The following is a Rye City Council update from Mayor Doug French
From the desk of Mayor Douglas French
CITY COUNCIL UPDATES
Proposals to Re-Invent Playland
Twelve proposals to reinvent Playland have been received by Westchester County. As a member of the County's Citizen Committee to review the feasibility of each proposal, I have made my copies of the proposals available at City Hall for review by appointment through my office. The proposals range from including playing fields, an indoor field house, and an air dome — to amusements, restaurants, ice skating and nature walks to name a few. The proposals will be reviewed based on 5 criteria: Economic sustainability, environmental impact, entertainment value, experience of organization, and the expectation of project completion. The Committee will deliver its report back to the County around early July with a final decision by the County targeted by year-end.
1037 Boston Post Road Site
In 2006 the City acquired the old CVS site with the implied intent of developing a Police Station/Court House facility. In 2010, based on the up to $25M in development plus acquisition costs, the Council reversed that decision. With no public purpose intended for the site, the City is exploring its options which will be announced later this spring. In the meantime, the City took action at its last meeting to extend the current lease on a short-term one-year basis to allow for additional planning time.
The Hen Island Solution
Now that a lawsuit against the City has been dismissed, the City is pleased with the progress being made in discussions with Westchester County as our lead health agency and the Hen Island Corporation. Whereas issues such as mosquitoes and potable water are more specific to those that use the island and are being reviewed, sewage collection and disposal has a broader impact on the surrounding environs. Implementing composting toilets is a simple solution that is being explored. Given that these are recreational second dwellings where people do not reside but camp out there off-and-on a few months of the year, the City has no interest in installing and maintaining underwater sewer and water lines to the island.
Updating Rye's City Code
Where most municipalities update their local code every 10 to 15 years, in Rye it has been much, much longer. The Code of the City of Rye has been changed 174 times and as a result the City is embarking on a 2-year project to update inconsistencies, duplications and conflicts to make the code more efficient. A review of State statutes and best-practices from other municipalities will also be included. In addition, the re-organizational structure of the code will make the information more easily accessible in both print and online format.
Affordable Housing Project Update
As part of the affordable housing settlement and the consent decree between the Department of Justice and Westchester County, Rye continues to move forward with one of the qualified projects. Rye is one of the named 31 communities in which the County is required to build 750 affordable units over 7 years. The City has a project for 22 units at Cottage Street and has finalized an inter-municipal agreement and easement with the Village of Port Chester as the next step in the process.
Rye Town Park Dog Policy for Summer Season
It is the time of year when all user groups converge on Rye Town Park. In order to ensure a safe and friendly place for everyone, the Park Commission has adopted and will enforce a policy that allows for dogs off-leash prior to 9:00 am in a designated area, but must be on-leash after 9:00 am. This policy runs all days of the week through October 1st 2011. In discussions with the Rye Town Park Citizens Advisory Committee, the Friends of Rye Town Park, City and Park officials as well as many, many dog owners and residents who use the park, this is an amendable solution to all. The policy will be closely monitored and evaluated for compliance.
Water Rate Increases for WJWW
The City attended the public meeting of Westchester Joint Waterworks which serves about 400 homes in Rye. WJWW buys its water from New York City and is expecting another substantial increase this spring due to the pass-through cost from NYC. Roughly 90% of the increase will come as a direct result of the rate change from NYC. As more information is learned, WJWW will post updates on its website or they can be contacted directly. Public sessions will also be scheduled and held at the Mamaroneck Village Hall.
May 5, 2011
Mayor French
I would like to address a few of your statements in the Mayor’s City council update.
Your first statement with regard to Hen Island;
Westchester County as our lead health agency!
Westchester County is not willing to be the lead agency and they have told me and you and the City in very specific words that this problem is in Rye and Rye has to write the violations. The County will not write the violations. What you are doing is twisting words so you can continue to allow polluters to pollute and mosquito’s to breed.
Mosquitoes and potable water are more specific to those that use the island!
Mosquito’s are not specific to those who use Hen Island, they affect Greenhaven and Milton Point homes and have been for the past 60 years. The City of Rye allows Hen Island store over thirty three thousand gallons of stagnant water that breeds millions of mosquito’s. Why would you lie to the residents of Greenhaven and Milton Point? Is it that you don’t want to be held responsible for the infestation that has plagued Greenhaven, Milton Point and Hen Island for years? People are not stupid Mr. Mayor they can read between the lines very well.
(People do not reside but camp out there off-and-on a few months of the year)
I call this one, the three B’s. This is the biggest and best of your BS. Do you really expect people to believe that residents of Hen Island are living in tents, Camping Out and only for a short time???? Come on Mr. Mayor, you should be ashamed of yourself. Your lies are getting bigger and bigger. I have a home on Hen Island and so does everyone else that is a stockholder there. Thirty three in total. Home owners start opening up in March and finish the season in November and those that have heat (In their tents???) use it on and off all year. That is nine months in my book.
Mr. Mayor, When you came out to Hen Island to Visit the Volpe’s (your neighbors from Meadow Place that also happen to have a home on Hen Island and also have two family members that are members of The Board of Directors for Hen Island) did you see any camp sites? Were your cocktails served when you were in a tent? Do you realize that the Lorraine Volpe is the same Volpe that encouraged Hen Island residents to burry dead birds and not report them to Westchester County during the West Nile virus epidemic in 2001?
Mr. Mayor, Do you think the people of Rye are stupid? Do you think because you write something down and call it the Mayor’s report that people will believe it. You are Lying Mr. Mayor and you are protecting polluters……..And that makes you a polluter enabler.
City’s Job Is to Protect the Health of All its Citizens
“I left with countless bites, and the impression that warnings about West Nile Virus and mosquito prevention had somehow failed to travel to Hen Island, with its horse troughs of standing water and peculiar smells.”
http://www.ryerecord.com/Letters%20to%20the%20Editor.htm
Anyone wishing to “Google” the author here may find a big city newspaper connection. Just imagine…
Ray, this is a bunch of unquantified spewage. prove it with facts. btw why would the city of rye – the taxpayers – ever pay for water and sewage lines.
excuse me sir, but i believe there is a turd in your punchbowl
Pee Pee,
I don’t think Rye should or will have to pay a single penny to rectify the problems on Hen Island. The expense should and will all be paid for by the owners of Hen Island, of which I am one of.
pee pee? hmmm, am i getting under your skin. sorry just asking you actually deliver facts instead of spewing a bunch of bullsh*t that you clearly can’t back up. c’mon ray, have some balls and step up or shut up
Wait, what? How the hell could the guy “step up” any more than he already has?
so what you’re saying is he has no facts to back up his allegations. knowing that then why would anybody back him. i just don’t get it
hi ray, any facts you’d like to share about all this so called pollution. your claims of milton point and greenhaven are bunk based on what i’ve heard
funny, where are all your hen islanders?
Pee,Pee
Sorry for the delayed response,I am away for the weekend.
http://www.healtheharbor.com/correspondence/Letter_Gatto_to_Belfiore_080307.pdf
or this one
http://www.healtheharbor.com/correspondence/PercTestHenIsland_1009.pdf
If you should need more, please let me know.
in a word my friend, airsandwich
there is:
– no facts on so-called pollution in milton harbor
– no facts on so-called pollution or disease in greenhaven
– no facts on so-called pollution or disease on milton point
p.s. save your butt boy’s make as instructed report for the outhouse
please
Ray, answer me something–
The world is full of uncertainty- when we wake every morning we do not know the weather, the stock market, etc. The only thing we know for sure is that you are the worlds biggest asshole. Whats it like Ray? Every day of your pathetic life when you go out in the world the only absolute certainty is that you are the biggest asshole out there. I am just curious. Tell me what it is like. Babe Ruth was the greatest baseball player. Bobby Fischer the greatest chess player. Muhammed Ali the greatest boxer, and you Ray, the biggest self serving popularity seeking asshole.
Tell me what its like. I saw you the other day–didn’t realize you are a midget as well. Ever think of going to follow the yellow brick road with the other munchkins? Maybe the Wizard will solve your problems munchkin! Ask him for a life because you have none.
Chris Henn,
Classy post, one only a Mother could love!!!
Jay Sears, I think it’s time for you to throw out(delete) the trash!!!
Chris Henn,
The letters are starting to come in to the mayor’s office and they are cc’ing Heal The Harbor.com on them. We have some that never make it to City Hall they just want to help out on the QT. Petition signatures are up more than ever.
Funny, in looking back on old petition signatures we found a signature from Paula Gamache supporting us. She now supports us in a different way, on the side of the Floatiemobile. Looks like the new campaign is working better than we have ever expected. It took a few years for the people to figure it out but they are finally getting it. We owe it all to the big fuss Mayor French, Mrs. Parker and friends are making about the Floatiemobile and also to their inactions on Hen Island. Too bad we have to drag an entire community thru the mud because of a Mayor that wants to support one of his neighbors on Meadow Place instead of supporting Rye. Here is one of the letters for your review.
All,
As a local resident, I have grave concerns about the issues raised with Hen Island. My children suffer regularly from massive amount of mosquito bites, and I am forced to spray my property in hopes of minimizing the already bad population. We are diligent in our In addition, we spend a great deal of time using the harbor and the fact that dumping of raw sewage is taking place right into the waters 450 feet off shore of Rye is incredible to me.
What is being done about all the violations taking place by the few residents of Hen Island that are impacting thousands of residents in the Rye/Mamaroneck area?
I will leave off the name in the essence of privacy.
Jack A. (Mr. Floatie’s ass-istant)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUDT-VsHDN4&NR=1
ray, you’ve got to be kidding. answer the questions below and stop hiding behind these silly posts
once again, there are
– no facts around so-called pollution in milton harbor
– no facts around so-called pollution or disease in greenhaven
– no facts around so-called pollution or disease on milton point
You don’t want yourself and Ray banned do you Jim?
Mr. A – As a point of courtesy, if you are going to refer to Doug French as Mayor French, you should refer to Catherine Parker as Councilwoman Parker.
Alternately, you could refer to her as Ms. Parker. “Mrs.” is anachronistic as well as incorrect in this case.
Just thought you’d want to know. : )
Henn,
WOW, you also have a sense of humor only a mother could love!
IMPRESSIVE!
WHAT DO YOU DO FOR AN ENCORE?