WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. By John F. Bailey. June 12, 2018 UPDATED BULLETIN, 3:45 PM E.D.T.:

According to a spokesperson for the County Board of Legislators, Jason Chervokas, the County Board of Legislators called a Special Meeting of the Board Friday afternoon to vote on a home rule request to the New York State Legislature, that would allow Westchester County to install red light cameras (which would take surveillance photographs of vehicles running red lights at intersections).

Chervokas told WPCNR the meeting was called Friday afternoon in order to get the home rule request considered during this session of the state legislature. He said possible implementation was a long way off, and that there would be discussion and consideration of what county intersections would be installed with red light cameras.

Chervokas, also issued this statement as of 3:45 P.M.

 “Just to explain, we’re just at the start of this process.  All Monday’s vote will do, if the state signs off, is give us the authority to pass our own law authorizing the cameras if we want to.  That means the whole regular legislative process before we actually vote on such a local law.”

Chervokas confirmed the County  Legislators voted 16-0 to send the home request request.

WPCNR sent a request to the Westchester County Department of Communications to confirm that the County Executive George Latimer requested the Board of Legislators to vote on the home rule request and when the request was made, or whether this was the Board of Legislators acting on their own.

Chairman of the Board of Legislators Benjamin Boykin’s office was asked by WPCNR when the request, in any was made, and why there was no public discussion of the red light camera initiative.

As of Tuesday morning there was no official press release from the County Executive or the County Board of Legislators explaining the action.

Benjamin Boykin, Chairman of the Board of Legislators AT AN SEIU 32BJ demonstration in March, A WPCNR FILE PHOTO

BULLETIN 3:45 PM: BENJAMIN BOYKIN, HAS NOW RESPONDED TO THE WPCNR REQUEST IN A NEWS RELEASE ON THE SURPRISE VOTE. THE COUNTY BOARD OF LEGISLATORS NOW CONFIRMS THAT YES, THEY HAVE VOTED TO ASK FOR HOME RULE REQUEST TO INSTALL RED LIGHT CAMERAS.

THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE HAS NOT CONFIRMED WHETHER MR. LATIMER REQUESTED THE VOTE AND WHEN LATIMER REQUESTED IT IF HE DID REQUEST THE HOME RULE MESSAGE. HERE IS THE NEWS RELEASE WITH MR. BOYKIN’S STATEMENT.

At a special meeting on Monday, the Board of Legislators, by a 16-0 vote, approved a measure asking New York State to give the county permission to consider passing a local law that would allow red light cameras at county intersections. 

“The measure was passed in order to get it into the hands of state legislators quickly, because the state legislative session is ending.  But this does not mean that the county is on the verge of installing red light cameras,” explained Board Chair Ben Boykin (D-Harrison, Scarsdale, White Plains).

In fact, if the state approves the request, the Board would still need to draft and vote on a new local law authorizing the cameras, a process that would involve careful consideration.

“Before any program actually moves forward, the Board will examine all issues regarding any specific proposal for implementation in cooperation with the relevant county agencies and departments and with the County Executive’s office,” Boykin said.

 “That means looking at statistics on the impact of red light cameras on safety and on changing driver behavior, as well as looking at where any such cameras would go, before deciding if red light cameras are a good idea,” he added.

 The Board also would examine how systems might work so as not to inadvertently flag drivers, as well as what the implications are, both for costs and for revenue. In addition, careful consideration would be given to the lessons learned by the cities of Mount Vernon, New Rochelle and Yonkers, which already have their own red light cameras in place.

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WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. From  Westchester County Legislator Catherine Parker. June 11, 2018:

On Monday, June 4^th, my colleagues at the Board of Legislators and I continued our meetings with Con Edison over the power outage experienced during the nor’easter in early March. I am sad to report that Con Ed once again left us feeling rather dissatisfied with several of their answers. Con Ed also started their discussion that day by disputing the fact that they had ample notice that a nor’easter was expected, and not just a regular winter storm. How is it that the average Westchester resident, courtesy of the Journal News (Potential nor’easter could deliver strong winds and rain Thursday and Friday – February 26) knew 3 days before the storm hit, but Con Edison was caught off guard? Their excuse for failing to have mutual aid on the ground ready to work as soon as the storm let up because they didn’t have enough time was infuriating.

I continued to press Con Ed and asked them about their billing methodology. Using an actual electric bill I identified that almost half of the $220 monthly bill was to cover maintenance on the system. Look at your Con Ed bill. Don’t you wonder what Con Ed is doing with that portion of your money? I know I do. Knowing how expensive this equipment must be, and how much of our money goes toward properly maintaining it, I had asked Con Ed at a prior meeting what the average lifespan of a transformer was. During the time that many of us had lost service, I had heard of out of state crews remarking on the aging equipment that they were sent to repair. I felt it was important to get a baseline. One member of the Con Ed team responded that transformers can go on “forever until they don’t.” Finding that response unacceptable, my staff (which included four interns from Mamaroneck High School) and I decided to do our own research. We reviewed Public Service Commission testimony and reports from prior storms, including the 402 page Comprehensive Management and Operations Audit of Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), which led Governor Cuomo to end LIPA and “create a new utility company on Long Island that puts ratepayers first.” In that report, we were able to identify many of the answers that Con Ed was not able to provide.

We will continue to pursue answers and ultimately solutions to get better electrical service in our community.  If we don’t, the precedent that was set on Long Island could be an option for Westchester County.

Click here to view my questioning of Con Ed:https://www.dropbox.com/s/l4m6x310u6ahlwh/Leg%20Parker%20Cow%20June%204.mp4?dl=0

If you want to watch the entire two hour meeting, click on this link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/vakjzyo6sm9auh9/Jun%204%202018%200200%20PM%20Committee%20of%20the%20Whole%20Committee%20Meeting%20SD%20480.mp4?dl=0

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John Bailey and Assemblyman David Buchwald  District 93, which includes the towns of Bedford, Harrison, Lewisboro, Mount Kisco, New Castle, North Castle, North Salem, and White Plains NY USA May 25

ON YOUTUBE NOW:

JOHN BAILEY INTERVIEWS 

ASSEMBLYMAN DAVID BUCHWALD 

ON

THE ROAD AHEAD FOR FIXING HOW UTILITIES HANDLE DISASTERS

WHAT’S BEING PLANNED.

WHAT PUBLIC LEADERS WANT

WHAT THE STATE COULD DO

HOW UTILITY REFORM MOVES AHEAD 

IF PUBLIC SERVICE DOES NOTHING– WHO BELLS THE CAT? PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION MIGHT DO IT AND MAYBE NOT.

ON WESTCHESTER’S MOST RELEVANT INTERVIEW PROGRAM

PEOPLE TO BE HEARD

David Buchwald in the White Plains TV Studios May 25

8 PM –CH 45 FIOS, CH 76 ALTICE-CABLEVISION

AND ON

www.wpcommunitymedia.org

AND YOUTUBE

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION LEDGER. From the Westchester County Board of Legislators. June 7, 2018:

A project to create 56 new units of affordable housing for seniors in White Plains is moving forward after unanimous approval by the Westchester County Board of Legislators Monday night.

The long-in-the-works project is Mount Hope Plaza at 65 Lake Street in White Plains which will create affordable housing units for seniors 62 years and older.

The apartments will be available to seniors whose household incomes are no more than 50% or 60% of the area median income, depending on the size of the apartment.

On Monday, the Board unanimously approved the county’s acquisition of the .75-acre site for $2.1 million dollars.

The county will transfer the property to the Mount Hope Community Development Corporation with the stipulation that the housing built there remain affordable for at least 50 years.

Further funding from the project principally will come from New York State sources. The county has not agreed to finance the project.

The site has been considered by church as a location for affordable housing since 1972 according the pastor of the church in a LoHud article on this project which was introduced to the Common Council in February 2017.

“This is a dream project,” said Board Chair Ben Boykin (D – Harrison, Scarsdale, White Plains). “It will offer the truly affordable housing for seniors that the county so desperately needs, with all the best possible attributes for this kind of project: a park across the street; shopping, restaurants and services in downtown White Plains less than half a mile away; and mass transit accessibility with a Bee-Line bus stop nearby and a Metro North train stop just a mile away.  These are the kinds of projects we need more of in Westchester County and I’m thrilled to see it moving forward.”

The county, the City of White Plains and Mt. Hope AME Zion Church – which currently owns the site — have worked together for years with other local religious institutions, community members, and housing advocates in planning the project.

But the county played a pivotal role in shepherding the project through the early stages of the development process.

The Rev. Dr. Gregory Robeson Smith, pastor of Mount Hope AME Zion Church, said, “Providing truly affordable housing is not a mission, it’s a mandate — to maintain sustainable communities and provide for continued, effective quality of life for those in need.   We are excited and very appreciative about the Mt. Hope partnership with Westchester County government and the City of White Plains.  This is how it can and will work, and it’s only the beginning — from a little acorn, a mighty oak can grow.”