Vol. 56 No. 42
New Riverbay Board Director Sworn In At the Wednesday, October 13th Board business meeting, a new director was sworn in following the resignation of Director Cheryl Jenkins. Director Jenkins served an extended one term due to Covid (three years) and her tenure would have been up next year. As a Riverbay
Saturday, October 16, 2021
$1.25
New Director Sworn in, Board Votes on Waterfront Park Funding Petition & Board Resolutions at Oct. 13 Meeting BY ROZAAN BOONE
At the Riverbay Board Business meeting on Wednesday, October 13, a new Board Director was sworn in, and the Board voted on a petition to solicit state funding for the development of the waterfront Monique Coleman, the sixth place winner in the 2021 Board election was seated on Wednesday night after being sworn in by Riverbay General Counsel Jeff Buss. She replaces Board Director Cheryl Jenkins who resigned earlier this week citing personal obligations. Following the Roll Call, the Board approved the meeting agenda. Riverbay Board President Bernard Cylich then asked the Board to consider a consensus
vote to enjoin co-sponsoring a petition introduced during the Gallery Session by former Board President Linda Berk to solicit state funding for the development of the waterfront access park from Section 5 to Connor Street. (See article on page 1) “The question of the waterfront park has been a contentious issue, it has been raised all over. It’s a small park, we’ve had surveys done; the quesCoalition to Save Affordable Housing is presenting to us is really, perhaps, the answer to all of us and that is the proposal they are circulating … to all of develop the park along the river from Section 5 to (Continued on page 4)
Riverbay Board Votes to Co-Sponsor Petition Seeking NYS Funding to Help Develop Waterfront Park/Promenade Monique Coleman receives the oath of office from Riverbay General Counsel Jeff Buss on Oct. 13. Photo by Mary Pearson
Board director, Ms. Jenkins chaired and cochaired several Board committees. She resigned citing personal reasons. “Thank you to everyone who has called, texted or emailed to wish me well. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to work alongside fourteen other members of the Riverbay Board of Directors and our management team to serve the shareholders of this community,” said Ms. Jenkins. “To the shareholders who voted for me to be on the Board, I am grateful for the opportunity to have served a full term as a Board director, and in the capacity of chairperson of Cooperator Appeals, co-chairperson of Audit and co-chairperson of the Youth Committee for the Riverbay Fund; I thank you for your support. It is a responsibility I did not take lightly. I wish the Board well, keep up the good work my successor. God bless you all.” Director Coleman was the sixth place winner in the 2021 Riverbay Board of Directors election, having garnered 1,753 votes. According to the Riverbay By-Laws, she will serve until the 2022 Board election at which point she will have to seek election to continue serving on the Board. Director Coleman said: “Thank you to my mother, for having the foresight to move our family to Co-op City more than 30 years ago. Thank you to my children, who helped me to explore the long-gone sandboxes, the greenway and Co-op City schools. Thank you to the Co-op City community and my neighbors for voting for me and giving me (Continued on page 16)
BY BRANDON ORTIZ
The Riverbay Board of Directors voted by consensus on Wednesday, October 13, to enjoin sponsorship of a petition being circulated in the community by the Coalition to Save Affordable Housing to seek state funding to assist with development of a waterfront park/promenade along the river from Section 5 to Connor Street. The motion passed by a vote of 9-6. Board Director Monique Coleman, Board President Bernard Cylich, and Directors Sonia Feliciano, Francine Reva Jones, Kevin Lambright, Andrea Leslie, Michelle Marbury, Angelo Rosario and Claudia Sampson voted in favor, while Directors Daryl Johnson, Mary Pearson, Leslie Peterson, Leah Richardson, Rod Saunders and Anika Green-Watson voted against supporting the petition The petition (see page 8), which was introduced at Wednesday night’s Gallery Session by former Riverbay Board President Linda Berk, a member-at-large of the Coalition to Save Affordable Housing and a strong proponent of the waterfront park during her tenure as Board President, is addressed to State Senator Jamaal Bailey and New York State Assemblyman Michael Benedetto. The petition reads: “Hutchinson River, a National Preserve has been inaccessible for more than 50 signed are appealing to our elected State representatives for State funding to develop a park/promenade along the river from Section 5 to Connor Street. The (Continued on page 8)
Management Solicits Help for Cooper Pl. Gas Service (see pg. 4 for article)
Sign-up for Bronx County Redistricting Hearing Ends Nov. 7 (see pg. 3)
Shareholders Speak Out at Oct. 13th Gallery Session BY BRANDON ORTIZ Wednesday night’s Virtual Open Board Meeting began with a gallery session for shareholders to voice their concerns to Riverbay management and the Board of Directors. The Gallery Session, which began the evening’s meeting, had approximately 136 participants, some online via Webex and others on the phone. Shareholder Linda Berk, member of the Coalition to Save Affordable Housing and immediate past president of the Riverbay Board of Directors (Continued on page 2)