Queens City Council Members are turning to New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ office to help address quality-of-life issues by introducing legislation to establish the Office of Quality of Life within the Mayor’s office.
The new piece of legislation (Int. 0965), introduced by Council Members Robert Holden and Vickie Paladino on Thursday, June 20, will establish the new office, if passed in the city council.
Legislators say the creation of an office dedicated solely to addressing the social, physical and mental health factors that impact city residents could eliminate bureaucratic obstacles.
Holden, who represents the neighborhoods in District 30, which includes Glendale, Maspeth, Middle Village and parts of Ridgewood, said the creation of the Office of Quality of Life would allow city agencies to take faster, more decisive action.
“Agencies often pass the buck, especially on issues that span multiple departments,” said Holden. “We need this office so that dedicated staff can get the relevant agencies together to address quality of life concerns. Without quality of life, we have nothing.”
According to the bill, the Office of Quality of Life will work on addressing a wide range of common issues facing city residents, such as loud noise and unsanitary conditions. Once the office is established, other common quality-of-life issues, including illegal smoke shops and illegal street vending, among other multi-city agency issues, will be addressed.
Lawmakers insist the goal of the office and the bill is to ensure that the city can respond promptly and comprehensively to its residents’ concerns.
