Co-op City’s official newspaper serving the world’s largest cooperative community. © Copyright 2013 Co-op City Times
Vol. 48 No. 3
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Riverbay honors outstanding workers BY BILL STUTTIG For the fifth consecutive year, Riverbay honored its porters and groundskeepers who do the most outstanding job in maintaining the community, according to their supervisors. Riverbay General Manager Vernon Cooper, who presided over the luncheon ceremonies and personally handed each honored employee their award, explained that in the past, the awards were based on an inspection of each of high rise buildings to determine which buildings were the best maintained and then honor the staff assigned to that building. ‘This year, we changed that up a little bit,” Cooper explained, “to honor individual accomplishments.” The General Manager explained that previously he had received some complaints that those employees not assigned to specific buildings did not have a fair and equal shot at the recognition because they might have been assigned to a roving position assigning them to go where help was needed on a daily basis or instead they worked in areas of the community that were not part of the inspections, such as the garages and the community centers. So this year, the honors included staff
from the garages and the community centers and workers from the Grounds Department who were assigned to different areas of the community on an as-needed basis. A recent reorganization of Riverbay’s operational departments, placing them under an overall operational director which, in turn, created more flexible staffing assignments also made honoring individuals rather than specific assignments a fairer way to judge who deserved the annual merit recognitions. Aside from the award and the luncheon, the recognition also carries with it an extra day off during the year to use whenever the employee chooses. Arthur Taylor, a supervisor for the Buildings and Grounds Department, explained that directors from the various departments got together to judge each porter and groundskeeper on a number of factors, including general performance, but also the willingness to pitch in and help during emergencies such as floods, storms, power outages and other situations where the extra help is needed in keeping the shareholders safe and the buildings and grounds in good condition. Buildings and Grounds Director (Continued on page 20)
Revamped Restoration Department explains improvements to shareholders BY BILL STUTTIG The fifth in a series of monthly management forums held Tuesday evening in Dreiser Center gave shareholders a detailed explanation of the recently revamped Restoration Department procedures and the reported improved services that have resulted from them. Restoration Department Director Edgar Perez joined General Manager Vernon Cooper, Operational Manager Kevin Keenan and a team of Restoration Department supervisors
addressing the approximately 30 shareholders in attendance. Cooper explained that changes were instituted to improve the accountability of the department, to double check the quality of the restoration work on a timely basis, give shareholders a system for expressing their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the work performed, receive prompt follow-up on reported problems and to streamline the procedure for getting apartments ready for (Continued on page 4)
25¢
Capital projects to continue with money from HUD loan BY JIM ROBERTS The historic rebuilding of Co-op City is entering the next phase, thanks to more than $20 million in project work, financed through the low-interest loans achieved through the community’s refinancing with HUD last November. Speaking at a luncheon with more than 1,000 of the community’s seniors on Wednesday at the Dreiser Community Center, management personnel from
Riverbay explained that $23.1 million of the $621.5 million received from Wells Fargo bank and guaranteed by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is now available to continue the work that began more than eight years ago. Herbert Freedman, a principal with Marion Scott Real Estate, Inc., the (Continued on page 2)
More than 1,000 shareholders gathered for a luncheon at the Dreiser Community Center on Wednesday, Jan. 16 to hear a presentation about the capital projects being financed by money from the $621.5 million Wells Fargo/HUD loan. Herbert Freedman of Marion Scott Inc. and Vernon Cooper and Gail Badger-Morgan of Riverbay Corp. explained how the projects will proceed in the coming months. Photo by Jim Roberts
Sh oot in g in Sect ion F ive b ein g invest iga t ed b y C C P D a n d NYP D BY ROZAAN BOONE Two young men, one a Co-op City resident, are recuperating after being shot by an unknown suspect on Sunday, January 13 in the rear of Building 28A. The shooting is still being investigated by the Co-op City Public Safety Department (CCPD) and the New York City Police Department (NYPD) so details are being withheld so as not to jeopardize the investigation, however, Public Safety Chief Frank Apollo confirmed this week that at approximately 12:09 p.m., 2 males were shot towards the back of Building 28A. One victim was wounded in the leg and the other suffered
a gunshot wound to the heel of his foot. According to the Chief, the shooting is believed to have stemmed from an initial minor altercation that had occurred earlier on the same day in another section of Coop City between the first victim and the perpetrators. CCPD dispatched the call at 12:10 p.m. and an officer arrived on the scene at 12:12 p.m., observing the first victim under the portico of Building 28A. The second victim was located in Mall 3. Both victims were transported to Jacobi Hospital at 12:30 p.m. in stable condition. There were 5 shells from a firearm of (Continued on page 24 )
Riverbay Holiday closing
Cooperators attending Tuesday night’s management forum view pre-fabricated kitchen cabinets now being considered for use in Co-op City.
Riverbay’s administrative offices will be closed on Monday, January 21st in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Shareholders may contact the Emergency Maintenance Desk for services and the Co-op City Public Safety Department at (718) 671-3050, and 9-1-1 for emergencies. Because of the holiday shortened work week, the deadline for submission of all community club articles and Directors’ viewpoints will be by 9 a.m. on Tuesday, January 22. Material received after this time will not be considered for publication in the Saturday, January 26th issue of the Co-op City Times. Articles may be submitted by fax to (718) 320-2595; emailed to cctimes@riverbaycorp.com, or slipped under the door of Room 21 in the Bartow Community Center, 2049 Bartow Avenue, Bronx, N.Y. We wish our readers an enjoyable holiday weekend.