Midterm Report From NYC Council Member Ben Kallos, Roosevelt Island Universal Pre Kindergarten Seats, Ferry Service & PS/IS 217 Green Roof - Stopping Superscrapers, Affordable Housing, Construction Crane Safety & More Too

Roosevelt Island's NYC Council Member Ben Kallos reviews his 2 years on the job. Mr. Kallos reported yesterday:

It has been two years, one month and twenty four days since I began serving as your City Council Member. I am deeply proud of the work we have accomplished together and excited for the road ahead.

I want to thank all whom I have already had a chance to meet and look forward to meeting you or seeing you again at my District Office at 244 East 93rd Street for First Friday, Policy Night, or another event listed at BenKallos.com/Events. Or I can come to you for Ben In Your Building.

If you would like to compare my goals with actions over the last two years, please have a look at my 2013 Policy Book as well as my Inauguration and two States of the District, where we looked to the past and prepared for a bright future. I am proud of these achievements, but I know we have much more to do together. Thank you for your support over the past two years. I am looking forward to the next year and 10 months.

Table of Contents

1.      By the Numbers
2.      Management and Quality of Life
3.      Zoning and Affordable Housing
4.      Transportation
5.      Parks
6.      Education
7.      Marine Transfer Station
8.      Health
9.      Governmental Operations

BY THE NUMBERS

Constituent Service Cases: 3,800 and counting
Legislation Introduced: 65
Legislation Passed: 8
Land Use Matters Adopted: 4
City Council attendance: 99.5 %
Governmental Operations Committee Hearing chaired: 35
Legislation Passed by Committee: 15
First Fridays & Policy Nights: More than a dozen
Community Meetings: More than 100
Participatory Budgeting Investments in Community: $3.6 Million

Regarding Roosevelt Island, Mr Kallos writes:

... Ferry Service for the East Side and Roosevelt Island: Following years of advocacy from my campaign to office, I am proud that there will be new stops for Roosevelt Island in 2017 and 62nd and 90th Streets by 2018, utilizing our waterfronts to improve commutes....

... Last year, our top vote-getters for $1 million in participatory budgeting were new green roofs for P.S. 151 and P.S./I.S. 217 on Roosevelt Island. This will provide students an opportunity to be exposed to the future of energy and inspire them to look to careers of the future, as well as understand environmental protection....

... More UPK for Roosevelt Island: With the Roosevelt Island Parents Network, through Eva Bosbach, we've been working to address the need for more Universal Pre-Kindergarten seats on Roosevelt Island. Through our advocacy we were able to double the number of seats at P.S./I.S. 217 in partnership with the Department of Education. There is still more to do and I personally met with Mayor de Blasio and Chancellor Carmen Fariña to discuss this issue. We are working together to identify spaces and providers who can partner to open up more pre-K seats for our kids. Please let my office know if you would like to help provide UPK or if you have a child you would like to attend pre-K on Roosevelt Island or on the East Side....

Click here for the entire mid-term report from our NYC Council Member Ben Kallos. and watch his 2016 State Of the District Address.