Photo Courtesy of Councilwoman Adams’ Office
City Councilwoman Adrienne Adams
By Forum Staff
Residents of City Council District 28 in South Queens will soon have the opportunity to vote on how to spend $1 million of the public budget on community projects, Councilwoman Adrienne Adams (D-Jamaica) announced on Monday.
Participatory Budgeting, the popular democratic process in which community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budget, is on its way to CD 28—Jamaica, Richmond Hill, Rochdale Village, and South Ozone Park—for the first time, Adams noted.
“No one knows the needs of our community better than the people who live there,” the councilwoman added. “I am blessed to represent such a diverse community and will fulfill my campaign promise to empower the people of District 28 by giving them a voice. I truly value public input and we will build upon our year of progress together in our first Participatory Budgeting cycle.”
According to Adams, as PB Vote Week (March 30 through April 7) approaches, her staff will coordinate specific voting sites throughout District 28 where residents ages 11 and older will be able to cast their ballot for the neighborhood capital projects that best serve the district. Residents will be able to vote in person or online for up to five ideas that were vetted by community representatives and City agencies over the past year. Online voting will be available during PB vote week at pbnyc.org/vote.
The final list of projects on the District 28 Participatory Budgeting ballot include:
PARKS AND RECREATION
• Adult fitness equipment at Phil “Scooter” Rizzuto Park
SCHOOLS
• Water fountains with bottle refills at JHS 226 and PS 55
• Renovation of the student lounge at Richmond Hill High School
• Basketball hoops and time clock at PS 160
• Audio-visual upgrades at PS 45 and PS 161
• Tech upgrades for PS 48, PS 55, PS 161, MS 72 and MS 332
• Bathroom renovations at PS 40, PS 45, PS 55, PS 80
LIBRARIES:
• Technology upgrades for Baisley Park and Rochdale Village libraries
• Technology upgrade for Lefferts and South Ozone Park libraries
TRANSPORTATION
• Five real time rider information panels at bus stops in District 28
NYCHA HOUSING
• New walkway at South Jamaica Houses II
• NYCHA playground reconstruction outside Building 23
• NYCHA playground reconstruction outside Building 20
• NYCHA playground reconstruction outside Building 12
• NYCHA playground reconstruction at 107th Avenue and 159th Street
• NYCHA playground reconstruction at 108th Avenue and 160th Street
• Lamp post installation at South Jamaica Houses
• Enhanced exterior lighting at South Jamaica Houses
NYPD
• Argus security cameras for four District 28 NYOD precincts
To launch Vote Week, Adams indicated that she will host a PB kickoff event on March 30 at the Queens Library Lefferts branch located at 103-34 Lefferts Blvd. in Richmond Hill from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
If you have any questions or would like to volunteer during Vote Week, you can contact Adams’ district office at (718) 206-2068.
