Martin Sanchez, writing in the Journal News, is accusing New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson of racism in ignoring the input of the largely Latino community that lives, works and goes to school in the area around the proposed site of a new DPW City Yard that has angered many critics who see the move as a political favor from Bramson to some of his wealthier political donors.
A couple years ago when the relocation proposal was presented by Mayor Noam Bramson, there was no input nor opinion sought from the residents of the West End. It seemed then, and now, that our opinion and our welfare were not important. I am led to conclude that this effort is nothing more than a strategic case of environmental racism that will lead to a disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on the overwhelming majority of people of color who live in the West End.
Mayor Bramson recently posted on his website that “the status and potential relocation of New Rochelle’s Public Works Yard on East Main Street has stirred a long-running and sometimes heated debate. With the release of a new, detailed and conclusive engineering study, that debate should now be over.” In his mind, no discussion should occur; no question-and-answer session is useful; only the deep pockets of his political nymphs of Forest City are apt to be considered.
Read the entire article.
Open Meeting Laws and Only Alternative
The Journal News has printed the systemic weakness of the two major New York State Open Meeting Laws. However, although not enforced by NYS (other laws affecting you share this non-distinction), they still are positive inamuch as they require city, state and county agencies and politicians to stay alert. So, look at these as a glass half full.
Unfortunately the City Administration is well aware of this shortcoming and you will see it often in so called agenda related items being held behind closed doors. A recent example was in the selection of members on the Citizens Budget Panel. This was done prior to any published criteria for membership or submission of resumes. It is likely these do not exist even now if foiled. What it represented was a power play; a screeing process, to eliminate people who might be problematic.
What is the only alternative currently? It rests with your elected counci members who can pretty much challenge a large majority of items deemed to be held behind closed doors. Given my description above, what other than a prejorative opinion about a person, ” not one of us” for example, would be viewed by any reasonable man or woman as requiring confidentiality.
The same will hold true for document research. Some parts of the file will mysteriously not be present and you will receive what you receive and pay for that privilege. You can contact the good people at NYS Open Meeting and the two of them will try to intercede, but it will take the form of a letter and the criteria will be explained in the 7 or so points that protect the administration. Oh, sure you can sue .. be prepared to mortgage your house or empty your children’s educational fund if you do.
So, that leads the City Council. I am going to continue to press that they challnege the unfair, unfeasable, unreasonable and especially those matters that elevate people like the Jerome Family, the Ratner Family and others. You know who they are. Just check the contribution list for office holders and the democratic party. Lots of people who still forget their roots, the sacrifices made by their forebearers, their suffering, their quest for justice…. they would have a totally different definition of “diversity” than Dr. Lipof.
So, demand that your council review precisely what every action planned for this city is and hold it up to the light of day by sharing it with you while it is time. If you are denied Foil data, get an incomplete file, let them know. If your council member will not even acknowledge your existence, the Journal News, Westchester Guardian, Sound Report, and surely, the Talk of the Sound, will make that known.
My themes will be few… one I will continue to press on is the need for District 1,2,3,4 Council Members to form a coaltion, despite party, to represent the Business District. Each knows what must be done. Each should fear no consequence. What is there to really fear?
Gentlemen; Jared, Al, Lou, Ivar there is a moral imperative involved to rescue the City and to ensure that the citizens and residents spoken of so eloquently by Martin Sanchez, get their due.
Martin, anyone else, put me to work. This is important work. It should be done and now.
The City Yard Needs Some Major TLC
Martin well said!
The City Yard suffers from disrepair, neglect and is in need of some major TLC. I didn’t see anything that suggests that it is so important to move the yard right away. What is evident is, like all of the other NR properties the minor repairs of years ago were not done when needed. Now they are big repairs, but repairs just the same. There may be some environmental issues that have to be dealt with. They just spent 250K on an oil tank removal and replacement recently. An inspection was done 1 1/2 yrs. ago according to Commissioner Tergis. He said there were no major issues that were corrected. Department of Public Works Commissioner Tergis raised doubts about the Beechwood Avenue site for a new City Yard. He said there was a lot of old trucks and equipment that needed to be moved out. Clear out and sell at auction what you can. If not, sell it for scrap. Get more than one price for the scrap. I would reach out to Jim Killorian because he had some valid points and has worked with some cities in the past. He said he could even supply some materials and manpower to help clean it up. Once cleaned up then make a fair assessment of need.
What we really need is a cleaning up of our staff; management and their bosses who let the daily maintenance issues get out of hand and not correct issues when needed. I am a little rusty from my OSHA training days. I ran a warehouse facility several years ago that had old age and growing pains similar to the city yard. We also knew we were going to move one day, but still invested in the location to maintain it. It had a failing safety grade below 40% and when I was done it was at 98%. The process took less than a year of elbow grease and attention. But not the significant amounts of money as expected. We also saw a return on our investment. We didn’t sell the building for a dollar that’s for sure.
What I have said holds true for other City properties such as the Armory, Ward Acres, The Old Church and who knows what else. The Council members should do a walk through all of the city owned properties with the citizens to see exactly what is going on. I for one am appalled at what I have seen so far.
It is time for people in this city to speak up. We are starting to see some signs of the message sinking in. Every citizen who cares should take a little time out of their busy schedule to get out once a month to The Citizens To Be Heard and speak to The City Council face to face. This our only opportunity and you only have three minutes to speak so make them count. Below is a message I got the other day:
Subject: March on City Council 3/13 at N. R. CITY HALL
Citizens to be Heard this Tuesday March 13th
(Reminder to come on down and show your support)
This city is in SHAMBLES and it’s a SIN!!!!!
Maybe it’s your TAXES
Maybe it’s your Quality of Life — DOWN THE TUBES!!!!
Maybe it’s City Hall — In BED WITH CROOKS!!!!
Maybe it’s Echo Bay
Maybe it’s the City Yard — GIVE-AWAY AT OUR EXPENSE!!!!!!
Maybe it’s OUR ARMORY
Maybe it’s MORE development in downtown and more Tax Abatements
Maybe it’s NOT ENOUGH POLICE downtown or anywhere!!!!!
WHO KNOWS WHAT IT IS, ALL I KNOW IS….IT’S SOMETHING!!!!
COME ON DOWN AND BE HEARD!!!
DPW Yard
The DPW selection process and subsequent actions have led to Martin’s strong words and frankly, a position that is hard to refute.
In my recent blog in Talk of the Sound titled, “You Get the Government You Deserve,” I make the point that this is the latest example of power politics. If you trace the development of what has transpired you can see clearly that Martin is correct in asserting that the community involved played little or no role in the decision making process. You will further see simply via inspection of Bob Cox’s observations on the tour of the current site that it has been painted much worse than it appears and that so very inexpensive corrective actions could be implemented immediately to ease some present issues.
You can go further and wonder why such a rush to judgment. Why can’t we wait until the Echo Bay folks give us their version of a project to nowhere. We can also signficantly question the background information on how the original 5 to 7 available sites were picked, why Beechwood was selected, and further, the choice of engineer, his relationship to the City, and the actual budget numbers themselves.
They are as weak as the decayiing roof on the Armory. Mr Tergis looks and sounds embarrassed by the questions he received. For example, the site of the recent fuel spillage that had to be addressed seems inordinantlly overpriced (likely to make the alternate site in Beechwood look more attractive).
This is what happens when a community is divided for years by a set of power enablers an those who inadvertingly support them (electorate).
The next chapter will be Echo Bay and Albanese and there are absolutely no reasons to vote for them given the issues and constraints we face. It would be an assault on every citizen’s wallet, equity, and spirit.
Well said Martin.
DPW – Half should be in the North End
Employees waste hours a day driving from the extreme south end with the trucks up to the extreme North end. a trip of 30 minutes. Then come back down town for lunch, then back up North after lunch, then back down. Wouldn’t it make more sense to have the equipment needed for the North end in the North end and employees working out of that location?