Previous Roosevelt Landings owners have sought approval of electricity
sub-metering going back as far as
2008
and
2011, each time meeting strong opposition from building residents and
local elected officials.
Several weeks ago, Roosevelt Landings managing agent
C+C Management hosted
an information session for building residents about their proposed renewed
electricity sub-metering plan. I asked Roosevelt Landings Residents
Association President Joyce Short and Vice President Romano Reid:
I'm preparing a story on the Roosevelt Landings sub-metering issue and
recent meeting.
Do either of you wish to send a comment to be included in the article?
Ms Short and Mr Reid replied:
Our building has changed hands since 2014 when the Public Service
Commission stayed our previous landlord's attempt to submeter. But little
has changed to cure the critical issues raised by the stay. The new
owners, L&M, and their Managing Agent C&C, seem to take our
residents for fools. They held an "education" meeting in which they told
residents they could change their light bulbs to LEDs and watch less TV,
as if that would offset the absurd bills they'll receive to keep their
families warm through the cold winter months. The landlord claims to have
removed the burden of heat from our residents' shoulders, but residents
know this claim is simply "lipstick on a pig."
Because our building is poorly insulated and has a porous skin that fails
to retain heat, residents turn to plug-in space heaters that they will be
charged for. In the summer, our building is equally poor at retaining air
conditioning. Our a/c units are plug-ins and have to work overtime because
of the insulation defects. Residents will be charged the entire expense
for running their air conditioners.
Our residents have repeatedly experienced the dire consequences of their
aging heaters that ignited fires in several homes. And because the last
landlord failed to replace the summer/winter switches that enabled our air
conditioners to run on a separate circuit, a/c fires have also become a
common occurrence.
The landlord knows that the building's heating and insulation system is
deficient. That's why they're investing millions of dollars into their
current repair project. Their efforts are projected to take two years or
more, but December of this year is their target date for submetering.
Until they repair the building's problems, they'd like residents to bury
their heads in the sand and pretend they're just trying to "green" our
building. Our residents know that the only green in their submetering
plan, however, is the financial, plug-in burden the landlord will dump on
their shoulders.
Particularly for the building's subsidized, elderly, and disabled
residents who will be charged for necessary medical devices, plug-ins as
"added rent" could lead to their eviction. Protecting the homes of our
vulnerable residents is a priority.
You can watch the insulation work taking place on the east promenade
behind building 510. You can learn more about the building's
submetering problems by linking to our webpage.
And if you are a building resident, please sign the petition to stay
submetering and write your comment to the PSC. You'll find the information
you'll need on our webpage.
We're not saying don't submeter. We're saying don't submeter until you fix
the problems with the building.
I spoke with Ms Short on August 4 in front of the exterior renovation work
being done on the buildings.
I asked C+C Management about the sub-metering concerns raised by the
Roosevelt Landings Residents Association:
A spokesperson for C+C Management replied:
“We have been communicating closely with residents about the plan to
submeter non-heat electric usage at The Landings. This includes providing
four educational sessions and residents have been notified that when
submetering goes into effect, there will be a monthly rent reduction. We
will continue to keep residents informed as this process moves forward and
we are always available to answer any questions or concerns.”
C+C Management provided the following background on their submetering
proposal.
The plan to submeter non-heat electric usage at The Landings was approved
under previous ownership in 2014. On June 26, 2024, a letter was issued by
the New York State Public Service Commission to begin the submetering
process.
All residents will receive a monthly rent reduction when submetering goes
into effect depending on the size of the apartment and calculated by the
New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development. A
letter was distributed to residents on June 26, 2024 with this
information.
Four educational sessions will be provided to residents prior to the start
of submetering, with additional sessions available after submetering
begins. The first educational session was held on July 8, 2024.
We have heard residents’ concerns about plug-in medical devices. The
project team is working on developing a solution to address the matter.
Most New York City residents pay for their own electric usage through
submetering. Submetering reduces pollution, combats climate change, and
awareness of personal energy use can lead to energy conservation and
utility savings.
The plan to submeter non-heat electric usage at The Landings was not
contingent on the Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) work.
The EIFS work will go above and beyond in providing benefits to residents.
The façade improvements will further reduce energy consumption and
increase indoor comfort.
There were no heat violations in the 2023/2024 heating season at The
Landings.
Residents should contact the management office at 212-838-4747 to report
any maintenance issues.
Our office has been in contact with the Public Service Commission and we
did receive this (hopeful) notification from PSC last week:
“We are discussing the sub-metering issue internally. My presumption
is that the process will slow down and provide time for us to carefully
check the compliance stuff....
According to the Carter Burden Senior Center, they have been told their
outdoor patio garden will be closed very soon during renovations to the
building's exterior wall and that the doors leading from the Senior Center
to the outdoor patio will be sealed with no exit into the area possible. I'm
told that the doors to the outdoor patio are "fire doors" which need to be
accessible to the Senior Center in the event of an emergency. Is this true?
C+C Management replied:
The Senior Center patio doors are not fire doors and in the event of an
emergency, there is an exit path on the DOB-approved Site Safety Plan.
However, we understand residents’ concerns regarding access and will install
a temporary bridge off the deck to Main Street. This temporary bridge will
provide a path for residents to exit the patio.
Will update on the Roosevelt Landings electricity submetering issue when more
info becomes available.
Environmental Report Details Heat’s Costly Escape Through Elevator Shafts
illustrates efforts made by our very own Roosevelt Island building complex Roosevelt Landings to prevent heat from leaking through the buildings elevator shafts. The NY Times reports:
... On Roosevelt Island, Urban American Management, an owner of a 1,003-unit rental building called Roosevelt Landings, recently instituted changes to make the structure more energy efficient, including sealing the elevator shaft vents.
Joshua Eisenberg, executive vice president of Urban American, which owns and manages 8,000 apartments in the New York region, said he expected the recent improvements — including better insulation, new boilers and digital thermostats in addition to the elevator fix — to reduce Roosevelt Landings’s annual $3.2 million electricity bill by $700,000.
“This building consists of four towers, each 21 stories high,” Mr. Eisenberg said, adding that the 40-year-old structure used electric heat, the most expensive. “You have nine sets of elevators and, as a result, a lot of air and ventilation issues.”
Urban American also recently formed a separate company to carry out building upgrades.
“Sealing the holes, cracks and vents is critical because the biggest problem is air leakage from buildings,” said David Davenport, principal of Urban Greenfit, which is not related to the nonprofit group Urban Green that wrote the report.
At the top of Roosevelt Landings, with its unobstructed view of the Manhattan skyline, an elevator room now features a glass panel covering a large vent. (A screen covers a smaller vent, which is open to comply with the building code.) In addition, a hole in the ceiling directly above the elevator shaft was covered....
“You have to think responsibly down the line in terms of our contribution to emissions and climate change,” http://t.co/A2ghUoqaAE
— Urban American (@UrbanAmerican1) March 18, 2015
Last November, some residents of Roosevelt Island's Roosevelt Landings building complex
complained about cold temperatures in their apartments. For example:
They only allow us to set heat to 72 degrees, no higher. That is not enough to heat the living room area, as it's an open room,
the heat still goes on when windows are opened! What are the contraptions they installed under the windows for if not to tell them no heat when the windows opened?
I have elderly parents who are always cold, l had to buy them 2 portable heaters because l don't want them getting sick. They don't want us to do that, then allow us to bring the heat up to at least 77 degrees, and. For the equipment to operate better,
the thermostats are giving false readings.we are going to freeze again this winter unless they raise the max temperature, which ... is 72 degrees, Many of us have large open living rooms, the insulation in our apartments is probably non existent, the new windows are horrible and those of us with staircases lose heat, too.
The thermostats work very well, are accurate and the vast majority of residents at Roosevelt Landings know how to use them. They maintain the required level of heat in each apartment and last heating season, the thermostats and comprehensive air sealing saved a lot of electricity and significantly reduced the amount of carbon emissions generated by the building. As always, if residents have issues with the equipment they should call or visit the main office and someone will visit their apartment as soon as possible to check it out.
Mr. Eisenberg invited me to take a tour of Roosevelt Landings and speak with Urban Greenfit's David Davenport who is managing Roosevelt Landings energy program. Mr. Davenport described how to stay warm in your Roosevelt Landings apartment.
Mr. Davenport adds:
Roosevelt Landings Heating Season Update
The heating system at Roosevelt Landings, has been active since October 1st.
Baseboard Heaters:
While City code requires buildings to maintain temperatures of 55F+ degrees at night and 68F+ degrees during the day, Roosevelt Landings maintains temperatures between 68-72F+ degrees through management of baseboard heaters and air sealing of resident apartments and corridors.
The heating management system at Roosevelt Landings is designed to keep the cold air out, maintain warm temperatures indoors, and prevent heated air from escaping. Residents who were used to turning their baseboard heaters on and off manually have commented that their thermostats and heaters do not work. The key to understanding that the system is working is not whether the baseboard heater is ON, but observing central indoor temperatures of 68-72F or more while outdoor temperatures are below 55-40F degrees and below.
Important Thermostat / Safety Facts:
The heaters come on automatically when the central room temperature is below 68F degrees.
Residents can adjust the temperatures up to 72F degrees by pressing the up button on the thermosets.
The baseboard heaters cannot be turned on manually.
The thermostats automatically setback to 68 degrees at 10pm and 6am.
When the thermostats setback, residents must manually raise the heat by pressing the up button to resent the temperature up to 72.
Refrain from using space heaters which will disable the baseboard heating system.
Use of ovens to augment heating is a safety hazard and will disable the baseboard heating system.
Use of ice or cold towels over the thermostat will damage and make the thermostat inoperable.
There are a number of actions that residents can take to help keep the cold air out, maintain warm temperatures indoors, and prevent heated air from escaping.
Prevent cold air draft infiltration by keeping apartment and hallway windows closed. Hallway windows have been fitted with locks to retain conditioned temperatures. If hallway windows and apartment windows are opened –cold air will come into the building and flow from apartments into the hallways, and from the hallways into apartments.
Make sure air-conditioner sleeves containing air conditioner units are sealed airtight around the edges. Also make sure that conditioner sleeves containing air conditioners have covers over vents to prevent cold air from coming in and baseboard heat from escaping. If you have an air conditioner sleeve with no air conditioner in it, make sure it is sealed with an air tight cover. If you notice drafts from your closed windows and air conditioners contact maintenance to schedule a winterization a service appointment to address these issues.
Don’t Block the Flow of Air: A baseboard heater heats as cold air is drawn into the heater and hot coils heat this air. As the air is heated, it rises to the top of the heater and then draws the cooler air from the room into the heater, and the cycle repeats. In order for your heater to function properly, it is important that nothing be placed in front of the heater to block the flow of air. In fact, you should place furniture at least 6 inches away from the heater. Furniture can block the baseboard heaters from heating the room and absorb heat.
Corridor Windows:
Hallway corridor windows will be locked during the heating season to prevent cold air from flowing through the corridors into resident apartments and to prevent heated air from escaping from hallway heaters and resident apartments. Ventilation to ASHRAE & building code standards are supplied through trickle ducts and mechanical ventilators in each hallway.
Please keep corridor windows closed and report open hallway windows to maintenance so that they can be secured. Vandalism of corridor window locks affects your building’s thermal heat loss and compromises the ability of neighbors to regulate the heat in their apartments.
Urban American's Josh Eisenberg explains the reason for water and electric shutdown today. Mr. Eisenberg reports:
The shut down is required in order to connect our new Combined Heat and Power Plant (CHP) to the electrical and hot water systems in the building.
Despite an inconvenient but unavoidable disruption in service Tuesday, we are proud to announce that Roosevelt Landings will be connecting its new Combined Heat and Power system that will generate 300 kW of electricity and 2.1 million BTUs/hr of domestic hot water.
When activated, our onsite power plant and heating system will be capable of generating 15% of the building's electricity on site and all of the hot water for more than 1000 apartments 30% more efficiently than before.
Only the 540 building where the system is located will be affected by the electrical shut down. We tried to plan the shut down at the least inconvenient time possible for the most number of residents. (While the rest of the complex will be affected by the brief hot water shut down, it should not be affected by the electrical shut down isolated in the 540 building.)
Unfortunately, disruption of service will affect everyone in some way and this cannot be helped. Management on the ground has identified those residents they believe will require special assistance, but those that have received the notice but have not yet spoken to the front office are encouraged to contact reception immediately.
On this Earth Day, 2014, I am proud to report that Urban American is making good on real commitments to energy efficiency on Roosevelt Island and that we will continue, as we have for many years, to make these improvements throughout our portfolios in New York City. We deeply appreciate our residents cooperation in this and in other aspects of our energy efficiency program at Roosevelt Landings. The enthusiasm and support of our residents in providing access for the installation of smart thermostats and for extensive air sealing has aided greatly in making this effort so far to be one of the largest and deepest energy efficiency retrofits of an apartment complex in New York City.
When do you anticipate the on site power plant and heating system to be activated?
He replied:
Optimistically, by the end of May. But there are still a few more steps in the process to firing up that CHP plant. The new boilers have been running for several months already.
Mr. Eisenberg explained Urban American's energy efficiency program during April 2013 Roosevelt Island real estate discussion on the Michael Stoler Report. Here's what Mr. Eisenberg had to say.
More details on Urban American's energy efficiency retrofits at Roosevelt Landings from previous post.
August Forum – Spotlight on Roosevelt Island
July 28, 2013
New York is a city made up of islands, so Roosevelt Island, the 2-mile long island in the East River might seem unremarkable, but it features a wealth of unique systems and a rich history that are worth taking a moment to examine! That’s why in August we’ll be doing one of our Spotlight features on it. We’ll hear about the planned Cornell Tech campus which will break ground in 2014 and will be home to NYC’s largest net-zero building, learn about the tidal turbines that are grid-tied to the Island (the first such system in the world!), and hear about some of the sustainable buildings on the Island. It’s going to be a great evening and we hope you’ll join us for it!
Date: August 29, 2013
Time: 6:30pm – 8:00pm
Place: REI Community Room, 303 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012
More information on Roosevelt Island green energy projects, including Roosevelt Landings energy savings retrofit of building systems and installation of cogeneration power, at this previous post.
Added to this list of Roosevelt Island green energy projects are the measures currently being undertaken at the Roosevelt Landings/Eastwood buildings (over 1 thousand apartments)
Image of Roosevelt Landings formerly Eastwood
by owner Urban American to install comprehensive energy saving systems and a cogeneraton power plant.
I recently spoke with Mr. Eisenberg and David Davenport of Urban Greenfit, partners on the Roosevelt Landings energy retrofit project, about conservation and efficiency improvements being made to individual apartments, common areas and building exteriors as well as the replacement of old boilers with a cogeneration plant and high efficiency boilers. We took a tour of the building including mechanical room as the old boilers were in the process of being removed.
Below is an Urban American newsletter delivered to residents last week describing in great detail the Roosevelt Landings energy retrofit currently being undertaken.
In June 2011, Urban American substantially completed over $7 million in energy‐efficiency retrofits at Roosevelt Landings through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Multifamily Performance Program (MPP). This work involved a “conventional energy retrofit” focused on certain system upgrades, including:
Installation of submeters in resident apartments
Upgrades of common area lighting
Replacement of external lighting
Replacement of windows
Installation of occupancy sensors
Replacement of older refrigerators
Installation of timers on bathroom exhaust fans
Air sealing of air conditioner sleeves
CFL lighting distribution
Installation of low‐flow shower heads/aerators
With the exception of refrigerator replacements (which are still underway), all of these projects have been completed.
During this upgrade process, engineers working with Urban American determined that there were still significant opportunities to achieve even greater energy savings through a “deep energy retrofit” at the property, including a combination of sustainable‐energy and energy‐efficiency measures. Deep energy retrofits achieve much greater energy savings than conventional retrofits by taking a whole‐building approach, addressing many systems at once.
The deep energy retrofit now underway at Roosevelt Landings includes $7 million in new investments and is currently the largest energy retrofit of a multifamily building in New York City. The project involves two scopes of work:
Energy‐Efficiency Measures: A combination of advanced energy‐efficiency retrofits composed of: a) air sealing of common spaces and resident apartments, b) smart grid controlled programmable thermostats and window sensors in all resident apartments, and c) foam insulation applied to exterior exposed concrete slabs under resident apartments.
Sustainable‐Energy Measures: A cogeneration plant paired with new high‐efficiency boilers that will provide electricity, thermal heat, and domestic hot water (DHW) to the building.
To manage these projects, Urban American has partnered with Urban Greenfit, LLC (UGF), a new company dedicated to developing energy‐efficiency projects. The current project began in January 2013 and will be completed later this summer.
The following summarizes the work underway at Roosevelt Landings, explains how the work will impact the building and resident quality of life, and prepares residents for the upgrades and improvements that require access to resident apartments.
UGF has engaged two companies, H20 Degree and Air Barrier Solutions, to visit resident apartments to perform the necessary upgrades.
Electric Heat Control: The first group of contractors from H20 Degree will be entering resident apartments to do two things: replace older baseboard heaters with new heaters and install programmable thermostats to control the heaters.
Heater Replacement: Older model 2‐6 foot baseboard heaters will be replaced with new heaters of the same size. Older model 6‐12 foot baseboard heaters will be replaced with new 6‐foot baseboard heaters. In most cases, the decrease in size is due largely to the elimination of a utility plug or button controls on the heater. Irrespective of the size, the new heaters will provide better performance in every apartment due to faster heating coil materials and newer technology.
Installation of Programmable Thermostats: Dials and buttons on the old baseboard heaters are being replaced with wall‐mounted programmable thermostats. The new thermostats will send a wireless signal to a paired “controller” on each baseboard heater. Residents will be able to select a target temperature, and the thermostat will power the heater until the room reaches that desired comfort level.
The number of thermostats installed in each apartment is determined by the number of rooms in the apartments:
Benefits of the new thermostats:
Residents can set the temperature on thermostat without touching heater
Allow residents to see and set the temperature in zone of their apartment
Displays ambient (room temperature) and set point (desired temperature)
Allows time of day and day of week programming from the thermostat
Allows 2 way communication between the thermostat and central energy control system in building
Room temperature, set points, and heater operation data will be collected and stored wirelessly to monitor and improve overall system performance
Allows building management to monitor and adjust set points per tenant request, identify apartments with broken heaters, and characterize usage patterns
Apartment Air Sealing: A second group of contractors from Air Barrier Solutions will tighten the “building envelope” by airsealing resident apartments to eliminate cold air infiltration and drafts during the heating season. Air Barrier Solutions will perform six scopes of work in each apartment:
Plug holes behind heaters and along exterior walls that allow drafts in the building
Caulk windows where leaks are evident
Install draft blocking gaskets in exterior wall electrical outlets
Caulk beneath the sill of the outside windows
Seal holes around pipes under sinks that allow drafts (and pests) in apartments
Clean and retrofit the ventilation register covers and orifices in resident kitchens and bathrooms; the metal interiors of the ventilation ducts will be brushed and wiped clean, and a new orifice plate will be installed to regulate and distribute ventilation airflow more evenly among apartments
Common Area Airsealing: In addition to the work done in resident apartments, Air Barrier Solutions is airsealing common areas, including elevator machine rooms, stairwells, and AVAC rooms. Locks will be installed on hallway corridor windows for use during the heating season. The windows will remain open during the rest of the year. Thru‐wall corridor air supply fans with filters will be installed in each corridor and operate when the windows are locked to maintain NYC Building Code and ASHRAE code guidelines. These measures will eliminate the “wind tunnel effect” that some residents have experienced when walking the halls during the cold months and keep cold air out of the hallways and from entering resident apartments.
Floor Slab Insulation: Apartments that protrude over Main Street and breezeways will have high‐density spray foam installed directly below concrete floor slabs and at wall penetrations. This will eliminate the key source of cold floors in these apartments and block cold air from leaking into the building.
New Boilers and Onsite Power Generation: Two other major improvements to building 540 are underway: the installation of new boilers and sustainable‐energy technologies.
Boiler Upgrade: UGF is currently replacing Roosevelt Landings’ 4 original and outdated boilers that are now operating at 65% efficiency with 5 new 95% efficient boilers.
Sustainable Energy: UGF will install 3 x 100 kW combined heat and power (CHP) modules that together have the capacity to generate 300 kW of electricity and 2.1 million BTUs/hr of DHW. Generally speaking, the CHP system will create 15% of building electricity onsite as well as preheat the boilers by 40%
What Residents Should Expect:
The retrofits in resident apartments started in building 510 and will progress to building 580 working one or two floors at a time. Residents will be notified in advance and be required to make their apartments accessible on the mornings or afternoons when the workers are scheduled to be on your floor. The entire job (including heater replacement, thermostat installation, and air sealing) will take between 90 minutes to 3 hours depending on apartment size. Although we started doing partial installs in the first buildings, the crews are now completing all of their work when they visit an apartment.
Notification will go out a week before the workers come to your floor, and building staff will knock on resident doors and leave a reminder the night before the workers come. We ask that you move any furniture away from your exterior walls and remove all items from under your sinks. If you need assistance, building staff will be available to help you move items to and from the work area the day the work is done. When the work is complete, building staff will be available to sheetrock, patch, and repair areas near the heaters, if necessary.
Once work has been completed in your building, training sessions will be provided to explain how the thermostats work. And when work has been completed in all buildings, resident education seminars on energy efficiency will be provided to help educate residents on how to be more energy efficient within their apartments.
Thus far, the work has been conducted professionally and generally on schedule. In light of the size and scale of these projects, however, we ask for your patience on a few minor issues that have arisen.
We ask for your patience with respect to scheduling. Some apartments simply require more work than others or have a lot of furniture to be moved. This sometimes causes unpredictable delays and gaps between the work crews.
We ask your patience with the new thermostats. In order for the thermostats to work properly, they must be installed, programmed, and connected to a computer network to be fully operational. In some cases there have been lags of up to 2 days between the time the thermostats have been installed and the time they begin controlling the heaters.
When new baseboard heaters are first used, they sometimes burn off sediment or other materials causing smoke and/or an electrical smell. This may be annoying, but it is normal.
We appreciate your cooperation and patience as we proceed with the work in the months ahead, and we apologize for any inconvenience caused by the work. Our goal is to improve resident comfort and make the building more energy efficient.
Submetering
As noted above, submetering is an important part of these projects.
At present, the New York State Public Service Commission’s (PSC) “Order Reinstating Submetering Approval at North Town Roosevelt with Conditions” (the NTR Submetering Order) allows for the submetering of all of the electricity utilized by the resident(s) in each apartment. This includes both plug load electricity (i.e., refrigerator, television[s], computer[s], lights, etc.) and heat load electricity (i.e., what is used for the electric resistance baseboard heaters).
As you may recall, during the comment period before the NTR Submetering Order was issued, some residents raised the issue of paying for electricity used for the baseboard heaters. In response, Urban American tasked its technical consultants with determining whether plug load electricity could be disaggregated from heat load electricity. In other words, upon implementing submetering at Roosevelt Landings, residents would only pay for plug load electricity, not heat load electricity. Ultimately, Urban American’s consultants were successful in developing a solution by which plug load electricity could be separated from the electricity used for the baseboard heaters, thereby ensuring that residents would only be billed for their plug load electricity usage.
In implementing submetering at Roosevelt Landings as part of the above projects, Urban American intends to proceed with this new solution of separating plug load electricity from heat load electricity. Prior to doing so, since this approach differs from what the PSC previously approved, Urban American recently filed a petition for clarification of the NTR Submetering Order with the PSC (see http://documents.dps.ny.gov/public/Common/ViewDoc.aspx?DocRefId={85FED753‐D1C4‐44C1‐ A16F‐62FA8BBA514D}).
In this petition for clarification, Urban American recommitted to the following conditions at Roosevelt Landings:
Complete all NYSERDA Energy Reduction Plan Measures
Provide Energy Conservation Education For Residents
Provide Energy Star Rated Models to All Residents with Refrigerators Manufactured Before 2001
Provide Utility Allowances for All Residents
Installing at Least One Programmable Thermostat in the Primary Living Area of Each Apartment
Further, Urban American will provide residents notice of when submetering will begin no less than two months prior to the commencement of submetering. During this notice period, and for longer if practically possible, Urban American will provide residents with “shadow bills,” which measure the electricity use for each apartment and calculate a bill reflecting such usage. These shadow bills will be provided for informational purposes to the residents, but actual submetering will not be occurring and the residents will have no responsibility to pay the amount shown on these shadow bills.
The combination of this revised submetering plan and the above investments in energy efficiency and sustainable energy at Roosevelt Landings will result in clear benefits to residents, including: a) not being billed under submetering for electric heat usage, b) receiving air‐sealed apartments, providing greater comfort while requiring less heat, and c) receiving at least one networked programmable thermostat to maintain optimal levels of zoned comfort.
On May 1, 2013, the PSC published notice of Urban American’s petition for clarification in the State Register. This starts a 45‐day public comment period that ends on June 14, 2013. Comments on the petition may be submitted Jeffrey C. Cohen, Acting Secretary, Public Service Commission, 3 Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12223‐1350, (518) 408‐1978, email: secretary@dps.ny.gov. Please reference Case Number 08‐E‐0838 in any comments.
Thank you for your attention as we work to complete these energy‐efficiency and sustainable‐energy projects at Roosevelt Landings. If you have any questions about this update, please contact us at: reduceenergy@urbanamerican.net
The inefficient electricity infrastructure and submetering proposal at Roosevelt Landings has been a long time contentious issue between Urban American, building residents and local elected officials. Here's more background on the issue from previous posts.
The map represents the total annual building energy consumption at the block level (zoom levels 11-15) and at the taxlot level (zoom levels 16-18) for New York City, and is expressed in kilowatt hours (k Wh) per square meter of land area. The data comes from a mathematical model based on statistics, not private information from utilities, to estimate the annual energy consumption values of buildings throughout the five boroughs. To see the break down of the type of energy being used, for which purpose and in what quantity, hover over or click on a block or taxlot.
I have long questioned the appropriateness of submetering in affordable housing, particularly in a building like Roosevelt Landings. The building's poor insulation and clunky electric heat will result in enormous electric bills for tenants who are just trying to keep warm in the winter.
In 2008, Urban American, the owner of Roosevelt Landings, applied to the Public Service Commission (PSC) for permission to submeter tenants. The PSC initially approved the application because they were not aware of the negative impacts submetering would have on tenants living in affordable housing. I immediately led a coalition of local elected officials and tenant leaders to request a stay preventing submetering from moving forward. The PSC granted the stay requiring Urban American to complete several different tenant protection and energy efficiency measures before they could unilaterally submeter tenants.
After a year of refusing to negotiate with elected officials and tenant leaders, Urban American filed a new submetering plan that claimed to meet the PSC's requirements. I submitted hundreds of pages of documents to the PSC outlining how this plan continued to fall short of the Commission's order. At the recent September 15th hearing, the PSC gave Urban American's plan conditional approval with the stipulation that they return to the commission with evidence that they have met the following requirements:
Install a thermostat in each apartment
Install EnergyStar refrigerators
Complete comprehensive energy efficiency improvements in the building through NYSERDA's Multi-Family Performance Program
Fully inform tenants of things they can do to save electricity
To date, Urban American has not made any effort to fulfill these measures. The landlord has been given three years and they have still not even installed a single thermostat. At present, I have no reason to believe that Urban American has, or will, comply with the PSC's order.
Throughout this process, I have fought to ensure robust protections for tenants. I helped Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) apply for and receive a voucher from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to allow them to set utility allowances that reflect actual utility usage in the building. A utility allowance is a type of rent roll-back awarded to tenants who are now bearing the costs of utilities that were previously part of their rent. As opposed to the previous plan, which determined rates on a community wide basis, these new utility allowances will be based on electricity usage for similarly sized apartments in Roosevelt Landings and will include additional allowances for seniors and people with disabilities.
Submetering at Roosevelt Landings is not moving forward until Urban American satisfies the PSC's requirements. It is unconscionable that landlords are trying to dump their energy costs on tenants who are barely getting by, especially in these economically challenging times. I will continue to fight against submetering in affordable housing and for the protections that all tenants deserve.
I asked Mr. Kellner if the electricity charges would be included as additional rent for purposes of any potential eviction proceedings brought against a tenant. Mr. Kellner replied:
HCR will not allow Urban American to treat electric charges as added rent.
What about the market rate tenants and LAP tenants at Roosevelt Landings. Will their electricity charges be considered additional rent for purposes of possible eviction proceedings?
Mr. Kellner replied:
That is unclear, but we are working to insure it isn't considered rent.
I asked Roosevelt Landings Residents Association President Joyce Mincheff to comment. Ms. Mincheff replied:
Our Assemblyman, Micah Kellner, has ducked the slings and arrows of Urban American to champion our cause once again! The tenants of Roosevelt Landings owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude!
No one from the Public Service Commission stepped foot in our building. If they had, they would know what a Professional Engineer and Certified Energy Manager knows about submetering our building: the building is so poorly constructed that even if thermostats were installed, the room temperature would rarely rise to the temperature they were set at in order to turn off the heaters.
1. The construction of the building, while architecturally unique, requires elevated levels of insulation, not the insulation level required by state code, the weakest level possible in the state of NY. Without appropriate insulation, rooms will simply not get warm.
2. Repeated jut-outs throughout the facade, varying roof heights, multiple exposures, concrete floors that conduct the cold, leaky window lintels, cheap windows, an overabundance of unrepaired expansion joints, antiquated heaters and an antiquated heating system all contribute to the barbaricness of the Public Service Commission's decision.
3. Common usage bundled into apartment wiring, regardless of the sworn self-serving affidavit the landlord submits, is evident to anyone who knows 1970s construction. The assumption that by some miracle, the 4 sets of buildings covered by Urban American's sub-metering application, even though they were built with the vission that the landlord would cover all electric costs regardless of where such wiring existed, is beyond absurd.
4. Education..... please! Our tenants don't need to be educated to know to put on a sweater to cut their energy costs.....They already wear them because their apartments are just plain cold. How cold? if you go to the laundry rooms in the winter, you'll see them wearing their gloves and jackets to wash their clothes. Heat simply is not retained inside our walls. Our elderly wear sweaters to bed at night. The insult of being educated to reduce your TV use by $3 per month while the landlord rips hundreds of dollars from your pocket by its failure to repair the insulation in your walls is outrageous. Shame on this landlord, and shame on the Public Service Commission!
The fact that the Public Service Commission reversed itself on the issue of not allowing the landlord to evict tenants when they can't pay their outrageous electric bills is downright Barbaric. It shows just how low the institutions of government, that one would think of as protective, will sink for a price. The old-boy network still reigns supreme and, for the affluent who can put big bucks in the right pockets, even Barbaric decisions can be bought.
While DHCR and HPD may have a solution to the eviction problem for subsidized tenants, and we will all pray that's the case, it may not solve the issue of eviction for non-payment of unfair and outrageous electric bills among LAP and Fair Market tenants.
The Roosevelt Landings Tenant Association has joined with all the former Putnam Portfolio buildings to oppose the landlord's farce masquereding as "greening" the building. Rather than reducing the carbon footprint by earnest conservation methods, the Public Service Commission has given permission to Urban American to lock in outrageous, wasteful energy practices and shown us all how blind they are to the needs of the public they are sworn to serve. We are not throwing in the towel. It is only a battle, not the war.
Joyce Mincheff
President
Roosevelt Landings Residents Association
I asked Urban American's representative at Roosevelt Landings Doryne Isely to comment. Ms. Isely replied:
Thank you for the opportunity to respond.
We’re pleased with the Public Service Commission’s decision and believe it reflects the work we did with residents, community leaders and elected officials to improve the plan. We’re committed to making Roosevelt Landings as environmentally sound a building as practically possible and look forward to working with the residents to achieve that goal.
Urban American wins state approval of its plan to install meters and have tenants at 1,800 apartments in Harlem pay for their own electricity, arguing it would save money and power; fate of 1,100 Roosevelt Island units uncertain....
... approved the company's plan for 1,800 apartments in three Harlem buildings. Based on unofficial meter readings from individual apartments, Urban American claimed that 70% of tenants would save money under submetering, rather than paying a fixed amount to cover energy. The state agreed....
The Roosevelt Island residents directly impacted by the submetering attempt by Urban American are tenants at Roosevelt Landings, formerly known as Eastwood which was privatized and taken out of the Mitchell Lama program several years ago.
Why do Roosevelt Landings/Eastwood tenants object to electricity submetering for their apartments? Roosevelt Island Assembly Member Micah Kellner answered that question in a June 2010 post.
... The submetering plan at Eastwood presented a host of problems for tenants. The building’s poor insulation and clunky electric heat would have meant that under submetering, tenants would be paying enormous electric bills just to keep warm in the winter. And the electric charges would be deemed as rent in tenants’ leases–meaning that tenants could be taken to housing court and potentially evicted for nonpayment of their electric bills. Tenants faced the prospect of having to choose between paying the rent and heating their homes...
Image of Mr. Kellner Speaking at 2009 Eastwood/Roosevelt Landings Submetering Forum
Mr. Kellner replied:
The Crains’ article was factually inaccurate— All that the PSC has done with their most recent decision is reaffirm what they previously stated. Specifically, in order to submeter, the Landlord must:
Submit plans to the PSC demonstrating that tenants as a group are not disadvantaged financially as a result of submetering;
Conduct a consultative process in which all interested parties are involved.
Submit documentation showing that individual thermostats have been installed in all apartments with certification from engineer;
Provide tenants with information concerning ways to reduce electricity usage;
Submit documentation that the buildings in question are participating in the NYSERDA Multifamily Performance Program (MPP) and all energy efficiency measures have been fully implemented;
Submit documentation of the installation of Energy Star refrigerators.
Clarify that no tenant can be evicted for non-payment of electric charges
We are still a long ways away from submetering in Urban America’s Harlem buildings and even further away in Roosevelt Landing. For all of buildings, the Landlord must return to the PSC to prove these conditions have been met. Until the day comes when thermostats are being installed in individual apartments, we will not know if they are truly serious about energy efficiency.
The Public Service Commission decision is not yet publicly available. Will post it when it is. The bottom line according to Mr. Kellner is that nothing has changed in regard to Urban American's attempt to submeter electricity usage at Roosevelt Landings/Eastwood due to this recent Public Service Commission decision.
Image of April 2011 Roosevelt Island Residents Association Meeting
The Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) will be meeting 8 PM tonight, May 4, at the Good Shepherd Community Center (543 Main Street). The Agenda for the meeting is below. As always, prior to the start of each meeting there is a public session in which any resident can come and address the Common Council Delegates on any issue of concern.
If you have any questions to ask Senator Serrano's staff or are in need of any assistance that may require the help of your elected representative stop on by RIOC HQ. Also, bring photocopies of any paperwork related to your situation so that the Serrano staff can effectively and efficiently address the issue.
RIRA – ISLAND SERVICES COMMITTEE (ISC) REPORT TO THE COMMON COUNCIL MEETING, 5/5/11
Updates on the key issues ISC is working on:
Red Bus –Schedule, Stops, Strollers – RIRA (President, Planning & Island Services Committees)met with RIOC (Martinez & Cy Opperman)| on 4/25/11 to review Red Bus. We agreed on the following: Schedule – The buses are now operating close to schedule. The main problem causing delays is double parked vehicles on Main St. in Northtown. RIRA suggested that RIC might want to prohibit parking on Main St. at selected locations from 7 am to 9 am on weekday mornings. The key to maintaining a schedule is proper headway between buses. Opperman or another RIOC person will meet or dispatch buses at the Octagon and/or the subway/Tram stops during rush hours.
Stops- The East Tram bus stop will be the principal place to discharge passengers and load passengers. Buses will also dwell here as necessary. The West Tram bus stop, at the kiosk, will probably be retained as a service for Goldwater employees and other passengers from Sportspark and the tennis facility.
Strollers – RIOC agreed to studying and changing the policy of not letting strollers on during rush hours. We expect that the no-strollers policy will be eliminated or substantially modified in the next few months. If the policy is changed, RIO\C will need help from RIRA in explaining to parents and other residents proper protocol for using the buses during rush hours.
Pedestrian Safety Barrier on RI Bridge – We have not received an official response From the NYC DOT to our letter outlining a safety problem at the RI Bridge. However, our “informers” at DOT say that the issue is circulating around the organization.
Public Library – Senator Serranoʼs office informed us that the grant for the Public Library is expected to be $300K.
Aaron Hamburger, Chair - ISC
February 2011: RIRA Housing Committee Minutes
By Russell Fields
The Committee met on 2/27/11 and the attendees included Lorraine Williams, Romano Reid , Russell Fields, Ellen Polivy, and Committee Chairwoman Helen Chirivas.
Our Committee met to consider the following:
1. HEAP – Home Energy Assistance Program‐ for low income utility expense assistance. Ellen and Steve Heller are planning a meeting with a lawyer from the Urban Justice center to assist eligible residents of all buildings with filing problems.
2. Discussion of Jose Serrano’s submetering legislation securing that all housing allowances will be fair to all affected tenants in NYS; currently in State Senate Committee.
3. Formation of a Housing Subcommittee called, HOUSING CONCERNS AND CHALLENGES to deal with the following issues (see attached resolution) a) Adequate disclosure of utility status for each building when referring to the building in common usage, b) Accepting housing related complaints at the RIRA mail box and by email for referral to building committees, state agencies, and designated parties and follow‐up thereon. c) Conducting electronic surveys on housing issues and satisfaction ratings for all buildings and publishing the results.
4. In addition concerns over the ongoing affordability were discussed including possible solutions.
5. There is considered to be inadequate disclosure in clear language as to the how the buildings are heated and if their utility bills are submetered. We are concerned that non disclosure might cause a surprise burden to potential tenants. We believe that for a potential tenant to make an informed decision, this information must be available at the time of decision making. Russell is researching which buildings already disclose this information on their websites or in their marketing literature and what they say.
Southern Development Review – a sub-committee of the RIRA Planning Committee April 28, 2011
Last Thursday, we had the first in-person meeting of the SD (Science Center) Sub- committee of the RIRA Planning and Resident's council. We agreed that there are the following broad categories of discussion.
• Transportation - during construction and once the new facility opens.
• Integration - this includes ideas about the RFP-winner being able to leverage existing facilities either currently on the island or planned for it, ingress/egress for the new physical plant (i.e. a strong preference not to have a gated community inaccessible to residents) and other items of discussion.
• Facilities - this dovetails with the above.
• Logistics - among other things this includes thinking through waste removal via the "avac" system, construction loads over the helix roadway from Queens and the issues around the possibility of simultaneous construction projects if Southtown's planned additional residences are being built at the same time.
• Youth - how could the science center be of value to our youth? What might be a reasonable partnership with bid winner in terms of local schools and programs?
• Idealized conceptions - while there are many, one of the most interesting is the suggestion of a bio-medical engineering program to be developed to work in conjunction with Coler hospital at the North end.
Our next steps are to further refine each line item under the above and work with RIOC to arrange a discussion with NYEDC regarding our ideas and suggestions. We will be meeting again within the next few weeks. If any island resident would like to join the committee now is the time. Given the announced schedule, we need to work quickly to assist in optimizing the outcome for Roosevelt Island and the eventual designee."
Denise Shull Chair - SD sub-committee May 1, 2011
If you are interested in learning more about what is happening on Roosevelt Island, come on down to tonight's RIRA meeting. Sometimes, it can get quite exciting, in a Roosevelt Island sort of way.
I am unable to attend tonight's meeting so if anyone wishes to report on what happened please let me know.
Victory for Tenants: Kellner Submetering Bill Passes Assembly
When the management at the Eastwood housing complex on Roosevelt Island attempted to impose a potentially disastrous plan to directly charge tenants for their electricity use—a practice called submetering, which would have resulted in a massive de facto rent increase—I successfully worked with the building’s tenants to stop the scheme in its tracks. But the victory at Eastwood demonstrated the need to enshrine strong tenant protections into law, to ensure that residents of Eastwood and buildings across the state are never faced with this threat again.
The submetering plan at Eastwood presented a host of problems for tenants. The building’s poor insulation and clunky electric heat would have meant that under submetering, tenants would be paying enormous electric bills just to keep warm in the winter. And the electric charges would be deemed as rent in tenants’ leases–meaning that tenants could be taken to housing court and potentially evicted for nonpayment of their electric bills. Tenants faced the prospect of having to choose between paying the rent and heating their homes.
I am proud to report that the Assembly has passed a critical tenant protection bill which I introduced in response to this threat. The bill (A. 7353-A) prohibits landlords from deeming electrical charges as rent. The enactment of this legislation would mean that tenants would no longer be faced with the possibility of eviction in the event that they are unable to pay their electric bills. It will also help guarantee that tenants are able to exercise their rights as energy consumers, and, if necessary, get assistance in paying their bills.
The bill still needs to pass the State Senate and be signed by the Governor before it becomes law.
Some good news for residents of Roosevelt Island's former Mitchell Lama Eastwood buildings, recently renamed Roosevelt Landings by Urban American (the new owners). The residents will not have to pay submetered electricity charges which some feared could reach as high as $1,000 per month.
The New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) handed these residents a tremendous victory in the ongoing battle to stop Urban American from imposing unfair electricity submetering charges. According to Assembly Member Micah Kellner, who has been leading the fight against the unjust imposition of electricity submetering:
"I cannot thank Chairman Brown and the Commissioners and staff of the Public Service Commission enough for today’s groundbreaking decision to permanently stay the submetering orders for Roosevelt Landings, Frawley Plaza, Metro North, and the Alpacas I&II.
“Initially when I challenged the PSC’s approval of submetering at Roosevelt Landings, the PSC issued a temporary stay. Now that the Commission has made that stay permanent, tenants can rest assured that they will not be subjected to any submetering scheme without their full consultation and basic tenant protections to ensure they are not unduly burdened.
“The PSC’s decision today promises a brighter future that doesn’t pit tenant rights against environmental goals—it proves that we can do both. The protections won are meaningful acknowledgements of what has been a deeply flawed process from a tenants’ rights perspective—and while more needs to be done, there is no question that we are moving in the right direction.
“The Commission’s order addresses the need for tenants to be protected from illegal eviction proceedings that are too often brought over unpaid utility bills. It also acknowledges that asking tenants to use energy more efficiently means requiring landlords to give tenants the tools that make this possible, such as installing thermostats in electrically-heated buildings.
“While I am pleased with the victories won today, more work needs to be done to ensure that tenants are treated fairly. Some of the requirements do not go far enough—for instance, I do not believe that submetering should ever be allowed in the minority of buildings left in New York City that use electic heat. At a minimum, I will continue to push for the metering of electric heating to be separated out from other electrical uses.
“Also, while this order relates to four specific buildings—creating tremendous precedent for future cases—the reality is that these basic tenant protections should be clearly written into law so that all New Yorkers share the same rights and are governed by the same rules".
The 9/18/09 Daily News reported on this decision by the PSC:
... When they received mock bills last year many were shocked to discover their monthly power bills could be up to $1,000....
"Our goal has always been to provide greater efficiency ... in order to reduce our environmental impact," said Douglas Eisenberg, Urban American's chief operating officer.
But Assemblyman Micah Kellner (D-Manhattan)"You can't ask someone to freeze to death because the heating system in the building is old and inefficient," said Kellner.
Under Thursday's ruling, Urban American could still sub-meter the complex if it installs thermostats in every unit, makes the complex more energy efficient and can prove tenants will not get unreasonably high bills.
"We need to ensure that low-income residents are not unduly harmed by electricity bills when buildings are submetered," PSC spokeswoman Anne Dalton said....
More information from earlier posts available here on Urban American's attempt to impose submetering electricity charges on Roosevelt Island's Eastwood/Roosevelt Landings residents.
Roosevelt Island Dogs has statement by Eastwood/Roosevelt Landings tenant leader Joyce Mincheff.
Thanks for the credit but there are so many unsung heroes that they're just too numerous to mention!
There's all those folks who took action and placed the pink piglets in their windows, provided the board with data and helped keep the building informed by posting information and placing flyers under each apartment door on multiple occassions!...
2/8 RIRA Town Hall Meeting with RIRA President Farance & RIOC Directors Kalkin and Shinozaki
RIRA President Frank Farance sends the following report to Roosevelt Island residents. This message was also published as the RIRA column in the 2/21/09 Main Street WIRE (PDF File). Mr. Farance addresses issues on the proposed Eastwood/Roosevelt Landings Submetering, RIOC Budget Analysis, PS/IS 217, Public Purpose Funds and the Red Bus.
1. Temporary relief for Roosevelt Landings (Eastwood) residents on submetering. Two weeks ago, Roosevelt Landings residents filled the RIRA Common Council meeting and requested RIRA to take action. I thank Assemblymen Kellner and his staff, RIRA Housing Committee Co-Chairs Lynn Strong-Shinozaki and Joyce Mincheff, Roosevelt Landings Residents Association Chair Joyce Mincheff, and fellow RL Common Councilers Helen Chrivas and Russell Fields. On Friday, February 6, Lynn and I visited Urban American offices to deliver a clear message: (1) the issue isn't submetering per se, but raising housing costs, (2) a typical 2-bedroom apartment uses approximately $500 in energy costs, yet the subsidy is only $100-$200 which makes this, effectively, and increase in housing costs, (3) Rand Engineering did a study at Island House (similar construction as RL) and estimated only 10% energy reduction for submetering, (4) heaters need to have thermostats (who would manually adjust your heat for energy efficiency while you sleep?), and most importantly (5) the residents of Roosevelt Island, not just Eastwood, will not stand for these unconscionable increases. Hopefully, temporary stay ordered by the PSC will evolve into a permanent solution.
2. RIOC Budget Analysis Committee. The committee includes Matthew Katz (former RIRA President), Steve Marcus (former RIRA President), Geof Kerr (RIRA Auditor), Margie Smith (Chair of RIRA Government Relations Committee) and is co-chaired by myself and Russell Fields (RIRA Treasurer). As a reminder, RIOC doesn't want to do financial planning for more than 5 years, they're spending is large ($72 million in capital improvements over the next 5 years), and their cash balance will be low (in relative terms) for supporting the maintenance of the Island through 2068 — we might run out of money in 10 to 20 years. We have met twice with RIOC. We have not yet received the financial information we requested, such as Excel spreadsheets (to explore the basis for decision-making), database dump, and other supporting documents. I've attached E-mail correspondence. RIOC President Steve Shane says: (1) RIOC expects to spend about $5-8 million annually on capital improvements, (2) Island maintenance averages about $3-4 million a year and there is no need for more details because we can't predict when a piece of infrastructure will break, (3) if there is some extraordinary confluence of maintenance costs, we'll ask the City and State for financial help. Honestly, that's not a financial plan — that's flying by the seat of your pants and wishful thinking for City and State funding. It is clear that we won't have the $72 million to spend next time it in the next 10, 15, or 25 years. It is possible to plan better but RIOC chooses not to (RIOC Board member Michael Shinozaki agrees). If you look at all the financial disasters in our present economy and their causes, such as Optimistic Planning for Sunny Days and Short-Range Myopia Because The Disaster Will Strike After I'm Gone, you'll find them right here on Roosevelt Island. What to do? I spoke with Assemblymen Kellner's office and they suggested: (1) asking RIOC board members to insist upon a longer perspective before approving the current budget (directors: you have a fiduciary responsibility!), (2) contacting the State Comptrollers office, the Governor's budget office, and/or the Inspector General.
3. PS/IS 217 Principal to Address RIRA Common Council. Mandana Beckman is planning on addressing the March 4 RIRA Common Council meeting. We look forward to productive collaboration between PS/IS 217 and RIRA.
4. Public Purpose Grants. We received 8 grant applications. Steve Marcus is heading the RIRA subcommittee to review the applications. RIRA expects to make recommendations to RIOC on March 4 and RIOC has this agenda item on its March 26 board meeting.
5. Red bus service still poor. As many of us point out, having a GPS or a bus stop status sign doesn't make the buses run better. For example, on Tuesday night, the bus arrives at Good Shepherd at 7:43 PM (later than what the GPS system reports), which is just enough time to miss the 7:45 tram, which adds another 15 minutes to travel time. When we arrive at the tram, there are three buses (see picture): the 7:45 tram is unloading into the first bus, the second bus will wait another 15 minutes, and our bus will wait 30 minutes. Translated: two buses are sitting idle not servicing other riders on the Island, thus we wait a long while for buses. The GPS system doesn't help, only RIOC management can help (but continues to refuse).
Also, below are Mr. Farance's remarks made to the RIOC Board during the Town Hall portion of the 2/19 RIOC Board of Directors meeting concerning RIOC's financial and budgetary process.
Hello, I'm Frank Farance, President of RIRA
Today, I'd like to express several concerns about financial matters about RIOC.
RIRA has strong concerns about the financial viability of RIOC and we've formed a subcommittee to provide this kind of analysis. So far our concerns are not yet resolved. We have requested information, including spreadsheets, supporting financial data, etc., which RIOC said it will provide, yet we have not yet received the information in a timely manner. Continually, we see a lack of appropriate methodology. For example, RIOC refuses to commit to long-term financial planning for capital projects ... RIOC's methodology is "we're spending about $3-4 million, who can predict when a pipe will break, so why plan?". Based upon that reasoning, the profession of actuaries would not exist. Likewise, DHCR wouldn't be asking for 10-20 year budgets from Mitchell-Lama buildings, which include similar kinds of infrastructure with the same kind of risk -- who can tell exactly which year a 15-year elevator will break, but it is properly budgeted in a long term plan. If this kind of planning is mandated for DHCR, why does RIOC pretend such planning is impossible?
Today, RIOC announced a $20 million budgetary mistake. Could this be a direct result of RIOC's lack of financial methodology? RIOC CFO Steve Chironis says that your budget is comprise of a dozen of individual files -- not a single linked file. This kind of methodology would not pass an Excel 101 class and would not pass muster for any financial office. Had RIOC been more cooperative on sharing data in appropriate financial data formats (not PDF), these kinds of mistakes might have been identified a week after the budget had been released, not a month and a half later. What other mistakes exist? Again, RIOC still has not provided the financial information in a timely manner.
So now RIOC is off by 50% in its cash projections. Your spending $72 million in the next 5-year cycle, you'll be left with $19 million in the bank. What happens in 20 to 25 years when you have to spent $72 million again ... and again in the 20 to 25 years after that?
If you look at all the financial disasters in our present economy and their causes, such as Optimistic Planning for Sunny Days and Short-Range Myopia Because The Disaster Will Strike After I'm Gone, you'll find them right here on Roosevelt Island.
Remember, RIOC staff **chooses** not to use accepted financial planning methodology and rationalizes this by saying "the State of New York does not require it". Directors, how do you square this with your fiduciary responsibility. New York State, why do you find this acceptable?
Assemblymen Kellner's office has two suggestions:
Suggestion #1: Asking RIOC board members to insist upon informing yourself with longer perspective before approving the current budget.
Suggestion #2: Contacting the State Comptrollers office, the Governor's budget office, and/or the Inspector General.
Today, I hope the RIOC board members immediately act upon suggestion #1. And I hope RIOC immediately provides RIRA with the financial information.
Thank you.
The web cast of the Board of Directors meeting is available here, but the Town Hall portion of the evening is not web cast.
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.
