Manhattan Community Board 3 Feb 2026 Report
April 1 State budget clock is ticking, new bilingual Chinatown street signs and East River Park composting center in the works, Manhattan CB applications due soon
As always, the below summary of the Full Board Meeting is not complete but represents my best attempt to highlight key takeaways from the meeting. If you attended the meeting and believe I missed or misstated any important points, please comment below or reach out!
Any opinions expressed below are solely my own and do not represent the views of Manhattan Community Board 3.
Find your community district and key information about it here.
Manhattan Community Board 3 Feb 2026 Full Board Meeting
Tuesday, Feb 24, 2026 - 6:30pm
Virtual - Zoom only
Meeting Highlights:
Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal attended and announced that Community Board applications are open until Friday, 2/27, while highlighting the Manhattan Multiplier initiative’s major capital commitment to arts & culture
State representatives are at work in Albany on the State budget due April 1st; State Senator Brian Kavanagh is pushing in the state budget for expanded housing vouchers, J-51 reforms, and higher income thresholds for rent freeze programs
Notes from board meeting:
Elected Officials Reports
Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Liaison
Still no liaison assigned from the Mayor’s office to MCB3
Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal - attended!
Manhattan Community Board applications are open
deadline to apply is Friday, 2/27
Hosting event with Hands Off NYC - group helping New Yorkers to protest ICE - on ICE Preparedness Town Hall at 225 W 99th St at 5:30 PM, 3/1
Inauguration has been postponed by last Sunday’s blizzard, new date to be announced soon
Named Manhattan Deputy Borough President - Misha Smith
former dean of Hunter College, Harlem resident
seeking matches for grants given by working with philanthropy organizations
If the Manhattan BP was a private foundation, it would be the 11th largest private foundation worldwide granting money to arts & culture
Congressmember Dan Goldman’s Liaison
Congressman is voting no on any bills that provides funding to the Department of Homeland Security or ICE
Congressman is protesting the State of the Union (tonight) and not attending
Holding appropriations seminar that will teach community how to apply to federal funding for community projects
Assemblymember Grace Lee’s Liaison
Hosting event with CM Harvey Epstein on 2/26 6-8:30 PM for Black History Month
AM busy working on budget up in Albany
Assemblymember Deborah Glick’s Liaison
Assemblymember is in Albany working on the budget
City is holding rental ripoff hearings announced by Mayor Mamdani, one in East Harlem on 3/28 - sign up to testify and talk about your experiences with landlord harassment, quality of life violations, financial concerns
also an option to submit comments online through the beginning of April
opportunity to weigh in on City rental policies, report will be created after the last hearing in April that will include policy recommendations and an action plan
City offers free tax filings for eligible New Yorkers - tax filings due by April 15th!
Hosting shred event on Thursday, 4/9 at St. Vincent’s Triangle (Greenwich Street)
Assemblymember Keith Powers’ Liaison
AM Powers took office three weeks ago, assigned to committees on Cities, Corrections, Disabilities, Tourism, Racing & Wagering
Signed on to first two bills:
Office is located on 7th St & Ave B - come by and say hello! Or reach out if the AM can be of help with any issues
State Senator Brian Kavanagh’s Liaison
Holding constituent office hours in LES later in March - exact time and location to be shared later
Senator is busy up in Albany advocating for priorities in the new budget - more money for housing voucher access program, expansion of J51 program (property tax breaks to building owners to make repairs and maintain rent stabilized units), raising the income threshold for rent freeze programs, indexing income threshold to inflation moving forward
budget is due on April 1st!
Councilmember Christopher Martre’s Liaison
Held hearing for No More 24 Act - CM’s biggest priority
received testimony only in support of the bill
Met with new DOT Commissioner to discuss Canal St redesign, Delancey St redesign, improving bike access along the East River waterfront, and more
Councilmember Harvey Epstein’s Liaison
Hosting event on 3/25 at 279 E 3rd St with free mammograms for any NYC residents who are women ages 45-75 not having had mammograms in last 12 months
Board Reports
District Manager’s Report
CB3 has started back up its monthly newsletter! - subscribe to get the email
one major focus is getting more cleaning done on E 11th St, where delivery bike workers have been congregating and storing bikes; having more bike corrals put in but it takes NYC DOT 1.5 years to install new ones
Committee Reports
See Committee Meeting recordings here!
Parks, Recreation, Waterfront, & Resiliency
Resolution to support the design of the LES Ecology Center Compost Yard and Educational Building in the new East River Park
Resolution to formally endorse and join the LES Community Care Coalition
Transportation, Public Safety, & Environment
Health, Seniors, & Human Services / Youth, Education, & Human Rights
Resolution to support EVLovesNYC which is applying for discretionary office from Assemblymember Kavanaugh and Councilmember Epstein
Land Use, Zoning, Public & Private Housing
New affordable housing building has been proposed on 88 East 2nd St, enabled by the City of Yes
Outreach Task Force
Assembling list of events to do CB3 outreach at - reach out to CB3 if you have suggestions for events the task force should include!