WP Council Approves Several Capital Projects
During the July meeting of the White Plains Common Council several Capital projects were approved including $1.283 million in serial bonds for the construction, reconstruction, widening and resurfacing of several city streets.
During discussion Councilwoman Milagros Lecuona said she would like to see more communication between the city administration and Con Edison, if possible, to encourage the placement of power lines underground during street reconstruction.
Another bond for rolling stock was approved for the purchase of refuse pick-up and other heavy-duty vehicles, which Councilwoman Beth Smayda said was common practice for White Plains since the vehicles in question had a long life.
A $9,000 grant for pedestrian safety initiatives was accepted, setting off a discussion about the growing problem of cyclists on city sidewalks. Mayor Tom Roach said there is a bike officer who intervenes to keep cyclists off the pedestrian pathways, but acknowledged it was a growing safety problem for the city.
A $779,000 five-year federal grant for youth services awarded to the city would result in $3.9 million over the course of the grant if the program remains active.
White Plains was selected to receive the grant because of its active work in shared services between the White Plains School District and City services as well as past successful youth programs.
Councilwoman Nadine Hunt-Robinson noted firmly that 480 students in grades 1 through 6 would be participating in the special programs made possible by the funds and that such programs can only be facilitated when the federal government makes those funds available. “It matters, Councilwoman Hunt-Robinson repeated several times. “It matters what happens on the national level because it affects the local level. Society in general is affected. If these federal funds are cut, then over 400 local children will be affected.”
Community Block Grants that help support a number of White Plains and Westchester not-for-profits and relief organizations such as El Centro Hispano, Thomas H. Slater Center, Meals on Wheels, Lifting Up Westchester, Westchester Residential Opportunities, Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, and others supported through HUD (the federal Housing and Urban Development agency) were also noted as important to the local community and would be affected negatively if the federal government cut funding or HUD altogether.
Two public hearings were scheduled for the Aug. 7 Council meeting relating to the Westchester Avenue development project across from the Westchester Mall and the White Plains Transit District project.
Councilman John Kirkpatrick said it was important for the public to participate in these hearings and pointed out several items he felt should be considered with more detail including the proposed reduction of open space from original plans, public safety elements in the proposed public and private open space areas and the specifics of a conceptual plan element in a zoning change that might or might not be modified in future design phases.
The meeting became testy when Councilmembers Krolian and Lecuona took exception to lack of open discussion about a New York State audit of White Plains parking garages.
Mayor Tom Roach said the State requirement was to keep the contents of a draft report confidential until all information had been gathered and questions answered when it would be released for open discussion.
The Council, however, was required to vote on spending for any potential fixes that might be required by the State and as a point of order councilmembers could not abstain from the vote unless they had a reason for recusal.
Repair of the Library Plaza also took a contentious turn when Councilman Krolian said he did not agree that proposed fixes were enough and that the entire structure of the plaza, including the parking facility underground should be reconstructed.
Planned fixes to the plaza include stormwater management, new paving and other cosmetic and design elements.
