BP Lee Announces Summer Jobs for Local Teens, Meals for Queens Seniors
Acting Queens Borough President Sharon Lee and 100 Suits for 100 Men (“100 Suits”), together with key partners and leaders, will announce the launch of 100 Suits’ “Senior Deliveries and Culinary Program” Youth Initiative — a summer-long program employing local teenagers to prepare freshly-made, nutritious meals and deliver to area seniors on Thursday.
The initiative kicked off on July 1 and runs through the first week of September. It is designed to teach team building, culinary skills, financial literacy, time management, organizational and operational skills, and more.
Financial support for the program, which is at capacity, was provided by Borough President Lee, Patrick B. Jenkins & Associates, Feel Beauty Supply in Jamaica, the Rochdale Village Board of Directors, Long Island City-based commercial kitchen Kommissary and Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp.
The event will take place on Thursday, July 16 at 11:00AM outside Rochdale Village Building 17, located at 134-25 166th Place.
‘The Squad’ Calls for Reductions to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Budget
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Astoria, College Point, Corona, East Elmhurst, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Woodside, parts of the Bronx) released a statement with Representatives Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib Wednesday urging House leadership to significantly reduce the budget for Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) in the upcoming Appropriations bills.
This call follows a recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which found that the additional funds appropriated by Congress to CBP in 2019, which the four Congresswomen voted against, were misused.
“As we continue through appropriations season, it is important to remember the lessons of last year. In 2019, as thousands of migrant families were held in cages and detained in horrific conditions along the southern border, the President requested and Congress handed over an additional $112 million in funding to CBP, which was intended to be used for food and medical care. In June, a report unveiled by the GAO, an independent government watchdog, found that these taxpayer funds were instead used on dirt bikes, ATVs and other unnecessary items,” the representatives said. “Last year, the four of us voted against this CBP funding, clear eyed that CBP and ICE are rogue agencies that act to inflict harm on our communities and have a pattern of behavior of abuse and mismanagement of funds. This year, the House must hold CBP accountable for their egregious violation of the law by withholding any further funding and imposing additional accountability measures with real consequences.”
Moya and Adams Laud Resumption of City Planning Commission Meetings
Councilmembers Francisco Moya (D-East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, LeFrak City and Corona) and Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica, Richmond Hill, Rochdale Village, South Ozone Park) lauded Mayor Bill de Blasio’s announcement that the City Planning Commission will start holding remote meetings in August.
This will allow developments that create affordable housing, jobs, health facilities, resiliency projects and more to move forward after a safe and inclusive public review.
“Unfortunately, the suspension of City Planning Commission meetings was necessary due to public safety concerns,” said Adams, Chair of the Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Sitings and Dispositions. “I am thrilled that the land use review process will resume ensuring public input and expeditious evaluation for the benefit of all New York City communities.”
Information about how to participate in public hearings is available at NYC Engage, the newly launched portal to facilitate public engagement in remote hearings. NYC Engage will provide information about upcoming meetings and how anyone can participate online or by phone, as well as general guidance to acclimate New Yorkers to remote public engagement. Events will be added to NYC Engage in the coming months from the CPC and other agencies. CPC meetings will take place remotely for the foreseeable future.
“I’m heartened to see the land use process resume and an appropriate focus on ensuring that all community members can provide public review and feedback. Public oversight is the backbone of our land use review procedure and it’s key to guaranteeing communities have a say in shaping their future. I believe community boards have done well to prepare for remote participation and I look forward to seeing this democratic process pick up where we left off,” said Moya, Chair of the Land Use Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises.
The CPC August meetings will include actions on development projects that are not subject to the City’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) and on ULURP projects that were already in public review prior to March 16. The August meetings will also include discussion and DCP presentations related to development projects that are expected to begin the ULURP public process in the fall. The Mayor’s Executive Order suspending the ULURP clock will not be lifted until September.
