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Budget, Education & City Services

October 2017, Budget, Education & City Services Committee

FY 2019 Expense & Capital Budget Requests & Service Program Priorities

Expense Items

1. Fund an annual cost of living increase in line with other City agencies and specifically fund one additional staff member for CB5  (Office of Management and Budget)
2. Increase funding for comprehensive shelter programs, including affordable quality housing, mental health counseling, childcare, drop in centers, outreach programs and other homeless services. (Department of Homeless Services)
3. Provide funding to address mental health issues, provide treatment and medications and promote resources, specifically for homeless populations and increase support for school based mental health programs (Department of Health and Mental Hygiene)
4. Fund the creation of programs for developmental, mental health and substance abuse prevention programs; provide funding for addiction counseling programs for adolescent and non violent offenders, in light of passage of the "raise the age law" (Department of Health and Mental Hygiene)
5. Increase funding for after-school programs; provide, expand, or enhance after school programs for elementary school students (Department of Youth and Community Development)
6. Provide adequate funding for mental health professionals for students at New York City schools; ensure teaching staff are provided with tools to recognize mental health issue and the resources that are available.  (Department of Education)
7. Provide, expand and enhance street outreach; increase funding for outreach to runaways, homeless youth and LGBT teens (Department of Youth and Community Development)
8. Provide additional funding for Counter-terrorism police personnel at major transportation hubs in the district (NYPD)
9. Increase uniformed officer headcount in order to aid enforcement specifically to address grand larceny and public nuisance management (e.g. pedicab enforcement, peddlers and other "scams") (NYPD)
10. Increase funding for the prevention of HIV/AIDS with the creation of specific programs to address HIV/AIDS or other infectious disease; (Department of Health and Mental Hygiene)
11. Domestic violence services; continue to provide adequate funding for shelter and emergency services for domestic violence victims  (Human Resources Administration)
12. Provide funding to the Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book library such that it can be converted from a 6-day to a 7-day a week schedule. (NYPL)
13. Increase efforts to insure the safe and lawful use of the streets by bicycles and bicyclists, including research into the appropriate placement of new bikes lanes and the expansion of bike lanes, increased enforcement of traffic laws applying to bicyclists, including without limitation, laws relating to bicycling with the direction of vehicular traffic, stopping at red lights, and not riding on the sidewalks. (New York City Department of Transportation and the New York Police Department)
14. Funding to enforce noise complaint and parse the 311 system for noise complaints; calls logged may not be tagged as noise complaints, but the DEP report that there were 0 noise complaints from CB5 residents does not reflect reality. (Department of Environmental Protection)
15. Provide resources for training officers in community policy and community interactions; Given the security threats and need for inter communal, positive interaction in our district increased community affairs training would be valuable. (NYPD)
16. Funding for assignment of additional traffic enforcement officers: increased traffic issues caused by uptick in pedicabs, vendors, construction, and increased tourism in summer/holidays has made CB5 the most difficult to navigate. (NYPD)
17. Ensure inspections to ensure landlords are fulfilling their responsibility under density bonuses, inspect all privately owned public spaces each year, issue warnings to owners violating the terms of their bonus and remove the DOB occupancy permits for bonuses floor area for owners who do not bring their plazas into compliance within a reasonable time frame. (Department of City Planning, Zoning and Land Use)
18. Hire additional firefighters and EMT workers; provide funding for additional firefighters in our district to serve additional residents coming into the new super tower condo buildings. (NYFD)
19. Provide rental assistance/vouchers for permanent affordable housing for individuals and families in the shelter system (Human Resources Administration)
20. Increase funding levels for all arts and cultural institutions in the district and specifically increase funding levels for program groups, small cultural organizations and institutions. (Department of Cultural Affairs)
21. Increased funding for additional staff to enforce and identify violations and handle designation requests (Landmarks Preservation Commission)
22. Increased funding for additional staff to enforce code violations and antiquated Certificates of Occupancy  (Department of Buildings)
23. Increase funding to ensure enforcement of regulations concerning the use of New York City sidewalks by bicycle vendors, to maintain safe and unobstructed walkways for the city's many residents and visitors.  (Department of Sanitation)
24. Improve traffic and pedestrian safety, including traffic calming - - 59th street and 6th avenue is complex, with competing crosswalks and a poorly located bus stop, Central Park entrance, etc. Traffic lights' timing creates danger for pedestrians as the pedestrian lights and car lights nearly simultaneously instructs, permitting vehicles to turn at the same time. (Department of Transportation)
25. Enforcement of organic matter pick up (Department of Sanitation)

Capital Items

1. Funding for the creation of a Reproductive Rights Clinic within the District. (Department of Health)
2. Funding for upgrade/provision of electronic and communication equipment for uniformed officers. (NYPD)
3. Upgrade existing facilities for the homeless:  address deficiencies in existing infrastructure and facilities to improve quality of life in homeless shelters; address open violations (Department of Homeless Services)
4. Funding needed to site, plan and build playground large enough to accommodate kids aged 3 - 5 at PS 340 as existing terrace does not provide adequate outdoor space. (School Construction Authority)
5. Fully fund new school construction; currently CB5 classrooms do not meet the State standard for class size and funding for additional classrooms/schools should be provided to ensure compliance with Contract for Excellence.  (School Construction Authority)
6. Fund the creation of cluster rooms for science, arts, music, technology, dance and foreign language.  (Department of Education/School Construction Authority)
7. Provide adequate funding for Internet connectivity within elementary, middle and high schools not only within the CB5 district but for all schools serving the CB5 school age population;Ensure that schools have the capacity to provide internet capacity and that principals have the information and ability to request repairs and updates and that the funding is available to service such requests. (Department of Education)
8. Funding for the renovation/upgrade of existing precinct houses; modernization needed in precincts (NYPD)
9. Funding for the renovation/rehabilitation of existing firehouses and EMT stations; upgrades needed (FDNY).
10. Installation of additional fire alarms city-wide as requested by the FDNY; wish to fund appropriate share of $280,000 as requested (FDNY)
11. Construct an ADA Compliant Elevator for the 58th Street Branch library (NYPL)
12. Install bicycle corrals to help ensure organized storage of bicycles and maintain safe sidewalks for pedestrians. (Department of Sanitation)
13. Improve streetscapes in business districts to attract/encourage commercial activity.  This includes lighting and sidewalk improvements.  (Department of Housing Preservation and Development)
14. Transit infrastructure improvement; provision of elevators/escalators at the following hubs:  Union Square, 59th Street, 23rd Street and Bryant Park.  (Department of Transportation)
15. Transit infrastructure; improve accessibility through provision of needed funds to speed the repair, maintenance and upkeep of elevators.  (Department of Transportation)
16. Ensure the health of trees within the district; specifically increase funding for additional exterminator and gardeners for pest control, monitor tree health, plant substantially more trees on all the avenues particularly on 8th, 7th, 6th, 5th and Madison Avenue as well as cross streets south of times square (Parks Department)
17. Repair or replace existing storm sewers that cause pooling and backup particularly on Park Avenue and 58th and 5th (Department of Sanitation)
18. Ensure that the district remains relevant to the Art Community; increase public art specifically through the commission of sculptures and murals (Department of Cultural Affairs)
19. In addition to the foregoing, the Committee would like to note that Penn Station and other major transit hubs, while technically out of the purview of the city budget, are sites that urgently need attention.  CB5 would like to urge the City to assist where possible, in the improvement, repair and construction of the most trafficked hubs in the city such as Penn Station and 57th Street.