Committee Votes on Land Bank, Board of Health, and BSA Appointments on September 10, 2026
Committee Votes on Land Bank, Board of Health, and BSA Appointments on September 10, 2026
The New York City Council Committee on Rules, Privileges, Elections, Standards and Ethics, chaired by Councilmember Sandra Ung, held a meeting on Thursday, September 10, 2026, at 11:00 AM at 250 Broadway. The committee voted on three mayoral appointments: Lisa Garcia to the New York City Land Bank, Dr. Dave A. Chokshi to the Board of Health, and John Mangin to the Board of Standards and Appeals as chair. The votes followed a prior hearing on September 1, 2026.
Discussion Items
- M 0087-2026 – Lisa Garcia (Land Bank): Mayor’s request for advice and consent on Garcia’s appointment to the New York City Land Bank for a four-year term expiring September 9, 2030. Councilmember David Carr expressed support despite his opposition to the land bank’s creation, citing Garcia’s qualifications as Commissioner of Environmental Protection. No other substantive discussion.
- M 0088-2026 – Dr. Dave A. Chokshi (Board of Health): Mayor’s request for advice and consent on Chokshi’s appointment to the Board of Health for a term expiring May 31, 2030. Councilmember Carr opposed the nomination, arguing Chokshi’s role in the city employee vaccine mandate was not justified by science and set a dangerous precedent. Others supported the nomination.
- M 0089-2026 – John Mangin (Board of Standards and Appeals): Mayor’s request for advice and consent on Mangin’s appointment as a member and chair of the Board of Standards and Appeals for a term expiring October 6, 2027. The nomination generated significant debate. Councilmember Nantasha M. Williams explained her support, noting Mangin’s commitments to proactive community engagement and transparency. Councilmember Chris Banks abstained, expressing reservations about Mangin’s approach to land use and community participation, warning against weakening the Council’s role. Councilmember David Carr voted no, arguing Mangin helped erode Council powers through ballot measures and derided community input. Councilmember Linda Lee abstained (per her statement).
Key Outcomes
- M 0087-2026 (Garcia): Approved 9–0–0 (all present in favor).
- M 0088-2026 (Chokshi): Approved with 8 in favor, 1 opposed, 0 abstentions per the Chair’s announcement (Councilmember Carr voted no). Note: The official minutes record 6 in favor, 1 opposed, 2 abstentions (Banks and Lee listed as abstaining), creating a discrepancy between the transcription and minutes.
- M 0089-2026 (Mangin): Approved with 6 in favor, 1 opposed, 2 abstentions per the Chair’s announcement (Carr opposed; Banks and Lee abstained). Note: The official minutes record 8 in favor, 1 opposed, 0 abstentions, again conflicting with the transcription. All three motions carried in committee.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning. Welcome to the committee vote on rules, privileges, election standards, and ethics. At this time, we ask that you please silence all electronics and please do not approach today as chair. You may begin. Good morning and welcome to this meeting of the Committee on Rules, Privileges, Election Standard, and Ethics. I'm Councilmember Sandra Owen, Chair of the Committee. Before we begin, I would like to recognize other members of his committee who are present. Councilmember Krishnan, Councilmember Lee, Councilmember Conarchio, and Councilmember Banks, and Deputy Speaker Natasha Williams, Minority David Carr is on remote, and majority of Sean Brew. I also like to acknowledge the council to the committee, Amanda de Gracio, and the committee staff that worked on today's hearing, Chief of the Council and Director of Public Integrity Unit, Pro More, and Deputy Director of Public Integrity, Alicia Vassell. Today we are voting on three items at this committee heard on September 1st, 2026. We are voting on a resolution to approve M87. Mayor Zerwan Madani's request, pursuant to local law 56 of 2026 for the council's advice and consent regarding the appointment of Commissioner Lisa Garcia to serve as a member of the New York City Land Bank for a term of four years that will expire in September 9th, 2030. We are also voting a resolution to approve M88, the mayor's request, pursuant to Section 31 of the New York City Charter for the council's advice and consent regarding the appointment of Dr. Dave Chaukshire to serve as a member of the New York City Board of Health for the remainder of six-year term that will expire on May 31st, 2030. And lastly, we are voting a resolution to approve M89, the mayor's request, also pursuant to Section 31 of the New York City Charter for the appointment of John Manchin to serve on the New York City Board of Standards Appeals for the remainder of the six-year term that will expire on October 6, 2027. The mayor has indicated his intent to designate Mr. Manchin as the chair of the board. Clerk please, oh sorry, please uh call the role. Thank you. Good morning, William Martin Committee Clerk, roll call vote committee on rules, privileges, elections, standards, and ethics items are coupled. Chair Um. I vote aye on all. Riley. Aye. Aye. Lee. Epstein. Williams. Permission to explain my vote. Yes. Thank you. Um, I will be voting aye in favor of John Mangen's nomination to serve as chair of the Board of Standards and Appeals. I approached this nomination with serious questions regarding Mr. Manjin's previous writings on homeowners, neighborhood opposition to development, uh, whether or not um there should be certain community and council member inclusion and the role that neighborhood character should play in land use decisions. I appreciate the additional context, clarifications he provided regarding those writings, as well as the thoughtful responses he offered during this process. As someone who represents communities of generations of working and middle class black homeowners, I believe our housing conversation must recognize that homeowners of color do not always fit neatly into the narratives often used in broader debates around development. Preserving neighborhood character and protecting long-standing homeowners does not have to be at odds with building more housing. My own work on the Jamaican neighborhood plan reflects that balance. I also appreciate his commitment to changing how the BSA engages with communities. Mr. Manchin has committed to proactively engaging council members on significant applications in their district, establishing points of contact with council offices, and seeking input from community stakeholders rather than simply waiting for concerns to reach the BSA. He also proposed beginning public education and training for council offices, community boards, faith-based organizations, and other constituencies within his first six months. That type of proactive engagement does not sufficiently exist today. And I believe it can make the BSA more transparent, accessible, and responsive to the communities affected by its decisions. My vote today is therefore not an endorsement of every single position Mr. Madgen has taken throughout his career. It reflects the totality of this process, the context he has provided, and the commitments he has made about how he intends to lead the BSA. I intend to hold hind to those commitments and look forward to working with him to ensure that we can build the housing New York City desperately needs while respecting the distinct histories, homeowners, and the character of our neighborhoods. Thank you. And again, I vote aye.
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