 Well, good afternoon. Greetings from Megara's College. A college birthed out of the Central Brooklyn community with social justice in its DNA, named for the slain civil rights leader, Megara Wally Evers. We are honored to host Mayor Eric Adams for this groundbreaking announcement about cannabis, of which Megara is a leader in this city for cannabis education. Launched in the fall of 2021, thanks to Dr. Alicia Reed and Dr. Michael Crump, Megara Evers College is the first institution in CUNY to offer a degree minor in cannabis education. Some notable outcomes over this past year include, and this is major, three cannabis students earned the best of show in a competitive 2022 National Science Foundation iCore program in which they were accepted. A Meg cannabis community education event was hosted by the chemistry and environmental science department that brought together some 400 attendees including cannabis influencers, cannabis experts, faculty, community members, fledgling cannabis business and government officials. Meg faculty have presented in cannabis presentations in Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx and in Albany and we have been contacted by organizations from other states regarding partnerships. We are thankful to Mayor Adams for his continued support of Megara Evers College. Please welcome to the podium New York City's 110th Mayor, Mayor Eric Adams. Thank you. Thank you, President. Good to see you. And, you know, Megara Evers is the joint. This is one of my most popular colleges in our CUNY system, fighting as a state senator to give it its four-year status and some of the great leaders that have not only taught here but that have emerged from here to do great things here on Buffett Avenue. It has been an anchor for the development of this community and it really caters the educational opportunities based on its student body. And I'm sure the Borough President, Antonio Renoso would tell you about how many great things happen here in this space. We have entertained rural leaders. We have had major conferences and we are on the cutting edge of moving the student body forward. And nothing personifies that more than this conversation around cannabis. It is a way to light up our economy and launch cannabis NYC. Something that Commissioner Kim is extremely excited about. The economic opportunities are amazing. And what we are announcing here today is the first of his kind initiative the equitable growth of the cannabis industry in New York City by doing it here in Megavis College. You are to do an analysis of the greatest number of individuals and students who were impacted negatively by an extremely aggressive law enforcement fighting of cannabis. You will find that many of the students were here. They came through this institution and now to be on the cutting edge of part of the economic opportunities it says a lot. And let's be clear, what we are doing here is promise made, promise kept. We made the promise that we were going to use this law to reinvest in those who were just as involved and that's what we are doing. We are creating the nation most equitable cannabis industry is part of the blueprint for economic recovery. We have witnessed across the countries states and cities that are getting it wrong and we are not going to make those same mistakes here. Today we are planting the seeds for the economic growth and the economy of tomorrow. The regulated adult use cannabis industry is a once in a generation chance for underserved communities especially black and brown communities to be a part of this new industry here in our city. For too long these communities have faced high rates of drug related incarcerations and they have been denied opportunities to build wealth. That's a terrible combination and today we are dismantling that combination. Now they have a chance to get in the industry and from the ground up be part of the development of this industry. Cannabis NYC, a brain child of our commissioner will help New Yorkers apply for licenses and understand how to open and successfully run a business. We will work with our state and local partners to make this happen in applications to the state office of cannabis management for adult use retail dispensary licenses open this Thursday, August 25th we want to have a major role in assisting in that opening. New Yorkers can call 888-SBS-4NYC or visit www.nyc.gov backslash cannabis to get the information they are looking for. These licenses will go to New Yorkers who were directly impacted by the war on drugs who have run successful businesses in the past. It's about setting the foundation of equity and giving those who have been just as involved those with a cannabis conviction a chance to succeed. We're going back and reaching out to those who were impacted by this in many ways. We're not just saying let's move forward we need to go back to make people whole. You could be a young man who was jailed for drug possession or a mother who needs work a second job all want to start her own business. Cannabis NYC is here to help you and we're going to get the message out loudly and clearly. This is about creating jobs, successful small businesses and bringing equity for communities that were harmed by criminalization for many, many years. When you think about the dollars we're not talking about small numbers. This industry is predicted to have $1.3 billion in sale by 2023 and jobs. 19,000 to 24,000 jobs created over the next three years. This is an exciting moment to make sure that everyone is part of this industry and this is just at the beginning. Cannabis NYC in the coming months will be expanding services as more licenses come online and we will help support and service those who are looking to go into this business including no-cost training on how to operate a successful business because we don't want the dreams, the aspirations of those who want to go in this industry to go up in smoke. We want it to be firm solid. Get the foundation. Running a business is hard and it becomes easier when you have a neighborhood college that has a welcome act to give you all the support that you deserve to assure your business is a success. We're excited about this. I want to thank all those who are involved particularly amazing board president Calciman Riley the commissioner of this great institution for allowing us to use this as a moment to uplift people something that Ms. Rice has fought for for years with the Urban League is to come together of all the entities to make government work and to get stuff done. Thank you Madam President. Thank you Mayor Adams for your leadership to allow today's historic announcement to be created. So thank you again. Thank you Dr. Ramsey and thank you Edgar Evers for hosting us in this beautiful space. I want to also acknowledge Borough President Antonio Rinozo and Council Member Kevin Riley who have been great partners to SBS. Thank you for joining us and also to all the advocates here welcome and thank you again for joining us as well. Social equity is always at the center of our work at the New York City Department of Small Business Services in the emerging regulated cannabis industry. That's why ahead of the state's first retail application opening this Thursday we are proud to announce today the launch of Cannabis NYC with the city's first ever services all at no cost and in multiple languages to help aspiring justice involved entrepreneurs apply for the state's first retail license. By awarding retail licenses in this first round only to justice involved applicants the state is ensuring that the roots of this industry are based in equity and the city is proud to partner closely with the state to achieve the shared goal. So our message today is very very clear if you or a close family member had a marijuana arrest or conviction for March 31st, 2021 and you've been an owner or a partial owner of a profitable business for two years or more you may be eligible to apply for this first round of licenses. SBS is here to help assess your eligibility and provide one-on-one assistance in completing your application and this is only the beginning because applying for a license and even getting a license is just the first step from trainings on how to operate a successful business to educational webinars and resources and help with applications on future license categories please turn to SBS. Our cannabis NYC initiative will continue to grow with one of its main goals to help New Yorkers who have been involved in the unregulated cannabis industry for many many years transition into the licensed market that will lift up communities throughout our city we know that New York City has a moral and economic responsibility to support this industry's equitable growth so please as the mayor said call our SBS hotline at 888-SBS the number four NYC or visit nyc.gov slash cannabis to get started thank you very much and now I would like to introduce our next speaker Ms. Arva Rice as president and CEO of the New York Urban League Ms. Rice has been at the helm of an organization that has supported the city's African-American community in pursuit of economic and social justice for over 100 years and we have been fortunate to benefit from her council in standing up an equitable cannabis industry in New York City ladies and gentlemen Ms. Arva Rice thank you thank you Medgar Evers president Patricia Ramsey for hosting us this morning and for your college's commitment to ensuring our communities receive the training and support to participate in the cannabis business thank you Mayor Adams for your courageous leadership on this issue locally and nationally we appreciate your acceptance of the challenge for the New Yorkers to lead the way in ensuring an equitable implementation of cannabis legislation and thank you small business commissioner Kevin Kim the work you are taking on will have a generational impact on our communities and on our city I know that with the support of our great mayor you are more than up to the task and the New York Urban League stands ready to support you in this important work as stated I'm Arva Rice I have the privilege of serving as president and CEO of the New York Urban League for over 100 years the New York Urban League has led the way in the education employment and empowerment of underserved African Americans across the five boroughs during this time we are proud to have inspired, influenced and ignited over one million black people to achieve their highest aspirations at our core we believe that inequality is unacceptable nowhere has inequality reared its ugly head more than in the justice system around cannabis as a result I am pleased to stand before you today in support of the city's initiative everyone gathered here today knows the disproportionate impact that marijuana enforcement has had in black and brown communities arrests, convictions and incarcerations result in time away from family school, career business and more this has generational consequences in 2018 a Pew research study of the FBI's uniform crime reporting program found that 40% of US drug arrest in 2018 were for possession sale or manufacture of marijuana in July 2017 the drug policy alliance and marijuana arrest research project found that black and Latino people accounted for 86% of all marijuana arrest while whites and others stopped accounted for just 14% of marijuana arrest the result of these arrests have lifelong impacts on unemployment and earning potential the rates of employment following incarceration for black women were 43.6% and 35.2% for men which was much higher than their white counterparts and so in the words of our mayor New York City the greatest city in the world must get this right the New York Urban League applause the creation of cannabis NYC as the commissioner stated cannabis NYC will uniquely work with industry stakeholders to create good jobs successful small businesses and sustainable economic opportunities and yet we know that this work is just the beginning because the change in the legislation has overlapping impacts on social equity community reinvestment environmental justice public health product safety and quality control we must work locally at the state level and the federal level to ensure that there is the incentive infrastructure and influence so that our black brothers and sisters not only have a seat at the table but know the forks and knives to use in order to access capital and ultimately be successful thank you Matt Mayor Adams for this important initiative and President Ramsey for creating and implementing this effort the New York Urban League along with our partners the National Urban League National Action Network and NAACP are poised and ready to assist your efforts hold you accountable and join in the celebration when the New York City leads the nation and getting this right for our communities thank you I'm going to bring on two of our partners Councilman Riley and Board President Antonio Renoso Board President and then we turn it over to the Councilman thank you so much Mr. Mayor thank you Mr. Mayor welcome home as usual to the center of the universe that is Brooklyn, New York first and foremost and at the center the center of the universe is this amazing and incredible education institution run by President Dr. Ramsey thank you for the great work you do here at Medgar Evers including being smart enough to start a cannabis program here in this school when other folks didn't see it as a potential but we want to talk about this being an emerging market of great proportions I don't think the city of New York has seen this type of market coming in and what ends up happening with these types of emerging markets is that non-traditional players usually get left out exclusively and for a lot of people they might not understand why the layers of work that we need to be doing to ensure equity into this work why put so much effort why have the mayor stand here and implement all these resources and this initiative alongside Medgar Evers is because again non-traditional players are usually left out and that is what we're trying to change here we're talking about billions of dollars and countless countless jobs and if we're not at the center of it before before the market enters the city of New York then we will continuously be left out and that would be unacceptable so I know for some folks they might not know the impact of the initiative that we're presenting today that the mayor is presenting today but what it will mean for black and brown people to have been disproportionately impacted by the drug the war on crime the war on drugs they will see that in the fruit of our labor decades down the line we've brought in an entire community an entire generation into economic potential economic delivery that we haven't seen in quite some time also Mr. Rice has talked about the disparities between arrests between Latino and black mostly men impoverished men versus their white counterparts but what is important to that statistic is that foundationally we have to be very clear that white people and black and brown people smoke weed at the exact same rate I want to be very clear use marijuana at the exact same rate it's important to note that because there is equity in use but there is an equity in arrest and without that I think it gets layered on people are continually saying that we're justifying what I liked Commissioner Kim said the unregulated market versus the illegal market of drug use it's like very important that we note that because it was not illegal for a bunch of people clearly white affluent people can smoke weed without regard and it wasn't a concern so the unregulated conversation is great but again we want to make sure we do right by the people that have been most affected and the only way to do that is by stepping up and that is what our mayor is doing today and I wanted to be here with him front and center in his borough of Brooklyn making sure that you know that we're paying attention and we're going to do right by our people so thank you so much and don't forget to spread love it's the Brooklyn way, thank you Thank you Mr. Mayor for having me here today I came all the way from the Bronx long ride but this is an important conversation because we're talking about economic empowerment we're talking about equity empowerment which we're trying to bring to our communities of color my family was jeopardized by the war on drugs I lost my father to the prison system because of war on drugs and that's why I got into office because I wanted to make sure that we're addressing these concerns and when I had this conversation with the mayor a few months ago he stated that this is an opportunity for New York City to do an amazing job with the cannabis market when it comes into our city so you kept your promise Mr. Mayor I'm here to support you in any way I can thank you Commissioner Kim for having me I'm looking forward to getting this initiative done thank you It gets the afternoon, sorry, I'm good thanks so I wanted to ask, I mean understand it's the state's regulations but a colleague of mine had done a story months ago where she spoke to experts and unfortunately the kind of then diagram of people who were previously justice involved from marijuana convictions and also had that two years of business experience it's very small given the limitations that they had because they had prior convictions to get the financial backing and to open up a business can be very difficult for people who have prior convictions so can the city do anything I don't know if SBS can do anything to ensure that people who were working in what was then in a legal market will now be legal can still have an opportunity to legalize what they've been doing and what they've been experts at for years and the Commissioner can state that but anyone who has run a small business would tell you that operating a small business where you have to pay a high level of insurance a high level of utility a high level of bookkeeping is really different from running your business as a street corner pharmaceutical expert it's a different business and if we set people up for failure then we're doing injustice and that's not what we're going to do when you run a legal business there are many things you need to be aware of and that's why we're doing this partnership with the college where people can get the basic understanding of how to run a legal business Commissioner Thank you for that question I think what's most important to note today is that this first round of applications is just that there are nine total licenses that the state is issuing and the cultivation and the processing licenses have been issued but there are other licenses on-site consumption and so on that will be open to every New Yorker so this is just specifically involved and the reason why I noted that only justice-involved people would be eligible for this is that many other states who have gone through this process did not really intentionally put social equity at the forefront like New York State has and that's why for us here at New York City partnering with the state to achieve that social equity goal that's approximately 150 or so that they're aiming for but then soon thereafter there will be other licenses that will be open to all New Yorkers and the final point is that there are a lot of businesses that are going to be formed that don't touch the plant that have nothing to do with growing or selling marijuana there's security there's accounting and there's delivery and whatnot so what we are doing at SBS is preparing them to no matter what shape or form that will be still part of the cannabis industry but not necessarily touch the plant can you clarify the nine is that for the city only? no that is the state so this is all state issued licenses and there will be nine license categories can you just explain a little bit more the relationship with Medgar Evers and how it's going to work with this program? well Medgar Evers is just an important part of our New York City infrastructure as you know the CUNY system as a whole is as well and so the education program that they set up has been instrumental in getting New Yorkers educated and understanding what the opportunities are and so this is just a continuation of that I think the state has also invested in Lehman College and Queens College to other CUNY institutions so that we are going to be poised well here in New York City to be able to do the proper outreach and education to make sure everybody who wants to participate in this emerging market can this is a new industry and when you start a new industry people need to know all the components of the industry not all of it is as the commissioner stated is selling or growing there's an entire industry that is starting in the city for the first time and it is imperative to have these on ramp to these industries and CUNY is the best way to do it particularly when you're talking about diversity among the student body and teaching each part of the industry so now you have students that are coming in and they say we hear this about this cannabis what are the job and career and ownership possibilities mega Evers and CUNY is going to be providing that this is a very important partnership because we're going to be helping with the curriculum we're going to be helping modify as the law changes people need to be aware of that this partnership is crucial thank you on the enforcement side of things once the legal market actually launches once businesses are up and running can you go into a little bit on how enforcement against illicit sellers will work at that point will it be stepped up in order to make sure there isn't illegal sales or how will that look you can never have a legal market with an illegal market they can't go together we're not going to have the heavy handed policing that you witnessed in the past where someone has a joint in their pockets and we all of a sudden going to tell them to put it in public now we're resting them from public view that is not happening we're not going back to that but we're not going to allow trucks to be on our streets openly selling marijuana coming from out of the city selling marijuana on our streets not paying taxes not buying by the rules and you don't even know what the product is we're finding that some product now is being laced with fentanyl we have to be extremely careful what our citizens are consuming and you can't have local bodegas selling these products we must make sure that it is regulated and safe that people are actually getting what they're paying for and those who openly violate or those who are shipped in large quantities here they are breaking the law and we're not going to allow that to happen while we have a legal market Lisa what's happening now that we're doing off off off Mr. Mayor last week we did a story about a drug den that had taken over a Chelsea neighborhood a lot of quality and life concerns from people everything from drug paraphernalia drug use on the streets in front of the school people who had substance abuse issues actually pooping I don't know any other way to say it on their front doorsteps in front of the school all over the place police told us to do what they could but their hands are tied what do you say to New Yorkers we've been getting a flood of response from communities all over the city residents saying these quality of life crimes are really making them consider moving out of New York we saw that story and that was a good story and I do not subscribe to the theory that one's hands are tied when it comes on the quality of life issues you see what we're doing with ATVs paper plates license plates and all others I'm a big quality of life person met with our team over the weekend zooming in on this we are extremely forthright with it but you know Lisa we need our partners laws are being put in place everything from decriminalizing public urination that's just unacceptable and so we can't have this duality where we're asking the police to deal with quality of life issues and then on another end we're decriminalizing those quality of life issues we have to be on one message as we rolled out our encampment policies you saw the attacks we received when people said people should be able to live in encampments on subway systems they should be able to live in encampments on streets so we're ignoring that because I know what everyday New Yorkers want they want to save clean city and I'm not going to accept the police department we're looking at that particular incident and we're looking at other incidents where we're seeing quality of life problems you've talked about the state assembly's role in changing the laws they're not even scheduled to be back in session until January but a lot of people feel that this is a crisis that's accelerating and their concerns now with school opening in a couple of weeks and kids having to walk through all of this you know, what's beyond my control we are controlling what's outside my span of control and we need to really speak on I think our law makers our judges our prosecutors everyone who is a part of the criminal justice system they have a role record number of arrests for violent actions record number of arrests for guns decreasing shooters decreasing homicides zeroing in on those predatory crime the police department is doing their job and it's clear that this process needs to be playing off the same playbook that New Yorkers are expecting us to play off I don't believe we are I say this over and over again we are passing laws to protect people who commit crimes when do we start passing laws that protect people who are the victims of crimes in the senate primaries tomorrow you have endorsed by a dozen people mostly moderate candidates running against progressives the question is why and what are you trying to accomplish as you said I want people in Albany that understand the prerequisite to prosperity is public safety and justice as you said moderate not conservative I want people that know they are aware of how to have that balance I think that there are some people some people in Albany that really are not identifying the reality that is playing out on our streets I hear the public every day I watch them when I'm on the subway system I know they are tired of someone punching someone in the face having them in critical condition and then the person who punched them on parole walks out something is wrong with that and I need people in Albany that they believe like I do we need to protect innocent New Yorkers professional primaries are likely to result in a loss of power and experience in the New York delegation are you worried about it some say it will make it more difficult to get what you have not done from Washington I think we have some great congressional lawmakers as you know I endorse Hakeem Jeffries he has been an amazing lawmaker I believe the New York delegation has been great hopefully we can hold on to Congress and successfully move an agenda forward that is good for the American people we did it during COVID how much of the congressional delegation helped New York City and other parts of the country so we want the victories we need and I'm hoping that we continue to have the right people in Washington to do it this is a true question on immigration the latest estimate from City Hall says about 6,000 migrants have arrived in the city maybe 100 are arriving from Texas on bus each day does the city have solid numbers and what's your administration doing to track the migrants who could be arriving through planes other buses the second part is how much longer can the city afford to give out benefits to these migrants like free health insurance and housing and the status of a press for aid from the White House first the only way we are able to communicate with the number of migrants that are coming in is through the bus company the governor of Texas is not giving any information at all no matter how much we try to coordinate crisis calls on coordination and he has been really just a person who is being spirited in the area of helping people in a time of need we are going to do our moral and legal obligation legally right to shelter whoever comes to the city if it's day one we are legally and morally responsible for giving them housing when we hold events like we held through health and hospital over the weekend it wasn't just for migrants it was for anyone if someone walked up the block and said I needed insurance we have been pushing the insurance that we have through health and hospital this is not new if someone walked up with a child and said I need a knapsack we are not going to ask you what is your immigration status helping people in need is part of what New York is doing so if anyone wants to give it to spend that this was about just helping migrant that is not true there were backpacks give away all over the city for New York residents migrants and everyone else it's about helping our neighbors and that's what this administration is doing so how is the city able to keep doing that are you expecting the White House to use your request for aid we have a legal obligation so it's not up to us to decide if we want to ensure people have shelter and the partnerships we have developed with nonprofits it's not only city dollars sometimes people think this is only city dollars we have a host of nonprofits Luis Miranda from the Hispanic Federation called me yesterday and said how do we help we have a group of seniors the grannies that are calling helping out so this is not just city dollars when you see these items being given to people it is not coming from the city it's coming from the countless non-profits religious group volunteers groups people are chipping in to help their neighbors I'm sorry we are waiting to get the dollar amount the White House gave us the pathway to receive the assistance the process to doing so and we are optimistic that we are going to receive some assistance who pays do you pay the city pays and if it's you or the city can you provide the public with the receipts a couple of things you know what's going on with the New York Times the front page of the New York Times breaking news Eric likes going to restaurants come on you had to say to yourself let me finish my question let me finish you had to say to yourself with monkeypox COVID crime economy all the issues going on in the city they are writing a story that Eric goes to a restaurant that they stood out in front of I mean I have to ask myself is something going on with the New York Times right now the stories that they are writing about me I know people write stories you get a lot of clicks when Eric Adams' name is in it but the front page of the New York Times talked about me going to restaurants I pay every bill not the city I pay every bill and so you say why don't you give receipts what mayor have you ever asked to get receipts for his private dinners you can't have a room for Eric and then a room for everyone else some people allow that I don't I owe no one a receipt of a private dinner that I have with people in the city and I'm not going to start being treated differently and I won't accept that that was a silly story you know it was a silly story front page of the New York Times come on I'm not saying that's mayor because then it's not just a private dinner you're meeting with different people and you're governing the city I'm never on private time you know that I'm considered mayor all the time I don't clock out at being mayor so if I'm sitting down with my son having dinner he's asking my opinions if I'm sitting down with Bill de Blasio Cuomo friends I mean who doesn't have a favorite restaurant this has to be one of the most silly things I've ever heard you telling me you don't have a favorite restaurant one you don't have a favorite restaurant that you go to everyone in here has a favorite restaurant now let me tell you something else that they didn't report they didn't report when I finished my meals at the restaurant that I go in the subway system over and throughout the night to make sure we're doing the job we deserve they didn't report how I go to the areas of the city to make sure what happens during the midnight hours because if I'm going to hang out with the boys I'm going to get up with the men I'm up every morning doing my job and I have a favorite restaurant called Lobaya I have a favorite restaurant in the Bronx that's owned by Fernando Mateo I have a favorite restaurant in Brooklyn called Sugar Hill I have a favorite restaurant all over the city I mean this is so silly they're saying that every goes out to restaurant breaking news, duh, yes I do and I don't hide in doing it so the reason they knew I was at Lobaya because they stood outside Lobaya I think they were too afraid to go to the south Bronx and stand outside those restaurants in addition to Lobaya the story focused heavily on Ciro Bonn I'm curious that's a members only club and you're not a member how are you able to get in there and who pays for that what happened Chris and many of the member only clubs there are many that are opening members only club does not mean non-members can't come in you go in with a gas that's what member only clubs say we can bring a guest in to the club I go in with gas you know oh come on come on Chris next you know if I tell you what I go with you're going to do full page stories on them nobody's going to hang out with me anymore because people are going to follow them they're going to watch them they're going to say what are they eating I'm just blown away how people are so attractive with my life I mean people just enjoy everything that I do that you see Eric Socks today that's going to be a full page story you know y'all write these stories about me that are just you have to look at them and laugh I have an active lovely life and I enjoy going out at night I walk in the kitchen and speak to the waiters the dishwashers the cooks I shake their hand you go talk to them and they said we never had a mayor that stops in and ask how are you doing I get on the elevator I speak to the elevator operator I engage with New Yorkers and the difference between Eric and others that have held these positions is that every New Yorker matter to me the person that drives the limousine and the person that sits in the back of the limousine and when you get one of the most powerful papers in the country if not the globe have a front page story of me going to restaurants you know you have to laugh about this stuff you know breaking news I like restaurants let me answer this sister's question because she went to ask me about school budget cuts she didn't follow me around for the whole of yes yes ma'am why won't you restore the cuts to public schools by four hundred and sixty nine million okay I don't know you got that number from our schools are going to open on time our children are going to get the best education they have ever received before I'm dedicated I'm committed I'm a public school mayor I grew up through the public school if I do an analysis I'm probably one of the you know few that have actually gone through the public school our children are going to receive the quality education that they deserve and you know we need to be clear on that a lot of people miss thirty eight billion dollar budget you know year after year after year sixty five percent of black and brown children madam president never reach proficiency never but they just want to keep doing the same thing over and over again it's not going to happen under my administration we're going to get the money to our students the money to our students where they need it and this is in the court system the court will decide whatever the court decides I'm going to respect black Katie back in June I asked you about improving the New York City lifeguard program better supplies and I think you're going to go back and talk because when you look at the city's lifeguard program they still use hand signals to message to each other they don't have radios they don't have ATVs it's only for enforcement so what's the update on that I know we're near the end of summer but I'm sure this is a question that we will go into the off season about how to improve things for next season to ensure we have enough lifeguards and also to ensure that maybe they'll get into the twenty twenty three in terms of equipment and messaging to make sure the beaches particularly are safe yes and we communicated I thought it was some great ideas we're looking for the next school season I mean next swimming season the beach season to make sure that we're prepared everything from a pipeline of the lifeguards to looking at some updated equipment to ATVs to radios we're really looking at how we can get this better next pool season with the Christmas just super quick Governor Huckle announced earlier today that the state is ending basically all COVID restrictions in schools once you come back in fall there will be no test to stay no mandatory quarantining if you interact with a positive student what do you think of that decision do you think that's the right move ahead of fall semester great question first of all I respect the decision of the governor we are going to have our own approach to COVID because you know New York City is unique because of the dense population but we think it's the right step in the right direction and we're going to look at them and make the determination with our Department of Health and Mental Hygiene what we're going to do school by school to make sure that our children are protected as best as possible but it's the step in the right direction as I stated from the beginning Chris if you go back that we had to learn to live with COVID and I was not willing to surrender this city to COVID we made the right decision and the reason many people don't know about it because we're winning and COVID has not engulfed our lives anymore and we're moving in the right direction we're going to continue to do so thank you, good to see you all