WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR WEST SIDE STORY. By John F. Bailey. January 17, 2014 UPDATED 4:40 P.M. E.S.T.:

There was no ribbon-cutting, no celebration. Just the whine of saws heralding the coming Winbrook of the 21st century today.

The revitalization of Winbrook quietly got underway today with the removal of trees from the Northwest corner of the Winbrook complex, the White Plains Housing Authority public housing buildings dating back to the 1940s. The lot is being cleared for the first of an undetermined number of buildings (originally conceptual plans had 7 buildings being built with retail shops along Lexington and Fisher Avenue opposite the Federal Courthous) that will replace the 1949-50 era-built vintage apartments home to 450 families building by building, with no one being displaced.

WPCNR has learned that Jonathan Rose Associates, the builder has acquired financing for building one building at this time. WPCNR awaits a response from Jonathan Rose.

The first building to be built on the site being cleared (shown in the photographs above), will house a community center featuring a training center to prepare youths for positions in the restaurant business, according to Mayor Tom Roach, who made the comment at the Tuesday meeting of the Council of Neighborhood Associations. At that meeting, Mayor Roach did not say the project was starting this week.

Two residents sitting on a sidewalk bench told WPCNR this afternoon, the crews shown above removing the first of the trees needing to be cleared, had been here all week. The two ladies WPCNR spoke to said “they appear to be on a fast schedule, starting construction January 24.”

Today shows  the first visible signs of actual action this reporter is aware of.

The residents said a meeting to inform residents of how construction was going  to proceed wasto be held by the White Plains Housing Authority on January 21st at 6 P.M. The Housing Authority confirmed this to WPCNR this afternoon.

The Thomas Slater Center, holding a meeting this afternoon when WPCNR dropped by for information on “the big start” did not know about the Tuesday meeting and were unaware of the quiet start.

At City Hall, WPCNR inquired as to what was going to take place at the meet Tuesday, whether this meant that Jonathan Rose Associates, the firm that was selected as the Housing Authority partner in the project, has acquired financing for the rest of the building, and what the timetable was for completion, and selection of tenants who would be moved, but was told John Callahan, the Mayor’s Corporation Counsel was in a meeting and would get back to WPCNR.

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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. From the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. January 16, 2014:

December shoppers brought White Plains a refreshing $965,000 dollar increase in sales tax receipts in December, bringing the city total for the first six months of the city fiscal year to $25.6 Million, an increase of 4% over July-December, 2012.

Should the city earn the same sales tax receipts as they did in 2013 for the next six months the city is on target to hit $51 Million in receipts, $2 million more  (about 2.2% more) sales tax dollars than fiscal 2012-13.

Westchester County sales tax receipts ended the county fiscal year of 2013 with a strong 6.2% increase $28.5 Million more over 2013 ($488 Million to $459.6 Million).

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WPCNR HOMELAND NEWS. JANUARY 15, 2014:

The Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors reports  the Westchester County  home sales rose 21% in 2013, its strongest year since the beginning of the real estate recession in 2008-09. Together, Westcheste r(21%), Putnam (17%), Rockland (14%) and Orange (23%) County sales rose 20%.

Inventory in Westchester County declined. The Association comments “it appears the downward direction of inventory results more from classic supply and demand – sales outpacing new supply – than from consumer nervousness about the real estate market.”

Prices are not soaring. The Association says the Westchester median sale price of a single family home rose 3.9% from $587,000 to $610,000. Average price of $812,108 rose 1.4%.

Westchester Condominium median price rose 3.9% to $343,000. Westchester co-ops 1%.

The Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors are optimistic that “moderate growth” in real estate sales will continue in 2014, noting, “steady and affordable mortgage rates” remain available. Mortgage rates have declined to 4.6%, but may go up slightly as the year unfolds. Westchester unemployment has declined to 5.5% by the end of 2013.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. From the White Plains City School District. (With Additional original material in BOLDFACE by John Bailey) January 14, 2014 UPDATED  2 P.M. E.S.T. UPDATED 4:30 P.M. E.S.T.:

The White Plains Board of Education has announced the district’s 2014-15 budget planning process, continuing the successful community-wide forums held last year.

Board President Rosemarie Eller said, “Next year’s budget will be a tremendous challenge, responding to the state-imposed property tax levy cap, which is estimated at an approximate 1.5% increase.  With proposed reductions in Federal aid, plus large increases in health insurance rates and pension costs – totally outside of district control, the district will need to consider about $1 million in budget reductions to remain within the cap.”

WPCNR contacted Fred Seiler, Assistant Superintendent for Business who clarified that the $1 Million in expense cutting was preliminary and that the budget is assuming no settlement of the White Plains Teachers Association contract in the budget at this time.

NEW DETAIL ON THE UNSETTLED SETTLEMENT:

With a possible settlement  the teachers’ union looming in the future, (some day) this means that if the union reaches a settlement with the district, two years of any raises for teachers who have reached the top level of the step increases ( approximately 60% of the 641 teachers (385) would most likely have to be paid retroactively for school years 2012-13 and 2013-14, if not more for 2014-15 possibly meaning further pressure on the budget, meaning more cuts in teaching and personnel staff to stay within the cap. 

With approximately  teachers not having received raises the last two years–with say the average salary at that level of 15 years service being $100,000; a three year settlement of 2% a year just for merit pay retroactive two years and  also covering next year woud cost the  district about $2.5 Million in the 2014-15 budget.

Then it would be back to the negotiating table in 2015-16 This is an estimate. Nevertheless you can see this is a terrific pressure on the district. Failure to negotiate this contract when the tax cap was a higher 2% in retrospect was really a questionable decision on the part of the Board of Education. Now with less wiggle room in the 1.5% cap, the district faces a runaway labor cost. (Heads up, City Hall: The city faces the same problem if the police arbitrator decides on a 2% retroactive raise for the police officers. Retroactivity is not a good thing.)

WPCNR figures the $1 Million in expense cutting is to make up for the loss of levy from the decreased rate of inflation (1.5%). 

If the city assessment roll remains where it is, this would be a good omen. If assessments decline, an even greater tax increase over $10 a thousand would perhaps be needed.

Seiler told WPCNR that the expense cutting depended on state aid and possible savings from retirements. He anticipated the budget not approaching the $200 Million level.  

Currently, the district is figuring on taking all of the levy increase allowed (about $2.5 Million), and making up the difference with a tax rate increase that would move the tax rate up $10 to $592 per $1,000, as predicted on the White Plains Week program of December 27. The budget appears to be currently sitting on approximately $196 Million.  Any settlement, retroactive could bump that up to slightly less than $200 Million. The district needs all the money Governor Andrew Cuomo can print to avoid busting the tax levy cap.

The White Plains Teachers Association and the school district are in the Fact Finding process at this time. Teachers who have not reached the top salary for their longevity and degree statuses, are still receiving their step increases as part of the state Triborough Agreement governing labor pay disputes that are not settled. The teachers rejected two previous contracts with the district. An impasse was declared and they have enterted a fact-finding process. The step increases for about 256 teachers next year are in the  anticipated budget, Seiler said.

.The district is seeking broad input on the budget from the community, at two Budget Forums: on Thursday, January 23rd, and Wednesday, March 19^th.  Both are in the B-1 Room at White Plains High School, at 7:30 P.M.

Additional meetings will take place in the community and any group or organization wishing to host such a meeting may contact the  Superintendent’s Office at 422-2033.   Discussions have also been held with staff to solicit their input.

All residents are invited to attend these sessions, to participate in focused dialogue on spending efficiencies, areas of concern, budget priorities and creative ways to increase revenues.  A review of the district’s financial situation, the state’s and city’s financial constraints, and other issues relating to development of the budget will be presented.

The district will also hold two Public Hearings:  the first on March 10^th, on the Preliminary Proposed Budget, and the second on May 12^th, on the Board of Education’s Adopted Proposed Budget. Both hearings will take place at Education House, 5 Homeside Lane, at 7:30 P.M.

Superintendent of Schools Timothy P. Connors said, “We hope to work together with the community to develop a budget that maintains the high quality of education in White Plains and that is fiscally responsible and can be supported by the taxpayers in the May 20^th vote.”

The community is encouraged to visit the district’s website, www.whiteplainspublicschools.org for information on the budget.

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When it snows in White Plains, Westchester Stops but WHITE PLAINS KEEPS ON GOING thanks to Commissioner of Public Works, Bud Nicoletti. Watch Bud now on the internet, talking with John Bailey and Peter Katz on PEOPLE TO BE HEARD. He shares his Snow Secrets and talks about savings coming up on the one arm sanitation trucks, LED LIGHTS and what’s ahead in capital projects for White Plains on PEOPLE TO BE HEARD, THE INTERVIEW SHOW WHERE PEOPLE WITH SOMETHING TO SAY HAVE THEIR SAY. Tune in on television at 10:30 PM Wednesday on Verizon Channel 45 or Cablevision Channel 76 for all the action or watch the program NOW on www.whiteplainsweek.com

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