Co-op City Times 09/14/13

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Final decision by HCR on 1% carrying charge increase expected soon

Co-op City’s official newspaper serving the world’s largest cooperative community.

Vol. 48 No. 37

© Copyright 2013 Co-op City Times

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Large turnout at Open Board Meeting held in Bartow Center Shareholders were updated on the ongoing needed upgrades to Co-op City’s nearly 50-year-old electrical systems and asked questions of Board members and Management at the first of three planned Open Board Meetings. Nearly 300 residents attended the meeting at the Bartow Center on

BY JIM ROBERTS

Wednesday evening, Sept. 11. Board President Bill Gordon started the meeting with a moment of silence to honor the victims of the attack on the nation 12 years ago. Bill May, the technical advisor to Riverbay for the Power Plant operations, made a presentation detailing the

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The state Division of Homes and Community Renewal held a Carrying Charge Conference on a proposed 1% carrying charge increase on Sept. 12. The increase would be effective on Oct. 1, if approved. Photo by Jim Roberts

Shareholders ask questions at an Open Riverbay Board of Directors Meeting and Gallery Session on Wednesday, Sept. 11 held at the Bartow Community Center. Photo by Jim Roberts

Quick actions by Public Safety officers result in arrests and removal of handgun from community BY ROZAAN BOONE Chief Frank Apollo, Commanding Officer of the Co-op City Public Safety Department, this week praised the quick action of some of the department’s new recruits for the arrest of a robber. According to the police report, the complainant, a 34 year old Co-op City resident, was walking from the Bay Plaza shopping mall last Friday, Sept. 6 at approximately 11:30 p.m. when he was approached and surrounded by 4 males at the corner of Co-op City Blvd and Bartow Avenue in the rear of Garage 5. Once of the males put him in a choke hold and removed his blue Beats headphones. The four perpetrators then fled toward the library. The victim quickly made his way to Public Safety headquarters in the Bartow Community Center where he reported the incident and a canvas was immediately conducted by several units during which 5 persons were stopped at the footbridge on Baychester Avenue. The complainant was brought by Public Safety to the area where he identified the robber who was promptly arrested and transported to CCPD headquarters. The

other 3 males were released. The robber was also found to be in possession of 3 bags of marijuana. Chief Apollo said this week that the footbridge is a known quick escape route out of the community so the officers quickly converged on the area where the suspects were apprehended and the robber positively identified by the victim. “I have to commend the responding officers among whom were many of the new officers who recently graduated,” said Chief Apollo. “They sealed off the footbridge immediately. These officers took someone off the streets who could potentially harm someone. Their actions sent a strong message that we will not tolerate crime and will act quickly to apprehend those who commit crimes on our grounds and to ensure that justice is done.” Two days earlier, on Wednesday, September 4, CCPD officers responded to a dispute in Building 10 involving a firearm. Upon arrival at the scene, officers witnessed two males in the hallway (Continued on page 4)

BY JIM ROBERTS Topics ranging from the millions of dollars spent on flooring replacements due to convector leaks to saving money by planting annual instead of perennial flowers were discussed at a Carrying Charge Conference held by the state Division of Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) on Thursday evening, Sept. 12 at the Dreiser Auditorium. More than 300 shareholders attended the conference, chaired by Denise Snyder

of the HCR. Shareholders who spoke at the hearing expressed their objections to the proposed 1% carrying charge increase that HCR is considering. That increase would go into effect Oct. 1, with no increase the following year until the end of the fiscal year on March 31, 2015. Peter Merola, Director of Finance for Riverbay Corp., explained that the proposed increase was needed because the (Continued on page 2)

SCRIE & DRIE may defray increased carrying charges for some Co-op City residents With an impending 1% carrying charge increase set to become effective on October 1, eligible Co-op City shareholders who are registered with the city’s Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) and the Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) programs may be able to avoid paying the monthly increases. Randall Wilson, an accountant with HCR, the state’s supervisory agency for Co-op City, said at the carrying charge increase conference on Thursday night that the agency had reviewed Riverbay’s proposed budgets for the next two years and agreed that the 1% increase was justified. “What we found was that while some items have gone up substantially, other items have been reduced through efficiencies,” Wilson said. “At the end of the day, it appears that approximately one percent will carry you through the next two years.” This rent conference was scheduled by HCR to hear directly from share-

BY ROZAAN BOONE

holders of Co-op City after the Riverbay Board approved budgets for the next two fiscal years, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015, which included a 1% carrying charge increase for Oct. 1, 2013, followed by 0% increase for 2014, and Riverbay’s subsequent application to HCR for approval to implement the increase. Before the HCR Commissioner issues his order on the increase, however, Co-op City’s shareholders were given the opportunity to send in written comments to the agency postmarked by September 2 and a rent conference was also scheduled which took place on Thursday, September 12 in the Dreiser Auditorium. At the HCR conference, chaired by Denise Snyder, a Housing and Community Renewal Manager of the New York State HCR, it was emphasized to the more than 300 shareholders in attendance that those who qualify may be eligible to receive SCRIE OR DRIE to help offset the carrying charge (Continued on page 4)


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