RIRA Rebels Take Charge Of Roosevelt Island Residents Association Common Council - Commit To Preserving Quality Of Life, Make Community Safe For Everyone, Engage With Youth & Rebuild Trust Within The Community
... Earlier this month, the RIRA Common Council unanimously decided that RIRA 2020 election be rescheduled to 2022, as a result of COVID-19 and exceptional and unprecedented circumstances, presenting life-threatening risks and complex logistical constraints that do not allow for a fair and transparent RIRA election to proceed.
Consequently, the outgoing Common Council members will remain seated through the upcoming term Nov. 2020 - Nov. 2022. Nevertheless, a RIRA nomination campaign has been launched to invite and encourage Roosevelt Island residents to join RIRA, as a majority of RIRA Common Council seats (34) are currently vacant. Interested residents will be voted in by the current Common Council members on November 4th....
On November 4, current RIRA Island Services Committee Chair Rossana Ceruzzi was selected as President and Public Safety Committee chair Erin Feely-Nahem was selected Vice President.
According to Ms Ceruzzi:
RIRA focus will continue to be on the relevant, critical issues of the community including supporting local businesses and increasing opportunities to engage our youth.
RIRA is a relentless advocate for Roosevelt Island and will always fight to preserve our quality of life and strive to make our community safe for everyone.”
As we are in the process of forming the new committees, including the communications committee, and appointing the respective Chairs, ad interim, every communication with RIRA will be only directed to President and VP.
I would like to add that one of our priorities will be improving and increase RIRA’s communications/updates with our local media.
And Ms Feely-Nahem:
Thankfully this year Adib Mansour volunteered to Chair the nomination committee. He did an amazing job, with very little help, and managed to bring in 11+ recruits, all skilled, and excited to fill a majority of the vacant seats that existed on the semi-dormant Common Council.The energy, and enthusiasm displayed by the candidates was contagious, and following introductions and discussion, purpose returned, and excitement in the possibility of a “new” Common Council was obvious. Alongside the old board members who remained, new candidates were seated and all voted to elect the new Officers for the 2020-2022 term.
For me this past term taught me the importance of having an active Vice President. I accepted the challenge and ran for Office. Elected, in this capacity I am very excited to work with Rossana Ceruzzi in her role as President. I am confident that with the election of new RIRA officers, which includes Bafode Drame as Treasurer, the Common Council will be able to rebuild trust within the community. In time I believe we will once again become the voice utilized for the betterment of the Island, as determined by the Residents’ needs. I look forward to serving as an “interim” VP, until such time as a safe election can be held, and the position filled by an Island wide vote.
I hope that we can create a Common Council that residents will once again use as a resource for getting things done that they feel will benefit our community. Our goals will be determined by the needs of the community.
RIRA Island House Common Council Member Frank Farance adds:
I'm very happy with the new elections, officers, and Common Council.
The new members introduced themselves and we have new volunteers with interesting and helpful expertise. One thing that this community will appreciate is that our new leadership - Rossana and Erin - are active and accomplished community activists who stand up for the needs of our community.
This is in contrast to the past half-dozen years where RIRA might be described as the "Cherry Blossom Residents Association" - a RIRA leadership focused upon activities that residents can only participate if they sign non-disclosure agreements - really!
During that time, other committees such as the Island Services, Public Safety, and Public Purpose Fund committees focused upon individual good works but lacked the advocacy of the RIRA President and RIRA Vice President. In short, we're back to actually representing residents' interests to RIOC, the City, and other entities, we're back to a transparent organization, and that is consistent with RIRA's core mission for the past four decades.
After the October 2019 RIRA meeting, a group of Common Council members, including Ms Ceruzzi, Ms Nahem, Mr Mansour and Mr. Farance, walked out of the meeting and expressed great concern over the future of RIRA as an organizaton due to what they believed was a lack of transparency and internal dissension.
Here's what they said.
Now the Rebels are in charge of RIRA - let's see what they can do.
