Vol. 60 No. 23
June 7, 2025
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June 4th Open Board Meeting Special Presentation: Co-op City Carbon Reduction Study and Climate Control Initiatives
BY DANIELLE CRUZ
The Riverbay Board of Directors held an Open Board Meeting in the Dreiser Community Center Auditorium on Wednesday, June 4. At the start of the meeting several shareholders were able to address the Board and Management during the Gallery Session. Nine shareholders went up to the mic and asked questions ranging from updates about programs for Co-op City youths, concerns about convector leaks, quality of life and safety concerns, the gas shutdown in Buildings 4A, 4B, and 4C, and the system shutdown that Riverbay is currently experiencing. After the Gallery Session, the meeting was then called to order by Board President Rod Saunders who shared that En-Power Group, an engineering and energy consulting firm, would be presenting their carbon reduction study to shareholders. Board President Saunders then called on Director Lynette Wright to give shareholders a brief introduction to Co-op City’s Climate Control Compliance Initiative and introduce the En-Power representative. Director Wright explained that the Riverbay Board and Management have been having discussions for many years about using solar energy and other climate friendly technologies, especially as the deadlines for city and state mandates for carbon emission reductions draw closer. The mandates, primarily those set to be enforced under Local Law 97 and the NYS Climate Leadership and Protection Act (CLCPA), are part of New York’s (Continued on page 4)
Early Voting in NY June Primary Election Begins June 14 in Dreiser Auditorium By ROZAAN BOONE
Co-op City shareholders can begin early voting in the 2025 New York Primary Election on Saturday, June 14 — Sunday, June 22, at the Dreiser Auditorium. Primary Election Day is Tuesday, June 24, 2025. Polls open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. On this year’s Primary Election ballot are citywide races for NYC Mayor, Public Advocate and City Comptroller. County races include Bronx Borough President, City Council Member, 12th Council District in the Bronx, and Judge of the Civil Court, Bronx County. Only voters who are registered with a specific political party can vote in the Primary Election. The last day to register is Saturday, June 14, 2025. Voter registration applications can be submitted online, by email or by phone. June 14 is also the last day to receive an early mail and absentee ballot from the Board of Elections. For voter registration applications, visit https://vote.nyc. The candidates vying for NYC Mayor on the Democratic line are Zohran Kwame Mamdani, Scott M. Stringer, Selma K. (Continued on page 12)
Riverbay Board Approves Amended Board Election Rules and Schedule
By ROZAAN BOONE
At the Wednesday, June 4, 2025 open meeting of the Riverbay Board of Directors, the Board voted to amend the 2025 Riverbay Board Election Rules and Regulations and Election Schedule, following the signing of a contract with an independent election vendor. YesElections informed the 2025 Election Committee that ballots would not be ready for mailing by the originally scheduled date, hence the changes to the Election Rules and Schedule. According to the amended Riverbay Board election schedule, Riverbay Board election ballots will be mailed by YesElections to Co-op City households on Wednesday, June 11. This year’s ballot envelopes are green in color and shareholders are advised to keep an eye out and to cast their vote as soon as the ballot arrives. Election Rule A-9 &10 state that building-wide mailing of absentee ballots will take place on June 11 and the ballot envelope will include a notice advising shareholders of the date of the election, how eligible shareholders may vote, the names of the certified candidates, a brief biography of each candidate, if provided, a photograph of each candidate, the URL address of an official election web page created and maintained by the independent election company containing information approved by the Election Committee regarding the election (Continued on page 12)
With Appreciation
The Co-op City Times was not printed on Saturday, May 24 and 31, due to a network outage that affected departments across Riverbay Corporation. This was the first time in the newspaper’s 58-year-old history that it was not published. If we missed the last article you submitted for publication, we sincerely apologize and ask that you resubmit it at your earliest convenience. We value our loyal and dedicated readers and advertisers and appreciate your understanding and patience as we weather this difficult period until we get back up to full operational capacity. If you are not yet following the Co-op City Times on social media, we are available on X, Threads, BlueSky and Instagram, @coopcitytimes. Be sure to follow us!
2025 Co-op City Public Safety Grads
Important Upcoming Dates
2025 Riverbay Board of Directors Election Wednesday, June 7 — YesElections to begin mailing ballots to Coop City households Monday, June 16 — Tuesday, July 8 — Absentee ballots may be received by YesElections, but not opened/counted until quorum is achieved. Absentee ballots must be postmarked by Tuesday, July 8, 2025, unless election is extended to obtain quorum Tuesday, June 17 — Third Candidates’ Forum, 7 p.m. Dreiser Auditorium (In-person & live streamed on channels 12 and 591) Wednesday, June 25 — Annual Shareholders Meeting, Dreiser Au-
ditorium, 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 25 — In-person voting begins, Dreiser Auditorium, 6-10 p.m. Thursday, June 26 — In-person voting continues, Einstein Center, 12-8 p.m. Friday, June 27 — In-person voting continues, Bartow Center, 12-8 p.m. Saturday, June 28 — Election Day Events — In-person voting, Bartow Center, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday, July 8 — Election Period & Voting ends (unless voting is extended to obtain quorum) (See page 12 for more information.)
On Friday, June 6, the Co-op City Department of Public Safety (CCPD) held a commencement ceremony for 17 new officers. Before graduating, the 17 officers took part in CCPD’s in-house Training Academy and underwent 16 weeks of vigorous training, where they learned defensive tactics, firearm training, sensitivity training, criminal penal code training, active shooter training, and other training to join CCPD. “I’m very proud, they worked hard and since a lot of them came from different agencies, we are proud that they were able to acclimate to the Co-op City/ Riverbay way,” said CCPD Chief Andre Waring. Photo courtesy by CCPD