Town Gown Advisory Board announces approved proposals and schedule for 2019-2020

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — The Town Gown Advisory Board (TGAB), formed to examine the needs of off-campus students and improve community relations, has announced the latest list of approved projects and meeting schedule for the coming academic year. Listed below are the projects that will move forward with funding in 2019-2020.

North of Main (NoMa) Staffing ($25K)

This proposal submitted by the TGAB Promoting and Cultivating Positive Community Engagement subcommittee aims to boost neighborhood development efforts in the North of Main (NoMa) neighborhood in the city of Binghamton by building capacity in the community. Increasing resident participation and ownership of community programming in this specific area will create additional volunteer and service-learning opportunities within NoMa for Binghamton University faculty, staff and students.

Safety Consultant ($30K)

This study proposed by the TGAB Safety subcommittee will review the town-gown relationship between Binghamton University and the city of Binghamton to provide recommendations to University and city leadership to make informed decisions on current and future initiatives. The study will include a review of current programs; present and future off-campus security issues; staffing assignments and scheduling; and major event management. The study will be conducted with an appreciation of the longstanding commitment to off-campus student safety and a recognition that Binghamton University and the city of Binghamton have a long, collaborative and productive relationship.

ID Scanners for Bars ($19.5K)

The proposed study presented to the TGAB by the Dangerous Drinking/Underage Drinking subcommittee is an environmental effort to deter underage drinking. The main purpose of this project is to establish the feasibility of this approach relative to existing methods. Data collection will be in the form of focus groups and a brief survey to determine the attitudes/beliefs of bar owners/staff, along with identifying barriers and facilitators to the implementation of ID scanners. The proposed study will also assess three different scanners to determine if one is more effective than the others. Findings will be valuable for business owners, college administrators and public policymakers.

Bus Stop Improvement Program ($65.6K)

The TGAB has agreed to partially fund the proposal submitted by the Transportation and Parking subcommittee for a Shared Bus Stop Improvement Program. The funding will provide bus shelters at four shared Broome County Transit (BC Transit) and Off-Campus College Transport (OCCT) bus stops in the city of Binghamton. The proposal includes funding for the shelters as well as the site work necessary to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Site improvements will include concrete pads for the shelters, seating, shelter lighting and the installation of bike racks adjacent to the bus stops.

For this academic year, the TGAB will meet on the following dates: Oct. 24, 2019; Feb. 26, 2020; and May 6, 2020.

For more information, visit the TGAB website.