Congratulations to New RIOC Board Members!
January 27, 2010
I am proud to congratulate Margie Smith and Michael Shinozaki on their long-awaited confirmation by the State Senate to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation Board of Directors, as well as Dr. Kathie Grimm on the confirmation of her re-nomination.
Margie, Michael, and Kathie are three of Roosevelt Island’s most talented and dedicated community leaders, and they will be key contributors to a Board that has steadily grown more representative of the island it serves.
I have been a consistent advocate for democratizing the RIOC Board, and these confirmations mark another important step forward in that process. I sponsor a bill (A.3953/S.1394) with Senator Jose Serrano, which would reconstitute the RIOC Board so that it is elected rather than appointed. And in 2008, I secured funds for ballot machines so that the Roosevelt Island Residents Association could run their balloting. In that historic election islanders chose Dr. Grimm, along with five other nominees, to represent them on the Board. Margie and Michael were elected last May, in another successful ballot with excellent turnout.
The island’s voters have chosen supremely qualified individuals with a proven commitment to serving their community. It goes to show that democracy really does work: when people are given the opportunity to participate in the governing of their own communities, they take their civic responsibility seriously. RIOC is better off for it, and so are the residents of Roosevelt Island.
Unfortunately, the Governor has not always respected the will of Roosevelt Island’s voters, as when he failed to officially nominate two of the winners of the 2008 election. I wrote to the Governor at that time urging the confirmation of all six nominees and I continue to press him to do the right thing. (You can find my May, 2008 letter in the Publications section of this blog.) Islanders deserve nothing less than full democratization of the RIOC Board.
Assembly Member Kellner on CB8 Speaks
December 16, 2009
A Grand Opening for Roosevelt Island Bank Customers
October 2, 2009
Assembly Member Kellner with Amalgamated CEO Derrick Cephas and Branch Manager Kathy Lasri, cutting the ribbon to open the bank’s new Roosevelt Island branch.
On October 1st, I was proud to join Amalgamated Bank President and CEO Derrick Cephas, as well as Borough President Scott Stringer and a number of other distinguished guests, to mark the grand opening of Amalgamated’s new branch on Roosevelt Island. The opening marks the beginning of a new era of community banking for island residents — a secure replacement for the New York National Bank branch that closed this summer.
In July, I posted about how I worked with Assembly Banking Committee Chair Darryl Towns to ensure that the State Banking Department designated the island’s new Amalgamated branch as a Banking Development District (BDD) branch. This means that $10 million in public funds have been deposited with the new branch, providing the security it needs to serve as a reliable long-term bank for Roosevelt Islanders. Thanks to the BDD designation, as well as support from State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr., the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, and other stakeholders, island residents will continue to have a convenient location to do their banking for many years to come.
I am pleased to have been able to help make the new branch a reality, and I would like to extend a warm welcome to branch manager Kathy Lasri and her team as they become part of the Roosevelt Island Community.
A Landmark Victory for Eastwood Tenants on Submetering
September 18, 2009
Yesterday, the New York State Public Service Commission issued a landmark decision on electrical submetering in residential buildings - delivering a big victory to tenants at Roosevelt Landings and elsewhere. (See today’s New York Daily News article, “Mitchell-Lama Housing Tenants Win Out in Dispute Over Electric Bills.”) The Commission’s order, which came in response to my petition to overturn submetering at Roosevelt Landings, ordered a permanent halt to submetering at that building and several others, until and unless the landlords consult with tenants and develop a new submetering plan with substantial tenant protections.
I cannot thank PSC Chairman Brown and the Commissioners and staff of the Public Service Commission enough for their groundbreaking decision to permanently stay the submetering orders for Roosevelt Landings, Frawley Plaza, Metro North, and the Alpacas I&II. The full order is linked here from the Public Service Commission website.
Initially, when I challenged the PSC’s approval of submetering at Roosevelt Landings, the PSC issued a temporary stay. Now that the Commission has made that stay permanent, tenants can rest assured that they will not be subjected to any submetering scheme without their full consultation and basic tenant protections to ensure they are not unduly burdened.
The PSC’s decision promises a brighter future that doesn’t pit tenant rights against environmental goals—it proves that we can do both. The protections won are meaningful acknowledgments of what has been a deeply flawed process from a tenants’ rights perspective—and while more needs to be done, there is no question that we are moving in the right direction.
The Commission’s order addresses the need for tenants to be protected from illegal eviction proceedings that are too often brought over unpaid utility bills. It also acknowledges that asking tenants to use energy more efficiently means requiring landlords to give tenants the tools that make this possible, such as installing thermostats in electrically-heated buildings.
While I am pleased with the victories won yesterday, more work needs to be done to ensure that tenants are treated fairly. Some of the requirements do not go far enough—for instance, I do not believe that submetering should ever be allowed in the minority of buildings left in New York City that use electric heat. At a minimum, I will continue to push for the metering of electric heating to be separated out from other electrical uses.
Also, while this order relates to four specific buildings—creating tremendous precedent for future cases—the reality is that these basic tenant protections should be clearly written into law so that all New Yorkers share the same rights and are governed by the same rules.
An Opening for Artists with Disabilities
August 21, 2009
Assembly Member Kellner with artist, Octavia Lanford.
On a beautiful August Thursday, I had the honor of serving as Master of Ceremonies at a ground-breaking art opening at the Roosevelt Island Visual Art Association Gallery (RIVAA), as over 80 stunning works of art created by artists with cerebral palsy went on display. The dozens of artists were joined by family members, friends, and supporters. As someone with cerebral palsy myself, this was an especially proud occasion for me.
I am proud to have helped make this exhibition a reality. For the last year, thanks to the Cerebral Palsy Associations of New York State, I have been privileged to display in my office works by three of the artists who are now represented at RIVAA (as I reported in a post last August). Earlier this year, I suggested that the RIVAA Gallery would be the ideal place to stage a broader exhibition featuring pieces by artists with disabilities. Roosevelt Island is a community designed to be inclusive of people with disabilities, and RIVAA is one of the island’s prime cultural treasures — so the show and the location were a natural fit.
Cerebral Palsy Associations of New York State Metro Services, United Cerebral Palsy of New York City, and Queens Centers for Progress worked together to produce the exhibition, which features a diverse and colorful collection of paintings, photographs, and sculptures on subjects including nature, life in New York City, and the artists themselves.
Thanks are due to CP of NYS, UCP, and QCP, as well as to RIVAA, for bringing us this wonderful show. The exhibition runs until September 7, and I strongly encourage you to stop by and check it out, whether or not you live on Roosevelt Island. The gallery is at 527 Main Street.
Below, is a poster produced by CP of NYS that is a collage of images from the opening night.
We Need an Audit of Roosevelt Island’s Public Safety Department
July 24, 2009
Last night, the Roosevelt Island Residents Association hosted a town hall meeting to discuss community concerns about the island’s Public Safety Department (PSD). The event confirmed to me the importance of developing an independent, transparent, and objective process for reviewing PSD’s effectiveness, and for processing civilian complaints about the Department.
I am working on legislation to create a version of New York City’s Civilian Complaint Review Board that will cover security forces like PSD, so that Roosevelt Islanders have the same rights as any other residents of New York when it comes to oversight of local policing.
In the meantime, I have asked New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, whose office has a sterling reputation for conducting performance audits of local governments, public authorities, and other government agencies, to conduct an audit. Roosevelt Islanders have a right to know that PSD is being held to the highest standards of accountability.
A copy of my letter is below.
7.24.09 PSD Letter to Dinapoli Final
Great News for Bank Customers on Roosevelt Island
July 13, 2009
As Roosevelt Island residents know, the island’s only bank branch, operated by New York National Bank, is set to close soon. Fortunately, Amalgamated Bank is willing to step forward to provide continued services to all current Island customers of NYNB.
I’m happy to report that we have taken a major step forward in making Amalgamated’s presence on Roosevelt Island possible. Historically, Roosevelt Island is “underbanked,” meaning that banks have chosen not to operate in the community unless they receive incentives to do so. For this reason, New York State’s Banking Department designates certain areas as “Banking Development Districts (BDD).” Under the BDD program, the State deposits public funds - up to $10 million per branch - in designated bank branches, in order to make them financially viable for underbanked communities.
As a member of the Assembly’s Committee on Banks, I worked with Committee Chair Darryl Towns to ask the State Banking Department to designate the island’s new Amalgamated branch as a BDD branch. I am thrilled to announce that on July 6, the NYS Banking Department agreed to the designation. This means that public funds will be deposited in the new Amalgamated Branch, providing the security it needs to serve as a reliable long-term bank for Roosevelt Islanders. Island residents can take comfort in having a local bank that will be around for many years to come.
Statement Regarding the Incident at Capobianco Field
June 29, 2009
Many Roosevelt Island residents have contacted my office to express their concern about an incident that took place on May 31st at Capobianco Field. According to reports I have received, the Public Safety officers at the scene of the May 31st incident did not effectively mediate the dispute, and may instead have played a role in unnecessarily escalating it. While I did not witness the incident, I share the concerns of residents regarding the role of Public Safety officers in this, and other disputes, as well as the obvious unresolved problems relating to use of the ball field.
If it is found that Public Safety officers acted inappropriately, I expect them to be disciplined. No matter what, I expect the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) and the Public Safety Department (PSD) to take steps to ensure that PSD officers are properly trained to respond constructively to disputes and act as mediators and not belligerents. In the longer term, I am working on legislation to create a civilian review complaint board that will bring community oversight to police officers employed by public agencies, ensuring greater accountability on the part of PSD and other similar security forces.
The incident was covered extensively by local Roosevelt Island media, including the Roosevelt Island 360 and Roosevelt Islander blogs, and in an article published by the Main Street WIRE.
On June 4th, Council Member Jessica Lappin and I wrote to RIOC President Steve Shane, expressing our shared concerns on these matters and requesting a meeting to further discuss the incident. I have posted a copy of that letter in the Publications section of my website. I will continue to keep you updated on this serious matter.
May 21st: Family Court Clinic on Roosevelt Island
May 20, 2009
Are you facing the Family Court system without a lawyer? On May 21, 2009, from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m., my office will partner with LIFT (Legal Information for Families Today), to bring a free legal information drop-in clinic to the Church of the Good Shepherd (546 Main Street, Roosevelt Island). The clinic will offer Roosevelt Island’s parents and grandparents who have questions about child support, custody, and visitation cases the chance to meet one-on-one with LIFT staff for help.
LIFT is an award-winning nonprofit organization that operates community and court-based programs all of which empower vulnerable families to advocate for themselves in Family Court, ensuring that all families – no matter what their income level or ability to hire a lawyer – have the ability to access justice in the complex Family Court system.
There is no need to schedule an appointment for the May 21st event, nor must you be a Roosevelt Island resident. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. For more information about any of LIFT’s programs call 212-343-1122 or visit www.LIFTonline.org.
5-Bill Submetering Package Unveiled at East Side Submetering Summit
May 18, 2009
Last fall the residents of the Eastwood complex on Roosevelt Island were informed by their landlord, Urban American, of an application to the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) to convert their building to submetered electricity.
Submetering is when tenants are billed individually for their unit’s electrical usage rather than the landlord. In 1951, the PSC prohibited all residential electric submetering, calling the practice “parasitic.” Now, the practice of submetering is again allowed by the PSC on a case by case basis, creating a host of new problems.
For Eastwood, I was skeptical from the get-go that a 33-year-old building with a baseboard electric heating system, energy-inefficient appliances, faulty thermostats, and a host of other issues, could establish a submetering scheme that wouldn’t result in a de facto massive rent increase that prices families out of their homes. However laudable the environmental goals of submetering, it doesn’t always make sense. In order for submetering to result in cost-savings and energy conservation, tenants need to be able to have the tools to conserve electricity. This is simply not possible in a building like Eastwood. I requested that two months of sample billing be sent to residents prior to the start of actual billing. Those bills were alarming bills over $200 to as high as over $1000 were not uncommon for all unit sizes. Soon after I petitioned the Public Service Commission to stay the submetering order and re-hear the landlord’s application. That re-hearing is on-going.
In the meantime, I made it my mission to find out what went wrong, and on a legislative level, work with advocates for residential rental tenants, like the Public Utilities Law Project (PULP) to find legislative solutions. Earlier this month, these efforts came to fruition with the introduction of a five-bill package, which I unveiled at a submetering summit on May 16th that was organized by the Waterside Tenants Association. If you missed the opportunity to attend that panel, you can still listen to the audio recording of Assembly Member Brian Kavanagh and I discussing the legislative solutions we are pursuing in Albany to better balance the rights of tenants with the environmental goals of submetering.
Listen to Audio from Submetering Panel (5/16/09)
I have introduced five bills, along with State Senator Bill Perkins, to reform the practice of submetering utility services to residential rental tenants.
A.7353
Bans the deeming of utility charges as rent. More and more, tenants are finding themselves in situations where landlords are taking them to court for eviction because they can’t afford to pay their electric bill. This legislation bans that practice.
A.7354a
Prohibits landlords from submetering for the heating of living quarters. It is well established under the law that landlords are legally required to provide heat to rental tenants—when a building’s heat is electric, submetering undermines this. Also, electric heat is incredibly inefficient, and a tenant can do little to control their costs meaning that the submetering of electric heat represents an undue burden on the tenant.
A.7814
Requires the PSC to perform an audit of submetering orders issued in the last five years to determine compliance to utility price caps, tenant protections, and to determine if there has been an actual energy savings. We have know way of really knowing whether or not the energy-savings that submetering is supposed to bring are really happening, nor do we know if landlords are complying with price controls and respecting tenant protections in submetering orders. Requiring the PSC to undergo an audit of the last five years of submetering orders will shed light on the situation and help determine the way forward. When this bill is passed, no new submetering orders will be allowed for one year, the same amount of time the PSC has to complete the audit and submit it to the governer and the legislature.
A.7867
Requires utility customers to be provided with an annual notice stating their right to access the PSC’s complaints process. Too often, landlords and the PSC itself will divert a tenant with a grievance against their submetering utility (the landlord in these cases) to the court system. Courts should be a last resort, and the law already provides for a grievance and resolution process through the PSC. Tenants need and deserve a straight-forward way to have issues addressed; diverting tenants to court discourages the reporting of problems and creates too much of a burden on tenants to get their issues addressed. This bill ensures they are informed of their legal rights.
A.7871
Reforms the submetering application process; creates the requirement of written notification to the tenant when the application is first filed, a formal comment period, a public hearing, requires the landlord to replace all landlord-provided appliances that are not Energy-Star rated with ones that are, and requires that the landlord include in their application the results of a study detailing the thermal characteristics of the building. The bill also establishes a conditional approval phase which lasts one year, after which time the PSC must review billing to ensure that energy savings and billing is appropriate and doesn’t create an undue burden to rental tenants. As well, if tenants provide three bids for an independent energy analysis, the landlord must pay for one.
