4 MAY 9, 2019 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
R’wood reps brainstorm with civic on rent
BY JESSICA MILITELLO
EDITORIAL@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
@RIDGEWOODTIMES
Members of the Ridgewood
Property Owners and Civic
Association heard from local
elected offi cials at the group’s May 2
meeting about the impact of proposed
bills on neighborhood homeowners
and landlords.
RPOCA members and local
residents expressed concerns and
asked questions as Assemblyman
Mike Miller, Assemblywoman
Catherine Nolan, and state Senator
Joe Addabbo took the time to directly
address each inquiry and offer their
insight. They vowed to find solutions
so that voices in their district may
be heard.
Several of the bills up for votes
pertain to limiting rent hikes and
prohibiting rent increases based
on building renovations. Miller
observed that these bills could
particularly affect small landlords.
“For some landlords, it’s a business
and I understand that,” said Miller.
“We also have to worry about people
that live there too. We’re not trying to
hurt everybody; there are a number
of people who take advantage
of tenants, so that’s what we’re
trying to do, we’re trying to protect
those people.”
Nolan stressed that continued
outreach from elected officials
and community involvement
remain integral for finding
common ground.
“We have to be in it to influence
it,” said Nolan. “There’s going to be
several other hearings including
one in Albany, but you do not have
to show up to submit testimony. We
have a big tenants’ group now in
Ridgewood that has been very vocal,
but we want all our small landlords
to be vocal as well.”
Also in attendance was Angela
Mirabile, the executive director
of the Greater Ridgewood
Restoration Corporation, a
nonprofit organization which
provides consulting for landlords
and tenants for neighborhoods
such as Ridgewood.
For Mirabile, the state doesn’t
necessarily need to pass more
legislation pertaining to rent and
housing, but should enforce the laws
already in place.
“We have a tenant protection
unit that has nine employees for
the entire state of New York,” said
Mirabile. “My concern is that we’re
just coming up with legislation
rather than enforcing things that’s
already on the books and looking
into what some of the owners, a lot
of new owners are doing in these
buildings. That’s where a lot of these
people are getting evicted, bought
out, or harassed out.”
While most of the meeting was
focused on the proposed renting
legislations, the elected officials in
attendance also spent some time to
discuss congestion pricing, which
was approved back in April. They
focused on how that could affect
residents particularly as the price
of the tolls are still being assessed.
“For the next year and a half or so,
the public will have an opportunity
to weigh in,” said Addabbo. “We
just have to be careful with the
exemptions that we give because
we have to hit the 1 billion dollar
mark so we can raise the revenue for
the MTA.”
Members of the Ridgewood Property Owners and Civic Association with
Assemblyman Mike Miller, Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan and state
Senator Joe Addabbo at the civic group’s May 2 meeting.
Photo by Jessica Militello
New 104 commander
joins R’wood Kiwanis
The new commanding offi cer of the 104th Precinct, Captain Victoria
Perry, became the newest member of the Kiwanis Club of Ridgewood
3-2-1 at the service organization’s May 1 meeting. Perry spoke to the
group about their commitment to service within our communities
and promised a continued close collaboration with the Ridgewood
3-2-1 Club. Pictured (L to R) Police Offi cer Gouldbourne; Sergeant Ed
Reiman, supervisor for the Neighborhood Coordination Offi cers (NCO);
Detective Tommy Bell, 104th Precinct Community Aff airs Unit; Bob
Monahan, GRYC President; Captain Perry; Police Offi cer Asar Sanad,
Community Aff airs; Police Offi cer Maria Santos of the NCO program;
and P.O. Michael Berish, Community Aff airs. Everyone in the photo
is an active member of Ridgewood Kiwanis, which meets on the fi rst
and third Wednesdays at noon at 59-03 Summerfi eld St. Community
members are welcome to attend. Photo courtesy of Bob Monahan
MEDIA ADVISORY
Middle Village Preparatory Charter School
will conduct its monthly Board of Trustees Meeting
on Wednesday May 15, 2019
Details are as follows:
WHO: Middle Village Preparatory Charter School
WHAT: Monthly Board of Trustees Meeting
WHEN: Wednesday May 15 th , 2019
TIME: 6:00 PM
WHERE: Multi-Purpose Room at Middle Village Prep
Door # 10
68-02 Metropolitan Avenue
Middle Village, NY 11379
All meetings of the Trustees and all committees and subcommittees
are conducted with the New York Open Meetings Law
( N.Y. Public Officers Law §§ 100-111).
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