The

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp
(RIOC) Board of Directors will meet 5:30 PM Thursday May 19, 2022, via video
conference. 

You can watch the Board meeting here
and ask questions or share concerns about Roosevelt Island issues during the
opening Public Session before the start of the meeting.
Submit your written question or comment here. 

I submitted the following comments/questions:

1- The NYC Community Trust refuses to disclose the rationale for choosing
Roosevelt Island organizations receiving Roosevelt Public Purpose Fund grants
and the amount of funds allocated for each organization. In past years RIRA
recommendations to RIOC For Public Purpose Fund awards included detailed
reasons for their selections and amounts allocated.

Will The RIOC
Board require NYC Community Trust to be transparent and open with the
Roosevelt Island community by publicly stating the reason for the selection of
each organization receiving a Public Purpose Fund Grant and the reason for the
amount of that grant as has been done by RIRA for many years in the past.

Does
the RIOC Board think it appropriate that the Carter Burden Roosevelt Island
Senior Center received $5 Thousand, Roosevelt Island Historical Society
received $5 Thousand, Wildlife Freedom Foundation $1 Thousand and the
Piazzollo 100 received $1 Thousand.

All of these organizations
received much less than all the other recipients with no explanation from NYC
Community Trust. 

 2- The New York State Legislature earlier this week passed legislation
awaiting signature of Governor Hochul to require a majority of the RIOC Board
of Directors and the RIOC Chief Executive Officer to be residents of Roosevelt
Island.

Does the RIOC Board of Directors or CEO favor the Governor
signing this legislation?

3- A document was published on the OPNLTTR (Open Letter) web site dated March
26, 2022 purportedly shared by a group of Roosevelt Island Operating Corp
(RIOC) employees raising serious allegations of wrongdoings against the RIOC
President and certain members of the RIOC executive staff. The employees
sharing the document wish to remain anonymous claiming they fear
retaliation.

Among the allegations are:

Misappropriation of state funds
Covering up a negligent death
Mismanagement of the AVAC System
Cronyism
Fraud
Abuse of power
Predatory Behavior/Grooming and Fostering a toxic work environment
Disability Discrimination
Violating NYS equal employment laws
Violating NYS ethics laws: JCOPE (title 19/disclosure of outside activities)

Is the RIOC Board investigating these allegations? Does the RIOC
Board have any comment to the Roosevelt Island community about these serious
allegations?

But be aware that RIOC Board Members and staff usually do not respond to
questions during the Public Session though sometimes they may do so or address
the subject during the actual Board meeting.  

If you have a question or concern, give it a try, you may get a
response. 

Below is the
Meeting Agenda:

It’s interesting to note that the RIOC Board will go into Executive Session,
closed to the public, for the
second consecutive meeting to discuss
what is believed to be an employment related issue involving
another senior executive departing RIOC.

Click here
for the Board Materials, including design services for
Blackwell Park improvements project.