Rano here. >> Narcissis >> here. Me help. >> Nurse. >> Oay. I'm I'm here. >> Paladino >> here. Hanife >> here. >> Hankerson >> here. >> Wrestler. >> Riley >> present. >> Salam >> present. Justin Sanchez, >> present. >> Pina Sanchez, >> present. >> Santos Soso, >> here. >> Schulman, >> here. >> Stevens, >> I'm here. >> Thomas Henry, >> present. >> Present. Vernickov Williams >> one >> present. >> Wang here. >> Juang >> here. Carr >> present. >> Abrau >> present. >> Speaker Menon >> present. >> Thank you. We will now have today's invocation which will be delivered by Reverend Patrick Henry Young, the senior pastor of First Baptist Church of East Elmherst which is located at 110 Atoria Boulevard in Queens. >> Let us bow our heads. Gracious and eternal creator, we come before you today with grateful hearts acknowledging your goodness, wisdom, and loving kindness. We thank you for the privilege to serve your people and various culture culturals this city reflects. On this 100 Black History Month celebration, we remember and give thanks to the freedom fighters, truthtellers, organizers, and ordinary people who did extraordinary work for this city we live and love. Creator of all things, we ask your presence in this chamber today. Guide the minds, hearts of each council member as they make the right decisions. on behalf of the citizens of each community they represent. May they work together to ensure the working families struggling to make ends meet, the elderly on fixed income, young people seeking opportunities, and those experiencing homelessness in the city will be on the minds of each council person while making decisions and funding for our city. May the work done in this chamber help draw us closer to be a beloved community throughout every burrow represented. In your holy name I pray. Amen. >> Thank you. I would now ask council member Chanel Thomas Henry to spread the invocation on the record. >> Thank you madam speaker. Today I am proud to introduce a leader from my district who represents the very best of East Elmherst, Reverend Patrick Henry Young, senior pastor of the First Baptist Church of Corona in East Elmherst. A proud graduate graduate of my alma mada Howard University, Reverend Young has been a steadfast spiritual leader, community advocate, and trusted voice for families across our neighborhood. Under his leadership, First Baptist Church has not only been a place of worship, but a pillar of service, fellowship, and empowerment for our community. Most notably, he has been tireless in his fight for economic growth and generational wealth building within our community, understanding that faith must be paired with access and opportunity in all we do. Founded in 1955, First Baptist Church of Corona was built on a foundation rooted in service. In fact, it was here that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. completed his pastorial residency in his early ministry, a legacy that continues to shape the spirit of this congregation today. Every Saturday morning, their food pantry provides groceries for 2500 families across East Elmherst, Corona, and Jackson Heights. The church also provides food for over a thousand homeless families living in cityrun shelters located in East Elmherst. Additionally, through the Hope and Grace Mental Health Wellness Center in partnership with Northwell Health, they are actively addressing mental health with compassion and dignity. and today they are working to establish a health clinic to further serve East Elmherst community. We give thanks for Reverend Patrick Henry Young and for every member of this congregation who has helped build and sustain this church and community across generations. The fruit of their faith is evident every day in the lives they touch and the neighbors they serve. Reverend Young leads with faith, integrity, and a deep love for our community. and I am personally grateful for his partnership and friendship in serving East Elmerst. He is not only a pastor but a friend and a neighbor, someone we are proud to bring from district 21 to city hall today to offer our invocation. Madam Speaker, I respect respectfully move that the invocation delivered by Reverend Patrick Henry Young be entered into the record. Thank you. >> Adoption of minutes. None >> messages and papers from the mayor. >> M38 mayoral appointment >> referred to rules. >> Communication from city, county, and borrow offices. >> M39 former council member Botcher. >> The council member's resignation letter >> received. Order printed and filed. >> Petitions and communications >> M40 rule 2.120 report >> received. >> Land use call-ups >> none. >> Thank you. We will now have communication from Speaker Julie Man. So good afternoon everyone and thank you all for being punctual and so that we can start on time which we so appreciate. So before we talk about today's stated meeting I want to first of all extend my deepest condolences to our deputy speaker Dr. Natasha Williams who lost her grandmother Nancy Williams recently. Uh our heart goes out to her and the whole Williams family. Um, our deputy speaker has asked that I send information out when the funeral arrangements have been made. So, I will shortly be sending that information out for her. Uh, I want to first of all acknowledge obviously the extreme weather that our city has gone through uh the last few weeks and I recognize that this period of code blue can present significant challenges. It is deeply saddening to say that has now taken the lives of 19 people, 19 New Yorkers. We hold their friends, their families or loved ones in our hearts and each loss is truly a tragedy. On Tuesday, we heard from city agencies on what they can do to improve operations and outreach to protect unsheltered New Yorkers because when the temperature drops, our responsibility to all residents rises. And I'm grateful to every city worker who has not stopped in light of the cold, but continues to work harder because of it to keep New York safe and functioning for all of us who live here. I now want to turn to um a topic that we've been working very hard on, which is to secure the release of our employee, Raphael Rubio. So, I want to give an update on that. As I have said uh repeatedly, Raphael was unfairly and illegally detained. It has now been almost a month after he went to a routine appointment and he was then taken by ICE. He currently remains in ICE custody. I want to be clear, he is currently in New York. That's a very important fact. He is in New York because the day we found out about his detention, we brought in NYAG to file habius, which is critical to ensure that he remains in New York. uh on we have attended every single hearing that um ha that he has had. On February 2nd, his bond was unjustly denied. That decision is now under appeal. Um we are fighting that decision. We requested that the law department file an amikas brief on the council's behalf. So that amus brief was filed and as I've said from the beginning, there is no legal basis. whatsoever for his detention. He had all of his legal papers. We are working night and day to secure his release. We are in constant contact on a daily basis with Raphael's family and we will not rest until we secure his release. Uh last Wednesday and many of the many of you joined us at the ABNE breakfast. So, thank you to all the members who joined us. I announced a few of the major proposals that the council is working on, including establishing a new office of insurance accountability to shine a light on insurance prices that are uh hamstringing our small businesses that are standing as a roadblock to build more affordable housing. So, more to come on that. I also outlined our proactive approach to building more affordable housing. Looking at our 215 public library branches, looking at the over 10,000 deccast sites and some other ideas that we have that we're working in close conjunction with our land use chair, Kevin Riley, and with our land use division. Our plan to end the long-term use of no bid contracts where we could literally save billions of dollars by doing this. Um, and our plan to make outdoor dining year round. the plan to move Council Member Wrestler's bill forward and some other bills in a package. Um, Tin Cup Day. So, thank you to the colleagues uh from leadership who joined us in Albany yesterday on Tin Cup Day. We had a late night. I finished a testimony at 7 p.m. last night in Albany. Uh, we had a very productive day meeting with legislative leaders and we touched on some of the key priorities for the council. Uh, and I'm really I I'm going ahead of the program because I know he has to leave um that I have my remarks later on for you, but I really was uh so happy to see our new state senator Eric Botcher there who asked amazing questions. We are so sorry that you have left us in the council, but our loss is Alby's gain. I gave um State Senator Botcher a proclamation uh on behalf of the whole council to thank him for his years of service. we are really going to miss you uh so much, but I know we're going to be working really closely with you on the future and we're so excited for you on your next steps, but it was so great to see you yesterday. So, wanted to make sure to acknowledge and thank you now so much for everything that you've done on behalf of us. And can we please give state senator Eric Botcher a standing ovation for all of his service? [applause] >> [applause] >> Um, so back to Tin Cup Day, we advocated that the state fully cover the cost for SNAP, that it not be on the city's burden for us to pay SNAP. We talked about the importance of universal child care and the funding for that. We talked about the need to build more affordable housing to do more to address the crisis of homelessness. We talked about um our program NYC future funds to expand college savings program. We advocated for increased funding for NICHA to address the backlog of of repairs which is unacceptable. We talked about the need for increased funding for organizations like NYAG that are making it easier for our immigrant communities to secure important access to legal representation. And we talked about that that as the effects of ICE um linger uh throughout our city beyond the fear that they're stoking in the streets, we push for greater investment in early census preparation because and it's my strong belief that if the state were to invest $40 million, which was what the city invested in 2020, we would go a long way to making sure that our city is properly counted and that immigrant communities who might be reluctant to fill out the census, we need to be funding community organizations on the ground now to react against that fear. And that $40 million in 2020 yielded uh one of the best rates of return of any city investment, $1.8 billion a year that we are now receiving from the federal government as a result of that investment each and every year until 2030. Um the pride flag. Uh earlier this morning I was at Stonewall Stonewall along with our LGBTQIA co-chairs in the council, council members Sanchez and Oay who had organized this event this morning after the pride flag was uh taken by the Stonewall National Monument. Yesterday we sent a letter to the National Park Service demanding the return of the flag. This is truly unconscionable. Stonewall is clearly sacred ground in the history of civil rights in our country. And that first brick that was thrown in 1969 rippled hope throughout the five burrows and across our country and across the globe, catalyzing a movement for dignity, for equality, and for freedom. And these are clearly principles that we know our country was built on. They're principles our city stands for. And it's why we in the city council will not accept this situation. The pride flag, our rainbow flag, has long symbolized struggle, resilience, and community. And flying it sends a message to our city, our country, and to the world that LGBTQ history is American history. That is this flag of what we represent. It stands for love, inclusion, tolerance, and so we are going to keep fighting until the flag is returned. On a brighter note, February is Black History Month. So, Black History is American history, and it's a month to be able to honor the incredible contributions of black leaders that have shaped our city, our country, and our world. And so, we look forward to the continued celebrations, and I know many council members are doing some wonderful events. So, we really look forward to participating in those. February is also American Heart Month, a time when we raise awareness about the impacts of heart disease, which continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States. We also recognize World Hijab Day on February 1st in honor of um New Yorkers and millions of people around the world who wear the hijab with pride. And February 14th is also National Donor Day. Organ, eye, and tissue donations make it possible to have a second chance at life. So, we really want to thank all of the donors for their generosity. February 15th is Black Girl Magic Day, so we'll be celebrating in the chamber. So, please join us on the 19th for the council's celebration. February 16th is obviously President's Day. February 17th is Kasovo Independence Day and February 17th is the Lunar New Year. We had a great celebration in the chambers the other day and thank you to Council Member Jang who has given all of us. Thank you so much. Um, and I really want to in terms of Lunar New Year, this will obviously usher in the year of the horse. I want to wish all of our communities celebrating Lunar New Year a healthy and prosperous year. The evening of February 17th marks the start of Ramadan for our Muslim communities. As our Muslim neighbors fast from sunrise to sundown, I send my best wishes as they observe this blessed month, Ramadan Mubarak. I also want to acknowledge that we are joined by the incomparable former Assembly Member Jeff Aubrey. We so appreciate that you are here with us today. Thank you for your decades of service to New Yorkers. Can we all give you a round of applause? [applause] And now we're going to move on to our stated agenda. First, we're going to vote on the following land use items. 7808 Lynden Boulevard resoning will facilitate the development of an 11story 100% affordable building with approximately 267 affordable and senior housing units in Council Member Joanne Areola's district. 247-56 90th Avenue resoning will allow the development of a new two family home in Council Member Linda Lee's district and Ethos Alcohol and Food. The council will approve an application for revocable consent to operate a sidewalk cafe in my district. We'll also be voting on the following finance items. A transparency resolution approving new designations and changes of certain organizations receiving funding in the expense budget. Next, we will vote on the mayor's appointment of Steven Banks to the position of corporation council. And today, we will also vote on the following pieces of legislation. A preconsidered resolution sponsored by council member Oay would call on the United States Congress to respect the true history and significance of national park sites including the Stonewall National Monument. We are passing this resolution um after the Trump administration as I mentioned took the flag from Stonewall and again this resolution is so important as we express um that we believe this is an unconscionable action. The council has called on National Park Service to immediately return the flag along with steps that they will take to ensure that the Stonewall National Monument, which is a source of such pride for all of us, continues to reflect the truth of its history and the community it represents. Thank you to the staff, Alejandro Car Javal, and to Regina Paul for drafting. Introduction 437A, sponsored by Council Member Lynn Schulman, would require the New York City Department of Health, the Mental Hygiene, to provide guidance on the health code to prospective child care programs applying for a permit. The guidance would include a visual representation of the permitting process and include information relating to any required license, approval, or permit from DOH or another agency. The guidance must be posted online and available in designated citywide languages. This bill will make it easier to build more child care facilities across our city, which is incredibly important given the shortage of child care facilities. Thank you to the staff Christopher Pepe, Jessica Boule, and Simita Desmuk for their work on this. Introduction 18A sponsored by Majority Leader Sha Breu would require the Department of Sanitation to implement a pilot program utilizing power washing machines to clean and remove odors and spills from sidewalk surfaces in commercial corridors by April 1st, 2027. DSNY would be required to select a pilot program location in each burrow that is five blocks long and accessible to mass transit and high pedestrian traffic. The bill also requires DSNY to report on the program by December 1st, 2027. Thank you to the staff Morgan Barrett, Samia Shell, Ricky Chawa, and Durk Spencer for their work. Uh, introduction 1510A, sponsored by council member Julie Juan, would require the city chief procurement officer to ensure that at least one searchable and publicly accessible online interface provides information about city procurements that exceed the small purchase limits. The interfaces would need to provide information at key stages of the procurement process including anticipated requirements, solicitation summaries, contract award details, and total expenditures upon the completion of the contract. The information would be required to be published within 30 days of the procurement event and pre-solicitation information would be required to be published at least 15 days prior to the release of a solicitation document. And finally, introduction 5A that is sponsored by myself would increase penalties for providing false information on the qualifications of any bidder for city contracts. A new violation punishable by monetary penalties would also be created for providing false information by a subcontractor. In both instances, the penalties would fall within a $1,000 to $25,000 range. The bill requires the mayor and the city controller to keep certain information on the identity of subcontractors who perform work on city contracts and the information will be compiled into computerized database. Uh this bill addresses some of the corruption issues that have existed in the past around subcontractors. So I want to thank um Alex Pollenoff, Jiari Frasier, and Alex Yablon for their work on this. So thank you for your attention to all of this. And now I want to turn it back over to our majority leader. >> Thank you, Speaker Menon. We will now move into discussion of general orders, beginning with Lynn Schulman, followed by minority leader Carr. Today we will be voting on proposed introduction 437- sponsored by myself. This legislation would require DOH to provide guidance to prospective child care programs when they apply for a permit pursuant to article 47 of the health code. Opening a child care program in New York City shouldn't feel like navigating a maze. But right now, for far too many providers, that's exactly what it is. My bill brings clarity and transparency to this process by requiring the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to create a clear step-by-step roadmap outlining every required permit, license, and approval and the order in which they must happen. It's about removing unnecessary barriers so providers can focus on caring for children, not chasing paperwork. I want to thank the speaker for her leadership on this issue, and I'm asking my colleagues to please vote for this bill. Thank you. Thank you, Council Member Council Member Carr. >> Thank you, Majority Leader. >> Minority Leader Carr, my apologies. >> Sorry. Thank you. I just want to say a few words about the advice and consent being sought for Steven Banks as our next corporation council. I want to begin by expressing my thanks to Commissioner Banks for making himself available to myself and my delegation to meet and discuss issues that are important to so many New Yorkers. It was an encouraging first step on his part and it speaks to the character, accessibility, uh, and integrity that we would all expect from a corporation council for the city of New York. However, Commissioner Banks has a rich history of legal activism that gives us pause about his appointment. From issues ranging from the right to shelter to sanctuary cities, we have philosophical concerns about the approach he would take with respect to important legal issues currently or soon to be facing the law department. We all know how important the role of corporation council can be. We saw it to a disastrous effect during the COVID pandemic and the fluctuating legal position the city took on non-citizen voting in the fall of 2021. Thankfully, on the latter, some of us had and won our day in court. On the former, many still hope and pray for a resolution. We cannot vote to confirm a nominee whose views mirror those we personally opposed at the ballot box only this past November. Therefore, I and colleagues will be voting no on this appointment. Thank you. >> Thank you. Seeing no one else signed up for general orders. >> Report of special committees. >> None. >> Reports of standing committees. >> Report of the committee on contracts intros 5A and 510A. Subcontractors and public procurement. Amended and coupled on general orders. >> Report of the committee on finance pre-considered reso 255 transparency reso >> coupled. >> Report of the committee on health intro 437A child care program permitting >> amended and coupled. Report of the committee on land use LU7 through 23 various reasonzonings >> approved with modifications and referred to city planning pursuant to section 197D of the charter >> LU 24 and reso 311 through LU26 and reso 3137808 Lynen Boulevard resoning >> coupled on general orders >> LU27 and reso 314 24756 90th Avenue resoning >> coupled >> LU30 and reso 315 Ethel's alcohol and Food >> coupled >> report of the committee on rules, privileges elections standards and ethics M27 and reszo 316 approving the appointment of Steven Banks Corporation Council. >> Coupled on general orders, >> report of the committee on sanitation and solid waste management, intro 18A, sidewalk cleaning in commercial corridors. >> Coupled on general orders, I would now ask that the clerk take a roll call vote on all of the items coupled on today's general orders calendar. Alle, >> I vote I. >> Areola. >> I vote I. Well, first I'd like to disclose that my son Matthew works for the Department of Sanitation, which is part of the trans uh trans uh trans >> the pre-considered reso 220 255. I would like to uh vote I on all with the exception of M27 and accompanying resolution 316 and pre-considered reszo 255. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'd just like to thank take a moment to remind my colleagues that there's a transparency resolution on today's general orders calendar and that you should disclose any conflicts before voting. Clerk, you may return to the role. Thank you. A >> I'd like to disclose that my daughter is a student in New York City public school system. I >> banks. I don't know, Brewer. >> Um, I teach at Hunter. I don't know if anything's on the list, but I do teach at Hunter, so I'll disclose that. And I am voting I for all, especially for Steve Banks. Thank you, >> Brooks Powers. I >> thank you. >> Kaban. >> Permission to explain my vote. >> Permission granted. >> Uh thank you. I'm going to be on I on all ex uh with the exception of um intro five uh on which I will abstain. And I just want to explain that um I understand the impetus for this bill. Uh and you know I am in support of making sure that harmful actors, bad actors are being held accountable. I absolutely support increases in fines. I support taking buildings from you know bad landlords who are putting people's physical health uh health and safety um in harm. But as a long-standing principle, I believe that criminalization is not equivalent to accountability. And there is a a specific word in the bill um that has been changed in this updated portion of the bill. So that word is offense. It's being replaced by the word misdemeanor. Um I have taken some time to talk with our legal team and some others about the implication of that specific word change and if it expands the arena or reach um of criminalization. And that's without knowing the answer to that. Uh I do not feel comfortable voting in the affirmative for it. But I do want to make clear um that I think we do should be doing other things. You know, we've had uh an opportunity to pass COPA, for example, to give the public an opportunity to buy buildings that have not been taken care of by the the folks who have been bad landlords or bad owners in those situations. So, I'm going to abstain on that and I look forward to continuing conversations um with my colleagues, with our speaker uh and our our legal team uh on related issues. Thank you, >> Dear Rosa. >> I know. >> Denowitz, >> I know. >> And I vote I >> Epstein I know. Faras, >> I vote I on. >> Felder, >> I fel vote eye on all. And also I'd like to disclose that I teach in the cutuny system specifically uh host community college. So we like to disclose that. Uh I on >> folks remember to start off with your disclosure and then tell us how you vote. Thank you. >> Thank you council member police general. Gutierrez. >> I'd like to disclose that my daughter is a public school student and I vote I on all. Thank you. >> Hanife. >> I on. >> Hankerson. >> I on. >> Hanks. >> I on all. >> Hudson. >> I'd like to disclose on the record that I'm a member of the Brooklyn Museum which is being funded in this transparency resolution. I vote I on all including and proudly for Steve Banks. Thank you. >> Joseph, >> I'd like to disclose on the record that my son is a student um New York City public schools that's being funded in the transparency reso and I vote I on all >> Krishnan. >> I'd like to disclose that both my children are student uh students in the public school system and with that I vote I on all uh and look forward to uh Steve Banks's appointment as the corporation council for the city of New York. Thank you, Lee. >> I'd like to disclose that both my children are students in the New York City public school system. And with that, I vote I on. >> Lewis, >> I'd like to disclose for the record that my brother works for the the MTA. And I vote I on. >> Maloney. >> I on. >> Marte. I vote I. Melee. I vote I on and abstain on M27. >> Morano. >> I on all with the exception of M27 and accompanying resolution 316 uh and resolution 269. On those I vote no 255, excuse me. Yeah, I said two. Sorry. 255. >> Thank you, >> Narcissis. >> I I don't see any NYU, so I guess I don't have nothing to declare, so I vote I on. If there's NYU, let me know because I don't see any where they benefit. Thank you. >> Nurse, >> I vote I. >> Oay, >> I vote I. Paladino. >> I vote I on all except my no votes are M27 with accompanying reso 316 and pre-compend reso 255. On all the rest I vote I. >> Thank you. Wrestler >> permission to explain my vote. >> Permission granted. >> Thank you. Um, I vote I on all and I'd like to congratulate our next corp counsel, Steve Banks, who I think is going to do a phenomenal job. Um, and I think we had a a really productive hearing uh last week and I'm excited to work with him in this new capacity. And uh, Intro 5 came through the contracts committee. So, I just wanted to give a little bit of context on that bill. Firstly, the existing law states that somebody who is committed fraud uh in can be sentenced for up to six months. That does not change with this legislation. Um secondly, what this bill does that's really important is that it increases the range of fines that can are currently capped at just $1,000 to a hundred times as much up to $100,000. And for major vendors who are committing fraud on city contracts, a thousand fine is not even a slap on the wrist. And so I think this is an important piece of legislation for that purpose. And it it increases transparency for subcontracting where far too many vendors just entirely fail to report who their subcontractors are, which is where so much fraud actually exists within our contracting process. So, I'm hopeful that this bill is going to make a big difference in both deterring bad actors and increasing transparency and accountability in our subcontracting process. Um, and I'm proud to vote for it. Thank you, >> Riley. >> Just have to disclose for the record that three of my kids are part of the New York City public school system and I on. >> Salam. >> I vote I on. >> Justin Sanchez. >> I. >> Parina Sanchez. I would like to disclose upon the record that my sibling is associated with CUNI BMCC and I also uh want to congratulate uh Steve Banks on becoming the city's corp council. Look forward to working with you and fully implementing the HEPS package that the city council passed. Uh not negotiating it down or watering it down. New Yorkers need this and I look forward to working with the city on full implementation. And with that, I vote I. Santos Hoso. >> Permission to explain my vote. >> Permission granted. >> I vote I on all and I just want to uh congratulate uh Steven Banks as our incoming corporation council, particularly as a former law department attorney. I was grateful to have the opportunity to speak with him about the importance of funding the tort division and in cutting down on fraud in suits that are brought against the city of New York and I look forward to working with him on that. Thank you, >> Schulman. I know >> Stevens >> I know >> Thomas Henry >> I'd like to disclo disclose that in FY24 I was the on the board of directors for Elmcore youth and adult activities one of the organizations being funded through the transparency resolution >> I and all >> Vernikov >> I and all except no on M27 with reszo 316 and preconsidered and no and pre-considered reszo 255 >> Williams the closing for the record of my cutuny affiliation and vote eye on all thank you I and all. >> Thank you. One >> I know except for M27 and the accompanying resolution 316. >> Council member Thomas Henry, did you need to clarify anything? >> I didn't you didn't record my vote. I vote I and all. >> Thank you, >> Council Member Dwine. >> I want to disclose on the record my kids go to public school and I >> thank you Carr. I'd like to disclose on the record that New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation is funded in the transparency resolution we're voting on and my husband is associated with that entity and I vote no on M27 with accompanying resolution 316 and pre-considered resolution 255 and I on the rest. >> Thank you. >> I speaker amended. I all and congratulations to Steve Banks, the new corporation council. [snorts] All items on today's general order calendar are adopted by a vote of 49 in the affirmative, zero in the negative, and zero abstensions with the exception of M27 and reszo 36, which was adopted by a vote of 42 in the affirmative, six in the negative, and one abstension. and resolution 255 which was adopted by a vote of 43 in the affirmative, five in the negative and zero abstensions. And intro 5A which was adopted by a vote of 48 in the affirmative, zero in the negative and one abstension. Introduction and reading of bills. >> All bills have been referred to committee as indicated on today's agenda. >> Thank you. We will now move into the discussion of resolutions beginning first with minority leader Carr followed by Council Member Kaban. Thank you, Majority Leader. I rise to discuss preconsider resolution 269 which regards the flag placement at National Parks property. Like many here and around the city, I am proud of who I am. And who I am can be described in many ways. a gay man, the son of a British immigrant and an Italian-American from Brooklyn, a Christian, a Staten Islander, a New Yorker, and of course, an American. Whenever those groups or communities or nations to which I belong are recognized, celebrated, or the beneficiaries of some positive happening, that makes me happy. When they're ignored, derided, or hurt in some way, I feel angry, and alienated, even when those events have nothing to do with me personally. And I think that's generally how we all feel as human beings. So as a gay man, I always want to see pride visible at places like Stonewall or the Alice Austin House in Staten Island. As a person of Italian descent, I always want to see our dedications to Christopher Columbus respected. But as an American, I always want to see the stars and stripes fly prominently at our law national public sites because that is the only flag that truly represents all that I am and all that we are as a nation. the multitudes of identities, cultures, religions, beliefs, and ethnicities. So, as we move forward, I hope that we remember the motto of our country plura basudum out of many one. And so, I think it's appropriate for NPS to develop a protocol for how pride flags may be flown at this site in the future and for other flags of interest to be council member at other sites around the country. >> But I cannot vote for this particular resolution. Thank you. >> Just a reminder for everybody for resolutions is one minute. Uh, Council Member Kaban, >> thank you. I am proud to co-sponsor and vote for resolution 269, defending our national monuments, including Stonewall, where I was proud to gather this morning with my colleagues, with a bunch of some of the most fierce, fabulous, strong queers, thanks to the queer caucus co-chairs Justin Sanchez and Chio. And this is about what these actions mean and how they're meant to affect us and our communities. We will not allow the Trump administration to destroy our collective memory and historical touchston. Our roots are alive. We are here today because of those that came before us and those historical touchstones are incredibly important and helping keep that alive. We are here. We're queer. We're not going anywhere. And we won't be silenced. and we won't forget our history. So, thank you and I urge my colleagues to vote I. >> Thank you, Council Member Schman. >> Thank you, Majority Leader. I am co-prime sponsor of resolution number 269, calling on the United States Congress to respect the true history and significance of national park sites, including the Stonewall National Monument. As a proud member of the LGBTQ plus community, it's quite devastating that the federal government is attempting to eradicate us along with the African-American community and many others. Stonewall stands for protest and progress, but now is facing regress. As an open lesbian, I am not less than and neither is anyone here. So, please vote for this resolution. Thank you. >> Thank you, Council Member Hudson. I'd like to be associated with the remarks of council member Kaban and we'll repeat we're here we're queer and we're not going anywhere. Thank you. >> Council member I'll say do you do you want to speak on resolutions or >> Yes sir. >> Council member Alce >> I would like to associate myself with the comments of council member Hudson, council member Kaman and council member Schulman. Um you know our our queer history is integral to the fabric of American history. Um, you know, Donald Trump is, you know, while we're we're here to advocate for our community and and all New Yorkers want us to to to remind everyone that Donald Trump is is potentially doing this to distract from the fact that he is in the Epstein file. So, he's trying to rile us all up. There's a pedophile of the United States uh who's sitting in the White House. He's attacking queer people, trans people, minority uh that exists within our society to try to distract us from the fact that there are billionaires and pedophiles who are are being held unaccountable within this country. So, I urge all my colleagues to vote I on this resolution. Thank you very much, >> Council Member Justin Sanchez. >> Uh I also want to express my support for Intro 269. I really want to give uh a shout out and a huge thanks to all of my colleagues who joined us today at this morning's rally at Stonewall. Uh between our uh fellow co-chair Chio, to our speaker Julie Menon, um our colleagues Tiffany Kaban, Crystal Hudson, uh Shirley Ald, uh Selena Brooks Powers, uh Carolyn Moly, and Amanda Faras. Uh thank you for showing your support to the community. The only thing I want to say is 10 years ago, I was not out of the closet. I would not imagine being in this seat as an open gay man. Um, but here we are because I was able to look at places like Stonewall and see myself and see the community and see something much bigger. I think it's really important to underscore that we're all Americans and that the American flag and the rainbow flag are not incompatible, but actually they mesh beautifully together because they represent what to me is freedom and love and expression. And so I urge all of my colleagues to join us in this resolution um and to restore some dignity to our national parks. >> Councilor Paladino going to keep it real simple, real short. It's got nothing to do with Donald Trump. It's got nothing to do with the Epstein files. Has to do with a whole lot more than that. And to call our sitting president a pedophile is absolutely ludicrous and way out of line because you could look at the Epstein files and find a whole lot of names in there too. >> Keep please keep it down. Let let the council member finish speaking. >> Thank you. >> And basically that's all I want to say. This is very uh discriminatory and I could stand here and tweet all I want and say whatever I want about uh former President Bill Clinton and his lovely wife, but I don't do that because that's not what this subject is about. So for a colleague in council uh to bring up the president in this disgusting way isn't necessary. Thank you very much for your time. Seeing no one else signed up for general for for my apologies for resolutions, we will now have a voice vote on today's resolution. If you wish to vote against or abstain from today's resolution, please notify the legislative documents unit by email or by approaching the deis. I will now read today's resolution into the record. Resolution 269 calls on the United States Congress to respect the true history and significance of national park sites, including the Stonewall National Monument. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> I. >> All oppose say nay. Any abstensions? The eyes have it. We will now move into general discussion beginning with council member Thomas Henry followed by Banks. Actually before before I do that I would like to recognize there was a vote revision resol 255 was adopted 44 in the affirmative and five in the negative and zero abstensions. Thomas Henry. >> Thank you majority leader. Happy black history month. How fortunate we are to celebrate this month in the presence of living history. A statesman whose legacy is woven into the very fabric of District 21 and the history of New York State. It [snorts] is my honor to recognize my mentor, former assembly member and one of the finest leaders in our community has ever produced, Jeffreion L. Aubry. For 32 years, Assemblyman Aubry represented District 35 with distinction, but titles and tenure alone do not define the scale of his impact. Born in New Orleans and shaped by service long before he entered elected office, Jeffrey Anne Aubry spent 16 years at Elmore Youth and Adult Activities as its executive director. Additionally, as speaker promp of the New York City State Assembly, he brought steadiness and wisdom wisdom to one of the highest positions in state government. But perhaps most powerfully, he became a national voice for justice. In this role, he led the charge to reform the Rockefeller drug laws. Laws that we all know too well disproportionately harmed black and brown communities through archaic and unjust policing policies. He championed the Halt Solitary Confinement Act. He fought to challenge wrongful convictions and worked tirelessly to restore fairness to a system that too often failed our communities. His work reshaped our criminal justice system. That was not just legislation. That was legacy. He also invested deeply in the district from advancing early childhood education to champion the construction of the Louis Armstrong Center and the Langston Hughes Library and Cultural Center, ensuring that culture, education, and opportunity remain rooted in Queens. Assemblyman Aubry is black history, not just because of the barriers he broke, but because of the systems he changed and the lives he transformed, including my own. His leadership shaped the community. Please join me in wishing him a belated happy birthday and thanking him for a lifetime of principled, courageous, and transformative service. [applause] District 21 stands taller because of you, Jeffon L. [applause] ABER. Council [applause] member Banks, followed by Council Member Brewer. >> Thank you, Majority Leader. I want to first take this moment to speak about NICHA and outline what I believe must be the focus of the public housing committee's oversight moving forward. Nitra continues to face a serious challenges including aging infrastructure and estimated 80 billion in capital needs. We cannot continue to delay meaningful investment. The tragic boiler explosion that took place in Mitchell Houses was a painful reminder of what happens when infrastructure failures are allowed to persist. It made clear that investing in NICHA's infrastructure is not optional, but it's urgent. We can't allow NICHA residents to wait any longer for safe and reliable living conditions. At the same time, recent reports regarding the fire at Boston Secore Houses highlight the ongoing need for transparency and accountability, particularly when it comes to safety and security within Nitra developments. Situations like that should never be allowed to happen. Residents deserve to know what concerns are addressed before they become emergencies. I've been working with uh colleagues to address the ongoing deficiencies at NICHA, particularly concerns surrounding the decision to limit capital projects uh to safety only categories due to capacity constraints and a growing backlog of work. While safety must always come first, capacity challenges cannot become an excuse for stagnation. We need a forward-looking strategy that not only addresses the immediate safety needs, but also invest in the long-term preservation of public housing. While RADP pack has been presented as a tool to help preserve public housing, I want to be clear, it's not the answer. It's not a comprehensive solution. Which brings me to a critical point. We must protect and preserve section 9 housing. Section 9 remains the backbone of public housing in this city and we cannot abandon it in the favor of partial fix and in some situations bridge schemes. >> Finally, I'm willing and ready and able to work with the administration to establish a clean structure transparent pathway for stock and that directly overseas. >> Council member, your time is up. Residents deserve clarity and accountability in a plan that restores public housing and is common. >> Council member, your time is up. >> In a system that has >> Can you mute his mic, please? >> Council member Brewer. >> Thank you. I'm uh Intro 516, which is uh on the agenda for today, creates uniform contract and invoice paperwork across city agencies. This idea came up in conversations with the controllers's office during the micro crisis and I think it needs a hearing and a discussion because we often have duplicative duplicative duplicative paperwork. Number two, intro 517 is about raising the standards for the preservation of biological evidence at the police department. I held an oversight hearing about the Eerie Basin storage facility fire in Brooklyn where NYPT stored a massive amount of evidence, some of which was destroyed. And that's the reason for this bill and to have a hearing. Also, I want to mention that Sam Gwimp, who has been with me for four years as director of policy and communications, is leaving to go work for the mayor, and I wish him the best, but I will miss him tremendously. He's a former reporter, former head of communications at the Department of Education and he will be a real asset to the mayor and I I wish him well. I want to also state that today at 4:00 I'm going to join the Manhattan Burough President to raise the flag at Stonewall and I look forward to it. Thank you very much, >> Council Morano, followed by >> Thank you very much. Uh, first I want to thank my colleagues uh, Council Member Zwang for this delightful Lunar New Year uh, trinket and uh, especially Council Member Sanchez who in a short time has already demonstrated a great deal of distinction as the chair of the sanitation committee. My son is going to get a big kick out of this especially because of the candy involved. And it's an appropriate segue uh to introduction 624, a bill uh that I am proud to introduce today to bring a little common sense back to New York City's trash containerization rules. And I want to be very clear, I support cleaner streets. Nobody wants piles of garbage bags attracting rats or turning our sidewalks into obstacle courses. Containerization in principle makes sense. But here's the problem. New York is a city of incredible variety. Not every building looks the same. Not every building has a yard, an alley, or a place to store these large trash bins. And yet, small mixeduse buildings, the kind with a deli downstairs and a couple of apartments upstairs, are being told to comply with rules that are in some cases physically impossible. I've heard from business owners, landlords, and tenants who are trying to follow the law, but literally have nowhere to put the bins. They're being put in an impossible position and sometimes being fined for it. Intro 624 fixes that. It creates clear automatic exemptions for buildings that simply don't have the physical space and a fair application process for others. It protects people who are acting in good faith and ensures the system works the way it was intended. This bill does not weaken containerization. It strengthens it by making it fair, workable, and rooted in reality. Because government works best when it recognizes that one size does not always fit all. And because nobody should be forced to store a trash bin in their living room just to comply with city rules. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this measure and bringing some practical common sense relief to the New York to New Yorkers who deserve it. >> Council memberang followed by Pina Sanchez. >> Thank you, Majority Leader. I want to wish everyone a very happy and healthy Luna new year. It's a year of horse while we celebrate the year of the horse which is uh marked by resilience and leadership and I look forward to bring that to our life with all of you and we will lead this the way and the fight for all. In that spirit today I want to introduce a bill to ask everyone make our children's life better. Every child deserves the education that meet them where they are and help them to grow. But like everything else in this city, children in the out borrow have less than others. In this case, less access to gifted talented program. Children from lower income families also have less access. And the children from the family doesn't speak English has less access. It's sad. well known in our black and brown community doesn't have enough either. Talented black and brown children have the same need have the same chance to get in those specialized or gifted and talented program. We are denying a lot of black and brown children have the opportunity and that must end. We should not think about imila elimating these programs. We should have expanding them so every child who can benefit from them can get into it. We need to create a more opportunity not less. I believe that all students deserve access to education program that meets their needs. Not ch and not student no student should be limited due where they live, who they are parents, what's their parents income or the language they speak at home. I urge my colleagues to um be the co-sponsor of my bill um for intro 6884 and every kids should have equal opportunity for gift and talent. >> Council member Council Pina Sanchez followed by council member Denowitz. >> Of the three million homes in our city, a small subset, some 10,000 homes are in hazardous undignified conditions. ceilings caving in, mold, no heat or hot water during cold winters like this one. And this is unacceptable. While most building owners are trying their best to do right by their tenants and their properties, this small subset of owners are chronically, if not criminally, negligent. They use New York City as a piggy bank for repairs, laugh at fines they receive and never pay them, and even fall far behind on their property taxes and water charges, all while tenants suffer with no recourse. No longer. Since the 1970s, the city has had the power to foreclose upon properties like these. But this power has not been used in nearly a decade because of flaws in the original program. Through intro 657, the safer homes act, we will reform the city's power of municipal foreclosure, the old third-party transfer program, enabling the city to remove the worst of the worst, most neglectful actors from ownership, and support responsible ownership, creating new ownership opportunities, delivering comprehensive repairs for the buildings that need them the most through a fairer, more transparent process. The potential of this tool is clear. You have to look no further than 2201 Davidson in my district where the former owner owed more than $25 million and had racked up more than 650 B and Cclass violations. Those are hazardous to health and safety. [snorts] After a long fight alongside the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, Legal Aid Society, and tenants who refuse to give up, this building is in in route to full repairs and tenant ownership through the city's power of municipal foreclosure. That is what we want to see. Thank you to the 30 council members who have already co-primed the Safer Homes Act, formerly intro Intro 1063 and now 657, because every New Yorker deserves a safe place to live. Thank you. >> Thank you, Council Member. Council member Denowitz, followed by Council Member Kaban. >> Um, thank you, [clears throat] Mr. Majority Leader. Um, yesterday in my district, there was a shooting uh involving three teenagers, uh, young girl, two young men, and one of them is now dead. Uh, and, uh, Chris Reading, a young 16-year-old man, went to law and finance high school. Um and the community as is expected is is reeling. All of us are filled with immense sorrow uh and immense anger. And we don't know like all of the stories situations behind what happened. But it it doesn't matter because a kid is dead. Uh a mom is going to have to do the most unnatural thing which is bury her child. um his little sister is not going to be picked up by him anymore from school, which he used to do, and his friends aren't going to throw him a touchdown uh so he can make the touchdown at the football game. And you know, while we have these feelings of of anger uh and and sorrow, and we're going to do everything we can to support the community, um in in talking to his coach, Alex Vega, last night, I I just want to take a moment um to also do something difficult, which is to show gratitude and not just for the community coming together now, but for all of the work our principles and our teachers and paras and our coaches do every single day. Like whether it's that that principal letting the kids stay with her during lunch, it's the coach calling up that kid to make it to early morning practice to make sure he gets to school, the paris sitting with the kid in the hallway, or you know, the the the teacher making sure the kids get out of school safely. Every single day, our adults are doing amazing things in the classroom that we'll never be able to quantify. will never be able to know how many lives they've saved, but our adults are saving lives every single day. Um, and I and I just for them I want to say here, uh, thank you. >> Thank you, council member. Council member Kabang followed by Hanife. >> Thank you. Today with the teamsters in the house, I am proud to be reintroducing the delivery protection act. Thank you to all of our co-sponsors because when workers are fighting for dignity and New Yorkers are fighting for street safety, the city council shows up loud and proud. And so, you know, thank you to the chair of the committee on consumer and worker protection, Harvey Epstein, for um the support for the safety of our city and our workers. Thank you to all the environmental, street safety and labor groups who are fighting for public safety and worker dignity. I think some of them are also on the balcony today along with the the team. So, shout out to that coalition. Meanwhile, Amazon is currently spending thousands and thousands of dollars on a shady PR campaign, insisting that drivers in Amazon vests, driving Amazon vans, delivering Amazon packages aren't Amazon employees and that it's not Amazon's fault when their vans create danger on our streets and they think that we're dumb. But the city council is not going to fall for it. We're going to pass Delivery Protection Act because every New Yorker deserves a safe city and every worker deserves a safe and dignified workplace. I also want to extend a very special shout out to my longtime staff member, brilliant collaborator and policy director, Nomi Tinkkelman. She has been part of team Kaban since my first election as a city council member. She too is heading over to the mayor's office. Uh and Nomi has been integral to the work of our team and the accomplishments of our office for four years. And while I'm sad to see her leave to go across the hall, I am deeply grateful for her contributions. Every New Yorker is lucky to have her in public service. So, thank you. No me. >> Council member Hanife, followed by Narcissis. Leader, today I rise in strong support of the resolution I authored condemning the recent actions of the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the deadly outcomes we have seen in Minneapolis following Operation Metro Surge. Renee Nicole Good and Alex Jeffrey Prey were shot and killed. We also lift up Luis Gustavo Nunes Casares Heraldo Luna Scampos Victor Manuel Diaz Paradila Luis Beltran Yanes Cruz and Aar Sanchez Dominguez. We condemn these killings. We demand accountability and we affirm that New York City will continue to protect immigrant communities and uphold con constitutional rights. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Shifting gears a little. Colleagues of the council, I rise before you today to speak about something that may seem small, but is frankly piling up across New York City. The pervasiveness of dog waste on our streets. This is a public health and accessibility issue. Dog poop spreads bacteria and pollutes our waterways. When curb cuts and pedestrian pathways are obstructed, it's not just unpleasant, it is inequitable. Last session, Speaker Menin's intro 281 proposed installing and reg regularly refilling dog waste bag dispensers alongside a public education campaign. That's a practical step that pairs access with accountability, and I hope you revisit it. While it may feel like your dog's poop is the city's responsibility, I must remind you it's yours. Pet ownership brings joy, especially in times of political uncertainty, but it also comes with civic responsibility. We are a proud city of dogs. Let's also be a city of good neighbors. Scoop the poop. Thank you, >> Council Member Narcissis, followed by Marte. >> Um, thank um I just want to say thank you to um Speaker Min for that bill. It is so important. Probably we take it lightly. As a former small business owner, I know firsthand how difficult it is to get subcontract. So subp prime contractor able to put their own family, their cousin, their friends to be the other subcontractor without giving you information. So this is a dying bill that we needed to pass. So I want to say thank you because I suffer from that. Um I just want to add for black black history month remind us that civil rights progress is never accidental. It is a it is fought for. As a black woman and an immigrant, I am proud to celebrate Black History Month. It is all of us decent folks that want a better world history. This is not for only black folks. Um for me, and I want to add something about Stonewall, the flag represent more to me. Stonewall is part of that history. I am not a member of the LGBTQIA plus community, but I support honoring the struggle folks that fought. They fought very hard for their dignity and inequality that the pride flag represent. And I support the efforts to see it restored as soon as possible. We should support communities seeking fairness and equal treatment. if you are a decent person even when we are not a member of that community. So black history month if you love James Baldwin just go read one of the book you will see how smart and and excited those books can be. So remember there is a lot of our brothers and sisters that baby in that community that you don't even know. So let's be fair to each other and I have to say we have uh Aubrey that did so much for our community. I want to say thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. um chair. >> Thank you, council member. Council member Malte, followed by Wrestler. >> I'd like to join my colleague Harvey Epstein, as well as local partners on the state and federal levels to express my resolute support for the Merchants House Museum as it faces an impending threat from a development proposed directly adjacent to this historic property. Built in 1832, the building is the first individual landmark designated by LPC in Manhattan and is the only 19th century in the burrow with its original interior and exterior intact. But more importantly, and the reason why I'm standing here today is because recently they discovered that it was a safe house during the Underground Railroad. It's the only marker in Manhattan that shows our connection to what happened in the bond bondage bondages of slavery in the South. It almost reminds me what is happening today where we see our neighbors no matter what they look like or what they believe being abducted by thugs patrolling our streets. These are the same fears that people had who were coming up the Underground Railroad, coming through the Barry all the way to the merchants house in secrecy overnight. And the threat that the homeowners had to also deal with knowing that even though they were breaking the quote unquote law today, they're on the right side of history. And so I hope my colleagues can join me today at 4:30. There'll be other colleagues and stakeholders there in front of in front of the merchants house on East 4th Street between Barry and Lafayette telling our city that we have to protect this history. We have to protect this building because as we see across the country, our h our history is being unwritten. Our flags are being brought down. and we must stand to make sure that people, especially the future, know what we did and how we protected this monument. Thank you all. >> Thank you, Council Member. Council member Wrestler, followed by Stevens. >> Thank you very much, Majority Leader. [clears throat] I'm proud to be, I guess reintroducing uh 30 plus bills today, but one I just wanted to highlight uh that Speaker Men mentioned in her opening remarks is intro 655, which would bring back year-round outdoor dining. You know, during the height of the pandemic, somewhere between 6 and 8,000 restaurants had roadway dining. It was a lifeline for businesses that were struggling. Uh going into the spring, I think it's like 355 restaurants have permits for outdoor dining. We are failing the restaurants of New York City. Uh so for the hospital, for the restaurants, for the restaurant staff, for restaurant goers, we need to bring back year-round outdoor dining and we need to do it right quick and make it happen for this spring. It's great for the vitality and dynamism in our neighborhoods. I'm grateful for the speaker's support and for her making this a priority at the beginning of the term. And I'm hopeful that many of you will join in signing on to intro 655 so we can get this thing passed and sign into law as quickly as possible. Thanks so much. >> Thank you, Council Member Stevens. >> Good sorry. >> Um good good afternoon everyone. Um today I intro a resolution alongside Deputy Speaker Natasha Williams, Lincoln Wrestler, and Sandy Nurse um calling um to attention and a problem around raise the age. In 2017, New York State made a historical long overdue decision when passing raise the age, recognizing that young people should be treated as young adults, as young people and not adults in our justice system. This reform worked and in New York City alone, juvenile arrest dropped by 77%. This is real progress. This is what success looks like. But while this policy was moved forward, the funding did not. Nearly $1 billion in the state funds that were specifically allocated to support raise the age remains unspent. And New York City has been locked out of the accessing a single dollar of it. Not because it's needed. It isn't needed, but because of a judicial tax cap and a financial hardship waiver required that simply does not make sense for a city the size of ours. Half of the young people impacted by Raise the Age come from New York City. Yet we are drained. The we are denied the resources meant to support them, their families, their community based organizations doing the real work on the ground. This is unacceptable. Those funds were attended to expand youth services, strengthen community based programming, ensure that raise the age is fully funded, fairly and fairly implemented. This resolutions are introduced today calls for the state to remove the tax cap, the hardships mandates and New York City can fully access its fair share of funding and investment in the young people we um also love. Fully um funding raise the age is not optional is essential. If you believe in youth justice, equality and opportunity, then we must make um push um make those values come to light. Our young people deserve better and I ask all my colleagues to sign on. and also happy Black History Month and I will see you all back here in the chambers on February 19th to se celebrate Black Girl Magic Day. Thank you. >> Thank you, council member. See no one else signed up to speak. Actually, I see council member Melee for general discussion. >> Yes, I would just want to like take this opportunity to say happy everything. Um, one thing I wanted to say I thought about council member Al Van. He was a statesman, someone that you will have to look up to. And he was he's like my hero from African-American day. And I wish everyone a happy Valentine's Day. Also, thank you. >> Thank you so much. So, uh, with that, the stated meeting of February 12th, 2026 is now by adjourned.