Newsletters

Dear Neighbor,

As I promised during my campaign for City Council in 2013, I have endeavored to have an open and transparent office that is accountable to you the people. One of the most effective ways was through our monthly email newsletter.

As we get closer to the primary elections on September 12, 2017 and the general elections on November 7, 2017 and I begin to run for re-election to the New York City Council, current law prohibits elected officials from sending newsletters to residents, even if they have subscribed to receive them on a monthly basis. The 2017 election “blackout period” begins June 14, 2017, and ends after the elections. During this period my government office will only be able to send physical and digital correspondence specifically related to constituent service, the budget, and events.

We will still be able to provide news in person at our district office, by phone 212-860-1950, email at BKallos@BenKallos.com, through our website at BenKallos.com and social media so please follow Twitter.com/BenKallos and like Facebook.com/BenKallos.

As always we are here to help.

Sincerely,

Ben Kallos
Council Member

MEET BEN

First Friday, 8AM - 10AM, District Office, Join me and your neighbors for a conversation.
Brainstorm with Ben, 2nd Tuesday, 6PM - 7PM, District Office. Organize to make your ideas a reality.
Ben In Your Building. Gather 10 neighbors and I will come to you!

Free Legal Clinics

By appointment from 3pm-6pm:
Housing, Every Monday
Family Law and Domestic Violence, 1st Tuesday
Life Planning, 3rd Wednesday

Fresh Food Box

Thursdays, 3:30pm and 6:30pm (through November)
Pay only $14 and pick up farm fresh produce the next week.
(cash, credit/debit, SNAP/food stamps, greenmarket bucks)
Visit BenKallos.com/FreshFoodBox

Here to Help

We are here to help. My social work team can help you find out what services you are eligible for and assist you in your application. Some examples include:

• Seniors: Medicare savings, Meals-on-Wheels, Access-A-Ride
• Housing: searching for affordable units, free legal housing clinic at my office
• Jobs: training resources and assistance, unemployment benefits
• Families: Universal Pre-K, Head Start, After-School programs
• Finances: cash assistance, tax credits, home energy assistance
• Nutrition: WIC, free meals for all ages

Please also call us at 212-860-1950 or email at bkallos@benkallos.com with any unresolved 311 complaints.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs*
June 17, Dusk
St. Catherine's Park
(*Movie Changed from Good Dinosaur)
RSVP

FREE Bike Helmets
June 17, 11AM - 2:30PM
Good Shepherd, 543 Main Street, RI
RSVP

Roosevelt Island Town Hall
June 22, 6PM
Good Shepherd, 543 Main Street, RI
RSVP

Jason Bourne
June 24, Dusk
John Jay Park
RSVP

All FREE N.Y. Classical Theatre:
Sheridan’s “The Rivals”
July 12 - 16, 7PM
Carl Schurz Park, 86th Street and East End Avenue
RSVP

Cooking with Kallos
June 3, 11AM - 1PM
Isaacs Greenmarket
First Avenue and 92nd Street
RSVP

Town Hall: FREE Reusable Bags
September 19, 6PM
MSK, 430 East 67th Street
RSVP

Emergency Preparedness: FREE Go Bags
September 27, 6PM
TBD
RSVP

Senior Health Fair: FREE Flu Shots
October 19, 11AM - 2PM
Lenox Hill Neighborhood House,
331 East 70th Street
RSVP

Holiday Party
December 5, 5PM - 7PM
District Office, 244 East 93rd Street
RSVP

Dear Neighbor,

I hope everyone had a relaxing and reflective Memorial Day and for those who celebrate Shavuos, please enjoy the coming days.

In May, transportation on the Upper East Side got even better as we kicked off Select Bus Service on the M79 and welcomed a fleet of 79 new buses to the neighborhood. If you've noticed the streets are getting cleaner, it is possible that the 284 new high-end trash cans that my office purchased to blanket 104 intersections in District 5 may have something to do with it. And as you may have heard by now, in April my office led a rally for more Pre-K seats on the Upper East Side. Now, a month later the Department of Education has responded with good news for the neighborhood.

I continue to oppose NYCHA’s plan to rip out the Holmes Towers playground to build a 47-story tower with luxury housing, and in May I rallied with tenants to let the city know their deal is unfair. If you dislike unnecessary scaffolding throughout the City as much as I do, the New York Times agrees with us and they editorialized on legislation I have introduced to force property owners to only be able to use scaffolding when it is necessary.

The Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) is a little-known agency that controls exemptions given to developers on how they build in our City. For decades this agency has been used as a rubber stamp by developers to pave the way for buildings communities opposed. Thanks to a package of legislation getting signed into law in May, which included five bills I authored, the BSA will be much more transparent and accountable to the community.

This month we will hold a forum to discuss Fighting Overdevelopment on the Upper East Side, as well as a registration event for the New York City Rent Freeze Program, and our annual Roosevelt Island Town Hall.

As we get set to welcome summer, my office and the Parks Department have teamed up to bring activities for the community. Whether it is tennis open to the public at the Queensboro Oval, Movie Nights Under the Stars or Skate Night there are plenty of free activities for residents to enjoy as the temperatures increase.

Also back by popular demand is Grow NYC’s Fresh Food Box which will kick off at my office on June 15. Cooking with Kallos will also make a return on June 3 at the 82nd Street Greenmarket.

I hope everyone has a happy and safe start to summer, and Happy Fathers Day!

Sincerely,

Ben Kallos

Council Member

SPECIAL EVENTS

June 8, 6PM
Overdevelopment Forum

June 8, 11AM – 1PM
Rent Freeze for Seniors & Disabled

June 22, 6PM
Roosevelt Island Town Hall

OUTDOOR EVENTS

June 3, 17, 24 at Dusk
Movies Under the Stars

June 3, 11AM – 1PM
Cooking with Kallos

June 9, 6PM
Roller Skate Night

June 16 – September 10
Queensboro Oval Tennis

June 15, 22, 29, 3:30PM – 6:30PM
Fresh Foodbox

June 17, 11AM – 2:30PM
Bike Helmet Giveaway

June 7, 14, 21, 28, 7:15AM – 10:30AM
Food Scraps-on-the-Go

DISTRICT OFFICE EVENTS

June 2, 8AM – 10AM
First Friday

June 13, 6PM – 7PM
Brainstorming with Ben

June 22, 6:30PM – 8PM
CitiBike Safety Class

June 13, 27, 28, 11AM – 2PM
Mobile Hours

June 5, 6, 12, 19, 21, 26, 3PM – 6PM
Legal Clinics

Thank you to all the parents, teachers, delegates, and the 2,421 voters who made the 2017 Participatory Budgeting process a huge success by voting on how we spend $1 million. And the winners are: P.S. 183’s Science and STEM Lab and the P.S. 198/77 Playground Renovation!

This month, we joined Mayor Bill de Blasio in announcing $100 million to add 8 new blocks of parkland and close the gap on the East River Esplanade from 53rd to 61st Streets. We also worked with Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito to include a request for $169 million in the City Council's preliminary budget response to continue necessary repairs to the Esplanade.

I continue to lead the fight for Pre-Kindergarten seats on the Upper East Side, where 300 four-year-olds are being asked to commute out of district as far as the Financial District for Pre-K. In response, parents, children, and elected officials rallied for Pre-K for All to include seats on the Upper East Side. As we continue to fight for school seats, I have been advocating for Universal Childcare for all city children from birth to four, and the city has taken a big step with a plan to provide Pre-K to three-year-olds too.

Governor Cuomo announced the first in the nation Excelsior Scholarship for students whose families make $125,000 per year or less, who will now qualify for free college tuition at all City (CUNY) and State (SUNY) two- and four-year colleges in New York State as long as they live in state. When I ran for office in 2013, one of the "fresh ideas" for which the New York Times endorsed me was providing a debt-free higher education for CUNY students. I am proud to support Governor Cuomo's program.

Legislation I authored to “Get Big Money Out of New York City Politics” by matching every small dollar got a hearing, a rally, and support from a broad coalition of organizations representing communities of color, immigrants, tenants, preservation, good government, candidates, and regular New Yorkers.

In celebration of Earth Day, I joined in the “March for Science” and introduced legislation to make New York City greener by decreasing light pollution, increasing commercial recycling and mandating zero waste by 2030 to make the MTS obsolete.

Do you want to learn more about your rights as a tenant? Join me on Thursday, May 18, you for a Housing Forum with presentations on your rights as a tenant, how to organize your building, how you can get involved in our campaign to lower rent for rent stabilized tenants, with housing experts on hand to answer your questions. The event will begin at 6pm at the Julia Richman Education Complex located at 317 East 67th Street. RSVP

Please join me for First Friday on Cinco de Mayo. I would also like to wish my mother and all the District 5 mothers a Happy Mother’s Day.

Sincerely, 

Ben Kallos
Council Member

SPECIAL EVENTS:

May 18, 6pm
Housing Forum

May 20, 10am-2pm
Shred-A-Thon

DISTRICT OFFICE EVENTS

May 5, 8am - 10am
First Friday

May 9, 6pm
Brainstorming With Ben

May 25, 6pm
6:00pm - 7:30pm
Citi Bike Skills Class

May 29
Office Closed 
Memorial Day

Thank you to the over 2,000 East Siders and Roosevelt Islanders who voted this March in Participatory Budgeting, contributing to the highest turnout we've had in four years. Results will be announced next month.

In March, the City Council begins the budget process with hearings on how the city plans to spend its money in the coming year. I've questioned how we are saving to prepare for potential cuts by Trump, the need for more school seats on the Upper East Side, the rising cost of waste transfer caused by marine transfer stations, and the need for additional funds to repair the East River Esplanade, many of which were included in the City Council's official budget response to the Mayor.

New York City faces a homelessness crisis with 22,973 children, 17,548 parents, and 13,913 single adults in shelters, and many more living on the street. Last year, I founded the East Side Taskforce on Homeless Outreach and Services (ETHOS) to help the homeless in our community. This month I was proud to welcome new supportive housing for women and children with elected officials, community leaders, teachers, parents and even children from the schools across the street. One homeless individual who we believe suffers from mental illness drew renewed attention this month when a community member launched a petition. I have previously worked with the City's outreach teams to offer her mental health services, which she declined. After many complaints, a resident was willing to come forward, making an official complaint, and I personally went with this resident to the 19th Precinct leading to her arrest and her finally accepting both shelter and treatment. If you see someone in need, don't give them money, please call or use the 311 app and contact my office so we can help.

March was women’s history month, and I was proud to introduce a resolution in support of building a Women’s History Museum on the national mall in Washington, D.C. In April we will host an Earth Day event with free reusable bags where you can learn what you can do for a greener city. For children in grades five through eight, I am asking "What would you do as Council Member for A Day?"

Chag Pesach Sameach, Happy Easter, and enjoy the beginning of spring 

SPECIAL EVENTS

April 20, 6pm-8:30pm

Earth Day Event

April 27, 6pm
Bike Safety Class

April 29, 2pm-6pm
Spirit of Service Festival

DISTRICT OFFICE EVENTS

April 7, 8am-10am
First Friday

Dear Friend,

March marks the beginning of Participatory Budgeting. During this period you have an opportunity to vote on how to spend $1 million in our community. Voting will be available at dozens of Participatory Budgeting voting sites throughout the district and by absentee ballot. Make sure your voice is heard by requesting your absentee ballot today or committing to vote.

In February the New York Times covered an Education Committee hearing where legislation I introduced was discussed. My bill would require the Department of Education to report on the number of applications each school receives, how many offers it extends and where students live as well as show where students end up when they leave their neighborhoods to attend school. Many East Side residents are familiar with the Pre-Kindergarten shortage. This legislation would offer deeper insight and transparency into the problem so we can ensure no child is turned away from his or her neighborhood school.

Do you love Art? In March my office is taking part in our annual Sotheby's Student Art Show where hundreds of local students of all ages will showcase their artwork at the world famous Sotheby's. The show's opening reception will take place March 23 at 5pm sharp. You can RSVP by emailing artshow@benkallos.com

We finished off February with a focus on city management, including a Committee on Governmental Operations hearing on how to help residents and businesses avoid getting quality of life violations. As the City Council reviews the Mayor's Preliminary Budget, I will continue to push for performance budgeting to ensure every taxpayer dollar is getting results.

Sincerely,

Ben Kallos

Council Member

SPECIAL EVENTS:
 
March 11, 10am-2pm
Shred-a-Thon
 
March 23, 5pm-7pm
Sotheby's Student Art Reception

March 25 - April 2
Vote on How to Spend $1 Million

March 29, 6pm-8pm
Cornell Tech Town Hall

April 1, 2pm-6pm
Free Bike Helmet Giveaway
 
 
DISTRICT OFFICE EVENTS

March 3, 8am-10am
First Friday

March 14, 6pm-7pm
Brainstorming With Ben

Dear Friend,

Over the last two weeks New Yorkers have made me even prouder to represent this City as they have come out by the tens of thousands, taking action to support everything from a woman’s right to choose to keeping our nation and City open to immigrants and refugees. To stay informed about ways to defend New York City values against the threats of the Trump Administration, sign up to get more frequent messages from me with notifications of upcoming actions (you can unsubscribe at any time).

As we make our voices heard nationally, we must reinvest in leading on the local level. In the spirit of community collaboration, it was a pleasure seeing almost two hundred residents at my State of the District event, where I highlighted much of what we have accomplished together over the past three years, and what we can achieve on the East Side and in New York in 2017.

We continue our push to bring true Universal Pre-K to the East Side and Roosevelt Island, to fight against overdevelopment, and to bring scaffolding down throughout the city. We are also taking action to support women's health, fire safety, and construction safety.

How will you get involved this month?

Sincerely,

Ben Kallos

SPECIAL EVENTS:
 
February 10, 11:30am
ERFA Town Hall
 
February 16, 2pm-4pm
Fire Safety Prevention Event 

February 16, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Pre-K Registration Event 
 
February 17, 10am-4:30pm
NO-COST Mammogram Van 
 
 
 
DISTRICT OFFICE EVENTS

February 3, 8am-10am
First Friday

February 14, 6pm-7pm
Brainstorming With Ben

SPECIAL EVENTS

January 22, 2017
1pm-3pm
State of the District Address

January 23, 2017
6:30-9:30pm
Trading the Sky Panel

January 26, 2017
2:30-5pm
Commercial Bike Safety Event

DISTRICT OFFICE EVENTS

January 6
8am-10am
First Friday

January 10
6pm-7pm
Brainstorming With Ben

January 12
5pm-6pm
Landmarking and Land Use Clinic