Once upon a time, RIOC board meetings were widely publicized. The state agency did not flinch or cower from public exposure. Those days are over now with the super-secret Hochul/Haynes administration.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
So, while RIOC email blasted about DOT Bridge Testing, they did not similarly reach out about likely the most important meeting of the year. Neither did they post board materials that would give you a chance to review the items under consideration.
What’s So Important About This Board Meeting
In its last meeting until late September, the board votes on the fiscal package for the current year, which began in April. Those items are the core of the agenda.
Usually, this is a little dry with votes coming after committees already reviewed and approved the packages, but this is different. Among other items, there is an “Insurance Binder” needing approval. We now know it reflects mounting employment lawsuits during the Haynes/Hochul era at RIOC.
So many lawsuits have hit RIOC that its insurance carrier refused to renew its agreement with them. And the newly recruited carrier, Chubb, agreed only after demanding a deductible increase from $250K to a whopping $1 million. That means RIOC and, ultimately, residents must cover the first million in penalties when the state agency loses, which it usually does.
And as terminated RIOC legal counsel Arthur Eliav points out in a letter to the RIOC board, protesting his dismissal after 15 years, legal fees routinely paid out to firms representing RIOC in court are mountainous. And Roosevelt Islanders foot all those bills, too.
And because super-secret RIOC has not released any documents, we don’t know the baseline cost of the Chubb deal.
Annual Budget Matters
Another revelation gathered from Eliav’s letter and court filings is that RIOC appears to carry two sets of books. One is for public disclosure; the other, with far greater detail, for internal workings.
Eliav suggests that the Hochul/Haynes administration began giving the board – and the public – a general summary budget for approval that obscured important data.
The summary budget did not cleanly itemize executive salaries as it had in the past, which, Eliav says, relieved the board of its duty to scrutinize payrolls. In addition, material we received from an anonymous source suggests that Haynes used this to hide huge pay increases for himself and loyalists awarded without review.
There are also an emerging questions about low and no-show jobs padding the budget without any accounting over where the money really goes.
Conclusion
The board meeting will be publicly videoconferenced on Thursday, June 23rd, at 5:30 p.m. Although no link has yet been provided, anyone wishing to make a comment that will be read to the board before the meeting can do so via this link.
Toss in a few bucks for our expenses…
Thank you!
More from the roosevelt island daily news
- Coastal Flooding Disrupts Southeast Queens Streets and TransitCoastal flooding disrupted streets and transit across Southeast Queens as a fall nor’easter brought heavy rain and renewed calls for resilience and improved drainage.
- Nor’easter Brings Slow Streets and Transit Delays Across Queens and NYCAfter the nor’easter, slow streets and transit delays across Queens and NYC greeted commuters. Utility crews continued repairs as normal routines resumed Monday.
- Nor’easter Brings Flooding and Disruption Across New York CityA powerful nor’easter brings flooding and disruption across New York City, with heavy rain, gusty winds, and coastal flooding impacting neighborhoods through the weekend.
- Fatal Shooting Outside Astoria Gentlemen’s Club During Robbery AttemptA man was fatally shot outside an Astoria gentlemen’s club during a robbery attempt early Thursday. NYPD investigators are seeking witnesses and reviewing video footage as the homicide investigation continues.
- FDNY Response After Minor Explosion at Bayside’s P.S. 41 School Construction SiteFDNY response after minor explosion at Bayside’s P.S. 41 school construction site reassured families with prompt action, thorough checks, and a steady return to routine.
The Budget Knew Before the “Emergency”
The demolition began on paper long before the City invoked emergency authority to carry it out. In RIOC’s fiscal 2013-14 budget, the Corporation set aside $7 million for fiscal 2015 for the complete demolition and cleanup of the Roosevelt Island Steam Plant. RIOC called that figure its worst-case scenario, meaning the State corporation might be left responsible for the entire cost.
2 COMMENTS