4 schools get participatory budget money
About 70 people attended Council Member Helen Rosenthal’s April 25 town hall at West Park Presbyterian Church, where she announced that four Upper West Side schools had come out winners in this year’s participatory budgeting vote.
The winning projects included $450,000 for schoolyard renovation at P.S. 84, $125,000 technology upgrades at Frank McCourt High School, $400,000 for air conditioning for the gym shared by P.S. 9 and Center School, and $295,000 for a library upgrade at P.S. 166.
Rosenthal said 3,111 votes were cast — roughly 1,000 more than last year. District residents 14 and older could vote on how to allocate $1 million and chose the school projects from among 11 proposals. Voting for the projects took place during the last week of March and beginning of April. The P.S. 166 library upgrade, which includes enlarging the library and creating a new reading space, was the most popular proposal, receiving 1,834 votes.
Rosenthal then took questions from residents. Representatives from 17 city agencies also addressed constituent concerns.
One resident wanted to know what Rosenthal could do to help small businesses.
“I just want you to know that I share your frustration — we are losing our small businesses,” Rosenthal replied. “I see it — I’ve lived in this community a long time.” Rosenthal said she and Council Member Daniel Garodnick had a bill they hoped to pass which that would provide relief to small business owners from taxes due to the city by Manhattan retail establishments.
Another resident asked about limiting construction noise, complaining that it was disruptive and began as early as 7 a.m. “Can anything be done to accommodate the community by starting construction hours even a wee bit later in the morning?” the resident asked. Contractors have the right to work between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., said Patrick Wehle, of the city’s Department of Buildings. “That can only be changed with a change in the law.”
About midway through the meeting, Public Advocate Letitia James spoke about current events, touching on President Trump, the march for science, Bill O’Reilly’s exit from Fox News and other national issues.
“Four years ago the talk in New York was about a tale of two cities,” James said. “Now I think we’ve progressed to a tale of two countries, because the line — ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times’ — defines where we are as a nation. And the Trump administration and its corrosive policies are just as divisive as we feared.”
James’ speech prompted one woman to speak out. “Would you stop with the political meeting?” the woman said. “I came here for a town hall.”