Why downtown residents should not join CNA.

The White Plains Council of Neighborhood Associations has these member associations:

http://www.wpcna.org/

Battle Hill

Bryant Gardens

Carhart

Colonial Corners

Downtown

Eastview

Ferris Ave

Fisher Hill

Fulton Street

Gedney Circle

Gedney Farms

Gedney Manor

Gedney Meadows

Gedney Park

Havilands Manor

Highlands

Hillair Circle

Holbrooke

Idle Forest

North Broadway

North Street

Old Mamaroneck Rd

Old Oak Ridge

Prospect Park

Reynal Park/Rocky Dell

Rosedale

Saxon Wood

Soundview

Westminster Ridge

Woodcrest Heights

I count about 31 including Downtown for some reason.  As noted months ago Gedney has FIVE.  My guess is that each association represents a wide ranging number of homes, yet according to the CNA by-laws each gets one vote.  That's un-American.

Why would the newly forming Downtown association want to join that?  Especially since it already contains entities that are already organized: condos and coops.  Here is a better model for representing all the Downtown condos and coops in its association.

Each member condo or coop would have one vote weighted by the number of homes it contains.  Simple and fair.  A simple spreadsheet can be used to count votes and it can be posted for public review using the free google docs.  That way condo and coop residents can see how their rep voted or if the rep did not vote they can try to find out why.

Playing the game already established under CNA means that the emerging Downtown association is likely to fail much more than it succeeds and be bogged down in needless administration.  Remaining independent and setting its own agenda and membership guidelines means that it will have the flexibility to exert much more influence, especially if it does not make the huge mistake of becoming a toothless non-profit, non-political mush of an entity.  Exactly what are the political views on garbage pickup?

Condos and coops would be energized to take action on their own or in concert with others with like issues.  Many are probably larger (more homes) than most if not all of the current CNA associations.  The new Downtown association could act as a facilitator.

This model would also support my contention that the new Downtown association does not need money.  In addition to a web site and other supporting free services on the Internet, condos and coops could post paper notices on their premises.  Simple and effective.

White Plains Downtown Residents Association

http://www.downtownresidents.com/

Last night I attended my third monthly meeting in the last year, my first in a long time.  Obviously I have not been active but I was surprised by the change from pie in the sky to boring run of the mill.  Rob does a great job in getting so many people involved and the group is on the verge of incorporating as a non profit organization.  I have my doubts about that but the momentum seems unstoppable.  It seems to me more can be done by keeping it simple and having maximum flexibility.

There are two things that will eat up a lot of time and resources by this group becoming a non profit:

1. administration

2. money.

Money is the root of all evil.  Rob has already accepted $1,000 from an interested party.  Interested parties expect something in return.  I am not suggesting corruption but the group will be precluded from taking hard stands.  I am not sure what can be accomplished by being like all the other groups in White Plains.  I asked why they need money and the closest thing I got as an answer was for marketing to which I countered that with the web this could be done almost free.  A domain can be registered for under ten dollars a year.  That and a few well placed flyers is really all that is needed.

I think that one person there was a spy: a woman I have seen at the library asking about the ridiculous Railside issue ad nauseum during a candidates debate in the last election for Common Council.  During introductions she indicated that she was attending because she wants to keep up on what is happening in White Plains.  Believe me, the balance of power is not going to tilt from house dwellers to apartment dwellers unless something unexpected happens when the group drafts its bylaws and mission statement.

The White Plains Downtown Residents Association web site listed at the top of this post describes WP as "pedestrian-friendly".  There was a lot of talk last night that supports my contention that WP is pedestrian hostile, much worse than Manhattan.

Whatever form this group takes here are some suggestions:

1. Make it clear that it represents the interests of apartment dwellers, not house dwellers.

2. Ignore the current geographic bounderies of neighborhood associations and include condos and coops that logically belong.

3. Get all the board presidents involved.

4. Present the city with solutions, not problems.

5. Have interested parties decide on the solutions; for instance, the traffic problem at Westchester and Franklin Avenues should be addressed by the people who live there.  The movement of traffic on Franklin and Main St. east of Westchester Ave. should be addressed by the people who live there.

6. The White Plains Downtown Residents Association should then present that solution to the city as needed.

7. Look to New York City: many issues were resolved long ago there, including taxis, alternate side of the street parking.

8. Look elsewhere in Westchester: Garth RD in Eastchester has a very useful system for overnight resident parking that should be applied in downtown  WP.  The long standing contention that the city needs to prohibit overnight resident parking is nonsense as is shown in both Manhattan and Eastchester.

9. Be like Mike ... Bloomberg.  WP mayor has no imagination but NYC mayor does.  Don't be too proud or foolish to ignore Bloomberg's many good ideas.  WP mayor will not do that on his own so the White Plains Downtown Residents Association should do it for him.

10. Be GREEN!  WP will never do it on its own.

11. The most fundamental change that is needed is change from a car culture to a people culture.  Without that, nothing else matters.  How many people walked to last night's meeting v. driving?

Given my views I do not know whether I will continue in this group or whether they would would want me to be there when they set policy.  I like the independence of this blog.  One thing I will not be is a spy.

Budget cuts: eliminate the library and schools.

OK, enough with the small stuff like snow removal from sidewalks.  The city budget is front and center.  Here are bold ideas that will have an impact.

1. Eliminate the library.  The web makes it a dieing relic at best.  Sell the building if possible or turn it into a free Internet center.

2. Phase out public schools.  Hey, might as well be the first kid on the municipal block to do it.  They're mainly warehouses anyway and could be put to better use.  I am guessing that most households do not use the public schools.  Smart kids will go to private schools.  The rest aren't learning anyway and are often wandering around town during class hours, especially those assigned to the high school.  You can see them slow walking west on Bryant Ave. starting about 10:30AM.  Do their parents know that?  Do school administrators know where they are?

We need firefighters and police officers.  We do not need librarians and teachers.  Cut to the essentials.

Get that federal stimulus money to provide universal access to the Internet.  People can find what they need on their own.

Snow on sidewalks: Hale Ave., a church and Republicans

Despite a message from the mayor to the responsible commissioner, the sidewalk adjacent to the  vacant lot at Maple and Hale Avenues has yet to be cleared of snow any time this winter.  Or last.

The sidewalk adjacent to the church on Hamilton Ave. was not cleared of snow.  That's the same church where WPPD assists church goers in breaking the parking rules every Sunday.

The sidewalk adjacent to the Republican county building on the corner of Mamaroneck Ave. and Maple Ave. was not cleared of snow.  The mayor is a Republican.