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 PRESS BOX. August 26, 2006: The National Pro Fastpitch Championship Series gets underway at 1 P.M. in Stratford Connecticut today with the opener of the big league fastpitch series. The second place Connecticut Brakettes meet the third place Akron Racers (the defending Champs) at 7 P.M. at DeLuca Field. (Off Exit 30, I-95), while the first place Chicago Bandits meet the New England Riptide in the opener at 1 P.M. at DeLuca. Sarah Pauly (13-5) is scheduled to pitch for Connecticut (27-15), with Radara McHugh likely for Akron (29-17). An in-depth preview of the series is on the Brakette website at www.ctbrakettes.com.

The Brakettes will be lead by the Olympic Champion, Kelly Kretschman, who hit .400 this season, homerun queen shortstop Jessica Merchant from the University of Michigan, who lead the league with 11 homers, firstbaser Kellie Wilkerson, and second baser Stephanie Best. Germaine Fairchild is the steady catcher

G Breaks Open the Nightcap. Germaine Fairchild heads for third after belting a 3-run dinger in the last of the second against the Philadelphia Force Tuesday evening at Allentown, PA,  in the nightcap of a doubleheader for a 7-0 lead. G also drove in 2 runs in the ‘Kettes 3 run first, with 5 RBIs on the night. The Brakettes won the nightcap to complete their first season in the NPF successfully, finishing a mere 2 games out of first behind the Bandits. If the Brakettes win this evening they face the winner of the New Engalnd-Chicago opener at 6 P.M. in Straftford Sunday for the NPF Championship. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

CATCHING LIGHTNING: Brakette Ace Sarah Pauly guns out Carrie Leto of the Force in late inning action in the nightcap Tuesday evening. Second Baser Stephanie Best takes the throw at first as Kellie Wilkerson watches the bang-bang play. Photo by WPCNR Sports.

The Casey Stendgel of Softball, John Stratton, coming to eet his club after the final win of the regular season. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

Manager John Stratton of the Brakettes said Tuesday night, he thought he would pitch Pauly back-to-back in both games this weekend, should the Bandits get by Akron tonight,  with Nikki Meyers (with the best “do” in fastpitch), who beat the Bandits in Chicago two weeks ago at the ready.

Sarah Pauly Finetuning in the 7th Against the Force Tuesday evening. Photo, WPCNR Sports.

“If Sarah Pauly’s pitching as good as she is right now and we’re hitting the ball, we should be o.k. ” Asked if he’d pitch Pauly back-to-back, he said, “That may be the case, she can come back after a day. She’s going to get a week’s rest. She’ll pitch the first one and if need be, can pitch the second. Nikki Meyers is throwing beautiful ball. She doesn’t strike out as many (as Pauly) but she makes them hit ground balls and  keeps the ball down. Both of them are good checkers. We’ll see what happens, we’ll see how (Sarah) feels after the first game. We’re looking forward to it.”

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F.Bailey. August 24, 2006: The Board of Education discussed the recommendations of the Capital Improvement Project Committee Monday evening at Education House, and at the end of the two hour meeting was very close to reaching a decision to bond for the full amount of the projects, $66.7 Million.

Their decision is being held in abeyance, depending on the nature and scope of donation expected from the “Super Developer,” Louis Cappelli, for the Loucks Field project, which would put the Board of Education in a position to recommend bonding for the full amount of the stadium renovations, the only part of the project the Board is not fully behind at the present time.

Timothy Connors, Superintendent of Schools, told the board he had impressed on Mayor Joseph Delfino, Monday, of the urgency to define Mr. Cappelli’s commitment. Connors said the Mayor told him his people were working on it and that “he (the Mayor) would get back to me.”

Editor’s Note:  Mr. Cappelli had indicated in the spring he may give as much as $1 Million in inkind contributions. Connors said he would be in touch with the Mayor every day to attempt to get a firm commitment by the time the Board of Education considers its final decision on the scope of the referendum Monday evening.

Meanwhile, the Board’s Marie Tratoros, Peter Bassano, Robert Pollak, Donna McLaughlin, Terrance McGuire attending and Rick Tompkins again absent for the second straight meeting on the bond issue (Mr. Tompkins missed the presentation of the Capital Improvement Project Committee report last week), took up the issues of the bond referendum still in doubt: how much of Parker Stadium and Loucks Field they should renovate and how the bonds are issued.

With Russ Davidson, of  Kayer, Garment & Davidson, the architect on the project, Robert Kerr of New York Municipal Advisors, and a representative of Triton Construction providing feedback, they launched into a discussion of the stadiums.

Seatcutback considered.

The Capital Improvement Project Committee had recommended scaling back the Parker Stadium to executing safety concerns only (removing the ruins of the concrete bleachers), not installing artificial surface and cutting seating capacity to 650. Davidson, upon questioning, said cutting the seating capacity of Parker Stadium by installing only 650 seats instead of the 1350 requested by the Highlands Middle School Principal (to meet the entire student body outside in the stadium several times a year) would save about 1/3 of the $1,000,000 cost to install the 1,350 seats alone.  The Board noted that to install new grass sod a crushed stone track and 650 seats with no press box would cost $2.3 Million. The project has originally envision would install articifical surface, press box and 1,350 seats of bleachers, and new track for $3,672,717.

Davidson also said that Mike Lynch, the district Manager of Facilities and Operations, and told him “in order to do bring it (Parker Stadium) up to code (for disability access, electric, stair railings), you have to take it (the concrete stands) out. I don’t think there’s any way of restoring it (present stands).”

Connors went around the table asking the present Board members their opinions on excuting the Parker Stadium renovation.

Mr. Pollak said he would be in favor of the Loucks Field renovation, but was reluctant to execute more than the 650 seats at Parker Stadium, and would feel more inclined to do so if the district knew it was receiving a donation on the Loucks Field  renovation. McLaughlin chided Mr. Pollak for bring politics into a decision “for the kids.” Pollak said he felt that was an inappropriate reference.  The only member positive on doing all of Parker Stadium was Donna McLaughlin. Connors, the Superintendent said that by not artificial turfing Parker the district would lose the extra capacity of field use synthetic turf would provide to the community and the schools.

“If we are going to expand out middle school athletic programs (more teams and opportunities), there are not enough fields to commit (to that) now. These fields (Loucks and Parker with synthetic turf) would get maximum use,” Connors said.

Connors also said that once the fields were equipped with synthetic turf, depending on how much the city contributes, if the city wishes to use the new synthetic fields, “We’re going to have to negotiate that use.”

Donna McLaughlin asked the cost of a $1 Million in spending to the taxpayers. Terrance Schreurs, (who has a week to go before he retires his position as Assistant Superintendent for Business and  Fred Seiler takes over), said the cost was about $3 per $1 Million. She expressed the benefits of the stadia improvements would be worth it considering the small cost in comparison to the rest of the monies being spent.

McLaughlin lobbies against Sodding citing Eastview debacle.

McLaughlin bitterly complained about the resodding of the Eastview Schools (for approximately $400,000) that was executed by the City of White Plains with tainted glass sharded soil as a reason for going synthetic turf at Parker.  Sod would be installed at Parker Stadium if the field were not synthetic turfed. McLaughlin said, “It (sodding Eastview) was a waste of money.”

Superintendent of Schools Connors noted that “If you build it (the artificial turf stadiums) they will come.”

In a straw poll of the Board Members all members were in favor of going ahead with the Loucks Field renovations (lights, bleachers, synthetic turf) for approximately $6 Million.

McLauglin said, “For the high school…the benefit outweighs the cost…what we can deliver will be a benefit to the city.” She said she did not make decisions on costs but on “what’s best for kids and the community.”

Straw Poll

They all, with the exception of McLaughlin, were expressing doubts on the Parker renovation. Bassano was opposed to turfing Parker, and proposed doing the minimum, and leaving it to do sometime in the future. Pollak agreed

Mclaughlin again demurred, noting the Capital Improvement Project Committee criticized the Board of Education for lack of planning, indicating that not doing Parker Stadium now would be a lack of planning.

6 to 7% Construction Costs Drive Future Field Renovation Up

At that point, Russ Davidson the architect, upon questioning by Bill Pollak on the costs of delaying Parker,  shared the point that construction costs were rising at 6 to 7% a year and construction costs to execute Parker down the road would escalate, while synthetic turf costs would not increase substantially. Pollak asked if the district did it now was synthetic turn at the bottom of the market. Davidson said, “it’s competitive.”

McLaughlin pressed the point that by not doing Parker now as originally planned, “We’re doing it half way.” She said it was not a good public position to take

Than Davidson said something that appeared to turn around the Board thinking. He said in districts he has worked where aspects of projects were not done, the district upon completion has been criticized by the public for what they omitted from projects. He said you fall victim to the “I can’t believe they did X and they didn’t do Y.”

Davidson’s comment appeared to make Pollak, McGuire, Eller, Bassano and Tratoros contemplative.

The Bonding. Hecht Correct BUT…

Next on the docket was accounting expert Richard Hecht’s suggestions made in the Capital Improvement Project Committee “Recommendations” that the Board of Education consider bonding the Priority 1 & 2 items over a shorter term and delaying executing them until 2011.

Terrance Schruers presented a memorandum he had written  after contemplating Hecht’s proposal.

Schruers said that Hecht’s figures and projections were correct.

Hecht had written in the CIPC Recommendations that by bonding the infrastructure (Priority 1 & 2 work — $15 Million) over 25 years, that “the priority 3 work (not being done in the bond being considered) submitted by these experts would cost $14,000,000 if done now; these experts  indicated that it is likely these projects would become priority 1 and 2 projects in 5 years. If each 5 years, the district borrows another $15,000,000 for infrastructure work, it will build up $40,000,000 of debt over 20 years; this level will limit the financial flexibility of the district.”

$12 Million in excess Interest.

Hecht, in addition projected that a 10 year bond on the Priority 1 & 2 infrastructure repairs would increase the tax rate in the short term over a 25 year life, but would pay one third of the amount borrowed ($5 Million) in interest. However, Hecht noted, the district would over 25 years pay ¾ of the amount borrowed  in interest (about $12 million).

Schruers did not address this in his memorandum to the Board, stating only that Hecht was correct. Schruers told the board he got to thinking about what Hecht said and told the Board of his own thoughts on Hecht’s suggestion of bonding the infrastructure for 10 years instead of 25.

Schruers said he did not think voters would be interested in approving work in 2006 that would not be completed until 2011 and 2012. Hecht had suggested delaying the bonding of the priorities until about 2010 and combine the infrastructure needs now with the needs coming up in 5 years (when district present bond service would be lower).

The Assistant Superintendent for Business said the architect and construction manager contracts would be expired by 2011 and 2012 (and therefore not be available to over see the projects of the Priority 1s and 2s if they were delayed beginning construction until 2010).

Schruers questioned the rationale of delaying priority 1s and 2s, writing “The building condition survey (by Kaeyer, Garment & Davidson, architects), identified the infrastructure work as health, safety issues and reconstruction necessary to prevent building deterioration. What is the rationale for delaying the work until 2011 and 2012?

(Schruers has noted to WPCNR, only Americans with Disabilities Act standards and backflow valve installation are mandated to be done.)

Inflation Cost, Interest Fluctuation Reason to Move Now.

Triton Construction, Schruers said, estimates the additional cost added by inflation if the Priority 1s and 2s are delayed until 2011-2012 as being $6,553, 256. Hecht’s calling for five bond issuings instead of the three proposed (Infrastructure, Post Road School, Fields), would also cost the district $40,000.

The Assistant Superintendent for Business  Schruers also wrote in the memorandum  that he personally felt “the delay is not practical to authorize bonds in 2006 and issue pieces as late as 2011. The interest rates could significantly change from rates projected.” He also noted the uncertainty of SED aid and project approval processes.

Money on the Float

Robert Kerr, the bond expert noted that the municipal tax free bonds the District would  issue for the project enabled the district to earn money on the amounts borrowed over the interest they are paying, thus softening the blow of the interest. Kerr cautioned though that the bond funds have to be spent within two years for the district to keep the interest float income and not have to pay taxes on those earnings. Kerr cautioned that the interest the district earns on the float would have to be spent on the specific project the bond issue finances.

Schruers also produced good news informing the board that the District could bond $8 million in tax certioraris in 2009, but he expected any certioraris in that amount would be paided for out of funds currently allocated for pension and retirement benefits that would no longer be needed for that purpose. He estimated the district would have $6 Million in cash to devote to certioraris, if needed. This cheered the Board of Education.

Moodys Loves White Plains

Mr. Kerr said the district bond rating was currently AA-2, “the top tier of the nation.”

The Board raised no questions about the costs projected of the scope of the project (other than the fields which account for 13% of the total project, now pegged at $70 Million.) The Board did not raise any questions about the costs of the extra interest payments, nor the possibilities of other building needs in the district and how that possibility would impact bond service in the future, as Mr. Hecht cautioned.

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WPCNR BUMPER-TO-BUMPER. August 23, 2006: Yesterday afternoon WPCNR ran into a traffic situation when the mobile unit attempted to take Westchester Avenue West bound and enter I-287, The Cross Westchester Expressway at my usual entryway adjacent Ebersole Rink. Dead stop. Four lanes of traffic hooking around from The Bloomingdale Road entrance and the Westchester Avenue entrance were merging into one lane and being guided onto the thruway. Traffic was also being diverted onto a makeshift lane for the traffic on the Thruway headed Westbound and there was a real mess heading back East towards Connecticut WPCNR called WCBS-Radio to report the jam up, but CBS Radio never bothered to report it.  The work appears to be facilitating a resurfacing of the Central Westchester Parkway leading up to George Washington School (Exit 8)

DEADMAN’S CURVE, WHITE PLAINS. 12:00 Noon Thursday. Photo, WPCNR Mobile Unit

Today there is no backup on I-287 Westbound, but the DOT has the Westchester Avenue entrance down to one lane where motorists have to go from a full stop into whizzing traffic coming at them from the left at over 60 miles per hour. It is a dangerous situation with no State Trooper on the site to supervise the merge and no effort on the part of the DOT crews to monitor the merge. Motorists told WPCNR that leaving The Westchester last night, they were petrified at launching their car into the oncoming traffic. She told WPCNR she was afraid she would be broadsided. Another motorist reported being delayed about an hour on their lunch hour because of the 4 lanes into one merge created by the DOT at this key Westbound entrance out of White Plains West Side retail showcase which is home to Nordstroms, Fortunoff, Bloomindale’s and Nieman-Marcus.

Four Lines of Traffic Jockey for Position on the I-287 Merge alongside Ebersole Rink today. Photo, WPCNR Mobile Unit.

 David Maloney of the Mayor’s Office said it was the Department of Transportation construction project and the city had nothing to do with it. Asked if the city could post detour signs to shunt traffic attempting to get on the Cross Westchester Westbound up to the North Broadway entrance or post a police car to avoid the backup Maloney has not responded on the part of the city. The Traffic Department when WPCNR called, said for WPCNR to ask the Mayor’s Office.  White Plains visitors should be advised it is a dangerous situation.

Motorists backed up at standstill today at 3:45 P.M. No indication of the interminable wait and deathdefying entry on the Cross Westchester Express they face. Photo, WPCNR Mobile Unit

Help is on the way. Motorists seeking to avoid the DOT Snarl at the Westchester Avenue entrance can make a left onto Westchester Avenue at Bloomingdale Road at the Stop N Shop (below) and travel up North Broadway and take this entrance which was totally clear as of  12:30 P.M. today. Photo, WPCNR Mobile Unit

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WPCNR WHITE PLAINS WEEK NEWS. August 21, 2006: Mike Graessle, former Commissioner of Planning for the City of White Plains, now Co-Owner of Nelson-Vrooman/GMAC Real Estate in White Plains is bullish on the White Plains housing market remaining attractive and marketable despite sharp tax increases, predicting lower prices on high end homes with lower priced homes remaining attractive,  but expressed his opinion that the White Plains condominium market is overbuilt and will take “years” to sell.

Mike Graessle, appearing on White Plains Week Friday evening, analyzed the Westchester County Board of Realtors July first half statistics, (Mr. Graessle is a member of the Board of Directors) just released.  Graessle noted that there are more homes coming to the market, but buyers are being picky. He noted White Plains retains its reputation for low taxes compared to competing markets, saying prices for top of the line homes are declining while $500,000 to $700,000 homes are holding steady. The program can be seen tonight on channel 76 at 7 P.M. Photo, Courtesy White Plains Week.

Sales down.

Taking note of the sales trends in Westchester County the first six months of 2006, Graessle said “What we’re seeing is the number of (single family home) sales (1,345) has dropped 235 sales vs last year (1,580). That’s a decrease of 14.9% for single family homes. Condominiums (375 sales) are actually up 6.8% (by 24 sales). Cooperatives (522 Sales) are down 3.7% (20 sales less than 2005’s 542). Two to 5 Family homes (sales, 161)  have dropped 19.5% (39 units less than 200 in 2^nd quarter 2005).”

Prices on Downswing.

“Inventory” Up Substantially.

Graessle reports, “But at that same time the median sales price for single family homes has gone up 2.1%, the average sale price is now $715,000 in Westchester. Condominiums is up 7.2% at $384,900. Cooperatives is up 11.6 to $189,750 and 2-5 Family (home) price is up 2.7%.”

“Now, the  thing that most of your viewers might find intriguing is that the inventory at the end of the period single family, has gone up 28.3% there are 1,032 (more) houses on the market currently in the county last year during the same quarter (up 1,032 over 3,644 in 2005). Condominiums there’s 292 (more) that’s an increase of 47.9% of condominiums for sale (up 292 over 2005’s 609). Cooperatives, that number is up 23.1% (up 259 over 1,119 last year). Two to 5 family houses is up 34.1% (up 211 over the 618 in 2005)”

Mike Graessle Analyzing the real estate situation Friday evening on White Plains Week. The entire interview may be seen Monday evening at 7 P.M. Photo Courtesy White Plains Week.

Graessle continued, “What the  data is saying is intriguing, the single family houses we’re starting to see greater inventory but prices have dropped. There’s a statistical quirk here because most single family homes are purchased with a mortgage. So over the period of time which it takes to close somewhere between 2 to 3 months anyway, so this data is really for sales that took place up through March that didn’t close until this past quarter. We’re anticipating that prices will probably show a drop….We’re noticing price drops are exceeding number of new listings, and also strangely enough the number of properties that have been on the market are expiring, meaning the listing is expiring and perhaps will be renewed. So we’re seeing a building up of inventory which probably is going to suggest further price drops for at least the next quarter and the next half.”

Condo Jam Creates Rental Market Scarcity.

Jim Benerofe, Co-Host noted that condominium owners of units in Trump Tower who have been renting their units are not renting them for enough rent to cover their purchase price, and asked Graessle if he felt the rental market was going down.

Mike Graessle fielding a sensitive question on the condo market from “The Dean of White Plains Journalism,” Jim Benerofe, right, on Friday night’s show. Photo, Courtesy White Plains Week.

“What’s occurred you can see throughout Westchester, the same developers are developing in a number of communities, so the inventory has grown. The inventory is growing and we have more product still under way. You can see the buildings going up in Yonkers, New Rochelle and in White Plains, and those numbers are pretty startling when you see how many buildings are being built,” Greassle said.

Condos Shrink Rental Apartment Inventory.

Graessle gave his opinion on what this influx of condominium inventory has created:  “The number of buildings that originally started out as rentals, and then converted to condos,  I think yours (Trump Tower) is one of those,  anticipated a stronger rental market and then when the banks started lending more money for condominiums people jumped over. I think the rental market actually lost a lot of units so I think your broker’s giving you good advice you’ll see more opportunity in rental. That market will change eventually. I think as developers realize perhaps  they are flooding the market a little too quickly to be absorbed.

Benerofe asked, “How long do you think the absorption (of condominiums) is going to take actually?”

Graessle did not hesitiate: “I think it’s going to take years.”

Asked by CitizeNetReporter host John Bailey if he thought there was a “glut,” Graessle stopped short of saying that:  “Well, we’re still building. You only need to be 2 blocks away from the studio to see 221 Main Street, you have the Ginsburg construction, the Avalon construction.”

White Plains Home

Retains Tax Edge Over Competing Markets.

Bailey asked in view of the inexorable march of city, school  and county property taxes on homes in White Plains, “Have we lost our attractiveness as a tax haven?”

Graessle said WP Single Family Homes were still retaining their position relative to other towns and cities and continued to be attractive:

“When you compare our taxes to our neighboring communities in Westchester , we come out very favorable. Even when we are experiencing tax increases the magnitude you’re talking about, so are our neighbors. The result is our value that you get for your tax dollar is still good. It would be great if we could get some of the spending down, it would be great is some of the tax certioraris, which are really hurting our taxpayers were to cease, but they’re happening everywhere. We’re not getting the full value of the Renaissance and the other activities.”

“Have tax increases increase disproportionately (in relation to previous decades)?” Bailey asked.

Graessle said “When I started in the City of White Plains working in the Planning Department in 1965,  we were talking home prices in the 10s of thousands of dollars, and taxes that were probably $2500 a year. Now we are talking about those houses somewhere in the $700,000 range and their taxes are now in the $10,000 range. So if you bought in 1965 and you still have that house today, you’re feeling pretty good and taxes are not your big concern.”

Asked if the “built-in” tax increases by the school district and the city was hurting the White Plains housing market, Graessle said, “Most homeowners we show around and  they’re looking at taxes. They love White Plains. I have a very expensive house in white Plains  that has taxes just over $30,000. Who are we showing it to? People from Scarsdale whose taxes are over $100,000 for a smaller house. The value  is very good in White Plains couldn’t be better. It’s still very attractive.

Should the WP owner hold or sell now?

Graessle answered that question by telling the story of a young couple who live in White Plains now. “They own a smaller home and they’re looking at a bigger home in White Plains. And that says it. They realize good value. Good time to buy if you have interest in a higher end house because those prices are coming down far more than the middle housing market.  There are more $500,000 buyers than Million Buyers.”

Graessle made his annual midyear assessment of the White Plains real estate scene on this week’s edition of White Plains Week, the city news roundup show, on “The Spirit of 76,” White Plains Public Access TV Channel 76.

You can see the program repeated this evening at 7 P.M. on Channel 76. Graessle is also Chair of the School District Capital Project Improvement Committee, and discusses his Committee’s Recommendations to the Board of Education on the $66.7 Million bond issue under consideration by the School District. (See Saturday’s story.) Graessle is interviewed by White Plains Week Hosts, John Bailey and Jim Benerofe.

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WPCNR The Power News. By John F. Bailey, August 16, 2006: Consolidated Edison representative Sandra Miller, Con Edison’s Director of Westchester Public Affairs, reacting to Mayor Joseph Delfino’s concerns about recurring power losses in the Highlands area of White Plains, promised the Mayor Con Edison will undertake a review of the power demands in that neighborhood and the existing Con Edison infrastructure ability to handle peak demands.

Mayor Joseph Delfino emerging from a Con Edison conference Tuesday afternoon, told WPCNR Ms. Miller and three unidentified Con Edision executives, (who did not wish to give their names to this reporter) agreed to the infrastructure review in the Highlands neighborhood, after a 1 hour fifteen minute meeting with the Mayor and Commissioner of Public Works Joseph Nicoletti at the Mayor’s request yesterday afternoon at City Hall. He also announced Con Edison will institute a new communications procedure with the White Plains Department of Public Works, and is working on a new customer reporting Hotline system. Photo, WPCNR News

The Mayor also announced Con Edison was reviewing its 800 number reporting system to make it more accurate and responsive to White Plains residents, and in the issue reconnecting White Plains, would give the White Plains DPW a direct contact to call in future emergency situations to coordinate DPW-Con Edision recovery efforts more efficiently.

In an exclusive interview with WPCNR after the meeting, Mayor Delfino said, “We addressed the issues of communications and practices in relation to when a storm of that nature comes upon us in the city. (The storm of July 18). You have to remember in hurricanes we can preprepare, but a storm like this you really can’t preprepare. Yes, it’s going to be heavy thunderstorm, but there are always announcements of heavy thunderstorms and we accept them as they are.  But, this burst that we had became a real problem. It hit 5 or 6 surrounding communities unlike a hurricane which sweeps by everybody, I’d say we were Number 1 or 2 (in terms of damage).”  (Editor’s Note: White Plains according to Con Edision had over 7,000 homes without power, the hardest hit community).

WPCNR asked what were the issues the Mayor discussed:

:”Who gets what service first, how is the communication, why does it break down? Those were the issues. Basically what  we were talking about. We’re going to have further meetings by the way, it was very kind of them to be responsive to us. We’re going to establish better means of communication and better practices on needs, whenever the lines go down, so that in priority order we can establish and keep our main roads open and work from there. It was very informative and they were very pleased with the meeting and so were we.”

Sandra Miller, Vice President of Public Affairs, waiting with a Con Edison executive, who did not wish to be identified before the start of Tuesday afternoon meeting with Mayor Delfino and Commissioner Nicoletti. Photo, WPCNR News

The meeting with Ms. Miller was arranged after Mayor Delfino wrote a critical letter sharply condemning  Con Ed’s supply of repair crews  to White Plains within the first 48 hours after the storm of July 18.

 Commissioner Joseph Nicoletti told WPCNR White Plains DPW crews only had two and at the most 3 Con Ed crews to turn off power so the DPW round-the-clock crews could remove fallen trees from the wires. Nicoletti, interviewed by WPCNR the week of the storm, said it was Con Edison policy that Con Ed crews would not remove trees, that White Plains DPW crews had to do that, and could only handle two areas at a time because Con Edison supplied only 2 and sometimes 3 crews. Nicoletti said he had 5 crews ready to go awaiting Con Edison’s trucks. (See previous stories) 

Consolidated Edison press officer, Joy Faber confirmed to WPCNR previously  that Consolidated Edison did remove trees from lines in the Town of Harrison in the posh section from North Street to the county airport. Harrison had all power restored by Friday evening, July 21, according to Harrison Police Chief David Hall.  Hall also said he was very pleased with Con Edison performance in his city, saying they had a large number of crews working in his town, however he did not remember how many. Harrison only had 500 homes without electricity according to Con Ed press spokespersons providing information to WPCNR.

WPCNR asked if Con Edision was going to examine some issues. The Mayor said:

“We’re going to establish one means of communications with them rather calling all over the place and ask who’s where, we’re going to find a system that’s going to work so that doesn’t happen. We learned from this, we always could do better. They were responsive  but they should have been more responsive.”

WPCNR asked about Nicoletti’s report that there were only two Con Edison crews dispatched to White Plains the first 48 hours after recovery, the Mayor said:

“Well, here was the issue. Who gets first priority. Where is it worst? Who’s communicating better? We got there probably as early as they (Con Ed) got there to man their stations. Because it happened so quickly because they didn’t expect that kind of storm. Bascially what happened was when we got our crews – by the way I told them I’m very very proud of public works – I can’t tell you the number of letters I’ve gotten here that have given them (public works) an A-Plus—our work is getting the trees cleaned up, not off the lines because we can’t take them off the lines until they (Con Ed) shuts the power down. But then how do you communicate to the public, and that’s  something I’ve got to worry about.”

WPCNR asked if Con Ed gave any reasons why they only supplied 2 (and sometimes 3) repair crews>

Delfino said:  “It’s just where priority was. They had established their own priority where to go first. Fortunately we managed 5 crews within an hour and a half, able to open our main roads.”

WPCNR pointed out that according to Con Edison’s Faber, Con Ed had cleared trees for  Harrison, the Mayor said, “That I can’t respond to. I think without question they got our message today. Once our crews are there, we expect them there.

WPCNR asked the Mayor to comment on the Con Edison Hot Line issue:

“We made that aware to them, that they have to come up with a better communications system (for customers to call). We’ve got to find a way of getting communications to our people also.”

Asked for details about changing the hotline, the Mayor said, “That’s what they’re working on. I don’t know the specifics. And Emergency response as quickly as possible is mandatory as far as we’re concerned.”

Asked about a resident who reported that a Con Edison foreman had said blackouts in the Highlands and Soundview Avenue during the 100 degree heat wave were because residents were using too much electricity, and whether or not Con Edison would confirm that, the Mayor had a mixed reaction:

“You know, John, let me tell you, I’ve got employees everyone’s got employees and sometimes they just spout out. When someone says they’ve got to leave because they have to go someplace else well that disturbs people. That’s their issue.”

The Mayor, though is not ignoring the frequent blackouts in the Highlands:

“All I can say is this: we are identifying — we know there are two locations and probably a few more that are hot spots, that go out occasionally when power is at its highest and we’re going to give Con Ed a list of them, and they’re going to give us a priority in looking at the (city’s) grids. That’s very good news.”

The Mayor identified the Midchester area (Highlands) , Bolton Avenue and Soundview Avenue as three such areas Con Edison would review as far as line capacities, but we’re going to examine them all where we’ve had experience where they’ve gone out. Some areas haven’t gone out at all.”

WPCNR asked if Con Edison would consider rewiring the problem areas?

The Mayor noted, “I did not ask them that, I just said take a look at the grid, see what the issues are.

Sandra Miller, upon leaving the meeting, whom WPCNR interviewed first, before WPCNR spoke with the Mayor, said she and the Mayor discussed communications issues, and would not elaborate and the results of the meeting. She said it was a good meeting.

 Asked why Con Ed reportedly cut down trees in Harrison, but would not cut down and remove trees in White Plains, Miller said Con Edison was “concerned about safety,” and that was their top priority. Asked about the possibilities that Con Edison wiring in the Highlands area was overloaded due to the power demand and not able to handle the load, Miller said Con Edison spends $1 billion a year in maintenance in Westchester County, but would not comment specifically, and did not know how much Con Edision spent in White Plains.

The Mayor’s Office scene of the Power Conference. The Mayor said Con Edison would be reporting back to him on the grid condition in White Plains and their new system of communication with White Plains Department of Public Works in emergencies. Photo, WPCNR News.