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)

Adam In Albany on HMO Reforms and Practices

Posted on January 31, 2007 by John Bailey

WPCNR’S ADAM IN ALBANY. By Assemblyman Adam T. Bradley, 89th District. January 31, 2007: Governor Spitzer made health care reform and access to health insurance a priority in his State of the State address because, in his words, this investment makes good moral and economic sense.

We have a moral obligation to take a serious look at how the system delivers care, because too many children and families go without basic, preventative coverage. And we have an obligation to the taxpayers who are paying for those that are uninsured, because even though an individual lacks insurance, they still receive care in emergency rooms.

We cannot allow HMO reform to get lost in all the other reform rhetoric floating in Albany. The HMO – Health Maintenance Organization – system is broken and frequently puts profits ahead of patients. In New York, health insurance companies are currently making record profits often at the expense of our health care system while the needs of patients, hospitals and physicians are being relegated to the back burner.

Last year, we made some progress and a bill I sponsored (A.11996 of 2006) became law, but more needs to be done to protect the integrity of patient care. For example, four Westchester County hospitals that make up the Stellaris Health Network, including White Plains Hospital Center and Northern Westchester Hospital, almost left the Empire Plan because of payment issues. Unfortunately, physicians credentialed at these hospitals who were in-network received letters from the insurance company telling them they would no longer be treated as in-network physicians because of their affiliation with these hospitals and that they should notify their patients. Fortunately, a last minute deal was reached between Stellaris and the Empire Plan.

HMOs should not be able to interrupt an established relationship between physicians and their patients, particularly in cases like this one where physicians and patients had nothing to do with the negotiations between hospitals and insurers. That is why I sponsored the following pieces of legislation:

· A.2058 – Provides that an insurer may not terminate a physician’s participation in a managed care plan solely because he or she is only credentialed in non-participating hospitals; and

· A.1755 – Provides that an insurer may not charge out-of-network rates for an in-network hospital, solely because the patient used an out-of-network physician.

Something just isn’t right in a state that regulates auto insurance premiums but not HMO insurance premiums. HMOs have been getting away with charging excessive premiums while making record profits. We must do more to protect the interests of patients and providers against the unfair practices of HMOs.

City to buy Controversial Heights Woods for $1.575M for Passive Open Space.

Posted on January 30, 2007 by John Bailey

WPCNR GREEN GAZETTE. By John F. Bailey. January 30, 2007: Mayor Joseph Delfino announced today the city will be purchasing a 4.5 acre strip of woodlands between Sunset Drive and county parkland in Woodcrest Heights for $1.575 Million. Executive Officer Paul Wood said the purchase may be funded partially by a combination of the $792,032 remaining in the city Public Space Acquisition Fund, with bonding for the rest or a cash payment. The decision on how to fund all of the purchase has not been decided.

The Greico Property Looking West. Photos WPCNR NEWS

The Mayor also announced the appointments of Councilmen Glen Hockley and Arnold Bernstein to head the city Open Space Acquisition Advisory Committee to seek out other properties to acquire in the city. Mayor Delfino expressed satisfaction that the five properties the previous committee had identified had all now been acquired (at a cost, Paul Wood, Executive Officer said of about $5 Million).

Mayor Joseph Delfino Announcing the White Plains Latest “Buy” on the Open Space Market. Glen Hockley, is at left, behind Mayor Delfino are Isabel Villar and Eli Schonberger, and Matthew Shurtleff of The Trust for Public Land which negotiated the $1.575 Million purchase, and Councilman Arnold Bernstein.

The city decided to pursue the purchase of the property after a contractor’s agreement with the Greico property expired and that was when the Trust for Public Land was contacted and authorized to negotiate with the Greico family for the land. Since 2000, the tract has been the target of developers attempting to build approximately 15 homes on the property.

The Greico Property sits in back of Sunset Drive in Woodcrest Heights.

Paul Wood, the Executive Officer, told WPCNR there were no plans to develop the about-to-be-acquired parkland for public use, describing its purpose as “to remain passive open space.”

Hockley and Bernstein New Open Space Acquisitors

The Mayor announced he was appointing Councilmen Glen Hockley and Arnold Bernstein to the Open Space Acquisition Advisory Committee to analyze city open space and target new acquisitions. Bernstein speaking to WPCNR which has heard strong rumors as yet unconfirmed that a local golf course within the city is negotiating, was asked if golf courses might be considered, and Bernstein said he was not familiar with the economics of golf courses, but said the committee would be considering the city as a whole and “taking a look at what’s (space) is available.”

The Mayor pointed to a chart noting this completed his plan for acquiring key open space tracts targeted by the previous Open Space Committee Team had been completed with the acquisition of the Grieco property being the crowning piece. The properties total 45 acres and include the jewel announced today, the Grieco piece, the Dellwood (Dairy) property, the Pettinichi piece, D’Elia and Mindich properties (adjacent the Greenway).

Railside Not Under Consideration for Acquisition

Glen Hockley, taking the podium, digressed to discuss the Railside Avenue lot that he said was preserved at the request of the neighbors through his efforts and that of the Common Council. Hockley also said the Open Space Acquisition Advisory Committee would be working with neighbors to groom that “buffer” property adjacent the Greenway in a way that would be acceptable to the neighborhood. Behind Mr. Hockley is Matt Shurtleff (in white shirt), of The Trust for Public Land, negotiators of the city deal for the Greico property. Shurtleff said, “Over the years, White Plains has shown a strong commitment to open space for its citizens and we expect they will continue to display continued leadership in the future.”

City Negotiates with 2 Buyers for 8 Railside Properties.

The Mayor through the conference open to questions from the press. WPCNR asked if all the properties sold on Railside Avenue had been paid for by the prospective buyers. The Mayor said they had not been all paid for, that only two buyers had paid for the lots they had purchased WPCNR asked if the city would consider keeping them for Open Space. the Mayor said the city was in negotiations with two buyers for the remaining properties not yet purchased officially. The Mayor said approximately $3 million was budgeted for sale of these properties in the budget, and that was why negotiations were continuing to find new buyers for the properties previous buyers had presumably backed out of.

Wood said the 4.5 acres of the Greico property was assessed at $4,725 and paid city taxes of $627 a year.

Wood also said the Trust for Public Land had not been asked to approach the New York Presbyterian Hospital to negotiate for land for the city because of the high cost of the Presbyterian Hospital, a minimum of $78 Million. He also said the NYPH was not willing to sell the property at this time.

A White Plains Wild Turkey Celebrates today that his habitat in Woodcrest Heights is no longer at the mercy of developers. The Turkey is shown above the Silver Lake.

Land Trust to Acquire Grieco Property on Sunset Drive for City.

Posted on January 30, 2007 by John Bailey

WPCNR CNA NEWS. January 30, 2007: The Land Trust has agreed to purchase the 5 acre Grieco property in Woodcrest Heights “as open space for the city,” according to a letter to CNA members, from Dr. John Migliaccio, Co-President of the Woodcrest Heights Neighborbood Association. Migliaccio reports, “This has been a contentious development issue for many years, and it is gratifying to have some positive news: an open space addition.”

The city will announce the acquisition officially at a news conference Tuesday morning at 11 A.M.

School Budget Cut to $174.4M. UP 5.2%. Certiorari Pressures Pushed to 08/09

Posted on January 30, 2007 by John Bailey

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. January 29, 2007: The Board of Education took another look at the budget Monday evening and were told that the City School District is not expecting to have to come up with $8 Million in certiorari payments they were expecting two weeks ago. At that time, Assistant Superintendent for Business, Fred Seiler was predicting another $8 Million in bonding was expected.

Instead, Mr. Seiler announced, “expected settlements are being pushed out” by the City of White Plains and the school district expects not to have to face paying anything until the 2008-2009 budget year – at which time they could be bonded. This easing of pressure on certioraris, “at no cost in interest to the district,” Seiler said enables the district to lower the 2007-2008 “Preliminary Budget” to $174,410,269 (up 5.17%) from this year’s $165.8 Million).

Seiler said the budget is expected to go up $8,568,835 or 5.17%. Seiler did not comment to reporters on whether this meant the city was actually going to fight a certiorari for a change or whether settlements had been made which stretch payments out. He did not disclose names of possible certiorari beneficiaries when asked or amounts.

The cut comes one week before the Annual Budget Committee convenes for the first time. Names of citizens making up that committee were not announced.

Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors and Seiler explained that the salaries for the school district were expected to go up 3.13%, but that did not mean everybody was getting a 3.1% raise in pay. (The Teachers union contract is now under negotiation.) However, two weeks ago, Mr. Seiler said the 3.13% salary raise included allowance for settlement of the teachers’ contract.

Seiler said that $1,573,005 of the $8,568,835 increase was attributable to the Capital Projects bond which will increase the entire budget 1% (as Seiler said was projected when the Capital Projects Bond was proposed).

Superintendent Connors said in the course of the discussions on revenues that Governor Spitzer’s aid package was geared more to cities and rural areas, and the district was not expecting an increase in state aid beyond the $11 Million Seiler said the district received now.

Bill Pollak, member of the Board, asked when the new residential buildings in the city would be filled up, in hopes that a PILOT increase might be forthcoming. He referred to former Assessor Eyde McMarthy’s statements last spring where she indicated that the new buildings had not filled up and when they did, the district could expect possibly higher payments.

Seiler said that since McCarthys’ departure in December, “the city has been scrambling to catch up,” and that they have “a lot of challenges (of assessments).” Seiler said he had been in discussions with them and that they would not have any estimates of the assessment impacts until March 1 when they were required by law to inform the district. He said he had no indication whether assessments were up or down.

No estimate on taxe increase was given because of the unclear district revenue expectations at this time and the unclear state of the tax roll. Asked by Pollak is PILOTS would go up, Seiler said, “It’s hard to say.”

Seiler disclosed that less budget has been allowed for Utility increases this year, and transferred instead to Maintenance and Facilities. Seiler said the district was trying to budget more tightly this year, and that in the past when there was a surplus remaining in the Utility budget it was transferred to fund balance or used for other expenses.

He said the major impact on the budget expenses were the increase in retirement benefits of 9%.

The Superintendent asked the press in attendance to clarify that the cost of Transformation Systems contract for facilitating the district preparing astrategic plan was $70,000, of which 42% was going to be reimbursed by BOCES. He wanted the public to know the $70,000 was not simply to pay for the World Café held last week, as was stated in a letter to The Journal News today.