Roosevelt Island Residents Association Meeting Tonight 8 PM At Good Shepherd Community Center - Come Learn What Is Going On And Add Your Voice To The Process

 RIOC CFO Steve Chironis Addressing October RIRA Meeting

The Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) will be meeting later today, 8 PM at the Good Shepherd Community Center (543 Main Street). The Agenda for the meeting is below.

Date: Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Time: 8:00 P.M. - Finish

Place: Chapel of the Good Shepherd, 543 Main Street

1. Public Session (8:00)
• P.O. Dino Sitaras, 114th Precinct
2. Roll Call (8:15)
3. Approval of Agenda (8:20)
4. Approval of Minutes–October 5, 2011 (8:25)
5. Treasurer’s Report (8:30)
6. President's Report (8:35)
7. Committees (8:50)
• Government Relations/MTG sub-committee
• Housing
• Constitution Committee
• Island Services
• Planning/SCRC sub-committee
• Public Safety
• Social, Cultural and Educational Services
• Communications
8. Old Business (9:50)
9. New Business (9:55)
• Public Session Procedure Motion–Hamburger
10. Adjourn

Next Meeting: December 7, 2011

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. Newly assigned to Roosevelt Island,  NYPD Officer Sitaris will introduce himself during the Public Session.

Image of Roosevelt Island's NYPD Officer Sitaris At Farmers Market

A discussion and decision is expected regarding RIRA's plan to conduct elections this winter for nominees to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board of Directors.

Below are committee reports submitted to the RIRA Common Council.

The Island Services Committee Report:

RIRA – ISLAND SERVICES COMMITTEE (ISC) REPORT TO COMMON COUNCIL MEETING, 11/2/11

Update on some of the issues ISC is working on:
Closing of Post Office Matt Katz had a direct contact with Carolyn Maloney indicating that she was making progress on preventing the closing of the RI Post Office. However, she wants more signers of the petition. RIRA and others gave Maloney 2,000 signers over the summer. RIRA and ISC have been collecting the additional signers. By the Common Council meeting (11/2/11), we expect we will be over the 1,000 goal.

Red Bus Operations Weʼve made no progress on the outstanding bus issues as RIOC stonewalled us all summer. Key issues to resolve are: (1) Adjustments to the Red Bus schedule, (2) allowing strollers on the bus during rush hours, (3) service to Southpoint Park and Sportspark. RIRA is now scheduled to meet with RIOC (Martinez & Opperman) the morning of 11/2/11. Weʼll have a full report on this meeting at the Common Council session that evening.

Main St. Retail Stores ISC reviewed the information disclosed at the 10/20/11 Community – Hudson-Related meeting. We all agreed it was a good and productive meeting. Over 300 RI residents attended. As Main St. leasing and improvements proceed, the ISC Main St. Stores Task Force (led by Mona Sen) is ready to help the community in resolving potential future controversies and relaying key information and concerns to Hudson-Related. The Task Force will continue in place until the end of our Common Council terms in Nov., 2012.

Special Note: At the 10/24/11 ISC meeting, 10 out of our 12 members attended. A record turn-out.

The Planning Committee Report:

The RIRA Planning Committee did not meet in October. I expect we will meet in November or December, as schedules permit.

I will discuss with the Planning Committee the effort to analyze the 2010 Census data for Roosevelt Island. My hunch is that this effort will produce some insight that might be useful for Roosevelt Island, and also for Borough President Stringer and Mayor Bloomberg. We shall see after the analysis is complete and coordinate our communications with the RIRA Government Relations Committee.

I'm expecting Ms. Shull to report separately on the Southern Development committee efforts.

The Silicon Island Sub-Committee Report:

Report of the Silicon Island sub-committee – November 2, 2011
Numerous groups such as the seniors, RIDA, the garden club and the chamber of commerce have been contacted to submit lists of their "wish-list" for a community benefit agreement.

Jonathan Kalkin is doing most of the leg-work on this as our legal counsel recommended this coalition be a new organization. RIRA will have a seat on the coalition in the form a formal seat plus the representation of Delores and Jim Bates.

An in-person meeting of the groups that respond will take place within in the next month to six weeks.

Again per counsel's recommendation, a list is being kept of who is contacted and who responds so that in the future, the agreement is solid in terms of demonstrating that the entire community was overtly invited.

and the Housing Committee Report:

The Committee met at 2:30pm on 3/26/11 at the Trellis Restaurant and conducted an extensive and wide-ranging discussion about a variety of issues.

Issue #1: We discussed the importance and need to write and include a mission statement of the Housing Committee for the RIRA website. By chance, Vini was also present at the Trellis and we had a chance to collegially and informally discuss with him the wish to relay to him a mission statement for inclusion on the website. Chair of Housing Committee commented that she would prefer if Vini could please personally put the paragraph on the website as her technological skills are lacking insofar as posting items on the website. Vini graciously agreed to place the mission statement, and any other information the Committee may feel is helpful to visitors to the RIRA website seeking information re housing on RI. Such additional information could include information regarding the HEAP program, as well as information or even links to companies offering apartment insurance, for example.

Action Taken: The mission statement and the additional information for the website remains pending at this time.

Issue #2: Russell discussed his activities regarding obtaining information on disclosure of resident energy costs by landlords in advertising and leases.

Action Taken: Russell’s effort was tabled at this time.

Issue #3: Steve discussed the HEAP program, whereby low-income tenants can apply for and obtain energy cost assistance from the government. Unfortunately, the application process is complicated, Steve reported, and tenants are not always reimbursed properly. Sometimes, the help of an attorney is necessary to obtain reimbursement, Steve added. Currently, there is a question as to whether HEAP will pay benefits to applicants receiving sub metered electricity.

Action Taken: As discussed above, information regarding the HEAP program, along with advice from the Committee regarding the possible difficulty of obtaining benefits from HEAP, as well as information to be developed by Russ regarding energy cost disclosure, may one day be included within the Housing Committee portion of the RIRA website. We would like to include helpful information such as this to assist present and possible future renters or owners on RI, so that they can get an idea of resident energy costs beforehand and not be surprised by the cost of energy once they move in; or, if they currently reside on RI, they may also benefit from the information and advice.

Issue #4: We would like to one day hold a Housing Fair, which could include the distribution of literature and applications from HEAP and even a presentation by a HEAP representative. Information about apartment insurance would also be distributed, along with insurance company representatives available to give additional information or distribute applications. Housing advocates could conduct workshops including giving advice on forming tenants associations, tenants rights in general, pointers in negotiating with government agencies, landlords, or even in Housing Court, etc.

Action Taken: We plan to confine ourselves to developing and putting information on the Housing Committee portion of the RIRA website regarding these and other important energy and housing issues.

Issue #5: We discussed a variety of miscellaneous items, including the college campus to be built at the site of Goldwater Hospital, the possibility of additional affordable housing on RI and what is the role of RIRA in advocating for the protection of fixed-income, low-income, and moderate-income tenants residing on RI.
Action Taken: The Committee expressed the hope for the continuation of RI as a mixed-income, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural community. As far as obtaining traction or leverage in order to influence decisions being taken by the City re Goldwater and the developers regarding the construction of affordable housing at Southtown, much depends on the vision and fairness of City Hall, as well as Albany’s power in performing diligent oversight and enforcement with respect to the proper interpretation of the agreements with our developers regarding the construction of a specific percentage of affordable apartments along with apartments offered at market rates.

So, if you are interested in learning about or participating in the Roosevelt Island community, stop on by tonight's RIRA Meeting.