Co-op City’s official newspaper serving the world’s largest cooperative community. © Copyright 2014 Co-op City Times
Vol. 49 No. 35
24 subletters have filed for amnesty Only one month for amnesty offer With only one month left to file under the ongoing three-month long amnesty offer to the community’s illegal subletters, 24 subletters have contacted the Riverbay Sales Office to begin the process of filing for amnesty and becoming full and legal shareholders in Co-op City. Sheena McNeill, Director of the Riverbay Sales Department, which is administering the amnesty filing process, said in her second monthly progress report on the amnesty period that after the second full month of the three-month amnesty period, 24 subletters have submitted the questionnaires to begin the process to determine if they are eligible for the program, including eleven that have filled out their applications and have gone through or are now going through the process of qualifying as shareholders, which includes criminal background checks, credit checks and home visits, the same process that all shareholders BY BILL STUTTIG
must go through before qualifying as a Co-op City shareholder. Of those eleven, three have been rejected based on the results of the credit background checks, but the other eight are going forward, including four who have already passed the investigation process and whose files are being sent to the New York State Division of Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) for final approval before being legally named the shareholder of record for their Co-op City home. Four more applicants are at various stages in the credit, and criminal background check and home visit process before their files are sent to HCR for final approval. An additional 13 subletters have filled out and returned the initial questionnaire which provides them and the Sales Department a preliminary assessment of which subletters may qualify for the program, and, as a result, have
Open Board meeting, Sept. 10
(Continued on page 4)
The Riverbay Board of Directors will hold an Open Board meeting on Wednesday, September 10, at 7:30 p.m. in the Dreiser Auditorium. The agenda will follow next week.
Free shuttle bus between Co-op City and Macy’s this weekend
Macy’s will provide a free shuttle bus throughout the Labor Day weekend between the new Bay Plaza department store and five stops in Co-op City: Dreiser/DeKruif Place; Carver/Co-op City Blvd.; Bellamy North/Co-op City Blvd.; Asch/Alcott Place and Einstein Loop East. The pick-ups will be in that order. The bus, clearly marked with marketing decals advertising the new Macy’s at Bay Plaza, will run throughout the entire time the store is open: Saturday, 8/30, from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Sunday, 8/31, from 11 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Monday, 9/1, from 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. The entire loop through the community will take approximately 30 minutes. There will be two-1 hr. breaks during the day for the driver. Deanna Williams, a spokesperson for Macy’s, said: “As of now, the bus is
Approximately 1,000 Co-op City Workers attend Riverbay’s Employee Appreciation Day
Saturday, August 30, 2014
scheduled for this weekend only. However, there may be other opportunities later on in the season to roll it out again.” On Saturday, 8/30, the first pick-up is at 9:30 a.m. The last bus to leave Macy’s will be at 9:00 p.m. The breaks will be between 11 a.m. and noon and 3 to 4 p.m. On Sunday, 8/31, the first pick-up will be at 10:30 a.m. The last bus to leave Macy’s will be at 7:30 p.m. The breaks will be between 11 a.m. and noon and 3 to 4 p.m. On Monday, 9/1, the first pick-up will be at 8:30 a.m. The last bus to leave Macy’s will be at 9 p.m. Again, the breaks will be between 11 a.m. and noon and 3 to 4 p.m.
25¢
Close to 1,000 employees, each of whom provide to Co-op City one or several of a wide spectrum of skills and services, were thanked for their efforts year-round with an Employee Appreciation Day on Thursday afternoon at the Co-op City Little League fields. BY BILL STUTTIG
property beautiful and working. And from all of us, thank you.” Herb Freedman, the principal for Co-op City’s managing agent, MSI, said: “Thank you to you guys. Every day you produce for us and for Co-op City. You are always there and I think this is a wonderful idea that the Board of Directors had to hold this appreciation day so I also want to thank them for that.” Long-time Maintenance worker Melvin Jackson commented: “It’s a great idea and a good way for Riverbay to show appreciation to the workers and hopefully in the future we can work closer together and have a better relationship.”
Photos by Bill Stuttig
The Riverbay Board approved the special recognition earlier this summer and while the threat of thunder storms on the original date, August 22nd, postponed the celebration six days, when it finally occurred it was perfect late summer weather for the wide array of games, music, dancing and, most of all, barbecued food and the chance to break bread together, creating a truly memorable day in the minds of many employees. Riverbay President Cleve Taylor addressed the employees briefly and said: “On behalf of all the shareholders, we love the work you do. We know you are here for us. You keep the
“This is really fabulous because it shows that someone understands what we go through all year. This is very nice that they did this. It is heartwarming,” said Barry Preston of the Restorations Department. Carnival games were set up and a DJ played music all day as employees, supervisors and Board Directors danced together. (Continued on page 2)
Riverbay Labor Day Closing Monday, September 1 and Co-op City Times deadline notice
Riverbay’s administrative offices will be closed on Monday, September 1st in observance of Labor Day. Because of the holiday shortened work week, Directors’ viewpoints and community organizations’ articles must be received by 9 a.m. on Tuesday, September 2nd. Material submitted after this time will not be considered for publication in the Saturday, September 6, 2014 issues of the Co-op City Times. Material for publication may be emailed to cctimes@riverbaycorp.com; faxed to (718) 320-2595 or slipped under the office door at 2049 Bartow Avenue, Rm. 21. Although the administrative offices will be closed on Monday, Sept. 1, shareholders may contact Riverbay at (718) 320-3300 and follow the prompts for emergency maintenance, and the Co-op City Public Safety Department at (718) 671-3050, and 9-1-1 with emergencies. We wish our readers a happy Labor Day.