City Council

Thursday, April 16, 2026, 1:30 p.m. (New York City time), Council Chambers - City Hall

Video of the meeting

On the agenda

Roll-call votes

Documents

Summary

The Council held its stated meeting of April 16, 2026, marking the speaker's 100th day in office. Members adopted land use call-ups (49-0), adopted minutes, and voted on a general orders calendar including the Hamilton Avenue rezoning, a preconsidered finance resolution, the DOI commissioner appointment, and a package of Earth Day environmental bills. Introduction 27-B, reimbursing nonpublic schools for security cameras, was the most contested item, adopted 35-14 after several members explained votes against it over surveillance and public-funding concerns; the DOI commissioner confirmation also drew opposing votes from some members. Members also introduced numerous new bills during general discussion, covering tenants' rights, shelter intake, school buses, World Cup preparation, and more. The meeting closed with tributes to deceased community leaders and Congressman Eliot Engel.

Transcript

0:00 .Please take a seat quiet on

0:00 the floor, please. Quiet on

0:05 the floor, please. Councilman

0:06 your seats, you're a lot. I.

2:39 Audio test for council

2:40 members, santa swizzle all

2:41 quiet on the floor, please.

2:42 All quieter for please going

2:44 to have your attention, please

2:45 , can please have your

2:46 attention council. Quiet down,

2:52 please. Ladies and gentlemen

2:53 at this time. Place, please

2:55 place all electronic devices,

2:57 all of devices to vibrate the

3:00 majority leader. It's all

3:03 yours. Good afternoon and

3:04 welcome to the stated meeting

3:05 of April 16 2026 I am majority

3:07 to Shaun Abreu I like to thank

3:08 you for joining us as a

3:10 reminder decorum must be

3:11 respected at all times you

3:13 like to follow along the

3:14 agenda for today's meeting is

3:15 posted on our web site. Please

3:19 join us for the pledge of

3:32 allegiance. Oh, donation roll

3:45 call aldo ball here areola

4:01 here, Avilés Banks here.

4:07 Brewer? Yeah, Brooks Powers

4:14 combined president dela Rosa

4:17 here. Dinner wits here

4:21 incarnation presented Epstein

4:25 . Present party doesn't Felder

4:37 police genero here. Gutiérrez.

4:47 Here, honey. Bad here. Thanks.

4:55 Present Hudson present Joseph.

5:02 Present Krishnan here. Lee

5:09 here. Louis

5:10 . Present Maloney present well

5:12 more today present merely.

5:24 Felice here, here, here.

5:35 Moretto, darcy's present

5:41 Avilés present Nurse. Oh, say

5:54 Paladino here.

5:54 Wrestler here, Riley Salaam

6:04 president Justin Sanchez in

6:07 attendance. Pierina Sanchez

6:10 here, santos. Whoa! So here.

6:17 Showman. Yeah, Stevens, Thomas

6:27 Henry, president hung

6:37 president.

6:37 Okay, honey. Here, Riley

6:49 present Stevens here. Inna

6:59 Vernikov. Williams one

7:06 . One here chuang here car

7:17 present.

7:17 Brad president

7:19 . Men present. Thank you will

7:25 now have today's invocation,

7:26 which would be delivered by

7:27 reverend dr c. Vernon mason,

7:29 the minister and residents are

7:31 friendship baptist church

7:31 ,which is located at 144 130

7:35 first street in manhattan

7:42 , seek a minute Council Member

7:47 salon council members and

7:50 staff. I bring you greetings

7:52 this afternoon from friendshi

7:53 pbaptist church in the village

7:55 of harlem and my pastor, the

7:57 reverend dr James arthur

8:00 killed war speak a minute as

8:01 you preside over these

8:05 legislative sessions, working

8:06 with 50 of a council members

8:10 35 standing committees and

8:11 David sub committees. We're

8:13 praying to god will give you a

8:16 double portion of strength and

8:17 wisdom to do your job. Let us

8:22 pray spirit of the living god

8:25 fall fresh on speak minute.

8:28 Deputy speaker Williams

8:31 ,majority leader of braille

8:34 minority leader car majority

8:37 whip hank's minority whip Inna

8:40 Vernikov, clerk, mcs deputy

8:43 City clerks fuentes Ana

8:46 costume lord god fall fresh on

8:47 each of them and every council

8:51 member in this chamber

8:53 . Lord god as we invoke your

8:57 spirit. I pray that the faith

8:58 community in this region over

9:03 26000 religious organizations

9:04 will support and pray for our

9:05 thank you for creating us in

9:12 the imago De I am g o d e I in

9:18 the image of.

9:19 God, today we are and

9:22 grateful that 51 special

9:24 people on this City Council

9:27 , decided to serve their

9:28 communities and to make a

9:30 difference and the lives of

9:31 over 8 million people in New

9:35 York City. I pray that the

9:36 work that the members of this

9:37 City Council are doing will

9:39 speak for them and become a

9:42 model for the metropolitan

9:44 region, the state and the

9:46 nation from the balconies of

9:49 heaven, reverend dr martin

9:50 luther king jr has a wonderful

9:52 message to public service, dr

9:55 king emphasized the servant of

9:56 the public is a noble struggl

9:59 e

10:00 . That is centered on equalit

10:02 y, humanity and justice.

10:03 Rather than simply

10:06 administration, dr king's

10:07 charged, therefore is for you

10:08 to act with compassion,

10:11 uphold integrity, fight for

10:13 economic and racial justice

10:15 and to recognize that we're

10:17 are all bound in a single

10:19 garment of destiny, dr king's

10:21 urgent questioning today is

10:23 what are you doing for others.

10:28 Finally, we pray special

10:29 prayers of sorrow, condolences

10:32 and comfort

10:32 . For our seven month old baby

10:35 girl, kara pat more and

10:38 continue to agree with her

10:40 family.

10:41 Morgado, 50 years ago,

10:43 marvin gaye's singing a song

10:44 that charged us to save the

10:47 children save the babies

10:48 spirit of the living god fall

10:52 fresh on the New York City

10:53 council and let the words of

10:55 my mouth and the meditations

10:57 of my heart be acceptable.

11:00 Last sight. Oh, lord, my

11:03 strength in my redeemer. Amen.

11:11 Thank.

11:11 You. I don't remember to

11:11 spread the invocation on the

11:17 record with my mm hmm. Today

11:22 arrived before you at this

11:23 stated hearing to enter into

11:25 the official record, the

11:28 powerful invocation just

11:30 delivered by reverend dr c.

11:34 Vernon mason, a man whose life

11:34 work reflects an unwavering

11:36 commitment to justice to.

11:37 Faith into service. Reverend

11:40 basins journey is both

11:41 distinguished and deeply

11:43 rooted in advocacy, born and

11:45 tucker, arkansas. He rose to

11:47 national prominence as a civil

11:48 rights attorney taking on some

11:49 of the most consequential and

11:54 complex places in New York

11:54 City during the 1980s, though

11:57 his legal career ended in 1

11:59 995. His dedication to

12:02 uplifting communities did not

12:03 . He continued his work as a

12:05 leader in the nonprofit sector

12:07 and answered a call a higher

12:10 call in ministry, a proud

12:13 graduate of morehouse college

12:14 ,reverend basin earned and his

12:16 from indiana university,

12:18 bloomington and his juris

12:19 doctor from columbia law

12:22 school he later pursued

12:23 theological study in New York

12:25 theological seminary, where he

12:26 obtained his masters of

12:29 divinity and doctor of

12:31 ministry degrees further

12:32 deepening his lifelong

12:34 commitments of faith and t

12:37 oservice.

12:37 In 19 99 reverend mason was

12:38 ordained as a baptist minister

12:40 at the historic abbasi church

12:44 in harlem, an institution that

12:45 has long stood as the

12:48 cornerstone of spiritual

12:49 leadership and social justice

12:49 in our City over three decades

12:54 he served faithfully on the

12:55 deacon board as well as on the

12:59 trustee board while also

13:00 teaching New members and

13:03 supporting the church's

13:06 administrative life.

13:06 Abyssinian itself carries a

13:08 profound legacy haven't been

13:10 led by towering figures as the

13:12 former congressman reverend

13:14 adam clayton powell jr and

13:16 reverend dr calvin butts

13:19 leaders who shaped both the

13:22 church and the broader

13:23 struggle for social justice.

13:24 Today, reverend mason

13:26 continues his ministry at

13:27 friendship baptist church in

13:29 harlem under the leadership of

13:31 reverend dr James a. Kilgore

13:34 ,where he serves as a minister

13:36 in residence this church with

13:38 a history spending spanning

13:41 nearly 90 years, that's nine

13:45 decades has long been a pillar

13:46 in the harlem community

13:48 . Its legacy continues its

13:49 role in the civil rights

13:51 movement, most notably as a

13:54 gathering place where

13:55 . Beinart rustin, help

13:59 organize the historic on

14:00 washington, reverend mason's

14:01 life stands as a testament

14:03 . To resilience, the

14:05 transformation and to purpose,

14:07 whether in

14:08 . The courtroom or in the

14:09 classroomr I on the pulpit

14:12 . He has remained steadfast in

14:13 the mission to fight in uplift

14:18 the marginalized and inspire

14:19 faith in action. It is both

14:23 fitting.

14:23 And necessary that his words

14:25 and his witness be preserved

14:28 in the very record of this

14:34 council. Thank you. We will

14:34 now ask cal summer kalman De

14:35 La Rosa for the adoption of

14:45 minutes, I moved up the

14:45 minutes for the state in

14:51 . Adopted one second. Oh! Oh

15:00 ,sorry. I don't have the

15:03 . Paper, huh?

15:10 Okay, I make a motion that

15:10 the minutes of the state and

15:11 meeting on March 26 2026

15:13 adopted him as printed said

15:16 thank you. Sorry. All good

15:17 messages and papers from the

15:21 Mayor. None communication from

15:22 City, county and bar offices,

15:26 none

15:26 . Petitions and communications

15:27 none land use call ups em 59

15:30 . Thank you. I have now asked

15:31 at clerk, take a roll call

15:32 vote on today's land use, cal

15:35 . It, I'll be able. I bought I

15:39 arriola, I vote I

15:42 . Abilities I Banks.

15:46 I Brewer? Yes, Brooks Powers

15:50 president. I can remember when

15:53 I thank you. Cab on. I

15:56 . De La Rosa I dinna wits and

16:05 connor. I

16:06 . Epstein. Yes. Thank you.

16:08 Very

16:08 Felder. Yes, Feliz I Gutiérrez

16:19 , I Hanif Hankerson. All right

16:22 . Thanks. I Hudson I, Joseph.

16:29 I Krishnan I Lee I. Lewis.

16:39 Hi, Maloney. I martek high

16:47 millie murano, I marcie's I

16:56 Nurse.

16:57 Say Paladino I wrestler. All

17:06 right, Riley high Salaam about

17:09 I, Justin son says I

17:13 . Pierina Pierina Ana santos

17:20 also, I think thank you,

17:27 shulman I Stevens, all right,

17:30 Thomas. Henry I on? I vernick

17:36 aww, high high Williams,

17:42 haven't I? One. I'm one I

17:51 huang, I thank you. Greetings

18:05 ,councilmember emilie land use

18:08 call ups evo I ayanna.

18:12 Thank you.

18:13 Your car, I find abby. You I

18:20 speaker mennen, I yeah,

18:31 today's land use call ups are

18:32 adopted by a vote of 49 of the

18:34 affirmative and zero in the

18:37 negative. Thank you. We wil

18:38 lnot have communication from

18:39 speaker Julie Menin. Afternoon

18:40 , everyone and thank you for

18:43 . Yeah. Yeah, great. I love

18:45 that energy. Good afternoon

18:48 .thank you for joining us today

18:50 on what mark c hundredth day

18:52 of our New City Council so

18:54 happy one hundredth day

18:57 . I first of all I want to say

18:59 what an honor. It's been t

19:01 oserve alongside all of you and

19:02 I'm so proud of the work

19:04 collectively that we have been

19:05 able to accomplish in these

19:07 past hundred days and the work

19:08 that I know that we'll be able

19:10 to accomplish in the years

19:13 ahead since January 7, the

19:14 council has laid a firm

19:16 foundation for productive next

19:18 40 years and the numbers paint

19:19 a clear picture of that

19:22 productivity we've introduced

19:24 over 1200 pieces of

19:26 legislation that's 1200 mor

19:28 ethan any council has done and

19:30 its first 100 days. We? Yeah,

19:34 I love it. Yes. Ok, council

19:36 member, bringing the energy

19:37 today. Thank you. We've passed

19:42 102 bills, including 1

19:43 7overrides of vetoes in the

19:44 previous meryl administration,

19:45 which is more than in the past

19:48 decade combined. We also

19:50 expect to pass nine additiona

19:51 lpieces of legislation this

19:55 afternoon to recap, the

19:56 council has passed or safe

19:57 access spills as a signature

19:58 part of our five point plan to

20:00 combat anti semitism that we

20:02 announced in early and today

20:04 we are passing our final bill

20:04 in that package, we

20:07 established a committee to

20:09 combat hate as well as they

20:10 New caucus on animal welfare

20:13 . I knew you'd want that? Yes,

20:15 I knew. Ok, can't miss that

20:17 and we also successfully

20:19 passed a package of

20:21 legislation that puts

20:22 guardrails around the city's

20:24 extended use of no bid

20:28 emergency contracts under

20:29 prior administration. These

20:30 contracts accounted for

20:31 . Billions of dollars and

20:32 spending that was largely

20:34 unchecked and that in some

20:36 cases open the door to

20:37 potential fraud and abuse. We

20:39 also passed a number of bills

20:43 to, um allow more child

20:45 facilities to be built around

20:46 New York City and to really

20:48 cut down on the red tape and

20:50 the bureaucracy and rules that

20:52 were preventing the

20:53 construction of New child care

20:59 facilities

20:59 . Great and the cheering squad

21:00 over there. I love it on April

21:03 1 we released our response t

21:04 othe mayor's preliminary budget

21:05 showing how we could close the

21:07 budget shortfall without

21:08 raising property taxes,

21:12 raiding the rainy day fund or

21:14 cutting critical services o

21:15 rany services for that matter

21:16 . Not only did we present a

21:18 fiscally responsible path t

21:20 oclosing the budget shortfall

21:21 ,but we move to restore $1.1

21:25 billion in funding for

21:28 libraries, cultural

21:28 institutions and other

21:31 essential programs. Our

21:32 response highlighted the

21:32 council support for a number

21:34 of initiatives that are vital

21:36 to making the City more

21:36 affordable for working New

21:39 yorkers. They include a

21:41 proposed expansion of the fair

21:45 fares program. Anyone going to

21:46 cheer for that. Yes, airfares.

21:48 Let's ok and a college savings

21:51 program known as kids rise

21:53 because studies show that

21:54 those students that go t

21:56 ovocational school, a two year

21:58 community college a four year

21:59 college over the course of

22:01 their lifetime earned double

22:02 the wages as someone who does

22:03 not so of a very important way

22:07 to address income inequality.

22:08 This budget season. We also

22:10 launch a counsel's first ever

22:12 public finance dashboard.

22:13 Thank you to our deputy

22:14 speaker for her hard work on

22:18 that.

22:18 And that is a major step

22:19 towards transparency and

22:21 equity in the budget process.

22:23 This project allows day

22:25 yorkers to have greater access

22:28 to the numbers show the

22:29 different sources of revenue

22:31 and how resources are

22:33 allocated by City agencies. We

22:35 look forward to holding

22:36 hearings on the mayor's

22:37 proposed executive budget nex

22:38 tmonth and to working with the

22:40 Mayor and the administration

22:40 to adopt a budget that lifts

22:43 up every New yorker moving

22:46 briefly towards more recent

22:47 events on Monday across the

22:50 world marked yam hashoah or

22:51 holocaust remembrance day as a

22:55 proud daughter and grand

22:57 holocaust survivors. I

22:58 certainly grew up listening t

22:58 omy mom and my grandmother's

23:00 story and to the miracle of

23:02 their escape at a time when

23:04 anti semitism is rising

23:07 alongside holocaust denial to

23:08 never forget has become a New

23:11 a society must continue t

23:18 ouphold year after year. One of

23:19 my first actions, the speaker

23:20 was to commit to that

23:22 responsibility, allocating in

23:24 funding to the museum of

23:26 jewish heritage to expand