Report on May 11 Community Meeting
Christine Quinn, Speaker of the New York City Council met with several Island residents, along with Council Member James Vacca, on Monday, May 11, at the City Island Nautical Museum, in order to learn about the various issues facing the community. The Civic Association invited more than 35 Islanders, including representatives of the Community Center, Garden Club, American Legion, Chamber of Commerce, Community Board 10 and other groups, to meet with Ms. Quinn, who expressed strong support for her colleague Mr. Vacca and for City Island’s protest of the budget cuts affecting the local fire house.
She described the budget process and said that the ladder company closure is on the short list of those the Council will object to during budget negotiations. The city’s budget must be passed by July 1, so this will be a major subject in the budget negotiations. The stimulus package money will start to be allotted in the near future and may ease current budget constraints, but there are no guarantees.
The other important issues facing City Island include the continuing problems with drug abuse among the youth, graffiti that must constantly be overpainted, traffic and noise. Bill Stanton, Civic president, said that heroin and prescription drug abuse will not be tolerated. Parents and residents need to get involved and supply information that can be anonymously reported. Ms. Quinn recommended that City Island residents adopt the city policy: “If you see something, say something.” Emergencies and crimes in progress should be called in to 911; issues of concern to 311 or to the community police officer at the 45th precinct (718-822-5449 or cao45pct@aol.com). It is important that Island young people obtain the help they need so that another drug overdose can be avoided.
In response to complaints about the traffic and noise that inevitably accompanies warm spring weather, she suggested that residents look into a program called “Operation Silent Night” to combat excessive noise, as it was successful in her Greenwich Village neighborhood.
Also discussed were overdevelopment on City Island and the open classroom arrangement at P.S. 175; several other issues had been shared with the speaker in advance of the meeting, such as property taxes, increased water rates, the MTA express bus, the new City Island Bridge, the Rodman’s Neck firing range and the closing of Le Refuge.
