6 Days Remain To Submit Roosevelt Island Infrastructure Projects To NYC Council Member Julie Menin For Participatory Budget Funding - Check Out The Roosevelt Island Skateboard Park Project Proposal

Newly elected Roosevelt Island, Upper East Side and East Harlem  NYC Council Member Julie Menin is continuing the practice of former Council Member Ben Kallos in allocating capital funds for District 5 infrastructure projects thru the participatory budget process. 

Ms Menin reports:

I’m very excited as we begin this Participatory Budgeting cycle. Participatory budgeting is a great way to get the pulse of the community and formulate the best use of city dollars. Participatory Budgeting shows the power and importance of this grassroots fueled process and I look forward to engaging the community.

According to this press release from Ms Menin's office:

Council Member Julie Menin is proud to announce an allocation of one million dollars to continue participatory budgeting for Council District 5 (Yorkville, Lenox Hill, Carnegie Hill, Roosevelt Island, Midtown East, Sutton Place, and El Barrio in East Harlem).  Participatory Budgeting (PB) is a democratic process in which community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budget. Since her time serving on the Board of Citizens Union, Council Member Julie Menin has championed the importance of civic participation in our budgeting process.

A total of one million dollars of the Council Member's discretionary budget allocation can be used for physical infrastructure projects that benefit the public, cost at least $50,000, and have a lifespan of at least 5 years. For example, projects such as local improvements to schools, parks, libraries, housing, and other public spaces can be funded. 

 

... residents are invited to share project ideas that could be implemented within her Council District by visiting this website and sharing proposals by January 23rd, 2022. Interested parties that wish to volunteer and assist with the process should create an account with (or sign into) NYC.ID. This platform allows residents to comment on and vote for their favorite ideas.

Ideas are then submitted to the respective City agency for evaluation and cost and Council Member Menin’s Office works with community partners to formulate a ballot for voting. Ballots will be distributed throughout the East Side of Manhattan and Roosevelt Island as well as through an online portal for voting from April 2nd through April 10th. Winners will be announced in late April and included in the City’s budget at adoption in June of 2022. 

As previously reported, the Roosevelt Island PS/IS 217 green roof was built with Participatory Budget funds.

Submit Your Roosevelt Island project for #Participatorybudgeting funding from NYC Council Member @JulieMenin Check Out the RI Skateboard Park project submission. https://t.co/0HgL6L6Ptk

— Roosevelt Islander (@Rooseveltisland) January 18, 2022

So far, one Roosevelt Island project has been submitted for participatory budget funding. Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Children, Youth & Education  (CY&E) Ad Hoc Committee Chair Adib Mansour is proposing a Roosevelt Island Skateboard Park underneath the Motorgate Helix/Ramp.

 

Click here to learn more about the Participatory Budget funding process and to submit your proposal for a Roosevelt Island project.

More on the Roosevelt Island Skateboard project Participatory Budget submission here and at this prior post.