NYLCVEF Joins Partners for Two NYC Council Candidate Forums

September 8, 2017

Residents of Council District 18 in the Bronx gathered to hear from city council candidates on September 5th 2017. Candidates are racing to fill the open seat of Council Member Annabel Palma, who is term-limited.

All candidates were invited, with Amanda Farias, Elvin Garcia, and Michael Beltzer in attendance.

The forum was hosted by the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, alongside Waterfront Alliance, New Yorkers for Parks, and Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice. Questions were focused on sustainability, resiliency, and environmental justice issues in the community, and were asked by panelists Jose Soegaard of Waterfront Alliance, Emily Walker of NY4P, and David Schuffler of YMPJ. The discussion was moderated by Adriana Espinoza, NYC Program Manager, and opening marks were made by Marcia Bystryn, President of NYLCVEF.

The citizens of District 18, hailing from Soundview, Castle Hill, Parkchester, Clason Point, and Harding Park expressed a variety of concerns during the Q&A session. One resident expressed serious accessibility concerns regarding the lack of elevators at the Parkchester 6 Subway stop. Residents and candidates both shared concerns of access to healthy, sustainable foods. Citizens inquired about the Sheridan Expressway plans, and discussed their daily encounters with heavy truck traffic and subsequent air pollution.

The forum was held to inform voters of each candidate’s position on important environmental issues ahead of the September 12th Primary Election. Search for your polling place here.

Council District 35 is another highly contested city council race playing out ahead of the September 12th Primary. The district covers the neighborhoods of Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights and parts of Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant, and is currently represented by incumbent Laurie Cumbo. Challengers include Democrat Ede Fox, and Green Party members Jabari Brisport and John Hutchins.
 
NYLCVEF partnered with five local neighborhood groups– The Brooklyn Heights Association, The Crown Heights North Association, The Fort Greene Association, The Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council, and The Society for Clinton Hill– to host a candidate forum on Wednesday September 6th. The goal was to bring together community members and give them a platform to question candidates on policy matters of importance to them.
 
The event was moderated by Rachel Holiday of DNAinfo, and topics covered varied from transportation issues like bike safety and congestion pricing to sustainability issues such as access to healthy food and climate change. Other policies of great importance to the community were also discussed, including affordable housing, zoning, and development.
 
Make sure you cast your vote on Primary Day September 12th!
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