City Council

who have joined us today. During stated meetings, only members of the council may speak. Members of the public shall remain silent. If you wish to express your support of any remarks, you may make the silent approval gesture.

And before we go any further, I also want to recognize we have a very special birthday in the house too, our speaker Julie Menin. Happy birthday, Speaker Menin.

And now, if you all can stand again for the Pledge of Allegiance. All rise. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

And now I'd ask our city clerk for the roll call. Aldable. Here. Areola. Aviles. Banks. Here. Brewer. Here. Brooks Powers. Caban. Della Rosa. Here. Dinowitz. Here. Encarnacion. Presento. Epstein. Presente. Farias. Presente también. Felder. Here. Feliz. Aquí presente. Gennaro. Here. Gutierrez. Presente. Hanif. Hankerson. Hanks. Present. Hudson. Joseph. Here. Krishnan. Very much here. Lee. Here. Lewis. Present. Maloney. Here.

Marte. Presente. Mealy. Here. Moreno. Here. Narcisse. Present. Nurse. Brooks Powers. Present. Hankerson. It's an honor to be here. Osei. I'm here. Palladino. Wrestler. Here. Riley. Present. Salam. Present. Justin Sanchez. Physically present. Pierina Sanchez. Present. Santos Suoso. Here. Shulman. Here. Stevens. Thomas Henry. Present. Palladino. Ung. Present. Vernikoff. Here. Williams. I'm here. Wilson. Present. Wan. Wang. Here. Nurse. Zhuang.

Here. Aviles. Presente. Carr. Abreu, presente. Hudson, present. Speaker Menin, here. Glad to hear it. Thank you very much.

We will now have today's invocation, which will be delivered by Rabbi Yossi Mendelsohn of Congregation Mahaneh Kadosh, which is located at 11012 68th Avenue in Queens. Buenos días. Good day. There are moments in life that force us to face what matters most. In times of crisis, we have to choose between the superficial and the authentic, between the temporal and the eternal.

October 7th, 2023 was one such day for me. It was a holy day, and my religious observances limited my access to accurate information. And so in that fog of uncertainty, my imagination ran wild with a terrible possibility. What if never again turned out to be a false hope? And I thought of my great-great-great-grandfather Abraham. My great-grandfather Abraham Barov came to this country escaping violence against Jews at the end of the 19th century, and he became the patriarch of 7 generations of New Yorkers.

He thought he'd survive as a poet and journalist, but when he saw the crisis of disadvantaged workers, he stepped up, leading the Garment Workers Union as they desperately tried to prevent tragedies like the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. His life reminds me that never again is not just about survival. Instead, it's about what you stand for. It's about what survives through you.

His fight for justice, fairness, and humanity continued the life and teaching of his great forefather, his namesake, the biblical Abraham. The biblical Abraham's message is this: as life is everywhere, so too is justice. Amen. its source. The source of life is known by many names, but really is beyond any name. The infinite, eternal, and almighty is beyond gender and class.

We are all contained and sustained by the same source. God is bigger than religion. There is no place No aspect of life where the Almighty is absent. And I believe that the biblical Abraham would see what's happening right here, right now, in these august chambers, as the fulfillment of his message. Look, women and men whose decisions will shape the future of this great city, and in many ways guide the course of the whole world, are beginning their deliberations and their work with a moment of sincere reflection and prayer.

God is here too. Even in the halls of human power, we invite a reminder of our sacred responsibility to humanity, that we remember to care for each other as the source of life cares for us. Amen. That we remember our obligation to uphold the dignity of every human life, to strengthen the families and communities that sustain life, and to craft policies grounded in compassion, responsibility, and the sanctity of life.

Never again begins in remembrance, deepens through prayer, but must live through action. In the choices we make, the institutions we build, and the lives we refuse to abandon, And so, let us pray. May the one source of life, Almighty God, guide our deliberations and our decisions. May we act with wisdom and compassion, humility and courage. May we affirm the dignity of every human life and nurture the families and communities through which life flourishes.

And may the favor and pleasantness of the All-Merciful and Almighty rest on our work for peace and prosperity. Amen.

Thank you, Rabbi Mendelsohn. I would now ask Councilmember Lynn Schulman to spread the invocation on the record. Thank you. Rabbi Yosef Mendelsohn has served for 16 years as the spiritual leader of Congregation Mahane Hodish in Forest Hills, Queens, a synagogue widely known for its warm, inclusive, and uplifting atmosphere. Over his many years of leadership, he has built deep roots and a broad network of connections across the rich and diverse communities of Queens.

A dedicated educator with over 2 decades of teaching experience, he also serves as the local representative for the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute, making high-level Jewish learning accessible to adults of all backgrounds. A graduate of the Rabbinical College of Canada, Rabbi Mendelsohn provides spiritual care to individuals of all faiths as a chaplain at New York Presbyterian Queens Hospital, where he serves on both the clinical pastoral training faculty and the ethics committee.

He previously chaired the Bible Studies Department at the Jewish Institute of Queens and is an active member of the Rabbinical Council of Queens. Thank you. Queens. He and his wife Mushki, who is here today, are the proud parents of 7 children and have 1 son-in-law. I now make a motion to spread the invocation in full upon the record.

Thank you.

We will now ask Councilmember Vicki Palladino for the adoption of the minutes. I make a motion that the minutes of the stated meeting of September 24th, 2026 be adopted and sprinted. Thank you. Messages and papers from the mayor? None. Communication from city, county, and borough offices? None. Petitions and communications? None. Land use call-ups? M92, Studio 54. Thank you.

I would ask that the clerk take a roll call vote on today's land use call-up. Alderbaugh. Aye. Ariola. Aviles. Aye. Banks. Aye. Brewer. Yes. Brooks Powers. Aye. Caban. De La Rosa. Aye. Thank you. Dinowitz? Aye. Encarnacion? Aye. Epstein? Yes. Farias? Aye, Your Honor. Felder? Here. Land use call-ups, Councilman. Councilmember Felder, land use call-ups. Yes. Thank you. Feliz.

Aye on all. Gennaro. Aye. Gutierrez. Aye. Hanif. Hankerson. Aye. Hanks. Aye. Hudson. Aye. Joseph. Aye. Krishnan. Aye. Lee. Aye. Lewis. Aye. Maloney. Aye. Marte. Aye. Mealy. Yes. Morano. Aye. Narcisse? Aye. Nurse? Aye. Osei? No. Palladino? Aye. Ressler? Aye. Riley? Aye. Salam. Vote aye. Justin Sanchez. Aye. Pierina Sanchez. Requesting permission to vote on all matters on today's stated agenda.

Granted. Aye on all. Santos Suazo. Aye. Schulman. Aye. Stevens. Aye. Thomas Henry. Aye. Ung. Aye. Thank you. Vernikov. Aye. Williams. How about I? Wilson. Aye. Won. Okay, Wong. Aye. Zhuang. Aye. Carr. Aye. Osei. Aye. Abreu. Mr. Majority Leader, permission to vote on all items coupled on today's general order calendar? I don't know, this is a tough one, Majority Leader.

Granted. I vote aye. Thank you. Speaker Menin. Aye. Today's land use call-ups are adopted by a vote of 46 in the affirmative, 0 in the negative.

Thank you. We will now have communication from Speaker Menin. Thank you, Mr. Majority Leader. So good afternoon, everyone. This week has certainly been no ordinary week, and Monday's hearing was no ordinary hearing. We convened a rare Committee of the Whole oversight hearing to discuss artificial intelligence. And I, first of all, want to thank all the members who attended.

It was just an incredible, incredible hearing, and many of you stuck it out along with myself and Chair De La Rosa to the bitter, bitter end late at night, and so really appreciated that. We discussed the benefits it may produce, the threats it may pose, and the responsible guardrails around it that we have proposed to ensure that New Yorkers are protected.

We listened to incredibly compelling testimony from whistleblowers that had come from all over the country, from experts, from academics. We heard from city agencies to receive their perspectives on the policies that we are seeking to implement. And we asked questions to the firms leading the research and development of this very technology. One thing was very clear: their answers were concerningly insufficient and hardly instilled confidence.

We are proud to be the city, let me be clear, with the most tech jobs in the country, even more than San Francisco, over 400,000 jobs. We're so thrilled to be able to have all of these different startups that are locating here, that are doing incredible work in AI around medical and scientific breakthroughs. We do not want to stifle innovation.

On the contrary, we want to foster it. And the best way to continue that responsible growth of AI is to ensure that New Yorkers have faith and confidence that the models that the frontier AI companies are releasing are indeed safe. So if it is, quote unquote, it is more likely than not that we would lose control to AIs and it could end in human extinction.

This is a direct quote that whistleblower Jacob Coxon told us on Monday. Then companies self-regulating this industry is one solution that accelerates that and that really can cause concern. So this certainly doesn't have to be the case. It's in our power to ensure that it isn't. And I'm certainly hopeful that our hearing can serve as a model for meaningful progress at the state— excuse me— or federal level.

And let me just say one other word on that. Obviously, We want to see action on the federal level, as I said on Monday. But there has not been that. And so in the absence of federal regulation, it is absolutely our obligation in New York City to step up when all of these companies have huge outposts here employing thousands and thousands of workers.

And as I said at the hearing, just like the pharmaceutical industry doesn't self-regulate, you of of course, have the FDA. Just as the airline industry doesn't self-regulate, you have the FAA. Just like the financial services firms don't self-regulate, they have the SEC and other agencies. So similarly, our legislation— and I want to thank the colleagues who introduced legislation— it— that package of bills, those 10 bills, are really important to ensure responsible development of safe models Moving forward, and as I said, I look forward to having other committees have hearings on AI and consider additional legislation as well.

So Monday was the beginning of that.

This morning, I was proud to make an announcement along with a number of colleagues here and the mayor that the council is expanding a pilot program that expedites the distribution of funding to not-for-profits. So that they can receive it in 30 days. Yeah. Yes, exactly, right? It matters. Successfully cutting payment timelines by around 300% on average. Together with the mayoral administration, this initial discretionary grant pilot had originally last year served 100 not-for-profits.

Now we're doing an expansion to benefit over 800 not-for-profits. That are working on the ground to improve the lives of New Yorkers. Specifically, this streamlined process eliminates over half a dozen steps of the bureaucratic odyssey that previously burdened not-for-profits. So we look forward to making it easier for more not-for-profits to access the funding that they were promised in order to help keeping the people of our city.

Speaking of essential assistance, Today we also announced that we're furthering support for small businesses through funding that will be used to install panic buttons and security cameras for small businesses. This is building on joint efforts of both the council and Attorney General Tish James to curb retail theft because employees must be safe and feel safe when they are at work.

As the city develops a permanent security program for small retail businesses under Local Law 120. This initiative comes in advance of its implementation. Certainly protecting public safety and strengthening economic vibrancy come hand in hand, and we are so excited to make progress on both of those priorities.

Yesterday marked 3 years since October 7th, the worst day in Israel's history and the deadliest attack on the Jewish state since its founding. Jews across the world remembered the terror of that morning. They recalled the fear and the hatred it stoked, and we mourned the innocent, unfulfilled lives that were lost that way. Over 1,200 lives that were lost by Hamas terrorists.

A few weeks ago, I was honored to meet with Nova Festival survivor Shalev Biton, as well as Younis Al-Kanwari, the man who hid Shalev in his friends on his farm, saving dozens of lives. They shared their truly remarkable stories, and may we continue to take in their message of showing compassion to all.

On a lighter note, last night the council celebrated Italian Heritage Month in the chambers with hundreds of Italian Americans. The Italian American community comprises about 10% of our City, and we're incredibly grateful for their countless contributions, which we commemorated with performances, proclamations, and plenty of penne alla vodka. And this weekend continues with Columbus Day celebrations. On Monday, we will also celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day.

We acknowledge our city's rich past, including the history of the Lenape people, who are thought to have migrated here about 3,000 years ago. Today, there are almost 200,000 Indigenous people living in New York City, the largest single concentration of Native people in the country, and we will continue to uplift these communities.

October 5th was World Teachers' Day. Education heightens our children's potential, giving them the foundation they need to succeed. We have almost 100,000 public school teachers in our city shaping the lives of 800,000 students, and the work that they do each and every day is truly invaluable. October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic violence is a central but underrecognized driver of serious crimes.

Last year, nearly 40% of felony assaults were classified as domestic violence. To make our city safer, we have to focus on reducing crime that happens behind closed doors. To our survivors, we see you and we support you.

Finally, I'd like to welcome some students from the Student Voice NYC citywide leadership team and their— Yes! And their mentors. Lynette Townsley. Lynette. The Queens Community Board 12 Youth Committee Chair. These youth have come from all over our city to see the lawmaking process for themselves. We have students here from Eagle Academy for Young Men of Southeast Queens in Deputy Speaker Williams' district.

PS 48Q and Life Camp in Councilmember Ty Hankerson's district. P.S. 95Q in Councilmember Linda Lee's district. Path Performing Arts and Technology High School in Councilmember Chris Banks' district. And Bronx School for Law, Government, and Justice in Councilmember Althea Stevens' district. Welcome to the People's House. Okay, thank you so much for joining us.

Now we are going to move on to our stated agenda. First, we'll vote on the following land use items. Sergeant R. Truth Mapes rezoning will facilitate the development of 2 new 100% affordable residential mixed-use buildings ranging in height from 6 to 16 stories with 457 housing units and 15,000 square feet of community facility space. In Councilmember Oswald Velez's district.

158-06 Northern Boulevard rezoning will facilitate the development of new 9-story mixed-use development with approximately 76 dwelling units, 19 of which will be permanently affordable pursuant to MIH Option 1, and retail space in Councilmember Sandra Ung's district. Council is modifying this application to remove a point portion of the rezoning area not owned by the applicant. 69-67 108th Street rezoning will facilitate the development of a new 11-story mixed-use building with approximately 59 residential units, up to 15 of which will be permanently affordable, in Councilmember Lynn Schulman's district.

Council is modifying this application to strike MIH Option 2 and add MIH Option 3, which will ensure deeper affordability. 21-3146 Avenue rezoning will facilitate the development of a new 11-story mixed-use building with approximately 70 residential units, up to 18 of which will be permanently affordable, as well as ground floor community facility or commercial space in Councilmember Julie Wan's district.

Council is modifying this application to strike MIH Option 2 and add MIH Option 3, which will ensure deeper affordability. 132 Melrose Street rezoning will facilitate the development of a 6-story mixed-use residential and commercial building with 18 dwelling units, 5 of which will be income restricted pursuant to MIH Option 1 in Councilmember Jennifer Gutierrez's District Council is modifying this application to strike MIH Option 2.

Fort Hamilton Muse rezoning will facilitate the development of 11-story mixed-use building with 292 residential units, up to 88 of which will be permanently affordable pursuant to MIH, as well as 200 parking spaces and commercial community facility space in Councilmember Kayla Santosuosso's district. Council is modifying the application from an RZX district to an RZD district and to add MIH Option 1. 2 applications in Councilmember Lincoln Wrestler's district.

Park Avenue Brooklyn rezoning will facilitate 10 new developments, including 4 education institutions serving 2,500 students and 6 mixed-use residential buildings with 391 units. 91-117 of which will be permanently income restricted. 289 Kent Avenue rezoning will facilitate the development of one new 18-storey mixed-use building with 278 dwelling units, approximately 70 of which will be permanently income restricted. Council is modifying both of these applications to strike MIH Option 2.

Add MIH Option 3, which will ensure deeper affordability. Next, we're going to vote on the following finance items: a preconsidered resolution sponsored by Councilmember Linda Lee, who would establish a full 40-year Article 11 tax exemption for 2 buildings in the districts of Councilmember Eric Genowitz and Oswald Fillez. Preconsidered resolution sponsored by Councilmember Linda Lee. Would establish a 40-year Article 11 tax exemption for one building in Councilmember Shahin Hanif's district.

Today we'll also vote on the following pieces of legislation. Resolution 458, sponsored by Councilmember Shirley Alderball, calling on the governor to sign S6487C-A-70333D to empower the New York State Council on the Arts to designate Little Yemen as a cultural district. Thank you to Regina Paul. Resolution 646, sponsored by Councilmember Amanda Farias, would declare October as Hindu American Awareness and Appreciation Month in the City of New York.

Thank you again to Regina Paul. Introduction 489A, sponsored by Councilmember Ina Vernikoff, would require the Department of Finance to create a centralized online database and notification system for vehicles towed by city entities or private tow operators. The bill also allows vehicle owners to opt in to notifications when their vehicle is entered into the system. Thank you to John Kingsley and Rachel Cabrera.

Introduction 684, sponsored by Councilmember Susan Juang, would require the Mayor's Office of Child Care and Early Childhood Education, in consultation with the Department of Education and community-based early childhood organizations to study how language access needs and geographic location affect preschool-aged children's access to early elementary gifted and talented programs. Thank you to Alejandro Carjaval. Resolution 328, sponsored by Councilmember Yusuf Salaam, would call on the New York State Legislature to pass and the governor to sign sign legislation providing a tax credit to businesses negatively affected by infrastructure construction.

Thank you to Tyler Walls and Rebecca Barrera. Introduction 799, also sponsored by Councilmember Yusuf Salaam, would require the Department of Small Business Services to establish a program to provide loans, grants, services, materials, or some combination thereof to support small businesses affected by city construction projects. Thank you to Tyler Walls, Rebecca Barrilla, and Jessica Boulet. Thank you for your attention to that.

I'm now going to turn it over to our majority leader. That's what I'm calling you. Still getting used to that, you know. Power's getting to my head slowly. Thank you, Speaker Menin.

We will now move into discussion of general orders. Under the council rules for general orders, members are to speak on the matters of today's stated agenda. Today we'll make a limited exception for Councilmember Deputy Speaker Williams and Councilmember Lee to recognize 2 honorable delegations that are here today. But we will begin with Councilmember Zhuang, followed by Deputy Speaker Williams.

Thank you, Majority Leader.

Today, today we are I'm asking my colleagues to support our children and families across New York City. Intro 684 takes an important step towards making every child have a fair opportunity to access gifted and talented education programs. Especially, 684 requires us to collect the data to see where the gifted and talented programs are and who has access to them.

This is important data. As a mom with kids in our public schools, I know how important the data is, and I know how many families, like immigrant families, low-income families, and minority families, face barriers that can make these opportunities feel out of reach. So this data collection helps us better understand those gaps, like how language access Location affects who learns about those programs and who gets in them.

Passing Intro 684 is a critical day for access and equity for all, because we know every child deserves a fair chance. And every child is talented in their own way. We just need to make sure children in all our communities have access to every program they deserve. Thank you. Please vote yes.

Thank you, Councilmember. Next is Deputy Speaker Williams, followed by Councilmember Banks. Thank you, Acting Majority Leader Krishnan. I want to give a quick shout-out to the young people who joined us today at City Hall for Youth Empowerment Day, representing schools across Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. Of course, a special shout-out to Eagle Academy that is located in my District.

I want to thank Lynette Townsley, the New York State Conference of NAACP Youth Division. I believe we have the president here alongside NCNW, BU, National Action Network, and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated. And thank you so much to all the young people who are here today for being engaged and taking an interest in what happens in our city.

We may have some future council members and lawmakers sitting in our audience today. Thank you so much for being here.

Thank you, Deputy Speaker. Now we have Councilmember Banks followed by Councilmember Lee. Thank you, temporary majority leader. Today I'm proud to vote— I think the proper phrase is majority leader and temporary. There we go. Today, proud to vote in support of Introduction 684. I want to first of all thank Councilmember Susan Hsuang for her leadership on this particular bill.

Intro 684 would examine how language barriers and geographic location affects access to early elementary gifted and talented programs. Too many families struggle to find the right programs and understand the process or to secure the services their children are entitled to receive. A family should not need money or connections or advance understanding of the school system to obtain a quality education for their child.

This bill will help us identify where disparities exist and recommend practical ways to address them. Again, I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of this particular bill. And again, thank you so much for your leadership, Councilmember Sawant. Thank you, Councilmember. Now we have Councilmember Lee, followed by Councilmember Thank you so much, Acting Majority Leader. I wanted to recognize some special guests that we have here from Korea in the province of Gangnam, which I'm sure you guys know Oppa Gangnam Style, right?

So we have in the back here, we have Chairman Jae Jin Lee, who is almost like the speaker of the city council in Gangnam. So let's welcome him. And then we also have Representative Chung Won Lee, as well as Representative Hyuk Yum. So we just had a meeting right before this to really exchange a lot of ideas on similar issues that we are going through as different cities across the world, and also to talk about how we can learn more from one another.

And so we are very honored to have them here in the People's House at City Hall, and hopefully we will be able to visit them, Deputy Speaker, on that delegation trip we've talked— been talking about to Korea as well. So thank you so much for being here and making the long trip to City Hall. Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember, and welcome to our students and to our delegation from Korea. It's very nice to have you here. Now, next up is Councilmember Wernicke. Thank you, Acting Majority Leader.

I am beyond thrilled to see Introduction 489A, which will create a modern, streamlined, and centralized towing database, passing today. Intro 489A will create a centralized online database of allowing New Yorkers to search for information on any vehicle that has been moved or towed from public or private property by a city entity or licensed private tow operator. This will replace an outdated and nonfunctional system that has frustrated many vehicle owners.

Most towers do not share towed vehicle information with each other, and there is no single database where the information is kept, so owners are currently in a scramble to locate their towed or moved vehicle. Vehicle. Once this portal is created, the public will be able to utilize one centralized portal that will greatly limit frustration, save them time, hassle, and perhaps some money.

The database will also have a function to allow vehicle owners to opt into notifications that alert them if their vehicle information is entered into the towing database. I'd like to thank the following people who have helped to see this bill through: Speaker Madden, Chair Feliz, and members of the Public Safety Committee, as well as a big thank you to my colleagues for their support here today.

I'd also like to thank members of the NYPD, DCWP, and the Department of Finance, and the many different agencies involved that helped to work out the details of this legislation, as well as Senior Legislative Attorney for New York City Council Josh Kingsley, who's really great, Executive Director of the Minority Delegation Peter Spencer, my Legislative Director Troy Olson, and finally I'd like to members of the public as well as the towing industry who came to me with their input that helped inform and shape the version we're voting on here today.

Thank you, and congratulations to all my colleagues who are passing bills today.

Thank you, Councilmember. Next up, Councilmember Ressler. Thanks so much. I'm grateful that we're only acknowledging you as our— Can I sit there then? Yeah. Hi, Councilmember Ressler. Councilmember De La Rosa, if you can mute your Zoom, please. Somebody want to do that for her? Thanks. I'm grateful that we only have to briefly acknowledge you as majority leader.

I'm going to gavel you out. You know, you're running your time right now. But a good day at the city council. Briefly, acting majority leader Krishnan.

I want to ask my colleagues to support 2 land use actions in Council District 33 today that will, in total, generate over 700 units of housing, but even more importantly, will legalize and add 2,500 school seats to our communities. We all know that young families are struggling, struggling to get by in New York City today. And the addition of these school seats, these yeshiva seats, will keep families in Williamsburg and Bed-Stuy for generations to come.

I am grateful that 10 distinct property owners came together to jointly apply as a part of the Park Avenue rezoning and have worked together to mitigate the impacts of these rezonings. They'll be renovating a handball court at Taffy Place Playground. And making other improvements to the community, and they are helping us meet a tremendous gap in school seats in our community, and I am thrilled about it.

I also really just want to acknowledge Mr. Rosenberg, who owns 289 Kent in on the Williamsburg waterfront, where we'll be adding about 300 units of housing in the former headquarters of Vice. So pour one out for Vice. But This is a good housing development. Mr. Rosenberg has been a great community leader and a great partner and has really worked well with our office to help address the needs of our growing community as a part of this rezoning.

So these are 2 rezonings we're really happy to support and, you know, really proud that District 33 continues to help address our housing crisis in this— in so aggressive a way. Thanks so much.

Thank you, Councilmember. And I'd also like to note the presence of Councilmember Tiffany Caban, who is joining us virtually. Report of special committees. None. Report of standing committees. Report of the Committee on Education. Intro 684A, Gifted and Talented Programs. Amended and coupled on general orders. Report of the Committee on Finance. Preconsidered LU146 and Reso 669 and preconsidered LU147 and Reso 670, Tax Exemptions.

Coupled on general orders. Report of the Committee on Land Use. LU131 through LU134. LU-134 and LU-137 through LU-140, various applications. Approved with modifications and referred to the City Planning Commission pursuant to Section 197 of the New York City Charter. Excuse me. LU-135 and Reso. 671 and LU-136 and Reso. 672, Sojourner Truth Mapes rezoning. Coupled on general orders.

Report of the Committee on Public Safety, Intro. 489A, towed vehicles. Amended and coupled on general orders. Report of the Committee on Small Business, Intro 799A, Small Businesses Affected by Construction. Amended and coupled on general orders. General orders calendar, LU-123 and Reso 673 through LU-140 and Reso 686, applications returned from City Planning. Coupled on general orders.

Resolution appointing various persons, Commissioner of Deeds. Coupled on general orders, and I'd now ask the clerk to take a roll call vote on all items coupled on today's general orders calendar. Aldebol. I vote aye. Areola. Aviles. Aye. Banks. Aye. Brewer. Thank you. Brooks Powers. I vote aye and like to congratulate I congratulate all my colleagues passing bills today.

Caban. Aye on all. Thank you. De La Rosa. Aye. Thank you. Dinowitz. Aye. Encarnacion. Aye. Epstein. Farias. Aye, but I don't know. Felder. Aye. Thank you. Feliz. Gennaro. Aye. Thank you. Feliz. Permission to explain my vote? Permission granted. Thank you so much. I vote aye on all. And as chair of the Public Safety Committee, I'm especially proud to support Introduction 489A by Councilmember Vernikov, a bill that would require the creation of an online database with information related to vehicles that have been towed.

Just imagine this, you park your car in, in front of your home, the next day you wake up early to get to work, while leaving your building you realize that your car has literally disappeared. It's no longer there where you parked it. You see nothing but an empty parking spot, your car is gone. The worst part of this is that you have no idea what happened to it.

Did you simply forget where you parked it? Did it get towed? Did it get stolen? Uh, This can create so much unnecessary stress and worry for New Yorkers. Many of us have been there. Last year, I was there. Last year, I parked my car and it was literally moved with very little— with no notice. I literally had to walk around my neighborhood for about 20 minutes before I finally found my car.

Introduction 489A will easily resolve this issue by requiring the creation of an online database so that if your car has been either towed towed or moved, you can simply enter your vehicle information and you can find where it was towed to, how to recover it, and why it was towed. So I'm proud to vote I know, especially on 489.

Congratulations, Councilmember Hernekoff. Thank you so much. Gutierrez. Aye. Hanif. Hankerson. Aye. Hanks. Aye. Hudson. Aye. Joseph. Aye. Krishnan. Aye. Lee. Aye. Lewis. Aye. Maloney. Aye. Marte. Aye. Mealy. Morano. Aye on all, and congratulations to all my colleagues passing bills today, especially Councilmember Vernikov. The more bills we can pass authored by Republicans, the better off our city is.

Epstein. Aye. Narcisse. Aye. Nurse. I vote aye. Osei. I vote aye on all with the exception of Intro 489, in which I abstain. Thank you. Palladino. I vote aye on all, and I want to ditto what my colleague said. Frank Marano. 3 cheers. Thanks. Ressler. Aye. Riley. Aye. Salam. I want to congratulate all those who are passing bills today, and I want to thank the co-sponsors, including— of my bill, including co-prime sponsors Ressler, Areola, and Abreu— I mean, and Abreu— for signing on to Intro 799A, and with that, I'm an aye on all.

Justin Sanchez. In spite of Frank's radical rewriting of history, I vote aye. Santos Suazo. I vote aye. Schulman. Aye on all. Stevens. Aye. Thomas Henry. Aye. Ung. I vote aye. Thank you. Vernikov. Aye on all. Williams. I vote aye. Wilson. Aye on all. Wang. Aye on all. Zhuang. Aye. Carr. In complete agreement with my colleagues in this row, I wish congratulations to Minardi Wernicke on the passage of her legislation and to all colleagues passing bills today.

I vote aye on all. Happy Columbus Day. Speaker Menin. Aye. All items on today's general order calendar are adopted by a vote of 47 in the affirmative, 0 in the negative, 0 abstentions, with the exception of Intro 489A, which is adopted by a vote of 46 in the affirmative, 0 in the negative, and 1 abstention.

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. First, we have Councilmember Alderbal, followed by Councilmember Farias. Thank you, Acting Majority Leader. Buenos días.

Today we'll be voting on Resolution 0458A supporting the designation of Little Yemen, a neighborhood in Van Ness-Morris Park, as an official New York State cultural district. By passing this resolution, we can affirm our support for the Yemeni community and our united stance against Islamophobia, xenophobia, and racism. Little Yemen is a vibrant community with a proud history that I have the honor of representing on City Council.

Its cultural institutions, community organizations, small businesses, and residents are an important part of the East Bronx's identity. The cultural district designation would not only recognize and celebrate the Yemeni community's rich cultural heritage and contributions to the East Bronx, it will provide new funding pathways for investment into the community. For generations, our neighborhoods in the East Bronx have been shaped by new people moving here from across the city, the country, and around the world.

Each new wave has brought their own culture and traditions to the area while also integrating with the existing— Councilmember. And becoming true Bronxites in their own right. This beautiful history has created a unique mix of food, languages, religions, arts, and culture that make our corner of the East Bronx and the Bronx more widely so special. And Little Yemen is a perfect example of this.

I'd like to thank my colleague Senator Fernandez and Assemblymember Zaccaro for championing this legislation in Albany. Thank you, Speaker Menin and Deputy Speaker. Thank you, Councilmember. Thank you for your support. Thank you. All right, all right. I see how it is.

Councilmember Farias. Be as lenient, Interim Majority Leader. Thank you. I'm always happy to uplift the cultures and communities that make New York City extraordinary, and to bring that appreciation into chamber through advancing Resolution 646 today, declaring October as Hindu American Awareness and Appreciation Month. Hindu New Yorkers have helped build the neighborhoods we represent, care for our families, educate our children, and sustain our local businesses.

Their faith and traditions deserve recognition in the People's House. Our Hindu communities carry distinct histories, including families with roots in South Asia and the Caribbean. This This month gives us an opportunity to celebrate that rich heritage and deepen our understanding of neighbors whose contributions we encounter every day. I want families to see traditions they preserve at home celebrated by the city they help sustain.

I want the next generation to grow up proud of that heritage with their government standing beside them against religious prejudice. And I'm happy to help create that recognition today. Additionally, I fully support Councilmember Alderbol's resolution, Res. 458, in designating Little Yemen as the Cultural District in the Bronx. And I thank my council colleagues and co-sponsors for advancing these resolutions, and I encourage all my colleagues to vote yes.

Well done. 2 seconds on the clock. Thank you, Councilmember Farias.

Uh, we will now have a voice vote on today's resolutions. If you wish to vote against or abstain from any of today's resolutions, please notify the Legislative Documents Unit by email or by approaching the dais. I'll now read today's resolutions into the record. Resolution 328 calls on the New York State Legislature to pass and the governor to sign legislation providing a tax credit to businesses negatively affected by infrastructure construction.

All those in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed say nay. Any abstentions? The ayes have it. Resolution 458A calls on the governor to sign Senate Bill Number 6487C and Assembly Bill Number 87033D to empower the New York State Council on the Arts to designate Little Yemen as a cultural district. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye.

All opposed, say nay. Any abstentions? The ayes have it. Resolution 646 declares October as Hindu American Awareness and Appreciation Month in the City of New York. All those in favor, please say aye. Aye. All opposed say nay. Any abstentions? The ayes have it.

We will now move into general discussion. All right, here's how we're going to do this. I'm going to ask everyone to please stick to their time limit. The quicker you all finish, the quicker this ends for all of us. All right. I'm running a different ship. I'm running a tight ship here. All right. Councilmember Farah Lewis, followed by Councilmember Banks.

Thank you, Mr. Majority Leader. I need to say something that does not— that does— that doesn't get often said. Being a Black woman in America is an act of endurance. Every single day we navigate a world that was not designed with us in mind, a healthcare system that has historically diminished our pain, minimized our concerns, and delivered delivered us as subpar— delivered us subpar care.

We— sorry. We walk into doctors' offices and have to fight to be heard, and we are dying at rates that should shock and shock the conscience of every person in this chamber. So we have to fight. We have to legislate, and we have to demand that the healthcare system that is supposed to serve us actually does. One of the most significant and most overlooked One of the most pressing crises in Black women's reproductive health has been uterine fibroids.

Studies show that more than 80% of Black women will develop fibroids by the age of 50. Black women experience a nearly threefold higher incidence rate and are more likely to undergo surgery, and fibroids remain the leading cause of hysterectomies in the United States, many of which may be preventable with earlier diagnosis and better options. Intro 1113. Would require the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to develop mandatory training for healthcare providers on the diagnosis and treatment of uterine fibroids, and Intro 1114 would require the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to report annually on cervical and ovarian cancer screenings and diagnosis across New York City.

Together, these bills demand better data and better care because Black women deserve it. I urge my colleagues to support both intros. Thank you. Thank you so much, Councilmember Lewis.

Councilmember Banks, followed by Councilmember Wilson. Uh, thank you, Majority Leader. I want to first recognize our Deputy Leader Speaker, Dr. Natasha Williams, for sponsoring Resolution, uh, 193 back in, um, 2024, which I was proud to co-sponsor, which designated October as Youth Empowerment Month here in the City of New York. And in that spirit, I also want I want to take the opportunity and time to welcome the young people and educators and mentors and community organizations who joined us today at City Hall.

I want to thank you for your work and all the work that you've done to educate and encourage and empower young people across the city. A special shout-out goes to the students from Pat High School in my district, and also I want to thank you for coming to City Hall and participating in the CIPIC process and representing the 42nd Council District.

And also want to, with the remainder of my time, I want to take this time to give condolences and recognition to the mighty, mighty Sparrow and his recent passing. We've known him as the Slinger Francesco, at the current Trinidadian serving the New York City Council. It was a major loss that hit especially close to home. Like some, many Trinidadians and Tobagonians, members of the Caribbean community who grew up to Mighty Sparrow's music, all around me, family, friends, gatherings.

We know how important his life was to calypso, especially in the Caribbean and here throughout the United States. So again, our condolences. to his family and to all the Caribbeans here in New York City. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember.

Councilmember Wilson, followed by Councilmember Santuoso. Thank you to the Honorable Acting Majority Leader. The bill I'm formally introducing today, Intro 1130, pushes for more transparency, accuracy, and accountability in AI advertising. It requires that advertisements for AI models disclose whether they've undergone independent safety validation. The bill also prohibits false or misleading statements regarding the safety of an AI model in advertisements.

This is a common-sense bill that will keep consumers informed and AI companies honest. I believe that breakthroughs in AI technology show real promise, for example, in medical or scientific research, but we need to ensure that the pace of innovation does not leave average New Yorkers behind and that this technology's potential excesses are kept in check. I was concerned in the hearing earlier this week when representatives from top AI companies could not clearly gauge the risk of a cataclysmic event caused by their technology, did not know whether they had insurance coverage for such an event, and could not name who at these companies would be in charge of responding to a potential AI-related cataclysm, and whether employees who have raised safety concerns are being properly protected and heated.

I'm proud to be collaborating with my colleagues on a world-leading endeavor to establish responsible guardrails on AI technology and advertising, and I thank Speaker Menin for her leadership on this issue. Thank you. Thank you.

Councilmember Santos-Suazo, followed by Councilmember Joseph. Thank you, Majority Leader for a Day. October— October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, And so I wanted to take my time today to highlight a very special constituent of mine in Bay Ridge, Connor. Connor was born a year and a half ago with a congenital heart defect and Down syndrome. After an open-heart surgery at just 4 months old, Connor has been doing 8 sessions a week of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy.

And with the deep love and support of his family and friends, I'm happy to say that Connor Connor is thriving today. He has said his first words, has a strong bond with his family, and we are all optimistic for his future. Children with Down syndrome deserve our support to lead full and dignified lives. There are many deep misconceptions about Down syndrome, but Connor's story highlights how we can improve long-term outcomes by starting the work early.

Every kid should have access to the support services that have allowed Connor to overcome much, and I'm eager to spend the rest of my time on the council working with my colleagues to improve things for all of those impacted by Down syndrome. Thank you so much. Thank you, Councilmember.

Councilmember Joseph, followed by Councilmember Schulman. Thank you, Majority Leader. I am glad to introduce Intro 1111. Thank you. Every year, our school provides speech therapy, occupational therapy, counseling, nursing, and transportation to thousands of students with disabilities. Many of those services qualify for Medicaid reimbursement, federal and state dollars that belong in our classroom. But right now we cannot answer a simple question: how much of that money are we collecting, and how much are we leaving on the table?

This bill requires the New York City Public Schools to report quarterly by borough and by district on how many services were delivered, how many were claimed, how many were reimbursed, and where are the where the gaps are, whether it's missing paperwork, consent forms, or missed deadlines. It also asks a question families have been asking for years: are students receiving the services their IEPs require?

Every dollar we recover is a dollar for our kids. Right now, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers are at risk of losing Medicaid eligibility, making these dollars that much more critical. Far too many students with disabilities fall through the cracks. Transparency is how we fix this pipeline. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. Also, thank you.

Today I want to honor a giant. Dr. Slinger Francisco Mighty Sparrow, the Calypso King of the World, passed away here in New York on September 27th at the age of 91. Today I'm adding the voice of the Haitian community to the world's farewell. For more than 7 decades, Sparrow sang the joys he never struggled, the struggles and the truth of the Caribbean people, and he never forgot that Haiti is where Caribbean freedom began.

In January of 2004, when Haiti marked 200 years of independence, Sparrow took the stage at Carnegie Hall right here in New York City to celebrate the world's first free Black republic. He honored our ancestors, our revolution, and our pride. He was not Haitian by birth, but he was family. He saw us, he stood with us, and he reminded the whole Caribbean that we are one people.

To his family and to the people of Trinidad and to Tobago, and Grenada, our hearts are with you. From Flatbush to Port-au-Prince, merci, Sparrow. Reposez en paix. Thank you. Thank you so much, Councilmember Joseph.

Councilmember Schulman, followed by Councilmember Maloney. Thank you, Majority Leader. Today I am introducing Intro 1124, legislation that would require food protection course certifications to be renewed every 5 years. Food safety is a fundamental part of protecting the health of New Yorkers. Every day, food service workers across our city are responsible for preparing and handling food that is consumed by millions of people.

They play an essential role in preventing foodborne illness and ensuring that food is prepared and stored safely. Currently, once a person completes the required food protection course and passes the exam, the certification does not need to be renewed on a regular basis. But food safety practices, regulations, and public health guidance can evolve over time. This legislation would establish a 5-year renewal requirement, giving food service managers an opportunity to refresh their knowledge of safe food handling, proper storage and temperature control, preventing cross-contamination, allergen awareness, sanitation, and other important food protection practices.

This is a straightforward, common-sense step to make sure that the people responsible for managing food service establishments have up-to-date knowledge and training. I urge my colleagues to sign on to this legislation and help continue strengthening food safety protections for all New Yorkers. A couple of things I want to point out. One, this is the second piece of legislation that was where I got the idea from my chief of staff, who now has 2 pieces of legislation that he has helped me with.

And I believe that we're only as good as our staff members, so this is really important to me. And the other thing I want to point out is that food certification licenses are renewed in other states. Here is— we're the only city, or one of the only cities, that doesn't do that. We give it once and that's it.

So I urge my colleagues to sign on, and thank you very much. Thank you, Councilmember.

Councilmember Maloney, followed by Councilmember Riley. Thank you, Acting Majority Leader. First, I want to thank the speaker for her leadership on the most consequential technological shifts of our lifetime with artificial intelligence. I spent nearly a decade working in technology and building products, and I firmly believe that those with the power to build those technologies also have the responsibility to take reasonable steps to protect the public.

My Bill 1115 would give New Yorkers a path to court when foreseeable third-party misuse causes harm and an AI company failed to put reasonable safeguards in place.

Second, I'm introducing legislation responding to years of constituent quality-of-life complaints about seaplane noise along the East River. Right now, we lack consistent public data on how loud and frequent that noise is. My bill would install sound meters near active seaplane bases and publicly report on what they detect. If New Yorkers are telling us that something is disrupting their daily lives, government should be able to measure it, understand it, and act on the facts.

I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting both of these bills. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember. Councilmember Riley, followed by Councilmember Farias.

Thank you, Acting Majority Leader. Today I'm proud to introduce 3 pieces of legislation focus on expanding opportunity, strengthening our city's workforce, and protecting New Yorkers. First, Intro 1121 would establish a program to support justice-involved and system-involved young people ages 13 to 24 transitioning from custody into education, employment, vocational training, or apprenticeship. The program will help young people secure necessary— oh, excuse me— necessary documents complete applications, and connect to opportunities, with best efforts to begin that work before they leave custody.

Successful reentry starts with a real pathway forward, and I want to thank my former fellow, Shahani, for coming up with this legislation and welcome my new fellow, Colleen, to the team, and looking forward to your work that we're going to see soon. Second, Intro 1122 would strengthen access to the Employment Employee Resource Group, also known as ERG, across city government by directing DCAS to assess existing groups, identifying best practices, and providing clear guidance for employees looking to build community and access resources.

And finally, Intro 1123 strengthens our city's whistleblower protection by protecting employees who report AI-related conduct they reasonably believe possess a substantial and specific risk to public health or safety. I want to thank Speaker Mendez's leadership and my colleagues who are here at the hearing. As technology advances, our responsibility is to protect New Yorkers, and we must advance with it.

Colleagues, I respectfully ask you to support and sign on to these 3 bills as we work to ensure our city's government is responsive to the needs of New Yorkers today and prepared for challenges tomorrow. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember.

Councilmember Farias, followed by Councilmember Brewer. Thank you again. Today I'm introducing Intro 1106, requiring the NYPD to expand its annual domestic violence reporting to include the total number of domestic violence arrests and a more detailed breakdown of domestic violence incidences. This builds on my extensive work alongside coalition partners to strengthen survivor protections. I especially want to thank and recognize VOA New York, whose expertise and guidance have helped me shape much of this legislation.

As chair of the Committee on Women and Gender Equity, I want this council to be able to follow what happens when a survivor reaches out for help. A survivor may call 911, walk into a precinct, or encounter an officer responding to another incident. They may need an interpreter. They may be reporting abuse for the first time after years of threats. oversight must account for those experiences.

My bill would require domestic incident report data broken down by age, gender, ethnicity, race, language spoken, and geography, including council district and precinct, as well as how the individual came into contact with the department. It expressly requires the NYPD to protect the identities of people named in those reports. With this information, we can better examine who our response is reaching, where language access and outreach need greater attention, and how we direct resources to communities seeking help.

Survivors take an enormous risk when they report abuse, and this council has a responsibility to scrutinize the response they receive and press for improvements that make seeking help safer and more accessible. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation by signing on as a co-sponsor. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember.

Councilmember Brewer, followed by Councilmember Murano. Thank you very much. interns here today, Modu Dikan, who is from Mercy University, Katie Bay, who is a grad student at Hunter College Social Work Silverman School, and Josh Elliott, who's an Al-Ban Fellow. And then just finally, I want to say, I know we probably mentioned it in the past, but the loss of Gloria Steinem is a big deal for many of us.

Her service is going to be in the middle of November, and anybody wants to attend, it's invitation only. Let me know. Thank you very much. Thank you, Councilmember Brewer.

Councilmember Murano, followed by Councilmember Brooks-Powers. Thank you, Majority Leader ad interim. Colleagues, today I'm introducing Intro 1117, a bill based on a pretty radical idea. Before you build something that could significantly affect an neighborhood, you ought to tell the neighborhood what the impact will be. I know, revolutionary stuff. Right. This legislation was inspired by a proposed 160-bed homeless shelter in my district on Arthur Kill Road, filed with the Department of Buildings as a transient hotel.

Now, colleagues, we can disagree about where shelters belong, we can disagree about how best to address homelessness, but surely we can agree that Communities deserve basic information before major projects move forward. What's the impact on traffic? What's the impact on police and fire response, on our sewers, on our infrastructure? Does the project fit the surrounding neighborhood? These aren't trick questions; they're the kinds of questions any responsible government should be asking.

So my bill would require developers building or. Converting properties into transient hotels to prepare a community impact statement addressing those concerns. It would be shared with the local elected officials and community boards and made available to the public before permits are issued. Simple as that. Let me be clear, this is not a bill to stop homeless shelters.

It's a bill to stop government from keeping communities in the dark about what's happening in their own neighborhoods. It doesn't give anybody a veto. It doesn't require unanimous neighborhood approval. Frankly, if we required unanimous agreement on anything in New York City, we'd still be debating where to put the Brooklyn Bridge. It simply says that transparency should come before the decision, not after.

Whether you represent Staten Island, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, or Manhattan, your constituents deserve the same respect. And I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this common-sense legislation. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember Morano.

Councilmember Brooks Powers, followed by Councilmember Epstein. Thank you. I am proud to introduce 2 bills today concerning the Department of Probation. The first, Intro 1104, would give youth accused of crimes clear information about the criminal legal process after a young person is arrested for an offense, which can be heard After a case is heard in family court, they and their family will often meet with the Department of Probation for an intake interview that can determine whether the case is resolved without court via adjustment or continues through the court system.

Because an attorney is generally not present during that intake interview, families frequently navigate this moment without counsel and may share information or sign paperwork without Knowing the consequences, this bill would require the department to provide a written notice before intake explaining the process and identifying organizations that provide legal representation to youth. At the start of the interview, the department also would also inform the youth and their family of their rights, including how the information.

They share may be used and what signing any paperwork entails. The second Intro 1103 concerns the officers who carry out the department's work. Like our city's uniformed police, fire, sanitation, and correction officers, probation officers carry real public safety responsibilities. Yet under the city's collective bargaining law, they are not recognized among those uniformed forces and do not receive the same bargaining treatment.

This bill changes that, recognizing probation officers as uniformed officers for collective bargaining and helping to address a gap that has contributed to longstanding disparities in their pay and working conditions, especially among female and non-white officers. Together, these bills reflect a commitment to a probation system that is fair to the young people it serves and to the workforce it relies on.

I invite my colleagues to join me in sponsoring these bills. And lastly, I'd like to also recognize Lynette Townsley, the Youth Subcommittee Chair of Community Board 12, who had the pleasure of reorganizing the Jamaica branch of the NAACP Youth Group, and all of the young people that joined today from Southeast Queens. We welcome you in the People's House, and thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember.

Councilmember Epstein, followed by Councilmember Ressler. Thank you, Acting Majority Leader. It's good seeing you up there. Not many times, but today at least. I want to thank the speaker for introducing 1105 today. It's called the POWER Act, along with the mayor and the commissioner of DCWP. The bill really changes some really fundamental things in consumer protection. One, it allows a private right of action, and 2, the second component, it expands protections for small businesses across this great city.

So in real life, some of the changes that we could see is tenants are being charged fees, let's say a $40 fee, they could be able to get that resolved through a legal services program. Homeowners, we talk about deed theft across the board, homeowners would have real legal recourse with this if we change the law. Small businesses, businesses see predatory financing time and time again that impacts their ability to stay alive.

This change in the law could allow those small businesses to use the law to protect them. And worker exploitation. We see, you know, just last week alone the mayor announced, you know, along with a lot of our colleagues, $130 million going back to low-wage workers. We could, in changing the law, allow workers across our great city to be able to do this.

This would check corporate power. This would allow people to be able to fight back and give them real authority. I look forward to having you all look at this bill. I encourage you all to co-sponsor this. And I want to thank leadership here, the Speaker and the Mayor, for bringing this issue forward. It's a fundamental change that exists in 43 states and the District of Columbia, and New York deserves to have it as well.

Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember Epstein, for reminding me that I am temporary. Well, you're all temporary. We're all temporary, so, you know. Sister fact.

Councilmember Wessler, followed by Councilmember Nurse. Thank you so much to the briefly interim majority leader. I firstly just want to associate myself with the moving remarks by Councilmember Joseph. And I, I don't introduce very many resolutions, but I felt moved to introduce a resolution defending Canada. The— I love you, Jen. My mom is from Montreal, and yeah, yeah, you could tell.

It does. It adds up. But the, the adminis— the White House's just stupidly hostile rhetoric toward Canada has made zero sense. Canada is among our city's largest trading partners. 12% of exports from New York City go to Canada. 16% of imports come from Canada. They are the second largest source of tourists into New York City. They have sent us many very talented Comedians and a couple good singers, and and lots of of great New Yorkers who are Canadian Americans.

I think it's important as our cities, as our nation's economic and cultural capital, that we stand up and say that we respect our neighbors and we value the relationship, and that we condemn just the. The needless hostility that the president has been displaying toward our friends up north. I hope folks will sign on and that we can pass it.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Councilmember Nurse. Thank you, Majority Leader. I just wanted to welcome our newest fellow, Leslie Gomez to the council. We're really excited to work with her. She was an intern with our office a summer ago or two summers ago. I can't remember, but she was great, and we're super excited to have her back. Welcome back, Leslie.

Thank you, Majority Leader. Thank you.

That concludes general discussion, and now I'll call on Speaker Julie Menin to close today's. State of meeting. Thank you. I don't want it to end, but you know. Thank you. And the state of meeting of October 8th, 2026 is hereby adjourned. How'd I do, everybody? Thank you, Matt Gabel.