Long Time Roosevelt Island Resident David Bauer Passed Away At 95 Years Of Age, Memorial Service April 30 - A Loving Husband, Father Of 6 And Passionate Advocate For Roosevelt Island Good Government And Transparency

The family of long time Roosevelt Island resident David Bauer report:

On Thursday, March 16, 2023, David John Bauer of 531 Main St. NY, NY. a loving husband and father of six passed away, age 95.

David was born on September 29, 1927 in Syracuse NY, to Fred and Anna (Roeckelein) Bauer. He received a Bachelor of Engineering from Syracuse University in Syracuse NY in 1948, and a Master of Public Administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University in 1952 and later a Graduate Fellowship from University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School.

On August 27, 1949, he married Joyce Eileen Jones and together they raised six children. Four of the six were born in Lititz, PA. One of his many tasks as Borough Manager of Lititz, a picturesque community in southeastern PA, was to establish a historic district. Always ready to learn, this experience prepared him for similar needs in other communities he would serve.

On Father’s Day 1961, Joyce gave him a gift of free time from the family, then being six children ranging in age from 9 years to 3 months. So, he could read his beloved New York Times without interruption. In it was a posting for the position of Town Manager in Wethersfield, CT for which he applied and was awarded.

His love of history led him to trace his family's roots back 14 generations. David moved to Roosevelt Island in 1978 where he was able to use his passion for improving residents community experience by engaging the powers-that-be to make changes as necessary. David did this with a big smile and hearty humor, both in small and large ways.

David helped convert the privately funded library on the Island to a branch of the NY Public Library. He also founded and led the Maple Tree Group; a collection of Island residents who worked tirelessly for years, to get locally elected Directors placed on the Roosevelt Island Operating Council.

With most of his professional career spent working with municipal governments it was natural that he should be called out of retirement in 1994 and accepted a post with the city of L’viv Ukraine to advise on city administration in a democracy.

David was preceded in death by his father, Fred, his mother, Anna, his youngest sister Phyllis and his wife Muriel Karpeles-Bauer. He is survived by his sister Nancy Zastrow, brother Paul & Penny Bauer, his six children and their spouses, Elizabeth Bauer & Marty Milkovic, Johanna Bauer & Sergio Torriente, Susan & Curtis Weiss, Benjamin Bauer, Andrew Bauer & Joanna Schnurman, and Martin Bauer & Kathryn Fagan, cousin, Charles & Sia Bauer, 14 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, April 30, 2023, at 1:00 pm in the Community Room at Rivercross, 531 Main St. New York, New York 10044.

In lieu of flowers a donation may be sent to the ACLU via their website, or by phone at 212-549-2500. 

David Bauer was a strong, thoughtful voice advocating good governance and transparency for the Roosevelt Island community. For example, according to Mr Bauer:

...  Having worked in the local government sector during the major part of my adult life I have had to face up to the question you raise; how big a circle of confidentiality do you want to have. Eventually, through the passage of what is called a "Sunshine Law" it was determined that the public had the right to any information involving the local government, with the exceptions being 1) narrowly defined personnel matters and 2) when developing strategy for a court case. That "Sunshine Law" right goes so far as to require elected officials to give public notice and attendance whenever two or more officials meet to discuss public business, formally or informally. Public business has a different glow than private business. Rivercross is public business, having been supported in its inception by taxpayer financing, just as our whole Island has been.

I learned early on how futile it is to attempt to restrict access to public information, even meetings involving as few as two people. I found out through hard experience that if there is a matter, without regard to how large or small that matter seems to be, the policy of attempted secrecy just does not work and in fact the mere appearance of  attempting to keep something secret makes it more appealing for those on the outside to make every effort to find out what is going on, and sometimes imaging quite horrendous matters when in reality the matter was minor....

In regard to the governance of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC), Mr Bauer wrote:

... The Board should have the responsibility to hire and fire. The Board must accept the need for their citizen-bosses to understand the reasons for the Board actions.

In a representative democracy:

the ability of the elected policy makers to have their policies carried out by the ministerial staff is important;

the need for the electorate to understand the actions of the elected policy makers is equally important — the electorate must be able to judge whether the elected policy makers properly reflect wishes of the electorate.

If administrative staff resign from a position, the reasons for such resignation may well be kept as confidential by the resigner.

BUT, if administrative staff is discharged for cause, both the staff and the electorate are entitled to a public statement identifying the cause.

If the cause given is illegal activity, the policy makers should file appropriate charges.

If the cause is discontent with the way the staff carries out the established policy, that cause needs to be clearly set forth. The policy makers, for their own protection in maintaining the confidence of the residents, or even in seeking reelection, need to be clear as to the basis for their action....

Roosevelt Island resident and former Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Matt Katz adds:

David was the inspiration for the Maple Tree Group, the early community grass-roots organization that, initially, was formed to address RIOC failures in maintaining Island infrastructure and then, took on the lack of democracy that an appointed government agency imposed. David spent time in Ukraine, working for USAID, as they struggled to invent a post-Soviet government and, in later years, taught physics at the College of Staten Island.  

As our neighbor, our colleague and our friend, he will be sorely missed.

David Bauer will be missed.

Condolences to his family, friends and all who knew him.