Are you looking for something new to do this weekend close to home on Roosevelt
Island?
Check out our neighbors at the Long Island City based
Culture Lab art gallery and performance space
(5-25 46th Ave), only a 5 minute ferry ride from Roosevelt Island or a 15-20
minute walk from the Roosevelt Island Bridge.
Culture Lab LIC is a 501(c)(3) formed to bring accessible high quality art
of all genres to our community, and to support local artists by providing
rehearsal, performance, exhibition space, as well as a robust residency
program. CL is dedicated to upholding, equity, diversity and inclusion
across all our platforms.
Operating out of a 12,000 square foot art center, Culture Lab LIC hosts two
fine art galleries, a 90 seat theatre, classroom space, and an 18,000 square
foot outdoor venue, made possible by the generous donation of space from
Plaxall Inc.
CL is honored to host more arts programming than any other organization in
New York City.
Culture Lab is more than a venue, it is the heart of Long Island City....
Register for a great Open Data Week event at
@cornell_tech
! Hear and discuss how open data can help us better understand and improve
bike lanes and city streets. Attend in-person or virtually, in conjunction
with
@BetaNYC and
@NYCAnalyticshttps://t.co/3xaDHEAE6N
Did you know New York City has the oldest bike lane in America, and one of
the largest bike networks, plus bike share programs in North America?
🚲
The Covid-19 pandemic introduced hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers to
this bicycle infrastructure for the first time. This session highlights
student research from Cornell Tech that explores the intersection of open
data and how the City can enhance multiple generations of infrastructure
improvements with a focus on safety.
Join us to learn how to use open data to understand the past and present,
while building a safer future for all in New York City. This hybrid session
will be introduced by the City’s Chief Analytics Officer, Martha Norrick,
and is organized by the Cornell Tech
Urban Tech Hub....
... All in-person attendees are invited to join us for a closing reception
at Granny Annie’s Bar & Kitchen, 425 Main St, New York, NY 10044 (on
Roosevelt Island). We look forward to seeing you!
Julie Menin
is the NYC Council Member representing Roosevelt Island.
I can attest to that issue as well as if you try riding over on certain
bikes aka a road bike the grates will pop the tires. Multiple tires blown
just by riding over.
A Roosevelt Island resident and bike rider reported Saturday February 26:
I’ve been in touch with DOT regarding the flex posts coming down and
blocking the bike lane in great numbers. I tried reporting through both RIOC
systems but that didn’t work, so I went through 311/DOT. They responded by
putting up these huge orange barriers that fall over into the bike lane (and
everywhere else), further obstructing it (north lane):
And now the south lane looked like this on Thursday and Friday:
I’ve reported at least 3x in the last several months. Seems the old flex
posts are due for removal and replacement, stat.
When I’m not caught completely unaware of the fact that the bike lane is
blocked by debris of the system that was designed to protect me,
I take the bridge lane. This is my right as a cyclist in NYC, but
inevitably, cars blow by me on the bridge as they can’t be bothered to
follow me across.
From my perspective, riding a pedal-assist cargo bike with 2 kids on the
back for school runs, this is a hazardous situation we can’t afford to
ignore.
At the very least, we should have signs that alert drivers that cyclists
have the right to take the bridge lane. And, RIOC should respond to tickets
filed in some way - even if to say it’s DOT’s responsibility and provide
link to the form for DOT. If the condition can’t be immediately corrected,
signage warning cyclists the lane is blocked would be prudent.
On March 2, the Roosevelt Island bike rider added:
This morning’s offering. I’m not sure why all of these moveable safety
objects are placed where they can fall into and obstruct the bike lanes. I’d
also note the presence of a large amount of gravel on the shoulder in run
ups to the bike lanes on both sides. This appeared after the first snowstorm
of the season and has remained since.
An update today from the Bike Rider:
The day of my last email to you, the gravel disappeared, which was
great.
The high winds earlier this week blew a bunch of the moveable orange and
white barriers back into the northbound lane. However, they seem to be
doing better about getting things out of the bridge bike
lanes, because that only lasted a day this time. There's still some
obstruction in the north lane, but it's better than it being completely
impassable.
Roosevelt Island could also use effective bike safety signage like these in Central Park
TOMORROW THURSDAY 6-7 p.m. Community Engagement with
Angelica Patient Assistance Program Roosevelt Islanders are invited to find out more about volunteering with for
programs with our neighbors at Coler. This zoom meeting will take place next
Thursday, March 10th 6-7 p.m. We will hear from Coler residents as well as
meet Angelica Board members.
Please RSVP directly to this Evite here:
Powerful a nursing Home Lives Matter Message Projected on wall of Roosevelt Island Coler Nursing Facility last night at end of vigil remembering those who died and in support of those still in lockdown during Covid 19 pandemic. pic.twitter.com/95xPgWNhKT
Residents gathered outside Coler Nursing Home on Roosevelt Island for a Covid-19 vigil, commemorating 1 year since the shut down. Signs were saying "Nursing Home Lives Matter" and "Isolation Kills Too".
A Roosevelt Island Tipster reported Tuesday, March 1 at 3 PM:
Major drug bust going down along the water at the Drug Dealer site under the
Arch
NYPD Narcotics Division Officers arrested
2 male and 2 female residents of Roosevelt Landings building complex.
Replying to my inquiry, a NYPD spokesperson reported today:
On Tuesday, March 1, 2022 opposite of 540 Main Street, as part of an ongoing
investigation, a search warrant was executed. A suspect was found to be in
possession of two loaded firearms and a quantity of controlled
substance.
A 27 year old female and 39 year old male were arrested for:
Criminal Sale of Controlled Substance and
Criminal Possession of Controlled Substance.
A 47 year old male and 47 year old female were arrested for:
Criminal Sale of Controlled Substance
Criminal Possession of Controlled Substance
Criminal Possession of a Weapon
Criminal Possession of a Firearm (2 guns were recovered)
Act in a manner injurious to a child less than 17
There has been no response from the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) to my inquiries on the incident nor any mention of it in the RIOC Public Safety daily incident report from March 1.
The Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) and
ICare Medical Supply
are offering free Covid 19 PCR Saliva Tests at the Roosevelt Island Manhattan
Park Community Room (2 River Road) Monday March 7 thru Sunday March
13 from 10 AM 4 PM. First Come, First Serve.
Nothing stuck up your nose, just spit in the tube.
According to NYC Health Department, the most recent 7 Day Covid Testing Data from February 26 - March 4 for
Roosevelt Island (Zip Code 10044 ) shows 366 people tested and 4 new Positive
Cases for a rate of 1.09%.
The 7 Day Covid Testing Data from
February 9 - 15 for Roosevelt Island
(Zip Code 10044 ) shows 461 people tested and 8 new Positive Cases for a rate
of 1.74%.
This Ad Hoc Committee was established as part of a RIRA Common Council
community service effort to assist the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation
(RIOC) in the review of grant applications submitted by Island-based
nonprofits for Public Purpose Funds (PPF). The activities of this Committee
have evolved over time. The Committee makes a recommendation to RIOC and the
RIOC Board of Directors is the final decision-maker regarding the distribution
of funds that support qualified Island nonprofit organizations. The Committee
recommends funds that would benefit Roosevelt Island residents, enhancing
their quality of life through, for example, education, artistic and cultural
enrichment, improved health and activity and a better environment....
Over the years, there have been some
complaints by specific groups
about the RIRA PPF committee recommendations and some modification of RIRA
recommendations by the RIOC Board but for the most part RIRA has done a
good job as acknowledged by RIOC.
But, the RIOC PPF process has changed starting this year.
According to this excerpt
from an October 20, 2021 memo by RIOC General Counsel Gretchen Robinson to
RIOC President Shelton Haynes:
Public Purpose Funds (“PPF”) grants were first awarded in 1989 when New York
State established the fund to support community uses. In line with RIOC’s
mission and core values, RIOC issues PPF grants to local non-profit
organizations that dedicate those funds to services, programs, and projects,
that benefit and enrich the Roosevelt Island community.
The application process requires grant applicants to submit a budget along
with their desired award amount. At the conclusion of the grant application
process, the Board of Directors vote to approve the purpose for which the
grant is sought, and the award amount to be distributed to each applicant.
...
... RIOC is seeking Board approval to enter into a one-year contract – and
two one-year options to renew – with NYCT for the purpose of providing grant
administration and monitoring services for RIOC’s Public Purpose Funds Grant
Program. This contract will include a pre-funding authorization for public
purpose funds in the amount of $450K; along with additional funding for
grantee governance and finance best practices education in the amount of
$50K; for a contract service fee of $25K per each grant cycle.
... The New York Community Trust (The Trust) is a public charity founded in
1924. As a grantmaking foundation, The Trust connects past, present, and
future generous New Yorkers with vital nonprofits working to make a healthy,
equitable, and thriving community for all. Since 1989, The Roosevelt Island
Operating Corporation (RIOC) has provided public purpose funding to local
nonprofits to benefit Roosevelt Island residents. In January 2022, RIOC
asked The Trust to administer the public purpose grants and created the
Roosevelt Island Public Purpose Fund. The Fund will support Roosevelt Island
nonprofits that provide direct services or benefits to Roosevelt Island
residents.
The Fund expects to award up to $150,000 total through one-year grants of up
to $20,000 to eligible nonprofits. Proposals are due at 12pm noon Eastern on
March 14, 2022. Notification of award status will be made by May 2022....
"I'm preparing an article on the new Roosevelt Island Public Purpose Funds
(PPF) process that is being managed for the first time by the NYC Community Trust.
Several of the new eligibility criteria appear to exclude
previous PPF Roosevelt Island non profit organizations grant recipients from
receiving PPF funds this year or if still eligible at a greatly reduced
amount from prior years.
... Below are some of the concerns raised by the Roosevelt Island Residents
Association (RIRA) excerpted from their recent letter to RIOC President
Shelton Haynes:
"... We have several concerns with NYCT: the financial
accounting is now worse, not better; the procurement process
suffers from unfairness; the criteria is discriminatory, with a
bias towards very large organizations, and eliminates smaller
and prior PPF awardees; and so on. Here are specifics:
● Short notice bidders meeting: RIOC announced the PPF application process to the Island on
the afternoon of February 16. Embedded in those links was a
bidders meeting scheduled for less than 24 hours later.
Scheduling in that time frame is difficult, especially when
an RFP requires accounting and legal staff review, and
choosing the right person with prepared questions to answer
the call for a bidders meeting. Some organizations were not
able to attend. Some organizations were not prepared for the
meeting. A 24 hour turn around for such an important meeting
is unfair to the non-profits involved.
RequestedAction: The bidding process should be restarted
with appropriate advanced
announcement.
● Unfair bidding process: During the bidders meeting, the elements of the RFP were
presented
and the meeting recorded. However, once the presentation
ended, the Q&A was NOT recorded. This is unfair and
discriminatory as some bidders are receiving different sets
of information about the bidding process, or may have
benefited from the answers provided to their peers. It is
normal during the procurement process for all bidders to
hear all questions and all bidders to hear all answers. In
addition, it has been reported to us that bidders have had
direct communications with NYCT staff, yet other bidders
have not been informed of those questions and answers. We
believe the State procurement rules provide a fairer
process, not NYCT. RequestedAction: The bidding process
should be restarted with appropriate transparency and
fairness.
● Maximum 30% operational costs: For some organizations, the RIOC PPF grant is 60-99% of
their operating budget. These are organizations that have
done good work for the Island. The NYCT criteria
discriminates against these organizations, and their
rationale is unclear.
RequestedAction: This criteria should be removed.
● At least 4 directors, with one a staff member. Island organizations have operated according
to NYS law, which requires 3 directors. This is a burden and
a hazard for Island organizations, potentially making their
governance worse. It's not that the organizations need an
extra member, it's that NYCT is asking (and has asked)
Island organizations to change their board configurations
with 4 weeks notice. How does such a board now rank and
compete among other applicants? Previously it was an
experienced board with 3 members, now it is an inexperienced
and new board with 4 or 5 members. NYCT has not considered
the consequences of their criteria and the discriminatory
affect upon applicants. Furthermore, if applicants don't
comply with this criteria, they must use a fiscal sponsor,
which just wastes valuable money as a "pass-thru" and
provides no purported benefit regarding board structure.
Requested Action: This criteria should be removed.
● Project budgets. This particular accounting technique does not seem to be
effective, as organizations that provide scholarships would,
in effect, have negative budgets, which would cause them to
be less competitive.
RequestedAction: Simple organizational and expense
accounting should be required.
● Up to $10 million organizations can participate. RIRA has steadfastly questioned why large organizations
should be allowed to compete and take away from small
organizations. For example, $10,000 PPF money is 0.1% of a
$10 million organization. Surely every $10 million
not-for-profit can squeeze 0.1% from their budget to provide
a service. Meanwhile small Island organizations struggle for
such funds. For decades, RIRA has provided more scrutiny on
such large organization requests and have insisted that
those organizations internally match (at a higher ratio) the
funds they are requesting as PPF is a zero-sum game: what
you give to the large organization takes away from the small
organization.
RequestedAction: For large organizations (over$1million),
the criteria should be changed to a sliding scale: for every
$1 million in operating budget at $1 million and above, the
organization must provide an additional 1:1 match of PPF
funds up to 5:1 match, e.g., $1 million organization
provides 1:1 match, $3 million organization 3:1 match, $7
million organization 5:1 match.
● No capital expenditures. In fact, capital purchases provided very high value, e.g.,
one organization would purchase a van that was shared by
other organizations. Although there are few of these kinds
of projects, they are highly desirable for the long-term
benefit.
Request Action: Remove this restriction.
● Project must be different from last year. For many organizations, they provide consistent services,
such as activities, summer camps, growing plants, and so on.
This discriminates against those organizations providing
regular services that the community needs.
Request Action: Remove this restriction.
● Payments are one-time, lump sum, with no monitoring. Purportedly, the main purpose of RIOC handing this to NYCT
was RIOC's disinterest in, or inability to do accounting and
contract administration. With NYCT, once the applicant is
awarded, there is a lump sum payment of the whole amount -
no monitoring or partial payments like RIOC used to do.
RequestedAction: NYCT must do project accounting and
monitoring, and disburse partial
payments.
● Unclear what community review is. The NYCT effort has not made it clear what "community
review" is. NYCT has little/no experience on Roosevelt
Island, nor with our community.
The RIRA PPF committee should do community review of
applications. Requested Action: Assign RIRA PPF committee the
community review.
Does NYC Community Trust have any comment on the new PPF process and
eligibility criteria for the upcoming Roosevelt Islander Online article
on subject."
NYCT spokesperson Marty Lipp replied March 5:
The New York Community Trust was asked by RIOC to administer its
public purpose fund and to make sure the funding was awarded fairly
and has maximum impact for the community. We brought to this process
nearly a century of grantmaking expertise awarding nearly $5 billion
across the five boroughs as well as Long Island and Westchester,
working with thousands of nonprofits, large and small.
In addition to distributing the grants in an efficient and effective
manner, we want to help nonprofits submit strong applications with an
eye toward strengthening their internal processes so they can
flourish. But we know that our due diligence requirements may be new
to some. Toward that end, we also are providing a series of workshops
and coaching sessions for Roosevelt Island nonprofits on good
governance and financial practices led by an expert nonprofit
management provider. We hope that this workshop series and the
individualized assistance we are providing will help applicants emerge
stronger and better equipped to secure additional funding from new
sources.
We also hear the community’s concern about timeline. This program was
launched quickly with the goal to distribute grants as soon as
possible to organizations who rely on them. We understand that some
nonprofits may only have three board members currently. Therefore, we
are extending the date by which organizations must add a fourth member
to the end of the grant period, and are happy to work with nonprofits
on that effort over the course of the year.
We have reached out and given one-on-one technical assistance to past
grantees. We have created a streamlined and simplified payment process
that will lighten the administrative burden on nonprofits. We are
confident that the grants will support important work for Roosevelt
Island in the coming year. All Roosevelt Island nonprofits are welcome
to apply and we encourage them to do so.
What follows are The Trust’s comments regarding the itemized concerns
in the RIRA letter that the Islander shared with us (numbered for
clarity):
1) The Trust emailed all past grantees that the grant opportunity was
open, and invited them to the informational webinar ten days prior to
the meeting.
2) We reached out to past grantees and have had one-on-one discussions
to ensure their questions were answered. We continue to be available
via phone and email to answer questions from all prospective
applicants.
3) Having made thousands of grants to nonprofits of all sizes over the
years, The Trust staff believe that nonprofits should have diverse
funding sources to maintain their viability over the long term.
4) The Trust is not asking nonprofits to dismiss current board
members. While New York State requires nonprofits to have three board
members, the Better Business Bureau recommends five. In its
experience, The Trust understands that it can be challenging for
smaller nonprofits to recruit five, and therefore its requirement is
four board members. We are happy to work with nonprofits to achieve
this board expansion within the yearlong grant period, if that
nonprofit’s application is awarded. We believe the free nonprofit
workshops provided through this fund will additionally strengthen
governance practices for all organizations.
5) As part of the application materials, and in line with our standard
practice, we request a project-specific budget from applicants that
includes income and itemized expenses. We also request an overall
budget for the organization. A scholarship, for example, would be
itemized as an expense. Any nonprofit can address specific queries
with our staff.
6) The Trust is prioritizing grantmaking to nonprofits with budgets
below $10 million, which includes smaller nonprofits.
7) Because the grants are generally small, they cannot be used for
brick and mortar capital projects. However, equipment purchases, such
as a van, are an allowable project expense if they ensure a group can
deliver its service. If a nonprofit has any questions about specific
expenses, we are glad to speak with them.
8) This program will make project grants to both existing and new
programs. Nonprofits can submit applications for existing programs
that they have run in prior years. We additionally expect and
encourage nonprofits to include administrative or overhead expenses in
their project budgets.
9) The Trust believes that nonprofits, particularly smaller ones, can
best fulfill their missions when their administrative burden is
reduced. Best practice for grants of this size is to disburse grants
upfront in one payment, which helps nonprofits with planning and
cashflow. Grantees’ work will be monitored through a single, final
report at the end of the term of the grant. Trust staff conduct
additional financial due diligence reviews on the front end before
making a grant, rather than on the back end as may have been the past
practice.
10) The Trust has nearly a hundred years of experience working with
New York City community-based organizations. We have enlisted a review
committee composed of five Roosevelt Island community members who will
review every proposal and recommend grants to The Trust.
We encourage any nonprofits with questions to reach out to us, and to
review the Request for Proposals, to which we have recently added a
Frequently Asked Questions section.
Here is the full RIRA letter sent to RIOC President Shelton Haynes
and discussion of the Public Purpose Fund grants during March 2 RIRA
Common Council meeting Public Session.
RIOC has not responded to request for comment.
UPDATE 3/10 - I asked NYCT:
... who are the 5 Roosevelt Island residents selected for the Community Review process and what criteria was used to select them?
NYCT Trust spokesperson Marty Lipp answered:
The New York Community Trust searched for and selected committee members to the Roosevelt Island Public Purpose Fund based on the following criteria: they live or work on Roosevelt Island; have deep experience and expertise in the nonprofit and/or public service sector; have no known conflicts of interest with past PPF grantees; and reflect age, gender, and racial diversity. Aligned with best practices to maintain a fair and objective review process, we will announce the committee members in May when we announce the grant recipients.
I followed up:
In the interests of openness and transparency why are you not announcing the members of the review committee now. The members of the Committee may have conflicts that NYC Community Trust is not aware.
By making the names public now, any potential conflict can be vetted by the community and addressed now.
Are any Committee members married or otherwise part of Rioc board or staff families? .... How many of the 5 work but do not live on Roosevelt Island.
Mr Lipp replied:
My earlier response sums up what we have to say at this point about the evaluation committee members and the process for choosing them.
We understand that this is a new process for the Island. If prospective applicants have any questions, they can contact The Trust directly as outlined in the RFP (as many already have) for guidance and assistance.
Roosevelt Island is a mixed income, racially diverse waterfront community situated in the East River of New York City between Manhattan and Queens and is jurisdictionally part of Manhattan. The Roosevelt Island Tramway, which connects Roosevelt Island to the rest of Manhattan, has become the iconic symbol of Roosevelt Island to its residents.
The Purpose of this Blog is to provide accurate and timely information about Roosevelt Island as well as a forum for residents to express opinions and engage in a dialogue to improve our community.
