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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Angel Hernandez, Director of Government Relations at New York Botanical Garden
5:06:12
ยท
140 sec
Angel Hernandez from the New York Botanical Garden testified in support of permanently baselining and increasing DCLA's budget by $75 million in the upcoming fiscal year. He emphasized the importance of financial stability for cultural institutions to focus on serving communities effectively.
- Highlighted NYBG programs that benefit from stable funding, including Carol's Community Urban Farm, community composting, and educational initiatives.
- Mentioned the Rooted in Accessibility initiative, a partnership with other botanical gardens to enhance accessibility programming.
- Discussed a capital project to improve access at the Mount Shalu Gate entrance, which could create job growth and economic development opportunities.
Angel Hernandez
5:06:12
Good afternoon, chair Rivera and committee.
5:06:14
Thank you for giving me the time to present.
5:06:17
My name is Angel Hernandez.
5:06:19
I'm director of government relations for the New York Botanical Botanical Garden.
5:06:23
Today, I sit in solidarity with my colleagues here in the cultural world and echo what has become a mantra over the last several years to permanently baseline and increase DCLA's budget to 75,000,000 in the upcoming fiscal year.
5:06:37
In the face of today's uncertainties, a permanent baseline would put to end the countless hours and resources spent in advocacy for an idea that seems so normal, financial stability that allows us to focus on and serve communities.
5:06:52
At NYBG, such investment would allow us to keep staffing Carol's Community Urban Farm, a site located at Castle Hill NYCHA Houses.
5:07:01
Our community composting program can also continue without doubt and be spared the ongoing struggle to keep that initiative's budget fully restored.
5:07:10
Our gardens education educators can continue work with our students to the Edible Academy School Partnership.
5:07:18
While progress to the Sign Network New York Coalition can continue where NYBG along with other seven science based institutions offered valuable paid internships to 1,100 city high schoolers during last fiscal year.
5:07:33
As for future endeavors, we partnered with three other city botanical gardens to create the rooted and accessibility initiative that enhances and expands access accessibility programming at our sites, which is, by the way, the very first of its kind.
5:07:49
While our capital project to reconfigure our Mount Shalu Gate entrance focuses on improving our grounds access by including a new welcome center, a cafe and other retail spaces, all the potentials for job growth and economic development.
5:08:06
Yet all this amazing work stands in jeopardy without stability in the in the cultural budget.
5:08:12
This is why our advocacy for the next fiscal year must be heard and heeded.
5:08:16
Let us keep for good what gets allocated to us at adoption and increase the baseline to historic levels that we can uphold our end of the deal with the city and serve its citizens with crucial benefits and opportunities that they deserve the most.
5:08:32
Thank you.