North Broadway Association Campaign Questions

Councilman BEN BOYKIN

Councilman DENNIS POWER

Candidate MILAGROS LECUONA

Joint Statement from BOYKIN, POWER, LECUONA

We are pleased to have participated in the CNA Candidates’ Debate on October 9^th and look forward to continuing to develop our vision for White Plains with input from our citizens in the other organized candidates’ forums.

The North Broadway Association has requested that we provide comments on various issues. The issues that you raise affect all neighborhoods throughout our city. As Councilpersons and candidate for Council, we represent the interests of all the people of White Plains.

The answers to these questions reflect both individual and collaborative responses. The questions and answers have also been posted on www.VoteBoykin.com , www.dennispower.com and www.lecuonaforwhiteplains.com.

What is the most important action that you will take as a councilperson to ensure aggressive enforcement of building codes and zoning ordinances?

In the 2007/08 budget, the Common Council voted to hire a new building code officer to work during the late afternoons and at night. We fully supported this critical position to address issues relating to illegal housing. In addition, the Common Council increased fines for landowners for violations 

Several years ago, the Safe Housing Task Force was established to coordinate services of the building department, police department and fire department relating to housing issues. This process has been somewhat successful.

Illegal housing is a both a safety and health issue. While we may suspect illegal occupancies from physical evidence outside, the City cannot obtain access to the properties without permission and/or court orders. This is a very complex issue for which they are no simple or easy answers.

We will continue to advocate for higher fines for landowners that violate our building codes and zoning ordinances and continue to advocate for strong court enforcement of the fine system. We will continue to carefully monitor this problem that affects the quality of life in our neighborhoods and, if necessary, we will support additional personnel to enforce building codes and zoning ordinances violations.

There has been a significant increase in the Latino population of White Plains. Should the city make any changes to accommodate these residents?

We moved our families to White Plains because of the school system and the ethnic, cultural and economic diversity of this community; these factors continue to be key strengths of White Plains. White Plains has an well-known tradition of welcoming new residents and we intend to maintain that openness. We also realize that we are all immigrants except for the Native Americans.

Currently, the Latino population is the fasting growing group in White Plains and throughout the United States. The adjustment of immigrants to the society is a temporary event. The next generation not only will speak English fluently, but will understand cultural differences and that is the beginning of a positive immigration experience. That is why White Pains has become a city enriched by different cultural communities living in harmony.

The City is in the service business and provides important services to all residents. For example, our Service Officer spends a lot of time working with the Latino population. El Centro Hispano, Inc., is one of the nonprofits which are funded in part through Community Development Block Grants [federal monies] that provides many programs and services for the Latino population. Our White Plains Public School System has a widely acclaimed Newcomer Center to address numerous cultural and linguistic needs of parents and children where English is a Second Language.

The City government hosts numerous events and activities to address the needs of our diverse community – Latino plays at the White Plains Performing Arts Center, St. Patrick Day Parade, Juneteenth Parade, Columbus Day Parade, Hispanic Day Parade, various events in our parks and Renaissance Fountain, after school programs at many of our schools and activities at the Thomas H. Slater Center. These are only some of the programs and services for citizens.

As elected officials we will carefully monitor measures taken to enhance services provided while also looking to maintain the quality of life for all residents of White Plains.

Should White Plains hire an outside consultant to perform a staffing study?

The City’s Budget and Management Advisory Committee, chaired by Councilman Ben Boykin, has recommended a staffing study in its report to the Common Council for the last two years.

From the Report of the Budget and Management Advisory Committee, issued in May 2007, the following is recommended under Departmental Studies:

“While many cost-cutting measures have already been adopted in the normal course of preparing this budget from the departmental level upwards, a more formal review of current programs and their respective priorities should be undertaken.

Recognizing that salary and related benefit costs comprise 73% of the City’s operating budget, the Committee recommends that the City begin conducting studies in conjunction with the appropriate department heads, to review departmental staffing and organization as appropriate. The initial focus of these studies should be of the three largest departments which contain nearly eighty percent of the City’s workforce.”

We support the recommendation of departmental studies as recommended by the Budget and Management Advisory Committee. The Common Council will continue to discuss implementation of these specific recommendations with the Mayor. At this point, it is not anticipated that an outside consultant would be required to conduct staffing studies.

What specific actions will you take as a councilperson to ensure increased public input in city decisions?

Councilman Ben Boykin

As your Councilman, I am always accessible to discuss issues relating to the city. I meet with residents one-on-one, in group settings, at neighborhood association meetings and at community functions. In addition, I communicate with our citizens via telephone, email, websites and faxes. I am visible and available to listen to your issues and work together to improve the quality of life for all of us.

I believe that important decisions that shape the future of White Plains must be made out in the open, with public having every opportunity to participate before major decisions are made. As you know, I, along with Councilman Power, Councilman Malmud and Councilman Roach, helped to defeat the effort to grant a developer and “exclusivity agreement” for development at the White Plains train station before any public discussion of the proposal.

Moving forward, I will continue to seek citizen input to shape our vision for White Plains. This will be done through public hearings, meetings with neighborhood associations, meetings with individuals and groups, position papers and through technology including interactive internet.

The Citizens to Be Heard meeting, held prior to the start of the Common Council meetings, was started under my leadership as Council President. I support televising Work Sessions, Board and Commission Meetings.  In addition, I strongly believe that we must make better use of technology at the Common Council meetings including interactive internet.

Councilman Dennis Power

I have strongly advocated for increased involvement of the public in city meetings and discussions. I will work with my Council colleagues to ensure that all meetings of the Common Council are held in Council Chambers, including Work Sessions and Special Meetings that have been mostly conducted in the Mayor’s Chambers.  This will convey a clear message that the public involvement is important and welcomed.  I will work to require that all Special Meetings involving voting matters are televised. I will also work to ensure that all major meetings of boards and commissions are taped for cable television viewing.

Technological, audio-visual improvements are needed for Council Chambers to accommodate increased televising and to enhance presentations for public viewing.  Proper, timely notice of meetings of the Council, boards and commissions and the posting of agendas on the city’s website is also critical to citizen input.

Bringing ‘City Hall to Main Street’ is an important step in bolstering public input in decisions; I believe that more meetings held out in the neighborhoods will improve citizen participation. 

Candidate Milagros Lecuona

I will work with my Council colleagues to ensure that all meetings of the Common Council including Work Sessions and Special Meetings are televised. The City website will have agendas and minutes from these important public sessions.

All commissions and public boards will place their agendas and minutes on the website and sessions will be televised, and tapes will be available to the residents. Maps and other graphic documents presented during public hearings will be scanned and placed on the City website for general information.  Developer’s proposed design models and presentations will be put in digital format and placed in the City website.

No approval for major projects should be given without resident’s knowledge and participation on the approval process.  White Plains belongs to its residents and we residents together decide what we want for our City.  Without the appropriate information resident’s opinion can be manipulated, not necessarily in the best interest of White Plains.  It is very important in this historic moment of White Plains that the residents are well informed in all our City government issues.

Give two advantages and two disadvantages to raising the sales tax by ½% to a combined rate of 8 3/8%.

Advantages:

• May shift some of the tax burden from property owners to purchasers of goods and services in White Plains. However, sales tax affects both residents and nonresidents;

• May help to close budget gap; Council Members have not been provided with requested financial projections to know size of future gap.

Disadvantages:

• Regressive tax; adversely affects low income individuals and individuals on fixed income;

• Impact on residents for large ticket items, i.e., automobile purchase, home improvement materials;

• Loss of competitive shopping edge with other cities in Westchester County and may result in fewer shoppers coming to White Plains.

What do you feel is currently the most important quality of life issue in White Plains?

Councilman Ben Boykin and Councilman Dennis Power

We believe that overcrowding, especially in our Close In neighborhoods, is a critical quality of life issue for this City.

The City has taken steps to address this very complex issue through the Safe Housing Task Force and the hiring of additional code enforcement officers.

We will continue to work with the city administration and our neighborhoods to address overcrowding. We must keep pressure on the landowners to stop permitting an excessive number of individuals from residing in dwellings. However, we must proceed judiciously  in dealing with this complicated issue.

Candidate Milagros Lecuona

I feel that the most important quality of life issue in White Plains is the increase in building density or occupancy throughout the city causing overcrowding in some areas, traffic congestion, and other infrastructure abuses.

Required building occupancies are not enforced especially in our Close In neighborhoods, creating overcrowded situations which are both a safety and a health issue.

Mc Mansions with inappropriate density and height are being built throughout White Plains residential areas affecting the neighborhood character. 

While all this is happening we lose almost inadvertently the green open space from our City.

Discuss one of the other important issues facing our neighborhoods that you plan to address as a councilperson.

Councilman Ben Boykin and Councilman Dennis Power

A major issue facing this city and this region is the lack of workforce housing. A key strength of White Plains is its ethnic and economic diversity. White Plains needs moderately priced housing for a range of income to maintain a diverse balance of housing levels in our city.  We supported recently introduced Council legislation to increase the affordable housing set-aside to 10%, almost doubling the developers’ alternative contribution to the Affordable Housing Fund.

The recently introduced legislation to enhance the Affordable Ownership and Rental Housing Program while maintaining current zoning is under review by the appropriate departments. The Common Council will work to ensure program flexibility as the review process continues. Increasing the stock of affordable housing, while supporting and preserving the integrity of neighborhoods, are goals shared by the entire Council. Involving neighborhoods and community organizations in the discussion is critical to the success of the program.

Candidate Milagros Lecuona

White Plains needs moderately priced housing to keep our senior residents with fixed income as well as our workforce living in the City.  I am planning to strongly address this issue as a councilperson.

We have to protect the character and safety of our neighborhoods.  I want to carefully monitor measures taken to avoid the construction of Mc Mansions and the subdivision of lots that change the density of our neighborhoods.

I want to address the importance and the advantages of current incentive programs and life cycle cost benefits of green buildings available for residential purposes and work with the City residents in their implementation.