Major
announcements made at Townhall tonight with Councilman Steve Levin, following
long-time interventions by the UJO
Williamsburg – Tonight, Mayor de Blasio came to speak to
residents of the area, and many long-standing issues – from parking
restrictions hurting Sabbath observers, to working-families waiting for Child
Care and After School services, and many other issues throughout the
council-manic district - were resolved.
Among the announcements that the Mayor made at the
district’s Town Hall, hosted by Councilman Stephen Levin, were that the city
will send out letters this week to working parents who are on the Child Care
and After School Vouchers wait list for years offering them a voucher. The city
will fund 1,700 new vouchers, thanks to over 15 million dollars in additional
funding provided by the Mayor and the City Council in the current budget years.
The issuance of those vouchers was delayed, but in more good news, the mayor
assured that the funding will be fully utilized, as intended by the council and
the administration, unlike in the past, when delays in issuance of the vouchers
resulted in a reduction in assistance for working families.
Mayor de Blasio also announced that the parking meters on
Division Avenue and Roebling Street will be reprogrammed to for Fridays, to
enable Sabbath observers to park there on Fridays. Currently, those meters
regulations are in effect on Fridays till 7. During winter Fridays, when
Sabbath starts as early as 4:13pm, Orthodox Jews were unable to park their cars
at these streets.
Responding to the request by Rabbi David Niederman,
president of the UJO of Williamsburg and North Brooklyn, to lift the No Parking
4-7 PM on Lee Avenue for Fridays - which prevents Orthodox Jews from parking on
that major Avenue before most Saturdays – the Mayor and DOT Commissioner
Trottenberg responded that the agency is currently studying such a change.
The Mayor also announced that parts of Myrtle Avenue – which
currently has daily street cleaning om each side, including Sabbath – the
cleaning on Sabbath will cease, so that Sabbath observer can park there before
Sabbath without being penalized. Councilman Stephen Levin drew attention to
this matter and proposed legislation, after Orthodox Jews were ticketed on that
Avenue on the Saturday immediately after Rosh Hashanah.
In major news for the entire Community District 1, the mayor
confirmed that come fall the entire
Community Board 1, which encompasses Williamsburg, will see its Street Cleaning
halved, from twice on each side of the street to once on each side. Assemblyman
Joe Lentol, Community Board 1 and the UJO, have requested that change for
years. The Mayor also announced new funding for parks in the area – including
major investments in the Bushwick Inlet Park - and a range of other major
accomplishments for the district.
The UJO intervened for years on most of those issues. It was
an exciting night to hear that so many of those issues were resolved, thanks the
Mayor and the agencies dedicated efforts.
“We are beyond grateful for the mayor for announcing and
implementing the major assistance for working families as well as parking
relief for Sabbath observers and the entire area. We advocated for years on
these issues, and when the mayor came to town it was finally resolved,” said
Rabbi David Niederman.
“This is a hands-on Mayor who understands so well all the
issues. It’s amazing how he responded to each and every question with such
clarity, and just called on his staff to fill in on specific details. This is a
mayor who cares for all communities and all city residents,” added Rabbi
Niederman. “Tonight’s Town Hall was an embodiment of how the mayor listen’s to
everyone and understand and is addressing the unique challenges and needs of
all communities, assuring real equality. We thank the mayor and his dedicated
Commissioners and staff for these major accomplishments.”
