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.