It had the feel of a casual meet and greet—and that's just how he wanted it. For the second time Staten Island Borough President James Oddo opened his office to the public Sunday, to give them a chance to hear what's going on inside. NY1's Amanda Farinacci filed this report.

He didn't wear a tie, or sit behind his desk. 

Rather, Staten Island Borough President James Oddo donned a casual sports coat and stood as he listened and spoke with his constituents Sunday afternoon.

"We want people to have accessibility to us," Oddo said. 

"I want to know what's happening on the island, what's the latest," said one attendee.

The so-called "Direct Connect Sunday" has become an annual event for the borough president. 

His first, last year, replaced a formal inauguration ceremony to mark the beginning of his time in office. 

This year, the event was held in lieu of a "State of the Borough" address—bypassing an organized update on what's going on and giving residents a chance to see for themselves what Oddo and his staff have been working on, and what's coming in the year ahead:  

"You'll hear us talking about the sanitation garage a whole lot. You'll hear us talking about an education complex that we've envisioned. You'll hear us talking a lot about an innovation cluster, an innovation district here from Stapleton through St. George. You'll hear us talk about Fresh Kills," said Oddo. 

A grand jury's decision not to indict a Staten Island police officer in the death of Eric Garner has cast a sometimes negative light on the borough, an image Oddo says he hopes to change in 2015.

"We have to work twice as hard so that we are not defined by those things. There are lots of people off Staten Island who would like to define us by our worst moments," Oddo said. 

Several dozen residents turned out for the three hour event, bringing questions and concerns directly to Oddo, and staffers in every area—including health, parks, economic development and others. 

Residents say they appreciated the face time.

"I think it's a unique way to do it. And it's perfect because you can get more of a feel really for what's going on really than sitting and viewing a slide presentation," says another attendee. 

Oddo says that's not his style anyway.