Co-op City Times 02/17/18

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Co-op City’s Official Newspaper Serving The World’s Largest Cooperative Community. © Copyright 2018 Co-op City Times

STAR Deadline For The 2018/2019 Tax Year Is March 15 Vol. 53 No. 7

All Co-op City shareholders are eligible for the New York State School Tax Relief (STAR) Program, but it is not an automatic credit; it must be filed for. You do not have to reapply for STAR if you are already receiving the credit. You only need to reapply if you were receiving Basic STAR and you are now eligible for Enhanced STAR. Since the 2016/2017 tax year, first time applicants must register with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance for the STAR credit. New applicants are those who purchased their apartments in Co-op City after March 15, 2015 or those who did not apply for the STAR exemption by the March 15, 2015 deadline. BY ROZAAN BOONE

Saturday, February 17, 2018

There are two types of STAR credit. Basic STAR is available to any owner of a house, cooperative apartment, condominium or other property as long as at least one owner lives in or uses the property as their primary residence. Married couples owning more than one property can only have STAR on one property unless they are divorced or legally separated and can provide documentation to support their claim. There is no age limit to receive Basic STAR, however, the combined household income of the owner(s) must be $500,000 or less. Enhanced STAR applicants must also use the residence they are filing

To provide a stricter deterrent against the unhealthy and unsavory act of urinating in public places in the community, such as stairwells, elevators, building walls and bushes, the Riverbay Board of Directors approved a resolution calling for a $350 community complaint fine against any shareholder if he/she or their family member or guest is caught urinating in public within Co-op City. This past week, the state Division of Homes and Community Renewal

Community Encouraged To Attend BSA Hearing On Electronic Billboards, Feb. 27th A February 27th public hearing before the city’s Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) could likely decide the fate of a proposed massive electronic billboard which, if approved, could loom over the southwest corner of the community for decades to come, shining into the home of hundreds of current and future Co-op City residents. The agenda for the BSA public hearing begins at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, February 27th and there are as many as 23 items on the agenda that day so it is hard to determine exactly when the Co-op City issue will be heard. But City Councilman Andy King, BY BILL STUTTIG

who is leading the fight to stop the massive signs’ completion and limit or stop the use of the existing threesided electronic billboard at the corner of Baychester and Bartow Avenues, said that it is very important that Co-op City residents get into the room at the beginning of the day because space is limited and seating might be filled by others whose issues also might come before the BSA that day. Because of this, a Riverbay-sponsored bus to the hearing is now scheduled to leave from in front of the former Bingo Hall on Bartow Avenue at 8:30 (Continued on page 4)

(Continued on page 30)

DHCR Approves Riverbay’s Public Urination Fine BY BILL STUTTIG

25¢

(DHCR) sent notice to Riverbay of their approval of the fine – technically called an administrative fee – paving the way for the new regulation to go into effect 30 days after the publication of this article. Going forward from March 20th, 2018, any resident caught urinating in public will have a $350 community complaint assessed against their home. After the complaint is issued by a Co-op City Public Safety Officer, notice of the (Continued on page 4)

Young at Heart

Councilman Andy King and his senior constituents proved that age is no restriction to having a good time on the dance floor as he and State Senator Jamaal Bailey and Congressman Eliot Engel hosted a Senior Valentine’s Day Dance and Luncheon Wednesday afternoon in the Dreiser Auditorium. See more photos on page 23. Photo by Bill Stuttig

Window Guard Deadline Was February 15 Home Visits Have Begun

The annual Window Guard forms were due back by Thursday, February 15, 2018. City law mandates that Managing Agents reach out to all individuals who did not submit/return a Window Guard form. As a result, beginning Friday, February 16, Riverbay employees will be visiting all shareholders who did not submitted a Window Guard form. The employees will have a form specific for your unit which must be filled out and signed. If you are not home, you will be responsible for completing and returning the form that will be placed under your door prior to March 1, 2018. Failure to submit the form by March 1, 2018 will result in Riverbay reporting the units that did not comply to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, as is required. The employees will be visiting Monday-Friday, 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. All employee will have their Riverbay ID’s properly displayed. Thank you for your cooperation. —Cooperator Services Office


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