Opening Night for School Budget Process

Hign Noon News, Filed 2/6/02 11:30 AM EST: The citizens’ Annual Budget Committee begins deliberations on the 2002-2003 School Budget this evening at Education House. The meeting begins at 7:30 PM.
The ABC Committee meeting brings together 30 citizens, 16 from the PTA Council, Area 4 Realtors, service clubs, neighborhood associations and the Council of Ministers. The balance are volunteers or selections made by the Board of Education.

This year’s ABC members are: Dianne Averill, Carl Barrera, Kevin Barry, Peter Bassano, Ann Bernstein, Frank Cantatore, Al Dold, Eli Fritz, Octavio Gomez, Michael Graessle, Nikki Gray, John Harrington, Marilyn Harris, Libby Hollahan, Peter Jensen, Garry Klein, Beth La Torre, Judy Lee, Reverend Odinga Maddox, Melissa Morello, Eileen Oleet, Louis Petralia, Marc Pollitzer, Jonathan Rodney, Sarina Russell, Ronald Shakeridge, Betsy Steward, Robert Tuck, Gloria Vasquez, and Nick Wolff.

Tonight we expect to see the outgoing Superintendent of Schools Saul Yanofsky present the first go-through on the new budget which has been developing internally since November. Members were briefed last week on budget nomenclature and categories. Tonight they will see the blanks filled-in. It is expected through the process that members of the committee will raise questions and articulate community support or lack of support for key areas of fiscal sensitivity.

Observers of the meeting will get a broad view of current and longterm District needs, key expenditures, revenue expectations, areas that cannot be cut, and plans to expand or introduce programs and, the bottom line, tax increases.

The ABC meets again next Tuesday, February 12 at 7:30, and Wednesday, March 6 at 7:30. Following these three meetings, after each the cabinet retires and adjusts the budget, the Superintendent’s cabinet prepares the “Preliminary Budget” that a Public Hearing will be conducted to discuss on March 18. Following the consideration of concerns voiced at the Public Hearing the Final Budget will be prepared and presented to the Board of Education April 1.

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Council: Study Waller Decks. Malmud Veto Stymies McMansions, Cappelli

Midnight Special Edition Filed 2/6/02:Rita Malmud refused to agree to allow inclusion of an environmental resolution newly attached to the “McMansions” zoning ordinance, or to allow the new Cappelli site plan compromise to be considered because the paperwork had not reached her until 5:15 PM.

The Council agreed, 4-1, to spend $70,000 on a feasibility study of adding decks to the Waller & Maple Parking lot, over William King’s objective.
After meeting until 20 minutes to 1 o’clock in the morning, Monday, White Plains “Short Council” reconvened Tuesday evening in the Mayor’s Conference room for what they expected as the weekly routine big Cappelli Change, and to pass finally the “McMansions” new expanded FARs Zoning Ordinance for the outer neighborhoods.

It was not to be.

Paperwork to go with the McMansions ordinance and extensive resolutions executing the Cappelli site plan amendment matter were submitted late Tuesday. The documents for the Cappelli matter were created by the city Corporation Counsel, Edward Dunphy working the night early Tuesday morning and most of the day. Susan Habel came in off a sickbed Tuesday afternoon to finish the McMansions Zoning Ordinance environmental piece (when it was discovered missing), in time for the meeting so the Council could execute the agreed-on agenda from Monday.

Malmud needed time to reflect

Rita Malmud expressed her concern that she had not gotten the new paperwork for the agenda earlier, saying she had only time to review them quickly. She pointed out these were new collateral paperwork items added to the pre-agreed on agenda (which should have been there last night) extended from Monday evening.

The Mayor said he was “learning about working with these continued meetings.” The second meetings are made necessary by the unfilled seat on the Common Council.

Mayor Delfino said that the legal work on the new compromise on the Cappelli request for dropping a floor off the Cappelli Center took Mr. Dunphy longer to research case law than expected, because the “parameters” of the Cappelli proposal were just presented Monday, the Mayor said.

The McMansions paperwork consisted of a letter from the Environmental Officer and an EnvironmentalFindings Resolution to be attached to the new anti-McMansions Zoning Ordinance which has been lurking on the Council agenda unchanged since September, 2001. In September, an architect who stands to lose a project in the Highlands if the McMansions ordinance is passed before the Zoning Board of Appeals approves the project, orchestrated a small group of neighbors to protest the new outer neighborhood FAR restructions. The Council, with the election campaign in full swing, tabled it.

Southend neighborhoods have been clamoring for this to be passed and really pressuring the Council to get it done. Once more on Tuesday evening, the same architect appeared. He is designing the subdivision next to Mary Ann Keenan’s home in the Highlands that would not be legal under the new FAR’s. Tuesday he submitted a letter protesting he needed more time to review the FAR with the environmental resolution. He is currently, at last report redesigning the placement of the garage on the property he is working on to develop, and is due next month on the Zoning Board of Appeals agenda.

The Cappelli paperwork was more extensive, and Mr. Cappelli was present for the second evening in a row to present the plan to the Council.

Ms. Malmud refused to add the new items she had not seen before 5:15 PM to the agreed-on-in-advance agenda.

Malmud is not comfortable reviewing on the spot

“Our rules and laws we’re supposed to operate under, we’re supposed to publish what we’re doing,” Malmud scolded the Mayor.

In the first confrontation of the new term between the Mayor and Ms. Malmud, Mayor Delfino quietly asked, “How would you suggest I do it better? It took that long (to create the documents). You think I wanted to give this to you Tuesday at 5:15?”

“Don’t take this personally, Mr. Mayor, but when you start adding things we should have had…”

Delfino muttered slowly, speaking slowly, “Every day something changes…every day. We’re trying to meet expectations.”

Mrs. Malmud concluded the exchange, saying, “Process or procedure is just as important as the end.”

Malmud is unyielding. Unanimous vote necessary to proceed. She vetoes

With that the role was called, and Ms. Malmud voted “no” very quietly to adding the new paperage to the agenda. Tom Roach, William King, Benjamin Boykin, Robert Greer and the Mayor voted “yes.” An uncomfortable silence followed for 15 seconds, and the Mayor started to proceed, when Mr. Dunphy said, “Mr. Mayor, you need unanimous consent.”

The Council requires a unanimous vote in these circumstances to add material to an agreed-on agenda, so Malmud’s vote delayed action on these measures.

The Mayor then, showing aplomb and professionalism polled all councilpersons on when they could come back for the third time in the week to pass the McMansions item and finally listen to Mr. Cappelli’s minor site plan compromise. The cast-aside matters were agreed on to be taken up Thursday at 5 PM in the Mayor’s Conference Room.

Benjamin Boykin however will be unable to attend, so there will be only four Councilmen present plus the Mayor. Mr.Cappelli who has spent six hours in City Hall in two days cooling his heels cheerfully said he’d be there, and declined comment on his hotel romance with the Ritz-Carlton.

Work is Done.

The Council did hear an impassioned plea by Juan Camacho of United Financial Corporation of New York, a business with offices at 5 Waller Avenue. Mr. Camacho told the Council that building more parking was “a must that an expansion of some sort (of parking)” be constructed.

William King said office workers had plenty of unused space in garages at the old Macy’s and the Galleria which always have space in them, that they could walk the 3 to 5 long blocks to their offices.

Mr. Camacho did not see it that way at all, saying it was very hard for him to retain $30M to $50M a year office workers if he could not offer them convenient parking. He said the city parking duration limitations forced them to move vehicles to find new parking slots elsewhere in the middle of the day which were hard to find. He also advised that he had to interrupt meetings to feed the parking meters of parked clients.

Tom Roach said he strongly supported the Waller Avenue Constructibility Study before them authorizing $70,000 to determine how many decks could be incorporated into a parking structure envisioned for the openair lot stretching from Kinkos to the Christian Science Monitor offices on the corner of Waller and Maple. “The reality is this is a suburban city, people in this area drive.”

Robert Greer admitted, that he too often added to traffic by cruising for parking spaces and supported the measure.

The “Short Council” passed the study, 4-1.

Beth Roach appointed Commissioner of Common Council Commissary?

Tom Roach passed around some brownies and oatmeal cookies made by his wife, Beth, and this was the highlight of the meeting.

WPCNR reports the brownies were tastefully rich and creamy textured with balanced nut-to-cake ratios, not too heavy and not too light. The cookies were of delicate, hearty Pennsylvania Dutch crumb that reminded the consumer of warm country kitchens, counterbalancing sweetness with soul.

Edward Dunphy, Corporation Counsel, is drawing up a resolution appointing Mrs. Roach, Confectionairress to the Common Council.

Upon consultation with the Editor of Westchester County Business Journal, WPCNR has chosen to spell McMansions with one “c.”

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The Scoop:Knights Without Armor in A Savage Land

The kidnapping of Dan Pearl, Wall Street Journal reporter highlights the world’s most dangerous profession: reporter. Of course, the inquiring press are not police, soldiers or private detectives, but those heros and heroines carry protection. The inquiring reporter ventures into enemy territory unarmed with pencil, tape recorder, and digital camera, and has only his or her faith in the reliability and dubious decency of their sources as protection.
The reporter is not greeted with good cheer when we approach subjects. Nervousness ensues. Ingenuousness is not uncommon. A number of subjects have something to hide, or a personal agenda that might be compromised by the truth, and, shudder, the very concept of giving a reporter a “straight” answer.

I have to tell you that no one likes the truth because it puts them in the true perspective in the public eye. Why does the press make errors? Because subjects are not forthcoming. They use the reporter when they feel like using him. Leak stories to other media when they feel it is to their advantage. Ask you to hold stories, tell you things off the record, and do everything, including lying to hide the truth of virtually every matter, (regardless of how mundane or harmless) from you, the public.

Reporters only are respected after they have discovered a universally accepted “spin.” Woodward and Bernstein, the Watergate reporters, became famous after the Watergate hearings had vindicated their original reporting. Karen Silkwood, became martyred after she was murdered. Victor Riesel had to be blinded by an acid-throwing mob attacker before the public believed his crusading reporting on the corruption of the Teamsters in the 1950s. Walter Winchell was severely criticised by the Liberal press for his early “outing” of Adolf Hitler as anti-Semitic and dangerous.

Sadly, the lonely investigative reporter is not welcomed at all, and is only mourned by the press who realize just how dangerous real reporting is. Pearl is the latest example of a reporter trying to get at the truth and perhaps paying for it with his life.

What Pearl was doing in Pakistan when he was abducted was trying to get an exclusive interview, and he went alone to meet some less than savory Pakistani types. Now he is among the missing. You cannot imagine how hard that is to do to expose yourself like that not knowing who you are dealing with. I liken it to undercover work, with one exception, they know who you really are. Sometimes the reporter can hide the fact he or she is a reporter. I do sometimes, but it’s hard to be believable. You have to ask just a few questions, and not too many.

On the other hand, there is a thin line between investigating and conducting a vendetta to prove a point. Following avenues of inquiry wherever it may lead may uncover some things that hurt everyone. Judgment has to be used.The art of investigative reporting to expose wrongdoing before people were hurt by the wrongdoing, has been lost, thanks to the legal profession.

Nowadays, swarms of reporters are turned loose on stories after the damage has been done. It’s amazing what they find out with just a little digging. But, isn’t it surprising that they never find out before a disaster hurts everybody? Major media specialize in investigative reporting after the horse has left the barn.

Enron: Where was the press before Enron went down? Mesmerized by glamour and glitz no doubt. Today’s press at the major papers is naive. Remember the Dot.Com boom? I cannot remember any critical articles predicting the dot com business plan did not make sense.

Generally what passes for investigative reporting today is a vendetta. Reporters are told to collect information supporting a certain point of view, which is really easy to do. However, when a reporter goes out to find out about something, he or she has to examine all sides of the issue.

Examine claims, see if they hold up. Let facts do the talking, ignore giving speculation the same gravitas as fact. You can make a case for any speculation if you talk to activists against the issue. You have to check their statements.

The latest Indian Point controversy was fueled shamelessly by politicians seeing a way to curry favor with voters by showing concern for their welfare. Ever since a local story wrote of Indian Point “melting down,” it has brought anti-nuclear power interests back from their graves like a legion of long dead Draculas.

According to Entergy and a nuclear engineer source of WPCNR’s, Indian Point cannot melt down because the fuel is not “weapons grade,” and there are backup systems in place that were not at Chernobyl. That was not reported in the original “meltdown” scare in September.

Talk has escalated to the point where the politicians want to replace Indian Point with a natural gas powered plant and purchase electricity from other power regions without any handle on how this would affect electricity rates. How irresponsible is that? Study it, yes.

The folly is that even if Indian Point were to close tomorrow, as Governor Pataki pointed out, and Comptroller H. Carl McCall agreed with him, Tuesday, the fuel rods would still be there for around a decade for any cowboy terrorist to dive a plane into for ten years. Converting the plant will not eliminate this threat until the United States figures out where to ship the fuel rods, and how.

To do that they have to get past the same environmental elitists who will complain bitterly about how the rods are shipped to the caves in the West, that the government wants to store them in. Oh, did I tell you the “Enviros” still to do not agree that is the right site? And, oh, yes, we, the taxpayers would have to pay Entergy for the conversion.

I have a solution: Let’s put anti-aircraft guns on the domes. Manned 24 hours a day. That should do it. But, I’m sure the anti-rifle people would be up in arms.

Indian Point is a bogus issue, sustained by “what if?” speculation fanned by self-righteous favor-currying politicians to rouse the public who have not done their homework. Arousing hysteria is not investigative reporting or responsible leadership.

Not once has the fuel rod storage problem that makes Indian Point a target regardless of whether it’s working or not, been explained in the media. Except when WPCNR wrote it last fall. The New York Times reported it in its Westchester Section Sunday (and Governor Pataki mentioned it in a speech recently), that closing the plant does not remove the threat posed by the fuel rods. That is not good investigative reporting not to have revealed that little old problem of fuel rods lying around all along.

Evacuation plans? Of course they are going to be hard to execute. Perhaps the one good thing that has come out of the evacuation plan criticism is the revelation of the County directive that parents should not drive to schools to pick up their children. This ignores human nature. How does evacuation work? It worked pretty well during the Twin Tower disaster. People just walked North.

Reporting is not what it once was. Because there is not as many of us. In fact, reporters might be actually liked more today by the public than they were in the early years of newspapering in this country, when they asked tougher questions, were suspicious of all they were told, and received far rougher treatment from officials than they do today.

There were a lot more reporters with twelve newspapers in New York alone.

Real investigative reporting is a dangerous job. It does not mean interviewing advocates for a point of view, it involves digging out facts over a period of time. And, you are often running against a “storylife” in doing so. Putting yourself at risk as Mr. Pearl did. And, sometimes, dying for the truth.

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Common Council President’s Address on 2002 Goals and Objectives for City

For the Record, 2/5/02, 11:30 PM EST: WPNCR is pleased to present the complete text of Council President Benjamin Boykin, Jr.’s Address to the Common Council on Monday evening, February 4, 2002 discussing the Common Council legislative agenda for this year:
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR CITY OF WHITE PLAINS 2002


BENJAMIN BOYKIN, JR. COMMON COUNCIL PRESIDENT, delivering his address Monday evening.
Photo by WPCNR


ONCE AGAIN, THE BEGINNING OF A NEW YEAR PROVIDES US WITH THE PERSPECTIVE TO ANALYZE WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED IN THE PAST YEAR AND TO LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT WE IN THE COMMON COUNCIL WISH TO ACHIEVE DURING THE COMING YEAR. ON BEHALF OF THE FIVE CURRENT COUNCIL MEMBERS – MR. GREER, MR. KING, MRS. MALMUD, MR. ROACH AND MYSELF – I WISH TO OUTLINE OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR 2002.

DESPITE DIFFERENCES WHICH ARE A NATURAL CONSEQUENCE OF HONEST AND CONSCIENTIOUS BUT DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW, THE COUNCIL AND THE ADMINISTRATION WORKED TOGETHER TO ACCOMPLISH MUCH ON A TIMELY BASIS DURING 2001. THESE INCLUDE:

■ SITE PLAN RENEWAL, WITH CONSTRUCTION CURRENTLY IN PROCESS, FOR 500 UNITS OF HOUSING (30 UNITS WHICH WILL BE AFFORDABLE TO MIDDLE-INCOME FAMILIES) AND A 180 ROOM HOTEL AT THE SITE OF THE FORMER “HOLE IN THE GROUND” BY THE RAILROAD STATION,

■ SITE PLAN APPROVAL FOR 600 UNITS OF HOUSING (36 UNITS WHICH WILL BE AFFORDABLE TO MIDDLE-INCOME FAMILIES), A MEGAPLEX CINEMA, A COMMUNITY THEATER AND SEVERAL FLOORS OF RETAIL AND RESTAURANTS IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN,

■ SITE PLAN APPROVAL FOR CONSTRUCTION OF A FORTUNOFF AND OTHER RETAIL AND RESTAURANT USES AT THE FORMER SAK’S SITE,

■ ACQUISITION OF THE D’ELIA PROPERTY AS PASSIVE OPEN SPACE,

■ APPROVAL OF THREE APARTMENT PROJECTS: CLAYTON PARK, THE JEFFERSON AND PAPPAS PROPOSALS FOR AN ADDITIONAL 652 UNITS OF MARKET-RATE RENTAL APARTMENT UNITS (36 UNITS WHICH WILL BE AFFORDABLE TO MIDDLE-INCOME FAMILIES), AND

■ APPROVAL OF 42 UNITS OF HOUSING FOR LOW- AND MIDDLE-INCOME FAMILIES AND SENIORS AT SOUTH KENSICO AND HADDEN.

THESE WERE ACCOMPLISHED WITH ALL DUE SPEED BY A COUNCIL AND AN ADMINISTRATION WHICH WORKED COOPERATIVELY IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CITY. WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THAT PROCESS DURING 2002.

DURING 2002, AS THE CAPPELLI PROJECT MAKES FURTHER PROGRESS, WE FORSEE ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS COMING FORWARD FOR DOWNTOWN. WHILE WE LOOK FORWARD TO ADDITIONAL DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT FURTHER DEVELOPMENT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE VISION FOR A VIBRANT AND LIVABLE DOWNTOWN. HAVING APPROVED 1752 UNITS OF RESIDENTIAL HOUSING IN AND NEAR DOWNTOWN WHITE PLAINS WITHIN THE PAST TWO YEARS, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT FURTHER DEVELOPMENT DOES NOT OVERLOAD THE CITY’S INFRASTRUCTURE. WE MUST TAKE A HARD LOOK AT POSSIBLE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF INADEQUATE PARKING AND GRIDLOCK DOWNTOWN AND SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED TRAFFIC THROUGH OUR RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS AND OTHER UNKNOWN AND UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES FROM FUTURE DEVELOPMENT. WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT LONG TIME BUSINESSES IN THE DOWNTOWN REMAIN VIABLE ENTITIES. SOME TYPE OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE THROUGH LOW INTEREST LOANS AND/OR GRANTS MAY BE NECESSARY TO RETAIN THESE STORES IN OUR CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT. WE ALSO WISH TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF CREATING SOME GREEN OPEN SPACE IN THE HEART OF OUR CITY.

IN TERMS OF DEVELOPMENT, WE WANT TO WORK WITH THE ADMINISTRATION TO CONTINUE TO ELIMINATE THE “WHITE PLAINS FACTOR” WHICH POSSIBLY INFLATES CONSTRUCTION COST TO THE ECONOMIC DETRIMENT OF THE CITY. IN PARTICULAR, WE NEED TO RE-EXAMINE THE NECESSITY OF THE CITY’S SUPPLEMENTAL BUILDING CODES AND TO REMOVE OUR UNIQUE REQUIREMENTS WHICH ADD DEVELOPMENT COSTS WITHOUT PROVIDING ADDITIONAL SAFETY OR BENEFIT TO THE FUTURE OCCUPANTS OF THE BUILDINGS.

THE RECENT RETIREMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSIONER JOHN DOLCE AFTER THREE DECADES OF EXEMPLARY SERVICE TO WHITE PLAINS PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXAMINE THE ORGANIZATION OF THIS DEPARTMENT. WHILE WE ARE PROUD OF THE FINE PERFORMANCE OF OUR POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS, WHITE PLAINS IS RELATIVELY UNIQUE IN NEW YORK STATE IN NOT HAVING SEPARATE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS REPORTING DIRECTLY TO THE MAYOR. DOES OUR PUBLIC SAFETY STRUCTURE PROVIDE BETTER SERVICE AT LOWER COST THAN THAT PROVIDED BY OTHER CITIES IN THE REGION OR STATE? ALTHOUGH WE DO NOT KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION, WE BELIEVE NOW IS AN EXCELLENT TIME TO EXPLORE THE ISSUE BY CONVENING A PUBLIC SAFETY REVIEW COMMITTEE TO EVALUATE THE PRESENT ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF OUR UNIFORMED SERVICES IN TERMS OF SERVICE DELIVERY AND COST. WE WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE WITH THE ADMINISTRATION IN SELECTING A PANEL OF RESIDENTS AND EXPERTS TO FIND THE ANSWER TO THIS LONG-STANDING DEBATE AND THEN EITHER PRESERVE THE STATUS QUO OR CHANGE IT.

PRESERVING THE HIGH QUALITY OF RESIDENTIAL LIFE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS IS A PRIMARY CONCERN. IN LIGHT OF INCREASED DEVELOPMENT DOWNTOWN, NEW MEASURES TO CALM TRAFFIC AS IT PROCEEDS THROUGH CLOSE-IN NEIGHBORHOODS SUCH AS BATTLE HILL, FISHER HILL, THE HIGHLANDS AND NORTH BROADWAY SHOULD BE EXAMINED AND, IF ACCEPTABLE TO RESIDENTS, ADOPTED. THESE MEASURES COULD INCLUDE SPEED HUMPS, MORE STOP SIGNS, RESTRICTED ACCESS AT SPECIFIED TIMES AND STRICTER ENFORCEMENT.

ILLEGAL OCCUPANCIES ARE ALSO A MAJOR THREAT TO CLOSE-IN NEIGHBORHOODS. WE INTEND TO INTRODUCE LEGISLATION WHICH WILL INCREASE MINIMUM FINES FOR REPEAT OFFENDERS OF THE CITY’S OCCUPANCY CODES AND TO PROMOTE THE HIRING OF MORE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.

IN VIEW OF THE LACK OF ACCESS TO OVERNIGHT PARKING IN SOME OF THE CITY’S APARTMENT DISTRICTS, WE WILL INTRODUCE LEGISLATION WHICH WILL PERMIT OVERNIGHT ON-STREET PARKING IN CERTAIN WELL-DEFINED DISTRICTS AND EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF ISSUING PERMITS TO RESIDENTS OF APARTMENT BUILDINGS WHO HAVE NO ACCESS TO PARKING IN NEARBY GARAGES OR LOTS.

THE HEALTH OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT FOR THE OVERALL SUCCESS OF THIS COMMUNITY. IN ORDER TO FOSTER A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CITY GOVERNMENT AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, WE URGE THE ADMINISTRATION TO RESUME REGULAR INFORMAL MEETINGS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL AND SCHOOL BOARD TO DISCUSS ISSUES OF COMMON INTEREST AND CONCERN.

THE PURCHASE OF THE D’ELIA PROPERTY IN 2001 WAS A WELCOME FIRST STEP IN ADDING TO THE CITY’S OPEN SPACE INVENTORY. WE STRONGLY SUPPORT ADDITIONAL PURCHASES OF OPEN SPACE AND/OR ZONING CHANGES WHICH WOULD PROTECT OPEN SPACE BY PRECLUDING DEVELOPMENT. WE LOOK FORWARD TO A ESOLUTION OF THE NEW YORK PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL PROPOSAL WHICH WILL BOTH ENHANCE THE FUTURE SURVIVAL OF THIS PRE-EMINENT HEALTH CARE INSTITUTION AND SAFEGUARD AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE OF THE MAGNIFICENT OPEN SPACE ON THE HOSPITAL’S PROPERTY. WE ALSO LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE COUNTY IN ORDER TO GAIN ACCESS TO SILVER LAKE FOR WHITE PLAINS RESIDENTS.

WE NEED TO DO MORE TO INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MIDDLE-INCOME HOUSING.

WE WILL PROPOSE AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING ORDINANCE THAT SPELLS OUT THE REQUIREMENTS AND INCENTIVES FOR THE PROVISION OF MIDDLE-INCOME HOUSING BY DEVELOPERS WISHING TO BUILD IN WHITE PLAINS.

THE DIVERSITY OF OUR CITY IS ONE OF ITS MOST VALUABLE ASSETS. WE MUST WORK TO SEE THAT OUR CITY’S WORKFORCE, AT ALL LEVELS, AND OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, REFLECT OUR RACIAL AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY.

WE NEED TO DO MORE TO IMPROVE THE RESPONSIVENESS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT. QUARTERLY REPORTS TO RESIDENTS MUST BE PUBLISHED AND CIRCULATED ON A REGULAR AND PREDICTABLE BASIS. THE CITY’S WEBSITE NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED. NEWS ON SITE MUST BE CURRENT, DOWNLOADABLE FORMS SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE, AND THE SITE SHOULD BE EASY TO NAVIGATE. ALSO, PROGRAMMING ON THE CITY’S GOVERNMENT ACCESS CABLE CHANNEL SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION ON THE RANGE AND DEPTH OF SERVICES PROVIDED BY WHITE PLAINS GOVERNMENT.

IN CONCLUSION, AT THE START OF THE NEXT 4 YEARS OF THIS ADMINISTRATION, THERE IS MUCH TO DO. WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER TO FURTHER ENHANCE THE ADVANTAGES OF THIS GREAT CITY.

THANK YOU.

FEBRUARY 4, 2002

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