Tag: featured

Help your neighborhood recycle more! Join the Manhattan Paper Recycling Challenge.

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100% of the paper that Department of Sanitation trucks collect in Manhattan’s is barged to Pratt Industries’ recycling mill on Staten Island where the paper is “pulped” and then used by their corrugated plant nearby and fabricated into new paper products, resulting in a rare sustainable “closed loop.” (Approximately 15% of NYC pizza boxes are made right there!) But the plants have excess capacity—so Pratt Industries, the plants’ owner, is… Read more

Open Call: Seaport Community Mural Project 2019

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Open Call: Seaport Community Mural Project 2019 My office and the New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM) are announcing an open call for mural designs to be applied to structures that are part of the Interim Flood Protection Measures (IFPM) program, which will be installed along South Street in Manhattan’s South Street Seaport neighborhood. The Open Call isn’t just limited to professional artists—anyone is invited to submit a design, which will be printed on vinyl banners and… Read more

Free Summer Meals for Kids!

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Free Summer Meals for Kids! The New York City Department of Education serves over 700,000 free meals to children every day during the school year. These meals, which include breakfast and lunch, are vital to families struggling to keep their children fed and healthy. But what happens when school lets out for the summer?

Lawsuit to compel public review of Holmes Tower infill development

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birds eye view of Holmes Towers I’ve filed a lawsuit against Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYCHA demanding that the plan for Holmes Towers Infill development on First Avenue and 93rd Street be subject to the City’s Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP) as required by the state public housing law. State public housing law requires that localities follow a standard approval process. In New York City, that’s the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, and… Read more

Single-use plastic bags banned as part of budget deal

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a hand holding plastic bag walking in the street As part of the new budget, state leaders passed a ban on single-use plastic shopping bags at most retail and grocery stores (restaurants are exempted). A provision was created for localities to impose a 5¢ fee on paper shopping bags, with revenue to be split 60-40% with the state environmental fund and the locality. (Council Members Brad Lander and Margaret Chin are sponsoring the paper bag fee for New York… Read more

There oughta be a law: we need a database to track vacant storefronts

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Gale speaks into mic at NYC council committee I testified today at the NYC Council Committee on Small Business in support of Intro No 1472-A, a bill that would require owners to report the vacancy status of their storefront properties and establish an open database for vacancies. The crisis facing small businesses has only grown worse. National chains steadily spread throughout the city, storefronts sit vacant for years, and online shopping is reducing foot traffic to our local… Read more

Fresh Food for Seniors program delivers 5,500 bags of affordable produce

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seven smiling women boxing leafy greens Healthy food should be available to everyone, but especially to elderly New Yorkers. As an elected official, I’ve made increasing access to quality, affordable, and locally-grown food a priority. My Fresh Food for Seniors program, a version of which I launched in 2012 as a City Council Member, delivers discounted bags of local fruits and veggies—sourced from local farms via GrowNYC’s Greenmarket Co. food hub—to senior centers and apartment buildings… Read more

Mesh wifi installed at my office

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White Mesh wifi box installed at Gale's office I’m excited to announce that my office is hosting a tech demonstration by NYC Mesh. As you know, I have advocated for net neutrality and consumer data protection since my time on the City Council. Far too often, we have seen large internet service providers (ISPs) collect consumer data only to sell it for a profit or lose it in a preventable security breach. NYC Mesh’s mission is to… Read more