REMARKS
Council Member Brooks Powers Opens Joint Hearing on JFK Redevelopment Program
0:04:25
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5 min
Council Member Brooks Powers opens a joint hearing focusing on the JFK Redevelopment Program to discuss its progress and community impact.
- Powers emphasizes JFK's role in regional economy and the airport's effects on local communities.
- Highlighting the importance of environmental justice, he discusses the negative impacts on neighboring black and brown communities.
- Powers introduces legislation for mandatory reporting on JFK's redevelopment plans and stresses equitable economic benefits and MWBE utilization.
- Acknowledges the non-participation of the Port Authority and underlines the importance of community engagement in redevelopment policies.
- Thanks his team and acknowledges the presence of other council members before the hearing proceedings.
Brooks Powers
0:04:25
Good afternoon, and thank you for attending this joint hearing of the committees on transportation and infrastructure.
0:04:31
And economic development.
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Today, we will be focusing on the JFK redevelopment program to better understand the progress that has been made on improving revitalizing 1 of the busiest airports in the country and the effects these changes are having on the surrounding communities.
0:04:48
In addition, the committee will hear intro number 134, sponsored by myself in relation to requiring regular reports on the redevelopment plan plans at JFK International Airport.
0:05:01
I would like to thank my fellow cochair, majority leader Amanda Farrias for her support on today's hearing.
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JFK is a major economic engine for the region that supports 100 of 1000 of jobs and generates tens of 1,000,000,000 in annual sales and wages.
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However, for years, the community is adjacent to the airport primarily black and Brown, Environmental Justice Communities have endured the pollution, noise, and traffic that JFK has produced.
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Overall, 37 ZIP codes directly surround the airport, so we must ensure that JFK acts as a at our neighbor.
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JFK is leased by the city of New York directly to the Port Authority.
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Thus, it is critical that we are stand how our land is being redeveloped.
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As such, last year, we held a hearing on JFK Airport but the court authority declined to testify before the council.
0:05:59
Today, yet again, the authority has declined to sit for questions before the city's Democratically elected counsel.
0:06:08
I am once more disappointed in the port authority for willfully ignoring the city and community in which it directly affects.
0:06:16
We intend to revisit this topic regularly, and it is my sincere desire that the Port Authority joins us in the future.
0:06:24
With that said, I would like to thank the New York City Economic Development Corporation for a great to testify before the committees today on their role as a leaf manager for JFK.
0:06:38
At today's hearing, we will be examining the environmental and community impact of this redevelopment.
0:06:44
For decades, the airport has placed burdens on this rounding airport communities.
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Noise pollution and traffic all have negative consequences on health and quality of life of residents.
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JFK is a beneficial asset to the entire Metropolitan region.
0:07:03
So it is imperative that the negative effects of the redevelopment do not fall solely on the airport's neighboring communities.
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Next, we will be inquiring about the use of low coworkers on the redevelopment program.
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The JFK redevelopment program is a $19,000,000,000 investment that will add more than 15,000 jobs to the area with 9600 direct jobs coming from the redevelopment.
0:07:31
As chair of the Committee on Transportation Infrastructure, I have focused on the importance of looking at infrastructure through the lens of equity.
0:07:41
As such, it is vital that the substantial economic benefits that will come from JFK redevelopment program are equitably dispersed to the workers and businesses living near the airport.
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In addition, JFK redevelopment program has a goal of 30 percent MWBE utilization across all redevelopment projects.
0:08:03
As an advocate for increased utilization of MWA's.
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I believe businesses are across the city owned by women and New Yorkers of College deserve the opportunity to obtain major government contracts.
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Ensuring diverse businesses have equitable access to those opportunities, strengthen communities, and extends economic opportunity across the city.
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The committee will be checking in to ensure that redevelopment contracts and projects are being made accessible to MWD ease.
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Finally, the committees will be addressing how city agencies are engaged in local communities to rounding the airport.
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Given the vast investment in the airport and its effects on local jobs, businesses, and traffic, We wanna make sure the local communities are kept in the conversation with redevelopment policy makers.
0:08:58
Before we begin, I would like to thank my staff and committee staff for their hard work Kevin Kotowski, senior policy analyst John Vasile, senior policy analyst Mark Chen, senior counsel to the meeting.
0:09:12
Connor Mealy counseled to the committee, Adrian Drepaul, senior financial analyst, Jack Siegenthaler, my policy and budget director, Kiara Powell, my communications director, and Renee Taylor, my chief of staff.
0:09:28
I will now ask the committee council to go over some procedural items and swear in the representatives from EDC, but first I'd like to acknowledge that we have been joined by council members, Gutierrez, Villas, Narcisse, and Batcher.
