mental health crisis that touches every neighborhood, every family, every generation. Suicide is not confined to any single demographic. It affects young people navigating unprecedented pressure, older adults facing isolation, veterans living with trauma, and vulnerable populations who too often remain unseen until it is too late. Yet, despite the scale of this crisis, our ability to respond is limited by gaps in data, transparency, and coordination. Introduction 291 addresses that failure directly. The this legislation requires that the department of health and mental hygiene to publish a comprehensive annual report on suicides in New York City disagregated by age, race, ethnicity gender occupation method and burrow of residents. While fragments of this information exist within broader mortality data, it is not sufficient to guide prevention strategies, resource allocation, or policy intervention with the precision this crisis demands. Data is not abstract. It determines where crisis response teams are deployed, how prevention programs are designed, and where communities at highest risk receive timely support. Without accurate, accessible, and consistent reporting, we are left reacting instead of preventing and grieving instead of intervening. I am especially grateful to the advocates who helped shape this legislation, whose expertise and persistence ensured this policy was both responsible and actionable. Intro 291 reflects a shared commitment between the council and advocates who for years have been seeking to confront the suicide epidemic with clarity, compassion, and accountability. It is a critical step towards saving lives, supporting families, and building a mental health system that responds before tragedy occurs. Thank you, Speaker. >> Thank you. And Council Member Jennifer Gutierrez has a bill that would require the Department of Education to report quarterly on invoices received on early childhood care and education providers. And I want to uh invite Council Member Gutierrez to come up. >> Thank you, Speaker. Thank you. Um, I want to especially thank our speaker for trusting me with this bill. This was actually her bill last term. Um, and I think a real testament to how serious this city council and so many of the members, specifically working moms, uh, take the concept of quality early childhood education and universal uh, child care. So, I'm really proud and really excited to be able to pass Intro 203 uh today, which will require the Department of Education to publish quarterly public reports on payments to providers, including special education providers that will um lock transparency requirements into law. Um time and time again, we've had the department come to city council um where our chambers have been flooded by providers who can can count um how many months they've been reimbursed on time, the amount of staff they've had to let go, the difficulty in retention that they've had. And so this bill really codifies what we all demand here at the city council, which is transparency. And having this ongoing understanding if providers are getting paid shouldn't have to be law. But since it is still not happening consistently, this bill maintains the same importance it had since 2022 um when it was first drafted by Speaker Menon. The system was so opaque, so KG that it took external reporting from relentless reporters uh like Bridget Bergen and Jessica Gould to make the scope of the problem visible. The reports will cover invoice approvals, payment advances, timelines, and outstanding balances, giving the public, advocates, and policymakers consistent access to information that has long been difficult to track. For the past four years, providers have been owed hundreds of millions of dollars in back payments. Speaker Men just mentioned the over 800 or so um providers that had to close up shop. Um they've taken on debt or worse uh like permanent closure. So for childcare providers, this has meant silent suffering and years of uncertainty. And while administrative improvements have helped, delays and uncertainty have persisted, often invisible to anyone outside of the system. Reporting bills can feel like a lot, but this is a bas this is basic information the city should already have, and it should be easy to pull, easy to understand, and easy to share. With this reporting, we can see where things are getting stuck, name the problems early, and work together on real solutions. Without that visibility, providers are left guessing and policymakers are reacting too late. This is what we hope will be the difference between the previous administration and this one. We are all committed to figuring out diagnosing the problems and finding the cures. Thank you once again. >> Thank you so much. This is such an important issue because to truly get to universal child care, we need to make sure that we are breaking down a lot of these bureaucratic barriers that have existed for our child care providers that has caused uh unfortunately so many of them to close. So our goal of course is to stop the closure, help support these providers, help to build new providers. So this is the first of many bills that we will be doing in the council to address that. And then finally, the council is going to pass a bill that I sponsored that would create a 90day default timeline for emergency procurement subject to extension with approval by the controller and the corp council. So, this is a topic I've talked a lot about, which is the infamous no bid contracts during emergencies. Basically, what this bill does is it prevents um the city from for years on end using a so-called emergency to suspend competitive bidding and to award no bid contracts as was done um in the last couple years and well before that uh done both during COVID during the asylum seeker crisis. The infamous $430 million.go go contract is a perfect example where um this contract was no bid and we saw all the problems that uh resulted as um because of that. And so I think this bill is going to really not only bring some transparency and accountability and cut down on corruption, but it also at the same time will save uh the city uh potentially billions of dollars. So that concludes our stated agenda. And with that, I'm happy to take on topic questions. first. >> Sure. >> Hi, speaker. How are you? >> Hi. >> Um, >> hi Joe. >> I mean, yeah. Okay. >> Yes. Just one on topic. Um, so can you just clarify, does the the PC now support the legislation that has been altered to remove the 100 foot rule for the the buffer zone? So I think right now on the house of worship bill we are at uh 28 members. Two additional members of the PC are signing on today. That will bring us to 30 members today. There there may be more. I haven't looked in the past couple hours. Um we've had I think a very productive conversation um you know with um the NYPD around this for the police commissioner. She indicated that she does support the bill. we've had, you know, we incorporated the changes that she had um specifically um her changes uh related to giving the NYPD the discretion that they need um to uh be able to address protests. So protecting obviously the peaceful right to protest, but at the same time creating the perimeter. So, in terms of the NYPD, uh, yes, I they are supportive of it and we've had very productive dialogue with them and we accepted their, um, amendments to the bill. >> Question. >> Speaker. >> Hi. >> Um, on the the housing project in council member Paladina's districting, she, you know, put out a video the other day saying she voted yes for it basically because of this presence of the appeals board that she felt, you know, the risk that she would have been overruled otherwise. >> Was your office involved in kind of pushing that to the finish line? Have you given her some indication about how you as the speaker, you know, serving on the board would have voted project? Our >> our one of our number one priorities is to build as much affordable housing in every single neighborhood as possible. We made that clear to council member Paladino. I specifically made it clear to her in meeting with her to say we it is always better if we can get council members to be supportive of the project because if it goes to the appeals board that member's views are then really not going to necessarily be incorporated and that particular project it made a lot of sense to do. We want to build as much affordable housing as possible. >> Go ahead. Um, speaker, regarding the house of worship bill, what share of demonstrations [snorts] outside synagogues? Could >> I'm sorry, could you just speak up? It's hard to hear. Thank you. >> Regarding the househ demonstrations outside synagogues and schools were protesting worship and what share were protesting real estate related events and I have a follow. >> What share? You're saying what percentage of the >> Well, we don't have the data of how many pro I mean, what the bills do is they protect all houses of worship and all schools. So, the idea is that if there is a protest outside any house of worship, what we're trying to do is protect congregants who want to freely enter and exit their house of worship. If I could just follow up, if there is indeed a real estate event at a synagogue, why should that be get more protection than a real estate event at let's say the J? >> Well, this is for house of worship. We have a particular need where we heard from constituents in many many neighborhoods that they had concerns about entering and exit their house of worship. So, this is a house of worship bill. So I that's really what the focus is is on protecting people's ability to freely worship. >> Yeah. >> Um hi speaker. >> Hi. >> Um I'm wondering are there any contracts under on the 90-day contract um bill? Is there any current contracts under this administration that you're looking to scrutinize? >> It it it's not about any administration. It's about good governance. So back during COVID in the Delasio administration, the competitive bidding was suspended over a hundred times to the tune of $7 billion, which is why there was overpayment for certain PPE. Uh during the Adams administration and the asylum seeker crisis, there was a $1.1 billion no bid contract to the hotel association. There was a $430 million to do. Go. What we're trying to do is moving forward, you know, to suspend competitive bidding for years on end is just not good governance and it can lead to fraud and waste. And so we don't want that. And so by putting in these reforms to the no bid contracting, it's to ensure that moving forward the city is competitively bidding. And emergencies are emergencies. Emergencies shouldn't go on for years on end. And so certainly when I served as commissioner, you know, the competitive bidding process where you get three competitive bids is a very important one. So this is a I think um really good reform. It's not targeted to any one particular contract moving forward. It's really meant to prevent what has happened year after year after year after year moving forward and as I mentioned can potentially save the city billions of dollars a year. >> On topic, >> I'm following up on Matt's question. I think what he was getting at, you know, some of the protests that were happening at a house of worship. There was a real estate ex to auction off land in Gaza, occupied land, and the protesters were protesting against that. I guess the question is when there is non-religious activity in a church, I you know, as a Catholic, I've never seen a land or real estate expo in one of my churches. So, I'm curious, is there wiggle room for that? that there was a non-religious event happening at a yeshiva, but would there still not be allowed protests there if it's not necessarily for a house of worship, [snorts] but it's for a literal real estate? >> Yeah, this is really about entering and exit a house of worship when people are worshiping and their ability to enter that house of worship without intimidation and harassment. We heard from so many after what happened at Park East in particular and that I think is a perfect example of where congregants felt that they really couldn't go into or out freely. And so that's really what we're trying to do. Again, there's nothing in here. This is contentneutral in terms of of any kind of um protest. We don't say anything about the type of protest. It's absolutely contentneutral and nothing in the bill restricts a first amendment right to peacefully protest because that's obviously sacrian and something we never want to impede upon. And that's why we took the approach where the bill doesn't talk about penalties. It doesn't talk about types of protests. It doesn't talk about the content. It's really more about creating those perimeters around all houses of worship. And I do want to say we didn't just hear from congregants in the Jewish community. And I think you will see at the hearing tomorrow, we have so many different faiths that are testifying about these bills uh really from every different faith who care about this. So we look forward to a productive hearing tomorrow. >> Just as a was in the West Bank, sorry, not Gaza. I'm just cur you know, if there's an event in a house of worship that isn't technically worship. I mean, is there stuff in the I bill? >> No, the bill doesn't address that because again, it's it's content neutral. We can't really get into the content of what a particular protest is about. This is really just about safe access to house of worship. It's a very straightforward bill that protects safe access to houses of worship and to schools. >> Thanks. >> Off topic. >> It's off topic. Yeah. [laughter] >> Thanks. >> Yeah. >> Do you need to talk? [laughter] >> My back hurt. I'm sorry. >> No, it's fine. I know. >> Clear it out. [laughter] No, they have work. We have work. It's fine. >> I'm sorry if you don't mind speaking up. It's just so hard to hear from the back. Thanks. >> The bill doesn't specify what kind of protests. >> Oh, no. Not >> I'm curious who makes that determination process for that. >> Oh, sure. So, no, it doesn't mention that any kind of protest. It's contentneutral. It doesn't talk about uh certain this protest or that protest. Basically what it does, it it just says that it directs the NYPD to create a uh plan around perimeters for all houses of worship and schools and to present that plan publicly to um the city. And so that's it. So, so the NYPD will be in charge of determining when a perimeter, for instance, if at outside a place of worship, um, congregants want to have a vigil, um, a candle at vigil, would that be banned or would that be up to the discussion? >> First of all, nothing is banned. To be clear, the bill doesn't talk about banning anything. There's nothing in here that talks about banning and nothing in here that talks about penalization. It basically just creates perimeters uh around the entrance and exit to houses of worship and to schools as needed. So that's really what the bill does. And so tomorrow at the hearing is again you'll hear testimony from wide variety of stakeholders about the bills and there are other bills in the package as well. I do want to note >> yeah we have time for two more. >> Hey speaker the council is putting together its budget analysis. How much are you viewing federal action and federal funding as a risk for the city? >> It's a huge risk. That risk cannot be overstated. I mean, we are in a situation where the Trump administration is clearly um and has repeatedly threatened to cut funding. So, this is a constant risk that we face and it's one that we absolutely need to be prepared for. And that is why we're looking at every possible scenario. The council will be releasing our plans on the budget in the coming weeks. It really puts forward uh where we think the budget is, what our plans are. And on the federal funding piece, one thing that I would say, and this is something I'm deeply um focused on and committed to as the city's former census director, you know, we were able to get an additional $1.8 billion in federal funding per year, every year for the next decade because of the work we did on the census. Um, last year the council passed my bill to create a permanent office of the census. I don't want that to be overlooked because honestly we need to begin that work now. When I went up for tin cup day, I did ask Albany for additional funding on the state level for that because again we've got to start now because if we don't start now, we are going to be at risk of losing even more federal funding in that next decade. >> Yeah. And Mayor Mandani basically didn't address federal funding. I mean, do you expect the council to speak about that? >> We're definitely going to speak about it because it's it's a real threat. We don't again, there's that scepter um hanging over us of potential cuts at at any given time. So, we do need to be prepared for that. That is not just a theoretical threat. That is something that we take extremely seriously and must be prepared for. >> Um I had two quick questions for you. Can you give us your reaction to the mayor's decision to close schools this year? Did you hear from your members about what happened in the district? >> Yes. >> And then could you just address the snowball thing? >> Oh, sure. So, I'll address the school thing first. Um, on the school issue, I did I heard from many council members, council member Camila Hanks, from Staten Island, council member Kayla Santoso in Brooklyn, um, and other members who were very concerned about that because in their district they were hearing, uh, from many parents who were concerned about getting their children to school and who really wanted the flexibility of a remote option. And so I think moving forward when it's always difficult in these storms as to what the right course of action is, you know, having some kind of flexibility is I think very very important for parents in these tough storms. So I did hear from them. Um on the snowball situation, um I did put out a statement earlier about that just in terms of the fact that um we did hear from many um uh constituents really around the city about their concerns about that. And so I did put out a statement saying that [snorts] that kind of conduct is not acceptable and should not be normalized. >> Do you think that snowballers should be charged? I I I again I put out a statement that we just don't want to see this kind of contact conduct moving forward. I think that's really the focus. >> Yeah. I just wanted to ask a question. You know, in light of NY go for trans miners. I know the council set aside 3.5 million in the budget this year options for those. Yes. Just curious how how that money is to be dispersed and what further action. >> [snorts] >> No, thank you so much for asking that question. It's incredibly important and that's something that we're looking at. We take that very seriously. We're committed to this and so we are looking at the funding options and where we want to direct that funding to and how to move forward um given those changes which we do not find acceptable. >> Thank you so much. Thank you. Have a great day. >> Your profile in city and state