Come to the Assemblies! Dist. 33 adds expense funding!
Change begins with an idea. Ideas for projects that benefit the public at the most local level are currently being collected. There is an interactive map on the Participatory Budgeting (PB) website where those with ideas can submit them here: https://shareabouts-pbnyc-2018.herokuapp.com/page/about . Ideas need to be submitted there soon as there is a mid-October deadline. Once an idea is documented on the Idea Collection Map or at the Neighborhood Assemblies, it goes to community volunteers, called Budget Delegates, who turn them into project proposals. The final proposals go up for a community-wide vote in April.
District 33 and 34 began hosting Neighborhood Assemblies in September. Here ideas are shared and discussed and go from brainstorm to more developed. District 33 has upcoming assemblies on October 11, 7:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m. at Independence Community Center (114 Taylor Street) and on October 16, 6:30–8:30 at St. Francis College (180 Remsen Street). Also those in District 33 can volunteer or submit project ideas to Benjamin Solotaire at bsolotaire@council.nyc.gov . The next assembly for District 34 will be on October 4, 6 p.m. at the Ridgewood Library (20-12 Madison Street). If you’d like more info on or to volunteer for District 34’s PB contact: Jennifer Gutierrez at jgutierrez@council.nyc.gov. Keep your eyes on each of these districts websites for further updates: District 33 https://council.nyc.gov/stephen-levin/neighborhood-assemblies/ ; District 34: https://council.nyc.gov/antonio-reynoso/neighborhood-assemblies/
There’s also a new addition to District 33’s PB: expense funding. Council Member Stephen Levin announced, “This year we are adding a whole new funding stream. Along with the usual $1.5 million for capital projects, I have allocated $20,000 to be dedicated to expense projects. Expense projects are smaller, one shot ideas such as equipment for a senior center, weekly artist’s visits for Alzheimer’s patients, or a study of wildlife in one of our parks.”
The expense funding projects must be budgeted between $5,000 and $10,000 and follow the following criteria: must be implemented by a city or a non-profit organization eligible to receive city council expense funds; this is a one-time disbursement for equipment, furniture, trainings, and new and programs. These projects will go through the same finalization process as the capital projects.
The Greenline 