Frank Farance Suspended By Roosevelt Island CERT Team For Not Being Team Player, Farance Says Suspension Retaliation For Reporting Operational Problems And Politically Motivated - What Will NYC OEM Do?

On September 26, I asked Roosevelt Island Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Chief Howard Polivy:

I understand that Frank Farance was recently suspended from the Roosevelt Island CERT Team.

According to Frank, he was suspended because CERT Team members claim he included Roosevelt Islander in an email thread that had certain critical remarks about the manner in which Howard Polivy is leading the Roosevelt Island CERT Team. Also, CERT team members affiliated with the Wire newspaper were on the email thread but that was not given as a reason for Frank's suspension.

Is Frank's correct regarding the reason he was suspended?

If not, what was the reason for his suspension?...

Mr. Polivy replied later that day:

The following was sent to OEM and the CERT team:

"CERT Frank Farance has been suspended from RI CERT, Mn8.

The team will discuss this ongoing suspension at its next meeting, Monday, October 27."

This is an internal team matter for which I have no other comments at this time.

Mr. Farance sent the following message yesterday to the NYC's Office Of Emergency Management (OEM) in response to his suspension by the Roosevelt Island CERT.

I disagree strongly, Mr. Polivy's actions are inappropriate, and (essentially) this punishes and retaliates against a CERT member who has reported significant operational problems with CERT. I am requesting a full investigation of this team, including its leadership, and the supervisory and oversight practices of the CERT management chain. I am also requesting the NYC DOI Inspectors General to investigate. It should not be the case that CERT member participation is subject to political payback and retaliation....

1. The Roosevelt Island CERT (RI-CERT), originally formed in 2006, has suffered from dysfunction for several years. I can't think of any meeting minutes we've had in a half dozen years. Below, please find a list of the very few meetings in 2011-2013. There were long periods, including over a year, where we received no communication from our team chief Mr. Polivy (or his assistant chief). The meetings were extremely sparse, several members questioned whether or not we (as a CERT team) still exist, and we suffered significant attrition of team membership.

2. The call tree has not been updated in 6 years (see E-mail below). I have requested updated contact information from Mr. Polivy several times. His wife, Ellen Polivy (also a CERT member), has asked for this information to be updated and Mr. Polivy asked me to do it (see E-mails below). Normally, I maintain the E-mail reflector (E-mail list) for the team so we can quickly communicate. However, Mr. Polivy is not providing information, and his blind-copy E-mails prohibit/inhibit communications among the team. With no phone numbers, no call tree, an out-of-date E-mail reflector, and blind-copies ... there is no way for CERT members to communicate in an emergency, which is a serious operational problem for our CERT.

3. In our meeting last week, some CERT members registered complaints that were repeats of the same arguments they made when Mr. Polivy's wife (and others, who are also CERT members) unsuccessfully tried to get me expelled from the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) because I was complaining about improper financials, procedures, and such. It seems clear that their complaints in the CERT meeting were, essentially, a repeat of their complaints in RIRA. Also, there are a variety of conflicts of interest that, I believe, operate here, which I will detail further in discussions with NYC DOI and the OEM Commissioner.

4. The purported suspension process, I believe, has no validity. There was no advanced notice that I might be suspended, the meeting seemed driven by local politics. If there has been some infraction, then it is up to the City (e.g., OEM) to determine my official status, not a set of volunteers without procedures and procedural guidance, and conflict-of-interest and whistleblower safeguards.

5. According to Mr. Polivy, he has concerns with the RI Blog receiving a copy of my message. Mr. Polivy has only provided excerpts and not the full context of the E-mail thread, which concerned CERT equipment, unbeknownst to myself and the owner of the building, being kept in a storage room -- these storage rooms were already under scrutiny as a potential fire/theft hazard when the owner, in consultation with NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR), who changed the access procedures and started mandating their clean-out/reorganization.

6. Actually, it was Sherie Helstien (also a member of CERT and a staffer at the Main Street WIRE, our local newspaper) who sent the original message to the RI Blog that I responded to, I did not originate that E-mail thread that included the RI Blog. Since last week's CERT meeting, my purported suspension has appeared on the front page of the local newspaper. If Mr. Polivy feels that the RI Blog hearing about CERT issues was improper, then why is it acceptable to publish the purported suspension? Here is the report in the WIRE:

"Another Common Council delegate, Frank Farance of Island House, has been temporarily suspended from meetings of the Island's CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) by its chief Howard Polivy, as a non-team player, pending consultation with the City's Office of Emergency Management."

I was in the Westchester Disaster Simulation yesterday: I was elected to lead one of their teams, and our evaluators noted a strong, cohesive team with good/decisive leadership. I've had similar evaluations in other CERT activities over the years, including actual emergencies. Simply, this charge of "non-team" player is a bunch of baloney and disguises the root cause: local politics.

7. Meanwhile, Gwen Ryals and I did participate in the evacuation shelter staffing, several days each, of Hurricane Irene and Hurricane Sandy (see attached photos).

I have volunteered for much CERT work over the years, and have helped the Roosevelt Island team in many ways, including supporting the recent community outreach and printing large banners for the team. Last fall, I participated in the disaster simulation to help graduate more Roosevelt Island CERT members. The Mayor's office has been interested in Gwen Ryal's and my feedback (After-Action Review) on CERT involvement in emergencies, which have helped CERT teams do better.

8. With Gwen Ryal's and my prior helpful feedback in several actual emergency responses, should CERT members be wary of saying anything (even in an off-hand discussion elsewhere) that is critical of CERT team performance? And should we allow politics to play a role in excluding/suspending members from a team? I thought we were based upon City-wide performance standards, not local politics. And what would the NY Times or Daily News say in their reporting: "Emergency Responder Suspended For Revealing Actual CERT Performance Problems"?

Simply, you must correct this (in multiple ways). Gwen Ryals and I will be requesting a meeting with the OEM Commissioner to discuss this further.

(The emails referenced by Mr. Farance are not included in this post).

What is Roosevelt Island CERT Team?

According to the NYC OEM:

OEM's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members undergo an intensive 10-week training program that raises awareness about emergencies and disasters and provides basic response skills needed for fire safety, light search and rescue, disaster medical operations, and traffic control. After graduating from the 10-week program, CERT members support their communities by assisting with emergency education and response. Emergency services personnel are the best equipped to respond to disasters. NYC CERT volunteers are trained to support the efforts of New York City's first responders.

During non-emergency situations, NYC CERTs educate their communities about emergency preparedness by working with the Ready New York program and building community disaster networks.

Here's some of the emergency training undertaken by the Roosevelt Island CERT Team.

UPDATE 10:15 PM - A Roosevelt Island resident adds:

It's a volunteer position, They can't stop him! The CERT beg for volunteers and when you disagree with them they complain. I was part of the first CERT and they all refused to go to other parts of the city to volunteer when needed. They claimed they only wanted to participate here on the island. I quit couldn't take the excuses. Stop the stupidness.

Former RIRA President Polivy Renews Call To Expel Farance From Common Council - Farance Answers RIRA Critics, Accuses Main Street Wire Newspaper Of Biased, Shoddy Reporting And Criticizes RIOC President Indelicato For Procurement Criteria

As previously reported, the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) May 2014 Common Council approved a resolution requesting $10 Thousand:

... in order to continue its work for the Island....

from the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC).

The motion was approved by a vote of 18 in favor 1 against and 2 abstentions. RIRA Common Counsel Member Frank Farance was the lone vote against.

 Image of Frank Farance from March 3 CB 8 MTA Transportation Meeting

The RIOC Operations Advisory Committee met on May 12 and after a presentation by RIRA Vice President Sherrie Helsien, as well as former RIRA President Matt Katz (video of presentation here), approved RIRA's request for $10 thousand. The RIRA $10 Thousand funding allocation was then placed on the May 15 RIOC Board Of Directors Meeting Agenda.

Prior to the RIOC Board meeting, Mr. Farance sent an email to RIOC President Charlene Indelicato and others, including NY State Government officials, describing his objections to the RIRA $10 Thousand allocation. During the RIOC Board meeting, it was announced that the RIRA $10 Thousand allocation item was removed from the Agenda and not voted upon. RIOC did not confirm that the reason the RIRA allocation was taken off  the Agenda was the letter from Mr. Farance.

The May 24 editorial of the Main Street Wire newspaper criticized Mr. Farance for sending the letter to RIOC and NY State Government officials expressing his view opposing the $10 Thousand RIOC allocation to RIRA. According to the Main Street Wire editorial with the headline "More Politics of Destruction":

Frank Farance is at it again – or still.

With his viewpoint rejected by an 18-1 vote at the May meeting of the Residents Association’s Common Council, but in his certainty that he was right and everyone else was wrong, he set out to destroy the good works of others – and apparently succeeded.

But Farance was wrong. Wrong to play the sore loser after the vote, wrong to attack his fellow Common Council members, wrong to broadcast his attack and accusations to State officials, and wrong in his basic assumptions....

and:

... From the vantage point of a longtime observer of Farance, RIOC, and the RIRA Common Council, it now appears that Farance is expecting to leave the Island, and is quite willing to burn bridges and people on his way out the door....

Click here for the full Main Street Wire editorial.

Mr. Farance was also criticized at the June RIRA meeting by former RIRA President Ellen Polivy.  Ms. Polivy, who resigned as RIRA President after failing to expel Mr. Farance from RIRA last February, appeared at the June RIRA Meeting Public Session. Ms. Polivy accused Mr. Farance of continuing to sabotage RIRA and encouraged RIRA members to renew efforts to expel Mr. Farance from RIRA. Ms. Polivy referred to Mr. Farance as the:

Crazy Uncle 

and

Village idiot.

Here''s Ms. Polivy's full remarks during the June RIRA Public Session.



There was no reaction from the RIRA Common Council following Ms. Polivy's Public Session remarks.

Mr. Farance responds to some of his critics:

Sadly, the WIRE's reporting, editorials, journalistic standards, and ethics reach new lows. "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated", i.e., Roosevelt Island is home for me and I have no plans on leaving. It seems Dick Lutz, lacking valid arguments, short on facts, and without basis, is left with the fabrication that I'm leaving the Island. One might have expected Lutz to do some fact-checking, but that didn't happen.

The WIRE has other problems, too. Did Lutz or Briana Warsing disclose that Sherie Helstien and Matt Katz (who also spoke at the RIOC meeting) are managers at the WIRE? Certainly any credible newspaper would disclose that kind of relationship among its supervisory staff and what is being reported. My sense is that Lutz waves off these complaints with "They're All Volunteers", as he's explained his Letters policy recently. The disclosure is important because we, as readers, can have a better understanding of the perspective (a potentially biased one) in the news being reported -- whether they are volunteers or not is irrelevant to journalistic integrity. Additionally, Ms. Warsing did not disclose that her husband was one of the Common Council members who voted for the faulty RIRA proposal. Again, it is important to disclose this kind of information because readers might be concerned about journalistic conflicts of interest and bias in the WIRE's reporting: favorable and consistent with her husband's position.

While the WIRE reported that I was concerned about a fraudulent RIRA proposal, the WIRE never reported the nature of the fraud -- I'm guessing that many of the WIRE's readers would have arrived at the same concerns, too. Why didn't the WIRE, at least, report what the actual concerns of the proposal? The WIRE's staff never contacted me about my position, and it seems that the WIRE was not interested in the nature of the complaints of fraud. The WIRE seemed more concerned about supporting its tired editorial narrative about Farance, Reid, and Chirivas ... and whitewashing any unpleasant news about Friends/Staff of the WIRE.

However the NYS Attorney General had enough interest in these concerns and has started an investigation with the NYS Inspector General. I look forward to their findings.

Unfortunately, the retaliation has started again in RIRA. RIRA has a new ethics committee, Chaired by Mickey Rindler. Rindler seems more interested in having anonymous RIRA Common Council members slip in last-minute provisions in the RIRA Code Of Ethnics (which will be used to expel people from RIRA at an even quicker pace), and Rindler improperly collected votes outside of the meeting's discussion. What were those last minute provisions? In essence, those anonymous RIRA Common Council members wanted to make sure that anyone reporting RIRA misconduct outside of RIRA can be expelled. Maybe Rindler should focus more upon fixing the ethics problems within RIRA rather than looking for more reasons to expel people who report ethics concerns.

For RIOC President Indelicato, a former Westchester politician, feigns ignorance of State procurement procedures: "It was my fault, the procurement process was not right". Well when you have a 501c4 lobbying organization (RIRA) that is involved in legislation that affects your NYS Public Authority, can Indelicato tell us what the right process is for that lobbying organization to merely say "Services Rendered For Doing Good Stuff In The Past" and get money from the government? It's not just Westchester, or New York State -- I can't think of any place in the US were we'd allow this whimsical Services Rendered as a basis for legitimate government procurement. RIRA Vice President Sherie Helstien is still touting the advantages of this RIOC money: We Can Co-Mingle It With RIRA Funds. Organizations doing legitimate work don't talk this way.

Also, Indelicato is inconsistent with her procurement criteria. She can explain all the procurement hurdles for RIRA's efforts to get Air Quality monitoring for the Island, but for others (the RI Royalty) saying the magic words "Services Rendered" gets money flowing from RIOC. Certainly RIRA's proposal (as presented by another organization) would have never passed muster in its Public Purpose Grant allocations process. I seems that Indelicato, as an executive, favors the Dinosaur Brains approach towards decision-making: it's more important, in a primal way, to sniff out who is Friend and Foe and give money to your Friends, and put up roadblocks for your Foe's legitimate proposals.

Lastly, I'd like to correct the WIRE's perception that I have more power than the Governor. Nope, I don't. But Truth has more power than politicians, and that was one of the founding principles of our country.

Mr. Farance later clarified his comments regarding Mr. Rindler:

Since my letter was circulated within the Common Council, Mickey Rindler has changed his position on accepting "late" votes (he withdrew the late vote). It is exactly this kind of behavior (Mr. Rindler's) that is curbed by transparency, which Mr. Rindler opposes. Still Mr. Rindler persisted in the next Ethnics Committee meeting: he still wanted the provision (making RIRA Common Council members' actions public as a kind of "misconduct") put into the Code Of Ethics, so it would be declared misconduct for expulsion proceedings.

In essence, these rules are used to punish Common Council members who have opinions the majority does not like. If a resident (who is a RIRA member) were to do the same behavior (e.g., report to their neighbors what was heard at a Common Council meeting or RIRA committee meeting), they would not be punished. RIRA's enforcement has been selective and only against certain Common Council members.

And ditto for the Roosevelt Islander Blog: In Matt Katz's term as RIRA President, RIRA approved a policy that the RIRA agenda package could not be published, i.e., we are prohibited from sharing positions and proposed motions to our constituents until AFTER they are voted upon them. Thus, when RIRA is about to do something poor/wrong/bad, we Common Council members can get expelled from letting our neighbors know about it (so they might come to the RIRA Common Council meeting to complain in the public session). Yeah, Matt Katz's not-so-brilliant idea for quashing the minority's opinions, and making much of RIRA secret before decision-making.

Mr. Rindler makes this even worse by suggesting that people should paraphrase what someone is proposing but not reveal to our neighbors what the actual person's position/proposal/statement is. Why? Because, according to Mr. Rindler, it would allow the author of the faulty/problematic position/proposal/statement to deny that he/she said it.

Mr. Rindler has a terrible sense of ethics as it applies to RIRA practices and policies. It requires constant vigilance to keep track of these misguided and damaging ideas. The Ethics Committee, under Mr. Rindler, is not about transparency and fairness, it is about creating a framework for an express path to expulsion for Common Council members who have unpopular opinions.

I asked those mentioned by Mr. Farance if they cared to respond. None did other than Mr. Rindler who replied:

I am honored to be counted among the pantheon of civic leaders that Mr. Farance has attacked for trying their best to serve this community.

Today, Mr. Farance writes to RIOC President Indelicato expressing concern that RIOC may be reducing their financial contribution to Roosevelt Island Day.

RIRA President Jeff Escobar reports that the Common Council is currently on Summer Hiatus.

Farance Charges Local Roosevelt Island Main Street Wire Newspaper With Conflicts Of Interest, Bias, Inaccurate Reporting And Manipulating News For Benefit Of Some Residents

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Island House Common Council Member Frank Farance writes:

In the March 22, 2014 issue of the Main Street WIRE, the Editor Dick Lutz singles out three RIRA Common Council members who are doing their best, which includes making transparent much of the problems to the rest of the organization's members (the residents). In other words: do legitimate and substantiated points deserve expulsion proceedings and a (bogus and erroneous) talking-down from the Editor of the newspaper whose staff is influencing the news, and doing it secretly? (not!)

Dick Lutz had no problem printing complaints about Keith Guerra (including some unsubstantiated complaints about him taking small favors/food, which turned out to be false). But it was all in the name of Openness, Fairness, and Transparency, right? So why are the complaints about Guerra not considered The Politics Of Destruction? Yet, genuine and legitimate complaints concerning Openness, Fairness, and transparency against the RIOC Board, RIRA, etc. are considered The Politics Of Destruction?

Truly, Dick Lutz has poor journalistic standards, he doesn't fact-check his reporting, he and his reporting suffer from racial/ethnic bias, he (along with others) manipulate the news and RIRA committees, and he has his own significant conflicts of interests that can question his ability to report objectively/truthfully on the Island. Rather than take up many pages, you can see the full details on the RI Blog at the page "http://tinyurl.com/wirerebuttal".

The WIRE's April 26 Editorial, Dick Lutz has doubled down on this double standard with a No Complaints Against Volunteers Or Their Motives policy for its Letters To The Editor. It's a double standard because the WIRE finds it acceptable to write an editorial incorrectly attributing motive (Politics Of Destruction) to three RIRA Common Council members (volunteers), including myself, yet us residents are prohibited by WIRE policy to raise questions about Openness, Fairness, and Transparency of elected members that represent our community, regardless of their volunteer status. Consistently, I have expressed concerns about Openness, Fairness, and Transparency -- resident or not, volunteer or not. Furthermore, the WIRE inoculates itself from criticism by touting (opposite page of its editorial) the WIRE staff are volunteers and, thus, would also be shielded from complaints about the WIRE staff and the WIRE's problematic reporting and journalistic ethics.

Or said differently, as residents read the WIRE they get incomplete or inaccurate reporting where one's scratches his/her head thinking: I Don't Know The Whole Story, clearly there is a story, there are holes in the WIRE's reporting, and I wish someone would tell us what is going on (transparency) since these organizations purport to represent us. Because of the ongoing efforts to quash reporting in many fronts (the WIRE, certain old-timer RIRA Common Council members, etc.), residents reading the WIRE continually get the impression there are key parts that are not being reported.

Here are some highlights:

1. The WIRE manipulates the news, example #1: The discussion in Matt Katz's 2011 redistricting testimony did have a racial/ethnic bias, and four elected officials responded with letters to the WIRE. But it was Dick Lutz who contacted the officials to ask them to withdraw their complaints because the WIRE did not have space to print them. Meanwhile, that same week Dick Lutz was requesting RIRA Common Council members (via E-mail forwarded by Matt Katz) to provide ADDITIONAL letters to the WIRE to counter Helen Chirivas and the RIRA Housing Committee's complaint about racial/ethnic bias in the WIRE and the Katz redistricting testimony, i.e., the WIRE says it has no room for complaints against Katz or the WIRE, but has lots of room to complain about Chirivas. At the RIRA meeting, Sherie Helstien motioned to table the Housing Committee report, which Matt Katz quickly acknowledged, and there was no possibility discussing this. The WIRE and Katz, via a kinda quid-pro-quo where they covered for each other, successfully quashed the community hearing about legitimate concerns concerning racial/ethnic bias. So to those who say Write A Letter To The WIRE, that's a bunch of baloney: you'll get WIRE staff (Lutz, Katz, Helstien, etc.) working against you.

2. The WIRE manipulates the news, example #2: Lutz correctly recalls that I lost to Katz in the RIRA 2010 elections. For Katz and I the election was mainly argued over RIOC 2010 elections: I though they should be held, as scheduled, and I complained about the secret meetings of the Maple Tree Group - MTG (which is now called the RIRA Legislative Subcommittee - LSC); meanwhile Lutz (and other WIRE staff) were voting in these secret meetings, which had the effect of cancelling the RIOC 2010 elections (among other pitfalls). In June 2011, the Governor appointed Sal Ferrera to the RIOC Board, and that whole MTG group went ballistic. Katz's gambit had failed spectacularly: there were no candidates because those MTG people manipulated the elections process. Instead of having candidates to advocate, the Island was left with the idiotic position of explaining why we chose to cancel the RIOC 2010 elections. A huge loss of credibility for the democracy / self-governance efforts because, in fact, thanks to Dick Lutz, Matt Katz, and several other WIRE staffers, the elections were manipulated. And done secretly.

3. The WIRE manipulates the news, example #3: It's like Summer of 2010 all over again. These latest shenanigans of the RIRA LSC include secret meetings where letters to legislators advocating positions on Island legislation:

- the RIRA LSC committee had secret meetings (essentially, facilitated via private E-mail discussions)
- there are no minutes of RIRA LSC meetings
- the RIRA LSC committee is presenting itself as representing the Island in legislative matters yet there was no input from the community, RIRA Common Council, or the Government Relations Committee
- there was no possibility for the community to participate in this RIRA LSC effort
- the letter was signed by the "chair" of the RIRA LSC committee when no such appointment of chair had occurred

On top of that you have Matt Katz (former RIRA President), Ellen Polivy (former RIRA President), Sherie Helstien (current RIRA VP), and Dave Evans (Chair of the Constitution and By-Laws Committee), and none of them know that these meetings, discussions, and decisions need to be made in publicly held meetings? Or said differently, with the exception of Evans/Polivy, the committee (Ashton Barfield (chair), Linda Heimer, Vicki Feinmel, Matt Katz, Sherie Helstien) is comprised of and led by WIRE staff?

Dick Lutz seems to focus on Helen Chirivas, but she has been reporting much of these unpleasant facts. Lutz's response looks like retaliation against Chirivas for exposing the almost-all-WIRE committee secretly meeting and presenting itself as the legislative committee that represents Roosevelt Island.

4. The WIRE has low journalistic standards, example #1: It doesn't fact check. Lutz implied that Joyce Mincheff quit RIRA and as RIRA Secretary because of my E-mails. Not true. This has been the third or fourth time Mincheff has quit RIRA, including the prior term under Matt Katz when she didn't like Katz, and the second time (I believe) she quit as RIRA Secretary. Had the WIRE investigated Mincheff's repetitive quitting, a clearer explanation would have been had that Ms. Mincheff has quit many times.

5. The WIRE has low journalistic standards, example #2: In an on-line complaint against Chirivas, Lutz takes a video sound bite out of context to try to make a point, but the full videos need to be posted so the community can see what had actually occurred, including the shenanigans of the LSC meeting. The WIRE has not provided the videos. Additionally, Lutz's complaints are unsubstantiated in a variety of ways (just like the expulsion proceedings against me). See the link above for more details.

6. The WIRE has significant journalistic conflicts. My understanding of Lutz's explanation is that the WIRE, while a For-Profit business, is operating out of the Rivercross Community Room, and that the WIRE have access to the space for free, but Rivercross rules only allow access to the space for organizations, not to For-Profit businesses.

Based upon his explanation, if someone were to complain to the Rivercross management or the Rivercross Board, he would lose his space. Thus, avoiding complaints is essential to Mr. Lutz having free access to the operating space of the Rivercross community room, right? All it takes is just ONE complaint, right?

So if the WIRE were to report something unpleasant about (say) the Rivercross privatization, in which approximately 360 apartments stand to cash out with hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars in profits, including some Rivercross Board members who stand to gain millions of dollars in profits, and the Editor's own apartment with cash-out benefits -- then it is reasonable to believe the WIRE cannot report objectively/comprehensively or reveal the complete truth because the WIRE's operations might be at stake, and much of the WIRE's main staff are from Rivercross (Dick Lutz, Ashton Barfield, Linda Heimer, Vicki Feinmel, and a handful more) who might suffer financially in less profit-taking in the selling of their apartments.

In other words, the WIRE journalistic conflict of interest arises from multiple interests, such as financial and operational. Which means that reporting on broad swath of RIOC/Island issues (Rivercross/etc. ground leases, board members' conflicts of interest, billion-dollar debt/liability, assessments, etc.) could be both unpleasant and unprofitable for fellow Rivercross residents, including much of the WIRE staff.

Thus, there are serious questions about the objectivity, truthfulness, and completeness about the WIRE's coverage of our community.

Mr. Lutz, Mr. Katz, Ms. Helstien, Ms. Polivy and Mr. Evans were offered an opportunity to respond and rebut the allegations made by Mr. Farance. All declined to do so.

Frank Farance Commends New Roosevelt Island Residents Association President Escobar For Running A Good Meeting But Asks If Good Governance Will Follow

Reported previously on the efforts of some Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Common Council (CC) members to expel CC member Frank Farance. Those efforts created a circus like atmosphere within RIRA and ultimately led to the resignations of several CC members, a new RIRA President and Mr. Farance remaining a CC member.

As reported following the March RIRA meeting:

Just left tonight's RIRA meeting and am happy to say the Circus has left Roosevelt Island. This RIRA meeting under the leadership of President Jeff Escobar was efficiently run, productive, civil and informative. It provides hope for the future of RIRA as an organization.

After the meeting, the overwhelming consensus of those present was that Mr. Escobar did a great job. Some RIRA members even came over to me and said they now understand why Roberts Rules Of Order is a good framework for conducting meetings.

Hopefully, this will continue going forward in the future...

Mr. Farance comments

Image Of Frank Farance

on the March RIRA meeting and governance issues facing the organization. From Mr. Farance:

I believe Jeff Escobar did good job running the March Common Council meeting. There were a variety of potential changes he proposed (e.g., auditorium seating, not circle seating as it had been). I expressed several concerns to the Common Council prior to the meeting, it's possible he was listening to my concerns. It's not the actual use of time, it's the perception about the use of time that is the problem. Ellen Polivy's meetings were so poorly run, every vote needed to be counted over and over.

The CCtalk E-mail reflector, which is not a blog (as reported in the WIRE), is sorely missed because now we are communicating with 30-ish E-mails on a To: line. I've provided the following explanation to old/new CC members and it seems to resonate with some:

"While CCtalk has been shut down, it is merely one mechanism, it doesn't prohibit other email reflectors to be set up. E-mail reflectors provide the important corporate value of making sure all directors are communicated to evenly, not some skipped by the erroneous setting up multiple recipients (three dozen or so) on an E-mail message. So if it has to do with the business of the corporation, any director has the Right to communicate with other directors. ... As I've pointed out, the RIOC board has an E-mail reflector that is public and any person can send to. Clearly, RIOC directors (including our neighbors) are able to manage their E-mail flow. [You] shouldn't look to quash corporate communications among directors. If you don't like an E-mail, you can just ignore it."

Although there are still some imperfect E-mails (even from friends), I think this will calm down soon because: (1) CC members now recognize we have a right to communicate, (2) being perceived as quashing communications is not good, and (3) the receiver can just delete unpleasant messages ... just as the RIOC Directors seem to manage without difficulty.

The lack of the corporation's minutes and prior resolutions are still an issue (a variety of Duty-Of-Care issues). And because the minutes are in poor shape, the RIRA Auditor didn't look at the Cherry Blossom Finances from last year (because the request was in the lost minutes), and thus this topic is still unresolved.

I've heard some say that we were trying to get rid of Ellen Polivy and Lynne Strong-Shinozaki, but that was not so. The goal was to correct the corporate governance, including its finances. Simply, the disagreement isn't between two factions over something arbitrary, such as choosing Chocolate vs. Strawberry ice cream for Roosevelt Island Day. The two factions can be easily described as: those interested in good governance, fairness, openness, and transparency ... and those against it via a variety of methods, such as telling untruths, misrepresentation, obstruction, manipulation, and inaction. Really, almost every argument really comes down that.

Lots of the problems that RIRA had were about getting to the truth/facts behind what was reported. The Cherry Blossom Festival was a spectacular example of a problem with the truthy-ness of the reporting from the Ms. Strong-Shinozaki and others. Simply, had Ms. Strong-Shinozaki reported the truth, been forthcoming, and answered questions, then it would have all blown over ... and RIRA would have had an opportunity to understand/correct financial/legal controls that would positively affect future RIRA fundraising efforts. But Ms. Strong-Shinozaki kept twisting the truth. It reminds me of the story children learn about lying: the first lie begets a bigger lie and so on. So rather than Ms. Strong-Shinozaki telling us the truth in a forthcoming way, her and followers doubled down with a misguided expulsion process that ultimately failed and almost toppled RIRA. The Common Council, via a democratic process, saw it for what it was. Unfortunately, RIRA is unlikely to understand/correct the problems it had with financial/legal controls with Mr. Escobar's approach to ignore the past.

Yeah, a resident writes a letter to the WIRE with genuine concerns about RIRA (which were validated and not refuted), and it percolates into an expulsion, and Ms. Polivy was quoted in the WIRE saying They've Done Us A Favor, Now This Can Drag On. Yeah, the community Got It.

And the WIRE is part of this, too. So you have WIRE staff (Sherie Helstien, Matt Katz) angling to get in something positive, some kind of exoneration for Ms. Strong-Shinozaki. Here is an excerpt of a February 19 E-mail from Sherie Helstien (Matt Katz, Jeff Escobar are CCd) where Ms. Helstien is pressuring the RIRA Treasurer:

Sherie Helstien> "... you agreed that you’d write something for The WIRE letters section, clearing up the issue around RIRA’s finances (w/the "clean bill of health" from the Audit). We’ve not seen that letter you promised you’d write. PLEASE write it and send it to Matt today so he can look it over. ... Preferably, the letter should appear in The WIRE before the March 5 Common Council meeting. Dick Lutz’s deadline for copy in the February 22 issue, the last before the March CC meeting, is past, but he may be able to make space for something important like your letter."

The RIRA Treasurer did not write such a letter. What he has said was:

CBF Financial Report was "misleading", "did not reflect arms length transactions", and "could not be considered a valid accounting report and should not be considered as such".

And for additional WIRE influence on the process, Jeff Prekopa resigned as RIRA Secretary in early December. However, he can develop the WIRE's fancy new website, he advertises in the WIRE (Big City Softworks), and he can attend RIRA Common Council meetings (as he did in February, on behalf of the WIRE?), but for three months he can't seem to give Mr. Escobar or Ms. Polivy the website administrator's user ID and password so that RIRA can correct/update the content. That's not about doing stuff competently, it seems that this is about inaction that favors that protected circle, right? And do you think the WIRE is going to report that Mr. Prekopa, in his sudden resignation, has been irresponsible in not promptly handing over corporate assets - for three months? Certainly, had the WIRE provided unbiased coverage, maybe some attention would have been given to a matter that actually affects RIRA's integrity and long-term governance.

Sure RIRA has a new President and Vice President, but it still remains to be seen whether this translates into good governance, openness, fairness, and transparency ... all for the benefit of our community. Certainly, my constituents have always supported these goals.

Frank Farance
Island House

Will New Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Jeffrey Escobar Be Able To Mend Community Organization Asks Common Council Member? First Meeting Was A Great New Beginning

 Image Of March 2014 RIRA Meeting ( President Jeff Escobar Standing)

As reported last night following the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) March Common Council Meeting:

Just left tonight's RIRA meeting and am happy to say the Circus has left Roosevelt Island. This RIRA meeting under the leadership of President Jeff Escobar was efficiently run, productive, civil and informative. It provides hope for the future of RIRA as an organization.

After the meeting, the overwhelming consensus of those present was that Mr. Escobar did a great job. Some RIRA members even came over to me and said they now understand why Roberts Rules Of Order is a good framework for conducting meetings.

Hopefully, this will continue going forward in the future...

RIRA Common Council Member Dave Evans has this report on the meeting last night:

WILL NEW RIRA PRESIDENT JEFFEREY ESCOBAR BE ABLE TO MEND THE ORGANIZATION?

Many Councilors came to the RIRA meeting of 5 March 2014 with differing expectations which in effect means they did not know what to expect. Given the extensive discourse before the meeting, I had concluded that some felt Jeff would lead the meeting with too much of an iron fist, while some thought that he would show little if any warmth in his leadership style, some opined he would become frustrated and simply walk away, and others that Jeff would certainly please the audience.

Well, in my view he was a huge success. How was this accomplished? In one word, "inclusiveness". That is, due to the discord that had come to be an unfortunate standard, the organization was faced with the prospects of putting new people into a growing number of vacancies due to resignations. In a good way, those vacancies were filled with a mix of folks, some who had positive thoughts about the new President and others who thought negatively.

Thus, the new administration is now inclusive of those who were for and against the prior leadership of Polivy and Escobar. Coupled with Jeff's management and leadership style, this new inclusiveness should bode well going forward.

But, the defining moment was during Jeff's rendering of his President's report when he shared a very personal and touching challenge that his family has endured. I suddenly heard a quiet in the room unlike before. Then there was noise as the attendees erupted in applause aimed at the President. Jeff was suddenly humanized. At that point, I smiled given the collective evidence in his first meeting, that Jefferey Escobar is fully capable of mending the state of affairs in the RIRA Common Council.

RIRA Common Council Member Susan Marcus said Jeff Escobar:

... did a super job. This is the first time I saw Robert's being used correctly and it is wonderful and so efficient. Very impressive when done correctly.

Mr. Escobar told the Common Council:

... people want RIRA to work...  we are here for one purpose only and that is to represent the Island.

Here's Mr. Escobar's RIRA President's Report to the Common Council.



Also, during last night's meeting Susan Marcus was elected the new Chairperson of RIRA's Housing Committee. She invites any resident of Roosevelt Island to join RIRA's Housing Committee. According to Ms. Marcus:

RIRA's Housing Committee is being revitalized. I am very concerned about the loss of affordable housing, housing issues for seniors and retirees, and the issues regarding privatization, including renters' options, mortgages and home-owner insurance. I am interested in forming a wider coalition of neighbors who share these same concerns. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Housing Committee,which is open to any resident of Roosevelt Island, please email me at sqmarcus@gmail.com.

Last night was a good one for RIRA and Roosevelt Island.

Circus At Roosevelt Island Residents Association Meeting Last Night - Expulsion Motion Fails, Attempt To Kick Out Press Fails, RIRA President And Several Others Resign

An update to last night's Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Common Council meeting

 Image Of February RIRA Common Council Meeting

agenda item on expelling member Frank Farance. As reported following the meeting:

... At almost 11 PM tonight, the RIRA Common Council voted to indefinitely postpone the motion to expel Mr. Farance. The vote effectively puts a stop to this draining and unproductive nonsense. Unfortunately, after the vote, several supporters of the motion to expel Mr. Farance, including RIRA President Polivy, said they are resigning from RIRA.

Prior to the expulsion motion being heard, supporters of the motion attempted to have the discussion conducted in Executive Session, meaning it would be in secret, closed to the public and the press. I strenuously objected to having the public and myself kicked out of the meeting as did many RIRA members. A vote was taken that rejected the motion to go into executive session.

The Circus was certainly here on Roosevelt Island tonight...

Here's what happened.

RIRA President Ellen Polivy and Secretary Joyce Short attempted to have the expulsion discussion of Mr. Farance held in Executive Session without a vote of the Common Council. They went as far as to instruct a Public Safety Officer to remove me from the room. However, the majority of RIRA voted to reject having the discussion in secret and I was allowed to remain.



A motion was then made to indefinitely postpone the motion to expel Mr. Farance



which was approved



by the majority of the Common Council.

Following the vote, Ms. Polivy gave her President's report announcing her resignation from RIRA.



and several other RIRA members resigned as well.

Ms. Polivy sent this statement today:

This past month I had a death in the family. My mother was 90 years old. Her funeral lasted over an hour and a half because so many people wanted to speak. It could have gone on far longer but we had to leave the room. I was struck with how many people had been personally and privately touched so deeply by her caring. Each speaker had a different story but common theme. They each felt acknowledged, special and unique because of years of interactions. This is an impact of a life well lived whether by a 90 year old frail woman or a 20 year old young man who freely gave out hugs and a listening ear. Most of us thrive on this kind of humanity.

I want to publicly thank all the people who supported my family and me during the last few weeks. We really appreciated all the love and attention. This is what makes a wonderful community.

For a year and 4 months I have given my all to this community as the President of RIRA. With the help of many on the Council, I have tried to set up the conditions that encourage love and support of the people around us, experiences that makes for a happy living environment. I have forged good working relationships with RIOC and the board and have been able to quietly and without fanfare get things done.

For personal reasons, my available time just got tighter. Regrettably, I am unable to continue in my present role as RIRA President. I am therefore resigning immediately.

I thank you for giving me opportunity to serve the community as RIRA President. I plan to continue my other work in the community. I thank my fellow RIRA members for their commitment and hard work and I will do whatever I can to help in the future.

Respectfully, Ellen Polivy

Mr. Farance sent this statement today:

Last night's outcome was a victory in the ongoing battle for openness, fairness, transparency, and the whole community's interests ... versus the closed, secretive, and unfair tactics advocated by an inner circle. Even to the very end Ms. Polivy was disingenuously asking for Executive Session purportedly for the purpose "we don't want to do to Frank in public what he has done to us".

Ms. Polivy has used her RIRA Column to advocate in public against me, so this was yet another ruse for tactics that they were attempting outside scrutiny of the press and public.

As for the Cherry Blossom Festival and its finances, this could have all be solved had Ms. Strong-Shinozaki and the RIRA SCE committee answered questions forthcomingly and honestly, but it became a cat-and-mouse game of hunting for facts. Even with RIRA Auditor Geof Kerr's interim report, it's clear the original SCE report that caused the hullabaloo is now discredited and was worthy of questioning -- as I did at the time.

Ms. Short and Ms. Strong-Shinozaki complain of "cyberbullying" (which just means someone disagrees with them), but meanwhile Ms. Polivy is threatening to Ruin On This Island member Susan Marcus because she voted opposite Ms. Polivy's liking.

And speaking of double standards, the Ethics Committee was completely reformulated because, as Sharon Pope reported, its original incarnation, with secret meetings done in Executive Session by improperly appointed members, was created to target one or two members of RIRA (me and possibly someone else). Hopefully, RIRA can look forward to getting back to the real business of addressing the needs of the residents.

It's very sad that RIRA has imploded from within because of the inability of some members to work out their differences in a civil, respectful and professional manner.

Roosevelt Island Residents Association Meeting Tonight To Continue Witch Hunt Seeking To Expel RIRA Member - Internal Dissension Threatens To Implode RIRA

Image Of December 2013 RIRA Meeting

The Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) will be meeting tonight, 8 PM, at the Manhattan Park Theater Club (8 River Road)

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.

Unfortunately, some RIRA members are continuing their pursuit/Witch Hunt

 She's A Witch Image From Monty Python & Holy Grail

 to expel Frank Farance from the Common Council as noted in Item 8 of the Agenda below.

Please note VENUE CHANGE

Please arrive a half hour early to help set up tables and Chairs

Date: Wednesday February 5, 2014

Time: 8:00 pm-Finish

Place: Manhattan Park Theatre Club / 8 RR immediately following Cornell Town Hall meeting

1. Public Session (8:00) Geof Kerr

2. Roll Call

3. President’s report

4. Elect a secretary

5. Approval of the January minutes

6. Approval of the agenda

7. Treasurer’s report

8. Second part of procedure to expel Council Member

9. Committee reports- Unless there is a resolution, Committee Chairs get 3 minutes to summarize their committee work.

Government Relations- Select a new committee chair

Communications- resolution

Ethics committee- Chair not present. Code will be discussed in March RIRA meeting after a public meeting is held on February 20.

SC&E- resolutions

Public purpose fund

Constitution and ByLaws

Housing

Public Safety-resolutions

Island Services

Planning-Resolution

Main Street Retail

10. Old business

11. New business

This witch hunt against Mr. Farance has been going on since last November dominating every RIRA Common Council meeting since being introduced and threatens to implode RIRA as a viable Roosevelt Island residents organization. As reported following the January RIRA meeting:

... I did not think it was possible for RIRA to look more foolish than it already has on this issue, but I was wrong. The issue on whether to expel Mr. Farance was postponed to next month after a very long, heated and contentious discussion. There are several RIRA members who hate Mr. Farance so much that they appear willing to have RIRA implode from within unless Mr. Farance is expelled. In my view, the majority of RIRA members do not support expelling Mr. Farance and just want to move on to more important issues facing the community....

Let's see what happens tonight.

Stay tuned.

Update 11:35 PM - At almost 11 PM tonight, the RIRA Common Council voted to indefinitely postpone the motion to expel Mr. Farance. The vote effectively puts a stop to this draining and unproductive nonsense. Unfortunately, after the vote, several supporters of the motion to expel Mr. Farance, including RIRA President Polivy, said they are resigning from RIRA.

Prior to the expulsion motion being heard, supporters of the motion attempted to have the discussion conducted in Executive Session, meaning it would be in secret, closed to the public and the press. I strenuously objected to having the public and myself kicked out of the meeting as did many RIRA members. A vote was taken that rejected the motion to go into executive session.

The Circus was certainly here on Roosevelt Island tonight.

UPDATE 2/6 - Video of expulsion discussion here.

Report From RIRA President Ellen Polivy - Roosevelt Island Goldwater Hospital Demolition And Construction Of Cornell NYC Tech Campus Begins, RIRA Member Expulsion Motion Continues And $700 Donation For Hurricane Sandy Relief

Image Of Ms. Polivy (Standing) Speaking At October 2, 2012 RICC Meeting

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

Motions Passed at last RIRA meeting

1.A motion passed to donate $700 to the hurricane relief organization “you are Never Alone”. We on Roosevelt Island are fortunate that we got off easy in Hurricane Sandy.

2. A motion passed to postpone the expulsion vote to the February meeting as the parliamentary maneuvering and financial discussions that needed to happen took too long. During the preceding month, I consulted with a respected parliamentarian and attorney to get further clarity about our constitution and rules of order. I learned that the prior motion to remove the item from the agenda was unconstitutional as the RIRA Constitution is very specific on how the expulsion process is to proceed. According to the Constitution, the expulsion is a two-part process. On month one, the Bill of Particulars is presented. In month two, the Bill of Particulars is refuted by the accused and then a discussion and vote is taken. A motion to table to a date after the RIRA term is over was declared equally out of order. Two Council members quit in protest.

Cornell construction and RICC

Judy Buck, my newly elected Co-chair on the Roosevelt Island Community Coalition has asked me to add this update:

As 2014 begins, so does the life-changing construction of the Cornell complex on Roosevelt Island. In order to make this transition as painless, and as scrupulous, as possible, RICC renews its pledge to advocate for the community and its organizations.

RICC will work to hold Cornell responsible for its written and verbal promises to our community (most of which came from RICC's term sheet), to hear and address members' concerns, (including new concerns), and to stay connected to elected City officials, RIOC, and Cornell Community representatives, when appropriate.

At the moment, we're working on ideas that include a here-and-now term sheet that reflects the needs of all of us, including disabled, children and seniors. And we're identifying ways to bring home some of the tax money the City receive from Cornell co-locations.

Construction Starts Now

The first phase of construction, the demolition of Goldwater Hospital, is planned for mid-January 2014. We urge you to follow the construction process, so that Cornell, RIOC and NYC know that Roosevelt Island is present, alert, and watching.

RIOC urges residents to express questions and concerns directly to Cornell, then to copy them to RIOC on the RIOC website so that they can follow up with Cornell.

CORNELL WEBSITES TO CONTACT

For ongoing information about construction:

Tech.cornell.edu/construction

To express your questions and concerns:

http://construction.tech.cornell.edu/contact/

The Demolition Process:

Goldwater debris will be removed via barges anchored off the seawall on the east side of the river. Some details (such as continuity of Red Bus to Four Freedoms Park) to be worked out, but RIOC has control over process. Bulk materials will be loaded into 40-foot containers for barging, each barge to transport 40 containers, saving 40 truck trips; 2) asbestos to be removed by hand, as required, into special containers for barging; and 3) demolition of structures will occur from south to north.

The East Road will close temporarily, limiting scope of " the Loop." At a later point, the West Road will close, leaving East Road open. Cornell will reconstruct the Loop, and pedestrian access will remain. Metered street parking is planned (possibly limited; to be worked out). Cornell will protect their site, including guard booths, barrier fence, roadway barriers, and air quality monitors. RIOC will ensure Public Safety presence and has an independent engineer for oversight.

How RICC Helped

RIOC negotiated an extremely complex deal, and this is a significant victory. It is also a win for RICC. When Charlene Indelicato took office as RIOC president, the RICC board provided her with a detailed list of all community issues, a history of each request, and a priority list, for which Ms. Indelicato thanked us. When negotiations got under way, she hit the ground running.

Ongoing Cornell Connections

Cornell will keep us updated as they continue the approval processes at the design commission and during demolition and construction.

Town Hall Meetings. Cornell has planned a series of presentations on the Island to show residents plans for each phase of construction. All are invited.

The Cornell-Tech Construction Task Force. Originally proposed by RICC, this committee was reshaped by Cornell and New York City. It was created to ensure that Cornell meet commitments made during the ULURP process. The public and press may attend meetings, but may not speak. Minutes from the first meeting are posted on the Cornell website: Tech.cornell.edu/construction.

CB8 Roosevelt Island Committee. Community Board 8 has designated a Roosevelt Island Committee to review Cornell design and construction plans. Committee votes on whether or not designs will be passed on for review by full CB8 board.

The Community Needs you to attend this meeting!

Numbers count! Please "blast" your members and friends. A sea of faces sends a powerful, public message!

February 5th (Wednesday) Cornell Town Hall Presentation
Manhattan Park Theatre Club, 8 River Road 6-8 PM

The Circus Is Back In Town - Roosevelt Island Residents Association Meeting Tonight To Continue Witch Hunt Seeking To Expel RIRA Member - What A Waste Of Time

The Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) will be meeting tonight, 8 PM, at 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.

It appears that the Witch Hunt by some RIRA members to expel Frank Farance
 

 She's A Witch Image From Monty Python & Holy Grail

did not end with the majority vote at the December Meeting to remove that item from the Agenda.



 As reported December 4:

... The attempt to expel Mr. Farance failed. Before Mr. Farance was to give his rebuttal, a motion to strike the Expulsion Agenda Item was made and approved by a vote of 15 to 14.

Upon losing the vote, several supporters of the motion to expel Mr. Farance immediately resigned from RIRA.

Will have more later.

Unfortunately, the Farance expulsion issue may come up again tonight. According to Item 8 of the January RIRA meeting Agenda:

... 8 Second part of procedure to expel Council Member...

What a waste of time by those RIRA members trying to continue this ridiculous matter.

Here's the rest of the RIRA Agenda for tonight:

Agenda

Please arrive a half hour early to help set up tables and Chairs

Date: Wednesday January 8, 2014
Time: 8:00 pm-Finish
Place: Good Shepherd Community Center, 543 Main Street

1 Public Session (8:00)
2 Roll Call
3 Elect a secretary
4 Approval of the minutes
5 Approval of the agenda
6 Treasurer’s report
7 President’s report
8 Second part of procedure to expel Council Member
9 Committee reports Unless there is a resolution, Committee Chairs get 3 minutes to summarize their committee work.

Communications
Ethics committee
SC&E
Public purpose fund
Constitution and bylaws
Housing
Public Safety
Island Services
Planning
Government Relations
Main Street Retail
10. Old business
11. New business

At least one RIRA member who supported the expulsion of Mr. Farance resigned at the December meeting. It is unclear if any others did as well.

The RIRA Circus continues tonight. Pass the popcorn please.

Stay tuned.

UPDATE 1/9 - I did not think it was possible for RIRA to look more foolish than it already has on this issue, but I was wrong. The issue on whether to expel Mr. Farance was postponed to next month after a very long, heated and contentious discussion. There are several RIRA members who hate Mr. Farance so much that they appear willing to have RIRA implode from within unless Mr. Farance is expelled. In my view, the majority of RIRA members do not support expelling Mr. Farance and just want to move on to more important issues facing the community.

Will have more later with video of the circus. 

Report From RIRA President Ellen Polivy - Roosevelt Island Holiday Community Spirit, FDR Hope Memorial Donations, Cert Graduates & RIRA Goals, Expulsion, Resignation, Improvements

Roosevelt Island 2013 Christmas Tree And Chanukah Memorah Lit In Front of Blackwell House

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

As I walk down Main Street, I’m reminded of the wonderful feeling of community that we enjoy on our Island at this time of year. Gatherings at the Christmas Tree and Chanukah lightings, holiday sales at RIVAA and the Senior Center, the tree sales on Main Street, and preparations for Kwanza, all make me consider how wonderful it is to live in our neighborhood. I hope all your holidays are filled with love, good cheer and lots of the warm, Roosevelt Island “Ben Hugs” that were named for Benjamin Imbrogno, a young Roosevelt Islander who embodied human kindness and left us this year, far too soon. Hugs pass along a sense of well-being, trust and relaxation, so I hope you’ll pass them around in great abundance and receive your fair share as well.

Newsworthy

Joyce Short, who has served on our Common Council for many years while also running the Island's free tennis program for kids, has written a brave and important new book, Carnal Abuse By Deceit. It is a “must read!” It’s a sad and powerful account of her life with a psychopath and a cautionary tale for anyone looking for a relationship. You will recognize her reason for reclaiming her maiden name when you read it. You can buy it on Amazon.com.

Jim Bates, President of the Roosevelt Memorial, (at South Point Park,) has created a new crowdfunding video to raise money to install a sculpture of an active FDR in his wheelchair. Please watch the video and donate at tinyurl.com/FDRsculpture.

RIRA congratulates the 15 new graduates who will be joining our CERT team. They deserve our utmost gratitude for the training they completed in order to serve our community in a time of peril.

Goals for the New Year

• Working collaboratively with RIOC toward the betterment of the community.

• Advising RIOC and advocating to insure that the needs and interests of the residents are met.

• Creating a dialogue with the community’s tenant associations, residents and the various Managing Agents to address residents’ needs and encouraging more involvement in RIRA.

• Enhancing a sense of community throughout Roosevelt Island by producing a variety of special events.

• Encouraging volunteerism by creating a link between opportunities and people with an interest to serve.

• Developing internal structures to improve the interpersonal functioning of the Common Council.

• Work cooperatively with other groups to ensure the health and safety of Islanders during demolition, construction and operation of buildings and facilities on or near Roosevelt Island.

Common Council Losses

Jeff Prekopa, our Secretary and Communications Chairman, has resigned from his the Common Council. Jeff tackled the job of web design for RIRA,and succeeded where everyone before him had failed. He was an extraordinary, focused, diligent worker and an excellent web designer. He set up a state-of-the-art, interactive website that is increasing the visibility of the Common Council in a meaningful way. Because of his continued commitment to our community he has agreed to continue to improve our website. His departure is directly the result of the Common Council’s inability to stop Frank Farance from defaming his colleagues and making derogatory public comments. Over the years the Common Council has lost many responsible workers for the same reason, and a number of current Common Council Representatives are contemplating stepping down for the same reason.

For instance, since Lynne Shinozaki took over the Social, Cultural and Education Committee, RIRA’s community activities have greatly expanded. Lynne created late night basketball, created our Easter Egg Hunts, Cherry Blossom Festivals and skating in the school and RIRA showcase. She has brought us concerts, dancers and additional events and has more planned for this year. She embodies integrity and community spirit. For her and her hard working committee members to come under attack by the unwarranted rumors that Frank Farance has spread about her conduct is heartbreaking.

No one should be rewarded for unsavory behavior by basking in the limelight it creates, so I do not intend to give Frank Farance more than 30 seconds. His behavior has been a problem for many years. He has had second, third, fourth, and more chances. In fact, he was censured by the Common Council during the last term for the same behavior he is currently exhibiting. It was hoped that the censure would raise his awareness, but it did not seem to affect him at all. Rather, he is like the defiant child who is impervious to punishment. The Bill of Particulars to remove him from the Common Council was not resolved in the last meeting because his supporters, along with others who preferred avoidance over confrontation, voted to remove the matter from the agenda rather than deal with it at the meeting. It is unfortunate because Mr. Farance cannot be cleared of the charges until the Council does its job to hear and decide on the matter. Until it is decided, the issue is simply in limbo.

We have lost many good Council Members over the years who decided that the incorrigible behavior they faced was intolerable. Mr. Farance has set a new level for offensive conduct and the losses we could sustain by his continuing unabated would be too great.

Improvements

To their credit, a number of Council Members have begun a discourse on improving communication and interactions both within the Common Council and with the community. Erin Feeley-Nahem, Romano Reid, Sharon Pope, Micky Rindler and Nicole Walden are among the people who have spoken up with positive ideas for change. The Common Council is reviewing any and all constructive suggestions. We expect to come out of this crisis stronger and more resilient. But ultimately whether the Council improves or limps along with contention will be up to the Council to decide or the community to say "enough is enough".

Although not unique to Roosevelt Island bullying behavior is destructive everywhere. It is prevalent enough to elicit a May 2013 article in the Daily Kos. I attach the link here.

I hope your holidays are fun.

Roosevelt Island Residents Association Witch Hunt To Expel RIRA Member Farance Fails Following Approval Of Motion To Strike Agenda Item At Monthly Meeting, But Will It Return - Is Dr. Phil Available For Intervention?

As previously reported, the November Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Common Council (CC) approved a Bill Of Particulars to expel CC Member Frank Farance. According to the  RIRA Constitution, Mr. Farance would have the opportunity to rebut the Bill Of Particular charges at the December RIRA meeting. Following the rebuttal by Mr. Farance, the CC would conduct a vote to expel him. A 2/3 (two thirds) vote of the Common Council would be needed to approve expelling Mr. Farance.

The December RIRA Meeting Agenda item 7 was:

... Second Part of Procedure to expel Council Member:
Member has a chance to rebut the Bill Of Particulars and Council votes on whether or not to expel him...

But this witch hunt

She's A Witch Image From Monty Python & Holy Grail

contained a last minute surprise. Mr. Farance did not get to rebut the Bill of Particulars nor did the CC vote on the Motion to expel him. Before the meeting Agenda was approved, a motion was offered to strike item 7, the motion to expel Mr. Farance, from the Agenda.

The motion to strike was approved by a vote of 15 to 14 with one abstention. As reported after the meeting Wednesday night:

... The attempt to expel Mr. Farance failed. Before Mr. Farance was to give his rebuttal, a motion to strike the Expulsion Agenda Item was made and approved by a vote of 15 to 14.

Upon losing the vote, several supporters of the motion to expel Mr. Farance immediately resigned from RIRA....

I am not clear if the motion to expel Mr. Farance can be raised again at future RIRA meetings and if it can, does a new Bill of Particulars have to be approved.

 Here's the vote and discussion afterwards



RIRA President Polivy expressed the view that it was wrong to take the motion off the Agenda without voting on the substance of expelling Mr. Farance. Of course, since a majority voted to strike the motion from the Agenda, presumably that same majority would vote to reject the motion to expel Mr. Farance. (a 2/3 vote was needed to expel, not just a majority). Following the vote, 3 supporters of the motion to expel walked out of the meeting and at least one, resigned.

CC member Sharon Pope expressed regret that the CC allowed three members:

 ... to get up and leave the room...

and:

... we need to always work collaboratively and reach out to people consistently, that's what we were elected to do, to work with each other...

RIRA President Ellen Polivy than delivered her report in which she castigated members of the CC for not knowing how to properly behave with each other. Ms. Polivy recommended bringing in an expert to teach the CC members how to conduct themselves properly. Ms. Polivy also said:

... I find it extremely disrespectful that there was a group of people that decided something on the Agenda didn't belong on the Agenda. They wanted to take it off. It was just a maneuver to not discuss what needed to be discussed....

There was a full discussion (video here) by the CC at the November meeting. The December meeting was to give Mr. Farance a chance to rebut.

Here's the full RIRA President's Report from Ms. Polivy.



CC member Dave Evans supported the motion to strike the Expulsion motion from the Agenda. According to Mr. Evans:

It is my desire that the Common Council as the elected body of the Roosevelt Island Residents Association uses lessons learned from the matter of expulsion so to move forward in a constructive and objective manner. I must admit that, from my perspective, there is an abundance of ambiguity associated with how we have proceeded, so much that it calls into question decisions made or that might be made associated with the conduct of us on and individual and collective basis. There are institutional actions and improvements we can undertake to mitigate controversy going forward. These include, among other things: more clarity in the Constitution and Bylaws; a full review of our procedures at the Common Council and Committee levels; a broad refresher of our responsibilities as a 501c organization; codification of a code of conduct/ethics; training of Council Members so to understand the rules, provisions of the governing documents; and the need to improve ourselves on matters of decorum.

Quite frankly, I am saddened by how questions raised about Mr. Farance and the process we undertook has reflected upon the Council, creating risks to its credibility and effective operation. We have the prospects of loosing Councilors who have contributed so much to improving the way of life on the Island. But, we also have the opportunity to take advantage of this situation to make ourselves better so to get on with the business of helping make life better for the residents of this wonderful Roosevelt Island. At this point, I don't think we can say who is to blame and it could be folly to try doing so. Maybe each of us shares blame. Our focus has to be supporting the Common Council as structured going forward until we can make the aforementioned improvements and more.

Mr. Evans shares this briefing paper on handling the expulsion motion from the perspective of RIRA Constitution titled:

How Handling The Matter Of "Expulsion" Could Create A Risk Of "Implosion"

 CC member Joyce Short supported expelling Mr. Farance from RIRA. She writes:

The attempt to expel Mr. Farance did not fail. It did not come up for a vote. The agenda item to discuss the matter was stricken. The affect of striking an ongoing procedure from the agenda is that nothing changed in any way. The charges against him still stand. The decision was simply delayed with no prejudice either way. Striking it from the agenda only subjects the Common Council to this "circus" for a longer period of time. In my personal opinion, we would all have been far better off getting this matter behind us. If his supporters thought he would win, there would have been no reason to take the matter off the agenda.The motion to remove the matter was made by one of his supporters.

As to resignations, I'm aware of only one resignation that was submitted last evening. Although several Common Council Representatives are seriously considering resignation, one very active and supportive member resigned so far. It is a sad loss for the community. Jeff Prekopa accomplished, in short order, what Frank Farance failed to do for several years although he was responsible for doing so. Jeff created an impressive web page for our organization and upgraded the technology for our organizational communications. He did it quietly, professionally, and without fanfare. It is my belief that several more Common Councilors will be resigning based on the outcome of this matter.

While you may term an attempt to stop Frank's reprehensible behavior as a "witch hunt" there are many folks who will not serve on a board in which its members are consistently and continuously bombarded by his toxic dialogue and threats. Personally, I feel that what he does is bullying, and I won't serve with people who sit by and allow other members to be bullied. Telling someone that if they don't behave in a certain way, he will report them to the Attorney General, Inspector General, or whomever else he pleases, is a grotesque and flagrant act of bullying. He seems to have no boundaries or concern for the welfare of his colleagues.

If you notice, Frank has a considerable calm about him. When people react to the harm he's created, he simply quietly digs in his heels and throws pages and pages of accusation and rhetoric at them, justifying his behavior and escalating his claims. He's a very quiet, intelligent bully. It's as if he's appointed himself the official gossip of Main Street, sitting with his feet propped up on his balcony's banister and lobbing "press" grenades at every oddity he sees. When he has a slow day, he throws some marbles on the sidewalk to insure that people trip, and then he sits back, typing away and basking in the glow of his brilliance.

Frank does not privately go to the person he is criticizing and have an illuminating discussion, the way people who wish to help out do. Instead, he portrays his suspicions as facts and displays them publicly so he can be recognized for his intellect. It's reprehensible behavior, and he does it all under the guise of "freedom of speech" and "helping his community."

He calls an interest in protecting people from personal harm, being "emotional" and "making emotional decisions". He's way above that..... or is he? Emotions are what separate man from beasts. Without emotions, that's all we are. Frank should think about that the next time he criticizes people for becoming "emotional" over his attacks. They apparently have emotions. Where are his? And what is he if he cannot appreciate and respect the emotions of others?

And, as for the people who defend his right to trounce his colleagues, where is their humanity? It's a very sad day when the folks who serve on the Common Council fail to see that someone who badgers and uses public forums to bully should not be stopped.

The community needs to give serious consideration to the present condition of RIRA. We live in a community in which we have no democratic voice in the laws and governing decisions here. All we have to voice the will of our community are two organizations, RIRA and RICC.

RICC deals with the specific task of attempting to protect the community from the possible encroachment and misuse of Cornell, who has hardly committed to doing anything positive here in our neighborhood, and has the potential of doing a great deal of damage. RIRA is the organization that considers matters such as policing, services, housing, and bringing the community together through activities that make our Island a special place to live.

I've served on RIRA for several years and have seen many Common Council Representatives come and go. It is extremely unfortunate that the position of Common Council Representative is rarely a contested one. It enables people to serve who are not the community's choice, but are there by default instead. People who live in the community need to think about the kind of community they'd like Roosevelt Island to be, and if its one with an active residents association that truly represents the interests of the people, they need to carefully weigh who they vote for, and most importantly, they need to get involved. RIRA is what RIRA is voted to be. If the community wants a better RIRA, they need to take responsibility rather than sitting back and making amusing caricatures of witch hunts and the like. RIRA is what the community makes it. And what the community has made this RIRA is the recipient of bullying from within.

CC member and RIRA Public Safety Chair Erin Feely-Nahem supported did not support the motion to strike the expulsion item from the Agenda and she did not support expelling Mr. Farance from RIRA. She explained her position to the CC prior to the vote:

I am opposed to the expulsion of Frank Farance from RIRA. The administrative measure of expulsion, to deal with Frank, is like using a cannon against a bee. My position has nothing in common with any defense of Farance's behavior, methods, or political positions. I have had enough negative first-hand experience with them to last a lifetime. But the expulsion of Frank, based on the materials presented in the Bill of Particulars, does not offer any concrete acts that rise to the level of what I think should be required to expel someone, and sets a dangerous precedent.

Council Members' disruptive behavior does warrant some rule changes within the Common Council and within RIRA Committees. For example we need clear rules and monitoring against ad hominum attacks as well as space limits for online discussions. But you can’t expel someone for being rude, impugning people's motives, and for the constant use of insinuation, let alone for writing letters to the editor of The WIRE. In counterposition to expelling I think the Common Council should pass a series of resolutions opposing in detail the false "conflict of interest” charges and other insinuations Frank is trumpeting around the SCE and other committees and go on record with recorded votes on the issues he raises.

The fact is that in Frank's case, he has never been more isolated in the RIRA Common Council and in the community as a whole as he is presently. Why make him a victim now? Those who strongly oppose Frank should work to defeat him in the next Island House election. There are excellent candidates within Island House who are outraged at his behavior and political posturing and who are prepared to take him on.

The experience of the PSC can be useful in this regard. The struggle we led to get rid of Keith Guerra and change policing practices on the Island did as much as anything to politically isolate Frank. Not that that was ever our goal. Frank brought that on himself with his repeated attempts to divert the struggle into attacks on the RIOC Board and Lynne and Ellen who were members of the PSC with spouses on the Board, negating whatever positive contributions he made. Sure it was cumbersome and took up precious time in the middle of the fight but in the end the large majority unified through democratic debate, clarifying what the PSC tactics should and would be. Frank’s viewpoint and tactics ended up being supported by a tiny minority within PSC and, although he made some good contributions to the struggle, these were unfortunately outweighed by his aversion to acting as part of a team and respecting the clear democratic decisions of the majority. But we never thought of expelling him, despite all his provocations. We tried hard to make Frank part of the team in a democratic body. But, sadly Frank is his own worst enemy and he marches to his own drummer.

Just about everything that Frank is charged with, within the Common Council, also happened within the PSC. I certainly sympathize with those like Ellen and Lynne -- who I and the PSC, by vote, strongly defended against Frank’s scurrilous attacks -- who have been slurred in public by Frank. So have I. His outrageous insinuations about my son's employment with RIOC as a summer, and now part-time, employee, being supposedly a conflict of interest with my position as Chair of the PSC, is ridiculous. The reality is that my son applied in 2011 for a summer position and was not called. He applied again in May 2013, with college and more work experience under his belt, and was hired in early June. My husband and I had nothing to do with getting him the job other than helping him prepare his resume. Guerra was still in office at the time and the PSC and both of us were sharply presenting the PSC's demands at RIOC Board meetings, which included the removal of Guerra and his thugs, prior to and following my son’s hire at RIOC. The insinuation that there was a quid pro quo, with Andrew getting a summer job and us selling out the struggle is ludicrous and everything in the public record contradicts it. My speeches at the May, June, September and November RIOC Board meeting, recorded on the blog, attest to the fact that the PSC’s democratically decided position remained my mantra. So I stand second to no one in my abhorrence of Frank’s his whole way of functioning, his insinuations, and his character assassinations.

People do have the First Amendment right to establish any association or group that they care to as Frank did with his rump "Law Enforcement Committee" (LEC). But Frank's decision to form his committee was not “encouraged” by me, as asserted. It was Frank’s inability to accept PSC majority decisions concerning the committee’s tactics that encouraged him and his ally Helen Chirivas to split. Frank’s claim that he set up his committee because people felt intimidated by the presence of Ellen and Lynne in the PSC will produce laughter to anyone who ever attended various contentious PSC meeting. Ellen's views on some questions were sharply challenged and debated openly at some meetings, just like anyone else. Questions and differences were resolved through discussion and give and take. The PSC functioned democratically; there was no deference or intimidation. Frank’s proposed tactics were repeatedly not supported by the majority, and once this was evident in June, then voted down in July, his answer to his isolation was to create his so-called Law Enforcement Committee. The concrete positions the LEC has taken since, which include the PSC's long time position of advocating for services for the Young Adult population, have also been notable for advocating more aggressive policing, which clearly differs from the PSC position. ( For example, the PSC supported the tactics utilized by Interim Director Jack McManus on July 4th, where crowd control was managed without arrest or use of pepper spray, which is closer to what I would call sort of a Guerraism without Guerra.) Frank also supports the replacement of the PSD with the NYPD which the PSC unanimously opposes.

While I know it is unpleasant to see your name smeared all over the Internet, this is the age we live in. If you take a public position, and you do political or community work, you can just expect that the coarseness that is prevalent in American society and politics today is going to bite you online. I have seen my viewpoint, motives and reputation attacked online, by other Common Councilors as well. It should just make us redouble our efforts to be civil and principled in our public or political activity. The truth is, Frank's behavior, outside of RIRA after being expelled from the body, will be no different than how he acts now as a member within RIRA. To justify the expulsion of Frank because some people may think that his opinions are the opinions of RIRA, is not valid. If this is the case the positions of the Common Council need to be clarified publicly by the RIRA President. Frank represents Frank and only Frank. He can claim, for now, to be the representative of Island House but let's see what the next election brings. As a member of the PSC, Frank often sent out material independently, during the PSC struggle, which conflicted with the PSC majority's viewpoint and chosen tactics in letters to the RIOC Board, etc. As the PSC Chair I had to reiterate the PSC position, making clear that Frank’s statements and opinions were just that, Frank’s opinions, not the position of the PSC. Yes, the task was frustrating and took time, but today my relationship with these external bodies, as the RIRA PSC Chair, is solid, as is the reputation of the RIRA Public Safety Committee.

Mr. Farance has been elected by the people who live in his building - Island House- for many years. The Island House Tenants Association Chair Graham Cannon sent these two letters of support for Mr. Farance to RIRA:

To whom it may concern:

I understand there are proceedings underway which may result in Frank Farance's expulsion from RIRA

Frank has been an exemplary Island House representative (as well as IHTA Secretary) — promoting our tenants' interests effectively and well. He enjoys widespread and deserved support among the Island House electorate and there would be great concern by them if action were taken that might remove Frank and diminish our ability to have our needs and interests effectively represented at RIRA.

I would urge you to consider the interests of Island House as you make your decisions.

Graham Cannon
Chair, IHTA

and:

To RIRA Common Council:

As you know, in Island House, we have been quite successful in negotiating an affordable housing plan for our tenancy. Our efforts have helped the 1000 residents and 400 families of Island House, and we hope we have created a template that can be replicated/adapted to benefit Westview tenants. Any success we have had has come from extensive and open negotiation with the key state agencies and, most importantly, a free, open and ongoing dialog with our tenancy who, at every juncture, have provided the most valuable input and strategic thinking that have enabled us to reflect and include their diversity and complexity in our agreements.

I was concerned at reports from our RIRA common council representatives that there may be attempts to limit debate/discussion at RIRA and/or limiting the engagement of RIRA members with the various State and law enforcement agencies with whom all of us do business on Roosevelt Island.

Please be assured that our RIRA representatives (Frank Farance, Russ Fields, Helen Chirivas) continue to represent the interests of our tenants. Based on our experience at Island House I would urge that:

(1) As at Island House meetings that allow all tenants to be heard, the RIRA Common Council should let all its delegates be heard.

(2) Island House tenants participate in the RILEC committee. The "three prong' framework suggested by our RIRA representatives seems a good basis for examining concerns about Public Safety issues.

(3) That RIRA oppose any attempt to set it up as "gatekeeper" as to who or what groups can meet with Public Safety (PSD) and/or RIOC. The standard across the city is that law enforcement meets with the widest range of community representatives and individuals to ensure they have a direct understanding of all community issues and concerns.

I encourage the RIRA Common Council to seriously consider the positions and proposals of the Island House delegation.

Graham Cannon
Chair, Island House Tenants Association

RIRA needs some intervention. Is Dr. Phil around to help?