Co-op City’s official newspaper serving the world’s largest cooperative community. © Copyright 2010 Co-op City Times
Vol. 45 No. 48
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Board ratifies last two remaining labor contracts; all unions under contract until 2013 BY BILL STUTTIG Co-op City can look forward to at least three years of labor peace after the Riverbay Board of Directors ratified the final two contracts between Riverbay and the five major labor unions that represent the bulk of the workers serving the community. A five-year agreement between Riverbay and Local 94 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, representing 39 engineers helping to operate the Power Plant and its related services, was reached in November and ratified unanimously by the Riverbay Board of Directors on November 22nd. Also on November 22nd, the Board unanimously ratified a three year agreement with Local 153 of the Office and Professional Employees International Union representing 51 clerical and office
workers for Riverbay. Earlier this year, Riverbay reached agreements with Local 282 of the Teamsters Union which represents approximately 25 employees of differing job descriptions from various departments throughout Riverbay, the Patrolman’s Benevolent Association, representing Riverbay’s Public Safety Officers and Detectives, and Local 32BJ, representing more than 500 maintenance workers. Each of the five unions signed on for at least a three year agreement meaning that Co-op City will not face the prospect of a labor stoppage until at least 2013. This past June, the more than 500 Riverbay employees belonging to Local 32BJ went on strike for eight days, forcing management and other employees to perform the essential daily tasks of operating (Continued on page 5)
Public Safety arrests man for holdup of cab driver BY BILL STUTTIG Responding to a call for help from a cab driver who claimed he was held up at gun point by four males after dropping them off in the Debs Place vicinity near Building 10, Public Safety officers quickly chased down and arrested one of the suspects who allegedly car-
ried out the potentially deadly attack. Public Safety dispatchers were alerted to the crime at approximately 7 p.m. Sunday night after the victim placed calls to Public Safety’s central office claiming that he had just been (Continued on page 2)
Thieves break into eight cars in Garage 6 over Thanksgiving holiday BY JIM ROBERTS The ongoing problem of car break-ins, which had slowed in recent weeks, flared up again over the long Thanksgiving weekend when thieves broke into eight vehicles in Garage 6 and stole GPS systems from many of the cars. During the midnight shift of Nov. 28, the Sunday after Thanksgiving Day, the cars were broken into, according to the Co-op City Public Safety Department (CCPD). The criminals seemed to target Chrysler vehicles, according to Chief Frank Apollo of CCPD. “For a little while it seemed to have stopped, but that night, it resurged,” he said. “We are asking cooperators to assist us and report any suspicious people they see around the garage,” Chief Apollo said. “We really need their assistance to report
anything that looks out of the ordinary.” Cooperators can report any suspicious activity they see by calling 718-320-3300 and going through the prompts to Public Safety or by calling the Public Safety emergency directly at 718-671-3050. Reports can also be made at the Public Safety website at www.ccpd.us The Co-op City Public Safety Department is working closely with New York City Police in the 45th Precinct and both departments are increasing patrols in the parking garages to provide a high profile police presence. Police have noted that the Town and Country Chrysler model car seems to be the target of choice by criminals in the recent series of break-ins. According to (Continued on page 4)
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Cogeneration savings, reduced operating costs highlight annual financial report BY JIM ROBERTS This fiscal year’s audited financial statements of Riverbay Corporation released this month highlight the economic success that cogeneration has provided to Co-op City’s shareholders. The audited financial report, which covers the Riverbay fiscal year from April 1, 2009 through March 31, 2010, also shows that Riverbay management has restrained operating expenses, cutting nearly $2 million from the money spent the previous year while still providing all the daily services needed in the community. Thanks to Co-op City’s innovative cogeneration plant, which now produces nearly all of the community’s electrical needs, payments to Con Edison dropped by more than 33% in the past fiscal year. Riverbay saved Co-op City shareholders $8.5 million last year by reducing the electrical costs from $24.56 million to just $16.08 million. That $16.08 million figure will continue to fall in the future as cogeneration
eventually eliminates the need to purchase any electricity from Con Edison. In fact, increased savings from cogeneration is continuing to grow each month. This past August, energy costs were $1.64 million lower than budgeted. The September savings were $1.29 million and the October figure was $1.53 million, providing a total of $4.3 million of cogeneration savings over the past three months. On the operating expense budget, Riverbay spent $156.35 million in fiscal year 2010, a decrease of more than $2 million compared to fiscal year 2009’s operating budget of $158.50 million. The operations budget is comprised of all day-to-day expenses to operate Co-op City. The main items are the mortgage debt payments; utility costs, such as fuel, electricity, water, insurance, real estate taxes; and all of the expenses related to providing services to shareholders, for example, maintenance, cleaning of the buildings, operation of the power plant, (Continued on page 2)
NYS Regulations precise on application/reduction of mandated surcharges in city and state M-L developments BY ROZAAN BOONE In response to the anonymous flyer posted in several Co-op City buildings this week on maintenance surcharges, Riverbay’s Finance Department notes that New York State regulations are very specific concerning the application, reduction, suspension and rescission of surcharges. In addition, the regulations also specify the notification procedures that are required to initiate adjustments to a shareholder’s surcharges. As reflected in the flyer, which was posted on the lobby wall by the elevator and brought to Riverbay’s attention by a shareholder in Building 3, many Co-op City shareholders pay a monthly “surge charge” in addition to their regular monthly maintenance charge because their annual income is above the maximum allowable income limit when they purchased their apartment. The flyer, which was also posted in other residential buildings in Co-op City, continues: “However, if your income goes below Co-op City’s maximum income for the apartment you have, the ‘surge charge’ should be removed. (sic)
And the maintenance charge (rent) should go back to the regular rent for that apartment. In other words pay what everyone else pays for that apartment.” Shareholders are then told that if their surcharge has not been “eliminated” since their income has decreased, they should notify the Riverbay Bookkeeping Office and if there is no response from Riverbay, then HUD representatives suggests the Attorney General’s office be contacted, “and possibly prepare a class action for retroactive compensation lawsuit.” Gail Badger-Morgan, Riverbay’s Assistant General Manager, notes that the surcharge process is mandated by the New York State Housing and Community Renewal (HCR), formerly known as the Division of Housing and Community Renewal, the agency that supervises New York State aided Mitchell-Lama developments such as Co-op City. Riverbay’s surcharges are assessed in the same manner as all other city and state Mitchell Lama developments, as the surcharges are a provision of the Mitchell-Lama statute. (Continued on page 4)