Participatory Budgeting Projects Announced

Drumroll please, the results are in.

, in which Dist. 39 residents voted on the improvement projects they want to see come to their neighborhoods, reached its triumphant conclusion Sunday evening at on Fifth Avenue, where Councilman Brad Lander unveiled the results. Seven local projects, out of 20 that were proposed, were picked for the 2013 fiscal year budget.

In total, there were 2,213 votes cast for what turned out to be $1,040,000 worth of projects. Voters were allowed to choose up to five projects.

Here are the results:

• The bathrooms in will be renovated. This project got 958 votes, and will receive $150,000. Two dysfunctional bathrooms that serve over 136 of the youngest students daily in a high-needs elementary school will be fixed.
• Brooklyn Neighbors Composting got 919 votes, and will receive $165,000. There will be a pest-free, smell-free compost system near Gowanus Canal that will use 1 ton per day of kitchen food scraps collected at local greenmarkets and schools to create rich soil for our gardens, parks, and trees.
• Trees for Dist. 39 got 767 votes, and will receive $100,000. There will be 100 new trees will be planted with tree guards on blocks with few or no trees (Parks Department will contribute an additional $85,000 to this effort for tree planting).
• Enhanced technology for and got 758 votes, and will receive $140,000. Fifteen Smartboards (for P.S. 130) will be installed, 45 13-inch MacBook computers with two carts and two wireless printers will be given to P.S. 154 for grades 1, 3 and 4.
• Prospect Park pathway rehabilitation got 648 votes, and will receive $205,000. The Prospect Park pedestrian paths near Park Circle and Long Meadow will be repaired to prevent flooding, add ten trashcans in park.
• Increased pedestrian safety at Prospect Expressway got 606 votes, and will receive $200,000. There will be needed repairs and additions made to the badly damaged and dangerous nine-lane Prospect Expressway pedestrian crossing at Church Avenue, area and landscape.
• resources and community space got 582 votes, and will receive $80,000. This project will add new books and DVDs for the library, equipment for meetings, storytelling, rehearsals and small performances promoting Kensington's cultural diversity.

In addition to the projects voted upon, Lander also said he planned to move forward with implementing BusTime "count-down" clocks, replanting the south end of the Fort Hamilton Parkway subway stop to abate flooding, repave 50th Street from Fort Hamilton Parkway to 13th Avenue and install an International Mother Language Monument at Dome Playground.

More detailed descriptions of each project are available on Lander's website.

“This is revolutionary civics in action,” said Councilmember Lander of the participatory budgeting program. “Participatory budgeting helps to restore confidence in democratic government as a vehicle for collective action to solve problems. New Yorkers showed that when you give them the opportunity to make real decisions, they will take that power seriously, work together and make good choices. I was overwhelmed by the turnout and deep level of engagement, and I’m thrilled that we are funding the projects that the people have prioritized.”