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Budget, Education & City Services

November 2013, City Service & Budget Committee

FY 2015 Expense & Capital Budget Requests & Service Program Priorities

At the regularly scheduled monthly meeting of Community Board Five on Thursday, November 14, 2013, the Board passed the following Expense & Capital Budget Requests & Service Program Priorities for FY2015 with a vote of 37 in favor, 0 opposed, 1 abstention:

 

Every year the Board has a robust discussion about many of the issues that affect our District—this year was no exception. While we recognize the difficult economic environment that will exists for the 2015 budget we ask that there be no cuts to major services affecting CB5.

 

EXPENSE PRIORITIES:

 

  1. Office of Management and Budget: Maintain the current budget and staffing levels of CB5.

 

  1. Department of Transportation: Increased funding for traffic planning operations to reduce congestion and promote safety for pedestrians and vehicle users, in part, through public awareness and safety campaigns for safe bicycle use and street redesigns

 

  1. Department of Education: Fully fund development and maintenance of Pre-K programs in the district-including at PS 340.

 

  1. New York Public Library: The City must provide robust six-day service including increased hours, diverse programming, strong collections and sufficient staff to support these functions. In these challenging economic times, the services provided through the Library are needed by New Yorkers more than ever.

 

  1. Department of Homeless Services: Increase funding for Shelter Assistance programs, increase funds for homeless services, including but not limited to, affordable quality housing, preventive mental health services, childcare, foster care, drop-in centers, outreach programs, and improved shelter programs.

 

  1. Department of Consumer Affairs: Increase funding for inspectors to enforce cabaret laws, street vending and sidewalk café regulations. 

 

  1. Department of Cultural Affairs: Maintain funding levels for program groups and small lesser known cultural institutions. Increase funding for program groups, smaller cultural organizations and members of the Cultural Institutions Group.

 

  1. Department of Aging: Funding for in-home care and meals on wheels.

 

  1. Housing Preservation & Development: Increase funding for code enforcement, litigation and loan programs and also provide funding for long term supportive housing for special needs populations.

 

  1. Department of Youth and Community Development: Increase funding for outreach to runaway teenagers.

 

  1. Department of Youth and Community Development: Increase funding for afterschool programming and child care

 

  1. Police Department: (Traffic Control) Increase funding for traffic enforcement.

 

  1. Department of City Planning: Increase funding for planners to help Manhattan CB5 develop a community-based  plan for our district.

 

  1. Department of Sanitation: Maintain funding for sanitation enforcement and fund additional training for inspectors, audit staff.

 

  1. Department of Buildings: Increase funding for inspectors and technology.

 

  1. Department of Environmental Protection: Increase funding to hire additional inspectors to help with noise code enforcement.

 

  1. Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: Increased funding for the prevention of HIV/AIDS and all STDs.

 

  1. Landmarks Preservation Commission: Funding for additional agency staff in part to have landmark designation reports to be gathered into a database accessible and searchable by street address and lot number. 

 

  1. Department of Transportation: Fund a study to assess potential redesigns of 5th and 6th Avenues to improve safety and efficiency of travel for all street users.

 

  1. Police Department: Reinstate prior levels of funding for police officers and traffic enforcement officers.

 

  1. Fire Department: Hire additional firefighters (place majority in emergency services / Hazmat)

 

  1. Department of Homeless Services: Full funding for DHS police.

 

  1. Department of Parks & Recreation: Funding to make all scheduled events (both private and public) in city-maintained, privately-maintained and state-maintained parks, plazas and privately owned public spaces available online in advance for purpose of public notification.

 

  1. Department of Parks & Recreation: Hire a second full time exterminator or continue certification of gardeners for pest control.  

 

  1. Department of Education:  Fully fund planning for all new school construction, including needs assessment, other planning costs and site selection.  

 

 

 

CAPITAL PRIORITIES

 

  1. Department of Education: Funding for increased Pre-K, elementary and middle school capacity impacting our district  

 

  1. Department for the Aging: Build additional senior centers.  

 

  1. New York Public Library: Fund the following vital capital projects necessary for libraries in the district: (1) For the 58th Street Branch: electrical panel rehabilitation; (2) For the Andrew Heiskell Braille & Talking Book Library: Replace boiler and HVAC replacement 

 

  1. New York Public Library: Fund the following vital technology related capital projects necessary for our district: (1) For SIBL and SASB research libraries: PC Refresh, WiFi and VOIP; (2) For Andrew Heiskell, 58th Street, Mid-Manhattan and Cathedral: PC Refresh, WiFi and VOIP; (3) For SIBL: Audio/visual equipment

 

  1. Department of Transportation: Resurfacing of all streets identified by the department in priority order. 
  2. Department of Transportation: Funding to make the pedestrian plazas at Herald Square and Greeley Square premier urban plazas.

 

  1. Department of Education:  Funding for increased high school capacity.

 

  1. Department of Housing Preservation and Development:  Fully fund New York/New York III to ensure sufficient supportive housing to address our community's need.

 

  1. Department of Transportation: Full support for Select Bus Service (34th Street) and expansion to other routes. 

 

  1. New York Public Libraries: Ensure capital upkeep of existing library branches.

 

  1. Department of Transportation: Fund improvements most urgent to ensure safe and efficient flow of riders through Grand Central, 5th Avenue/53rd Street and Lexington Ave/51st-53rd streets

 

  1. Department of Transportation: Invest in ferry infrastructure on the East River to afford alternate means of accessing our district from Brooklyn and Queens.

 

  1. Department of Sanitation: Funding for basket trucks.

 

  1. Department of Parks & Recreation: Bundled purchase of decibel meters so that DPR can monitor the use of amplified sound during special events that they permit

 

  1. Fire Department: Fund additional mobile command posts.  

 

 

 

CONTINUING SUPPORT: CAPITAL

Libraries: Upgrade temperature and humidity control systems for main stacks and other branches.

 

Police: Support for police precinct modernization.

 

Transportation: Upgrade and/or overhaul the underground infrastructure which is a current risk for street collapses and other safety issues.

 

Fire: Support for station house upgrades.

 

Transportation: Continued support for the pedestrian plaza network and pedestrian improvements.

 

Department of Environmental Protection: Fund additional land purchases as buffer to safeguard water supply.   

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