Hankerson asks about book-bag value questions at giveaways
Hankerson asks Anne McTiernan what Parks asks elected officials hosting back-to-school giveaways. McTiernan says Parks asks about site layout, production schedule, staffing, and queueing, and also asks the value of book bags to understand the giveaway.
Thank you.
I believe you mentioned Anna represents Citywide.
Anna, how are you?
I do have a question for you, and then I'm going to turn it over to my colleague for some questions, and I'll jump back in.
Elected officials tend to host several events within parks across the city.
One of the events that we tend to host, particularly around August, September, are back-to-school giveaways.
Partnering with local non-for-profits, CBOs,
and sometimes some private partners as well to give book bags to the community.
Typically, when you all are reviewing such a permit, what are the questions that are asked of the elected officials office or whomever may be hosting this back to school giveaway?
In the park?
Thank you, Councilperson.
We ask questions.
about their site layout, their production schedule, when vendors are going to be arriving,
if there's any run of show, any speaking portion, when they're setting up the location for the giveaway, making sure that they're sufficiently staffed and there's a queue line set up so that there's
an orderly way to receive the backpacks by the public.
So questions like that.
Is it common practice for the department to ask the applicant the value of the book bags?
That is a question that we do ask.
What's the reason for it?
Just understand the price point of the item that's going to be given away.
But really, a lot of times with giveaways, the value is not as important as making sure you have enough for the public that's going to be coming to the giveaway so that there's not a point.
During the event where we've run out and you have a long line of people waiting, we want to make sure that folks are receiving the giveaway and able to
partake in the actual excitement of the event.
So those sort of questions are asked.
A lot of times asked by our security partners at NYPD as well and the mayor's office.
These are common questions.
NYPD and the mayor's office tend to also ask about value of items being distributed.
And then to make sure you have a quantity that is sufficient for the expected attendance of your event.
Excuse my short memory.
What was the reason for asking the value of the book bags?