Legislators Work out Plan to Save CSEA Jobs, Benefits if Standard Amusements Takes Over Playland. PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED FOR MAY 20 ON STANDARD’S PROPOSAL

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WPCNR PLAYLAND GO ROUND. From the Westchester County Board of Legislators. May 14, 2015:

One major question that was addressed at Wednesday’s continuation of meeting of the Labor Parks and Housing Committee on the Standard Amusements proposal to manage Playland  was the disposition of current County employees who work at Playland.

A public hearing was announced for public comment to the Board of Legislators on the Standard Amusements proposal.

That hearing will be conducted at a special Labor Parks Housing Committee meeting next Wednesday at 7 PM in the BOL Chambers.  The meeting is a public forum for input on the proposed management plan for Playland.

 

On the union labor issue involving county employees now employed at Playland, Standard Amusements indicated that they recognize the value of the county employees’ experience, institutional knowledge and commitment to Playland and would like to hire as many of those employees as practical.

CSEA (Civil Service Employees Association) leadership made the point that the public employee pension system which many employees are enrolled in would not be transferable to a private operator.  Standard indicated that they would be open to contracting with the County for the services of those employees needed so that they could stay in NY State Pension System.

Deputy County Executive Kevin Plunkett affirmed that any County Employees who did not find suitable employment with the private operator would be transferred to alternate positions in Parks or another County Department.  CSEA leadership indicated that they were satisfied with the assurances from Standard Amusements and the Administration.

Planning Commissioner Edward Buroughs reported that because the BOL was considering a management agreement and not a plan which includes proposals for specific, physical work at Playland, the Agreement is a “Type II” action under SEQRA which means it has no significant impact on the environment and therefore requires no further environmental review.

Additional environmental reviews could be triggered in the future as specific proposals for capital projects come before County Commissioners and the BOL.

Following an overview of the actual contract document with representatives of the County Attorney’s office, Legislators asked both the Standard Amusements team and the County Attorney’s office to consider clarifying or altering certain language in the agreement or to memorialize certain commitments to the agreement through a Memorandum of Understanding.  These considerations will be taken up at subsequent committee meetings.

Video of Wednesday’s meeting can be seen by pasting this URL into your browser, http://westchestercountyny.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=3729

Legislators and representatives of Standard Amusements toured the Amusement Park last week.  Video of that tour can be seen at https://vimeo.com/127279007

The LPPH  Committee will meet next Wednesday at 9am to continue discussions on the Management Agreement.

 

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