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2013 NYC MBP Questionnaire

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7/27/2019 Julie Menin for Manhattan Borough President

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Instructions: Gothamist plans to interview all candidates for citywide and boroughwide

office in 2013. This survey will give us and our readers an overview of each candidate’s

 positions on issues of particular import to our audience of young New York voters. For 

each question, please give a short response outlining your candidate’s position. You may

include a link to longer position statements at the bottom of each response, which we will

include when we publish the piece. If you do not wish to answer any question, please

specify “no comment”. If you have any questions, please contact us.

Candidate Overview

1. What are the top challenges facing Manhattan right now? How will you use the

limited power of the Manhattan Borough Presidency to solve these problems?

Manhattan is one of the greatest places to live and work, but there are still

challenges. Many of our neighborhoods suffer from overcrowded schools and a

lack of affordable housing. In addition, the City’s unemployment rate remains

staggeringly high at 9.1%, and that rate nearly doubles above 96th street.

The Manhattan Borough President can address these challenges. In terms of 

dealing with school overcrowding and the lack of affordable housing, I have

released a policy paper laying out my vision for a comprehensive master plan. The

 plan seeks to make our planning/ULURP process more proactive by ensuring that

new developments provide for the requisite number of school seats, affordable

housing, open space, healthcare facilities and other needs. The full proposal could

 be found here: http://juliemenin.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Land-Use-

Final-3.22.13.pdf .

On the jobs front, I am proposing that the office institute and manage an internship program to help our young people, especially those in disadvantaged

neighborhoods, connect with businesses that are actually hiring. I believe that

 businesses and students would welcome such a program, and that it could do a lot

to close the skills gap. In addition to an internship program, I plan to create an

expediters unit within the borough president’s office to help small businesses

navigate myriad city regulations. I believe such a unit could promote job creation

 by allowing small business owners to avoid the red tape and focus on growing their 

 business.

2. How would you distinguish your future administration from the present one run by

MBP Scott Stringer?

I plan to continue MBP Stringer’s legacy as a hard-working policy-maker, seeking

to root out waste and fraud while also putting forth a thoughtful community based

vision for the future. I would seek to use the office to implement a comprehensive,

 proactive master plan for Manhattan. I will accomplish this by using the

community boards to draft community plans, and by having the borough

 president’s planning unit put forth a comprehensive general plan. Through forward-

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the neighborhood’s public realm. In addition, Community Boards 4, 5, and 6 have

expressed specific concerns that must be addressed.

 b. Hudson Yards Redevelopment – I am supportive of this

redevelopment plan, which will include 10 acres of open space, cultural

amenities, a new public school, 1,300 affordable housing units and access to the

7-Train. If elected borough president, I would closely monitor the implementation

of the plan to ensure that the local community is consulted throughout the

 building process.

c. SPURA Redevelopment – I am generally supportive of the project

 because of the mix of affordable housing and home ownership. The project also

calls for a contextually diverse retail mix – not big-boxed stores. Despite my

optimistic outlook, I still have several concerns about the project, including its

environmental impact on construction, traffic, and public transportation. I am

 particularly concerned about the impact the project will have on school

overcrowding, as the project will add 1,000 new residential units. I believe that

these questions should be explor ed in more detail before the project moves

forward.

d. Chelsea Market Expansion – I raised some concerns with regards to

the Chelsea Market expansion, and spoke out during Community Board 4’s public

session. I believe the building to be an iconic treasure that should be landmarked,

instead of altered with a large vertical expansion.

5. Columbia and NYU, among other schools, have launched large expansion projects

affecting large swaths of Manhattan. What changes, if any, would you like to see in their 

 plans, and what restrictions, if any, should be put on the ability of schools to acquire and

redevelop land?

I have put forward a master plan that would allow the city to be proactive in

defining the needs of communities impacted by these projects. It is important that

the expansions of Columbia and NYU are mindful of the city's need for public

schools, affordable housing, transportation and healthcare infrastructure, and open

space. A master plan would allow for this thoughtful balance.

6. Where do you stand on the East 91st Street Marine Transfer Station project?

Should it move forward?

I believe in borough equity and the idea that we all need to accept a share of the

 problem, not just residents in low-income neighborhoods. There are alreadystations in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island, and I believe that

Manhattan should also do its part to meet this responsibility.

Transparency and Good Government

1. Scott Stringer made transparency and good government signature issues for his

administration- what will you do to further increase performance in these areas?

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To ensure that Community Boards have the resources to participate in the land use

 process, the Borough President’s office should continue to ensure that resources

are allocated fairly and equitably. Borough President Stringer has called for the

City Council to adopt a system where member items are distributed equally to

each district, or potentially to adopt a formula-based approach that would weigh

each individual district’s needs. In a similar manner, the Borough President’soffice should allocate resources to the Community Boards based on need and

without any consideration of patronage or personal relationships. Likewise, in

distributing its Community Grants to non-profits, the Borough President’s office

should continue employing independent panels to ensure that there is no

favoritism in this process and to explore the use of participatory budgeting. More

adequately informed and resourced Community Boards and neighborhood

nonprofits are empowered to be stronger advocates during the land use process.

2. Should New York judges continue to be selected by Democratic Party bosses in

each borough?

While New York County does a terrific job electing highly qualified judges, I

 believe we must replace the current system with merit-based appointment. The

reason New York County is particularly adept at electing judges is because we

have an independent judicial screening panel that helps ensure that only those

with the requisite legal knowledge and experience are selected.