WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. April 5, 2007: In her assessment of the city Wednesday evening, Common Council President Rita Malmud, speaking for the Common Councilpersons endorsed “high density downtown and low density in the surrounding circle” in her comments on development. She called for “an adequate number of building inspectors to prevent degradation of existing housing,” and said the council approved of a policy of expanding revenues to rein in rising property taxes, while calling for adjustment in the state equalization rate formula to assess commercial properties realistically.
Common Council President Rita Malmud delivering her Assessment of the City Wednesday evening.
She became the first Common Council member to acknowledge publicly that the city landfill has caused greater expenses than expected and that the council recognized the need to assure the landfill meets “environmental standards,” stopping short of endorsing a complete remediation.
Here is the text of Ms. Malmud’s remarks at the Common Council Wednesday evening:
COMMENTS on the State of the City
Thank you, Mr. Mayor, for this opportunity to expand upon your remarks on behalf of all the Councilmembers: Arnold Bernstein, Ben Boykin, Glen Hockley, Dennis Power, Tom Roach , and myself. We also our proud of our City and all it has to offer our residents and visitors.
Government is about how people work together to promote municipal harmony and manage inevitable change. On our local level that translates into ensuring that all residential areas are up to the high standards we have experienced over many decades, that the commercial areas are subservient to our residents’ suburban lifestyle, that sufficient funds for essential services are provided, and that diverse programs responding to diverse family needs are offered.
Despite a wide array of proposed and completed new developments, residential sectors remain oases in the midst of significant new development. Our commercial and our high-density residential redevelopment have been concentrated in the downtown core and abutting fringe. High density downtown, low density in the surrounding circle remain a priority.
Recently there have been approvals for many new and expensive apartments. That construction comes with a strong commitment to support affordable housing. We will not waver in our determination to maintain existing affordable units, but also to produce new affordable units (such as the ones now being constructed on Kensico Avenue or already built at One City Center Place). We must ensure an adequate number of housing inspectors to work day and night to prevent degradation of existing housing standards. This council has long supported a night and weekend inspection policy, and will continue to do so. With decreasing federal housing funds each year, that is a more burdensome challenge, but one that we shall overcome.
Housing of a different nature is also a sad necessity here in wealthy America. Too many people find themselves homeless. White Plains has responded generously with many sites for homeless individuals and families. But at a time when there are some Westchester shelters closing, it is unwise to increase the number here in White Plains so that we are serving a disproportionately high percentage of the region’s homeless. Last year we saw a new homeless shelter pop up at 85 Court Street. Despite unanimity on the need to find an alternative site, there have been differences amongst the 7 members comprising this Council about the best method to achieve its relocation.
Due to the cooperative, positive, and persistent teamwork of my fellow Councilmen Ben Boykin, Dennis Power, and Tom Roach as well as County Legislator Bill Ryan working with me in approaching County government, I am enormously pleased that County Executive Spano has been more than willing to meet and really listen to our concerns about this shelter site. In a written letter to us last month, County Executive Spano has announced his determination for that shelter’s relocation to a better site elsewhere in the county. All seven members of this Common Council need to participate in this process for a successful conclusion. As you are fond of saying, Mr. Mayor, and I agree, “There is nothing we can’t accomplish if we all work together.” We should all emerge winners – the temporarily homeless, County and local government, and most importantly, our residents.
Because the City government of White Plains offers so many services to our residents and visitors while having one of the lowest property tax rates in the county, our fiscal resources have been strained. The only answers to curbing rising property taxes are expanding revenue sources, reducing existing expenses despite inflationary demands and unfunded mandates by other levels of government, or a combination. This year more than ever we recognize the importance of demanding greater frugality and planning new ways to accomplish old services. Vigorously examining the expense side of the budget becomes more of a necessity each year.
A larger than anticipated expense has been our landfill, which fell short of State standards. We will see that this City meets all environmental standards, both here at the landfill and in all other City areas. We are also resolved to have as much open space and parkland as possible without jeopardizing other City goals and values.
Our downtown additions have slowed the decline of assessibles comprising so much of our tax base. However, we must continue to press State government to address their equalization rate for White Plains which is so disastrous to our economic health. We must also continue to explore traffic and parking strategies that will be viewed as a service accommodation rather than a penalty for visiting downtown.
In this Information Age of Technology, we repeat last year’s directive to refresh our website so that it is more current with City facts and each week’s events, easier to find what a user is looking for, and includes the City Charter, Municipal Code, and Zoning Ordinance.
And finally, the entire legislative body needs to interact with other government entities representing WP in a more proactive and positive manner. There is much the City needs that cannot be supplied solely by our employees or our purchasing power. White Plains is interdependent; we are not the island of White Plains.
We thank you Mr. Mayor for giving the public insight to your views on the State of the City and allowing us to amplify on that.
Rita Z. Malmud, Common Council President
