THE WORLD READS WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER — 8,324,077 VISITS IN ONE YEAR | 2,905,611 VISITORS VISIT 8,324,077 TIMES 3 TIMES EVERY DAY IN ONE YEAR. HIGHEST ACTIVITY IN WPCNR HISTORY.White PlainsCitizeNetReporter lifted its worldwide visits from unique visitors to wpcnr.com to 8,324,077,a 1,306,419 increase in visits in one year from 7,017,658 visits to the site last year which covers White Plains and Westchester County. The 8,324,077 visits were made by 2,005,611 unique visitors who visited wpcnr an average of 3 visits a day. ON JULY 20- -2026 visitors have accessed wpcnr and made 3,072 visits an average of 1.6 visits. In the last week 33,495 individual vistors made 54,458 visits, averaging 1.6 visits. In the last month, 152,940 visitors recorded 229,338 visits (1.5 visits)

County Passes Budget. Crosses fingers on Fund balance. Bets on a 5% Increase in Sales Tax Revenues in 2016. No County PropertyTax Increase for 6th Straight Year

Posted on December 14, 2015 by John Bailey

Westchester County Legislature passing 2016 $1.8 Billion budget. It does not increase county property taxes, but does not cut spending either, and restores proposed cuts by County Executive Robert P. Astorino. Photo, Westchester County Board of Legislators

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Board of Legislators. (Edited by WPCNR,edits in italics). December 14, 2015:

On Monday evening, the bipartisan coalition that controls the Westchester County Board of Legislators (BOL) passed a budget for 2016 that does not raise taxes and restores cuts to non-profits, parks and public safety. This is the sixth consecutive year with no tax increase to the County tax levy.

Your editor notes the new budget anticipates approximately a $25 Million increase in the sales tax revenue in 2016. This is about $22 Million less than the county will make this year $500 million, should it match last year’s Nov-Dec. sales tax revenue figures ($128 million) As of the end of October The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance reports the county has received $371,570,608. The Budget is only balanced if the sales taxes revenue in 2016 increases 5%

Board of Legislators Chairman Michael Kaplowitz (D) Somers, praised the bipartisan coalition for their hard work and cooperation while offering the warning that the budget offered no margin for error. “My colleagues and I have worked very hard to produce a sound budget that protects those who rely on county services while delivering no tax increase for the sixth consecutive year. The budget we passed was a vast improvement over the budget that the County Executive proposed however there are some elements of the budget that will require close supervision throughout the year.

“We saw diminished sales tax revenue this year because of plummeting fuels costs which will leave us short of what we anticipated. As a result we will likely have to use dollars from our fund balance to make up that shortfall. I am afraid that we may find ourselves in a similar position next year.” Kaplowitz added, “A continued draw down of our reserve fund will lead to the loss of Westchester’s AAA bond rating. My colleagues and I are going to be watching revenues and spending very closely throughout this fiscal year.”

Minority Leader, Legislator John Testa (R) Peekskill, said that a tax increase should be the last option in developing a budget. “My colleagues and I approached these negotiations with the attitude that collaboration and compromise were needed to make this the best budget possible. We added back as many of the jobs and service programs that we could but our colleagues in the Democratic Caucus ultimately voted against the budget which restored funding for the social safety net but did not offer any realistic alternatives.” Testa said. “While collaborating on the budget with County Executive Rob Astorino he assured us that he can manage Westchester County on the budget that we passed today and I believe him. Westchester families can be sure that we remain committed to holding the line on taxes while maintaining the quality of life we all enjoy in Westchester County.”

Legislator Sheila Marcotte (R) Tuckahoe, Eastchester, New Rochelle, is Chair of the BOL’s Budget and Appropriations Committee. “I’d like to thank the many Commissioners and Department heads throughout Westchester County who participated in the Budget Committee review process. Between committee meetings and public hearings we spent many hours and days listening to hundreds of people about county operations and the needs of our non-profit partners. I am happy that to a large extent we were able to restore many programs and positions. I am most happy that for the sixth straight year, we stood with taxpayers with a no tax increase budget. An accomplishment that is, frankly, unheard of in these economic times.”

Battle Hill Association Protests construction noise, violations in its neighborhood to Common Council

Posted on December 14, 2015 by John Bailey

WPCNR BATTLE HILL BULLETIN. From the Battle Hill Association. December 13, 2015:

Patty Cantu, as Co-President of the Battle Hill Association delivered this presentation during Citizens to Be Heard (the traditionally non-televised segment of monthly Common Council meeting) last Monday, highlighting the neighborhood concern that construction rules and regulations are not being enforced and coordinated by the city Building Department and the Department of Public Safety, and calling for elimination or at least, curtailment of construction on Sundays. Here is what she said.

Good Evening Mr. Mayor and Common Council members:

First, we are here tonight to thank you, Mr. Mayor, for your quick response and assistance this weekend with a Building Department issue (builders adding an illegal 3rd floor and ignoring a stop-work order).

Next, the Battle Hill Association has identified several issues and is providing possible solutions to benefit all residents and neighborhoods in the City of White Plains.

Construction Noise: A Quality-of-Life Issue:Currently, City of WP ordinances allow for construction and tree work to be performed in residential neighborhoods seven days a week. On Sunday, contractors can start at 9am and work until 7pm. The resulting noise has seriously affected our quality of life and quiet time in our homes on weekends. Noise from construction and tree work include large trucks, sawing, hammering, drilling, removal of debris, chainsaws, trees coming down, tree chippers, workers’ yelling, etc.

We are requesting that our council revisit this ordinance to NO LONGER ALLOW CONSTRUCTION ON SUNDAYS.

The City currently has in place an ordinance to limit the use of leaf blowers to control noise in residential neighborhoods. There is also a decibel limit for noise radiating from establishments on Mamaroneck Ave. that may affect residents in surrounding streets.

Neighborhoods that are dense in terms of property size, as in Battle Hill, are more likely to experience noise as an issue. Just as the City limits leaf blower use by property size – ie., no more than one blower per 5000 sq. ft. property size – construction activity could also be limited in the same manner.

Possible solutions:

First: Eliminate the current ordinance entirely that allows construction on Sundays from 9am to 7pm in residential neighborhoods.

Second: An amendment to the ordinance that, if construction must be performed on Sundays, the contractor must file an application and pay a fee, and permission for the activity must be granted by the Building Commissioner, with time and date to be regulated, such as 11am to 5pm. This process will allow the City of WP to notify neighbors in advance of construction projects just as is the case with a variance.

Several related issues:

First: We understand that there are no communications or status updates sent from the Building Department to Public Safety on sites that have Stop-Work orders and yet are working illegally and especially on weekends when the Building Department is closed.

Next: The public, including neighborhood leadership, has no contact information for the Building Department on weekends. So if a problem occurs on a weekend, there is no immediate recourse for residents.

For example, this past weekend, there was an issue in Battle Hill involving illegal construction at a home with a Stop-Work order that was issued. On Sunday, December 6, the contractor or workers removed the Stop-Work order notice from the premises and began working illegally at 9am. The police were notified but, unfortunately, our Public Safety Dept had received no communication from the Building Department regarding Stop-Work orders in our neighborhood. The Public Safety Community Coordinator, Lt. Spencer, has said this was a Building Department issue and he could not act.

The Battle Hill Association and I personally wish to thank you (Mayor) for caring and acting immediately to shut down this illegal activity and serious quality-of-life concern.

In summary, there is a need to revisit and update several of our Building Department ordinances and practices and enhance interdepartmental communications necessary for improving the quiet time and overall quality-of-life issues that affect our neighborhoods every day.

We look forward to these revisions and changes in the upcoming year. BHA is willing to assist in any way to improve the quality of life in the neighborhoods.

Again, thank you, Mr. Mayor, for your quick response and action this weekend.

Patty Craft-Cantu and the Battle Hill Association