Glorious weather and a tremendous crowd of nearly 400 people turned out on Sunday, May 23, 2021 at 5pm for a Park Slope Civic Council Forum for candidates running to succeed Brad Lander as the City Council Member for the 39th District.
The Candidate Forum, sponsored by the Park Slope Civic Council and co-sponsored by six other neighborhood organizations, was one of the first in New York to be held outdoors, and on the athletic field at the Old Stone House.
Attendees brought their own blankets and chairs, and all seven candidates participating in the June 22 Primary—Shahana Hanif, Mamnun Haq, Justin Krebs, Bridget Rein, Douglas Schneider, Jessica Simmons, and Brandon West—arrived and responded to questions posed by two local Brooklyn reporters, Ben Verde and Sadif A. Kully.
PSCC President Joe Rydell opened the Forum, welcoming the audience and thanking the co-sponsoring organizations: Old Stone House, Community Board #6, Park Slope Parents, Park Slope Neighbors, the 5th Avenue Business Improvement District, and the Park Slope Chamber of Commerce.
The candidates engaged in lively discussion on a range of important topics, including reopening public schools, revitalizing small businesses, the Gowanus Rezoning and affordable housing, and the expansion of the Park Slope Historic District.
Timothy Gilles, PSCC Executive Committee Member and chair of the Planning Committee for the Forum, said: “Several candidates told us afterward that this was the single best event of the campaign so far. The unexpectedly large turnout and extremely positive audience response show the opportunity that exists, as we emerge from the pandemic, for the Civic Council to be more visible and impactful organization, promoting and advocating for the Park Slope neighborhood.”
Here’s a video of the forum: