Frank Williams Honored with State Youth Bureau Award
As the White Plains monthly Common Council meeting opened Nov. 2, Youth Bureau Director Frank Williams was honored with the Bill Bud Award, granted to him by the New York State Association of Youth Bureaus at its annual convention this month.
In describing the award, Mayor Tom Roach said it was the highest award offered by this organization.
Councilwoman Nadine Hunt-Robinson called Williams the man of many hats, who serves over 2,000 youth at the White Plains Youth Bureau and that his work in raising funds in the millions of dollars for those youth was to be applauded.
Councilwoman Milagros Lecuona asked Williams how he does it, adding that he was always smiling, always patient, always listening, yet always working.
Consent Agenda Addresses Water and New Development
Water rates for White Plains consumers will be going up again based on water purchases the city makes from the New York City water supply.
Councilwoman Lecuona said White Plains is far from meeting the per capita rate required by NYC and therefore is in a continually behind situation. She recommended that in addition to trying to increase the city’s own water supply through its own wells and reservoirs, conservation efforts could also be implemented.
Currently White Plains purchases 90 percent of its drinking water from New York City.
Excited that the White Plains Education and Training Center will open in 2016, located in the new building at the former Winbrook Housing site, councilmembers were happy to have new partners in the program.
Councilwoman Hunt-Robinson emphasized that the purpose of the center is to train the under employed and the unemployed. The focus is jobs, jobs, jobs,” she said.
Partners include White Plains Housing Authority, the City of White Plains and Youth Bureau, Westchester Community College and White Plains Hospital, among others.
Cultural and educational training programs will include technology, health care, hospitality and entrepreneurship.
The former Border’s Books site at 60 S. Broadway and Maple Avenue, also known as the Pavilion, was also the source of some discussion.
Councilman John Kirkpatrick said he was concerned that new drawings showing altered design plans for the development were taking on a monolithic feel, with uniform height across the development rather than a multifaceted approach.
Kirkpatrick also wanted an explanation about the reduction of affordable housing units proposed for the project going from 71 to 36 units. “The number of affordable housing units has been cut in half,” he said.
Counsel for the developer, explained that the reduced number of affordable units was the result of offering the units to families at 60 percent of median income rather than at 80 percent, which according to the law allowed 5 percent affordable units rather than 10 percent in any market-rate residential development.
