Robert C. Fried (Bob Fried)
@robertcfried.bsky.social
4.1K followers 3.9K following 20K posts
Vote Yes on All Five NYC Ballot Measures New Yorkers deserve a city government that delivers
Vote Yes on All Five NYC Ballot Measures New Yorkers deserve a city government that delivers
The image you shared is **advocacy**: it urges a “yes” vote on all five. It identifies the general subjects, but leaves out some important changes to public hearings and City Council oversight. Here is a more neutral explanation based on the city’s published ballot questions and the commission’s report. [nyc](https://www.nyc.gov/assets/charter/html/coge-adopted-final-report-2026.html)
## 1. Public-space approvals
### What would change?
This proposal would simplify permissions to use public streets and sidewalks for features such as accessibility ramps, planters, benches, and outdoor cafés. These permissions are called “revocable consents”—the city can withdraw them. [nyc](https://www.nyc.gov/assets/charter/html/coge-adopted-final-report-2026.html)
The amendment would:
- Remove mandatory public hearings, while retaining opportunities for community input.
- Remove the City Council’s power to disapprove sidewalk-café applications.
- Combine sidewalk and roadway outdoor-dining applications into a single process and modernize public-notice requirements. [nyc](https://www.nyc.gov/assets/charter/html/coge-adopted-final-report-2026.html)
### What do yes and no mean?
- Yes: Adopt the streamlined approval process.
- No: Keep the existing process, including mandatory hearings and Council review of sidewalk cafés. [nyc](https://www.nyc.gov/assets/charter/downloads/pdf/2026/appendix_a_poposed_ballot_questions_20260723.pdf)
### What should voters weigh?
The intended benefit is faster, less expensive approvals for businesses and property owners. The tradeoff is that …](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:3epzqefaicyxkh2z3fywbmy5/bafkreigmakdkqt2ga4uuhsg4nezceuntzqj65dukdmorkkkwhidwdw4bca)
