Bryant Daniels came on board at RIOC under Akeem Jamal in Communications. After the state agency shed Jamal, then CEO Shelton J. Haynes, he stepped up as a voice for openness and accountability. But he’s also in the vanguard of getting things done.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
Getting Things Done With Bryant Daniels
Moms pushing strollers and kids on the run had every right to expect a bright red stop sign would protect them. Heading south past 460 Main, they were all forced to cross because of construction, but their expectations weren’t meant.
RIOC’s hapless Public Safety Department sends vehicles cruising through routinely. Surely at least one officer or even Chief Kevin Brown noticed. If they did, though, they did nothing about it. The alleged public safety officers and managers let the situation continue for more than a year.
Enter the Can-Do Communications Director
After last week’s Governance Committee meeting, Daniels and I walked south in the direction of my apartment and his office in Sportspark. As always, we had a spirited conversation about RIOC and Island history. Daniels knows what side of the fence he’s on and staunchly defends RIOC, especially PSD.
Reinforcing my argument, I walked him over to East Main and showed him the scene above.
Then, in a not-so-RIOC manner, he did something about.
Into TIKKIT
Under Report a Problem on RIOC’s homepage lies the TIKKIT system. We’ve applauded their can-do spirit and effectiveness before. Put your issue with RIOC in the system and see what happens.
Daniels did that.
As it turned out, the problem was not directly with RIOC. It’s maintenance team, sparked by TIKKIT, discovered that responsibility rested with Hudson-Related’s Building 9 construction team. While Public Safety could and should have done something months ago, Hudson-Related’s team responded promptly, putting a proper sign in place in just a few days.
Finally…
Hats off toe Bryant Daniels. The are other diamonds in the messy rough now troubling RIOC, Daniels repeatedly tells me. In this case, it’s certainly true.
Use the TIKKIT system. Maybe you’ll stir up some more, and don’t forget to thank them for their efforts.
Emergency Without Urgency
When government invokes the word “emergency,” normal process changes. Timelines accelerate. Environmental review can narrow. Procurement pathways can shift.
