CoWNA Meeting Tonight @ 29 Tiffany

What a miserable day, right?

Because of the rain, the wind and the fact it's only 47 degrees outside right now, tonight's CoWNA meeting is at the Community Room at 29 Tiffany Place, instead of the Urban Garden.

The time hasn't changed, however -- we're still starting at 6:45 p.m.

GENERAL MEETING May 12, 2010

Please join us for our spring General Meeting of the Columbia Waterfront Neighborhood Association. Our agenda will include:

• A presentation by Ana Baptiste of the Ironbound Community Corp. on behalf of the Coalition for Healthy Ports.
• A review of progress in our efforts to improve safety on Columbia Street.
• Status of the Columbia Street Reconstruction Project.
• Report on the BQE Enhancement Study workshop.
• Report on the salt pile.
• Announcement of an effort to obtain bike racks for the neighborhood.
• Committee updates.

Location: The Urban Meadow (President Street at Van Brunt)

In case of rain: 29 Tiffany Place, Penthouse Community Room

Time: 6:45pm (please come on time so we can make use of daylight)

Please spread the word!

Weekly Public Services News Roundup

EDUCATION

NY Times: Despite Push, Success at Charter Schools is Mixed

NY Times: More Pre-K Pupils Qualify for Gifted Programs

NY Times: State Senate Approves Bill to Increase Charter Schools

NY Daily News: Environmental Protection Agency ripped over foot-dragging on PCB tests at schools

Gotham Gazette: Budget Cuts Threaten Dozens of After-School Programs

NY Daily News: Principals feeling pressure to get A’s putting pressure on parents, teachers to give them

NY Times: Bloomberg Budget Would Cut Number of Teachers

PUBLIC SAFETY

Brooklyn Paper: Burglary at Sweet Melissa’s

NY Post: Security $$ taking a hit

Reuters: NYC mayor spares police jobs after failed bomb attack

SANITATION

Gotham Gazette: City Garbage Plan Falls Short of Goals

TRANSPORTATION

NY Post: Gravy train: Strapped MTA’s payroll up by $70M

NY Daily News: Don’t add 7 line without station to city’s list of transportation goofups

NY Daily News: More pain for MTA employees: Job cuts won’t stop at 475, says bigs

NY Daily News: Judge hits MTA with restraining order barring layoffs of 475 token booth clerks

Brooklyn Eagle: Fixing the BQE ‘Ditch’: Cobble Hill Residents Weigh Options

OTHER

NY Daily News: Up to 75 senior centers on the chopping block

Update on Salt Pile

Just received this email from Michael Curtin, the community liaison for Councilman Brad Lander:

Since our community meeting in February, the problems surrounding the salt pile on the pier have persisted and grown. Not only has the pile nearly tripled in size, but communicating with American Stevedoring has been frustrating. Thanks to all those who contacted our office to keep us informed of the problems and to all of those who tried to get in touch with ASI.

After many attempts by our office, Brad was finally able to get in touch with Matt Yates, our contact there. I spoke to him about these problems and asked for an explanation of the unexpected changes in programming on the pier.

We learned that the timeframe for importing salt was extended considerably into the early spring. According to Matt, operations regarding the salt have stopped for the season. I made it clear to ASI that this failure to communicate was not what we agreed to at our meeting and that continuing to operate the salt pile at its current size and proximity to residence would not be accepted. If operations haven’t stopped or there are continued problems with noise or the pile being uncovered, please let us know.

Brad is working on a letter to American Stevedoring, in which he will request that they move the salt further out on the pier as to minimize its effect on the community in the future. That letter should be sent out this week, and I will e-copy you all on it when it does.

Matt agreed that communication with the community had to improve. As such, I set up a list serve, where Matt, the offices of other elected officials and members of the community can send out updates via e-mail regarding the salt pile. Please look for the invitation to this group in an e-mail to follow. I invite you to continue contacting our office, either directly or via the list serve. And to help our case please provide us with any evidence you may have of the salt’s effect, be it photographs, doctors notes or the salt from your backyard or windshields.

We realize that this is not a total fix, but hope it can make it easier to communicate with one another, and with ASI, on this important issue as it progresses.

To get in touch with Michael about this or any other issue, email mcurtin@council.nyc.gov.

No F Train this Weekend

In case you missed the posters in the subway station this morning, here's the news: F train service between Jay Street and Church Avenue is suspended this weekend. Shuttle buses will be available instead. This, of course, is thanks to the rehabilitation of the Culver Viaduct.

Affordable Rentals in Our Neighborhood

Applications are now being accepted for the Columbia Hicks Apartments, the 94-unit building now being built on the east side of Hicks between Baltic and Warren.

These are so-called affordable rentals, so income restrictions apply. Interestingly, current residents of Brooklyn Community Board 6 will receive preference for 50 percent of the units. Preference will also be given to persons with hearing, mobility and visual impairments and municipal employees.

You can get an application, and learn more about the requirements, here. Applications must be postmarked by June 25, so act fast!

Van Brunt Reconstruction Starts May 10th

Craig Hammerman, the district manager of of Community Board 6, lit a fire under the Department of Design and Construction regarding the long-delayed reconstruction of Van Brunt Street -- and it worked! DDC wrote to Mr. Hammerman:

As you are aware, during construction we encountered some unanticipated subsurface conditions on Van Brunt Street that necessitated a complete redesign of the sewers and water mains. This resulted in additional work costing more than $2 million that was not in the project budget. The funding was finally made available late last year and work will resume in early May of this year.

[...]

Currently, all preliminary designs for the additional work have been approved, and the contractor, Trocom Construction Corporation, is engaged in securing permits, seeking out soil-disposal facilities, and making submittals which are essential prerequisites for resumption of work. The contractor plans to start work on May 10, 2010. The remaining work is expected to have a duration of six months. [Emphasis mine.]

Thanks, Mr. Hammerman!