Saturday, April 4, 2009

RIRA Public Purpose Committee To Review Recommended Allocations Of Public Purpose Grant At April 7 Meeting.

Pile of Money Image from KR Connect

I received the following message from the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Communications Committee Chair regarding the scheduling of a meeting by the Public Purpose Funds Committee to review the allocations in Public Purpose Funds previously made.
At Wednesday's RIRA meeting, RIRA voted to ask the RIRA PPG subcommittee to reconsider the allocations proposed to RIOC. The decision to reconsider was based upon some of the feedback at Tuesday's RIOC Governance committee and the expression of the appearance of conflict-of-interest and/or the appearance of unfairness. The PPG subcommittee will meet:
  • Where: Good Shepherd Community Center, lower level
  • When: Tuesday, April 7, 8PM
The subcommittee will include those RIRA Common Council members who volunteered AND only those who have no conflicting relationship (officer, director, employee, ownership) with the PPG applicants. The seating arrangement will be like RIRA meetings (tables in the center, observers on the side) so it is clear who is part of the committee. RIRA President, Frank Farance, will chair the subcommittee. The meeting will be videotaped. This is an open meeting and the public is welcome to observe.

Assuming we reach agreement on Tuesday night, RIRA will do an E-mail ballot of the revised allocations. With this, RIOC will have either a revised allocation, or if no changes are deemed necessary, will issue a statement that the original allocation was not the result of any conflict of interest. It is RIRAs intention that this will yield a process that is free from any appearances of conflict or unfairness.
A summary of the guidelines for approving Public Purpose Funding Applications as promulgated by RIOC are as follows:

Read More!



Public Purpose Funds should be allocated to community applicants to benefit Roosevelt Island residents, enhancing their quality of life through education, artistic and cultural enrichment, improved health or a better environment....
Factors to be considered are:
... a) Proportion of recipients who are residents of Roosevelt Island

b) Amount of services delivered to the economically disadvantaged

c) Frequency of need – Is this a one-time request or is it expected to recur ?

d) Proven history of service to the community

e) Extent of volunteerism in the organization – how much of the group’s needs
are filled by donated time or materials ?

f) Availability of “matching” grants or services – will a RIOC grant improve the
chances of receiving additional monies or services form outside groups?

g) Efforts to secure grants from other sources
UPDATE - 4/8 - The Public Purpose Funds Subcommittee met last night and reaffirmed their previous allocation of funds. Members of the various Island organizations seeking funds were in the audience but their participation was limited to presenting new information not previously known or correcting false information.

10 comments :

Anonymous said...

And why wasn't it done like that in the first place? It doesn't take a genius to realize that having an applicant "interview" a rivaling applicant is not acceptable. Is there a resident organization out there that I can join and complain constantly about the RIRA just like the RIRA complains constantly about the RIOC?

Anonymous said...

There already is a sense that there was an unfair conflict of interest. So, keeping the recommendation the same is not going to change that perception. Change is in order.

Oh, and I heard the Boyscout Leader got $25,000 for a van in his name. Funny, but i haven't seen Boy Scouts on R.I. in a long time...not at parades, not at R.I. Day, not at Health & Fitness Day. Is this another inpropriety?

ROOSEVELT ISLANDER said...

To 9:41 - I don't understand your problem with RIRA. If you have any complaints with RIRA there is no need to join a rival organization. As a resident of Roosevelt Island you are already a member of RIRA.

At their monthly meeting, any resident is permitted to speak publicly in front of the Council and express his or her views.

You are also free to run in the RIRA election to become a delegate for your building if you so wish.

Anonymous said...

And to Poster 12:54 - The Boy Scouts are a constant presence on the Island, every year, highly visibly, selling Christmas Trees. They also offer the use of their Van to other Island groups when needed. There is no reason to re-allocate the money should the reconvened PPF sub-committee decide on the same allocations. Just because your preferred org is not getting funds, doesn't mean there is something inherently corrupt - it simply means that other groups need/will use the money in a way the benefits a greater number of people. But please, attend the meeting on Tuesday & watch the deliberations for yourself.

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