Photos: Kensington Students Present 'Participatory Budgeting' Projects to Councilman Brad Lander

On Friday, Councilman Brad Lander was faced with some tough choices. Would he prefer to see a dog run come to Kensington, or combat litter by adding more trash cans? What about offering free health care to all of the neighborhood's residents?

These thoughtful proposals came not from Lander's voting constituents, but a slightly younger crowd: Students from Ms. Robyn Waters 5th grade class at P.S. 230, who invited Lander to review their own pitches for improving the neighborhood through participatory budgeting.

Proposals ran the gamut of feasibility—one group of students wanted the school's lights replaced with energy saving bulbs. Another requested that the city erect a new "P.S. 230 Middle School," benefitting not only students, but "teenagers, "old people" and "the presedent."

Waters said the students originally made their projects back in October, around the same time the community pitched its own ideas for how to spend $ 1 million in designated "participatory budgeting" funds.

Lander was initially scheduled to visit the class sooner, but the councilman was forced to postpone after Hurricane Sandy smacked New York City.

Setbacks aside, Lander expressed delight that he was able to spend Friday morning reviewing the ideas of the next generation of voters.

"You really put your arguments together in very impressive ways," he told the visibly thrilled class, adding that, as with selecting among real-life projects to include on the ballot, it would be nigh impossible to choose among the 5th graders' wishes for the neighborhood.

"I wanted all 20 of the projects—I'm afraid I'm going to have the same problem here," he said.