RIRA Housing Committee Chairperson Responds To Criticism Of January Report – Intent Was To Highlight Differences Between Roosevelt Island’s More Affluent Southtown And Mixed Income Northtown

Image Of RIRA Southtown Resident Aaron Hamburger Defending Southtown The Housing Committee report submitted to the January 2011 Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) was quite controversial resulting in part to the prohibition/censorship of RIRA Reports being published on this blog prior to RIRA Monthly meetings, the withdrawal of that report to RIRA and a defense of Southtown (including video) from it’s area RIRA representative Aaron Hamburger. Before this evening’s March RIRA meeting, Housing Committee Chair Helen Chirivas, the author of the controversial Housing Committee Report wanted an opportunity to present her side of the issue. From Ms. Chirivas:

Although the issue is from last month, could you please put my entire report into the blog archive which recorded Aarons attack on my report? He of course completely misinterpreted what I was trying to say: I never said Southtown residents brag about their wealth etc, I simply said the buildings telegraph the message that because they contain expensive apartments and condos, they are only accessible to those with money. Ordinarily I wouldnt care if a building telegraphs this or any other message but on Roosevelt Island, which is supposed to be a mixed income, racially diverse waterfront community situated in the East River of New York City an island which in theory at least was to be developed under the terms set forth by the GDP, the message of exclusivity and wealth had to be noted in a frankly shocking manner to make the point that Related or another developer if not Related must build 7, 8, and 9 as affordable housing as was originally planned! Otherwise, it seems to me, Southtown remains an enclave, and cannot be considered an extension of RI as it was originally planned, as a mixed-income community. I tried to force people to look at the differences as they exist today between Southtown and Northtown by writing that section in as shocking, forthright, or attention-grabbing manner as possible. If it has gotten people to think about the ramifications of how each half of RI was developed, then my purpose was accomplished.

Interestingly, no-one on the Housing Committee (including Matt) said anything negative about the report when I relayed it them before Matt re-transmitted it to the CC. I was therefore shocked by the Housing committee members that attended the 1/5 RIRA CC meeting + Matt caving into Aaron at the CC meeting of 1/5. They had all read the report beforehand and never indicated there was anything wrong with it. When I asked Matt about this about-face afterwards, he claimed via email to never have read the report before transmitting it the CC. (!) Either he read the report and agreed with it (which is what his comments by email to me thanking me for the report indicate) or he really didnt read the report which invites questions about Matts diligence as RIRA President.

In fact, I thought, as a Committee Chair rookie writing a maiden report, I would certainly get feedback from at the very least Matt, on that report. I was surprised the portion about the Southtown building telegraphing arrogant messages to the often poorer people of the rest of RI didnt grab Matts attention or generate comments. I could only conclude that he agreed with the report.

Ms Chirvas adds:

… this was the firstreport from a first-time Cttee Chair, and in submitting the report to the Housing Cttee + Matt + Ellen I pretty much expected a reaction/comments or pointers/constructive criticism from them, before Matt re-transmitted it to the entire CC. Not only did I not get a negative reaction/comments from the Cttee, Matt+Ellen,I received positive emails from Matt & Lisa; the rest of the Cttee members never replied back. Matt then relayed the report on to the entire CC.

Also, most importantly, it was never explained to me that reports/minutes must be voted on & OK’d by the Committee before they are submitted to Matt for consideration by the CC. In fact, I don’t think there ever was an instruction to that effect so I simply wrote a report and forwarded it to Matt, Ellen& the Housing Cttee.Now it’s been explained to me that any reports/minutes must first be considered by the Cttee in an actual Cttee meeting. Actually I thought by emailing the report to the Cttee Members + Matt + Ellen, it would give them a chance to consider/approve the report, which is what I had thought happened. As I wrote above, Matt (& Lisa) at least appeared to approve it. Matt didn’t indicate there was anything wrong with it. Then he relayed it on to the entire CC, so I can only conclude he thought it was OK.

My current status on RIRA CC is certainly up in the air. Matt has been requested to remove me from RIRA.I expect there will be a motion (probably from Joyce) at the upcoming CC meeting to remove me which may very well pass, in which case the entire episode will be a moot point.I am expecting some supporters of my position (i.e. working to find a way to fix loopholes in protection for Sec 8 Eastwood tenants so they may keep their apts if their income eventually exceeds Sec 8 income guidelines) to attend and make statements during the public comment portion of the meeting. I’m not sure if RIRA Treasurer Russ Fields, who is my spouse, and has been upset about the entire controversy since the Jan CC mtg, may quit in solidarity with me if I am removed, but I would certainly be surprised if he did not. At that point, RIRA would need to immediately find an accountant — even one from outside the Island — to fill the spot of Treasurer as it is a position that must be filled by an accountant according to I beleive NYS corporate law. Interestingly Sherie (Matt’s wife) has never contacted Russ – a long-time volunteer Wire distributor- to help distribute issues of the Wire since the controversy broke in Jan. I guess she thinks it’s in poor taste to ask Russ to distribute a publication that has run stories since Jan that have certainly been a source of anger for him. Or maybe this is part of the process of freezing Russ (and me) out of Island affairs etc. in anticipation of Matt/CC formally removing me next week. Maybe the report + my comments appearing on your blog will clarify what I was trying to do etc. I never got a chance to defend the report before the CC because of health problems I did not attend the last 2 CC meetings. I will be at the upcoming CC meeting; however, the issue of the actual report may not be revisited and instead the “remedy” CC members may wish is my removal.

Ms. Chirivas January Housing Committee Report to the RIRA Common Council is after the jump. JUMP!