Proposals Due Soon From NYC Residents Seeking Funds For Community Projects

New York City NY

30 January, 2022

6:36 PM

Description

By Sam Bojarski, The Haitian Times January 30, 2022 One idea is for a community food kitchen at Newkirk and Coney Island avenues. Another calls for a subway mural to be painted at the Parkside Avenue Q train station. A third calls for stormwater infrastructure, to build flood resilience. In all, more than 45 proposals for infrastructure improvements have been submitted by Council District 40 residents through participatory budgeting, a process by which community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budget. Each participating council member receives $1 million to allocate to infrastructure projects, costing at least $50,000 and that will last five years or more. District 40 is among 14 council districts, out of 51 total, participating in the current fiscal year's participatory budget cycle. According to the city's Civic Engagement Commission (CEC), the first phase, idea collection, began in fall 2021 and ends Jan. 23. The Haitian Times is an independent news organization that covers stories of interest to the Haitian Diaspora. Our geographic coverage is focused in the New York City Metropolitan area, South Florida and Haiti.