Dear neighbors,

Let’s talk about the City’s $100 billion budget. As you know, I was one of six Council Members to vote NO. This was not a decision I came to lightly. There were some hard-fought victories in this budget. These include the restoration of $18.5 million in sanitation cuts, with an additional $26 million to expand litter basket pick up to twice a week, funding right to counsel at its previous level of $166 million and $10 million in childcare support for immigrant families.

However, the horrendous cuts to our schools and minimal investment in affordable housing in this moment of crisis were simply unacceptable to me. As a public school parent with a long history of advocacy, I could not support rushing through a budget two weeks early that cuts education when our city had the resources to keep schools whole. I pledged to fight for a just budget, and this was not it.

I have been truly humbled by the outpouring of support coming from constituents across the district for my stance on the budget. I am proud to have stood with parents, children, teachers and principals against the cuts to our schools. I stood with public housing residents for investing in their needs and not in privatization. I stood with tenants at risk of displacement due to lack of affordable and safe housing.

I am afraid this year’s budget could have considerable negative impacts on our schools if left unchanged. All but two of our district's schools are facing cuts. We know that public school principals are already making hard choices around excessing teachers and paraprofessionals, cutting art and music programs and needed academic support. If this $215 million reduction in overall aid to schools is not restored, I am very concerned that we will struggle to adequately meet the needs of our community and children. I remain committed to fighting for our district and ensuring that City agencies are responsive to our needs.

We must also acknowledge the broader, constitutional-level crisis we face at this moment. The Supreme Court has decided not only to strike down New York’s century-old limits on carrying a concealed weapon, it has chipped away at the basic right to privacy and stripped access to safe abortions by overturning Roe v. Wade. New York City was one of the first municipalities in the country to fund abortion access, and we must double down as a City to support the right to basic reproductive care. Yesterday, the Court ruled against federal climate regulations, too.

Even at the state and local level, our courts are engaging in broad overreach that could have been avoided if some elected leaders had simply paid attention.

This week, New York City’s landmark noncitizen voting law was struck down by a Staten Island judge, and an Albany judge struck down that city’s good cause eviction protections.

Judges are not legislators, but many do need to be approved by legislators.

Our office receives all manner of correspondence and issues from all residents. If you know me, you know that I like to be upfront and transparent. I was elected to lead, and I stand firm in my values. Our community has many competing and critical needs. 

During the summer months, I fully expect we will see an increase in all manner of complaints, and a long hot summer can spark conflict between people young and old. The summer months also bring so much joy, so enjoy the block parties, our parks, our waterfront and everything our city has to offer in the warm weather.

I will always advocate for dialogue and creative solutions to challenging problems. I will continue to call out failed policies, like criminalization and chronically underfunded and insufficient services that limit opportunities in our neighborhoods.

I will always be open to meeting and speaking with folks with different views than my own. My job is to represent all our constituents. I will always listen with respect and engage in constructive conversations. 

While our resources are limited and the work takes time, there is so much we can achieve together. So keep cool, stay in touch and I hope you enjoyed your Fourth of July weekend!

I wish our Muslim neighbors a happy Eid Al-Adha this coming weekend.

Pa’lante mi gente,

Council Member 

Alexa Avilés 

In Memory

This month our districtwas struck by another profound tragedy when Jason Gomez, only 25, a loving and committed UPROSE youth climate organizer, passed away. Jason stood with our community through many fights. While Jason received many awards and accolades, he greeted and engaged everyone with a kindness and grace that was disarming and wonderful. He worked with youth from across the country and participated in more actions and events than most. He represented this community with integrity and strength. Jason, your love for our community and people will never be forgotten. May you walk tall among the ancestors. 

Over the last year, Jason’s family lost his grandmother and mother. If you find it in your heart, please make a donation.

Services to be held on Monday, July 18th & Tuesday, July 19th from 5:00pm-9:00pm at Colonial Funeral Home, 2819 Hylan Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10306

Office updates

During our participatory budget process, we asked residents to tell us what they think our top priority should be for the city’s $100 billion budget. 

Nearly 2,000 District 38 residents took part. And what were voters’ top priority? Schools. What we heard from community residents all along informed my decision to vote against the budget.

I’m pleased to share the projects funded through District 38's participatory budget: Tech for PS 69, Music room at PS 94, and Audio equipment for PS 310. 

I look forward to sharing more details about our district’s capital and expense allocations as budget details continue to be finalized.

Just because I voted no, doesn’t mean I didn’t fight like hell for our district’s funding priorities and find some wins along the way. The budget includes critical investments in local capital projects, including capital investments in schools in all neighborhoods. In addition, many local organizations will be receiving discretionary funds through my office and citywide initiatives. 

Below, click to see clips from my remarks at the UFT rally with public school teachers, parents, administrators and students against the cuts.

Along with Council Members Tiffany Cabán and Shahana Hanif, I called for the budget to include Care for All Families, a Council initiative to fund childcare subsidies for immigrant families who otherwise would not be eligible for them. We won $10 million for undocumented families to be able access childcare support, and I’m proud of that.

In partnership with UPROSE, we hosted a second briefing on the growing Offshore Wind industry attended with elected officials' offices at all levels of government present. 

New developments from the federal to the local level will influence the trajectory of this industry, and our goal is to ensure the creation of good jobs with justice for workers and our communities in the process.

With Supreme Court rulings striking down abortion rights, this July Fourth I am reminded of Frederick Douglass’ well-known speech “What to the slave is the Fourth of July?” In this speech, Douglass exposes the tension inherent in the US founding mythology and its contradictions from the very beginning to today — as well as the struggles for justice present since its founding, too.

Along with tens of thousands of LGBTQ+ New Yorkers, the City Council celebrated Pride Month together this year. As many of our rights come under attack, including attacks on the basic right of LGBTQ+ folks to be who they are, we must stand firm and united. I know this City Council stands ready to push back against hate, even when it comes from within our own ranks.

Father’s Day is so important in our communities, and I hope all the dads and positive role models in our families had a meaningful day. I want to give a special shout out to Melvin Goddard who organized the Red Hook Father’s Day Softball Game. It was perfect: full of trash talking and good laughs.

Melvin regularly organizes youth programs and tournaments at the Red Hook Rec Center, and if you have the means to donate to his initiative Biddybros, which he founded with other Red Hook dads, you can do so at this link.

On Sunday, June 12 we also celebrated the return of the Sunset Park Puerto Rican Day Parade. I am grateful to Dennis Flores of El Grito, to all the marchers and everyone who got to enjoy the day. It was truly a beautiful event, I was proud to be a part of. Gracias.

Also, a big shout out to Danny and neighbors along 48 St who held their annual Puerto Rican Day block party with music, classic cars and even a lechón!

We worked hard with all stakeholders across the community, including our state and federal elected representatives, the Red Hook Justice Center, the 72 Precinct and Deputy Inspector Castro, to ensure we could all celebrate this day safely and without any major incidents, and that’s exactly what we did.

Wishing a hearty welcome back to Red Hook Arts Fest! We were overjoyed to be part of the return of the Red Hook Arts Fest produced by Hook Arts Media in celebration of its 29th year. On a beautiful Saturday, the Fest featured Bombazo Dance Co, Manifest Worldwide, East Brooklyn Drumline, Martha Redbone and many others. Thank you to all the sponsors, residents and agencies that helped to make the festival a fabulous event.

This month, students from across the district rallied to raise awareness and demand solutions on issues from gun violence to funding public housing. PS 024 held a healing circle after the Uvalde, Texas shooting, and students at Sunset Park High School and MS 136 Charles Dewey held walkouts against gun violence as well. Our children deserve better than to live in fear of gun violence, and they're stepping up to tell us.

On June 14, I stood in solidarity with PS 15 students in Red Hook for the Children’s March for Public Housing. Students talked about the dire conditions in public housing and how unfair it is that some students have to live with persistent mold and repair issues. They called for fully funding the New York City Housing Authority, because everyone deserves to live in a safe and healthy home.

Ahead of the Juneteenth federal holiday, I joined the Parks Department for an Intergenerational celebration in Coffey Park. I was proud to present Parks employees Isiah Forde, Shakeem Snipe, Charles Keene and Debbie Grant with a citation from my office commemorating their many years of city service. Congratulations!

This month, I co-chaired two joint hearings on public housing. The first joint hearing was on waste management and public housing, which I co-chaired with my colleague and Sanitation Chair Sandy Nurse. The second, held yesterday, sought answers on the accessibility of the 311 app for speakers of languages other than English and for public housing residents. Both touched on common themes like the inadequacy of current systems and the need to ensure public housing residents receive top notch quality service from all city agencies. 

Our office held an interagency community discussion on last-mile facilities in Red Hook this past Thursday, June 23. The event was a success with great turnout from the Red Hook Community, with an opportunity for all to engage in direct dialogue with three of our city agencies: Department of Transportation, Department of City Planning, and the Economic Development Corporation. 

With the feedback provided at the forum, our office will continue to follow-up and hold these agencies to their word. Our demands remain the same, that city agencies act to limit the concentration of last-mile facilities exclusively in environmental justice communities like Red Hook and Sunset Park and that we work together to mitigate the impacts of existing facilities by incentivizing marine transport and other alternative modes of transportation.

PortSide New York wrote up a detailed readout of the event with links to agency presentations and more. Thank you PortSide for your consistent advocacy on this topic and your feedback.

To all those who contacted us in support of the Sunday Plaza in Sunset Park this week, thank you for your calls, emails and comments. Our local park serves as a senior center, youth center, daycare, school, recreation center and workplace in our community. Sunset Park is our cross-cultural public square and the gem of our neighborhood.

After the last incident at the Plaza involving Parks Enforcement on June 19th, I offered to meet with the Plaza Steering Committee and any vendors who wish to participate to discuss their issues. We have met and will continue to meet with all manner of park visitors who are facing barriers of access or who wish to improve park services.

I have and will continue to reject criminalizing vendors, and we are working to address increased and open usage of the park across the board and basic safety measures to avoid emergencies like fires. The city budget that was passed increases some resources for Parks but falls short of the modest goal of setting aside at least 1% of the budget for parks.

We will continue to engage in an open dialogue on how to make fair and equitable use of our public spaces for all.

Our cleanup brigade continues, with more events to come in July! This past month, we got together with Red Hook residents to clean up along Lorraine St, and we'll be back in Red Hook later this month for a tentative date of July 23. We'll also be joining PCR for their cleanup in Sunset Park on Sunday, July 31.

Graduations, Graduations, Graduations! There could be no better way to wrap up the month than to celebrate the achievements of all our children, families and teachers who finished another successful school year! From Red Hook’s BumbleBee Daycare’s Stepping Up ceremony to my daughter’s own graduation from MS 88, this month was filled with lots of celebrations. 

Congrats to all our District 38 Graduates! 

Remember, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. So take every shot you can! We are so very proud of each and every one of you. 

Yet another fire devastated three homes in Sunset Park this past Sunday evening. Like the three-alarm fire that ripped through 5401 7 Avenue earlier in May, displacing dozens of families, this building had a number of e-bikes stored on the first floor that caught fire.

Are e-bikes the sole cause of fires? According to FDNY, there have been more than 75 fires citywide this year that have involved e-bikes. By the same token, we also know that several of the buildings that have caught fire in our district this year were also poorly maintained, with numerous violations of city building codes, including illegal subdivisions

Electric cars (or at least a certain billionaire) tend to hog the attention, but electric bicycles and mopeds are leading the transition to electrified transport here and now. Our City needs a plan to make safe e-bike charging stations cheap, plentiful and easy to access, especially as fuel prices rise. My office is considering legislation that would set safety standards for battery-powered vehicle sales and storage, as well as public education efforts to help ensure proper use and storage of e-bikes.

Screenshot of the fire on 6 Ave earlier in June via Parent Child Relationship Association.

The New York City Housing Authority has proposed a rule that would ban e-bikes from all NYCHA premises. While we take fire safety very seriously, this proposed rule change strikes us and some advocates as overly broad and blunt. Before issuing an official ruling, NYCHA must seek public comments.

If you wish to submit comments on NYCHA’s proposed e-bike ban, you must submit them by email or by mail, postmarked no later than July 10, 2022. You can email comments to: lease.changes@nycha.nyc.gov. Comments may also be mailed to the following address:

NYCHA - Lease Clause Changes
P.O. Box 19202
Long Island City, NY 11101-9202

Formula E is back in Red Hook this month for their 2022 New York City E-Prix on Saturday, July 16 and Sunday, July 17. Temporary 

Red Hook residents can also request free event tickets, which are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Click here to learn more.

In the runup to the E Prix, PortSide Park will be removed from Tuesday, July 5 until their reopening celebration Sunday, July 24 from 2pm-5pm.

Special congratulations to:

• Julio Peña III, the new Chair of Community Board 7 and to seven new members joining the Board: Amel Afzal, Samuel Briedbart, Jerry Chan, Christina Das, Mayra Molina, Lianette Perez and Damaris Santiago
• Jaynemarie Capetanakis, the new Chair of Community Board 10
• The three new members joining Community Board 6: Erica Cohen, Mandi Spishak-Thomas and Madeleine Rumely
• Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes on her re-election in AD 51
• Pat Hayes Torres on his election to Civil Court Judge
• All our newly elected and re-elected residents who ran for party positions, judicial delegate and state committee positions

Thank you for your commitment to serving our community. I look forward to continuing to work together to improve the material conditions of our district residents.

DON’T FORGET: There will be a second primary election on Tuesday, August 23! This time, congressional seats and state senate will be on the ballot, so don't miss it.

Have you been redistricted? Probably! Look up your new districts here.

Early voting starts August 13 through August 21. We need your voice and your vote to be heard! For more info, visit: vote.nyc

Upcoming events

Join us for Free Book Fridays, all summer long in front of our office from 2:30pm-5:30pm every Friday. 

Download and share our graphics for Free Book Fridays here.

We’re planning several neighborhood walkthroughs this month. At neighborhood walkthroughs, we want to hear about issues on your block, send in 311 reports together and work together to solve problems you see in the district day to day.

We’re planning three upcoming walkthroughs for the month of July:

• In Red Hook on July 14 - Sign up here!
• In the 8th Avenue community on July 18 - Sign up here!
• And a Spanish-language walkthrough in Sunset Park on July 20 - Sign up here!

Did you know? We’ve been assembling a growing community interfaith roundtable with faith leaders across the district for the past several months. This month, our faith partners will participate in a cleanup of their respective places of worship, Saturday July 9.

It’s so important to build shared understanding together. Want to put us in touch with your faith leaders to bring your community of worship into our interfaith efforts? Contact Rob Aguilar, raguilar@council.nyc.gov.

This month and August, we’ll continue to offer regular office hours in Red Hook and Chinatown. At office hours, we help with constituent cases like enrolling in SNAP or other questions. You can also stop by to say hi or ask us a question.

This month we’ll be in Red Hook and Chinatown on the following dates. Plus, starting this month, you can make an appointment with us in advance!

• 8th Avenue: Friday, July 8 from 11:00am-3:00pm at PCR, 909 58th St - Make an appointment here
• Red Hook: Tuesday, July 12 from 3:00pm-6:00pm at Red Hook Library, 7 Wolcott St - Make an appointment here
• Red Hook: Saturday, July 16 from 11:00am-3:00pm at Coffey Park - Make an appointment here
• 8th Avenue: Saturday, July 16 from 11:00am-3:00pm at PCR, 909 58th St - Make an appointment here

Ever wanted to join your Council Member for a game of dominoes? On Tuesday, July 12, the Red Hook Rec Center will host dominoes for seniors, 3:00pm-7:30pm. Alexa is planning to join in from 6:00pm-7:30pm! More info via NYC Parks here.

Next Wednesday, July 13 at 10:00am there will be a virtual meeting of the Sunset Park Task Force. Three to four times a year, the Task Force convenes to discuss its mission of maximizing the potential of Sunset Park's industrial waterfront. 

Our working waterfront is a critical source of decent-paying jobs for workers in fields that often don't require a college degree. As Council Member, I will always stand for equitable waterfront development.

Don’t forget, every Saturday, the Sunset Park Business Improvement District hosts Open Streets, a car-free community space on Fifth Avenue. Saturdays in July, 39th to 42nd Street, from 4:00pm to 10:00pm. Visit for outdoor dining, shopping, and free entertainment.

Programming includes Street Lab open play for kids, Young Dancers in Rep, Salsa DJs, and a large-screen movie night on July 16.

This program is supported by generous community donors, and the NYC Department of Transportation.

This month, our office is bringing the New York City Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings to you. What is OATH? The Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings oversees a wide range of cases ranging from disability hearings to dealing with summonses or special education hearings.

OATH’s work touches on many aspects of a variety of government services, so they’ve offered to come to the neighborhood to do outreach around their role in adjudicating common issues.

You can find OATH in our district this summer on Wednesday, July 13 at our District Office, 4417 4 Ave from 10:00am-4:00pm - Make an appointment here.

On Tuesday, July 19, join us for our first District Office Open House! Want to get more deeply involved in community work through our office? Or do you have burning questions you want to ask Alexa?

We’ll gather to debrief the city budget, talk legislation, highlight our constituent work and more from 6:00pm-8:00pm at our office at 4417 4 Avenue Tuesday evening, July 19. RSVP for our open house here!

This month, we’re teaming up with the Red Hook Justice Center for two events! On Friday, July 22, we are co-sponsoring the Justice Center’s free HP legal clinic. From 9:30am-12:30pm and continuing in the afternoon from 2:30pm-3:30pm.

An HP Action in housing court allows you to seek a court order for repairs within a court-ordered timeline. Both NYCHA tenants and private housing tenants are welcome.

The following day Saturday, July 23, we’ll be tabling at the Justice Center’s pop-up plaza right in the center of the Red Hook NYCHA houses. Stop by for free books and more!

Given the number of dangerous fires that have taken place recently, we’re in the process of planning multiple fire prevention and safety workshops over the coming months.

We’ll be teaming up with Neighbors Helping Neighbors and others for our next workshop on Tuesday, July 26, time and location to be confirmed. Sign up here to register in advance.

And finally, we’ll be out later this month for community clean ups in Red Hook and Sunset Park! Join us in Red Hook for a tentative date of Saturday, July 23. RSVP here and we'll keep you up to date as we finalize the details.

And in Sunset Park, we’ll be joining Parent Child Relationship Association’s popular clean up events on Sunday, July 31, 10:00am-12:00pm. PCR also hosts many regular volunteer events that you can be a part of. Sign up via www.pcr.nyc.

Resources and announcements

Free Summer Meals are available starting June 28. Breakfast and lunch will continue beyond the instructional school year. Our Summer Meals Program is available throughout New York City to anyone ages 18 years old and under. Designated public schools, community pool centers, parks, and food trucks will be open for service. No registration, documents or ID are required to receive a free breakfast or lunch meal. For more info, click here.

Breakfast and lunch meals reflect the NYC Department of Education’s commitment to the highest standard of nutrition. Meals meet or exceed U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) standards and do not use food additives such as artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Free Summer Meals offer a variety of fresh fruit, whole grains, vegetables, and salads for children to enjoy.

You may have noticed that outdoor public pools are open, but at limited capacity, leading to longer lines and wait times than in past years. The Sunset Park Pool and Red Hook Pool are currently operating at about one-third capacity due to a shortage of lifeguards.

Pool hours are being split into five sessions to accommodate capacity at crowded pools. Pools are open 11:00am-3:00pm and 4:00pm-7:00pm.

Trouble with the City's Lifeguard Division didn't begin this year, but as early as February, the City knew it was having difficulty recruiting when they initially extended the recruitment period. Lifeguards in New York City make $16/hour, and increasing wages would require increasing the Parks Department budget or cutting other Parks programs.

Want to debrief the budget with us and get involved to fight for parks and more? Join us for our Open House, Tuesday July 19 6pm-8pm.

Call on Governor Hochul to sign the small class size bill, and help spread the word. Given the Council’s approval of egregious cuts to schools, it is more important than ever that Governor Kathy Hochul sign the smaller class size bill immediately. 

Below, you may find a script in English, Spanish and Chinese and a number you can call. Please call and spread the word!

Take the survey to keep the Sunset Park library as a community space!

Voces Ciudadanas and the Coalition for Community Space are asking YOU to fill out their survey to keep the Sunset Park interim library (4201 4th Ave) as a community space and resource!

Take the survey and spread the word!

The New York City Districting Commission has held several initial hearings on City Council redistricting, with two hearings left in this stage in the process. The hearings will be via a hybrid model, so you can still testify virtually.

They will take place on the following dates:

• July 6 – 4pm, Hostos Community College
• July 7 – 4pm, Staten Island Borough Hall

After these initial hearings, the Commission will vote on Council maps on July 18, followed by a second round of hearings that will take place in August. Visit this page for more info and to register for an upcoming hearing.

We are looking for residents to testify to make sure our neighborhoods are part of the conversation. If you are interested or need help putting together testimony, please contact our office: 718-439-9012.

Vaccines are now available for children under 5! I know that some parents’ first instinct may be to wait at first, but I encourage you not to hesitate to ensure your little ones are protected from severe illness or worse.

Appointments may be scheduled at vaccinefinder.nyc.gov. 

Pioneer Works invites you to their 2022 Community Lunch series. This events series offers free, locally-sourced meals, prepared by local chefs and hosted at Coffey Park in Red Hook.

This year, community lunches will be hosted by chefs Chinchakriya Un of Kreung, Kyrelle Leefatt of 1:1 Foods, Gabriel Arvizu of ARV Sweets, and Naomi Santos of CENA. Dates and more information on each of the chefs can be found below:

Wednesday, July 27: Community Lunch with Kyrelle Leefatt
Wednesday, August 17: Community Lunch with Gabriel Arvizu
Wednesday, September 14: Community Lunch with Naomi Santos

Rising energy costs are a burden for far too many New Yorkers during the summer. We need systemic reforms to our energy system to make clean and affordable energy a reality, but in the meantime, some forms of utility relief are available. To learn more about the following programs, contact us at 718-439-9012 or district38@council.nyc.gov.

Utilities like ConEdison and National Grid are required to offer payment plans and other forms of relief. This is not out of the goodness of the company’s heart. These are highly regulated monopolies, and companies are often required to offer assistance to consumers.

Some ConEdison customers behind on bills since May 2022 may have their past due balance automatically credited to their account. You may have to contact your utility directly if you don’t automatically qualify. You may contact us with any questions or to see if you qualify as well: 718-439-9012.

Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP): is a federally funded program that provides grants to help low-income consumers pay for their energy costs.

Affordable Connectivty Program (ACP): is a new federal program that provides low-income families up to $30 a month towards the cost of broadband internet service.

The Cooling Assistance benefit helps eligible households buy and install an air conditioner or fan up to a cost of $800.

Energy efficiency incentives. This summer, Con Edison is offering residential customers a $50 discount for buying an eligible smart thermostat and another $85 for registering it with Con Edison’s Bring Your Own Thermostat (BYOT) Program. Con Edison is also offering residential customers a $1,000 rebate to weatherize their home with new air sealing and proper insulation.

Incentives for commercial and industrial customers. Include cash incentives for installing high-efficiency, ultra-low temperature freezers, lighting incentives, and instant rebates for new natural gas and electric food service equipment.

Small and medium-size businesses can get a free, no-obligation energy assessment of their facility. Con Edison will pay about 50 percent of the cost for qualified lighting, HVAC, refrigeration and gas upgrades. Con Edison is also offering financing with rates as low as zero percent and no money down for eligible energy-efficiency upgrades.

Rent increases for regulated and unregulated tenants. This month, the Mayor’s appointed members of the Rent Guidelines Board approved the most significant rent increases for rent-regulated tenants in a decade. For one-year lease renewals, landlords may increase the rent by up to 3.25% this year, or a $546 a year increase for the median rent-stabilized unit costing about $1400 a month. 

Rent stabilized tenants facing rent increases above these allowable limits should get in contact with our office and identify any other problems in your building by calling 718-439-9012 or visiting us in person at 4417 4 Ave.

But to win stronger protections for all tenants, we must build solidarity between regulated and unregulated buildings. If you are an unregulated tenant worried about your rent going up too, or you’re worried about your rent going up and you don’t know the rent regulation status of your unit, get in touch with us and we’ll connect you with Neighbors Helping Neighbors’ their Brooklyn Tenants United tenant association.

Property Owner Tax Rebates. Some homeowners could receive up to $800 in relief property tax rebates this year. Eligible homeowners may receive their state property tax rebate check in the mail as soon as this month. You can look up your state property tax rebate status here.

New York City included a tax rebate for homeowners in the budget as well. Eligible homeowners will receive a rebate of up to $150, with more details to be made available soon.

DOB after hours. Have a construction project to start or complete? If you are a homeowner, tenant, small business owner, or building manager, the Department of Buildings is keeping its doors open later to make it easier for you. 

Join Buildings After Hours for a free in-person information session. Meet with plan examiners, inspectors, and staff to answer your questions and to provide the information you need to get your projects finished.

Visit your local borough office: Brooklyn Borough Office 210 Joralemon Street, 8th Flr. Brooklyn, NY 11201 Tuesdays, 4pm-7pm

A message from the 72 Precinct: watch out for jewelry theft. Use your judgement and take steps to avoid getting pickpocketed or stolen from.

If you see something that doesn't sit right, you can also contact our office, 718-439-9012 or district38@council.nyc.gov.

• If residents suspect or have been a victim of mail theft or tampering, they should call the Postal Inspection Service 1-877-876-2455
• Persons can also file a report online at www.uspis.gov/report
• Social Security Identity Theft resources & reporting procedures
• IRS Form Identity Theft Declaration
• NYS Attorney General resource page on identity theft prevention and fraud

Summer reading programming with Brooklyn Public Library. Looking for fun activities for kids this summer? The Brooklyn Public Library system offers extensive summer reading programming at all its branches. You can look up their summer reading recommendations and upcoming events via their website here.

Or, visit a local library location near you, in Red Hook at 7 Wolcott St or in Sunset Park at 4201 4 Ave.

Job openings

GrowNYC is hiring for the summer for full and part-time hourly employment! Visit their website for more info and check out the opportunities below: 

• Compost Driver $26/hour (part-time) 
• Seasonal Market Manager $19/hour (part-time and full-time)  
• Seasonal Farmstand Site Staff $19 or $20/hour (part-time) 

Cora Dance in Red Hook is hiring for the following positions. To learn more, visit: https://coradance.org/

• Ballet Teaching Artist
• Administrative Associate
• Education Manager