Queens board asks DEP for clarity on rain‑garden funding and maintenance
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Summary
Community leaders pressed the Department of Environmental Protection for details on who pays for green infrastructure, the status of a previously cited $200 million fund, and whether rain‑garden maintenance is contracted or handled in‑house.
Community Board members and district managers in Queens pressed DEP on funding and maintenance for green infrastructure during the storm-preparedness briefing.
The borough president reminded DEP that a prior effort had set aside money for green infrastructure: “We had secured, I think when I was chair, $200,000,000 for green infrastructure,” the borough president said. Board members said they see locations that need rain gardens, bioswales and permeable paving but lack implementation or maintenance.
Alfonso Lopez of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection said he would check the status of the $200 million and describe how DEP prioritizes and screens potential green‑infrastructure sites. “I can check on the status of the $200,000,000,” Lopez said, and asked board members to send specific locations and lists of interest so his team can evaluate them as projects are prioritized.
Board members also asked whether maintenance of installed rain gardens remains under contract or is now performed in‑house. DEP replied that maintenance appears to be handled in‑house and that many maintenance requests are complaint-driven rather than on a fixed cycle; Lopez said he would confirm the agency’s current maintenance model.
Officials urged residents to file 311 requests with photos so agencies can track needs and said DEP compiles requests from board offices to feed into its site‑selection process.