Does RIOC Board Still Aprove Governor's Appointment Of Roosevelt Island Operating Corp President/CEO - Find Out At March 25 Board Of Directors Meeting

Image of February 2010 RIOC Board Meeting

The Agenda for the March 25 Roosevelt Island Operating Corp. (RIOC) Board of Directors Meeting includes the following item:

4. Authorization to Adopt a Mission Statement as Required by the Public Authorities Reform Act of 2009 (Board Action Required)

which was the subject of some confusion during the March 17 (audio cast available here) RIOC Governance Committee meeting.

I asked RIOC President Steve Shane to clarify:

During last week's governance committee meeting, an issue arose over the content of a proposed RIOC "Mission Statement" that is now mandated by the new Public Authorities Act. The "Mission Statement" presented to the Directors present at the meeting seemed to include language that allowed the RIOC President or CEO to be appointed by the Governor without the express approval of the RIOC Board of Directors as has been the prior practice.

The Directors present objected to that language, requested that any deadline for submitting such a statement be extended and asked the RIOC staff to rework the "Mission Statement". However, I understand that an Agenda Item for the March 25 RIOC Board Meeting includes an Authorization to Adopt a Mission Statement.

Does this Mission Statement include the language regarding appointment of RIOC's President/CEO that was objected to by RIOC Board Members at the Governance Committee meeting? Can you please clarify the situation.

Mr. Shane replied:

We will all find out at the Board meeting. The Authorities Budget Office has refused to grant an extension or a waiver, although many State Agencies have so requested. So, as a matter of law, we are required to respond by March 31.
There was nothing that allowed the Governor to appoint the President/CEO without the express approval of the Board. It has never been so in practice, either. The reality that RIOC is a State Agency, created by NY State statute and operating as an instrumentality of the State of New York should be accepted.

(Added 4:50 PM - During the March 17 Governance Committee meeting, RIOC Director David Kraut speculated, perhaps jokingly or not, that should the RIOC Board ever reject a RIOC President/CEO nominee from the Governor, the result would be that the Governor could leave the position vacant and replace those recalcitrant RIOC directors as their terms expire until the Governor's nominee is approved.)

The Agenda for the March 25 RIOC Board Meeting is below. There will also be a Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Town Hall Meeting the night before on March 24 at the Good Shepherd Community Center (8PM) in which residents can comment and ask questions of RIOC concerning items on the March 25 RIOC Board Agenda including the 2010 -11 RIOC Budget and dispersal of Public Purpose Funds.

AGENDA

MARCH 25, 2010
MEETING OF THE ROOSEVELT ISLAND OPERATING CORPORATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
THE GOOD SHEPHERD CENTER, 9:30 A.M.

I. Call to Order
II. Roll Call
III. Approval of Minutes
1. February 18, 2010 Board Meeting (Board Action Required)
IV. Old Business
V. New Business

1. Approval of the Proposed Budget for Fiscal Year 2010-11 (Board Action Required)
2. Authorization of Expenditure of Public Purpose Funds (Board Action Required)
3. Authorization to Take Certain Actions to Comply with the Public Authorities Reform Act of 2009 (Board Action Required)
4. Authorization to Adopt a Mission Statement as Required by the Public Authorities Reform Act of 2009 (Board Action Required)
5. Authorization to Enter into Insurance Binders for 2010-11 (Board Action Required - Materials to Follow)
6. Authorization of Modification of the Schedule of the 2010 Regular Meetings of the Board of Directors (Board Action Required)
7. Authorization to Enter into Contract for the Purchase of a Hybrid-Electric Bus (Board Action Required)
8. Committee Reports
a. Audit Committee
b. Governance Committee
c. Operations Advisory Committee
d. Real Estate Development Advisory Committee
9. Public Safety Report
10. President's Report

VI. Adjournment