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)

City Executive Officer: Libe Exec Director Mislead Her Board, he says.

Posted on January 9, 2009 by John Bailey

WPCNR THE READING NEWS. By John F. Bailey. January 9, 2009: Paul Wood, White Plains City Executive Officer, today accused White Plains Public Library Executive Director, Sandy Miranda of misrepresentation to her Board of Directors and Library Board President, Julie Trelstad, in describing to the Board the labor situation with full-time workers, after it had been explained to Miranda by the Mayor and City Corporation Counsel, Edward Dunphy, that extending union full-time worker hours was allowed by the library contract.

WPCNR has also learned that while library supporters are resisting cutting $400,000 in expenditures, and is engaged in midst of protests over closing the library on Sundays and other cutbacks, the library is still on schedule for renovating the men’s and women’s restrooms on the first floor for an expenditure of $225,000, more than half the library savings requested by the Mayor.

Miranda had felt the labor contract prevented her from extend hours for full-time employees, resulting from closing the libary on Fridays. In the recent chain of events in which the library, at Ms. Miranda’s suggestion opted to close the library on Sundays to achieve $60,000 of the $400,000 in savings requested from the library budget, the President of the Library Board of Directors was reported to have said, “Given what we’ve heard about what we can and can’t do with labor, I think Sunday would be our only choice.”

News reports gave the impression Mayor Joseph Delfino told the library to close Sundays because there would have to be new hours negotiated with the unions. Wood says that is not the case and that Miranda mislead the Library Board. This week, as reported by WPCNR, the Board of Directors is going to visit the whole issue of what to do at a public meeting January 14 at 7:30 PM.

$225,000 for Restrooms

WPCNR has also learned in followup on a legal notice published in the Friday Journal News, that the library, with Ms. Miranda’s approval, is to receive $225,000 from the city Capital Projects budget to refurbish the mens and womens restrooms on the library first floor, according to Department of Public Works Commissioner Joseph Nicoletti.

Mr. Wood was asked why this project could not be suspended and used to contribute to the library share of cost cutting. He said that was up to the Common Council to rescind that expenditure and recommit the funds to the library. Asked why the Mayor simply could not do this, Wood said that was up to the capital projects board which the Mayor had no control over. Wood said Miranda had approved of this expenditure.

No $4 Million Deficit as Alleged.

Wood released to WPCNR his answer to a letter circulated by e-mail from a person in support of the library which said the city was facing a $4 Million deficit in the current fiscal year. Wood confirmed that the Mayor has never quantified any alleged shortfall in current revenues in any public statements. He said the cost-cutting measures were precautionary, and not to make up any known shortfall as alleged in the private letter.

The letter circulated by the White Plains resident gives a version of the library events to a wide audience.

Wood’s letter furnished to WPCNR outlines how the Sunday closing came about and how Ms. Miranda was told by the Mayor that there was no need to negotiate new hours with full-time employees to close the Library on Fridays as the White Plains Library Board of Directors had originally voted to do last month. Here is Mr. Wood’s written statement to the letter writer:

Hi Lauren,(Candela-Katz)

I received a copy of your email which contains several inaccuracies and only serves to further confuse and mislead people about what is taking place. It’s extremely disappointing that this issue continues to be completely distorted.

Number one, the Library Board did NOT make the decision to close on Sundays, its executive director, Sandra Miranda made the decision.

Two, it’s completely UNTRUE that any renegotiation with the unions would have to occur. Sandy was informed of this by myself and corporation counsel Ed Dunphy AFTER the Board voted to close on FRIDAYS and Sandy wanted to switch to Sundays.

Three, what else in the City is being reduced, you ask. EVERY DEPARTMENT is looking to cut their budgets by 7 to 10%. This is an ongoing process and the pain is well shared. The information has been printed in the Journal News and the New York Times. What else do you want the administration to do??

Four, the City did NOT spend $65,000 for the ball drop on New Year’s Eve. It spent $12,000. The rest of the money came from MERCHANT DONATIONS.

Five, we looked at reducing take home cars, savings were negligible, and would have, in most cases required a RENEGOTIATION with unions who currently don’t have contracts with the City so it is doubtful this would have been successful.

These are unprecedented economic times. What you and your email string of readers (which I’m sure will never receive this corrected information) should be doing is lobbying the Democratic council and assembly members to get the extra quarter percent sales tax that the Mayor has been advocating for two years now.

It would have provided an additional $5.6 million dollars this year alone and may have made these unpleasant cuts less necessary, or at the very least, less painful.

Regards,
Paul Wood
Executive Officer
City of White Plains

The Governor’s State of the State Message

Posted on January 8, 2009 by John Bailey

WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the Governor’s Press Office. January 8, 2009: Herewith, Governor David Patterson’s State of the State Message delivered yesterday in Albany:

My Fellow New Yorkers,

For several months now, I have regularly shared with you the steps that my administration has taken to responsibly address New York’s fiscal crisis. Today, I delivered my State of the State address, giving a frank assessment of New York’s challenges, and proposing a wide-ranging series of initiatives to put our state back on the right track.

This is no time for fear. This is a time for courage. This is a time for hope. Most of all, this is a time for action.

This is a time for those of us who serve to live up to the example that New York families have set for us– to recognize that we must make painful choices about what we can and cannot afford; we must sacrifice what we want today so that we can pay for what we need tomorrow.

I am constantly inspired when I witness New Yorker’s commitment to their state, their families, and to their shared sense of responsibility and sacrifice; that commitment underlies many of the initiatives that I laid out in my speech today.

New York’s commitment to leadership demands that we meet our constitutional obligation and balance our state budget, even if that means making difficult choices. We must also stand up and encourage additional action from our leaders in Washington DC. President-Elect Obama and the Congress must act quickly to stimulate the national economy.

Today, I restated my call that Congress pass a comprehensive stimulus package for the States and to pass it by the end of January. I further call upon our federal partners to quickly reform our financial regulation system. But let me be clear – if the federal government does not act, I shall. We need sensible regulation to oversee our financial industry so that the savings and retirement funds of New Yorkers will not be at risk.

New York’s commitment to the environment demands that we be at the forefront of one of the most ambitious clean energy goals in America. By 2015, New York will meet 45 percent of its electricity needs through improved energy efficiency and clean renewable energy. Our new “45 by 15” program will help rebuild our economy by creating an estimated 50,000 new jobs, meet our energy needs, while protecting our environment. Improving energy efficiency at schools, hospitals, and local governments will allow us to cut costs and hopefully cut taxes in the future.

New York’s commitment to innovation demands that we once again invest in roads and bridges, in higher education institutions, in statewide broadband installation and the computerization of medical records, and in clean water and wastewater systems. We should complete signature projects all across our State including the Peace Bridge, the Tappan Zee Bridge, the Second Avenue Subway, and the East Side Access. And we should implement the Ravitch Commission recommendations to improve an essential piece of our infrastructure, the MTA.

New York’s commitment to our families demands that we make it easier for families to take care of one another. That is why I proposed a bill allowing families to cover family members up to the age of 29 in their family coverage plans at their own cost. It is unacceptable that one in three New Yorkers from the ages of 19 to 29 are still uninsured. We must also aggressively address the greatest threat to our children’s health today, the obesity epidemic. First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson and I unveiled a comprehensive strategy to address this challenge, including banning trans fats in restaurants, requiring calorie posting in chain restaurants, banning junk food sales in schools, and placing a surcharge on sugared beverages like soda.

New York’s commitment to our communities demands that, even in these difficult times, we must make sure we respect one another, serve one another and protect one another. Nearly 3 million adults volunteered 397 million hours of community service last year, contributing an estimated $7 billion to our economy through their service. In these difficult times community service is more important than ever. We must fund an increase in the number and capacity of Regional Volunteer Centers throughout the state. I also encourage all New Yorkers to visit www.newyorkersvolunteer.org to learn what they can do to serve their neighbors in need.

Today, New York State is faced with difficult decisions. We are suffering statewide and national recessions that may continue for months or even years. We face a series of savage fiscal choices and are confronted with the worst budget deficit in the history of our state.

But we should not confuse this crisis with our long term reality, because our future is bright. Our workforce remains strong, and our vibrant university system will continue to produce high quality graduates for decades to come. We remain a center of innovation – from the stem cell research at Cornell University to the clean-tech cluster upstate to the information and nanotechnology clusters around the state. Though shaken, New York City remains a global financial capital that will eventually bounce back.

The essence of New York is that we refuse to fear the future. We understand that shared sacrifice today is the price for growth tomorrow, and that by balancing our budget and making key investments, we can prepare our state for the time when this crisis is over.

I have delivered my executive budget, and laid out my agenda for the year ahead. Now it is the time for me to listen to my colleagues and the people of New York. I encourage you to watch my State of the State Address to learn more, and to share your thoughts with me.

It is time to come together and to take back the future of New York. I ask you to join me.

Governor David A. Paterson

Library Board Back to Drawing Board. Seeks to Save Sundays, Part-Timers

Posted on January 7, 2009 by John Bailey

WPCNR THE READING NEWS. By John F. Bailey. January 7, 2009: City Hall announced today that the White Plains Library is temporarily withdrawing its plan to close Sundays, and will look at other methods of achieving a Mayor-mandated $60,000 in budget savings (10%) from the library between now and the end of the fiscal year June 30.

Melissa Lopez of the Mayor’s Office told WPCNR today:

“Paul and I spoke to Julie Trelstad from the Library Board and she informed us that the board will be meeting on January 14th to take another look at ways to cut the budget with the less impact on everyone’s lives (employees and the public) in light of the fact that Sandra Miranda made the decision to close on Sundays. The current cuts in hours and staff may or may not occur after this meeting. We will have to wait to see what decision the board makes on the 14th. “

Whatever methods the Library does choose to trim their budget, Lopez said would at this time remain in effect for the new fiscal year 2009-2010.

Previously the Library had planned, based on a decision by Library Director, Sandra Miranda, to close Sundays which would result in the firing of 11 part-time employees.

Earlier this week, Ms. Lopez had told WPCNR that these were full-time employees required by union contract to work 5 Sundays a year, and would not lose their jobs. Ms. Lopez today retracted this statement, acknowledging that the “Library 11” were part-time employees, and if the Library Board were to remain with the Miranda decision to close Sundays, the “Library 11” most likely would lose their jobs.

Not being full-time employees they could not be given “compensatory time” to make up for the lost hours.

Library Director Sandra Miranda told Ms. Lopez that under the plan to close Sundays, eleven Part-Time workers who staffed Sundays, who would have been terminated are currently paid as follows:

4 librarians from $22.50/hr, from 4-10 hrs/wk each

1 early childhood specialist $25/hr, 17.5 hrs/wk

4 clerks $10.75/hr, from 4-10 hrs/wk each

2 shelvers $8.75/hr, from 7-14 hrs/wk each

Ms. Lopez issued a statement from Ms. Miranda, to WPCNR detailing the other savings Ms. Miranda said would be achieved by closing on Sundays: “closing Sundays now gives 4 hours additional of savings on utilities during each weekend, estimated at $18,000 through June 30.”

Sunday Openings Cost Library $54,000 ($3,167 a Sunday)

WPCNR asked Ms. Lopez earlier this week, what was the cost to the library of keeping the Library open from 1 to 5 P.M. Sundays. Ms. Lopez received this statement from Ms. Miranda which Ms. Lopez shared with WPCNR:

Costs of Sundays openings (17) through end of fiscal year (June 30, 2009):
Part-time $21,450
Utilities $18,000
Security $10,000
Other $ 5,000 est
Total $54,450

Ms. Lopez said that Ms. Trelstad and her assistant had a good meeting with Paul Wood the Executive Officer at which Ms. Trelstad said the board was going to take into account actual hours of usage across the library’s 7 days of service to see where the $60,000 might be achieved.

In planning for 2009-2010, the citizen should know, as previously reported, the library is not open Sundays from June 1 through August 31, and that there are 17 Sundays from September 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009, and 22 Sundays from January 1, 2010 through June 30, 2010. This makes a grand total of 38 Sundays in 2009-10 at a cost of $120,046 (plus inflation).

The Miranda Decision

Ms. Lopez told WPCNR today that, although the Library Board had originally voted to close Fridays in mid-December(the least trafficked library day of the week), Ms. Miranda believed she could not extend full-time employees hours to 10 hours a day to give them their 40 hour weeks if she closed the library Fridays.

Miranda then moved to close the library Sundays, which her board objects to, according to other news reports. Lopez said that in a meeting between Ms. Miranda, Mr. Wood, City Executive Officer, and Mayor Joseph Delfino and Edward Dunphy, City Corporation Counsel, Mr. Dunphy explained that by the 1993 contract, that the library was indeed able to institute a 10-hour day for full-time employees, enabling closing on Fridays without causing union problems.

At which time, Ms. Lopez said the Mayor told Ms. Miranda it was up to her which day she wanted to close. Lopez stressed to WPCNR the decision to close Sunday was Ms. Miranda’s.

Are Some Part-timers are More Important Than Others?

WPCNR has asked Ms. Lopez why saving the jobs of 11 part-time library employees was more important, than preserving the jobs of the 11 part-time employees fired from the Department of Public Works and the Department of Recreation and Parks as part of the same budget-cutting process.

(In the DPW, persons who are assigned to getting Little League fields ready in the spring will not be hired at the usual time. In the Department of Recreation and Parks at the ice rink those who supervised Friday night public skate nights, were let go, and one long-time employee was given a $4,000 pay cut.)

No pay cuts.

To our knowledge no mention has been made of library executives taking pay cuts in the Library budget crunch.

For that matter no city commissioners have been assessed pay cuts in the anticipated budget crunch and will not be, according to previous statements by Paul Wood, City Executive Officer.

Ms. Lopez said the Department of Public Works and Department of Recreation and Parks stuck with their original decisions on part-time employee firings. The Department of Public Works works directly for the mayor, as does Recreation and Parks, but their employees do not have a “Board” to intervene, except for the Recreation Committee which has not taken a position on the part-time exiles.

Ms. Lopez was asked to provide the names of the library’s part-time employees up for possible termination if the Sunday closing held up. WPCNR has asked for four weeks for a list of all the actual terminations, but city hall has yet to provide the names of the part-timers.

How do you get a Part-time Job with the City?

WPCNR also asked Ms. Lopez how part-time employees get their part-time jobs, and how do they learn about them. I asked whether the city personnel department advertises the openings publicly, on the city website, in the Journal News (the official city newspaper, just approved Monday night for another year), in churches, in city department bulletin boards, in institutions (Ys, community centers) so the general public is aware of the availabilities. Ms. Lopez said she would get the answers.

Currently, as previously reported, the library is not open Sundays from June 1 through August 31, and there are 17 Sundays from September 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009, and 22 Sundays from January 1, 2010 through June 30, 2010.

County Approves $9.7 Million Plan to Modernize Memorial Field in Mount Vernon

Posted on January 7, 2009 by John Bailey

WPCNR PRESS BOX. From Westchester County Board of Legislators. (Edited) January 7, 2009 UPDATED 2:11 P.M. E.S.T.: At its first regular meeting of the new year, the Board of Legislators approved a $1.3 million bond act for the design of a modernized Memorial Field on Sandford Boulevard in the City of Mount Vernon. The project, brought to the Board by County Legislator Lyndon Williams and County Executive Andy Spano, is estimated to ultimately cost $12.7 million. The county has agreed to reimburse the city up to $9.7 million for the design and construction costs to refurbish the historic Mount Vernon sports venue.

The Grandstand at Mount Vernon Memorial Field on Sanford Boulevard in Mount Vernon. The scene is pre-kickoff between the White Plains Tigers and Mount Vernon Knights in 2006.

The improvement plan calls for the demolition of existing structures, grandstands and courts; construction of a state-of-the-art synthetic turf football/soccer field; a natural turf soccer field; grandstands for 4,000 spectators; an all-weather track; a basketball court; new buildings to house a ticket booth, concession stand, bathrooms, press box and locker rooms. All playing surfaces will be illuminated and other site improvements will include new sidewalks and landscaping.

White Plains City School District recently completed two stadium renovations with artificial turf for the cost of $9.2 Million, including the architects’ fees for design.

Andy Spano asked the Board to approve this request under the Legacy Program.

“This is a prime example of what I wanted to accomplish when I originated the Legacy program back in 2001 to preserve open space and build needed recreational facilities. I am delighted that we are finally going to give the people of Mount Vernon the ball field they need and deserve. It has been a long time coming.” said Spano. “I can just imagine the excitement in the eyes of both children and adults as they take the field to play football, soccer, lacrosse, basketball or field hockey on fields that are first rate.”

Williams’ leadership guided the project through the legislature last year.

“Memorial Field has played an important part in our community’s history and has needed this overhaul for quite some time. With this refurbishment, all Mount Vernon residents, from youngsters to seniors, can look forward to enjoying a first-rate, state-of-the-art facility to exercise and showcase their great athletic talents,” said County Legislator Lyndon Williams (D-Mt. Vernon) who, as Mount Vernon’s County Legislator, has made this project a top priority since taking office in January last year.

Both Williams and Spano noted that getting the project to this point involved the cooperative efforts of Mount Vernon city officials as well as county’s parks, planning and public works staff. Williams thanked County’s Executive Spano’s administration and his colleagues on the Board for their steadfast commitment to improving the quality of life for Westchester’s residents through this Legacy project.

Mt. Vernon Mayor Clinton I. Young who served as the City of Mount Vernon’s county legislator for 12 years before being elected Mayor last year, said it was gratifying to see the project finally approved.

“This is a great day for people of all ages in the City of Mount Vernon,” said Young. “I have worked on this project since its inception thirteen years ago and have pushed through every delay. I’d like to thank and commend the county leaders who persevered and worked with me then as county legislator and now as Mayor to make this project, one that will be a jewel for the entire region, finally happen.”

“The entire county can appreciate the tradition of Memorial Field as a great local and regional sports venue,” said County Board Chair Bill Ryan (D-IN-WF, White Plains). “I thank Mr. Williams and Mr. Young for sticking with this project and keeping it on the county’s agenda. Many generations of young people from across the county will benefit from this investment.”

County Legislator Ken Jenkins, Chair of the Government Operations Committee that has oversight responsibility for the county’s Parks and Recreation Department commended the efforts of both city and county officials who managed to finally pull the project together.

“The Board’s approval demonstrates the commitment of the county, through the Legacy Program, to serve the county’s youth by collaborating with local municipalities to improve local park and athletic facilities that would be too expensive for a local municipality to undertake alone,” said Jenkins.

Under the agreement between the county and the city, following construction, the city will be responsible for the operation, maintenance, scheduling and security of Memorial Field at its own expense. The facility will be operated by Mount Vernon but will be available for use by all Westchester County residents.