Playland concessions contract latest example why A&C Board must be reformed
The Republican caucus of the Board of Legislators criticized the three-member Board of Acquisition and Contract for approving a request by the Parks Department to enter into a license agreement with Westchester Concessions to run games and sell merchandise at Playland through 2012. Minority Leader George Oros (R/Cortlandt) said what was particularly frustrating about the actions of the Board of Acquisition and Contract was it was asked to remove the contract for consideration after two legislative committees expressed many reservations about it, yet County Executive Andrew Spano and Commissioner of Public Works Ralph Butler decided to proceed any way, over the objections of the board’s only other voting member, Board of Legislators Chairman William Ryan. “In essence what the Board of Acquisition and Contract decided to do was take a matter regarding the most visited Westchester County park into its own hands, regardless of the serious concerns legislators had about it. That’s scary,” Oros said. “Decisions like that are why we have been calling for a major reform of the Board of Acquisition and Contract for years now. What a disgrace. Is it any wonder that so many people have such an unfavorable view of county government?” The license agreement approved by Spano and Butler will allow Westchester Concessions, Inc. of Mount Kisco, a wholly owned subsidiary of Friends of Westchester County Parks, Inc, to operate two game concessions and a mobile merchandise cart at Playland from May 2008 to the end of 2012 for a fee of $217,500. Three days earlier, the Budget and Appropriations and Government Operations committees both asked Ryan to try to have the agreement withdrawn from the Board of Acquisition and Contract so they could have additional time to discuss it. Ryan did follow the committee’s instructions, but he was overruled. The profits earned by Westchester Concessions will be given to Friends of Westchester County Parks, which, without any scrutiny by the Board of Legislators, will decide where the funds will be spent. “I commend Chairman Ryan for his courage in standing up to the administration, and for defending the voice of the people as expressed through their elected representatives,” said Legislator Gordon Burrows (R/Bronxville). “The Friends are good, honest people who are dedicated to improving our parks. It’s unfortunate the administration has dragged this group into the middle of a political slugfest.” Legislator Jim Maisano (R/New Rochelle) said the Spano administration has a history of finding ways to award contracts without any input from the Board of Legislators. “This is part of a dubious pattern to have government decisions made by bypassing the elected county board,” Maisano said. “The most egregious example is the plan for a so-called land trust that would dominate affordable housing policies with decisions that are not reviewable by the county board or elected city, town and village officials.” The Board of Acquisition and Contract meets every Thursday at 11 a.m. in a small meeting room on the ninth floor of the county office building. The meetings are open to the public and media but there is seldom an audience, other than county employees. The often lengthy agenda containing millions of dollars of contracts is usually completed within five minutes with very little discussion. “Maybe this latest snub will prompt our Democratic colleagues on the Board of Legislators to finally take seriously the legislation we have proposed to change the way the Board of Acquisition and Contract haphazardly operates,” Oros said. “Otherwise, the administration will continue to call the shots and taxpayers will be saddled with unwise and unnecessary expenditures for years to come."