14 THE QUEENS COURIER • JULY 4, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Lawmakers in LIC tout historic level of park funding
BY MAX PARROTT
mparrott@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Th e city’s new 2020 fi scal year budget
includes the most money for public parks
in nearly 30 years, City Council Speaker
Corey Johnson and Parks Commissioner
Mitchell Silver announced on Th ursday
at Queensbridge Park in Long Island City.
“Th at means everything from patrol
offi cers to pruning. From Staten Island to
the Bronx every borough will benefi t, in
every season,” said Johnson.
While this does mean more money for
summer fun — the city pools are going to
be open an extra week this summer — it
represents an even greater payday for two
driving forces in New York City politics:
environmentalists and organized labor.
Of the $44 million investment in the
2020 budget for city parks, $19.1 million
will go to park maintenance workers, $4
million for Forestry Management and $8.2
million to support all 550 GreenTh umb
community gardens citywide.
All of the lawmakers who spoke paid
homage to Lynn Kelly, the “inimitable,
relentless” executive director for New
Yorkers for Parks, who spearheaded the
eff ort to secure the historic level funding.
New Yorkers for Parks formed a coalition
with DC37, the union that represents
park workers and the New York
League of Conservation in order push the
city council.
“Th at is how you get things done. You
put pressure on elected offi cials and work
for what’s right. And you make sure justice
is served,” said Councilman Jimmy
Van Bramer, addressing Kelly.
Th e funding for parks workers includes
the salaries for 200 parks employees and
100 gardeners, of which $9.6 million will
go to baseline 150 parks workers.
“Baselined is city-speak for made permanent.
Th at means that every year we
had to advocate for those jobs because
every year they didn’t know if their jobs
City Council Speaker Corey Johnson speaks in Long Island City on June 27.
were going to get renewed. Now they
know they can pay their rent on time and
buy groceries,” said Kelly.
Th e environmental branch of the coalition
celebrated the investment in parks for
their own reasons. Julie Tighe, president
of the League of Conservation Voters, said
that the parkland, and trees in particular,
serve to help clean the city air and absorb
storm water runoff into the bay.
“Nature is an important place to fi ght
climate change,” said Tighe.
She noted the $4 million for forestry
management is especially important
because many of the city’s forest preserves
are also are seeing more invasive species
as the climate changes.
Th e funding will also include $1 million
Photo: Max Parrott/QNS
for tree stump removal, $1.7 million
to extend the city’s pool and beach season,
$4 million for additional 50 Urban Park
Rangers and $6 million for additional 80
Parks Enforcement Patrol offi cers.
“We will work hard to ensure that the
benefi ts are equitably applied across the
parks system to those areas most in need,”
said Silver.
Courier bids farewell to retired salesperson
After years of service at Schneps Media, Margaret Cahill offi cially retired from the company’s sales team on June 21, 2019. Now that she’s retired, Margaret plans to maintain an active lifestyle, spending
more time with friends and family while also volunteering at her local senior center. We wish her the absolute best and will miss having her smiling face around the offi ce.
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