Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention, please? Can I have your attention, please? Quiet on the floor, please. Council members, please take your seats. At this time, please place all electronic devices, all electronic devices to vibrate. Mr. Majority Leader. >> Good afternoon and welcome to the stated meeting of February 24, 2026. I am Majority Leader Sha Abra and I'd like to thank you for joining us. As a reminder, decorum must be respected at all times. If you would like to follow along, the agenda for today's meeting is posted on our website. Please join us for the pledge of allegiance. Roll call. >> Alderall >> here. >> Areola >> present. >> Az >> presente. >> Banks >> present. >> Brewer >> here. Brooks Powers >> present. >> Kaban >> present. >> Delar Roza >> here. >> Denowitz >> here. >> Incarnation >> present. >> Epstein. >> Faras >> present. Felder Phelise here Jiro Gutierrez Presente Hanife >> here. >> Hankerson >> here. >> Hanks >> present. >> Hudson >> present. >> Joseph >> here. >> Krishna >> here. >> Lee >> here. >> Lewis >> present. >> Maloney >> present. Marte present. Millie Morano. Narcissis. Nurse. OS present. >> Paladino wrestler >> here. >> Riley >> present. >> Salam >> present. >> Justin Sanchez >> sap. Pyina Sanchez >> present. >> Santos Soso >> here. >> Shman >> here. >> Stevens >> still here. >> Thomas Henry >> present. >> Present. Bernov Williams >> present. >> One Felder. >> Wang here. President. >> Thank you. >> Council member one is present. >> Moreno >> here. Jang >> here. Carr Abrau >> present. >> Speaker men >> here. >> Invocation >> none. >> Adoption of minutes >> none. >> Thank you. We will now ask council member Chris Marty for the adoption of minutes. I make the motion that the minutes of the stated meeting January 29, 2026 and February 12th, 2026 be adopted as printed. >> Messages and papers from the mayor. >> M41, mayoral appointment >> referred to rules. >> M42, city debt and reserves >> received, ordered, printed, and filed. >> Communication from city, county, and borrow offices. >> M 43 and 44, budget modifications >> referred to finance. >> Petitions and communications, >> none. Oh, >> land use call-ups >> M45 through M47. >> Coupled on call-up vote. I would now ask that the clerk take a roll call vote on today's land use call-ups. >> Aldibol >> I. >> Areola. >> I vote I. >> Thank you. Ailles >> I. >> Banks. >> I. >> Brewer. >> Yes. Brooks Powers, >> please come back to me. >> Sure. >> Gaban, >> I roll. >> Dear Rosa, >> I >> Denowitz. >> I >> and Carnos. >> I >> Epstein Faras. >> I know. >> Felder. I >> fel >> I council member Epstein land use call-ups >> thank you >> Janaro Gutierrez >> I >> Hanife >> Hankerson >> I >> Hanks >> I >> Hudson I >> Joseph. >> I >> Krishnan. >> I >> Lee. >> I >> Lewis. >> I >> Maloney. >> I >> Marte. >> I >> Millie Morano. >> Hi >> Narcissis. Nurse, >> I vote I. >> Jose, >> I vote I. >> Paladino >> I. >> Wrestler Riley. >> I >> Salam. >> Vay. >> Justin Sanchez. >> I >> Parina Sanchez. >> Sant. Oh, excuse me. Thank you, Council Member Sanchez. Santoso, >> I >> Schulman. >> I >> Thank you, >> Stevens. >> I >> Thomas Henry. >> I >> Vernov. >> I >> Williams. >> I would I >> One. >> I. >> Thank you. Wang, >> I vote. I >> Juang. >> I >> Brooks Powers. >> I vote I with the exception of LU3, four, and five. >> Council member Brooks Powers is a land use call-ups. >> Oh, sorry. I >> thank you. Carr i. Abrau. >> I >> Speaker men >> I. >> Today's land use call-ups are adopted by a vote of 46 in the affirmative and zero in the negative. Thank you. Thank you. We will now have communication from Speaker Julie Menon. >> Thank you, Majority Leader, and good afternoon, everyone. I'm so glad everyone was able to make it here safely to work today. And first, want to begin by acknowledging the winter storm that showered our city literally in snow with the first blizzard in 10 years and almost 20 ines of snow in many areas. Yesterday, we had a full snow day for New York City public schools. I want to say first of all, we are very grateful for all of the sanitation workers who work tireless tirelessly throughout the night and continue to do so and for all the city workers who are clearing crosswalks, plowing streets, laying tens of millions of pounds of salt throughout the five burrows. As you know, we have a hearing on Friday uh for sanitation and disability committees. And so it'll be great opportunity for all of you to have your constituents come and testify at that time. Uh, winter storm aside, we have continued to work towards a New York that is safer and more affordable for all of our residents. I want to give a couple updates on some of the things that we have done in the past couple weeks. This past week, we hosted a really productive roundt with Muslim community leaders and council member Hanife to discuss ways we and the council can combat Islamophobia and secure funding for halal food. During the holy month of Ramadan, it was a great opportunity to hear specific actionable items from a wide range of Muslim community leaders, particularly during the Holy Month. No family should be worrying about access to halal meals. And certainly with the rise in Islamophobia, that is not something that we are going to tolerate in our city. Even a single instance has no place in our streets, on our subways, in our schools, on social media. As allies to this community, our voices must be loud. And as elected officials in this city, our actions must be effective. We've already formed a committee to combat hate chaired by council member Ysef Salam. And we already have legislation in the pipeline that would make the five bur safer for our Muslim communities. We are also in a landmark moment for political representation. We have the first Muslim mayor. We have the first Jewish speaker of the city council. And I think this is a historic opportunity for communities across the city to come together. On a lighter note, last week uh we were very proud to announce that a child care center in my district is set to open later this year. When it comes to accessing affordable, accessible child care, the five buraus is facing a real decrease in supply. We know the demand is high, but the supply is low. In the last decade, we've lost 853 child care providers in New York City and yet at the same time there is a real heightened competition for seats. Um, as a mother, this issue is personal to us. As a woman led council, this is something that I know uh so many members care very deeply about as child care clearly gives our children the strongest possible start in life and puts them on a path to learn and grow. So, I was pleased to join the mayor at the opening of this new child care facility in my district. It's obviously our responsibility to fulfill the promise of an affordable, accessible, and equitable city. And I know the city council is going to do great things ahead on fulfilling this mission. 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 truly moving memorial service that honored the irreplaceable contributions that Reverend Jackson made to the cause of liberty, justice, and equality. Reverend Jackson turned words into deeds, not simply because of the millions of people around the country and world that heard them or the platform he spoke from, but by the hope that those words awakened and the change that they unleashed. His words brought together the communities of the Rainbow Coalition to conquer injustices of our society. And while Reverends Jackson's voice may be resting, the charge that he gave us rings loudly throughout our country and throughout the world. Ahead of tomorrow's hearing held by the committee to combat hate, I want to speak about the bills that we've introduced. In the past few days, we've had very productive conversations with Commissioner Tish and updated our legislation to account for the department's feedback. In short, the bills that we are hearing tomorrow establish clear considerations for buffer zones around the entrances and exits to houses of worship and to schools. considerations that both protect access as well as strongly protect protesters first amendment rights. So to be clear, these bills do not infringe on protest rights, labor rights, or create any new criminal penalties. What they do is really protect the safe access to these institutions as well as increasing transparency for congregants, for students, and for protesters alike. Because what happened at Parky's Synagogue and in the Q Garden should never happen again. Incorporating the NYPD's input reinforces our commitment to the public safety of all New Yorkers and we are grateful for that and we can move forward with the AY's support. Turning to moments of cultural significance, there are a lot of them, so get ready. In a few days, we're going to celebrate Dominican Independence Day. Yay. Yay. Yay. New York City is so proud to be home to such a dynamic Dominican community. It's critical that we honor the community's many contributions to our city and well beyond. Tomorrow, and I hope every member will be able to join us, we're going to be hosting a Dominican Republic Independence Day celebration right here in the council chambers at 5:30. And I want to thank all of the council members who have organized this annual celebration. March is almost here and that means we're celebrating Women's History Month. So, it so proud uh to lead our historic Women Majority Council, which has demonstrated to the city and the world what strong women's leadership looks like. Women are the cornerstone of society and the backbone of our families. When women are healthy, safe, and have access to opportunities, we all succeed. I look forward to continuing our progress together to advance solutions to support women across the city to address disparities and inequities and create a more equitable city. So, happy Women's History Month to all. March 1st is also Independence Movement Day, an important day for our Korean-American community in commemoration of the March 1st Movement for Liberation and Independence. So, please join our Korean-American community in celebrating this important day. March is also Greek American Heritage Month and Irishamean Heritage Month. So, both uh we look forward to celebrating the contributions of both our Greek and Irish communities here in New York City and around the world. This year, PUM is being observed on Monday evening and Tuesday of next week. But earlier this morning, we brought the joy of Purum to the council with a hamandash and tasting by the rotunda joined by JCRC and so many council members of every faith. I really want to wish everyone a very happy pum. I there may still be hamashan out there. I'm not sure. Hopefully everyone got to participate in it. Uh before we continue, please join me in wishing a very happy birthday to council member Ysef Salam. and on Zoom, Council Member Selena Brooks Powers. Now, we're going to move on to our stated agenda. So, first we'll vote on the following land use items. 217-14 24th Avenue will facilitate the development of a new 8-story residential and senior housing building with approximately 248 apartments, including 55 affordable units under MIH option 2 and 65 senior housing units in council member Vicky Paladino's district. 63-12 Broadway resoning will allow the development of a new ninestory mixeduse commercial residential building with approximately 67 units approximately 17 of which will be affordable in council member Julie Juan's district. The council is modifying this application to strike MIH option 2 and to add MIH option three. Seaside Park and Community Arts Center is an application by New York EDC to facilitate the improvement and reactivation of the Seaside Park and Community Arts Center outdoor amphitheater. That is a mouthful. in Council Member Kayla Santiso's district. Prospect Farm acquisition approval of the parks department's acquisition of a community garden in Council Member Shahana Hanife's district allowing the garden to be eligible for public services and capital improvements through the Green Thumb program. Constellation HPD will facilitate the development of eight new affordable home ownership buildings on vacant city-owned land, including 96 affordable home ownership units to be developed by Habitat for Humanity in partnership with HPD in the Bedford, Brownsville, East Flat, East Flatbush, and East New York neighborhoods in Council Member Darlene Mey and Chris Banks districts. 1417 Avenue U will facilitate the development of a new seven-story mixeduse building with approximately 76 units, 23 of which will be affordable under MIH option 2 in council member Univerikov's district. The council is modifying the application to strike MIH option one and require MIH option two. Landmarks Preservation Commission designation of two historic districts in Council Member Rita Joseph's district. Beverly Square West Historic District and Dipmas Park West Historic District located in Flatbush, Brooklyn are characterized by freestanding houses built in the late Queen Anne early colonial revival and shingle styles. Today we will also vote on the following pieces of legislation. Resolution 210 sponsored by council member Shahana Hanife would condemn the fatal shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Jeffrey Prey by federal immigration authorities. Thank you to our staff Nicole Kata and Rebecca Berilla for your work on this. Introduction 257- sponsored by council member Rita Joseph would allow open street partners to request special activation opportunities during holidays or other periods of high pedestrian activity. Thank you to our staff Mark Chen and Jessica Boule. Introduction 68A sponsored by Majority Leader Sha Abrao would require news rack owners to provide their email address to the Department of Transportation permit electronic communication and improve enforcement options. Thank you to staff Mark Chen. Introduction 448-B sponsored by council member Althia Stevens would modernize the structure and responsibilities of the youth board. Thank you to the staff Ria Agassi Wara and Elizabeth Arts. Introduction 29- sponsored by Council Member Farah Lewis would require the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to regularly report on deaths by suicide in New York City and on suicide related behaviors amongst youth. Thank you to Sarah Suture and Justin Campos from our team. Introduction 203- sponsored by Council Member Jennifer Gutierrez, would require the Department of Education to report quarterly on invoices received from early childhood care and education providers that the DOE has contracted with to provide these services. Thank you to Alejandro Caravel, Khloe Rivera, and Katie Selena for their help. Introduction 2B sponsored by myself would create a 90-day default timeline for emergency procurements subject to extension with approval by the controller and corp council. So cutting down on long-term no bid contracts. Thank you to the staff, Alex Pollenov, Jiari Frasier, and Alex Yablan. And thank you for your attention to this. Now I'm going to turn it back over to our majority leader. >> Thank you, Speaker Menon. We will now move into discussion of general orders beginning with council member Hanife followed by Council Member Banks. >> Thank you, Majority Leader. Today I am proud to vote yes on the Prospect Farm acquisition in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn. This action transfers Prospect Farm into permanent public ownership under the parks department, protecting a beloved community built farm and shared green space for generations to come. This public ownership secures its long-term environmental stewardship and collective farm model while safeguarding the site from displacement. Prosec Farm also sits directly adjacent to the DOT Celely Street Bridge reconstruction project which will involve significant design and accessibility considerations. Because of that proximity, strong and binding inter agency coordination is essential to ensure that planning for both sites is thoughtful, transparent, and responsive to community needs. For that reason, I was encouraged to receive a joint letter from DOT Brooklyn bureau commissioner Keith Bray and parks act acting deputy Merritt Larson committed committing to coordinate inter agency planning and meaningful community engagement following the acquisition. This acquisition represents a rare opportunity to preserve a community-built open space as permanent public land while setting a strong standard for cross agency coordination and public engagement. I urge my colleagues to vote yes. >> Thank you, Council Member Hanife. And as a reminder to everyone uh to keep your remarks uh within two minutes, Council Member Banks, followed by Council Member Lewis. >> Uh thank you, Mr. Majority Leader. First of all, when I took office, I made a prior priority to ensure that development in the 42nd Council District created real opportunities for our community to own part of its future. Today represents that kind of moment. The Constellation Project uh reflects uh what development should look like when it's intentional, community rooted, and focused on opportunity. It creates new pathways to affordable home ownership and not just housing but ownership. Uh that distinction matters. Ownership allows families to build equity, establish stability and generate wealth that can be passed down from generations right here in the 42nd Council District. You know, our residents deserve not just to live in their community, but to have a meaningful stake in its future. And that's why I was able to was fortunate enough to allocate $100,000 in total uh to support this project. And I believe deeply in what it represents, sustainable design and a long-term affordability for working families. These constellations will be transformative for the 42nd council district and it signals that we are moving forward with growth that is resident centered, strengthens neighborhoods and creates lasting opportunity. I look forward to continuing to champion projects like this throughout the 42nd Council District and I urge my urge my colleagues to support this. Thank you. >> Thank you, Council Member. Council member Lewis, followed by Council Member Stevens. >> Thank you, Mr. Majority Leader. Good afternoon, colleagues. Today we will be voting on Intro 291, a critical measure that strengthens our city's response to the suicide epidemic through transparency accountability data driven and data-driven action. Suicide impacts New Yorkers across every age group and background, including young people, older adults, veterans, and individuals who face barriers to care and support. This bill requires the department of health and me mental hygiene to publish an annual comprehensive report on suicides in New York City with data disagregated by age, race ethnicity gender method and geography. This information is essential to identifying where risk is concentrated and ensuring that prevention resources are deployed effectively and equitably. This legislation represents a turning point in addressing this crisis with urgency which transcends age groups and backgrounds. We all heard the reports in the past. Just this past year, we've seen a 14-year-old girl jump from an Upper East Side school due to scorn on her personal beliefs. A teenage boy from Staten Island pushed to the brink due to non-stop bullying at his school. And let's not forget Khalif Browder. We must rectify our policies that do not meet the urgency or complexity of this crisis that we face. I thank Chair Kaban, Council Member Linda Lee for their leadership in advancing thoughtful mental health solutions and the advocates and organizations Samaritans NYC, the Jud Foundation, Five Burough Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, who helped negotiate a sound and responsible policy. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on Intro 291. Thank you. Council member Stevens followed by Gutierrez. >> Good afternoon. I'm honored today to continue to uplift the voices of young people across our city by passing intro 448B. Today the youth board plays an essential role in elevating the lived experience of young New Yorkers and across education, healthcare, workforce development, and community life. With intro 448B, we are modernizing the and strengthening the board to ensure it operates as an effective accountability advisory board. This bill essentially establishes two term limits, reducing the size of the board to improve focus and efficiency and ensure burough representation and youth youth serving expertise and create a stronger feedback loop for DYCD through formal recommendations and public reporting. In short, it ensures that youth informed ideas are not just heard but act but actually acted upon. To the young people of New York City, your leadership is not the future. It is the present. And today we are strengthening the foundation that ensures your voice shapes this city in real and lasting ways. I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation. Thank you. >> Council member Gutierrez, followed by Council Member Joseph. >> Thank you so much. Good afternoon. Um today I'm really proud to pass uh one bill that is taking um a small step but an important step in really bringing the city to helping to stabilize our child care. This council is certainly not new to advocating for quality early childare education as well as universal child care. Um but under this uh new the leadership of speaker men and we're really um uh setting the tone early on in this bill. I just want to thank Speaker Menon for trusting me with this was her bill in the last session that will require the Department of Education to report on when they pay providers, if they pay providers late, if they are unable to pay providers, what were the issues? Intro 203 really seeks to help stabilize and support uh providers that too many times suffer in silence. And what that looks like are quarterly public reports on payments um including special educa including payments made to special education providers. It really locks transparency into law and it helps having an ongoing understanding if providers aren't are getting paid, excuse me, having an ongoing understanding if providers are getting paid shouldn't have to be law. Um, this system previously was so opaque it took external reporting and um, we're really excited that we're dedicating our um, resources and that the administration is on board. Late impartial payments really create silent suffering for providers. And while there's been small administrative improvements, we want we really want to be able to uplift the importance of transparency. We've had many providers have to shutter their doors um since the pandemic and before specifically because they cannot rely. The city has been in debt to providers. These chambers have been flooded with um providers, advocates, parents who are saying the same thing to us. So we are listening to them. We are prioritizing them. So really proud uh to work alongside the speaker, alongside Chair Denowitz as well. We heard this bill in his committee. Um and I thank you all for your support. >> Council member Joseph. >> Thank you, Majority Leader. Um open street program has evolved into one of the most meaningful investments we made in our community life. We began as a temporary measure has become a permanent reminder that our streets can and should serve people. First, they are spaces where children p play safely. Families gather, local artists perform, and small businesses see increased foot traffic and opportunity. Intro 257A strengthen that vision. This bill allows communities in organizations to request special activation days beyond regular open street hours, including moments like Memorial Day, Junth, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Halloween, and other time of significant pedestrian activities. These are not just dates on the calendar. They are cultural touch points. They are celebrations of history, heritage, and neighborhood pride. By creating flexibility within the programs, we're empowering communities to activate their streets when it matters most, when energy is high, when families are outside, and when local businesses can benefit from increased engagement. This legislation recognizes something simple but powerful. Our streets are public space, and public space should reflect the vibrancy, diversity, and spirit of the people who call this city home. Today's passage reinforce our commitment to safer streets, stronger local economies, and deeper community connections. Thank you. >> Thank you, council member. Seeing no one else signed up to speak for general discussion, we'll now move to the report of special committees. >> None. >> Reports of standing committees. >> Report of the committee on children and youth. Intro 448B, youth board. >> Amended on capital and general orders. >> Report of the committee on contracts. Intro 2B, emergency procurements, >> amended and coupled. >> Report of the committee on education. Intro 203A, early childhood care, >> amended and coupled. >> Reported of the committee on land use LU1 and Reszo 329, property acquisition >> coupled on general orders, >> LU2 and Reso 330 through LU6 and Reso 334. constellation >> coupled >> LU7 and reso 335 through LU11 and reso 339 Seaside Park >> coupled >> LU's 12 through 16 395 Flatbush Avenue >> approved with modifications and referred to the city planning commission >> LU 20 and Reszo 340 and LU21 and Reso 341 21714 24th Avenue resoning >> coupled on general orders >> LU's 28 and 29 14-10 Beach channel drive >> approved with modifications and referred to the city planning commission. LU31 and Reszo 342 and LU32 and Reso 343 landmark designations >> coupled >> LU's 33 and 34 33-01 11th Street Reszoning >> approved with modifications and referred to city planning >> report of the committee on mental health and substance abuse intro 291A report on youth suicide >> amended and coupled on general orders >> report of the committee on transportation and infrastructure intro 68A news racks and intro 257A open streets program >> amended and coupled. >> General orders calendar LU7 and reso 344 through LU19 and reso 346 1417 Avenue U resoning >> coupled >> LU22 and reso 347 and LU23 and reso 348 63-12 Broadway reszoning >> coupled on general orders. I would now ask that the clerk take a roll call vote on all the items coupled on today's general orders calendar. >> How's the vote? Vote I on all. >> Areola. >> I vote I with the exception of intro 257A. Land use item 3 and accompanying resolution 331, LU4 and accompanying resolution 334, LU5 and accompanying resolution 333 for which I am a no. >> Thank you. Ales. >> I vote I on all. >> Banks. >> I on. >> Brewer. >> I on. >> Brooks Powers. I vote I on all with the exception of LU3, LU4 and LU5 with all of the um accompanying resolutions. >> Thank you. >> Caban I and all Dear Rosa. >> Hi, >> Dinoitz. Hi And >> I vote I >> Epstein. >> I varias. >> I vote I >> Felder. >> I on all except number intro 257. I vote no. Thank you. Feliz >> vote I on all. >> Thank you. Jaro >> Gutierrez >> I on. >> Hanife >> I. >> Hankerson >> I. >> Hanks. >> I vote I. >> Hudson. >> I. >> Joseph. >> I on. >> Krishnan. >> I. >> Lee. I on >> Lewis. >> I on >> Maloney. >> I >> Marte. I know. >> Me morano. >> I on with the exception of uh LU's 3, four, and five and accompanying resolutions on which I abstain and on intro 257A on which I vote no. Thank you. Narcissis nurse >> I vote I >> O say >> I vote I >> paladino >> I vote excuse me I vote I on all except for uh land use three four five and six uh with the exception of all the reszos which are I abstain and I'm sorry and I wrote no on intro 257a and reszo 210. >> Thank you. Wrestler. I >> Riley. >> I >> Salam. >> I >> Justin Sanchez. >> I >> Harina Sanchez. >> I >> thank you. Santoso >> I on all. >> Schulman. >> I on all. >> Thank you. Stevens >> I >> thank you Thomas Henry >> I >> all >> vernikov >> I and all with the exception of intro 257 and I abstain on land use items 3 through 5 with the accompanying resolutions 331 through through 333. Thank you. >> Thank you. Williams I >> one >> I >> thank you >> Wong >> I >> thank you Juang >> I >> car >> to respectfully abstain on lus 3 4 5 and six with accompanying resolutions 331 332 333 and 334. No on introduction 257A and I on the rest. >> Thank you. Abrau. >> I >> Speaker Menon I All items on today's general order calendar are adopted by a vote of 47 in the affirmative, zero in the negative, and zero abstensions, with the exception of intro 257A, which was adopted by a vote of 41 in the affirmative, six in the negative, and zero abstensions. and LU's 345 with accompanying reszos which was adopted 41 in the affirmative, two in the negative and four abstensions and LU6 and reszo 334 which was adopted by a vote of 46 in the affirmative, zero in the negative and one abstension. Introduction and reading of bills >> all bills have been referred to committee as indicated in today's agenda. >> Thank you. We will now move into the discussion of resolutions. Council member Hanife. >> Uh, >> today I rise in strong support of the resolution I author authored condemning the fatal shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Jeffrey Prey. In December, the the Department of Homeland Security launched Operation Metro Surge, which saw the deployment of over 3,000 masked and armed federal agents in the Twin Cities, which destabilized and traumatized our neighbors. We saw residents exercising their First Amendment right to protest and to observe federal actions, an action that ended in the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, and Alex Jeffrey Prey. Pretty had his phone raised to record the multiple officers actions before he was pepper-sprayed, pinned to the street, and shot 10 times. We also lift up those who have been killed by ICE detention in 2026 alone. Luis Gustavo Nunes Caseres Heraldo Luna Scampos Victor Emanuel Diaz Paradi La Luis Beltran Yanes Cruz Sanchez Dominguez and the shooting of Keith Porter Jr. killed by an offduty ICE officer outside of his apartment. Federal immigration actions have caused irreparable harm and pervasive violence. We condemn these killings and we affirm that New York City >> will protect continue to protect immigrant communities and uphold con constitutional rights. >> Thank you, council member. I'd like to issue a correction uh on LU's 6 and Reszo 334. It was adopted by a vote of 45 in the affirmative, zero in the negative, and two abstensions. Next, we have council member Epstein. Thank you, majority leader. I want to thank the speaker and all the staff for the work we're doing. I know obviously it's Black History Month, so there's lots of events going on in the neighborhood. We have one in our district Thursday at William Jenning um art gallery. I want to thank uh Council Member Hanei for her resolution condemning the murders of Alex Prey and Renee Good by ICE. It's you trauma that we see in our country and that trauma continues every single day. Um, you know, we must also figure out how we keep New Yorkers safe. And it's been a little conversations. I introduced the bill around glue traps and there's a lot of information around the CDC about the the the health and issues related to good traps. I look forward to larger conversations in this body about it. And I just want to make sure that people know that Council Member Marte and I have really focused on our overlap in our neighborhood. And on Thursday night, we're bringing our nonprofit partners together who want to hear we want to hear from them directly to hear what their concerns are an opportunity to hear us talk to, you know, hear directly from them and concerns that they have in our district. And I hope enjoy the end of Black History Month. Thank you. >> We will not seeing no one else signed up on resolutions, we will now have a voice vote on today's resolution. If you wish to vote 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 210 condemns the fatal shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Jeffrey Prey by federal immigration authorities. All those in favor say I. I. >> All oppose say nay. >> Any abstensions? The eyes have it. We will now move into general discussion. Starting with Council Member Thomas Henry. Thank you. In this final week of Black History Month, I rise to honor the foundation and infrastructure we are standing on. Built on the belief that our communities in Queens deserve more. In our neighborhoods, service has always been rooted in who we are. It lives in neighbors organizing, parents advocating, elders mentoring, and community leaders building pathways where none existed. Our community has never waited for systems to save us. We built systems of our own. Leaders like Helen M. Marshall, the first black woman to represent my city council district, and Larita served as the first black Queensboro president, earning the distinguished title of mayor of Queens. But long before her title, she insisted that the government show up for the people. And that insistence became a foundation for what we see today. She governed with deep neighborhood knowledge and turned advocacy into policy. Her fight for integrated schools, senior and you youth services, healthc care investment, and scholarship opportunities did not just shape legislation, it changed lives. Her legacy helped build institutions that became lifelines. Elmcor, an institution Marshall was a key figure in founding, has served our community for over 60 years, growing into one of the largest blackfounded community-based human service organizations in Queens and a safe haven for generations of young people. The Langston Hughes Library and Cultural Center, where she served as the first director, has stood for over 55 years as a cultural anchor, preserving black history, amplifying black literature, and affirming the intellectual life of our community. And the Louisie Armstrong House Museum, where she helped establish, has been open for the public for over 20 years. and her advocacy allowed the home of Louisie and Lucille Armstrong to stand as a living testament to the excellence rooted in Corona and Easturst. This infrastructure lives in East Dhurst. It lives in Corona. It lives in the families who were able to purchase homes and build businesses and the >> Thank you, Council Member. Your time is up as we honor Helen M. Marshall. >> Thank you so much, Council Member. We have now Brooks Powers followed by Riley. Brooks Powers, are you are you online? We'll we'll go with Kevin Riley for now and come back to Brooks Powers. >> Thank you, Majority Leader. Today, I'm proud to introduce a two bill package focused on strengthening pharmaceutical supply chain resiliency and protecting access to life, saving medication for New Yorkers. In district 12, we have seen a troubling rise in pharmacy closures. Seniors are traveling farther for prescriptions. Families are facing delays in essential medication. Residents managing chronic conditions have come to our office worried about where they will turn next. These concerns reflect a broader vulnerability in our city's public health infrastructure. Between 2010 and 2021, USA Today's network citing data from UC Berkeley and the University of South Carolina reported that nearly onethird of US counties losties within New York among seven states where more than half of counties saw declines. This is a public health issue. When pharmacy access disappears in one community, it weakens the health and stability of our entire city. The first bill, Intro 715, directs the Department of Health and Mi mental hygiene to conduct a citywide pharmacy census, track closures, publish an accessible pharmacy map and study the feasibility of a city administered drug stockpile while also building workforce and and industry development pathways to strengthen local capacity. Second, Reszo 327, the Health Stockpile Act, supports the statewide legislation led by Senator Kevin Parker to establish a strategic reserve of essential drugs, vaccines, and medical supplies, ensuring New York is prepared when disruptions or emergencies arise. Together, these measures address both immediate access gaps and long-term preparedness. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this package. Access to medicine is not optional. It is fundamental to public health, equity, and resilience in New York City. Thank you, Majority Leader. >> Brooks Powers. >> Thank you for that, Majority Leader. Um, today I'm proud to introduce Intro 691, legislation that addresses a problem that we have seen time and time again. Truck rules that exist on paper but are not consistently enforced on our streets. New York City has clear truck routing rules. We have clear commercial vehicle parking, stopping, and standing regulations. But too often when residents report illegal truck parking on residential blocks or trucks traveling off route, they are told enforcement cannot occur because officers are unfamiliar with the specific rules. This bill fixes that gap. Intro 691 would require the New York City Police Department in consultation with the Department of Transportation to provide formal training on commercial vehicle parking enforcement and truck routing rules. This is about accountability and clarity when communities are dealing with block sidewalks, double parked tractor trailers, idling trucks near schools, and heavy vehicles cutting through residential streets. Enforcement cannot depend on guesswork. I must be it must be grounded in consistent citywide training. I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance this important effort and I welcome your support and co-sponsorship. Thank you. >> Council member Jaro, would you like to make a motion? >> Uh, thank you, Mr. Majority Leader. I make a motion to request unanimous consent to vote on all items. >> There is a request for unanimous consent to allow Council Member Gennaro to vote on all items on today's agenda. Are there any objections? Seeing no objections, the motion is granted. >> Thank you very much, Mr. Majority Leader. I vote I uh on all items with the exception of Reszo 210 on which I vote no. >> Council member Mey, would you like to make a motion? >> I ask for unanimous consent on all items. >> There is a request for unanimous consent for Council Member Meie to vote on all items on today's agenda. Are there any objections? Seeing none, the motion is granted. >> Thank you. And may I um I vote no on intro 257A and reszo 210 and land use 2345. Thank you, >> Council Member Banks, followed by Morano for general discussion, and I'm going to issue a new correction of the vote very soon. >> Thank you, Majority Leader. Today I'm introducing two pieces of legislation aimed at protecting homeowners and improving uh the way our city manages it streets. Uh intro uh intro 689 addresses a serious flaw in our tax lean notification process. Uh the security of home ownership in New York City is too often jeopardized by insufficient notice before the sale of a of of tax leans. Uh we have seen the consequences of this failure including in the uh in my council district where a constituent and property owner Philillmore Brown lost his home over a single unpaid water bill that should have never happened and because of because of lack of communication or communication breakdown. This bill strengthens due process protections by requiring the Department of Finance to provide notice through multiple verified channels, certify mail, email, phone outreach, where necessary in-person contact, and to document all notification attempts for five years to ensure accountability. It also establishes a critical safeguard. If a return receipt is not received prior to a lean sale, the relevant council member must be notified, creating a final opportunity for intervention before the homeowner loses their property. Uh, this legislation does not only weaken enforcement, it strengthens fairness and it ensures revenue collection does not come at the expense of due process and housing stability. Uh, intro 688 uh, focuses on the functionality of our streets. Construction projects and permitted closures are sometimes necessary, but not but too often they result in avoidable congestion that delays buses, disrupts businesses, and burdens surrounding blocks. This bill requires permit holders to establish and enforce designated no-standing zones along detour route detour routes to preserve safe and efficient traffic flow. Thank you. Urge all colleagues to support and vote for these bills. Thank you. >> Thank you, Council Member. Counciloman Morano, followed by De La Rosa. >> Thank you, Majority Leader. Uh first hats off to the men and women of the Department of Sanitation who did an extraordinary job uh with this recent snows storm in which my district and Staten Island saw 30 inches of snow based on what the Department of Sanitation said to me this morning. 30 inches of snow. The my constituents woke up this morning with hundreds of them without power, thousands of them not able to leave their block because they were snowed in or variety of other reasons and tens of thousands either having to report to school as teachers, principles, other staff members, or to take their kids there as parents. The decision to open schools today for traditional rather than remote education was a poor one. Some people have said it goes down in history with new coke and the decision to put hydrogen in the Hindenburg as one of the worst decisions in history. Um our schools were in Staten Island anyway were totally unprepared to have in-person education today. If ever there was a case for remote education, today was the day. And the proof is in the pudding. I spoke with all of our principles. Multiple schools reported 15 to 20% attendance. One high school had 180 staff members out. Several schools had 45 to 65 members out. Bus stops weren't shoveled. Yellow buses never showed up. Stop and drop lanes were unusable. Snowbanks blocked crosswalks. Special needs schools couldn't safely unload wheelchairs. IS-24 was without power for two hours and the kids sat in the cafeteria. What is the possible educational value of opening schools today? One principal told me that if they had remote education, they would have had 96% attendance. I hope that we can take a look at local autonomy and allow a little bit of flexibility for school districts that don't have a subway and are car dependent. Thank you. Thank you, Council Member Dea Rosa. >> Thank you so much, Mr. Majority Leader. Tough act to follow um from my colleague, but um on a lighter note, I'd like to take a point of privilege to recognize Kiana Diaz, who currently serves as my chief of staff. She began her career in public service over a decade ago right here in the city council as an intern for former council member Rodriguez, and she is now my deputy chief of staff, serving those same community. She's been an everpresent voice for our community and tomorrow is her last day with the council. Even as she transitions to her new role as district manager for Manhattan Community Board 12, we know that her phone will never stop ringing because requests for budgets, seeking assistance, and community concerns come with the comfort of knowing her as a familiar face. If Gail Brewer knows every blade of grass in Manhattan, then Kiana knows every tree branch in Northern Manhattan. She's our very own Mini Gil Brewer. Um, she has seen our community grow and now as a new mother, we are proud to see her as she grows on her own. City Hall and many people who have come to know and love Kiana in her time at the council will miss her and we are lucky that she won't be too far away. We wish her the best of luck in her new chapter and and we want her to know that her presence has made a mark in our city, in our community, and personally in my own life. Kiana isn't just my deputy chief of staff. She is family and we are not technically family uh figuratively family and we will miss her tremendously. Our loss is CB12's gain and we wish her all the best. Thank you Kiana. >> Congratul Congratulations Kiana. Council member Brewer followed by Menon. >> That was a big compliment and she'll be a terrific district manager. I won't compliment or say anything about the previous district manager. Okay. Um I know too much about that. So intro 690 um which would uh basically enhance the post act. >> Please keep it down in the chambers >> public oversight of surveillance technology is the post act and that talks about oversight of the use of technology for law enforcement at the police department. So this particular intro extends that opportunity to have oversight for all other agencies that are relevant to uh investigations. I look forward to your support. Thank you very much. It's a controversial bill. Take a look at it. >> Thank you, Council Member. Speaker Menon. >> Thank you. I just want to take a moment to say we have been joined by Era Lewis and his incredible class of journalists at from the Cooney J School. I want to ask them to stand so we can salute you. Please stand up. You are going to be you're the fourth estate that keeps uh honestly all of us honest and accountable and we look forward to working with you. We know you're going to be the next city press score here. So, welcome to the chambers. Thank you. And before the speaker concludes, I would like to issue another correction on today's roll call. All items on today's general order calendar are adopted by a vote of 49 in the affirmative, zero in the negatives, and zero abstensions with the exception of intro 257A, which was adopted with 42 in the affirmative, seven in the negative and zero abstensions, and LU's 3, four, and five with accompanying reszos, which was adopted by 42 in the affirmative, three in the negative, and four abstensions. and LU6 and Reszo 334 which was was adopted by 47 in the affirmative, zero in the negative and two abstensions. And LU2 and Reszo 330 which was adopted by a vote of 48 in the affirmative, one negative and zero abstensions. I'll now call on Speaker Julie Menon to close today's meeting. >> Thank you, Majority Leader. to the stated meeting of February 24th, 2026 is hereby adjourned. Thanks everyone.