TESTIMONY
Nicole Painter on the Contributions and Challenges of Business Improvement Districts in NYC
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3 min
Nicole Painter discusses the role and obstacles of Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in enhancing NYC's neighborhoods.
- Represents the New York City Bid Association, encompassing 76 BIDs and nearly 100,000 businesses.
- Emphasizes the investment of over $187 million in services for community improvement.
- Highlights collaboration with the Department of Small Services and the introduction of specific programs like Small Bid Grant Program and Avenue NYC.
- Acknowledges the support from Mayor Adams, SBS Commissioner Kim, and the City Council for additional funding to small BIDs.
- Urges for continued support and outlines future plans for BIDs, including reducing bureaucracy and promoting entrepreneurship.
Nicole Painter
1:06:57
Thank you.
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Carefully as a members of the New York City Council Committee on Small Business.
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My name is Nicole Painter, and I am testifying today on behalf of the New York City Bid Association.
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I'm also the executive director of the Columbus Avenue bid on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
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The New York City bid Association represents all of the city's 70 6 Business Improvement Districts, which are as diverse as the city itself.
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The association's mission has always been to support small businesses to keep our neighbor it's clean and safe and bring prosperity to our communities.
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We are proud to serve nearly three hundred miles of commercial corridors, including around 100,000 businesses.
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And to invest more than a combined $187,000,000 and services back into our communities.
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Some additional statistics from the fiscal year 22 bid trends report is included in our written submitted testimony.
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Bids work very closely with our partners at the Department of Small services, we interact with several of the divisions within SBS, including business services and the Office of Nightlife.
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We work most closely with the Neighborhood Development Division.
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This team is led by deputy commissioner Kelvin Brown and is tasked with bid oversight and support creating capacity building opportunities for community based organization and the development and management of grant programs that deliver critical resources for bids.
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This includes a small bid grant program, avenue NYC, neighborhood 360, and others.
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We are very grateful for the partnership of Mayor Adams, SBS Commissioner Kim and the city council in recent years.
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In particular, we want to thank everyone for their advocacy in support of additional funding for small bids through the small bid grant program to deliver critical services.
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As a part of the rebuild, renew, reinvent group blueprint for economy recovery, mayor Adams laid out an ambitious plan to form new bids, expand current bid catchment areas, and to provide additional assistance to small bids to serve districts across the city.
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Small bids are hard at work to deliver on the promise of this funding, which is being put to use on everything from graffiti removal and street beautification to lights for Ramadan celebrations and business attraction efforts.
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This program was launched in fiscal year 23 and renewed in Oops.
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Okay.
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Fiscal year 24.
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We're hopeful this funding will be renewed in fiscal year 25.
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Ultimately, we hope this program is baselined in order to certainty for small bids.
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Unfortunately, due to the challenges of contracting with the city, bids are again awaiting contract registration and rushing to deliver these services as quickly as possible before the fiscal year ends, which is not ideal.
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Despite these challenges, we do wanna commend SBS for the urgency, nimbleness, and creativity that they have shown in standing up this program.
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Base funding would ensure that bids can strategically plan to use this funding for the most important needs of their districts moving forward.
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We strongly urge mayor Adams and the city council to continue to support our small bids through this new program.
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In addition to the critical work our bids do on the
Oswald Feliz
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ground, please conclude.
Nicole Painter
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We're proud that 2 good leaders, Matthew Bauer and Nina Flores, have been serving on the Mayor Small Business Advisory Commission.
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We hope that we can continue to work with the SBS, the mayor and the council to advance reform efforts.
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To reduce red tape, encourage entrepreneurship, and stem the tide of store from vacancies.
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Thank you.
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Rafael Moure, District Manager, Bronx Community Board 6 on Merchant Organizing Challenges and Accessing Small Business Services Funding in East Tremont
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Christopher Leon Johnson on Allegations of Corruption and Extortion in the Proposed North Brooklyn Business Improvement District (BID)