Gale A. Brewer District 6 - Council Member - Democrat
Biography
Gale A. Brewer has represented the Upper West Side and northern Clinton in the New York City Council since 2002. She was re-elected in the November 2009 general election with over 80 percent of the vote, receiving nearly 5,000 more votes than any of the other 50 Council Members who ran. In the 2003 and 2005 elections, she received 86% and 80% of the vote, respectively. Her service in the Council is a continuation of nearly 40 years of public service to the people of New York.
CM Brewer has been Chair of the Committee on Governmental Operations since 2010. It oversees governmental structure and organization with an eye toward increasing both efficiency and accountability, particularly in the delivery of services and the use of technology. The Committee is also responsible for oversight of the New York City Board of Elections, the New York City Campaign Finance Board, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, the Department of Records and Information Services, and other agencies.
From 2002-2009 she chaired the Committee on Technology in Government (now the Committee on Technology), where she focused on the use of technology to increase transparency, save money, improve city services, and bring residents, businesses and non-profits closer to government and their communities. CM Brewer is integrating many of the best practices of the Technology in Government Committee with Governmental Operations.
Currently, she is a member of the Board of Directors of the Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee; she also sits on Advisory Committees to CUNY/John Jay College and CUNY Macaulay Honors College, as well as the Academy of Medicine's Age-Friendly Board.
She has been the sponsor of numerous laws that represent her commitment to open government, health and human rights, and quality of life. These include the first-in-the-nation Protection for Domestic Workers law (June 2003); creation of a blue-ribbon Broadband Advisory Committee to improve broadband services citywide (December 2005); establishment of an Electronic Death Registration system (February 2004); legislation requiring City Publications to be made available via the Web (February 2003); an amendment to the NYC human rights law (October 2005); the creation of a Bed Bug Advisory Board (March 2009); and two measures aimed at eliminating graffiti, scrafitti, and locksmith stickers (January 2003 and April 2004, respectively). Her latest initiatives signed into law include: A ban on smoking in parks and beaches (February 2011); a law to encourage the purchase of locally grown food (August 2011); the creation of an Accessible Pedestrian Signal program (April 2012) and the landmark Open Data law (March 2012), requiring the city to publish most of its databases online in open, machine-readable formats.
Prior to her election in 2001, CM Brewer served as Project Manager for the NYC Nonprofits Project at CUNY’s Graduate Center, and worked for the Telesis Corporation, a private firm that builds affordable housing. From 1994-1998 she was New York City Deputy Public Advocate for Intergovernmental Affairs, where she promoted legislation, wrote policy, and monitored the implementation of the National Voter Registration Act. Her Public Advocate web site, a first in New York City government, won an award from New York Magazine. From 1990-1994, as Director of the Mayor's Federal Office in New York City, she assisted the Dinkins Administration with its legislative agenda, and with private funding of a technical assistance program to help community-based organizations obtain federal funds. She was also Executive Director of the Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women from 1993-1994. From 1979-1989, CM Brewer was Chief of Staff to West Side Council Member Ruth W. Messinger. Prior to that decade, she was on the staff of Lt. Governor Mary Anne Krupsak, and began her career in city government in the Parks Department during the Lindsay administration.
Brewer has received numerous awards for her service on over two dozen neighborhood and nonprofit boards as well as her work in the City Council. Prior to being elected, she was a member of Manhattan Community Board 7, and Chair of the New York State chapter of the National Women's Political Caucus. In 2000, she was cited by the Daily News as "One of 50 New Yorkers to Watch." She has taught urban policy at Barnard, Baruch, Brooklyn, Hunter, and Queens Colleges. Gale has an MPA from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, and she did her undergraduate work at Columbia University and Bennington College. She is married to Cal Snyder and has raised many foster children.
General Information
Entered City Council: 01/01/2002 Current Term Expires: 12/31/2013
Represents: West Side 54th to 96th Streets (as of the 2000 Census)
Represents Community Boards: Nos. 4, 7, and parts of 5
City Hall - 250 BroadwayShula Warren, Chief of Staff Issues: Press Contact and Outreach; Education Policy and Liaison to NYC DOE; Constituent Services for Schools; Bed Bugs Task Force; Staff and Intern Oversight
Contact: swarren@council.nyc.gov
Gabrielle Vallese, Deputy Director and Scheduler Issues: Intern Program Coordinator and Supervisor; Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN) Executive Producer; "This Side of Central Park with Gale Brewer"; Meeting and Event Coordinator
Contact: gvallese@council.nyc.gov
William Colegrove, Director of Legislation and Budget Issues: Legislative and Budget Affairs; Liaison to the Manhattan Delegation; Liaison to the Committee on Governmental Operations
Contact: wcolegrove@council.nyc.gov
District Office
Rosalba Rodriguez, Director of the District Office Issues: Housing Services, Tenant-Landlord Conflict Resolution; Liaison to the Latino and NYCHA communities
Contact: rrodriguez@council.nyc.gov
Jesse Bodine, Director of Constituent Services Issues: Quality of Life Issues, Development, Liaison to Community Boards 4 and 7
Contact: jbodine@council.nyc.gov
Our Interns and Volunteers
Each fall, spring and summer, the Office of Council Member Gale A. Brewer recruits students from NYC’s colleges and high schools including Columbia University, New York University, Fordham University, Hunter College, Baruch College, Beacon High School and Stuyvesant High School.
The Office of Council Member Gale A. Brewer is currently seeking Policy/Legislative Interns for the Spring and Summer of 2011 semesters at our City Hall and District Offices. Interns work closely with the Council Member and staff on a variety of high-level projects. Intern responsibilities are flexible based on skills and interests; duration and time commitment of internships are flexible. Interest in government, public policy, and quality of life issues; strong writing and interpersonal skills; ability to adapt quickly to new situations is preferred.
On January 21, 2010, Council Member Gale A. Brewer was announced as the new Chair of the Governmental Operations Committee for the 2010-2013 Council sessions. The Committee on Governmental Operations, consistent with its mandate, will review governmental structure and organization with an eye toward increasing both efficiency and accountability, particularly in the delivery of services and the use of technology. By addressing the organizational challenges of City agencies, and reviewing the manner in which agencies interact with the public, the Committee can propose substantive and significant legislative and regulatory change.
Please visit our WordPress blog at http://www.nycgovops.wordpress.com to view video and testimony of the latest matters that come before the New York City Council Committee on Governmental Operations.
Some of the agencies, boards and commissions that fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee, as well as a brief description of their function, are:
The Law Department
The Board of Elections
The Board of Standards and Appeals
The Department of Citywide Administrative Services
The New York City Tax Commission
The New York City Community Boards
The Department of Records and Information Services
The Financial Information Services Agency
The Commission on Public Information and Communication
Council Member Gale A. Brewer has been leading the effort to close the "digital divide" in New York as Chair of the Technology in Government Committee from 2002-2009. The Technology in Government Committee regularly holds hearings on important and cutting edge technology issues facing City government and New Yorkers alike. Furthermore, her interest in these important issues led her to introduce legislation to create a Committee that would hear from the average New Yorker about how technology does and could play a role in improving his/her life. In 2005, Local Law 126 was signed by the Mayor. It created the Broadband Advisory Committee to get public input on this issue as well as advise the Mayor and the City Council on how bring affordable broadband to all New York City.
NYCC Technology in Government Committee / NYC Broadband Advisory Committee
From 2002 to 2009, Council Member Gale A. Brewer has been leading the effort to close the "digital divide" in New York as Chair of the Technology in Government Committee. The Technology in Government Committee regularly holds hearings on important and cutting edge technology issues facing City government and New Yorkers alike. Furthermore, her interest in these important issues led her to introduce legislation to create a Committee that would hear from the average New Yorker about how technology does and could play a role in improving his/her life. In 2005, Local Law 126 was signed by the Mayor. It created the Broadband Advisory Committee to get public input on this issue as well as advise the Mayor and the City Council on how to bring affordable broadband to all of New York City.
10/23/2008 – Refrain from implementing proposed regulatory amendments that would allow portable devices to operate on the white space radio spectrum. (transcript │committee report )
10/17/2008 - Supporting the local efforts to acquire the .nyc Top Level Domain and urging The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers to approve the City’s application in order to meet the needs of city residents via the Internet. (transcript│committee report )
9/19/2008 - Oversight - The Regulation and Use of the Unallocated Portion of the Radio Spectrum, Also Known as White Spaces: Res 1613-2008 (video│legislation│transcript )
9/19/2008 - Requiring DOITT to produce an annual technology strategy: Int 0054-2006 (transcript│committee report)
Our Annual Education Newsletter Briefing
Council Member Gale A. Brewer’s (D-Manhattan) much-heralded education mailing has arrived for its seventh consecutive year in Council District 6 (Upper West Side, North Clinton) mailboxes. Amidst yet another round of daunting bureaucratic reorganization at the Department of Education, Brewer’s Education Newsletter remains a mainstay of consistent, accurate, and comprehensive information for parents navigating an otherwise confusing maze of options. Information provided by the guide includes:
Name, address, level, and contact information for every public school in Council District 6 – including a detailed map of the district pinpointing each school’s location.
Statistics measuring teacher qualifications, past student performance, and Title I status
Special program offerings and partnerships that make each school unique
Essential contacts at the school, district, borough, and citywide levels
Information on four NEW schools opening in District 6, including a new middle school, West Prep Academy (100 West 77 Street) and three high schools in the Brandeis Complex (145 West 84 Street): the Urban Assembly School for Green Careers, Innovation Diploma Plus High School, and the Global Learning Collaborative
A new “Coping with the Economic Downturn in New York City” section created to help support our friends and neighbors in District 6 during these hard economic times. Information provided includes employment opportunities, job networking sites, the Workforce Investment Board (www.nyc.gov/wib), and information about local impacts of the Federal stimulus package compiled by Brewer’s office.
Council Member Brewer’s Education Guide, unique in New York City, is in high demand across the district. In addition to parents, real estate brokers request updated copies to include in their information packets for potential renters and buyers. As New Yorkers tighten their belts, more parents are turning to public education and require information to navigate the system. Ultimately, the guide plays a vital role in connecting all community members, especially parents, with the schools in their neighborhood. Especially in a city system as large, confusing, and constantly changing as New York City’s, Council Member Brewer’s Education Guide serves as a testament to consistency, clarity, and sanity.
To receive a copy of the education mailing, contact the office of Council Member Brewer at 212-873-0282 or gbrewer@council.nyc.gov.
Updated News on Frank McCourt High School for Fall 2010
Adapted from NYC Department of Education Press Release: Chancellor Klein Proposes New Selective High School Named in Honor of Renowned Author and Former New York City Public School Teacher Frank McCourt
Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein today announced a proposal to create a small, selective high school named in honor of Frank McCourt. The new school would open on Manhattan’s Brandeis campus in September 2010 serving ninth graders, with additional grades phased in annually until the school serves the full complement of high school grades beginning in the 2013-14 school year. Best known as the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir Angela’s Ashes, Frank McCourt also worked as a New York City public school educator for 29 years, including 15 years as a teacher of English and creative writing at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan until his retirement in 1987. The proposed school represents the culmination of a year-long collaboration between elected officials, parents, and the Department of Education. (More...)
Pending Introductions
The following bills were introduced to the Council to the currrent session by Council Member Gale A. Brewer:
A complete listing of the Council Member's sponsored legislation can be found below the Resolutions section.
Int 0183-2010 A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to audible pedestrian signals.
Int 0179-2010
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the City of New York, in relation to street numbers.
Int 0180-2010
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring grocery stores over 5,000 square feet to provide an electrical plug for delivery food trucks.
Int 0181-2010
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to securing personal information privacy.
Int 0133-2010
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to creating a bicycle safety taskforce.
Int 0134-2010
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to ensuring that handheld computers used to enforce parking laws, rules and regulations access information from the department of transportation’s sign information system.
Int 0136-2010
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to green back up generators for mobile food vending units.
Int 0131-2010
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to student pedestrian safety near schools located in proximity to parking garages.
Int 0132-2010 A Local Law to amend the New York city charter, in relation to requiring that all public meetings be webcast.
Int 0135-2010
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to reserving parking spaces in public parking facilities for car sharing programs.
Int 0137-2010
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to illumination of common areas in multiple-unit residential buildings to allow private, cooperatively owned buildings to utilize motion activated and/or timed light switches so as to conserve electricity.
Int 0182-2010
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to sound reproduction devices on sight-seeing buses. (APPROVED BY COUNCIL; PENDING - AT MAYOR'S DESK FOR SIGNING)
Int 0097-2010
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to the provision of paid sick time earned by employees.
Int 0098-2010
A Local Law to amend the New York City charter, in relation to the creation of an annual report to assess the city’s indigent legal representation.
Int 0033-2010
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to extending J-51 benefits to owners of multiple dwellings for green roofs.
Int 0030-2010
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to prohibiting general vendors from leaving pushcarts, stands or goods unattended.
Int 0029-2010 Open Data Standards Bill (former Int. 991-2009)
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to creating open data standards.
Int 0032-2010
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring motion detectors for commercial buildings.
Int 0031-2010 A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to for-hire vehicle licenses.
Recent Resolutions
Res 0143-2010
Resolution strongly urging the New York State Legislature to immediately pass the New York State Reproductive Health Act.
Res 0147-2010
Resolution calling upon the United States Federal Aviation Administration to institute an immediate moratorium preventing all sightseeing helicopters from flying over New York City until adequate safety measures governing these types of aircraft are implemented.
Res 0146-2010
Resolution urging the New York State Legislature to amend the Constitution of the State of New York to allow same day voter registration.
Res 0145-2010
Resolution calling upon the State Legislature to amend the State election law to permit electronic voter registration.
Res 0144-2010
Resolution calling upon the New York State Legislature to adopt legislation permitting the installation of bus-mounted cameras to assist in the enforcement of bus lanes.
Res 0082-2010
Resolution calling upon the New York City Department of Education to amend Chancellor’s Regulation A-812, in order to repeal the City’s ban on the sale of home-baked goods, and other “non-approved” food items from schools, school yards, or school fundraisers.
Res 0036-2010
Resolution calling upon the New York State Legislature to introduce, and the Governor to sign, legislation which would authorize municipalities to create a loan program to assist small business owners in securing commercial lease space.
Council Member Gale A. Brewer's Sponsored Legislation
On the first Wednesday of each month, from 6PM to 8PM at the Goddard Riverside Community Center, the clinic will offer a presentation on a variety of topics, to be followed by a question and answer session. The funding is provided by the Housing Preservation Initiative of the New York City Council.
When: 6PM - 8PM, First Wednesday of each month
Where: Goddard Riverside Community Center
593 Columbus Avenue, Manhattan
(between 88th and 89th Streets)
Upcoming Clinic Topics:
June 6, 2012: Succession Rights
Sign-up sheet starting at 6PM each evening
Housing Resources
Check out the links below for more information on housing.
If you can not find what you are looking for on this site, visit the HPD web site.
The Executive Budget Hearings have started. You can view the scheduled hearings here. The reports are posted on the Council's FY11 site and can be downloaded after each hearing.
May 1, 2010
As per Charter mandate, the Council held numerous hearings on the FY11 preliminary budget that included over a hundred hours of testimony. The Council heard from 63 agencies and well over 200 members of the public during 3 weeks of committee hearings. This year’s budget response details many of the concerns expressed by agency commissioners, Council Members and average New Yorkers during the FY11 preliminary budget hearings.
You can view the response below and also download it here.
As part of the Speaker's initiative on budget reform and the Council Member's call for a more transparenct City Council in her introduced bill(Int. 029-2010), Speaker Quinn established a comprehensive database of discretionary items for FY'10. The database is searchable by organization name or keyword and by sponsoring Council Member. All information that is currently in Schedule C is in the database including: sponsoring Council Member; employer identification number (EIN); amount of funding; contracting city agency; purpose of funds; and, if there is one, corresponding fiscal conduit name and EIN. You can view the database at http://council.nyc.gov/html/budget/council_disclosure.shtml.
The months-long negotiations over the City’s FY10 $59.4 billion budget are finally complete. The newsletter below will enable you to see at a glance how we fared in Council District 6, including important local allocations of city-wide funds. My staff and I worked hard to meet the growing needs of the people of our community; look inside for good news about funding for arts organizations, schools, seniors and many other key constituencies. Some additional discretionary funding decisions remain to be made, and there is always more work to be done, and new challenges to be met. And for those seeking a broader view of funding priorities, a summary of all Council budget items is available from my office and on the Council website.
I look forward to your feedback.
Through a partnership with Lighthouse International, this newsletter is available in large print format, and in audio, digital, and Braille formats. La traduccion en espanol tambien esta disponible, llame 212-873-0282.
I want to thank everyone who offered their input and support through the budget process. It is an honor to represent the City’s most involved and committed community.
