On May 1st, Councilwoman Vickie Paladino of the 19th District of New York City held a district briefing at Bayside High School to summarize her work over the past year. The focus was on issues of public safety and improving residents’ quality of life. Hundreds of guests including New York City Deputy Mayor Kaz Daughtry, 109th Precinct Commander Kevin Coleman, and residents attended the briefing, with standing-room-only at the venue.
Regarding public safety, Councilwoman Paladino highlighted the establishment of a satellite police precinct at College Point last year, which has reduced police response times and strengthened patrol forces. In August of last year, the deployment of a drone system by the police successfully rescued 8 Chinese hostages who had been kidnapped and robbed in Little Neck-Douglaston, setting a benchmark for the police in hostage rescue and apprehension of criminals.
She commended Precinct Commander Kevin Coleman for his achievements in combating various crimes, including car gatherings, loud music playing, and burglaries.
In terms of education and infrastructure investment, she advocated for funding to upgrade school security systems, renovate school sports facilities, and allocate over 20 million dollars for various infrastructure projects including road paving and sewer upgrades. The completion of nearly six miles of drainage system upgrades spanning 120 blocks has effectively reduced flooding issues. She stated, “This is a change we haven’t seen in the past decade.”
Paladino mentioned the development project on the former Flushing Airport site and emphasized her role as a local councilwoman in overseeing the project to ensure it aligns with the area’s characteristics.
Regarding challenges faced, she brought up the requirement in Local Law 197 for residential buildings to redesign their heating and cooling systems, which has imposed a significant financial burden on homeowners. She proposed legislation to postpone and temporarily suspend the implementation of these mandatory regulations, citing the potential for disastrous consequences if the power grid is not adequately prepared. She also stressed the need for common sense in formulating energy policies to avoid negative impacts on residents and businesses.
With regards to community engagement, she emphasized transparency in decision-making processes and the importance of community involvement. For example, due to a lack of transparency from the Department of Transportation and their forceful advancement of the Greenway project without seeking community input, facing strong opposition from the community. She chaired multiple community meetings to ensure that the community could voice their opinions on projects like the Greenway. She initiated litigation to overturn the “Yes in My Backyard” zoning reform, believing that it undermines low-density communities and does not align with the area’s characteristics.
Looking ahead to future legislative and work plans, Paladino stated she will cooperate with the Trump administration to deport dangerous criminals to enhance public safety. She plans to legislate solutions for dangerous lithium batteries and shut down illegal tobacco shops.
Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa, former Deputy Chief and current Deputy Mayor Kaz Daughtry – who successfully handled the hostage situation involving a Chinese family in Little Neck-Douglaston last year – and local residents applauded Councilwoman Paladino’s work during the briefing.
Chinese resident Yevon Chen expressed her admiration for Councilwoman Paladino, noting her attentiveness to public opinion, practical approach, and high work efficiency. Chen was particularly impressed by Paladino’s support for small businesses and assistance to Chinese small landlords in evicting delinquent tenants during the pandemic. She also appreciated Paladino’s alignment with Asian values, particularly the emphasis on education. As a resident of the district, Chen voiced strong support for Paladino.