NPCR Showcases:
UPDATE FROM THE NYS CAPITOL
Advancing good public policy is a critical focus for NPCR and the last few months have been extremely busy with the pending reforms to the Brownfields Legislation. On March 3 and 4, 2008 NPCR held a Brownfields Summit in Albany. NYSDEC hosted a roundtable for current and pending BOA grantees and municipal and community development leaders from all over NYS attended. The agenda included a request for commitments to release BOA funding, elimination of the requirement for MOUs, consolidation of the BOA program under one State Agency and creation of a link between tax credits and projects built consistent with a BOA plan. The summit was an overwhelming success and helped break the 3-year logjam that resulted in the award of $7.25 million in BOA funds that had been held up by bureaucratic procedures. The event received excellent press coverage both upstate and downstate. Mayor Bloomberg issued a press release in which NPCR was acknowledged for their continued advocacy and the release of $2.7 million in BOA Funds for NYC alone.
The success of the March 3 and 4, 2008 summit and the need to continue to press for reforms to the BOA Program prompted NPCR to organize the Second Brownfields Summit on May 20, 2008 (photos below). BOA grantees gathered for a brownfields breakfast at which the Secretary of State spoke and Assemblyman Sweeney and Senator Marcellino discussed their respective Brownfields bills and reform approach. In addition, NPCR organized a press conference, a meeting with Senator Antoine Thompson (ranking minority member of the Environmental Conservation Comm.) and a roundtable hosted by the Department of State to discuss implementation of the BOA program and in particular expanding the eligible activities in the program. The afternoon roundtable generated a number of interesting ideas for the BOA program and NPCR recently submitted a summary report to DOS. NPCR will continue to press for changes to the Brownfields Legislation and to garner support for both consolidating the BOA Program under one agency and providing a 20% tax credit to developers who build projects consistent with BOA plans.
©2008 New Partners for Community Revitalization
11 Penn Plaza, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10001
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