Co-op City’s official newspaper serving the world’s largest cooperative community.
Vol. 45 No. 1
© Copyright 2009 Co-op City Times
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Bookkeeping window hours extension to continue in new year to accommodate working shareholders BY ROZAAN BOONE Riverbay’s Finance Department will continue to provide extended hours of operation of the Bookkeeping window twice a month in the new year to accommodate shareholders who work outside the community and need to utilize the service before leaving for work. The Bookkeeping window, which is located in the Riverbay administrative reception area in the Bartow Community Center, 2049 Bartow Avenue, will be open at 8 a.m., instead of 9 a.m., on the two busiest days of the month for the Finance Department—the 10th of the month, which is the last day for shareholders to pay their maintenance charges without the $30 late fee, and the last business day of the month when maintenance charges must be paid before legal action commences and a $150 legal fee is assessed. “We are always trying to provide better service to the shareholders, and these
new extended hours during our two busiest days of the month should enable better service,” said Peter Merola, Director of Riverbay’s Finance Department. “Over the last three months that we’ve been opening early, we’ve gotten a positive response from the shareholders who have shown up between the 8-9 a.m. hours to make their payments, so it makes sense to continue this extension into the new year.” Primarily, shareholders pay their monthly carrying charges by placing their payments in one of the 3 drop boxes located in each community center, but some also pay at the bookkeeping window. Prior to the extended hours being implemented, shareholders waited in the reception area for the window to open at 9 a.m., usually resulting in a crowded waiting room and sometimes with the line stretching out into the corridor. (Continued on page 2)
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Co-op City realized $4 million in energy savings over the last eight months BY BILL STUTTIG Since the early spring of 2009, Riverbay has realized more than $4 million in energy cost savings, according to figures recently released by the Finance Department. According to the Finance Department, for Riverbay’s fiscal year 2009/2010 which began in April of 2009, approximately $44.5 million was budgeted for energy costs — $25.6 million for electricity and $18.9 million for gas. As of the end of November, the latest date when figures are available, Riverbay has spent approximately $20.9 million on energy – more than $11.7 million for electricity usage and approximately $9.15 million for gas. When taking into account the cost of fuel needed to run the co-generation plant’s components during the initial months of operation, Riverbay has saved exactly $4,083,381 through November 30th, 2009.
Perhaps the most encouraging sign of all is that Riverbay realized its best savings during the month of November, when the plant was producing its greatest amount of energy, according to Riverbay Power Plant Director Brian Reardon. Savings for November alone come to more than $1.3 million. According to Reardon, during November the co-generation plant was providing approximately 30% of the community’s power needs. Herbert Freedman, Principal for Marion Scott Real Estate Inc., managing agent for Co-op City, said that while the signs are encouraging for future projected savings from co-generation, it can not be said at this point how much of this year’s significant savings can be attributed to cogeneration, Both Freedman and Riverbay Finance Director Peter Merola said that energy savings realized over the last eight (Continued on page 2)
Riverbay announces winners of holiday maintenance incentive program BY BILL STUTTIG Thirty-seven Riverbay porters and their supervisors were recognized for going above and beyond their jobs in keeping the buildings assigned to them in the best and cleanest possible shape, during an awards luncheon in the Bartow Community Center on December 22nd. Riverbay General Manager Vernon Cooper was joined by many of Riverbay’s key department directors in presenting recognition to the staffs from six buildings who, in the opinion of a team of key management personnel, did the best job in their Section at maintaining the best kept building. Judging began on December 8th and was wrapped up by Friday December 18th. General Manager Cooper explained before presenting the awards
at the luncheon, “We were not just looking for clean, well-kept buildings because all of the b u i l d ings are kept in Riverbay supervisors and porters who did the best job at maintaining their assigned building in each of the 5 good shape. sections were honored at a luncheon hosted by Riverbay Department heads on December 22nd. Photo by Bill Stuttig We looked The winning building for Section 1 was for staff who went the extra mile, and did shape.” the little things, like making sure the During the building inspections, six Building 4, supervised by Jose Perez, and compactor chutes were always kept spot- areas of each of the community’s 35 hi-rise maintained by porters Freddy A. Cruz, less, and the elevator sills were kept buildings were rated: the basements, laun- Alexis Pina Ocasio, Santos Rodriguez, shiny – to ensure their building was dry rooms, laundry bathrooms, lobbies, (Continued on page 2) always kept in the best of all possible elevators and the hallway floors.