Earlier this week, Mayor de Blasio came to speak to residents of the area, and many long-standing issues – from parking restrictions hurting Sabbath observers, to working-families waiting for Child Care and After School services, and many other issues throughout the council-manic district – were resolved.

Among the announcements that the Mayor made at the district’s Town Hall, hosted by Councilman Stephen Levin, were that the city will send out letters this week to working parents who are on the Child Care and After School Vouchers wait list for years offering them a voucher. The city will fund 1,700 new vouchers, thanks to over 15 million dollars in additional funding provided by the Mayor and the City Council in the current budget years. The issuance of those vouchers was delayed, but in more good news, the mayor assured that the funding will be fully utilized, as intended by the council and the administration, unlike in the past, when delays in issuance of the vouchers resulted in a reduction in assistance for working families.

Mayor de Blasio also announced that the parking meters on Division Avenue and Roebling Street will be reprogrammed to for Fridays, to enable Sabbath observers to park there on Fridays. Currently, those meters regulations are in effect on Fridays till 7. During winter Fridays, when Sabbath starts as early as 4:13pm, Orthodox Jews were unable to park their cars at these streets.

Responding to the request by Rabbi David Niederman, president of the UJO of Williamsburg and North Brooklyn, to lift the No Parking 4-7 PM on Lee Avenue for Fridays – which prevents Orthodox Jews from parking on that major Avenue before most Saturdays – the Mayor and DOT Commissioner Trottenberg responded that the agency is currently studying such a change.

The Mayor also announced that parts of Myrtle Avenue – which currently has daily street cleaning om each side, including Sabbath – the cleaning on Sabbath will cease, so that Sabbath observer can park there before Sabbath without being penalized. Councilman Stephen Levin drew attention to this matter and proposed legislation, after Orthodox Jews were ticketed on that Avenue on the Saturday immediately after Rosh Hashanah.

In major news for the entire Community District 1, the mayor confirmed that come fall the entire Community Board 1, which encompasses Williamsburg, will see its Street Cleaning halved, from twice on each side of the street to once on each side. Assemblyman Joe Lentol, Community Board 1 and the UJO, have requested that change for years. The Mayor also announced new funding for parks in the area – including major investments in the Bushwick Inlet Park – and a range of other major accomplishments for the district.

The UJO intervened for years on most of those issues. It was an exciting night to hear that so many of those issues were resolved, thanks the Mayor and the agencies dedicated efforts.

“We are beyond grateful for the mayor for announcing and implementing the major assistance for working families as well as parking relief for Sabbath observers and the entire area. We advocated for years on these issues, and when the mayor came to town it was finally resolved,” said Rabbi David Niederman.

“This is a hands-on Mayor who understands so well all the issues. It’s amazing how he responded to each and every question with such clarity, and just called on his staff to fill in on specific details. This is a mayor who cares for all communities and all city residents,” added Rabbi Niederman. “Tonight’s Town Hall was an embodiment of how the mayor listen’s to everyone and understand and is addressing the unique challenges and needs of all communities, assuring real equality. We thank the mayor and his dedicated Commissioners and staff for these major accomplishments.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)