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Q&A
Council Member Sandra Ung questions Parks Commissioner on capital projects and Blue Belt program
3:35:12
·
166 sec
Council Member Sandra Ung questions Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue about delays in capital projects and potential impacts of funding changes to the Blue Belt program. The commissioner acknowledges the challenges with capital projects and commits to working on process improvements.
- Ung expresses frustration over delays in capital projects, specifically mentioning the Eastern Queens Greenway and a park bathroom project.
- Donoghue discusses efforts to reform the capital process for efficiency and speed.
- Ung inquires about potential impacts on parks due to recent funding changes to the Blue Belt project administered by DEP.
Sandra Ung
3:35:12
Thank you chair and thank you commissioner for the years of partnership.
3:35:17
I do have two questions.
3:35:19
The first question is about the capital funding.
3:35:22
I and along with my colleagues have, you know, committed significant capital funding to our parks over the years.
3:35:29
And I think I will speak for myself.
3:35:31
There is frustrations of the high cost estimate and the slow pace that's getting done.
3:35:38
So the two in my district, the Eastern Queens Greenway, it hasn't even gotten to stage of the community input yet and I funded a bathroom in the parks in my first year and that has yet to break ground.
3:35:51
Has Parks done an internal review or audit to see why that's the case?
3:35:58
Because I asked another agency this question and then, you know, there was a couple of laws that he was explaining that had to be in compliance, which delays certain capital processes.
3:36:09
So I was wondering if, you know, parks have done the same.
3:36:54
No.
3:36:54
Thank you.
3:36:55
And I think I'm asking this question to see, you know, the future, even though you won't be here, if city council could work with parks in terms of getting this process, you know, quicker which I think would be beneficial for everybody.
3:37:13
And my second question is about the Blue Belt project.
3:37:16
I know that's administered by DEP.
3:37:19
But with the recent pullback of the funding from the administration, do you see that impacting parks?
3:37:56
Okay, great.
3:37:57
Thank you.
Sue Donoghue
3:36:13
Yes.
3:36:13
Thank you, council member, for the question.
3:36:15
And we can look at the specific project that you mentioned to get back to you.
3:36:19
I can tell you that the Parks Department, in conjunction with the administration, has worked really hard on capital process reform and looking at every single element of that capital process for where we can achieve both savings, getting projects done quicker and more efficiently.
3:36:38
It is, there's no doubt, a complicated process.
3:36:43
It requires permits from other agencies that can sometimes take a long time, but we're working really hard to do everything we can to make sure that that capital process is speeded up as as much as possible.
3:37:10
We agree and we'd appreciate any and all help on that, absolutely.
3:37:19
Yes.
3:37:33
it.
3:37:34
We work very closely with DEP on their Blue Bell program, absolutely.
3:37:39
I couldn't answer right now in terms of the impacts on DEP's program, But at this point, we're not seeing impacts from that.
3:37:49
But we can certainly, you know, circle with DEP and get back to you on that.
Matt Drury
3:37:29
Federal impacts.
3:37:31
You mean federal impact?
3:37:31
Yes.
Jackson Chabot
3:37:33
Got