Newsletters

Friend,

We continued our fight against the construction of the Marine Transfer Station as the tragic death of East Sider Jodi McGrath further substantiated concerns about garbage trucks driving down side streets in this dense residential neighborhood. `

I introduced legislation this month to empower residents to engage our government and participate in our democracy. Government should work for its residents, not special interests. By reforming antiquated ballot access laws and making large campaign donations unnecessary, we can increase the pool of viable candidates for office and give voters real choice on the ballot. By centralizing the City’s websites and information into a single app through Single Sign On legislation, we are streamlining a vast bureaucracy and allowing residents to access the information they need. 

On the affordable housing front, I helped negotiate significant amendments into the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing and Zoning for Quality and Affordability proposals and saw an encouraging update in our fight against the superscraper at Sutton Place. 

Join more than 2,000 residents who have already voted in deciding how $1 Million is spent on projects in the community. Vote online today or in person in my office or at the remaining sites by April 3.

For free reusable bags and helpful information, sign up for composting and electronics recycling in your building and much more at an Earth Day Forum. What will your Earth Day resolution be?

Sincerely,

Ben Kallos
Council Member

P.S. I hope we will see you in my office this Friday, April 1st at First Friday. This is not a joke, but bring a good joke if you’ve got one.

Starting Monday, March 28 through Thursday, March 31 you can request a digital ballot to vote online at BenKallos.com/PB/Digital

Join more than 1,000 of your neighbors who have already cast their votes to decide on how to spend $1 million in our community today through April 3rd as part of Participatory Budgeting. 

Tomorrow, Friday, March 18 is the deadline to register to vote by mail at BenKallos.com/PB/Absentee

You decide on how to spend $1 million in our community starting March 26th through April 3rd as part of Participatory Budgeting.

Dear Neighbor,

All government should work like your kitchen sink’s faucet: you should be able to rely on it and not have to deal with bureaucracy to make it work. I spent my second year in office seeking to fix government so it works seamlessly to meet your needs and serve our community and city. In the past year my office and I:

• Made government more transparent  with seven laws opening up the city’s  legislation, law, and elections.
• Brought additional Pre-K seats to the  East Side and Roosevelt Island, as we  expanded to 60,000 seats citywide.  
• Invested $5 million in STEM education  in our local public schools and  expanded free lunch citywide.
• Secured $45 million from the city and  private institutions to revitalize the East   River Esplanade.
• Moved the ramp to 92nd Street while  continuing to fight the Marine Transfer  Station.
• Focused on changes to the  management of the city to improve  quality of life.

Thank you for your partnership in making all of our shared goals a reality. We’ve proven over the past two years that together we can accomplish greatness. You can read more from my midterm report at BenKallos.com/newsletters/midterm

Sincerely,

Ben Kallos
Council Member, District 5

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Apply Now for Universal Pre-K, the deadline is THIS Wednesday, March 9, 2016.
All New York City children born in 2012 are eligible to attend free, full-day Pre-K this upcoming fall. Sign up now at nyc.gov/prek

Please email me at UPK@BenKallos.com once you apply so we can add you to our list of families in need of UPK.

More than 425 seats are currently available in my Council District for 2016-17 from the list below (or visit maps.nyc.gov/upk):

P.S. / I.S. 217 Roosevelt Island
645 Main St, Roosevelt Island, NY 10044
2016-17 Seats: 36 Full day

Roosevelt Island Day Nursery (RIDN)
405 Main Street, Roosevelt Island, NY 10044
4 River Road, Roosevelt Island, NY 10044
2016-17 Seats: Currently Seeking DOE Approval

Renanim Manhattan
336 East 61st St, Manhattan, NY 10065
2016-17 Seats: 16 Full day

East Side Elementary School, P.S. 267
213 East 63rd St, Manhattan, NY 10065
2016-17 Seats: 18 Full day

Ella Baker School
317 East 67th St, Manhattan, NY 10065
2016-17 Seats: 54 Full day

Lenox Hill Neighborhood House
331 East 70th St, Manhattan, NY 10021
2016-17 Seats: 80 Full day

P.S. 158 Bayard Taylor
1458 York Ave, Manhattan, NY 10075
2016-17 Seats: 72 Full day

Wee Care
451 East 83rd Street, Manhattan, NY 10028
2016-17 Seats: Currently Seeking DOE Approval

Cassidy's Place
419 East 86th St, Manhattan, NY 10028
2016-17 Seats: 36 Full day and Half Day

Eisman Day Nursery
1794 First Ave, Manhattan, NY 10128
2016-17 Seats: 39 Full day

P.S. 198 Isador E Ida Straus
1700 Third Ave, Manhattan, NY 10128
2016-17 Seats: 54 Full day

Lexington Children's Center
115 East 98th St, Manhattan, NY 10029
2016-17 Seats: 20 Full day

Following reporting by WNYC in 2014 that Yorkville, Lenox Hill and Roosevelt Island had 2,118 four-year-olds and only 123 pre-K seats, we've been working with parents to pressure the Department of Education to open more seats in my Council District. We successfully doubled the number of seats at P.S./I.S. 217 on Roosevelt Island last year and as of this year have nearly quadrupled the number of seats that were originally reported by WNYC. Thank you to Eva Bosbach along with the Roosevelt Island Parents Network as well as Ariel Chesler and Jack Moran on the East Side whom we are working with to open new seats in the Council District.

We are actively seeking parents to help us organize other families in need of seats as well as providers with whom parents are comfortable in order to expand the number of Pre-K seats in the district.

Please Apply Now and Email UPK@BenKallos.com.