'Night Mayor' Bill Passes City Council Committee Vote

BROWNSVILLE, BROOKLYN — The City came one step closer to getting its very own mayor of the nighttime when a City Council committee approved the Night Mayor bill on Friday.

The Consumer Affairs Committee has voted to pass City Councilman Rafael Espinal’s proposed bill to establish an Office of Nightlife and a Nightlife Task Force on Friday, the Brownsville representative announced Friday.

The bill calls for the creation of the Office of Nightlife — headed by a night mayor — to keep tabs on late-night businesses, help those businesses deal with complex city bureaucracies, and propose new policies to help protect small DIY spaces from closing.

Inspiration for the nocturnal politico came from Amsterdam, who instated a nachtburgemeester in 2014. Zurich, Paris and London soon followed suit, but New York would be the first city in the United States to designate a special mayor for when it's dark outside.

“This bill accurately reflects the diversity of the NYC nightlife scene and makes it possible to recognize the contributions these spaces make,” said Espinal in a statement.

“I am happy to see the quick progress of this legislation and look forward to continuing conversations with local communities.”

Espinal is hoping the bill will help protect small businesses like Shea Stadium, the DIY venue forced to close because of mounting fees and a revoked lease, who too often lose battles against fines, fees, and rising rents, he said.

“Lou Reed and the Ramones come from that culture,” Espinal told Patch in May. “I don’t want the city to get to the place where those artists are without a space to perform.”

The bill is slated to go up for vote in City Council on August 24th.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay