Friday, January 19, 2018

Roosevelt Island Youth Center Independent Review Panel Evaluation Scores For Applicants Revealed - RIYP Selected Over Island Kids, Final Decision Up To RIOC Board Of Directors


 As reported January 16:
The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) confirmed last week it will recommend to the RIOC Board of Directors that the Roosevelt Island Youth Program (RIYP) continue to be the Operator of the Roosevelt Island Youth Center.
and according to Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Susan Rosenthal:
... Based on RIYP’s grant application– which received the highest rating from an independent panel of reviewers from the NYS Office of Children and Family Services and the Roosevelt Island Day Nursery – we will be recommending that the Board, at its upcoming January 25 meeting, award the $200,000 annual grant to RIYP....
The January 25 RIOC Board Of Directors meeting will vote on the following resolution:
RESOLVED by the Board of Directors of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation of the State of New York (“RIOC”), as follows:

Section 1. that RIOC is hereby authorized to enter into a contract with the Roosevelt Island Youth Program, Inc. for the operation of the Roosevelt Island Youth Center, upon such terms and conditions substantially similar to those outlined in the Memorandum from Sean Singh to RIOC Board of Directors/Susan G. Rosenthal dated January 9, 2018, attached hereto;

Section 2. that the President/Chief Executive Officer or her designee is hereby authorized to take such actions and execute such instruments as she deems necessary to effectuate the foregoing; and

Section 3. that this resolution shall take effect immediately.
Below is the referenced RIOC memorandum supporting the resolution:
On August 15, 2017 RIOC made available a competitive grant opportunity for an Operator for the Roosevelt Island Youth Center. The grant was advertised in the New York State Contract Reporter, as well as through RIOC’s web site and direct outreach to potentially interested non-profit entities with experience running the solicited services.

Applications were submitted on November 15, 2017 and two entities responded: The Roosevelt Island Youth Program, Inc. and Island Kids, Inc. The applications were independently reviewed by two members of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services as well as the Executive Director of Roosevelt Island Day Nursery. The applications were evaluated based upon the 100-point rating scale detailed in the grant application.

The independent scores submitted by the evaluators were tallied and the averages of those scores are listed below for each category:


Upon receipt of the independently rated applications and all due diligence, it is my recommendation that the RIOC Board authorize an award to the Roosevelt Island Youth Program for a term of three (3) years, with an option for RIOC to extend the grant for up to two (2) additional 1-year periods, along the terms and conditions outlined in the Request for Applications and the submitted application.
and the Evaluation Scoring Summary submitted by each member of the independent review panel (Click Image To Enlarge)
Will the recommendation made by the independent review panel and RIOC staff to award contract for operation of the Youth Center to the Roosevelt Island Youth Program (RIYP) be approved by the RIOC Board at the January 25 meeting? Usually, that happens.

But, some members of the Roosevelt Island PS/IS 217 PTA are trying to stop the RIOC Board from approving RIYP as the Youth Center operator. 

More info at this January 16 post and from the Roosevelt Island Daily.

Stay tuned.

UPDATE 1/23 - Main Street Wire has more here and here.

According to the RIOC Request for Applications for an Operator for the Roosevelt Island Youth Center (Page 4):
IV. SCOPE OF SERVICES

a. Description Of Services – Youth Oriented Service Planning & Design

The Operator will independently manage RIYC and will provide youth programs and services, including leadership development programs; sports, fitness and recreation programs; arts and cultural programs; and health/life skills programs. All programs must be offered free of charge. This programming will serve the Roosevelt Island’s diverse population of children, youth, and young adults ages 5 to 20. RIOC envisions a drop-in program with a menu of diverse program offerings that participants can pick and choose at will, without committing to regular program attendance. As such, the Operator will not need to be registered as a school aged child care provider in accordance with NYS Office of Children and Family Service regulations when serving children ages 5 through 12.

The Operator will be required to maintain non-profit status and demonstrate compliance with annual State and Federal reporting requirements for non-profit organizations, including but not limited to the New York Non-Profit Revitalization Act of 2013, and certified as “tax exempt” under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) section 501(c)(3). Please note that organizations will be prohibited from using the in-kind donation and/or supplemental grant for any political or lobbying activities. Annual reporting of grant money expenditures will also be required, to the satisfaction of RIOC.

The Operator will be responsible for soliciting and managing youth activity by staff or independent organizations to provide high quality programs and services such as multi-media training, dance classes, computer training, art and music classes, science classes, leadership programs, high school/college/job preparation, homework assistance and other educational programs.
UPDATE 1/23 10:30 PM- The Main Street Wire reports:
... RIOC does not want their program to compete with the Beacon, but to provide an additional resource for Island youth. Flug clarified that the contract was only to run the Youth Center; recreational sports are not included. “If they want to run activities like a little league or soccer league, that won’t be with RIOC money going forward. What was done in the past was problematic,” she says....
Ms Flug's statement, as reported by the Wire, appears contrary to the RIOC Youth Center Application Request.

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