A room with roundtables was set up at the New Settlement Community Center in the Bronx.
This is the first session since the federal investigations began into Mayor Eric Adams' administration and members of his inner circle resigning.
What You Need To Know
- Community members shared their concerns Monday with Mayor Eric Adams at "Community Conversations" at the New Settlement Center in the Bronx
- This is the first session since the federal investigations began into Mayor Eric Adams' administration and members of his inner circle resigning
- The city's Health Commissioner Dr. Aswin Vasan stepped down Monday
- There was no mention of the investigations at the meeting or Vasan stepping down
Adams did not address the federal investigations and the recent resignation of Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan, who has been the city’s top doctor since March 2022.
In a statement, Vasan said he is leaving in January for personal reasons. He said he will continue his clinical work and teach.
Earlier in the day, the mayor thanked Vasan in a statement for his work handling COVID, M-pox and the ongoing mental health crisis.
“Let’s open the floor and I look forward to a good conversation with all of you,” Adams said in the Bronx.
Bronx resident Jerri Mitchell had concerns about drug use.
“We’re now seeing drug addicts all over the streets. We haven’t seen that since the 60 and 70s. It’s getting scary,”Mitchell said.
The mayor deferred this question to Dr. Mitchell Katz, the president and CEO of NYC Health and Hospitals.
“New York City has had an epidemic of drug use with overdoses which is fueled by economics right the cheap, cheap fentanyl,” Katz said.
Another topic brought up was migrants.
Mane McCullough, a Bronx resident, was concerned about the amount of shelters in some communities.
The city has taken in more than 200,000 migrants since spring of 2022.
“Community Board 4 and other [community boards] feel they have an overabundance of homeless shelters and supportive housing and we would like to know if this will end,” McCullough said.
The mayor’s response was members of the City Council need to tell their other council members to take on new facilities in their districts to even out the responsibility and burden.
“They should be going to their colleagues and saying why aren’t you getting shelters in your community also,” Adams said.
The New Settlement Community Center said they have offered their space up to the mayor for events in the past.
People who attended the community conversation had to sign up in advance.