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Series of site plans move forward for Council consideration

Ridgeway-Sycamore Lane temple trims scope of temple project

Commissioner of Planning Announces Downtown Revitalization Projects to start.

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL LEDGER By John F. Bailey.March 31, 2026:

The Common Council in a Special Meeting (available for your viewing on the City of White Plains website here: https://whiteplainsny.new.swagit.com/videos/379621), moved forward on several projects long under consideration.

Mayor Justin Brasch introduced Mike Kelly who has been analyzing the city effort to purchase the City Center garage. He said previous estimates to acquire the garage from its present owner had totaled $8 million and now had risen to $11 million, which he said was below what the building was worth what t according to estimates.

He said negotiations were continuing with the owner, Kite Realty Group.

The plans for the building of a temple on the property of 1 Sycamore Lane, (shown above) opposed by the neighborhood, introduced a new plan preserving more green space,  a traffic flow prohibiting use of Sycamore Lane access from the proposed temple. (entrance in gray  is at the beginning of Sycamore Lane.

The spokesman for the project said the Temple management had responded to suggestions by the Building Department and the neighbors, meeting all suggestions,  pointing out the proposed Temple occupied 5% of the property, and at any one time would only have 15 persons at most on the premises in conclaves when they are held.

The Commissioner of Planning, Christopher Gomez announced the City’s Downtown Revitalization Plan would begin when the first contract made possible by approval of a $10 Million grant from the state ,would begin, with 6 other projects.

They are Revitalization of the down Downtown

Gomez explained this would include adding a 2-way bike lane the length of Hamilton Avenue which is one-way West to the train stration, rehab of the Slater Center below. Here’s how the $10 Million will be spent:

THE SLATER CENTER WOULD BE REHABILITATED

A WALKING PARK  WOULD CONNECT TO WATER STREET.

A mini park behind TD Bank.

Saving the Clock Tower at the train station.

THERE WOULD ALSO AWARD OWNER PROJECT GRANTS UP TO $75,000

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Susan Cacace DISTRICT ATTORNEY

87 GUNS, INCLUDING MULTIPLE GHOST GUNS, TAKEN OFF STREETS AT DA CACACE’S FIRST GUN BUYBACK Saturday marked one of the largest gun buyback events in Westchester County WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace announced today the results of her administration’s first gun buyback event, which took place Saturday at the Union Baptist Church, in White Plains. In total, the office recovered 87 firearms, consisting of 33 pistols/semi-automatic handguns, 30 long guns and 24 revolvers. Six of the guns recovered were ghost guns, meaning that they lacked traceable serial numbers and were likely made at home, using 3D printers or machining tools. This marks one of the largest returns for a gun buyback event sponsored by the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office. The office spent $15,650 on firearm repurchases at the event. DA Cacace said: “Every week in this county, illegal guns are used in furtherance of violent crime, shattering families and causing grievous injury to those caught in the crosshairs. Saturday’s event marks one of the biggest returns for a gun buyback program from this office in recent memory, representing 87 opportunities to prevent future harm and 87 meaningful steps toward safer neighborhoods. “I want to extend my deepest appreciation to our community partners – the Union Baptist Church, the White Plains/Greenburgh NAACP Branch, the White Plains Department of Public Safety and the Greenburgh Police Department – for helping produce such a successful event. “Reining in the proliferation of illegal guns is one of the top priorities for my administration, including the vigorous prosecution of criminals who use guns to further their illicit activities. We will attack this problem from every angle, using any solution at our disposal to stem the tide of gun violence. Events like Saturday’s buyback are one facet of a multi-pronged approach from this office designed to reduce the volume of illegal guns that are inundating our communities and putting all our lives at risk.” White Plains Commissioner of Public Safety Hardy said: “Every single firearm turned in to a gun buyback means one less opportunity for harm or death to a community member.” Greenburgh Police Chief Powell said: “Any partnership with our community and fellow law enforcement agencies that can result in a safer community and strengthened relationships is a win for everyone involved. I am appreciative of this opportunity for a genuine partnership, one that everyone involved could see and feel. I believe we are all looking forward to future endeavors together.” ###

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THE REPUBLICAN PARTY MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTAIVES  FRIDAY REJECTED THE SENATE BILL PASSED EARLY FRIDAY MORNING, PROLONGING THE FUNDING OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY.

PRESIDENT TRUMP SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER AUTHORIZING THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TO BEGIN PAYING TSA PERSONNEL WHO HAVE NOT BEEN PAID FOR A MONTH

THE NEW YORK TIMES QUOTED SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE MIKE JOHNSON SAYING:

“House Republicans are not going to be any part of any effort to reopen our borders or to stop immigration enforcement. The gambit that was done last night is a joke.”

It is expected TSA workers will receive pay over the next 4 days, but it is unclear whether the payment will include all back pay.

Delays in security lines at all three New York airports continue. Speculation is the airports will return to less lengthy delays by the end of the week.

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Neighbor,   As we close out this very busy month, I want to catch you up on some of the things that my team and I have been covering in Westchester and the Bronx and in D.C.   Flooding our news headlines are issues abroad and at home. It seems like every time we read the headlines, another travesty has hit our country. This comes shortly after the tragic accident at LaGuardia airport that took the lives of two pilots and injured many more. My thoughts are with the families and loved ones who were impacted by this tragedy.   As your representative, I remain committed to fighting for you and your families. I will continue to listen to constituents at home and in Washington to hear your stories and work to best represent you in the halls of Congress. IN WASHINGTON For over a month, the Department of Homeland Security remains shut down. Like many of you, I’m deeply concerned that our TSA and FEMA employees are working without pay. I share your deep frustrations about the long lines at the airport and understand the anxiety around the Administration’s decision to send ICE agents to airports.   That’s why I signed onto a discharge petition to force a vote that will fund the Department of Homeland Security, including TSA workers, without providing funds to ICE until this Administration agrees to concrete reforms to rein in ICE and protect Americans. I am proud to support this legislation to end the ongoing shutdown and get DHS workers their paycheck, without folding on demands to reform ICE and the way they operate.    Since I was sworn into Congress over a year ago, I have proudly displayed a replica of the plaque honoring the brave officers who defended the Capitol on January 6, 2021, outside of my office in Washington. The Speaker of the House did not put the official plaque on display but, finally after years of waiting, the plaque was put up in the middle of the night under a stairwell in the Capitol. I joined with my colleagues to unveil the commemorative plaque that honors all the police officers that protected the U.S. Capitol that day. While there are some who may try to rewrite history or forget what happened that day, we will never forget the bravery of our police officers. Our democracy continues to be worth fighting for and we must resist all efforts to use physical force to override legal procedures that protect us all.   New York Representatives Latimer, Suozzi, Morelle, Velazquez, and Kennedy at the January 6th plaque  As the undeclared war continues in Iran, it’s becoming painfully clear that this Administration’s policies haven’t laid out anything resembling a coherent plan. Since military operations began, thousands of Americans—including students—have been stranded across the Middle East, watching flights vanish from departure boards and refreshing their phones for updates that never seem to come. The State Department’s lack of preparation, and the Administration’s broader failure to plan for war, continues to take a real toll on hardworking Americans—families absorbing the sting of rising gas prices, and parents and spouses lying awake at night, terrified for loved ones stuck overseas. Along with my colleagues on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I signed onto a letter demanding that Secretary Rubio, Secretary Hegseth, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner appear before the Committee to testify about the decisions, diplomacy, and planning—or lack thereof—surrounding the war in Iran.   While much is happening in Washington, I always look forward to meeting with constituents and advocacy groups on a wide range of issues, because those conversations cut through the noise and remind me who we’re fighting for. This past week, I had the opportunity to meet with the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, Philanthropy New York, and Everytown for Gun Safety to discuss how I can best support their legislative priorities here in Washington. In each meeting, I heard urgency and determination—stories of lives changed in an instant, communities seeking resources, and advocates pushing for practical steps that can save lives. BACK HOME IN WESTCHESTER AND THE BRONX In March, we celebrated a holiday that connects to my own Irish heritage, St. Patrick’s Day, with local leaders across Westchester and the Bronx, joined local students to combat food insecurities with the Food Web NY, heard from NAACP members in Co-Op City, and talked with you about how I can be the best representation for you in the halls of Congress. CONGRESSIONAL ART COMPETITION The Congressional Art Competition is now open for submissions! This contest is for high school students living in or attending school in Westchester and the Bronx. The winning artist will have their work featured in the U.S. Capitol and be invited to D.C. for an awards ceremony with our office and all other art competition winners.   This year, in celebration of our country’s 250th anniversary, the theme for the competition is “Revolutionary 250”. Artists may choose to follow themes provided below but it is not mandated. History happened here:  Visit or research a revolutionary historical site near you and create a piece of art that reflects on what you learned, saw, or felt. Revolutionary sites in Westchester and the Bronx can be found at rw250.org/sites Forgotten voices of the revolution:  Create a piece of art that reflects on the lives and roles of the American Revolutionary people who have been forgotten or overlooked in the telling of our history. Revolutions in Conversation:  Create a piece of art reflecting on how other “revolutions” throughout American history (Women’s Suffrage, Abolition, Civil Rights, etc.) have related to or contrasted with the original American Revolution? We look forward to seeing all of the creative ideas that the local artists come up with! Submissions and further rules and regulations can be found on our website at https://latimer.house.gov/services/art-competition Watch some of my recent House of Representatives floor speeches: Honoring local leaders and community advocates: The Rye Record Young Israel of Scarsdale The Rye Record SOCIAL SPOTLIGHT SURVEY DHS has been shut down for over a month, meaning essential staff are being forced to work without pay.   Enough is enough. Congress must act NOW to fund DHS without giving ICE a blank check. I signed on to legislation that funds essential DHS agencies, like TSA and the Coast Guard, without funding ICE and Border Patrol. I want to hear from you: Do you support legislation to fund TSA and hold ICE accountable? Yes No Taking this survey will sign you up for future news and updates from our office. ISSUES THAT STILL MATTER America at war and increasing costs of everyday living dominate the headlines, but there are still issues that matter greatly. The Epstein scandal, Russia’s war on Ukraine, deep cuts to healthcare, public education, and medical research, dangerous anti-vaccine policies, and much more. We continue to work on these issues, even when they are not in today’s headlines. TEXTING SIGN UP In case you missed it, my office sends text messages to residents in the 16th District. We hope this is another way to keep you informed of what I am working on in DC and at home. If you would like to join our texting list, you can sign up here: https://latimer.house.gov/services/subscribe-texting STAY IN TOUCH  Make sure to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, Twitter/X and YouTube to stay up-to-date on what I am working on. If this newsletter was sent to you by someone else, you can sign up for it here: https://latimer.house.gov/contact/newsletter-subscribe   As always, reach out to my offices with concerns or questions. We are here to serve you!   Sincerely, Rep. George Latimer Member of Congress Washington D.C. Office 1507 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Bronx Office 177 Dreiser Loop Room 3 Bronx, NY 10475 White Plains Office 222 Mamaroneck Ave. Suite 312 White Plains, NY 10605

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GILLIBRAND, SCHUMER, WYDEN, DUCKWORTH, COLLEAGUES

PRESS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER THREATS TO CUT MEDICAID FUNDING TO NEW YORK STATE

Withholding hundreds of millions in Medicaid funding will jeopardize New Yorkers’ access to essential care and services

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), ranking member of the Senate Aging Committee; Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Democratic Leader; Ron Wyden (D-OR), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee; and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) led Senate Democratic colleagues in demanding an immediate end to the Trump administration’s threats to cut Medicaid funding in New York, California, Maine, and other states led by Democratic governors.

In a new letter to the White House, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the senators called out arbitrary investigations and cuts to Medicaid programs driven by unfounded claims of fraud. 

“The Trump administration’s threats are a betrayal of the millions of Americans who rely on Medicaid,” said Senator Gillibrand. “President Trump should be focused on bringing down costs for American families, not playing political games with the benefits that so many New Yorkers rely on to get care. This is unacceptable, and I will do everything in my power to ensure funding is protected.”

In addition to Senators Gillibrand, Schumer, Wyden, and Duckworth, the letter was signed by Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

“Let us be clear: you are not going after the real fraudsters,” the senators wrote. “Instead, under the guise of ‘program integrity,’ you are cutting off vital funding for services that seniors, people with disabilities, and children rely on to survive and thrive in their communities.”

The senators continued, “Your decision to arbitrarily withhold massive amounts of federal matching funds is a direct attack on older Americans, children, and adults with disabilities, and the workers who deliver this essential home-based care.”

Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) allow older adults and people with disabilities to receive services in their home and communities. This is a lifeline that lets these populations live and age with dignity in the setting of their choice. Cuts to Medicaid HCBS would cause states to halt payments and scale back programs, forcing Americans who need long-term support into more costly and restrictive institutions, like nursing homes, and shutting down home care agencies and independent care workers.

The full text of the letter can be found here or below.

Dear President Trump, Vice President Vance, Secretary Kennedy, and Administrator Oz:

We write to you today on behalf of the millions of Americans who rely on Medicaid to live safely and independently in their communities. We demand an immediate end to the administration’s politicized crusade against states like Minnesota, California, Maine, New York, and other states led by Democratic governors.

Let us be clear: you are not going after the real fraudsters. Instead, under the guise of “program integrity,” you are cutting off vital funding for services that seniors, people with disabilities, and children rely on to survive and thrive in their communities. This summer, you and Congressional Republicans enacted the largest Medicaid cuts in history. Your latest campaign to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars from blue states is a thinly veiled attempt to pull the wool over Americans’ eyes and shift the blame for your catastrophic cuts onto Governors.

Your sudden “crusade against fraud” is insulting to anyone paying attention to your actual record. If this administration actually cared about reducing fraud and protecting taxpayer dollars, why did you fire at least 15 independent Inspectors General during your very first week in office? There is no acceptable fraud, nor should Congress or the Administration tolerate any wasteful spending of taxpayer funding. Fraud against Medicaid programs has occurred in every state—both red and blue—and robust processes, including Medicaid Fraud Control Units (MFCUs), already exist to identify and address it. However, if program integrity is truly the goal, why is the administration pardoning convicted fraudsters? Instead of policing corruption, you are weaponizing the federal government against seniors, people with disabilities, and hardworking families.

The administration is falsely maligning Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS)—the very services that keep people out of institutions—as inherently fraudulent. Your characterization of spending growth in personal care and HCBS as evidence of program integrity risk is senseless. Growth in HCBS means that states have successfully implemented the federal mandate to shift away from institutional care toward community-based care. This is a success story, not a scandal. This growth is not evidence of weak oversight; it is the predictable, intended, and celebrated result of decades-long federal and state rebalancing policies that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) itself designed and promoted.

Your decision to arbitrarily withhold massive amounts of federal matching funds is a direct attack on older Americans, children and adults with disabilities, and the workers who deliver this essential home-based care. Funding freezes force states to halt payments and scale back programs. Without home care, Americans who need long-term services will be forced into nursing homes and institutions—a devastating rollback of civil rights that will ultimately cost taxpayers more. Furthermore, home care agencies and independent care workers, who already operate on razor-thin margins while following the law, will be forced to shut their doors.

Rather than vilify children with disabilities and seniors aging at home, Democrats have consistently proposed solutions to root out actual wasteful spending. While you fired the very watchdogs responsible for prosecuting fraud, Democrats have proposed doubling down on anti-fraud programs that return up to $11 for every $1 spent. In 2021, without a single Republican vote, Democrats secured nearly $40 billion in Medicaid support to expand access to home-based care, boost workforce recruitment amid dire shortages, and increase wages for workers.

Meanwhile, Republican cuts to Medicaid are already denying services to families, like capping occupational, speech, and physical therapy visits. These cuts harm Americans in communities all across the country. For example, Theresa and her sister Nellie, now in their 60s, were born with muscular dystrophy that weakened their muscles over time and are now both wheelchair dependent.

Both rely on personal care services provided through California’s HCBS program, called the In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program for their daily activities, including getting in and out of bed, dressing, showering, and preparing food. Since they’ve started receiving care at home, both Theresa and Nellie have been able to start working. Their caregiving attendant helps them get ready every morning, including helping Nellie get to public transportation that takes her to her job. She then assists Theresa in settling into her home office where she can get onto her morning Zoom meetings.

In Teresa’s words: “I don’t think I could be on my own without IHSS. I wouldn’t be safe at all and I don’t know how long I would last without an injury. And I wouldn’t be able to work. I would not be able to get ready for the day, or to eat, or to go to in-person work events. Because IHSS allows me to work, I don’t depend on SSI anymore and our life is decent. We don’t have a lot but we have enough–we have a cat, bird feeders, have a decent living room that’s wheelchair accessible, a little bit of furniture. We have the basics, everything we need to be happy.”

Just like Theresa and Nellie, Medicaid HCBS is a lifeline for Patty and Katina. Patty from Tigard, Oregon, left her career as a therapist to become a Personal Support Worker (PSW) so she could care for her adult daughter, Katina, who has Down Syndrome, and requires 24/7 support for her safety.

Patty becoming a PSW after Katina graduated from high school not only allowed Katina to live in her community but has had an enormous impact on the family’s financial stability. Prior to becoming a PSW, Patty relied on social security disability payments as the family’s sole source of income, and they were barely able to make ends meet. At one point, the family went into foreclosure and almost lost their home.

Becoming a PSW has meant that not only does Katina have full-time care that allows her to live as an adult in her community, but the family has become financially secure enough to not have to rely on Social Security payments to live. Patty worries that Medicaid cuts will mean that she will no longer be able to be paid to be Katina’s caregiver. This would force their family into financial ruin and Katina into a facility, which is much more expensive and not what either she or Katina want.

For millions, Medicaid HCBS prevents more costly and restrictive care in residential facilities. Jennifer from Harrison, NY has a young adult son, Philip, who has an intellectual disability and autism. In her words – “He is 24 and is living a fulfilling life due to the support he receives from Medicaid HCBS. Philip has received job training in the community, job coaching in the community, participates in the local YMCA, local riding programs, recreation programs and a day program. He would likely be doing none of these things if it weren’t for Medicaid HCBS. He would be sitting in the house alone. My husband and I both work full time. His siblings are all either in college or working and living on their own, Philip would be sitting in the house staring at the walls. That would dissolve into depression and accompanying poor behavioral control. We’ve been there before and we don’t want to go back to those days in and out of the hospitals. Now Philip has a full life. He has friends, a community, a social life, and he is working towards a work life. He has all of this because of Medicaid HCBS.”