Speak Out On Council Boundaries
City Districting Commission Chairman Benito Romano and Executive Director Carl Hum announced the second round of public hearings to solicit testimony related to the preliminary draft of the City Council district map, which was released at the public hearing on Sept. 4.
The current district lines for the preliminary draft map were adjusted for population utilizing the most recent census data. The commission also released an online mapping tool for the public’s use to draw district maps that could be submitted to the commission for its consideration.
The citywide hearings will begin in October and the public is encouraged to pre-register for speaking time or submit testimony via the commission’s website at www.nyc.gov/districting.
Locally, the Queens hearing will take place on Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 10, at 5:30 p.m. at LaGuardia Community College, located at 31-10 Thomson Ave. in Long Island City. The Brooklyn hearing will be held the following day, Thursday, Oct. 11, at 5:30 p.m. at Medgar Evers College, located at 1650 Bedford Ave.
“The commission is excited to receive feedback form the public on the preliminary draft map published in early September,” said Romano. “As the districting process unfolds, the commission is hopeful that the final district map will accurately reflect our city’s population and more importantly, our communities.”
“The second round of hearings furthers the opportunity for New Yorkers to be heard during this important districting process,” Hum added. “With our interactive website and the hearings in varied locations throughout the five boroughs, there are so many opportunities for the public to be heard.”
The commission, in their continued commitment to ensure that the districting process is transparent and inclusive, also announced that it has staff members with multi-lingual capabilities on hand to speak to local community boards, non-profit organizations and churches for anyone who wants to learn more about the commission and how they can get involved in the decennial districting process.
The commission also invites anyone from the public to use their mapping resource room for those who need assistance with the online mapping software. Terminals are available by appointment only and can be booked by calling the commission’s office at 1-212-442-6940 or emailing Justin Bassett at jbassett@districting. nyc.gov
For more information about the commission, schedule an appointment to use the online mapping tool or book a commission staffer to speak at local organizations, please call 1-212-442-6940 or visit www.nyc.gov/districting.
