Pay close attention to what Ellie says at the 2:38 mark of the video.
A SENIOR is saying this. Not the "small group of people" that Supervisor Heyman would have you believe. Supervisor Heyman has been quoted in the paper as saying that Community Development Block Grant funds CAN'T be used for Pinegrove. That is a lie...........
Link to the above PDF Document.
She also has been saying that she'd "hate to have the Seniors suffer, because a few people don't want her to be successful."
Sorry Supervisor Heyman, as much as you'd like it to be, this isn't about YOU. Please get over yourself and start doing what's best for the TOWN and not your investor friends from Boston.
How many times do the residents have to remind her of this? It's not a "small group of people" out to get her, although she tries to spin it that way to garner support. People want the right to voice their opinions on this, and be INVOLVED in the process.....not blindly following what the majority Democrat Board decides is best for the community.
She's talked the talk about community involvement and "bringing solutions to the table"....well.....start walking the walk and involve the community in the process, and not leave it up to an all Democrat board to decide.
Be honest and tell the people what the plan is, if they have one. Stop playing "the victim" and make it out like a few people are just being negative. LISTEN to the voices of the seniors, since THEY are the ones directly affected by this move.
Let the people have their say on the matter. Hold a Public Input session, separate from the regular Town Board meetings. Gauge the community "mood" on it.
In February, she made the recommendation to NOT go forward with plans to consolidate the two libraries at King's Park, along with a new Gym, and a Senior Center. She was quoted as saying: "Recent estimates for leasing relocation space for our libraries, senior center and construction of a new gym totaled $43.2 million." And: "No one understands more clearly than I that high taxes are a major concern for all of us."
She is now going ahead with just the Senior Center move. Next will be a Community Center, maybe the new Gym. After that will be the Libraries.
Breaking it down into small bits so the project doesn't seem as overwhelming to the taxpayer, who WILL fund this in the long run.
$43.2 million all at once? Or a couple million over the next 10 years to do what was voted down in the first place, a Town Campus with consolidated libraries, a Senior Center, and a Community Center.
THAT, my friends, is an agenda. An agenda you voiced opposition to already. Yet, your elected officials feel differently, and are going to ram this one down your throats.
Enjoy your asphalt jungle at King's Park, with lease money going to investors in Boston, who are not re-investing that rent money into Irondequoit.
Hey, at least you get to vote on it now, thanks to a large group of unique individuals who dedicated their time to go door to door to give you your RIGHT to vote on it, which was promised by your elected Supervisor in a previous Town Meeting. One thousand, nine hundred, and fifty two (1,952) signed that petition to force a referendum. Obviously, there is more than a "small group of people" who want the right to vote on it.
Supervisor Heyman is quoted in this article as saying: "I'd hate to have seniors suffer," she said about the petition drive and potential vote, "because some people don't want me to be successful."
YOUR RIGHT to PETITION YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS FOR THE RIGHT TO VOTE is seen by her as "people don't want her to be successful."
HER words. Your right to vote has been reduced to and dismissed as a "vendetta" - a spin of epic proportions.
Don't let the spin out of Town Hall deter you from exercising your RIGHT to vote on a matter that WILL end up costing taxpayers in the long run. The Supervisor herself expressed concern over taxpayer monies funding King's Park in this press release. "Recent estimates for leasing relocation space for our libraries, senior center and construction of a new gym totaled $43.2 million. Even if the Town issued 30-year bonds, we felt the cost was too high, particularly given uncertainties over the economy. No one understands more clearly than I that high taxes are a major concern for all of us."
The King's Park move, all at once, or in bits and pieces, is going to cost taxpayer money. Do you want to invest your tax dollars with investors from Boston, or put that money back into your community via a building that the Town owns?
Voice your concerns at meetings, and make your vote count!!!!! It's your RIGHT!!!
Richard Barone at I-Town Board Meeting 12/16/08
My guess is that the current grant money that has been redirected to fund the "temporary" move to King's Park HAS to be used, or they will be denied future CDBG funds. According to the CDBG site:
Requirements
To receive its annual CDBG entitlement grant, a grantee must develop and submit to HUD its Consolidated Plan, (which is a jurisdiction's comprehensive planning document and application for funding under the following Community Planning and Development formula grant programs: CDBG, HOME Investment Partnerships, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA), and Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG). In its Consolidated Plan, the jurisdiction must identify its goals for these programs as well as for housing programs. The goals will serve as the criteria against which HUD will evaluate a jurisdiction's Plan and its performance under the Plan. Also, the Consolidated Plan must include several required certifications, including that not less than 70% of the CDBG funds received, over a one, two or three year period specified by the grantee, will be used for activities that benefit low- and moderate-income persons, and that the grantee will affirmatively further fair housing. HUD will approve a Consolidated Plan submission unless the Plan (or a portion of it) is inconsistent with the purposes of the National Affordable Housing Act or is substantially incomplete.
Following approval, the Department will make a full grant award unless the Secretary has made a determination that the grantee:
* has failed to carry out its CDBG-assisted activities in a timely manner;
* has failed to carry out those activities and its certifications in accordance with the requirements and the primary objectives of Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended, and with other applicable laws; or
* lacks a continuing capacity to carry out its CDBG-assisted activities in a timely manner.
Citizen Participation
A grantee must develop and follow a detailed plan which provides for, and encourages, citizen participation and which emphasizes participation by persons of low- or moderate-income, particularly residents of predominantly low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, slum or blighted areas, and areas in which the grantee proposes to use CDBG funds. The plan must:
* provide citizens with reasonable and timely access to local meetings, information, and records related to the grantee's proposed and actual use of funds;
* provide for public hearings to obtain citizen views and to respond to proposals and questions at all stages of the community development program, including at least the development of needs, the review of proposed activities, and review of program performance;
* provide for timely written answers to written complaints and grievances;
* and identify how the needs of non-English speaking residents will be met in the case of public hearings where a significant number of non-English speaking residents can be reasonably expected to participate.
