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Community Board Q & A
Borough President Adams fulfills
an essential role in the most local representative
bodies of government in
Brooklyn, appointing members to the
18 community boards that are responsible
for addressing community concerns,
assessing neighborhood needs,
and helping to manage land use issues.
Working in partnership, they tackle
many of the obstacles and opportunities
facing Brooklynites.
Below are some questions that Borough
President Adams posed to leadership
from Community Boards (CBs) 3 and
16, with the answers provided by CB 3
District Manager Henry Butler and CB 16
Chair Genese Morgan, respectively (future
issues will explore additional CBs).
CB 3
BP: Access to gifted and talented
education has long been an issue in
Bedford-Stuyvesant, with the first programs
only arriving in local schools this
year. In what ways should these efforts
be expanded or improved to ensure as
many qualified students as possible are
able to receive these opportunities?
CB: The gifted and talented program
should be expanded to kindergarten and
junior high school. We have to make sure
that the teachers in all the classes are certified.
We must also make sure our school
buildings are career technical education
ready. The New York City Department of
Education (DOE) must have a marketing
plan to promote the new gifted and talented
program in the district.
BP: Bedford-Stuyvesant has some of
the highest rates of diabetes and obesity
citywide, as well as associated challenges
with access to fresh produce.
How can the public and private sector
work together to increase the availability
of healthy food options?
CB: It is true we have high rates of
diabetes and obesity, but I disagree with
the reason given. It has more to do with
individual decisions made by people
when it comes to the foods they choose
to eat. Another reason is household
incomes. I disagree with the idea that
Bedford-Stuyvesant is a food desert
when it comes to healthy food choices.
DOE and the New York City Department
of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH)
should put resources in their budgets to
promote healthy living but use community
based organizations in the district
to spread the word.
BP: CB 3 has a long and storied artistic
legacy, with a variety of individuals
and institutions making immeasurable
impacts locally and globally. As the
community evolves, what investments
should be prioritized to preserve this
cultural history?
CB: The renovation of the Billie Holiday
Theater is almost completed and
long overdue. We are still waiting for
the New York City Department of Parks
& Recreation (NYC Parks) to start renovation
on the Herbert Von King Cultural
Arts Center’s theater. This theater can
be a vehicle for all of our district’s artistic
children to realize their full potential.
We need to form a relationship between
the local public schools and the theaters.
When you invest into the arts, you
are investing in a community’s future.
CB 16
BP: There are a significant number
of open seats in CB 16 for early childhood
development programs and pre-k
classes. How do we solve the disconnect
and best reach local families in need of
these services?
CB: It’s important that parents feel
that their children can get the same education
in Brooklyn Community District
16 (CD 16) compared to other districts
in the borough and city. We solve the
disconnect by consistently conducting
targeted outreach to parents to better
understand the household composition
and needs of families that might affect
their decision on where to enroll a pre-k
aged child. As we improve our communication,
quality of education, and coordination
of our community resources
such as after-school and/or extendedday
programs, parents will see an increased
benefit to enrolling their children
in pre-k programs in CD 16.
BP: Brownsville has the highest
concentration of public housing in the
United States. What common issues do
you see across the neighborhood’s developments
and what should be the top
funding priority?
CB: Public housing is housing in
the simplest term, and many developments
in the neighborhood continue
to experience challenges with decaying
infrastructure due to aging of the
buildings. Funding priorities should
include updating public housing buildings
and infrastructure, installing
proper garbage disposal areas, as well
as including intergenerational resident
education to inform residents of ways
in which they can assist with maintaining
the grounds and buildings. Furthermore,
safety due to gang affiliation
continues to incite public concern and
lead to resident disengagement. Funding
to ensure adequate public safety is
important and should include both law
enforcement and resident employment
to encourage residents to help keep the
neighborhood safe.
BP: Unreliable or low-quality Internet
access is seen as a barrier to
progress for many CB 16 residents and
businesses. What obstacles and opportunities
do you see locally to addressing
this infrastructure issue?
CB: One of the biggest obstacles in CD
16 is that there is a lack of options for carriers,
and residents and businesses are
unwilling to invest in service expansions
with carriers that are not capable of delivering
sufficient bandwidth. Internet access
is now an economic motivator when
deciding where residents spend their time
and money to additional carriers. Investment
into infrastructure and equipment
that give residents the same options as
other communities is important to our
quality of life and local economy.
Photo Credit: Stefan Ringel/Brooklyn BP’s Office
Borough President Adams led former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie
Sanders on a tour of Howard Houses in Brownsville to draw greater national
attention to the neighborhood; they were joined by local leaders such as
Council Members Ritchie Torres (center-left) and Jumaane D. Williams (right).
Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office
Borough President Adams and Deputy Borough President Reyna joined Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation
President and CEO Colvin W. Grannum (right), as well as its Center of Arts & Culture’s Executive Director Dr. Indira Etwaroo,
in viewing an artifact at the historic Billie Holiday Theater in Bedford-Stuyvesant; they gathered in celebration
of the $200,000 that Borough President Adams invested for the venue’s first-ever major renovation.
BROOKLYN NEWS