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Co-op City Times / July 30, 2016 ••••••••••••••••
Letters to the Editor • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Any rollback coming to shareholders? To the Editor: First vice president Berk praises President Taylor for 800 participants in the water program, but have they collected the money yet? And when they do, that's 800 families who can afford another increase. Be careful as this may be just another method of preparing shareholders for another increase. Now who will step up and answer Mr. Grumer’s letter from Mr. Berman regard-
ing another inflated contract with DE, senior managers who were hired by Riverbay to offset costs, $6.5 million settlement paid by shareholders already, but we still are paying the 4.5% increase. Any rollback coming to shareholders? I doubt it, and finally, if we are to fix up the waterfront, will there be a doggie park developed because people do not curb their dogs here according to city law and it's obvious to me that CCPD is
not concerned. How many summons have been given to dog owners for unleashed, poop left behind, dogs urinating in kiddie parks? In addition, are we to pay MSRE six months’ retroactive fees and spend big money on lawyers’ fees to resolve this? It is my opinion that the president and our lawyers are not reading our contracts thoroughly, especially our elevator contract. —Nick Liberati
Co-op City Times Co-op City’s official newspaper serving the world’s largest cooperative community. (718) 320-3300, ext. 3375 cctimes@riverbaycorp.com
Rozaan Boone Editor-in-Chief
Bill Stuttig Associate Editor
Jim Roberts Business Manager
Jennifer Piovanetti Operations Manager
Ralph Henriquez
First vice president responds to Mr. Liberati Dear Mr. Liberati: Delighted you are reading my viewpoints. I believe it’s a responsibility of directors to educate, inform and solicit responses from fellow shareholders. However, I’m concerned that your letter is one of conspiracy and innuendo; so, let me set the record straight. The prepayment program is a brilliant option, where every shareholder, including you, will save 6% of our $14 million water bill. I don’t see the problem with that, nor how you connect savings options to a carrying charge increase. If you have a better idea to save millions, please share. Your contention that DE has an “inflated contract” with Riverbay couldn’t be more wrong. HCR/HUD/Wells Fargo were reluctant to approve the contract specifically because they felt the fee
would prohibit DE from doing a fulltime job of managing our massive property. It’s a fraction of the $1.6 million/year we paid MSI, $22.4 million over their 14-year tenure. When MSI left, we DID NOT bring back senior management. We brought back three non-management employees with specific institutional knowledge needed. Yes, we paid the $6.5 million settlement; yes, our bank account is growing. For that, we are fortunate. Who knew we would have a $40 million elevator problem? That’s why you don’t run a large corporation with NO available cash. When MSI left, we had $900,000 in our bank account! The elevator problem is not from Mr. Taylor and our attorney’s inability to read an elevator contract – that is not the president’s job. This prob-
Production Manager
lem is because the contractor did not give us the larger elevator machines we paid for. In turn, MSI agreed to accept the machines with a 10-year warranty to replace the inadequate machines with the same inadequate machines! I DID NOT mention a doggie park in my vision of a pedestrian walk along the waterfront. I do know we continually work to figure out how to deal with our dog population without exposing Riverbay to breaking federal law, inviting a costly lawsuit. Yes, we pay attorneys to deal with MSI. If we have to spend money, which is the cost of business, I’m sure most shareholders agree with me, I would rather pay attorneys than put another penny in the pockets of MSI! —Linda Berk
Efforts to nationalize local police To the Editor: In response to Miss Reva Jones' recent letter: repeating over and over the mantra, "deadly force was not necessary," does not mean it wasn't necessary. Officers do not have to wait for a gun to be pointed at them. It is not easy to subdue a struggling man, no matter how it is depicted on TV or in the movies. If an officer sees a firearm and the suspect is reaching for it, the officer is allowed to use deadly force to protect himself, other officers and civilians. In the case of Mr. Sterling, officers were called to the scene because Sterling was menacing a homeless man with a
gun. Don't homeless persons have rights? One of the officers in this case is heard on tape shouting, "He's got a gun! Gun!" The other officer exclaims, "He's going for the gun!" Officers are not required to allow an unsecured (a person who is not handcuffed) suspect to shoot them before they fire. A subject who has a firearm and is attempting to retrieve it justifies the use of deadly force. Mr. Sterling, a criminal with a long arrest record and a registered sex offender, should have heeded the officer's commands. In the Philando Castile case, one of the officers in that case is heard on tape stating that Castile was reaching for his
(Castile's) firearm, which was found in the dead man's lap. Again, he should have heeded the officer's commands. Castile's girlfriend has given conflicting accounts of the incident. Black Lives Matters could attempt to do something about the innocent Black children murdered daily by abortion, or the thousands of Black youths murdered annually by other Black youths. They will not do anything about these problems because they are working to nationalize the local police. A nationalized police force is the precursor to a dictatorship. —David Hammer
If the Co-op City Times Was Not Delivered:
Director Jones’ response to Mr. Hammer Dear Mr. Hammer: I agree with your statement made in the June 23rd issue of the Co-op City Times: "A thorough, fair and profes-
sional investigation of both events needs to be done." I think the right thing was done in the Brooklyn case where the officer involved was removed from active
duty and placed at a desk during the investigation. —Francine Jones (Letters continued on page 23)
Important Notice to Shareholders of Adler & Broun Place Townhouses Article SIXTH of your Occupancy Agreement provides, in part, that your lease automatically renews for an additional three (3) year period. You need to do nothing if you want your lease to extend for another three (3) year period. If you will be moving out at the end of your lease, notify Riverbay, in writing, Attention: Sales Support Office, 2049 Bartow Avenue, Bronx, NY 10475, ninety (90) days prior to lease expiration.
The Co-op City Times welcomes issue-oriented letters to the editor to be considered for publication. All letters, in prose, not poetry, must be addressed to the editor, not to third parties. All letters must be signed by the writers and include their addresses and phone numbers, which will be kept confidential, so that the editor can verify the authenticity of the authors. Writers will be limited to one letter per topic. Anonymous or unsigned letters will not be accepted for publication. Letters cannot exceed 350 words. Ideally, they should be typed. All letters must be in the Co-op City Times office in Room 21, Bartow Community Center, by 3 p.m. every Monday to be considered for publication in that week’s edition. Views and opinions expressed in letters and Directors’ Viewpoint are solely the writer’s, and not necessarily shared by the Co-op City Times or Riverbay Corp. Advertisements and classified advertisements in the Co-op City Times do not necessarily reflect an endorsement from Riverbay Corporation of goods and services, but present greater options to cooperators of products and services available. The Riverbay Corporation does not assume any responsibility nor is it a party to any contract or agreement between the cooperator and the vendor. All matter published herein is copyrighted by the Co-op City Times. Permission for reprints of advertising or editorial contents produced by the Co-op City Times must be obtained in writing from Riverbay Corporation, 2049 Bartow Ave., Bronx, New York 10475.
Adler Place and Broun Place Townhouses
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