Roosevelt Island Operating Corp Board Of Directors Nominee Election February 7, Meet The RIOC Candidates February 2 and Read The Candidate Statements Now
If you are concerned with how Roosevelt Island is governed and services provided to the residents, here is your opportunity to contribute to the community by voting in the February 7 Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board of Director Nominee Election. According to the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA):
In February 2012, Roosevelt Islanders will go to the polls in a continuing effort to bring democratic governance to Roosevelt Island. Residents will nominate three of their own, by secret ballot. Those names will then be presented to Governor Andrew Cuomo with the request that he fill term-expired seats on the Board of Directors of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) with the candidates chosen in the electionOctagon residents can vote at their building from 6 - 10 AM and from 5 - 9 PM. They can vote from 10 AM - 5 PM at Good Shepherd. Southtown residents can vote at 455 Main Street from 6 - 10 AM and 5-9 PM. They can vote at Good Shepherd from 10 AM - 5 PM.
The polls will be open from 6 AM to 9 PM Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Voting Locations
The Octagon, for Octagon Residents
455 Main, for Southtown residents
Good Shepherd, for all others
ELIGIBLE TO VOTE:All Roosevelt Island residents who are at least 18 years old:
no duration-of-residency minimum
no requirement of US citizenship or registration to vote on RI
PROOF OF IDENTITY AND AGE:Photo ID
PROOF OF RESIDENCY IF THE VOTER’S NAME ISN’T ON THE BUILDING LIST:RI address on photo ID, orRI address on a bill or other mail, orRI lease or income certification with the voter’s name
There will be a Meet the RIOC Nominee Candidate Night Thursday February 2, 8 PM at Good Shepherd Community Center. Come with your questions. RIRA President Matt Katz explains the process:
and here is a video of current resident RIOC Board members discussing what is involved in being a Director.
Below are statements from RIOC Board nominee candidates submitted to Roosevelt Islander for publication in the order they were received.
From Dottie Jeffries:
First and foremost as a RIOC Board member, I will be serving the residents of Roosevelt Island. I’m a staunch supporter of the island’s diversity as well as the legacy of its namesake, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. As a Board member, I intend to further all that the Island stands for.From Howard Polivy:
As a resident of Roosevelt Island for more than three years, I have become an ardent fan of the island’s vibrant community life. As a result, I’m running for a position on the RIOC Board. I’m eager to leverage my experience in public relations, my communications work in the fields of urban planning, my knowledge of the built environment and healthcare; my knowledge of Roosevelt Island and its community affairs to further the quality of life on the island and the island’s amenities My resourcefulness, energy, strategic thinking, analytical skills, and networking will be invaluable assets to the RIOC Board and in turn to the island’s community, New York City, and the State of New York.
I’m particularly interested in serving at this juncture in RIOC’s history. With Hudson Related on board to reinvigorate the retail component of the island as well as the development of the NYC Applied Sciences and Engineering School through the partnership of Cornell University and Technion (Israel Institute of Technology), extraordinary opportunities lie at hand for RIOC and the community of Roosevelt Island. With my first career having been in retailing, I am supportive of RIOC’s endeavors to work with Hudson Related. My understanding of the value of a healthy retail sector in the community will help move forward this project.
The island has long sought democratic representation and I am dedicated to furthering that representation. I intend to support the various communities on the island including seniors, the disabled, parents and families, and the youth of the island. I also believe that the many residents who work at the U.N. are a vital, even though often transient, part of Roosevelt Island. They are advocators of the island, often recommending the island as a residential community to colleagues who are posting from other countries to New York City. The possibility of seeking office tenants among the smaller divisions of the U.N. is one that I will put forward. Considering the number of U.N. employees and dignitaries on the island, the U.N. may well consider locating some of its smaller offices to the Roosevelt Island.
My involvement on Roosevelt Island is broad. I serve on the Southern Development Subcommittee of the Planning Committee of the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA). I’m also a member of the Roosevelt Island Historical Society and play in the Roosevelt Island Tennis Association (RITA). I frequent Sportspark and support its offerings wholeheartedly.
I’m an avid supporter of the Island’s Post Office as well as the Roosevelt Island branch of the New York Public Library.
Outside of Roosevelt Island, I serve on the Board of the Science Writers of New York (SWINY) and the Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission (NNCC). Some of my relevant clients (past and present) include the American Institute of Architects, Alan Wanzenberg Architect (New York), Congress for the New Urbanism, the Ceiling and Interior Systems Construction Association, Bartlett Tree Experts, the New York Center for Children, and Park Avenue Christian Church.
I am in my eighth year as a Roosevelt Island resident. I am an actuary with the financial expertise of over 30 years’ experience, specializing in long range planning for employee benefits. As a RIOC director, I am running to seek continuing confirmation from my neighbors. Having directors nominated through the communities’ approval means there will be directors deeply invested in attending to ideas and opinions in current circulation.From Grace Bernstein:
I serve as chair of the RIOC Audit and Real Estate Advisory Committees, serve on Governance,and attend most RIOC committee meetings but alsoattend virtually all RIRA functions and participate actively in many organizations.
Different issues speak to different residents’ special concerns, which are sometimes at cross-purposes. RIOC Board members must weight these concerns but settle on a course of action. I have supported open community forums and discussions toallow RIOC staff to become sensitized to complex concerns and to build partnerships with the residents to improve our quality of life.
Infrastructure: RIOC’s capital rehabilitation planprojects include Motorgate, Blackwell House Interior, the Lighthouse, and the Island’s railing and seawall. Part of the driving force for these projects has been the need to catch up after years of relative neglect due to budget issues. I now chair the Audit committee, and have served during a time when the statements, reporting, and controls have beenexemplary. As an actuary, I look at the financialplan’s long-term viability.
Technology and Transportation: Roosevelt Island was designed to demonstrate new possibilities in urban design. I am pleased to have been an active member of a Board of Directors, bring useful and interesting technology into play. Most importantly, and with an eye to the changes coming through the Cornell-Technion project, RIOC must create amodernized strategic plan and vision. Our residents must be assured that safe and secure transit to and from the Island and an improved transportation and service infrastructure, ready and in place before beingstressed by the anticipated new arrivals.
Affordable Housing: We have been in a transition as the Mitchell-Lama program sunsets. RIOC’s operations and services, benefitting all residents, arelargely financed by the buildings’ ground rents and related fees. I was appointed to the Real Estate advisory committee after Jonathan Kalkin was dropped from the board. As committee chair, I have strived to represent all the residents’ interests with expenses structured to permit ongoing affordable housing.
Responsiveness to the community has grown during my Board term. For example, meetings are now all scheduled for a 5:30 start time, so that moreworking residents are able to attend. I serve onRIOC’s Governance committee, and we will be creating evening open topic meetings for residents to have an additional venue to begin to resolve their concerns. But, our Island brings a wonderful opportunity for any interested party to do much more than raise complaints. Ways can be found to harness energy and expertise.
I have the vision, desire, and financial expertiseto finish building a firm foundation during this time of transition. I bring an ability to work constructively with all parties - community interests, RIOC staff, and concerned politicians, to accomplish the agenda of developing and operating Roosevelt Island as a model urban community.
Thank you for the opportunity to be of service.
To everything there is a season... I am privileged to have been part of the Roosevelt Island Community for 30 years. Now it is my time to give back. I love the Island's diversity, its energy, and its supportive environment. My children and grandchildren grew up here. I welcome the opportunity to serve the residents of Roosevelt Island as a member of the Board of Directors of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation. I embrace the progress and expansion of the Island.I hope my experience as an administrative law judge, attorney, teacher, and mother gives me the wisdom to address the myriad and complex issues facing the Island in an independent and fair minded way.From Jonathan Kalkin:
As the Island grew, its expansion brought individuals with new ideas. I look forward to to the Cornell complex and the influx of about 2500 creative individuals. I look forward to the revitalization of Main Street and the increased revenues that will benefit the people and organizations of the Island. I promise to work towards creating an Island that serves all its people, taking into consideration economic status, age and interests.
I applaud the many organizations of the Island; they are the life of the community and will continue to be so as long as they have the residents' support. It is the committed individuals and the camaraderie that makes this Island such a desirable place to live. I think of this Island as a growing organism, fueled by bold government experiments and by individual start- up groups, like start -up companies, that have a vision. I ask that all residents look to the future and be active and creative in improving our Community (including those who only plan to live on the Island a few years).
I ask for your vote so I can use my ability, time and energy to make this Island a place that I love to call home.
When I first came to the Island I saw a place with unbelievable potential, but also a place with difficult and complex issues to overcome. There were small problems - from the Red Bus not having a schedule to big problems like Main Street’s vacant stores and long-term affordable housing plans were always out of reach. When I was one of the first members elected to the board in 2008, I made it my goal to fix these problems.I offered to publish statements from all of the candidates. Will publish statement from other candidates if they wish as updates to this post.
I was the first board member to tackle the problem of Main Street’s vacant storefronts. I designed and completed the Retail Master Lease for Main Street with Hudson/Related. This secures the present revenue stream for RIOC and shares profits above that, benefits the community with a competitive and vibrant retail environment, and takes government (and the long and onerous RFP process that goes with it) out of the business of retail management for the Island. This revenue and multi-million dollar revitalization will create jobs and give RIOC the funds it needs to preserve housing affordability.
I had RIOC meet with technology startups and large companies from Google to Verizon and commissioned studies from Columbia and Cornell Universities to develop solutions to these issues. We developed a bus schedule, hired a transportation manager, commissioned a ferry dock study, and installed a GPS bus tracking system so residents/RIOC could use mobile apps to track bus arrival. We installed a smart parking sensor and meter pilot to track and automate parking enforcement which led to greater availability, enforcement and revenue. This smart parking plan will be deployed Island wide. I had the RI 311 issue tracking system installed that not only allows resident to report, vote up, and comment on non-emergency issues on Island, but for RIOC staff to respond/fix them. All these initiatives gave RIOC the data to monitor and operate the Island in a more efficient way and be more responsive to its residents. As a result of these initiatives, New York State named RIOC the Empire 2.0 Showcase Agency of the Year.
However, the most important work is still yet to be done. Affordable housing must be preserved. I led the effort to protect affordability by approving the Rivercross ground lease, passing the first RIOC resolution in favor of preserving affordability, and arranged meetings at City Hall with all the agencies involved to finally complete the decades long privatization/affordability plans that are now reaching completion. I want to finish this work, but also collaborate with Cornell University on an Island green energy plan to ensure that residents can not only afford their homes, but be able to heat them as well. Nobody should lose their home because of their electric bill.
I believe RIOC, the community, and Cornell University can work together on a community benefit agreement to ensure the University and the Island mutually benefit from the project. I began this effort first by having RIOC and RIRA draft a resolution in favor of the university before the RFP and have begun meetings between the University, political representatives, and community groups to develop this agreement. The City and the University have said they are excited to work with the community and RIOC on this project. Make no mistake, this is our moment. As we transform from Roosevelt Island to Silicon Island we need to continue our record of reform and innovation. I would be honored to help make that possible.
UPDATE 2/3 - Video of RIOC Board Nominee Candidate's Night here.
UPDATE 2/4 - Candidate Statement from Lydia Tang:
My name is Lydia Tang and I've been a Roosevelt Island resident for the last 17 years.
Being part of the solution and not part of the problem – that’s the only legitimate reason I have for running for the RIOC Board of Directors. Complaining about the state of affairs only goes so far, but stepping up to improve the state of affairs can be more effective if there exists the correct qualifications and experience. I believe that I have many of the correct qualifications and experiences.
I’ve been an active member of the Roosevelt Island community, having taken on official positions in my building’s tenant’s association, our public school’s PTA and as advocate for our branch of the Public Library. I’ve also helped out in community events orchestrated by RIRA and RIOC, as well as volunteering with the after-school Beacon Program. My professional experience includes 10 years in the financial industry and, most recently, 14 years as a college math professor. My undergraduate and graduate degrees are in Operations Research from Columbia University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science. My limited exposures from my summer college internships include working for the MTA in Staten Island (SIRTOA), Con-Edison, and CE-Lummus, an engineering firm.
I urge all Roosevelt Island residents to vote in the elections, especially the ex-pat population and new voters. Participate by using your voice to select your community leadership. Then consider how else you can be part of the solution.
27 comments :
I think they want to suppress the vote!!
Wow... you don't have to be a U.S. citizen to vote, but RIRA's pitch is American Democracy. People are saying that RIRA will probably stuff the ballot boxes with who they want to win anyway. So, is this election really legitimate? I tend not to think so.
"you don't have to be a U.S. citizen to vote, but RIRA's pitch is American Democracy" What exactly is so problematic here? Every non-citizen (including me) volunteered to live here in this country's version of democracy. Could you explain what you are actually trying to say?
The results of the election are supposed to influence the choice of the Governor, who is a politician elected by registered U.S. /New York State voters.
The goal of every elected official, from the first day the take office is to be re-elected. Why in the world would he care about the votes of anyone who can't vote for him?
It's a bit like closing the barn door after the horses have gotten away. The land-use decisions have already been made and the Island is fully developed.
Probably the smartest thing would be for the governance to shift to the City of New York.
If residents want input into development decisions, they have to follow the example of other communities in NYC that have occasionally been successful in slowing down development, limiting the height of buildings, ensuring parkland is built into development schemes etc. It's done through community organization, demonstrations, press outreach, pressure on elected officials, attendance and speeches at Community Board meetings, petition drives to change zoning laws etc. If a critical mass is reached of having enough powerful connections in government to squash over-development, then communities are sometimes successful.
Our community is not rich nor well-connected - our leverage is reflective of our lack of resources. Even demonstrations, which are after all free of charge, are usually not well-attended.
Our community, due to its fluid nature as essentially a bedroom community, especially for UN workers, is largely transient and as such few will ever have the kind of stake or commitment in it that you see in other neighborhoods such as the West Village.
You are absolutely correct.
So, "people are saying" is enough to make it so...interesting thought, or perhaps I should say, non-thought process. This is the easy way out. In every election that RIRA has held, have you EVER read of any kind of shenanigans? I don't think so Mr./Ms. Theohiostate. RIRA's elections have been outstandingly free of ballot box stuffing or any other kind of crap. In fact many dedicated non-RIRA residents help count the ballots that are in SEALED boxes until opened to be counted. They have NEVER been tampered with in my 15 years serving on the Residents Association. Our elections have been impeccable, which is probably more than can be said for your fact checking (or lack thereof). In any case the point of the RIOC Board elections is to involve something many of still consider to exist here, apparently: THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE. That means EVERYONE, even the naysayers, such as yourself. Things get changed by those who come out to change them. Are you only interested in carping? It would seem so. Good luck with that.
Dear Westviewer--
You're right, that the job of most pols, as they see it is to get re-elected, but I doubt any Governor has given enough of a damn to worry about whether the residents here, voting in a very local, grass-roots election are U.S. citizens or not.
Furthermore, you and fellow residents shouldn't forget that it was Governor Spitzer who sent the word to us here, that he would accept an election from this community for RIOC Board nominees. A small detail, but there it is. And it was Governor Paterson who accepted the nominees names we sent to him in our first two elections. So, whaddya make of that?
We don't sway many votes, except sometimes in a primary election here and there, but we have the power of persuasion in our local, community politics and that's why, if you're paying attention, our State Senator and Assemblyman, our City Councilwoman and our U.S. Congresswoman come out here as frequently as they do, communicate with residents both on and off the RIRA Common Council and support our many events and iniatives, such as this RIOC Board election as much as they do.
Roosevelt Islanders, in all other elections COME OUT TO VOTE, especially in primaries when other districts are half-asleep. WE VOTE.
So, no matter whether it's for RI Local, City, State or Federal, this community gets very active and the pols all pay attention to that ACTIVITY. Like the hunters they are, they notice movement. The squeeky wheel and all that...
Welcome! I don't know how long you've lived here, but I do hope AND encourage you and any other person 18 years or older who lives in your household will come out this Tuesday, Feb. 7 to participate in our grass-roots democracy! Also, please talk to your friends from other countries who live here and get them to participate in our community by voting!
You should have gotten in your last Main Street WIRE, as did every Roosevelt Islander, a flyer noting where your specific building/complexes' residents would vote. I know this, as I had them produced and I help with the WIRE "stuffing" on Friday mornings! If you haven't seen it or somehow tossed out the newsy newspaper of record, (how could you?) here's the info you need to know:
OCTAGON folks will vote from 6am-10am and 5pm-9pm in their building, 10am-5pm at the Good Shepherd Community Center (next to The Trellis diner), and
SOUTHTOWN folks will vote the same set of hours (6-10am/5-9pm) at #455 Main St. and then, at GS Community Center 10am-5pm.
All NORTHTOWN residents will vote ALL day at the Good Shepherd Community Center.
There will be reminders in all the buildings all over the Island, and again on kiosks on Northtown Main Street.
The polls will close promptly at 9pm-so, be there or be square.
RIRA, Ms. Sheri, Mrs. Katz or whoever you are... you would know if RIRA is stuffing the ballot boxes. And, wasn't it you who said that some election winners in a past election were not selected by the governor. So, what does it matter who wins, if the governor can choose any from the list... or simply go outside the list - if he so chooses?
You work these elections because you don't have a job, so you're just passing the time. I get it. But, it's futile because the governor doesn't have to pick anyone from the list. Or, he can pick the crazy lady who sees Martians stealing from her house on her video surveilance cameras.
First, your comment that I would know if RIRA was stuffing the ballot box is not only bordering on slander, it is based on what? Nothing but your own pre-conceived notions and whatever nonsense you pick up from who ever. There are obviously no facts involved. Your experience working with RIRA, or lack thereof, is showing.
Second, I have served on RIRA while at full-time work and now, as a retiree. I'm about to give it up and go onto my other interests, and hope that you, and others in the community who may care, will step up to the plate. If not, then yours and other writers' snarky comments have no bearing on what I or any of my RIRA colleagues are doing to try to improve our community.
Now, onto the importance of this coming RIOC Board election: the current Governor has not given any indication that he is aware of our past election activity. It is because of his appointment of Sal Ferrara, of the Child School, a non-resident appointee, that we decided to hold this particular election. We were hoping to wait until next November. This is a very labor intensive project. There are three seats whose terms are up and it is an opportunity for the Governor to make appointments. We are testing the waters to see if he will honor the COMMUNITY'S choice of Board members and make his appointments from our choices. He needs to see that there is sufficient interest from the community to choose the people who live here and will have to not only live with their decisions but will have to meet their constituents on the street and in RIOC Board meetings, or at least they'll meet the ones interested enough to show up. I would guess that's not gonna be you, right?
I wonder how long you've lived here. (Purely rhetorical-you don't need to respond.) For those of us who've been here over 20 years, we remember the despicable patronage appointments at the RIOC office and on the Board of Directors. Those Directors came here once a month, voted on development and other things that they didn't ever have to live with. They got in their cars directly after the meetings and went home to Westchester, or Long Island, or Manhattan and never looked or cambe back until the next meeting in which they did the same damned thing over again. THAT'S WHY WE AND YOU SHOULD WANT, NO, DEMAND, TO HAVE YOUR RESIDENT NEIGHBORS MAKING THE DECISIONS THAT MUST BE MADE HERE. It is that simple.
To finish, the NUMBERS of people who show up to vote this coming Tuesday, is important. As Micah said at our Candidates' Night event, (were you there?) we must show Governor Cuomo good numbers in this off-cycle election to prove that this community is engaged, involved and active. If he chooses to ignore this RIOC Board election effort, it may be the last one we make. It may be decided to be too time and labor intensive to continue.
Decisions are made by those who show up. And that's the only thing that counts.
I truly hope as many of my neighbors will show up and support this experiment local, RI Grass-roots democracy. We've worked incredibly hard on the PR, getting people to step up as nominees, and on the election itself.
What's there to lose, and don't you want to find out just where Cuomo stands?
At least you know my name, even though you're not willing to share yours! Blog cowardice reigns.
I didn't answer one of your questions:
In our first election the we had 10 people running for 6 seats. We sent the top 6 winners (by the numbers) to the Governor who chose 4 of those, leaving out two or our "winners". Two of the seats remained "as is" with David Kraut (18 year re-appointee starting with Gov. MARIO Cuomo!), and a woman from Southtown, whose name I cannot now recall,remaining in their seats. The governor gets to do that. The terms of the seats ends, but not the service of the person who can remains "at the pleasure of the governor", or the board member resigns, or until the governor chooses to replace that/those people.
There's no doubt about it, this is the Governor's game and all the balls are in his court. We're trying to persuade him to grant us what is rightfully ours to have: local democratic decision making powers.
The Governor could not have been happy that the RIOC Board - especially the 4 who were appointed by the Governor after they had been endorsed by the community in a local election - then ganged up on another of the Governor's appointees - Mr. Shane.
It does not take much then to conclude that once an individual appeared who took an interest in RIOC - our excellent and hard-working Mr. Fererra - the Governor would take the opportunity to appoint him to the expired Board seat of Mr. Kalkin, one of the 4, and in fact the member who lead the effort to fire Mr. Shane. After Mr. Shane's dismissal, Mr. Kalkin then found himself dismissed!
The despicable action was Mr. Kalkin's - in organizing the RIOC Board to fire Mr. Shane. Next, when Mr. Kalkin was in turn fired, the despicable action was that of the community "activists" trying to drag the Governor's new Board appointee Mr. Fererra over the coals, brow-beating him and berating him - although this blameless and worthy individual's only "fault" was his interest in helping RI by joining the Board. That these "activists" were completely off-base is demonstrated by the (thankfully) startling lack of community support for their despicable effort.
You guys should've listened to Frank and had the elections sooner. All these excuses why they weren't necessary was a bit wee too much. Now, as always, sh!t happened and everybody is scrambling. It could've been avoided so easily....
I applaud your effort here, but why do you think the governor will take this election seriously when you are allowing non-US citizens to vote. Don't get me wrong, I don't have any hard feelings toward non-citizens, but the numbers in your election will be skewed and the governor will know that. Like his fatherm he is very smart.
There is a significant amount of money to be utilized or wasted based on this election and how the RIOC board acts over the next few years. Every person that votes is another reason for RIOC to listen a little more carefully, act a little more quickly, and consider the long term effects of their decisions. You may look at the election and see a waste of time, but RIOC looks at the election and sees how much their community is going to pay attention to their decisions. The less we pay attention, the longer it takes to fix the tram, patch the potholes, remove the no overnight bike parking signs, get retail moved in, make the island better for everyone. Every vote is one more chance that a community member might show up at the RIOC board meeting and call them out. The cost of voting is practically nothing. Make your case if you are for it, go on with your day if you have already made up your mind, but it is a waste of breath to argue against voting.
So far the last two governors went along with our election process. It is entirely possible this one might not, or he might. Do you know yourself? I don't think so. We're doing what we can to get what we need. If you don't think it's the right way to go, why don't you join RIRA and our colleagues, in our next election in November so you can put forth your recommendations and ideas instead of beating up on people who are giving their time and effort and who, after fifteen years of PUSHING to get the legislation changed that formed RIOC (which in a small piece we got Pataki to do: majority of board members must be Island residents!) to trying to persuade the Gov and the State legislature to allow the legislation to be adjusted to give this community directly elected representation? After fifteen years of working to get small bits and pieces from the State we are tired. Many of us will not be doing this election process, if we do it again in November, after that. Your applause is nice, but what's your next move, Rooszevelt and who the are you really? Instead of carping from this blog, DO something.
Not many good choices in this election. Kalkin got Mr. Shane (a darn good President) fired, Christian hasn't done anything worthwhile except get her son a summer job with RIOC, Polivy is going back & forth with Farance on the finances of RIOC, and Grist ... well, let's just say the elevator doesn't go to the top floor. I'd probably take a chance on somebody else. Whew!
We had a full blown discussion and the Common Council decided what course to take. There was a legitimate vote and the decision was made. What you don't understand is that we don't know this Gov's mind or inclination. We could have voted for thie earlier election and he could (have) chosen to ignore it. As it is that is what we're doing now. You forget that the appointee in June was put there with the help of HIS own State Senator, so our efforts would/could just as easily been ignored then too. This Sen. Golden made some sort of deal with Cuomo. So what control do you see that we had then? Not much.
There have been eight people, count 'em, EIGHT who put on the first 2 elections and we are TIRED. What have you done to help us out? Where have you been, Mr. or Ms. Snarky? It takes a HUGE physical and mental effort to put one of these things on, from the first organizing meetings to getting everything prepared for PR and the election itself, not to mention getting volunteers to work at the various polling sites polls from 6am-9pm. By the way have you raised your hand to help us out? I didn't think so. Have you come to a RIRA meeting to find out who to be in touch with to HELP us out? I don't think so. We're regular people, just like you, well actually we're not 'cause we put our money where our mouth is. What have you done for this community lately? Except carp without having talked to any of us. I got news for you, after November it'll be up to you all.
Unless you intend to offer some help today, please don't let's continue this ridiculous dialogue. I don't have any more time...gotta get the posters up on the red buses and the rest of the signage up around the Island. Wanna help? Check the WIRE under Circulation Manager and call me! Yeah, I make sure you get your WIRE too.
Ms. Helstien, let's not rewrite history.
(1) Around May 2010, the Government Relations Committee (GRC) and Maple
Tree Group (MTG) reported that they were planning for 2010 RIOC
elections. READ: There was intention to have elections by these same
set of eight or so people (as Ms. Helstien refers to) at that time.
(2) Ms. Margie Smith (at that point she's a RIOC Board Director) is
meeting with MTG and Assemblymember Kellner's office for legislation to
change the composition of the RIOC board, diminishing the governor's
influence in appointing RIOC presidents, and other changes to RIOC. My sense is Ms. Smith was lobbying. Later in the summer Ms. Smith holds a fundraiser at her home for Assemblymember Kellner's 2010 election campaign. It is reported that Ms. Smith distributes a flyer to the doors of Rivercross residents inviting them to the fundraiser.
(3) Around June, the RIOC legislation passes the State Assembly
(Democrat-controlled) and Senate (Democrat-controlled). MTG members
(and RIOC Board members) believing that the lame-duck Governor (a
Democrat) will sign the legislation.
(4) With this momentum and given RIOC President Steve Shane's desire to
truly advocate for the State's interests, but in conflict with 4 of 7
RIOC Directors over privatization (who have their own conflict of
interest) and Mr. Kalkin (over Main Street retail), the board fires Mr.
Shane.
(5) MTG meets secretly via a self-selected "core" members and votes against having RIOC 2010 elections (whose opinion is forwarded to the RIRA September 2010 meeting). The outcome of the secret vote was seven in favor, Ms. Barfield (Rivercross), Mr. Bauer (Rivercross), Ms. Heimer (Rivercross), Ms. Helstien (Westview), Mr. Katz (Westview), Mr. Lutz (Rivercross), and Ms. Marcus (Rivercross); and one against, Ms. Mincheff (Eastwood). Other members of MTG were not aware of the vote and were not permitted to vote. The vote includes Mr. Lutz editor of the Main Street WIRE, who doesn't reveal
his journalistic conflict of interest: he actively participates as a voting
member of MTG and reports on MTG activities in the WIRE, yet he doesn't reveal his participation in his reporting.
(6) At the September 2010 RIRA Common Council meeting, both Ms. Smith and Mr. Kalkin recommend AGAINST holding RIOC 2010 elections. At that meeting MTG members, including Mr. Katz and Ms. Helstien boycott helping with 2010 RIOC elections even if RIRA were to approve of them, and MTG says it is too short advance notice (about 9 weeks) to run an election. But the same people ran the 2009 RIOC elections within the same time frame, and the present elections are being run in the same timeframe, too (about 9 weeks). For the present RIOC elections, it is still the same eight or so people (Barfield, Katz, Helstein, etc.) doing the same work.
(7) At a recent RIRA meeting, Mr. Katz states that he and Ms. Helstien have sole control of the bank account for MTG (a subcommittee of RIRA) and the RIRA Common Council has no say on spending on one of its bank accounts in this not-for-profit corporation.
(8) Ms. Helstien states, in reference to the potential 2010 RIOC elections when there were expired positions: "What you don't understand is that we don't know this Gov's mind or
inclination. We could have voted for this earlier election and he could
(have) chosen to ignore it.", yet Ms. Helstien's concerns apply to this present election: we have expired positions and we don't know the Governor's mind or inclination. By Ms. Helstien's reasoning, we wouldn't have the present elections. Or, by Ms. Helstien's reasoning, it was foolish for her and others to advocate against and boycott their experience and efforts in the RIOC 2010 elections.
Fact Check: Mr. Polivy's statements at the Candidate's Night contradict what he said in the WIRE and are out of touch with RIOC's financials.
In the January 14, 2012 issue of the WIRE, Mr. Polivy states "Since no one can be sure that an operational surplus actually exists
until after the responsibility to provide the community services is
fully discharged, no net payments are anticipated until the master lease
terminates in 2068", yet at 27:00 mark in the video ("http://youtu.be/sS3Ov48lPis"), Mr. Steve Marcus asks about RIOC's finances and Southtown 7-9. In Mr. Polivy's response (starts at 28:15 mark), Mr. Polivy says "actually, we running a surplus ... and it doesn't show bankruptcy".
At the 30:50 mark, Mr. Polivy says "I believe we don't need Southtown 7-9 to remain solvent".
Look at the RIOC Approved Budget at "http://rioc.com/pdf/12-13ApprovedBudget.pdf" and go to PDF page 15, which shows RIOC's finances in Southtown 7-9 are not built. On the line "Adj. Cash Balance - Without Southtown #7,8 & 9" in the year 2021, they have a negative cash balance -- they're insolvent. The revenue shortfall starts in 2016 (Net Change in Revenues) where they are missing over $14 millions in revenues. And the red ink continues indefinitely!
For a corporation that has about $20 million in annual revenues, losing $14 million is not just "belt-tightening" as Mr. Polivy suggests. Mr. Polivy's presentation is out of touch with the finances of RIOC.
I didn't answer the citzen ship question well: this is not a real election, it is a plebiscite. A real election would mean we wouldn't have to have anyone's input, be it the Governor's or the Mayor's "permission" or cooperation. Spitzer started and Paterson went along with our process. The members of the Maple Tree Group who are the original group fighting to have a direct say in how decisions are made, and now, RIRA, have basically "made it up as we've gone along", meaning that we developed the process and procedures to get this "plebiscite", or election, or nomination (whatever you want to call it) off the ground. However, because the candidates are running for a seat in a government agency, those folks MUST be U.S. citizens. They will be vetted by the State and when we have a position that the Mayor gets to "recommend" to the Governor, the City conducts its own vetting process as well. Thus, ALL the candidates must be U.S. citizens. So far, no one has told us to discontinue the activity, or told us how we're supposed to do it.
And you still don't know the gov's mind and his or inclination but now you say these elections are important. Why weren't they as important back then? I agree that I cannot now if elections in 2010 would've made a difference. I also do not know if the elections in 2012 will make a difference.
And your point is, what? You don't know and we don't know--it's a crap shoot, I said that before. You're trying to second guess our vote...to what end?
Mr. Kalkin's points on affordable housing is unmitigated BS: the original intention of Retail Master Lease is to support affordable housing.(BS!)
At the 15:20 mark three questions are asked, which involves some points on the Retail Master Lease and Affordable Housing. At the 16:45 mark Mr. Kalkin answers: " part of the master lease and the purpose of it ... the original idea it came from when we were having long-term affordable housing negotiations we came to the issue of Yes we'd love to preserve affordable housing but we don't have significant funds to do so. RIOC would create ground leases that would be too high, so how do we get money from this? How do we liven the retail sector? This Island's soul is affordability. ...".
Mr. Kalkin knows very little about affordable housing. Had he had the chops, he'd know the finances, the kind of income mixes, why Mitchell-Lama housing helps/hurts, and so on. Mr. Kalkin has not lived in affordable housing on the Island. Unconscionably, Mr. Polivy and Ms. Christian (other RIOC board members of who are/were on RIOC's Real Estate Committee) shared little insight on affordable housing. Typical of Mr. Kalkin to provide sizzle but no steak, i.e., superficial platitudes.
Mr. Kalkin has never presented the Retail Master Lease (RML) as a mechanism for affordable housing. He has always presented the RML as a method of dealing with RIOC's poor track record on leasing retail space. If Mr. Kalkin believes in outsourcing acquisition of (commercial) tenants and (commercial) leasing, why does he believe RIOC will be great at acquisition of (residential) tenants and (residential) leasing with a cross-funding method that no one has ever discussed before?
In other words, we should base a very long-term financing plan (long-term affordable housing) on extremely short-term thinking (such as whether or not a new bakery makes sense and as decided by H-R and *not* RIOC).
Mr. Kalkin doesn't even scratch the surface on any of the financials because, if he had, it would be obvious this RML-funding-affordable-housing idea makes no sense. Let's take Island House. Right now the owner has filed to take the building out of M-L, which would double the rents. To fund the affordability, it would take approx. $1700 * 400 apartments = $680,000 per MONTH to make up the difference, which is $8.2 million per year. Westview would have similar numbers, so let's round off at $16 million per year as the amount needed to be funded by the RML. Considering that RIOC would be splitting half the commercial rents with H-R, that would mean the Main Street Retail corridor is generating $33 million per year ($900K right now, plus an additional $32 million), i.e., our retail stores/services would need to be 35+ times larger to fund affordability -- not just a vibrant commercial strip but a mega energized one that is glowing with radioactivity. :-)
Or said differently, doubling our retail store revenues (which seems like a bit of a stretch) would only provide $450,000 across 800 apartments (Westview and Island House), i.e., about $563 per year or about $47 per month.
Really $47 per month is a drop in the bucket and would have little affect on the affordability of apartments on Roosevelt Island.
In summary, had Mr. Kalkin done any back-of-envelope numbers, he'd know that his recent fabrication of RML's original intent was supporting affordable housing ... has no basis in reality.
If Mr. Kalkin were really thinking about the big picture he would see that his advocacy of spending an extra $10 million of RIOC's money on a dual-haul tram (rather than a single haul tram that would have saved $10 million) nullifies the $11 million (net present value) payment by Octagon for ground lease payments, i.e., by spending foolishly we (RIOC) have already used up one of the very few revenue sources for Roosevelt Island.
I amnotsecondguessing anything.I amjust winderingwhy theelectionsarenow so yrgentbutthey weren't two years ago.
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