Participatory Budgeting Vote this Week: R U Ready for PB?

This year’s participatory budgeting voting period will start this Saturday, March 30th! It’s another exciting opportunity to see grassroots democracy in action, a chance for individual residents to decide how to spend millions of dollars in our community on many worthy projects, some of them green!!  Anyone over the age of 11 years old in District 33 can vote; over the age of 12 years of age in District 34.  And you do not have to be a citizen.  Read this article, originally published March 1, 2019 and updated on March 20th by our friend Lori Ann Doyon at Greenline for all the information you and your kids need to vote.

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Participatory Budgeting Vote Week is coming up! From March 30 to April 7, you will have the opportunity to decide how your tax dollars are spent in your community (NYC Council Districts 33 and 34). You may vote online at: www.Pbnyc.org/vote or in person at scheduled polling places: (District 33: click here; District 34: check their website. To be eligible to vote, you have to live in District 33 and be 11 years old or older, or live in District 34 and be 12 years old or older. You don’t have to be registered to vote, or be a citizen.

This vote gives the community a direct influence on bringing neighborhood projects to fruition via the City’s discretionary capital funds. Projects on the ballot went through a preliminary narrowing down by community members.The final items on the ballot address improvements to schools, parks, libraries, public housing, traffic issues, and more.

The 2019 vote will mark the end of the 8th cycle of Participatory Budgeting. This idea, to give the public direct power over part of the City’s purse, became a reality in 2012 in only four council districts. The 2019 vote will have 34 participating council districts. Ideas for Cycle 8’s projects needed to be submitted by October 5, 2018 and were collected online or at community meetings. Then, budget delegates and facilitators attended agency briefings and finalized proposals for city agency review. Between December and January, agency staff reviewed project proposals for capital eligibility. Finally, based on agency staff feedback, volunteers developed ballot items for the community to vote on.

DISTRICT 33 (CM Stephen Levin): $1.5 MM for capital projects & for the first time, $20K for expense projects

District 33 has added a new element this year: a second ballot to select expense projects. Voters will get the standard Participatory Budgeting Ballot, which will allocate $1.5 million for capital projects. The second ballot will dole out $20,000 for expense projects. “Expense projects are smaller, one shot ideas such as equipment for a senior center, weekly artist’s visits for Alzheimer’s patients, or a study of wildlife in one of our parks,” stated District 33’s Council Member Stephen Levin last October, on announcing this addition to his district’s Participatory Budgeting Vote. It will be a one-time disbursement for equipment, furniture, trainings, and new community engagement projects or programs.

“There are only two requirements to vote, you have to live in District 33 (don’t worry, we can help you if you’re not sure) and be 11 years old or older! As always, you don’t have to be registered to vote, you don’t have to be a citizen, and they [polling places] will have materials in Spanish, Polish, and Yiddish. More info to come but mark your calendars!” said Benjamin Solotaire, Participatory Budgeting Director for Council Member Stephen Levin.

If you want to volunteer or have any questions, please contact Benjamin Solotaire at bsolotaire@council.nyc.gov or at 718.875.5200

District 33 Capital Projects (green projects in bold):

1. I.S. 318, East Williamsburg ($250,000) ~ Renovated Library for Better Learning: make a better library for students to enjoy reading and studying (about all subjects, including the environment, sic).
2. Vinegar Hill Community Garden Enhancements ($300,000) ~  Add water and electrical supply to this popular garden to make the growing easier and more productive for all.  
3. P.S. 31, Greenpoint ($225,000) ~ New Smart Boards: provide state of the art smart boards to upgrade the educational opportunities for these elementary school students.
4. P.S. 38 The Pacific School, Prospect Heights ($400,000) ~ Renovate 4 bathrooms, 2 girls and 2 boys, to provide clean and sanitary facilities.
5. P.S. 307, Vinegar Hill ($300,000) ~ A/V Upgrades for a community used auditorium with new audio and visual equipment.
6. P.S. 380, Williamsburg ($300,000) ~ Safety First around P.S. 380: Provide shorter and safer crossings at 4 intersections: Wallabout, Lynch, Lorimer and Union Streets.
7. Automotive HS, Greenpoint ($350,000) ~ Make STEAM: Increase creativity & opportunity for public school students by infusing the curriculum with cutting-edge skills & tools.
8. Dock Street School, Dumbo, ($200,000) ~ New Laptop Carts: help purchase six new laptop carts for grades 6-8, STEAM oriented technology.
9. Van Arsdale H.S. Campus, Williamsburg ($500,000) ~ Weight Room Renovations: provide a safe, clean and new weight room for over 1,800 students to get physically fit.

District 33 Expense Projects  (green projects in bold):

1. Friends Of Thomas Greene Park, Gowanus ($5,000) ~ Gowanus Grind & EXPO Gowanus: bring our communities together for the park’s future. Students, skateboarders and families join to celebrate our park.
2. Gowanus Canal Conservancy, Gowanus ($10,000) ~ NYCHA Gardening Project w/ GCC: GCC, residents and the afterschool program will partner to enhance and expand garden plots using new tools & materials. Wyckoff Gardens, Gowanus Houses, Warren St.
3. Williamsburgh Library, Williamsburg ($5,000) ~ More Books: help buy up to 200 more books (including green books!) for the collection for all Williamsburg residents.
4. Automotive High School, Greenpoint ($10,000) ~ Teaching Creativity with Digital Tools: Training for teachers to use 21st Century tools, design thinking, & project-based learning in our Public Schools
5. Daughtry Day Care Center, Cobble Hill ($10,000) ~ Inter-Generational Partnerships: Kids and seniors from all walks of life together building respect and lifting horizons for everyone.
6. Krakus Senior Center, Greenpoint ($5,000) ~ Pictures for Seniors: Provide a pro-photo printer for seniors to take home mementos from special occasions.
7. North Brooklyn Neighbors ($10,000) ~ Count North Brooklyn! – An Accurate 2020 Census: A campaign to dispel myths and increase responsiveness so that representation and funding are equitably distributed.

DISTRICT 34 (CM Antonio Reynoso) $1 MM for capital projects

Green projects in bold:

1. P.S. 75, Bushwick ($350K) ~ Playground Upgrade: for improved equipment including new swings, slides, and more
2. P.S. 239, Ridgewood ($350K) ~ New playground equipment: new and innovative equipment including a new jungle gym and flooring
3. P.S. 250, East Williamsburg ($350K) ~ Playground Upgrade: a renovation that includes resurfacing, new fencing, play equipment, and a designated green space
4. Cooper Park, East Williamsburg ($500K) ~ Playground Renovation: includes new play equipment, new mats, tables for seniors, a new sprinkler and more benches
5. Grove Street Community Garden, Bushwick ($500K) ~ Play Equipment:  a new playground set for the Grove Street Garden.
6. More Street Trees for District 34, $500K ~ Let’s “green” the 34th District by installing over 200 new trees in all three neighborhoods. (Williamsburg, Bushwick, and Ridgewood)
7. William Gaynor Campus, East Williamsburg ($200K) ~ School Signage And Water Filling Station: a digital billboard will distinguish the three schools, and the water stations will encourage students to reuse their bottles.
8. Williamsburg Houses, East Williamsburg ($500K) ~ Playground Renovation to expand the play area with new mats, equipment, and sprinkler
9. P.S. 84, Williamsburg ($275K) ~ Auditorium Upgrade: jumpstart an upgrade to their performance space and provide a new stage, lights, and chairs
10. P.S. 319, Williamsburg ($200K) ~ Multimedia Library: desktop computers, a projector, digital cameras, and more to outfit their new library
11. BK Arbor School, Williamsburg ($270K) ~ 21st Century technology upgrade: new smart boards for each classroom, laptops, charging stations, & desktops for students
12. P.S. 257, East Wiliamsburg ($380K) ~ Modern Technology: provide state of the art smart boards and laptops for their 40 classrooms
13. P.S. 132, East Williamsburg ($500K) ~ Cafeteria Upgrade to accommodate their growing population by installing new tables, floors and sound proofing

 

Come out and vote!  Voting week runs from March 30–April 7. You may vote online at: http://www.Pbnyc.org/vote or in person at scheduled polling places:
District 33: http://www.stephenlevin.nyc/pb-2019-vote-week
District 34: http://www.council.nyc.gov/district-34.