Transcript: Mayor Adams Hosts Community Conversation

January 31, 2024

Commissioner Fred Kreizman, Community Affairs Unit: Good evening, I’m Fred Kreizman. I'm the commissioner of the Mayor's Community Affairs Unit. We're proud here to have our 22nd Town Hall with Mayor Adams.

We want to first thank our host, PS 156, Principal Moore. The Adams Administration is excited to be here in Brownsville, Brooklyn. We love the sense of community spirit. We want to thank everyone for coming out here tonight to have these community dialogues.

The meeting started at six o'clock tonight with roundtable conversations with members of the Mayor's Office at each table with Community Affairs officers. Those people at the table took diligent notes about the issues discussed in case your question is not asked.

Then we have question cards at each table to ensure that if your question, again, is not asked, that you have an opportunity to get a response within 10 business days from the agency that your issue is based on. And they're tracked by the mayor's office; and then, from seven until we get through all the tables, we'll have an opportunity to address the dais with your questions.

Again, tonight we're honored to have the mayor of the City of New York, Mayor Adams. Our First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, our Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom, Deputy Mayor of Operations Meera Joshi, Deputy Mayor of Strategic Initiatives Ana Almanzar, our Deputy Mayor of Housing, Economic Development…

Commissioner Kreizman: Yes, let's hold all the applause to the end. Housing, Economic Development and Workforce, Maria Torres-Springer, our NYPD Deputy Commissioner Mark Stewart, our Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Manuel Castro, our ACS Commissioner Jess Dannhauser, our DOE Deputy Chancellor Danika Rux, our Health + Hospitals President Mitch Katz, our Social Services Commissioner Molly Park, our Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Chief Medical Officer Dr. Michelle Morse, the Mayor's Office of Community Mental Health Deputy Executive Director Laquisha Grant, our Deputy Commissioner of DEP Beth DeFalco, Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice Deputy Director Jessica Cruz, CCHR Deputy Commissioner JoAnn Kamuf Ward, our NYCHA COO Eva Trimble, Office of Prevention and Hate Crimes Director Hassan Naveed, Gender Based Violence and Deputy Commissioner Saloni Sethi, Department of Finance Taxpayer Analyst Jung Hwan Choi, EDC Senior Vice President Adam Meager, and Mayor's Office of People with Disabilities Commissioner Christina Curry.

On this side, we're honored to have Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar. We'll be joined by Assemblymember Latrice Walker and Deputy Borough President Kim Council later. We have A.T. Mitchell, Co-Chair of Gun Violence. We have Commissioner Keith Howard of DYCD, HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión, Department of Consumer Workforce Protection Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga, our Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Department of Probation Commissioner Juanita Holmes, Department of Buildings Commissioner Jimmy Oddo, our Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue…

Our NYCEM Commissioner Zach Iscol, DFTA Commissioner Lorraine Cortés Vázquez, our NYCHA… Oh, we said that, Eva Trimble, Small Business Services Deputy Commissioner Tenisha Dyer, MOCJ Director Deanna Logan, our Rodent Mitigation Director Kathy Corradi, our DCP Executive Director Edith Hsu Chen, our DOT Borough Commissioner Keith Bray, our Fire Deputy Chief Mike Grogan.

And we are joined as well by Sanitation Borough Chief Joseph Roney, Sanitation Northern District Superintendent John Treanor, our NYPD Assistant Chief Scott Henderson, the Commanding Officer of Patrol Borough Brooklyn North, NYPD 73rd Commanding Officer Mark Vasquez. We also have PSA 2 Captain Sean Claxton and Inspector Paul Saraceno from the Chief of Department Office.

Thank you. And now we're going to start off with the electeds. Assemblymember Walker's not here. Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar and then followed by the mayor.

Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar: Good evening. I'm thrilled to be here in Brownsville. People say many things about Brownsville, but I know Brownsville as the place where mayors are made. Yes, you can give a round of applause for that.

I'm so happy to be here tonight with your hometown hero, Mayor Eric Adams. And I have to say, crime is down, jobs are up, and when we have multiple crises, this is the leader that you'll want in charge.

Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, and I am the first Indian woman ever elected to a New York State office.

And people said that that would be impossible. But I did this, and the reason I did this is so that I could have a chance to serve the city that I love. So, this year, I have introduced a bill to close down all illegal smoke shops in our city.

And that bill is called the SMOKEOUT Act, because we're going to take all the illegal smoke shops and we're going to smoke 'em out. These illegal smoke shops are hotbeds of crime. They are hotbeds of loose cash that attract criminals. They are opening near schools, endangering children. They are selling cannabis that's laced with dangerous, unregulated contaminants.

Now currently, only the state has control of shutting down these illegal smoke shops. But the state doesn't have the manpower to take care of this problem. My bill will allow the NYPD the authority to shut down these shops. And when my bill passes, Mayor Adams will be able to shut down all of the illegal smoke shops within 30 days. So…

I am so excited about the SMOKEOUT Act. Are you excited about the SMOKEOUT Act? Also — and I'm announcing this for the first time here tonight — I have introduced a legislative package to regulate e bikes. Last year, there was a record number of deaths and fires in our city due to e bikes. This has got to stop. So, my bill will require all e bikes to have a license.

The state DMV will require e bikes to have a license, insurance and inspection to make sure that these e bikes and the batteries are safe and not endangering people. Now I come from a family of all doctors, but I told my mom when I ran for office that if elected I will be a doctor for the whole city.

So, healthcare means a lot to me, and that's why I've introduced a bill that will mandate continuous Medicaid coverage for all children under the age of six. That means if you are a child with Medicaid, you cannot lose it. And so this is going to help all the children in our city.

I'm going to be here all night, and I'm going to be listening very closely. And I cannot wait to hear from all of you to see how I can help pull the levers of state government to help you. Thank you.

Commissioner Kreizman: Introducing Assemblymember Latrice Walker.

Assemblymember Latrice Walker: Thank you. I guess they say if you stay ready, you ain't got to get ready.

Good afternoon, good evening, family. Good evening! I have not really seen many of you since Mom passed, but I have been feeling the love, been feeling your prayers and your support, and I'm going to try my best not to cry, because as Lisa knows, I'm a weepy Wanda. And I'm with family, with some visitors. Good to see you, colleague, and Mr. Mayor.

And so we just, I just got off the road from Albany. We were in session. We had our budget conference today on an issue that is very important of course to our city, to our educators and to our mayor, and that's the education of our children. And we are in an amazing building, which is one of our newest schools. We're always looking for newer schools. And so we know that tomorrow also is going to be some very important hearings.

But it's budget time in Albany, and so while it makes sense to have a lot of great ideas with respect to the things that we're need to do regarding the laws of the State of New York, but this is time where the mayor… Sorry, the governor, has to put her money where her mouth is and it's to make sure that communities such as ours — Brownsville, Eastern York, Bed Stuy, Crown Heights, Cypress Hills, Ocean Hill, Brownsville — are taken care of and receiving the resources that we need.

Each and every year we have billions of dollars that we fight for each and every year during budget time. And one thing that I will say which is for certain, that out of sight is not out of mind, but we have to get on those buses and we have to leave Albany Avenue and head to Albany, New York.

We've got to leave Buffalo Avenue and head to Buffalo, New York. We've got to leave Schenectady Avenue and get to Schenectady, New York. I got one more. We've got to leave Utica Avenue and head up to Utica, New York in order to do like Dr. King did and go to the Capitol to cash a check.

So, on February 17th, February 17th at six o'clock in the morning, there will be a bus leaving from in front of my district office located at 400 Rockaway Avenue that will be going up to Albany for the New York State Association of Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Conference. It is the 53rd conference and I hope that you will join us as we go and tell everyone in Albany exactly what it is that we need for our communities for housing, for public safety.

And of course, we are also having an information session because we have two individuals who have contacted, one who passed away, one who was released from the hospital with Legionnaires' disease. And so I want you to be careful, I want you to be cognizant of what's going on, and I do want you to take your man and woman… To the what? To the doctor. God bless you. I'm Assemblymember Latrice Walker.

Mayor Eric Adams: Thanks so much for both our colleagues: Assemblywoman Walker, who represents this area and represents so well, and Assemblywoman Rajkumar who has been attending all of our town halls really digging in on the cannabis issue.

The cannabis, these cannabis shops have become extremely problematic. Shootings, as she indicated, we just had one tonight, a dispute inside one of the cannabis shops and someone was shot and it looked like they may lose their life over what's happening in these shops.

Feels good to be home. Born in Brownsville… You know, born in Brownsville. And I remember back when I was in the state senate, Assemblywoman Walker and I would talk about the constant disinvestment in Brownsville. And we started there when I was in the borough president's office. There were initiatives that we were doing and we knew we could do so much more. And we just were there for this community.

And listen, the denial of access to resources in Brownsville when I was a little boy. So, I knew what it was about and we were committed. And I want my first deputy mayor to just go over to some of the things that we have done.

But let's get the facts. No mayors have been to do this: 70 percent decrease in homicides, 45 percent decrease in shootings, 17 percent decrease in overall crimes because of folks like Anthony Newell and others who have been committed and unafraid to get on the ground.

But we didn't do it with heavy handed policing. We did it by resources. deputy mayor, can you talk about some of the investments we made in Brownsville?

First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright: Sure. At the mayor's direction, he convened every single agency that you see here, and he said that Brownsville has to be one of the number one priorities of this administration. And I think, assemblywoman, you said that you'd never seen a first deputy mayor in Brownsville before, there you go, and I've been here several times.

And with that, in a partnership with AT Mitchell, we convened every single agency, and this is what we've done so far. Every single school in Brownsville has additional resources to accelerate reading proficiency as well as to introduce Project PIVOT, which helps our young people to move forward.

We've expanded Beacon programming in this community. We've increased access to opportunities at CUNY in this community in terms of courses. We've introduced and invested in therapeutic trauma informed care for people who have been justice involved in this community, as well as digital mental health.

We're expanding club houses for people with severe mental illness in this community. We are accelerating every single housing development in this community and every single investment in NYCHA, they're at the top of the list in terms of the work that we're doing. And we are also investing in our foster care children and really expanding opportunities for Fair Futures.

Parks and playgrounds are getting a priority as well, community gardens as well as community centers. And we are working in partnership with our crisis management system and making sure that those organizations are strong. And last but not least, jobs. We are doubling down on access to jobs in this community and increasing our investments and connections.

So, that was the task from this mayor, and we're trying to be about it in partnership and a community with all of you. And we look forward to the continued progress so that Brownsville is at the top of every list of things that are positive in the City of New York.

Mayor Adams: Thank you. Thank you so much for that. So, we want to turn it over to you, but let's go back to January 1st, 2022: what was happening in this city? Crime was surging, all the seven major categories. Covid, remember that five letter word? Unsure if schools were going to be open. No one wanted to open a job here in this city, we were hemorrhaging jobs.

We saw our reading and writing scores at a dismal level. Our children were not accelerating. Bond raters were looking at the city and saying that we were moving in the wrong direction. No one wanted to be on our subway system, you could just barely get riders on. You saw a city that was in freefall.

January 1st, 2022, I became the mayor. Two years later, everyone told us it was going to take five years to turn around the city. Two years later, what happened in two years? More private sector jobs in the history of the city. Bond raters gave us a AA bond rating because of our fiscal responsibility.

Our children are outpacing the state in reading and writing, outpacing the state because of a chancellor named David Banks. Partnered with the gun violence task force with an alumni of the school, AT Mitchell, a person that I've known for almost 35 years, and we stated when we get here together, we're going to do the right things together.

When I ran for office I said I was going to decrease crime. The numbers I read about Brownsville and across the city, double digit decrease in homicide, double digit decrease in shootings, five of the seven major crime categories have decreased.

We did this in spite of Covid and in spite of having 172,000 people dropped in our city and the national government said we're not giving you any resources to assist. We have 172,000. That's 1.5 the size of Albany dropped in our city, and all they want to do is work and they're told they cannot work, and that is our obligation to make sure that this city can manage what is happening.

Go Google other cities. Google what's happening in other cities. It's not happening here. Because of the work of these deputy mayors in this team in general, but specifically Deputy Mayor Williams-Isom, who has managed this entire crisis. And we're not just surviving, we're thriving, and this community is thriving and will continue to thrive.

And it's only two years, only two years. We are moving the needle forward. Is there more to do? You're darned right there is. But this committed team is getting it done. Look at this team, folks. Look at this team. Look at my, look at my deputy mayors.

First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, Deputy Mayor... Stand up, stand up. They need to see you. Deputy Mayor Williams-Isom, Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi, Deputy Mayor Almanzar, Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer.

Have you ever seen this much chocolate leading the City of New York? And then go down the line. Look, look who's here. This is representative of the city. That's why people are hating on me. You trying to figure out why they're hating on me? They're hating on me because those of…

How many of you go to church? Ma'am this is a Matthew 21:12 moment. Jesus walked in the temple, he saw them doing wrong in the temple. He did what?

Audience Member: He turned the table over.

Mayor Adams: I went to City Hall to turn the table over. First woman police commissioner of color. First Spanish speaking police commissioner. First Spanish speaking correction commissioner.

Go through the line of what we're doing. In two years! That's right, because that's how we do when you're from Brownsville. And so I know that many of you may stand around and say, well, you know, Eric, we don't like this, we don't like that.

I got it. I got it. I got it. That's the same thing they did to David Dinkins. It took us 30 years after what they did to David Dinkins. And who did we get after David Dinkins? Guiliani. It was a setup for a setback. That's what it was.

And you know what happened with David Dinkins? They wore him down so much that Black folks didn't come out to vote. They said, you know what? We're not coming out. They just beat him and wore him down over and over and over again. David Dinkins was the one that passed the legislation for Safe City Safe Streets that allowed us to get the resources we needed to bring down crime in our city.

And who benefited from it? Giuliani. Giuliani.

So, here we are in the place of my birth. People can say what they want, but you have a mayor from Brownsville. Never ran and never will. So, why don't we start answering the questions of the people.

Commissioner Kreizman: So, Table 1. Pastor, if you could...

Question: All right.

Mayor Adams: How are you ma'am?

Question: Good evening.

Mayor Adams: You've got to talk into the mic so everybody can hear you.

Question: Good evening. We would like an update on the Brownsville Recreation Center, when would the construction be completed? What was once a gym in our community is now an eyesore and we want our oasis back.

Mayor Adams: Right. And listen, I used to hang out in that center I know it well.

And let's be clear. Let's be clear. We put the money in to do it. In the midst of doing it there was a structural problem. So, it's not that we said we're not doing it, but there was a structural problem. And I'm not going to put our young people in a place where they could be endangered in any way.

Do we have an update on this, Sue?

Commissioner Sue Donoghue, Department of Parks and Recreation: Yes. Yes. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Mayor Adams: They give you big applause when they introduced you.

Commissioner Donoghue: Yes, I know. I know.

And I should have anticipated the question. I love the t-shirt. Thank you.

We know that it's a beloved community center and when the first deputy mayor talked about visiting Brownsville she came to the Brownsville Recreation Center, the Golden Age Center. I want to also just while I'm here call out Jerry Childs who runs the center for us, such a great...

We know and the mayor knows and this whole administration knows just how important that center is. As the mayor said, we began a project there, we have encountered structural problems. We have water infiltration in the building. What we did was we paused construction, we brought in someone to do a series of probes.

We know that Golden Age Center is so important. We've looked at that thoroughly. The good news is that it's completely safe and it's safe for public use and we're going to continue to operate, but we do need to figure out next steps in terms of the rest of the center and how we're going to deal with the impacts of what we've found there.

So, we're working really hand in hand, this has the highest attention from across City Hall, looking at options both what we're going to do in terms of rebuilding the center but also options for what we can do in the meantime, working with our sister agencies, finding other locations where we can move what we know is such important programming.

Mayor Adams: So, we'll give you a timetable, but we want it open, and we must make sure it's not a structural problem. Worst thing could happen, our babies are inside there, and something happens that's dangerous. We were building. I think December we had to stop?

Commissioner Donoghue: Yes, exactly.

Mayor Adams: You know, we were building, we want to get it done. We have to make sure it's done right. But we'll give you a realistic timetable so you'll know. And we'll report it, we'll let your assemblywoman know but we'll definitely let the community know as well. We want it open. Okay.

Commissioner Kreizman: Table Number 2.

Mayor Adams: How are you doing?

Question: Good evening, mayor, and everyone that's here. I'm from Van Dyke and I live in the community for 44 years. And as PS 284 on Mother Gaston it's a park right next to the school. All you see is drug addicts, you see alcoholics.

This is their meeting place, right next to the school. As our children in the neighborhood come to school this is what they have to see every day.

Mayor Adams: Is the park connected to the school?

Question: Yes, it is.

Mayor Adams: So, this is like the playground for the school?

Question: Well, I think it's a city park but it happens to be connected to the school.

Mayor Adams: Sue, you know about this? Um hmm. You're gonna be busy tonight.

Commissioner Donoghue: I know, I know, and I'm ready, so it's good.

Thank you. I understand and hear your concerns. It is something that we are aware of. We work in close partnership with PD and also, as you know, we have PEP officers on the ground. We are absolutely focused on making, ensuring safety.

And the best way that we can do that is both through partnership, through our PEP officers and through programming. So, we will definitely take a look at it. We'll follow up with you after. We absolutely want it to be safe.

Mayor Adams: What time normally are they out there?

Question: Excuse me?

Mayor Adams: What time do you normally see this activity?

Question: Oh, this is first thing in the morning.

Mayor Adams: Okay, so...

Question: First thing in the morning.

Mayor Adams: So, do me a favor, DJ. DJ is going to give you my information...

Question: All right.

Mayor Adams: And I'm going to call you up and we're going to go over there together, and I want you to show me exactly what's happening. Then we'll bring NYPD and Parks and we're going to rectify this problem.

Question: Thank you.

Mayor Adams: All right? We have the inspector right here. All right? The inspector is right here. We're going to make sure, we're going to go over there and do a walkthrough. Let me do an observation of what's taking place, All right? Okay.

Commissioner Donoghue: And I'll go, too.

Mayor Adams: Yes, Sue will hang out with us also.

Commissioner Donoghue: Exactly.

Mayor Adams: Sue was with me when I was borough president. She was the Prospect Park. And I told her eight years ago, you're going to be my park commissioner when I become mayor— not "if," when I become mayor. Now she's running the parks in the city and one of the best things we have. Lisa Kenner. [Laughter.]

Commissioner Kreizman: Table Number 3.

Question: You remember my name.

[Applause.]

Mayor Adams: [Laughter.]

Question: Good evening.

Mayor Adams: We go back like car seats.

Question: Yeah.

Mayor Adams: [Laughter.]

Question: Good evening. First of all, I just want to say something, [I] brought some young men from Van Dyke so they can see you so they can see themselves.

Mayor Adams: I love it. Love it. Love it. Love it. Stand up. Stand up. Stand up. Look at 'em. [Laughter.] Love that.

Question: And I have to give a shout out to the men that the coaches...

Mayor Adams: Where are they? Where are they?

Question: The coaches are standing right there.

Mayor Adams: Thank you. Thank you. Go ahead, Lisa, I can hear you.

Question: I know I have to say my question, but I just wanted to give a shout out because you know, they say men don't do nothing. I have two men that do something.

Mayor Adams: Thank you, guys.

Question: Mayor.

Mayor Adams: Yes.

Question: Why should we in Brownsville vote for the City of Yes? How will this community benefit from voting yes? Can you please explain? I don't know, what is the City of Yes?

Mayor Adams: And that's a great question, because we don't want to be a city of no. Who do I have, Dan Garodnick? Who I have… Oh, you want to do it? Okay, okay, come on. You tell us. Deputy Mayor Maria Torres Springer. Yes.

Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer, Economic and Workforce Development: Thank you, mayor. Thank you for the question.

So, what we're facing in this city is the fact that we are in a housing crisis. Too many New Yorkers are rent burdened, spend too much of their income on rent, right? And at the root of that problem is that we have a supply problem in the city. Too many people need homes, we don't have enough homes, we don't have enough affordable homes.

And part of the problem is that we have a zoning code that was created 60 years ago and is preventing the type of growth that is needed across the city. So, the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity is our city wide plan that will allow a little bit more housing across the five boroughs, because if we do that, we are going to create, solve the supply problem and create the type of housing that's needed so that anxiety that too many New Yorkers feel, we start actually making a dent in that.

And so we obviously would love everyone's support, but also your engagement. And so we're speaking with a lot of community organizations, every community board. This proposal will go through the City Council, but this is your city, this is your neighborhood, and we want to make sure that as we do this work, that we're hearing your questions, answering them, and together really building the type of city and the homes across all of the neighborhoods so that everyone can prosper more in the city that I know that we all love.

So, I'm happy to provide more detailed information together with the Department of City Planning, but it's a really critical, critical initiative to make a dent in our housing crisis.

Mayor Adams: And don't sit down yet, deputy mayor. Give us our numbers of what we did in housing.

Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer: Yes.

Mayor Adams: You know, 'cause I like hearing all these records.

Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer: Yes, mayor. So, under the mayor's leadership and because of the incredible work of Commissioner Carrión — who I know is here — so, let me tell you, in the last calendar year, right, calendar year '23, the number of units produced and financed by HPD, we broke records.

So, it starts with, there are 27,000 units of affordable housing financed by HPD, 14,000 new homes, that is a record. The most as well number of homes available to the formerly homeless, that was a record.

Homes, supportive homes that we desperately need across the city, that was a record. 13,000 homes that are available through our lottery system where we connected New Yorkers to those units, that was a record; 3,000 of those for the formerly homeless, that was a record.

So, I know there are a lot of other questions, but we're proud of that work because we know at the heart of this is really creating affordable homes for New Yorkers. But that work is not done, and so either the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, our work in Albany where we need the tools in order to do this work with the speed that is needed, there's so much more that is needed from the state and the federal government.

But let me tell you, we are using every tool at the city's disposal in order to make a dent in this crisis, and we're doing it for all of you.

Mayor Adams: So, just to break it down to the most basic level, we had a unit of housing that opened 170, was it 174 units of the project? 174 units, 80,000 applicants applied for it. We don't have enough space. We don't have enough units. We have to build more.

And what does that mean for you? We have a lot of brothers and sisters who are returning citizens that's coming home from upstate. They need a place to stay. We have folks who are growing up in your homes who we sent away to go to college, we fought hard for, they went to college.

Now they want to come home. They don't want to leave their community. I spoke to some young professionals from Brownsville, they said, we want to live back in our community of Brownsville. They don't have a place to stay. And our housing policies were racist. They were communities that didn't want to build any affordable housing. You couldn't go into these communities.

And so we're saying now we're going to build a small amount, everyone, it is all of our responsibilities to have affordable housing. You should be able to live anywhere in this city at an affordable rate. You should not be relegated to just certain communities, certain neighborhoods or certain blocks.

This is a bold move that we're changing those racist '60 housing rules that basically told you you couldn't live anywhere in this city. We're saying no to that. City of Yes, because we no longer want to constantly have people tell us no, when we want to live somewhere in the city. This is a bold move. We've got to make it happen.

Commissioner Kreizman: We'll go to table number four.

Mayor Adams: How are you?

Question: I'm good. How are you?

Mayor Adams: How are your dancers doing?

Question: Amazing.

Mayor Adams: You know, we got to connect so we can have them perform.

Question: Yes, absolutely.

Mayor Adams: This is an amazing sister. She's like the coaches. We've got to do something to highlight folks who are investing in our young people. Her dancers have been dancing for me since my senate days.

Question: Yes, absolutely. Thank you for that, Mr. Mayor.

Everyone, my name is Nicole Williams. I'm the founder and executive director of Victory Music and Dance Company Incorporated. And Mr. Mayor, my question is about the youth.

So, what we realize in Brownsville is that there is a lack of funding to provide multi-year comprehensive services to our youth. Of course, we received discretionary funding, and quite a few CBOs at our table agree that there is no RFPs for Compass as well as Sonic programs for those organizations who didn't get an opportunity to apply for them when they were open.

And so although we're providing services, specifically providing services in 14 schools across Brooklyn with only discretionary funding, and so every year, you know, we're at the mercy of the administration of that district to be able to continue our services that we've been providing since 2016. So, Mr. Mayor, we're just asking you, how can you help?

Mayor Adams: Okay, so let me give you my analysis.

Question: Yes.

Mayor Adams: What I have noticed is that we're going to have to figure out how to consolidate. We can't continue, there's only a limited amount of money. And if I have eight financial literacy programs on one block, if I have 20 children dance groups on one block with different organizations, different boards, different, we've got to consolidate. The money is just not there. And I want to be honest about that.

We're doing some great stuff with the money we have but every other day someone is stopping me handing me a card saying, Eric, I've got a nonprofit, which we need, but the funding all of them is the challenge. So, I need organizations like yours— which is amazing— and we need to partner with the partnership with our corporate entities.

Our kids are spending billions of dollars to buy Gameboy and this and that. They need to be pouring money into our communities. We're uplifting them all the time. And so what we need to do to put a real package together showing the good stuff you are doing, because they're limited dollars in the city.

But let's get all of these corporations in. Every one of our babies is walking around with a phone. Let's get Apple on board. They're looking at Instagram, let's get these social media companies on board. They should be pouring money into these services and these nonprofits.

Part of getting those resources from us, what I want you to do, Commissioner Howard, to talk about that. But part of what you get from us, that is a portion, but we need a portion from our corporate entities because we're the biggest consumers that you could ever imagine. You'd be amazed at how much money Brownsville spent in buying goods and products and services for folks.

And then the third part is we've got to consolidate. We've got to consolidate. I have boxes full of cards of nonprofits. Boxes full. And with all these nonprofits we have that are investing in our youth, we should be having no crime, no issue at all with our young people.

So, let's have a new approach: corporate sponsorship, consolidation and the resources we're getting that Commissioner Howard is going to talk about now. DYCD Commissioner. You want my microphone?

Commissioner Keith Howard, Department of Youth and Community Development: I think I'm good. One of the things that has happened over the years — and the mayor had mentioned it a couple of times — is that regarding our after school RFP, our Request for Proposal, it's been kicked down the road for the past 10 years. Let me repeat that: it's been kicked down the road for the past 10 years.

The first thing that the mayor, the first deputy mayor, and Deputy Mayor Almanzar said is that we have to look at new programming.

Let me say that: we've got to look at new programming. We've got to look at new providers. We've got to put an RFP out there that makes sense that addresses some that makes sense that addresses some of the issues that the 10 year old RFP doesn't address.

And that's mental health, that's trauma, elevating programs, social emotional learning. We have to also    and the mayor is very clear about that— connect with the chancellor so that it complements the programs that are happening in the schools.

So, all of that is going to be incorporated. when we land on a) a concept paper that we're working on right now; and b) when we, as the mayor said, looking at the fiscal condition, when we can land on releasing that RFP so you as an organization can compete and making sure that you get the support that you're needing.

Mayor Adams: Thank you. And we have to find ways to bring down your costs, like giving access to school space, giving free entity. So, we need to look at your wish list of, here's what it's costing us. It's not always just giving you the dollars, but how do we take away some of the cost?

Like there's no reason people can't sponsor the uniforms that your girls are dancing with or the cleats, the football jersey for my football team back here. Everybody has to be on board and contributing back to our society. People eat off the city, they need to give back to the city.

And that's what our focus are. And then we're doing it on our own, going beyond our call of duties. Talk about Girl Talk, Commissioner Holmes. Commissioner Holmes is the commissioner of probation, and when she was in the chief of department...when she was in the Police Department, she started Girls Talk. Talk about Girls Talk.

Commissioner Juanita Holmes, Department of Probation: Hi. So, good evening, everyone. Lisa, you probably remember Girls Talk because it started right here in this community. So, I was the commanding officer of PS 82 for New York City Police Department, and I noticed that — and this is back in 2008, so — I noticed there were a lot of programs for young men, but not for young women.

So, we got together in the police department, "we" meaning myself, all the female officers that I had working there, different ranks, and put some money together, and we started in the community center. I know we were doing Glenmore Houses when our assemblywoman was probably in law school back then.

And so we put it together, and it eventually went city wide. Once I became chief of patrol, every precinct adopted it. We're now at the point where we are collaborating with DOE, and they're looking to implement and make it part of their curriculum.

So, that's something we're doing now. We are recruiting. 127 Penn is right next door, so we'll be working with Sergeant James. Sergeant James here? I think Sergeant James is here. Well, she was here. We're working with her and she's going to be bringing some of the young ladies over.

February 7th — Mr. Mayor, you’re invited — we're doing something at headquarters. It's a big launch. DOE, superintendents, will be in the audience. I believe we have 18 women superintendents for schools, so they're really going to be supporting this. And I think it's going to be something good. Thank you.

Mayor Adams: Zeroing in and going beyond her call of duty. Commissioner Stewart, talk about what you're doing with our young people. Everything from the baby showers to all these different entities. And this is beyond their call of duty. This is a deputy commissioner in the police department that is reaching out to these young people. Talk about some of your programs.

Deputy Commissioner Mark Stewart, Community Affairs, Police Department: Good evening. Good evening. First, I want to start, it's a pleasure for me to be here. I know the mayor a long time, and when he took over the administration, I know him for over 40 years, when he took over the administration, I came on the job in '84, and I was a detective. I was a crime fighter. And he said, you should take over community affairs. I don't know what he saw on that, because I was making arrests, but I was a community person.

So, when I first took over at community affairs, I noticed that what we were doing was not community affairs. We were flipping hamburgers and tossing franks and then taking pictures with kids on the basketball court for two hours and posting on Instagram.

That's not community affairs, because there's two components, especially with our youth: there's the engagement and the retention. Now, how do we have the retention in our kids? I'm not naive to the fact that I've been around this job in our community for 40 years. But when you do a basketball court and you send these kids back to neighborhoods, you don't know what this kid is going through, what are they dealing with?

So it's just not about basketball and the fun and games, it's about retention and conversation with our youth. And like the mayor said, a lot of our youth stay in the house and play video games. My nephew, I brought him to a basketball court. This kid played on the basketball court for one day, then came home and six of his friends are in his room playing Madden.

So, this is what we have to do. Before we came on, the last administration, we spent $1.6 million fixing up parks and basketball courts, which the kids only had use for like three months, and then what happened? So, we wasted nine months.

We just can't do the arrests, we have to invest in our communities. And we have to educate our kids. And before anybody jumps on me, I like basketball, I like sports, but not all kids play basketball and play sports. Like the commissioner said, Girls Talk. I'm a girl dad. I got two girls.

When I came here there was nothing for girls to really get involved with. So, I said, listen, what about the parents? What about the older adults, and now we have the disability kids that we also serve. That's the community. That's community affairs, conversation. And I always tell the mayor, no confrontation, conversation.

So, what we did, we set a scholarship...I mean, a bus ride for college kids with DOE. We take 40 kids, we do it every month, and we have a program with SUNY and CUNY where we take these kids to the colleges. And when they get off their bus and see these universities, their eyes open up. So, what's missing? Transportation and opportunity, and that's what we're giving them.

127 Penn. We just started up an aviation simulator course for our kids. I was just there. We had 12 kids, six females, and six guys. Not everybody's going to be a pilot, but you know what? It's something else that they could get involved with. And you should see their faces. They were totally engaged in these programs. 127 Penn, right down the block.

We have a drone program, a soccer drone program where we teach our kids how to operate a drone, how to take it apart and how to fix it.

These are some of the things that we have to teach our kids. And we do have, I do do sports. Commissioner Holmes started it, too, and DYCD Howard. We have basketball, volleyball, football that's co-ed. But now I even have golf. We've got to teach our golf, we have to, it's diversity with our kids.

We have a baby shower, prenatal care, diapers, strollers. We do it in every borough. Last year, we serviced over 6,000 mothers, new mothers in these communities. We started in the Bronx. If we do good in the Bronx, we're going to take it to every borough.

We have another program, an options program where we teach our kids financial, we teach them art, photography, music. We engage, we have so much that we can engage with our kids. We also have, I also started an e-commerce. I don't know if anybody knows what e commerce is, but that's when you buy and sell online.

I think about a week ago in Nassau County, a man tried to sell his Rolex in front of his house and got robbed. The car dragged him about a half a block. So, what we started, in every precinct, even housing and transit, there's a location in every precinct, if you do these type of transactions, you go to the precinct.

There's a sign, a location, where you could do this transaction. You don't have to go into the precinct. You don't have to make an appointment. It's monitored 24/7. So, just go there. And listen, and if somebody does not want to meet you in the precinct, maybe you should think twice about that transaction, because that's the safest place that you're going to be.

So, this is some of the things that we're doing on the police department and with our youth. Thank you.

Mayor Adams: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

And the beauty of what Commissioner Stewart is doing is that we have been limited. Our children should know how to play golf. Deals are made on the golf course, and you meet other people and think differently. Our children should go on college tours, step outside and see the beauty of a college.

Our children should be part of the industry that's suffering right now, the airline. We need pilots. Why can't our children be pilots? That's what the simulator is all about, to be introduced into it.

We're not limiting the ability of our children. Our children should have the same things that other communities have, and that is what we're saying and that is what we're doing when you see the things that Commissioner Stewart is talking about.

Commissioner Kreizman: Question number, Table Number 5.

Mayor Adams: How are you ma'am?

Question: Hi. Thank you for the opportunity, Mr. Mayor, and all assembled. My name is [Denise Gary]. I'm a retired educator, over 40...well, 40 years and 10 months with the City of New York.

I want to...thank you, I never worked a day of my life, I enjoyed my career. Mr. Mayor, is there a way that we could revisit the bike lanes? And the reason I ask that is because there's different types of bike lanes.

There are bike lanes that compromise the visibility for the motorists, and those are the bike lanes that I'm concerned about. I realize that the bike lanes were part of a mass safety plan, and I get it. But I've witnessed one accident and I've almost been in two accidents because of visibility where the bike lane is closer to the sidewalk and you can't see the oncoming traffic.

I've seen where the e bikes, and I was happy to hear the state assemblyperson mention licensing, you know, the people that have the e bikes. But you know, I really feel like if we just revisit it, there are some tweaks that could be made that would be an overall safety plan, level the playing field.

Mayor Adams: Got it, got it, got it. And I hear you loud and clear. And we often at the town halls we hear conversations about bike lanes, so we have to get it right. We have to make sure we encourage biking, exercise, you know, congestion on our streets, but we want to do it in unison with the community. Who's...who do I have...

Commissioner Kreizman: We've got DOT Borough Commissioner Keith Bray.

Mayor Adams: All right. So, this is Commissioner Bray, and the goal is let's look at the areas that you're talking about, commissioner, so when we finish, let's sit down, let's talk about the particular areas and see how do we modify, tweak. We may be able to place it on the sidewalk.

Let's make sure it fits the community, because I don't want to dictate to a community, I want to work with the community on what their desire is. But I don't want to leave the community out, because part of the criticism we got is that, you know, what you're having bike lanes and you're having access to biking in certain communities and you want to leave out Brownsville. So, we got to get it right.

So, Commissioner Bray is going to come and speak with you and we'll put him on a field trip to look at the location that you believe are problematic, okay? All right.

Commissioner Kreizman: Next table.

Mayor Adams: How are you?

Question: How are you doing, darlin'?

Mayor Adams: Quite well. Quite well.

Question: Okay. Good evening, Mayor Eric Adams. And as you know, I'm a former borough appointee...

Mayor Adams: Yes.

Question: ...appointed by you, so that's how we know each other.

So, my question tonight is, how can we ensure local CBOs— which is Community Based Organizations    are mandated to spend part of their program an time to support learning/homework help and opportunities?

Mayor Adams: Tell me more about that. Tell me more. Explain some more for me.

Question: Okay. So, you know, we have community based organizations in some of our schools, and a lot of questions the parent asks is that sometimes when the children do go home, they have to turn around and do homework because they were, they're expecting that the students do homework while they're in these community based organizations.

And sometimes when the kids get home, especially like, maybe middle school students, they will tell their mom they did their homework, but they really didn't do their homework. So, a lot of parents' concerns are that we know that community based organizations have a recreational time, but they will prefer to have more time based on helping the children and ensuring the children get their homework done.

Mayor Adams: When you were saying that the children say that they did their homework and they didn't I had a flashback, because that sound like me. [Laughter.]

Tell me your thoughts. What are your thoughts on that?

Commissioner Howard: Mr. Mayor?

Mayor Adams: Yes, you, go ahead. Um hmm.

Commissioner Howard: I really want to know what organization, what school, what after school program is not having homework help in their program because that is part of the after school model and it is the curriculum that the organization signed contractually— let me repeat that: contractually— to make sure that homework help is part of the curriculum.

I have my DYCD staff here. DYCD, stand up for a minute, please. Please speak with them on exactly what CBO is not teaching homework help and we will take care of that problem, because that is ridiculous. We do not accept that, and that's part of their contractual responsibility. Okay?

Mayor Adams: Okay, because I don't know if you heard earlier. I was going to call Danika from the DOE, but he took care of it. [Laughter.] What we noticed when we came into office, there was a disconnect between what the CBOs were doing and what the overall plan is. We want it together.

So, you know, if you're a community based organization, you're in the schools, you need to be working on the things that the school needs for our children. So, we are aligned together. We don't want disjointed. So, if you identify a school, as the commissioner stated, we're going to look into it and find out what the heck is going on. Okay?

Question: Hi.

Mayor Adams: How are you?

Question: Greetings. Great, Mayor Adams. So, a quick statement and quick question.

Mayor Adams: Yes.

Question: World Conference of Mayors wants to send a message to you and say they help support you 100 percent. They're an extended arm to the United Nations and also Historical Black Townships and Settlements. So, they support you.

Mayor Adams: What's the name of the organization?

Question: World Conference of Mayors.

Mayor Adams: Okay.

Question: Um hmm. Okay, so this is the question for our table— I had a great table— what is the mayor's plans to ensure Brownsville residents, schools, community based organizations are not affected by budget cuts so they can continue to thrive as a community?

Mayor Adams: We didn't, we did not do, we have a hundred and...where's the budget now, Sheena, a hundred? It was 107 the last time, of out of that budget, only 30 billion of it is really flexible. Out of that 30 billion, 12 billion we had to pay into the migrants and asylum seekers, out of nowhere.

So, there's some real budgetary restraints that we have, but we didn't use a hatchet and said we're just going to cut everyone the same. We looked and said, how can we do it so that we don't impact the greatest needs? But it's a real, real challenge that we are experiencing right now.

We want to continue to give the support to those successful CBOs that are doing the right things and make the right decision. But a lot of those CBOs are coming through our school funding. Our electeds are using discretionary dollars to help. It's an all hands on board moment.

But I think that we're leaving too many of our corporations off the hook. Everyone has to be engaged and ensuring we navigate through this crisis that we are facing right now. So, we're going to do the best we can. But as I stated, some of my CBOs, this is a moment of consolidation. People need to start looking at, how do we consolidate, how do we...

If we're all doing financial literacy, why don't we come together and consolidate? If we all doing youth sports, why don't we consolidate? So, this is a moment of consolidation because the dollars are not endless. But thank you for the work that you're doing, okay?

First Deputy Mayor Wright: Mayor, can I just also add what Assemblywoman Walker said as well. Albany. She's got a bus. The budget is happening now, and we need to make sure that New York City gets its fair share of resources.

Mayor Adams: Well said. Well said.

Commissioner Kreizman: Table Number 8.

Question: Good night, everyone.

Mayor Adams: Thank you. How are you?

Question: I'm very well, thank you. I represent Table 8, and we had a few questions well, but...

Commissioner Kreizman: Keep it to one.

Question: ...we have decided to keep it to one.

Mayor Adams: Give me the juiciest one.

Question: Yes. What you said? Okay.

My question is, what is the most updated process as regards potholes and how much manpower is assigned to it, as well as what is being done to improve sanitation, especially around subway stations and some areas where garbage is being dumped.

Mayor Adams: What was it, the first one, you said, the first part?

Question: What is the most updated process as regards potholes?

Mayor Adams: Potholes. Okay, okay, got you, got you. Who...is Tisch...Tisch is not here tonight? Oh, Tisch is here.

Commissioner Kreizman: Commissioner Tisch is here for sanitation and DOT we have borough commissioner.

Mayor Adams: Yes. I don't know anyone that loves talkin' trash more than Tisch, you know that? [Laughter.]

Our amazing park commissioner, what she has done. I mean, Department of Sanitation commissioner, what she has done is just remarkable. Talk about the trash.

Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Department of Sanitation: Sure. Okay.

You had two questions about trash. The first was about subway stations. So, I'll tell you the old way it used to work and I'll tell you how this mayor has changed it.

In the old world what used to happen is you get a complaint about trash around a subway station and the city would turn around and say, I'm sorry, that's MTA property. And then you'd go on a wild goose chase and try to find someone at the MTA to figure out how to clean it up.

This mayor set up a new unit at the Department of Sanitation, it's called the Targeted Neighborhood Task Force, and that task force is in place to clean up parts of the city that had never been properly cleaned before, not once, but on a regular basis.

So that even though the area around the subway stations is technically the responsibility of the MTA— and we will go to them and tell them you have forgotten to clean this— we will come and clean it up and also get it on a regular cadence to be cleaned.

So, someone from my team will meet up with you and we'll go over which subway station you're talking about and we will take care of that one.

You also asked about illegal dumping and what we are doing to fight illegal dumping in the city. And there I have a great answer. For too long there was no strategy in New York City to address illegal dumping, just throwing your trash bags wherever they were.

This mayor came in and we set up cameras. We started with a small pilot program, 20 cameras in places known for illegal dumping. And what do you know? We started catching people right and left. When we catch people dumping, that comes with a very hefty fine and we impound the vehicle.

And so we've expanded that pilot program now to hundreds of cameras in every borough and virtually every neighborhood in the city where this is a profound problem. So, we are actually expanding the program right now, and Ryan on my team will be with you to see if there are specific locations that you have in mind for a dumping camera.

Mayor Adams: Okay?

Commissioner Kreizman: Excellent. Table Number 9?

Mayor Adams: Where's nine, where's nine. Mona going around, acting like Vanna White. [Laughter.]

Question: Good evening. I'm [Leticia Price Cotton].

Mayor Adams: How are you?

Question: Proud product of East New York. Current principal at PS 44, in Bed Stuy. For Table Number 9's question, Brookdale Hospital is a safety net hospital and Brownsville's main lifeline. We address health concerns, mental health issues, wellness and violence in our community. We are the largest employer for the community as well. What is the city doing to support this hospital, which is a pillar of the community?

Mayor Adams: Who do I have from H + H?

Commissioner Kreizman: It's Mitch Katz.

Mayor Adams: Doctor, give me your thoughts, Dr. Katz.

Dr. Mitchell Katz, President and CEO, NYC Health + Hospitals: Good evening, everyone. I'm Mitch Katz. I'm a proud born in Brooklyn. I'm happy always to be back in my hometown.

So, Brookdale is one of the great nonprofit hospitals that is in New York City. Our city is lucky to have several great systems of nonprofit hospitals as well as the public system, New York City Health + Hospitals, the hospitals that are in Brooklyn, which you probably know are Kings County and Woodhall and the New South Brooklyn with the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospital.

So, we work collaboratively with the other hospitals. They definitely, when they need help, we provide help. Most of their financial support, though, comes from a combination of Medicaid reimbursements, Medicare reimbursements and money that the state sends them to support them and to keep them open.

The city does not have a specific line item, sir, to the non profit hospitals. But we do, we love them, we work together, they send us patients, we send them patients. It's a very positive relationship, but it's not a financial relationship.

Mayor Adams: So, it doesn't fall under our H + H system, our Health + Hospital system. What do we have, 17 or, how many?

Dr. Katz: We have 11 acute care hospitals, five skilled nursing facilities, about 30 Gotham sites and the healthcare at Rikers.

Mayor Adams: And part of the problem is reimbursement rates. The reimbursement rates outside of Manhattan are just unfair. You know, and those rates mean what they pay for the services oftentimes it is not equal to the dollar amount of the services, particularly when you're safety net hospitals and based on communities you're going to have a higher use of not private insurance, you're going to need Medicaid to pay.

So, that is the real problem. That's the fight we've been having for years. When I was in Albany I was pushing that fight. But the state has to come in and make the decision on how they're going to continue to funnel the support to Brookdale.

Brookdale is an important hospital, and I'm sure the assemblywoman would agree, and that's part of the advocacy she has been doing for years. But I wish it was H + H, you know, so that we could have a greater input in it.

Commissioner Kreizman: So, next table.

Mayor Adams: Where am I going?

Commissioner Kreizman: Table Number 9.

Question: Good evening, mayor. My name is [Vanessa Minto] and I am approaching my 25th year in the New York City Department of Education. Thank you. How can we provide wraparound services as it pertains to food education, inclusive of home, school and community? And can our school pantries become open to the community in partnership with community gardens?

Mayor Adams: Love that. Love that a lot. You know how I feel about food and healthy food, what we're doing with plant based, plant powered Fridays, meatless Mondays, changing the cafeterias. This chancellor has done amazing stuff around holistic approach to wellness, everything from breathing exercises for our children, making the connection to create community gardens, vertical farming in our schools, hydroponics.

We're all in this space. No one has been in this space like I have been in this space. If there's a proposal you would like to see us expand, our school food group, Rachel Atcheson and the other crew, we need to bring them on board.

If you have a particular proposal, I would like you to connect you with our food team around school food so that we can look through, vet. I think it's a real, I think all of our schools should have a garden right there, and the community gardens should be connected with it.

We did a program here at Democracy Academy where we bought the pods for our children to allow them to grow food and they connected with our NYCHA residents to get the food over to them. So, we're on board with you. I love it. Let's make sure we connect to make it happen with your whatever proposal. Okay?

Commissioner Kreizman: We have the Deputy Chancellor Danika Rux here.

Mayor Adams: No, no, no, that's not...who's speaking? Go ahead. Go ahead. Do your thing.

Dr. Michelle Morse, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: Good evening. This is Dr. Michelle Morse. I'm with the City Health Department. The other thing I just wanted to add to the mayor's response is just a 10 minute walk from here is the Brownsville Neighborhood Health Action Center, and it's a place where you can go and actually get trained and taught how to cook different healthy foods.

We have someone from our health department team, Usman, if you can raise your hand. We have a number of programs that are happening just in the next few weeks at that action center, 10 minute walk from here where anyone can come and learn more about healthy cooking.

In addition, at that action center you can get health bucks. Those health bucks can help you to purchase healthy foods at a discounted price. And we have another series of health programs around food and nutrition just 10 minutes from here.

So, we hope that you'll come visit us. And if you want the flyer and information— Usman, raise your hand    you can get the information directly from him.

Deputy Mayor Ana Almanzar, Strategic Initiatives: Hi. And thank you for that question. As the mayor mentioned, and I'm Ana Almanzar, by the way. We will connect with you to have a conversation with our great director of the Mayor's Office of Food Policy, Kate MacKenzie.

She's working hand in hand with our Department of Education and New York City Public Schools in making sure that not only as the mayor mentioned the cafeterias are prepared to serve great food, but also that our kids understand and get a great handle on what is best for them; and also, that the food is delicious when working with the Department of Education.

So, we'd love to bring you on and have a conversation with you so we can start serving the way that our kids should be served. Thank you.

Mayor Adams: So, the combination, we're going to look at what we have existing already, and then we'd like to hear your proposal with Kate MacKenzie so that we can see if we could do something new. But that is our legacy. People think public safety is going to be my legacy, healthy eating and food is going to be my legacy. Our food is killing us. And you know, you can't have whole food in Park Slope and junk food in Brownsville. We need to have access to healthy food.

Assemblymember Walker: Yes. Mr. Mayor, thank you. I'm sorry. And follow up to the question with respect to Brookdale. We were blessed by the city by receiving a million dollars in funding for gun violence initiatives. As you know, part of healthcare in our community is gunshot wounds or people who have shown up who didn't make it through a gunshot wound.

And so through the office, your Office of Gun Violence Prevention, et cetera, there have been a number of dollars which were spent in partnership with Brookdale Hospital in order to be supportive of that.

And so we thank you. Even though Brookdale is not an H + H hospital, there are still a number of opportunities that I'd love to work with AT Mitchell on in order to gain some more resources for Brookdale.

Mayor Adams: Love it. Love it, love it, love it. And that's why when I talk about a 70 percent decrease in homicides, 45 percent decrease in shootings, that's the long term rippling impact and effect on bringing down crime. Hats off to this inspector. When you bring down crime, you bring [up] the quality of life, you save lives. And those are real numbers, what we were able to accomplish in Brownsville.

Commissioner Kreizman: Okay, Table Number 11.

Question: Good evening.

Mayor Adams: How are you, man?

Question: ...my brother, and peace to our Mayor Eric Adams. One of Table 11's major concerns and most important questions is, it was a question that was asked that was kind of similar, but we're talking about something that's a little bit more strategic as far as sanitation is concerned, in the NYCHA developments and urban developments.

Why does it seem like there's always a pile of garbage on every other block in our neighborhoods versus other neighborhoods, for lack of better words? Not only that, we know that these piles of garbage that they accumulate rodents, insects and they cause health issues for the residents that live in these developments as well. So we want to hear a little bit about if there is any strategic plan as far as that is concerned.

Mayor Adams: And you know, it's so funny you said that, I don't know, I think I was in Harlem yesterday, and I was walking around and noticed that there's just mounds and mounds of garbage.

And so what the commissioner is doing, we had a plan. We want to containerize garbage. There's no reason garbage is in plastic bags, spilling over, rodents. And our goal is to in the next two and a half years, we have a complete containerization program that's going on. But right now I agree with you: I'm seeing too much garbage that's piled up in NYCHA facilities. But commissioner, do you want to talk on this a bit?

Commissioner Tisch: Sure. Like the mayor said, for sanitation I think the single biggest thing we can do to clean up the city is get the 44 million pounds of garbage bags that sit on our curbs every single day off the streets. And that is what the mayor has charged me with doing, that is what I'm obsessed with.

And so we are rolling out a full plan to containerize all trash in New York City for the very reason that you articulated. It's gross. It looks bad. It smells bad. The rats eat it all day. And it's just, to me, such an obvious, clear solution to that problem, which is do what most modern cities around the world did 10 or 15 years ago.

And that's a very simple thing, it's called putting the trash in containers. And so that's what you're going to see. to see a lot of over the next year and over the next few years, as the mayor said.

Mayor Adams: Is Lisa here? NYCHA?

Commissioner Kreizman: We have Eva Trimble from NYCHA.

Eva Trimble, Chief Operating Officer, NYCHA: Good evening. Hi, I'm Eva Trimble, NYCHA's chief operating officer. I'll definitely connect with you after we're done here to get the specific sites that you're referring to so I can make sure that we're following up.

We've also been working on containerization actually as part of our 2019 HUD agreement. We've been required to move to containerization over the last few years. So I'm very surprised to hear that you're seeing the bags, because our staff are instructed to make sure everything's put away at the end of every day. So, I definitely want to hear from you. I'll go out and visit the exact sites with you if you like so we can make sure that those bags are put away.

Mayor Adams: Yes, and we have some great employees with NYCHA, but I'm with you, man. I saw that the other day. It's so funny you're raising that question, because I was saying that every facility I'm going to, I'm just seeing this trash, mounds and mounds.

And it plays on the psyche of the people. If you see trash all over where you live in, you tend to believe that you don't matter. And so we need to really figure this out. as a team, because I'm seeing it all over, and we need to figure out how are we going to expedite the containerizing of garbage on NYCHA facilities, because it's not acceptable.

And I was just saying that the other day when I was walking through these facilities. So, we're with you. We're going to put our heads together, we're going to gonna make a real dent. It should be clean. NYCHA facilities should be clean.

Hold on, what's going on? Brother what you doing, man?

Commissioner Holmes: Mayor, is it possible for me to chime in a little bit?

Mayor Adams: Hold on. I'm sorry?

Question: [Inaudible.]

Mayor Adams: Yeah, you what?

Question: [Inaudible.]

Mayor Adams: Yes.

Question: [Inaudible.]

Mayor Adams: Okay, well you, well I'm always around but what you can't do is all these neighbors are orderly. Okay. We're all good.

But listen, Pastor Monrose, get his number and I'll reach out to you and we could communicate. But we got to follow this flow, okay?

Question: [Inaudible.]

Mayor Adams: Appreciate you. What's your name?

Question: [Inaudible.]

Mayor Adams: All right, David. You heard I was in the neighborhood and you ran over to see me? Okay. My man. My man. [Laughter.]

Commissioner Holmes: Mr. Mayor, would you mind if I chimed in a few?

Mayor Adams: Yes, yes. Yes, yes, yes.

Commissioner Holmes: So, I just wanted to speak about Brownsville as a whole. So, many of you may not know this, but conversations have been had for the last several months about a program called One Neighborhood at a Time and Brownsville community is at the top of the list.

And what does that look like? As I listen this evening and we hear about the sanitation, we hear about housing, what it looks like is all the communities, and your community as well, but all of the agencies in New York City coming together having conversations about starting here one neighborhood at a time, Brownsville at the top of the list.

And that means addressing everything. And naturally, that encompasses the faith based organizations, certain elected officials, borough president. This is, you know, the mayor of New York City, this is his plan, and it's going to be a great plan because we've identified seven communities everyone knows that populates the pipeline to prison, Brownsville being one.

I've been in the Police Department almost 37 years. So, I want you to know conversations are being had discussing the logistics, how do we move forward with this, starting with Brownsville. Filling potholes, fixing street lights, taking care of faded stop signs, inspecting fire hydrants, pavement markers, garbage, sanitation, railings on the subway where seniors and children can't hold on to it because of it's, you know, filled with pigeon waste.

All of these little details, including Department of Education, ensuring parents get a notification when a child has not attended school. And if they're going for three days, the superintendent office kick in, if it's passed that, ACS may have to knock on the door.

These systems are going to flow. A lot of my colleagues here tonight may not have heard of this, but most of them have. And I just wanted to mention a little bit about it because you are number one on the list community to address. And thank you for allowing me to speak, Mr. Mayor.

Mayor Adams: Yes. No, thank you. And we want to continue, and I know it probably went over, it may have gone over your head, folks: 70 percent decrease in homicides, 45 percent decrease in shootings, 17 percent decrease in overall crime. What other mayor did that? Think about that.

Your babies are going home because we started out saying, Brownsville is our litmus test. If we kick the can down the road like others have done for years, then why the hell were we elected? We're doing the damned thing.

Commissioner Kreizman: Table Number 12.

Mayor Adams: How are you? Got the whole school crew? I could always tell. When they stand up together, something's about to jump off.

You know what I'm sayin'? [Laughter.]

Let me come over here, because y'all are ready, got on your gray and burgundy and [Laughter].

Question: Hello, everybody.

Mayor Adams: How are you?

Question: Good night. We are a student government of this school, IS 392. My name is Destiny, and I'm the president.

Question: My name is [Kaya], I'm the vice president.

Question: My name is [Christianne], and I'm the treasurer.

Question: My name is [Vanessa], and I'm the secretary.

Mayor Adams: Nice. My name is Eric, I'm the mayor. [Laughter.]

Question: Okay. Our question is, how can we get support for our teachers, because many times the migrant students speak badly about our teachers, try to be disrespectful. So, what can you give our schools...yeah, what can you give our schools to fix the language barrier?

Mayor Adams: Hmm, I love that. So, I'm going to have, Danika, can you touch on that? But after she touches on that I want you to think and I want you to give us some recommendations, because you know what people are doing wrong. So, she's going to talk on it overall, but I want you to tell me, mayor, this is what we need to be doing. Okay?

Deputy Chancellor Danika Rux, Department of Education: First off, [Destiny, Kaya, Christianne and Vanessa,] shout out to you four… For representing your school community and for bringing something forward that is most important to you. Thank you for your leadership. I just have to say that to you four.

Yes, so in Brownsville you have received about 1,400 migrant students in the community. And before this convening started, I had an opportunity to speak to your superintendent Dr. Kirkland — who we also have to shout out — about the influx of asylum seekers in the community and how it's impacting the school community.

And one of the things that we spoke about is we know exactly where the students are in schools, which schools in your community, and we are deploying additional support and services to those school communities.

We are putting our money where our mouth is, and we are sending money to your school so that you can hire additional teachers, your school can get additional programs in order to support the students in the community. So, we are monitoring this because we really want to ensure that because you have an influx of new students coming into your community, it's not impacting everyone else's education, that we are moving forward and we are moving along the continuum of learners who are readers, writers and proficient mathematicians in your school community.

So, know that we are monitoring this. We are in constant conversation with your superintendent. We're monitoring the numbers to ensure that you are getting the support that you need.

Mayor Adams: And so and I want to drill down, and Commissioner Howard, because we did youth town halls, and that was not one of the topics that came up. So, I really appreciate the topic. So, we need to think about how, as these young ladies are saying, here you have the students saying, how do we support our teachers? And so somehow we need to close that gap that they're talking about.

So, what are some of the ideas that we could do, either going back doing some youth town halls, doing some communications with teachers and students, because she said they've been disrespectful to the teachers, they've been discourteous to the teachers. You know, give me some of your, what's your thought?

Commissioner Howard: So, one of the things that we're doing and in partnership with public schools is with the Work, Learn and Grow program, which we got a 7,000 this year for juniors in high school students, is we created a peer navigator program.

We have identified certain schools with a large influx of migrants and asylum seekers, and we're taking young people who speak the language to act as mediators to deal with that conflict.

So, that's one of the programs that we can definitely bring into the school — if it's not there already — to help mitigate. And we were intentional about that, because one of the things we learned in the town hall, Mr. Mayor, as you remember, is young people saying, if there are issues, I'd rather have it resolved with my peers as opposed to an adult.

So, we're being very intentional in doing investments in schools in our peer navigator — we call it the Ambassador's Program — where young people are paid and trained to be able to go and deal with the conflicts; and specifically with the migrants and asylum seekers.

Mayor Adams: Thank you. Thank you. So, can we do this? Instead of you giving me your ideas, can you come down to City Hall, meet with me and share your ideas with me so I can hear directly from you? Let's just spend some time, let's talk.

And let's get, because you're on to something, because there's a high level of disrespect that I see brewing. And so we're going to set up a time where you could come in and we could just sit down and chat and let me hear some of your ideas.

And then ask some of your fellow students, what are your ideas? So, you could come in, since you're the student body, you know, you're the president— Madam President— come in and share what it is. So, can we block out some time and sit down together and talk about this? Okay? All right. Sounds like a plan. Thank you. Thank you so much.

All right, Pastor. Hercules, Hercules is going to coordinate it.

Commissioner Kreizman: Next table, Table Number 14.

Mayor Adams: Got man up all up in here.

Question: Hold tap.

Mayor Adams: Hold tap, Brother.

Question: A [Jesse Gibson] greeting, everybody. [I'm Mark Lebrou], community coordinator with ManUp, Inc. and I represent Table Number 14. I'm also a retiree from Corporation Counsel after 25 years, but I didn't leave the city. I'm still here trying to do this work.

Our question basically is this. Has making CMS employees, civil service employees, been considered or have the city at least considered providing some of the same benefits afforded to civil service employees. For example, priority with Housing Connect.

Mayor, we have boots on the ground, we have ears on the street, we're in the schools, we're in the parks, we're in the hospitals. We have rapid responders that don't sleep 24 hours a day. You recently came out after two CMS employees were shot in Brownsville. Your statistics came out whereas I believe it had East New York number one, Brownsville number two and Hunts Point number three as far as crime is concerned.

But I don't think what the people realize is that if you look at the targeted areas where the CMS workers are, those numbers would even be lower. We're doing a greater job.

So, what I'm saying is, is it possible for us to be afforded some of the same perks, and some of the same, you know, benefits afforded to civil service employees?

Mayor Adams: Yes. No, no, and thank you for that.

And hats off to what you are doing. Let me help you with your...

Commissioner Kreizman: So and we just want to say, anyone with a gray Toyota, HCZ 1913, you're blocking a driveway and are going to be towed shortly. So, please, if your car is outside, a gray Toyota, HCZ 1913, please move your car, you're blocking a driveway.

Mayor Adams: She was flirting at me all night, so let me help her. [Laughter.] So, Brother what was our number? How much we did with CMS this year? AT, you know the numbers we did with CMS this year?

Question: In terms of the finance...

Mayor Adams: Finance, yes.

Question: Yes. So, we funded it at over $80 million, over $80 million this year.

Mayor Adams: So, when you talk about CMS, I'm not the choir, I wrote the song. I believe in what you're doing. And I know how hard the work is, and you're willing to do something that not many people are willing to do, to go inside, de-escalate, go to the hospital when people are falling apart, retaliatory shootings, retaliatory action, drives up crime.

We know the good work that you are doing. And we need to figure out many ways that we can compensate you for the work that you're doing. The perks that you're talking about, I don't know exactly which ones that you're talking about that civil service are doing.

I know that we made sure we settled all about civil service contracts, but I don't know which perks you're talking about. But what I will consider, since you're ManUp, I'm sure you know AT, you know. So, AT is in direct contact with first deputy mayor, the first deputy Mayor. They work together, the first deputy mayor.

So, you ought to just sit down and you need to explain these perks that you're talking about and see realistically what we can do. Whatever I can do, I'm willing to do. You want to talk, you want to raise something?

Commissioner Howard: Yes. So, it's already being done. CMS 2.0, right? When we're building out a career path for the Cure Violence System and the Cure Violence Group. My brother AT and I, we meet the third week of every Saturday and we go over not only with AT but some of the other Cure Violence Groups, and we go over issues like that.

But we've already set aside the money already from the Gun Violence Task Force. [Inaudible] is also leading the efforts at the first deputy mayor's office, AT, of course our fabulous first deputy mayor, those systems are already in place and they will be landing really soon.

Mayor Adams: You know, so it's time brother, to take it to the next level. You know, we've been one, we've been stuck at CMS 1, it's time now to evolve to the next level, and that's what we want to do. We want to take it to the next level and treat you with the level of professionalism that you deserve.

Commissioner Howard: And Mr. Mayor, we want to shout out, of course ManUp, but Elite Learners, BIVO and Brownfield Think Tank Matters. If you're here, please raise your hand because these are the credible messengers, as you said, Mr. Mayor, that's in the community, that's mitigating the shootings and the violence that are happening here, that's contributing to the crime numbers that you mentioned.

Mayor Adams: Right, right, right. And we can't overlook that, because oftentimes when we look at the decrease in violence that we've experienced across the city, often the NYPD gets to nod.

You want me to help you with your coat?

You know, NYPD gets the nod, but in reality is you look at where the crisis management teams are, you're seeing that decrease. You are very much a part of the success that we are experiencing here in Brownsville, and I cannot say thank you enough.

I know Sister Logan is often talking about it and promoting and pushing it forward. That's where we are. So, we're moving to the next version. It's time to take you to the next level.

Commissioner Kreizman: Before we go to the last table, I just want to give a shout out to Hercules Reid, our Brooklyn North director who covers Brooklyn North.

He's also our youth coordinator in the Mayor's Office. So, just shout out to him for putting this together tonight and coordinating this effort.

So, Lamona, next last question.

Mayor Adams: How are you?

Question: I'm well, how are you?

Mayor Adams: Quite well.

Question: Glad to hear that, sir. I stand as a clergyman, but at this point, I'm speaking from the crisis management perspective as well, 73rd God Squad.

And we want to know, what is your administration's plan to help many of our convicted youth to get into the YAP program, the Scared Straight program. We know that it's active further upstate and it gets to other communities. It doesn't make it to us.

And then also, what are the plans to create more community centers for our youth for recreational purposes? We are grateful for 127 Penn. We know about the delay over at the BRC, but are there any things in the works that are coming in down the pipeline?

Mayor Adams: Okay, our reentry stuff, Juanita, who's on the reentry? You, Commissioner Holmes, reentry? Young people that are coming back home. The question was, what are we doing for young people who are formerly incarcerated coming back home? What are some of the programs that we have? You want to talk about it? Okay.

Deanna Logan, Director, Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice: Hello. Good evening, everybody. My name is Deanna Logan, and I am the director for the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice.

The mayor is being very, very modest because he has supported us and funded over 24 alternatives to incarceration. Each one of those has locations where anybody can walk in and get connected to housing supports, medical health supports, all of the things that they need to start being successful members of society again.

What we have been doing is ensuring that people who are coming home are now actually getting opportunities not only for transitional housing, which I know a lot of you heard about, there were the emergency hotels, and there's always hotels, hotels, hotels.

Last year we doubled down, and we doubled down and we did "the" most number of placements in permanent housing. So, 232 people moved into permanent units and our goal is to continue and to build on that. So, please come visit me. I have my team who's out here for IGA and we will be available to answer questions.

Mayor Adams: Thank you.

Commissioner Howard: Yes, he's being very modest because we got the anti gun violence youth employment program with the Cure Violence Groups are in charge of those programs and youth as a preventive measure are enrolled in those programs and they're paid a stipend and they also work side to side with the program managers in the Cure Violence Group to create a safe space and also as a preventive measure to gun violence.

And again, that's part of the overall goal when we talk about summer youth employment with 100,000 young people that have been employed in the six weeks of the summer as the gun violence prevention strategy during the summer months. And we just launched the SYEP application: one week, 45,000 applications online. Okay?

Mayor Adams: Good stuff. Largest amount of some of youth employment we only were doing 75,000; under this DYCD we went up to 100,000. Now you had a second question, Brother?

Question: What are the plans concerning [inaudible] recreational spaces [inaudible]?

Mayor Adams: Great. Great. I got you. We, what we have to do, we're at a place that we have to use what we have right now, and I've said this over and over again. We have too many schools, buildings at 7:00 a.m., you welcome in, at 2:00 p.m., we say get out and don't come back. We need to use these spaces. This is a recreational center.

You know, our auditorium should be used for our children to explore their artistic expression. Our classrooms could be used. So, we need to be more open and using existing facilities, and I don't think we do enough of that. And under this chancellor, our push is to do so.

We wanted to do our whole extended use, what I did as the borough president. Some of the fiscal restraints got in the way, but we want to still explore how do we get these buildings open and better utilized.

Commissioner Kreizman: And the assemblymember would like to add something.

Assemblymember Walker: Mr. Mayor, I can also add that at 444 Thomas Boylan, we thank you for a girls club which is going to be built at the location where 444 used to be, because it was just demolished. Also at Van Dyke, at Van Dyke Development, you're going to be building a boxing gym as well as another youth department, which is over there.

All of these different initiatives came as a portion of the Brownsville Plan where a number of many of the people who were here all worked together in order to come up with this new idea.

And then lastly, at the location, which is across the street from PS 150 on Junius, off of Junius and Glenmore, you're building out a housing development, but included in that are business incubators for many of our local Brownsville entrepreneurs to come out of their apartments with their businesses and go into a WeWork style development which is also presently underway.

Groundbreaking on two of those projects have already happened. We're waiting for the third one and we've been working with you with the Department of Buildings in order to get the permits that we need. But we at least have those three developments.

And lastly, I'm sorry, at the corner of Amboy and East New York, we're building 68 units of reentry housing, which are dedicated solely to people who are involved with the Women's Prison Association and the Osborne Association, and together over at Marcus Garvey Village, there are a number of reentry housing units there as well. So, thank you.

Mayor Adams: Something that the assemblywoman always talks about, the reentry housing, pushing it forward, being a real advocate for it.

Commissioner Howard: And in this school, we have an after school program. Over 400 slots with amazing community based organizations that are doing real work in the after school program here. So, we're talking about photography, African drumming, ballet, all sorts of different enrichment programs that are happening in this very building in the after school program.

Mayor Adams: And so part of what we must continue to do is get the information out, because there's a lot of resources that remain on the table, like Commissioner Stewart said, so we need to get it out. Sorry, Brother what's your name?

Question: [Inaudible.]

Mayor Adams: You're clergy, member of clergy? Okay, you know Pastor Monrose?

Question: Yes.

Mayor Adams: Okay, good. This is your queen, how you doing? You know, what's your name?

Question: [Inaudible.]

Mayor Adams: Say it again.

Question: [Inaudible.]

Mayor Adams: Thank you very much. You out hanging out with Dad tonight? [Laughter.] You ready to get in? Listen, Brownsville, thank you so much. Real great qualitative questions and thank our entire team that's here. Thank y'all for coming out, you know, spending the time, getting it done. Thank you.

Commissioner Kreizman: Just, members of the Mayor's Office collect all the cards and bring them to the front.