Flushing English program saved

Paul Engel, head of the Flushing Jewish Community Council (FJCC), was feeling desperate when he emailed The Queens Courier recently.
They had received a $35,000 “member item” allocation from Councilmember John Liu to support their English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program, and the funding hadn’t cleared the Comptroller’s Office.
Engel feared that with mounting debt, and the “freeze” on his funding in the wake of Comptroller William Thompson’s decision to have all city contracts relying on “discretionary funding” reviewed, the program would have to be shuttered.
Thompson’s office bristled at being cast as the villain regarding the delay.
“First and foremost, the Comptroller did not ‘put a freeze’ on member items,” said Jeff Simmons, Communications Director for Thompson, making the distinction that ordering all contracts so-funded to be reviewed was not a “freeze” on member items.
“It’s important that the public’s confidence be restored in the budget process,” Simmons said, and pointed out that their office had not received a contract for FJCC since 2007.
According to Engel, the lack of “a single form” at the city’s Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) kept them from forwarding his contract to the Comptroller. “They said they called me, but they had my phone number off by one digit,” he claimed.
Engel said the delay necessitated a whole new set of paperwork from FJCC.
Officials at DYCD issued a statement, saying “The city has recently implemented enhanced vetting procedures for City Council discretionary awards that require additional time for processing. The contract is currently at the Comptroller’s Office pending registration.” They suggested that Engel’s claim had little affect.
A confidential source at DYCD said “freeze was a pretty apt term,” because of the sudden influx of work the Comptroller’s decision created. “The old system wasn’t as rigorous as it could have been,” the source said, adding “Under the circumstances, it was absolutely the right decision.”
A source at Thompson’s office confirmed that the contract was received on Thursday May 29.
In the meantime, Engel secured temporary assistance from other community groups, so it looks like the ESOL program is alive and well.