Mayor Adams asks elected officials to fill out form to 'engage with' agency leaders

The Adams administration is rolling out a new protocol for elected officials who want to communicate directly with the leaders of city agencies — and some members of the City Council say it’ll bog down the delivery of services their constituents need.

“I just think it’ll hold things up and create more red tape,” Councilmember Rita Joseph, who represents parts of Central Brooklyn, told Gothamist in an interview. “And if you really want to get stuff done you have to remove red tape, not create more.”

Joseph and two other councilmembers said on Tuesday that Mayor Eric Adams’ office asked them to fill out a multipage online form “when requesting to engage with an Agency Commissioner and/or their executive team.” The form directs elected officials to answer a series of questions to detail the nature of their request, including for setting up meetings, district visits and events or coordinating official correspondence.

The bottom of the form states: “Completion of this form does not result in a guarantee of a meeting or appearance. The City reserves the right to decline requests.”

The administration still appears to be informing elected officials about the protocol, as several other councilmembers said they had neither heard about nor received the form when contacted by Gothamist late Tuesday afternoon. Adams’ team introduced it to agency heads at a meeting last Friday, the news outlet The City reported.

The mayor's office said the new process would help it streamline city services and maximize available resources, but did not address councilmembers' complaints. "

"We are dedicated to implementing strategies that allow us to coordinate more efficiently and maintain our responsiveness to all members of the public," mayoral spokesperson Kayla Mamelak said in a statement.

Councilmember Shahana Hanif, who represents Brooklyn neighborhoods including Park Slope, Gowanus and Kensington, said that having to fill out a form to reach agency leaders amounted to “needless bureaucracy.”

“We deserve more direct access to the agencies whose work is impacting the lives of our constituents,” Hanif said in a statement. A spokesperson for Councilmember Amanda Farías, of the Bronx, also confirmed her office had received the form.

"What in the name of micromanagement stupidity is this?" tweeted Diana Ayala, the Council's deputy speaker, in response to the news.

What in the name of micromanagement stupidity is this? 🤣 https://t.co/yW6mGTmREn

— Diana Ayala (@DianaAyalaNYC) April 9, 2024

Joseph said she was presented with a link to the form after she contacted the administration to see if a commissioner could attend an event celebrating new garbage cans she had successfully requested for her district. She said she found the process troubling because it seemed to create a barrier to city agencies for time-sensitive requests.

“What’s the turnaround time if I need something done at a school?” said Joseph, who chairs the Council’s education committee. “Things change at a rapid pace, especially in New York City public schools.”

Elizabeth Kim contributed reporting. This story has been updated with comment from Mayor Adams' office.