New York City Hall
What to watch for this week in New York politics:
Mayor de Blasio was back in town this weekend after a four-day vacation in Rhode Island. The mayor participated in several weekend evetns. He's not only returning this week to work at City Hall, but he's facing former City Council Member Sal Albanese in the first Democratic mayoral primary election debate on Wednesday night. It will be must-see TV on NY1 or must-hear radio on WNYC -- along with those two networks, the debate is also being sponsored by Citizens Union, Politico New York, and others.
That's the main event of the week, but that's certianly not all that's happening -- there are City Council candidate debates, City Council hearings, and more -- see our day-by-day rundown below, including de Blasio's Monday morning press conference.
***Do you have events or topics for us to include in an upcoming Week Ahead in New York Politics? e-mail Gotham Gazette editor Ben Max: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.***
The run of the week in detail:
Monday
At 9:15 a.m. Monday, schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña will deliver brief remarks at New Teacher Week at UFT headquarters.
At 9:30 a.m. Monday at Brooklyn Public Library in Grand Army Plaza, "Mayor de Blasio, Commissioner O'Neill and Brooklyn Borough President Adams will hold a media availability regarding new security measures for the upcoming J'Ouvert celebration." The press conference will include Q&A with reporters.
On Monday, presumptive GOP mayoral nominee Nicole Malliotakis "will conduct a listening tour of NYCHA housing on Monday accompanied by community activist Tony Herbert." She's visiting developments in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, including nine different stops.
At the City Council on Monday:
--The Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises will meet at 9:30 a.m.
--The Subcommittee on Planning, Dispositions, and Concessions will meet at 1 p.m.
“In the wake of the surge in hate rhetoric nationwide, New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, elected officials, and community leaders will rally outside the J. Marion Sims Monument in Central Park on Monday [at 11 a.m. at 103rd Street and 5th Ave.] to renew their demand for the NYC Parks Department to remove an offensive statue honoring a physician [J. Marion Sims] who conducted medical experiments on non-anaesthetized enslaved Black women.” Mark-Viverito will be joined by City Council Members Bill Perkins, Robert Cornegy, and Mark Levine; Congressional Rep. Adriano Espaillat; State Senator Brian Benjamin; other elected officials and community members.
At noon Monday, “the upper Manhattan community will gather with Amanda Morales-Guerra, a young mother of three, who is currently in sanctuary in a Washington Heights church to avoid deportation by the Trump Administration. Elected officials, community organizations and residents will join Amanda and her children before heading downtown to deliver letters of support and an I589 form, a request for asylum, after facing death threats in her native Guatemala.At 1pm, there will be a rally and press conference in support of Amanda, after which elected officials and Amanda's lawyer will deliver the letters to officials at 26 Federal Plaza.” The events are being led by City Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, joined by others.
At noon Monday outside City Hall, “Mayoral candidate Mike Tolkin to hold press conference calling on media sponsors to include him in mayoral debate in wake of Campaign Finance Board ruling Friday.”
Tuesday
At the City Council on Tuesday
--The Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Management will meet at 10 a.m. to discuss proposed laws relating to “requiring agencies to notify a food rescue organization before disposing of food” and “facilitating food donations.”
--The Committee on Oversight and Investigations will meet at 10:30 a.m. to discuss a proposed law relating to “the evaluation of civil actions, claims, complaints, and investigations alleging improper police conduct.”
--The Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting, and Maritime Uses will meet at 10:30 a.m.
--The Committee on Land Use will meet at 11 a.m.
--The Committee on Consumer Affairs will meet at 11 a.m. to discuss a proposed law relating to “establishing an office of nightlife and a nightlife advisory board.”
Governor Cuomo is in Erie County, Monroe County, and New York City on Tuesday. He'll make two announcements: at 10:30 a.m. at Fisherman's Landing in Grand Island and at 12:30 p.m. at 133 Calkins Road in Rochester.
At 11 am Tuesday, at John Paul Jones Park in Brooklyn, U.S. Representatives Yvette Clarke, Hakeem Jeffries, and Nydia Velazquez will lead a protest against Confederate memorials within Fort Hamilton.
"NYC Council Member Andy King will speak at a press conference on Tuesday, Aug. 22, at 11 a.m., Manhattan Criminal Court , 100 Centre St, New York, to demand that Cy Vance and other local prosecutors change their restrictive discovery practices and support efforts to reform New York’s broken criminal discovery statute."
On Tuesday at noon at Tweed Courthouse, "Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Fariña will make an education announcement."
On Tuesday at noon at City Hall, "In the wake of the tragedy in Charlottesville and the increased visibility of white supremacy nationwide, dozens of NYC public school parents will stand with the NYC Department of Education to announce anti-bias trainings for over 600 teachers in the 2017-18 school year."
At 7 p.m. Tuesday, Food Bank for New York City and Gotham Gazette/Citizens Union Foundation will host a debate in the 8th City Council District, which includes East Harlem and parts of the South Bronx. Gotham Gazette’s Ben Max will moderate the debate among Democratic candidates seeking to replace term-limited City Council Member and Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. The event will take place at LSA Family Health Services on 115th Street.
At 7 p.m. Tuesday, the Queens Tribune and the Press of Southeast Queens will hold a forum for candidates for mayor, public advocate, and comptroller. Confirm participants include mayoral candidates Nicole Malliotakis, Sal Albanese, and Richard Bashner, Comptroller Scott Stringer, and comptroller candidate Michel Faulkner. The forum will take place at the Little Theater at St. John’s University, in Jamaica.
Wednesday
At the City Council on Wednesday:
--The Committee on Women’s Issues will meet at 10 a.m. to discuss several proposed laws related to promoting, assessing, measuring, and addressing various forms of inequity.
--The Committee on Juvenile Justice will meet at 10 a.m. to discuss several proposed laws relating to recordkeeping and visitation rights for juvenile inmates.
--The Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice Services will meet at 11 a.m. to discuss proposed laws relating to “discharge planning for inmates in city correctional facilities” as well as educational and vocational programming for inmates and educational programming for young adults and adolescents.
At 10 a.m. Wednesday, the City Planning Commission will hold a public meeting at Spector Hall.
At 6 p.m. Wednesday, the Panel for Education Policy will hold a public meeting at Murry Bergtraum High School in Lower Manhattan.
At 7 p.m. Wednesday, Mayor de Blasio and primary challenger Sal Albanese will square off in a Democratic mayoral primary debate on NY1 and WNYC, moderated by Errol Louis, with questions also coming from NY1’s Grace Rauh and Juan Manuel Benitez, WNYC’s Brian Lehrer, and Politico’s Laura Nahmias. The debate will take place at Symphony Space on the Upper West Side.
Thursday
The full City Council will have a stated meeting at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, prefaced by a press conference led by Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.
Also at the City Council on Thursday: the Committee on Finance will meet at 10 a.m. to discuss a resolution “approving the new designation and changes in the designation of certain organizations to receive funding in the Expense Budget.”
At 4:30 p.m. Thursday, the New York City Democratic Socialists will rally in front of the City Council offices at 250 Broadway to “demand action” on the Right to Know Act.
At 6:30 p.m. Thursday, the Civilian Complaint Review Board will hold a public board meeting at 100 Church Street in Manhattan.
At 6:30 p.m. Thursday, City & State will bring its Borough Series to the Bronx, honoring “The Influentials: 25 prominent individuals who live or work in the Bronx in five key sectors.” Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. will speak.
At 7 p.m. Thursday, Mayor de Blasio will host a town hall meeting in Coney Island, co-hosted by City Council Member Mark Treyger. Joining the mayor and Treyger will be Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, Congressional Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, State Senator Diane Savino, and Assemblymember Pamela Harris.
At 7 p.m. Thursday, Food Bank for New York City and Gotham Gazette/Citizens Union Foundation will host a debate in the 41st City Council District. Gotham Gazette’s Ben Max will moderate the debate among Democratic candidates seeking to replace term-limited City Council Member Darlene Mealy. The debate will take place at Neighbors Together on Fulton Street in Brooklyn.
At 5:45 p.m. Thursday at Baruch College, "AARP New York will host a candidate forum for open seats in Manhattan, featuring candidates running in City Council Districts 2, 4 and 8. The forum will be moderated by a panel of reporters, who will ask the candidates about topics including livability and affordability, which are priorities of New Yorkers 50+. Moderators include: Brigid Bergin, WNYC City Hall and politics reporter; Mark Chiusano, editorial board member for AM New York and Newsday; and Michael Scotto, NY1 reporter."
At 7 p.m. Thursday, Faith in New York will hold candidate forums for candidates in City Council Districts 40 and 45 at Our Lady of Refuge in Brooklyn, as part of its “Faith Over Fear” campaign.
At 7 p.m. Thursday, Food & Water Watch will hold a public meeting at the New York Society for Ethical Culture on the Upper West Side to discuss their “plan to move New York - and the whole country - OFF fossil fuels.”
Friday and the weekend
The first part of the new Tappan Zee Bridge, now named after former Governor Mario Cuomo, will open on Friday. Traffic bound for Rockland County will be rerouted to the new bridge, while Westchester-bound traffic will remain on the old bridge for a few months.
On Friday, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer will hold a press conference for Women’s Equality Day.
At 8:15 a.m. Friday, the Center for New York City Law will host Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña as part of its CityLaw Breakfast Series.
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Have events or topics for us to include in an upcoming Week Ahead in New York Politics? E-mail Gotham Gazette executive editor Ben Max any time: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (please use "For Week Ahead" as email subject).
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by Ben Brachfeld and Ben Max
@GothamGazette
