CITY ISLAND CIVIC ASSOCIATION MEETING

Bill Stanton ​​President​​​​July 25th 2012​​​

Fred Ramft l​​First Vice-President​​​

Barbara Dolensek​ Second Vice-President

Janie Blanks ​​Recording Secretary ​​​

John Doyle​​ Corresponding Secretary

Tom Smith​​ Treasurer

The July Meeting of the City Island Civic Association will take place on July 31st 2012 at 7:30pm at 190 Fordham Street. We welcome your input and attendance and we need your help.

No guests are currently scheduled to attend at this time.

As always, our meeting will include updates from our Crime, Quality of Life, Traffic and Development Committees. We also provide an open forum for members of the Community to address their concerns.

This month, our community suffered a tremendous loss with the passing of Bill Clancy Sr., Past Commander of the Hawkins Post. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Clancy family.

In light of some recent boat accidents off of our shores, please advise your family and friends that the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 5-4 (based out of City Island) offer FREE free vessel examinations and recreational boating safety information as well as low-cost boating safety courses for $75.00. They can be contacted at uscgaux0140504@gmail.com

On a lighter note, Senator Jeff Klein will be sponsoring a Summer Concert at Ambrosini Field on Monday August 20that 7pm. The band playing will be “Strawberry Fields” a Beatles tribute band. The rain location is Grace Episcopal Church.

The 2012 City Island Reunion will be August 18th, also at Ambrosini Field. The costs $15 per person to cover expenses. Kids 12 and under get in free. Their will be food, music, and a good time for all.

Please keep in mind, with the summer season starting and noises issues will be undoubtedly returning. Please call 311 for all non-emergency issues. Should you observe a crime in progress, please call 911.

As always, if you require any assistance with a problem affecting you and your neighbors please email us at city.island.civic@mac.com.

Minutes of the City Island Civic Association meeting on June 26, 2012

Fred Ramftl brought the meeting to order at 7:40 p.m. The reading of the minutes of the May meeting was waived and the minutes approved. There was no treasurer’s report.

Crime: A resident of Cross Street reported that several shots were heard, but nothing was found when the police arrived. It is believed that the sound came from the beach. Jonathan Castillo, arrested in May for possessing a loaded firearm and threatening another resident, was released on bail and will return to court on July 2.

Traffic control on City Island, although better than in years past, is still an issue, with backup at the circle where cars in the circle still try to merge three lanes at once. A police officer often stationed on the sidewalk near Fordham Street has been giving out tickets for seat belt and cell phone violations.

It was noted that the last bus from Orchard Beach leaves at 7 pm on weekdays and 7:30 pm on weekends; a lot of people are seen walking, but many do not take buses anyway. The amplifier that signals the bus departure is apparently not working.

It was announced that Ladder 53 and the other city firehouses threatened with closure for budget reasons are not being closed. There is a rumor that the ladder may be closed at night; not confirmed.

The Civic voted unanimously to send a letter to DOT calling for a public hearing on the subject of the City Island Bridge, now that the budget is so much higher. There are other reasons for concern: The engineering company (Gandhi) that designed the bridge has never built a bridge, and this is not a standard type of bridge. We may have to seek legal counsel to assist us with this issue.

$12 million has been allocated in the capital budget to replace storm and sanitary sewers at the north end of the island, a project that is scheduled to start later this year.

The Orchard Beach pavilions are deteriorating, and the city has launched a study, which is privately funded, to evaluate their condition and possible remedies. Members of the community were asked what they would like to see at the park and may submit ideas to the Parks Department.

Erik Spink, a film maker who produced a documentary last year about the firehouse protest, is interested in doing a documentary on Hart Island. There has been some interest shown by the City Council in Hart Island, especially on the subjects of maintenance, restoration, general access, etc. the island is currently controlled by the Department of Corrections, because prisoners are responsible for burying the indigent and unidentified dead in the potter’s field there, and access is denied to all except occasional memorial services.

The playground at the school needs to be monitored for safety reasons, and there have been reports of drug deals and harassment in the playground. Addie Cozzi offered to have a security camera posted on the roof of her property at the east end of Centre Street.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:55 p.m.

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