RIRA $3.250 Public Purpose Funds Recommendation Slap In Face Of Roosevelt Island Seniors Says Center Exec Director - RIOC Proposes To Revise And Increase Grant For Programs To More Than 10 Grand At Dec 13 Board Meeting

As previously reported, the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) 2018-19 Public Purpose Funds recommendations to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) for the Carter Burden Roosevelt Island Senior Center was significantly less than other Roosevelt Island non profits:

... The RIRA recommendations ranged from $9,750 to $29,500 for 9 of the 10 Roosevelt Island non profit organizations. Left far behind was the Carter Burden Roosevelt Island Senior Center who received a recommendation for much less - $3,250.

The final decision on distribution of Public Purpose Funds is made by RIOC...

During the December 4 Carter Burden Roosevelt Island Senior Center General Meeting, Executive Director Lisa Fernandez said that decision was a:

... Slap in the face of the senior population. You don't care as much as a cat. You don't care as much as the dirt. We all care, we all matter. We all matter equally...

Ms Fernandez incorrectly attributed the recommendation to RIOC rather than RIRA.

But, the Carter Burden Roosevelt Island Senior Center members will have some good news this Holiday Season thanks to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC).

Happy Holidays from the Roosevelt Island Senior Center staff! pic.twitter.com/tjdcvYDTx3

— CarterBurdenNetwork (@CBurdenNetwork) December 10, 2018

Revising the RIRA recommendations, RIOC plans to grant the Carter Burden Roosevelt Island Senior Center $10,588 in Public Purpose Funds later this week during the Thursday, December 13 Board of Directors meeting.

According to this November 16 memo from RIOC President Susan Rosenthal to the RIOC Board of Directors:

Attached are the Roosevelt Island Resident Association Public Purpose Grant recommendations for the fiscal year 2018-19. RIRA conducted evaluations through its Public Purpose Funds Committee (“Committee”). The Committee took into account information provided in the applications and at public interview sessions, while considering evaluative criteria provided by RIOC. This year, the budget for grants has increased 50% for a total of $150,000. Grants will remain open through March 31, 2019.

RIOC is also in receipt of the annexed letter from William Dionne, Executive Director of the Carter Burden Network (“CBN”), vis-à-vis RIRA’s recommended allocation of $3,250 to CBN (16% of CBN’s $20,000 request). In sum, the letter highlights that seniors account for 25% of the Island’s community and that CBN’s budget for instructor-led programming is severely underfunded. Only 5% of their budget of $50,120 for these classes is funded by NYC Department for the Aging. Absent sufficient Public Purpose funds, CBN would be adversely affected in its ability to provide this much needed programming. Also attached is CBN’s presentation to the community, showcasing their achievements and the critical need for these funds.

In light of the foregoing, we recommend that the Board modify RIRA’s recommendations to all other applicants at a modest rate of 5% and increase CBN’s award by that amount. The proposed awards are summarized in the table below.

Below is letter from Carter Burden Network Executive Director Bill Dionne to RIOC requesting an increase to the RIRA Public Purpose Funds recommendation

CBN PPF Letter to RIOC

and more from the Carter Burden Roosevelt Island Senior Center General Meeting on the subject



including discussion of Roosevelt Island Senior Center funding sources.



RIRA declined to comment on reasons for their Public Purpose Funds recommendations for the various Roosevelt Island non profit organizations and to specify the evaluative criteria provided by RIOC.

UPDATE 12/18 -At the December 13 RIOC Board of Directors Meeting, Carter Burden Network Executive Director Bill Dionne requested RIOC increase the Roosevelt Island Senior Center Public Purpose Fund recommendation of RIRA.



During the RIOC Board meeting,  RIOC President Susan Rosenthal stated that she thought the RIRA $3,250 Public Purpose Fund recommendation for Carter Burden Roosevelt Island Senior Center was unfair and proposed increasing it to just over $10,000 as described in memo above. The RIOC Board approved Ms Rosenthal's proposal.



The issue not addressed during the meeting was the criteria that RIOC required RIRA to follow that lead to the decision by RIRA to recommend the Carter Burden Senior Center receive the original amount of $3,250?

I've asked RIRA to disclose the criteria, as they have done in previous years and was told by RIRA that RIOC would prefer them not to reveal the PPF decision criteria.

I've asked RIOC to disclose the PPF criteria and was told to ask RIRA.

Stay tuned.