Tomorrow is the last day of the Roosevelt Island Haki Compost Collective Food Scrap collection drop off site for this year and for now, into next year.
At this time, it is not known if and when the site will return in 2024.
... The Haki Compost Collective thanks you for dropping off your food
scraps on Saturdays. Since November 2015, we have collectively diverted
over 341,017 pounds of food scraps from landfill, or 170 tons,
equivalent to 85 SUV's in weight!
Several dump truck loads of nutrient-rich compost have come back to the
Island trees, flowers and gardens and been given back to neighbors for
their house plants....
We have a few updates on the status of our food scrap drop-off site.
The mayoral budget cuts will end our direct partnership with Big Reuse, at least for the moment. The last day they will collect our material will be this Saturday, December 16. As per DSNY, all green toters need to be returned on that day.
Big
Reuse, like all the community composting organizations, is trying to
raise funds to continue composting at the Queensbridge site. Even if
they are able to maintain the site, they do not know if they will be
able to continue neighborhood collections. If you would like to donate to Big Reuse, our partners for the past 8 years, click here.
We don’t want to lose the NYC green bin program which is the only true
food scraps-to-compost program. The sidewalk orange bins burn food
scraps for energy. Their inefficiency has been at full display in city
council hearings as well as in the media. While the fight to keep
community composting is an uphill battle, it is not over yet. Please continue to:
Haki
Compost Collective volunteers are investigating alternative options if
Big Reuse is unable to continue to pick up our food scraps. We are
looking into
hiring a hauler who could take the scraps to a farm upstate to be composted
discussing with RIOC any options for composting
talking with other community composter partners around the city about their plans.
If you have any leads or ideas, please contact us!
In the meantime, because nothing is certain and we do not have a concrete plan, we will announce the following at the Haki table on Saturday:
"Due
to mayoral budget cuts that affect our partner Big Reuse, Haki must
take a winter break to regroup. We are actively pursuing other options. Please provide your email to get updates in January. In the meantime, please put your food scraps in the orange bins by the tram, Manhattan Park, and the Octagon.
Thank you so much for your support through the years!"
Due to proposed NYC budget cuts, the last Haki Compost Collective Roosevelt
Island Food Scrap Drop Off collection
will be Saturday December 16, 2023.
We received the letter below from the Big Reuse Manager of Community
Partnerships. The situation is serious and this is the week when we need
community participation
ask our CM's to urge DSNY Commissioner Tisch to reinstate Community
Composting
ask CM's to discuss and vote to restore these programs in the budget
line because these programs are part of the health and safety
infrastructure in our city "Please do all that you can to change the city
budget plan that eliminates Community Composting (Green Bin)
programs. The community compost programs like the NYC Compost Project (Big Reuse,
Lower East Side Ecology, Earth Matter, Snug Harbor) and GrowNYC play a
vital role in our city. "
Reasons: These 115 essential green jobs mean that NYC
diverts over 8 million pounds of organic waste from
landfills;
gives finished compost to over 335 community groups and thousands
of individuals
creates storm resilient soils across the city that mitigate
flooding
provides compost education to over 600,000 New
Yorkers
educates widely about prevention of rats in NYC
This essential service supports New York's climate goals - a keystone
service in this regard.
Ms Ferguson shares shares the letter from Big Reuse:
Dear Community Compost Partners,
Due to the City’s financial crisis and elimination of funds for community
compost programs, we regret to inform you that we can no longer offer food
scrap hauling service. Saturday, December 16th,will be the last food scrap pick up date. On this date, we will
collect all the green Toters and any extra bins you may
have received.
Please have toters with food scrap or emptied out ready for collection,
if you are not receiving weekly hauling we will still be coming by
for any remaining toters that may be used for compost or browns
distribution. We also will be hanging signage at your site in the next week or two to
help spread awareness of this closure to all your neighbors and
participants. Attached is the signage that we will have laminated and
hanging (if applicable).
We want to thank you for being a part of our community composting family
and providing a valuable service for your community. On a personal note,
it has been incredibly joyous and fulfilling to partner with so many
incredible community groups and gardens across our city to support
sustainable practices and direct climate action.
... The Haki Compost Collective thanks you for dropping off your food
scraps on Saturdays. Since November 2015, we have collectively diverted
over 341,017 pounds of food scraps from landfill, or 170 tons,
equivalent to 85 SUV's in weight!
Several dump truck loads of nutrient-rich compost have come back to the
Island trees, flowers and gardens and been given back to neighbors for
their house plants....
Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Acting President Shelton Haynes
announced during the October 15 Operations Advisory Committee meeting that the
annual Roosevelt Island Holiday Lights display will be cancelled this year due
to revenue shortfalls.
No Reindeer sled,
no Roosevelt Landings Arcade Lights,
no Tram Plaza animal lights
or any other Holiday Lights.
Mr Haynes explained that RIOC is currently experiencing a $2.7 million revenue loss this year and reducing it's community events budget from $150 Thousand annually to $50 Thousand.
Last Friday,I asked Mr Haynes what other upcoming Roosevelt Island events will be cancelled.
Will update when answer received.
UPDATE 5:35 PM
This is a bummer. I took a picture by the sled last year, and I'd love it if we could figure out a way to keep it, since so many other local holiday traditions are being cancelled this year. https://t.co/Nuf96HymU2pic.twitter.com/2vKHsssgmy
One of the best resources for Roosevelt Island residents of all ages is our local branch of the New York Public Library. Toddlers, pre-teens, teens, adults, parents, and senior citizens all benefit from the programs, activities and offerings at the Roosevelt Island Public Library.
As we all know, the NY State and City budget crisis may lead to some libraries closing and others having their hours of operation reduced. According to Crains New York:
The heads of the three major library systems in New York City testified in front of the City Council today to try to stave off the biggest city budget cuts in their history.
The proposed cuts in Mayor Bloomberg's executive budget total nearly $75 million for the three systems, with the Queens Library facing a $17 million reduction, the Brooklyn Public Library facing a $20 million cut, and the New York Public Library facing a nearly $38 million decrease, 25% of its city funding...
The state budget crisis, of course, won’t spare city services. One that may take a big hit is public libraries. Forty branches could be closed if funds aren’t restored -– under a worst-case scenario. But with so much up in the air and a good deal of politicking, it's hard to tell what to believe this year.
A letter writing campaign is underway for library patrons to express support for their local libraries. A reader asks for more Roosevelt Island library users to show support for our local library by writing letters to their elected official urging them to save the NY Public Library from the harshest cuts in history.
Please post this to your blog, the RI library has one of the lowest turn outs of public support with only 200 letters submitted via this website, well below the 1000s that the Manhattan libraries are turning out.
Please help save the New York Public Library from the harshest cut in its history: $37 million. Follow the links below to take action.
At a late-night press avail, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Chrsitine Quinn tried to put the best face on their $63 million budget "handshake" deal. Surrounded by most of the City Council, Bloomberg and Quinn said it would preserve the city's core services, despite some $1 billion in cuts. But there are still a lot of asterisks, and blank spaces that need numbers.
Quinn said New Yorkers would feel the cuts. Library service will be cut from six to five days and some daycare and senior centers still face closure...
The NYPL letter writing and donation links are no longer working.
Update on prior posts concerning possible closing of Long Island City based FDNY Ladder Company 116 which serves Roosevelt Island. May 17 was believed to be the day that Mayor Bloomberg was to announce the New York City Firehouses to be closed due to City and State budget crisis but that announcement of Fire House closings has been postponed. The NY Daily News reports:
Mayor Bloomberg is giving a reprieve to 20 fire companies on the chopping block - at least for now.
"I'm going to wait and see," Bloomberg said.
He's counting on Albany to come through with some last-minute cash when the Legislature finalizes a spending plan - one that is already 48 days late...
... On May 6, when the mayor released his proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, he called for the closing of 20 fire companies, a move he said would save the FDNY $41 million if the companies were closed by July 1.
By law, the city is required to make public the list of companies slated to be closed 45 days in advance.
For more than a week, officials at the Fire Department were saying they planned to release the list on Monday. But Mr. Bloomberg, who would have borne the brunt of community anger related to the list's release, opted not to move forward.
Mr. Bloomberg said he still doesn't know what's happening with the state budget, which is now more than a month late. While the city must continue to prepare for what officials anticipate will be dramatic declines in state funding, the mayor said he preferred to wait a little longer before making a move on fire company closings.
"I'd like to have another five or six weeks of tax revenues information, see how tax revenues are coming in," he said, noting that the economy is picking up.
Still, he warned, the economy isn't improving at a fast enough clip to spare the city from significant spending cuts. "We are going to have to make some serious cuts," he insisted...
The closing of relatively near by Ladder Company 116 would represent a significant danger to Roosevelt Island residents.
The NY Post, NY Times and NY 1 are reporting that Governor David Patterson is suspending hundreds of New York State funded construction projects. According to the NY Post:
Gov. Paterson moved on two fronts yesterday to shore up the state's teetering finances: halting hundreds of state-funded construction projects and freezing another $2.1 billion in school aid.
The emergency actions came as the state approached another fiscal year -- its 26th since 1980 -- without a balanced budget.
Paterson officials said the lack of a 2010-11 spending plan by the April 1 deadline would mean the end of the road for some 500 building projects not funded by federal stimulus money.
Ongoing projects facing shortfalls in state aid include the $407 million effort to repair and expand the Alexander Hamilton Bridge, which carries I-95 over the Harlem River, and plans to reconfigure the Long Island Expressway's interchange with Route 110 in Huntington.
Paterson's extraordinary fiat might keep other projects from starting altogether, such as the $75 million plan to build a highway connection for the Army's base at Fort Drum near the Canadian border. Bids for the project were due to be let tomorrow....
...For now, only projects paid for with federal stimulus funds will move forward. The rest will have to wait until the state Legislature and the governor come up with a spending plan.
However, any project that addresses emergency health and safety needs will be exempt from the suspension.
When I learned of the suspension of NY State funded construction projects my sentiments echoed this tweet from Value Everything:
Great! Does this mean they'll stop the FDR Memorial on Roosevelt Island? http://bit.ly/9f0xvE I hope so, cause it'll be ugggggly!
So I inquired of Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Steve Shane how this will impact Roosevelt Island's proposed FDR Four Freedoms Park as well as any other Roosevelt Island project including the Tram Modernization.
Mr. Shane replied:
I am advised that the Governor's announcement will have no impact on the State appropriation for the FDR Four Freedoms Memorial.
followed by:
Also, zero impact on Tram modernization project. Money already in ESDC's and RIOC's account.
I responded:
I do not mean to be sarcastic or snarky in any manner but what "emergency health and safety needs" does the FDR Four Freedoms Park meet in order to be exempted from the Governor's construction project suspension?
Mr. Shane answered:
I have no idea, but it is not on the suspend list.
I then received the following RIOC Advisory:
Due to construction, South Point Park will be close until further notice.
Sincerely,
Roosevelt Island Operating Corp Advisories Group
and asked Mr. Shane:
Is the closure of Southpoint Park due to construction for the FDR Four Freedoms Park? If so, shouldn't any construction wait until you are sure that the Governor's suspension of State funding is confirmed, otherwise the Park is needlessly closed.
who answered:
There are two projects going on. One is Phase II of the Southpoint Open Space project (aka Green Rooms/Wild Gardens) and the second being the FDR Four Freedoms project. The State funding is confirmed.
This is just an additional instance of what appears to be special consideration being given for the politically connected FDR Four Freedoms Park Memorial Boondoggle. For example this happened just yesterday. I asked Mr. Shane:
During the RIRA Town Hall meeting last Wednesday, you indicated that the FDR Four Freedoms Park Memorial agreement has been finalized, in escrow, it's release from escrow imminent and when it was released from escrow RIOC would make the agreement public. Has the agreement been released from escrow and if so, can you forward me a copy so that I may post on Roosevelt Islander blog.
Also, has the FDR Four Freedoms Park Memorial been approved by the NYC Design Commission? I have been trying to confirm that NYC Design Commission has approved the project but have not been able to do so yet. If it has not been approved, does that have any impact on the agreement between RIOC and FDR Memorial promoters?
Mr. Shane sent the material requested and added in regard to the approval by NYC Design Commission:
no, it was not and no it was not required to be.
In reply, I asked:
In response to your answer below, why does the FDR Memorial Project design for Roosevelt Island's Southpoint Park not need to be submitted to and approved by the NYC Design Commission? According to the NYC Design Commission's web site:
... The Design Commission reviews permanent works of art, architecture and landscape architecture proposed on or over City-owned property. Projects include construction, renovation or restoration of buildings, such as museums and libraries; creation or rehabilitation of parks and playgrounds; installation of lighting and other streetscape elements; and design, installation and conservation of artwork.,,,
Roosevelt Island's Southpoint Park is certainly NYC owned property, notwithstanding the City's lease of Roosevelt Island to NY State. For such an important change to NYC waterfront open space park land, why shouldn't the appropriate designated NYC agency that reviews similar projects review the proposed FDR Memorial Park? Indeed, supporters of this Project have claimed that this Project is not just a Roosevelt Island park, but one for the entire City, State and County. If, as claimed, the FDR Memorial Park is such a high profile and prominent addition to New York City open space Park Land, shouldn't a Project of such importance be reviewed by the NYC Agency that is charged with and trained to review it's appropriateness for the proposed location? If not, what makes the FDR Memorial Project so different?
Further, in a matter primarily, if not solely concerning Roosevelt Island residents, you recently sought a RIOC Board resolution waiving the necessity of any required approval by the Design Commission for the Manhattan Tram Station re-design. In a matter such as the proposed FDR Memorial at Southpoint Park, which is claimed by RIOC and other supporters to be of great City, State and national importance, it would seem as though approval of the NYC Design Commission is more warranted or at least, RIOC should attempt to get a formal waiver of the Design Commission's approval. Whether one supports or opposes this particular project, all should agree that proper legal procedures should be followed. To not do so appears arbitrary and capricious, given previous practice.
Also, please remember a similar occassion when you incorrectly claimed that a RIOC Board resolution was not required to approve the FDR Memorial and later decided to proceed with a formal vote on the matter. Perhaps this is a similar occasion...
Mr. Shane responded:
Up to you to pursue. We have been advised that there is no such requirement.
and:
we went through the Design Commission's jurisdiction in connection with the Tram. They asserted no jurisdiction over facilities on Roosevelt Island. Indeed, were one to follow your logic, everything here would be required to be submitted to the DC, a most awkward and administratively difficult result.
followed by me:
If the FDR Four Freedoms Memorial is of such City, State and National importance as supporters assert, then the NYC Design Commission might reasonably be anticipated to assert jurisdiction assuming they know about the project.
... The Design Commission reviews permanent works of art, architecture and landscape architecture proposed on or over City-owned property. Projects include construction, renovation or restoration of buildings, such as museums and libraries; creation or rehabilitation of parks and playgrounds; installation of lighting and other streetscape elements; and design, installation and conservation of artwork.,,,
Very few Roosevelt Island projects meet these criteria - other than the landmarks.
Finally, Mr. Shane:
I am advised that the Four Freedoms Memorial was submitted to the Design Commission for a "courtesy" review last April 27 as the DC did not think it had jurisdiction. At that time, the project was without objection and reportedly received kudos.
Why a "courtesy" review of this project and not a full public hearing by the New York City Design Commission? No idea but the FDR Four Freedom Park certainly seems to be on some sort of "unique" track particularly when you consider the 41 existing NY State Parks and 14 Historic Sites that are planned to close due to the budget crisis yet this non-existent Park is being funded to the tune of $4 million in State Funds and another $4.5 in NYC funds for what is purported to be only the first of three phases totaling at least $45 milion? Given that we are in the Passover Season, perhaps one can paraphrase and ask:
Why Is the FDR Four Freedoms Park taxpayer supported project different from all other taxpayer projects?
Why indeed?
Below are the recently completed documents regarding the FDR Four Freedoms Park including
Funding Agreement Between RIOC and New York City
Development Agreement Between RIOC and Franklin D Roosevelt Four Freedom Park LLC (FDR LLC)
Letter Agreement Between RIOC and FDR LLC and
Escrow Agreement Between RIOC, FDR LLC and JP Morgan Chase
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.
.jpg)
.png)
