By Carol Tannenhauser
Every participating City Council Member is allowed $1 million in discretionary funds to distribute among community-suggested and selected infrastructure projects within their districts. Qualifying projects must cost at least $50,000 and have a lifespan of at least 5 years. Funds from the participatory budgeting program can be used for physical improvements that benefit the public. Suggestions are submitted by community members, vetted by volunteers, and winnowed down to nine finalists. The community then votes, with each voter selecting three finalists. The projects with the most votes are funded, until the $1 million runs out.
Voting starts on Saturday, March 25 at 12:00 AM and runs through April 2. (Instructions below)
Here are this year’s finalists for funding:
1. Outdoor Adult Fitness Equipment
[Riverside Park]
$250,000
Create an area with exercise equipment for adult use that includes a section for group classes, and a water fountain.
2. Greening the Avenues: Trees & Tree Guards
[Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues ]
$50,000
Install approximately 10 trees/tree guards on Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues for the environment and to offer additional shade.
3. Security Cameras
[Columbus Avenue & Broadway Corridors]
$250,000
Argus cameras on the Columbus Avenue and Broadway corridors, and other locations determined by the 20th and 24th Police Precincts.
4. Update Science Lab at Manhattan School
for Children [MS 333, 154 W 93rd St]
$200,000
Update the 30-year-old science lab by providing tables and cabinets to create an environment that promotes curiosity and learning.
5. Upgrade Cafeteria at Emily Dickinson
School [PS 75, 735 West End Ave]
$250,000
Soundproofing and lighting to provide an inclusive and safe environment for all students, particularly students in the ASD Nest program who are sensitive to sensory input.
6. New Lighting System for Little Flower
Theatre in LaGuardia H.S.[100 Amsterdam Ave.]
$250,000
This theatre serves 2,500 students daily, plus local
community members. The current lighting system is
failing and needs to be replaced.
7. Upgrade Electrical Wiring and Capacity at
Center School [MS 243, 100 W 84th St.]
$150,000.
Center School needs an upgrade to its electrical service to support increased use of technology in classrooms.
8. Technology Upgrade for Classrooms at
Sarah Anderson School [PS 9, 100 W 84th St.]
$250,000
Thirty in-room smart boards for each classroom to ensure students and faculty have necessary access to technology.
9. Air Conditioning/HVAC Installation at
Richard Rodgers School of Arts & Technology
[PS 166, 132 W 89th St.]
$250,000
The school’s cafeteria and auditorium, essential spaces for learning and social activities, are in need of air conditioning/HVAC installation.
VOTE IN PERSON MARCH 25-APRIL 2 AT THESE LOCATIONS:
- COUNCIL MEMBER BREWER’S DISTRICT OFFICE, 563 Columbus Ave. Monday–Friday 10am–5pm, Weekends (3/25-26, 4/1-2) 10 am–4 pm;
- RUTGERS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 236 W. 73rd St. Monday–Friday 10 am–5 pm;
- LINCOLN SQUARE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER AT GODDARD RIVERSIDE, 250 W. 65th St. Monday–Friday 11:30 am–2:00 pm
- WEST SIDE YMCA, 5 W. 63rd St. Monday–Friday 10 am–5 pm;
- CHURCH OF ST. PAUL AND ST. ANDREW, 263 W. 86th St. Monday–Friday 10 am–5 pm Weekends (3/25-26, 4/1-2) 12 pm–3 pm;
- ST. AGNES LIBRARY, 444 Amsterdam Ave (81-82) Monday–Saturday 10 am–5 pm.
OR VOTE ONLINE BY CLICKING HERE.
Parent here ….
While I know all schools have needs, a number of the schools here have relatively affluent student/family demographics.
Am also uncomfortable about targeting funding for adult fitness in Riverside, again likely serving a relatively affluent demographic.
No senior center projects? No NYCHA?
How much do you think a PTA can raise?
Quite a bit actually
Every year there is a system to solicit ideas for projects. So these projects have been picked out of the submissions. If there are projects you think should be funded next year, keep an eye out and submit your ideas. Anyone can submit.
I live in the area and I am always on this website. I haven’t seen any information about submitting ideas. I do not like any of the ideas that made it to the top. Schools have a huge budget (I work in the schools). Schools with nest programs have a large budget. I’ve seen D75 schools throw away money just to spend it, do they get the same amount the next year. The schools up here also have PTA’s. Yet, most of these votes are for school funding.
These funds really should not be used for schools – that should be from the DOE. My kids have been the beneficiaries of some of these projects but I still don’t think this is the purpose. And some of these are more “nice to have” than “need to have.”
If the safe haven project on 83rd is going to happen despite all of our efforts, I would like to vote to spend some of the money to have additional security working there, particularly during school hours.
Hiring security people isn’t an option though. But there’s definitely an argument to be made that the security cameras and tree plantings are the only items that actually benefit everyone living on the UWS.
$5000.00 per tree? Typical waste.
These funds should not be used for schools or school projects, as they are accessible to only a small portion of the neighborhood residents. Schools are already budgeted by the city. These funds should be used for broad projects that the most people would benefit and the neighborhood.
Schools “budgeted by the city” routinely ask the parents for basic items like paper towels, etc. That’s how efficient and effective the DOE is.
I remember when my kids had a list that went on forever. We couldn’t bring it all the first day of school. You couldn’t carry it. Paper towels, wipes, kleenex, copy paper, disinfecting wipes, wet ones (to wipe hands not desks) and that was before you even got to the markers, crayons, pencils, glue, glue sticks, rulers, a compass, composition notebooks, note books, folder paper, binder, dividers, pencil case and various other things. Half the year in they would request more paper towels, wipes, kleenex etc.
It was a revelation when I realized I could bring all of that in over a couple of days and it all didn’t have to be there on the first day of school.
And 50 thousand dollar for ten trees?! That’s five thousand a tree. Don’t shop there.
I would vote for 100% security cameras. They are the most ‘inclusive’ (anyone can get mugged).
Use the security camera money to give the muggers alternatives.
How are these projects determined? And why aren’t the schools getting enough funding for these capital improvements from DOE? It seems to me that these funds should be spent on projects that benefit the most people — so invested in parks and public spaces.
My daughter (now 26) went to PS 9 at the Anderson School. The PTA was a whole school PTA in the fact that it covered all the elementary programs located in the building. If they had to spend $250,000 that would be the whole budget or near 80% of the budget.
Greening the Avenues with Trees ??? my block on west 80th street has so many trees, we don’t get enough sunlight on Sunny days! And at night, the trees block the light from the street lamps, which only makes it easier for theives to break into cars or perps to assault the late night neighbor(s). Back in the 1970’s, the abundance of natural light made for a sunnier days! Wish the Powers-That-Be thought things out before implementing such ideas. Perhaps putting a cap on the number of trees per block or avenue?
This post made me laugh…you truly cannot please everyone.
Although a tree fan myself, have noticed some new trees planted at bus stops which hamper wheelchair user access….
UWS Resident. You are 100% wrong. Please read the academic research that shows that trees REDUCE crime. https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/40701#:~:text=The%20more%20conservative%20spatially%20adjusted,roughly%2012%25%20decrease%20in%20crime. Sometimes fact is stranger than fiction.
However, $5,000/tree sounds crazy.
There was one single thing I thought I’d never hear anyone complain about in this concrete monstrosity of a city. Or at least one single thing that noone could blame crime on.
“Too many trees”.
But what do I know…
I love your comment, Peter. “Too many trees.” Hilarious!!!
everything in moderation 😉
Not everyone on the UWS is in this council district (I’m not). Yet there is no mention of that here, just an assumption that it applies to all readers.
There is nothing to report about PBV in UWS district 8, because district 8 is not participating. UWS spans city council districts 6 and 8. PBV is by city council district. Each district council member can set it up or not. Projects being voted on are in the respective districts. District 6 (Gale Brewer) is participating in PBV this round. District 8 is not. There could be any number of reasons for this, including that no qualifying district 8 projects were submitted. District 8 voters can contact their elected council member for more info.
Well the rich part of Gale Brewer’s district is given lots of places to vote.
So contact Gale’s office and tell her you need a closer option. Or vote online. Her office also gives an option to vote by email, for people without mobile phones.
The solution takes the same or less time than complaining.
WSR, is this for District 6? I’m troubled that it appears are there no places to vote north of 88th even though part of the district goes to 108th.
I voted online. It was very simple. You put in your address, affirm it is correct and they send a unique code to your phone allowing you to vote.
According to NYC Open Data, district 6 tops out at 92nd to 96th, depending on the avenue.
https://data.cityofnewyork.us/City-Government/City-Council-Districts/yusd-j4xi
Voted online. So many needs, so little money.
How about special program to bring up the reading ability of students. z right now they are reading at a 6th grade level way below
where they should be
Marie,
That is the best idea.
Hope you write to Brewer’s office
Thank you for providing this timely info
Anyone in NYC can go to 311 or this site to request a free street tree for their building or block.
https://www.nycgovparks.org/services/forestry/request
Thank you, Christine! I had no idea!
Why no voting in the 90s? Maybe someone should read the WSR article about structural racism.
Do you know how to access that article? I did a search for “structural racism” and it only turned up an article from October 2022 on the public questions on the ballot.
There seems to be more of a range of. projects in the East Village-LES.
https://evgrieve.com/2023/03/you-can-vote-on-what-neighborhood.html