Roosevelt Island Participatory Budgeting Information Session Tonight 6 PM - Help NYC Council Member Ben Kallos Spend $1 Million For Roosevelt Island And Upper East Side

From Roosevelt Island's New York City Council Member Ben Kallos:

Participatory Budgeting Neighborhood Assembly at Roosevelt Island Senior Center
Date:
Tuesday, October 7, 2014 - 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Location
Roosevelt Island Senior Center
546 Main Street
New York, NY 10044

Mr. Kallos adds:

Participatory budgeting empowers you to decide how one million of your tax dollars get spent.

Whether you’re passionate about green space, improving housing conditions or senior services, participatory budgeting allows you to come up with creative ideas and champion them for the good of the community.

Join us at an upcoming Neighborhood Assembly to learn more and get involved:...

More on NYC Participatory Budgeting from previous post.

Also, during Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) October 1 Public Session, Council Member Kallos staffer for Roosevelt Island Joe Strong explained the NYC Participatory Budgeting process to RIRA Common Council Members.

Here's what Mr. Strong had to say.



More information on Participatory Budgeting at PBNYC and video below.

Real Money, Real Power: Participatory Budgeting from PBP on Vimeo.

Participatory budgeting in not new to Roosevelt Island. We have been using it for years to allocate $100 Thousand Public Purpose Funds annually.

UPDATE 9:45 PM - NYC Council Member Ben Kallos attended tonight's Roosevelt Island Participatory Budget Assembly. Here's what he had to say.



Prior to Mr. Kallos speaking, Kallos Roosevelt Island staffer Joe Strong introduced Roosevelt Island residents to the Participatory Budgeting process.





Will have the break out sessions with suggestions for projects to be funded later.

UPDATE 10/8 - Projects eligible to be funded through the Participatory Budgeting process must be for Capital Projects only, meaning brick and mortar, not services, and be greater than $35,000.

Among the suggestions for Roosevelt Island projects to be funded through the Participatory Budgeting process were:

• Replace toddler playgound,
• Indoor space for toddler to play in winter by using old Tram Cabins,
• Air quality monitoring infrastructure,
• Equipment for new Roosevelt Island Library - handicap accessibility,
• Renovation of Roosevelt Island Youth Program Premises at 506 Main Street,
• Ramp for Coler Hospital Patients To Access waterfront promenade,
• Improve Landscaping around Coler Hospital,
• Tennis Court Striping for kids tennis,
• Safe Bike Lane for Roosevelt Island Bridge,
• Bus Stop at top of Motorgate Garage,
• Kayak launch,
• Baseball field refurbishment,
• Gallery RIVAA renovation and
• FDR Hope Memorial site elements.

Also suggested, in a half joking manner, were a new Roosevelt Island subway line and an elevator/stairway from Roosevelt Island to the Queensboro Bridge.

Mr. Kallos advised that volunteers who are passionate about any of these projects are needed to champion them through the Participatory Budgeting process.

Here's excerpts



from the Roosevelt Island Participatory Budgeting Assembly Break-Out Sessions

UPDATE 2 PM - You can volunteer or add suggestions for projects to be funded here.