New Rochelle Council Member Albert Tarantino once again stunned Mayor Noam Bramson, this week moving at the very end of tonight’s meeting to rescind his own motion to table all discussion and votes on Echo Bay until next year and placing a vote on the crucial Land Disposition agreement on the agenda for next week.
The move left Bramson and his poodle sputtering in confusion. Fertel requested a 5 minute recess to caucus with members of his own party. The TV went to black momentarily until Fertel changed his mind.
The meeting back in session, Tarantino made a motion to rescind his motion to table last week and hold the LDA vote next week. The motion was seconded by Council Member Louis Trangucci and approved unanimously.
The move left many in the audience confused but a general consensus emerged which Fertel and Bramson appeared to recognize that Tarantino would have only made the unexpected move if he had locked in a fourth vote, Rackman, to kill the Echo Bay deal. It remains to be seen how this plays out over the next week.
Bramson spent 20 minutes after the meeting adjourned talking to Council Member Rackman.
UPDATE: Video Added. The video is in three parts — After Noam apologized at the outset of the budget discussion (the 5 p.m. meeting) he agreed to leave the discussion and vote on Echo Bay until January. Lou stated that he wanted Al’s previous motion to govern and Noam agreed. At the end of the regular meeting (the 7 p.m. meeting) Al pushed for a vote on the Forest City Land Disposition Agreement next week (Nov. 26th). Barry then requested a recess to caucus and the cameras were turned off. While the cameras were turned off Barry stood up to leave when Al told him that there could be no caucusing in a public building such as City Hall, that Barry would have to meet outside. Barry said “forget it”, sat back down and the cameras were turned back on. Once the meeting was resume, Al made a motion to rescind his previous motion which passed unanimously so that the LDA will be on the agenda for next week.
RELATED: Noam Bramson apologized at the outset of the meeting, as Talk of the Sound called on him to do. In so doing, the Mayor accepted Al Tarantino’s motion from the previous week, approved by four members of Council, that further discussion and votes on Echo Bay would be tabled until 2014 hence the Mayor’s surprise when Tarantino moved to rescind that motion.
Bob Dylan to Ratner on the Forest City Echo Bay project
Mr Ratner, Bob Dylan had something to say about your Echo Bay project:
Nothing is better, nothing is best,
Take care of your health and get plenty of rest.
It takes any four of the seven city council members to legislate
Bob Cox: thank you for this report.
Ken Lewis: It takes any four of the seven city council members to legislate.
No individual council member can veto legislation, nor can any individual council member pass legislation without the support of at least three other council members.
If at least four council members vote to deny the Echo Bay deal, I certainly hope the remaining council members join in on that vote, as New Rochelle needs closure, and to move on to more popular alternatives.
Certainly there are better opportunities available, to improve commerce and the tax base of New Rochelle, than what Forest City has offered. But those alternatives have been ignored, or not yet discovered or discussed, because so much time has been spent trying to make sense of the unreasonable Forest City proposals.
Bob Cox: thank you for this report.
Ken Lewis: It takes any four of the seven city council members to legislate.
No individual council member can veto legislation, nor can any individual council member pass legislation without the support of at least three other council members.
If at least four council members vote to deny the Echo Bay deal, I certainly hope the remaining council members join in on that vote, as New Rochelle needs closure, and to move on to more popular alternatives.
Certainly there are better opportunities available, to improve commerce and the tax base of New Rochelle, that what Forest City has offered. But those alternatives have been ignored, or not yet discovered or discussed, because so much time has been spent trying to make sense of the unreasonable Forest City proposals.
Brian thank you for clearing
Brian thank you for clearing this up the concept has puzzled me since the days of Michael Boyle being in the 6-1 negative.
What is frustrating however is that Barry Fertel and Jared Rice could care less about any of this as long as Noam side is supported by them.
A Bit obsequious as those two tools were elected to represent their constituents not just the affinity blind voters but the citizens who will be stuck with the deal. Now you annoy the heck out of me but you have a right to say and think whatever you like what you don’t get in the way of a right is to spin the truth to support your objective. Yes I realize you are anti Echo Bay bully for you.
You are however Noam Bramson’s written Mitch T and for this I often want to puke.
Everyone who follows this project knows that Rackman is the deciding vote as Rice, Fertel and Bramson are one minded.
Everyone who follows this project knows this is a bad deal. What we don’t know if what is Noam’s motivation? What is driving Strome’s support but clearly we know 4-3 is in Rackmans hands.
Now do me a huge favor explain to me why Noam Bramson and his record has been good for New Rochelle. Yes I get he is anti Nukes in Playland.
I get he is for a womens right to choose.
I get he wants liberal Justices on the Supreme Court.
I get all of his National tipping points.
What I don’t get is How can anyone think he is anything but Bad for New Rochelle as he contains the following.
a) His Education has him thinking he is smarter than anyone else.
Ok if so why not go into Medicine, Law or Business where he could get a real job and not just turn a Ceremonial Mayor’s job into a modern day Tammany hall.
b) Hubris everything he does reeks of Hubris. He simply cannot believe anyone knows better.
c)He is a Carbon Copy of everything that is wrong with Politics.
Now leave me throw up in peace.
d) He spent the last 18 years trying to create a political career over the backs of the Citizens, Tax Payers and New Rochelle in General.
New Flash his results in the County Race have finished him off in this area. He would get on a future Platform for County Dog Catcher.
Forest City Echo Bay Apparently Sickens Everyone In Some Way
Ken Lewis,
Mitch and I have opposite perspectives on Forest City Echo Bay. Mitch still supports it, and I never have.
So I don’t understand at all, why you wrote of me “You are however Noam Bramson’s written Mitch T and for this…”.
As far as your desire to puke, I understand that. Take care of youself and get plenty of rest.
NO MORE NOAM
Brian you have not answered the question and now i must ask.What happened to Noam for County Exec. what happened to Noam for state assembly ? Noam has run for Mayor twice and he has won but he always is seaking another office on the New Rochelle peoples time? Brian tell me why Noam keeps doing this. The democratics of Westchester have spoken and they do not want NOAM bottom line. What do you have to say BRIAN
Noam needs to consider his future options
Jim O’Toole –
I have not been central to Noam’s campaigns. I did not live in Noam Bramson’s City Council District or Ron Tocci’s Assembly District, and would have had a problem campaigning, as I am on good terms with Ron and Noam.
I did some campaigning for Noam for County Executive, evidently not enough, as I assumed he had an easy win and therefore spread my campaigning amongst several offices in 2013.
As Nita Lowey’s Congressional District no longer includes New Rochelle, Noam cannot run for that office next year unless he moves from New Rochelle, which would result in his having to resign as Mayor. At this moment, that would probably not be a viable option,
I doubt Noam would run for Eliot Engel’s District, which does include New Rochelle, because Engel is part of the Bronx Democratic Committee in which Noam probably has little pull.
I see nothing wrong with an elected official running for another office. If you were in an elected office, and wanted to run for another office, I wouldn’t criticize you for running that campaign while still serving an elected office, as that would be hyprocritical of me.
I would certainly advise Noam to get a better campaign manager, as I have never thought Jeremy Sherber to be competent. I blame Sherber for Greg Varian’s loss for County Legislator, and had warned Greg early in his campaign to avoid Sherber. It is likley that Sherber did Noam more harm than good.
Truthfully, I cannot answer your question, because I do not know the answer. I wish I did, as I would advise Noam accordingly.
It’s Noam Bramson’s career, and only he can decide what to do next. For now, he should rest up as his campaign had to be exhausting, and then take time to consider his future.
I do hope Noam shows his flexibility and pragmatism and abandons all associations with Ratner’s project, as I believe Ratner did nothing to benefit Noam, while tarnishing his image. I’d like to see all seven City Council members vote against Forest City, and to move on to better things.
Have we now reached the time for Annabi and Jeris
Locked in? Nothing is locked in. Annabi was locked in now she is locked up.
With this developer it aint over till its over.
Forest City to convince the Mayor that they need a 20 year tax abatement to build a 8 foot x 12 foot shed and Bramson would be touting this as the greatest storage shed and New Rochelle residents need this storage shed. My question is how many school children will live in the 20 year piloted storage shed?
The National Development
The National Development Council says that Echo Bay is not financially feasible for Forest City UNLESS they are given a 20 tax abatement c/o NR property owners. Since when did the taxpayers go in partners with Forest City? If this is how it works, then Forest City ought to be required to give the taxpayer 50% of any profits they reep of this project.