By David H. Ellis
In a two-person race between David McWater and Barden Prisant, McWater was elected new chairperson of the East Side’s Community Board 3 at Tuesday night’s full board meeting. McWater won by a vote of 28-12. He will take over as chairperson on July 1.
“I’m honored,” said McWater after the tally of the board members’ signed ballots was announced. “I want everybody to get involved, both the board members and the community. I just want to make sure the city recognizes this neighborhood and the people here.”
Prisant, an art appraiser, and McWater shook hands and Prisant congratulated him.
McWater, 38, has been on the board four years. An N.Y.U. graduate, he owns several bars on Avenue A, including Doc Holliday’s, Nice Guy Eddie’s, The Library and Julep. He previously said he would resign as a vice president of the New York Nightlife Association when he was running for chairperson.
Harvey Epstein, the board’s chairperson for the last two years, said, “I’m sure David will do a great job. And I think he will continue to push the board in the right direction.”
On June 10, Epstein and the previous chairperson, Lisa Kaplan, wrote board members a letter asking them to vote for Prisant, chairperson of the board’s important Housing Committee. Prisant, like Epstein and Kaplan, is a member of the Coalition for a District Alternative political organization. Councilmember Margarita Lopez belongs to CoDA and appointed Epstein, Kaplan and Prisant to the board. McWater was appointed to the board by Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields, but is close to Lopez, always organizing her biggest fundraiser every year.
After the vote, Prisant was standing outside the auditorium in the lobby busy talking on his cell phone, and then left before a reporter could get a comment from him.
The board’s other officers were reelected without a contest, including first vice chairperson, Herman Hewitt; second vice chairperson, Morris Faitelewicz; secretary, Lois Regan; assistant secretary, Harry Weider; and treasurer Echo Wong.
