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Q&A
Council Member Restler advocates for accelerated timeline and increased partnerships
1:51:38
·
3 min
Council Member Restler emphasizes the need for new funding strategies to accelerate the 30-year plan and inquires about partnerships for green infrastructure projects, particularly in schools and parks within his district.
- Restler stresses the urgency of addressing flooding issues and suggests aiming for a 10-12 year plan instead of 30 years.
- He acknowledges the challenges, including lack of federal cooperation, but pushes for better organization and strategy.
- Restler asks for advice on advocating for more projects in flood zones within his district.
- The discussion touches on existing partnerships with the Trust for Public Land and the Department of Education for school-based projects.
Lincoln Restler
1:51:38
Yeah.
1:51:38
Look, I hear you that the best way to move forward is to move forward, right, and to start work anywhere and everywhere we can.
1:51:49
I think that it's really important to me that we figure out from a citywide vantage point New funding strategies and specific ways that we can turn a thirty year plan into a ten or twelve year plan.
1:52:11
And what are the things that we can do together to actually make that achievable.
1:52:16
Because we don't have thirty years to wait, right?
1:52:19
And we can only imagine how many horrific storms there are going to be in that time period and it's just not viable for us to look at things that way.
1:52:29
So I appreciate the response.
1:52:33
Think I know there aren't easy answers if there were you would have provided them.
1:52:39
You're all good at your jobs.
1:52:40
I'm not claiming otherwise.
1:52:41
Just, you know, I think that we're not yet organized in the way that we need to be.
1:52:46
And it's hard when we don't have cooperation from the federal government, which you know we've obviously entered into that realm as well.
1:52:52
One other thing I just want to ask and I think I, in so many words, try and ask this question at every hearing.
1:52:59
Greedily, as the council member for the 30 Third Council District, you know, my job is to be parochially focused on my 70,000 people and have as much of DEP's attention as possible in our council district.
1:53:17
We've had some good, really good experience.
1:53:20
I mentioned the two projects at McCarran where the farmers market is and the McCarran asphalt lot, again where Melissa and John and the team have been terrific.
1:53:29
We have other projects that we would really like to pursue that would be great in Northern Greenpoint that we think would be great.
1:53:37
I mean terrific opportunities.
1:53:39
When we talk to Kevin Moran and the leadership of the DOE, know, the kind of chief operating officer of the DOE, they really want to be partnering more and we have schools where we would love to be partnering together.
1:53:51
Like how do we what advice do you have for me to get more important projects in flood zones onto your list?
1:54:00
Like how do I do a better job of advocating for my community so that I have even more exciting projects to celebrate.
1:54:13
Yes.
1:54:14
Mean we've done one more that we're doing starting this year.
1:54:19
Well we
1:54:19
completed two TPL projects since I've been a council member.
1:54:24
We have one more that we're going to announce imminently in South Williamsburg that I'm really excited about.
1:54:29
So that's for sure.
1:54:31
But yes, so we've worked with TPL.
1:54:34
Think is there any Okay.
1:54:37
And we can continue to do that.
1:54:38
Are there other mechanisms to partner with the DOE on DOE sites other than through TPL, or is that the best way to do
Angela Licata
1:54:08
On schools, have you been in contact with the Trust for Public Land?
1:54:45
We have a program with schools.
1:54:47
Melissa, do you want to come up and talk about that?
1:54:51
Let's bring Melissa the in Have you sworn Melissa
Paul Gallay
1:54:19
have
Natasha Bynum
1:54:59
Hi, before you testify I'm just going to swear you in quickly.
1:55:02
Please raise your right hand you're doing that.
1:55:04
Do you affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth before this committee and to respond honestly to council member questions?
1:55:09
Yes.
1:55:10
Fantastic, go ahead.