WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER 3,374,995 VISITS IN ONE YEAR—65,000 VISITS A WEEK BY 985,281 VISITORS

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WPCNR CITY HALL CONFIDENTIAL. By John F. Bailey. May 9, 2004, Updated 12:30 A.M. E.D.T., May 10, 2004: A routine web search has revealed that the architect of the “White Plains Renaissance,” George Gretsas, the Mayor’s Executive Officer, is scheduled to be considered this week by the City of Fort Lauderdale Florida for their $185,000-$250,000-a-year  post of City Manager. According to information on the City of Fort Lauderdale website, and an article in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel dated April 28, Mr. Gretsas is a finalist among seven candidates, two of whom have withdrawn from consideration from the position.

The Sun-Sentinel reports that Mr. Gretsas and the other “finalists” are scheduled to visit Fort Lauderdale this week for an informal get acquainted session with Fort Lauderdale residents at a reception in Fort Lauderdale May 13. Commissioners of the City of Fort Lauderdale are scheduled to make a decision May 18. 

George Gretsas In Demand? The City of Fort Lauderdale reports White Plains’ own George Gretsas ( shown right, with Ted Peluso, financial consultant, shown announcing the expected city absorbtion of the City Parking Authority last Thursday) on their “short list” as their new City Manager according to their website as of Friday, May 7. Though Mr. Gretsas did not receive the most votes among Commissioners as to their preference, he remains in the running according to the City of Fort Lauderdale web site, though with the withdrawal of the leading candidate, Mr. Gretsas position may be enhanced.  Kirby Bowers, of Loudoun County Virginia, considered to be one of the leading candidate told the Leesburg 2 Day website he, himself, was contacted by a national search firm. Leesburg 2 Today also reported that the City of Fort Lauderdale is in a budget crunch and the City Manager is expected to have enact cutbacks in government services. Photo by WPCNR News.

COMING UP THE BACKSTRETCH?: The Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner vote sheet ranking George Gretsas and five other candidates for the Fort Lauderdale City Manager position as of April 27.  Mr. Bowers and Mr. Pangas have withdrawn according to  the Fort Lauderdale city website. JN is Mayor of Fort Lauderdale, Jim Naugle, CT is Christine Teel, DT is Dean Trantalis, CM is Carlton Moore, and CH is Cindi Hutchinson, the City Commissioners of Fort Lauderdale. Still in the running with Mr. G, are Michael West, James Ley, George Kolb, Thomas Hoover. The information is on www.ci.ftlaud.fl.us Photo by WPCNR News

The meeting, according to the Sun-Sentinel report by Brittany Wallman,  placed Mr. Gretsas on the “short list” eleven days ago on April 27 when the Fort Lauderdale City Commission took 13 candidates and dropped 6 from the list, leaving Mr. Gretsas “still on the island,” after a national search that produced 200 candidates, according to an applicant who has withdrawn, Kirby Bowers. Bowers said on www.leesburg2day.com, that the job paid $185,000 to $250,000, which would mean a hefty raise for Mr. Gretsas, who is believed to make approximately $130,000 in his White Plains position.

Cost-Cutting Called for in “The Venice of America”

It is a tough job though, Fort Lauderdale is facing a $12 Million budget deficit in its 2003-04 budget and is looking for a cost cutter to implement a controversial reorganization plan. In fact, employees have been leaving Fort Lauderdale city government in droves, according to a May 2 article by Ms. Wallman, which can be found on the Sun-Sentinel site at http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-cexodus03may02,0,6357371.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines

Since that April 27 date Michael Pangas, formerly of the Sony Latin American TV regional office, withdrew, and Kirby Bowers, county administrator of Loudoun County, Virginia withdrew. Leaving Mr. Gretsas in the final five survivors.

Ms. Wallman’s report of April 28, notes the candidates will be flown to Fort Lauderdale May 12 for a reception Thursday evening May 13 to “mingle” with city residents. Candidates, Ms. Wallman reports will take interviews with the City Commissioners and take tests to “evaluate their leadership skills.” For the actual article, go to www.sun-sentinel.com.

A Budget Meeting is scheduled at White Plains City Hall on Wednesday evening, the 12th, which if Mr. Gretsas is still considering the job, would allow him free to fly to Fort Lauderdale for the Thursday evening smooze in “The Venice of America,” as Fort Lauderdale bills itself.

Mr. Gretsas received 2 votes from among the 5 city commissioners in their ranking of the final 13.  Gretsas is tied for third  with Mr. Hoover, behind Mr. Ley with 3 votes, Mr. West with 3 votes, and the leader with 4 votes George Kolb, who is described as the Administrator of Augusta, Georgia. Mr. Hoover is former City Manager of Worcester, Massachussetts, and Mr. West, City Manager of Johnson City, Tennessee. 

Fort Lauderdale Poised for Development That Has Been Stalled.

Mr. Gretsas appears to offer Fort Lauderdale experience in city management and city revitalizaion, his rivals do not appear to have. Fort Lauderale needs both in addition to the ability to budget-cut in their next City Manager.

Vice Mayor Dean Trantalis, is quoted Sunday in the Sun-Sentinel, as pointing out Fort Lauderdale’s penchant for coming up with plans and never implementing, something that George Gretsas can never be accused of.

Trantalis, in the Sun-Sentinel says, “I look at it (The South Andrews Avenue Master Plan, released last week), as pie in the sky, because every time it comes to implementing something, we come to a brick wall called insufficient staffing.”

Fort Lauderdale is also considering the South Andrews Avenue Master Plan calling for a mile-long section of “significant redevelopment,” that would include “affordable housing,” a new hotel, a transit system, and 1,000,000 square feet of office space, 275,000 square feet of retail (similar to City Center development), 350,000 square feet of warehouse use,  including 1,842 units of residential and 400 hotel rooms.

The key element about the South Andrews Avenue Master Plan is this dovetails neatly with Mr. Gretsas’ experience, and the Sun-Sentinel article on this plan notes “new land development rules must be approved, additional residential housing has to be allowed, and a parking management plan needs to be created and infrastructure improvements are required.”

Mr. Gretsas is an expert in formulating new land development vehicles in a hurry, (along with Commissioner of Planning, Susan Habel) such as the transfer of development rights legislation created for Louis Cappelli to ease his ability to develop the Halpern site at 221 Main Street. Gretsas has brought in developers, found projects all in less time than Fort Lauderdale has been considering its redevelopment.

Wanted Bonus Density for Affordable Housing

Mr. Gretsas has also, worked on affordable housing quotas in any new development. According to Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner, Carlton Moore, this is one of his (Moore’s) priorities. The Sun-Sentinel in Sunday’s issue has Moore saying Fort Lauderdale is looking for a “legal vehicle” to sell “bonus density units in exchange for affordable housing units.” This is exactly what Mr. Gretsas has created for the City of White Plains, and successfully twisted developers’ arms to get it.

There is yet another stalled project on the Fort Lauderdale waterfront, the Palazzo Las Olas on the Intercoastal Waterway that has been stalled since 2001. Palazzo Las Olas “incorporates public parking, a city owned and operated information center and a waterfront promenade. All this in an upscale mixed use residential and neighborhood retail-shopping village,” including 75,000 square feet of retail space, according to The Boating News.

How About a New Home for the Marlins? It Could Be Coming.

Fort Lauderdale has also been proposed to be the new home of the Florida Marlins. A group in January is seeking to purchase the old Fort Lauderdale Stadium (formerly Spring Training home of the Yankees), raze it and build a $200 Million ballpark to house the Marlins at no cost to the city of Fort Lauderdale. This was proposed in January and offers a unique opportunity to pour taxes and revenue into the city.

What are the Odds?

Gretsas was voted for by Mr. Trantalis and another newly elected Commissioner Christine Teel.

Ms. Teel, newly elected, in her biography says she is development oriented, including “master planning of business corridors along Oakland Park and Commercial Boulevards, refurbishing existing parks”(check Mr. Gretsas’ creation of Liberty Park, the almost-there New York Presbyterian Hospital park deal, the acquisition of the D’Elia Property, the Renaissance Plaza).

Commissioner Cindi Hutchinson, who did not have Mr.Gretsas on her “scorecard” is a possible swing vote, being deeply committed to Broward General Medical Center, since it is in her District, and is fully behind the South Andrews Avenue project. Mr. Gretsas’ track record of ability to move parties through a complex project quickly  could appeal to her.

Mayor Jim Naugle also is behind the South Andrews Avenue Project and likes increased density in exchange for a fee. A developer appears to be needed for this project.

Down the Stretch they come.

Mr. Gretsas’ other rivals do not share his ability to get things done, and are not from resort areas. Mr. West is from Johnson City, Tennessee. Mr. Ley  is the County Administrator of Sarasota County, whose pay, including benefits is $200,000  and is said, in the Venice Gondolier, to have only applied for the Fort Lauderdale job to “test his marketability.”

Mr. Kolb is the lead candidate, and has 30 years of experience, and appears to be the chief rival. His only claim to development that WPCNR has been able to find is the Augusta Common in downtown Augusta, Georgia. His contract is also up in June, 2004. Kolb received 4 votes from Ms. Teel, Ms. Hutchinson, Mr. Trantalis, and  Mr. Moore, but the Mayor, Mr. Naugle, of 12 years did not vote for him.

Mr. Hoover is from Worcester, Mass, where he was attempting to lure a hotel complex into downtown Worchester.

Mr. Gretsas is also a good buy for Fort Lauderdale, being that they should not have to pay him the top dollar for the job as they would Mr. Ley and Mr. Kolb.

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The 4th Annual Yonkers Shakespeare Project’s open auditions for Romeo and Juliet at the new Yonkers Riverfront Library, One Larkin Plaza, Yonkers. Times: 12:15-4pm Full availabiltiy and serious students only. Seeking teens ages 13-19 for July 2004 Productions.
Piper Theatre Productions is a non profit theatre company that incorporates professional actors and local talent. All actors will be treated as professionals. There is an intense two week rehearsal period which involves both days and evenings followed by a three weekend performance schedule (Thurs/Fri/Sat). All actors must be available for these times.

While we cannot pay equity scale to non union talent, there will be a nominal honorium to cover some travel expenses. Actors will be asked to take part in the striking of the set, the movement of props and costumes, publicity, and end of the show basket collecting.

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WPCNR CITY HALL LIMITS. By John F. Bailey. May 7, 2004: The city move to transfer the assets and personnel of the White Plains Parking Authority under city control to replenish its dwindled fund balance, announced yesterday, comes five weeks after Moody’s, the bond-rating service redesignated the city’s General Obligations as AA-1 Negative on March 26.

Standard & Poor’s Corporation, the other bond-rating agency, classifies the city’s financial outlook as “outlook stable as of now,” with the S & P  analyst noting that the next review would come in March of 2005, or “anytime within the year.”

The Moody’s analyst WPCNR spoke with Friday afternoon said  the “negative outlook” indicated “a possible trend” in city finances, “with no rating review committee review at this time.” The analyst did say that review could come at any time in the next year.

Eleanor McDonald, criticised city financial management during Monday evening’s Common Council meeting, said when asked by WPCNR what the Negative rating meant, that she contacted Moody’s and got clarification from the Moody’s man. She said the Moody’s analyst told her the city was being “challenged  (with the Negative rating) because of their operating deficits over the last two years.”

McDonald pointed out to WPCNR that the city had balanced the budget with $10 Million this year from assets of the Parking Authority  and was looking to balance the 2004-05 budget with $5.4 Million (from the Parking Authority) this year, as ab example of the operating deficits, as well as bonding for rolling stock to the tune of $1.7 Million in 04-05 and bonding for 2.3 Million to pay off their obligation to the state pension fund, announced Wednesday.

McDonald, who is former comptroller of the Town of Harrison and the Town  of  Greenburgh, said that the transfer of Parking Authority assets proposed yesterday by Ted Peluso and George Gretsas, The Mayor’s Executive Officer, would be considered a “material event” that would most likely be considered by Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s as a reason to reaffirm the city credit worthiness, particularly since the transfer would bulk up the fund balance. Mr. Peluso, the consultant, who along with former White Plains Budget Director, Eileen Earl, yesterday in a report recommended absorption of the Parking Authority by city,  estimated yesterday the Fund Balance would go up to approximately $10 Million from its current level of around $5 Million. 

McDonald said that would most likely be an event that would force the bond authorities to reassess their bond rating.

Ms. McDonald cautioned however that the authorities would look at the whole picture, too, of what the city is doing. She noted dryly, that the sales tax projection of $37.8 Million was “a hefty projection.”

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WPCNR Roving Photographer. May 7, 2004: Work has begun clearing the way for a $6 Million to-be-bonded doubledeck 400-space parking structure to be married to the Shapham Place Parking Lot. Today’s photograph shows extensive progress has been made in preparing to start construction behind Rader’s, and the post office on Mamaroneck Avenue and Bryant Avenue.

Central Park Parking by The White Plains Roving Photographer

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. May 6, 2004, UPDATED May 9, 2004: A student discovered her cellphone missing after she participated in second period gym class at White Plains High School today and reported it. Before the forty students were allowed to proceed to their next class, male security guards frisked the male students, and female security guards frisked the girls. A student participating in the class told WPCNR that the students belongings and class bags were also searched, but the cellphone was not discovered. Students were fifteen minutes late to their next class.

In a further development, a WPCNR reader writes, in response to our question about the students’ availability of lockers: “They can lock the lockers.  The theives break into the lockers.  This last time they bent the bottom part of the locker and reached in to get the phone.”