The Roosevelt Island Public Library stands to win big, sharing a quarter of million dollars in technology upgrades. Participatory Budgeting opens the door for your deciding how tax dollars are spent, and City Council Member Julie Menin is all in. Here’s her press release with details.
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
Council Member Julie Menin Announces Ballot for Participatory Budgeting
Voting Week Kicks off on Saturday April 2nd as projects focus on Schools, Parks, and Libraries
March 29, 2022
In January 2022, Council Member Julie Menin announced that her office was allocating one million dollars of capital funding to continue participatory budgeting for the residents of New York City Council District 5. Participatory Budgeting (PB) is a democratic process in which community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budget. Over 40 project proposals were submitted and vetted by City agencies to ensure compliance and feasibility. Ballot items must be a physical infrastructure project that benefits the public and on City-owned property, have an estimated cost of at least $50,000 but not more than $550,000, and have a lifespan of at least 5 years.
Council Member Julie Menin is pleased to announce a list of 9 items—each ranging in cost from $64,000 to $550,000—that will be put for a vote between April 2 through April 10. The projects with the most votes up until $1 million has been accounted for will be funded.
The ballot is as follows:
| Project Title | Description | Price | Location |
| Four NYPD Security Cameras | Project would fund 4 NYPD cameras in Council District 5. These security cameras would enhance crime prevention, provide a sense of security in public areas, and establish surveillance in underserved areas. | $162,000 | Council District 5 (at NYPD discretion) |
| Schoolyard Resurfacing for M.S. 114 and P.S. 138 | Project would replace the slippery, degraded mats of the schoolyard that date back to the building’s construction over a decade ago. This will improve the overall safety and sanitary conditions for the students. | $380,000 | M.S. 114 and P.S. 138 (331 E 91st St, New York, NY 10128) |
| Technology Upgrades at New York Public Libraries | Project would provide technology enhancements at Roosevelt Island, Webster, and 67th Street Libraries. | $250,000 | Council District 5 |
| P.S. 151 Water Bottle Filling Stations | Project would install 8 water bottle filling stations to cover each of the five floors of the school. | $64,000 | Yorkville Community School (421 East 88 Street, Manhattan, NY 10128) |
| P.S. 183 Security Cameras | Project would install security cameras throughout the P.S. 183 campus. | $550,000 | P.S. 183 (419 E 66th St, New York, NY 10065) |
| Kitchen Renovations for FDNY | Project would initiate kitchen renovations for the aging firehouse kitchens. This first phase will consist of drawings, permits, filings, and architectural designs to replace their outdated facilities that are used 24 hours a day, and which often become second homes for personnel. | $150,000 | Engine 22/Ladder 13 (159 E 85th St, New York, NY 10028) |
| M.S. 177 Bathroom Renovations | Project would renovate one faculty and one student bathroom, both of which are in a general state of disrepair. It would upgrade the sinks, faucets, toilets, soap dispensers, mirrors, tile floors, stalls, paper towel dispensers, and urinals. | $225,000 | M.S. 177 (1458 York Ave, New York, NY 10075) |
| Street Tree Guard Installation | Project would install 50 metal guards for newly planted trees around the Council district. | $113,000 | Council District 5 |
| Pathway Repavings | Project would repave 10,000 square feet of paths in Carl Schurz Park. | $300,000 | Carl Schurz Park |
Participatory Budgeting Vote Week will kick off on Saturday, April 2, and run until Sunday, April 10. This year, residents age 11 and older of Council District 5 (Yorkville, Lenox Hill, Carnegie Hill, Roosevelt Island, Midtown East, Sutton Place, and El Barrio in East Harlem) will be able to vote online at https://www.participate.nyc.gov/processes/ccdistrict5. For more details or to request a paper ballot, please contact the Office of Council Member Julie Menin at 212-860-1950 or email District5@council.nyc.gov.
Winning projects will be announced in late April and included in the City’s budget at adoption in June 2022.
“I have been a longtime proponent of Participatory Budgeting since I’ve served on the Board of Citizens Union. Civil engagement is so important to improve our district, because we can ensure that our community has a voice in these important budgeting decisions. As we continue through this process of the Participatory Budget, filling out a ballot is an integral part of civic engagement and impacting your community,” said Council Member Julie Menin.
“We would love community support for our schoolyard surface rehab. The old, degraded mats no longer drain well, and have become a hazard. The residue coats our sports equipment and the hands of our students in a black, oily patina. The slick and buckled surface limits school activities and is unsafe for any use by our co-located special needs school, PS138,”
said David Getz, the Principal of East Side Middle School.
“Civic engagement is vital to the success of our communities and deeply rooted in the mission of The New York Public Library, which provides resources and services for all New Yorkers,” said Sumie Ota, The New York Public Library’s Associate Director for the East Manhattan Neighborhood Library Network. “We are grateful to be considered for this important funding to upgrade technology at Roosevelt Island, Webster, and 67th Street libraries. Thank you to Council Member Menin and the residents of the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island for recognizing your local libraries as a community partner worthy of such support.”
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