Join us tomorrow, May 14, from 10:00-12:00pm for the Eileen Fisher clothes giveaway. Five items per person and unlimited after 12, while supplies last. This event is open to the community.
Over the years, there have been some
complaints by specific groups
about the RIRA PPF committee recommendations and some modification of RIRA
recommendations by the RIOC Board but for the most part RIRA has done a
good job as acknowledged by RIOC.
But, the RIOC PPF process has changed starting this year.
RIOC announced today the Roosevelt Island organizations selected and funds
awarded in 2022 Public Purpose funds.
According to RIOC:
The Roosevelt Island Public Purpose Fund (the Fund) has announced $150,000
in grants to 13 nonprofits working to benefit Roosevelt Island residents and
enhance their quality of life.
Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) was created in 1984 by the
State of New York to plan, design, develop, and maintain Roosevelt Island.
RIOC asked The New York Community Trust (The Trust) to administer its public
purpose grants this year and created the Roosevelt Island Public Purpose
Fund in The Trust.
“We are proud to assist these dedicated nonprofits in their service to the
Island,” said RIOC President and CEO Shelton Haynes. “The New
York Community Trust’s expertise improved the grantmaking process this year
and will help the grantees strengthen their operations for the future.”
The grants support a range of projects aiming to make life on Roosevelt
Island more enjoyable and equitable: from enrichment classes for older
adults and improving services for people with disabilities to supporting the
island’s visitor center and putting on orchestral concerts.
The Fund previously provided a grant of $50,000 to Community Resource
Exchange, one of the city’s most distinguished nonprofit consultant
agencies, to provide a series of free nonprofit management workshops to
grantees and other Roosevelt Island nonprofits. The workshops for nonprofit
volunteers and leaders will share information about best practices in
nonprofit management, governance, and fundraising.
The Trust aimed to simplify the application and reporting processes for
nonprofits, while ensuring grants support important programs and services
for Roosevelt Island residents–including educational opportunity, cultural
enrichment, improved health, and a better environment.
The grant application process began in February, and closed on March
14.
The Trust convened an independent, five-person advisory committee made up of
members of the Roosevelt Island community to review applications and make
grant recommendations. The committee members live or work on the island;
have nonprofit and/or public service experience; and reflect race, age, and
gender diversity. Members were anonymous during the review period to keep
the process fair and confidential. Their names and affiliations are:
Carlos Chavez, manager, Roosevelt Island Library
Katherine Teets Grimm, MD, pediatrician, Roosevelt Island Pediatrics, Mt.
Sinai
Jennifer Ifil-Ryan, global director of experience at Nike; former director
of education at The High Line
Sharon Pope-Marshall, executive director of CIVITAS; Community Board 8
member
Carl Weisbrod, senior advisor at HR&A Advisors; former chairman of the
New York City Planning Commission
In April, the committee met to discuss each application and to collectively
make decisions about grantees and grant amounts. They prioritized
organizations with a history of commitment and a proven track record of
serving Roosevelt Island; that filled a critical gap in services to
historically under-resourced communities (such as low-income populations,
communities of color, older adults, and people with disabilities); that
clearly articulated project outcomes and activities; and that aimed for
long-term engagement with beneficiaries.
The grant recipients are:
The Carter Burden Network: $5,000 to provide culturally responsive
services to Korean-speaking Roosevelt Island residents.
iDig2Learn: $12,000 to support a food and compost
initiative, educational outreach, and a tree survey.
Island Kids: $20,000 to provide need-based scholarships
to 18-20 children and families for the Island Kids Summer Camp.
Leonardo Suarez Paz's PIAZZOLLA 100: $1,000 for general
operating support.
Main Street Theatre and Dance Alliance: $20,000 to
provide 40 need-based scholarships and work-study placements, and 15
internships.
PTA PS/IS 217: $12,000 to provide movement classes from
the National Dance Institute for 160 school children ages 3 to 6.
Roosevelt Island Concerts: $10,000 to hold a chamber
music and orchestral series on Roosevelt Island.
Roosevelt Island Disabled Association: $20,000 to
provide food pantry, field trip, and transportation services to people with
disabilities on Roosevelt Island.
Roosevelt Island Historical Society: $5,000 to support the
Roosevelt Island visitor center and outreach activities.
Roosevelt Island Living Library / Life Frames: $16,000 to
provide gardening, nutritional, and wellness classes on Roosevelt Island,
prioritizing older adults and people with disabilities.
Roosevelt Island Senior Association: $12,000 to provide weekend
and evening classes for older adults.
Roosevelt Island Visual Art Association: $16,000 for the “Open
Arms” community partnership and exhibition series.
Wildlife Freedom Foundation: $1,000 for general operating
support.
UPDATE 5/14 - Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Vice President and Public Purpose Funds (PPF) committee member Erin Feely-Nahem responds to RIOC's announcement of the NYC Community Trust 2022 Public Purpose Funds grants.
For all the complaining by two applicants who thought RIRA was unfair in
the funding they provided to them, the numbers look very similar,
except without community pressure and a RIOC Board member’s displeasure,
they got less then RIRA determined they should have. The most
outrageous thing is the treatment of WFF, who cares for the numerous stray cats Island wide, and the ones that people from other boroughs and
RI owners who move on often dump in Motorgate or in the garden. Not to
mention the calls their founder takes, 24/7 when injured animals are
found by residents or Public Safety officers. Where else in “Manhattan”
do you see duckling following their mother, or possums? This
organization and the assistance they offer RIOC is crucial on the
Island. Who is going to feed the stray cats at South Point, Octagon, or
near the garden? Who is going to rescue the thrown away pets left too
often when residents move on? Who is going to bring animals injured by
collisions with buildings, cars or dogs off their leases, a recent
attack near the Octagon which cost over a thousand dollars in the ER,
and days in the hospital for the wounds to drain and heal?
The
people chosen for the resident review obviously know nothing about how
important and essential WFF is to our community, and to the preservation
of wildlife here, which we treasure on our small Island habitat in the
middle of a concrete jungle.
I sent the following message to the NYC Community Trust today:
In
the interest of transparency and openness, what was the rationale for
NYC Community Trust awarding grants to each of the organizations and the
amounts allocated for each? In the past, the Roosevelt Island Residents
Association would submit a public memo detailing the reasons
organizations were selected and amounts allocated.
Will New York City Community Trust do the same for the 2022 Roosevelt Island Public Purpose Fund grants?
For
instance, why was the Wildlife Freedom Foundation awarded $1thousand,
Roosevelt Island Historical Society awarded $5 Thousand and Carter
Burden Roosevelt Island Senior Center awarded $5 thousand - amounts much
less than other organizations.
Please let me know if the NYC Community Trust will comment on this issue of importance to the Roosevelt Island community.
Will update when more information becomes available.
UPDATE 5/16 - NYC Community Trust Communications Director Marty Lipp answers:
The New York Community Trust appointed an advisory board of community members to lead the grantmaking process this year and to review the applications using the criteria laid out in the request for proposals. They reviewed and discussed the proposals and reached a consensus on the final grant recommendations. The Trust believes it is unnecessary to make additional comments on the decision-making process.
A Roosevelt Island Tipster reported last Saturday evening May 7:
Have you heard anything about an encounter this morning, between our PSOs and
someone making a delivery to the Deli, that included the PSOs handcuffing the
delivery person because they were “illegally parked” — or more likely couldn’t
find a “legal” parking spot?
Another Tipster provided this brief video clip showing a portion of the
interaction between a Frito Lay truck delivery person and 3
Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department
(PSD) Officers that took place at the Bread & Butter Deli Saturday morning
approximately 10:15.
A resident informed me of an alleged incident at the Bread & Butter Deli
of PSD officers roughing up and handcuffing a delivery person. Is that true?
Also, the incident started because the delivery person was illegally parked.
Is that true? Does RIOC have any comment on this important issue of community
concern?
I also asked Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Rossana
Ceruzzi and Public Safety Committee Chair Erin Feely-Nahem if they knew
anything about this incident. Both Ms Ceruzzi and Ms Feeley-Nahem have an
extensive record of monitoring and investigating allegations of improper
behavior by the Roosevelt Island PSD
while maintaining an open dialogue and good relationship
with the PSD leadership. Neither had heard of the incident but promised to
immediately look into it and contact PSD Chief Brown. {Correction and update, Ms Feely-Nahem was aware of the incident at this time, Ms Ceruzzi was not}
I followed up on Monday with a second email to Chief Brown:
I’m following up on yesterday’s email below about the PSD incident with
female delivery driver at the Bread/Butter Deli.
I want to be accurate in reporting what happened and give PSD’s side of the
story.
Will Rioc respond with a statement on the incident?
Later on Monday I saw Chief Brown on Main Street. He told me a response to my
questions would be coming from RIOC later that day.
On Monday evening, RIOC sent out an email advisory saying:
Subject: Parking Incident
The Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) takes all public safety
incidents of this nature very seriously and we will conduct a thorough
investigation into this matter. A preliminary review of the incident has
been conducted, however we will continue to review all
allegations/complaints, along with any additional video footage.
I followed up asking Chief Brown:
Was there any arrest, summons or ticket issued to the driver in this
incident?
There was no reply.
Yesterday, May 11, based upon my understanding of the incident at that time, I
asked Chief Brown:
I am preparing an article to be published today about the incident at the
Deli on Saturday Morning between the Frito Lay Delivery person and PSD
Officers.
In the interests of accuracy and timely informing the Roosevelt Island
community of an important issue of concern, I am sending you my
understanding of what happened. If it is incorrect or needs clarification
please let me know.
My understanding of the Bread & Butter Deli incident Saturday morning
at about 10 AM is as follows.
The female Delivery Driver initially parked her vehicle on Main Street
next to the barrier in front of the Deli. A PSD Officer told her to move
the vehicle to 560 breezeway which she did.
The Delivery Driver entered the Deli and was making her delivery.
Shortly thereafter, at least 3 PSD Officers entered the Deli and
instructed the Delivery Driver to move her Truck out of the 560 Breezeway
to somewhere else.
She asked the Officers to let her finish the deli delivery before moving
the Truck. The PSD Officers refused to allow her to finish the deli
delivery and told her to immediately move the Truck. The delivery driver
did not immediately exit the deli to move her truck.
The incident then escalated to what is shown in the video. 3 PSD Officers
roughly handcuffing the delivery Driver and shoving and pressing her
against the Deli refrigerator.
At least 4 other PSD Officers were nearby outside the deli entrance.
The Delivery Driver was taken to PSD offices in handcuffs and placed in a
holding cell for approximately 40 minutes before being released.
The Delivery Driver was issued a summons for disorderly conduct. Were
there any other charges? Was there an arrest?
The Deli owners believe RIOC PSD is discriminating against them in not
allowing their Delivery Drivers to park nearby while at the same time
allowing delivery drivers for other stores the courtesy of parking nearby.
Does RIOC dispute this account of what happened?
Also, did a PSD Officer threaten to use a Taser on the delivery person if
she did not comply?
In the interest of accuracy and informing the Roosevelt Island community
of what happened, will RIOC comment on the circumstances of this incident.
Thank you.
No answer but later that day I saw Chief Brown who told me there were errors
in my understanding of the incident. He added that he would like to comment
but was waiting for approval by RIOC President Shelton Haynes.
Still no reply as of this evening.
More information has come to light in the last 24 hours. Based upon
knowledgeable sources, this is what appears to have happened.
The Frito Lay truck (This picture is not from May 7 Incident)
delivery person is relatively new working on Roosevelt Island. On Tuesday, May
3, she parked the delivery truck by the portable metal barrier on Main Street
in front of the Bread & Butter Deli.
A Public Safety Officer told the driver she could not park in that area and
instructed her to park in the 576 Breezeway (also known as 560 Breezeway)
which she did.
Upon returning to Roosevelt Island on Saturday morning May 7, she parked the
delivery truck in the 576 Breezeway where she had previously been told by
Public Safety Officers to park. It was raining as she completed unloading her
deliveries from the truck. A Public Safety Officer approached her and told her
to move the truck from the 576 Breezeway. She asked to be allowed to bring her
deliveries across the street to the Bread & Butter Deli before moving the
truck. What happened next is unclear but she did not move the truck.
As she entered the deli with her deliveries, the 3 PSD Officers followed her
inside and called for back up from other Officers. The confrontation shown in
the video soon began.
According to a statement today from RIRA Public Safety Committee Chairs Erin
Feely-Nahem and Shirley Coley:
The Roosevelt Island Residents Association Public Safety Committee (RIRA
PSC) is carrying out independent, detailed inquiries into an apparent case
of Public Safety Department (PSD) harassment and abuse, under the direction
of recently promoted Lt. Barry Hazelwood and a team led by Officer Brian
Ortiz against a part-time delivery worker, Tonnek Greene, who was doing her
job under the difficult and stressful circumstances of Main Street traffic
congestion and limited parking, for the Bread and Butter deli, during rainy
conditions.
The Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC), which is the “civic”
authority over the PSD, issued a brief, anodyne statement that also pledges
“to conduct a thorough investigation,” evidently after a “preliminary
review” conducted internally, that was not made public. PSD Chief Kevin
Brown has also committed to an investigation in discussions with RIRA PSC
leaders. We welcome this and expect transparency, objectivity, and
justice.
Nevertheless, RIRA PSC has no intention of deferring to the RIOC or PSD
investigations as we responsibly carry out our independent inquiries and
interviews in the interests of Roosevelt Island residents, workers, and
visitors, but hope we can reach amicable solutions together.
We are convinced that the facts revealed so far, including limited video
footage, and witness accounts that were brought to our attention, and will
be documented, as well as simple common sense, strongly indicate that this
young Black woman was harassed, then manhandled while doing her job
delivering food commodities to a prominent Island business. The PSD detained
in a cell this humiliated and traumatized worker, who says that over the
course of the day’s events had urinated on herself.
The escalation demonstrated by the Officers was not what Roosevelt Islanders
expect from Community Policing, and we believe the concrete circumstances
resulted in an unacceptable crossing over the line into law enforcement
abuse and violence. In no way can this be justified as “anti-crime.” This
was anti-worker harassment, and subsequently Ms. Greene has been issued a
criminal court summons for “disorderly conduct” and a traffic court
violation VTL 1102, charging her with failure to comply with the lawful
order of a Peace Officer, all because she parked in the breezeway spot that
she had been directed to park in during her prior delivery to Roosevelt
Island by Public Safety Officers, and during this last delivery, when asked
to move the truck she was unable to do so at that moment as the delivery and
product had already been removed from the truck and were on the ground, and
could have been stolen if she left them unattended.
We believe that the escalation of this incident could have been avoided. A
parking violation, which is not endangering other motorists, doesn’t warrant
this extreme reaction. Abusive actions and unjustified violence must have
consequences!
Stay tuned. Will update when more information become available.
It would be very helpful if RIOC would publicly comment on their version of the event.
UPDATE 9:25 PM - RIRA Public Safety Committee member Frank Farance has a different perspective on the deli incident. According to Mr Farance:
I've heard about an incident last Saturday involving a Frito Lay
truck driver and Public Safety Officers, including a 12-second video
that appears to show three Public Safety Officers, surrounding the
driver in the back aisle of Bread and Butter Deli, you can hear the
driver say "I am a woman" and "You can't lock me up for this", and
PSD officers saying "Stop! Stop! I'm telling you to stop!". It
appears they are facilitating an arrest with handcuffs.
The incident involved the parking of the delivery truck and PSD's
request to move the truck to a different spot in the 560 breezeway.
The driver did not comply, PSD arrested the driver, and she was let
go later. My understanding is that the whole event lasted about
40-60 minutes from start to finish.
I disagree with the reporting from the RIRA Public Safety Committee
Co-Chairs Erin Feely-Nahem and Shirley Coley, and I'm disappointed
in the discussion that occurred at Wednesday's (May 11) RIRA Common
Council meeting, as there seemed to be a group-think and an
unwillingness to understand logically what did and might have
happened. The statement issued by the RIRA PSC Co-Chairs is early
for the kind of confidence expressed in their reporting when there
is still much to be understood.
I am interested in a fair, unbiased, informed, and complete (to the
extent practicable) understanding of what happened, and to make
appropriate recommendations.
One area of long-time concern is a split within the RIRA Public
Safety Committee on direction. Surely, most everyone can agree
there were problems with residents and visitors being gratuitously
arrested, many with excessive force, when Keith Guerra was PSD
Chief. The concerns were participated in the Anthony Jones incident
in 2013. Mr. Jones's mother came to me to ask for help, as her son
was handcuffed to a gurney at the hospital. I broke the news to the
community, and I asserted that the PSD officers engaged in unlawful
use of deadly force. Also, I helped other residents get their
convictions undone or cases dismissed as I did frame-by-frame video
analysis and compared it with the police reports - debunking the
charges. RIRA PSC members (including myself) had been tracking many
of the issues with PSD during the years PSD Chief Guerra led the
force. The RIRA PSC, as led by Erin Feely-Nahem, was very effective
in getting Guerra fired and a new Chief, Jack McManus, to shepherd
in a new type of "community policing" that was welcome and effective
and, largely, continues to this day. RIRA PSC meets monthly and
engages with the PSD leadership, and it's been a very effective and
productive effort - with consistent community participation and now
with Co-Chairs leading the RIRA PSC effort.
There areas where RIRA PSC and I differ, and this can be seen in how
we approach this incident. Back in 2013, there was much concern
over the Rights of the Individual, and we fought for that. However,
there were other incidents later that summer and fall - a near riot
on July 4, and late night noise outside the Deli, which disturbed my
neighbors in Island House, and neighbors across the street in
Eastwood. There seem to be a hesitation for PSD to address the
noise (or riot) problem as surely it would involve either summons or
arrest. As I pointed out in video that summer/fall, PSD officers
were ignoring the noisemakers, yet standing right next to them.
Then, we discovered that RIOC and Hudson Related (via Main Street
Retail Master Lease) were collaborating to allow complaints against
the Deli as RIOC and HR were negotiating a new lease for the Deli,
i.e., PSD was allowing disruptive noise so that RIOC and HR would be
in a better negotiating position over the Deli lease - I reported
this in the WIRE newspaper. These wrong judgements and conflicts of
interest ignore the Rights of Society, e.g., allow Island House and
Eastwood residents to sleep without noise. The RIRA PSC focused
only upon Rights of the Individual and I (and others) said we should
strike a balance between the Rights of the Individual vs. the Rights
of Society - that is our culture in the US.
The RIRA PSC Co-Chairs only look at this one side. There is an
important other side.
As a brief background, I graduated from NYPD's Police Academy. As
community leaders, NYPD finds it important to educate us because,
sometimes, it's really important to understand several sides of an
incident, including law enforcement, and that can be most beneficial
for the community.
Also, I am trained by NYPD in traffic control and I've worked many
events, including Roosevelt Island. In my experience, there have
been cases where motorists are non-compliant and I ask an officer to
intervene. The officer's response, typically, is "You should
immediately comply or I'm going to arrest you" - some officers add
colorful language for emphasis.
I mention the traffic control because a key point in traffic control
is: there's a possibility of injuring and killing people, it is very
fast-paced, and safety is the number one priority. Both motorist
safety and (especially) pedestrian safety are important. In
general, IF you (as traffic control) permit it, THEN you are
responsible for the consequences. Here's a relevant example: double
parking a delivery truck in front of the Deli is dangerous because
it is close to the 560 Breezeway and crosswalk, there are blind
areas for traffic, e.g., a bus cutting over two lanes to the left
(with oncoming traffic) and going through the crosswalk on the wrong
side of the road. Thus, double parking in front of the Deli is
discouraged for traffic safety (pedestrian and motorist) whereas
double-parking a truck across of Wholesome Foods is less of a
problem. It is NOT that PSD likes Wholesome Foods and dislikes the
Deli, it's that they are two different traffic management problems
with the Deli having more safety issues.
As a community, we also care about our residents in the crosswalks,
the ongoing complaints about motorists, an almost tragic accident
with a car and child by the school, and so on. Thus, if you see
PSD's main concern about safety is addressing this complex traffic
management problem (i.e., what us residents want them to do), then
it might be easier to see PSD's focus. Or said differently, if -
GOD FORBID - a child were injured and killed because of a delivery
truck's unsafe placement, we'd all be screaming about PSD's poor
judgement.
In other words, we care about the Rights of Society, along with the
Rights of the Individual.
Also, this is NOT about a parking ticket gone wrong, this is about a
safety issue that, according to reporting, PSD was trying to
address.
Here the delivery driver was not complying with PSD's instructions
to address the safety issue, i.e., they wanted her in a different
spot. As an individual, I can't imagine not complying with law
enforcement's directive concerning me and my vehicle - I'd image
that non-compliance would garner me an arrest, a criminal complaint,
a DMV moving violation, and having my car towed. According to the
RIRA PSC Co-Chairs' report, the delivery driver said she parked in
one spot earlier in the week, but now that PSD wants her in a
different spot, and she feels that she doesn't need to comply with
that. On Saturdays there are 600 vehicles per hour at the 10-11 AM
time, i.e., a vehicle every 6 seconds, and there is a farmer's
market with lots of pedestrians moving in and out of the Main Street
roadway. The delivery driver has very faulty thinking with that
kind of reasoning: it was good a couple days ago, so it must also be
good today (wrong!). The truck driver asked PSD if she could stay
as she was almost done, but PSD officers denied that request - and
I'm sure PSD officers would have watched her delivery stock so it
didn't get stolen while she was repositioning the truck. Sure, her
request might be reasonable from her perspective, but not the PSD
officers as they have a bigger problem. As I said: if you permit
the safety hazard, then you own the results.
I believe the RIRA PSC Co-Chair report is misguided on the arrest
itself. It is my belief, based upon the traffic conditions, the
video, and reporting from PSD, that the determination to arrest the
driver occurred outside, possibly while the driver walking away.
Now with the order to arrest her, I believe the video is showing the
officers facilitating arrest. As I learned from the NYPD Police
Academy, 2-3 officers facilitating the arrest is safer than one
officer facilitating the arrest. And once the situation started to
escalate, the officers called for back-up - again, normal safety
operations.
I also point out that this was not an individual driver (some cranky
motorist), but a commercial operation where the driver is part of a
fleet. I cannot imagine that the organization (Frito Lay) or its
parent (PepsiCo) believe that it is okay for their drivers to ignore
the direction of law enforcement. In fact, I'm guessing that any
operation like this (via corporation management or insurance) would
want these kinds of drivers NOT operating a truck - it's unsafe and
inappropriate behavior on behalf of a corporation. It is likely the
driver was trained: if you don't follow the direction of law
enforcement, it is an immediate termination or reassignment.
There are still many unknowns. We need confirmation that the
determination to arrest occurred outside, and we need to understand
what de-escalation techniques (if any) were employed.
In summary, IF you see that a possible outcome of the dangerous
placement of a vehicle might mean injury or death to a child, and
your reaction to that would be outrage, condemnation, and
investigation, THEN your appropriate response is to be supportive of
PSD using appropriate judgement, motorist/pedestrian direction, and
enforcement to make sure hazardous conditions are mitigated. This
is a focus on the Rights of Society, but also balanced with the
Rights of the Individual.
Earlier today, workers inspecting the building facade at 475 Main Street on
Roosevelt Island were rescued by FDNY firefighters
Image From Erin Feeley-Nahem
after the worker's suspended scaffolding platform partially collapsed
leaving them dangling from the 5th floor above Main Street.
Image From Erin Feeley-Nahem
According to FDNY Battalion 45 Chief Gallagher:
... one worker was hanging on a safety rope off the scaffolding, one worker
on a safety rope was still on the scaffolding...
Units put up their ladder... Rescue company arrived on scene. they train a
lot on this kind of stuff. They went to the roof. They lowered a rope. They
secured the workers.
The workers were safely taken into apartment 5F on the fifth floor. They
were not injured.
Units did a great job. This is what they trained to do and they operated
perfectly....
Chief Gallagher added that the NYC Buildings Department will investigate how
this happened.
@FDNY HERO
RESCUERS! Two window washers rescued from a rake that collapsed out of
nowhere on Roosevelt Island. Screaming for help. Not injured. Firefighters
pulled them in a window on the sixth floor. Unoccupied apartment. Thank
goodness for the FDNY & strong harnesses.@ABC7NYpic.twitter.com/kok1G7naEc
— MichelleCharlesworth (@mcharlesworth7)
May 11, 2022
@FDNY at window washer rescue. 6 floors up! Suddenly the workers felt their world turn upside down! Firefighters were able to extend a ladder in minutes, open a window in a sixth floor apartment, & pull the 2 men inside. No one was living there. No one hurt. pic.twitter.com/iPYJEdqja4
— MichelleCharlesworth (@mcharlesworth7) May 11, 2022
Roosevelt Island resident
Kaja Meade
shares video of the incident too.
... do you have any updates on the speed bumps.? A few days ago I was walking
on the sidewalk near 540 next to the pet store. Someone sped out of the Side
of the building and almost hit me. Today just about 30 minutes ago a older man
walking across the street near the elementary school was almost hit. When he
confronted the driver and asked him to be careful the driver got out of the
car and yelled at the elderly man. This issue needs to be corrected. Speed
bumps and give tickets. I have seen public safety give numerous tickets for
illegal u turns but never saw them stop people speeding or running through
stop signs.
Last March, another resident tweeted:
During 3/15 Roosevelt Island Residents Association Public Safety committee
meeting,
@RIOCny Public
Safety Chief said speed “cushions”, not bumps or humps will be installed on
Main Street. No timetable given but expected soon. Watch video explaining
plan. https://t.co/XAiAVOwxAQ
At least one speed cushion was in place on the East Loop Road near the Cornell
Tech campus today. However, for some reason the
Roosevelt Island Operating Corp
(RIOC) placed the speed cushion in the bicycle lane, apparently to slow down
speeding bikes,
Why are speed cushions needed for Roosevelt Island bike lanes on East Loop road by @cornell_tech campus? Are bike riders going too fast in that area to create a safety issue for others? Seems unlikely.
— Roosevelt Islander (@Rooseveltisland) May 10, 2022
TBH, I generally loath bikes and bikers in the city, both as a motorist and as a pedestrian. But in the south end of Roosevelt Island? Not so much. Haven’t seen cars drag racing down there either. Maybe save the money.
Manhattan Park tenants; have you received an absurdly expensive electricity
bill this month, and have you agreed to pay for it? I'm tired of this sh*t.
I asked Manhattan Park management:
I have heard from several Manhattan Park residents very upset over what they
describe as very high electricity bills recently received from Manhattan
Park.
According to these residents, Manhattan Park failed to send electricity
bills for several months last year and are now billing for those months. Is
that true?
Some Manhattan Park residents question the accuracy of their electric bills
as well. Are there other reasons for the recent high electric bills for
Manhattan Park residents that are different from tenants in the rest of
NYC?
Also, residents have asked if the Holiday Lights in the Park area are
included in the residents electric bill?
A Manhattan Park management spokesperson answered:
The situation regarding the electricity billing for residents at Manhattan
Park was the result of a delay in receiving invoices from the energy service
company (ESCO) that provides electricity supply. The ESCO was recently
contracted by ownership to provide less expensive electricity to the residents
than would otherwise be charged by Con Edison. Con Edison continues to deliver
the electricity to the residents.
The delay in receiving invoices resulted in the residents being undercharged
for their electricity usage for the months of July – November 2021 as they
were only charged for the cost of delivery and not for the actual supply of
electricity. The revised billing reflects charges for actual usage so the
residents are only being charged for the electricity that was actually being
consumed by the residents in their individual units. To help alleviate any
financial burdens or inconveniences for the residents, we negotiated a 10%
discount for such electricity charges during those five months. In addition
to the discount, we have offered residents payment plans so that these
charges can be paid over the course of one year. It should be noted that the
electricity billings at Manhattan Park only include actual costs for the
supply and delivery of electricity and do not include any markup or profit.
The ESCO has resolved their invoicing issues so we do not anticipate any
further delays.
Manhattan Park management sent this April 25 letter to residents explaining
their electricity bills
Dear Resident:
We are writing to you about your electricity bills at Manhattan Park. As you
may be aware, the electricity bills that you receive each month are
comprised of two separate charges: (1) the cost for the delivery of
electricity; and (2) the cost of the electricity itself, or supply. Con
Edison of New York (“Con Ed”) has always supplied and delivered the
electricity to the residents of Manhattan Park.
In an effort to seek ways to reduce electricity costs, Management engaged
with energy consultant Integrated Energy Partners Inc. to see if there were
other energy companies that could supply electricity on a more
cost-effective basis than Con Ed. After reviewing supply proposals with the
consultant over several months, Management entered into a new agreement in
June of 2021 with ENGIE Power & Gas LLC (“ENGIE”), an energy-service
company approved by the NYS Public Service Commission, to supply electricity
to Manhattan Park. Con Ed, however, remained as the company physically
delivering the electricity to the site. Both ENGIE and Con Ed were to
provide separate bills to Management for their respective services, ENGIE
for electricity supply and Con Ed for electricity delivery. In turn,
Quadlogic Controls Corporation (“Quadlogic”), the independent third-party
submetering consultant, would utilize these bills to calculate the charges
to bill the residents only for their portion of electricity usage.
Unfortunately, due to an administrative error at the start of the ENGIE
agreement that was further magnified by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the
first five months of ENGIE’s electricity invoices for the supply portion of
the charges (covering the period of July-November 2021) were not received by
Management. As a result, all electricity bills for the months of
July-November only included the delivery charges applicable to electric
usage but did not include charges for the actual electricity itself.
Notwithstanding the delayed billing, these amounts are due and owing under
your lease and will need to be paid by the residents. Your apartment’s
outstanding electricity supply charges for the five-month period in question
will be shown as a separate line-item in your next billing statement from
Quadlogic.
We recognize that this could create a financial burden on residents, so we
have formulated a plan to assist. Please note the following:
Management was able to negotiate a 10% reduction from ENGIE for the
outstanding charges. This discount will in turn be passed onto the tenants
in full as part of the retroactive billing. To reiterate, residents will
only be charged for the electricity that was supplied and used (but not
yet billed for) during this five-month period.
Management is willing to offer all residents a payment plan of up to 12
months (depending on the remaining term of your lease) to repay the
outstanding amounts. If your household needs additional time to re-pay the
outstanding ENGIE supply charges, please contact the management office at
(212) 759-8660 at your earliest convenience to discuss the possibility of
a longer repayment period tailored to your household’s financial
circumstances.
We apologize for this inconvenience and would like to reassure you that we
have taken steps to make sure that billing issues like this will not happen
again. Please feel free to reach out to the management office if you have
any other questions or concerns regarding this matter.
Sincerely,
GRC Management LLC
On behalf of Roosevelt Island Associates
The Manhattan Park spokesperson adds:
The Holiday Lights in the park area are not included in the residents electric
bill.
CBS New York
reports on huge increases in Con Ed electricity bills for NYC residents.
Roosevelt Island is a mixed income, racially diverse waterfront community situated in the East River of New York City between Manhattan and Queens and is jurisdictionally part of Manhattan. The Roosevelt Island Tramway, which connects Roosevelt Island to the rest of Manhattan, has become the iconic symbol of Roosevelt Island to its residents.
The Purpose of this Blog is to provide accurate and timely information about Roosevelt Island as well as a forum for residents to express opinions and engage in a dialogue to improve our community.
