Community Alerts 4.3.24

Tomorrow: Learn How to Use CPR and Narcan

Be the bystander (or caregiver) who knows how to use compression-only CPR in an emergency; or use Naloxone to help prevent an overdose. On Thursday, April 4 from 9:00am to 11:00am (doors open at 8:45am; the CPR portion will begin at 9:00am followed by the Narcan lesson at 10:00am), Council Member Gale Brewer’s office is sponsoring an FDNY-led training, with help from the William F. Ryan Health Center. The event will take place at Fordham Lincoln Center Lowenstein Center (113 W 60th St, 12th Fl). Both are non-certificate courses; you’ll get a Naloxone kit to take home. All are welcome. Please RSVP here or call the District Office to reserve a spot at 212-873-0282.

Con Edison to Conduct Work on W 64th Street

Con Edison is performing a gas upgrade in the area. According to the utility, between April 6 and May 5 on W 64th Street between West End Ave and Amsterdam Ave work will take place on Saturdays from 8:00am to 6:00pm and from 9:00am to 6:00pm. Expect street closures, limited street parking, noise, work on the property, and generators.

Participatory Budgeting Vote Week

Participatory Budgeting Vote Week runs from April 6 through April 14. Eleven projects in the 6th District will be up for consideration. You can vote in person or online. Vote Week will kick off on Sunday, April 7, from 12:00pm to 3:00pm at the Pop-Up outside the American Museum of Natural History. Council Member Brewer’s team will be on the sidewalk on the south side of W 81st Street between Columbus and Central Park West, rain or shine. The first 200 people who vote at the Pop-Up will receive a voucher for AMNH free admission at a future date. You can also vote in person at these locations:

• Council Member Brewer’s District office, 563 Columbus Ave. (10:00am–5:00pm Monday–Friday, 12:00pm–4:00pm Saturday-Sunday)
• St. Agnes Library, 444 Amsterdam Ave. (Monday–Saturday 12:00pm-5:00pm)
• Riverside Library, 127 Amsterdam Ave. (Monday–Saturday 12:00pm-5:00pm)
• Lincoln Square Neighborhood Center, 250 W. 65th St. (Monday–Friday 11:00am – 4:00pm)

If you would like to volunteer during Vote Week, please email astofer@council.nyc.gov with “I’m a PB volunteer” in the subject line.

Starbucks to Re-Open 

Rumor has it that the Starbucks at 1889 Broadway (at the corner of W 63rd St) will re-open this Monday, April 8. The location temporarily closed several weeks ago for renovations.

UWS Coalition of Block Associations & Community Groups Forum

On Tuesday, April 9, at 6:30pm, NYS Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal, NYS Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, NYC Council Member Gale Brewer, and NYC Council Member Shaun Abreu will discuss e-bikes and more during a virtual meeting. If you would like to share questions in advance, email upperwestsidecoalition@gmail.com with "E-BIKE FORUM QUESTION" in the subject line. No advance registration is required. You can join by using the link here.

Tax Season Resources

Last call! The IRS is accepting tax returns and the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection wants to make sure all eligible New Yorkers use the NYC Free Tax Prep. New Yorkers who earned $85,000 or less for families or $59,000 or less as single filers in 2023 will be eligible to file for free with an IRS certified VITA/TCE volunteer preparer using NYC Free Tax Prep. The services are also available for self-employed filers, such as small business owners, freelancers, and gig workers.

Learn More About the City of Yes

The Department of City Planning will host a public information session, Overview of the City of Yes for Housing Opportunity Proposal, from 6:30-8:30pm on Wednesday, April 17. City of Yes for Housing Opportunity is the third of three City of Yes initiatives to update New York City’s zoning; the first, for Carbon Neutrality, was adopted by the Council in December; the second, for Economic Opportunity, was approved by the City Planning Commission in early March.

Earth Day Community Recycling

On Sunday, April 21, from 10:00am to 2:00pm, visit the Marlene Meyerson JCC (334 Amsterdam at W. 76th St.) to recycle e-waste with the Lower East Side Ecology Center, and recycle unwanted clothing and textiles with Green Tree Textile Recycling (donate gently used spring and summer clothing). Learn more here.

Property Owners Must Eliminate Standing Water

Keeping your property free from accumulated water is the best way to protect your community from mosquitoes, and removing standing water is also the law. Find two linked brochures (one with tips on getting rid of mosquito breeding habitats and another with a checklist), or head online for more information.

Visiting Inspector Program for New Businesses

Last month, the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) announced the expansion of the Visiting Inspector Program (VIP), offering any new retail business the opportunity to receive an educational, violation-free visit from an inspector to help them learn about and comply with the laws that DCWP enforces. Previously, only brick-and-mortar retail businesses that were newly licensed by DCWP were eligible to receive a VIP visit, but now, any new brick-and-mortar retail businesses in NYC, regardless of whether they are licensed by DCWP can request a VIP visit. Learn more on DCWP's website.

1010 WINS Small Business $10K Challenge

For over eight years, $200,000 has been awarded to small businesses via the 1010 WINS Small Business $10K Challenge. If your company has up to 100 employees in the New York Metro area, you're eligible to apply. To enter, all you have to do is tell them what you'd do with that $10k, be it relaunching, rebuilding, or expanding your business. Apply today, or by 11:59pm on May 12.

NYC Funds Finder for Small Businesses

NYC Funds Finder is the City’s first-ever online lending marketplace for small businesses. The NYC Department of Small Business Services has partnered with Next Street to make affordable financing more accessible to all NYC entrepreneurs, including women and minority-owned businesses. Check out NYC Funds Finder (link here) to access:

• Custom lists of funding opportunities for your business through their Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) partners and other lenders
• Free one-on-one financial counseling
• Help with documentation preparation

Older Adult Technology Clinic

On Wednesday, May 29, from 1:00pm to 4:00pm at Lincoln Center’s Rubenstein Atrium (61 W 62nd St at Broadway), tech coaches and trainers from OATS and Senior Planet/AARP, and DOROT will provide one-on-one help to answer questions about smartphones, laptops, and email software. For an appointment window, call (212) 873-0282.

Reminder: All Commercial Waste Must Be Containerized

As of March 1, 2024, ALL businesses in NYC must use bins with secure lids when setting out trash for collection. Businesses found to be in violation of the trash container rules will be subject to fines, starting at $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second offense, and $200 for all subsequent offenses. Check out our recent story for details, or learn more on DSNY’s website, including upcoming information sessions to help prepare businesses.

Reminder: Outdoor Dining Applications Are Live

As of March 5, applications are open for Dining Out NYC. All eligible food service establishments are welcome to apply citywide. Restaurants that are actively participating in the temporary Open Restaurants program need to apply by August 3 in order to continue operating outdoor dining setups. Once their application is approved, outdoor dining setups will need to comply with the permanent Dining Out NYC design requirements within 30 days. An online application, information about the new guidelines, and resources available to help can be found at http://www.nyc.gov/diningoutnyc. Businesses can call 212-839-4500 with any questions.

Traffic Advisories from DOT

Need to know about upcoming bridge and street closures? Visit DOT’s webpage for the weekly traffic advisory and weekend traffic advisory.