You're Invited To Manhattan Community Board 8 Annual Full Board Meeting On Roosevelt Island At Cornell Tech Tomorrow Evening October 23 - Support Of Direct Elections For RIOC Directors Among Items On Agenda

Manhattan Community Board 8 

will be holding their annual monthly full Board meeting on Roosevelt Island tomorrow evening, October 23.

According to CB 8 Roosevelt Island committee chair and local resident Paul Krikler:

The Full Board of CB8 is meeting at Cornell Tech on Roosevelt Island on October 23rd, starting at 630 pm. The meeting is hybrid, in person and zoom for members of the public.

We will be voting on a resolution to support Council Member Julie Menin’s resolution in support of direct elections for Directors of RIOC. CM Menin will be speaking near the start of the meeting.

Come and speak out in favor of this. Members of the public get to speak at the start of the meeting but you have to sign up ahead of time to speak. You can sign up here.

Here is the resolution sponsored by NYC Council Member Julie Menin's:

... calling on the New York State Legislature and Governor to amend the New York State Public Authorities Law by granting residents of Roosevelt Island the power to vote for members of the board of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation.

City Meetings NYC website has the video and transcript of testimony by Roosevelt Island residents to the September 19, 2024 meeting of the NYC Council Committee on Governmental Operations, State and Federal Legislation in support of Ms Menin's resolution.

According to the City Meetings NYC summary of the testimony:

Paul Krikler, a resident of Roosevelt Island, testifies in support of Resolution 132, which calls for direct election of Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) board members. He represents 1,100 petition signatories seeking democratic governance on the island.

• Emphasizes the significant proportion of Roosevelt Island residents (out of 12,000) who support this initiative 
• Highlights the need for better oversight and community involvement in island management 
• Mentions historical issues between RIOC and residents, with the current board failing to provide adequate oversight

Margie Smith, a long-time resident of Roosevelt Island and former RIOC Board Director, testifies in support of Resolution 132, which calls for granting Roosevelt Island residents the power to vote for members of the RIOC board. She emphasizes the lack of democratic representation in the island's governance and the unique challenges faced by its residents.

• Smith highlights the contradiction of Roosevelt Island residents voting for city officials who don't have authority over their island, while being unable to vote for the RIOC board that makes key decisions. 
• She points out the financial burden on Roosevelt Island residents, who pay ground rent and taxes but have no say in how the money is spent on island maintenance and services. 
• Smith urges the City Council to support the resolution, while acknowledging their limited authority to enact change directly.

Joyce Short, a long-time Roosevelt Island resident, testifies in support of Resolution 132, which calls for granting Roosevelt Island residents the power to elect members of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) board. She argues that the current appointment system for RIOC board members is undemocratic and violates the principles of republican government.

• Short emphasizes that Roosevelt Island is leased by New York City to the state, and as the "landlord," the city should intervene to address the governance issues. 
• She highlights the ineffectiveness of community referendums in influencing board appointments, with only one out of five referendums resulting in actual appointments. 
• Short expresses concerns about RIOC's focus on maintaining a crime-free image for real estate purposes, potentially at the expense of properly addressing crime on the island.

Penina Gold, a resident of Roosevelt Island, testified in support of Resolution 132-2024, which calls for allowing Roosevelt Island residents to vote for members of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) board. She emphasized the lack of democratic representation in the island's governance and the need for accountability.

• Gold highlighted that Roosevelt Island residents can vote in general NYC elections but have no say in selecting RIOC leadership. 
• She stressed that RIOC, which manages most aspects of life on Roosevelt Island, is not accountable to its residents. 
• Gold urged all council members to support the resolution and called on state legislators and the governor to pass and sign the proposed law.

But be aware that Community Board 8 and NYC Council have no power to implement RIOC Board elections which is under the jurisdiction of NY State although passing the resolution could have a degree of persuasive authority on the issue with NY State decision makers.