On Thursday, Mayor de Blasio signed an executive order to help small business owners mediate disputes that arise between themselves and neighbors (like noise complaints), and he did so at the Upper West Side’s Moonrise Izakaya, located at 774 Amsterdam Avenue on the corner of 98th Street.
The mayor dug the Japanese restaurant’s vibes, calling it “the most exotic executive order signing place,” and enjoyed a shot after the signing.
Photo Credit: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
Jacob Poznak, Moonrise Izakaya’s owner, kicked off the discussion by praising the city for its effort in helping small business owners survive throughout the pandemic. Poznak opened his restaurant in late 2019, not too long before the pandemic would change everything for the industry.
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Poznak also praised the new initiative – Mend NYC – as it has helped him resolve a dispute that arose when a neighbor complained about noise coming from his restaurant.
MEND NYC is a mediation program that brings small business owners and neighbors together to solve problems and improve quality of life.
Today, Jacob Poznak of Moonrise Izakaya and Gregory Brown signed the first MEND NYC resolution agreement. Congrats! ?https://t.co/h6RGnXjPYY pic.twitter.com/XUG2Ry2WIN
— NYC Mayor’s Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) February 19, 2021
The City describes the new initiative as one that “provides free mediation and conflict resolution services to address a number of neighborhood disputes that impact New Yorkers every day,” adding that it offers an “opportunity to create direct communication and compromise, establishing respectful and ongoing relationships that help New Yorkers co-exist peacefully in their communities while ensuring that small businesses thrive.”
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The program was launched during the summer of 2020 by the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings’ Center for Creative Conflict Resolution (CCCR) and the Office of Nightlife at the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and was launched in summer 2020.
A full video of the signing and discussion (which are followed by a round of shots) can be viewed by clicking the tweet below.
.@NYCMayor A recovery for all of us must support our small businesses. Join us on the Upper West… https://t.co/cJnAsMhPQv
— I Love The Upper West Side (@iLoveTheUWS) February 19, 2021
Poznac praised the city for helping the city durring the covid crisis. THIS IS FAKE NEWS. This mayor and city failed in helping any businesses. And failed their residents. I left the uws (a neighborhood i love) to Florida.
Wow! You left NYC to go live with the lunatic fringe led by Santis? I admire your bravado!
Well it was a choice between a lunatic governor in Florida and a killer governor in NY. No bravery, more like survival.