Report From RIOC President Charlene Indelicato - Roosevelt Island Interim Public Safety Director John McManus, New Red Bus Stop At Sportspark, New Benches and Chairs, Motorgate Disabled Signs and 2013 Southpoint Park Outdoor Summer Movies Start Tomorrow

 Image of RIOC President Charlene Indelicato From RIOC

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Charlene Indelicato sends the following report to the community.

The hot weather is finally here and I can think of no better place to enjoy the summer months in New York City than on Roosevelt Island. We have some great events planned for our residents and visitors and hope everyone has an opportunity to take part in the fun. You can learn more about one of those activities, the Summer Outdoor Movie Series, below. But first, a more serious matter.

New PSD Interim Director

As I have said repeatedly in the five weeks I have been President of RIOC, resolving issues related to the Public Safety Department (PSD) and ensuring the ongoing safety of residents is a top priority.

To that end, on Monday, June 17, we hired John B. McManus through a consultant firm to serve as Interim Director of PSD. Mr. McManus has extensive public safety, security, and management experience. He served as Commanding Officer of three NYPD precincts, Commanding Officer for the Operations Division, and as Executive Officer to the Chief of Department, where he assisted with personnel management, staff deployment, developing and monitoring operational budgets, and analyzing the effectiveness of departmental and operational plans and major new crime fighting initiatives. He also has served as Director of Security for the Time Warner Center and as Director of Security for the World Trade Center where he managed between 100 and 150 guards daily.

Mr. McManus comes to the job equipped to implement a community-based service model, where officers are fully engaged with the community. The emphasis will be on de-escalation, reducing civilian complaints, and enhanced support for residents, as well as focusing on quality of life issues. Mr. McManus has a background in successfully implementing community-based service and I’m already starting to see a culture change within PSD.

As Mr. McManus is serving as the Interim Director, we have initiated a search for a permanent PSD Director that we plan to complete this year.

New Red Bus Stop

We are always evaluating transportation on the Island to ensure that our Tram and Red Bus systems are meeting the needs of residents and visitors. With that in mind, we are creating a new Red Bus stop at Sportspark. Beginning on July 5, there will be a southbound stop outside the Sportspark pool entrance and a northbound stop on the other side near the gym.

New Benches and Chairs

RIOC’s ever-busy Engineering Department is in the midst of replacing the old benches on the west side of the Island with 30 brand new benches that are made of a more resilient wood. Stretching from the rear of PS/IS 217 to 30 River Road, the new benches will be perfect for relaxing and enjoying the spectacular views of Manhattan. Meanwhile, we are also refurbishing the chairs inside the Good Shepherd Community Center.

Motorgate Disabled Signs

The renovation work at the Motorgate Parking Facility has necessitated the temporary relocation of vehicles during several phases of construction. As a result, the upcoming work scheduled for August 1 will cause the temporary relocation of lots on levels 4B and 4D, which include a large number of parking spaces for the disabled.

In the course of installing the temporary signs currently located on 5D and 6D, there was a misunderstanding with the Motorgate operator regarding the placement and the time frames for installation. The disabled parking placards that are currently posted on levels 5D and 6D will be removed, replaced on July 24, and will to go into effect on August 1. The placards will be posted in areas that are closer to the elevator. The new lots will temporarily replace those in area 4D, as well as the parking spaces for the disabled that were removed from Main Street due to the construction work at Manhattan Park.

Summer Outdoor Movie Series

A beloved Roosevelt Island tradition, RIOC’s Summer Outdoor Movie Series, is back for a fabulous fifth season starting with the 2012 blockbuster The Hunger Games on Saturday, June 29 (rain date: July 6). 
This year we are screening a wide range of flicks that were voted on by residents, including The Breakfast Club (July 12, rain date: July 20), Pitch Perfect (July 13, rain date: July 21), Brave (July 27, rain date: August 3), Rocky (August 10, rain date: August 17), and Inception (August 24, rain date: August 31). In the event of inclement weather, we will announce postponements via RIOC advisories – email subscribe@rioc.ny.gov to sign up – and on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

The movies start at 8:45 pm at Southpoint Park, but residents and visitors are encouraged to come at 6:00 pm for music, movie trivia, and refreshments that will be on sale. The park is ADA accessible and the Red Bus will stop at the nearby bus stop every 15 minutes. As always, admission is free, so bring a blanket or a chair and enjoy the show!

Ms. Indelicato also reported to the June 27 RIOC Board Of Directors meeting. She indicated that negotiations are starting with Cornell NYC Tech and that policies are in the works concerning the Garden Club, Cultural Center and other non profits. Ms. Indelicato thanked the RIOC Board as well as former acting RIOC President and current General Counsel Don Lewis for their support.  Here's what she had to say.