PRESS RELEASE: Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano Announces Warming Centers As Region Battles Frigid Temperatures

YONKERS, NY – December 15, 2016 – Mayor Mike Spano today announced the City of Yonkers will designate several locations around the city as warming centers over the next two days as the region battles frigid temperatures. The northeast will see an arctic blast bringing temperatures into the 20s, with wind chills 15-20 degrees below zero. 

“As we enter the winter season, we will make warming centers available to all residents in need of a warm place to rest,” said Mayor Spano. “I especially encourage our city’s older adults, residents with medical conditions and those working outside to please stay safe and utilize a warming center located nearest to you if needed.”

The Mayor has released the following list of locations that will be open as warming centers during specified hours for all residents beginning today and remaining open through tomorrow, December 16:

Peter Chema Center435 Riverdale Avenue
Yonkers
9am-5pm

Coyne Park Community Center777 Mclean Avenue
Yonkers
9am-5pm

Nodine Hill Community Center140 Fillmore Street
9am-5pm

Yonkers Riverfront Library1 Larkin Center
Thursday: 9:00am-8:00pm
Friday: 9am-5pm

Grinton I. Will Library1500 Central Park Avenue
Thursday: 9:00am-8:00pm
Friday: 9am-5pm

Crestwood Library16 Thompson Street
Thursday: 10am-9pm
Friday: 9am-5pm

To ensure safety, the Mayor is also raising awareness of precautions residents should take during periods of extreme cold:

· Keep anything that can burn at least three-feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace,
fireplace, wood stove or portable space heaters.

· Extension cords should not be used in conjunction with a space heater. 
Careful not to overload outlets with space heaters.

· Do not use an oven or hot plate for heating.

· Ensure both smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are present and working.

For more information on City’s warming centers or for any additional assistance, call the Mayor’s Help Line at 377-HELP.

PRESS RELEASE Yonkers Resident Liam Perry Indicted for Head-on Collision Death

WHITE PLAINS, NY — Acting Westchester County District Attorney James A. McCarty announced that Liam Perry (DOB 08/05/93) of 5 Troy Lane, Yonkers, New York, was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with:

• one count of Vehicular Manslaughter in the First Degree, a class “C” Felony,
• one count of Vehicular Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class “D” Felony,
• one count of Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated Per Se, an unclassified Misdemeanor

in the death of Pedro Martinez.

On August 11, 2016 at approximately 9:20 p.m., the victim was driving in a 1995 Lincoln Town Car towards Bronxville on Palmer Road in Yonkers. At the same time, the defendant was behind the wheel of a 2005 Toyota Camry traveling in the opposite direction.

When the vehicles reached the intersection of Palmer Road and Sunnybrook Road, the defendant crossed the double yellow line and struck the victim’s car head on.

Perry had to be extracted from his car by the Yonkers Fire Department. Both the victim and the defendant were taken to Jacobi Medical Center in The Bronx. The victim was later pronounced dead from injuries sustained in the crash.

The defendant’s BAC was .27%.

The defendant pled not guilty to the charges.

Bail was previously set at $25,000 cash or bond. The defendant’s remand continues.

The next court date is January 18, 2017.

The defendant faces a maximum of fifteen years in state prison.

Assistant District Attorney Joseph Servino of the Superior Court Trial Division is prosecuting the case.

In compliance with the Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 3.6, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

PRESS RELEASE: City of Yonkers Declares Victory After Westchester County Discontinues Its Lawsuit Regarding County-Funded Homeless Shelter at 101 North Broadway

YONKERS, NY – December 14, 2016 -- Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano today declared victory after Westchester County agreed to discontinue its lawsuit against the city regarding the unsafe conditions at 101 North Broadway in Yonkers, a county-funded shelter. As a condition of the settlement, Westchester County has made the necessary repairs and rectified all major fire and building code violations that were ignored for months and now the property has been granted a Certificate of Occupancy by the City.

Westchester County had been utilizing the 101 North Broadway as a shelter despite it being condemned and deemed unfit for human habitation by city building inspectors. The county-funded facility was continually cited with numerous housing, building and fire code violations including overcrowding.

Mayor Spano commented, “Given the recent tragic headlines in Oakland, CA and Hunts Point, NY concerning the loss of life at properties that did not comply with local fire and building codes, I am pleased with this outcome. We will rightfully continue to hold the County to task on its constitutional obligation to secure the safety and well-being of our region’s homeless.”

Mayor Spano noted, “Today’s settlement puts the County on notice. We, as enforcers of local building and fire codes and protectors of our residents’ safety, are watching to ensure the County adheres to the codes that could prevent other potential tragedies.”

Yonkers fire and housing officials noted that on September 21, 101 North Broadway, operated by the Sharing Community and funded by Westchester County, had no current certificate of occupancy for the basement. In addition, despite not holding the required City of Yonkers Temporary Residence Permit (TRP) since 2014, the county shelter continued to house individuals in the facility. The TRP ensures that all required safety inspections are performed before the building is occupied and that the occupancy limits are honored.   Unsafe conditions at 101 N. Broadway included structural deficiencies, dead vermin, unsanitary spaces, little to no lighting, fire hazards caused by faulty and exposed wiring, overloaded electrical outlets, combustible objects near the boiler and soot residue indicating insufficient venting and possible carbon monoxide build up.  

“The City can’t in good conscience, ignore the housing conditions and the obligation to the health and safety of these individuals and surrounding residents,” Mayor Spano added. “We will continue to monitor the conditions at 101 North Broadway and be sure that the properties are maintained so that they meet the habitable standards of the State of New York and the City of Yonkers.”

Moving forward, Mayor Spano plans on introducing legislation to the Yonkers City Council early next year that would require on-site operators at county shelters located in the City of Yonkers to be trained as fire guards. Similar to New York City, this legislation would give these on-site operators the responsibility to eliminate fire hazards and assist in the evacuation of occupants during drills and in cases of emergency.

PRESS RELEASE: Yonkers Joins RXR Realty and Rising Development in Goundbreaking for Larkin Plaza Redevelopment

YONKERS, NY – December 14, 2016 – Marking a major step in the redevelopment of Yonkers’ scenic and historic downtown, RXR Realty and Rising Development joined Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano and city officials in a groundbreaking ceremony for the $190 million Larkin Plaza mixed-use development project.  

The project, among the largest private developments in downtown Yonkers in decades, will complement the substantial public and private investment that has occurred in the city’s downtown in recent years.  These have included commercial and residential development projects, a new downtown public library, a renovated train station, a landscaped esplanade along the Hudson River, and the “daylighting” of the Saw Mill River, in which that decked-over body of water was re-exposed, with walkways and parks along its banks.

The Larkin Plaza development will consist of 439 apartments, together with 35,000 square feet of on-site space for shops, restaurants and other retailers. The residential units will be in two towers – one 25 stories and the other 17 stories – both offering unmatched views of Van Der Donck Park, the exposed Saw Mill River, the Hudson River, the Palisades Cliffs and the Manhattan Skyline.  The project is located steps from Yonkers’ train station, offering service to Penn Station via Amtrak and Grand Central via Metro-North.  It also has easy access to Routes 9/9A, Saw Mill Parkway, Cross County Parkway, and I-87. 

The two towers will share a landscaped roof terrace with outdoor amenities, including a terrace amphitheater and movie screen. Each feature additional first-class amenities indoors, such as attended lobby and concierge services; state-of-the-art resident lounges with media centers, dining rooms and kitchens; and resident business centers with Wi-Fi.  As part of the project, the landscaped roof terrace will be named in memory of Nick Sprayregen, founder of Rising Development and a visionary advocate for Yonkers.  

An additional two-story building along Van Der Donck Park, which is also part of the project, will house much of the project’s retail space, activating the long dormant frontage along the park.  A separate, three-story structure will house parking for 539 vehicles in an attended parking facility.  Partners RXR Realty and Rising Development began demolition and site work several months ago, with vertical construction now set to begin immediately.  Completion is expected in the fourth quarter of 2018.  The project is being financed in part through a loan from Capital One Bank and Santander Bank.

“We are so proud to be breaking ground on the Larkin Plaza development,” said Scott Rechler, Chairman and CEO of RXR.  “Building on the work of so many, Yonkers is well-positioned, once again, to be one of Westchester’s great economic and social hubs.  We are thrilled that our project will play an important role in the rebirth of this great city, providing a top-quality alternative to the high-priced housing in New York City, while creating new jobs, services and tax revenue for the people of Yonkers.  In addition to the many other thanks that are due, we especially want to thank Mayor Spano and the entire city team for all of their hard work and assistance in making this project a reality.”

“Nick would be proud to see his vision for Yonkers materializing here today,” said Tim Rutledge, CFO of Rising Development, said of the company’s late founder, Sprayregen.  “He loved this city and believed that with some creativity and hard work, we could create a true city-center in the downtown.  We all look forward to completing his dream.”

“Today’s groundbreaking marks another monumental step in the revitalization efforts of our Yonkers waterfront,” said Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano. “This is the type of development we need in Yonkers to meet a growing demand for people who want to live, work and play in a diverse and urban environment.  Thank you to RXR Realty, Rising Development and Empire State Development for investing in Yonkers so it remains a destination for years to come.” 

The Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) awarded the Larkin Plaza project a $1 million grant in both 2014 and 2015, in Rounds IV and V of Governor Cuomo’s Regional Council Initiative.

“The Larkin Plaza mixed-use development will create hundreds of direct and indirect jobs in downtown Yonkers, a short walk from the Metro North train station,” said Mid-Hudson REDC Co-chairs Leonard S. Schleifer, MD, Ph.D., Founder, President and CEO of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, and Dennis Murray, President Emeritus and Professor of Public Policy at Marist College.  “Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, downtowns and urban centers throughout the Mid-Hudson region are attracting investment and being revived as economic engines for their communities.”  

The Larkin Plaza project is part of RXR’s Public/Private Partnership Strategy, which, with other transit-oriented projects the company is developing across the region.  These projects will provide affordable, quality housing options to the region’s residents, including young professionals and empty nesters.  RXR currently has approximately 3,000 units in its development pipeline, with projects in Yonkers, New Rochelle, Connecticut, on Long Island and in Brooklyn.

About RXR

RXR Realty LLC (“RXR”) is a vertically integrated private real estate operating company with expertise in investment management, property management, development, design, construction, leasing and financing. RXR’s core growth strategy is focused on New York City and the surrounding tri-state area markets. The Company is one of the largest owners, managers, and developers in the New York Tri-State area. RXR’s operating platform manages 90 commercial real estate properties and investments comprising approximately 25.1 million square feet with an aggregate gross asset value of approximately $15.0 billion as of September 30, 2016. In addition, RXR has a residential development pipeline of approximately 3,200 multi-family and for sale units in the New York metropolitan area.

About Rising Development

Rising Development has been committed to the redevelopment of downtown Yonkers and the birth of a true go-to city-center ever since its founder Nick Sprayregen first heard in 2006 about the promise of the daylighting of the Saw Mill River. Even at that time, Mr. Sprayregen was able to appreciate the important steps that had already been undertaken by both the private and public sectors in bringing about the beginning chapter of the turnaround of the downtown.

The eventual creation of Van Der Donck park on what had been for almost a century a municipal parking lot named Larkin Plaza, combined with the much-needed rezoning of the downtown then laid the groundwork for Mr. Sprayregen, along with other developers, to continue the revitalization efforts.

At this time, Rising Development is proud to be moving forward with its two major redevelopment projects – the rehabilitation of its Mill Street and Main Street properties as well as the new mixed-use Larkin Plaza development project with RXR Realty, on its main assemblage overlooking the Van Der Donck park. These combined efforts will help contribute to a vibrant, vital engaging 21st Century transit-oriented downtown – SOYO.

PRESS RELEASE: Groundbreaking Ceremony for Larkin Plaza Redevelopment

YONKERS, NY – December 14, 2016 – Marking a major step in the redevelopment of Yonkers’ scenic and historic downtown, RXR Realty and Rising Development joined Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano and city officials in a groundbreaking ceremony for the $190 million Larkin Plaza mixed-use development project.

The project, among the largest private developments in downtown Yonkers in decades, will complement the substantial public and private investment that has occurred in the city’s downtown in recent years. These have included commercial and residential development projects, a new downtown public library, a renovated train station, a landscaped esplanade along the Hudson River, and the “daylighting” of the Saw Mill River, in which that decked-over body of water was re-exposed, with walkways and parks along its banks.

The Larkin Plaza development will consist of 439 apartments, together with 35,000 square feet of on-site space for shops, restaurants and other retailers. The residential units will be in two towers – one 25 stories and the other 17 stories – both offering unmatched views of Van Der Donck Park, the exposed Saw Mill River, the Hudson River, the Palisades Cliffs and the Manhattan Skyline. The project is located steps from Yonkers’ train station, offering service to Penn Station via Amtrak and Grand Central via Metro-North. It also has easy access to Routes 9/9A, Saw Mill Parkway, Cross County Parkway, and I-87.

The two towers will share a landscaped roof terrace with outdoor amenities, including a terrace amphitheater and movie screen. Each feature additional first-class amenities indoors, such as attended lobby and concierge services; state-of-the-art resident lounges with media centers, dining rooms and kitchens; and resident business centers with Wi-Fi. As part of the project, the landscaped roof terrace will be named in memory of Nick Sprayregen, founder of Rising Development and a visionary advocate for Yonkers.

An additional two-story building along Van Der Donck Park, which is also part of the project, will house much of the project’s retail space, activating the long dormant frontage along the park. A separate, three-story structure will house parking for 539 vehicles in an attended parking facility. Partners RXR Realty and Rising Development began demolition and site work several months ago, with vertical construction now set to begin immediately. Completion is expected in the fourth quarter of 2018. The project is being financed in part through a loan from Capital One Bank and Santander Bank.

“We are so proud to be breaking ground on the Larkin Plaza development,” said Scott Rechler, Chairman and CEO of RXR. “Building on the work of so many, Yonkers is well-positioned, once again, to be one of Westchester’s great economic and social hubs. We are thrilled that our project will play an important role in the rebirth of this great city, providing a top-quality alternative to the high-priced housing in New York City, while creating new jobs, services and tax revenue for the people of Yonkers. In addition to the many other thanks that are due, we especially want to thank Mayor Spano and the entire city team for all of their hard work and assistance in making this project a reality.”

“Nick would be proud to see his vision for Yonkers materializing here today,” said Tim Rutledge, CFO of Rising Development, said of the company’s late founder, Sprayregen. “He loved this city and believed that with some creativity and hard work, we could create a true city- center in the downtown. We all look forward to completing his dream.”

“Today’s groundbreaking marks another monumental step in the revitalization efforts of our Yonkers waterfront,” said Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano. “This is the type of development we need in Yonkers to meet a growing demand for people who want to live, work and play in a diverse and urban environment. Thank you to RXR Realty, Rising Development and Empire State Development for investing in Yonkers so it remains a destination for years to come.”

The Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) awarded the Larkin Plaza project a $1 million grant in both 2014 and 2015, in Rounds IV and V of Governor Cuomo’s Regional Council Initiative.

“The Larkin Plaza mixed-use development will create hundreds of direct and indirect jobs in downtown Yonkers, a short walk from the Metro North train station,” said Mid-Hudson REDC Co-chairs Leonard S. Schleifer, MD, Ph.D., Founder, President and CEO of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, and Dennis Murray, President Emeritus and Professor of Public Policy at Marist College. “Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, downtowns and urban centers throughout the Mid-Hudson region are attracting investment and being revived as economic engines for their communities.”

The Larkin Plaza project is part of RXR’s Public/Private Partnership Strategy, which, with other transit-oriented projects the company is developing across the region. These projects will provide affordable, quality housing options to the region’s residents, including young professionals and empty nesters. RXR currently has approximately 3,000 units in its development pipeline, with projects in Yonkers, New Rochelle, Connecticut, on Long Island and in Brooklyn.

About RXR 
RXR Realty LLC (“RXR”) is a vertically integrated private real estate operating company with expertise in investment management, property management, development, design, construction, leasing and financing. RXR’s core growth strategy is focused on New York City and the surrounding tri-state area markets. The Company is one of the largest owners, managers, and developers in the New York Tri-State area. RXR’s operating platform manages 90 commercial real estate properties and investments comprising approximately 25.1 million square feet with an aggregate gross asset value of approximately $15.0 billion as of September 30, 2016. In addition, RXR has a residential development pipeline of approximately 3,200 multi- family and for sale units in the New York metropolitan area.

About Rising Development 
Rising Development has been committed to the redevelopment of downtown Yonkers and the birth of a true go-to city-center ever since its founder Nick Sprayregen first heard in 2006 about the promise of the daylighting of the Saw Mill River. Even at that time, Mr. Sprayregen was able to appreciate the important steps that had already been undertaken by both the private and public sectors in bringing about the beginning chapter of the turnaround of the downtown.

The eventual creation of Van Der Donck park on what had been for almost a century a municipal parking lot named Larkin Plaza, combined with the much-needed rezoning of the downtown then laid the groundwork for Mr. Sprayregen, along with other developers, to continue the revitalization efforts.

At this time, Rising Development is proud to be moving forward with its two major redevelopment projects – the rehabilitation of its Mill Street and Main Street properties as well as the new mixed-use Larkin Plaza development project with RXR Realty, on its main assemblage overlooking the Van Der Donck park. These combined efforts will help contribute to a vibrant, vital engaging 21st Century transit-oriented downtown – SOYO.

PUBLIC NOTICE: Yonkers City Council Regular Meeting – Tuesday, December 13th

YONKERS, NY — December 10, 2016 — The Yonkers City Council released the agenda that will come before them at their regularly scheduled meeting. As noted below, no backup information is appended to the agenda that will come to a vote on December 13th.

YONKERS EVENT: Chabad of Yonkers Menorah Workshop at The Home Depot – Sunday, December 11th

PRESS RELEASE: Yonkers Mayor Spano Calls for Members to Apply for Yonkers Joint School Construction Board

YONKERS, NY – December 7, 2016 – Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano today announced his call for submissions to fill three of the nine positions on the new Yonkers Joint Schools Construction Board, the official steering committee authorized to oversee the repairing and rebuilding of Yonkers’ 39 schools. The creation and convening of the board was signed into law this fall by New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo. 

According to the legislation, the board will be comprised of nine voting members, three of whom will be joint appointees of the Yonkers Mayor and Superintendent of Schools. The remaining board members include the Mayor, the President of the Yonkers Public Schools Board of Trustees, the Superintendent of Yonkers Public Schools, Yonkers Council of PTAs designee, Yonkers City Council designee/majority and Yonkers City Council designee/minority.

Mayor Spano stated, “I encourage qualified and committed Yonkers residents to apply to the School Construction Board. This new board will make significant and impactful decisions that will establish modern, healthy educational environments that will affect our City and children for generations to come.”

“The School Construction Board’s work is truly significant as we move towards sustainable solutions for student success.  Board President Rev. Lopez and I look forward to working with this coalition of leaders as we move the education agenda in Yonkers,” noted Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edwin M. Quezada.  “We cannot expect students to perform at high levels in school buildings that are substandard.  Research shows that safe, healthy environments with access to 21st Century technology and instructional space for art, music and libraries are essential components of successful teaching and learning to prepare students for college or work.”

Board of Education President Rev. Steve Lopez stated, “The Trustees are ready and enthusiastic to begin the repairs and rebuilding of our schools.  We are grateful for Mayor Spano’s relentless commitment to Rebuild Yonkers Schools and the support of the City Council.  And join him in thanking Governor Cuomo, Senators Stewart-Cousins and Latimer, Assembly members Mayer and Pretlow and our school district staff and parents for their efforts.”

In selecting the three designees to serve the board, the new law provides that preference will be granted to those with expertise or experience in school construction, school financing and education policy. The members also may not be employed or have been employed by the City of Yonkers or the Yonkers Public Schools in the past two years. 

Mayor Spano added, “Thank you to Governor Cuomo, our Yonkers state delegation, our Yonkers Board of Education and all our local advocates for lending their voices in making this first step of establishing this board possible. Now we have a strong foundation to start the next phase of the process, which should include state reimbursements to fund the project.”

Yonkers proposes to rebuild all 39 existing public schools and build three new schools in Yonkers over the course of four phases and 13 years. The average age of Yonkers Public Schools is 75 years old with many as old as 100 years old, making them some of the oldest in New York State. The District is also one of two districts in New York with a growing enrollment teaching 27,000 students, which is currently 4,500 seats over capacity. As a result, students are being taught in spaces that were never intended to serve as classrooms such as basements, libraries and auditoriums. Alternate classroom accommodations including annexes and mobile trailers also have become overcrowded. 

In the coming months, Mayor Spano will continue to advocate in Albany for the state reimbursement needed to fund the rebuilding of Yonkers Public Schools.

Interested applicants are encouraged to apply at www.yonkersny.gov/boards

YONKERS TRIBUNE: Yonkers PBA Trustees Aide and Abet P.O. WIlliam Pataky to Create an Animal Lover Image Despite Him Being Factually Soiled, Despised, and Not Trusted

YONKERS, NY — December 6, 2016 — Upon officially adopting a 5-month-old kitten from the Yonkers Animal Shelter on Thursday, December 1st, P.O. William Pataky said, “You just feel it… this was the right thing to do.” The black and white kitten first met up with P.O. Pataky when he nine days earlier was working with an SPCA of Westchester Investigator to solve the case of an abandoned apartment on Cliff Street. Pataky is said to have estimated the kitten was abandoned in an unheated apartment with broken windows and without food or water. He took the kitten for treatment at a veterinary hospital; the kitten was dehydrated, underweight, and infested by fleas.

Pataky returned to the Yonkers Animal Shelter to check on the kitten’s condition and decided he would give the kitten a place in his home alongside his six-year-old cat Vegas, another shelter adoptee.

Yonkers Police Commissioner Charles Gardner congratulated P.O. Pataky with an “atta boy” slap on the back. The imagery was anathema to Pataky’s 18-years checkered past. The Journal News featured Officer William Pataky as having numerous Federal Lawsuits involving alleged brutality and questionable arrests and procedures; he is still roaming the streets.

Sources note that Olson staged an incident and reportedly had his union “thug” trustees stand at the entrance door to the Dunwoodie Hall as members entered into the room. One of those trustees was Police Officer William Pataky of the Fourth Police Precinct, chatter reportedly defines Pataky to be then Captain John Mueller’s go to guy to put down any precinct union issues. In return, Mueller allegedly feeds Pataky with overtime over other precinct members; this is the definition of pension padding.

It was back in 2014 that inside sources advised that during a Yonkers Police Benovolent Association meeting, PBA member Ray Montero while attempting to make his way to the men’s room, Yonkers PBA President Olson yelled out, “Don’t let that guy leave the room, this next issue pertains to him”. Words were thereafter exchanged between Olson and Montero who continued to make his way out of the meeting. As Montero reached the exit door, PBA Union Trustee William Pataky attempted to verbally, and physically impede Montero’s need to depart for the men’s room. This is the same William Pataky that was featured in the Erik Shilling article published in The Journal News on April 7, 2014, entitled: “2 Yonkers Cops Named in 14 Misconduct Lawsuits.”

Pataky was clearly heard spitting epithets, explicit profanity toward Yonkers Police Det. Ray Montero. Pataky told Montero he could not leave the room and ordered Montero to stay because PBA President Det. Keith Olson was not finished with him. Sources and witnesses report that Pataky was clearly motioning his hands towards Monteros’ face in a threatening manner. Other union trustees who were with Pataky were heard yelling, “Hold him”. As any normal person would expect, mayhem broke out between union officials and attending members.

A melée ensued. Montero was finally able to depart the scene to attend to relieving his bladder. It was then finally clear to all the members why Olson and his Union “thug” Trustee Pataky wanted him to stay. Yonkers PBA union leader Olson introduced, and read by-laws to begin the expulsion procedures against Detective Raymond Montero of the Yonkers Police Department’s Narcotics/Gang unit, a former Yonkers PBA Vice President, and a twenty-five-year, recognized and well-decorated Police Detective who reports indicate pulled two wounded New York State Troopers from a fire fight during an early morning raid in which the suspect was shot and killed in The Bronx. The now deceased Det. Frank Fernandez was first to propose Montero be ousted from the union; Det. Joseph Galinski, a 4th Precinct Trustee, seconded the motion.

The recent adulation over the success of the Yonkers Police Department being recognized to be the second most safe city in America among cities of from 190,000 to 250,000 population is a con. Pataky is indicative of why there are less reported crimes in the City of Yonkers. While there are police officers who still attend the salt mines; their word is not trusted. That being the case, while there are the same number of police officers on the force, many are constrained from functioning as police officers. It follows that if there are less police on the street, the likelihood of capturing those engaged in illegal conduct is diminished. Simply put, the Yonkers Police Department is not reporting the crimes that do take place because the Yonkers Police Department is not reporting all the crimes that are taking place. It therefore seems as though crime is down because less crimes are reported. Less crimes this year when compared to last year implies that the Yonkers Police Department have reduced crime by 30 percent. No way, no how!

In 2014, when crime statistics reached an all time, the reason was because the Westchester County District Attorney had to throw out many cases due to the admission of two YPD personnel who were admitted perjurers. The investigation created a sense of dread and fear in the department.

Will Mayor Mike Spano ever clean up the swamp he has allowed his brother Nick Spano to create? How long will that take? While the Yonkers taxpayers wait for the toxic waste to be cleansed from this corruption, must the taxpayer also suffer the pension padding you permit at the taxpayer’s expense?

The silence is deafening Mr. Mayor. If after 5-years of your failed administration, evoking your vision for the City of Yonkers, is it reasonable to believe that New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo will be supportive of your candidacy for Westchester County Executive? While the desire may be there, your capacity to do just that is constrained by your lack of accomplishment. There seems little time to take corrective course now. You simply waited too long. 

http://www.yonkerstribune.com/2016/12/yonkers-pba-trustees-aide-and-abet-p-o-william-pataky-to-create-an-animal-lover-image-despite-him-being-factually-soiled-despised-and-not-trusted-by-hezi-aris

PRESS RELEASE: Ken Jenkins Pushes Rob Astorino to Join Call for Economic Development Legislation

YONKERS, NY — December 3, 2016 — Legislator Ken Jenkins yesterday released a letter urging U.S. Senator, and newly-elected Minority Leader, Charles Schumer to support the Consumer Financial Choice and Capital Markets Protection Act (S.1802) as a way to protect economic development and infrastructure development in Westchester and across New York.

“This critical legislation has bipartisan support in the House and Senate, a testament to the importance of this legislation in protecting economic development, infrastructure investment and job creation,” Jenkins stated.

Specifically, S.1802 corrects a significant deficiency in a recent Securities and Exchange Commission rule regarding money market funds. Since the rule’s enactment in October, billions of dollars have already left the money market sector, and if the deficiency is not corrected, it will result in even further divestment.

The deficiency requires money market funds to change their method of accounting from a stable net asset value to a floating net asset value. This change has already resulted in a large scale exodus of investment in these essential funds. These funds represent the largest purchasers of tax-exempt bonds issued by municipalities, non-profit institutions and economic development entities. A reduction in investment in money market funds will result in a decrease in investment in tax-exempt debt, which will in turn result in an increase in the cost of issuing tax-exempt debt. If costs increase for tax-exempt debt issuers, it will directly lead to the reduction in the size and scope of projects, or to projects being cancelled entirely. Most importantly, this means less economic development and fewer jobs.

Examples of economic development and infrastructure projects in Westchester that are financed by tax-exempt bonds and which will see their borrowing costs rise include projects undertaken by the Westchester County Industrial Development Agency, the Yonkers Industrial Development Agency, the New Rochelle Industrial Development Agency, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority which runs the Metro-North Railroad, and the New York State Dormitory Authority which finances the construction and redevelopment of facilities across the state, including Northern Westchester Hospital. Coupon rates for projects undertaken by these entities have increased between 164% and 5,100% since November 2015, resulting in a large increase in borrowing costs for the issuers.

The migration of liquidity out of money market funds, reducing the supply of available capital, has directly led to bond issuers across Westchester and all of New York paying more to fund their projects, endangering their scope, size and success and hampering economic development and infrastructure investment.

“Opening up economic development streams like this has to be a priority for the County and I hope the County Executive will join me in advocating through his relationships in Washington,” Jenkins concluded.

A copy of Jenkins’ letter to Senator Schumer is attached herein

CONTACT:

Brian Hegt, Press Secretary, Democratic Caucus, Westchester County Board of Legislators