Preconsidered Res. No. 1536

Resolution approving The City Fiscal Year 2018 Community Development Program, Reallocation of Forty-Third Year Community Development Funds, and the Proposed Forty-Fourth Year Community Development Program.

By Council Member Ferreras-Copeland

Whereas, The Office of Management and Budget has prepared a Proposed City Fiscal Year 2018 Community Development Program, a Proposed Reallocation of Forty-Third Year Community Development Funds, and a Proposed Forty-Fourth Year Community Development Program; and

Whereas, The Proposed City Fiscal Year 2018 Community Development Program, Proposed Reallocation of Forty-Third Year Community Development Funds and Proposed Forty-Fourth Year Community Development Program are provided to the City Council for review and consideration; and

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York hereby agrees to the Proposed Community Development Program for City Fiscal Year 2018 in the amount of $304,907,000, which reflects an increase of $6,424,000 over the Executive Budget as submitted by the Mayor on April 26, 2017; and be it further

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York hereby agrees to the Proposed Reallocation of Forty-Third Year Community Development Funds in the amount of $266,575,000, which reflects an increase of $423,000 over the Proposed Forty-Third Year Community Development Budget as submitted by the Mayor on April 26, 2017; and be it further

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York hereby agrees to the Proposed Forty-Fourth Year Community Development Program in the amount of $265,749,000, which reflects an increase of $96,000 over the Proposed Forty-Fourth Year Community Development Program as submitted by the Mayor on April 26, 2017; and be it further

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York hereby shall have the opportunity to review the allocation as part of the City Fiscal Year 2018 budget adoption, of that portion of the Forty-Fourth Community Development budget that will be scheduled to be spent in City Fiscal Year 2019 and not City Fiscal Year 2018.

T H E  C O U N C I L

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE APPROVING THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BUDGET FOR CITY FISCAL YEAR 2018, THE REALLOCATION OF FORTY-THIRD YEAR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FUNDS, AND THE FORTY-FOURTH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM YEAR.

The Committee on Finance respectfully submits to The Council of the City of New York the following:

R E P O R T

Introduction.  The Proposed City Fiscal Year 2018 Community Development Program, Proposed Reallocation of Forty-Third Year Community Development Funds, and Proposed Forty-Fourth Year Community Development Program were submitted by the Mayor to the Council on April 26, 2017 and referred to the Committee on Finance. 

Analysis.  The Committee on Finance held hearings on the 4^th, 5^th, 8^th, 9^th, 11^th, 12^th, 15^th, 16^th, 17^th, 18^th, 19^th, 22^nd, and 25^th of May 2017.  The testimony elicited at these hearings regarding the budget as a whole and with respect to specific needs and projects was supplemented by further data developed at the meetings of the Committee on Finance, and from Council staff and representatives of City agencies.  The primary concern of the Committee was that the funding contained in the Proposed City Fiscal Year 2018 Community Development Program would meet the actual and perceived needs of the communities the City of New York comprises.

In its deliberations, the Committee on Finance took into consideration the testimony of the citizenry at the public hearings and the information furnished by Council Members, staff assistants, and City agencies.

As a result of the Committee on Finance’s deliberation, the Committee recommends the following:

1.                     A City Fiscal Year 2018 Community Development Program totaling $304,907,000; and

2.                     A Reallocated Forty-Third Year Community Development Program totaling $266,575,000; and

3.                     A Forty-Fourth Community Development Program totaling $265,749,000. 

The Committee makes this recommendation with the stipulation that the portion of the Forty-Fourth Year Community Development budget, which will be spent in City Fiscal Year 2019 and not City Fiscal Year 2018, will be subject to review and reallocation in the City Fiscal Year 2019 Community Development budget.

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)-Additional Funding

(Dollars in Millions)

The proposed changes to the City Fiscal Year 2018 Community Development Program Total are comprised of the addition of $0.375 for the Met Council Food Pantry, $5.975 for the Schoolyards to Playgrounds program (see below for program descriptions), and $.074 for collective bargaining for various programs.  The proposed changes to the Reallocated Forty-Third Year Community Development Program Total are for the Met Council Food Pantry and collective bargaining.  The proposed change to the Forty-Fourth Year Community Development Program Total is for collective bargaining only.

The Met Council Food Pantry is administered through the Department of Youth and Community Development.  Community Development funds will pay for a food distribution program targeting low- and moderate-income residents in New York City.  Funds will pay for the administrative staff and for food.

The Schoolyards to Playgrounds program is administered by the Department of Parks and Recreation.  Community Development funds will pay for the physical improvements necessary to convert two schoolyard sites to playgrounds, with the goal of keeping them open year-round for public use, after school and on weekends.  These funds were originally allocated in CFY 2017 but only $0.025 was spent of the original $6.000 allocation.