RyeCity REVIEW THE
April 22, 2016 | Vol. 4, Number 17 | www.ryecityreview.com
Ryeon the Prize
Rye Golf Club members likely to sue over greens By JAMes PerO Staff Writer
Joe Zulli throws a pitch against Blind Brook during the Anthony Faust Memorial Tournament in Port Chester on April 16. Zulli was named the tourney MVP as the Garnets took home the championship with two wins. For story, see page 15. Photo/Mike Smith
City Fire Department to switch health insurance carriers As of Sunday, May 1, the city of Rye’s professional firefighters will have a new health insurance carrier, switching over to the New York State Health Insurance Program, NYSHIP, from POMCO/Medco. One stipulation of the recently approved fire union contract was that the city was allowed to switch health insurance carriers on behalf of the department. The current contract, which spans from 2010 until the end of 2015, was approved last month
after several years of negotiation between the city and the union. And according to Rye City Manager Marcus Serrano, health insurance coverage was one of the most contentious issues being negotiated. However, Serrano said the carrier switch was inevitable, as POMCO had previously notified the city that they would be terminating the Fire Department’s coverage because their pool was too small, they were going over their
premium, and that the additional cost was being subsidized by other POMCO/Medco members. There are currently 17 active duty firefighters and 17 retirees who have health insurance through the city of Rye. As opposed to POMCO/Medco, which is a much smaller pool of just Westchester communities, NYSHIP is statewide and has more than 1 million members, and Serrano has described the new health insurance plan as “a lot
more stable for the city and its employees.” When asked if the new health insurance plan provides better or worse coverage for the firefighters, Serrano said, “Some things are better, some are worse. It depends on what [kind of coverage] you’re looking for.” John Castelhano, the city fire union president, could not be reached for comment as of press time. -Reporting by Angela Jordan
The city continues to deal with fallout from the Rye Golf Club’s summer closure after a group of six disgruntled club members filed a notice of intent to sue the city for membership reimbursement. According to a notice of intent filed with the city on April 12, the six members—John and Marjorie Lyons, Mark and Silvia Lederman, and Stephen and Deborah Chapin, who are all couples—feel the club has failed to uphold “contractual obligations” to its members. The suit relates to damage incurred to the club’s greens over the summer, resulting from the application of a tainted pesticide which forced the closure of the club for three months; the majority of the city-owned club’s peak season. While golf club policy dictates that membership dues are strictly nonrefundable, the notice contends that incidents like those over the summer fall outside of the scope of the agreement between members and the club and should be treated differently. According to Stephen A.
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Florek, the attorney representing the six plaintiffs, his clients are seeking full reimbursement for their dues but are not seeking any damages at this point. While the firm hasn’t officially named a total sum, the dues—which Florek estimates to be about $8,500 per couple— would equate to about a $25,000 settlement, he told the Review. According to the Rye Golf Club website, a comprehensive membership costs $5,175, which also consists of access to the club’s pool, and an individual daily golf membership costs $3,565. According to Florek, his clients’ lawsuit could also potentially accrue more members as some others in the community have shown interest. According to Councilman Terry McCartney, Republican, who acts as liaison to the Rye Golf Club Commission, the city currently has no intent to refund members. “We have a strict no refund policy that everyone agrees to,” McCartney said. “If people choose to file a lawsuit we will have to defend ourselves.” The city of Rye has offered greens continued on page 5
Scenes from the Midland School Parade and Fair See page 9.