★ ★ ★ Riverbay Board of Directors Election 2025 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1,217 ballots still needed for Quorum. Please VOTE Today!!! ★ ★
Vol. 60 No. 30
July 26, 2025
$1.25
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In-Person Voting in Riverbay Board Election Today on G’way #1 Extended Voting Ends Tuesday, July 29
Cooperator Engagement – Truly A Must
By ROZAAN BOONE
Shareholders who have not voted in the 2025 Riverbay Board of Directors election will be able to cast their vote in person today, Saturday, July 26, on Greenway #1 behind 140 Benchley Place where the Election Committee will host Family Fun Day on the Greenway to get out the votes to make the quorum by the extended voting deadline which is this coming Tuesday, July 29, 2025. As of press time yesterday, 3,824 ballots had been returned to YesElections, the independent election vendor, leaving 1,217 still outstanding for quorum. Today’s family-oriented “Family Fun Day on the Greenway” event will run from 2 p.m.-8 p.m., and the 2025 Election Committee members will be present to interact with shareholders and answer questions. Shareholders will be able to cast their ballot with a YesElections voting representative using a paper ballot or electronically using a tablet or laptop provided by YesElections. Assistance will be available for those who need help to vote. If you do not have the Riverbay election ballot that was mailed to your home, a replacement can be secured by contacting YesElections at (855) 970-6106 or send an email to help+riverbay@yeselections.com. Even if you do not have a replacement ballot in hand, you are urged to attend today’s in-person voting event and speak with the YesElections representative. There will also be raffle tickets for those casting their ballots to win a grand prize, food vendors, games, DJ, dancing, a safety demonstration table and loads of fun activities to enjoy. In case of rain, this family-oriented “Get out the Vote” event will be moved to Dreiser Auditorium C. Co-op City shareholders, especially (Continued on page 5)
Open Board Meeting Scheduled for Wednesday, July 30, in Dreiser Riverbay Board President Rod Saunders has announced an Open Board meeting to be held in Dreiser Auditorium on Wednesday, July 30, to which shareholders are invited. As is customary, from 6-7 p.m., Riverbay department directors and representatives will be available to meet with shareholders to discuss pertinent matters on a one-to-one basis. The Gallery Session will begin promptly at 7 p.m. and those who would like to address the Board and/or Management are asked to arrive early and sign their names on the speakers’ list. The Board Business meeting will follow the Gallery Session. The meeting will be broadcast on the Riverbay in-house tv (Continued on page 4)
President’s Report
Rod Saunders I trust that all of our shareholders are enjoying the summer, and that you have taken the time to cast a vote in this year’s 2025 Riverbay Board of Directors election. This year’s Election Committee has been working very hard at getting out as many votes/ voters as possible so that a quorum of 5,041 votes will be reached. I am asking you to support their efforts and participate in the election process. Failure to reach quorum is not an option! Having said that, I want to thank the shareholders and cooperators who came out to vote during the Annual Shareholders Meeting, which was officially convened on June 25, 2025 as well as to those who went on to attend the monthly Open Board meeting after they had participated by voting for their choice of candidates in the 2025 Riverbay Board of Directors voting process. Although a quorum has yet to be reached, I am hopeful that more shareholders will step up and meet their obligations as shareholders,
Message from the 2025 Election Committee
The following message is from the co-chairs of the 2025 Election Committee, Board Director Monique Coleman and Board Director Leah Graham. Board Director Monique Coleman: “Many shareholders tell me they do not vote because they are too busy or do not want to get involved in politics. However, the Riverbay Board of Directors Election is not political. Our Board of Directors is responsible for the governance and upkeep of our community. We do not take political stances; instead, Board members make decisions about our community’s budget, building and grounds maintenance, CCPD staffing, and infrastructure upgrades like our power plant. Our role is to manage our shared resources and ensure our community is safe, functional, and financially sound. “As shareholders, we each own a piece of the property and collectively pool our resources to manage and maintain it. This includes paying bills like insurance, taxes and our mortgage; it also in- Monique Coleman Leah Graham cludes paying for mandates due to local laws, like (Continued on page 5) installing carbon monoxide detectors – LL157,
and that a quorum will be forthcoming. The Baychester Ave./ Donizetti Place Proposed Improvements for Traffic Flow During the Open Board meeting, I made a truncated presentation of the NYC Dept. of Transportation’s (NYCDOT) proposed plan(s) to address the traffic on Baychester Avenue, and in Donizetti Place, which occurs every weekday morning and afternoon when school is in session at the five schools within the Northeast Bronx Education Park (the Ed Park). You may recall that in my President’s Report covered in the May 10th edition of the Co-op City Times, I wrote extensively about the DOT’s traffic improvement proposal, and why I believe that their proposal is unfavorable to Co-op City residents. Thank Goodness for Community Board 10 Committee Meetings Had it not been for Community Board 10’s hosting of the Municipal Services Committee Meeting (Continued on page 2)
DOT Set to Change Traffic Flow Around Education Park BY DANIELLE CRUZ
The Department of Transportation (DOT) is set to begin work this month on the first phase of their plan to change the traffic flow pattern around Education Park, despite protests from Co-op City community leaders and shareholders. These changes, which were shared during a Community Board 10 meeting back in April, was presented as a way to address traffic concerns along Baychester Avenue, especially between Aldrich Street and Rombouts Avenue, and Donizetti Place, which frequently experiences a high volume of traffic due to the six schools that make up the Education Park (PS. 153, PS. 178, MS. 180, MS. 181, Bronx Health Sciences High School and Truman High School). The DOT’s plan for (Continued on page 9) Baychester Avenue, from