JESSICA S. LAPPIN COUNCIL MEMBER •
5TH
CHAIR - COMMITTEE ON
DISTRICT
DISTRICT OFFICE 330 EAST 63RD STREET, SUITE 1K NEW YORK, NY 10065 (212) 980-1808 FAX (212) 980-1828
AGING
THE COUNCIL OF
THE CITY OF NEW YORK
COMMITTEES LAND USE EDUCATION TRANSPORTATION CULTURAL AFFAIRS ZONING & FRANCHISES SUBCOMMITTEE
[email protected]
June 24, 2011 The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo Governor of New York State NYS State Capitol Building Albany, NY 12224 Dear Governor Cuomo: I’m writing to discuss the governance of Roosevelt Island and the constitution of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) Board of Directors. For nearly a decade and a half, the residents of Roosevelt Island and their elected leaders worked together to develop a better process for appointing individuals to the RIOC board. As you know, during Governor Spitzer’s administration, we were finally successful in reaching an arrangement whereby community elections would be held for the purpose of selecting residents to be considered for appointment to the RIOC board. While not exactly direct democracy, this was a major milestone in the Island’s fight for self-determination. Your recent decision to scrap that process without informing or consulting the community or local elected officials is extremely disappointing. This is a very important issue for my constituents on Roosevelt Island and for me personally. I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss this matter more fully at your earliest convenience. Sincerely,
JESSICA LAPPIN Council Member 5th District – Manhattan
