2025 Riverbay Board of Directors Election Supplement, pgs 22-32
Voting Begins Wed., June 11! Please cast your ballot by Tuesday, July 8.
Vol. 60 No. 24
June 14, 2025
$1.25
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Final Riverbay Board Election Candidates’ Forum to be Held June 17 in Dreiser Voting Open Until July 8, 2025
By ROZAAN BOONE
The 2025 Election Committee, cochaired by Board Directors Monique Coleman and Leah Graham, have set the date for the third and final Candidates’ Forum on Tuesday, June 17, in the Dreiser Auditorium at 7 p.m. Shareholders can use this opportunity to hear directly from the candidates vying for their votes in this year’s election for the Riverbay Board of Directors. The 11 certiSample of Riverbay Board election green ballot envelope. fied candidates are: • Kevin Lambright channel 12, and Altice subscribers, to channel 591. • Bishop Angelo Rosario In this issue of the Co-op City Times, the final • Leslie Peterson Election Supplement is published on pages 22— • Anika Green-Watson 32, where the candidates outline their qualifica• Keith Logan tions and platforms to support their candidacy for a • Daryl Johnson position on the Riverbay Board. This Supplement • Shacara Cudjoe also includes the amended Rules & Regulations • Idalia Reyes and Schedule for the 2025 Riverbay Board Elec• Grace Solomon tion approved by the Board at the June 4 meeting. • Leah Richardson The first election supplement was published on • Darnell Lopez Saturday, May 10; the second on Saturday, May Shareholders can submit questions to the Elec17. The Co-op City Times was not published on tion Committee to be asked at the final Candidates’ (Continued on page 5) Forum by emailing them to Riverbay2025election@riverbayboard.com. In addition to in-person attendance, the June 17th Forum will be live broadcast on the in-house tv channels. MATV subscribers can tune in to
Riverbay’s FY 25/26 & FY 26/27 Comprehensive Operating & Capital Budget Management Report
Marvin L. Walton
Executive General Manager This Management Report for Riverbay Corporation is for the period ending April 30, 2025 and provides updates on the following topics: • Public Safety – Peace Officer Staffing Levels • Disruptions – Information Technology Systems; and • Building 4A,B&C Gas Outage Update Public Safety Staffing Peace Officer head counts in the Department of Public Safety remain at 75 or 81.0% of the 93 Peace Officer positions budgeted in the department. As of May 31, 2025, the following (Continued on page 4)
Cooperator Voices at Gallery Sessions President’s Report
Rod Saunders I wish to begin my President’s Report by congratulating our new CCPD Commanding Officer Andre Waring. I am certain that Chief Waring (with CCPD since 2019) will lead the men and women of our CCPD by way of his unique perspective as an officer, his knowledge of our community from serving here for over six years, and with the leadership quality that you sense from Chief Waring the moment you meet him and engage in talking about his vision of serving our beloved Co-op City community. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge (Continued on page 2)
Wishing all of Fathers in Co-op City a very Happy Fatherʼs Day.
Candidates’ Debate Budget Priorities, Leadership Styles & Decision-Making Skills at Second Candidates’ Forum BY DANIELLE CRUZ
The second Candidates’ Forum for the 2025 Riverbay Board of Directors election was held on Wednesday, May 21, in the Einstein Community Center. The forum was moderated by the League of Women Voters and 10 of the 11 candidates were in attendance along with the Election Committee coChairs Leah Graham and Monique Coleman. Each candidate was given a chance to present an opening statement to the community and then asked eight questions that were submitted by shareholders. The candidates were given one minute to respond to seven of the questions and 15-seconds to answer to a lightning round question. Q. What are your priorities when allocating funds and how do you determine what deserves the most investment? Idalia Reyes: So first, since this is my first go, the budget would have to be looked at. I would consult with the rest of the... but safety has been a really hot problem in our community and cameras would be one
of the issues that we have. Our youth is really in need of having guidance, so that would be another suggestion or maybe having something for the youth to maybe be included, so their time is occupied because we really need to get the guns off the street and cameras are really needed for trying to catch whatever's going on, so we can stop it before it unfolds and gets worse. Shacara Cudjoe: I think for me it will begin with safety. I think a lot of us are really advocating that we need better lighting paths so that we can (Continued on page 11)