WPCNR MR. & MRS. & MS. WHITE PLAINS VOICE. April 5, 2006: A reader gave WPCNR a call tonight to report that he, too, asked for the 2006-2007 Proposed Budget Book at the White Plains Library this evening, and the librarians could not find the book for him as of 8:15 P.M.. They told this reader,” maybe it’s in Sandy Miranda’s (Library Director) office,” but they were unaware of its location. This would indicate that for three days at least there was one Budget Book “available” for the 55,000 Mr. and Mrs. and Ms. White Plains residents to inspect and review and that was in the City Clerk’s office.
Jackson to Be Dpty Commish. WP’s Favorite Daught, Fitzsimmons 1st Woman Chief
WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. By John F. Bailey. April 5, 2006: WPCNR has learned The Department of Public Safety is expected to announce this afternoon that Inspector Daniel Jackson will be promoted Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety replacing David Chong, and current Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety Dr. Charles Jennings will be promoted to First Deputy Commissioner, second in command to Police Commissioner Dr. Frank Straub.
The Department is also going to be reorganized into three different divisions: Community Policing, Operations and Detectives, effective today.
“Liz Smith” Moves on Up! Captain Anne Fitzsimmons, long a resident of White Plains, and Detective Gus Fazzino addressing the North Broadway Civic Association last month at George Washington School on the burglaries in the North end. She is the first female police officer promoted to Chief in Westchester County. Photo, WPCNR News Archive.
Captain Anne Fitzsimmons, long time resident of White Plains will be promoted to Assistant Chief and be in command of the Community Policing Division.
Lieutenant Edward Ignaszewski will be promoted to Inspector and command the Operations Division that will be responsible for Patrol, Traffic and Neighborhood Conditions Unit.
First Deputy Commissioner Jennings, in his new position will concentrate on strategic planning for the department to build organization capacity, and continue to supervice department technology, communications, budget and the fire bureau.
Deputy Commissioner Jackson will have responsibilty for operations, crime control strategy and the Compstat crime tracking program. Eight detective promotions will also be announced this afternoon and two department members promoted to Lieutenant.
Council to Learn About the Budget, After Seeing It in JN. No Violation
WPCNR Quill & Eyeshade. April 5, 2006. UPDATED 12:17 P.M. E.D.T. 12:59 P,M. E.D.T.,: Paul Wood, Executive Officer of the City of White Plains threatened to sue WPCNR moments ago for reporting City of White Plains has now violated New York State Open Government laws twice in less than a week, based on comments from Robert Freeman of the Office of Open Government. Mr. Freeman, based on further information on the circumstances now tells WPCNR the city is in compliance with open government.
Mr. Wood reports that for the first time the city will be charging $25 for copies of the 2006-2007 Budget Book, (said by the Budget Department not to be available in physical carryaway form until next week). It is the first time the city, in this reporter’s experience, has affixed a fee for a copy of the budget book.
On checking further with Mr. Freeman, WPCNR has learned from Mr. Freeman that the city complies with the open government law by making the book “available” only at the City Clerk office and the Public Library, the city is in compliance with open government laws. Freeman also said that the charge of $25 for a copy of the actual budget book was in compliance with state laws (25 cents copying charge per page is the state limit). Mr. Freeman told WPCNR he thought I had said the city had not made it available, when WPCNR had explained to Mr. Freeman that the budget book was not pickupable for two weeks, and was the public entitled to a copy.
Earlier, Robert Freeman, Executive Director of the Committee on Open Government, had told WPCNR “If the city shares information with a reporter, that is the same as any member of the public, and it should be available to anyone at the same,” Mr. Freeman speaking from his Albany office, told WPCNR today.
Last week, the city suppressed names of the winning bidders on the Railside Avenue properties, but were persuaded to give them up when they were informed they were violating open government laws. The City Clerk’s office has published the dates for the series of meetings on the 2006-2007 City of White Plains Budget. The meetings will go over in detail the budget expenditures and decisions detailed in The Journal News in two articles over the last five days which quote extensively from the 2006-2007 Budget book, including Mayor Delfino’s budget statement.
WPCNR has been told by the Budget Department they will not have copies available for distribution to other media and citizens until next week. Common Council Glen Hockley and Tom Roach have told WPCNR they did not have any discussions with the Mayor on the city budget preparation or the scope of it before they received the book. No explanation is forthcoming from City Hall as to why the books are not available for pickup by interested parties.
The Budget meeting dates are as follows:
Monday, April 10, 2006, 6 PM — Review of 2006-2007 Proposed Tax Budget with Common Council.
Monday, April 17, 2006, 6 PM — Budget Review Session with the Budget & Management Advisory Committee
Tuesday, April 18, 2006, 6 PM –Public Safety & Parking Department discussion.
Monday, April 24, 2006, 6 PM — Recreation and Parks discussion.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006, 6 PM — Public Works and Youth Bureau Discussion
Monday, May 1, 2006, 7:30 PM — Public Hearing in the Common Council Chamber.
Common Council Dumps Railside, Votes 5-2 to Sell the 8 Properties.
WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey. April 3, 2006 UPDATED 2:00 A.M. E.D.T. April 4, 2006, UPDATED April 5, 2006: The Common Council after listening to two hours of protest and pleadings from supporters of preserving the properties on Railside Avenue as open space and rejecting sale of the eight lots, ignored them and voted 5-2 to approve the sale of the Railside 8 for $2,912,000.
Council Chambers swelled by Supporters of Keeping Railside Properties Forever Woods. Hopes were dashed by the Common Council Monday evening. Photo, Courtesy Don Hughes.
Asleep at the Wheel: The Common Council was dragging along about midnight last night at city hall, in the longest meeting since 11:30 P.M. was set as the council curfew three years ago, and moved off the Comprehensive Plan Review hearing until May 1, after condemning Railside Avenue to development. Photo, WPCNR News.
The new, improved Avalon Bay Apart-O-Plex was presented. Hearing was held open until May 1. Photo, WPCNR News.
Benjamin Boykin, Glen Hockley, Robert Greer, Arnold Bernstein and Mayor Delfino voted for, and Rita Malmud and Thomas Roach voted against to carry through the sale.
Councilman Benjamin Boykin said the proposal to put an easement on Lot 1 and resell it has been modified to withdraw Lot 1 (the property withdrawn from the sale sometime prior to the opening of the bids on the properties last Wednesday), saying it will not be reoffered for sale,and will be kept as a buffer on Ridgeway Avenue. Boykin also noted the 20 foot conservation easement on the sold lots 2 through 9 preserved 46% of the 8 remaining properties.
Glen Hockley said he had to think of all the residents of the city when he cast his vote in favor of selling Railside Avenue lots. Arnold Bernstein said he could not condemn the city to a 20 to 25% tax increase, and therefore he was voting for the Railside sale, too. Robert Greer through his daughter reading his position speech, said the properties had always been thought of by the city as eventually to be returned to the tax roll and he was sticking to his guns.
Benjamin Boykin said he hoped that the new owner of five of the properties, (Joseph S. Petrillo, an attorney and President of All New York Title Agency in White Plains, www.allnewyorktitle.com) would get together with the neighbors to discuss his plans for the five properties he was successful bidder (Lots 2,3,6,7,8). Boykin said he hoped the other three winning bidders for Lot 9 (HCG Drywall of Scarsdale), Lot 4 (S & J & J Holding of White Plains), and Lot 5 (Ricardo Tedesco and Frank D’Ambrosio) would also interact with the neighbors and discuss their intentions for their lots. No winning bidder appeared to be present at the public speakout on Railside Avenue.
In other matters,
The 5 foot setback proposed for The Pinnacle project from Ginsburg Development could not be voted upon because Robert Greer the Council left the council meeting at approximately 10:15 P.M. after the Railside vote took place.
The council then took up the 25,000 square foot air rights transfer matter from 221 Main to The Pinnacle (in order that Mr. Ginsburg could build developer Louis Cappelli’s affordable units he owes the city on the 221 Main project). The council at first thought they could not vote on the transfer, but Corporation Counsel, Edward Dunphy dashed to the rescue striding up the aisle saying the 25,000 square foot is a minor amendment to the ordinance, so the Council could vote on it without Mr. Greer’s presence, which they proceeded to execute unanimously. The 5 foot setback benefit, according Corporation Counsel Dunphy was also passed Monday night. It was simply not clear at the time.
The Avalon Bay public hearing convened and the changes in the 13-14 story rental project were presented in an exhaustive slide show that rivaled Louis Cappelli in its slickness. Residents following the presentation called for the site to be turned into a park. Tim Sheehan, a resident of Park Circle suggested the town houses on the north end of the site should be lowered from their 6 story height to present a better site line. Thomas Whayatt an attorney for the holdout home owner owning a home on Barker that occupies a niche on the Avalon Bay site, said he would push for his client to have special permits for the swimming pool which is adjacent the home with possibly more setbacks from the pool to the homeowner’s property.
With the Common Council falling asleep in their chairs at 12:15 A.M., and the Comprehensive Plan Review Hearing the last item on the agenda, Mayor Delfino asked Robert Levine, representing the Citizens Plan Commitee, there to speak, what he(Levine) wanted to do at such a late hour, and Levine said he would prefer in view of the hour to postpone to May 1 if the hearing could be first on the agenda. The Mayor agreed. Neither Mary Cavellero, nor John Martin, Co-Chairs of the Comprehensive Plan Review Committee were present for the hearing.