Come Learn What Is Happening on Roosevelt Island With Red Bus, Main Street Stores, Library and More - Residents Association (RIRA) Meeting Tonight 8 PM At Good Shepherd Community Center

Image of April 2011 RIRA Meeting

The Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) monthly June meeting is tonight 8 PM at the Good Shepherd Community Center (543 Main Street). The Agenda for the meeting is below.

As always, prior to the start of each meeting there is a public session in which any resident can come and address the Common Council Delegates on any issue of concern. Scheduled to speak during tonight's Public Session are Miranda Murray of the Roosevelt Island Public Library and Sal Ferrara of the Child School/Legacy High School.

Also, remember that Roosevelt Island's NY State Senator Jose Serrano has Roosevelt Island constituent office hours just prior to the RIRA monthly meeting and on the first Wednesday of every month from 4 - 7 PM at RIOC Headquarters 591 Main Street.

If you have any questions to ask Senator Serrano's staff or are in need of any assistance that may require the help of your elected representative stop by RIOC HQ. Also, bring photocopies of any paperwork related to your situation so that the Serrano staff can effectively and efficiently address the issue.

Below is the Agenda for the June RIRA Meeting,

June 1, 2011 Agenda

the Island Services Committee Report,

RIRA – ISLAND SERVICES COMMITTEE (ISC) REPORT TO THE COMMON COUNCIL MEETING, 6/1/11

Updates on the key issues ISC is working on:

Red Bus – Schedule, Stops, Strollers – The Red Bus now seems to be operating according to the plan worked out with RIRA. There appears to be little or no complaints from passengers. We will continue to monitor the operation.

RIOC is studying the possibility of allowing strollers on the buses during rush hours and we expect to hear from them about this issue in mid-June.

Main St. Stores – ISC has been in contact with RIOC Board member Jonathan Kalkin on this issue and plans to have a meeting with Kalkin in the near future to discuss ways that RIRA can work with RIOC and Hudson-Related in getting the stores that the community feels are needed and desirable for Roosevelt Island. Meanwhile, we are establishing a direct contact with David Kramer, the person in Hudson-Related who will be directing their efforts in attracting and selecting stores for Main St.

Parks – RIOC has now delayed the opening of Southpoint Park to the end of July. We suspect weʼll be lucky if the park opens by Labor Day.

Public Library - Since the New York Public Library has not yet allocated capital money to this project, itʼs clear that there will not be a start on the new Library in 2012. Best we can hope for is 2013 or 2014.

Pedestrian Safety Barrier on RI Bridge - We still havenʼt received an official response to our letter to the NYC Dept. of Transportation (DOT) on this issue. However, we understand that last week both Jessica Lappin & Micah Kellner received letter from DOT rejecting the proposed installation on the Queens side of the bridge. More information to follow. The fight is not over.

and minutes from the May RIRA meeting.
Click Here For More

Roosevelt Island Residents Association Common Council Meeting, 

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Minutes for May 4, 2011 Meeting

1. Public Access – 8:10p.m.
Robert Atterbury – Assemblyman Micah Kellner’s liaison to Roosevelt Island –
Kellner, with Rep. Maloney, is working with the DOT Manhattan Commissioner on safety barriers for the RI Bridge.

The Department of Justice is investigating the Taxi and Limousine Corp (TLC) for violating ADA guidelines for new Nissan taxis, which are not wheelchair accessible. Comptroller John Liu is looking into a potential conflict of interest, as those involved with choosing the vehicle were also involved with the vehicle design.

Micah has proposed legislation making the “Rescue Dog” New York’s State Dog; ditto the Rescue Cat.

A letter has been written and signed requesting that EMS partner with Public Safety for ambulance and emergency services on Roosevelt Island. Within two weeks, EMS will set up a call system so that every time EMS receives a call from a RI resident, EMS will inform Public Safety so that they can get to the emergency site even before EMS arrives and begin helping the caller. Public Safety is trained in the use of, and has defibrillators on hand.

Erin Feely-Nahem asked if the bill to establish a Civilian Complaint Board has been re-submitted. It is being reviewed, and people can contact Kellner’s office to give input.

Meeting called to order at 8:15pm:

2. Roll Call: Quorum achieved, (28 present/17 absent). Caetano removed having missed three consecutive meetings.

3. Approval of Agenda: Request to move SC&E report to head of the Committee reporting list; Helstien added a motion to New Business. Approved with amendments by acclamation

4. Approval of 4/6/11 Minutes: (Moved-Shull/Seconded-Atkins). Approved by acclamation

5. Treasurer’s Report – Report presented: Current Checking balance: $3,858.17; Legal Fund: $1,224.77; MTG Fund: $1,244.73.

6. President’s Report

1. The RIRA First Annual Cherry Blossom Festival required over 150 individuals and organizations to create. Lynne Shinozaki, SC&E Committee Chair will report the details of the event in her committee report. Katz dedicated a bronze plaque, funded by RIOC, to the Japanese people, along with RIOC President, Leslie Torres. RIRA received a Citation from Assembly Member Micah Kellner’s office, who brought a framed page from the Congressional Record citing the Island’f Fesival, courtesy of Rep. Maloney. Councilwoman Jessica Lappin’s office presented two framed Proclamations for the two Japanese Ambassadors to the United States and received by their representative.

2. A “Dear Friend” letter was received from Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, thanking us for the concerns raised regarding hydrofracking. He stated in the letter, that his office has “zero tolerance for public safety or environmental threats against our state’s families and any dangers will be met with the full force of my administration.”

3. Katz mentioned that Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer made good on his vow to follow up on our subway station concerns. He did so with an April 12 letter to MTA Chair, Jay Walder, citing our Manhattan-bound platform flood and the station door that never gets repaired. Katz also reminded Stringer of the unsanitary conditions in the lobby area caused by the netting that was supposed to interdict the pigeon population but, in fact, provides them with additional perching and nesting opportunities. His office has promised to follow up.

4. Katz sgined up Council volunteers to solicit blood donors at the Saturday Farmers Markets noting that he and Secretary Helstien have already signed up to start the ball rolling.

7. Committee Reports –
SC&E: Chair, Shinozaki – Expected numbers at the April 30 Cherry Blossom Festival were 300-400; actual attendance estimated at 1000-1200 people; that day we made $8,368.61! RIRA budgeted up to $150, only $50 used for lockboxes.

Events coming up:
5/14 – SkateRI during RIOC’s Health & Fitness Day, at Child School; RIRA Café fundraiser outside.

5/21 – Networking Breakfasts kickoff in residential buildings; 9am-Noon.

6/11 – RI Day – at RIRA FREE breakfast table, RIRA will be fundraising, partnering with Fresh Direct: with a $20 donation to RIRA, the donor will get a FD coupon; only for new FD members, however. Helstien presented Lynne with a pair of folded crane earrings, and will present a pair to Neha Kaul, who was in charge of personnel for the April 30 Festival.

Planning: Chair, Farance – Oral report: Farance has divided the Committee into sub-Committees which will focus on the following matters:

- GDP improvements sub-committee;
- Long-term financial planning by RIOC sub-committee;
- Blackwell Park sub-committee – to be led by Ilonka Salisbury;
- Transportation issues sub-committee in partnership with Island Services committee;
- SDRC sub-committee headed by Denise Shull: Letter has been sent to Stanford, NYU, and NYEDC. Next meeting will be with RIRA Councilmember and new CB8 Board Member, Jeff Escobar, who understands community benefit agreements, and RIOC Board member Jon Kalkin who has some expertise with NYEDC, to build a community coalition to give residents standing in the looming development of Goldwater Hospital. We hope that NYEDC will tell other prospective groups about RIRA letter. RFP is expected to come sometime over this summer.

- Issue: Better utilization of parking spaces on RI; commercial spaces

Public Safety: Chair, Feely-Nahem – oral report: Letter has been sent to Public Safety Director Guerra, commending his officers for their service at the Cherry Blossom Festival. There have been numerous Motorgate complaints with RIOC VP Martinez questioning whether Central Parking or Public Safety must enforce parking rules. The committee is working the hours of 4pm-midnight every night. Insp. Cirabisi has promised to bring the new full-time Island officer to the Common Council when one is appointed.

Communications: Co-Chairs, Dawson & Fortuna – Oral report: Website is running well; Vini is planning two training sessions to teach committee chairs how to use our calendar. He will send out some dates and times later. Fortuna wants to add RIRA to Wikipedia!

Government Relations: Chair, Mincheff –Oral report: the RI legislation review process with edits should be done by next meeting. Jessica Lappin had a baby boy, Miles. ASPCA will be out at Health & Fitness Day, 5/14, doing FREE micro-chipping for our pets.

Housing: Chair, Chirivas – Written report for February meeting. No recent meeting/no report. Constitution: Chair, Evans – Meetings in April cancelled. To resume in May.

Island Services: Chair, Hamburger - Written report submitted. Parking machines at Southtown location in operation.

8. Old Business – None

9. New Business –
Helstien – Proposed two motions with regard to the purchase and sale of RIRA hats and visors for fundraising:
Motion 1: seconded, Salisbury That the members of the RIRA Common Council approve the SC&E Committee’s request to purchase a gross of hats and visors at one of these amounts: (a) ($6 per hat/visor x 144 =) $864, (b) ($5.50 per hat/visor x 144 =) $792 or (c) ($5 per hat/ visor x 144 =) $720. The hats and visors will be sold at $15 each netting $2160 – $864 = (a) $1296, $2160- 792 =$1368, or 2160-$720 = (b) $1440.
(The cost of the hats was given in various price ranges, as the cost was not solidified at the time of this RIRA meeting; subsequent to this meeting, the price of $5.50 was agreed upon.)
Vote: 25Y, 0N, 0A. Motion carried.

Motion 2 as amended: seconded, Salisbury That the members of the RIRA Common Council agree to participate in the selling of hats and visors at all community events, in order to help build the RIRA Treasury ensuring our ability to do more programs and events that any of the committees might want to pursue.

Vote: 24Y, 2N, 2A. Motion carried.

Meeting adjourned at 9:25 p.m.