Q&A
Discussion on the Second shift program for park cleaning
6:50:49
·
3 min
Council Member Krishnan inquires about the cut to the Second shift program, which provides additional cleaning for 100 hot spot parks until 7 PM on weekends. Director Jiha explains the budgetary challenges and the process of making cuts, while expressing willingness to work with the council on priorities.
- Krishnan emphasizes the importance of the Second shift program for sanitation and public safety
- Jiha acknowledges the importance of park cleaning but cites budgetary constraints due to asylum seeker costs and other factors
- The council member suggests not only restoring but expanding the Second shift program to cover more than 100 parks
- Jiha commits to working with the council on priorities as they approach budget adoption
Shekar Krishnan
6:50:49
I wanted to call attention in particular to one program that was cut, and that is the 2nd shift program.
6:50:55
It's a program that is exactly what its name implies, creates a second shift of cleaning, for a 100 hot spot parks in our city.
6:51:02
So making sure parks are cleaned until 7 PM.
6:51:06
And we're entering the warm summer months now where our parks are most heavily utilized, and this program cleans our parks Thursdays through Sundays.
6:51:13
But that was also cut in the executive budget.
6:51:16
And, of course, that's a program that directly contributes to sanitation and public safety.
6:51:22
So I just wanted to get a better sense of why there wasn't any restoration of funding for the 2nd shift program and what discussions, if any, OMB is having now with city hall, to restore the cut to the 2nd shift program.
Jacques Jiha
6:51:36
I mean, I don't have to tell you, you know, the world that, the challenges that we face, as throughout the budget cycle to fund the all the needs of asylum seekers to backfill stimulus funded program.
6:51:52
So we have a bunch of things that we had to find and to make sure that the Citi's budget not only fund those programs, but also at the same time is balanced.
6:52:04
As part of that exercise, parks basically took a very aggressive attrition pegs.
6:52:12
In other words, they basically forecast the number of attrition that they're gonna have, and they basically give up those things as part of the peg.
6:52:20
May they don't have any other choice.
6:52:22
That's the call that they make, we accepted them.
6:52:25
But again, as you said, part cleaning is very important to us as well, to you and to us.
6:52:35
As we got to move closer to adoption, this is something that is a priority not only to you, but also to City Hall, to us, all of us.
6:52:44
We will work with you to see, but again it depends on the resources.
6:52:47
Again, we are monitoring closely our resources to see where exactly, whether or not tax revenues are going to give up the resources that we need to do those things and but also looking at other areas of the budget to squeeze, to find resources to reallocate.
6:53:08
We will work with you as we move forward to see what can be done.
6:53:11
I can't give you any guarantee at this moment in time because we're trying to prioritize.
6:53:15
We're working with the city council to prioritize what's important.
6:53:19
This is very important to us.
6:53:21
I'm sure it's important for you and the council.
6:53:23
And at some point, we'll discuss get you know, as we get closer to budget adoption, we'll make a decision on whether or not I will proceed.
Shekar Krishnan
6:53:30
I appreciate that.
6:53:30
And I think, you know, it's it's important, you know, and I mentioned to you before and, you know, we're we're discussing it now as well, but it's it's also a values it's a reflection of values of the administration too, because parks uniquely had no increases, has a significant peg.
6:53:47
Part of this is, sure, the agency, you know, made its proposals, but there's also a value of the administration here of, again, with their larger goals of sanitation, public safety, what will the investments be to parks?
6:53:59
And I and I wanna call in particular the 2nd shift program because it is quite literally a maintenance program.
6:54:04
It supports workers.
6:54:05
What I would say is, is the administration willing to consider not only restoring, but expanding the 2nd shift program?
6:54:12
Because I'm sure you'd agree there are more than simply a 100 green spaces in the city that need to be cleaned, until 7 PM on the weekends, the busiest time of the year.
6:54:22
I think it would be crucial for the administration to look at expanding, that program as well.
Jacques Jiha
6:54:28
Again, looking forward to working with
Shekar Krishnan
6:54:31
you.
6:54:31
Same.
Jacques Jiha
6:54:31
Okay.
