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 CITY HALL CIRCUIT. By John F. Bailey January 19, 2008: Efforts by Glen Hockley, White Plains Councilman, sources say have convinced the Mayor, as  Reporter Keith Eddings of The Journal News reports this morning that Mayor Joseph Delfino will place the two lots owned by developer Michael Neubauer on Orchard Street (near the New York City reservoir), on the open space acquisition list for consideration when the Open Space Committee meets January 30.

The Perceived Threat: City Sell-off of land is feared for development out Orchard Street way if Bernard Place paper street and 3 lot subdivision is approved by Planning Board. The city has refused comment on if it plans to sell the property, Councilman Hockley has through behind-the-scenes diplomacy convinced the Mayor to consider acquiring property from the Developer.

WPCNR has learned that  Mr. Hockley, holding behind-the-scenes talks with activist Al Gasman and the neighbors on Orchard Street, was key in pursuading the the Mayor to take a look at preserving the property. Hockley announced these intentions in a letter to The White Plains Times that he would bring up the Orchard Street property, located contiguous to the reservoir at the end of Orchard Street, as a possible open space acquistion at the OSC meeting. Hockley also expressed the hope that the paper street the developer wants to build and the lands the city owns parallel to Orchard Street be dedicated as parkland. 

Mr. Hockley, according to sources persuaded the Mayor to consider the property at the January 30  meeting. Neubauer’s plan currently before the Planning Board scheduled for January 31, is to subdivide the two-lot subdivison to build three homes, which could be worth up to a million dollars or more considering their pristine location. Acquisition by sale from the developer to the city by the developer would most likely cost the city approximately $3 Million or more by WPCNR estimates, considering what the developer stands to lose in possible sales of the homes.

Mr. Eddings reports that the six Democratic members of the Common Council support buying the land, but reports the Mayor’s Office as saying it has to proceed “cautiously” since the Planning Board is considering Neubauer’s application.

Over $5 Million spent to date paid to private owners for open space 

Previousy, in the Delfino administration, the city has paid $5.2 Million to purchase natural land (with various funding sources, but predominantly city money) from property owners  to prevent development on developable parcels. 

The $5.2 Million includes  $1.6 Million for the Grieco property, $1.8 Million for the Simon property adjacent the Greenway, and $1.7 for the D’Elia property alongside the Greenway, a total of $5.2 Million. The city pays $1 a year for the Liberty Park 30 year lease from County.  However, the Liberty Park acqusition has cost the city over $500,000 to develop the park that has been closed to the public due to extensive algae problems for most of the last two summers.

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From Westchester County Board of Legislators. January 18, 2008: County Board Chair Bill Ryan (D-I-WF, White Plains) said that Albany needs to take immediate action to give the state and the county a shot at retaining the film industry business which is leaving New York for   neighboring states that have put more competitive tax incentive programs in place to attract the industry. 

As reported in Wednesday’s Greenwich Times, the relocation of Blue Sky Studios from White Plains to Greenwich and the expansion of two NBC Universal’s studios/units in Stamford were being hailed by Connecticut state lawmakers as the advent of a ‘Hollywood East’ based in their state.

“The move by Blue Sky Studios highlights a problem that’s been obvious for quite some time,” Ryan said. “State leaders are not watching this and they need to be. Connecticut put a 30% incentive in place and New York did nothing. We’re constantly looking for ways to relieve the burden on property taxpayers. The New York film industry is worth billions in direct and indirect revenues to the state. Because of Albany‘s inaction, now it will be worth billions to neighboring states’ taxpayers instead.” 

Ryan pointed out that six months into its new tax incentive program, Connecticut reported $52 million in new film production revenue, compared with only $750,000 for the six months prior to the start of its program. Ryan said that Massachusetts, like Connecticut, is enjoying increased film industry revenue because it also put a more competitive tax incentive program than New York‘s in place. 

“The state needs to make our program of incentives competitive again,” said Ryan. “Clearly New York State has the economic muscle to reform the tax incentive program and  prevent any further loss to New York taxpayers of the benefits of what was once a thriving industry.”

Ryan, 2nd Vice President of the New York Association of Counties (NYSAC), was able to secure the organization’s approval of a resolution he introduced calling for the governor and the state legislature “to review and overhaul the State’s system of tax credits with the purpose of making New York State pre-eminent in the entertainment industry again.” The resolution said that the state’s “antiquated, non-competitive tax credit policy” has cost it both film industry jobs and revenues.

“NYSAC’s action moves the measure to a prime-time spot on the powerful organization’s Albany lobbying agenda,” said Ryan. “The issue falls squarely into what is be one of the organization’s major thrusts in 2008—economic development.”

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WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. January 18, 2008: City Hall announced the city 2nd Quarter Sales Tax Collection figures today and the “handle” is  $11,841,285  (essentially the same as last year: $11, 939,364).  The total for the first six months of fiscal 2007-2008 to date is $22,759,093 compared to the comparable July through December period last year, $21,977,064.  The city is up in sales tax collections 6.3% over 2007. City Hall characterized the report as “great news. 

Last year the city collected a record sales tax of $44.9 Million ($44,853,308). If the second half of 2007-2008 generates last year’s January through June collections of $22.8 Million the city will make its sales tax target ($43 Million), with a surplus, of $2.5 Million ($45.6 Million).

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WPCNR County Clarion-Ledger. By John F. Bailey. January 17, 2008: Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano addressing the Westchester County Association this morning said private investors and consortiums will be looked at more as the financial means for government and his county government to fund and manage future infrastructure improvements and county projects of all kinds.

County Executive Andrew Spano: “Everyone needs each other. We have a real need to collaborate together.”

As an example, Spano ,noting his Chairship of the Metropolitan Transportation Council, Spano told the audience  that most of the moneys  available for transit improvements in the region have already been committed to the Second Avenue subway completion out through 2020. He noted there is no money for any other transit project undertakings.

“Everyone is looking at private funding (for future transportation projects). I don’t see how we are going to have to do all we need to do without private funding,” Spano said.

 He indicated he is willing to entertain private proposals that fit county needs. He said that “I’m more than willing to listen to proposals  from private groups (to fund infrastructure and projects). When people come to us, we listen.” He said he has heard  building proposals recently from four groups for the Tappan Zee Bridge, a tunnel to Long Island under Rye Township, an I-95 rail corridor project, and a proposal to take over county sewage treatment plants.

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William Mooney, (right) President of the Westchester County Association,  told the audience of  over 300, “You’re going to be hearing a lot about private investment in the next couple of years.”

Mooney mentioned the benefits of a project proposed for the Pennsylvania Turnpike where a consortium would purchase the Pennsylvania Turnpike for $40 Billion and take over its maintenance. Mooney said  that as an advantage, this purchase would wipe out all debt the state of Pennsylvania now has and enable it to fund more social programs.

The Spitzer Property Tax Cap.

Asked if he felt Governor Eliot Spitzer’s suggested cap on  property taxes  could work, Spano said “It’s a tough, tough issue. I like the concept. But I’d need (state) unfunded mandates taken away from me.

Spano added that he would have to have more control over county government on personnel management. Now, Spano said when he wants to cut personnel in departments carrying out state mandates such as prisons, he has to receive state approval, and he would want that process of clearing personnel management staffing with the state eliminated as part of any property tax cap procedure. Spano pointed out the $18 Million the county was forced to add to investigate child violence reports as mandated by the state education department as an example of an unexpected mandate the county had to pay for.

 “Take away the state mandates of $212 Million. Give me that back and I’ll run it (county government) for less. “

He said, “New York State used to be number one in taxes nationally. Now, we are 27^th, but our counties are the highest taxed nationally. Now why do you think that is?”

The Governor in Touch.

Mooney  added that the Westchester County Association had been contacted by Thomas Suozzi, the Governor’s appointed chair of the state property tax Commission the Governor created last week, and that the Association was going to be contributing to Mr. Suozzi’s study of property tax issues. Mooney also said he’d been contacted by Governor Spitzer’s office as well to participate. Mooney reported that the WCA is conducting its own review of property tax issues in the county, but did not elaborate.

Other Issues

The question was asked of the County Executive about Pepsi Cola leaving the county and what the county was doing about it. The County Executive said there was still hope he could persuade “The  Pepsi Generation” to remain in the county. “We’ve offered them everything,” Spano said but said Connecticut and particularly Fairfield County was able to offer Pepsi more. Spano said he planned to work out an arrangement with Fairfield County where firms could not “blackmail” the counties, going back and forth for better deals to locate. He did not elaborate.

The County Executive in response to questions from the floor,  defended County Legislator committee and County Legislator Chair Bill Ryan’s bid for raises, saying, “No government official gets paid for the job they do. The salary is make-believe. There’s no rationale for it. After four years you deserve more. The man (Bill Ryan) asked for a raise. The taxpayers said no. What’s the problem? The people are our boss. They said no.  He did that (went to the people). It was more of a problem of what the process is.”

No questions were asked about tax increases, county expense projections, or county positions on issues such as the I-95/ Tappan Zee Bridge corridor, energy issues, future development (other than the funding of development issue), or possible county cost control.

In his address billed as a State of the County message, Mr. Spano said “We’re in great shape. Unemployment was below 4% still.”  He said  his job was to look out into the future and prepare the county now for issues facing the county ahead “because government is like an ocean liner, it turns very slowly.”

One of those issues was  global warming. He said  he started his task force on global warming  “because  if I don’t do it, where does it start,” and that it would be issuing regulations Westchester Communities would be forced to comply with, within two months. He said the Task Force was not going to issue a study, but to issue hard “do this now” regulations to the communities.

In his remarks before the question and answer period, County Executive Spano addressed a series of efforts to improve quality of life by building with private partners a Proposed Veterns Village at Montrose on the Veterans Administration property; he mentioned his flood management program undertaken after two floods in one year in the Mamaroneck area, a program which he said would soon introduce legislation to  tell what communities “have to do what so this (flooding) does not happen again.”  

He  said he was currently surveying the “livability” of Westchester across age groups, and expected a report on issues facing various demographic groups shortly.  He praised the building of the $27 Million county jail and how it has a Programs Floor to prepare is mostly teen population for life after jail. He said it costs $65,000 a year per person to incarcerate them.

Closing the annual breakfast, Mr. Mooney challenged the members of the Association, to “pitch in together and get the job done.”

In his last remarks, Mr. Spano affirmed that, saying, “Everyone needs each other. We have a real need to collaborate together.”

The gathering departs the Biltmore Room at the Westchester Country Club.

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WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. From Institute for Nonviolence. January 17, 2008: On Saturday, Feb. 9, 2008 the Westchester Martin Luther King, Jr. Institute for Nonviolence holds its ninth annual conference, “Ending Violence, Building Hope,”  at The Castle, Manhattanville College in Purchase. A group of Westchester youth will participate in discussions with other young people, and will perform hip hop music based on Dr. King’s Six Principles of Nonviolence.  Known as H.I.P. H.O.P. — Highly Intelligent People Healing Our Planet —  the group has been invited to perform by community centers, churches, synagogues and schools that recognize this powerful vehicle for learning and creativity, and recently released a CD of original songs inspired by Dr. King. 

            “Those who are looked upon as hip hop leaders in the U.S. are gaining financially,” says White Plains resident Cornell Carelock.  “But more can be done with hip hop to empower us culturally.  We can take inspiration from the civil rights movement to help us move forward collectively and make positive change.”  Working under the auspices of the Westchester Martin Luther King, Jr. Institute for Nonviolence, Mr. Carelock, also known as Lord Judah, is adviser and teacher to the participants in this project.  Several of the groups’ musicians are students at the Music Conservatory of Westchester, whose Dean Ruth Matthews will be among the speakers sharing information about the hip hop ensemble and about the conservatory’s other offerings for youth.

            Open to the public, the event takes place from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm at The Castle, Manhattanville College, Purchase, NY.  Donations of $5.00 per person are requested.

For information call the Westchester Martin Luther King Institute at (914) 949-6555.