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 CAMPAIGN 2005. October 1, 2005: Dennis Power, speaking on Battle Hill to a galaxy of Democratic Party luminaries who included County Executive Andy Spano, Chairman of the County Board of Legislators Bill Ryan, Assemblypersons Adam Bradley and Amy Paulin, County Legislators Luis Alvarado and Loiz Bronz, and State Senator Suzi Oppenheimer, summarized his platform and policy initiatives that he would bring as Mayor of White Plains.

       Mr. Power called for holding the line on city budgets to a rise of 3% over the next three years, and holding property tax increases to 3%. He said he would roll back parking fees, end the aggressive ticket enforcement policies of the Department of Public Safety, cut city department expenses, extend life of rolling stock, and make city hall more responsive to the residents and give residents more of a role in shaping the future of the city.

Here are Mr. Power’s remarks:

 

Dennis Power Delivering His Platform Address at Battle Hill Park. Photo by Paul Schwartz, Courtesy, The Power Campaign.

 

Here we are on the spot now called Battle Hill in 1776, overlooking the white marshes of a town nestled around the Bronx River, a band of rebels, lightly equipped and waiting for the well-armed British regulars and highly trained Hessian mercenaries ready to storm the hill.

 

Well, the Power Committee purposely picked this spot to lay out the game plan for the ensuing campaign to the finish line on November 8 because of the emphasis on neighborhoods in my campaign. Like the villagers defending their homes and we with our band of small signs, are taking on the big challenge. 

 

Dennis Power deliveringhis message Friday. Photo by Paul Schwarz, Courtesy, The Power Campaign.

 

 

And ever since June 10^th, when we launched the Power of the People campaign over on Soundview and Prospect, the small individual neighborhoods have been the battlegrounds, whether they be apartment buildings or single family homes. We knew then and we know now that there is a sense of urgency to the campaign.

 

On September 30, 2005 there is a sense of urgency and quiet alarm among those who realize what is at stake. White Plains may be forever changing, and we hope, through our efforts, to get the word out on how to fight for the White Plains we know so well.

 

White Plains is emerging from a transitional period and needs leadership not for its past, but for its future as a vibrant residential community.  One of the greatest challenges – and one of the greatest opportunities – for our next Mayor will be to shape our downtown development so that it serves our community as a whole, both now and in the future. We need a fresh look at the issues. The residents need to feel that the vision and the destiny of this city is back in their hands and not in the control of outsiders. They need to feel the benefits will accrue to all the people in the city, and those benefits will come sooner than later.

 

But for the moment, let me answer an even more current question for all of us here today. Who is Dennis Power? Why will I make a better Mayor, a better leader for White Plains?

 

Dennis Power is a man who loves White Plains. And has shown so for the last 26 years. I’ve been a Councilman, a Corporate Manager, a Nonprofit Executive Director, a Community leader and Volunteer. A servant to the community in need, and I know how to gather good people about me and lead, with them. And a father of adult children who graduated from our excellent public schools who live in White Plains. Now I’ve got a grandchild waiting to start. Dennis Power is a fighter for those who want their voice heard again and for those who like the sound of Democracy in their town.  Dennis Power is also a listener.  You’ve got to be able to listen first in order to understand what the residents, the taxpayers need.

 

For the past 3-months I have been walking around this small 10-square mile city with you. And, I have heard you. This is a good place to live, to raise a family, to work, there is a lot happening, and there is a lot of development, new stores, new shops, new housing. Other towns and small cities wish they had our problems. But, there are also a lot of heads shaking who are raising real questions about where we’re going and how fast. I am hearing things like this:

 

Responsible Fiscal Management

It is not sufficient for the City to encourage development through real property tax abatements that fail to consider the long-term impacts on our School District, which does not share in sales tax revenues and depends primarily on property taxes to meet its already tight budget.    Both a fiscally sound School District and a fiscally sound City government must be essential components of planning for WP’s future.

 

All around the city residents have been asking me: If  White Plains is continuing to undergo a remarkable renaissance, can you explain why approximately $2 billion worth of construction during the past 7 years has produced a budget deficit for the past 3 years and that City’s tax base has actually decreased on top of that? I thought I was supposed to see a benefit!! No, instead I get property tax increases the last few years.

 

Folks, we’ve got some serious thinking to do about our financial picture. And, that’s why, as Mayor, I will

–          Institute a three-year budget plan to improve the long term fiscal health of the City.

–          Introduce legislation to cap the City Budget, restricting spending increases to 3% annually over the next three years and restricting  property-tax increases to 3% over the same period.

–          Extend the running life of rolling stock in all City departments.

–          Reduce the City’s share of capital improvements in projects involving private developer financing. Heh, let them build their own sidewalks! They got a garage and you got increased parking fees! And, by the way, you don’t mind if they keep the parking revenues for the next 13-years to pay off their debt? As a taxpayer, you also get the bonus of financing the maintenance of the garage! Is something wrong with that picture?

 

As Mayor I will also defer any major new capital improvements, like City Hall, until the City’s financial health and balance has been restored. I will also relax the City’s unfriendly and aggressive enforcement of parking and traffic regulations which serves to drive residents and surrounding population to out-of-city shopping centers. Time and time again residents told me how they avoid driving downtown and do their shopping or restaurant hopping in another Westchester town or CT. You get smacked with a $15 parking ticket for a short overtime and it sticks in your memory!

 

Affordable and Workforce Housing

Affordable housing requires action, not lip service, to assure that we meet the housing needs of  the full range of WP households and remain a model for how American cities can flourish as home  to a diverse range of families from every ethnic and economic group.  WP has a proud history of welcoming newcomers to our community from every part of our nation and every part of the world, and we must continue to find innovative ways, as we have in the past, to provide a range of housing types and supportive services to accommodate both new and existing residents. That’s why as Mayor I will

–          Establish an Affordable Housing Task Force comprised of community and faith-based organizations, residents and local businesses to analyze, study and target best practices for generating low cost, moderate income and workforce housing units.

–          Revise the current set-aside requirement of all new development of 50 or more units from 6% to 15%.

–          Expand the Central Business District set-aside requirements to all areas of the City.

–          Partner with county, state and federal governments to create affordable and senior housing.

–          Lobby the federal govt. to restore cutbacks in Section 8 subsidy payments for those who desperately need that help.

 

Traffic, Parking, Pedestrian Safety and Security

Wow, have I heard about gridlock traffic and the terrible tales of those greedy parking meters that stalk fear in people’s minds. When I hear people saying that they now have to leave an hour earlier to drive across town – a 6-minute drive- to avoid being stuck for an hour, I think I’m in L.A.

 

A great city is a walkable city, and we must reverse the current trend of affording first priority to vehicles, rather than to pedestrians.  This means providing clearly marked pedestrian crossings and plazas and making sure that everyone, including seniors and people in wheelchairs can beat the cars!

That’s why as Mayor I will 

–          Commission an independent study to evaluate traffic flow throughout the City to analyze current and future pedestrian and vehicular needs.

–          Deploy additional  traffic safety personnel to manage peak use and congestion downtown.

–          Mandate that developers provide sufficient off-street parking for all new buildings.

–          Explore options for providing residents with preferred parking meter status.

–          Review current operating procedures for parking fees, fines, and hours of operation, including  enforcement measures.

–          Review the practice of allowing valet parking on downtown City streets.

–          Step up enforcement for drivers who are a threat to pedestrians.

–          Enforce laws requiring wheelchair accessibility for all public facilities. And, most importantly, I will

–          Institute a comprehensive and coordinated review of security procedures in municipal garages, utilizing the most effective strategies for deployment of police and security personnel, supported by the best available surveillance equipment, to deal with any possible crime.

           

Open Space and Environmental Quality

Open space and the quality of our city’s environment are  critical to the long-term success of our community, both for the residents who make up our diverse  neighborhoods and those who work, shop and visit here.  This means continuing to protect and care for our remaining open space in our residential neighborhoods and developing well-designed user-friendly open spaces in our downtown. 

As Mayor I will

–          Continue to protect and acquire open space and park land for community use.

–          Continue the work on the Greenway, extending the trail from Gedney to Bryant.

–          Develop well-designed user-friendly open spaces in our downtown and densely populated areas.

–          Hire an additional Code Enforcement Officer to monitor construction and other hazardous activities to control sources of air, water and noise pollution.

–          Establish and fund a local alternative energy production network to reduce energy costs and improve air quality.

–          Install air quality monitors in the Central Business District, enabling a proactive response on the City’s part  to meet federal air quality standards required in non-attainment areas.

–          Propose legislation to require Green Building Standards and promote the use of low-sulfur fuels on development projects.

 

Open and Responsive Government

I hear so many complaints from residents who tell me about unanswered phone calls, lack of concern for their problems, neighborhood associations that cry out for help and get no response. As Mayor I will

–          Initiate Mayoral meetings with neighborhood associations involving Commissioners and appropriate City personnel.

–          Conduct two regularly scheduled, televised Common Council meetings per year in rotating neighborhood locations – “bringing City Hall to the neighborhoods.”

–          Alert the  public, with appropriate notification, to all Common Council Work Sessions, conducting these meetings in Council chambers and allowing for public participation. 

–          Televise all “Citizens to be Heard” sessions conducted prior to monthly Common Council meetings.

–          Establish a “311” type customer service system directly linking residents to appropriate City departments for assistance.

–          Reinstitute joint meetings of the Common Council and the School Board.

–          Reinstitute meetings between the Mayor’s Office and  County Legislators representing White Plains.

 

Before concluding I want to highlight a few other points from my platform that merit special mention. As Mayor I will

–          Review organization, function, vacancies for all boards/commissions. Ensure that membership on such bodies affirms policies of inclusion and representation, reflecting cultural diversity of White Plains.

–          Promote diversity at senior management levels to benefit from leadership from all communities.

–          Maximize the outreach to all qualified individuals throughout White Plains in offering opportunities for employment and advancement in City positions.

–          Provide counseling and incentives to support and stabilize the growth of locally-owned small businesses, bringing economic vitality to all sectors of the White Plains business community.

 

 

Folks, we are at a critical juncture in our White Plains history and that if we don’t stop and listen carefully and objectively study what has happened at breakneck speed over the last several years, then we may forever lose what we love most about White Plains—that it is a modern-day city with an incalculable amount of resources and attractiveness and a small town feeling. A vision I share with so many of you is that of a White Plains, continuing to move forward as a thriving regional business center, that puts the needs of its residents first and values the rich cultural diversity, excellent education system, precious open spaces, and its prominent place in American history that has made this city so unique.

 

White Plains residents can have what’s great about this city, but they can also have more: They can put place a City Administration that’s more open, more forward thinking and more responsive to its people.

 

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WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. Commentary with the Super Developer by John F. Bailey. September 29, 2005:  Louis Cappelli, the Super Developer, partner with Donald Trump in the Trump Tower at City Center, said today that the apartments in Trump Tower have appreciated in price from $500 a square foot to $700 a square foot, explaining the appearance of  “approximately 30 units” on the real estate market the last week, as speculators attempting to make money on their investment.  

 

 

Louis Cappelli, left, and Donald Trump at the Official Opening of Trump Tower at City Center last week. Photo by WPCNR News

 

“Of the 241 Units (between Trump Tower and The Lofts at City Center,” Cappelli told WPCNR by phone today, “Approximately 30 units were bought by investors and speculators . One individual purchased eight units. He’s going to live in one and sell the others. It’s part of the game of speculation. About 15% of the apartments were bought on speculation and in a building this size, I’m O.K. with that.”

 

Cappelli pointed out that of the 34 condominiums now being offered privately at Trump Tower that the speculators would not able to sell or “flip”  the apartments until after they closed with him on them.

 

“The units in Trump Tower,” Cappelli said, “have appreciated substantially from their opening prices. The speculators have serious upside here.”

 

Cappelli said he was not dismayed at the surge in Trump Tower apartments placed on the market. “It’s no big deal. The units have gone from $500 a square foot to $700 a square foot.”

 

 

Plans to Prohibit “Flip Advertising” at 221. Limit Units You Can Buy.

 

In response to this speculative fever, Cappelli said he is going to change the policy of how condominium units in his new dual tower hotel and condominium complex at 221 Main Street would be sold. He said he would  limit the number of condominiums any one investor could purchase in his new Hotel and Condominium complex to two,  and if they wanted to buy more than two, they would have to put down a 20% down payment.

 

Mr. Cappelli also announced that purchasers of units in the new hotel-condoplex would not be allowed to advertise their apartments for resale until after they closed.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. September 13 & 28, 2005: The City School District Director of  Research, Testing and Evaluation, Larry Kilian, giving a report September 12 to the Board of Education on how White Plains is using its Federal No Child Left Behind money, announced New York State will be administering new English Language Arts  and Math State Achievement Tests to elementary and middle school grades previously not tested by the state in January and March. He also noted that approximately 30% of White Plains students are receiving some form of Academic Intervention Services in the last year for which figures were available.

 

Larry Kilian, Director of Research, Testing, and Evaluation for White Plains City School District, addressing the Board of Education, September 12. Photo by WPCNR News.

Kilian reported the District will be spending a total of $12,675,853 to uplift academically challenged students not achieving state academic standards (Levels 3 and 4 on state achievement tests) in school year 2005-2006. $1.6 Million of these funds come from the federal government. The balance of $11.1 Million is paid for directly by White Plains taxpayers.

 

29% Received Academic Intervention Services in 2003-04.

 

WPCNR  in the last week asked Kilian how many students were receiving Academic Intervention Services. Kilian reported Monday,  that in the most recent academic year in which  figures on the number of students receiving Academic Intervention Services were available, 2003-2004, 1,930 students (29%)  out of 6, 618 students in the City School District, were receiving some form of Academic Intervention Services.  Kilian said that disabled students are included in that figure, but did not have a percentage of how many made up the total, or what the overall figure was for this year.

 

In 2003-2004, the last year where figures are available,  of the 1,930 White Plains students receiving intervention services, 1,442 were in Grades K through 8, and 488 were enrolled in grades 9 through 12.  The projected enrollment for the 2005-2006 year in the White Plains Schools is 6, 935 students.

 

He told WPCNR the figures for 2004-2005 had not been determined yet, and was in process.

 

ELA – Math Tests to test new grades in Jan/March

 

Kilian reminded the District that the State Board of Regents is preparing ELA and Math tests to measure the year-to-year progress of elementary schoolers in 3^rd, 5^th, 6^th and 7^th grades.  Up until this year, elementary school students were tested for Math and English achievement only in 4^th Grade, and Middle School Students were tested for Math and English in 8^th Grade, with results posted statewide by district, to provide the School District Report Cards measuring how good a job each district statewide is doing.

 

The district has not seen the tests for these grades yet,  Kilian added. The new Math and ELA tests were being developed for those four new grades by CTB/McGraw-Hill, conceivers of the Math and ELA 4^th and 8^th grade tests. According to Kilian the new ELA tests would be administered in January to the five grades, 3,4,5,6,7,8, and the Math tests in March. Previously they had been administered later in the year, now Killian said the state is moving them up.

 

Though  the tests have not yet been created, sample test questions for the new grades to be tested could be found on the New York State Education Department website.

 

Using Federal Monies on Academic Intervention Services in White Plains

 

Kilian’s written report presented at the Board of Education detailed how the City School District is spending the $1,575,853 the district is receiving for the 2004-2005 School Year under the terms of the No Child Left Behind Act. Kilian told me that not all of the monies are spent exclusively on teaching students who receive Academic Intervention Services, that some is spent on teaching clinics and other services dedicated to improving overall instruction and curriculum.

 

Title I Funds totaling $1,050,419 are being used to hire 7 full-time teachers to provide direct instructional support to students identified as needed Academic Intervention Services. The funds also support extended day and summer programs and Project Early Read. $10,000 is reserved for services to homeless children. $60,000 is devoted to professional development through university programs and consultants.

 

Title IIA funds coming to $273,292 have hired 4 additional teachers to reduce class size in early grades.

 

Title IID funds of $19,047 are being used to purchase technology to support staff development efforts in technology.

 

Title III funds totaling $180,959 will be spent to deliver instruction for Limited English Proficient students, allowing  assignment of a teacher parttime in the Newcomer Center plus after-school tutoring, bilingual testing, parent involvement programs, summer school, summer screening , Regrents prep courses, and additional use of a Bilingual Social Worker and teaching assistants and professional development. A portion is also used to support the PACE Centro Hispano Outreach Program where college students tutor Limited English Proficient Students at the high school during the school day.

 

Title IV Funds in the amount of  $43,161 support programs to promote safe schools and prevent drug and alcohol abuse. Title V monies totaling $8,975 support the Arts-In-General-Education programs, allowing professional artists to work with classroom teachers to enrich instruction.

 

Killian’s report said the District uses local funding of an additional $3.4 Million in direct teaching support in literacy; $3.1 Million more for instructional support for Limited English Proficient Students; $900,000 for the Summer School program, and $3.7 Million more dollars for “implementation of our instructional technology plan this year.”

 

The local funds, his report said, “support the backbone of our professional development efforts – 7 instructional specialists who provide direct assistance to the classroom teachers.” No figure was given for the expense of those 7 instructional specialists.

 

In his preamble paragraph, Killian wrote:

 

 “The White Plains City School  District will use the funds allocated under the No Child Left Behind Act to provide direct instructional support to students who are not yet achieving State academic standards, and high quality professional development to their teachers and administrators. Our efforts are guided by the (federal) required needs assessment process that involves reviewing the achievement data for racial/ethnic groups, economically disadvantaged, disabled and limited English Proficient students. Instructional strategies and programs are selected considering scientifically-based research. Our elementary and middle schools prepare school-wide plans to coordinate all activities (regardless of funding source) to improve achievement.

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. By John F. Bailey. September 27, 2005: A visitor from Ossining to the city lost control of her vehicle heading eastbound on Main Street, and swerved across the triangle island at the junction of Mamaroneck Avenue and Main Street at 1: 15 Monday. Her car struck two teenage pedestrians, student aids whose names were not released by police because they were under the age of eighteen.

Walk Carefully: Scene of SUV-pedestrians accident Monday afternoon, about 2 P.M. Light pole and pedestrian signal had been toppled, and two pedestrian standing in the middle of the triangle at Mamaroneck and Main were hit by a car which police said had swerved across the triangle. Photo by WPCNR News.

 

 

One injured student was taken to White Plains Hospital Center, the other to Westchester County Medical Center for treatment of injuries that Chief of Police James Bradley described as not life threatening.

 

Chief Bradley said the vehicle knocked down the pedestrian crossing light, a street light, and a monument in the middle of the triangular island. He said the driver of the car and her passenger were being interviewed by police this afternoon to determine what caused the loss of control. He said there does not appear to be anything criminal involved.

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WPCNR POLL. September 25, 2005: In view of the Democratic Party in White Plains token opposition to Mayor Joseph Delfino in the current Mayoral race, as well as the perpetual almost assured reelection of Democrat incumbent councilpersons, who have shown tendencies to endorse strong Mayor policy initiatives rather than take responsibility for setting policy limits, the question comes to mind as to whether the City of White Plains should amend its charter to set a limit on the number of terms Mayors and councilpersons should serve. What does Mr. & Mrs. and Ms. White Plains think? Register your opinions and thoughts in the poll at the right.