[EVG file photo from outside the 13th Step]
Back on Thursday, a trio of city officials — Speaker Corey Johnson, Council Member Rafael Espinal and Mayor de Blasio — announced the appointment of the 14 members of NYC's first-ever Nightlife Advisory Board.
Here's part of the new release from the city...
As a complement to the newly formed Office of Nightlife, the all-volunteer board is charged with making recommendations to the City Council and the Mayor on ways to improve regulations and policies that impact nightlife establishments.
Ranging from DJs and hospitality advocates to regulatory attorneys, the appointees bring a variety of perspectives and expertise on New York City’s celebrated nightlife.
“New York City’s nightlife is second to none. It attracts visitors from around the world and is an economic engine across the five boroughs. The new Nightlife Advisory Board reflects the diversity that makes our city and our nightlife great. Working together, we will ensure the industry continues to thrive,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.
The Nightlife Advisory Board will issue formal recommendations to the Mayor and the Council that will address the regulatory structure of the nightlife industry; common complaints about nightlife establishments; public safety concerns related to nightlife; zoning, enforcement, nightlife workforce conditions and the integration of nightlife into the city’s various neighborhoods. All members will serve two-year terms.
The Nightlife Advisory Board was established by the same legislation that created the City’s first Office of Nightlife. Sponsored by Council Member Rafael Espinal, the bill was signed into law by Mayor de Blasio in September 2017. In March 2018, Mayor de Blasio appointed Ariel Palitz as first Senior Executive Director of the Office of Nightlife.
Housed at the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, the Office of Nightlife is designed to serve as a central point of contact between City agencies, the nightlife industry, and city residents. Its mission is to promote a safe and vibrant nightlife scene that benefits businesses, residents and those who work in the industry alike.
City Council appointees
• Robert Bookman, regulatory and liquor licensing attorney, partner Pesetsky and Bookman
• Marti Gould Cummings, drag artist, LGBTQ advocate
• Alvester Garnett, drummer, percussionist, arts educator and advocate
• Pedro Goico, representative at New York Supermarket Association
• Olympia Kazi, architect, arts advocate and urban design critic. Member of the NYC Artists Coalition
• Andrew Praschak, environmental attorney
• Andrew Rigie, executive director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance
• David Rosen, Brooklyn and Queens bar operator and community organizer, co-founder of Brooklyn Allied Bars and Restaurants (BABAR)
• Susan Xenarios, director and founder, Crime Victims Treatment Center, Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals
Mayoral appointees
• José Francisco Ávila, founder and managing member of Garufina Afro-Latina Entertainment, LLC. and Chairman of the Board of The Garifuna Coalition USA, Inc
• Kurtis Blow, rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, DJ and Chairman of the Universal Hip Hop Museum who has released 15 albums over the course of his career
• DJ Tikka Masala composes and produces music for the Obie and Bessie award winning Brooklyn based feminist acrobatic dance company, LAVA, and is resident DJ at Henrietta Hudson, the oldest lesbian bar in the city. Tikka Masala has been working in NYC nightlife since 2004
• Susan Stetzer, district manager for Community Board 3, Manhattan, where she has served for the past 14 years
• Luisa F. Torres, owner of Mojitos Restaurant Bar and community activist
Over the weekend, several EVG readers reacted to the news via email, with one noting: "This has to be the most absurd concept ever. Meanwhile, homelessness is at a record high, NYCHA is gonna collapse and kids got lead poisoning, but we need more cocktails."
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