Participatory Budgeting – Turning Your Ideas Into Projects

Participatory Budgeting update from Michael Fettman of the Streets & Sidewalks Committee:

What a great feeling. After weeks and months of meetings and learning about the Participatory Budgeting process, going through so many ideas submitted by our friends and neighbors, and learning all about how to maneuver and comply with all the government bureaucracies, we finally got to the point of putting the finishing touches on to the proposals that we are ready to submit for review. Soon, our neighbors will get to give us their input on our proposals, which will be put up for a vote in March to decide which ones will get funded.

Submitted by alex on Wed, 2012-01-25 14:18

PB Committee Tackles Flooding at Subway Station

Participatory Budgeting update from Tracy Turner of the Transit Committee:

We were delighted to hear the announcement from Catherine Zinnel of Councilmember Brad Lander’s office that they were able to get various city agencies (Department of Parks, Sanitation, and Environmental Protection) to commit to cleaning up the area outside the Ft. Hamilton F/G subway entrance. We applaud the great strides that Councilmember Lander’s office has made with this recent announcement. This is indeed a triumph!

Submitted by alex on Fri, 2012-01-20 16:42

Budget delegates for the Parks and Recreation committee get real

Participatory Budgeting update from JC Martinez-Sifre of the Parks and Recreation Committee:

The reality is beginning to set in for budget delegates engaged in Councilmember Brad Lander's initiative to make participatory budgeting a functional reality in his district.

“I think we’re all beginning to understand how big a process this is going to be,” said Budget Delegate, Michael Hickey of Kensington. The delegates, if they weren't already aware, are coming to understand that this is not going to be a brief exercise in spending a million dollars of public funds.

Submitted by alex on Mon, 2011-12-12 11:21

Participatory Budgeting Transit Committee Seeks Best Projects for Scarce Funds

Participatory Budgeting update from Sara Nordmann of the Transit Committee:

The Transit Committee of District 39‘s Participatory Budgeting Initiative met on Nov. 16th at PS 230 for our first real gathering as a group.

That evening, Bill Henderson, the Executive Director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee (PCAC) to the MTA, discussed with us the feasibility issues concerning the project proposals submitted during the community-meeting process. He emphasized that even small projects cost much, much more than us regular folks would expect, particularly when they involve interrupting regular transit service.

Submitted by alex on Thu, 2011-12-01 15:44

Committee Using Participatory Budgeting to Address Public Safety

Participatory Budgeting update from Rachel Fine of the Public Safety, Public Health, and Sanitation Committee:

The first meeting of the Public Safety, Public Health, and Sanitation Committee was a huge success. Our group is the smallest of all of the committees, but boy are we mighty!

Our group consists of individuals of all different ages, backgrounds, and parts of District 39. But despite (or perhaps because of?) our many differences, we worked incredibly well together and made some huge strides forward at our first meeting.

Submitted by alex on Mon, 2011-11-21 09:39

Participatory Budgeting delegate committees get to work

Participatory Budgeting update from Maggie Tobin of the 39th District Streets & Sidewalks Committee:

Monday evening, November 6th, the budget delegates from the 39th District all met at P.S. 230 in Kensington to kick off the long and arduous (but truly fun and fascinating!) process of deciding how we would like to spend a million dollars from Councilmember Brad Lander’s discretionary funds in our collective community. It was a very interesting evening, especially because I met so many new people from all over the district, each with wonderful ideas on how we can improve our neighborhoods.

Submitted by alex on Mon, 2011-11-14 14:37

What's Your Idea?

The Project for Public Spaces has created a new, interactive tool to help community members give input online about what kinds of projects Participatory Budgeting should fund.

See what other people have suggested in your district and submit potential capital projects of your own!

District 39 ideas must be submitted by Sunday, November 13!

Submitted by mfs on Tue, 2011-11-08 13:49

Learn How to Submit Your Video Idea: Monday, November 7th

Check out two videos about Participatory Budgeting in District 39 produced by high school students as part of the Educational Video Center's (EVC) Doc Workshop. One video asks the question, "What is Participatory Budgeting?" and the other asks "How would you spend $1 million to improve your neighborhood"?

Its not too late to submit your own short video - How would you spend $1 million to improve your neighborhood? The deadline is November 21. 

Make your video at a free hands-on video workshop November 7 at the BRIC Community Media Center in Gowanus (rsvp required: rsvp [at] artsanddemocracy [dot] org)

Submitted by mfs on Sun, 2011-11-06 09:29

Get Involved: Seven Neighborhood Assemblies The Last Week of October

Your chance to plug into your district's neighborhood assembly is this week!  All four districts are having a total of seven neighborhood assemblies between Monday 10/24 and Saturday 10/29.

Details are on the Participatory Budgeting Events Calendar!

Submitted by mfs on Mon, 2011-10-24 11:28

Participatory Budgeting on WNYC's Brian Lehrer Show

By Brian Lehrer    WNYC    Fri, 2011-10-21

Brad Lander, Brooklyn City Councilman (D-39), and Melissa Mark-Viverito, city council member representing East Harlem and parts of the Bronx and Upper West Side discuss their new plan to involve constituents in budget allocation.

View original piece

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