Deputy Speaker Williams Q&A: Mangin on Jamaica plan and charter revision role

Thank you, Chair.

Hi, John.

Hello, Deputy Speaker.

Thank you so much for all of your work on the Jamaican Neighborhood Plan.

I really appreciate it.

I know I worked really closely with the former DCP chair, because I do believe every district needs to play a role in producing housing.

I just want to say that my concern really isn't on the macro level of housing supply, but really how we understand neighborhood level.

issues, whether it be gentrification or displacement, particularly in historically black homeowner communities like Southeast Queens.

So a lot of my questions, I know when we met, you kind of explained a lot of the other things with your writing.

So most of my questions will actually focus on your written responses to the council.

So the first thing I did want to say in terms of your former role as director of policy and research with the 2025 Charter Revision Commission, it is fair to say that

you were involved in drafting, if not the actual language, but at least the concepts of the findings and requirements for the new

fast track BSA zoning, and I'd say quite a few other hostile, I think us in the council, we feel like some of them were a little hostile to us and how we see our powers.

Is that

a correct statement that you were a part of that.

I just want to make sure we're on the same page.

Yes, thank you for the question, Deputy Speaker.

I was the policy director for the 2025 Charter Revision Commission that largely involved

trying to examine, shape the sort of the fire hose of proposals that were coming from members of the public, from Charter Revision Commissioners, and others.