On Tuesday evening, June 23rd, CPN Board of Directors produced and hosted a Town Hall meeting made possible by the cooperation and support from City Council Member Stephen Levin’s office. Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon also accepted our invitation to participate but was held up in Albany where the legislative session ran into overtime. Council Member Simon sent her highly capable Chief of Staff, Ptarha Jeppe, as a representative.

Following the introductory remarks from CPN Board President Ted Valand, Levin and Jeppe were given the opportunity to make opening comments before a series of pre-arranged questions were asked. These questions were largely based on Shareholder feedback, solicited prior to the event.The discussion was lively and eye-opening with a plethora of topics covered. They included Albany funding for Mitchell-Lama existing housing; noise issues such as bridge construction, helicopters and traffic; Cadman Park expansion plans; more police presence in our area on July 4 and at Brooklyn Bridge Park in general; renovation of the War Memorial in the Park; the Brooklyn Heights Library proposal; massive development all around us and overcrowding in PS8; the re-routing of the B41 bus, and much more.

It was obvious at the start that Council Member Levin was in no hurry to leave and dove into the layers of each topic in great detail. Ms. Jeppe provided insight as to the challenges faced by Assembly freshman Simon who does not have the benefit of seniority and therefore not the same budget that retired Joan Milman enjoyed. She assured us however, that Simon is just as committed to the issues concerning us, such as programs for Seniors, as her predecessor was.

The latter part of the evening consisted of questions from the floor, which ran the gamut from subway station elevators that don’t work to tolls on East River bridges. Levin answered each in detail and Jeppe held her own in the discussion, not shying away from contentious topics, with an impressive knowledge of her boss’s stand and a promise to report our concerns to the Assembly Member. Lobby and hallway chatter following the event focused mainly on how engaging and personable Council Member Levin was. We agree. Of course, there was also some discussion about the yummy cupcakes and cookies.

So now will our problems be solved overnight? Obviously not. The end result here is that 140 Cadman Plaza West is on Levin and Simon’s radar. The channels of communication are clearly open and Levin’s office has already promised a follow up meeting for the Fall where Simon and perhaps our State Senator Velmanette Montgomery will be available to join.

Many thanks not only to our elected officials but also to each and every one of the Shareholders who cared enough to attend. We’re all in this together and together we will make our home as great as it can be as the world changes around us.

Please share this update with your neighbors who may not have access to a computer or for those who don’t access the CPN website regularly.

-CPN Board of Directors