Funds For Roosevelt Island Youth Center, Garden Club And Zipcar License Agreement & Installation Of Gustav Kraitz Sculpture Among Items Of RIOC Board Of Directors Meeting Today

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board Of Directors meet later today.

 Image Of March 2015 RIOC Board Of Directors Meeting

A public comment session is held prior to the start of the meeting. Here is the Agenda:

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a Board of Directors meeting will be held on Thursday, April 16, 2015 at 5:30 p.m. at the Cultural Center Theater, 548 Main Street, Roosevelt Island, New York, for the purpose of transacting such business as shall come before the Board.

AGENDA

APRIL 16, 2015 MEETING OF

THE ROOSEVELT ISLAND OPERATING CORPORATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

THE CULTURAL CENTER THEATER, 548 MAIN STREET,

ROOSEVELT ISLAND, NEW YORK

5:30 P.M.[1]


I. Call to Order

II. Roll Call

III. Approval of Minutes

1. March 26, 2015 Board Meeting (Board Action Required)

IV. Old Business

V. New Business

1. Authorization to Amend License Agreement with the Roosevelt Island Garden Club, LTD (RIGC) (Board Action Required)

2. Authorization to Ratify and Amend License Agreement for Zipcar Parking at Southtown (Board Action Required)

3. Authorization to Install the Kraitz Sculpture on Roosevelt Island (Board Action Required)

4. Authorization of Expenditure of Funds for Roosevelt Island Youth Center (Board Action Required)

5. Authorization to Enter into Contract with U. Arias, Corp for Landscaping and Maintenance Services (Board Action Required)

6. Authorization to Enter into Contract with Architecture and Engineering Group, PC for Motorgate Garage Repairs Design (Board Action Required – Materials to Follow)

7. President’s Report

8. Committee Reports

a. Audit Committee

b. Governance Committee

c. Operations Advisory Committee

d. Real Estate Development Advisory Committee

9. Public Safety Report

VI. Adjournment


[1] The RIOC Board Meeting will commence following a public comment period. The public comment period is not part of the meeting.

Below is March 31 memo from RIOC staff to RIOC President Charlene Indelicato and the RIOC Board in support of funding allocation to the Roosevelt Island Youth Center.

As you are aware, included in the Board approved FY 15-16 (April 1, 2015 – March 31, 2016) Budget is a $175,000 disbursement for the Roosevelt Island Youth Center (“Youth Center”) — currently being operated by the Roosevelt Island Youth Program (“RIYP”). The Youth Center through RIYP offers programs vital to the Island and its youth, consistent with the General Development Plan and RIOC’s Mission Statement.

Programs provided by RIYP include a summer day camp, fitness activities, computer lab access and music instruction. RIYP also manages extensive after school activities, an organized sports curriculum and other recreational programs as part of the PS/IS 217 Beacon Program, for which it receives NYC funding.

RIOC intends to issue a Request for Proposals in the fall of this year for an entity to operate the Youth Center. However, in order to provide for efficient continuity of these programs, the budgeted funds for the current fiscal year should be pro-rated to the RIYP through December 31, 2015, in the amount of $131,250. RIOC would also require RIYP to continue to provide an appropriate accounting of the funds.

Based on the foregoing, we recommend the approval of the disbursement of $131,250 to the Roosevelt Island Youth Program.

Here's more information on the:

• Kraitz Sculpture installation,
• Garden Club License agreemen,
• Zip Car License Agreement, 
• Landscaping and Maintenance Services and
• Design of Motorgate Repairs

from the RIOC Board package materials.

UPDATE 11 PM - The authorization to approve funding for the Roosevelt Island Youth Center was approved by the RIOC Board earlier this evening.

RIOC staffer Sean Singh briefed the RIOC Board followed by a discussion among the Board members before approving the funding authorization.

RIOC Board member Margie Smith concluded the discussion on the subject by saying:

... The take away for the community is there's no danger that we will not have a Youth Center. We will. We will have one probably ad infinitum. Some of the State restrictions are getting tighter and we are working through that stuff now. We are very confident that we will work something out and that there will be very little, if any, disruption, to the Youth Center. There will be a Youth Center continuing on the Island....

Here's the discussion.



The Zipcar, Landscaping and Motorgate authorizations were also approved. The Kraitz sculpture authorization and Garden Club license agreement were postponed.

Roosevelt Island Main Street Theater, Garden Club And Zipcar Parking License Agreements On Agenda For RIOC Board Of Directors Meeting Today

 Image of Renovated Main Street Theater At Roosevelt Island Cultural Center

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board Of Directors meet later today.

Image Of December 2014 RIOC Board Of Directors Meeting

A public comment session is held prior to the start of the meeting. Here is the Agenda:

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a Board of Directors meeting will be held on Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 5:30 p.m. at the Manhattan Park Community Center, 8 River Road, Roosevelt Island, New York, for the purpose of transacting such business as shall come before the Board.

I. Call to Order

II.Roll Call

III. Approval of Minutes

1. February 26, 2015 Board Meeting (Board Action Required)

IV. Old Business

V. New Business

1. Authorization to Ratify and Amend Contract with JFA Insurance Brokerage & Associates, Inc. and Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. for Insurance Brokerage Services (Board Action Required)

2. Authorization to Enter Into Insurance Binders for 2015-16 (Board Action Required)

3. Authorization to Enter Into License and Operating Agreement with the Main Street Theater & Dance Alliance (MSTDA) (Board Action Required)

4. Authorization to Ratify and Amend License Agreement with the Roosevelt Island Garden Club, LTD (RIGC) (Board Action Required)

5. Authorization to Ratify and Amend License Agreement with Riverwalk Landings, LLC for Zipcar Parking at Southtown (Board Action Required)

6. President’s Report

7. Committee Reports

a. Audit Committee

b. Governance Committee

c. Operations Advisory Committee

d. Real Estate Development Advisory Committee

8. Public Safety Report

VI. Adjournment

[1] The RIOC Board Meeting will commence following a public comment period. The public comment period is not part of the meeting.

Below is an excerpt of the March 19 memo from RIOC President Charlene Indelicato to the RIOC Board in support of the license agreement with the Main Street Theater & Dance Alliance:

... As part of its Master Lease Agreement with the City of New York and its General Development Plan, RIOC’s mission is to develop a “comprehensive system of community facilities” which includes daycare centers for children on the Island, community rooms, and facilities for the elderly and youth, among other things. A comprehensive community also includes initiatives that better the lives of children and families through the creation of programs that enrich its members and yield a more vested, interested community-base.

One such facility is a performing arts theater that provides a source of recreation for the residents of Roosevelt Island. Much like a youth center nurtures children through activities and other learning experiences that greatly add to their growth in becoming responsible adults, a performing arts theater is an integral part of community relations because it offers interesting opportunities that bring its members together. Indeed, theater creates a core place for residents to interact and actively participate in theater productions. For these reasons, RIOC seeks an Island-based theater group to operate the performing arts theater, located at the Cultural Center.

Upon much consideration, The Main Street Theater and Dance Alliance (“MSTDA”) is the appropriate organization to fulfill that task. MSTDA is a community-based theater production group that has served the residents of Roosevelt Island for over thirty years. MSTDA is run by a professional staff, primarily of volunteers, who are also Roosevelt Island residents. MSTDA strives to enhance the community experience by creating high quality performance and dance training opportunities for all members of the Roosevelt Island community....

and the full memo.

RIOC License Agreement With Main Street Theater & Dance Alliance


Below is an excerpt of the March 26 memo from RIOC President Charlene Indelicato to the RIOC Board in support of the license agreement with the Roosevelt Island Garden Club:

... As part of its Mission Statement, RIOC’s mission is to “provide an appropriate level of services to develop and maintain public facilities, open spaces, and commercial facilities,” among other things. As part of its Master Lease with the City of New York, “Open Space Areas” shall be developed as parks. Accordingly, RIOC, in seeking an Island-based gardening group to operate the garden space at Octagon Park, wishes to extend the Permit for Limited Activities on Roosevelt Island License, Waiver of Liability and Indemnity Agreement, Revocable License Agreement, and the Waste Removal Letter Agreement (“The Agreements”) currently in effect with Roosevelt Island Garden Club (“RIGC”), to December 31, 2015.

In 1989, RIOC created a group, consisting of community organizations and Island residents, to develop a comprehensive plan for the landscaping of Octagon Park. In 1990, it was determined by this group that Octagon Park would “include ballfields, community gardens, open lawn areas and an ‘ecological park.’”

RIGC, founded by current and former members of the community in 1975, who had an interest in beautifying the Island, moved its gardens from the Commons Area to Octagon Park, once the development plan for that open space was formulated. RIGC has been operating its garden programs at Octagon Park for over twenty years and consists of Roosevelt Island residents.

Today, RIGC’s website states that its mission is to “manage a community garden in the manner that provides a rewarding and enjoyable gardening experience for its members.” RIGC strives to impart an appreciation for gardening among its members and the Roosevelt Island community and in so doing, manages over 132 gardening plots, including six plots designated for disabled members. Its responsibilities include: Managing the grounds, designating specified hours of operation, implementing waste removal procedures, and maintaining insurance coverage for its programs. RIGC also offers educational classes and workshops to its members and the community, as well as a composting program. And, having a good relationship with Green Thumb, RIGC has also taken advantage of Green Thumb’s gardening amenities, classes, and free supplies

To that end, RIOC wishes to extend the Agreements with RIGC that are due to expire on March 31, 2015, to December 31, 2015.....

and the full memo.

RIOC Roosevelt Island Garden Club License

Below is March 11 memo from RIOC's Cyril Opperman to the RIOC Board and President in support of the Zipcar license agreement amendment:

At the June 2010 Board Meeting, the RIOC Board approved a one-year license agreement between the Corporation and the Riverwalk Landing LLC. The purpose of the license agreement was to provide three parking spaces for Zipcar vehicles at the Southtown location. The Zipcar venture proved to be successful on Roosevelt Island, so the original license was amended by the Board in June 2011 and in May 2012. The license was subsequently extended by the Board through May 2013. It was further extended through its current expiration date of April 30, 2015.
As noted, the current one-year Zipcar license expires on April 30, 2015. Therefore, RIOC would like to extend it on the following terms:

• The number of Zipcar vehicles will remain the same – three (3)
• The license fee will increase from $192 to $200
• The license will be extended for an additional one-year period

I recommend the ratification and amendment of Zipcar license agreement with Riverwalk Landing LLC for Board approval on the terms set forth above.

UPDATE 9:15 PM - The RIOC Board of Directors approved Main Street Theater & Dance Alliance license agreement. The Garden Club and Zipcar motions were postponed for a future meeting.

Roosevelt Island Zipcars - Are More Needed?

 Roosevelt Island Zipcar At Riverwalk Dirt Lot

Are you a Roosevelt Island Zipcar user? If so, have you noticed a recent decrease in the number of Roosevelt Island Zipcars? A reader reports:

I live in Manhattan Park and am a Zipcar member, have you noticed by chance that Zipcar seems to have removed 70% of the vehicles from the island ? I have e-mailed them after seeing that for the next month only 3 cars seem to "live" on the island at this time, 1 in Riverwalk, 1 in Octagon and 1 in Motorgate. I am waiting for a response in the next 24 hours, and will keep you posted, in the hope that you can post something on your blog to get fellow Zipsters to unite and write to Zipcar to get the cars back. It would not suprise me if horrible Motorgate have scared them away...

Zipcar responded to the reader:

Thank you for following up with us regarding availability of zipcars on Roosevelt Island. We recently defleeted some of the older cars in our fleet, which is why you are seeing less availability. Currently we have 3 locations and 7 vehicles on Roosevelt Island:
Roosevelt Island - Riverwalk has 4 cars
 Roosevelt Island has 1 car
 Roosevelt Island - The Octagon has 2 cars

In the spring, we will be expanding our fleet and you will see a greater selection of zipcars at that time. If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know.

 Happy zipping! 

Roosevelt Island Zipcars can be found here.

Roosevelt Island Security Camera System, Zip Car Parking, Oil Dock Ferry Study, RIOC Staffing and Other Issues To Be Addressed At This Week's RIOC Governance and Operations Committee Meetings Followed By Full Board Meeting Next Week

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board of Directors Governance Committee will be meeting later today. According to RIOC:

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a meeting of the Governance Committee of the RIOC Board of Directors will be held on Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 5:30 p.m. at the RIOC administrative office, 591 Main Street, Roosevelt Island, New York. The Committee will meet to discuss:
               1. current governance practices; and
               2. RIOC staffing plan.

RIOC's Operations Committee will be meeting the following day:

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a meeting of the Operations Advisory Committee of the RIOC Board of Directors will be held on Friday, July 29, 2011 at 5 PM at the RIOC administrative office, 591 Main Street, Roosevelt Island, New York.
The agenda is:
1. Camera and Wireless Infrastructure Project
2. Discussion on Oil Dock Engineering Study
3. Good Shepherd Community Center Roof Renovation
4. Southtown Zipcar Parking

and the full RIOC Board of Directors will be meeting on August 3.

AGENDA

AUGUST 3, 2011
MEETING OF THE ROOSEVELT ISLAND OPERATING CORPORATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
THE MANHATTAN PARK COMMUNITY CENTER,
8 RIVER ROAD, ROOSEVELT ISLAND, NEW YORK
5:30 P.M.1

I. Call to Order
II. Roll Call
III. Approval of Minutes
     1. June 29, 2011 Board Meeting (Board Action Required)
IV. Old Business
V. New Business
     1.          Presentation of the FY 2011-2012 QTR 1 Procurement Report;
     2.          Authorization to Enter into Contract with Sea Breeze General Construction Inc. for Roof Repair at Good Shepherd Community Center (Board Action Required - Materials to Follow);
     3.          Authorization to Enter into Contract with Derive Technologies for Phase Two of the Island-Wide Security Camera System Project (Board Action Required);
     4.          Authorization to Amend License Agreement with Riverwalk Landing LLC for Zipcar
                   Parking at Southtown (Board Action Required);
     5.           President's Report
     6.          Committee Reports
                   a.  Audit Committee
                   b.  Governance Committee
                   c.  Operations Advisory Committee
                   d.  Real Estate Development Advisory Committee
     7.           Public Safety Report
VI. Adjournment

1 The RIOC Board Meeting will commence following a public comment period, which is not a part of the RIOC Board Meeting.

UPDATE 8/2 - Audio Web Casts of the Operations Committee Meeing and the Governance Committee meeting are now available.

Don't Leave Your Roosevelt Island Zipcar Running On Empty Without Enough Gas For The Next Guy

Image From Autoblog

Received the following message earlier this week from a Roosevelt Island Zipcar user unhappy with fellow Zipcar users failing to follow proper Zipcar gas etiquette:

 We picked up a car on Saturday from Motorgate that had less than a 1/4 tank of gas, and we picked up a car today from the Octagon that had the fuel light blinking because it was on empty.

People should remember that, not only is it required by the Zipcar rules that you return the car with at least a 1/4 tank of gas, but it's not polite to leave people in a spot where they have the car for an hour to get dropped off at work and the fuel light is blinking. Also - If you find yourself in the position where you do have a short reservation and no gas, when you call to report the person who used the car before you leaving the car without fuel, Zipcar will give you an extra 1/2 hour of driving credit to fill the tank up.

Here's a video from Zipcar that shows you how easy it is to fill up the gas tank so you don't leave your Roosevelt Island neighbor running on empty.

More Roosevelt Island Parking Problems - Is There Selective Issuance Of Parking Tickets & Priveledges Depending Upon Whom You Know?

Parking Ticket Being Issued in Front of 425 Main Street

In response to this post on parking problems for Roosevelt Island's Riverwalk residents and workers at Southtown's Main Street, several readers complained:

...cars were parked along the sidewalk with Bogus Placards that said Monadnock Construction, Authorized Parking. When I called PSD, they said no construction company had authorization to park on the street, and the placards were apparently fake.

and:

Southtown parking is a joke. Illegal use of parking placards - construction, NYPD, MTAPD, BOE, how about handwritten building concierge, menu's, construction vests, Union County NJ placards, and the list goes on. All of these are passed by Public Safety and not ticketed. Why?? Free food? Courtesy? Like it would be reciprocal, I doubt it. You complain and they tell it's none of your business, I'm just not sure what their business is.

Another reader noticed after the last snowstorm that:

It is interesting that the snow, which began to accumulate on Thursday, and finally ended late Friday evening, can be still found piled up on several automobiles on Main Street.

The cars, clearly in violation 1) of any 40 minute parking limit, and 2) a need for plows to be able to clear the snow from Main Street, remain with full windshields of snow on Saturday evening.

Public Safety has not cleared the snow to put on a ticket and the cars have not been towed away.

Who are these people with parking privileges? How does one get to be on such a favored "no ticket/no tow list?"

I asked Roosevelt Island Public Safety Director Keith Guerra about this parking issue:

I have been getting messages recently about parking ticket selective enforcement by Public Safety Department particularly along Main Street in Southtown. Residents and workers are complaining that the few parking spaces available are being taken up by those "favored" by RIOC or Public Safety Department to the unfair detriment of others not so lucky. Others have mentioned fake or "bogus" authorization stickers on windshields that indicate to Public Safety Department that these cars should not be ticketed. On Saturday afternoon, I saw a car with a Monadnock Construction sticker


that was not ticketed while others without the sticker were. Attached is photo of the sticker on windshield and car parked on street next to double parked car.


Also, why are some so-called "authorized" cars allowed to park in the Zip Car area across from 455 Main Street? What makes these cars authorized and others not. Steve Shane has indicated that the Tennis Club patrons will not be allowed to park there but they are still doing so and signage indicates that they are allowed to do so.

Do you care to comment on this and on Roosevelt Island Parking ticket enforcement in general. I will be publishing post on topic this week

Mr. Guerra replied:

I will not dignify the first portion of your e-mail regarding "favoritism" with an answer, as the notion is not only false but offensive. There are no fake or bogus authorization stickers, which indicate to an Officer - not to ticket a vehicle. While part of an Officer's duties are to enforce Parking Violations, that is not their primary function. Sometimes vehicles parked in violation go un-ticketed.

The only Official Placards that are being honored are those used by members of the NYPD Transit Division, who are granted the courtesy of 2 spaces near the Zip-cars parked along the fence of the old Monadnock Construction Area (now being used by POMA for the Tram Operation). Before that lot was turned over to POMA, vehicles belonging to Monadnock Construction workers were authorized to park inside. They were given a piece of paper (by their company) indicating that they worked for Monadnock (or Related).

The picture you attached is that paper, which is no longer in effect. Vehicles bearing that piece pf paper, parked in on the street are subject to the same Parking Rules that all other vehicles have to follow. They are not exempt from receiving tickets, and have received them. If you, or any other resident, sees a vehicle parked in violation, I encourage a phone call to the Public Safety Department so that it may be ticketed.

To my knowledge, the Managers of the Tennis Complex worked out a temporary arrangement to have their patrons park in the area near the Zip-cars, and still have that permission. Another area is being sought out, but until the details are worked out, they are allowed to park there (and have a piece of paper in their windows indicating that they are Tennis Complex patrons).

Lastly, residents who come into the Public Safety Department asking for a courtesy to temporarily park in certain areas, are granted that courtesy and are not ticketed.

I responded:

I am sorry that you think my question regarding selective enforcement of parking tickets by Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department is offensive. It was not intended to give offense but merely to question and give you an opportunity to respond to a belief (commonly held?) by some Roosevelt Island residents.

As to the "courtesy" extended to some who enter the Public Safety Department to ask for temporary parking allowances, that is difficult for Riverwalk residents since they live a distance away from PS office. Perhaps a system could be worked out using a phone to allow the same courtesy for Riverwalk residents as allowed for others living near Public Safety office.

Followed by Mr. Guerra:

Residents coming on to the island have to pass the Public Safety office before they arrive at Riverwalk. They may even stop in one of our spaces to come in and ask for a courtesy parking.

We have fielded calls from Riverwalk & Octagon residents asking for courtesy parking, but they need to provide their license plate, make & color as well as the reason for their request. We have honored those requests and will continue to do so.

There is a prior history on Roosevelt Island, admittedly prior to Mr. Guerra's tenure, of allegations that the Public Safety Department selectively enforced parking regulations. According to this January 2008 Daily News article:

... Some locals said parking regulations are selectively enforced by Roosevelt Island Public Safety, whose officers have the right to ticket cars and make arrests.

"They will not issue a summons to friends," said Ron Schuppert, chairman of the Roosevelt Island Residents Association's public safety committee and a retired NYPD officer with 25 years on the job.

"It's like a small Southern town. It's nothing but nepotism," he said.

Farance and Schuppert alleged there is a secret list of people who are immune from ticketing.

Steve Shane — president of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp., which oversees Public Safety — said the list is an urban legend.

"There's no such list," Shane said. "There may have been one but there certainly isn't one now."...

More from earlier post here.

Get Your Share of the Roosevelt Island ZipCars

As I was walking through the Octagon Parking lot adjacent to the tennis courts the other day, I noticed several parking spaces occupied by Zipcars. Do you know what Zipcar is and that there are three ZipCars available at the outdoor Octagon Parking Lot on Roosevelt Island? Well, Zipcar is a business that is trying to rework the car rental business by creating a members only, web based, car sharing service. As described by the Washington Post:

While rental cars are most often found in sprawling lots near airports, the car-sharing companies work with municipalities and private businesses to rent spaces where subscribers could pick up and deposit the cars. Unlike the major car-rental companies, Zipcar and Flexcar have no airport counters or other bricks-and-mortar retail locations. The cars are reserved online or over the phone. Gas, repairs, parking and insurance are handled by the car-sharing companies.

"We are trying to replace car ownership," said Scott Griffith, Zipcar's chief executive. "It's a business model that locates cars in neighborhoods and uses 24-hour technology to locate the car."

And from the Boston Globe:

Cars are sprinkled throughout city neighborhoods. And there's never any paperwork or standing in line required to borrow one: just wave a membership card over the windshield, and the doors pop open. Seconds later, you drive off in a Mini Cooper, Ford Escape, or BMW sedan. Gas and insurance are included in the hourly rate, which hovers around $10.
... Car sharing finally seems to be gaining speed. Initially, the idea of "members" paying an annual fee to rent cars on-demand was dismissed as a European concept that wouldn't appeal to Americans. But it's starting to seem like big business...

Anybody have any experience using Roosevelt Island Zipcars?

Blogger Sotirov via A VC has an interesting spin on the Zipcar business model:

How about transforming the car ownership into an investment type of thing.

Imagine people being able to lend their own cars for the times they are not using them. Or even making a small business out of owning a few cars. Everybody sets their own prices.

Think of Zipcar - but without the centralized ownership of the cars.