WPCNA Today

WPCNA Mayoral Debate Now on Cable TV

2009-10-26T12:46:00.001-04:00

Photo credit: Individual photos courtesy of candidates

2009 Mayoral Debate sponsored by WPCNA is now available on Public Access Channels

Cablevision Channel 76; Verizon Fios Channel 45

By: White Plains Times

Published: October 20, 2009

2009 Mayoral Debate sponsored by the White Plains Council of Neighborhood Associations is now available on White Plains Public Access Channels—Cablevision Channel 76; Verizon Fios Channel 45.

Schedule:
Thursday, October 22, 10:30 p.m.
Monday, October 26, 3:00 p.m.
Tuesday, October 27, 11:00 p.m.

Leading by Partnering

2009-09-11T14:01:00.001-04:00

Dr. Christopher Clouet, White Plains new Superintendent of Schools, and Adam Bradley, New York State Assemblyman for the 89th District, and White Plains mayoral candidate, were the guest speakers at the September 2009 WPCNA meeting, the second in a series on Leadership in Governance.

Both men are acknowledged leaders in their fields. Dr. Clouet (left) is credited with helping to turn around a difficult New London, CT district with a large immigrant population and a small budget. Mr. Bradley has a distinguished record in the Assembly, having authored significant legislation in a diversity of areas, from healthcare to environment to family.

Partnerships

Dr. Clouet, talking about Leadership in Education, and Mr. Bradley about Leadership in Legislation, both talked about themselves not as leaders – which entails followers – but as partners. Clouet, who was accompanied to the meeting by Donna McLaughlin, President of the Board of Education, and Kerry Broderick, President of the White Plains Teachers Association, said his success in White Plains will depend on his ability to create partnerships within his administration, with teachers, with community leaders, with parents, and, of course, with students. Obviously, Dr. Clouet has made a good start!

Bipartisanship

Mr. Bradley said his success as a leading New York State Assemblyman stemmed in large measure from bipartisanship, which he characterized as collegial, even genial, discourse between legislators on different sides of the aisle or different sides of an issue. He believes a good leader is a good listener, willing to examine and be nurtured by divergent opinions. If elected Mayor, he envisions an administration of inclusion and openness to people and positions.

Clouet and Bradley, who obviously like and respect each other, spoke about working together for a better White Plains. Even in these difficult and troubled times, much good could come from leaders who seek partners, not followers.

Getting Education Right

2009-05-09T09:22:00.008-04:00

If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.

Bumper Sticker

President Obama has made education a central focus of his efforts, and rightly so. The future of America depends on getting education right.

Here in White Plains we have an opportunity to "get it right" by voting in the upcoming Board of Education election, when three of the seven seats -- almost half the Board -- are up for grabs.

Two of the candidates are current Board Members. Attorney Peter Bassano, who has been the Board's representative in contract negotiations, and Board President Donna MacLaughlin are both seeking re-election.

The other candidates are
Jim Hricay, former White Plains Deputy Budget Director, now with the Stamford Budget Department;
Elsie J. Lahrmann, retired Director of Emergency Planning and a natural medicine practioner;
Reynolds Longfield, a former cosmetics sales and marketing executive, now an educator;
Augie Zicca, Jr., a retired Westchester County Correction Officer and former system analyst.

With the economy reeling, several of the candidates are sure to campaign on the power and precision of their budgetary axes. But axes are for chopping, and education is about nurturing, pruning and, most of all, growth. Make sure the candidates you vote for have a plan for education, not just a plan for the budget.

You can help find the right candidates for the White Plains Board of Education by attending the Candidates Night, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of White Plains, which will be held Tuesday, May 12, 2009 at 7:30 pm in Room B-1 of White Plains High School. The proceedings will also be broadcast several times on Channel 77. Consult the channel guide for times.

And when you've selected three strong candidates, be sure to VOTE! The White Plains Board of Education Election and Budget Vote will take place on Tuesday, May 19, 2009, from noon to 9:00 pm. To find your polling place and for further information, please call 422-2000.

You Know You're Relevant When ...

2009-01-17T20:45:00.005-05:00

For more than a few years, WPCNA was broadly denigrated as a coffee klatch club of no consequence populated by has-been activists and angry political wannabees with no agenda and no plan.

No more. We revised our Bylaws, refined our mission, and became a dynamic engine of change and reform.

To see the difference, take a look at how last Tuesday's general meeting helped shape the school district's budget process.

The school budget in White Plains is always contentious, since the budget determines school taxes, and they comprise 60% of local property taxes -- among the highest in the nation.

Nearly three-dozen activists and local journalists turned out to discuss the 2009 budget and the "community wide forum" on the budget the school district planned to hold two days later, on Thursday.

John Bailey, editor of the White Plains CitizeNetReporter, presented an overview of budgets past and some best guesses about the budget coming. (Superintendent Connors told us a preliminary budget won't be available until sometime in February.)

Then, in a moderated roundtable discussion, participants were asked to contribute their views and suggestions.

A consensus quickly emerged. Everyone agreed that this year's process had to be different given the weakness of past budgets and the severity of the current economic crisis.

Change was in the air. But so too was a plan. It was agreed that a letter summarizing the group's suggestions would be drafted the next morning and submitted to Dr. Connors and the School Board before the Thursday forum.

You can read the letter and John Bailey's report of the meeting for yourself. The letter drew an immediate acknowledgment from Dr. Connors and a few hours later, a considered and agreeable response from Peter Bassano, Esq., a member of the School Board.

More importantly, the School Board's statement issued on Thursday evening, echoed the overall direction and many of the suggestions made by the participants in WPCNA's Tuesday meeting.

The meeting, the plan, and the letter showed that WPCNA can indeed be "the voice of the neighborhoods" -- a strong, relevant and respected voice.

But that's not enough. As Pat Casey, publisher of the White Plains Times suggested, to be truly relevant WPCNA needs to develop a proactive process to complement the reactive.

She suggested we start now to be ready to influence the 2010 school budget process.

P.S. Read Pat Casey's White Plains Times article "Economic Challenges Force Spending Cuts" for additional background.

Real relevance it seems takes more than raised voices, passionate speeches and pointed fingers.

Meaningful Proactivity

2009-01-06T10:39:00.003-05:00

If last night's Common Council meeting is any indication, WPCNA is on its way back from wandering generality to meaningful specificity.

Out in Force More than half of the speakers who commented on resolutions under consideration were WPCNA members. Too bad only one based his input on evidence. The others, unfortunately, perpetuated the widely-held perception that WPCNA members are locked in reactive mode -- giving personal, emotional, and often political opinions -- and rarely proceeding proactively, based on evidence and analysis.

But the real clue that WPCNA is once again making itself felt at City Hall were comments from the dais.

From the Mayor's Lips In his unsuccessful argument in favor of leasing the traffic island in Renaissance Plaza to the Ritz Carlton, Mayor Delfino argued that residents of the Ritz, numbering just over 100, form a neighborhood and deserve, like other neighborhoods, to have a marker that welcomes them home. (The Ritz, without permission, co-opted the island, erecting a marble sign engraved with the Ritz Carlton name.)

He said he knows the Ritz Carlton is actually part of the North Broadway Civic Association, which he gratuitously characterized as "claiming half the city for its territory."

In another facetious aside, he said the Ritz Carlton has more residents than some "so-called" Neighborhood Associations, such as Colonial Corners, have members.

Those comments, although flippant, make it clear that neighborhood associations matter at City Hall.

Genuine Proactivity At the end of the session, the Mayor stated matter-of-factly that he'd ask the Fisher Hill and Battle Hill associations to consult on the last item on the agenda, referral of the site plan for the proposed mixed use development at 55 Bank Street.

That's more like it, Joe!

If an old dog can learn new tricks and call in the neighborhoods before the plan is implemented, surely there's hope for WPCNA to morph from reactivity to proactivity?

WPCNA Hosts City Hall

2008-10-21T14:00:00.004-04:00

The October WPCNA general meeting marked another milestone in the rebirth of WPCNA as a viable and respected community resource.

Our guests for a meeting that cheerfully went overtime were White Plains Mayor Joseph Delfino and members of his administration, including the Commissioners of Budget, Finance, Planning, Public Works, Traffic and the City Assessor.

A "town hall" format was adopted, with Co-President Candyce Corcoran reading questions prepared in advance, getting detailed and informative answers from the Mayor and the Commissioners, and moderating follow-up from the floor.

The Mayor and staff addressed questions about housing violations, including illegal occupancy, impact of the current economic crisis on the City, flooding problems after heavy rains, tax certiorari claims, composting, recycling and DEC testing at the Gedney Recycling Yard, traffic problems, including speeding and parking commercial vehicles overnight in residential neighborhoods, garbage collection, and other quality of life issues.

The give and take was lively and respectful right up to the closing minutes, when the Mayor good-humoredly sparred with two hecklers.

In closing remarks, Mayor Delfino invited every neighborhood association to take part in the ongoing series of personal meetings with him and his staff on issues specific to their neighborhoods, as well as on city-wide issues.

Read the WPCNA thank you note to Mayor Delfino sent by Co-President Corcoran.

What's New in the New By-Laws?

2008-07-05T08:39:00.003-04:00

The new By-Laws, written almost single-handedly by Joel Rudikoff, reflect the structure and purpose of today's WPCNA. They are at once both easier to read and more specific.

Members Autonomous
Gone is the confusing reference to a WPCNA map, and gone, too, are restrictive definitions of neighborhood associations. Instead, the new By-Laws recognize the member associations as autonomous and self-defining in boundary, organization, and membership. They are what they are, and are not subject to interference from WPCNA.

Action Enabled
Replaced are the numeric voting and quorum requirements which made it virtually impossible to act as a body. The new requirements are simply stated as commonsensical percentages. For most purposes, a quorum consists of a simple majority of the active, dues-paid associations, and a majority vote allows the WPCNA to take action.

Modern and Specific
New in the By-Laws is voting by proxy (mail, email, fax), a Rules Committee to adjudicate questions about the By-Laws, and careful specifications of the duties of the Officers and Committees, including of the Membership Committee to which prospective new associations may apply.

Powerful But Circumspect
Most importantly, the new By-Laws make it clear that WPCNA is an apolitical congress which will take positions on civic and quality of life issues, but not against its members, not without its members' approval, and not without identifying members that dissent from the consensus.

National Night Out

2008-05-30T11:56:00.003-04:00

This sounds like something the WPCNA would/should/could be interested in helping the neighborhoods participate in. http://www.nationaltownwatch.org/nno/

Marc Pollitzer

2008-05-26T21:25:00.014-04:00

I know this may be a bit premature, however, as it will be Memorial Day and we remember those that serve, I would like to have the WPCNA consider a lasting memory of Marc Pollitzer. As soon as I heard of his premature passing, I immediately thought, how best to remember him?

The Marc Pollitzer Community Service Award. To be presented by the WPCNA annually to the citizen of White Plains that best exemplifies the ideals that Marc tried to impart on us all and that would make him proud; service to the neighborhood and to the City with dedication, humility, and leadership.

Not to be a monetary award as there is no price you can put on the spirit of volunteerism that he brought to his work, yet a prestigious award, in the form of a plaque presented at a formal dinner honoring the recipient and others, that should follow strict guidelines of application, review, and voting by representatives of the community.

--Patrick Sevcik President, Rosedale Residential Association

WPCNA Reaches Out

2008-04-13T08:51:00.003-04:00

Kenneth Matinale wrote WPCNA recently, saying "Your organization is weighted to represent those who live in houses outside of downtown WP. You have FIVE member groups named Gedney, yet my condo, Jefferson Place, did not fit into any." Ken goes on to say "Most WP residents live downtown in apartments, yet your meetings are held in a place that is barely in WP."

Who Does WPCNA Represent?
Ken is right that the WPCNA map, which was drawn many years ago, doesn't show a high density of neighborhood associations in downtown White Plains. That's because, Jefferson Place, Trump Towers et al. didn't exist then, and the map needs to be redrawn -- which can't be accomplished until WPCNA reworks its quorum rules. But the map isn't the whole story. The active associations which comprise WPCNA aren't determined by the map, but by who actually shows up to represent their neighborhoods.

WPCNA Wants You!
Ken could make WPNCA more representative by encouraging the Board of his almost three-hundred unit condo, Jefferson Place, to send a delegate to WPCNA meetings. Or by forming a Jefferson Place Association and representing it at WPCNA meetings. WPCNA would be glad to have him. In fact, we'd be glad to have him pro se. WPCNA meetings are open to all White Plains residents. Several people attend regularly who are not association delegates. They can't vote, but they can and do speak up for their neighborhoods.

WPCNA Meeting Location
As a student of history, I am amused at Ken's equation of a meeting location with quality of representation. Where WPCNA meets reflects consideratons of cost, convenience, accomodations, and availability. Coincidentally, one of our Officers -- V.P. Tony Spinelli -- is actively seeking to take WPCNA meetings "on the road" so delegates can get to know more about White Plains' neighborhoods. There would be no reason not to meet at Jefferson Place, if its Board could offer a large enough meeting room and parking at no cost to WPCNA.

For the Record
Jefferson Place, where Ken lives, currently falls in the Downtown Association, whose meetings we're told Ken attends.

Prescription for Change

2008-03-20T08:07:00.005-04:00

Remember when everyone knew their neighbors by sight, if not by name, and communication meant chatting over the backyard fence? WPCNA does. That's when its By-Laws were written. Now as WPCNA seeks to attract new members by modifying its mission and methods for today's neighborhoods, it finds itself hamstrung by yesterday's rules.

Antediluvian Rules
The most irksome of these petrified rules are those on quorums. According to the By-Laws, "A quorum at meetings of the Representative Board shall consist of ten (10) member neighborhood associations." For practical purposes, that means a letter to the Mayor -- or a letter to the Editor -- expressing the Council's opinion gets tabled unless it can be adopted at a meeting attended by ten neighborhood associations in good standing.

Catch-22
The rule, which sets the bar too high for a quorum at regular meetings, can't be changed because "For the purpose of amending the Constitution, a quorum shall consist of 12 member associations." Ouch!

Hindsight Trumps Optimisim
At its inception, WPCNA defined its quorums numerically in the optimistic belief that it would soon seat delegates from qualified associations representing all or almost all of the 30 neighborhoods defined on its charter map. For various reasons, that never happened, and judged in hindsight, probably never will.

No Change, No Growth
Most years, WPCNA consists of from 10-15 qualified associations in good standing -- in toto. To grow, it needs to abandon its tail-fins and morph -- pardon the cliches -- into a more relevant and proactive organization. The 1950s-style town hall forum that attracted early WPCNA members needs more focus, more organization, and more results to attract new members. But we can't get there from here without modifying the By-Laws.

Let's Get Knocking!
This year we need to knock on every door -- literally if need be -- until we can turn out a dozen member associations and make the rules on quorums reflect reality. Joel Rudikoff has suggested that a quorum at meetings consist of half the members (50%), and a three-quarters (75%) quorum be required to amend the By-Laws. I second the motion and move we all get busy helping a dozen neighborhood associations become qualified members in good standing.