I'd like to kick off my first column as RIRA president with some words of thanks, particularly to Dick Lutz, for his years of work in making a newspaper available to the entire community, and for his willingness to publish a regular RIRA column.  WIRE revenues seldom exceed expenses, and Dick publishes this paper as a gift to his neighbors.  Also thanks to Matt Katz for his fine leadership of RIRA over the past four years.  Matt has worked tirelessly to secure every possible benefit for the residents, with considerable success.  Thanks also to you, as voters, for putting your trust in me to represent your interests. 

I'd like to devote these first few columns to an overview of what RIRA does, and a pitch for your participation, since experience shows that communities with vocal and active resident associations are "the squeaky wheel that gets the grease."

Our first sessions at RIRA will be devoted to discussing goals and directions, and to form the working committees to achieve those ends.  It is apparent from the referenda results that the Island strongly supports a permanent home for the Youth Center in former Lilies School quarters, and strongly opposes construction on our open spaces around the Octagon ruin.  Islanders want to see improvements in Public Safety and in the way the Island is maintained.  I will be encouraging the Common Council to do what we can to deal with these issues.

The message I want to stress to all of the residents is that, with your participation, you can make this a better place to live.  The RIRA Common Council needs to hear your ideas and complaints, and also needs your expertise and elbow grease.  You can call or e-mail to me or to your building representative your ideas and complaints.  The bulk of the work in RIRA is done in committees, in which all residents may participate.  Our committees are currently established as Communications, Government Relations, Housing, Island Services, Legal Action, Planning, Public Safety, and Social, Cultural and Educational Services.  These are the groups that will address all the issues that we've identified, hopefully with your help.  If you have a special knowledge or area of interest please let us know, and we'll get you in touch with the proper committee chair. I'd like to briefly run through some of the issues that each committee will be dealing with.

The Island Services committee keeps a "punch list" of conditions on the Island that are hazardous and/or in need of repair.  This list includes broken sidewalks, potholes, faulty street lights, numerous items in Motorgate (faulty elevators/escalators, leaks and cracks, lack of security or cameras), and lots more.  In future columns we'll discuss plans by the Communications Committee to permit residents to view this list on the internet, and even to add their own issues.  Until then, if you know of problems, please let me know, and if you can e-mail me a digital picture, we'll pass it on to the RIOC maintenance staff, and follow-up on the remedy.

Public Safety has long been a sore point among many residents, as the referendum results on this point underscore.  Accordingly, a Public Safety Committee has been formed by RIRA.  RIOC has frequently said that this perception is worse than the reality.  I don't think residents can fairly evaluate how Public Safety operates without a clear idea of what its responsibilities and obligations are.  This has been called a "Mission Statement" by some, but I find that term a bit lofty.  For starters, I just think PSD management should provide to the community a basic list of 3 or 4 pages on what they believe are their responsibilities.  Such a list will serve to focus the discussion into two general areas - are the PSD officers "just following orders" and do the orders best serve the needs of the community? I hope that the Public Safety Committee can get some movement on this issue, not with the intention of telling PSD management how to fight crime or keep the peace, but for them to tell the community what priorities they assign to various tasks.  Residents may feel that certain items should be added or removed from such a list, or that tasks should be given a higher or lower priority, and I think that it's a reasonable discussion to have.  But first, let's get a basic list of responsibilities.

We are fortunate to have two representatives, Gifford Miller, our City Councilmember, and Pete Grannis, our State Assemblymember, who work hard for Roosevelt Island and take our needs seriously.  The Government Relations Committee is charged with maintaining contact with these folks and others in government who can further our interests.  In the last year, the committee met with Jos‚ Serrano, our newly elected State Senator.  He's assured us that he, too, will work with RIRA, and I hope this is the start of a long friendship.

The Housing Committee should have an eventful period, with the privatization of Eastwood, Westview, and Island House.  I hope that the building committees of these buildings will take a very active part in educating and mobilizing their residents; RIRA stands ready to assist them in this effort.

Social, Cultural and Educational Services is the fund-raising and humanitarian wing of RIRA.  We've had dances and movies in the past and, while I hope we don't have any of the misfortunes that prompted previous community drives, RIRA will do its best to help neighbors in need.

Legal Action is another fundraising committee - but directed only for lawsuits to protect our interests.  This committee also deals with legal strategies and liaises with attorneys.  It may be active in responding to loss of open spaces at Octagon Park.

Finally, issues about Island infrastructure, emergency preparedness, parks and promenades, and commercial space are addressed by the Planning Committee.  If you have a particular interest in Southpoint Park, you may want to join this committee.

To repeat, RIRA meetings and committees are open to all residents. The Common Council meets in the lower level of the Chapel of the Good Shepherd at 8:00 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month. If you're able, come observe a meeting and, if you like, speak during the public session, which is always near the start of the meeting. If you're not able to attend but want to get involved anyway, e-mail me at SteveAtRIRA@verizon.net or give me a ring at 212-486-5733. Your questions, ideas, suggestions, and offers will always be welcome.