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Interim White Plains Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors and Assistant Superintendent for Business, Fred Sieler talk about the $199.9 Million School Budget Tonight on PEOPLE TO BE HEARD, the talk show “Where People Who Have Something to say have their say.” Tune in Cablevision Channel 76 in White Plains or Verizon FIOS Channel 45 for the revealing, hard-hitting interview.
WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. May 5, 2014:
(Editor’s Note: a WPCNR reader contributes a more up-to-date cost analysis than the EDF study provided in a WPCNR article on tonight’s No 4 and 6 fuel oil phase out air quality legislation on the consent agenda. The EDF study was a project done in 2010. Times and costs have gone up, espcially for White Plains buildings, the reader points out:)_
Dear John:
Below are some reasons the Common Council should consider delaying action on this proposed ordinance until the financial implications are studied more carefully.
1. The difference in cost between #6 oil and #2 oil is substantial.
Today, that difference is $0.496 per gallon, meaning that #2 oil is $0.496 more per gallon than #6 oil. This means a building which uses 100,000 gallons of fuel oil annually will pay $49,600.00 more per oil at today’s prices. This is in addition to the cost of converting to #2 and/or natural gas.
2. The cost of conversion analysis in the EDF study are completely unrealistic. For instance, a natural gas burner for a 100 unit building costs approximately $55,000.00, not the $10,000.00 listed in the EDF study. Similarly, relining a 6 story building chimney actually costs around $20,000.00, not the $5,000.00 in the EDF study. Equally unrealistic is the natural gas piping estimate of $10,000.00.
Con Edison will only bring the gas line to the property line and the property owner must pay the cost to extend the gas line from the property line to the boiler. This process involves street opening permits, digging trenches, laying pipe and welding. I cannot speak to the costs for securing oil tank since I don’t know what is involved and I am not familiar with the cost of condensate pumps.
3. A more accurate cost estimate is available to me. One co-op I represent is currently converting to natural gas. The project cost is $182,000.00. More than 1/3 of the cost is to extend the natural gas line. The co-op is projecting annual savings of approximately $32,000.00 from using gas instead of #2 oil, meaning the cost of conversion will be recovered in 6 years, not the 1.1 years in the EDF study.
4. For other buildings, for instance where the boiler is set back further from the street or is located in the rear of the building, the costs will be higher and the resulting cost recovery period will be longer.
5. In addition, has anyone studied whether Con Edison has the capacity to provide natural gas to all the buildings affected? Some buildings, particularly in the older neighborhoods like Eastview and North Broadway, Con Edison gas lines in the street may need to be enlarged to provide capacity for these buildings to connect.
6. Some co-ops & condos, particularly older buildings in the Eastview, North Broadway & Lake Street area, are suffering from financial hardship and may lack the resources to commence and complete the conversion within the prescribed time lines.
James W. Glatthaar,
White Plains
WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. May 5, 2014:
Tonight citizens have the opportunity to come on down to City Hall and give the Common Council their thoughts on the proposed 2014-15 city budget, currently sitting on giving the citizens another property tax increase of 2.3%. The proposed $176.1 Million budget is up 4 Million from last years $172.1 Million budget, and does not include money to pay for any settlement of the police contract, now in binding arbitration process.
Citizens may come and down and make suggestions and air out their concerns about the budget, beginning at 7:30 P.M.
City of White Plains
Department of Public Safety
Youth Citizen’s Academy
Tuesday Evenings – 7:00 PM to 9 PM
June 10th through August 5, 2014
The White Plains Department of Public Safety is pleased to announce the continuation of the Public Safety Citizen’s Academy. This special and exciting nine-week program is intended for the young residents of the City of White Plains who want to learn more about the White Plains Public Safety Department.
Interested students are encouraged to email Lieutenant Kevin Christopher at
[email protected] for further information.
Applications can be sent to Lt. Kevin Christopher, White Plains Police Department, 77 South Lexington Ave., White Plains, New York, 10601 or dropped off in person to Lt. Christopher. All correspondence with students will be “copied” via email to parents, including records check.
The Youth Citizens Police Academy is geared towards rising 9th through 12th grade students.
Applicants must be White Plains residents who are in good standing at their respective schools.
Offered FREE of charge, this hands-on, interactive, behind-the-scenes program is taught by experienced police officers and firefighters.
This Youth Citizen’s Academy will include an opportunity for a two hour ride along with experienced police officers while on patrol. After the class has been completed, a graduation ceremony is held to recognize each participant. This year’s graduation will take place on August 5th, 2014, at our City Of White Plains National Night Out Event.
The concept of the Youth Citizen’s Academy involves opening up the White Plains Public Safety Department to the youth of our city. The young citizens will see exactly what we do and how we do it. As a result, graduates are better equipped to assess safety issues, and share with others their knowledge of law enforcement practices and policies. It is our hope that graduates will find the Public Safety professions as a possible career choice and contemplate joining the ranks of the White Plains Public Safety Department.
Given our commitment to the community and proactive problem-solving, we see the Youth Citizen’s Academy as an effective way of bringing police officers, fire fighters, and our young residents together in an informal, educational forum.
The benefits of such a partnership can only help strengthen the entire community in terms of public safety and quality of life. Classes will be held every Tuesday evening from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
Topics covered in Two Hour classes will include:
Interested students are encouraged to email Lieutenant Kevin Christopher at [email protected] for further information.
Applications can be sent to Lt. Kevin Christopher, White Plains Police Department, 77 South Lexington Ave., White Plains, New York, 10601 or dropped off in person to Lt. Christopher. All correspondence with students will be “copied” via email to parents, including records check.