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

Hits: 0

WPCNR THE READING NEWS. By John F. Bailey. January 5, 2009: The report that 11 part-time employees are being fired out of the White Plains Public Library to close the library on Sundays is not true, city hall said today.  WPCNR has been told by Melissa Lopez of the Mayor’s Office that no library employees at all are being terminated.

 Ms. Lopez reports that Mayor Joseph Delfino never told the library to close Sundays, leaving the choice up to the library as to what cost cutting moves they would make to cut costs up to 10% as he requested December 16. 

No Library Employees Laid Off, Mayor’s Office says.  Did Not Demand Sunday Closing—Library’s Decision.

WPCNR THE READING NEWS. By John F. Bailey. January 5, 2009: The report that 11 part-time employees are being fired out of the White Plains Public Library to close the library on Sundays is not true, city hall said today.  WPCNR has been told by Melissa Lopez of the Mayor’s Office that no library employees at all are being terminated, savings will be achieved through reduced hours instead.

 Ms. Lopez reports that Mayor Joseph Delfino never told the library to close Sundays, leaving the choice of cost-cutting steps up to the library as to how they would cut costs up to 10%.

Lopez said that the current 1 PM to 5 PM Sunday hours are covered by full-time library employees. She said as part of the 1993 union contract, all library workers are required to work 5 Sundays each year in order to staff Sundays. She said that on those Sundays when the library staffers work, they are paid 7 hours pay for 4 hours work. She said the workers volunteer for the Sunday duty.

The library is open Sundays 1 to 5 P.M. from September through May 31, and closed Sundays from June 1 through August 31, according to its website.  Lopez also reports that contrary to the news reports no one is losing their jobs, they will just work more hours during the week to make up theirf 40 hours or be paid comp time during the week if more library hours are cut (for energy savings).

The library originally voted to close Fridays, Lopez said, however Sandra Miranda, the Library Executive Director, discovered they would have had to make hours for her employees during the week, and that it was Ms. Miranda’s suggestion to close the library on Sunday instead.  Lopez said, “The Mayor never told them to close Sundays.”

The bottom line is, Ms. Lopez reports, no wages are being saved in the strategy to close the library Sundays and no jobs are being cut. The full extent of more hours cuts, if any during the week, have not been made public.

Lopez said the energy savings in electric and heating costs by having the library closed 41 hours from Sat at 5 P.M. until Monday at 10 A.M. for 52 weeks would mount up. She was seeking to quantify the savings the city expected.

Lopez said she would provide the full number of part-time employees being fired from the Department of Recreation and Parks and the Department of Publics, their pay scales, and the total dollar amounts saved (estimated at $80,000 previously by the city) and how those jobs are filled.

Hits: 0

WPCNR’S FRIENDLY SKIES. January 4, 2009: Flying friendly politicians to Hawaii by private charter jet  from White Plains, or to Japan on junket or some well-connected pals to Fort Lauderdale for a winter break will not be so easy in the next few years if the Transportation Security Administration has its way.

A typical Charter Aircraft Awaits passengers in July at Westchester County Airport.

The Transportation Security Administration is seeking comment on tough new security procedures for private aircraft weighing over 12,500 pounds and their private flights and chartered flights they fly. Westchester County Airport has many  such flights on private aircraft on charter companies each day where security is left up to the individual company or aircraft owner.

The presumption is the passengers on those flights are known. In the future that golf trip to Hawaii, that ski trip to Colorado even perhaps on a small General Aviation single engine plane may require considerably more advanced planning, including submitting passenger lists and passing it past a Security Watch List may be required. Will the charter aircraft companies be checking you out, or will the TSA? The  TSA’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking will be  the subject of a public hearing Tuesday at Westchester County Airport at 9 A.M., at Building 1 on Airport Road.

One of hundreds of private jets that use Westchester County Airport — just perfect for the ski vacations to Telluride, or the ponies at Saratoga, or a toasty weekend in The Bams. They fly out of and into medium-sized and major airports throughout the country. Owners, companies, and charter flight operators would be subject to baggage, arms, security checks and reporting passengers under the TSA rules

The measures if enacted would rachet up security clearance procedures, including pilot background checks. Operators professional and private would have to clear passenger identities on charters or your own private jet against national “Security Watch Lists,” in advance. Companies would be required to appoint security managers for charter air services, are among the more prominent changes the TSA is proposing.

The Notice of Proposed Rule Making calls for such procedures for private flights chartered or private departing airports across the country.  Westchester County Airport will host the first of these hearings Tuesday morning at 9 A.M. Registration.  To speak on the rules changes interested persons must arrive at 8 A.M. at Building 1, Airport Road at the airport. You will only be allowed to speak for 3 minutes.

To read the complete notice go to the AOPA website at http://download.aopa.org/epilot/2008/081216lasp.pdf

 For more information on the proposed rule or to find out how to submit your comments visit the AOPA member action center at http://www.aopa.org/advocacy/gasecurity/

The TSA is especially interested in comments on these issues:

Hits: 0

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. January 2, 2009: The Common Council will consider Monday evening an ordinance approving a 10-year lease of the Renaissance Square traffic island to LC Main at a cost of $3,000 a year for ten years ($30,000). If approved, the action appears to end the 9-month dispute of Louis Cappelli’s erecting a stone Ritz-Carlton entrance sign on the 30 foot by 4 foot traffic island without city approval, in the middle of a city right of way.

The Ritz Rock today. The toney Ritz Carlton White Plains is in the background.

Ritz Rock Dispute Being Settled Quietly? The Ritz Carlton sign on a traffic island in Renaissance Square, subject of articles in major metropolitan dailies the last eight months and an ongoing festering feud between the city and LC Main LLC, (the city wanted the monument torn down, and refused to sell the island to the developer, as well as refusing to consider leasing plans for the island) appears headed towards a peaceful solution Monday evening.

In a letter from City Commissioner of Planning, Susan Habel, the Commissioner states in support of the lease agreement that  “The Planning Department finds that the City has entered into a significant number of license agreements with private property owners to permit use or encumbrance of public right of way, and has accepted liability for the White Plains Beautification gardens in the right of way. The Planning Department further finds that the traffic island on Renaissance Square with the Ritz Carlton sign is attractive, and provides a sense of predestrian scale to an otherwise very wide street crossing.”

The Commissioner sites 12 other such sites already existing in the city that the White Plains Beautification Foundation plants and maintains with donor signage as support for granting the Cappelli license, and notes 10 other sites where organizations have “entered into license agreements for intrusions in the public right of ways,” including The Seasons, The Galleria Mall, 360 Hamilton Avenue, Dunkin Donuts, Key Ford, Fortunoffs, City Center(Valet Parking), 235-245 Main Street, Storage Deluxe and the Westchester Arts Council (Sign Banners over Mamaroneck Avenue).

 The Council rejected Mr. Cappelli’s offer to purchase the island for $18,000. LC Main LLC then submitted a request to lease or obtain a license. Subsequent efforts of the Cappelli organization to obtain the lease or license was tabled by the council for about eight months. Meanwhile, the Cappelli organization went to court on grounds that the city should consider their request and had engaged in “abuse of discretion.”  In December, the Council referred the request out to departments.

Councilman Glen Hockley told WPCNR a month ago at the time of the refer-out, that  the council was releasing the request for referral because it had become clear that Judge Susan Cacace was not going to issue a favorable ruling, “when it became clear the city was not going to prevail in court.”

The ordinance to be considered Monday evening appears to end the dispute should it be approved.

Hits: 0

                WPCNR CONSIST. By John F. Bailey. December 30, 2008: Senator Charles Schumer and Congressman John Hall made a whistle stop at the White Plains Transit Center Tuesday (both arriving by car)and reported at a news conference  that a new $20 Billion Obama Administration Economic Recovery Package dedicated to Mass Transit was all but certain to be signed into law by President Barack Obama January 21. Schumer expected this to provide millions  for local Metro North improvements that would lead to local economic spending by construction companies and  workers employed on those projects.

Senator Charles Schumer arrives at the White Plains Metro North Railroad Station Tuesday

The  Obama Mass Transit stimulus, Schumer said was expected to allocate $4 Billion to New York State, most of which would be used by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to upgrade aesthetics, parking, trackage, and substations on the Harlem, Hudson  and Port Jervis rail lines. The funds would furnish dollars for what Schumer described as projects delayed because of the MTA budget crunch. In addition, he and Congressman Hall were working on a national $2 Billion stimulus for Mass Transit Operations relief, a portion of which New York might receive  about $400 Million to lower the MTA-propoed 23% fare increases scheduled to hit in June.

                Congressman John Hall, left, and Senator Charles Schumer taking questions at the news conference.

The relief to reduce MTA fare hikes would not be addressed until the fall, Schumer thought, saying it would probably be included in the congressional transit bill that is renewed every five years. The Senator said he and Congressman Hall are working towards the new administration supplying an this $2 Billion stimulus nationally dedicated to operations costs that could be applied to reducing fares.

Schumer estimated New York would receive about $400 Million of that stimulus if the Obama Administration and congress pass it.

MTA Proposes Budget Cuts, Fare Increases, Service Cuts.

The MTA has a $1.2 Billion deficit and proposed two weeks ago for commuters on rail, bus and auto to pay $670 Million of the $1.2 Million gap with the balance to come from the MTA’s own cost-cutting. Schumer said the possible $400 Million from the $2 Billion operations stimulus would not cover all the fare increases proposed, but would ease the pain. The fares introduced two weeks ago would not go into effect until June. About $300 Million more in savings would be achieved by the MTA eliminating 3,200 positions and the rest in service cuts.

Nowhere in the official MTA release on meeting the budget does it say that they have cut out planned projects along the three lines mentioned by the congressmen today.

Track Improvements, Station Amenities, Parking Projects to be Funded if…

The projects covered by today’s announcement of the $4 Billion New York stimulus pacakage include the upgrading of interiors, track design, additional parking facilities along the three lines in addition to purchase of new railroad cars, locomotives and hybrid buses that have simply been not been executed by the MTA because they have not been considered a priority, though that is not clear at this time.

 Schumer, told the media these are projects the MTA has put on hold due to their present $1.2 Billion budget shortfall. Two weeks ago, the MTA announced a series of fare hikes of 23% to wipe out half that $1.2 Billion deficit, with service cuts and 3,200 layoffs taking care of the rest of it.

The MTA apparently did not feel capital for capital  projects was a problem nine months ago.  

At that time, MTA announced a massive expansion plan going out to 2050, with no indication of any capital projects left unfunded. Since that time according to The Daily News, the MTA revenues from transit-dedicated taxes on property sales and corporate profits have declined dramatically.

How the Stimulus Works: Construction Workers to Get Westchester Rolling Again.

“We are fighting to make sure Westchester and the lower part of the Hudson Valley get a big slice of that ($4 Billion Mass Transit stimulus)funding,” Schumer said. ” Funds could be released immediately for improvements at stations across Westchester County and the lower Hudson Valley and as we know it’s a very perilous time for the MTA. The agency faces a budget gap that threatens to cripple the entire system. The financial crisis has forced the entire MTA to cut back and take draconian steps across the board. So to try and close the budget gap the MTA this month approved a budget that had all kinds of bad things and one of the things they did was to delay all kinds of capital projects. The budget has Metro North rail and busriders in its crosshairs.”

Schumer said that President-Elect Obama has “wisely said we’ve got to get this economy going. We’re in a recession and we have to pump money into the economy. He’s also said that the first place we should put money into the economy is infrastructure. That makes sense. If you just put money into the economy, then thank God the economy recovers, you don’t have anything to show for it. If you put it into infrastructure at the end of the day, and let’s hope the economy recovers quickly, you’ll have something a lot of good to show . Congressman Hall and I are among the leaders, talking regularly to the Obama Transition Team.

‘I’ve been talking regularly as has the congressman that mass transit be included. That we not only do the traditional infrastructure such as roads, bridges and sewers, which are very much needed in Westchester County, but we also include mass transit in terms of infrastructure. I’ve been largely successful in persuading them that mass transit should be a part of the package and it looks like the number will be $20 Billion around the country for mass transit. Now when that happens New York does very well. We have more mass transit riders than any other state. Usually we get a fifth of the money….The mass transit stimulus is not a done deal, but it’s looking very good. New York State should get around $4 Billion, and Westchester and the lower Hudson Valley will get a big chunk of that money as well.”

Helps Build Strong Recovery 3 Ways

Schumer said this would benefit the MTA and the area three ways: increasing  quality and efficiency of service; help the MTA cope with its budget problems and the money would “prime the pump, with thousands of construction workers putting their money into stores, restaurants and getting the economy going at a difficult time. So it’s a win-win-win.”

Schumer noted that  the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials reports that for every $1 Billion invested in federal highway and transit infrastructure, an estimated 47,000 jobs are created and an estimated $5.7 Billion in economic activity is generated.

Schumer and the Governor Cherry Picking Projects

Schumer’s news release said he was working closely with Governor Patterson’s office to determine these projects. The North White Plains railroad station is included, but no projects at this time take place within the White Plains city limits.

Schumer announced that projects that would be undertaken if the $4 Billion he envisioned for New York would come through are

·         Station improvements at Tarrytown, Croton-Harmon and Peekskill railroad stations.

·         Priority parking repairs at Metro-North stations in Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess Counties

·         Reconstruction of the Port Jervis station to crate a double-track.

·         Power and substation improvements on Harlem and Hudson lines to increase reliability of service.

·         Purchase of new railcars, built in upstate New York.

·         Improved Metro-North Station Facilities, including ticket offices, waiting areas, rest rooms, concessions, customer service.

Why not Done Before?

WPCNR asked Mr. Hall after the news conference about the necessity for such what appear to be at first glance on-the-surface cosmetic improvements with (the exceptions being  the double-tracking project and the rolling stock), Congressman Hall told WPCNR that the projects were needed to encourage the use of the facilities and move more persons to mass transit. He also said he supported construction of a tunnel under the Hudson for a direct rail link from Rockland County to Grand Central.

Reporters asked Senator Schumer whether the Tappan Zee Bridge would be included, and Schumer said that it was not “shovel-ready” and that the area had to decide what it wanted to do with the bridge. WPCNR notes the New York State Department of Transportation has decided in favor of building a new bridge with Bus Rapid Transit across Westchester and a rail link across the new bridge, connecting with the Hudson Metro North line. A public private partnership is now being explored by the Governor’s Office.

Schumer said he and Hall are working the Obama transition team to have projects which could be started in 180 days included on the Mass Transit stimulus menu.

No Separate Aid Package from Washington for Education at this time.

WPCNR asked Senator Schumer if he expected another effort of the government to steer education funds  to New York to  avert Governor Patterson’s cuts to education proposed two weeks ago, and avoid unprecedented property tax increases enacted by school districts.

Senator Schumer said, no, that  he anticipated increases in New York’s Medicaid reimbursements (currently 50% on the dollar), to  free up New York funds that then could be used by the Governor and the legislature to fund education, providing relief from the present budget crisis the state faces.

It is interesting to look back and remember Louis Cappelli’s Station Plaza project that proposed a 21^st Century railroad transit and bus complex, to replace the current, alleged delapidated Metro North White Plains Station, plus five 50 story buildings including a hotel which was rejected by the Common Council in 2007. This would have fit the bill nicely  and would have been ready to go by now possibly,  had the Common Council granted Mr. Cappelli the designated developer status he sought in 2007. Mr. Cappelli was a little too early apparently with his vision.

Hits: 0

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. December 29, 2008: The outgoing Superintendent of Schools, Timothy Connors, who will be leaving the district in six months, has sent a letter to neighborhood associations in White Plains inviting them to participate in the January 15 first Community Forum on the 2009-2010 school budget, predicted by WPNCR to exceed $200 Million, if the present rate of spending is maintained. 

Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors invites Neighborhood Associations to craft the School Budget. Here is the Text of the Superintendent’s message:

December 23, 2008

Dear Neighborhood Association President:

We are writing to you, as a community leader, to tell you of our plans for development of the 2009-10 budget and to invite your participation in the process.

Due to the unprecedented economic situation we feel this year calls for a new approach. We hope to involve the broader community and solicit their input, in order to enable us to develop an effective, responsible budget for the 2009-10 school year, which the public will support in the May 19^th vote.

We plan to hold two Communitywide Forums, inviting all residents to participate in roundtable discussions, in small groups, which we hope will result in creative suggestions to realize savings and increase revenues.  It is clear that we need to explore all options. 

Please plan to join us at the first Forum on Thursday, January 15^th, in the B-1 Room at White Plains High School.  We hope you will also encourage friends, neighbors and constituents to come out on the 15^th as well.  We’d like to hear as many voices as possible.

Thank you for your interest in the past and we hope you will continue to participate in school district affairs.