QUESTION
Is there a plan to restore funding to compost workers and community organizations?
3:46:25
·
145 sec
The NYC Mayor's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) believes that a citywide sanitation program is more effective than smaller, community-driven initiatives, despite cuts to outreach and communication budgets.
- The OMB views citywide sanitation initiatives as more effective compared to smaller programs.
- Budget cuts have resulted in reduced outreach and communication efforts, impacting the program's effectiveness.
- The OMB asserts that increased education and outreach could improve participation in the citywide program.
- The current capture rate for organics in the program is low, at 4.3%, indicating a need for improved outreach strategies.
- Despite the challenges, there is an emphasis on enhancing the citywide program rather than restoring funds to smaller, community-specific efforts.
Sandy Nurse
3:46:25
For sanitation, I asked about this the last time I saw you, the we were rolling out this curbside program.
3:46:37
We had a a year of queens under the belt.
3:46:39
Now then we rolled out Brooklyn.
3:46:42
The numbers are pretty low across the two boroughs, and that kind of, you know, corresponds with cutting a lot of the contracts.
3:46:51
A lot of those workers who were out doing outreach and spreading the word and helping people understand why it's important.
3:46:57
Those folks were laid off And then DSNY got a lot of their outreach and communications budget cut.
3:47:04
And I think at the last hearing we had last week, we were showing that the capture rate for organics is only at 4.3%.
3:47:12
So basically 95% of what could be collected in these two boroughs is just going straight into the trash.
3:47:18
Basically making these programs, you know, even though what we're collecting is more than what's being collected around the country and other municipalities were still for what we could be doing very low.
3:47:28
So are you planning at all?
3:47:31
Are you considering restoring the cuts to some of those compost workers and the community organizations that were doing that critical outreach work?
Jacques Jiha
3:47:40
I believe that the citywide program that we launch is more effective.
3:47:48
Than those small programs, but I also believe that they
Sandy Nurse
3:47:51
I understand the difference, but those folks were doing outreach parts of their work as well.
Jacques Jiha
3:47:56
I also believe that there is an education piece that is missing.
3:48:00
Yep.
3:48:01
Okay.
3:48:02
I believe if we educate our folks, Okay.
3:48:05
They would take a and, you know, and many folks would participate.
3:48:09
Many more folks would participate in the program, and the program will become even more effective than having small, you know, community groups doing, you know, piecemeal here, piecemeal there.
3:48:19
I think the citywide program is a lot more effective.
3:48:21
It's the approach that we should take.
3:48:23
But I also believe that we also have to do a lot more in term of education so that more people could participate in the program.
Sandy Nurse
3:48:32
Yeah.
3:48:33
I mean, this this participation and capture rate is is so embarrassingly large, and it will make this program extremely expensive and and create a justification for ending.
3:48:43
And we we don't wanna do that given how much we've put into it.
Jacques Jiha
3:48:46
Yep.
3:48:46
Yeah.
3:48:47
Who do you understand your concern?
Sandy Nurse
3:48:49
Okay.
3:48:50
Thank you, Cher.