Yesterday, October 22nd, a train wreck crumpled into the pews at The Good Shepherd Community Center. If ever there was a clearer show of board incompetence, we’ve never seen it. Now, sprinkle in the nastiness, and this gang of incompetents has gotta go. Now.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
We’re talking, of course, about RIOC‘s Operations Advisory Committee meeting that kicked off the afternoon. Chair Fay Christian ranged from clueless to rude with a turn at prosecuting attorney. It was quite a show in just 90 achingly long minutes. It drew a public audience of less than 10. The other 11,900 Roosevelt Islanders exercised good judgment.
The Operations Committee Low lights As The Train Wreck Rolled Through
For now, we’ll hold back on Christian’s gratuitous trashing of a local hero for God only knows what reason. There’s more that sets the stage.
First, as the video rolled, we see Christian conferencing with committee member and alleged CEO wannabe Howard Polivy. You can hear her asking him for advice outside the meeting’s border. This is important because the pair accused Ben Fhala of doing this. They hounded him off the board for it.
When Fhala informally chatted with other reform board members, he was accused of violating Open Meetings Law. By Polivy, Christian and fellow hardliner David Kraut. But it’s what good counselors always do. On the other hand, why did the chair take instruction from the CEO wannabe? Let’s not forget, this wannabe arranged for the endless suspension of the real CEO Shelton J. Haynes.
Nap Time
As chair, Christian welcomed a competent, well-spoken representative from the Department of Sanitation. Her task was explaining the new city composting initiative. It’s an admirable initiative, an attack on rodents and pollution. But what the DOS spokesperson presented was almost entirely irrelevant for Roosevelt Island.
Her presentation was geared at individual homeowners and their responsibilities in composting. Sadly, Christian had so poorly prepared her that she didn’t know how to pronounce “AVAC.”
This ground on pitilessly for over an half-hour. The waste of time became significant later when Christian shutdown Rossana Ceruzzi as she tried resolving a conflict entirely of Christian’s making.
But First, A Bright Light
Again, Acting Chief Operating Officer Mary Cunneen stepped up with solutions in a running crisis. That being the RIOC fleet of Red Buses and other vehicles. She walked the committee through the process emerging for a conversion to electric vehicles. Although the topic is complex and subject to subtle forces, she brought clarity. It was thorough and enlightening.
Then, Residents Association President Frank Farance explained how physically challenged residents are adversely affected by current Red Bus schedules. Instead of the traditional RIOC resistance to change, Cunneen offered an olive branch. Acknowledging the pains, she promised to look into a more empathetic schedule.
Thanks to Cunneen, the train wreck was briefly avoided.
An Attack on Rossana CeruZzi and the Wildlife Freedom Foundation
Without touching base with WFF Executive Director Rossana Ceruzzi, Christian added an agenda item. “Discussion of the Wildlife Freedom Foundation agreement deliverables.” Ceruzzi did not know which agreement the chair was talking about…
Not did she expect Christian to tear off her friendly mask and reemerge as prosecuting attorney.
With mind-boggling audacity, instead of introducing the issue, Christian called Ceruzzi out of the audience and asked her what she wanted from RIOC. Bear in mind now that Ceruzzi made a presentation of her contract difficulties just a few weeks before at a full board meeting. Although Christian was in attendance then, it appears that she wasn’t actually there.
As Ceruzzi politely tried prying out which agreement Christian had in mind, it grew obvious that the chair was looking for a fight.
The Train Wreck Over Agreements
WFF has two agreements with RIOC. One is a “first responder” agreement that justifies multiple animal sanctuaries. The second is an agreement struck with CEO Haynes and Chief Counsel Gretchen Robinson covering payments for services. After Haynes’s and Robinson’s suspensions, RIOC refused to honor the latter. As Ceruzzi noted, no explanation has been offered.
Here, Christian drilled down. Bizarrely avoiding the core issue, she demanded that Ceruzzi detail work done in fulfilling the agreement… which, we’ll remind you, RIOC has not honored or paid for. While grilling Ceruzzi on minor details, Christian accused her of never supplying RIOC with any justifications. That was untrue. Ceruzzi has emails showing that she answered every question asked of her by RIOC staff.
A lot of time was lost on Christian repeating accusations already refuted but also by her lack of comprehension. She couldn’t get a handle on their being two separate contracts. At one point, she independently declared that, if WFF wanted the money owed, it had to go through Public Purpose Funds. They aren’t due until next year.
But Ceruzzi was not letting her off the hook. “This has nothing to do with Public Purpose Funds,” she told Christian. Why the chair didn’t know it was about a service contract is a question for the ages.
Finally, after picking an unnecessary fight, then prolonging it, Christian declared, “We’re not going to solve this today.” Time for giving way as a full board meeting approached. You couldn’t help thinking about the grueling half-hour wasted on composting.
Ultimately, nothing was accomplished apart from a painful show of disrespect for a Roosevelt Islander admired everywhere else.
Cunneen in a Rush
After wasting everyone’s time for nearly an hour and half, Christian asked Cunneen to race through a scheduled item about seasonal adjustments at RIOC. Cunneen did it as best as time allowed.
But no one was well served.
This should raise questions about Christian’s place on the board, but it probably won’t.
The Five Amendments That Sold Out Roosevelt Island
Roosevelt Island did not lose control of its southern waterfront in a single deal. It happened in five quiet steps. Five amendments. Five missed chances to renegotiate.
