Co-op City Times 06/19/10

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Co-op City’s official newspaper serving the world’s largest cooperative community. © Copyright 2010 Co-op City Times

Vol. 45 No. 25

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Negotiations with 32BJ continue next week BY ROZAAN BOONE Riverbay Corporation and Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) will continue negotiations on Tuesday, June 22, after a meeting this Tuesday produced minor movement. For the first time this week, the parties met in the presence of a federal mediator who evidently helped to move the talks along a bit further than the previous meeting last Friday, June 11, when negotiations broke down after only 20 minutes. In a prepared statement that was disseminated to media outlets on Monday, June 14, Riverbay’s spokesperson, Fred Winters, stated: “We have been advised that the union has modified their position and agreed to a suggestion made by Co-op City two weeks ago that a federal mediator assist us in coming to a mutually satisfactory contract…” According to the Riverbay statement, the only substantive issue to be resolved is whether or not the union will allow Co-

op City to offer the same health plan as every other building in the Bronx employing 32BJ workers. “As of this date, the union continues to refuse to provide the actuarial claims experience for health insurance for Co-op City workers and now demands to know what Co-op City pays for other Co-op City employees for health insurance,” the Riverbay statement continued. After this Tuesday’s negotiating session with the federal mediator, Riverbay’s General Manager Vernon Cooper said that at the upcoming June 22nd meeting, the accountants for both sides will be in attendance. “The fact that the accountants will be attending the next meeting is a step in the right direction; it certainly appears that there will be an effort to review the numbers to see where or how we can make changes that are favorable for both sides,” (Continued on page 4)

Performance testing begins at Co-op City cogeneration plant BY ROZAAN BOONE With the Co-op City cogeneration plant producing approximately 95% of the community’s energy needs, the final tests of the cogeneration plant are currently being conducted. Since Thursday, and continuing through next Friday, June 25, McHale Associates, an independent company that specializes in performance testing of power plants around the world, has been testing each individual component of the cogeneration plant before the parts are tested as a whole to determine, first, the efficiency of each individual piece of equipment, and then the maximum output capacity of the entire plant. Brian Reardon, Riverbay’s Power Plant Director, explained that performance testing is one of the final tests that are done as part of the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract. “This test is used to determine the efficiency of each individual piece of major

equipment used in the building of the cogeneration plant,” said Reardon. “First, each individual gas turbine is tested alone, then the steam turbine to gauge each individual part’s maximum performance before a combined test is done with all of the equipment working in tandem with each other. The individual testing will be done for both gas and oil and will tell us how efficient the equipment is running. The combined test will give us the maximum capacity rating for the total plant.” These tests are important because the efficiency of each piece of equipment will determine how much Riverbay receives in New York State Research, Development Agency (NYSERDA) grants, while the maximum capacity figure is needed for the New York Independent Systems Operator (NYISO), which administers bulk power markets that trade in electricity and electricity-

25¢

Being serious about our obligation to the residents of this community nonsense, and neiAnother week President’s Message ther should others has passed and I on the Board. find myself in a First, I would position where I President like to say I am again have to happy that manageexpress my gratiment and representatives of 32BJ are back tude and say thank you to my fellow negotiating and our employees in that Board members who showed their trust union are back on the job. I hope this situin me by electing me President of ation can be resolved as soon as possible Riverbay Corporation. It is indeed an honor, as was being for the good of everyone. I feel I must say Board Directors have elected to another term on the Board by a fiduciary responsibility to Co-op City the shareholders, and I will try and never and the people who live here. While some let the people of Co-op City down. We may have strong opinions, or be motivated are living in uncertain economic times by blind obedience to a cause, it is not the and this is not a time for anyone to play place, and certainly not appropriate, for silly political games, especially when it may be at the expense of the community. I don’t have time for such (Continued on page 2)

Helen Atkins

Bu s R ou t e C h a n ges (see p a ge 7)

Cutting usage can reduce hike in water bills BY JIM ROBERTS “Save water – save money” is this summer’s new hit tune in Co-op City. Starting July 1, New York City water rates are skyrocketing 12.9% and that could cost Co-op City shareholders an extra $2.3 million a year. In 2009, Riverbay paid $16 million in water charges, so water is one of the biggest expenses that cooperators pay for annually. However, even though the water rates are going up by 12.9%, the total water bill that Co-op City pays doesn’t have to rise that much if everyone pitches in to use less water. There are many easy ways to stop water waste that everyone can help with. Making sure that taps are turned off all the way so water doesn’t drip all day, and get-

ting a leaking or running toilet fixed right away, will make a big difference in how much water is used each day by the 50,000 residents of Co-op City. For example, a steady drip faucet can waste 180 gallons of water each day, at a cost of $1.63. Even a slow drip faucet will produce 36 gallons of wasted water in a day. A fully opened faucet that runs all day long wastes more than 3,600 gallons of water in one day at a cost of $32.53. And a half-open faucet pours 1,620 gallons of water “down the drain,” at a cost of $14.64. A constantly running toilet can waste 6,000 gallons per day at a cost of $54.22. A leaking toilet can waste nearly 250 gallons, or $2.26 worth of water each day, and even a (Continued on page 4)

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Happy Father’s Day!! (Continued on page 12)


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