Roosevelt Island Community Update From RIOC - Infrastructure Improvements Underway For Roads, Street Lights, Wireless Devices, Lighthouse Park Foot Bridges, Landscaping Upgrades & Sportspark Pool Temperature Fluctuations

According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC):

Island’s Infrastructure Rebuild Gains More Momentum

ISLAND ROADS

Several critical areas of Roosevelt Island’s asphalt roads in need of repairs to cracks, potholes and collapsed drains are being addressed by our road contractor that has started milling work and will continue with paving, rolling and striping today, October 30 through Thursday, November 1, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation said Tuesday.

The identified areas include West Road, by the MTA Subway Station; Main Street, by the Community Garden and The Octagon entrance; and the NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler loop. Four crosswalks, located on Main Street by the shops and Chapel of the Good Shepherd are to be restriped next week as well. The work is being performed by Rosemar Construction Company, of Long Island, N.Y, which specializes in a range of commercial, municipal/industrial and residential road work services.

LIGHT FIXTURES

Some 108 light-head fixtures on Roosevelt Island have been repaired and retro-fitted in the past 90 days including the replacement of old inefficient, incandescent light bulbs around the Island and at Sportspark pool with new LED bulbs and the rewiring of corroded electrical panels including at the Chapel of the Good Shepherd.

The new LED bulbs - which are activated by photoelectric sensors and timers - use less energy and last up to 50,000 hours as compared to the incandescent bulbs that used more  electricity and only had a light life of 10,000.

RIOC maintenance staff and Ral-Bar Electric of Long Island City, N.Y. have completed most of the work.

RIOC staff will also be applying identification stickers on each light fixture to help streamline the process of identifying which fixtures are out or experiencing problems in the future. If you see a light out, you now can simply tell us its number. That work is expected to be completed by the end of November.

(Pictured in the photos is Luis Fernandez, a member of RIOC’s Facilities Maintenance Department).

WIRELESS SMALL CELL ANTENNAS

Wireless device connectivity on Roosevelt Island is about to be vastly improved, and less congested, during the next few weeks.

Crown Castle International Corp., the nation’s largest provider of shared communications infrastructure, will be installing 22 unique small cell locations on the Island covering from north to south. The antennas and fiber-optic cable-based networking will provide coverage and capacity for up to four data/phone service carriers including Verizon

Small cells are important wireless infrastructure that increase capacity and connectivity for mobile devices. They are small, low-powered antennas that can be installed on light and utility poles, street signs, and even on rooftops. Crown Castle, under a 10-year licensing agreement, will be building and maintaining this fiber ring around Roosevelt Island to supply various locations with better connectivity.

As the Roosevelt Island community continues to grow, more residents, businesses, students and visitors are relying on wireless devices to connect to the Internet and communicate (more than 50 percent of all U.S. households rely only on wireless phones; and some 80 percent of all 911 calls are made from wireless devices). When too many people try to use their mobile devices, the network can become overloaded: calls drop or don’t connect.

Small cells, like the ones being installed around the Island, can and will relieve this wireless congestion.

LIGHTHOUSE PARK

Roosevelt Island’s Lighthouse Park will soon be receiving some direly needed repairs. RIOC recently announced it has hired an architectural firm to design renovations to the two pedestrian footbridges in the area, adjacent pavement work, park landscaping upgrades and the creation of a salt riparian habitat as part of a natural floodable landscape adjacent to the Lighthouse tower. The Lighthouse tower is now closed off to visitors until that work is completed by next Spring.

SPORTSPARK POOL

In recent weeks, we’ve received a few complaints that the pool water at Sportspark is too cold, although our goal is to keep the temperature in the vicinity of 84 degrees which sometimes fluctuates + or – 2 degrees. From our regular maintenance checks, we’ve determined that Sportspark’s recently-installed boiler is working fine, so we are continuously monitoring the temperatures and sensors and will work with the contractor (who installed the boiler) to determine how we can prevent future temperature fluctuations. We will provide an update once we’ve resolved the situation.

If You See Something, or Have a Question About Something, That Needs Fixing

The Community Request Tracker system is a new feature on the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation’s website. The system allows RIOC to track and address maintenance, grounds and facilities issues submitted by Island residents, businesses and organizations.

For non-emergencies during the week and weekend, Island residents should not call the Island’s Public Safety Department (PSD) but rather submit a FIX IT ticket (click the link provided or go to the “Report A Problem” icon at the homepage of rioc.ny.gov,) and the request is immediately routed to the correct department.

If you need help navigating the system, call Alonza Robertson, RIOC’s public information officer at 212.832.4540.

Residents can report problems involving animal control, electrical, Island infrastructure, parks and recreation: dead trees, garbage, grass or landscaping; facility cleanliness, field damage and transportation: Red Bus service or the Tram.

For emergencies, during the week and weekends – electrical outages, flooding etc. - residents should immediately call PSD, at 212.832.4545, and PSD will call the appropriate Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation department to respond.

Again, if you see something, that’s a non-emergency, say something to us directly via a ticket and not to PSD.

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Nominations Open For 2012-14 Common Council Delegates, Come Participate And Help Improve Your Community - Ellen Polivy Running For President and Jeff Escobar Vice President

Do you want to help improve life here on Roosevelt Island? Provide input on issues of importance to you and your neighbors such as Affordable Housing, Cornell NYC Tech development, Public Safety, Transportation (Red Bus,Tram, Bicycles, Ferries), Governance, Main Street Retail, Parks, Parking, Dogs and anything else you can think of?

If so, please consider representing your building area as a delegate to the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Common Council in the upcoming November 6, 2012 elections and lending your voice and expertise to these discussions.

 Panorama Image of October 2012 RIRA Common Council Meeting From Trevre Andrews (Click to enlarge)

More information on the RIRA Common Council and RIRA election process available at the RIRA web site.

Current RIRA Vice President Ellen Polivy and RIRA Common Council Member Jeff Escobar have announced their intent to run for RIRA President and Vice President respectively. Ms Polivy reports:

Dear neighbors,

On Wednesday night I put in bid for Presidency of the RIRA Common Council and Jeff Escobar stepped up to be Vice President. Both of us have full time careers. But we have big ideas and RIRA can be a huge undertaking.

If we all work together, we can improve our community in ways that can only happen in a small, defined community such as ours with strong channels of communications. Thanks to the WIRE, the blog, the kiosks and to the RIRA Common Council we are able to get the word out to the community rapidly. Each council member need only connect with his or her building residents with moderate consistency.

Remember how Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney saved our post office? She asked us to get 3000 signatures. It took us a long time to do that but we succeeded and she had the community backing to save our post office. Our elected officials, including our elected RIOC board members need the continued mass support of the community. This helps them justify fighting for us. And mass community support gives me legitimacy when advocating for us.

Jeff and my vision for this term is to have a cadre of 5000 residents who will quickly and consistently respond on many issues of importance to the to the island so that we have strength in numbers. With such a grass roots response, our residents can become an effective and powerful political force here on Roosevelt Island, in the City and in the State. To make this happen will take a concerted effort by all the Common Council Members. Jeff and I cannot do this alone. Will you join us on the Common Council to make history?

Jeff and I look forward to working with you in November.

Both Ms. Polivy and Mr. Escobar are members of Manhattan Community Board 8 and are leading efforts to establish the Roosevelt Island Community Coalition (RICC) to negotiate with Cornell NYC Tech on behalf of Roosevelt Island stakeholders.

Here's Ms. Polivy



and Mr. Escobar



speaking at the October 2 meeting of RICC.

Don't forget, your voice is needed as well. Please consider representing your building at RIRA.

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

Image of June RIRA Common Council Meeting

After taking the July and August summer months off, the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) monthly meeting returns tonight, September 7, 8 PM at the Good Shepherd Community Center (543 Main Street lower level).  Below is the Agenda for tonight's meeting.




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.

RIRA is composed of members of the Roosevelt Island community elected by their fellow building complex residents every two years. RIRA has no real power or authority other than an advisory role as the voice of the Roosevelt Island community. RIRA's voice of the community role is recognized and encouraged by our elected representatives and the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC).

RIRA is not without controversy. Some residents have expressed an opinion that RIRA does not represent them, that it is a closed, insular group of people looking out for only their own interests.

I think that view is wrong. RIRA represents those people who participate in the process, show up to meetings or if they can't attend meetings, just make their concerns known. In this respect, RIRA is just like every political entity in the United States - if you don't show up and participate in the process, it is difficult to have your concerns addressed.

Responding to this comment from a reader of a previous post:

The executives of RIRA - Pres, VP, Treas, Sec'y - are all from WIRE buildings.  Most of the committee chairs - WIRE buildings.  The MTG is composed primarily of WIRE building residents.  There's nothing wrong with WIRE residents disproportionately represented in executive/chair positions - as long as the same people do not keep popping up year after year.  There should be term limits for executive/chair/RIOC board member positions to prevent cliques from forming.

RIRA Communications Chair Vini Fortuna wrote:

You are right about the officers (Pres, VP, Treasurer and Secretary). They are all from the WIRE buildings. (Here is the list http://www.riraonline.com/abou...

However, that's not true for the chairs anymore. You can find the chair of each committee on their pages in our website (www.riraonline.com). Here is the list:
Communications: Vini (me) - Southtown
Gov. Relations: Bill Long - Octagon
Housing: Helen Chirivas - Island House
Island Services: Aaron Hamburguer - Southtown
Planning: Frank Farance - Island House
Public Safety: Erin Feely-Nahem - Westview
Social, Cultural & Educational: Lynne Shinozaki - Manhattan Park
Constitution & Bylaws: Dave Evans - Southtown

What I want to say is that I believe things are changing. Slowly. At least, the committees are changing and the relative proportions of the buldings. I agree that it can be frustrating to see the same people over and over again at the head of RIRA. One big problem is that it's not easy to be the president. It takes a lot of time and effort, and requires a lot of experience on the island, which essentially eliminates new blood.

And if you impose term limits, we may end up with no one in the executive positions! Remember that all the members are voluntary. No one receives anything for that and they dedicate their (sometimes little) free time

It seems to me that's a hard problem to solve, but I would love to hear suggestions to solve it.

On another front, I believe RIRA has a huge communications problem. RIRA doesn't communicate with the community well. People don't know what RIRA is doing. People hear about RIRA on Frank's rants. There's a lot misinformation. The lack of communication doesn't help, and that causes the perception of hidden agendas and secrecy. But that's not the case. Unlike some may think, you don't see deliberate efforts to hide information and act behind other people's back. The problem is just that the information doesn't get out there.

As the Communication Chair, I've been spending a lot of effort to fix that. I've already set up the website (www.riraonline.com), the Facebook (www.facebook.com/riraonline), and Twitter (www.twitter.com/riraonline) to help opening the communication channels with the community. We also have a calendar of RIRA events and meetings (www.riraonline.com/calendar). So the plumbing have been laid out. Now it's time to get the information flowing. My next step is to get RIRA members (specially chairs) to get content online. I want people to know everything that is going on on RIRA. My ultimate (maybe ambitious) goal is to  get residents to trust RIRA, and get more involved. If we are able to make the community more engaged, maybe we'll have more volunteers and candidates for the association, and the extra members and diversity will result in better representatives, solving some of the problems you pointed out.

I think that people like Vini and other RIRA members should be thanked for the time and effort they put in to try and improve the Roosevelt Island community in which they live. Sure, sometimes it's a messy and tedious process, some personalities may be more difficult to deal with than others, but that's how a representative political body functions.

Here's an interesting discussion with RIRA President Matt Katz. Mr. Katz was recently interviewed for the Community Board 8 Speaks program. He talks about the role of RIRA as well as the history, governance and current issues facing Roosevelt Island.

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Class Of 2010-12 Inaugural Meeting & Report From Two New Members On The Proceedings

Image of 2010-12 RIRA Common Council Delegates

The 2010 Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) elections are completed. The new RIRA Delegates for the class of 2010 -12 were seated during last night's November Common Council Meeting amidst great anticipation and excitement.

The November RIRA Meeting began with an empty Common Council table as the Delegates sat in the back benches

 

 

waiting for their names to be called so that they could join their colleagues at the full Common Council Council Table where the formal business of RIRA is conducted.

Newly elected RIRA President Matthew Katz welcomed the delegates and work began. This first meeting focused on the election of RIRA Officers, scheduling orientation meetings for the new delegates and the annual discussion of allocating $275 in RIRA funds to contribute to a Holiday Lights Pole.

What do the new RIRA Delegates think of their new positions? Here's what Southtown Delegate Dave Evans and Manhattan Park Alternate Delegate Ilonka Salisbury report on their first RIRA meeting.

From Mr. Evans:

I just want to share a first impression in my new capacity with the volunteers that comprise the Roosevelt Island Residents Association.  The RIRA election results were available on Tuesday evening and the work of the "new" Association immediately began on Wednesday evening at the first meeting.  The first one for me and many others as a Common Council member - - how Exciting!

Each Common Council member was ceremoniously called to take a seat at the table and our newly elected President Katz smoothly and calmly began the agenda.  I noted that former President Farance was among those seated and it was obvious the change of office was seamless, as he participated in the session in the same manner as other members.

Given the hard work of Joyce Mincheff and Aaron Hamburger, the ranks of the new group swelled - - so much so that table seating of members was a challenge.  Perhaps a computer-aided design of the meeting room might help generate a more efficient seating plan.  Many of us will soon attend the President's member orientation session as part of getting settled in and this idea is much appreciated.  I am told that future meetings will bear even more excitement - - the prospects of such are truly Exciting!

From Ms. Salisbury:

I, Ilonka M. Salisbury, finally decided to step up and into joining the ranks and voices of the Council Representatives of this amazing little island that could, Roosevelt Island.  I have projected my enthusiasm to everyone I have met and have quietly listen to the more experience voices and I am more then just impressed with the commitment, thoughtfulness, and out and out intellectual talent that lives on this island and the dedication of the volunteers with the Common Council, RIRA!

My first council meeting was last night; this was the initial introduction of all of the new officers and the joy of seeing the return of long-term officers.  I completely enjoyed meeting and chatting with everyone and to see the whole process in session and moving forward…exciting!  Then came the discussion of should we/The Council pay to put lights up on the pole for the Holiday Season…I had no idea the emotion that would surface!  I am only an alternative at this time and yet I am compelled to share my opinion and I am of two minds:

• I applaud the individuals who understand the need for RIRA to walk the fiscal line.  These individuals demonstrate courage to say no to spending and look toward the expenses of only the greatest of needs of the organization.  I am grateful that these fiscally responsible individuals are part of RIRA and may they always stay present! 

• With that being said!!!  There are times or Holidays that tap our human collect consciences where memories, moments, a slice of time tap our inter-being and bring forth the feelings of humanity!  A time where we turn to pause and look at our fellow human being and realize the elation of life! Where we reach back and tap our ancient pagan ways and remember the LIGHT  that was brought forth in the middle of darkness and cold and no matter how we dress up this ritual and what each of us may call this ritual we as humans reach out to each other and feel the warmth of LIGHT.  So may that Pole share with the island that their Council Members know the importance of the Pole and this offering goes further then the importance of money!

There are just times where the soul leads and the wallet must follow!

Thank you to all for allowing me to join the Council and enjoy the benefits of living on Roosevelt Island!  Ilonka

RIRA Elections Committee Chairperson Joyce Mincheff did a fantastic job organizing and running our local community election. Ms Mincheff's election report to the RIRA Common Council follows:

RIRA ELECTION SUMMARY 2010-2012 COMMON COUNCIL

The election for Officers and Common Council Representatives took place at 3 locations: 405 Main Street, 888 Main Street and PS/IS 217, from 6 AM to 9 PM on November 2, 2010. The entire Common Council will consist of 44 members and there will be 8 Alternates. A total of 1,470 votes were cast.

The rest of Ms. Mincheff's report and the final RIRA Election Vote numbers are here.

Matthew Katz Is The New President Of The Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) & New RIRA Common Council Delegates

 Image of Mathew Katz Receiving News Of His Victory As RIRA President

Challenger Matthew Katz won the race for the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President over incumbent Frank Farance. The vote was 887 votes for Mr. Katz to 496 for Mr. Farance.

Ellen Polivy was unopposed and returns to RIRA as Vice President. She received 1033 votes.

The 5 Octagon Common Council Delegates in order of total number of votes received are:
1- Denise Shull
2 - Bill Long
3 - Scott Bradbury
4- Guy (Max) Long
5 - tie between Jeffrey Escobar and Sora Caetana (Since there is a tie for the 5 spot, a decision will need to be made by RIRA as to who is the #5 Common Council Delegate and who is the First Alternate.
7 - Bevin Curry is alternate #2

Steven Heller is the RIRA Delegate From 2 River Road.

Jim Bates is the RIRA Delegate from 4 River Road.

Delores Green and Anthony Moran are the RIRA Delegates from 546 Main Street.

The 3 Island House RIRA Delegates in order of total number of votes received are:
1- Helen Chirvas
2- Frank Farance
3 - Tie Between Mihaela Preradovic and Russell Fields (Since there is a tie for the #3 spot, a decision will need to be made by RIRA who is the #3 Common Council Delegate and who is the First Alternate.)
4- Katarzyna Krause-Edelman is alternate # 2.

The 3 Westview RIRA Delegates in order of total number of votes received are:
1- Erin Feely-Nahem
2- Susan Marcus
3- Sherrie Helstein

The 8 Manhattan Park (10- 40 River Road) Delegates in order of total number of votes received are:
1- Barbara Allen
2- Ava Dawson
3- Lynne Strong Shinozaki
4- Alex Fletcher
5- John Paul
6- Joseph Terranella
7- Neha Kaul
8- Suhail Matoo
9- Marc Jonas Block Alternate #1
10 - Ilonka Salisbury Alternate # 2

The 7 Roosevelt Landings (510-580 Main Street) Delegates in order of total number of votes received are:
1- Joyce Mincheff
2- Cynthia Ahn
3- Lorraine Williams
4- Lisa Knox
5- Linda Maynard-Hall
6- Romano Reid
7- Claudio Cornetti
8- Ahmed Darwish Alternate #1

The 3 Rivercross Delegates in order of total number of votes received are:
1-Marilyn Atkins
2- Don Semeza
3- Ethel Romm
4- Sharon (Nneka) Pope Alternate #1

The 9 Southtown Delegates in order of total number of votes received are:
1- Lorena Fortuna, David Evans and Aaron Hamburger are tied
4- Mona Sen, Alfred Plastino are tied
6- Stephan (Steve) Silverstein
7- Peter Diglio
8- Vinicius (Vini) Fortuna
9- George Ohring
10- Tommy Nodland Alternate # 1

Will have more on the exact numbers as soon as they are available.

There will be a RIRA meeting 8 PM tomorrow at Good Shepherd Community Center.

UPDATE 11:45 PM - Voting numbers available here.

UPDATE 11/4 - Final RIRA Voting numbers are here.

Who Are You Voting For Prez Of Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) - It's Frank Farance For Me!

 Image of Mathew Katz and Frank Farance At RIRA Great Debate

A Roosevelt Island resident and reader sent me a message yesterday asking:

Well, who you going to vote for for Prez?...

I wrote back responding to several specific points the reader mentioned not intending for it to be a post  but decided to do so this morning:

There is way too much nonsense going back and forth between Frank and Matt. Both sincerely believe in what they are saying about each other but to most residents not involved in the minutia and personal history between the two of them, their dialogue is childish and a waste of time.

Bottom Line is I am voting for Frank Farance for the reasons I've spoken to you before. Given the role of RIRA, which has no real power, I think the President needs to stand up and challenge publicly RIOC and the Elected Officials on Roosevelt Island issues - not merely work behind the scenes using personal relationships - which is Matt's area. There are others who can do this - the RIRA President, in my opinion should be more public.

Frank will use the bully pulpit more effectively than Matt, though Frank will make more mistakes and offend some, though I think he may be constraining his outbursts better.

The attrition rate of RIRA members over the past two years is a non issue because the same thing happened  during previous RIRA terms including those when Matt was President. Also, during this term several RIRA Members became RIOC Board Members which resulted in them resigning from RIRA. There was also a RIRA member who died during his term.

One of the reasons for the lengthy RIRA Meetings is Frank started a procedure to start RIRA meetings in which RIOC staff members, the Public Safety Director, various politicians, the PS/IS 217 Principal and others would address the RIRA Council at the beginning of the meeting. This led to longer meetings but much more information was provided to the community than in the past. Does Frank get credit for that or should RIOC under Shane? I think both get the credit.

I don't think Frank's not getting RIOC appointment has anything to do with how he conducts RIRA meetings or how he acts as RIRA President. That is who he is.

A couple of things that trouble me about Matt Katz is that he decided not to seek re-election for his building's RIRA delegate position. Though he has every right not to do so, to me it says I will either be President or not contribute to RIRA - like the talented kid not chosen to be Captain of the Baseball team and then refusing to play and help the team.

From my perspective as writing an online blog, Matt seems to feel that the WIRE is the "official voice" of the Roosevelt Island community and in the past has been reluctant to share or contribute information to the blog until it has been published in the WIRE.

Perhaps that is just my bias but I think the RIRA President should not base decisions on sharing information with the community on the WIRE's production schedule. Maybe if he is elected President that will change - I don't know.

That's the end of my RIRA election rant - hope you find it of use but whoever wins, it will not significantly impact life here on Roosevelt Island.

Also, I think Frank will be more entertaining not unimportant to my mind.

 Another reader commented this morning:

The current state of the RIRA is sad. Most organizations like that would have co-presidents if there are multiple people interested in the job. There is no need to fight over something silly like the RIRA presidency. Make up and work together. Farance and Katz both have good qualities and would make a good team if they could work together and *respect* each other.

 One thing I did leave out but should note is that participation in the RIRA Common Council, particularly as it's President, is not easy work and an enormously time consuming endeavor. Those who fill these positions are volunteers, do not get paid and are doing so to better the Roosevelt Island community in which they live. They should be thanked for their service and I do so. Good Luck to both candidates.

The video of the Great RIRA Debate between Mr. Farance and Mr. Katz is available online here. It was a very civil and informative presentation by both men. Take a look at it and make up your own mind. Also available are prior candidate statements from Mr. Farance and Mr. Katz.

Regardless of who you support, please take the time to vote in the RIRA elections as well as in the General Election. Information on Roosevelt Island polling locations is here.

Roosevelt Island Voting Locations For 2010 General & Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Elections

You Tube Video of New NYC Voting Procedure

Do you know where your Roosevelt Island polling location is for today's elections?

There are two elections taking place today on Roosevelt Island - the General Election for Federal and State officials and the Roosevelt Island Resident Association (RIRA) election for Island wide President and Vice President as well as Building Common Council Delegates. Voting locations for each election are as follows.

According to the New York City Board Of Elections, in the general election residents of the WIRE Buildings (Westview, Island House, Rivercross, Eastwood/ Roosevelt Landings), Manhattan Park as well as Southtown's 465 and 475 Main Street vote at PS/IS 217 (645 Main Street).

Octagon residents vote at the adjacent Coler Hospital.

Residents of Southtown's 405, 415, 425 and 455 Main Street vote at Goldwater Hospital just south of the 59th Street Bridge.

For the RIRA election, Southtown residents vote at the 455 Main Street Lobby, Octagon residents at the Octagon and everybody else from the WIRE Buildings and Manhattan Park vote at PS/IS 217.

Voting times for both elections are from 6 AM - 9 PM.

You can check your building's voting location here.

Statement From Mihaela Preradovic In Support Of Her Candidacy For Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Common Council Delegate From Island House

Image of Mihaela Preradovic, RIRA Delegate Nominee From Island House

I was pleased to see so many new people choosing to get involved in the Roosevelt Island community by running for the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Common Council for their respective buildings during last week's Roosevelt Island Building Candidate Night's.

One of those new people is Mihaela Preradovic and she sends in the following Candidate Statement. Ms. Preradovic is a Delegate Nominee for the RIRA Common Council from the Island House Building.

My name is Mihaela Preradovic and I’ve called Roosevelt Island home for more than 5 years now. Being a resident of Westview, Island House and Manhattan Park throughout the last five years, I’ve established a close relationship with the Island neighborhoods, the people and its identity. This gave me a great opportunity to recognize community needs and wants and most importantly how best to contribute to its bright future.

I come from financial industry with strong leadership background and versatile resume. I have masters in business administration, and additional qualifications in information technology, finance and global affairs. Currently I am employed with an asset management company in midtown Manhattan as financial analyst. Non-professional leadership experiences include presiding over Rotaract club – Rotary International Student Chapter, for two consecutive terms, serving as president of Society for Human Resources Management as well as working with adolescents, organizing their afterschool activities and acting as a counsel. In addition, I lived and worked in several European countries and have traveled to more than 30 other countries which gave me a broad understanding of different ways of thinking.

Although Resident Association has been doing a great job, there is always room for improvement and further development. In addition to my commitment to this community, I bring ambition, determination and enthusiasm for any challenge this position may bring. I would like to see greater Resident Association authority over community related issues, closer collaboration between Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation and Residents Association, speedier reforms, stronger community and more residents taking charge.

I’ve embraced Roosevelt Island community as my extended family and it would be my honor to be elected for a Common Council Representative position.

If you have any questions, suggestions or inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact me. My e-mail address is: mihaela_pre@yahoo.com.

Thank You.

The list of all Building Delegate Nominees to the RIRA Common Council is here.

It appears that Ms. Preradovics' first name is incorrectly listed as Michael instead of Mihalea.

Watch The Great Presidential Debate Video Between Roosevelt Island Heavyweights Farance and Katz - RIRA Election Tuesday, November 2

Image Of Farance (right)/Katz (left) RIRA Presidential Debate

The Great Debate between current President Frank Farance and challenger Mathew Katz for the Presidency of the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) which took place last Wednesday evening is now available online for viewing here. The debate takes about one hour and is a very informative discussion about current and future issues of concern to Roosevelt Island residents. In the context of Roosevelt Island, it is also very interesting and I highly recommend clicking here and watching the proceedings.

I think those who favor either of the two candidate will still support that candidate after watching the video though it may help those of you who are still undecided about whom to vote for as President of RIRA.

For me, the most interesting question of the debate occurred at the 23 minute mark of the debate when both candidates were asked what action each wished they would have done differently during the term of their Presidency. (Note that Mr. Katz was RIRA President during 3 different terms prior to Mr. Farance).

Mr. Farance responded that he wished he crafted his language differently when criticizing the Columbia University Transportation Study last year and in some of his RIRA President Columns.  I find that significant since much of the opposition to Mr. Farance has come from his occasional use of overly harsh language at those he disagrees with or thinks are wrong over a particular issue. Perhaps, Mr. Farance is learning to be a bit more diplomatic in his utterances.

Mr. Katz replied that he wished he had done more for Eastwood/Roosevelt Landings Residents during the privatization process of that building and for RIRA, in general, to be more involved in housing privatization issues on Roosevelt Island.

There's still time to decide whom you will vote for RIRA President. Although not eligible to vote in this election, Assembly Member Micah Kellner has decided who he favors for RIRA President and sends in the following statement in support of Matthew Katz as President of RIRA:

I am proud to offer my strong endorsement of Matthew Katz for President of the Roosevelt Island Residents Association. Matt has distinguished himself as a true leader on the Island. I have worked closely with him over the years and I can attest to his passion for and encyclopedic knowledge of Roosevelt Island as a community. Matt is a terrific person to work with and an endless source of good ideas. As a community leader and past RIRA President he has won important battles on behalf of Island residents, helping to begin the process of making RIOC more representative of the community, saving late-night tram service, pushing for a much-needed renovation of the Roosevelt Island Bridge, and showing creativity and flair in strengthening the RIRA Common Council, from fundraising to recruiting. I have found Matt to be an excellent partner in working to make Roosevelt Island a better place, and I look forward to joining forces with him again to solve the many challenges facing the community.

Mr. Farance sends in the following campaign wrap-up statement:

Re-Elect RIRA President FRANK FARANCE Focused on the Future of Roosevelt Island, Standing up for ALL the Residents

I'd like to share some discussion points while meeting many residents.

All: You've felt that RIRA has made a lot of progress. In contrast to my opponent's statements, the RIRA's working relationships are the strongest, and you feel RIRA is worthwhile. In contrast to my opponent's statements, there is increasing participation. The residents have voted with their feet: 53 candidates is a new RIRA record! In contrast to my opponent, I have been actively concerned about the Island's long-term finances, which affect everything from the kinds of parks we will build to the kinds of daily operations and services RIOC will provide. We need to look for other funding sources so your City/State taxes can come back to the Island.

Parents: I am a single parent with 8-year-old twins. I have met regularly with the PS/IS 217 Principal to listen to the school's needs. I've helped fight to keep the Gifted and Talented program. I have volunteered in many of the youth services: Main Street Theatre, Island Kids, RI Youth Program, Beacon Program, etc.. I spend two nights a week teaching Island children about the sciences and robots (we won First Place for Teamwork and won 7th of 24 teams city- wide).

Seniors/Disabled: I am in support of housing for seniors and disabled, and I am in favor of GDP amendments that will secure this.

Organizations: I have supported a competitive and conflict-free process for Public Purpose Grants.

Merchants: I have advocated for community input in the retail space so we can keep desirable merchants.

Southtown: I've advocated for parking on both sides of Main Street (RIOC is investigating). Buildings 7-9 will make/break Island finances in the near future.

Octagon/Manhattan Park: I've advocated for the Red Bus to be the synchronizing clock to build cohesion among all residents: everyone should be a reliable 5-minute, 25-cent ride from each other. These two buildings should each form tenants associations to advocate their own interests (e.g., rationalizing utility bills).

Rivercross, Island House, Westview: I continue to support the privatization efforts of these three buildings as they exit from the Mitchell-Lama program. I've heard that some Rivercross tenants believe I am against their effort and this is not true: what I was against was the RIOC Board, which is comprised of a majority of Rivercross residents, expressing their concerns directly. Their concerns should be expressed via a third party (e.g., real estate advisor) so there are no appearances of impropriety — no different than a CEO having a separate compensation committee determine he/ her salary. Island House residents: please vote for me as RIRA President and also as Island House representative.

Roosevelt Landings (Eastwood): As RIRA President, I have supported your building's needs for rational submetering and energy improvements. As an individual and as your neighbor, I've provided photocopying/printing for your door-drops to support your tenants association.

AN UPDATE FROM THE RIRA DEBATE

Wednesday's debate is on the web. If you only have a moment, watch my opponent's opening remarks vs. mine: http://nyc10044.com/z/y At the debate, I promised to answer questions in detail about RIRA procedures. You can find these comments on the Roosevelt Islander blog. I stand by my statements: my opponent has not followed the procedures. As a former RIRA President I hold him to a higher standard: he should be an exemplar and an advocate for following the rules. He continues to show poor judgment in this area. For example, he was forced to resign from his board in Westview because he kept the ballot box in his apartment overnight while elections were running and he was a candidate. While I don't believe he would tamper with ballots, everyone would agree this a serious lapse in judgment. You would have thought my opponent had learned from these experiences.

I am reminded of the saying, "If we don't have the time to do it right, when will we have the time to do it over?" Good judgment, honesty, ethics, and fairness are principles for representing ALL the Island's residents. PLEASE VOTE FOR FRANK FARANCE ON NOVEMBER 2.

Also, Mr. Farance comments on what he believes to be specific procedure violations that he referenced in Wednesday's debate.

Violations on Meeting Participation and Voting:

Here is how my opponent violated our procedures. Our RIRA Constitution (Article 6, Section 7; Article 9), and Bylaws (Article 2, Section 1) require the use of Roberts Rules, which means: all members have the right to participate in discussions and votes. Over the summer, the Maple Tree Group excluded people from discussions, the discussion of voting, and the voting itself. These were done in secret and Ashton Barfield, chair of the parent committee confirmed these facts in public at the September RIRA meeting. Of course, the other members of the Maple Tree Group were in violation of the procedures, too, but I hold my opponent to a higher standard because he is a former RIRA President, he worked on the 2004 reformulation of the RIRA Constitution and Bylaws, and he should be an exemplar and advocate for following the rules. But the opposite is true: in his opening statement in the debate he says the Vice President should have posted meeting notices on kiosks (it was done sporadically) and, thus, because the Vice President had made mistakes, then why should I expect him to follow procedures? That's not good judgment nor is it good leadership

Violations on Elections Machines: My opponent has been involved in the purchase of election machine services. When Mr. Katz declared his candidacy on September 11, he should have handed over the paperwork to RIOC (who was spending the money and whose CFO is capable of negotiating prices). The RIRA Constitution (Article 5, Section 5) makes it clear: "No candidate for President or Vice President may serve on the Election Committee", which means we cannot do things that the elections committee is responsible for, like getting election machines. It was only after my opponent's actions became public did he then hand over the materials to the RIOC CFO. If my opponent truly believed he was still in the right on procedures, he would have continued his actions when they were made public, but he stopped.

Lack of Judgment: It is this ongoing pattern of lack of judgment that is troubling, whether it is the need to be inclusive of all members and residents, or procedures themselves. As I've mentioned, my opponent resigned from his board in Westview because he kept the ballot box in his apartment overnight while elections were running and he was a candidate. For whatever reason, my opponent still does not learn from these experiences.

Affects All Residents: These aren't minor points of procedure, these are items that directly affect ALL of the residents: (1) Southtown, Octagon, etc. were not able to put forward RIOC Board candidates from their own buildings; (2) the Island was prohibited from un- electing members of the RIOC Board (e.g., had there been an election, present board members would have been motivated to explain their actions on firing the RIOC President); (3) a small, secretive, self- selected group of people put forward legislation that irritated the Governor who vetoed it, and it will have a negative effect on future resident RIOC appointees; (4) the obvious lack of democracy by my opponent and the Maple Tree Group has tarnished the Island's drive for self-governance. [Note: I had no interest in running the proposed RIOC Board election.]

Understanding RIOC Director Terms: Regarding before/after term expiration, all of our city-state- national elections choose candidates before terms expire, not afterward. [Note: For RIOC, the statutes mandate 4-year terms that go with the seat, not the person. As an analogy: when President Kennedy died, Johnson did not get 4 years, he filled out the remaining time and stood for reelection a year later.]

One Large Manipulation: My opponent says he helped get RIOC Board elections in 2008 (6 slots to fill), and 2009 (2 slots to fill), but he advocated against elections in 2010 (1-3 slots to fill). There was enough time, but my opponent and the Maple Tree Group seem more interested in keeping their favored residents on the RIOC Board and not allowing the rest of the Island to participate. Had you been at the September 2010 RIRA Common Council meeting where this was discussed, you could see that some MTG members were angling the procedure for individual directors they liked or disliked: "The solution is to ask that Faye Christian be reappointed and to have someone standing by to take David Kraut’s seat", which is quoted from the approved minutes. This RIRA discussion was not about choosing a clean election process independent of which candidates might run, this was a blatant manipulation so that individual RIOC directors who were favored by MTG members (such as Ms. Christian) would get reappointed without having to run for reelection while RIOC directors who were out of favor (such as Mr. Kraut) would have their position go through an election process. It's right there in the approved minutes, it was said in public: it's clearly about manipulating the RIOC elections process towards MTG's favorites and away from others. It's not about democracy, and my opponent was an advocate of this non-democratic process.

One Point of Agreement: In the debate, my opponent and I agreed on one important point (along with all other prior RIRA Presidents): The RIRA Column in the WIRE is our personal opinion, it is impossible to write a column via committee, and we choose it to shed light on things we think are important.

A statement from Mr. Katz was previously posted as was this earlier statement from Mr. Farance.

More on the 2010 RIRA Elections including Building Delegate Nominees here.

While it is true that RIRA has no real power or authority on any particular issue, RIRA is considered to be the voice of the residents by those who do have such power, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board Of Directors and staff as well as our elected officials, which is why RIRA is important.

Please vote on Tuesday in the RIRA elections as well as the City, State and National elections.

UPDATE 11/1- Mr. Katz responds:

Dear Frank:

          I’ve received your door-dropped flyer under my Westview apartment door.  Your casual relationship with the truth is troubling.  You have accused me of being forced to resign from the Westview Task Force after the 2006 Board elections.  This is untrue.  As you can see in the attached candidates’ list, I was not a candidate in this election, having resigned from the WTI prior to the election.

          In your campaign statement and RIRA Column in The Main Street WIRE, you accused me of violating the RIRA Constitution regarding election conflicts of interest.  You pursued this bogus statement even after I challenged you in the Great Debate to cite a single word in either the Constitution or Bylaws regarding conflicts.  I quoted chapter and verse on your violations of both documents at the debate.  You also made statements about my lack of executive experience that are false, and would be laughable were they not made in the context of an important election.

          I am sorry that you seem to feel it necessary to trash me, personally and professionally, in order to win this election.  I had hoped we could discuss the critical issues of Roosevelt Island instead.  As you have often done over the last two years, you disappoint me.

          Matthew Katz 

Update 6:45 PM - Mr. Farance responds to Matt Katz:
There's More!

Matt-

It is troubling that your leadership is about Trying Not Getting Caught, rather than a focus on What's The Right Thing To Do.

I've already supplied the citations, but I will do it again (see below). Here's a recap some of the main points:

- In the Maple Tree Group for the RIOC 2010-2012 elections, you advocated for a secret meeting that excluded members

- You took a vote (without knowledge of the whole committee) that excluded members

- And you presented this as a decision of the committee

- Ashton Barfield confirmed all the above facts at the September 2010 RIRA meeting

- Ashton Barfield, then under pressure from my questioning, said "Maple Tree Group is open to everyone". Ashton understood that MTG was a closed group (why would she now say it is "open"?).

- Further manipulations/violations are documented below.

MATT, YOU DON'T SEE ANY PROCEDURAL PROBLEMS WITH THAT SECRET, MEMBERS-EXCLUDED VOTING?

In Westview, the story was told to me by you, Deidre Breslin, and other Westview residents: you and Sherie were running for election, but both had to resign. Today, I've received E-mail from Eileen Gardiner (see below) who confirmed and clarified "It was Sherie who was running and who was forced to resign over Matt's handling of the ballot box".

MATT, YOU HAVE A BALLOT BOX IN YOUR APARTMENT OVERNIGHT WHILE ELECTIONS ARE GOING ON -- YOU DON'T HAVE BELLS GOING OFF THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG?

That's what I mean by a serious lapse of judgment. The problem with this dialogue is that you are unwilling to face up to the facts that you have made serious mistakes.

-FF

---------------------------------------------------

[Citations on Violations]

VIOLATIONS ON MEETING PARTICIPATION AND VOTING:

Here is how my opponent violated our procedures. Our RIRA Constitution (Article 6, Section 7; Article 9), and Bylaws (Article 2, Section 1) require the use of Roberts Rules, which means: all members have the right to participate in discussions and votes. Over the summer, the Maple Tree Group excluded people from discussions, the discussion of voting, and the voting itself. These were done in secret and Ashton Barfield, chair of the parent committee confirmed these facts in public at the September RIRA meeting. Of course, the other members of the Maple Tree Group were in violation of the procedures, too, but I hold my opponent to a higher standard because he is a former RIRA President, he worked on the 2004 reformulation of the RIRA Constitution and Bylaws, and he should be an exemplar and advocate for following the rules. But the opposite is true: in his opening statement in the debate he says the Vice President should have posted meeting notices on kiosks (it was done sporadically) and, thus, because the Vice President had made mistakes, then why should I expect him to follow procedures? That's not good judgment nor is it good leadership

VIOLATIONS ON ELECTIONS MACHINES:

My opponent has been involved in the purchase of election machine services. When Mr. Katz declared his candidacy on September 11, he should have handed over the paperwork to RIOC (who was spending the money and whose CFO is capable of negotiating prices). The RIRA Constitution (Article 5, Section 5) makes it clear: "No candidate for President or Vice President may serve on the Election Committee", which means we cannot do things that the elections committee is responsible for, like getting election machines. It was only after my opponent's actions became public did he then hand over the materials to the RIOC CFO. If my opponent truly believed he was still in the right on procedures, he would have continued his actions when they were made public, but he stopped.

AFFECTS ALL RESIDENTS:

These aren't minor points of procedure, these are items that directly affect ALL of the residents: (1) Southtown, Octagon, etc. were not able to put forward RIOC Board candidates from their own buildings; (2) the Island was prohibited from un-electing members of the RIOC Board (e.g., had there been an election, present board members would have been motivated to explain their actions on firing the RIOC President); (3) a small, secretive, self-selected group of people put forward legislation that irritated the Governor who vetoed it, and it will have a negative effect on future resident RIOC appointees; (4) the obvious lack of democracy by my opponent and the Maple Tree Group has tarnished the Island's drive for self-governance. [Note: I had no interest in running the proposed RIOC Board election.]

ONE LARGE MANIPULATION:

My opponent says he helped get RIOC Board elections in 2008 (6 slots to fill), and 2009 (2 slots to fill), but he advocated against elections in 2010 (1-3 slots to fill). There was enough time, but my opponent and the Maple Tree Group seem more interested in keeping their favored residents on the RIOC Board and not allowing the rest of the Island to participate. Had you been at the September 2010 RIRA Common Council meeting where this was discussed, you could see that some MTG members were angling the procedure for individual directors they liked or disliked: "The solution is to ask that Faye Christian be reappointed and to have someone standing by to take David Kraut's seat", which is quoted from the approved minutes. This RIRA discussion was not about choosing a clean election process independent of which candidates might run, this was a blatant manipulation so that individual RIOC directors who were favored by MTG members (such as Ms. Christian) would get re-appointed without having to run for reelection while RIOC directors who were out of favor (such as Mr. Kraut) would have their position go through an election process. It's right there in the approved minutes, it was said in public: it's clearly about manipulating the RIOC elections process towards MTG's favorites and away from others. It's not about democracy, and my opponent was an advocate of this non-democratic process.

Roosevelt Island Residents Association Presidential Great Debate Between Frank Farance & Mathew Katz - Informative, Civil And No Swatting

Image Of RIRA Presidential Candidates Katz, Farance & Moderator Mincheff

The Great Debate between current President Frank Farance and challenger Mathew Katz for the Presidency of the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) took place earlier tonight at the Good Shepherd Community Center and no, RIRA Elections Chairperson Joyce Mincheff did not need to maintain order in her role as moderator by swatting either candidate with her tennis racket.

In fact, the Great Debate was an extremely civil and informative discussion of issues facing the Roosevelt Island community, the role of RIRA as community representative and the relative merits of Mr. Farance

 

and Mr. Katz for the position of President.

At the end of the debate the candidates shook hands.

Will have more on what happened during the debate soon. The debate was videotaped but I am told that there are no plans to make it available online.

UPDATE 11/1 - More information on the debate as well as video link here.

Statement From Ava Dawson And Joe Terranella In Support Of Their Candidacy For Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Common Council Delegates From Manhattan Park

 Image of Ava Dawson and Joe Terranella

Received the following Candidate Statements of two current Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Common Council Delegates From Manhattan Park who are seeking another term - Ava Dawson and Joe Terrenalla.

 For Ava Dawson:

I'm happy to be running for RIRA again, but unfortunately cannot attend the candidates night on Thursday. I ask that no one hold this against me, as I work every Thursday night (but never on Wednesdays - the official RIRA meeting night).

For the past two years, I've been proud to represent Manhattan Park as the youngest member of RIRA, and I'm very excited about running for a second term! I feel that I represent both the young working professional and student demographics of Roosevelt Island.

I am currently pursuing a Master's degree in Pediatric Nursing at Columbia University, and working as a School Nurse in the West Village. Prior to earning my second Bachelor's in Nursing from Columbia in 2010, I graduated from New York University in 2007 with a Bachelor's in History, Law and Society, and served as the Senior Immigration Paralegal and Office Manager at a midtown law firm for three years. I feel that my diverse background and representation of the underrepresented, yet prevalent young professional and student demographics make me an ideal representative for Manhattan Park.

In my role as a Manhattan Park representative over the last two years, I have advocated for quiet study space in the plans for the new library, worked with the Island Services Committee on Island issues such as the Red Bus and bicycle/pedestrian safety, helped staff the free bagel table at Roosevelt Island Day, recruited blood donations at the Farmer's Market, and I headed the bake-sale portion of the summer 2010 RIRA fund raising concert, which brought in approximately $150 in additional funds. I have also helped with weekend WIRE distribution in Manhattan Park.

I feel very passionately about the need for study space to be available for high school, college and graduate students on the island (as well as anyone else who wants a quiet place to read). I also strongly support the preservation and creation of affordable housing on the Island, with a specific interest in advocating for younger families wanting to purchase. If elected, I look forward to advocating for these efforts, as well as those I have been involved in over the last two years.

I'm always open to suggestions, comments and friend requests!

Ava Dawson


From Joe Terranella:

I'm excited to be running for RIRA again, and look forward to attending the candidates night on Thursday.

Over the last two years I have worked hard to represent the young working professional and student demographics of Roosevelt Island. I have been an active member of the Island Services committee, advocating for more reliable Red Bus service and a more vibrant Main Street by supporting the master lease holder plan after careful consideration. I think that Red Bus service will be a continual work in progress and that the master lease holder plan will help to fill the many vacancies on Main Street. If elected for a second term I will investigate establishing a food cooperative on Main Street that would provide the Saturday Farmer's Market quality food every day of the week.

I have been an active member of the Roosevelt Island community, delivering the WIRE in 10 River Road, volunteering and donating at the blood drive as well as assisting with the RIRA bake sale fundraiser.

In my professional life, I work for BBC Worldwide Americas producing short digital videos for educational publishers. I am also pursuing a masters in media management at The New School, frequently traveling downtown to study because of the lack of quiet public space on Roosevelt Island. I think a quiet communal space that is open daily and until at least 9PM each night would greatly improve the life of the many students on the Island.

This is a very exciting time to be involved on Roosevelt Island and I look forward to continuing to represent Manhattan Park over the next two years. I am here to advocate for all Manhattan Park residents, if you have something you would like me to take up for you, feel free to stop me on Main Street or email me.

Thanks!

Joe Terranella

Happy to post statements from any other RIRA Candidate as well.

The full list of RIRA Candidate Nominees for all Roosevelt Island buildings together with Meet the Candidate Schedule is available here.

Remember that tonight at 7 PM is an opportunity to meet the RIRA Candidates for the WIRE Buildings  as well as the Great Presidential Debate between current RIRA President Frank Farance and challenger Mathew Katz that is scheduled to start at 8 PM. Both events take place at the Good Shepherd Community Center at 543 Main Street.

Image of RIRA Presidential Candidates Farance & Katz At Riverwalk Candidate Night (Dave Evans in middle ably moderated event)

A precursor to the RIRA Great Presidential Debate was held last week at Southtown with presentations made by Mr. Farance and Mr. Katz to a group of Riverwalk residents as well as a Question and Answer Session. Dave Evans, the moderator of the evening and Southtown RIRA Delegate Nominee, provides this report:

My family and I are relatively new to Roosevelt Island and it is amazing the level of effort and inputs required to make our small, diverse community function. Volunteers at all levels fill many of the equation's functional variables. As the Chairman of our Building's Community Relations Committee, I served as Moderator of a wonderful exchange between Mr. Frank Farance and Mr. Matthew Katz. As they shared their vision for a better Roosevelt Island for all residents, I witnessed the spirit of and commitment to volunteerism in these two gentleman in their bid for election as President of the very important Roosevelt Island Residents Association. While the "shootout at Riverwalk Corral" was not lethal, it was informative, sincere and substantive as they left the audience to choose whom it desires to be 'stage front' in the pursuit of an Island that stands for all. I am confident that the one not selected will still serve because once a volunteer, always a volunteer.

In the event you are not able to make it to the polls on November 2, RIRA Election Absentee ballot and information available here.

Meet Your Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) 2010 Delegate Nominees- Southtown Tonight, WIRE Buildings Wednesday, Manhattan Park & Octagon On Thursday Plus Presidential Debate Wednesday

 Image of RIRA October 2010 Meeting

There is a Meet Your RIRA Common Council Building Nominee Candidate Night scheduled later today, Tuesday October 26 for Southtown Residents at 405 Main Street Party Room (7:PM). Additional Meet Your RIRA Common Council Nominee events are

• Meet Your WIRE Common Council Nominees - Good Shepherd Church @ 7 PM, Wed. 10/27
• Meet Your Manhattan Park & Octagon Common Council Nominees - 2-4 River Road, Comm. Room, 7 PM, Thurs. 10/28

There will also be a debate between RIRA Presidential Candidates Frank Farance, the incumbent, and Mathew Katz, the challenger, on Wednesday October 27 8 PM at the Good Shepherd Community Center following the Meet Your WIRE Common Council Nominees. More information about the 2010 RIRA here.

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Nominations Committee Chairperson Aaron Hamburger provides the final list of RIRA Nominee candidates below. The list includes the Island wide positions of President and Vice President as well as the individual building nominees.

Oct. 25, 2010

RIRA ELECTIONS – CANDIDATES – FINAL LIST

 President:
Frank Farance
Matthew Katz

Vice-President:
Ellen Polivy

REPRESENTATIVES TO COMMON COUNCIL:

546 Main: 2 (# of positions - 2)
Dolores Green
Anthony Moran

Roosevelt Landings: 8(# of positions - 7 )
Cynthia Ahn
Claudiu Cornett
Ahmad Darwich
Lisa Knox
Linda Maynard-Hall
Joyce Metcheff
Romano Reid
Lorraine Williams

Rivercross; 4 (# of positions – 3)
Marilyn Atkins
Ellen Polivy
Ethel Romm
Don Sememza

Island House: 5 (# of positions – 3)
Helen Chirvas
Frank Farance
Russell Fields
Katarzyna Krause-Feldman
Michael Preradovic

Westview: 3 (# of positions – 3)
Erin Freely-Nahen
Sherie Helstien
Susan Marcus

2 River Rd.: 1 (# of positions – 1)
Steve Heller
4 River Rd.: 1 (# of positions – 1)
Jim Bates

Manhattan Park: 10 (# of positions – 8)
Barbara Allen
Marc Jonas Block
Ava Dawson
Alex Fletcher
Neha Kaul
Suhail Mattoo
John Paul
Ilonka Salisbury
Lynne Shinozaki
Joe Terranella

Southtown: 10 (# of positions – 9)
Peter Digilio
Dave Evans
Lorena Fortuna
Vinicius Fortuna
Aaron Hamburger
Tommy Nodland
George Ohring
Alfred Plastino
Mona Sen
Steve Silverstein

Octagon: 7 (# of positions – 5)
Scott Bradbury
Sora Caetano
Bevin Curry
Jeffrey Escabar
Bill Long
Guy Long
Denise Shull

UPDATE 5 PM - RIRA Election Absentee ballot and information available here.

Statement From Mathew Katz In Support of His Candidacy For Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President

Image of Mathew Katz (in Yellow Hat) Campaigning at Farmers Market On Saturday

Mathew Katz sends in the following statement in support of his candidacy for Roosevelt Island Residents Association President.

My name is Matthew Katz and I am running for a fourth term as RIRA President. Why? I think that RIRA is critical in maintaining and enhancing the quality of life for all Roosevelt Islanders. RIOC, its Board of Directors, the local politicians and the media acknowledge RIRA as the voice of this community by virtue of the fact that its members include the entire population of the Island and, most importantly, its delegates on the Common Council are elected to those positions every two years.

I’ve been a member of the RIRA Common Council since 1997. I’ve served on every committee and volunteered my services whenever asked. During my three two-year terms as President, we made RIRA an impossible-to-ignore presence here. During my first term, we saved the third shift of the Tram by mounting a petition drive resulting in 3,000 signatures that ended RIOC’s plans to eliminate service after 10 P.M. We confronted Gov. George Pataki with our demands for more control over RIOC and, with the help of then State Senator Olga Mendez, convinced him pass new legislation that would require a majority of the nine-member RIOC Board of Directors be Island residents. Prior to that, only one Director lived here.

During my second term, I challenged then NYC Transit Authority President, Lawrence Reuter, to include our Tram in the MetroCard System. He supported me enthusiastically, but then RIOC President, Robert Ryan, said it would never happen. Nevertheless, the RIOC Board commissioned me to pursue the plan. I knew the probability of achieving my goal was minimal, but over the next two years, I arranged meetings between the two presidents and between RIOC CFO, Pat Siconolfi and the MTA MetroCard chief, Tom Savage, that resulted in the first swipe of a Tram MetroCard in March 2006.
That was a proud moment!

I have been involved with the planned renovation of the Roosevelt Island Bridge since 2000. In 2004, the NYC Department of Transportation completed the final plan and then...shelved it until 2012! I worked with the Bridge Department and the Manhattan DOT Commissioner to consider moving up the restoration of this critical Island artery and presented a resolution to that effect to Community Board 8 that they passed unanimously. My resolution made the case that a fifty-year-old bridge, with a lift mechanism that failed regularly, could cost lives if fire trucks, ambulances and police cars had no way to get here. Remember, we don’t have a single working dock that could ferry emergency vehicles to and from the Island. I have a letter from Manhattan Commissioner Forgione informing me of the new start date— December 2006. And now, the work is scheduled for completion in March 2011.

In my third term, the Chairperson of the RIOC Board and its then President offered us the unprecedented opportunity to mount an election in which the community would choose candidates from among our neighbors for appointment to the RIOC Board. We asked for, but did not receive, guarantees that our efforts would bear fruit. However, a small sub- committee of RIRA, the Maple Tree Group, spent nine months devising, publicizing and mounting the first election in history of candidates for this Public Authority’s Board. Today, seven of the nine Board members are Islanders and we, you and I, chose six of them in two elections. That opportunity to have a seat at the decision-making table will continue with subsequent, MTG/RIRA- mounted, elections.

I’M PROUD THAT ASSEMBLY MEMBER, MICAH KELLNER, AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, JESSICA LAPPIN, HAVE BOTH ENDORSED ME. I’m proud of my accomplishments during these years and of the programs created during my administrations: fundraisers, dinners, a sock hop, dances on the promenade, auctions, insurance fairs, concerts and our annual blood drive and free breakfast that have become Roosevelt Island Day traditions. I am running because I haven’t seen this kind of innovation during the past Council term. RIRA must not be allowed to disappear into the wallpaper. The RIRA President must inspire the Common Council delegates to fulfill the offices for which they ran and were elected. Regretably, over 40% of the Counselors elected in 2008 have dropped off the Council, having found no reason to remain.

I have considerable experience in convening and controlling meetings, having done so at The New York Academy of Sciences for over twenty years. I’ve been unhappy with how Common Council meetings have been conducted over the past two years, especially after having worked so hard to create an atmosphere that accommodates the busy lives of its delegates. I posted our agendas on Main Street kiosks before every meeting. You haven’t seen them since 2008. I knocked myself out getting agenda packages— agendas, minutes, financial reports, committee reports—to Council Members by the Sunday before our meetings. Currently, agenda packages arrive Tuesday night or even the morning of our Wednesday meeting day, meaning that delegates often have not had time to read the essential material necessary to conduct RIRA business. The RIRA Common Council partners with the President in doing RIRA business, and should not be sidelined merely as a platform for one person’s agenda.

In addition, RIRA has always encouraged the public to attend and participate in the Council meetings during the fifteen minutes designated for Public Access. However, when an hour or an hour and a half is allocated to the public, then RIRA business at our once-a-month meetings extends into the wee hours and our members, working people, often leave before critical issues are debated and voted on. I have decades of experience in conducting lean, efficient meetings.

I pledge to continue working to enhance community governance of the Island, to preserve affordable housing within current and future stocks, to maintain and extend the open space and parkland that is so dear to our hearts and to ensure that we achieve a retail sector that meets our needs while protecting those merchants who have stuck by us all these years. As a retired person, I have the time, the energy and the passion to devote myself full-time to these duties and to encourage the RIRA Common Council to give this community their best.

Please watch for my campaign appearances in all the Island building complexes and at the Presidential Debate on October 27. I’ll be available to talk to you at the Farmers Market this Saturday and next, or just telephone me at 212-935-7534 to ask specific questions. And on Election Day, I’ll be the fellow yawning in front of PS/IS 217 as you wend your way to work.

Decisions are made by the people who show up. If you care to make a difference, sign up for a two-year stint on RIRA before nominations close at 8 P.M. Sunday evening, October 24. Just fill in a nomination form and submit it at the Public Safety office at 550 Main Street. RIRA must react to the issues that face us, sure, but also must be proactive, innovative, and must draw our neighbors in the new developments into the life of this extraordinary community. Please strengthen our community by getting involved. And I hope you will support me at the polls on November 2.

The statement of current RIRA President Frank Farance is here and more information about the 2010 RIRA here.

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Candidate Nominees Listed - Presidential Candidate Katz Not Running For Westview Delegate - Still Time To Throw Hat In Ring

 Image of RIRA October 2010 Meeting

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Nominations Committee Chairperson Aaron Hamburger sends the following message:

Attached is the list of candidates as of 12 noon, Oct.20.

We now need at least 1 more candidate from Manhattan Park, 2 more from Roosevelt Landings, and 3 more from Octagon.

All other residential areas have full or over-filled slates.

I'll keep you informed as more Nomination Forms come in. Next time we check the Collection Box is Thursday afternoon. As you know, the deadline for Forms is Sunday night, Oct. 24, 8 PM.

It appears that as of now, Mathew Katz, who is challenging current RIRA President Frank Farance for that position, will not be seeking to retain his long held position as a Westview Common Council Delegate. Is it either RIRA President or nothing for Mr. Katz?

Mr. Katz is a thoughtful and valuable member of  RIRA so I hope he changes his mind regarding the Westview delegate position and will be a RIRA Council Member if he wins the election for President or not. I have asked Mr. Katz for a comment on this and will update if any new information is made available.

Below is a list of the RIRA Candidates supplied by Mr. Hamburger.

RIRA ELECTIONS – CANDIDATES (as of 12 noon, Oct. 20)

President:
Frank Farance
Matthew Katz

Vice-President:
Ellen Polivy

REPRESENTATIVES TO COMMON COUNCIL:

546 Main: 2 (# of positions - 2)
Dolores Green
Anthony Moran

Roosevelt Landings: 5 (# of positions - 7 )
Cynthia Ahn
Linda Maynard-Hall
Joyce Metcliff
Romano Reid
Lorraine Williams

Rivercross; 4 (# of positions – 3)
Marilyn Atkins
Sharon Pope
Ethel Romm
Don Semenza

Island House: 3 (# of positions – 3)
Helen Chvivas
Frank Farance
Russell Fields

Westview: 3 (# of positions – 3)
Erin Freely-Nahen
Sherie Helstien
Susan Marcus

2 River Rd.: 1 (# of positions – 1)
Steve Heller
4 River Rd.: 1 (# of positions – 1) Jim Bates

Manhattan Park:__7 (# of positions 8)
Barbara Allen
Marc Jonas Block
Ava Dawson
Ahmad Darwish
Alex Fletcher
Ilonka Salisbury
Joe Terranella

Southtown: 10 (# of positions – 9)
Peter Digilio
Dave Evans
Lorena Fortuna
Vinicius Fortuna
Aaron Hamburger
Tommy Nodland
George Ohring
Alfred Plastino
Mona Sen
Steve Silverstein

Octagon: 2 (# of Positions – 5)
Bill Long
Denise Shull

There is still time for other candidates to get in the race. Nominations for RIRA President, Vice President and building delegates are open until October 24. RIRA nomination forms are available online here and at the Public Safety Office, the Public Library and many of the residential buildings. More information on the RIRA election available here.

Also, remember that there can be more nominees than slots allotted for a building. That's what makes it an election. In the event that there are more nominees than slots for a particular building, the candidates with less votes become alternate delegates.

UPDATE 5:20 PM: Mr Hamburger adds:

As of 4 PM today, Thursday, we have one additional candidate:

Lisa Knox from Roosevelt Landings.

and Mr. Katz confirms that he will not be continuing as a RIRA Westview Delegate:

I am running exclusively for RIRA President.  I’m running because I was unhappy and frustrated with the inattention to detail, the sidelining of the elected RIRA delegates to the Common Council, the lack of compliance with the RIRA Constitution and the paucity of innovation that I encountered over the last two years.  I am not anxious to repeat that experience and so, I’m just running for President.  As a RIRA volunteer for thirteen years, and having served the RIRA Common Council and the community in a variety of capacities, I get to do that.

UPDATE 4/23 - Latest RIRA Candidate Nominee Status before October 24 Deadline from Nominations Committee Chairperson Aaron Hamburger:

RIRA ELECTIONS – CANDIDATES (as of 4 PM, Oct. 21)


President:

Frank Farance

Matthew Katz


Vice-President:

Ellen Polivy


REPRESENTATIVES TO COMMON COUNCIL:

546 Main: 2 (# of positions - 2)

Dolores Green

Anthony Moran


Roosevelt Landings: 7(# of positions - 7 )

Cynthia Ahn

Ahmad Darwich

Lisa Knox

Linda Maynard-Hall

Joyce Metcheff

Romano Reid

Lorraine Williams


Rivercross; 4 (# of positions – 3)

Marilyn Atkins

Ellen Polivy

Ethel Romm

Don Sememza

Island House: 3 (# of positions – 3)

Helen Chvivas

Frank Farance

Russell Fields


Westview: 3 (# of positions – 3)

Erin Freely-Nahen

Sherie Helstien

Susan Marcus


Manhattan Park:__7 (# of positions 8)


2 River Rd.: 1 (# of positions – 1)

Steve Heller

4 River Rd.: 1 (# of positions – 1)

Jim Bates


Manhattan Park: 7 (# of positions – 8)

Barbara Allen

Marc Jonas Block

Ava Dawson

Alex Fletcher

Neha Kaul

Ilonka Salisbury

Joe Terranella


Southtown: 10 (# of positions – 9)

Peter Digilio

Dave Evans

Lorena Fortuna

Vinicius Fortuna

Aaron Hamburger

Tommy Nodland

George Ohring

Alfred Plastino

Mona Sen

Steve Silverstein


Octagon: 2 (# of Positions – 5)

Bill Long

Denise Shull