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Marjorie Velasquez explains her vote on the outdoor dining program
1:00:24
ยท
130 sec
Council Member Marjorie Velasquez explains her support for Introduction 31-C, which establishes a permanent outdoor dining program in New York City. She highlights the collaborative effort behind the bill and its importance for the city's recovery from the pandemic.
- The bill provides peace of mind for businesses and allows the city to evolve its use of public spaces.
- Velasquez emphasizes that the legislation considers the unique circumstances of each borough and neighborhood.
- She views the program as an opportunity to revitalize streetscapes and help small businesses, particularly mom-and-pop stores, bounce back from COVID-19 hardships.
Marjorie Velasquez
1:00:24
Permission to explain my vote?
UNKNOWN
1:00:26
Go ahead.
Marjorie Velasquez
1:00:29
Good afternoon.
1:00:30
There are many people who deserve credit for getting this bill up for
Pierina Ana Sanchez
1:00:32
a vote.
1:00:33
But for the sake
Marjorie Velasquez
1:00:33
of time, I want to thank speaker Adams, mayor Adams, and all the New Yorkers who have shared their voices on this important issue.
1:00:39
This was truly a collaborative effort.
1:00:43
This is a great way to celebrate restaurant week by passing legislation creating a permanent outdoor dining program.
1:00:49
During the pandemic, outdoor dining was a lifeline for our city, having helped keep businesses open when the city was shut down.
1:00:55
The program kept people employed and gave our local communities an opportunity to connect with one another and be outside of our homes safely.
1:01:03
What the open restaurant executive order proved that not only were there potential benefit for consumers, but also an opportunity for the food service and restaurant industry to benefit.
1:01:12
This bill is a combination of bringing everyone to the table and creating a uniform program that considers the unique circumstances in each borough and neighborhood.
1:01:21
Intro 31 c provides the peace of mind for our businesses to have a permanent program and the space for our city to move forward and continue to evolve this program and how we utilize our spaces.
1:01:31
We heard your concerns from restaurant owners, workers in the food industry, constituents, local businesses outside the industry that would be impacted by this legislation.
1:01:40
Having spent the past year negotiating and modifying the bill to be as inclusive and equitable as possible, meeting the needs of the different types of restaurants and eateries across our cities.
1:01:52
The pandemic changed our lives, changed the way we live, the way we
Pierina Ana Sanchez
1:01:55
do business for better or for worse.
Marjorie Velasquez
1:01:56
But as New Yorkers, we continue to fight and we evolve during these dark times.
1:02:01
We now have an opportunity to build a stronger New York, not only an opportunity to revitalize our barren streetscape, but also giving our food and restaurant industry, particularly small business owners, mom and pop stores around the five boroughs, the tools not to only to bounce back from the hardships created by COVID, but also to help propel our local and state economy into a brighter future.
1:02:25
So with that, I vote aye on all.
1:02:27
And also, I wanna disclose on the record, husband works at DEP and my brother is a board member at Samaritans of New York.