BY CHRISTIAN MILES | On May 19, the Lutnik Theatre within the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum hosted the 5th Annual West Side Summit for New York City Council District 3, helmed by City Council Speaker Corey Johnson (NYC Councilmember, 3rd District), who gave his State of the District address and announced the results from the 2018-2019 Participatory Budgeting cycle, which allocates $1 million in capital funding for locally-developed capital projects across the district.

The Summit drew an audience of 200+ civically engaged locals, and opened with a short speech by Susan Marenoff, President of the Intrepid Museum.

“The mission of the Intrepid is to promote understanding of history, science, and service through their collection program and outreach events,” she said. Noteworthy among the programs Marenoff highlighted was Free Fridays, which allows “community members to enjoy the museum, after hours, for free.”

Phyllis Waisman, a lifelong resident of District 3, took the podium next.

“I have lived in Chelsea for 38 years, and have rarely seen an elected official more committed to making our neighborhoods a better place to live, to work, or to go to school, than Corey Johnson,” Waisman noted, as she invited Johnson to the podium.

Johnson began by stating his guiding principle: “Do the most good for the people who need it most,” and went on to highlight several of the initiatives and achievements he and his staff have engaged in throughout the past year.

“One of my top priorities has been to invest in our local parks and green spaces,” Johnson said. He pointed out the impending opening of a brand new park on W. 20th St. called Chelsea Green, and to other upcoming parks projects. “Last year we successfully obtained $100 million dollars from the city and state combined,” Johnson said. “Our goal is to have the northern portions of Hudson River Park fully funded—to get everything build out and complete by the time I leave office.”

Since taking office, Johnson noted, “I have introduce 91 bills, 39 of which have passed… I am proud that the City Council has enacted 212 pieces of legislation, the busiest and most successful year ever recorded in the history of the City Council. These laws will make it easier for New York City to be a fairer, greener, and safer city.”

He went on to enumerate a variety of other topics and issues, including more money for NYCHA repairs, more allocated affordable housing, preservation of historic districts (such as the current effort to landmark Tin Pan Alley), criminal Justice reform, elimination of phone fees for incarcerated individuals, “Fair Fare” lower cost transit fare for people living in poverty, laws to end sexual harassment, better waste management, and more compost availability.

“Last month,” Johnson recalled, “the city passed one of the most ambitious and creative legislative initiatives of any major city, not just in the United States, but in the world to combat the existential threat of climate change. The centerpiece of this package is a bill that will require large and medium sized buildings which account for nearly one-third of all the greenhouse gas emissions in our city, to reduce those emissions by 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2050.”

“This is the most progressive climate change bill that has passed almost anywhere in the entire world,” the Speaker proudly noted.

To watch Johnson’s full State of the District address, click here.

Regarding the ease with which one can participate in the Participatory Budgeting process, a May 22 press release explains, voting is “open to all residents age 11 and older. The sole identification requirement is proof of residency in the participating Council District. Citywide, there were 552 voting sites available across five boroughs and voting ballots were available in English and 16 other languages. While nearly two-thirds of the votes were cast by paper ballots, one third were cast online…. When people become engaged,” Johnson pointed out, from the podium, “they can make a difference. Participatory Budgeting is a clear example of civic engagement. Neighbors decide where to spend their money, and they are really the ones who know the needs for their communities… I applaud everyone who voted. Turnout is so important.”

Participatory Budgeting also provides opportunities for youth to learn civics and engage with their community. Several teenage volunteers worked with members of Johnson’s staff at voting locations, to encourage and facilitate voting. For their efforts, they were brought to the stage and presented with certificates of recognition.

“We helped reach a lot of people in the neighborhood to really come and explore their options so they can really be involved in their community,” said Ashley Baez, one of the honored volunteers. Padmaviti Arjune, who also works with the Friends of the High Line, called her time spent volunteering an “amazing experience; reaching out to so many people in the community.”

There were three winning projects in District 3. The 3rd place winner was a Street Protection Package (1,953 votes, budget of $200,000) that provides protection to tree trunks that include a tree guard, a watering treegator and an informative care tag for street trees. In second place was the Upgrade Water Fountains for Public Schools project (1,993 votes, budget of $300,000). This project will install 35 new water bottle filling stations to schools in district. First place went to the Improved Lighting for NYCHA Playground and Park Areas project (2,017 votes, budget of $600,000), which will further light the park areas in Elliott-Chelsea and Fulton Houses.

An unexpected surprise was the attendance of Congressmember Jerrold “Jerry” Nadler, who spoke about the Trump presidency.

“We do face the most severe challenge to the rule of law and to Democratic government probably since the Civil War,” Nadler asserted. “It’s worse than Nixon, and in fact, just before the smoking gun tape [Nixon telling H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman go to the CIA and get them to tell the FBI to knock off the investigation], all of the Democrats voted for the articles of impeachment. Five Republicans voted for the articles of impeachment. Eleven voted against it. The Supreme Court ordered the tapes come out within a week. The tapes came out, including the smoking gun tape and, as soon as the smoking gun tape came out, the 11 Republicans who voted ‘No’ all announced, ‘Oh my god, if I had known that three days ago, I would have voted ‘Yes.’ ”

Nadler also took time to mention “some of the things on the regular committee agenda that doesn’t get much publicity,” including passage of The Equality Act, a lineal descendent of a bill first introduced by Bella Abzug in 1974, which adds sexual orientation and gender identity to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, The Fair Housing Act, and several other acts.

“This was, of course, not done easily,” he said. “The Republicans opposed it. I must say that every single Democrat voted for it, bar none, and we got eight Republican votes, so we passed the bill… I am not known for rhetorical flourishes, but I felt the need for it, for this bill. I said, ‘The time has come to proclaim liberty and equality throughout the land, and I commend the bill to consider it to the consideration of the House, I commend the House to the consideration of history,’ which is, I thought, what the occasion demanded.”

He went on to enumerate other legislative bills and initiatives they are working on or have achieved, including reauthorizing and expanding the Violence Against Women Act, passing substantial gun control legislation (which also passed the House), dealing with the extension of the 9/11 Healthcare Act, passing legislation to help Dreamers, and working to pass the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (to make it incumbent on employers to make proper accommodations for pregnant employees).

“We have to fight this battle [referring to the Trump investigation], but we have to keep other things going too,” Nadler declared.

Among those in the audience: Sally Greenspan, who participated in the very first District 3 Participatory Budgeting process.

“I love Corey, that’s why I’m here,” she noted. Asked what she thought about today’s summit, Greenspan said, “Corey is amazing, and he is doing so much good for the community and for the city—and I don’t know what we would do without him. I was exhausted when he went through the whole list.” Participatory Budgeting, Greenspan said, “is my pet. I think it’s a great program. My project, you might remember, he [Johnson] talked about the new park opening on 20th Street and then he gave me a shout out. That project was the first project in District 3 to win Participatory Budgeting.”

“I thought it was fabulous,” said Christine Berthet, a Hell’s Kitchen resident and Co-Chair of the Transportation Committee at Community Board 4. “Corey does such a beautiful job, but also so much work. I mean, the volume of issues they address is really really impressive. I know first-hand how much they support us, and we work [with] them and it’s really a strong, strong support all of the time.”

The tenor of the evening was enthusiastically supportive, as the attendees were quick to applaud each of the initiatives described by Johnson and Nadler. Asked about his thoughts regarding the Summit, attendee Bernard Brandall enthusiastically said, “Fantastic, Fabulous! I try not to miss any event of Corey Johnson’s. I really admire him very much.”

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