Photo Courtesy of Emil Cohen/NY City Council
City Councilman Jim Gennaro
By Forum Staff
The portfolio of the City Council’s Committee on Environmental Protection has been expanded to include the responsibilities of the former Committee on Resiliency and Waterfronts, Councilman Jim Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows) announced Monday.
The panel’s new name will be the Committee on Environmental Protection, Resiliency and Waterfronts. Gennaro, a geologist and environmental scientist, will continue to lead the newly expanded committee. Its members include Council Members Jennifer Gutierrez, Kamillah Hanks, Robert F. Holden, Julie Menin, Sandy Nurse and Lincoln Restler.
Both committees played a vital role in ensuring New York City is sustainable for future generations. The City Council’s Committee on Environmental Protection is responsible for overseeing and developing policies related to environmental protection and sustainability. The committee is responsible for reviewing and proposing legislation on issues such as air and water quality, climate change, and conservation of natural resources. The New York City Council’s Committee on Resiliency and Waterfronts was responsible for overseeing and developing policies related to the city’s waterfront and its ability to withstand natural disasters and climate change. The committee was focused on promoting resiliency and preparedness in the face of potential flooding, sea-level rise, and extreme weather events. The consolidation of these committees aims to streamline the process of developing environmental and resiliency policies with similar goals.
“I am confident that the move to merge these two committees will benefit the council’s ability to deal more effectively with all of New York City’s environmental, resiliency, and waterfront challenges, which intersect and overlap,” Gennaro said. “My expertise as an environmental scientist, combined with my decades of experience in environmental policy, will allow me to lead this newly expanded committee equipped with the knowledge and partnerships to protect the city’s coastal areas.”
Gennaro has more than 40 years of experience in City and State government. Between 1990 and 2001, Gennaro served as the senior environmental policy adviser to City Council Speaker Peter Vallone, Sr. Gennaro was first elected to the City Council in 2002, where he represented the 24th Council District and chaired the Committee on Environmental Protection for three terms (2002-2013). From 2014 to 2020, Gennaro served the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as deputy commissioner for New York City Sustainability and Resiliency. In February 2021, Gennaro won re-election to the Council in a special election, and once again became chairman of the Committee on Environmental Protection.
Gennaro has received numerous accolades for his work as Chair of the New York City Council’s Committee on Environmental Protection, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Environmental Policymaking in 2013. Gennaro has authored more than fifty landmark environmental laws, has spearheaded efforts to cut the City’s global warming pollution emissions, protect and restore Jamaica Bay, put more “clean air” vehicles on our streets, reduce toxic pesticide use, make the City’s electricity more reliable, clean, and affordable, protect the city’s remaining natural areas, and promote “green buildings.” He has also led the fight against unjust increases in water and sewer rates.
