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 THE SEWER REPORT By John F. Bailey. November 26, 2008: The $234.7 Million sewer project announced in postcard mailers to residents in the Mamaroneck Valley Sewer District throughout White Plains this week, could cost White Plains residents $150 more a year in sewer bills by 2014, based on preliminary estimates the county has run on the cost of the federally mandated project to upgrade the Mamaroneck Valley Plant (on Mamaroneck Harbor), and the New Rochelle plant.

GREETINGS FROM THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY SEWER BOYS.

The postcard from Commissioner Tom Lauro announcing $234.7 Million sewer plant rehab project — the largest county capital project in history — according to the County Legislature Press Office. Very preliminary estimates indicate White Plains residents in the Mamaroneck Valley Sewer District would see bills escalate $75 to $150 and up by 2014,  or sooner if the county does not get a bailout.

In 2008 the median White Plains home ($700,000) assessed at $18,475 a year paid $323 in sewer taxes. If the preliminary figures hold, sewer taxes for Mr. and Mrs. White Plains will go  up related to the project funding beginning in 2011 out to 2014, or perhaps all at once depending on how the project is financed by the County. 

2008, the Mamaroneck Valley Sewer District residents in White Plains paid a total of $3.3 Million to the county, Bronx Valley District residents in White Plains, paid $3.4 Million according to the White Plains Finance Department. Gina Cuneo Harwood told WPCNR Tuesday evening the way the sewer tax is figured is this: The county gives White Plains the sewer levy, and White Plains calculates the per $1,000 of assessed value tax rate, to figure the rate Mr. and Mrs. White Plains pay for sewer services.

The county will address the project  Monday in a public hearing  on the budget at the Michaelian Building at 3:30 P.M.

County Legislator Tom Abinanti, chair of the Health Committee for the county, stressed to WPCNR that the full impact of any sewer district increase affecting White Plains, Blind Brook, New Rochelle and Port Chester would not hit until 2014, that these were estimates he has  only at this time. (The County Department of Communications has yet to provide as requested by WPCNR, the actual figures previously presented which would give more detail).

 Mr. Abinanti supplied preliminary figures he has from correspondence. Abinanti made clear that the county is seeking other sources of funding for the $234.7 Million project, appealing to Senator Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton for federal aid, and that it is not altogether certain the residents in the four sewer districts, would have to pay for it.

At this time, residents of New Rochelle, White Plains, Port Chester, and Blind Brook are “on the hook,” for that increase, the County Legislator press office told WPCNR Tuesday.

The Legislative Press Office told WPCNR the fines associated with the county not complying with the federal order were $195,000 civil penalties and responsibility for funding $780,000 other environmental projects as selected by the Department of Environmental Conservation of New York State.

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WPCNR THE PARKING NEWS. November 26, 2008, UPDATED 2 PM E.S.T.: White Plains Mayor Joseph Delfino and White Plains Hospital Center President Jon Schandler officially opened the $19 Million Longview Municipal Parking Garage, at a ribbon cutting ceremony, today. The garage holds 758 spaces of which 324 on the upper levels have been leased to the Hospital and will be open to parking for employees of the hospital Monday morning. 

It features chemical reductive energy efficient lighting,  roomy parking spaces with wide car clearances, among other amenities, and parkers pay using the central “Moroni Money Machines,” familiar to White Plains residents, eliminating pay-as-you-exit booths currently used by the hospital at the Davis Avenue garage.

The new garage will be open to the public Friday, according to Commissioner of Public Works, Joseph Nicoletti.  The ribbon cutting marks the culmination of a 10 year process to construct the 758 space parking garage and provide critically needed parking to White Plains Hospital and area businesses and residents. 

Mayor Delfino, left, with Commissioner of Parking, Al Moroni, center and CEO of White Plains Hospital Center, Jon Schandler, right. at this morning’s opening. The Mayor called the new garage “The First Step” in the hospital’s planned $100 Million “Renaissance.” 

The Mayor told WPCNR that the garage opening was the first step in the city’s planned upgrade of East Post Road, which he said would possibly mean a redevelopment of a portion of the Sholz Buick property at Post and Lexington Avenues. The Mayor said he did not know the details but Sholz was looking for a developer for a portion of their property on the open car display lot. Sholz, the Mayor said, would possibly continue his car dealer on another portion of the site.

She’s Open! The Stakeholders officially open the Longview Cromwell Garage Wednesday morning: Front: L to R, Paul Weissman, Chair of the Board, White Plains Hospital Center. Jon Schandler, Chief Executive Officer, Mayor Joseph Delfino, Councilpersons Rita Malmux and Thomas Roach. Standing on steps, Commissioner of Public Works, Joseph Nicoletti, builder of the garage, and Commissioner of Parking, Albert Moroni.

The garage will also be used by visitors to the Kensington Assisted Living Facility, to be built on the adjacent site to the garage. The White Plains Hospital Center $100 Million expansion plan  shows the Kensington preliminary design above (the building to the right next to the Longview Garage that opened today.

The White Plains Kensington  project currently awaits Housing and Urban Development Funding for that $30 Million project, in addition to over $900,000 in tax relief from the county and the city, without which the project, they indicated could not be built.

The Post Road Upgrade Possibilities.

Melissa Lopez, officer in charge of economic development for White Plains, told WPCNR that the city is willing to work with property owners of buildings on the side of Post Road opposite the possible towards improvement of their storefronts, but stopped short of saying the city would provide city dollars for the improvements.  The Mayor said the buildings fronting the street on Post Road involved five separate owners, and therefore it remained to be seen how any development could occur on that sector without the owners agreeing on  their property.

The Mayor said Winbrook, the public housing complex was there to stay and would not be touched, though the White Plains Housing Authority is entertaining a gradual rebuild of each building with Housing and Urban Development department funding, the details of which have yet to be finalized.

Moving Forward 

Melissa Lopez, spokesperson for the Mayor’s Office,  told WPCNR last July that the delay in the start of the White Plains Kensington assisted living project scheduled for groundbreaking this month, now delayed indefinitely, due to the Fountain Properties application with HUD to pay for the construction (due to the financial market malaise), would not begin possibly costing the city money until April 2009 when the first payment on the $19 Million bond for construction of the Longview Municipal Garage in the final stages of completion is due.

Lopez said last July,  it is expected Kensington will begin making the payments in April, 2009, on the garage debt service and that the city will not have to pay the debt service and principle.

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WPCNR THE SEWER REPORT. By John F. Bailey. November 24, 2008 UPDATED 10:40 P.M.: White Plains Residents in the Mamaroneck Valley Sewer District in Westchester ( approximately east of Mamaroneck Avenue in White Plains, according to White Plains Commissioner of Public Works )  may be facing an unspecified increase in their sewer taxes, in addition to  a Westchester County property tax hike.

Those residents  affected by the surprise sewer project, are  receiving a public notice from Commissioner Tom Lauro of the Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities, informing them that Westchester County is being mandated by the state and federal government  (with no financial aid for the repairs from either state or Washington) to execute $235.7 Million in sewer repairs to eliminate discharging nitrogen into Long Island Sound. 

The Board of Legislators set a public hearing on floating a bond for that amount  for Monday, December 8 at 10:30 A.M.

Senator Charles Schumer speaking in Purchase, New York, Monday morning said this was one infrastructure project that County Executive Andrew Spano said the county might receive infrastructure aid on as part of the Obama Administration “stimulus” package.

This additional burden on the taxpayer is brought about by the county agreeing  to fulfill an agreement between the state of New York and the Federal Government executed in 1998. The County Board of Legislators was scheduled to conduct consideration of bonding for those improvements Monday afternoon.

White Plains Commissioner of Public Works, Joseph Nicoletti, queried about this by WPCNR Monday evening was unaware of the mandate. According to the public notice, the sewers in the Blind Brook Sewer District, the Mamaroneck Valley, New Rochelle and Port Chester sewer districts are affected.

White Plains officials were unaware of this mandate when asked about it Monday evening. White Plains residents served by the Mamaroneck Valley Sewer District may be expected to pay for any debt service incurred by the county to execute these repairs.

Monday evening the Board of Legislators issued this curt summary of the scheduled hearing:

The following public hearings have been set for Monday, December 8, 2008 at 10:30 AM:

• BNR Consent Order

Proposed Consent Order with New York State concerning nitrogen reduction of sewage drained into the Long Island Sound, in ultimate compliance with the federal Clean Water Act. The legislation includes a bond act in the amount of approximately $235 million to fund the design and construction of improvements needed to upgrade the New Rochelle and Mamaroneck Sewage Treatment Plants.  The agreement must be approved by the end of the year in order for the county to avoid having to pay heavy fines imposed by the state. (16-1; No: Maisano)

It is interesting to note this mandate was not mentioned in today’s report issued out of the County  Legislature Budget and Appropriations Committee detailing the 2009  County Department of Public Works budget.

The complete consent order may be read at http://meetings.westchesterlegislators.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Download=Attachments&AttachmentID=1905&agencyname=westchestercounty

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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. November 24, 2008: Senator Charles Schumer today described the stimulus package that congress will be working to deliver when the Obama Adminstration assumes power January 20,  and how it will work its way into Westchester County in an address to the Westchester County Association today at a meeting of the Westchester County Association.

Senator Schumer at Mastercard Headquarters in Purchase Monday morning, addressing the Westchester County Association.

He said the package would affect the county in five ways:  providing sharply increased federal funding for infrastructure particularly for flood remediation for the Bronx River Parkway, the Sprain Parkway and the Sound Shore (that is mandated for the Blind Brook, Mamaroneck Valley, New Rochelle and Port Chester sewer districts according to the County Department of Environmental Facilities.

He promised there would be millions in additional loans for small businesses through the Small Business Administration for the county; sharply increased reimbursement for Medicaid for New York State; increased funding for the Federal Housing Administration that will be used to refinance homeowners facing possible foreclosure, and millions more in community development grants that can be used to rehabilitate homes foreclosed and shore up their values to stimulate the economy. He also promised funding and incentives for  “green jobs” that would benefit the county.

Details in a later report.

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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. By John F. Bailey. November 24, 2008: Senator Charles Schumer and Congresswoman Nita Lowey indicated today they would seek  Medicaid relief for New York State to cover part or possibly all of the projected $15 Billion shortfall New York faces in 2009. Lowey said she would work hard to include funding for the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement as part of the infrastructure stimulus package anticipated by the new Obama administration. Senator Schumer said it was up to New York counties to target infrastructure projects for government aid.

Asked by WPCNR in a post Westchester County Association news conference this morning,  if Senator Schumer was working on a relief package to get a $15 Billion commitment by New York State in 2009 related to the plummet in state revenue from Wall Street, Schumer shared the hope that Washington paying a greater share of New York Medicaid would enable New York to trim that deficit:

“If we do a significant Medicaid (cut) some help with the Medicaid mess, I think that will help New York more than any other state, because our Medicaid burden is the greatest of any state and that is along the lines of what we’re thinking about (on the New York deficit).”

WPCNR asked  the Senator if he was working on $16 Billion in aid for Tappan Zee Bridge replacement as part of the infrastructure plan he promised  was on the way to Westchester County during his talk to the Westchester County Association this morning, said it was up to the counties to ask for what infrastructure aid they wanted:

“That will be up to…what the infrastructure program will be, will be allowing localities to come in and apply, so we’re not going to tell Westchester you have to have this and you have to have that. Andy Spano mentioned that they have a $300 Million water and sewer upgrade coming up and no federal help thus far. It would be a lot better if that will be a part of the package rather having the taxpayers pay for it.”

Congresswoman Nita Lowey, responding to WPCNR’S question about the Tappan Zee Bridge funding,  was more direct.  She said she was actively working to include the Tappan Zee replacement cost as part of the Obama stimulus package:

 “As I’ve said to many people, the Tappan Zee Bridge is absolutely critical to Westchester and Rockland County, and I intend to work with my colleagues to do whatever we can to make it (the Tappan Zee replacement) part of the  stimulus package.  At this point, this  new administration, lead by extraordinary President-elect Senator Obama – has committed to a major stimulus package  of approximately $600 to $700 Billion, roads, bridges, highways, jobs that will put [pepo[;e to work and I intend to advocate for the Tappan Zee Bridge to be a part of that effort.”

Lowey speaking separately from Senator Schumer out of earshot, confirmed separately that Medicaid relief was being looked on as the vehicle to ease New York’s budget shortage by relieving the state Medicaid burden and freeing up money for the projected deficit:

WPCNR asked Ms. Lowey if New York state might be treated as some kind of financial disaster which would indicate a need for a bail out of the $15 Billion deficit the state faces next year, Lowey said seemed to echo Senator Schumer’s thinking that increased Medicaid aid to New York would ease the budget deficit projected for 2009:

Lowey said: “There is an important relationship between New York and the United States of America and between the stimulus package and other programs like FMAP  that will give the federal government greater responsibility for the Medicaid expenses. These will all be important items that I hope will be included in the stimulus package.”

I asked if the MEDICAID relief could cover the $15 Billion shortfall. Lowey said, “I can’t predict how much –  but we’re going to work all of us to make sure NY gets its share of the stimulus package.”

FMAP is the Federal Medical Assistance Program

FMAP is the percent of state medicaid expenditures that the federal government reimburses to states. “rich states,” get the smallest reimbursement.  50%.  For every dollar New York spends on Medicaid, the federal government pays us back 50 cents. Poorer states like West Virginia and Missouri at 75 cents back.

The Associated Press and The New York Times have reported  that congress is considering an increase in the FMAP reimbursement now that the election is past.

The House passed a stimulus bill in late September that included an FMAP increase, but the senate did not pass it because the bill was left out of the bail out package.

According  to Senator Schumer’s news release on his address this morning at Purchase, New York State “ranks first nationally in Medicaid costs per person spending $45 Billion last year.” Schumer’s release reports that Westchester County expects to spend $2.4 million more in 2009 on Medicaid, a total of $197 Million.