County Executive on the State of Westchester

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Department of Communications. April 24, 2009: Westchester County government is strong and in a better position than any other county in the state to meet the challenges ahead, County Executive Andy Spano said Thursday night.

In his annual State of the County Address, Spano called his government “compassionate, yet fiscally conservative” and talked about the many and continuing steps the government has put in place in advance of the economic downturn to keep it financially stable.

“While our government continues on the right track, too many of our residents are facing the brunt of what this recession has wrought,” he said.

Spano detailed the many things his administration is doing to help residents suffering during the recession, including aggressive efforts to bring federal stimulus money to the county to create jobs; programs to prevent foreclosure; and ongoing efforts to cut county spending while maintaining services. The county has so far obtained about $80 million for a variety of projects including rebuilding roads and bridges, upgrading sewage treatment plants, energy efficiency projects, and encouraging green businesses. These projects will create thousands of jobs and stimulate the local economy.

 




An additional $2.7 million dollars will be used by the county’s One-Stop Employment Center to train the unemployed for jobs in new growth areas such as energy, green business and health care. Other expected stimulus funds include a $28.4 million dollar increase in Medicaid assistance this year (funds that will go solely for property tax relief); $2.3 million to keep renters from becoming homeless and $7.3 million to turn previously foreclosed homes into fair and affordable housing.

Spano stressed that while the nation is going through difficult times, the county has been able to weather the storm and keep tax increases at modest levels through prudent planning.

“Back in February when government after government announced dire news – layoffs, massive cuts in programs and services, high tax increases – we were not among them. And we are not among them now,” he told the Board of Legislators. “…We have always been fiscally conservative. We anticipated a decline in sales tax and mortgage fees so we budgeted accordingly. We continue to tighten our belts, actually spending less in 2009 than we spent in 2008, without eliminating needed services and programs.”

Specifically, the county eliminated $23 million from the budget over two years by cutting in every area, including personnel, overtime, travel, supplies, health benefits and equipment.

This has been done without cutting services “In times of trouble, more people rely on government to help them,” he said. “This is especially true when it comes to the most vulnerable: victims of domestic violence, the very poor and hungry, the frail elderly, children without parents to care for them, young people in trouble and those who need our attention to stay out of trouble.”

Alluding to people who argue that county government should be “rethought” or possibly eliminated, he said, ”We don’t need to rethink county government – we have been thinking all along. But more importantly we have been doing. During the past 12 years, we have taken county government from the equivalent of the Industrial Revolution to a Digital Evolution. We have reinvented county government for a new era. We’ve incorporated technology and green solutions in all our departments. We have reduced, we have modernized, and we have excelled.”

He stated further: “This government has been blamed for high taxes when, in fact, over the last five years, the county property tax has held the line at an average of 2.6 percent, far less than the consumer price index. And at the same time, we have served more people than ever. We created three new vital departments, Senior Programs and Services, Information Technology and Emergency Services; yet, we have 146 fewer employees than when I took office.”

He added, “Keeping our residents safe and protected is the first priority of county government. That means requiring sex offenders to wear GPS tracking bracelets to monitor their whereabouts, protecting women from domestic violence to help them start a new life and combating gang violence by getting illegal guns off the streets.”

“I don’t want to see one more child or young adult fall victim to gun violence. And, I am committed to putting initiatives in place that will make our neighborhoods safer,” Spano said. He noted the new gun shot — more — technology that, at his initiative, the county is buying for Yonkers and Mount Vernon.

In the hour-long speech, broadcast live on News 12, Spano highlighted several upcoming county government sponsored events and initiatives:



  • May 12, a Financial Fitness free seminar designed to help people make wise financial choices. Experts will share information on credit cards, loans, household budgeting, planning for retirement and funding for college education. (Go to westchestergov.com/managing for details.)

  • June 2, a Shared Services Conference for local governments, schools and special districts, so they can explore ways to further take advantage of the many county government services and experts. Offerings are varied and include public works, emergency services, IT, purchasing and more. So far this year, 88 school districts, local governments and special districts are saving millions of dollars by piggybacking on already existing county contracts. (westchestergov.com/sharedservices for more information.)

  • June 19, a Volunteer conference to encourage volunteerism among people of all ages and match them to non-profit groups and governments in need of volunteers.


  • To help local governments update their tax rolls – so that property taxes can be levied in a fair manner – the county government will hire a firm to take aerial and street level photographs of over 200,000 parcels county wide. These photographs will enable assessors to update their data, be better prepared to defend against legal challenges, and place their municipality in a position to minimize the costs of a reassessment. “

County government may seem big and amorphous,” Spano said, “Despite our efforts there still are plenty of people who are clueless about what we do. There will always be those who think there is too much government; that people should fend for themselves. Fewer laws. Less regulation. Of course, it takes just one look at this economy to see where that philosophy has brought us.”

Through visuals the county executive showed the hundreds of ways residents are protected and/or helped by county government programs. Here are some examples:



  • Tracking bracelets are provided for Alzheimer’s patients and children with autism who may wander.
  • Public health nurses travel into unsafe neighborhoods day and night to care for a sick adult or help a mother with a new infant.
  • Health inspectors who ensure the safety of our food conducted nearly 10,000 unannounced inspections at the county’s 3,500 restaurants and others food establishments last year.
  • The police officers get drunk drivers off our parkways (a record 588 people arrested in 2008 for driving under influence of alcohol or drugs).
  • Emergency dispatchers provide immediate assistance to those who call 9-1-1. Round-the-clock dispatchers received and handled more than 90,000 calls for help in 2008.
  • Probation officers monitor the whereabouts of sex offenders.
  • The county trained 22,000 first responders, including firefighters, and marshaled a volunteer army of 200 health care professionals and another 200 emergency volunteers to respond in a natural or manmade disaster.
  • Westchester County is one of the only places in the nation to have a seamless communications system among fire and police departments, emergency medical services, hospitals and the county’s Bee-Line bus system.
  • The county’s Department of Consumer Protection makes sure residents are protected from fraud and from unscrupulous home improvement contractors, obtaining for consumers $833,000 in restitution last year. Inspectors also check for outdated food in supermarkets, among many other things.
  • The Department of Community Mental Health restructured its department to save $1 million this year by developing, among other things, a model program to cut Medicaid costs.
  • Spano’s Global Warming Task force and its successor, the County Climate Change Advisory Council, work to decrease carbon emissions in all sectors of the county: governments, residents, businesses and schools.
  • Playland Amusement Park will now be self-sufficient, saving taxpayers $3.3 million.

Spano’s speech can be summed up this way: “I believe that county government is doing exactly what it should be doing…working for you… Working to improve your lives, working to protect your families, and yes, working to save you tax dollars.”

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County Not Interested in Acquiring Ridgeway Country Club Land.

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WPCNR THE DEVELOPER NEWS. April 23,2009: The Westchester County Department of Communications flatly said the county was not interested in obtaining the Ridgeway Country Club property in White Plains, to preserve the golf course and wetlands, and opening it as a sixth public course. Several years ago the county spent $17 Million and change to build the Hudson Hills Course with county money.


Asked in view of the club’s 120-acres. plus clubhouse  being announced as for sale for $20 Million would the county consider it, to save it from development, subdivision or other uses, Donna Greene, spoksperson for the County Executive, said “No.”

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In 11 Weeks, County Whips Through Law Eliminating Item Pricing in supermarkets .

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WPCNR QUILL & SCANNER. By John F. Bailey. April 23, 2009: Johnny Story missed it. NYPIRG missed it. Consumer Advocates missed it. Your mom missed it. But your grandmother would be hopping mad.


 


And, surprise,  the County Legislature isn’t telling you too much about it. No big press conferences.


 


On the eve of County Executive Andrew Spano’s “economics-oriented” State of the County speech, Item pricing – a landmark of the consumer protection movement,and money-saving tool,  will be done away with at complying supermarkets  accross the county, perhaps within weeks. Why? Because the supermarkets think it will help them and “help consumers.” The County Executive in his press release of January 29, said, and we quote, “My proposal would continue to protect consumers but at the same time reduce the costs to some businesses.”


 


The Westchester County Department of Communications disputed the New York Public Interest Research Group  that the county is eliminating item pricing “under the radar,” due to pressure from a supermarket lobbying group.  A spokesperson for the County Department of  Communications said a news release was sent out January 29 on the bill to be voted on Monday which would, if supermarkets passed a scanner inspection with 98% accuracy, allow those stores to eliminate individual item prices in their stores. The legislation has been sailing along from press release to vote (coming Monday) for11 weeks.


 


The spokesperson, Donna Greene told WPCNR that consumer-available scanners would be available in stores should the law be enacted Monday evening so persons could check individual prices of items, and they would also be able to check scanner price with the shelf prices. The county news release of January 29, 2009, said similar legislation had been enacted in Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, Erie, Renssalear and St. Lawrence counties.


 


Asked if consumer scanners would be available in stories at each aisle so consumers could check to see if prices scanned matched the shelf prices or circulars, Ms. Greene said the number of scanners was provided for in the law.


 


In a copy of the proposed legislation, the following provisions are made for “consumer scanner availability”:


 


A store under 1,500 square feet – No Consumer Scanner necessary.


Under 3,000 square feet – 1 Consumer Scanner


Between 10,001 and 30,000 square feet – 3  Consumer Scanners


Over 30,001  sq feet –  Minimum of 3 Consumer Scanners and such additional scanners as the (County) Sealer may deem appropriate.


 


The law also states a shelf price for each stock keeping item should be visible to the consumer directly under the item displayed.


 


Asked, if once the establishment has passed a 98%scanner accuracy,  how often the county would reinspect to insure the supermarket accuracy standard was still being maintained, Greene said that depended on the Department of Consumer Affairs.


 


Tracy Shelton, spokesperson for NYPIRG said when NYPIRG testified before the County Board protesting the item pricing law, they called for a mandatory minimum number of reinspections. WPCNR asked Shelton if there was any way a consumer could check to see the price turning up on the scanner and on the shelf were correct, Shelton said the consumer had to rely on shopping circulars or the actual store “Audit List” which supermarket workers use to enter in prices into their scanners.  The law does not appear to require audit lists be conspicuously available in the supermarkets once the law is passed.


 


Shelton said the minimum number of  Consumer-access scanners required by the law  was “ridiculous,” predicting that in a supermarket, consumers would not bother taking one item across a store to one scanner  and waiting in line to scan it. She also pointed out that without item pricing, it becomes harder to total up the amount of money you were about to spend – if you did not have access to a credit card for overruns. “What are you supposed to do, bring “Post-IT” notes?” she sarcastically suggested.


 


Shelton said NYPIRG had no information on how the law was affecting consumers in the counties mentioned in the county news release.


 


Ms. Shelton told WPCNR she was hopeful legislators would table the law so more safeguards and stricter reinspection standards could be built into the law.


 


Shelton said NYPIRG had only become aware of this law about a month ago, and the county legislators NYPIRG had addressed with their concerns were angry that NYPIRG opposed the law, and reversed their original support of some of NYPIRG’s suggestions.


 


Shelton said the county was kowtowing to the suggestion of a spokesperson for the supermarkets, whose name she could not recall.


 


NYPIRG in its “Opposition Sheet” writes,”The law would essentially give supermarkets and other retailers the green light to overprice up to 2% of all store items with impunity. This would enshrine in law that it is acceptable and lawful for retailers to overcharge consumers — potentially tens of thousands of consumers on any given item — so long as no more than two per cent of the store’s items are not incorrectly priced.”


 


Gary Brown, the County Director of Consumer Protection, is quoted in the release as saying, “Our commitment to protecting consumers — and making sure they have full pricing information — remains the same.”


 


In the county overseeing of gasoline prices, the Department of Consumer Protection monitors gasoline prices  in the county, but does not check to see if changes in the gasoline wholesale price are accurately reflected in the price at the pumps the county inspects.


 

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County Seeks to Eliminate Individual Item Pricing in Supermarkets

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WPCNR QUILL & SCANNER. From New York Public Interest Research Group. April 22, 2009 (EDITED): On the morning of County Executive Andrew Spano’s State of the County Speech this evening, the New York Public Interest Research Group has issued a news release urging Westchester to turn aside the county effort to eliminate individual item pricing in supermarkets and other retailers.


Consumer protection organizations Consumers Union and the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) urge Westchester County legislators to reject a proposal to allow the county to waive the requirement that supermarkets and other retailers price each item they sell.  Legislators are considering adopting a waiver system that would allow retailers who show that their cash register scanners are accurate 98% of the time to be relieved of pricing each individual item for the following year.


 


On Monday, April 27, 2009, the Westchester Board of Legislators will vote on a bill that would effectively strip shoppers in Westchester of an important consumer right they have enjoyed for more than 30 years.  Consumers, particularly seniors and low- and moderate-income New Yorkers depend on item pricing laws when they shop.  New Yorkers want to pay the actual price, not play “register roulette” when buying food, clothes, home furnishings other common products.


 


“The proposal that merchants meet scanner accuracy standards is a no brainer—of course retailers should charge customers the right price—that’s a given,” said NYPIRG Consumer Attorney Tracy Shelton.  “And tightening up the requirements for signs and shelf stickers—as the County’s proposal would do—is a great idea.  But these improvements should be done in addition to item pricing, not as a replacement for pricing items individually.”


 


“Consumers are already confronting enough challenges in this tough economy without having to contend with the removal of price labels from individual grocery and retail items,” said Consumers Union Director of Programs Chuck Bell.  “Shoppers want to quickly find out what the prices of individual items are, and track their accuracy at checkout.  We appreciate that Westchester County has experienced significant difficulty achieving full compliance with the current law, but we are not persuaded that the proposed waiver system will advance the interests of consumers in having full and complete price information.”


 


 


 


            The groups pointed out that California regulators recently fined Wal-Mart $1.4 million for repeated cash register scanner errors.  Investigators involved in that case said that consumers were 3 ½ times more likely to be overcharged than undercharged when the price rang up incorrectly.


The groups pointed out the many benefits of item pricing laws, including:


■ Enabling consumers to monitor and verify whether scanners accurately ring up the correct price at the cash register.  Having a price sticker remains the easiest way for a consumer to compare a price at the cash register—without having to memorize the prices of dozens of items (or do percentage calculations on the spot) and recall them at the register.


■ Allowing consumers to easily tote up the cost of all the items in their shopping cart or basket.  When you’re on a tight budget, this is a great help in shopping. 


■ Ensuring that consumers, particularly older, infirm or disabled shoppers, do not have to search for a sign or shelf sticker with the price—particularly for items on top or bottom shelves.


■ Item pricing allows consumers to compare prices on similar products that are located in different parts of the store, for example comparing dry pasta with pasta in the refrigeration case.


■ The ability to compare the price on newly purchased items to prices on items being replaced at home so consumers can see how much a product has gone up in price, and compare prices between different brands and different retailers. 


 


The groups noted that it is a particularly bad idea to deny consumers valuable shopping information at a time of enormous, widespread financial hardship.  The proposal contains absolutely no guarantee—in fact it’s highly unlikely—that the substantial savings to supermarkets and other retailers will be passed on to consumers in the form of lower prices.  When the cost of oil spiked retail prices immediately jumped, yet retail prices haven’t dropped now that gas is down around $2 a gallon.  Thus the cost savings to retailers from waiving the County’s item pricing law will result in higher profits for retailers, but will not result in lower prices for consumers.


 


The groups urged Westchester residents to contact their County Legislators and the County Executive and tell them to say “no” to the plan for item pricing waivers and “yes” to keeping items on local store shelves individually priced.  The groups urged that any scanner accuracy law only be done as an addition to the item pricing law, not as a waiver substitute. 

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White Plains Office Rentals “Hold Own” Up slightly in 1Q Against County Decline

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WPCNR White Plainsonomics. From Cushman & Wakefield. April 22, 2009:  According to Cushman & Wakelfield, the office rental and leaasing specialists, the White Plains Central Business District Class-A rentals remained the highest in the county, averaging $33.81 per square foot January to March, 09, compared to $33.68 in the 4th quarter of 08. The average office rental is down 23 cents from last year at this time.


In the Non-Central Business District, rents averaged $32.05 per square foot January through March, down 10 cents from last quarter, and up 18 cents from the corresponding quarter last year. Part of the decrease in leasing activity this quarter was the reduced size of the transactions.  Exemplifying this trend was the 7,575-sf lease for Dragados USA, Inc. at 140 Grand Street in White Plains.


The relatively stable White Plains office market statistic was published by Cushman & Wakefield in its first quarter 2009 report for the Westchester County commercial real estate market, showing a significant decline in new office leasing activity for Class-A space in the region.  Leasing activity totaled approximately 88,645 square feet (sf) in the quarter, down from 122,078 sf in the fourth quarter 2008 and from 317,987 sf this time last year, decreases of 27% and 72%, respectively.


 


Available direct Class-A space in Westchester County has remained fairly steady over the last year, registering 3.5 million square feet (msf) in the first quarter, 3.4 msf available at the end of 2008 and 3.3 msf available this time last year.  A total of 319,933 sf were added to the overall Class-A inventory this quarter; 187,995 sf of which was sublease space.


 


Overall vacancies continued to increase countywide with the vacancy rate for Class-A space registering at 19.4%; an increase from 18.3% last quarter and 17.6% one year ago.  This was primarily due to a 41% increase in sublease space returned to the market from such tenants as Blue Sky Studios for 58,717 sf and Thomson Reuters for 44,566 sf.


 


“Although Westchester County’s tenant mix is well balanced and without the significant exposure from the recent economic events, leasing activity slowed significantly as companies reacted to the continued recession,” said Jim Fagan, senior managing director and head of Cushman & Wakefield’s Fairfield and Westchester County region. “Though still quiet compared to previous years, the most active tenants in the market are those looking to lower occupancy costs or those with upcoming lease expirations.”


 


Overall asking rents for Class-A space countywide at the close of the first quarter averaged $31.64 per square foot (psf) down slightly from the $31.77 psf average at fourth quarter 2008 and the $31.75 psf average at this time last year.  There continues to be a large delta between asking rents and taking rents as concessions, such as free rent and tenant-improvement allowances, continue to increase, as landlords vie for the few tenants in the market for space.  The result for tenants is a substantial decrease in their net effective rents.


 


 

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Council Takes Up Urban Renewal Extension Thursday.

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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL-CHRONICLE EXAMINER. From The City Clerk. April 22,2009: An agenda has been issued for  a Special Meeting of the Common Council Thursday evening, at which extension of cabaret licenses for two pubs, including one roundly criticised for rowdy patrons cluttering a neighbor-business parking lot. The Council will then take up the budgets of the Traffic Department, Recreation and Parks, and the White Plains Public Library (proposed to be cut some $640,000) and the North Street Community request for a special permit to run an assisted living facility out of the former St. Agnes Hospital, capital improvements on the Slater Center, zoning application fees. The agenda, written in the usual criptic, uninformative style City Hall is known for,  also talks about discussing Winbrook Community Houses, with no further explanation. The agenda:


COMMON COUNCIL


REVISED


AGENDA


SPECIAL  MEETING


April 23, 2009


6:00 P.M.


 


 


RESOLUTIONS:


 



1.                  Communication from the City Clerk in relation to a request submitted by La Colmena Restaurant Corp., d/b/a Karamba Cafe, 185 Main Street, requesting a waiver of the thirty (30) day notification requirement set forth in the New York State Alcoholic Beverage Control Law for the renewal of a liquor license.


 


2.                              Resolution of the Common Council of the City of White Plains waiving the thirty (30) day notification requirement set forth in Section 64(2)(a) of the New York Alcoholic Beverage Control Law in regard to an application submitted on behalf of La Colmena Restaurant Corp. d/b/a Karamba Cafe located at 185 Main Street for a renewal of its license to sell alcoholic beverages.


 


 


3.                  Environmental Findings Resolution regarding the proposed extension of the Special Permit for a Cabaret Use at 199 and 201 East Post Road on behalf of Tri-Kelly Inc.


 


4.                              Resolution of the Common Council of the City of White Plains approving the application submitted on behalf of Tri-Kelly, Inc., d/b/a Kelly’s Pub and Grill and the Thirsty Turtle for a three (3) year renewal of a Special Permit to allow the operation of a Cabaret Use at 199-201 East Post Road (Section 125.84, Block 4, Lot 3) subject to certain conditions contained herein.


 


DISCUSSION:


 


5.                  North Street Community, LLC – amendment to the Zoning Ordinance.


6.                  White Plains Housing Authority – Winbrook Community Buildings.


7.                  Capital Project – replace fuel pumps at Public Safety


8.                  Urban Renewal Central Renewal Project Plan – ten year extension.


9.                  Slater Center Rehabilitation – Community Development.


10.              Proposed amendment to the Zoning Ordinance – application fees.


11.              Entertainment of a motion to enter into executive session for the purpose of discussing the employment history of a particular person or persons.


12.              Proposed Tax Budget of the City of White Plains for Fiscal Year 2009 – 2010 – Traffic Department, Recreation and Parks Department and White Plains Public Library.

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LCOR: HERE’S NEW 55 BANK STREET PROJECT. CREDIT STILL FROZEN.582 Units on FISH

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WPCNR DEVELOPER NEWS. By John F. Bailey. April 22,2009: LCOR presented the new design for their now 582-unit rental housing project  (previously it had been 535 units), Tuesday evening at the Planning Board. Peter Gilpatric, the LCOR executive, said  that financing for the project was currently not forthcoming due to frozen credit markets, but the newly designed project was of interest to potential funding sponsors. He advised the Planning Board that Phase One would be built first which would include the southern 28-story building with seven-story parking garage.


 



 


New 28 story Buildings on Bank. Parking Facility behind proposed for 55 Bank Street.


 


 


 



 


Bird’s-eye View of Plan. Bank Street at base of picture.The “Hotel-to-come” would be built on the green portion. The brown rectangles are the footprints of the two 28-story apartments. Units, Mr. Gilpatrick said, would be built smaller especially the 2-bedrooms, making up 582-units of which 117 would be affordable housing.


 


The project will be presented to the Common Council next who would then refer it out to departments, Commissioner of Planning, Susan Habel said.  In the new design, the garage portion of the retail-residential complex will be built to the rear of the two-building complex, which fronts on Bank Street.


 



The new Buildings approaching from Fisher Avenue.


 


In commenting on a question about the possibility of a hotel being built, Mr. Gilpatric said he did not know when that would happen and there were no immediate prospects due to the present decline in the hotel industry. He also described the present White Plains rental  housingmarkets as in decline with rents being lowered and incentives being offered by landlords to lure and  keep tenants. He said it was a good time to rent an apartment because the rates are lowering.


 



The View from Battle Hill of the new complex, looking East.

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Prudential Rand Acquires Wolff Century 21

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WPCNR MAMARONECK AVENUE AMBLER.  April 21, 2009: Prudential Rand, the White Plains realtor, WPCNR has learned,  is acquiring the three remaining offices of Wolff Century 21. According to a source close to the Woff Century 21 operations, Prudential Rand will be taking over the Yonkers office and the Wolff Century21 office at 490 Mamaroneck Avenue will close, with employees moving from there to One North Broadway.

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PSC OKs CON ED HIKE OF14.3%. BILLS GO UP 6.1% With Legisltr Assessment Grab

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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS -THE POWER NEWS. By John F. Bailey. APRIL 25, 2009, UPDATED WITH COUNTY EXECUTIVE STATEMENT. April 21, 2009UPDATED 11:40 P.M. E.D.T.: The New York State Public Service Commission approved a 14.3% increase in the Consolidated Edison Delivery Charge portion of consumer electric bills Tuesday in Albany by a 4 to 1 vote.


 


Friday, Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano reacted to Tuesday’s increase, first reported by WPCNR two weeks ago, with this statement:


 


“Once again the state Public Service Commission has put Con Edison’s interests ahead of those of the electric ratepayers of Westchester and New York City. This latest increase is unwarranted  and particularly in the midst of the current recession is a crushing blow to our residents and businesses already struggling to pay their bills,” County Executive Andrew Spano said.


 


The 14.3% increase in Con Ed “infrastructure” charges, when combined with the $198 Million increase in Consolidated Edison assessment decreed by the state legislature to increase revenues in the general fund, will increase the typical Westchester area bill 6.1% according to PSC official testifying today at the approval hearing in Albany. The full increase approved this afternoon is $721.4 Million.


 


The Public Service Commission Cut Con Edison’s request by $60 Million, requiring them to find an immediate $30 Million in savings to help pay the reduction, and come back for “relief” from Commission if they could not save another $30 Million.


 


Bob McGee, spokesperson for Con Edision issued this statement to WPCNR late Tuesday evening:


 


Since most of a customer’s bill is used to pay supply costs and government taxes, it is troubling that the only costs being slashed in today’s PSC decision are the funds used to maintain the system and provide reliable service. 


 


We will analyze the PSC order when it is issued, but the imposition of further “austerity” in light of the substantial efficiency measures we continue to take strikes us as counter-productive to our efforts to maintain our electric delivery system. 


 


We are disappointed in the PSC action.  We will continue to seek operational savings wherever it makes sense and to serve our customers.




 


The effect: For example on April 2, a White Plains electric customer paid $132.67 for 648 kilowatt hours. On May 1, when the new charges will be in effect that bill will rise $9.02 to $140.76, providing Supply Charges stay the same.  On May 2, the rate increase goes into affect. The $9 PSC estimate is line with WPCNR estimates reported two weeks ago.


 


The 6.1%  overall affect of the decision was said by a PSC analyst, speaking in testimony today in Albany, was the expected affect on the overall customer bill, when the $234 Million Con Edison Assessment charge is added to customers’ bills. The PSC said that 1/3 of half the 2% increase in assessments would be borne by the utility companies and the balance of the increase would be passed along to consumers.


 


The increased assessment was introduced by Governor David Paterson’s office to create more revenue for the General Fund. The assessment increases Con Ed’s Assessment to $283 Million, up 857% in 2009-10, up from $33 Million this year.  It will raise Westchester and NYC area residents utility bills an as-yet-unspecified amount in a few scant months. The assessment must be paid this year.


 


Legislature Clandestine Assessment Hike Blindside:857%


 


The state assessment is a straight cash payment decreed in the new state budget passed the first week of April, as first and exclusively reported, so far by WPCNR.


 


 Con Ed  is faced with an increase of 857% up from $33 Million the state charged Con Edison this year.The assessment increase affects all utilities’ intra (within) state revenues across the state and pours billions into the state General Fund for unspecified use “related to energy.”


 


One PSC Commissioner expressed bewilderment as to why the increased assessment was going to the general fund, but received no explanation from the PSC Administrative Law Judges who made the recommendations accepted today.


 


Con Ed’s Property Taxes Up 23%


 


In the course of testimony, it was reported that Con Edison pays $1 Billion in property taxes, and experienced a 23% increase in its property taxes this year from various communities and cities this year. The state assessment is separate from that amount.


 


The reasons for the Delivery Charge increase, separate from the $198 Million Assessment addition to the bill were Con Edison’s increases in pensions, were Con Edison’s cumulative property tax increases, rate relief, revenue return (10%), rate of depreciation of equipment, and the18A Assessment increase, in addition.



PSC Extracts Savings from Con Edision


 


The PSC decided, from observations of the hearing by WPCNR, to limit the amount of the Delivery Charge rate increase from the $585Million asked for by Consolidated Edison to authorizing only $523.4 Million, requiring that Con Ed execute $60 Million in savings, to make up the difference, rather than by guaranteed the entire rate request. From the hearing observation, it appears Con Edison is required to save $30 Million, and will,if they cannot create $30 more in savings three quarters into the year, have to petition the Commission for “relief,” i.e. an additional surcharge, or rate relief.


 


 


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Ridgeway Country Club Seeks to Sell Its 120 Acres in Heart of WP

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WPCNR SOUTH END TIMES. Special to WPCNR. UPDATED APRIL 22, 2009, 3:50 P.M. : WPCNR has learned that the management of the private Ridgeway Country Club has sent out materials to local real estate brokerages in order to pick a company to market the sprawling 18-hole golf course facility in the heart of White Plains choice residential area.


Andrew Phillips, contacted at Grubb & Ellis New York City at the company’s Avenue of the Americas office told WPCNR, “I am not authorized to discuss anything about the deal. However, you may contact the club directly.”


Today, White Plains Commissioner of Planning, Susan Habel, issued a statement to WPCNR on the White Plains zoning in effect on the 120 acre site:


“The Zoning Ordinance permits residential development at 30,000 sf per lot in this district, however a subdivision would need to be done and this site has been determined previously by the Common Council to be an environmentally sensitive site. Any application would be subject to a full environmental review under SEQRA.”


Previously,  the City of White Plains had given up “right of first refusal” to the property as an assessment  certiorari settlement.


The property zoned residential is a developer’s dream, consisting of120 acres according to the City of White Plains Assessor’s Office. Sources with knowledge of the White Plains zoning, said the site is environmentally sensitive with ponds and wetlands,and is is zoned R-12.5, meaning about one home could be placed on a acre, allowing for possible development of  100 homes.


 

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