Roosevelt Island Operating Corp Interim Leadership Team Member Gerrald Ellis Announces He Is Leaving RIOC At The End Of June - This Is A Big Loss, In 6 Short Months He Helped Bring Competency And Community Engagement To Roosevelt Island

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Deputy General Counsel and Interim Leadership Team member Gerrald Ellis

sent the following message to RIOC employees this afternoon.

To my fellow RIOC employees,

It is with mixed emotions that I write to you today to share some personal news. I have accepted a position as in-house counsel at an affordable housing developer here in NYC, and I will be leaving RIOC at the end of the month. My last day will be Friday, June 28th.

It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve in the interim leadership role since January and to be at least partially entrusted with the stewardship of the unique gem that is Roosevelt Island. Our work continues, both for this month while it remains ours together, and into the future once I am gone. I leave content, however, knowing that the work lies in good hands with you all, the incredible team who make this island function, who keep it clean and orderly, who come in day in and day out, rain or shine, to do your jobs and to make this island the beautiful, tranquil oasis it is.

I also leave content in the hope that I have left the island and our institution at least slightly better than when I first arrived. But even if that is true, it is you all that I must thank for it. The employees of RIOC are the backbone of this organization—from the Youth Center to PSD to the grounds crew to the maintenance staff to Sportspark, the bus fleet, and then all the administrative staff—it is you all who have kept the RIOC ship steady over these last few months and for that I am forever grateful.

And so, I thank you all for your efforts and I wish you all the best in life and your future endeavors. Roosevelt Island and the community here are better because of you and your work. Always remember that.

My best to you all,

Upon learning Mr Ellis was leaving RIOC, I asked him and the RIOC Board of Directors:

I understand that you are leaving RIOC at the end of the month.

First, thank you very much for your service to Roosevelt Island. I believe that over the last 6 months, you and the RIOC Interim Leadership team have done an outstanding job and you will be missed.

Does your departure have anything to do with the Haynes/Robinson lawsuit? Will either of them be returning to RIOC?

Who will be in charge of RIOC?

Is there any statement from the RIOC Board?

Any statement from Gerrald?

Will update when more information becomes available. 

This morning, Mr Ellis spoke at the raising of the Roosevelt Island Pride Flag.

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This evening Mr Ellis discussed an extension of the Roosevelt Island Master Ground Lease between New York City and State during the Community Board 8 Roosevelt Island committee meeting. 

The departure of Mr Ellis from RIOC is big loss for Roosevelt Island. As part of the Interim Leadership team he has brought competency to RIOC management and real engagement with the Roosevelt Island community. The RIOC Board and NY State should try and persuade him to stay.

Stay tuned for more.

UPDATE 6/4 - RIOC Board Member Ben Fhala replies:

Of course, I will refrain from delving into the details due to the litigation and out of respect for Gerrald to narrate what he wants and can make public.

I was deeply saddened to hear that Gerrald decided to step down from the interim leadership position. Since the junior board members joined, he has been a welcoming figure in an incredibly hostile environment. Throughout our many long talks during this journey of reestablishing governance on this island, he was a voice of calm and reason. He worked behind the scenes to enable, inform, and support this new board's mission to create structures that support the incredibly important work we have been tasked with.

In the very first board meeting, he welcomed the new board members and urged us to reach out to him for any need, reminding us that he has fiduciary duties to us and will always be available. Not long after that meeting, the executive team set a directive to prevent open communications with the board members. Yet, at great personal risk, Gerald kept the dialogue with all board members who wished to remain informed.

He did his best to mediate between the senior board members and the junior board members, between the executive team and the board, and even between NY State Homes & Community Renewal (HCR), the Governor's Executive Chambers, and this board. His dedication and personal sacrifices throughout the last year have made him the most ideal candidate to assume the position of CEO. Unfortunately, due to reasons I cannot elaborate on, his nomination was blocked and delayed. Although he was appointed to the interim leadership team without the support required to operate fully, he helped bridge the gap that had formed between the community and the organization created to serve it. He is still working tirelessly to bridge the facets of this board and its oversight.

Simply put, this community and the resident board members will forever be in his debt for putting the needs of the public and this board ahead of all others. While the upcoming future remains unknown, his leadership and advocacy have left us in a much better place than we would have been. I will miss the topics we agreed on and the ones we had open heated debates over, and I know I made a friend for life.

Thanks,

Ben Fhala*

Junior (Resident) Board Member

*Disclaimer: All statements made by Ben Fhala are made in his capacity as a RIOC Resident Board member. He does not represent the entirety of RIOC or the full board but serves as a Resident Board member, offering information to the community and its stakeholders.

Extension Of Roosevelt Island Master Lease Between New York City & State And The Citizen Project Roosevelt Island Technology Platform Among Items On June 3 Community Board 8 Roosevelt Island Committee Zoom Meeting Agenda - You're Invited To Participate

You're invited to attend the the June 3 Manhattan Community Board 8 (CB 8) Roosevelt Island Committee meeting via Zoom.

According to the CB 8 Roosevelt Island Committee June 3 meeting Agenda:

Roosevelt Island Committee

Monday, June 3, 2024 - 6:30 PM

This meeting will be conducted via Zoom

For access to the Zoom meeting, sign in by clicking this link. 

AGENDA:

The Citizen Project - update on Roosevelt Island technology platform featuring Kaushal Shah

RIOC Updates

Discussion on an Extension of the Master Lease with Deputy General Counsel Gerrald Ellis (RIOC)

Old Business

New Business

Paul Krikler, Chair

Click here for more information on The Citizen Project, an initiative to leverage technology to provide solutions for the daily needs of Roosevelt Island residents by building a web and mobile based platform. 

As reported March 7:

... Among the solutions being developed by The Citizen Project is a Roosevelt Island Transit mobile app

Image from CB 8 You Tube Video

providing schedule information for the Tram, Subway, Ferry and soon the Red Bus....

Also more info on the issues regarding possible extension of the Roosevelt Island Master Ground Lease between New York City and State.

Future Of Roosevelt Island Master Lease Between NYC City & State, Capital Projects, Motorgate Parking Rate & More Among Issues To Be Discussed At February 15 RIOC Board Of Directors Real Estate Development Advisory Committee Meeting

According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC): 

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a meeting of the Real Estate Development Advisory Committee of the RIOC Board of Directors will be held on Thursday, February 15, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. at the RIOC’s Operations Office, 680 Main Street, Roosevelt Island, New York 10044.

AGENDA:

1. Current Focus:

a. Z-Brick patchwork

b. Presentation by Idig2Learn regarding a proposed mini-forest planting in Southpoint Park

c. Motorgate Parking Rate Discussion

2. Updates

a. Liu Shimming sculpture placement

b. Master Lease 2068 considerations

3. Capital Project Discussion

4. Future Topics

5. Any Other Committee Business that May be Brought Before the Committee

Here's the full Agenda.

During a June 30, 2023 interview with New York City Mayor Eric Adams, I asked him for his views on the Roosevelt Island Master Lease between NYC and NY State and whether Roosevelt Island should be returned to governance by NYC or remain governed by NY State upon the expiration of the Master Lease in 2068.

According to Mayor Adams:

... we're not talking about Hong Kong returning to China. It's still going to be in New York...

... we need feedback from those who are living there now,   whether the pros and cons, and I think that the residents that live there should have a major input on how they would like to continue to see the Island run...

Here's the June 30, 2023 interview with Mayor Adams

and the 1969 Roosevelt Island Master Lease Agreement between the City and State of New York as well as the General Development Plan for the Island.

UPDATE 4/2 - Here's discussion of the Roosevelt Island ground lease extension during the Febraury 15 RIOC meeting.

Open Government and Transparency Emerging on Roosevelt Island

One of the first posts on this blog (during the ALL CAP DAYS) stated a goal to:

...provide concerned citizens easy access to the historical background of how Roosevelt Island has been governed in the past and to promote openness and transparency by our current governmental representatives

and noted:

... it would be of great use to the community if other important Roosevelt Island governing documents such as the General Development Plan and all Amendments thereto be made available to the public.

Thanks to RIOC President Steve Shane, the Roosevelt Island General Development Plan and the 1969 Roosevelt Island Master Lease between the City of New York (Lessor) and the NY State Urban Development Corporation (Lessee) and Welfare Island Development Corporation (Subsidiary) are now available online for review by all who may be interested. A permanent link will be on the right side column under the title Roosevelt Island Governing Documents.

The 12/11/07 Washington Post had an article describing problems accessing government information by citizens as well as by other federal, state and city agencies. According to the article:

The biggest hurdle agencies face in sharing information with one another and with citizens is not the technology but rather how the agencies organize information, said Karen Evans, who oversees the e-government program for the Office of Management and Budget.

The article also reports that Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia and officials from Google will testify before:

the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs today, urging Congress to require federal agencies to make their Web sites, records and databases more searchable

and according to Wales:

"It's really important for the notion of public participation for [agencies] to be striving to be as open as possible,"...

Who could have imagined at this time last year that RIOC would be ahead of the curve in making government documents and information available to the public. Certainly not me nor the NY State Assembly Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions that concluded in 2005 of prior RIOC administrations:

The operation and management of RIOC has exhibited, in the past, a pattern of secrecy and unaccountability consistent with what the Committee has found at other authorities. With respect to relations with the Island's community and institutions, including matters such as open meetings, FOIL requests, public participation and RIOC activities and full public disclosure of important public issues, RIOC must show significant improvement.

Certainly RIOC operations have begun to change for the better here on Roosevelt Island. If anyone has any suggestions for additional information or documents concerning Roosevelt Island to be made publicly available please let me know and I will try and get it. Good job by RIOC in providing citizen access to these essential Roosevelt Island governing documents.

Image is from Inman News.