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Council Member Williams advocates for groundwater flooding bill
0:35:24
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117 sec
Council Member Nantasha M. Williams speaks in support of Intro 1067-B, a bill addressing the long-standing issue of groundwater flooding in Southeast Queens. She explains the bill's importance in bringing attention to this problem and creating a path forward for coordinated solutions.
- The bill ensures data collection and understanding of groundwater flooding across all five boroughs
- It creates a dedicated task force to center the experiences of Southeast Queens residents and recommend adaptation strategies
- Williams thanks Speaker Adrian Adams, Chair Jim Gennaro, and the legislative division for their support and hard work on the bill
Nantasha M. Williams
0:35:24
Thank you so much, madam majority leader.
0:35:26
For decades, homeowners in Southeast Queens have lived with the consequences of a problem most New Yorkers have never heard of, groundwater flooding.
0:35:36
This issue began decades ago as changes to the area's natural water table followed the closure of local wells and shifts in land use.
0:35:44
Unlike storm driven flooding, groundwater flooding happens slowly and silently, damaging basements, boilers, and foundations without warning.
0:35:54
It's a problem my constituents of Southeast Queens know all too well.
0:35:58
Intro ten sixty seven b brings much needed focus and coordination to an issue that has gone unaddressed for far too long.
0:36:05
It ensures the city is collecting data, paying attention to the patterns, and beginning to understand the full scope of groundwater flooding across all five boroughs.
0:36:13
And for Southeast Queens where residents have dealt with this quietly for years, ten sixty seven b creates a path forward toward coordinating long term solutions.
0:36:23
This includes the creation of a dedicated task force charged with centering the lived experiences of Southeast Queens residents and recommending practical strategies for adaptation and relief.
0:36:35
And for all New Yorkers, this bill will help guide smarter, more informed planning and investments across our city.
0:36:41
This is what responsive community rooted government looks like.
0:36:46
I really want to thank speaker Adrian Adams, who also represents Southeast Queens, for her leadership and my council colleagues especially chair Jim Gennaro who has been a long advocate on groundwater flooding in Southeast Queens for standing with us and every New Yorker with the quiet crisis of groundwater flooding.
0:37:04
And I really wanna just give a special shout out to the legislative division, Natasha and Andrew, because they worked really hard to make this a bill that we can legally pass.
0:37:13
It's very difficult and complicated, so I really want to thank them for their dedication to bringing this across the finish line.
0:37:21
Thank you.