(This was taken from my column "Riverdale Report" in the "Bronx News this past week)
It appears
that current Community Board # 8 Chairman Robert Fanuzzi has lost not
only control of CB 8, but also the support of a majority of the
boards members. During the Economic Development Committee report an
issue came up about the proposed street festival on Riverdale Avenue
for the date of December 2nd. In discussing the festival
the head of the committee made a motion for the approval and support
of the full board of the street festival. An issue of an amendment to
the motion came up where as the chairman of the board Mr. Fanuzzi
ruled that the amendment was out of order. The ruling was then
challenged by the Chair of the Law and Ethics Committee and put to a
vote of the full board. The result of the full board vote was that
the members voted to overrule Chairman Fanuzzi on his ruling, and
things went downhill again for the second straight month. CB 8
Chairman Fanuzzi refused to recognize several board members and ruled
them out of order when they tried to speak. Fanuzzi however did
recognize one member who then made a motion to table the whole
matter, which passed. Chairman
Fanuzzi also allowed that same member to continue on with a tirade on
another member without attempting to stop it or rule it out of order
until the tirade was over.
In doing
some research the Street Activity Permit process has changed as of
December 2011, and apparently Fanuzzi was trying to push something
through that he knew or should have known was wrong. In the past 125
signatures from the neighborhood had to be collected to show support
for an event, and then the community board chair or District Manager
could just sign off on these street permits. The permit process now
needs review by the full community board. One would have to assume
that since over 125 signatures were collected and presented at the
Economic Development Committee meeting. CB 8 Chairman Fanuzzi must
have wanted to keep this quiet since the Kingsbridge Riverdale Van
Cortlandt Development Corporation was involved in the application
process, and announced 11th City Council candidate Cliff
Stanton is the Treasurer of KRVDC. Since Riverdale Avenue is a major
street and emergency route this should have been taken up in the
Traffic and Transportation Committee.
This was
the case last month when CB 8 Chairman Fanuzzi had appointed a Youth
Committee Chair over the summer that was struck down when it finally
became known that the agreement between Community Board 8 and the
Department of Youth Services became voided in 1996 (over 12 years
ago) when the Department of Youth Services was merged into the
Department of Youth and Community Development that also deals with
matters other than just youth issues. Fanuzzi had the board appoint a
special committee of four members of his choosing (which included
himself) to come up with an interim youth committee and by-law
change.
Also made
know by the Treasurer of Community Board 8 was the fact that Mayor
Bloombergs proposed first round of budget cuts would leave CB 8 in a
defect of several thousands of dollars over the allocations of two of
the three council members who cover CB 8. With the budget cuts to
other areas in their districts these two council members may also
have to stop their generosity to CB 8.. Several years ago CB 8 had to
let go of one of its excellent staffers in a budget cut since the
current District Manager of CB 8 was hired at one of (if not the)
highest pay scales in the city. The previous DM worked part time
hours with additional staff members, and CB 8 may be forced to let go
or cut back on the two remaining staff members or the District
Manager of the board.
If you have
any comments about this column or would like to have an event listed
or covered in this column or on my blog at
www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com
you can e-mail us at 100percentbronxnews@gmail.com
or call 718-644-4199 Mr. Robert Press.
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