QUEENS — Technology upgrades at local schools and libraries are among the projects that will soon receive funding under the City Council's participatory budgeting program.
More than 3,000 residents from District 29 — which covers Rego Park, Forest Hills, Kew Gardens and a portion of Richmond Hill — voted in recent weeks on how to spend $1 million of City Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz's capital funds.
“It’s 1,000 more votes than we had last year, which is fantastic,” said Koslowitz, who announced the results at a Community Board 6 meeting Thursday night.
Participants chose to fund three ideas out of 11 that were listed on the ballot.
Voters decided to allocate $315,000 for technology upgrades at P.S. 139, P.S. 220, P.S. 99, P.S 175, P.S. 196, P.S. 206, J.H.S. 157, J.H.S. 190 and Forest Hills High School.
All Queens Library branches in the district (Rego Park Library, North Forest Park Library, Forest Hills Library, and Richmond Hill Library) will also receive technology upgrades which will cost $200,000.
And school bathrooms at P.S. 196, P.S. 220, P.S. 99, P.S. 206, P.S. 174 and P.S. 144 will be renovated at a cost of $450,000.
Other proposed projects which did not receive enough votes this year included a plan to install circuit training stations in Forest Park, a proposal to install bus countdown clocks at various locations and a request to install a curb extension at the southeast corner of 102nd Street and 67th Avenue in Forest Hills.
