Let’s Make Some Good Choices About Our Next Managers

As previously reported, our former general manager recently retired. And, now, our executive general manager is scheduled to retire at some point in April 2023. So, we need to make some good choices about our next managers.

Be Wise or Agonize

Let’s review some aspects of our community so that we can get a better understanding about the type of management that we need here. To start, we have 320 acres of land here. We have about 50,000 cooperators living in 35 buildings and seven townhouse clusters. We have three shopping centers, several professional spaces, a huge power plant, 8 garages, several schools, lots of parks, our own police force, and other good things. Moreover, we have over 800 employees. And, we make about $250 million a year.

Now, having all of the above-cited items in a community is wonderful. However, we must also consider the flip side of all of these items when we want to bring in new management. For instance, do you honestly think that a manager’s job is going to be easy if they have to manage 320 acres of developed land in NYC?

No! If anyone or a corporation has 320 acres of developed land in NYC, it is guaranteed that they will have:

1. A lot of problems dealing with all of the regulations,

2. Extreme tax burdens, and 3. Lots of outrageous reporting issues and financial issues.

What about a manager having to deal with 50,000 cooperators in a community? Well, most of our cooperators are wonderful. However, we need to understand that some of our cooperators are acting up in some terrible ways. For instance, despite a visible camera and communication equipment, how is it that someone can allegedly remove their clothes and ride in an elevator?

What about some folks that don’t have a care in the world about throwing garbage out of their windows? What about going into a supermarket and stuffing lots of items, including a large pineapple, under their clothes? The supermarket personnel caught the person. However, it’s doubtful that they reported this matter to the police or to our Public Safety Department.

Then, managers have to deal with lots of calls and

(Continued from page 1) complaints about apartment issues, building issues, garage issues, and lots of other issues. However, we have over 800 employees that can assist our top managers with these tasks. Therefore, our community can function in a reasonable manner.

However, our board needs to consider the following issues: Can a manager or a management team handle our finances in a proper manner? What are their opinions about Riverbay having 28 different departments? What are their opinions about Riverbay’s exorbitant $100 million payroll? Would they be willing to change the way that we conduct business?

For instance, Riverbay must have certain insurance policies here at all times. In other words, do you think that Riverbay wants to deal with a claim and not have insurance? No! So, do you think that the board is forced to approve these insurance policies when they’re presented within days of their expiration? Absolutely! So, do you honestly think that conducting business in this manner is good for our community?

What about the large commissions that are paid to the brokers for these insurance policies? For instance, I previously stated that Riverbay renewed two policies with two insurance companies. However, what do you think about Riverbay paying a large commission to a broker? Again, I honestly believe that this commission was more than most of our cooperators make in several years. So, do you think that we need to change the way that we conduct our insurance business? In my opinion, the answer is yes.

Previously, we were spending about $15,000 to restore a 1-bedroom apartment. And, now, that price has jumped up to over $18,000. But, how can this price be justified when we’re charging the former shareholders for the damages that they caused to the apartment? So, prospective candidates must present a plan to change this way of doing business.

What about developing plans to reduce our payroll and our overall expenses? How is it that some employees are not picking up their phone or returning calls? What about developing plans to dramatically increase our revenue? How do you feel about Riverbay having almost no money in the bank? What about Riverbay spending almost everything that’s brought in on a monthly basis?

“This standard permits unhoused individuals in our communities to be removed even when they have not committed an observable or overtly dangerous act. I respect the administration’s dedication to the psychiatric care crisis in our city. But, I would be remiss not to mention that there are many valid concerns that come with this standard. We do not want New Yorkers being removed from our communities merely because they are homeless or unhoused only to be cycled out of hospitals and back onto the streets without adequate care or housing,” Councilmember Lee said in her opening remarks.

Deputy Director of Mental Health Initiatives, Crisis Response and Community Capacity from the Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health, Jason Hansman, began his testimony by highlighting how the Mayor’s policy can help streamline the mental health support process.

“With the Mayor’s new policy, everyone is working off of the same playbook, ensuring our most vulnerable New Yorkers have an opportunity to be connected to life-saving and life-changing help. As the Mayor said in November, job one is as follows: New York State law allows us to intervene when it appears that mental illness is preventing an individual from meeting their basic human needs. We must make this universally understood by outreach workers, hospital personnel and police officers,” Hansman said.

Forty-two individuals were involuntarily transferred under the Mayor’s directive, according to Jamie Neckles, Assistant Commissioner of the Bureau of Mental Health for the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The transports were handled by the city’s mobile crisis team, which includes social workers and behavioral health professionals.

Two bills were later proposed during the joint committee session that centered around mental health support training and resources.

More specifically, the first bill proposed would require the NYPD “to provide officers with training related to recognizing and interacting with individuals with autism spectrum disorder,” according to the City Council website.

The second bill would require the Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health “to create an online portal and a written resource guide of available mental health services,” also according to information on the City Council website.

Notably, City Hall launched a support hotline last week for police officers when they need assistance dealing with an individual experiencing mental illness or distress. The hotline connects officers with a clinician who can help guide that officer to provide a more compassionate response to the individual in distress.

What about the relentless carrying charge increases that we always receive? In fact, what do you think about that 7.5 percent carrying charge increase that started on January 1, 2023? Yes or no, did that increase force you to make some personal financial changes? If the answer is no, what would you think if we were to get another big increase soon?Then, I want to see if some people will still go around this community to support these increases.

Look, I absolutely dislike the way that we’re conducting business and the way that we’re spending money. It’s just horrible! So, we need to bring in some new managers to review the course that we’re on. Then, they must be willing to change the way that we conduct business.

Close

As a director, I am willing to help any new manager or new management team to completely turn our corporation around. But, we need to start them off with only a 1-year contract. This way, they must conduct our business in a better manner, or they have to go.

Thank you.

Contact Information

Please send a letter to: Board Director Daryl Johnson, Riverbay Corporation, 2049 Bartow Avenue, Bronx, NY 10475. Or, you can send an email to me at: djohnson@riverbayboard.com.

Also, please call me ONLY at 718-671-4544 if you would like to have a brief discussion with me. Okay, that’s it for now. So, please have a wonderful week. And, may God bless you and your family. Thank you.