10 The Courier sun • february 27, 2014 for breaking news visit www.couriersun.com politics Stringer: Settle city labor contracts ASAP BY CRISTABELLE TUMOLA [email protected]/@CristabelleT Comptroller Scott Stringer is advocating for a quick resolution to the city’s labor contracts. In a statement analyzing the city’s preliminary Fiscal Year 2015 budget, Stringer said the plan “strikes a prudent balance between funding vital programs while putting aside money for future needs. But we are still facing some big unknowns that must be resolved between now and the end of the fiscal year on June 30.” Those big unknowns include more than 150 still unresolved labor contracts, he said. “Negotiating contracts with the city’s workforce is a complex and daunting task, but it is critical that we resolve these contracts if we are going to achieve real balance,” Stringer said. Earlier this month, the de Blasio administration struck a deal with 200 Department of Environmental Protection officers who have been working without a contract since 2005. That deal, however, only brought their contract up to 2008. The unresolved contracts are a major financial concern for the city. Worker back pay could reportedly cost more than $7 billion. Though the budget did not specifically set aside funds for the contracts, it provided extra money by restoring $1 billion to the Retiree Health Benefits Trust Fund and by increasing the city’s general reserve funds from $300 to $600 million. Stringer said doubling the reserves and restoring the Retiree Health Benefits Trust Fund was “clearly the right thing to do.” Mayor: UPK ‘Ready to Launch’ BY CRISTABELLE TUMOLA [email protected]/@CristabelleT A progress report released by Mayor Bill de Blasio shows the city has the capacity to implement his plan for universal pre-kindergarten starting this September -- if the funding is available. The report, “Ready to Launch,” found that though classroom space and quality programming is obtainable, securing funding for the plan remains the main challenge. “This is real, this is achievable, but this something we can’t do without sustained dedicated resources,” de Blasio said, announcing the report on Tuesday, February 25. In January, the mayor released his plan to provide free full-day prekindergarten for every 4-year-old in the city by increasing taxes on the wealthy. The mayor would need permission from Albany “The number of sites and seats proposed far exceeds numbers from last year.” Carmen Fariña for the increase, and could face roadblocks from state lawmakers. At an average cost of $10,239 per child, 73,250 children would be eligible for full-day pre-kindergarten by the 2015-16 school year, beginning with 53,604 in September 2014. The city needs 21,000 seats to meet its goal for this fall, according to the mayor. Since it began asking for proposals and applications from schools and community-based organizations, the Department of Education has received proposals for 29,000 seats. The proposals also offer detailed plans on curriculum and how the schools and organizations will identify, train and support teaching staff. “We already know demand from families for high quality, full-day pre-K is exceptionally high – and these numbers confirm that we are ready to deliver,” Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña said. “The number of sites and seats proposed far exceeds numbers from last year,” with a 93 percent jump in the number of full-day sites proposed compared to last year’s results, according to the report. In Queens, 113 sites were proposed in 2013. This year, there were 214. Queens rep will serve on PEP BY MELISA CHAN [email protected] @MelissaCourier Borough President Melinda Katz has picked Deborah Dillingham of Forest Hills to serve on the city’s Panel for Educational Policy (PEP). The 13-member board, with representatives from each borough, votes to approve school policies, many which are controversial. Each borough president appoints one member to the PEP and the mayor appoints eight. “Through her extensive work with our city’s school system, Deborah has shown she has the knowledge, savvy and commitment necessary to be an outstanding member of the Panel for Educational Policy,” Katz said. Dillingham was president of District 28’s Community Education Council and served on the Queens Borough President’s Parent Advisory Committee, the District 28 Leadership Team and the Chancellor’s Parent Advisory Committee. The mom of three was also president of the Parent’s Association of P.S. 101. “She cares deeply about our children and the schooling they receive and has a track record of making sure our kids get the best education possible,” Katz said. “I know she will be a great asset to the PEP.” Deborah Dillingham Dillingham replaces Queens Borough President Helen Marshall’s appointee, Dmytro Fedkowskyj, who battled against school closures and co-location plans under Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration. Fedkowskyj, of Middle Village, is mulling a run against incumbent State Senator Marge Markey. de Blasio appoints director of Children and Youth Services BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO [email protected]/@aaltamirano28 One local youth leader will soon be taking a new role in Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration, according to the nonprofit organization South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!), which is based in Elmhurst. Udai Tambar, SAYA!’s executive director, has been appointed by de Blasio to become the Director of Children and Youth Services. He will begin his new position on March 3. “We are very happy for Udai as he takes the next step in his professional career,” said Usha Saxena, board chair of SAYA!. “His contribution to SAYA! and our community cannot be measured. Having a person like Udai, whose background is steeped in strengthening youth, families and communities, is a boon for all New Yorkers.” SAYA! is a nonprofit organization which tries to create opportunities to allow low-income South Asian youth to reach their full potential. Tambar has served as executive director for the past four years and has doubled SAYA!’s budget, increased the number of staff and grown the number of program sites. Current SAYA! board member Susan Maher Singh will serve as the interim executive director until a fulltime replacement is found.
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