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Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Bronx Democratic County Committee - Upcoming Events
Senator Ruben Diaz announce the celebration of the 6th “Abrazo Garifuna in New York”
Senator Rev. Rubén DÃaz, in conjunction with New York State Assemblymen Marcos Crespo, Luis Sepulveda, Michael Blake and newly elected City Council Member Rafael Salamanca, will celebrate the 6th “Abrazo Garifuna in New York.” This event will honor the contributions of the Garifuna-Americans to the State and City of New York .
The Abrazo Garifuna, will take place at Maestro’s Caterers located at 1703 Bronxdale Avenue, Bronx, New York, on Friday, March 11 from7:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.
Senator Rev. Ruben Diaz together with the elected official and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. , will be presenting proclamations to five (5) distinguished members of the Garifuna Community.
For more Information, please call the Office : Michael Blake –718-538-3829, Marcos Crespo 718-893-0202, Luis Sepulveda 718-931-2620 or Senator Ruben Diaz 718-991-3161
MAYOR DE BLASIO’S TENANT SUPPORT UNIT HELPS 1,000 MANHATTAN TENANTS FIGHT HARASSMENT, SECURE REPAIRS
PROTECTING TENANTS AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING:
Part of 10-fold increase in free legal services for tenants under de Blasio administration
Specialists go door-to-door, securing building repairs and bringing free legal help.
Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced the newly created Tenant Support Unit resolved its 1,000th tenant case since it launched in July 2015, keeping tenants in their homes and protecting affordable housing in fast-changing neighborhoods.
The proactive unit goes door-to-door in neighborhoods across the city, informing tenants of their rights, documenting building violations, soliciting complaints related to harassment and eviction, and making referrals to free legal support whenever necessary.
The Tenant Support Unit is part of a multi-pronged approach Mayor de Blasio has implemented to fight displacement. It includes a ten-fold increase in free legal services for tenants – totaling $62 million – that will be fully implemented this year. The administration has also pursued an aggressive preservation program, locking more than 26,000 apartments to date into long-term affordability agreements that help low-income families stay in their homes for decades to come.
Evictions by City Marshals have decreased 24 percent since Mayor de Blasio took office, down from 28,849 in 2013 to 21,988 in 2015.
“When it comes to protecting tenants and affordable housing, we don’t wait for a 311 call to come in. We have teams knocking on doors in fast-changing neighborhoods to solve problems then and there. This is a new strategy that’s helping us keep New Yorkers in their homes and fight displacement before it happens,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Modeled after the outreach program for Pre-K for All that successfully enrolled 68,500 children in free, full-day Pre-K, the Tenant Support Unit reaches New Yorkers directly. Since it launched in July 2015, specialists from the unit have knocked on more than 57,000 doors and called more than 23,000 tenants, identifying 2,400 New Yorkers that needed help. 1,000 of those cases have been resolved so far, and agencies and legal service providers are addressing the remainder.
Key efforts of the Tenant Support Unit:
- Know Your Rights: Specialists are trained to educate tenants about their fundamental rights in multiple languages, ensuring tenants are not intimidated or deceived into accepting a buyout offer or illegal surcharges on their legal rent.
- Securing Repairs: Specialists help tenants document complaints about inadequate heat or hot water, infestations and mold, and work directly with HPD’s Division of Code Enforcement to secure necessary repairs.
- Referrals to Free Legal Services: When specialists encounter evidence of harassment or illegal eviction, they refer tenants to a City-contracted, free legal service provider who can represent tenants in housing court. More than 500 such referrals have been made so far. Combined with 311 referrals, the City’s augmented legal services have aided more than 10,000 tenants over the past year.
“Legal services are an essential part of helping tenants stay in their homes, reducing homelessness and preserving affordable housing. The City's free legal services for tenants have already served 10,000 households,” said Human Resources Administration Commissioner Steven Banks.
“The multi-pronged anti-harassment strategy the de Blasio administration has implemented across New York City – which includes the Tenant Support Unit – has been invaluable in helping to protect tenants who are being pressured by bad-apple landlords seeking to push them out through neglect and other tactics. We congratulate the Tenant Support Unit on this impressive first milestone, and their work helping tenants and the City fight property owners who are not playing by the rules,” said Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Vicki Been.
“With fears running high over tenant displacement by unscrupulous landlords, it is great to know northern Manhattan residents, as well as those across the city, have a dedicated team to back them up,” said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez. “Less than a full year in and the Tenant Support Unit is already showing overwhelmingly positive results. The peace of mind for tenants – knowing they have free legal support to fight back, inspectors to keep them safe in their buildings and a dedicated team fighting to preserve housing affordability – is immeasurable. I urge anyone facing harassment, unsafe living conditions or eviction to contact the Tenant Support Unit right away. Every hardworking New Yorker deserves affordable housing. The de Blasio administration is dedicated to this goal, not just through getting this housing built, but by protecting those who already have it.”
“Legal services are vital in combating the eviction epidemic, reducing homelessness and ensuring the voices of vulnerable New Yorkers can be heard,” said Council Member Mark Levine. “New York City has implemented a comprehensive strategy to change the game for tenants, level the playing field and bring crucial support directly to their doors. I commend Mayor de Blasio and my colleagues for aggressively fighting displacement in our neighborhoods so more hard-working New Yorkers can live comfortably in their homes.”
“The Tenant Support Unit has partnered with my office to great effect. The initiative's focus on linking tenants with the legal services they need has been crucial to helping people stay in their homes. I commend Mayor de Blasio for his work on this initiative,” said Assembly Member Guillermo Linares.
“Since 1979, the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation has been providing anti-displacement services that are key to keeping families and communities intact. NMIC applauds the Mayor's efforts to support legal services, and the allocation of additional funds will increase our capacity to provide much needed eviction prevention services,” said Maria Lizardo Executive Director of the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation.
EDITORS NOTE:
This seems to be great news for Manhattan residents, but what is being done in the Bronx?
Assemblymember Michael A. Blake - Pre-K For All Open Enrollment
The Pre-K for All application deadline for families with four-year-olds born in 2012 isFriday, March 4th! This includes children with disabilities and children whose home language is not English.
Pre-K for All provides free, full-day, high-quality pre-K and will lay the foundation of skills and knowledge to prepare for our children for school and life. All programs create a high-quality learning experience designed to support how young children learn and develop. Apply now! Families who apply will receive an offer letter in early May 2016, more than a month earlier than last year.
How to Apply
Pre-K is offered at NYC Department of Education (NYCDOE) district schools, Pre-K Centers, charter schools, and NYC Early Education Centers (NYCEECs). Pre-K Centers are district-based, NYCDOE-operated programs that serve only pre-K students. NYCEECs (also known as community-based organizations, or CBOs) are private organizations that partner with the NYCDOE to provide pre-K programs.
There are three ways to apply using a single application, available in ten language. Interpretation services are provided in over 200 languages for applications submitted over the phone and in person.
o Online at nyc.gov/prek.
o Over the phone by calling 718-935-2067.
o In person, at a Family Welcome Center.
Explore Your Options
A list of available programs will be provided in the Pre-K Directory, which is accessible on the pre-K website in ten languages. Printed copies of the Directory are available at district schools, NYCEECs, Family Welcome Centers, libraries, and other community centers. For the most up-to-date information, families are encouraged to use Pre-K Finder online.
For additional support, please contact the Pre-K for All Outreach Team at 212-637-8000 or pre-k@schools.nyc.gov.
Regards,
Assemblyman Michael Blake
KRVC - Upcoming Events
KRVC's 2016 Calendar of Events
Thursday, March 31
Community Jazz Concert,7-9:30pm at Kelly Ryan's,
5790 Mosholu Avenue, Bronx, NY 10471
Sunday, April 17
Greenway Day, 1-3pm
at Riverdale Station Park, West 254th Street,
at Riverdale Station Park, West 254th Street,
and the Hudson River, Bronx, NY 10471
Sunday, May 1
South Riverdale Avenue Festival, 1-5pm,
South Riverdale Avenue Festival, 1-5pm,
Riverdale Avenue,
236th-238th Street,
Bronx, NY 10463
236th-238th Street,
Bronx, NY 10463
Saturday, June 4
Boat Rides, Schedule TBA & Movie on the River, 8pm at the College of Mount Saint Vincent
Boat Rides, Schedule TBA & Movie on the River, 8pm at the College of Mount Saint Vincent
Sunday, June 5
Riverdale RiverFest,
12-6pm at the College of Mount Saint Vincent
Riverdale RiverFest,
12-6pm at the College of Mount Saint Vincent
Saturday, July 23
Movie in Seton Park,
7-10 pm, 232nd Street
and Riverdale Avenue,
Bronx, NY 10463
Movie in Seton Park,
7-10 pm, 232nd Street
and Riverdale Avenue,
Bronx, NY 10463
Saturday, September 10Movie in Vinmont Park,
7-10pm, 255th Street
and Mosholu Avenue,
Bronx, NY 10471
7-10pm, 255th Street
and Mosholu Avenue,
Bronx, NY 10471
Sunday, September 18 Johnson Avenue Festival,1-5pm, Johnson Avenue, 235th-236th Street,
Bronx, NY 10463
Bronx, NY 10463
Monday, February 29, 2016
COMPTROLLER STRINGER AUDIT FINDS UNAUTHORIZED CREDIT CARD USE, OVERPAYMENTS AT SOUTH BRONX CHARTER SCHOOL FOR INTERNATIONAL CULTURES AND THE ARTS
A new audit released today of the South Bronx Charter School for International Cultures and the Arts by New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer found unauthorized expenditures that include travel, $16,000 spent on MetroCards that could not be accounted for and thousands in overpayments to the principal.
“Nothing is more important than the education of our children,” Comptroller Stringer said. “If we are going to make sure that every child in our City has a fair and fighting chance to succeed, we must ensure that money spent on their education actually goes toward that goal. The South Bronx Charter School for International Cultures and the Arts must take immediate action to correct overpayments and overhaul its financial oversight.”
The financial audit examined whether the South Bronx Charter School for International Cultures and the Arts, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt not-for-profit education corporation overseen by a Board of Trustees, had proper internal controls in place to ensure responsible oversight of its fiscal affairs from July 2012 through June 2014. The audit is the first in aseries of charter school audits that the Comptroller announced in October 2014.
The Comptroller’s office reviewed $876,016 in operating expenditures and found that $104,915 were not properly documented and an additional $31,151 in charges were not properly authorized. Main findings of the audit include:
Poor oversight of credit card expenditures
- Auditors sampled $40,263 worth of credit card transactions and found $10,194, or 25 percent, had insufficient documentation, such as original invoices or copies of receipts. Of this amount, there was no documentation whatsoever for $2,095 in charges, including $230 for an unexplained car rental on the principal’s credit card along with phone bills, meals and shipping charges.
- $7,129 of these charges had no itemized receipts, of which $6,473 were for meals.
- An additional $7,125 in travel expenses for the principal were not approved by the board for trips to Boston, Albany, and Las Vegas.
Principal overpaid by $23,000 for work that is part of her employment agreement
- The principal was compensated a total of $23,000 for work as a supervisor at an after-school program during the school year even though managing school programs during the school year is part of her contractual responsibilities.
School-based checking account used improperly
- The school bypassed controls that require proper documentation and authorization by using a school-based account, which is intended for small purchases and emergency payments that require less documentation and approvals, instead of the main checking account.
- As a result, out of the sample reviewed, the audit found $4,039 in payments made by a single staffer without any of the required approvals; $4,286 in payments purportedly made to a vendor that did not contain the vendor’s business address, phone and fax number and taxpayer ID; and additional payments including $4,725 in teacher training and $33,149 in off-site storage units that were improperly processed.
- An additional $5,923 was spent without adequate documentation, including two payments totaling $1,525 where invoices were dated months after purchases were made.
$16,000 spent on MetroCards that were not tracked
- The school purchased 180 30-day unlimited MetroCards for students, but was unable to provide signed receipts from parents for 143, worth $16,000.
The Comptroller’s Office recommended that the school:
- Update its written policies to address internal control weaknesses;
- Improve how it maintains receipts and records to ensure school funds are used for proper purposes;
- Refer the principal’s after school payments to the Board for review and recoup funds if necessary; and
- Continue its efforts to help teachers gain their certifications.
“There’s no excuse for thousands of dollars to slip through the cracks, and it’s even more concerning when those funds should have gone toward the education of our schoolchildren. The school should continue to take steps to improve how it operates to better serve its students,” Stringer said.
To read the full audit, please click here.
BP DIAZ, MTA & BOEDC TO CO-HOST BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. is partnering with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation to help Bronx businesses do more business with the transit authority.
The MTA and the BOEDC, which serves as the borough president’s economic development arm, will co-host a business development seminar titled “Learn How to do Business with the MTA,” on Tuesday, March 8, 2016. The event will take place at the Bronx Museum of the Arts, 1040 Grand Concourse, and will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The event will provide an opportunity for certified minority, women-owned, disadvantaged or small business enterprises to learn about contracting and procurement opportunities available with the MTA.
“From construction to concessions and everything in between, there is tremendous opportunity for MWBE’s, small businesses and others to do business with the MTA. Our four forthcoming Metro North stations in the East Bronx will offer tremendous contracting opportunities close to home, and the maintenance of such an enormous transit system requires constant procurement. I want Bronxites to be able to take advantage of these opportunities, and I hope our business community will take advantage of this important event,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
"We are delighted to work with Borough President Diaz and the BOEDC to help increase opportunities for all businesses that could be interested in doing work that will further our Capital Program," said MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas F. Prendergast. "Not only is it the right thing to do, but to the extent we can increase involvement of new firms, over the long term, we expect greater competition will help the MTA's bottom line."
“We have worked tirelessly to bring new projects, a new vision and thousands of new jobs to The Bronx in the last six years. By providing our Bronx businesses with new mentoring, training and access opportunities with the state, we will add to the level of prosperity we are currently experiencing in our borough,” said Marlene Cintron, President of the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation.
Businesses interested in participating in this seminar should RSVP to George Llanos at gllanos@mtahq.org. The complete flyer for the event can be downloaded at https://flic.kr/p/ECdgc5.