✋ NYC TLC To Hold In-Person Voting Meeting At 10AM, This Wednesday
Meeting agenda states TLC Chair David Do will present, but doesn't disclose what Board is voting on. Meeting is a voting-only meeting and not a public hearing about proposed policy
The NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC) will hold an in-person voting meeting this Wednesday, March 6th at 10am
The meeting will be livestreamed and the public can also attend the meeting in-person at TLC’s headquarters (33 Beaver Street, 19th Floor, New York, NY, 10004)
Unclear what TLC Board will be voting on, but Chair David Do will present a “Chair’s Report” and there will be a presentation on upgrades to Woodside (Queens) inspection facility
Meeting is a voting-only meeting and not a public hearing to publicly gather feedback about proposed policy
The NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC) will hold an in-person voting-only Board meeting this Wednesday, March 6th at 10am.
The meeting will be livestreamed on TLC’s website and the public can also attend the meeting in-person at TLC’s Manhattan headquarters (33 Beaver Street, 19th Floor, New York, NY, 10004). To be clear, this meeting is not a public hearing to gather feedback, but a public voting-only TLC Board meeting that includes formal presentations.
The TLC has published a meeting agenda (see below), but it is vague and unclear (to us at least) about what exactly is being voted on. Is it just the adoption of October 18th meeting minutes or, our guess is the TLC will also be voting on previously proposed Taxi Improvement Fund (TIF) changes, but this is speculation (we could be wrong). It’s confusing to us, why the agenda does not clearly describe what is being voted on.
Also on the agenda is a formal presentation about upgrades, including adding electric vehicle (EV) chargers, to TLC’s Woodside Inspection Facility (24-55 B.Q.E. West, Woodside, NY 11377).
Who’s on the TLC Board?
As we’ve reported, TLC Chair David Do term actually expired at the end of January, but we believe, based on our understanding of the City Charter, he can legally remain in that position until he is officially re-nominated or a replacement is found.
Ahead of the TLC Board meeting we thought it might be helpful to provide the names and brief bios of every ✋ voting ✋ TLC Board Commissioner. Right now, only 7 of 9 TLC Board seats are filled. In addition, as we’ve covered previously, it appears Board Commissioner Chan and Mitchell’s terms have also ended without an official re-nomination process. Outside of TLC Chair & Board Commissioner David Do, all other TLC Board members do not receive compensation.
Biographies are from TLC’s 2023 Annual Report.
✋ David Do (TLC Chair & Commissioner): David Do was nominated by Mayor Adams to be the Chair and Commissioner of the Taxi and Limousine Commission in April 2022. Prior to his time at TLC, Commissioner Do served as the Director of the Washington, D.C. Department of For-Hire Vehicles (DFHV), where he oversaw the city’s fastmoving and competitive for-hire vehicle industry. Prior to his service at DFHV, Commissioner Do served as the Director of the Washington, D.C. Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs, where he worked to improve the quality of life for thousands of D.C. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI).
✋ Kenneth Chan (TLC Board Commissioner): Commissioner Chan was nominated to serve as Commissioner of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission by Mayor Eric Adams on April 28, 2023 and confirmed by the City Council on May 26, 2023. Kenneth Chan is a Brooklyn resident and a small business owner who brings a unique and extensive experience in business partnerships, as well as technology development and implementation. Previously, Chan worked as Asia regional intellectual property counsel and director of intellectual property strategy at Corning, Inc., where he helped establish and lead intellectual property law functions in Asia to support the company’s investments and growth.
✋ Sarah Kaufman (TLC Board Commissioner): Sarah Kaufman joined the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission with extensive experience in transportation policymaking, research, and education. Kaufman is the director of the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation, where she researches, advocates for and teaches about cutting-edge technologies in transportation. She is also an adjunct professor of planning, teaching Intelligent Cities and Advanced Projects in Urban Planning. Mayor Eric Adams nominated Kaufman to serve as Commissioner on April 28, 2023, and the City Council confirmed her on May 26, 2023. Kaufman was honored by City & State New York with a Transportation Power 100 Award in 2022 and 2021, a Responsible 100 Award in 2018 and a Tech Power 50 Award in February 2019.
✋ Kenneth C. Mitchell (TLC Board Commissioner): Appointed to the Staten Island seat by the Mayor on the recommendation of the New York City Council in November 2016, Commissioner Mitchell also serves as the Executive Director of the Staten Island Zoological Society, Inc., a position he has held since September 2011. In this capacity, Commissioner Mitchell is responsible for the overall administration and the day-to-day operation of the Staten Island Zoo.
✋ Thomas Sorrentino (TLC Board Commissioner): Commissioner Sorrentino was appointed by the Mayor in 2017 on the recommendation of the Brooklyn delegation of the New York City Council. Commissioner Sorrentino served as a member of Kings County Community Board 18 for approximately five years, where he chaired its Transportation Committee. He is currently a partner in the accounting firm of PKF O’Connor Davies LLP and serves on the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
✋ Elisa Velazquez (TLC Board Commissioner): Commissioner Velazquez was appointed by the Mayor in 2022. Commissioner Velazquez currently serves as Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Commissioner for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) where she oversees several critical functions including Expense and Miscellaneous Revenue Budget, Facilities Maintenance and Construction, the Agency Chief Contracting Office and Executive Support and Administration. Prior to serving in her current role, Commissioner Velazquez was the Agency Chief Contracting Officer (ACCO) and Assistant Commissioner where she managed the procurement and fiscal operations for New York City’s water and wastewater utility.
✋ Paul Bader (TLC Board Commissioner): Paul Bader has long been an active member in his community. He has served on Manhattan Community Board 2 and Brooklyn Community Board 6 and was a member of the board of the New York State Health Foundation, Danspace at St. Marks, and the Gowanus Canal Community Development Corporation. He was nominated to serve as Commissioner of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission by the Queens delegation of the City Council on April 28, 2023, and appointed by Mayor Adams on May 26, 2023. Prior to his time with the Commission, Bader worked in the NYC Comptroller’s Office and for the Speaker of the NY State Assembly. Additionally, he brings first-hand experience as a driving instructor and as a yellow cab driver.
Official Meeting Notice 👇
Official Agenda 👇
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