8 JANUARY 2, 2020 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Queens Hurricane Relief Task Force refl ects on
lessons learned for future recovery, resiliency
The Queens Hurricane Relief Task Force developed innovative solutions and templates for future recovery eff orts. QNS/File
BY BILL PARRY
BPARRY@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
As her tenure draws to a close,
Queens Borough President
Melinda Katz reported on the
work of her Hurricane Relief Task
Force, a group of government agencies,
elected offi cials and community leaders
who collectively developed and
implemented solutions to problems
that had previously hindered and
plagued the borough’s recovery from
Hurricane Sandy. Katz prioritized the
recovery eff orts by forming the task
force within weeks aft er taking offi ce
in 2014.
The group first met nearly 16
months after the storm wreaked
havoc across the borough. The
objective was to regularly and correctly
address what many found to
be an excruciatingly slow process
for repairing the damage wrought
by Sandy and for getting thousands
of displaced Queens residents back
in their homes.
The Hurricane Relief Task Force
connected communities most impacted
by the storm directly and
regularly with city, state and federal
agencies and elected officials on the
multi-year recovery effort. This
helped to ensure a reliable channel
of communication between officials
and the community residents who
had “on-the ground” knowledge of
recovery-related problems.
The Task Force also facilitated interagency
cooperation by empowering
community leaders to create innovative
ways with elected officials
to enhance the efficacy or recovery
and resiliency efforts.
“The community-driven Task
Force model should be used as a
guide for how we respond to future
major disasters, especially in
this time of climate change,” Katz
said. “A natural disaster of Sandy’s
unprecedented scope requires a coordinated
response that minimizes
bureaucratic red tape and empowers
impacted communities to work
directly with government to launch
and complete the Herculean task of
recovery.”
Since February 2014, the Queens
Hurricane Relief Task Force has
inspired a citywide zoning amendment
to facilitate reconstruction of
Sandy-damaged homes, streamlined
issuance of necessary permits, cleared
roadblocks regarding the U.S. Small
Business Administration disaster loan
applications, spearheaded outreach to
Build it Back applicants, and improved
coordination between the Broad
Channel street raising initiative and
CB 5 to meet in
early January
Community Board 5 will meet
in early January in Middle
Village, where residents can
hear a presentation on composting
and participate in a public forum.
As announced by District Manager
Gary Giordano, the session
takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 8
in the cafeteria at Christ the King
High School, located at 68-02 Metropolitan
Ave.
The meeting will begin with a salute
to the fl ag, followed by the “Make
Compost Not Trash” presentation
regarding organics waste collection
by Allie Gumas, the outreach
coordinator of the Bureau of Recycling
and Sustainability at the NYC
Department of Sanitation.
Vincnet Arcuri Jr. will follow the
presentation with the chairperson’s
report and Giordano will then off er
the district manager’s report.
The session will end with committee
reports and old and new
business.
For additional information, call
the Board 5 offi ce at 718-366-1834.
the Build it Back program.
The Task Force also helped to
reduce delays in elevating homes,
supported legislation to speed up the
Buildings Department’s permitting
process, prompted the aggressive
investigation and resolution of construction
delays.
“Our deepest thanks go to all of
the members of the Hurricane Relief
Task Force who did such a great
job of delivering much needed help
to those impacted by Superstorm
Sandy,” Katz said.
She will be inaugurated as Queens
District Attorney on Monday, Jan. 6,
at Carnesecca Arena at St. John’s
University beginning at 5:30 p.m.
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