Council also approves measure to create new centralized database cataloguing all towed vehicles that will include search function and opt-in notifications

Council also designates Little Yemen as official cultural district

NEW YORK – Today, the New York City Council approved new legislation that will provide targeted support for small local businesses that have been impacted by City construction projects. The bills will require the Department of Small Business Services (SBS) to create a designated fund for small retail businesses affected by roadway construction and call upon the New York State Legislature to institute a tax credit for impacted businesses.

New York City's Department of Transportation (DOT) maintains more than 6,300 miles of streets and highways across the five boroughs, all of which require periodic construction to ensure New Yorkers can travel safely and smoothly from point A to point B. Currently, there are more than 3,500 DOT authorized street and roadway construction closures, affecting over 1,880 blocks citywide, covering everything from paving and milling projects to utility work and equipment placement. For small businesses, street closures can mean anything from lower foot traffic, obstructions, and lower visibility to noise pollution and environmental changes that might deter potential customers. The new SBS fund intends to help counteract those negative impacts through direct support for local retail.

"Small businesses are the lifeblood of our communities, which is why we must make them easier to sustain in our city," said Speaker Julie Menin. "And while city infrastructure projects are necessary to upgrade our streets and improve our quality of life, road closures and obstructions can cause devastating revenue losses for local shops, restaurants, and businesses. New York's business owners should not be left to deal with those challenges alone, which is why we're establishing a new fund that will support businesses through those losses, and we're calling upon the State to do the same. At a time when New York has lost thousands of businesses to other cities across the country, our city must take proactive steps to support them."

In addition to the small business fund, the Council also approved a measure to create a centralized database that will allow vehicle owners to search and locate their towed vehicles across all City and privately owned tow operators. Vehicle owners would also be able to opt-in to receive notifications when their vehicle is entered into the system.

The Council today also passed a resolution to officially designate Little Yemen as a cultural district, celebrating the rich heritage and culture of the rapidly growing East Bronx neighborhood.

Supporting Small Businesses Impacted by City Construction Projects

Introduction 799, sponsored by Council Member Yusef Salaam , would require the Department of Small Business Services (SBS) to establish a support fund for small retail businesses affected by roadway construction

Resolution 328, sponsored by Council Member Yusef Salaam, would call on the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, legislation providing a tax credit to businesses negatively affected by infrastructure construction.

"When the City closes a street for months, the small businesses on that block often lose customers and revenue they can't easily recover." said Council Member Yusef Salaam. "Int. 799-A creates a program, run through BIDs and community organizations that know these corridors, to help those businesses get through construction while it's still underway. Res. 328 builds on that by calling on the State to provide a tax credit for businesses affected by infrastructure construction. Our neighborhoods need these improvements, and the businesses that serve them shouldn't have to absorb the cost alone."

Studying Barriers to Early Elementary Gifted and Talented Programs

Introduction 684, sponsored by Council Member Susan Zhuang, would require the Mayor’s Office of Child Care and Early Childhood Education, in consultation with the Department of Education and community-based early childhood organizations, to study how language access needs and geographic location affect preschool-age children’s access to early elementary gifted and talented programs.

"I introduced this bill because I am a mom who sends her kids to NYC public schools and I know gaps in education access are well-established and longstanding," said Council Member Susan Zhuang. "In particular, low-income, special needs, immigrant, Black, Brown, Latine, Asian, outer-borough, and other marginalized children have long been denied educational opportunities that other children get, and that cannot stand".

Creating Centralized Towed Vehicles Database