Roosevelt Islanders, What Do You Want Right Now?

Main Street Democrats Club creates a needs list for Mayor Eric Adams

When Mayor Adams visited Roosevelt Island in September, he asked for a list of community needs to make local life better. With a long history of being pushed aside and ignored by the state, via RIOC, Roosevelt Island is part of New York City, and Adams promised to help.

by David Stone

The Roosevelt Island Daily News

Last summer, local activist Joyce Short recognized the significance of political clubs in steering party agendas. She along with Lynne Shinozaki and others created Main Street Democrats, a club for promoting a Roosevelt Island agenda.

Following Mayor Adams’s visit in September, she began gathering responses to his request for a list of local needs. It’s a given that he can’t get after all of them, but he promised to try.

To that end, the club is gathering a list of Roosevelt Islanders’ priorities for the mayor. She wants your preferences. Here’s her message soliciting your input:

Roosevelt Islanders: What Do You Want?

Here are the latest standings on our action items list for Mayor Adams – in the order of votes received. 

The original numbers will remain alongside each item until the final count is in. Please use the corresponding number when you make your selections. Select up to 5 items in the order of their importance to you. 

1. An elected, not appointed, RIOC (KIM– The Mayor gets to suggest 2 RIOC Reps to the Governor.) 

2. A community review board to handle complaints against the Public Safety Department

3. A real police officer, either NYPD or a State Police Officer, 24/7 on Roosevelt Island

4. Better RIOC interaction with the community

5. A bank located in the community

6. A healthcare facility located in the community

7. Residence cards issued to give priority to return home on the tram or by car when there are long lines

8. More time allotted for resident access to our parks and facilities

9. Better control of the homeless population

10. Fix the garage lights so pigeons can’t roost on them

11. Supports for composting and recycling. 

12. A CitiBike station at 888 Main Street

13. Fix the Main Street potholes

14. Support the Gardens

• The beat goes on (and on), more maskless Red Bus riders ignored by RIOC…
• Fresh in the City: The Roosevelt Island Community Garden
• Roosevelt Islanders Go Around the World, Helping Neediest
• Mayor Eric Adams falling out of favor with the masses
• Roosevelt Islander’s Reach Across the World, Saving Kids

Here are new additions to the list:

15. Fix the areas where flooding occurs

16. Provide appropriately maintained dog parks at the North and South of the Island

17. Allow off-leash hours, early morning and evening, at Lighthouse and South Point Parks

18. Create Pickle Ball courts

19. Create a hospitable environment for commercial businesses

20. Allow food stands, (Ice cream trucks, etc., on the Island)

Please circulate this list to your network of Roosevelt Islanders and ask them to participate! The deadline is midnight, Sunday, 10/16.

So far…. the overwhelming concern for Islanders is ELECTING RIOC DIRECTORS. It has been #1 on everyone’s list!

Send your choices to jm_short@ymail.com.

Thank you.

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