Transcript: Mayor Adams Host Community Conversation

Watch this video here at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btUGVdI82JI

Commissioner Fred Kreizman, Community Affairs Unit: Good evening. My name is Fred Kreizman, I'm the commissioner of the Mayor's Community Affairs Unit. It's great to be out here in the Rockaways. This is the mayor's 37th community conversation, and not including the 20 adult town halls and the youth town halls. We want to thank our host P.S./M.S. 42 school's principal Patricia Finn for welcoming us this evening. It's great. This week we're marking Mental Health Week. 

Our team has some piece of literature for mental health resources, please collect them on the way out. We are proud of the accomplishments we have here, and we're very eager to hear everyone's topics. There's three components to this town hall. We have the first portion of the first hour, members of the mayor's office and community affairs were listening to concerns at each table so we could take down those issues, let the policymakers know the key issues that matter most. We don't want to waste your time, we know how valuable that is. 

Second portion, we have the mayor of the City of New York and the full dais of city agencies representatives, deputy mayors, to listen to the concerns and address your questions. We're asking people to be brief, one question per table, and then goes through every single table to ensure that we're hearing the concerns from every table. If your question is asked, let's go to a different topic so we could address all the type of issues in the community. 

The third important thing is every single person has a note card in front of them. If your question is not asked, we'll make sure that there's a follow-up in a timely manner on your issue directly with the agency. We monitor these questions to ensure there's proper feedback and there's communication directly with every single question that's asked. 

At this time, I just want to go quickly through the dais of who's here this evening. Of course, save all the applause to the end. We have the wonderful mayor, the 110th Mayor of the City of New York, Mayor Eric Adams. 

We have Deputy Mayor of Strategic Initiatives, Ana Almanzar. The Deputy Mayor of Public Safety, Kaz Daughtry. The Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services, Suzanne Miles-Gustave. We have Reggie Thomas from the Deputy Mayor of Housing Economic Development, the chief policy advisor. We have NYPD Deputy Commissioner, Mark Stewart. New York City Public Schools Deputy Chancellor, Danika Rux. Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs Commissioner, Manny Castro. 

DYCD Deputy Commissioner, Susan Haskell. Health and Hospital CEO, Dr. Mitchell Katz. The Department of Health Chief Population Health and Data Officer, Mamta Parakh. Office of Community Mental Health Chief of Staff, Doug Simon. ACS Deputy Commissioner, Ina Mendez. EDC Senior Vice President, Jennifer Cass. The DSS-HRA Administrator, Scott French. New York City Emergency Management Chief Operating Officer, Henry Jackson. Department of Finance Director, John Mooney. CCHR Chief of Staff, Jose Rios. Fire Department Borough Chief, Tom Healy. 

To my right, we have the Councilmember, Selvena Brooks-Powers. DOT Commissioner, Ydanis Rodriguez. SBS Commissioner, Dynishal Gross. Probation Associate Commissioner, Antonio Pullano. HPD Acting Commissioner, Ahmed Tigani. Parks First Deputy Commissioner Iris Rodriguez. NYCHA Executive Vice President, Daniel Greene. Buildings Commissioner, Jimmy Oddo. Department of the Aging Executive Deputy Commissioner, Ryan Murray. 

Mayor's Office of Climate of Environmental Justice Executive Director, Elijah Hutchinson. DEP Borough Commissioner, Alfonso Lopez. Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice Chief Operating Office, Candice Julien. Office of Asylum Seeker Operations Director, Daniel Henry. DCP City Planning Queen's Office Director, Lin Zeng. Sanitation Assistant Director of Community Affairs, Antonio Whitaker. The Mayor's Office of People Disabilities Commissioner, Christina Curry. We're also joined by Borough Chief, Kevin Williams, from NYPD. 

We have 100th Precinct CO Deputy Inspector, Carol Hamilton. 101st Precinct CO, Captain Ng. Transit District C.O. of 23, Captain Waheed Akhter. Sanitation Borough Chief Cavanaugh. Sanitation Queens 14 Superintendent Laura. Again, thank you for all the community affairs officers at every table that joined by mayor's staff as well. At this time, the run of show, we'll give it over to Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers, and then we'll give it over to the mayor. 

City Councilmember Selvena Brooks-Powers: Well good evening, everyone. Good to see you all. It's good to be home. I had a preliminary budget hearing today for seven and a half hours with one of the commissioners right next to me, and continuing to advocate for the community. It's a pleasure to welcome our mayor here to the district. It's been a long time coming. I know many of you have stopped me in the supermarket on the street and said, "When is the mayor coming for a town hall?" 

We're glad to be able to have him here, as well as the commissioners of many agencies that oversee a lot of the challenges we face in our district that we hear, that come through our office. As well as our colleagues and partners in government, as well as the community board, directly as well. Today is about a community conversation. How do we get some of those responses? I encourage you to make sure that you take advantage with those extra cards because I know one question per table is not enough for our community. 

We want you to make sure you submit it and my office will follow up with the respective agencies to make sure that there is a response. Again, I don't want to take up too much time because you're here to hear from the mayor and his team. Thank you all for showing up, showing out, so that people know like Rockway, we care about what our community looks like, what it feels like. We want to be at the table when decisions are being made. Thank you all for coming out today. 

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you so much, Councilwoman. We served together in the Senate when I was a state senator and you were an advocate then. You're just continuously fighting on behalf of your community, and she never allows anyone to shortchange Rockaway. We want to thank you for what you have done, and we'll continue to do. Thank you, Rockaway. There's a real history for me. I had a shorty that lived out here. I used to come out taking that long A train ride in the cold. 

Love is blind, man, taking that long, long A train. I did not have a car. One or two times I didn't have a token so, yes, I did jump up over the turnstile. The statute of limitations is over. Listen, seriously speak about it. January 1st, 2022, when I became the mayor, what did I inherit? The employment was down. Remember COVID? Everywhere, we should sit inside the [inaudible] the room in City Hall to determine if the schools are going to remain open or not. Everyone was pushing back on us. 

What flyer do you have? We always got somebody with a flyer. I'm going to come to you in a minute, okay? People were pushing back on us to say that schools should close. The safest place for a child was in the school, and we ignored that noise. Unemployment in Black and brown communities, particularly the Black community, was four times the rate of whites. Foster care children, they were aging out, slipping through the cracks. NYCHA did not have high-speed broadband. 

When I was Borough president going to the NYCHA development, handing out masks, they were telling me, "Why are you giving masks to those people?" I was knocking on doors in the midst of COVID. I discovered when the doors opened, those children did not have access to high-speed broadband. Mothers couldn't do telemedicine. The jobs were dismal in this city. The city was hurting. Crime was going through the roof. No one wanted to be on the subway system. 

We were not building affordable housing at the rate that we deserved. You looked across the city, and where are we now, two years later, three years later? More housing was built in the history of the city in those individual years. More people moved from shelter into permanent housing in those years in the history of the city. We have more jobs in New York in the history of the city. We cut unemployment by 20 percent in the black and brown community, and we cut it across all demographics totally in this city. 

We are paying the college tuition of children in foster care, giving them life coaches until they're 26, and giving them a stiped after they graduate from college. High-speed broadband for free and NYCHA housing for free. 20,700 illegal guns removed off our streets. 80,000 illegal vehicles removed off our streets, moped, dirt bikes. Remember you used to do those three-wheelers all over the streets? You don't see them anymore. Don't see them anymore. This city has thrived. 4.6 million people take the subway every day. 

You know how many felonies we have on our subway? Six an average a day out of 4.6 million New Yorkers. 1,000 cops placed on the subway. We now have them doing overnight on the subway system. Removed 8,000 people that were leaving on our subway systems and gave them access to care. All those encampments– go look at other cities, all those tent cities that people using the tents as restrooms, on January and February when I got elected, I went into the streets by myself and visited people inside these encampments and cardboard boxes. 

I saw human waste. I saw drug paraphernalia, schizophrenic, bipolar. We went back to the team and I said, "We're not going to allow people to live on our streets. That's undignified." Everybody told us, "Don't do it, Eric. It's suicidal. You can never solve the problem." We removed thousands of those tents off our sidewalks, off our highways, in the subway stations, across the street. We gave people dignity that they deserve. We turned to city around folks. You don't know it by what you read every day. You'll think this was a city in chaos. This is a city that was out of control. 

That's the mess they want you to believe. We did the job here. This is a city that I love. 22 years of my life, I wore that bulletproof vest and stood on street corners, protecting children and families of this city. I brought that energy to City Hall as the mayor. One of your own is the mayor of the City of New York, and a whole lot of people are pissed off about that. We're going to continue to move this city forward. 230,000 migrants and asylum seekers entered our city. 

We were getting, at one time, 4,000 a week. The federal government told me, "Eric, you can't allow them to work. You can't allow them to even volunteer and get a stipend if they wanted to." A group of migrants and asylum seekers came to me and said, "We would like to remove graffiti, clean the streets. We want to show that we want to give back." The federal government said, "You cannot do that." We were required by city law to house, clothe, educate 40,000 children, and we did it in a dignified way. 

Not one family or child slept on the streets of the City of New York for what we have done. 230,000, 190,000 are now out of our care, moved on to the next step of their journey. National leaders, we call them and say, "Come see what we're doing." You know what they said to us? "We don't want to come to New York because you anti-immigrant and we don't want to sit down with you." We said, "Well, at least come and see." They came and stayed a day with us. After one day, they met me at Gracie Mansion for dinner. 

You know what they say after dinner? "No one in the country is doing what you're doing. We want to apologize to you. We're going back to Washington and telling Washington DC, you need to do what Eric Adams is doing in New York City." We know what we have done. Now the rule is, whoever said that, we don't call out on each other. When you talk, I'm going to listen. When I talk, you're going to listen. That's the arrangement that we have because we don't live in disorder. We're on the same page. Okay. Thank you. 

The goal is for us to continue to move this city forward no matter what the challenges are. That is what the goal is, and that is what we have done. We're going to have a nice dialogue to hear your concerns here in Rockaway. When you talk, I'm going to be quiet. I will answer you, and we will have a good conversation to walk out of here with some productivity. I look forward to that conversation. Thank you very much. 

Commissioner Kreizman: We're going to– start at table number one. 

Question: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. 

Mayor Adams: Thank you. 

Question: Welcome to the Rockaways, our beach community. As you know our community was built without planned infrastructure as a summer haven. We feel as a community forgotten when it isn't beach season. We receive, during that time, extra police in parks department, but we need extra sanitation as well. Our infrastructure is crumbling and there is a complete lack of attention and maintenance to us. Our 311 complaints are more often than not closed without resolution. 

The sidewalks are crumbling, particularly under Rockaway Freeway by Beach 72nd Street where our students use as a safe walkway and around the numerous city-owned properties on the peninsula. The lack of attention by the buildings and the zoning department allows numerous commercial businesses to illegally operate in residential neighborhoods and on residential properties. 

Particularly a few blocks from here on Almena Avenue, causing heavy truck traffic and illegal overnight parking of tractor-trailers, which are further destroying and eroding our streets. Even though there's a lot of building in the neighborhood, more development and more 5G towers. Lastly, as I said, we feel forgotten in the community, so our children, particularly in our pre-K special education programs, are not receiving their mandated speech and occupational services because of a "lack of providers." 

Mayor Adams: May I ask you a question? I'm sorry, what's your name again, sister? 

Question: Adenike Cumberland, The Heart of Rockaway Civic. 

Mayor Adams: You gave me a list of items. 

Question: Sorry. 

Mayor Adams: No. Hold on. Keep the mic, keep the mic, because I want to speak with you. 

Question: Okay. 

Mayor Adams: Did it start in three years? 

Question: Pardon? 

Mayor Adams: Did it start those lists in three years? 

Question: Oh, no, no, no. 

Mayor Adams: This has been a systemic problem? 

Question: Yes. 

Mayor Adams: Okay. I just wanted to be clear on that. We need to take that list and get the agencies that are engaged and put together a solid working group with your council person and map out a plan to identify each one of those items that you laid out. When you say that businesses are opening without a proper permit, we need to be specific so we can go in and bring SPS, Department of Buildings, and our other teams there to address them. 

Question: I will say– I'm sorry to cut you off. 

Mayor Adams: That's all right. 

Question: Particularly those issues have been in the last three years, and I think partly because some of those construction, illegal operators ran out of other neighborhoods and they're hiding here. 

Mayor Adams: Let's go with that list that you have. Let's sit down, because the enormity of a problem can consume us if we do not map out a real list so we can check it off, because that's how I like to operate. I want to operate based on a list so we can go and say, "Here's the item you raised, now here are the agencies that are here that's going to execute each one of those items that you raised. 

If there's a problem with your sidewalk, we have the DOT commissioner here to address that. If there's a problem with illegal businesses, we have SBS that's here to address that." You have a list there, now let's put a team of people around the table and specifically utilize those agencies with your city council person to go after those items that need to be corrected. Okay? 

Question: Thank you. 

Mayor Adams: I will attend the first meeting with you. Give us a copy of that list, and we'll have the team members at the table to address it. Okay? 

Who's going to take– you're going to take control. You're going to connect with this young lady. 

Commissioner Kreizman: Yes. We will set up the roundtable with relevant agencies with a list. 

Mayor Adams: She listed a couple of agencies that I engaged. I heard you say parks. Who I have from here from parks? I got Parks here, DOB. I have DOB here. You mentioned-- 

Commissioner Kreizman: Sanitation. 

Mayor Adams: You mentioned DOT. Who else did you mention on your list? The DSNY. DSNY is here. Who else did you mention? 

Commissioner Kreizman: DOE. 

Mayor Adams: DOE. Who I have from DOE? DOE here. You're going to have DSNY, you have DOT, you have DOB, you're going to have Department of Sanitation. Katz, you need to be a part of this also. Katz is my new deputy mayor of public safety. We're going to get all of them around the team. They're going to bring their number two, and we're going to go through that list-- SBS also, small businesses. We're going to look at each one of those items and come back with a plan to address them. I'll be at the first meeting and we're going to implement a plan with a timetable so you can get it done. 

Don't let the enormity of the problem consume you, folks. There's so much going on in the city. No matter what happens in the city, people don't know their governor, they don't know their senator, they don't know the assembly person. You know who they know? Their mayor. Katz stopped me a few months ago. He said, "I'm getting divorced. It's your fault." Everybody knows their mayor. We have to make sure my agencies are responding to your concerns. You're going to give us a copy of that list, right? You going to take it, Fred? 

Commissioner Kreizman: Yes. 

Mayor Adams: All right, Fred, bring everybody to the table, get the City Council person, and let's tick off each one of those items on the list. GSD stands for get stuff done. I don't say what the real S stands for, but it's get stuff done. Where we going? 

Commissioner Kreizman: Table number two. 

Mayor Adams: How are you, sir? 

Question: Fine. Hi. Good evening, Mayor. 

Mayor Adams: Good to see you. 

Question: Good. I'm glad you're here. 

Mayor Adams: Thank you. 

Question: My question is in reference to the closing of the Neponsit Adult Healthcare Center. My question is, can the city partner with HHS in reference to some type of subsidy or some kind of tax credit that will help reduce their cost? HHS is indicating the main reason for them closing is the financial debt that they have. If the city can help reduce their debt, I'm hoping that's the way that they can see to keep the Adult Health Care Center open. Something that we need. 

Mayor Adams: Tell me about the place. 

Question: The Adult Care Center it's where senior citizens go when they have health conditions. Like my mom's, for example, her knees are bad, she goes there. She goes there for therapy and it's an excellent doctor, excellent care center, but it's the only one that we have on the peninsula. For us to lose something that major, it is major to us before us to travel way out of our zone, our district, or go into Brooklyn or go Long Island or wherever else, it is going to be a burden. 

We are asking that to keep, stay open because it's the only one on our peninsula. We are limited on certain things here. This is why we are fighting for so many things because infrastructure-wise, when it comes to healthcare, we need it on this peninsula. Any assistance will be helpful. 

Mayor Adams: No, no, no. Let him keep the mic. Let him keep the mic for a moment because I know during COVID, I came out here, and your limitation to healthcare is just wrong. Rockaway and Staten Island, two locations. I think Staten Island has one hospital out there, you have I think one hospital out here. Now, we just rolled out an initiative the other day with the city councilwoman that we're putting out here. Dr. King, we talk about this because they've always had a problem with access to healthcare out here. What's our plan? 

Mitchell Katz, President and CEO, NYC Health + Hospitals: Sure. Thank you, sir. I totally agree with you and that's why you and I were out with the councilwoman on opening that new clinic in Rockaway because we know that that's a huge need. You've been a tremendous supporter of there being a trauma center out here on Rockaway, recognizing the long travel distance. The adult day center represents a different kind of challenge for health and hospitals. At one time in New York City, there were almost 150 of these programs. There's now down to about 20 across the boroughs. 

The reason is that the way the program is regulated, it only fits a small number of people. For that number of people it's wonderful, but you have to be sick enough. You have to have a skilled nursing need in order to qualify. You cannot be simply an older person who wants socialization for that. You would go to a socialization program. You have to fulfill a criteria of needing skilled nursing services. On the other hand, you have to be well enough to be able to get on a bus and go to it. 

You have to also have as with this fellow, you have to have the loving family that's prepared to take care of you when you're not at the center. It just turns out that there is a group of people for whom this is amazing, but it's a relatively small group of people. The funding provided by the state and the insurers doesn't cover anywhere near the cost. This particular program we would aim to have an enrollment daily of 50 people. Currently, we run 15 people a day coming. It just has a very large subsidy that then takes away from money that could be spent on other health needs out here and elsewhere. That's the short answer. 

Mayor Adams: The place can accommodate 50 people, for example, and we only have 15 that's participated. 

Question:  [Inaudible]. The councilwoman did a hearing for us regarding among the other elected officials. The issue is the insurances that the organization accept. They only are accepting about four or five different insurances. This goes back to also a state level. Health and hospitals, for the most part, and I'm sure I'm going to be corrected, for most of their other entities, they accept almost any other insurance. Every insurance, if you go to a hospital or even if you're uninsured.  

When it comes to the medical model, which the piece that's being left out is that this is the only medical model, and so where they're trying to send the clients now are to social models, which defeats the purpose of going to a medical model. We are a peninsula with over 5,000 nursing home and adult home beds. We found it very difficult with what they said they did as marketing to feel that you could not have filled a program. We have over 5,000 nursing home beds. People are being discharged. 

I was a director of social work skilled nursing 35 years before I became district manager. No one ever came to any of the facilities I worked in to market this program. That were some of the issues and concerns that we brought up into a letter that the community board penned to all the elected officials that led the councilwoman to have the hearing. The issue is the insurances. You go back to the state level and negotiate with the insurance companies to accept the insurances that the people have in order that they can attend and participate in the program. 

It's not just a city level, but it also has to do with state because of the insurances and the reimbursement of what it could possibly be. My issue- or no, I'm sorry. I don't have issues. My concern is that with the groundbreaking that you came out for the healthcare center is that I know Gotham is running, but it's under health and hospitals. My thing is you got a 25-year contract for that, and we're asking for one medical model program on a peninsula with over 5,000 skilled and adult care home beds to remain open. Thank you. 

Mayor Adams: You're pretty smart. You want a job? 

Question: We can talk afterwards. 

Mayor Adams: Come on. Well, you need to pick her up, Dr. Katz. 

Katz: I think she's [inaudible]. I was hoping she would negotiate those insurance contracts. 

City Councilmember Brooks-Powers: Don’t take my district manager, now. She got a job. 

Mayor Adams: Tell me, Selvena, so you're here on what end? Tell me, give me your thought. 

City Councilmember Brooks-Powers: We had a town hall meeting, and health and hospitals came, they explained their position. My understanding, and Dr. Katz could correct me if I'm wrong, is they no longer support this model, but it still rests with the state at this point whether or not they stay open. This facility is still in an active lease. There are a lot of seniors that come from the community that really need this service. When you talk about breaking up their services and where they go, I don't really see how that could be feasible. 

For example, if someone has dementia and is taking medication or requires a certain type of skilled care, sending them to a senior center is not the best environment for them at all times. They are not equipped to handle that as well. Then there are other different type of diagnoses that require medication or certain type of therapy that, again, a senior center would not do. It's about, one, trying to keep it open more so, but at a minimum, there should be a plan of action of where folks are going to be able to go and get this care. 

The one thing that stood out to me in the conversation that I learned was that instead of-- this is the middle of the road, like people who want to age in place and they don't want to go into a nursing home because they're still strong enough to be home. They have loved ones at home, but they got to work, right? We don't want them to take off a good-paying job to make minimum wage at home to take care of a loved one when they can work and know that their loved one is being taken care of during the work day. 

It's a need we're geographically isolated, but there are people that come from Brooklyn and Howard Beach also that come onto the peninsula there. If it was marketed properly, there would likely be a lot more patients that would utilize that service because there were some folks in the room that evening at the town hall that said that they tried to enroll and were told that they could not enroll. There's an interest. 

Mayor Adams: Give me your thought, doctor. 

Katz: I don't want to argue against myself. I'm glad that this is a program that people have liked. I would just say it's the only one we have. Councilman and I were talking part of why I've been such a strong advocate of the trauma center is because I think it's unfair that people in Manhattan have ready access to a trauma center, and out here it's a 50-minute ride. This is a somewhat different issue. This is the only one we run, and there are only 20 across all of New York City because people have just found that, again, it is great for a very narrow group of people, but it isn't what most people who are aging in place are trying to get and the state has [regulations] just make it very hard to run it, you can't be too sick, you can't be not so sick and it just makes it hard. 

I'll offer one other piece of data. It's not even just the number of people who choose it. Among the people who are currently enrolled, it's a five-day program, the average attendance is two days. Which just says that it's a good thing, but it isn't as essential as what we try to do at the hospitals or giving people medicine in outpatient. It's a large subsidy that takes away from other things. 

Mayor Adams: Yes. 

City Councilmember Brooks-Powers: Can I just add one more thing? 

Mayor Adams: Yes. 

City Councilmember Brooks-Powers: As we explore how to move forward with that, because there's a couple of things that are happening at the same time, including wanting to create the level one, level two trauma hospital. My vision for Rockaway is that we create a very strong health infrastructure here, and that we are viewed through a unique lens for a unique community. I think that if Rockaway is healthy, New York City is healthy, because that means that people don't have to travel off of the peninsula to get care. 

If you build it-- you know my motto, if you build it, they'll come. If you build something solid enough, the neighboring communities will come here as well to support and be able to pay into whatever that system is. I think we have a real opportunity to create something dynamic when we talk about healthcare access, and it is going to require state participation. I think with the city and the state and the political will, we can get it done. 

Mayor Adams: No, no, it's so true. Listen, this healthcare piece is huge. The cost of it- I remember mommy's last few days with us, she did not want to go into a nursing home. The best place for our loved ones used to be home, in that environment. Why don't we do this councilwoman, why don't we pull together? We got great state reps out here, Senator Sanders, your assembly person, you, Greg, we need to sit down. I don't know if we've really ever mapped out a health plan for Rockaway. 

Rockaway, like I said, Staten Island never really had a real infrastructure for health plan. Why don't we sit down with Dr. Katz, yourself, our state, our congressional assembly, and sit down and come up with a real plan that we could deal with these issues, because I know you pushing for the trauma center and she needs help. She can't do it on her own. We going to need help from the state, so we need to get everyone and coming out with a real solid plan to finally deal with the healthcare issue in Rockaway, because you even deal with the airport issue. 

A lot of people don't realize the impact of noise pollution. Noise pollution is real, and it [has] long-term health impacts. Since you are dealing with this flight pattern, there may be federal dollars [saying] we are creating these healthcare crisis, those pre-determinants of health how do we compensate by making sure you have those facilities? You've been a real voice on this. Let's figure out, Dr. Katz, how we sit down and bring the team together to make it happen. I'm glad you raised that question. 

Commissioner Kreizman: Table 3. 

Mayor Adams: Always be careful when somebody put on their glasses. 

Question: Thank you for your time, Mr. Mayor. 

Mayor Adams: How are you? 

Question: Very good. 

Mayor Adams: Good. 

Question: My name is Mark Viola. I'm an officer at the Belle Harbor Property Owners Association. Now that City of Yes has passed, what is this administration's plan to address the increased need in infrastructure that comes with the eventual overdevelopment? 

Mayor Adams: Yes. The City of Yes was crucial. We have 59 community boards in this city. 59. 10 of them were building more housing than the other 49 combined. We have a 1.4 percent vacancy rate. There are times HBD will put up a project for 500 units of housing, we'll have 30,000 people putting in the application for them. You know what else is happening to us? That we are getting a lot of out-of-towners that are now coming to the city, and our shelter system is bursting at the [scene].  

We have thousands of vouchers, thousands of vouchers that people have in their hands and they can't find housing for [them] all. We need to build more. We have an inventory problem. You send your children away from school, they come back to the city, they cannot find any place to live. Not only do we need low-income, we need middle-income apartment as well, so City of Yes is crucial. We were able to get $5 billion through the City Council fighting for it, and a billion dollars from the state to do just that, to build the infrastructure. 

You can't build more, you're right. You can't build more, and don't build the infrastructure that comes with building more. With City of Yes, we have $5 billion that is going to go after specifically that to build the infrastructure for the new housing we need. Let's not get lost on the fact if we don't build more housing, a 1.4 percent vacancy rate, and functionally a 0 percent, when it comes out to affordable housing. We have to build more housing in the city. If we don't, we're not going to have future housing for our children and loved ones. I'm with you 100 percent. That's why in this bill is building the infrastructure at the same time because we have to do it to make it right. 

City of Yes was the largest housing reform in the history of this city. It was hard to get it passed, but people started to realize that we need more housing in the city. We can't have a 1.4 percent vacancy rate in the city. You know what happens? Those of you who are renters, when the inventory is low, prices go up. That is what we're hit with.  

Sister, if I come back to you again, I won't get another table to get to. I'll come to you before we end, okay? I'm with you. That's why we put that $5 billion in. Where am I going?  

Question: Hello, good evening. 

Mayor Adams: Good evening. 

Question: Thank you for coming here today. My name is Ayeluwa Bukola [inaudible], and I work with the Center for Justice Innovation, the Queens Community Justice Center, the Rockaways sub-organization. We are table four. We just want to thank you for the previous investments into downtown Far Rockaway, the affordable housing development, and the commercial districts. 

We have a serious question. I think it follows most of what the people have said, and it sounds like we're harping on it. We want to know what will be done to invest in the Rockaway community by providing residential needs of basic, affordable, commercial. Essential service facilities such as the hospitals, the supermarkets, the trauma centers, the banks, eateries, coffee shops, and more on both sides of the peninsula. Don't worry, I'm not forgetting the middle. I'm not forgetting the middle. 

We want to establish the Rockaway Peninsula as a year-round community, so not just a beach oasis where people come and stay for the summer. We want to see the booming businesses year-round. That's basically our question. What will be done to address those needs? Personally, I grew up in Far Rockaway. I go out of Far Rockaway for a lot of my needs. It's unfortunate, and I think we can build, with the housing we already have, the commercial districts, and the land that exists, the land I see all the time from my building. What will be done to address those needs? Thank you. 

Mayor Adams: Great question. Tell me, shouldn't that come from the people of Rockaway? 

Question: Yes, it should. 

Mayor Adams: Right. We should sit down, and the people of Rockaway, particularly someone like yourself that grew up on Rockaway, you should give the vision of Rockaway. I'm willing to listen to the people of Rockaway to say, "What should this year-round community look like?" I was hearing this conversation for decades that people say we don't want to be just a beachfront community. Now is an opportunity. You have a City Council person that's a real fighter. 

Let's sit down and map out what is the future of Rockaway for you and other young people that want to stay here and not go somewhere else. Let's include putting the money in locations where we could have nice restaurant, nice family environment. That should come from the community. You have a lot of civic organizations that are here. Come with a solid plan and turn it over to our administration and say, "Here's our plan for Rockaway." 

Folks, we got to operate of off plans. If you don't operate of off plans, then the enormity of the problems you're facing, we're going to just hear about this year after year after year. When you come with a blueprint-  I like to use the term blueprint. You come with a blueprint of [what] we want Rockaway to look like. Here's what we want our commercial strips to look like. Here's what we want to build out the infrastructure for young people to open restaurants. 

SBS has been doing an amazing job around building out employment. Give us the blueprint. Leave here today with a list of people that are going to anchor around you. This brother has a- what was your organization, your civic group, that you're part of? 

Question: Belle Harbor. 

Mayor Adams: Belle Harbor. All these groups and organizations. There are probably a number of organizations and groups that are here. Everybody come in the room together, sit down at the table, and draft out [what] we want Rockaway to look like. Then we'll have an opportunity to make it look like that. It shouldn't come from me. I should not come and dictate to you on what your community should look like.  

You should come and dictate to me what you want your community to look like. I'll come back to you, sir. I'll come back to you. Let me just get through the table. I'll make sure I come back. Those of you who are part of organizations and entities-- I'm sorry, what's your name again, sister? 

Question: [ Bukola.] 

Mayor Adams: [ Bukola.] Part of this gathering is not only to speak to me. Part of this gathering is also to speak to your neighbors and see what you are.  I'm sure somebody else in this room is concerned on what Rockaway is going to look like. We should come and interact with each other. It's not just, "Hey, we got Eric out here and we're going to leave the room and walk away." In this room, the mere fact that you're here, you're the best that Rockaway has to offer. 

The mere fact that you're here, you're the best that Rockaway has and so if you don't know each other and what you're doing, then that's not building an organic community. Knowing each other, connecting with each other. Do you know this gentleman from Belle Harbor? Right. We can't have two sides of the peninsula. You know why? Because that is how they've been able to prevent you from getting the services in the first place. Divided we fall, united we stand. That's the game they've been playing on this. 

I'm not in that side of peninsula, I'm on this side. That's the game they've been playing on us over and over again. There's one peninsula, when that hurricane hit the shore, it does not say, "I'm not going to that part of the peninsula." 

Commissioner Kreizman: Mr. Mayor, we have Commissioner Gross wants to say something. 

Mayor Adams: Yes. 

Commissioner Dynishal Gross, Small Business Services: Mayor, good evening. I want to just to share that in 2019 we did invest in a commercial district needs assessment study for Far Rockaway. Our partners were the Rockaway Development and Revitalization Corporation, and the Rockaway Business Alliance. Are you familiar with that? 

Question: Yes. 

Commissioner Gross: We completed that in 2019 pre-pandemic, and it's very likely that it's time for a refresh of that study. Since we completed the commercial district needs assessment, we did also provide grants for two consecutive years focused on the formation of a business improvement district that has not yet been completed, although they're still in conversation with our neighborhood development team. These are ways that we work to support the community in creating a vision for the commercial districts in your neighborhood. I'd be happy to follow up with further conversation. 

Mayor Adams: Commissioner, who's part of that when you did it? What agencies are involved in that? 

Commissioner Gross: That's an SBS project, Mayor. 

Mayor Adams: Okay. I'll come back to, I see you sister that you raised your hand. We going to come back. Let me just make sure I get to the table, but that's how we got to get it done. Where are we, Bishop? 

Question: Hi. Good evening. Thank you, Mayor. 

Mayor Adams: How are you? 

Question: Thank you for coming. I have a twofold question. The first one is concerning our environmental and the health impacts on the 5G towers that they want to put up on the Peninsula. Especially the residential areas, we're concerned about the impact it will have on the residents in these areas? 

Mayor Adams: I'm sorry, what was that again? On the what? On the five-- 

Question: The 5G towers. 

Mayor Adams: 5G. 

Question: Can you share the environmental impact study before installing these actual 5G towers with the community? The second question is regarding the sanitation issue all over the Peninsula, especially during the winter when the locals are here. It gets very dirty, and we don't have the proper bins for refuge. There are people who use the beach year-round, because we live here. When you get a good storm, that trash is all over. Not just the boardwalk, it's from Bayside to Oceanside. Is there any way that we can maybe implement more trash bins and make it more consistent with the collection, because that's a big problem too? 

We don't have consistency. Once the season is over, just the locals are here, so we don't have that influx of tourists, but the people who live here, we still have to deal with the trash and the debris that is blown around all over the Peninsula. 

Mayor Adams: Of DSNY and who am I talking to around the towers? Don't anybody raise their hand there once. 

Commissioner Kreizman: We have– 

Mayor Adams: That store the towers. It's interesting as I'm hearing you speak. I don't think many New Yorkers know the impact of living in a beach community. How during the summer everyone is all over the place, the traffic, the madness, and then the wintertime comes and there's a shift, because there's not many beach communities in New York. I don't think people come and enjoy your beach, but I don't know if they appreciate what you have to put up with throughout the summer season. Somehow you should be compensated for that of taking that incoming of being a beach community. 

DSNY, talk about the trash. 70 percent of our garbage is in trash bins now. People told me it was going to take five years to do, but 70 percent of our garbage are in trash bins. I am on the hit list of every rat in this city, because we want to get rid of these darn rodents. Can we talk about the trash? 

Antonio Whitaker, Assistant Director, Bureau of Community Affairs, Department of Sanitation: Absolutely, sir. Good evening, and ma'am, thank you for your question. With regards to litter baskets here in Q14, that's the garage that services the Rockaway Peninsula. I'll just give you some quick stats and some numbers with regards to how often we service the litter baskets here in Q14. We service baskets here seven days a week on the midnight to 8:00 shift, and three days per week with collection, that's standard. We also have mechanical broom service where we need it as well. 

We do service the baskets daily as well as an additional three times with regular collection. If there are specific baskets in areas where you see that there're particularly overflowing, please come and see me afterwards. If you have an intersection or cross streets, we will make sure that we look at those. We'll monitor those areas. We'll tackle them because we know that as the weather gets warmer, folks are going to be coming out to the beach. 

We do have a couple hotspots along the beachfront that we consistently tackle on a weekly basis, particularly during the warmer months, especially during the summer. If you have specific locations or a general area like between Beach 116th Street and Beach 110th Street, for example, come and see me. Let me know. We'll relay that information down to the district level. We have our district superintendent here, as well as our borough chief. We'll get you squared away, and we'll look at that. 

Mayor Adams: That's so important what was just shared because the resources are not endless. They're not endless. When we speak with you and do these townhalls because you are on the ground, you know it. The more you could specify, "Hey, at this stretch there's a problem," now we can extend those resources in an easy way. My security detail that's here, they'll tell you in the middle of the night, I'm driving around trying to find trash, trying to find bins, texting people in the middle of the night, two o'clock in the morning, "Why is this dirt here?" 

If you tell us the location, you got to inspect what you expect or suspect. We like to see what's going on, and so by you sharing a location, we can go and make sure it's done. There's 3G, 5G, who's helping me with that? 

Commissioner Kreizman: Dewitt isn't here right now.

Mayor Adams: I'm sorry. 

Commissioner Kreizman: Dewitt isn't here to address that. 

Mayor Adams: Okay. 

Commissioner Kreizman: We could have, Simona, our table follow up directly with you and we'll put you in touch with Dewitt and communicate with you about the towers. 

Mayor Adams: This is the first Dewitt question we ever got, so we'll look at it. Now, listen folks, we do need 5G. We do need 5G. The worst thing we could have is that you are not getting access to good up-to-date technology. We have a Chief Technology Officer, Matt Fraser. We need to make sure that we do those environmental studies, that there's no negative impact. Your children need this technology to be able to be on the cutting edge of a lot of the systems we're using. If you don't have the technology to move with it, you're not going to be able to keep up, and these children they must keep up with the technology. You want to ask? 

City Coucilmember Brooks-Powers: Can I just chime in on the [inaudible] piece? Only because I had recently went to visit one of the warehouses because I did receive in Rosedale about two years ago. I got a lengthy petition in terms of constituents wanting it to be removed because they were concerned about the health issues. I did travel to one of the warehouses to see what it actually entailed. I did an op-ed on it, and I'll share with the community board to circulate also. What I found was, it's not what I think many of us thought that it was in terms of all of this radiation and what these impacts are. How many people here have internet at home, by a show of hands? 

How many people's internet is not connected directly to the wire, so that means there's Wi-Fi almost in your house? Can you show me your hands? All of us, right? If we got any type of provider, this is just that outside. What I did like about it is they have some of the stations that have the screen and you can make emergency calls, you can access Wi-Fi if your phone is shut off. That's the one I actually prefer. 

I will tell you what the towers, what that does. I'm going to thank you for flagging that because I'm going to talk to them because I think we need the one that has the services because you would get the city agencies on there. It's a lot of information on there, but it's exactly what you have in your house. It's just outside and it's allowing people in the streets to have access to it. 

The other one is where I think there are five different carriers like Verizon. I forget the other four. No shade to anyone, I just really honestly forgot the other four, but it strengthens the service because I know when I go in my building without Wi-Fi, I don't get calls. Especially recently, we had a really bad wind event, and ever since then, if I don't call or accept a call on FaceTime audio, no one can hear me. I can't hear them so we have a real honest issue. 

How many of you drive through Broad Channel to come home, by show of hands? How many people have calls that drop when you come through Broad Channel? Show of hands. If you ever get stuck over there, you're going to be stuck because there's no connectivity. We have to also understand that, and I understand new things sometimes make us alarmed because we are skeptical about a lot of these things, rightfully so because of the history of government and bad actors. 

In this case, from what I have seen, I'm no expert, but from what I've seen and what I've learned, I went out intentionally to understand this better because I was hearing from the community that they were not in support of it. Understanding it from that lens, I even got to splice it because it's fantastic in terms of-- it's like thread where all of this communication is traveling through. I just want to make sure the community knows that I have taken that step to go to the warehouse and see it firsthand, to learn about it firsthand. I just want to add my two cents on it. 

Mayor Adams: So important, and thank you. I'm glad you did because a lot of our police officers now are using their phones, and there's nothing worse than if you are responding to an emergency and all of a sudden you don't have access. This technology, we're so connected to this technology that when you remove it, it will have long-standing impacts. We got to be careful when we install it, that it doesn't have any environmental issues, but once we get it and we build systems on top of it, when you remove it, those things that you're taking for granted, you're going to lose as well. 

Commissioner Kreizman: Thank you. 

Mayor Adams: Where am I? 

Commissioner Kreizman: Table 6 in the corner. 

Question: Thank you. Good evening, Mr. Mayor. 

Mayor Adams: How are you doing? 

Question: I am blessed and holly favored and wonderfully made. My name is Kimberly Combs. I'm representing Redfern Houses Resident Council, as well as Rockaway's Neighbors Helping Neighbors. My question is because Redfern Houses is across the street and on the other side of the Nassau County border, and IMT, what they do over there is causing dust to come over into Redfern Houses. The residents are suffering with this air pollution. We do believe that it would be called environmental injustice. 

We have a campaign, it's called Let Us Breathe, and we're working on making sure all the residents know and understand what's happening so we can somewhat fight it. We don't believe that IMT will move, but maybe they can do something to keep the dust in their spot and leave us alone because our health is very important. 

Mayor Adams: Now. Wait, share that with me again. What is across the way again? 

Question: It's called Inwood Material Terminal. 

Mayor Adams: It's in? 

Question: It's in Nassau County but Redfern is on Queenside. 

Mayor Adams: Got it. Okay. 

Question: It's just across the street, just like you and I. The dirt doesn't stop and say, "Oh, that's the border." It just comes on over. It lands on our cars. It is in our windows, on our furniture. 

Mayor Adams: What do they produce there? 

Question: Say again? 

Mayor Adams: What do they produce there? They create what? 

Question: From my understanding, it's construction waste in– 

Mayor Adams: Material, okay. 

Question: Construction material. 

Mayor Adams: The smoke and with– 

Question: The dust. 

Mayor Adams: Okay. The dust. 

Question: The dust flies over and clogs air conditioners, comes in our window. Some residents say it's destroying their furniture as well as landing on the cars. It's just in the street, windy days in your eye, but thank you. 

Mayor Adams: Fred, can we have Deputy Mayor Raspberry speak with whoever's local elected there, and let's just find out what's going on. Do I have anyone from DEP here? 

Commissioner Kreizman: We have environmental. 

Mayor Adams: They have to use some type of filtering system because they're in Nassau. 

Alfonso Lopez, Queens Borough Commissioner, Department of Environmental Preservation: Yes. We can check into that in terms of-- 

Mayor Adams: Stand up so they can see how tall you are. 

Commissioner Lopez: Sorry about that. Alfonso Lopez, Queens Commissioner for DEP, we can look into that in terms of air quality monitoring. Maybe something that we do in conjunction with sister agencies, and then we'll work with Commissioner Kreizman's group in terms of, outside of the city line, the neighboring electeds. 

Mayor Adams: We are going to get your information. All right, and I'm going to come and hang out with you. I want to go see the location that you're talking about. We get someone from DEP. All right, let's schedule a day, Fred, where we come out, I want to see exactly what she's talking about. 

Commissioner Kreizman: A council member saying DEC is having a public meeting in two weeks about the same issue.

Mayor Adams: EDC is doing what? 

Commissioner Kreizman: DEC. 

City Councilmember Brooks-Powers: The community has been very vocal on this issue because this is the literal border of Rockaway and Nassau, and it's had a really bad impact on Redfern, so Senator Sanders and Assemblymember Anderson has been leading because it's working with the state agency DEC, and I believe they sent out a notice for a public hearing in April and the community board circulated that information too. 

Mayor Adams: Got It. 

City Councilmember Brooks-Powers: It would be great for the city to be able to weigh in on it. I'm not sure how much authority the city would have because, again, it's on the Nassau side technically, but there is an impact on the city. 

Mayor Adams: Since it's still in the state, the state in some way should be able to see if there's an environmental issue. What do you do for a living?  

Question: [Inaudible.] Now I'm the president of Redfern Houses. 

Mayor Adams: Yes, I was trying to figure out what work you do with those long nails. How are you going to work then? 

Question: I do a little bit of everything. Would you mind taking our card? Thank you so much. 

Mayor Adams: Okay. 

Commissioner Kreizman:  [Inaudible] will get your contact information, and we'll connect you together with Tiffany Raspberry, our deputy mayor, and do the follow-up. 

Mayor Adams: Yes, because if it's an environmental issue, there's a role that the state must play. If it's a real environmental issue, it can't be impacting across the borderline. It doesn't stop. 

City Councilmember Brooks-Powers: Yes, and what they're trying to do is they're trying to get a certification to expand the capacity of what they're doing. We did a community meeting with them. I know they've been taking some steps to try and address the concerns. There is a public hearing that the community should attend, and they should give testimony. Again, I think if there's an opportunity for the city, then that's great, but I know that it's led by the state. 

Mayor Adams: Yes. Thank you. Thank you for bringing that to our attention. Where am I? 

Commissioner Kreizman: Table Number 8. 

Question: Good evening, Mayor Adams. 

Mayor Adams: How are you? 

Question: I'm a little nervous.  

Mayor Adams: Trust me, I'm nervous every day. Trust me. 

Question: Which I shouldn't be. Again, my name is Ebony. 

Mayor Adams: A lot of people don't know that I'm an introvert. 

Question: Yuri told me, he was, "Don't worry, he's chills." I was like, "Okay." I shouldn't be nervous. 

Mayor Adams: Just breathe. It's all in the breathing. 

Question: Thank you. I am actually an executive director for Ocean Bay Community Development Corporation. Over here at our table, the great Table 8, we actually had two different areas that we really want to focus on, but specifically for education. We have several parents that come into our organization, as well as during our outreach. We learned about them having access to charter schools and also public schools. There's a very strong distinction between the two, like what do the parents do when they have concerns and issues about their children? Specifically, my kid goes to a public school. I'm going to put this down. You got me real comfortable now. 

My kid goes to a public school and he has an IEP, has dyslexia. Before enrolling him into that school in which Selvena Brooks-Powers was so, so helpful in doing that, but before getting him into that school, I really wanted to do charter, but they didn't have the 10:2 ratio, they didn't have the special IEPs. It was a major concern. As a parent, I didn't know which direction to go to being in a public school. 

Now that I learned that, now we're learning and speaking with other parents and residents, and I have one of the parents here now, Dr. [inaudible]. I'm putting you on the spot too. I'm not going to be only one nervous here. Dr. Ford, her kids go to the charter school, so there's no distinction as to a hierarchy with where those parents go and get their concerns addressed. 

Mayor Adams: Break that down for me a little more. You believe that there should be a place where parents should go to get the information based on which school? I'm not grabbing. 

Question: Like a district office. A main contact person that all of the parents are fully aware. The information is just not– I don't think it's reaching the masses. 

Mayor Adams: Got it. DOE, you want to touch that? You understand her question? 

[Crosstalk.] 

Deputy Chancellor Danika Rux, Division of School Leadership, Department of Education: Let me offer you this. We have a superintendent, and Superintendent Composto is here. Where are you, Superintendent Composto? 

Right, Thompson right there. She has a district office and we have about 40 people who work for her on her team. Now, although charter schools don't fall directly under us, when you have concerns, you can share them with her, she will share them with us, and we will get it to the right office. We, in New York City public schools, offer all different types of services. To the parent over there who had raised the issue earlier, I really want to connect with you on the services. You are right. We offer a lot of service in New York public schools that charter schools do not offer families. 

That is why often families go to charter schools because they believe they offer something and then they come back to us. Would love to connect with you so that we can figure out a structure in the district office that will get those concerns from charter parents directly to us so that we can support you. Okay? 

Mayor Adams: Yes. This is a good idea what you raised. What we should do, I don't know if we could do it every quarter or at the beginning of the school year because, to me, it doesn't matter if a child is in charter school, district school, parochial, whatever, all these are our children. We should do some form of-- it could be online, it could be a meeting with our superintendents, can hold just coming in, help us craft what the program should look like, and then we will host it to get that information out to the parents as much as possible. Now, you said your son is dyslexic? 

Question: Yes. 

Mayor Adams: I'm going to give you my number. Have him call me because I'm dyslexic and he needs to know that because we learn differently does not mean we can't learn. I want him to call me and I want to speak with him. 

Question: Thank you. Thank you so much. 

Mayor Adams: DJ, give her my number. How old is he? 

Question: He's 11. 

Mayor Adams: Okay. All right. Tell him he's going to be the mayor in whatever number of years. All right. Thank you. Great question. How are you, ma'am? 

Question: Good evening, Mayor Adams and everyone. It's a pleasure that you're here. 

Mayor Adams: Thank you. 

Question: My name is Francine Rowe. I'm actually an educator here at Ps 42 and a resident of the Rockaways. 

Mayor Adams: Good to see you. 

Question: All right. My question is from our table, divine 9. 

Question: It is a twofold question. What steps are being taken to ensure equitable access to mental health services for our students in the Rockaways while addressing weather-related infrastructure challenges in housing, transportation, and healthcare to build community resilience? The second fold question is, as the weather is approaching getting warmer, and this is being a beach oasis, is it possible to get more police considering the weather is about to get warmer and also lifeguards at our beaches? 

Mayor Adams: That's fair. You're rocking those glasses. 

Question: Thank you. 

Mayor Adams: Now, is the Divine 9, are they– Deputy mayor public safety, or who do I have? 

Commissioner Kreizman: Chief Williams. 

Mayor Adams: Chief Williams. Let's talk about police. Do we increase the number of police during the summer months? 

Assistant Chief Williams, Commanding Officer, Patrol Borough Queens South, Police Department: Good evening, everyone. Thank you very much for that question. Mr. Mayor, the answer is yes, we do. What we do here in the Rockaway, especially, we increase patrols and offices twofold. There's two ways we do it. One, we do it with our summer beach detail. Last year, we added an additional 3 lieutenants, 9 sergeants, and 72 officers who patrol strictly the beach in both the 100 and the 101 precinct. Also, we augmented that, the 101 precinct, with our summer violence zones that have been proven to be effective in reducing crime, we added an additional 54 officers that came during the summer months. 

It's usually, let's say, for instance, the week before Memorial Day. They're usually here probably the second week in September. When you add the 72 with the 54, quick math, that's 126. I went to school, I should know that. We do increase the presence. That's not taken away from the men and women that are here every day in those two precincts doing patrol. 

Mayor Adams: Your first question was? 

Question: The first question was regarding mental health services for our students in Far Rockaway and their families. 

Mayor Adams: Yes. We did town halls with DYCD. I don't see Commissioner Howard here. We did youth town halls, and I was blown away the two top things that young people stated they wanted. Public safety, they want it. They love their school safety offices and they wanted to develop a better relationship with their police officers. The second was mental health. When we came out of those meetings, that's where we got Teenspace from, which young people, I think, 13 to 18? 13 to 17, they're able to have access to online mental health support. Dr. Katz is chopping at the bits to talk about all the great stuff he's doing.

He has changed the game on mental health. Particularly in Black and brown communities, we have been ashamed into not acknowledging that we need help, and we have changed that dynamic. We don't stigmatize people. We tell people to do so. We just left today. A matter of fact, we were just at a Clubhouse where we give community support for those who are dealing with severe and mild mental health issues. Dr. Katz, why don't you talk about some of the good stuff that you have? 

Katz: Sir, what I wanted to tell people about was how inspiring you were when we were in the Bronx at one of the mental health clinics at the school. The mayor has funded us now for 16 of these. I'd be happy to look at another school site where we've established mental health clinics with clinicians right on our premises. One of the cool things that the mayor and I heard about is not only do they see the kids for therapy and other services, but they actually also work with the teachers on how do you handle a kid who is really had some traumatic experiences and is acting out in the classroom. That was a great model, and so we'd be happy to look at other schools. We got 16 so far. 

Question: Would there be any trainings for teachers, because we are dealing with– not only teachers, but paraprofessionals, our school safety agents and also supporting staff for educators? 

Katz: Yes. That's part of their model is they both see the kids that the teachers refer. It's a teacher referral model with the services right on premises. Then they go out with the teachers and the paraprofessionals on workshops on what to do when you have a kid who's going through trauma and is disruptive to the others. It was very impressive. 

Mayor Adams: It was extremely impressive. Who was a young lady? She was the– 

Katz: She was– 

Mayor Adams: The parent coordinator? 

Katz: Yes, she was– 

Mayor Adams: It was her dream because she saw a young child punch his mother, and she said, "We have to do something about this pain that these children are feeling." We would love to look at doing it if the particular school out here. They have a beautiful room, it's a beautiful setup. That was number 16, right? 

Katz: Right. 

Mayor Adams: 16 on the ground in the school. Let me tell you something, these babies are hurting, and hurt people hurt themselves and they hurt others. When you look at some of the actions that our young people are going through and what social media's doing, we are suing social media companies, because you're seeing high suicidal ideation, you're seeing depression, you're seeing mutilation. We are placing our children on a dangerous path, and we're not going to ignore it, we are going to meet it head-on. By the time these babies get to school, we're telling them to multiply and divide. They say, "Who's going to help me deal with this divide?" 

Imagine losing your loved one or family member to gun violence, and now you're going to sit in the classroom and try to be taught. We got to first make sure that these children are mentally sound so that they can move forward in their lives. We have done unprecedented things. We're teaching children breathing, yoga, meditation, we're changing the food that they're eating in schools. We're pushing the envelope because we don't want these children just to be academically smart, we want them to be emotionally intelligent. They have to deal with the crisis that is changing in their lives every day. 

That's what Dr. Katz has done, his team has done, DOHMH is doing. We are head-on on making sure these children are ready for the challenges that they are facing. You should really tap into some of the stuff we're doing. We've pushed the envelope on doing things differently. When I was running for office and I campaigned and talked about the problem that food is connected to our mental health, all those folks, they were writing stories about me. They said, "What is this nut trying to be mayor saying about the food you eat?" You try waking up in the morning and you can't see the alarm clock because the doctor told you you're going to be blind in a year because diabetes destroyed your eyes. 

When I came through that diabetes, they said I was going to lose my fingers and toes in a month. They said that it's not reversible. When I was able to reverse my diabetes by changing my diet and realized it was not my DNA, it was my damn dinner that I was eating every day, I said, "We're going to change how we do health in the city," and Dr. Katz has been a partner. 

We have lifestyle medicine in all of our health and hospital facilities where people are getting healthy food. That crap we were feeding our children, we were feeding these diseases our children were going through. Why did we have junk food on Rockaway but in Park Slope, they have whole food? Come on. Come on. We got to have access to healthy food. Bad food is the foundation to the destruction of many things that our children are going through and we got to change that game. We have to change that game. 

Commissioner Kreizman: Mr. Mayor, just one thing to add. With regards to– you asked that the Mayor's Office of Community Mental Health have these brochures that everyone could pick up as well as NYC Teenspace for mental health counselors, both being provided by Health Department, Mayor's Office of Community Health and the pamphlets for both programs are available, 24/7 counselors available dialing 988-988 for mental health counselors 24/7. 

Mayor Adams: Good, good, good. What were you saying? 

Question: Something that you would say. Good evening and thank you for the opportunity for letting me speak. My name is [Arlene J. Coley.] I am the administrator director of Blanche Community Progress Day Care Center, Site 1 and Site 2. You were talking about stress in young children. That's why we at Blanche are taking the initiative to do workshops in training on stress in young children, because adults think children are not stressed. Children are stressed. They come to school with different behaviors. All those behaviors manifest from something that's going on either in their home or something in school. I just wanted to piggyback on what you were talking about. 

Mayor Adams: So true. You're so right. 

Question: We are CBO under the DOE. I just want you to remember Blanche Community Progress Day Care. 

Mayor Adams: We have to become trauma identifiers. We walk past people, "Hey, how are you doing?" "I'm hurting." "Okay, have a nice day." No, man. You got to look at a closer look at their face and you'll see their smile is out of place in the tracks of their tears. People are hurting, folks. I'm telling you, I'm on these subway systems, I'm walking through the street, and I'm just seeing people are in so much pain. They are hurting. If we don't become trauma identifiers, you see them in your building, you see them on your job. We got to stop and just say, "Listen, are you all right? Are you okay?" 

Question: Can I share a couple of– 

Mayor Adams: I didn't forget you, sir. I'm going to come back to you. I didn't forget you. Yes. 

Question: I just wanted to quickly share a couple of resources since you mentioned children. We have–

Mayor Adams: Tell them who you are. 

Question: I'm [Mamta Parakh], Deputy Commissioner at the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. We have early childhood mental health services across all boroughs. It's a network that's comprised of community-based clinics. They offer specialized mental health services to children, birth to five. We also offer home-based crisis intervention, and that's available for children ages 5 to 20 years and 11 months. We also support family and youth peer support services. That's also available to children between the ages of birth and up to the age of 24. 

Mayor Adams: Thank you very– That's one of the things we got to figure out, team. We're just doing so much. People, you have to help us find how do we get this information to you? This team is doing so much, and we have to figure out, team, how do we do almost a focus group. All this stuff you just mentioned, I bet you people don't even know about. What Commissioner Stewart is doing with young people. Teaching them golfs, teaching them how to fly planes, giving them real estate license. We have to get this information out to you because if we're a tree that falls in the forest and you don't know about it, we didn't make a sound. 

I need for you to give us recommendations on what is the best way to get this information out to you so you can see the services that we're providing. Where am I? Yes, we want to do it through the community board, but not everybody's going to the community board. Let's be straight. Not everybody is going to the Civic Block Association. Not everybody is going to PTA. No. How do we get [question] to know about what we're doing? 

Commissioner Kreizman: Table– 

Mayor Adams: I like that. Go ahead. Where am I? Where am I? 

Commissioner Kreizman: Table 10, on the right. 

Mayor Adams: Hold on. I'm going to come to you. I'm going to hang around a little longer since I'm in Rockaway. If I'm missing some of you, I'm going to come back to your table. I'm not going to forget you, sir. Where am I? How are you, ma'am? 

Question: Good evening, everyone. My name is [Marvetta Padilla]. I know that we've been discussing, as far as children, when it comes to mental health. I would like to know what facilities are being opened to help the adults that suffer from mental illness. I know we used to have Creedmoor. We used to have those kinds of places. I just would like to know what facilities are being opened to help them. 

Mayor Adams: Today, as I announced, we were in Brooklyn at something called the Clubhouse. Where it is building communities, and some of the stories we heard of people who were uncomfortable in communicating. It was amazing to see the evolution of some of the people that are in the Clubhouse. They're going to scale up to about 600 people. We need to build those local Clubhouses where people can get the peer-to-peer assistance, particularly those who are not dealing with severe mental health, but those who are dealing with depression and some of the other forms of mental health. That's what our Clubhouse model is about. 

Now, that does not take away from what I heard you say as well. When we closed down some of the psychiatric facilities, and we took away psychiatric beds, when we closed that down, we didn't have a landing place for people. That's why we see so many people on the street. Because we didn't have a landing place. We need to wrap around those services.  

What I believe, we're getting ready to close Rikers Island, right? We're building four more smaller jails. The population of those four jails-- First of all, it started out costing us $8 billion. Now it's almost $16 billion. Those four jails that we are about to build only house a little, about 3,600 people. You know what our existing Rikers' population is right now? 7,100.  

We're building four more jails that is not going to house the population, and here's one for you. 51 percent of the people at Rikers Island have mental health illness, 20 percent have severe mental health illness, so why don't we take one of those jails and build a state-of-the-art mental health facility where we can treat people and not incarcerate them but treat early signs of support and take care of them? 

That is what you call smart thinking and not just saying, let's just close Rikers because it sounds good. We need to give people a pathway to getting the mental health support for them before they slip into the cracks and end up on the subway station pushing someone to the tracks. We got to be more proactive in our thinking. 

Question: Well, that's another issue. As far as being at Mott Avenue is the end of the line for Far Rockaway. We encounter a lot of the mental illness coming off of the train onto Mott Avenue, whereas sometimes you're afraid to even go inside the train station because of what is going on as far as between the avenue, as well as the train station. It makes people afraid to even take the train because it's the end of the line, and that's where a lot of them get off. 

Mayor Adams: This is what we have been doing. We have been doing exactly what you just stated because we identified that. When I rode the subways at night, we saw that the end of the lines are the problem. Coney Island, Mott Avenue, wherever you had the end of the line, people would stand on the train. We took 8,000 people and gave them services. We used safe havens and not just dormitory settings. We want to focus on those end-of-the-line stations to give people the services that they deserve because you're right. That is a problem, and that's why we are facing it directly. 

We have a program called PATH and SCOUT where we send out mental health professionals with police and others to talk people off the system. Anyone who has dealt with people with severe mental health, they would tell you it takes a lot of encounters before you build the trust to get people to come in because you can't force people. 

We have a bill in Albany right now for involuntary removal. We need to ask you to tell your local electors, support this bill because if you don't know you need your medication, if you don't know you need to take care of yourself, then how are you going to get that support? If you see people with human waste on them walking through the streets in the middle of the winter with no shoes on, people are telling me, "Eric, that person has a right to live on the streets if they want to do that." 

No, no, I don't believe that. If you can't take care of yourself and make the right decisions that you are in care, we have an obligation and responsibility to make sure you get the care that you deserve.Thank you. 

Commissioner Kreizman: Before we go to the last table, I just want to take the opportunity to thank Kevin Morris, our borough director, for helping put this event together. Also, the people on tables one, two, and six will get the contact information to have those follow-up meetings. Our last table. 

Mayor Adams: I got some people I got to come back to that I committed to. 

Question: Good evening. Good afternoon. I'm [Serena Lucas]. I feel a little bit nervous now because everybody had these big titles and I'm like, "I'm just a college student that lives in Rockaway." 

Mayor Adams: That's the biggest title. Trust me, you don't want to be mayor.  

Question: I am a commuter college student, I go to BMCC. I am a part-time worker at the YMCA Beacon, the after-school program at P.S. 43. I've been working there as not only after-school counselor, but as well as a tutor for these kids that are mostly in elementary school, but some of them are in middle school since we're trying to fuse the two. 

What I've been seeing recently is that most of these kids are performing two or three grades under their level. To me, that is completely unacceptable. I feel as if– that they are very bright children and I know that they can do the things that they want to do, but truly, I feel as if that they are not getting the support that they need and they're coming to me.  

I'm just one person. I'm the only tutor that works there on the weekends and they come to me and they're--I have some 6th graders come to me and I'm handing them their level course material and they're coming back to me saying that they don't understand it at all.  

I feel as if there needs to be some sort of increase in educators that would be able to help not only the students and help them thrive in the classroom, but as well as staff members such as myself, because of the fact that I feel as if I, at this moment, am under qualified to help all these children all at once. I'm still working on my own education and yet I see children that are in 4th, 5th, 6th grade, some of them can't read at the school.  

My heart hurts for these kids. Truly it does, because some of them are even unaware of the fact that their education isn't as to where it needs to be and that even though they are underperforming, they come to me with their smiles on their faces when they come back with 60 percent on their report card and they're like, "Look at this. Look at what I did." I'm like, "I'm so proud of you for getting 10 points up from where you were before," but it needs to be higher. 

They cannot still continue to be at this level and continue to go on to middle school and, God forbid, high school with two, three grades under their reading level, under their math level, under their performance level. There needs to be more support educationally, emotionally, which is what we touched upon before.  

There needs to be some safe space for children to not only come to adults saying, "I need help," because a lot of them are afraid to do so simply because of the fact that they've been made fun of. There's bullying going back and forth. It's a conglomerate of issues that needs to be addressed, but I feel like the first thing that needs to be done needs to be a support system of adults that are trained and qualified to help these kids have that first step on the staircase. 

Mayor Adams: First of all, thank you for what you're doing. It is crucial that, this literacy and math issue is a national problem. New York City's outpacing the state in reading and math. There's nothing for us to really be pleased at because we still are seeing 40 percent, 45 percent are reaching the target. If we're outpacing with that low number, imagine what others are doing. We have cities in this country where only 30 percent are reaching. You have 70 percent that are not proficient. 

When my chancellor goes over these national numbers and these local numbers, they're dismal and it's frightening. If we don't get our hands around this, we're preparing our children for failure because if you don't educate, you will incarcerate. When I go to Rikers Island and I talk to the young people there, that's the common denominator that I see, the lack of education.  

Many of them are dealing with learning disabilities. That's why we're doing dyslexia screening in the beginning so we can identify that. We have to do a better job educating our children. We changed our reading curriculum because we were not teaching our young people how to read correctly, the way many of us learned. We changed our math curriculum to zero-in on what these children need.  

Now, what you said is crucial, we can't do it alone, folks. Folks, we see this crisis. That young person that is not prepared is going to be the young person that's going to harm themselves or harm us. We have to get back into the volunteer game again. You don't have to be an expert to take a young person to teach them how to read, how to do math. I need my masons, I need my Divine Nines, I need my Boulez, I need my girlfriends, I need my Links, I need all of these professional organizations. We need to get into these schools and volunteer to lift these children up because no one is going to invest in these children more than we're going to invest in them. 

We can't just sit back and analyze the problem. We got to get in the game and volunteer to get these children to get up to the level. If we don't, you're right, there's going to be a major crisis. Your classmates in BMCC, when you see them and they're doing all sorts of things, say, "Hey, have you volunteered to help a child today?" That's the question we have to start asking. As we send them around with our social groups, we have to all ask ourselves, what did we do this week to help a child? What did we do this week to help a senior? 

I can't be just a mayor. Wednesdays, I'm on Bowling Green, on Bowie Street handing out food to other New Yorkers. You can't be just a doctor. You need to be volunteering to do medical assistance. You can't be just an accountant. You should be teaching financial literacy. You can't be just a Department of Sanitation employee. You should be showing how cleanliness is important for a community. 

Everybody, no matter what you do, you should be going out and volunteering because there by the grace of God goes I. We all got to be in the game. All got to be in the game. So I applaud you, but let's hold our colleagues up as well. Let's hold our colleagues up to what are we doing for our fellow New Yorkers.  

I'm going to go back to you, sir, because you have something you want to say. Let me give you the mic. 

Question: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. This is Ed Lynch from the Belle Harbor Property Owners Association. We've met before. I just want to go in a little bit of a different direction here. You know, we've been talking about the concerns of today, tomorrow, the near future. That all starts now.  

I've been with the association for probably about three years, and I've worked closely with the 100th Precinct regarding quality-of-life issues with Inspector Hamilton, Community Affairs Officer Bowman, Detective Byrd and I have to tell you something. As I've gotten to know our community affairs officer, I've never met or seen anybody like him in my entire life. I talk to him frequently. This gentleman hosted Thanksgiving dinner for 500+ people out of your 100th Precinct this year. 

Mayor Adams: Where is he, here? 

Question: He's right there. 

Mayor Adams: Thank you so much. 

Question: It really is terrific, it's great, but when you say to yourself, "My God, 500 people are hungry," that's a lot of people, and it's actually pretty scary. Officer Bowman also hosts the Veterans Breakfast out of the 100th Precinct. I think we had 100+ people join us this year. 

Lastly, I want to just share a thought with you. When you guys were 10, 12, 14 years old, did anybody ever steal your bicycle? It's a real tough thing to get over. It happened to me. There was a kid that came down to our community affairs office for Officer Bowman, 14 years old, and said, "Officer, my bike is stolen." They couldn't find it like most bikes.  

Through Victor's connections within the community, he had a community member down at the precinct giving him a bike to hand off to this little kid. There's a lot of tough things going on out there, I will say to you with great confidence, Victor Bowman is well ahead of the curve, ladies and gentlemen and we are very, very lucky to have him. 

Lastly, ladies and gentlemen, Officer Bowman was profiled in this magazine, which I would love to give to the mayor. Could I share one with Commissioner Stewart? 

Commissioner Kreizman: By the way, that's why the mayor personally wanted community affairs at every single table because of the working relationship and understanding of the work of the community affairs. 

Question: Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much, Mr. Mayor, Good to see you. 

Mayor Adams: Thank you . I love it, love it, love it, love it. The work that these men and women do often goes unlooked, but today you are a white shield. You will be a 3rd-grade detective. 

What's the Detective special assignment? What is it? Yes, let's see. That's what matters, man. That's what matters.  

Question: [Inaudible.] 

Mayor Adams: Wow, love it. Love it. Promotions are at the end of the month so I want all of you all in there. What the dynamic was, if he would've made 500 gun [inaudible], they would've promoted him. If we'd have found 500 people who did something wrong, they would promote him, but the mere fact he was able to do something to prevent the crime, we want to overlook him. I'm not going to overlook him. I acknowledge what you do. 

Job well done. Job well done. Really appreciate it. That's what policing should look like. That's what policing should look like. Job well done. Proud of you. Proud of you so much.  

You had your hand up. How are you doing? 

Question: Thank you so much, mayor, for coming out to the Rockaways because we always feel like we are stepchildren. That's what we call ourselves, stepchildren. I want to piggyback on two agencies that did come out to the Far Rockaway, but the issue we have sometimes is the follow through. We have had DSNY and we have had DOT.  

One of the issues that we have is Beach 20th Street. What they have done in the Rockaways, which is so different to all the other boroughs, is put a lot of bike lanes. Now we have bike lanes on the beach, from Beach Night all the way down to 120-something street. It's not really necessary in the Rockaways, but what they did on Beach 20th Street is they pulled the pavement all the way out into the street.  

I have fallen there. I have made a couple of 311 calls two years ago, last year. People fall there all the time because of how they brought the bike lane which no one uses. Then there is a sink down into the street. The street is very narrow. The tracks, the buses, very difficult because people park on both sides of the street.  

What we would like to happen is that that bike lane be removed because if you see it, you'll see it's dangerous. That the bike lane be removed. Also we would like at least that side to be no parking, but loading and unloading for businesses, because the businesses have nowhere to get their products from because you can't park anywhere. 

Mayor Adams: What street is that again? 

Question: Beach 20th Street from be from– 

City Councilmember Brooks-Powers: Mott Avenue to Cornaga. 

Question: See, everybody knows. It's a huge issue. 

Mayor Adams: Is it on the [inaudible]? 

Question: It's right on Beach 20th, Mott Street. 

City Councilmember Brooks-Powers: We've been trying to get it removed for about three years now, Mr. Mayor. We've been trying to get it removed because it wasn't really supported by the community. We brought it up in my hearings also. 

Question: I also want to add, we have the worst streets in the Rockaways. It's paved, especially in front of our hospital, forget it. You go like this, it hurts my back. I got a back pain. It's horrible. If you can do something for our street, I'll talk to you.

Commissioner Ydanis Rodríguez, Department of Transportation: Miss, more than happy to go and walk with you and the chair of Transportation and see all the challenges that we have. In our city, we are committed to have the best public [inaudible] transportation in our trains, buses, those who drive. Also, last year, we had 200 million bike trips in New York City.  

So where there's challenges in any area that there's some legitimate concern from the community, more than happy. In my case, as a commissioner of DOT, I’m committed to go and do the work with you in the chair. I want to call the Queens Borough commissioner for her to get into more details about that. 

City Councilmember Brooks-Powers: Really quickly before we go there. 

Commissioner Rodríguez: If you don't mind, can we? 

City Councilmember Brooks-Powers: One second. I'll give Commissioner Garcia, in a moment. 

Mayor Adams: Good Lord, man. Look at that big ring you got. Your husband– 

City Councilmember Brooks-Powers: Don't detract. Don't detract. There's two issues, and Commissioner Garcia, I'm going to allow her to answer it. But what we would like to get, because the community conversation allows for us to get real solutions more quickly.  

We've been working in partnership to try and remove this hard infrastructure for the bike lane, which in effect has not been a bike lane, quite honestly. No one uses that. They park there and it's never been used. I've sent video also of fire trucks unable to clear that block because of how tight that block is, so when they're trying to respond to an emergency, they're stuck on that street. I have video of that. 

Mayor Adams: I just want to understand. We have the beaches here? 

City Councilmember Brooks-Powers: The beach is further down. This is the downtown Mott area. This is actually not far from where Detective Diller was killed. It's that block right there. And so, what we would like to see is the hard infrastructure be removed. I think it was about $1 million that it may be to remove it. I don't have $1 million for that, but it was hard infrastructure that was put there that the community did not support. 

But also, on Beach 20th, further down near the hospital, there's something going on underneath the ground because it's sinking. To DOT's credit, they continue to come and repave it. It's just patchwork because there's something active happening underground to make it sink, and that has not been addressed. DEP and DOT need to come together, which they've committed to do. 

I was just sharing with Commissioner Garcia that I think DEP came this past week or these last few weeks to do some work, but it, again, was not the joint attention that was supposed to happen, but there is something active happening and the ambulances go down now. 

Mayor Adams: Got it. I know we got the DEP? Where are we?  

Queens Borough Commissioner Nicole Garcia, Department of Transportation: Hi. Good evening, Mayor. Good evening, everyone. My name is Nicole Garcia and I'm the Queensborough Commissioner for New York City DOT. With regard to the joint issue that we're working on, which is right near the hospital, it's on Beach 20th, there is some undermining and it's been historic.  

We've talked to many members of the community, also the councilmember. One of the things that we're planning to do together with DEP is to excavate a failed trench. This is more than a pothole. It's not something that DOT can do on its own, but we've been in close coordination with our counterparts at DEP. 

One of the things that we were made aware of is that one of the utilities is actually coming to also do a trenching. The thought there is we're going to let them do the trenching in the spring, and then we're going to do almost a mini street reconstruction. We're going to work with DEP to excavate all of the bad stuff, compact it, and then DOT is going to come back and pave the roadway curb to curb for a lasting repair so we have a permanent solution to this issue. 

Commissioner Lopez: From these conversations, it looks like there's just infrastructure in there that has crumbled or fallen apart. Part of it is we're going to go in there and see and make sure we know what exactly is broken in there to address the repair. The reason that we didn't get to it earlier was because of that utility.  

We didn't want to make a repair, have a utility come in and tear it up, and then have to go back and do it again. That's all we've had. I understand some of these patch jobs hold us over until the springtime that we can get to this one. 

Mayor Adams: What type of time frame are we looking at? 

Commissioner Lopez: I think we can go back to our– 

Commissioner Garcia: I think it's imminent. 

Commissioner Lopez: The idea was to do it in the springtime, which is basically right now. We'll go back to the utilities and see where they're at and if we have to– 

Mayor Adams: These are the utilities that are lines? 

[Inaudible.] 

Mayor Adams: Is it that they're running lines there? 

[Inaudible.] 

Mayor Adams: Talk to me. 

Commissioner Garcia: What we saw from our permit system is that the utility– I think it's now grid– is it not grid or LIPA. They took out the permits for the entire street. 

Question: [Inaudible.] 

Commissioner Garcia: We'll double-check. We didn't want to excavate, but I'm happy to follow up with you. 

Mayor Adams: Do this for me. Let's find out if they're digging up that street, because we don't want them to dig it up and then have to redo it. But if they're not digging up that street, because they said this on another block? If they're not digging up on that, I need a timeline on when we're going to fix the street. I don't want this to be another three years. Alright, commissioner? 

Commissioner Kreizman: We'll get back. We'll follow up with Alfonso and their department. 

Mayor Adams: Alright. Listen, they're going to follow-up. I'm going to call you tomorrow and I'm going to let you know what they told me. All right, DJ? Get the information. Now let's talk about that bike lane. Talk to me about that, councilwoman. 

City Councilmember Brooks-Powers: We would like that one in particular removed. That's all. 

Mayor Adams: I'm so glad you're saying this because there has to be a balance. I'm a biker. There has to be a balance. We have to hear from these too. 

City Councilmember Brooks-Powers: For the record, I support the bike lanes in the right. 

Mayor Adams: No, I'm with you. I feel that, and that's part of the conversation I have with the commissioner all the time. You got to do a balance. You got to do a balance. The community must be a part of that.  

Let's get a microphone over there. Go ahead. Yes, with the hat. Go ahead, sir. 

Question: I just wanted to piggyback on what she's saying. I live by Beach Third, and I do a lot of cycling myself. My kids go to school on Beach 17th and Beach 19th, and I could just vouch for her, there are no cyclists ever. I drop my kids off, no one goes there.  

What we're suggesting is taking away that bike lane, which would mean that people need to go to the boardwalk to bike, and there's a major issue on the boardwalk now. Recently, two years ago, they installed these sand walls and they put them right up against the boardwalk itself. And now there are patches of sand all over the boardwalk. 

The boardwalk is one of the longest uninterrupted bike lanes in all of New York City, and simply put now, it's just a danger to bike on. You can't go safely. I'm part of the club of cyclists, and last year, one of them fell and punctured a lung. He was badly hurt. It's not just him, people are falling, slipping and sliding. I went out last week, and you have to zigzag. You can't do what you want to do. I've been asked to come here and address and ask what can be done. 

Mayor Adams: Hold on. Parks, tell me about that. Are you familiar with this? Is it barriers to prevent speeding or is it serving another purpose? Are you familiar with what he was sharing? 

First Deputy Commissioner Iris Rodriguez-Rosa, Department of Parks and Recreation: What we are talking about is that it was a model program to be able to try to have additional riding along the boardwalk. We are looking at it now because I think in May the pilot program is finishing. We are looking at it to see if it's going to continue or it's going to be terminated. 

Mayor Adams: This was a pilot? 

First Deputy Commissioner Rodriguez-Rosa: Yes. 

Mayor Adams: Let us look into that. If it's causing a hazard, then we have to correct that. 

Question: I appreciate it, because right now it's like biking season's coming up. It can be a lot of cyclists. 

Mayor Adams: Make sure to stop and see the deputy commissioner so that she can update you on what we're doing. 

Question: Amazing. Thank you. 

Mayor Adams: I don't want to bump into you in the street and you say nobody got back to you. 

Question: Feeling is mutual. 

Mayor Adams: What's up brother?  

Question: How're you doing? My name is Jose Santana. I'm a resident of Far Rockaway. Going back to the question you said about the bike lane. I was there when it was installed. I owned a business on that same street. Personally, I've seen elderly people fall. There's no distinction between where the bike lane ends and where it converts into the street, the driveway. There are currently people falling. There is no space for anybody to use it because there's no parking and it deters the emergency vehicles to get to the hospital because it's a one-way. 

I commend our city councilwoman, Selvena Brooks-Powers. She's been doing a great job out here in the Rockaways. I love everything you've been doing, but more needs to be done. She does need help. I personally think that this is a great setting and this should happen more often because this is the information that we get out. You asked how do we get this information out, quick. This is it right here. We would like for you to please come back more often and let's get this-- 

Mayor Adams: Two things. One, did we do a community assessment before we put in this bike lane? Was the community assessment done? 

Commissioner Rodríguez: Yes. By the way, the bike lane was done under the Queens Borough President Donovan Richards who supported, as he was a councilmember before. It's not something that we just did it right now. When we do any bike lane, we always coordinate with the fire department so we don't compromise safety and all kinds when it comes to bike lanes. 

Mayor Adams: When was it installed? 

Question: The whole thing, mayor, is that it was made on one street and added on a different street. It was made on Central Avenue and it was extended to Beach 20th. Beach 20th is a whole other street on its own. They put it on one block of Beach 20th instead of extending it out. 

Mayor Adams: Come forward, my brother. Come here. Brother, who's your tailor, man? You rocking man. Look at this catsuit. Man, you rocking, man . Who made your suit? 

Question: Believe it or not, sir-- 

Mayor Adams: You got three-inch lapels. You got the money on the side. 

Question: You actually inspired me. Three years ago I was nominated to be on the Small Business Advisory Commission created by Mayor Adams. Two weeks after being accepted, I became co-chair of the Operations and Enforcement Committee. I then went and worked for the great Kevin Alexander at the Rockaway Development and Revitalization Corporation. May I, boss? Yes. I am transitioning now as the Director of Economic Development for Senator James Sanders. 

Mayor Adams: Excellent. 

Question: I was inspired by you. 

Mayor Adams: Thank you. 

Question: Thank you. 

Mayor Adams: James, don't dress like you, brother. 

City Councilmember Brooks-Powers: He also left out that he was a business owner. I don't know if you remember when we did that walkthrough during COVID, when it was redlined over there. He had a barbershop. He was cutting here outside of that barbershop raising the awareness about how Rockaway was being left behind in that pandemic. 

Mayor Adams: Love it. Good to see you. Did I get to you? This is the last one because I got to bounce. Look at you. Another one with a big ring. 

Question: Mayor Adams, I don't know if you know me, but I'm Nancy Martinez. I'm in [inaudible] Vocational Health, which I will speak to the Department of Health and Department of Education. I also wear many hats.  

I'm on Community Board 14. I'm on the board with Joseph Addabbo, and I also represent REMA For Us, which is Rockaway East Merchant Association, which, with SBS alone, we did the community needs assessment, REMA For Us. We're this close to finishing the Business Improvement District at the finish line. We need to bring this in because this will help the Rockaways with cleanliness, the sanitation, the better lighting.  

But, I want to tell you face-to-face that I appreciate you. I know you're going through a lot, but we feeling it with you. On top of that, you’re the only mayor that, I've been here for 40 years, have come to the Rockaways, has faced the Rockaway, have heard our needs, and is working with us. 

Also, the Rockaways is a very unique place. I'm just going to speak up on what I hear in the Rockaways. First of all, when it comes to the affordable housing, we're up to here because we did our share. The community feels that way. We know that affordable housing is needed, but our people of color and our children need generational wealth. This is where I'm coming.  

We need to let them get some affordable housing that they could buy, that they could purchase, that they could have generational wealth and become somebody and not be held back on just needs and needs and needs and getting. 

Also, we need a trauma center for our councilwoman here because it's enough. Our Police Department here, our 101 Precinct and our 100th Precinct need to be recognized. You need to give them a plaque, both precincts, because of the fact that they've been through us through the sandy storm, through the development storm, through the pandemic, and still they hold us with so much grace.  

And you know the Rockaway is not easy. We got to be tough like this because you were hesitating on calling me, but I only got one love for you, one respect for you, you understand? And I'm telling you what the community really wants. We want our trauma center, we want our business improvement district. We want that school that the gentleman mentioned that he got an extra one. Now you said it over here. We got an extra one, you got an extra one for this community, for our mental health.  

We say we love you, we appreciate you coming over here. Like Jose says, he forgot to show him who showed him how to dress like that. Why you didn't tell him Jose? Tell him the truth. Anyway, to make a long story short, I want to thank you, you have my undivided support and vote, you understand? Let me tell you after this, you'll go through anything, you got me. 

Mayor Adams: Get up brother, he was trying to give it over in the corner. You inspired me, I'm going to get my other ears done. 

Question: How you doing, Mr. Mayor? My name is [Courtney Parell]. I'm a resident here in Far Rockaway for about three years, this is my daughter. I moved here from Coney Island. It was another tough neighborhood. For three years, I've seen a lot of changes. I love it. I am a product of your voucher program. I came from the shelter for-- I've been in for about three years, I moved out, and was able to find a home.  

The only problem is I was working as asset protection through Rite Aid for four years. I was recently let go because of the high theft and they couldn't do nothing about it. I just want to know, what is your plan on job centers or anything like that for the community to help just somebody like me to help out. 

Mayor Adams: Love it. Hold on. You said a couple things. First of all, thank you for bringing your little queen with you. 

Question: Thank you.. 

Mayor Adams: I'm really inspired by-- Hold on brother. SBS, and we also were doing these hiring halls that we're doing. DJ, get his number. I want to connect you because we need workers like you. Powerful story, man. This brother said he was in a shelter for three years. 

Question: Yes, me and my family of six. Just saving up through working and we was able to find a home in Far Rockaway. And my daughter is the highest student in this school right here. She's got accepted. Her name is [Gabriela Chavez]. She's been accepted to a lot of high schools. However, her choice is LaGuardia High School. 

Mayor Adams: Just think about this, folks. Think about this. They talk about men in general, and fatherhood, and specifically, Black men in fatherhood. Here you have six children. You were in the shelter. You didn't give up, and you elevated. We're going to make sure we're going to get you employed. 

Question: Thank you.  

Mayor Adams: We're going to make sure you get a job. DJ is going to get your information. He's going to get your information and give him my number. I want to connect with you. You inspire me.  

You said something, sister. Let me tell you some folks. These last 15 months have been the hardest months in my life. Hardest month in my life. There was a desire to stay in bed in the fetal position. I would hear mommy say in my ear, "Get up, boy. Get up." There was a desire to break me. They threw everything at me and I needed you to see that I would not give up. When I hear the story of this brother with six children in a shelter, and he got up. 

When people were telling me, "You need to resign. You need to step down." No, then what does that say to New Yorkers who are going through some stuff? All of us are going through some stuff. Everyone in this room, you're going through some stuff. I wanted you to see your mayor. No matter what he was going through, he was going to fight for you. No matter what. 

No matter what personal journey, tragedy I was impacted, no matter what my son was experiencing, no matter what my family was experiencing, I wanted to say to you, that no matter what you're going through, no matter how much weight you have on your shoulders, no matter how many people have abandoned you, that have known you for 40 years, no matter how many people kicked you to the curve, as long as you fight for New Yorkers, they're going to fight for you. I'm never going to stop fighting for you, never. No matter what, I'm never going to stop fighting for you. 

Rockaway, I thank you. You made my night coming out, and I thank our team for coming out, and saying what's best. Keep up the good living here in Rockaway.