Broad Channel Civic Association Monthly Meeting (Dec. 12th)

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

With the recent passing of the one year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy there is much progress to point to in our town that would have seemed impossible to imagine in the immediate days following that historic event. Our stores are reopened, and better than before, and most of our residents have returned to their homes.  Basic services such as electricity and cell services are fully available and streets are clean.  Our sanitation pickups reflect the normal function of household pickup, not the mass loadings of entire household contents.  A sense of normalcy and routine have returned. This town was faced with a test of historic proportion of its resolve, spirit, and self-reliance and it not only passed this test but set an example for generations to come and adjacent neighborhoods to admire. Those who participated will long speak proudly of the way in which neighbors helped neighbors and unbelievable hardships were overcome thru the cooperation and teamwork that prevailed. We will continue to work every day until all of our neighbors are back home and whole in their homes.

The December 12^th Civic meeting will be held at the American Legion and will begin at 7 pm. We will have representatives in charge of the “Build It Back” program present who will give a presentation on what is happening with this program followed by a question and answer session. At the conclusion of the meeting we will have representatives from Build It Back at tables with laptop computers to allow residents to request that their file be reviewed and their priority status determined. The Civic Association has had numerous emails and phone conversations with elected officials and with representatives of this program in which we have relayed the concern and disgust of residents who have been waiting for over a year to see some type of assistance materialize from this federally funded program. We urge everyone who has registered for this program to attend and particularly those who are still out of their homes and waiting to rebuild. We hope to get some answers to the many questions surrounding this program and to finally see some relief provided.

On October 31^st the Civic Association attended a press conference held on our island where Congressman Meeks and Congressman Jeffries announced their co-sponsoring of federal legislation called the Homeowners Flood Insurance Affordability Act (H.R.3370). This bill, which has been also introduced into the Senate with the support of Senator Schumer and Senator Gillibrand, would freeze flood insurance premium rate increases for four years. During that time an affordability study, which was mandated by the Biggert/Waters flood insurance law but never undertaken, would be conducted and then reviewed to determine the impact that the change in premiums, proposed under the law, would have on homeowners. This is a very good first start to permanently changing this ill-conceived law and the results of the study, we believe, will lay the foundation for the overhaul of this law.

The Broad Channel Christmas Light Fund drive has been an outstanding success!! The lights are up and they look terrific. Stefanie Wagner was responsible for undertaking this challenge to raise $10,000 in a short period of time to pay for the lights and their installation and maintenance. The effort included an online fund drive, a raffle and a fund raising event at the Bungalow Bar. It was a great effort and the lights really brighten up the town for the holiday season.

***Late breaking news that i was not able to submit to the hard copy of our newsletter --The final hurdle in the long effort to see the street raising project move to construction phase has been resolved. The civic has just received word that OMB the office of management and Budget has approved the funding of this project. A contractor has been chosen based on the Bid process and the construction may start as soon as February. At this time we have a tentative agreement to have Commissioner Hall from queens DOT and her team along with DDC, and the Contractor chosen meet with the community at the \January civic meeting to discuss the impending construction. As planned this project will first see the bulkhead work completed and then it will move to west 12th road and when completed west 11 and then finally west 13. This is the first time this concept of a shared streets design will be used in this country and we are excited about the opportunity to finally resolve the tidal flooding that our residents have been experiencing. 

Quote of the Month - “The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why”---Mark Twain

Respectfully submitted, 

Dan Mundy Jr.