Councilman Frank Morano

10/10/2026

At this week’s Stated Meeting, I introduced Intro 1117, a common sense piece of legislation built on a simple principle: communities deserve to know how major projects will impact their neighborhoods BEFORE they move forward.

This legislation was inspired by the proposed 160-bed homeless shelter on Arthur Kill Road in Tottenville, which was filed with the Department of Buildings as a transient hotel.

My bill would require the developers building or converting properties into transient hotels to prepare a Community Impact Statement addressing critical concerns like traffic, emergency response times, infrastructure, and neighborhood compatibility. That information would be shared with local elected officials, community boards, and the public BEFORE permits are issued.

Whether you live on Staten Island, in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, or Manhattan, you deserve transparency and respect from your government. And that transparency should come BEFORE the decision, not after.

10/09/2026

📢 REMINDER: Saturday Office Hours are back TOMORROW!

Can’t make it to my District Office during the week? We’re here to help! My office will be open tomorrow, Saturday, October 10th, from 10 am to 2 pm to assist District 51 residents with constituent services and any issues they may be facing.

Whether you need assistance with a city agency, have a neighborhood concern, or simply want to stop by, my team is here to serve you! No need to take time off work during the week to get the help you need. For questions, call (718) 984-5151 or email [email protected].

10/09/2026

Great to see our efforts to expand educational opportunities for New York City students featured in the Chinese-language press!

I was proud to join Councilwoman Susan Zhuang and several of my colleagues at City Hall to support legislation examining disparities in access to Gifted and Talented programs and special education services.

Every child deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential, regardless of their ZIP code, family income, or individual learning needs.

If a child needs additional support, we should provide it. If a child is academically gifted, we should challenge them. And if certain neighborhoods don't have enough educational opportunities, the answer is to expand those opportunities, not take them away from other children.

Thank you to Councilwoman Zhuang for her leadership and to the Chinese-language press for helping bring attention to this important issue!

🇺🇸 🇨🇳

很高興看到中文媒體報導我們為擴大紐約市學生教育機會所做的努力！

我很榮幸與莊文怡市議員及多位市議會同事一起，在市政廳支持推動相關法案，研究資優教育課程及特殊教育服務在不同社區之間的資源分配差異。

每個孩子都應該有機會充分發揮自己的潛能，不論他們住在哪個郵遞區號、家庭收入多少，或有什麼不同的學習需求。

需要額外協助的孩子，我們就應該提供支持；學習能力突出的孩子，我們就應該給予更多挑戰。如果某些社區缺乏足夠的教育資源，解決方法應該是增加機會，而不是剝奪其他孩子已有的機會。

感謝莊文怡市議員的領導，也感謝中文媒體關注這個重要議題！

每個孩子都值得擁有成功的機會！

10/09/2026

10/09/2026

Somedays are a little more interesting than others

10/09/2026

This week, I had a very productive meeting with leaders of the Staten Island Developmental Disabilities Council, including Chair Dina Klein, Treasurer Maryann Virga, and Recording Secretary Janet La Mantia.

These women have spent years advocating for Staten Islanders with developmental disabilities and the families who love and care for them. They know firsthand where the system works, where it falls short, and what needs to change.

We discussed the urgent need for more residential opportunities, better long-term planning for families with aging caregivers, and making sure people with the most profound disabilities aren't forgotten or left behind.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, an important reminder that people with disabilities deserve opportunities to work, contribute, live with dignity, and remain part of our community.

I'm grateful for their insight, their advocacy, and their willingness to work with me. My goal is simple: make Staten Island a place where people with disabilities and their families can count on the support they need, not just today, but for the rest of their lives.

10/09/2026

Some good news from City Hall today, and not a single Council Member voted against it!

Have you ever walked outside to find your car missing? Was it stolen? Was it towed? And if it was towed, who took it and where the heck did they put it?

For too many New Yorkers, finding their own car has meant spending hours making phone calls, contacting police precincts, and navigating a maze of government websites.

Well, today we took a big step toward putting an end to that nonsense.

The City Council passed legislation introduced by my colleague Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, which I was proud to cosponsor, creating one centralized online database where New Yorkers can find their towed vehicles, whether they were removed by the City or a private towing company.

Tow truck operators will generally have to report a tow within two hours. You'll be able to look up where your car was taken, who took it, and how to get it back. You'll even be able to sign up for a text or email alert when your vehicle has been towed.

Think about what this means for a working parent trying to pick up their kids, a senior heading to a doctor's appointment, or someone who needs their car to get to work. Instead of wasting half the day playing detective, they'll have a straightforward way to find their vehicle.

Government should be making people's lives easier, not turning a missing car into a scavenger hunt.

I want to thank Councilwoman Vernikov for spearheading this effort. I was happy to sign on as a cosponsor and help advance a practical reform that will make a real difference in people's lives.

And apparently, even at City Hall, common sense can still be unanimous. Not one Council Member voted no!

The bill now heads to the Mayor's desk. If enacted, the new system will be required to launch within a year.

Less bureaucracy, more accountability, and one less headache for hardworking New Yorkers. That's the kind of legislation I'm happy to support.

10/09/2026

These were outstanding. They were also nice enough to donate them for the event. Highly recommend you patronize them!

10/08/2026

Last week, I attended a joint oversight hearing on the World Cup’s impact on New York City’s small businesses.

The headline number is impressive: an estimated $2 billion in economic impact, despite not a single match being played in the five boroughs. But I wanted to know: where did that money actually go?

I also pressed the Administration on why, of nearly 1,000 businesses participating in the Five Borough Winners program, 589 were in Manhattan and just 28 were on Staten Island. I don’t think that was intentional, but somebody should have noticed while the program was underway and worked to fix it.

For the next big event, Staten Island and our neighborhood small businesses can’t be an afterthought. Set benchmarks, track the numbers in real time, and make sure all five boroughs get a fair shot.

10/08/2026

It was a real pleasure joining friends and neighbors at The Conference House for a beautiful Sunset Celebration, rain and all.

This place is especially personal to me. I’m proud to be the first City Council Member in history to have grown up in Tottenville, so being able to celebrate one of the most important historic sites in our community means a great deal.

As we continue to mark America’s 250th anniversary, there are few better places to reflect on our nation’s history than the Conference House, a site that is deeply connected to both the story of America and the story of Staten Island.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the evening such a success and to all who came out despite the weather to celebrate our community, our history, and a true Staten Island treasure.