Lawmakers are furious at Mayor Eric Adams’ crackdown on communications between city agencies and elected officials — including the NYPD — with some calling the new process “bureaucratic BS.”
“They’re treating the council the same way they treat the press: with mistrust and disdain,” one source told the Post.
The city set up a two-page Google Form asking 14 questions to elected officials, including the purpose of the request, their office address and phone number.
Council members — who have recently butt heads with the Adams administration over legislation and the city’s budget — say they were left in the dark about the website, launched Friday, until this week.
“Six pages of BS. And there’s no communication about it either. Some people think it’s for everything: meeting with your precinct commander, or with your local school principal. It’s beyond ridiculous, and just more bureaucratic BS to deal with,” another source told the Post.
The source also raised concerns about the independence of the review process, begging the question: “Who is going to be checking and approving this?”
Council member Gale Brewer (D-Manhattan) was fuming about the decision and kept it simple when she told City Hall reporters: “I’m not filling out any forms.”
“This is totally unnecessary. Because that’s just what we needed: more bureaucracy when we’re just trying to get something simple fixed. Bad move,” Council member Robert Holden (D-Queens) said on X.
Confusion over when to use the form has also mounted.
“I got new garbage cans, and was requesting a picture with the [sanitation] commissioner and they said ‘You’ve got to fill out this form,’” Council Member Rita Joseph told Politico.
The city stressed that the page was for meetings and events rather than immediate issues.
“We must ensure that we have the right processes in place to streamline our services and maximize our resources,” a City Hall spokesperson said.
“We are dedicated to implementing strategies that allow us to coordinate more efficiently and maintain our responsiveness to all members of the public.”
Joseph snapped: “This is just, to me, creating more red tape.”
An email obtained by THE CITY lists the types of “engagement,” including: “meetings with commissioners or executive directors, meetings with senior level agency staff, requests to tour districts, requests to attend events, requests to attend task force meetings, requests [for] take part in interagency meetings (more than one agency) official letter correspondence, requests to discuss enforcement, any other requests outside the scope of daily operations involving constituent matters or issues.”
All the requests will go through the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, the email noted.
For New Yorkers, raising an issue with lawmakers could be stalled and negotiations over legislation may be slowed.
“I’m sure the more savvy commissioners will ignore it,” a source familiar with intergovernmental affairs told Politico.
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