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TWO DAYS AGO COUNTY LEGISLATOR BENJAMIN BOYKIN OF WHITE PLAINS 5TH DISTRICT SENT OUT A RELEASE WARNING OF THIS KIND OF E-Z PASS SCAM.
THURSDAY WPCNR RECEIVED ONE. BOYKIN URGES RESIDENTS RECEIVING SUCH E MAIL TO IGNORE IT AND DO NOT DOWN LOAD THE ATTACHMENT.
WPCNR HAS E-Z PASS, IF YOU OWN SOMETHING E Z PASS CONTACTS YOU BY MAIL, NOT BY EMAIL. IGNORE REQUESTS BY E MAIL.
SEE LEGISLATOR BOYKIN’S NEWS RELEASE BELOW IN THIS NEWS TRAIL
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PCNR THE FEINER REPORT. From Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner. July 23, 2015:
Greenburgh Councilman Francis Sheehan, Town Attorney Tim Lewis and I had a very constructive meeting with the leadership of Pet’s Alive this morning. Our goal is to work cooperatively to keep the no kill animal shelter open. Pet’s Alive is holding a Board meeting early next week and we agreed to meet again next Thursday morning –continuing our dialogue. We discussed the deed restriction on the property which limits development potential on the property. The deed restriction states that the property shall be used “solely and exclusively for park, recreational, or general municipal purposes or as an animal shelter in perpetuity.”
Will keep you updated.
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WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. JULY 23, 2015:
Time for a Change
Councilman John Kirkpatrick’s comments on the FASNY application during the recent Common Council Work Session, in my view, showed incredible disdain for the neighborhoods in the south end of the City that have vigorously opposed the FASNYdevelopment. A few cogent examples:
Finally, with a wry smile, Mr. Kirkpatrick said it is now time to declare “Victory” and approve FASNY and transfer a local street used by the residents to the school. I think a better “Victory” would be for residents to turn Mr. Kirkpatrick out of office should he decide to seek reelection and replace him with someone who will represent the residents of White Plains.
Mary Anne Connell
Mobile: 914-522-0933
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Part of the crowd of 80 persons who came out to protest and seek solutions to the possible sale and closing of Pets Alive in Elmsford at the Greenburgh Town Hall. Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner below called the meeting in response to phone calls and e-mails outraged at the Pets Alive plan to close the shelter. Photos by Peter Katz
WPCNR HUMANE NEWS. By Peter Katz. Special to WPCNR.
(Greenburgh, NY – July 22, 2015)
Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner this evening told about 80 animal activists gathered at Greenburgh Town Hall that a deed restriction prevents Pets Alive, the current operator of what had been the Elmsford Animal Shelter, from selling the property to a developer or putting it to any commercial use.
Pets Alive had announced that it would close the shelter in the next couple of months, move any remaining animals to its shelter in Middletown, NY, and then sell the Elmsford property.
The deed restriction had been found and confirmed earlier today by Greenburgh Town Attorney Timothy Lewis and Town Board Member Francis Sheehan, both of whom attended the meeting. Feiner suggested that Pets Alive had hoped to receive from $3-million to $4-million for the property, for which it had paid only $10 in a land donation arrangement involving Greenburgh and Westchester County. At the time, the animal shelter had been operating in inadequate facilities off Saw Mill River Road, fairly close to some residences. The new location west of property which had been the Elmsford Drive-In Theater and now is Sam’s Club was a vast improvement.
Representatives of several animal rights groups in Westchester attended Wednesday evening’s meeting, as did a number of volunteers from the Pets Alive facility. There was a consensus that Westchester groups and animal lovers would be successful in running a new shelter at the Elmsford site, and Feiner took the role of catalyst to bring interested individuals together. He distributed questionnaires to help identify those in attendance and to begin assembling the talents needed for such a project.
Feiner said he would be meeting with representatives of Pets Alive in his office at 9 am Thursday. He, Lewis and Sheehan expressed the opinion that discovery of the deed restriction changes the dynamics of the situation, and provides tremendous leverage in negotiations with Pets Alive. Lewis explained that the restriction, which was in the property deed signed in the 1980’s by former County Executive Andrew O’Rourke, runs with the land and is binding on any entity holding title to the land. It specifies that the land can only be used for parks and recreational purposes, for municipal purposes, or for an animal shelter.
While Pets Alive has stated that repair and maintenance costs for the current building have skyrocketed and the building is unsound, several people expressed doubt about such being the case. Town Attorney Lewis noted that the building inspector has the final say as to whether a building is structurally sound, and Greenburgh’s building inspector has not declared the shelter to be unsound.
Some volunteers at the current shelter expressed concern that older dogs, who have been unwanted for adoption and have called the shelter home for years, would not survive a change in surroundings to Middletown. The current shelter in Elmsford is on more that 5 acres of land and has more than 30,000 square feet of enclosed space.
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WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2015. By John F. Bailey. July 22, 2015:
Co Chairman of the Westchester County Board of Elections Douglas Colety signed a ruling this afternoon denying Richard Cerulli of White Plains a position on the Common Council Election Ballot in White Plains in the November election, due to Cerulli’s petitions not having enough signatures. “He needed 326, and he only had 227. Someone challenged and we had to count them,” a employee in Colety’s office said.
Anne Marie Encarnacao’s petitions were approved and she will be the lone Republican on the ballot running against Democrat candidates Dennis Krolian, Milagros Lecuona, and Nadine Hunt-Robinson. Encarnacao will also have the Conservative line on the ballot.
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| Dear Friends and Neighbors, Getting out of town for a few days is what makes us all look forward to the summer months every year. Unfortunately this summer has brought out some unwanted attention as a result. We’re urging everyone to beware of a new scam targeting E-Z Pass customers this summer. Here is what to watch for: An email that appears to be from E-Z Pass, which has the E-Z Pass logo and says you owe money for driving on a toll road. It also provides a link to click for your invoice. Don’t Click It. The email isn’t from E-Z Pass. By clicking on the link, hackers may be putting something onto your computer with the goal of extracting personal information. By responding to this e-mail and clicking on the link, you could make yourself vulnerable to identity theft. This E-Z Pass scam is one of the latest phishing scams, whereby criminals pretend to be legitimate businesses to gain access to your personal information. Here are a few online security tips to help you avoid phishing scams:
If you believe you have received one of these e-mails, forward it to spam@uce.gov and to the company being falsely portrayed in the e-mail. Additionally, you can also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission by visiting at ftc.gov/complaint. For more information you can also visit ftc.gov/idtheft. |
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WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the Office of Thomas DiNapoli, New York State Comptroller. July 21, 2015:
Property tax growth for local governments will be capped at less than one percent for the 2016 fiscal year, according to a report issued today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The report noted the allowable tax levy growth factor will be 0.73 percent for entities that operate on a calendar-based fiscal year – which includes all counties, towns, fire districts, 44 cities and 10 villages.
“Local government officials need to brace for the lowest growth in their property tax revenue in the tax cap era,” said DiNapoli. “Municipalities may have to operate differently under these new limits. Even tougher budget choices may be required on staffing levels, delivery of services, fund balance reductions, and deferral of capital and infrastructure projects. And if inflation trends continue, it is possible that some local governments with fiscal years beginning later in 2016, including school districts, could be faced with zero growth in property tax revenue.”
The tax cap, which first applied to local governments beginning in 2012, limits tax levy increases to the lesser of the rate of inflation or 2 percent with some exceptions, including a provision that allows municipalities to override the cap.
DiNapoli estimates that next year more than 1,800 calendar-year local governments will have roughly $88.3 million less in tax levy growth compared to what they had in 2015 when the factor was 1.56 percent and $135.1 million less than they would have had when the factor was at 2 percent as in 2012 and 2013.
The Comptroller also projected that the potential impact of levy restrictions for school districts (which have fiscal years beginning July 1) could range from a loss of $182.7 million, assuming a factor of 0.73 percent, to a loss of $332.6 million, assuming a factor of zero. These ranges are in comparison to the 2015-16 tax levy cap of 1.62 percent.
Read the report, or visit: http://www.osc.state.ny.us/localgov/pubs/research/snapshot/taxcaptightens0715.pdf
For access to state and local government spending, public authority financial data and information on 50,000 state contracts, visit Open Book New York. The easy-to-use website was created by DiNapoli to promote openness in government and provide taxpayers with better access to the financial workings of government.
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WPCNR HEAT WAVE. From Caren Halbfinger, Westchester County Department of Health. July 20, 2015:
With hot and humid weather forecast through tomorrow, the Westchester County Health Department is issuing a heat advisory. As temperatures rise, residents are advised to avoid strenuous activity, drink plenty of non-alcoholic, uncaffeinated beverages, and take precautions to prevent heat-related illness.
Heat stroke is a serious and life-threatening condition that claims many lives nationwide each year. Symptoms include hot, red, dry skin; shallow breathing; a rapid, weak pulse; and confusion. Anyone suffering from heat stroke needs to receive emergency medical treatment immediately. Call 911 if you suspect heat stroke and immediately cool the overheated person while waiting for emergency help to arrive.
“Heat stroke and dehydration can take you by surprise,” said Sherlita Amler, MD, Westchester County commissioner of health. “The elderly, young children and those with high blood pressure, heart disease, or lung conditions need to be especially careful to avoid heat-related illnesses. High humidity and some medications can also increase a person’s risk for heat stroke.”
While less dangerous than heat stroke, heat exhaustion also poses concerns. Seniors, children up to age four, people who are overweight or who have high blood pressure and those who work in hot environments are most at risk. Signs include headache, nausea or vomiting, dizziness and exhaustion, as well as cool, moist, pale or flushed skin. People suffering from heat exhaustion should be moved out of the sun and have cool, wet cloths applied to their skin.
Health Department recommendations to prevent heat-related illnesses:
Elevated heat and humidity can also lead to unhealthy ozone levels. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation forecasts daily ozone conditions on its website, http://www.dec.ny.gov, for the New York Metropolitan area, which includes Westchester County. Air quality updates are also provided daily on the New York State Air Quality Hotline at 1-800-535-1345.
Ozone is a gas produced by the action of sunlight on organic air contaminants from automobile exhausts and other sources. Significant exposure to ozone in the air has been linked with adverse health effects. These may include nose and throat irritation, respiratory symptoms, and decreases in lung function.
People who experience these symptoms should speak with a health care provider. Those who may be especially sensitive to the effects of ozone exposure include the very young, those who exercise outdoors or are involved in strenuous outdoor work, and those with pre-existing respiratory problems such as asthma. When ozone levels are elevated, the Westchester County Department of Health recommends limiting strenuous physical activity outdoors to reduce the risk of adverse effects.
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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. By John F. Bailey with data from the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. UPDATED WITH CORRECTION. July 20, 2015:
The City Sales Tax Receipts for the month June were 21% less than last year, the Department of Taxation and Finance reported Thursday, leaving the city 2014-15 sales tax receipts $800,652 less than last year when the city collected $51,856,187. This year the city final sales tax receipts were $51,055,529.
Last June White Plains collected $5,385,000 in sales tax dollars, this year the city received $4,254150 in sales tax receipts, a decline of 21%.
The County Sales Tax receipts through the first half of the county budget year of 2015, were down 2.6%. Westchester County has collected $245.2 Million through June compared to last year’s mid-year total of $251.7 M, a differential of 2.6%. The County June 2015 sales tax dollars were down 8% reflecting the White Plains performance.
The White Plains fiscal year does not leave the city with a deficit, but does raise questions as to how the city economic “recovery” is doing. Since the city last raised its sales tax in 2010 with approval of the state legislature, the city sales tax receipts have been flat the last 5 years.
They have risen one year above the 2011 total, while inflation over those 5 years has risen 12%. The city sales activity has not kept pace with inflation.
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