Voting Results Are In For RIOC Board Nominee Candidates - 951 Roosevelt Island Residents Cast Ballots But Objections Raised To Validity Of Election Process

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Government Relations Committee Chairperson Joyce Short reports on the results of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board Director Nominee Candidate election

held April 18-19.

Image Of Southtown RIOC Board Director Candidate Nominee Voting

According to Ms Short:

The RIOC VOTE is in!

It literally took a village..... 30+ volunteers, at 12 sites, who devoted 90+ man-hours of labor!

951 Roosevelt Island Residents cast their ballots for their preferences for RIOC Board Members. Here are the results:

1. Lydia Tang 558 Votes
2. Brian Bower 470 Votes
3. Mark Block 464 Votes
4. Michael Shinozaki 432 Votes
5. Eduardo Janey 429 Votes
6. Howard Polivy 287 Votes
7. David Kraut 235 Votes

Thanks for the hard work of each and every volunteer who made this process possible!

Aaron Hamburger
Barbara Brooks
Barbara Parker
Bill Weiss
Chris Gasman
Cindy Wilkerson
Dave Evans
Dimaura Cole
Emma Felix
Fereil Sanders
Ike Nahem
Joan Markey
Judy Knorton
Kasia Krause
Laura Hussey
Lorraine Altman
Mary Cavanaugh
Matthew Katz
Melissa Wade
Mickey Rindler
Nancy Bredice
Nellie Finnegan
Noah Keating
Patrice Herlihy
Pia Doane
Rochelle Liss
Sally Hamburger
Scott Piro
Sheldon Brooks
Scott Piro
Vicky Feinmel
Wendy Hersh

Special thanks to Margie Smith who helped educate our candidates and the community about the importance of this vote. And extra appreciation to Bill Weiss and Laura Hussey who gave additional time to help tally the voting results.

And special thanks to the Managing Agents at 455 Main St, Rivercross, Manhattan Park, Westview, Island House, Octagon and Roosevelt Landings for their help in providing tables and access to their lobbies for this important vote!

Video of the April 12 Meet the RIOC Board Nominee Candidate night is here.

Howard Polivy, David Kraut and Michael Shinozaki are long time RIOC Board Directors currently serving. Mr. Polivy and Mr. Kraut did not give their permission to be placed on the election ballot and were not participants in any pre-election publicity.  Mr. Shinozaki did agree to participate in the election. All the other nominee candidates actively participated in the election process.

The election is not without controversy. Claims of ballot fraud, which I am not going to get into right now, have been raised. Click here to read all about the election controversy in this comments thread.

RIRA Government Relations Chair Joyce Short Discusses Grassroots Community Organizing With Roosevelt Island's NY State Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright In MNN TV Interview - "There Has To Be A Difference Between How You Run A Government And How You Run A Corporation" Says Ms. Short

On Now: #RepresentNYC feat. @Rebecca76AD & reps from @e72na & the Roosevelt Island Residents Association https://t.co/PCHSGmpJTd pic.twitter.com/cDOA16eEYv

— MNN (@MNN59) November 14, 2016

Roosevelt Island's NY State Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright hosted a discussion of grassroots community organizing televised by the Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN). Participating in the discussion was Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Government Relations Committee Chair Joyce Short.

According to MNN:

As the eyes and ears of the city, New Yorkers play an important role in bringing the issues of our communities to the attention of elected officials.

On this episode of “Represent NYC,” District 76 Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright discusses the importance of grassroots community organizing in promoting a better quality of life for all with her guests Elizabeth Patrick, vice president of the East 72nd Street Neighborhood Association, and Joyce Short, committee chair of government operation for the Roosevelt Island Residents Association.

Ms Short reported on:

• the pecuilar  nature of Roosevelt Island governance by a State Public Benefit Corporation (RIOC) and the resulting difficulties which arise ("there has to be a difference between how you run a business and how you run a government." she said) , and
• development of the Cornell Tech campus and it's impact on  the quality of life for Roosevelt Island residents.

Ms Short added:

... we were particularly disappointed with the oversight of the impacts of Cornell on the community and as it develops we are hoping our elected officials will help protect the lifestyle of Roosevelt Islanders....

Ms Seawright responded:

Absolutely... 

and proposed that Cornell Tech provide free classes to Roosevelt Island residents.

Here's the full interview.


Represent NYC: Grassroots Community Organizing with Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright from Manhattan Neighborhood Network on Vimeo.

Help Serve And Represent Our Community, Roosevelt Island Residents Association Common Council Building Elections November 8 - Nomination Forms Now Available

Are you interested in serving the Roosevelt Island community by becoming a member of the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Common Council?

RIRA's Election Nomination Committee Chair Adib Mansour tells you how:

RIRA ELECTION IS COMING SOON! Serve your community and be part of this organization that is making a difference for a better life on Roosevelt Island.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH RIRA:

It has been an honor to be part of the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) for the last two years. I’ve always heard of this volunteer-run organization whose members are elected by Roosevelt Island residents to improve our community and tackle any and all issues. In the first several weeks, I sat back and learned from all the members that have graciously served on the Common Council. I saw an opportunity to pitch in and offered to run an island-wide survey to take a snapshot parts of the island, in all the buildings. Five months later, more than 700 survey-takers have given us ample information and data to address at the end of this term and in the next term.

All the monthly meetings I attended were filled with collaborative efforts to take on different issues with Common Council members chairing an abundance of committees. These include the Planning Committee:

• that has worked on Emergency Preparedness, 
• transportation, 
• the impact of Cornell on our daily lives, and 
• short/long term parking, to name a few issues. 

Also noteworthy is the Social, Cultural & Education Committee:

• which taught several hundred residents Hands-Only CPR, 
• organized island-wide events, including the Cherry Blossom Festival, the Egg Hunt Event, and the ongoing NYC Compost Project. 

Other committees include the:

• Island Blood Drive in its 14th annual year benefiting the New York Blood Center; 
• the Government Relations Committee, which serves as liaison to local elected officials, and 
• the Public Purpose Fund Committee, which organizes the requests submitted by Island nonprofits for grants funded by RIOC.

The Youth Initiative Committee I chaired has organized numerous events for the youth of the island, including presentations by world-renowned chefs on Italian culture and cuisine and how their passions for culinary art became a worldwide business and established them as cultural messengers.

Other undertakings include the Make It Count Leadership Project that teaches young students how a bank works and exposes them to new job opportunities in the financial field, as well as budgeting and organizing activities and events for the Seniors on the island and earning recognition for their leadership engagement.

The rewards of serving are far greater than the time commitment of three hours per month to enrich the lives of our neighbors and community. Anyone who is at least 18 years old may serve, regardless of citizenship or nationality.

RIRA ELECTIONS:

RIRA will hold its next election for representatives on November 8th, and we invite you to be part of this organization. If you are interested in making a difference on Roosevelt Island, please contact me, Adib Mansour, Chair of the Election Nomination Committee at riradib@earthlink.net so we can arrange a conversation about RIRA and how you might participate as an elected representative.

NOMINATION FORM:

RIRA 2016 Nomination Form

Here is link to the RIRA Nomination Form in case you are interested. Nomination forms are also available at the Public Safety Department Office (550 Main Street) and New York Public Library Roosevelt Island branch (524 Main Street). Nomination forms are available until October 25.

If you would like to have a chat and further discuss the nomination process and any questions you might have about RIRA in general or any other inquiries, please contact me.

Nomination Forms should be deposited in the red box at the Public Safety vestibule NO LATER THAN TUESDAY OCTOBER 25 2016, 9PM. You may run for the Common Council as well as President and Vice President positions. Please refer to the nomination form for more details.

ELECTIONS INFORMATION:

RIRA’s elections are also on November 8th.

Candidates should plan to attend the following:

• Common Council Candidates Night: November 1st, 2016 - 8PM - To be announced in the Roosevelt Islander as well as the WIRE.

• President and Vice President: November 2nd, 8PM - Good Shepherd.

The RIRA) Common Council will meet this evening, October 5, at 8:00 PM in the Good Shepherd Community Center (543 Main Street).

As always, prior to the start of each monthly meeting there is a Public Session in which residents can come and address the Common Council Delegates on any issue of concern.

Here's the Agenda for the final meeting of the 2014-16 RIRA Common Council.

Perhaps next month you will be representing your Roosevelt Island building on the RIRA Common Council.

Contact RIRA Nomination Committee Chair Adib Mansour if you are interested in running or just want some more information.

NYC Public Advocate Letitia James Holding Roosevelt Island Town Hall Meeting Hosted By NY State Senator Jose Serrano Wednesday August 5 - Bring Your Questions & Concerns

NYC Public Advocate Letitia James will be holding a Roosevelt Island Town Hall Meeting hosted by NY State Senator Jose Serrano 6- 8 PM Wednesday August 5 at Good Shepherd Community Center.

According to the NYC Public Advocate web site:

The Office of Public Advocate for the City of New York is a citywide elected position in New York City, which is first in line to succeed the Mayor. The office serves as a direct link between the electorate and city government, effectively acting as an ombudsman, or "watchdog," for New Yorkers by providing oversight for city agencies, investigating citizens' complaints about city services and making proposals to address perceived shortcomings or failures of those services.

Public Advocate James is a non-voting member of the New York City Council with the right to introduce and co-sponsor legislation. Public Advocate James is also charged with appointing members to various boards and commissions, including one member of the New York City Planning Commission. Public Advocate James serves on the committee which selects the director of the Independent Budget Office. These duties are laid out in Section 24 of the City Charter.

On November 5, 2013, Letitia "Tish" James was elected as the fourth Public Advocate for the City of New York. She began her term on January 1, 2014....

Bring your questions and concerns to the NYC Public Advocate's attention at the August 5 Roosevelt Island Town Hall Meeting.

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Government Relations Committee Chair Joyce Short shares this list of concerns.

Here are some of the most pressing issues we face in our community, and it would be wise for the Public Advocate to be prepared on these topics:

• Con Ed's gas line installation down Main Street, our ONLY traffic corridor
• The unreasonable expectation that RIOC should charge high fees to the non-profit organizations that support the quality of life in our community.
• The negative impact of RIOC's policies to charge the community for the use of recreational fields, prohibiting our children from the use of our fields in favor of the paying permit holders.
• Failure of Westview and Island House's landlord (Hishchorn) to disclose the actual costs that will fall on the resident's shoulders if their buildings are converted without performing the energy upgrades to convert to submetering.
• Lack of merchants and commercial services on Main Street
• Cornell's lack of contribution to the community including no financial backing for school programming even though they claim to have "adopted" our school. (You actually need to feed the children you adopt.)
• Failure of Cornell to address the pressure on public services such as Public Safety and use of recreational fields that will result from their increased population
• Failure of NYC to address the pressure on public services such as Public Safety and use of recreational fields that will result from Cornell's increased population
• Greatly increased revenues to NYC as a result of the creation of Cornell-Tech with absolutely NO contribution pay-back to the community, by the City.
• The State of NY floated a bond issue to develop Roosevelt Island as a low and middle income community. But the conversion of the last two Mitchel Lama properties eliminates all subsidized housing stock in the community. What can your office do to insure that the residents receive the best protections for affordability?
• Roosevelt Island is a community in excess of 14,000 people who are governed by a Public Benefit Corporaton, not by elected government. RIOC is comprised of board members who are appointed by the Governor. Even though we have nominated people to serve on the board, Governor Cuomo has ignored those recommendations and has allowed the seats to expire. Just as all residents are entitled to democracy throughout our country, we residents of Roosevelt Island are entitled to democracy here on Roosevelt Island. What can you do to bring a democratic process of government to Roosevelt Island?

I would add having the NYC Department of Transportation improve bike safety on the Roosevelt Island Bridge by covering over the metal grated bike lane

 Image of Roosevelt Island Bridge Metal Grill Bike Path and Roadway

which is very slippery when wet. This issue has been known by DOT since at least 2011.

Ms. James was the guest on July 2 episode of CB 8 Speaks discussing issues concerning the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island. Here's what she had to say.



What would you like to ask Ms. James?

Report From Roosevelt Island Residents Association President Jeff Escobar - You're Invited To Join RIRA Planning, Communications, Services, Housing, Governance & Other Committees, Happy Thanksgiving Too

  Image Of 2014-16 RIRA Common Council (RIRA President Jeff Escobar Kneeling Wearing Suit)

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Jeff Escobar sends the following Report To The Community:

Friends and Neighbors,

At the December 3, 2014 Common Council meeting, the Common Council will be reconstituting its committees, as well as electing and seating each committee’s chairs. The bulk of the work that the new Common Council will do this term will be completed in these committees. As has been reported in the past, any member of RIRA – and by virtue of one’s residency on the Island, every resident is automatically a member of RIRA – can serve on a committee. Here is a quick glimpse of some of what the committees currently have on this term’s agenda:

The Communications Committee is undertaking an overhaul of the website www.RIRAonline.com. The goal is to transform it to a useful resource for residents seeking current information about activities and groups on Roosevelt Island, and to serve as an electronic repository for official documents. The committee will also be undertaking an initiative to use social media and other forms of electronic publication to keep Island Residents apprised in “real-time” of the ongoing activities of the Island. Residents who are skilled in web development and writing are invited to contact the current Communications Committee chair Janet Falk at janetlfalk@yahoo.com for more details.

The Planning Committee this near term will be largely focused on infrastructure and transportation safety. With the advent of the Cornell campus coming online to full construction-mode in 2015, coupled with the tragic accident involving one of our neighbors who collided with a Red Bus, infrastructure and transportation safety will be the focus as RIRA works to find real solutions for the Island. Recently, the group reported its thorough discussion of the lighting and roadways where bicycle traffic proceeds; bicycle and pedestrian use of the promenades vs. Main Street; and the role of Public Safety in issuing violations for failure to yield and observe stop signs. During just that short discussion, there was general agreement that a traffic light should be installed at the base of the helix; “sharrows” or shared roadway arrows should be painted in the promenade roads; and lighting must be improved at all crosswalks. Pending further research and study, a resolution(s) prepared by this Committee will be submitted to the Common Council to be recommended to RIOC and all City public agencies.

As Hudson Related finishes work on its seventh tower, with the eight and ninth towers waiting in the wings, in 2015 the Planning Committee, Island Services Committee and the RIRA President will be calling for a number of Town Hall meetings and hearings with Hudson Related, RIOC, the City and Island Residents and Stakeholders to study the impacts – including environmental, social and economic impacts – that the construction of the seventh and remaining towers will have on the Island as it struggles with the construction of the Cornell Campus. Similarly, the Main Street Retail Advisory Committee will be pushing for the planning and completion of the lease-up of the remaining retail spaces on Main Street in 2015, setting forth their recommendations for the currently empty storefronts.

The above is just a glimpse of the work and initiatives that the RIRA Common Council Committees will be undertaking this new term. From Government Relations and Housing, to SC&E (Social, Cultural and Education) and Public Safety, there exists a committee which is calling for you, as an Island Resident, to come and serve. Interested in joining a committee or finding out more information? Attend the next RIRA Common Council meeting on Wednesday, December 3rd at 8:00pm in the Good Shepherd Center, or reach out and contact RIRA President Jeff Escobar at jeffrey.escobar@gmail.com.

Turning from service on RIRA Committees to service on the Common Council, an Orientation for New Representatives was held on Thursday, November 20. Topics included procedures of working within committees and bringing motions to the Common Council for discussion, as well as answering questions of new members. In addition, a presentation was made by Mickey Rindler, Chair of the Ethics Committee, on the recent requirements of New York State regarding disclosure of potential conflicts of interest, as well as a presentation by Lynne Shinozaki, a past SC&E Committee Chair, and Sherie Helstien, RIRA Vice-President, on what it means to serve on the Common Council and work being completed by committees.

If you are interested in serving on the RIRA Common Council, which meets monthly, there are still a few seats on the Octagon, Manhattan Park, Southtown and Roosevelt Landings delegations. Take the opportunity to perform direct advocacy by representing your building neighbors on the Common Council. Please reach out to either RIRA President Jeff Escobar at jeffrey.escobar@gmail.com or Aaron Hamburger, Chair of the Nominations Committee, at ashamburger33@gmail.com for more information. 



Lastly, as we approach the Thanksgiving Holiday, the RIRA Common Council wishes to extend a joyous Happy Thanksgiving from our families to yours. Please take a moment to look back and reflect on the blessings of this past year, as well as remember those in our community who are less fortunate and in need. Whether through a donation to a local food pantry, handing out food at our City’s overburdened shelters, or pitching in at the dinner at the Senior Center, hopefully each of us will find a way to help everyone have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Your RIRA Common Council

Search For New Roosevelt Island Operating Corp President To Begin, RIOC Governance Committee Meeting Tomorrow To Discuss Procedures For Executive Job Search - Battery Park City Looking For New President Too

Image From The Northerner

As reported last week:

... the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board of Directors selected current General Counsel Donald Lewis to be the Interim Acting RIOC President succeeding Leslie Torres who resigned for still unknown reasons....

and:

RIOC Board announced that the Governance Committee will meet next week to develop procedures to conduct an executive search for a new President.

According to RIOC, the Governance Committee will meet tomorrow to discuss conducting an executive search for a new President:

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a meeting of the Governance Committee of the RIOC Board of Directors will be held on Thursday, October 11, 2012 at 5:30 p.m. at the RIOC administrative office, 591 Main Street, Roosevelt Island, New York.

AGENDA

1. Discussion of RFP for Executive Search Firm;
2. Any Other Committee Business That May be Brought Before the Committee.

The RIOC Board has the independent statutory authority to hire and fire the RIOC President. In the past, the NY State Governor made it known to the RIOC Board who should be appointed as RIOC President and the RIOC Board acquiesced. With the decision to use an executive search firm to seek out job candidates for the current position, it appears as though the RIOC Board is seeking to exercise its proper authority over the Corporation. We shall see how this plays out going forward. (An audio web cast of the meeting will be available within a few days.)

At the same time that RIOC is seeking a new President, so is the Battery Park City Authority, which is a NY State Public Benefit Corporation similar to RIOC and whose President also recently resigned. The Broadsheet Daily reports on the search for a new Battery Park City Authority President:

For the first time in almost 20 years, the presidency of the Battery Park City Authority is vacant, without a clear successor waiting to take the helm at the agency that manages neighborhood. This may represent both a challenge and an opportunity: The Authority's new chairman, Dennis Mehiel, will have to function as a de facto CEO until the new president is appointed. But the community also may be able, for the first time, to influence the selection process that will determine who exercises day-to-day management over the neighborhood in years to come....

and asks Battery Park City residents to describe the ideal candidate for the position. Among the responses from community leaders are:

... I think the Battery Park City Authority president should be someone familiar with the downtown community, ideally a resident or a former resident. Such a person would understand what a terrific neighborhood this is, but would also understand the challenges that face us...

and:

... the new CEO should obviously have proven experience in running an organization, and a background in real estate would be helpful. But this person should not be a caretaker or just manage a finance group that collects rent. The right candidate must have the vision, skills and leadership to run a 'green,' sustainable living neighborhood that is made up of homes, small businesses and large corporations....

and:

... somebody with a strong operations background -- this is absolutely necessary -- but also strong administrative and financial experience. The bottom line is that we need somebody who is open and transparent and committed to community, because the Authority works closely with the community on whole panoply of issues....

The Broadsheet Daily also reports that there have been only 3 Presidents of the Battery Park City Authority since the mid 1990's. RIOC has now had 3 Presidents since 2010.

Click here for the entire Broadsheet Daily article.

Any thoughts on the ideal candidate for RIOC President?

UPDATE 10/12 - RIOC Governance Committee decided to issue a RFP seeking an Executive Search firm to find candidates for a new President. Here's a web cast of the meeting.

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Public Purpose Funds Committee Meeting Today/Tomorrow To Discuss Allocation Of $100,000 - RIRA Government Relations Committee Meeting On Wednesday

 Pile Of Money Image From Richwealthpig

The Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Public Purpose Funds Committee will be meeting 7:30 PM tonight and tomorrow at the Seniors Center (546 Main Street). Based upon the Public Purpose Funds Committee work, RIRA will make recommendations to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) for the distribution of $100,000 to Roosevelt Island organizations.

Applications for funds and the amounts sought for the 2010-2011 Public Purpose Funds were received by RIOC from the following Roosevelt Island Organizations:

1.) Roosevelt Island Seniors Association - $ 20,000
2.) Roosevelt Island Disabled Association - $ 9,105
3.) R&R Concerts Inc. - $ 9,600
4.) Island Kids Inc. - $ 25,000
5.) RICLA $ 19,500
6.) PS/IS 217 PTA $ 26,558
7.) RI Historical Society $ 20,000
8.) Life Frames Inc. $ 34,610
----------
Total - $164,373

More on Roosevelt Island Public Purpose Fund from earlier posts.

Also, RIRA's Government Relations Committee will be meeting Wednesday, February 23 at 6:30 PM in the Seniors Center too. (546 Main Street).

All residents of Roosevelt Island are members of RIRA and are welcome to attend the Committee meetings.

Roosevelt Island's Version Of Wikileaks - RIRA Committee Reports Made Available Prior To Tonight's Monthly Meeting

 Image From The Public Record

Roosevelt Island's own version of Wikileaks - below are the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Committee Reports which had been the subject of January 2011 RIRA Censorship Resolution preventing their publication to the public prior to Monthly Meeting.

As you can see from reading these Committee reports, there is absolutely no reason why they cannot be made available to the public prior to the RIRA Monthly Meeting as they had been on this blog for the last two years. Hopefully, RIRA will repeal their Censorship resolution at their meeting later tonight.

Government Relations Committee Report
1/17/11

The Government Relations Committee met on 1/17 to provide background to members concerning the present state of governance on Roosevelt Island and how we got that way. The meeting brought the members of the committee, as well as members of The Maple Tree Group, the sub-committee, together.

Margie Smith, past Chair of GRC, gave the history of the community’s governing structure. Ashton Barfield, immediate past Chair of GRC identified the conditions that relate to the upcoming election, slated for November, 2012 which will fill expired RIOC Board terms for Resident Board Members.

Discussion took place concerning possible alternative governance options and brought to light the statement made recently by our new Governor regarding closing some of the Public Benefit Corporations maintained by the State. The matter is under consideration with no definitive stance.

Dave Evans volunteered to update the contact list of Government Officials and their staffs who represent or interact on Island affairs.

Margie’s information confirmed the role of Government Relations as the connection point between the Common Council and our elected representatives. The GRC should be contacted when any committee or Common Council Member needs to interact with someone who is in an official or elected capacity.
Submitted By: Joyce Mincheff

RIRA – ISLAND SERVICES COMMITTEE (ISC) REPORT TO THE COMMON COUNCIL MEETING 2/2/11

At the 1/12/11 meeting of ISC, we adopted 7 issues to work on:

o Red Bus schedule –Goal is to have a reliable and predictable bus schedule. (Frank Farance will be the lead ISC person for this issue).

o Main St. stores – Objective is to have more and better stores. (Max Long & Alex Fletcher are lead persons.)

o Public Library –Goal is to relocate library to a larger and better space (likely 504 Main St.) and upgrade services and collections. (Marilyn Atkins is lead person.)

o Strollers on Red Bus during rush hours – Change RIOC policy so strollers are allowed on bus at all times. (Frank Farance is lead person.)

o Parks – Monitor operations of new Southpoint Park (which opens in April or May). Correct/improve park regulations and procedures as necessary. (Matt Katz is lead person.)

o Night programs for senior youth – If the Social, Cultural & Educational Committee agrees to lead RIRAʼs efforts on this issue, ISC will join the expected Task Force to work on this issue. (Erin Feeley-Nahem is lead lSC person.)

o Pedestrian safety barrier on Queens side of RI bridge – Goal is to have the Department of Transportation install a pedestrian safety barrier similar to the barrier on the RI side of the bridge. (Jim Bates is lead person.)

Recent developments In mid-January, after meeting with RIRA representatives, RIOC began a 15 minute Red Bus schedule in non-rush hours to see if this will give us the desired reliable and predictable bus schedule. So far, there’s not enough data to know if the plan is working. We’ll need about two months of operation to know if this new schedule is performing as RIOC expects.

Aaron Hamburger, Chair - ISC


Communications Committee Report
Meeting Date: January 24, 2011
Chairs: Ava Dawson & Vini Fortuna
In attendance: Ava Dawson, Vini Fortuna, Matt Katz, Sherie Helstien, John Paul, Frank Farance, Rick O’Connor, Ahmed Darwish, Barbara Allen, Lorena Fortuna and Joseph Terranella (arrived after voting)

Committee Internal Censorship

•    Resolution: Be it resolved that it is our standing policy to make public the minutes, reports and “work products” of this committee with the exception of sensitive information or unless otherwise specified.

o    Unanimous approval: 10-0-0 •    Resolution: Be it resolved that sensitive information will include specific e-mail addresses/contact information, passwords/access codes/credentials, internal urls security codes and proprietary information.

o    Unanimous approval: 10-0-0 •    As a courtesy to the committee, draft committee reports and minutes will be sent to the committee for comment at least 24 hours before being sent to the president for inclusion in the agenda package when possible.

Island Censorship
•    Tabled

Update on Publication of the RIRA Column
•    Matt and Dick have reached an agreement regarding the re-publication of the RIRA column. The RIRA column will be made available for publication on the RIRA website the Wednesday following WIRE distribution at 3pm. A specific credit line will be included in the re-publication. Additionally, past RIRA columns will be made available for publication on the RIRA website. The communications committee thanks Dick Lutz for allowing us to provide more island residents with access to this information.

The RIRA Website

•    The RIRA website, Facebook and Twitter were launched on 1/28/11! The website is available at www.riraonline.com with links to the Facebook and Twitter.

•    Calendar – Barbara, Vini, Matt and Sherie will have posting access to the calendar. Committee chairs will send their meeting times to the calendar address previously specified (please contact the above named for the address if necessary).

•    The communications committee will issue a press release to the WIRE and the Roosevelt Islander Blog when launched.

•    The committee is considering the creation of a forum or group function on the website and will discuss the implementation of such a function at our next meeting.


Subject: RIRA Planning Committee Report 
Date: 2011-01-28
From: Frank Farance

The RIRA Planning Committee met on Wednesday, 2011-01-12 for approximately 90 minutes. We adopted an initial work programme for the remainder of the 2010-2012 term that includes the following six items:

Topic #1: Blackwell Park Planning. Scope: In the prior RIRA session, we had collaborated with RIOC on a Master Plan. We need to provide continuity for RIOC so that community involvement is not lost. The Blackwell Park Subcommittee (of the RIRA Planning Committee) was handling this task. We have new/different members this RIRA session, so we need to make sure there is follow-up.

Topic #2: Long-Term Financial Planning/Budgeting for Roosevelt Island. Scope: In the 1990's there was a state subsidy of $1.6 million. As presented at the November meeting, the RIOC CFO has presented a bleak financial picture. We should be investigating the amount of revenue lost by the lack of State and City taxes returning to Roosevelt Island. By saying "lack", it doesn't mean zero, it means that we aren't getting our fair share. The purpose of this activity would be to research and calculate what our fair share might be, and then to make suggestions on how to acquire that kind of funding and/or services.

Topic #3: Amendments to Roosevelt Island's General Development Plan (GDP). Scope: There is an existing GDP, but more will need to be said about the present and near-future configuration of the Island. One might ask: Why worry about the GDP if most of the development (except Southtown 7-9) is complete? Answer: The GDP also identifies open spaces, parks, etc. and if the GDP becomes a weak document (because both sides, City and State, are ignoring it in residential development areas), then it becomes equally invalid on designation of park spaces and such. This activity would look towards providing revised wording (even though we aren't a party to the contract) and advocacy through the Mayor's office.

Topic #4: Working on an Island-wide evacuation plan. Scope: At present there is no Island-wide evacuation plan, but RIOC has plans for several kinds of emergencies (snow, cold, heat, power failure). Normally, the City's OEM (Office of Emergency Management) coordinates all of this, including ordering evacuations, i.e., the Mayor orders this, not RIOC. The lack of planning for Island-wide evacuations has been a concern of residents for many for years. We plan on working with RIOC, the Roosevelt Island CERT, and the City's OEM.

Topic #5: Main Street and Retail Planning. Scope: We recognize that the master-lease process is ongoing within RIOC, but there is a need for resident input on planning topics that are long- range, not merely short-term questions of providing specific services. We plan on coordinating and collaborating with the RIRA Island Services Committee to formulate RIRA planning positions.

Topic #6: Roosevelt Island Waterfront Planning. Scope: This work involves coordination with the NYC Department of Planning and their "Vision 2020" effort (a comprehensive waterfront plan).

NOTE: The RIRA Planning Committee is free to revise its work at upcoming meetings, based upon priorities and resources. The purpose of establishing a work programme is to announce our intentions for areas of study and recommendation.


SC&E Committee Meeting Notes
Thursday, January 18, 2011, 7pm-9pm

Present: Shinozaki, Katz, Polivy, Helstien, Greene, Darwish, (Nina) Kaul, Feely-Nahem, Reid Absent: Strong, Ferrera, Marcus

We reviewed several ideas that were discussed in our first meeting:

1.    EZGlide 350 Company:    S. Helstien contacted company and got pricings for various size and timings for the possible ice-skating idea.
We discussed more specifically, venue and funding: if outdoors, location and especially security would be major issues; there are three possible outdoor basketball courts (Capobianco, Blackwell or outdoor court behind Sportspark). Security is a real issue as we would have skates, the panels that create the skating surface, rubber matting for the lace-up area to keep secure and protected. If indoors, we might be able to use Sportspark the indoor basketball court. Security would then be no problem. No discussion has been had with RIOC yet. It was decided that we should first meet with Doryne Iseley of Roosevelt Landings to see if Urban America, the RL owners, would be interested in being a part of the funding of this endeavor and if Ms. Islely would be able to then help us get other building managements into the funding circle. We need to know how much each of the building/complex managements would be willing to put into the pot to make this happen. Then we can go to RIOC to talk about spaces they control. We were initially aiming for February, but we may not be able to make it happen that soon. Pricing details below.
Pricing is high: from $10,085 for 2 days (in Feb) up to $16,395 for 14 days. We have pricing in increments from 2 days, 7 days/$12,452, 10 days/$14,088, 14 days. They will offer incremental donations because we are a 501(c)4 non-profit organization.($1000, $1500, $1800, $2800). All pricings include the following:
80 EZ Glide 350 DoveTail panels, EZ Glide Enhancer, 200 pairs of Skates, 560 square feet of Rubber matting for the skate lace-up area, All surface preparation Accessories and Installation materials, Freight to and from venue
RIRA would charge for skate rentals; there is a W hotel in the city that has a skate rink made of this synthetic material. Skating is free, but skate rentals are $12 per pair. We will investigate this further.

2.    Shinozaki and Feely-Nahem, Public Safety Committee Chair, will meet with the Legacy High School President, to discuss RI teen youth issues. We would like to work with the school and their expertise with children to develop a plan Loitering is a problem and the kids need a place to “hang out” from 9pm – midnight. There has been agreement from a sub-committee of Island Services as well, to help and support this effort to find a place for these kids to congregate and socialize.

3.    Helstien and others discussed picking up the Bollywood party. Possible venues again discussed, along with food ideas. Helstien will call Tiffin take-out/restaurant, which advertises with The WIRE and does food delivery on the Island to see if they’re interested and what they might charge for catering. Feely- Nahem has some other food ideas as well.

ACTION ITEMS:

1.    “Welcome Wagon” - L. Shinozaki – Approached the management of Manhattan Park and met with a positive response. Shinozaki will pursue this idea further for that complex. It was decided by the committee that the respective RIRA building reps need to be present for any of these building events. It was originally thought that any of the RIRA reps could be present at any of these WW’s and that may also be possible, but it was recognized as discussion progressed that it would be incumbent on the specific reps to be available during an event for their building, as this is how we link with the community that elected us. Helstien informed the committee that the RIRA website will soon be launched (no date available at the time of this meeting) and that we would like to have some print materials available for these WW sessions talking about the link.
The Committee supports unanimously going ahead with this project and will bring this information to the February Common Council meeting.

2.    “MarketAmerica” - Bob Darwish - We revisited this fundraising program. The link is: http:// marketamerica.na4.acrobat.com/npo The committee voted unanimously to proceed with this and will bring this information to the February Common Council meeting. It costs RIRA nothing, and it has the potential of bringing in some money to RIRA (people shop through this website and a percentage of the money spent comes back to RIRA). SC&E will propose that this program be included as a link on the website as well. This information would be included in print material for the Welcome Wagons. We want to see this site posted on the RIRA website, on Rick O’Conor’s blog site if possible and possibly in The WIRE.

The Committee supports unanimously going ahead with this project and will bring this information to the February Common Council meeting.

Respectfully submitted, Lynn Strong Shinozaki

Interesting to note that the Island Services Committee Report is already on the RIRA Website.

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) June Committee Reports For Island Services, Planning, Government Relations & Mosque Seeking Space

Image of June 2010 RIRA Meeting

Below are the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Committee Reports For Island Services, Planning and Government Affairs presented at the June RIRA meeting by their respective chairs. Subjects included

• Public Library Improvements
• Main Street Stores
• Roosevelt Island 311 System
• Main Street Parking
• Blackwell Park Master Plan and
• Future RIOC Board Appointments as well as others
  

RIRA – ISLAND SERVICES COMMITTEE (ISC REPORT TO COMMON COUNCIL MEETING – 6/2/10

RI Public Library improvements
ISC met with representative of RICLA (Janet Falk & Lorraine Lasker) to discuss what and how to improve the services of our RI branch New York Public Library (NYPL). We developed a priority list of needs. The highest priority need is to relocate the Library to a substantially larger and more suitable space. Other high priority needs are to provide a bathroom, make the Library more accessible to the disabled (including automatic opening doors), more outlets for computers and other electronic equipment, and a meeting room for public gatherings, lectures, book group events, and showing of films. We will continue to expand the “needs” list.

We are encouraged by a report from RIOC (at the Real Estate Committee meeting) that NYPL is very interested in 504 Main as a future site for the Library. Personnel from the NYPL Capital Fund group inspected 504 Main last week. Also, relocating the Library to Southtown Bldg. #7 may be back in play if Bldg. #7 construction begins by early 2011.

Main Street Stores
The RIOC Real Estate Committee is still working on the Master Lease Agreement. However, itʼs expected that the document will be completed and approved by mid-June. If so, the Real Estate Committee will then initiate the bidding process before the end of June.

RI-311
ISC has committed to RIRA President Frank and RIOC Board Member Jonathan Kalkin that we will work to reinstall the RI-311 system on Roosevelt Island. RI-311 is a computer reporting system for residents where various service problems (needed road repairs, safety incidents, bus problems, lighting outages, etc.) can be relayed to the appropriate RIOC department and follow-up reports made.

Joe Terranella has accepted the assignment of making RI-311 happen. He will work with Kalkin and Farance (both are knowledgeable about the “guts”, software and such, of the system). When completed, the system will be presented to RIOCʼs Operating Committee for implementation.

Main St. Parking
Members of ISC are spot checking vehicles parked on Main St. Over the last 3 weeks, we observed that the more aggressive enforcement of parking regulations by Public Safety seems to be working as evidenced by the number of parking tickets issued and the low number of illegally parked vehicles. However, on one day, 5/25/10 afternoon, there were an unacceptable number of illegally parked vehicles – 3 in Southtown and 2 in Northtown. Weʼll continue to monitor the situation thru June.

Aaron Hamburger, ISC Chair

Planning Committee Report – June 2, 2010

RIOC Vice President, Rosina Abramson, has made available an artist’s rendering by landscape architect, Lee Weintraub, which conforms to the RIRA Resolution vote on last January. We shared it with the Blackwell House sub- committee members for their consideration and comments. There being no substantive objections to the drawing, sub-committee chairs, Judy Berdy and I have sent the following comment to Ms. Abramson:

Blackwell Park Sub-Committee of the RIRA Planning Committee Response to the Recent Artists Rendering June 1, 2010

We have shared the Weintraub drawings with the sub-committee members along with a copy of the RIRA Resolution that codifies our expectations for the conceptual planning phase of Blackwell Park. We received no negative comments or requests for clarification or more information. Based on that, we believe that the rendering conforms to the general preferences of the participating community members. Of course, we understand that the conceptual plan encompasses only broad strokes and that the practical details will be found in the design elements to be considered next. Until we understand what those design elements are, where they will be placed and what they (and the entire project) will cost, our support may be construed only for the overall conceptual plan. We look forward to working with you to develop and cost-out those design elements.
Respectfully submitted, Matthew Katz, Chair

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS COMMITTEE – JUNE 2, 2010

Government Relations Committee (GRC)

Ashton Barfield (Chair)
Erin Feely-Nahem
Russell Fields
Sherie Helstien
Matthew Katz
Ellen Polivy

Maple Tree Group (MTG) subcommittee

Ashton Barfield
David Bauer
Linda Heimer
Sherie Helstien
Matthew Katz
Dick Lutz
Nurit Marcus
Joyce Mincheff
Margie Smith

There hasn’t been much GRC or MTG activity in the past month.

We’re still waiting for additional information from Assemblymember Micah Kellner’s office about the term expirations for the RIOC Board seats and the appointment dates for the current resident occupants, to determine when elections will be needed for each Board member, and to evaluate how to coordinate RIOC Board elections with the even-year-November Common Council elections.

There hasn’t been any need to meet.

From now on, I'm going to include the non-MTG members of GRC (Russell Fields, Erin Feely-Nahem, Ellen Polivy) in MTG news, in the hope that they’ll find themselves so interested in its activities that they’ll become involved with it.

Margie has passed along a few updates to the elected-officials contact list, but I haven't yet had time to input them, or to contact the offices (other than Micah’s) to notify them that I'm now the chair.

The only other GRC-related matter is that both Margie and Matt have forwarded to me the East Side Democratic Club endorsements of various candidates. I'm distributing the list to both MTG and all Common Council members via this report (on the second page).

East Side Democratic Club endorsements
May 27, 2010

Senator
Chuck Schumer
Kirsten Gillibrand

Governor
Andrew Cuomo

Lieutenant Governor
Robert J. Duffy

Attorney General
Eric Schneiderman

Controller
Tom DiNapoli

65th Congressional District
Carolyn Maloney

State Senate, 26th District
Liz Krueger

State Senate, 28th District
Jose Serrano

Assembly, 65th District
Micah Kellner

State Committee, 65th Assembly District
Jim Clynes
Ruth Halberg

It was pointed out during the meeting that RIRA does not endorse political candidates but will provide a forum for any candidate wishing to inform the Roosevelt Island community of his or her views.

At the June meeting, RIRA also passed a resolution supporting a request made by members of Roosevelt Island's Islamic community (approximately 200 families they say) seeking premises for the location of a Mosque although the resolution did not state where that might be. (Will post the resolution when I receive a copy of it). The residents seeking space for a Mosque expressed frustration at the slowness of the process with RIOC in trying trying to secure space but were repeatedly assured by RIRA members as well as RIOC Directors present that this was typical with all seeking space from RIOC. 503 Main Street in the Rivercross Building was mentioned as a site being considered for a Mosque.

It will be interesting how any future private sector Master Leaseholder for the Main Street Retail premises accounts for the Roosevelt Island non-profits, (Gallery RIVAA, Thrift Store) including religious institutions, as the Master Leaseholder attempts to bring new retailers to Roosevelt Island.