City Manager Chuck Strome has told City officials that he intends to rehire the three CSO’s as a result of a sharp decline in parking ticket revenue and increased enforcement needs to expected changes with the downtown parking situation.
The CSOs, who were notified of their lay-offs just before last Christmas will return work on March 15, 2010.
Strome says he based his decision on a sharp decline in parking ticket revenue in January and February dues to less enforcement and the increased need for enforcement due to the proposed BID plan to extend parking meter hours (11 pm for on-street meters and 24/7 for off-street lots) and the City’s agreement to take responsibility for the first floor parking at Avalon 2.
Strome expects that the additional revenue will exceed the cost of hiring back the three CSOs.
The CSO decision and the Avalon 1 deal under which the City will receive $3 million will be sure to raise questions about the City’s deal with firefighters. To avoid lay-offs at the end of last year, Local 273 agreed to defer contractual raises.
A Strange Situation
When questioned about the hiring freeze and layoffs the administration responded; “There is a limited hiring freeze based on necessity of position and impact on the operation”. This made the termination of income producing employees like Community Service Officer’s (CSO’s) strange. This was a strike out; three CSO’s get terminated (strike one), the city loses revenue from the terminations (strike two) and police officers must cover the duties of the terminated CSO’s like code enforcement, dispatcher, school crossings etc., reducing police manpower on the street and increasing overtime (strike three).
Most terminations of unionized employees is based on seniority but the administration atypically applied their newfound terminations based on; “necessity of position and impact on the operation”. That means that the CSO’s were determined to be the least necessary employees having a minimal impact on operations of all Local 663 members. Now a mere three months later it is determined that the administration was wrong and must rehire the “least necessary” CSO’s back to recover lost revenue.
The termination policy used was peculiar to say the least. The fact that the city knew they would be getting millions from pre-payment of Avalon 1 and still terminated 16 firefighters & CSO’s forcing the Firefighter’s Union members to defer a contractual raise to save their brother firefighters. Now the administration refuses to use a portion of the Avalon windfall to honor the contract and make the firefighter’s whole which is bizarre.
This is the second “monetary crisis” faced by the city and in both instances 16 firefighters were terminated and later saved. The firefighters were made whole by State Assembly members Amy Paulin & Ron Tocci who obtained emergency state aid to save the firefighters in the first crisis. The eccentric actions of the administration leads one to wonder if there is a lack of common sense, disrespect for unionized employees or an underlying agenda targeting firefighters.
Thank you Mr. Strome for letting us know how you really feel
I will make sure to stay far away from Downtown and spend my disposable income in Pelham, The Bronx and Larchmont where there are no meters or threats of getting a mega bucks parking ticket.
It seems that everything is being done to kill business downtown and drive residents out of New Rochelle.
It is a shame that the folks in charge think so litte about local business owners and area residents.
Maybe they would feel better working in New York or for what they feel is a big City worthy of their talents because it is clear that they have no regard for New Rochelle residents or its business community.
Lower the salaries of NR City leadership across the board. Let them live on what we make. Then they will know how hard it is for the taxpayers who pay their inflated salaries.
Always Balame the CSO!!
I’ts just like someone to blame the CSO. Blame yourself for parking illegal or not paying the parking meter. A CSO is everyone’s friend when you don’t like someone parking in front of your house…you know the parking space you think you own just because you buy a house in this city and choose to pay thousands of dollars in taxes! If they don’t enforce alternate side then you’ll whine that your street is dirty. How about a big thanks that the alternate sides is suspended for the winter…bet you didn’t know that! A CSO got the crap beat out of her for enforcing a handicap space. If you had a permit and couldn’t park there a CSO would be your friend then too. OHHH and the next time your loved one needs an ambulance…the CSO will be your BEST FRIEND.
The CSO’s who are returning will be welcomed back with open arms!
How unfortunate. Lets get rid of all the CSOs!
Hiring the ticket writers back is such an unfriendly thing to do and is only going to drive more people away from downtown and further depress the area and its a prime reason that I never have a need to stop there and I don’t think I’m alone. And then the CSOs have the nerve to drive around residential neighborhoods and ticket people for minor (a minute or two) alternate side parking rule violations. This is just another money grab by New Rochelle and if they really wanted to bring in the money the CSOs should closely monitor the parking around every school and little league game. Unfortuately, Noam and Chuck probably budgeted to collect X amount of money from parking tickets to balance the budget. As I stated, just another unfriendly, unwelcoming act by the city of New Rochelle when it should be trying and working to attract people to downtown. Great job guys.
Surprised? It was a very
Surprised? It was a very shortsighted decision in the first place.
If you watch the budget meetings, Chuck said something to the effect of laying off the three CSO’s was necessary and the remaining officers and CSO’s would have to make up the difference.
Yeah Chuck, destroy moral (more than it already is), uproot lives and you expect increased productivity?
You can’t make this s*#t up!
Mismanagement at it’s best
Chucky, how shortsighted, I bet they’ll roll over and write a million tickets as a reward for getting their jobs back, not. Or will they remember that the city screwed them and do the bare minimum until they retire. Once again the city leaders have dropped the ball.
What about the firemen, do they get their raises now? Or is management yucking it up that they got over on them.
Every city employee should take every benefit they are entitled to get because you never know when the braintrusts at 515 North will lay you off. Unless you work at city hall and are on a perpetual coffee break you are not safe. Call in sick, use vacation time and if you get hurt stay out. The people that run the city are a good old boy network that only care about themselves, they have been here too long.
Vote the Democrats Out!!!!
They have destroyed New Rochelle. They have no one else to blame!