The Board of Directors of the STPCV Tenants Association endorses two candidates for positions on the board as recommended by the Nominating Committee. The election date is May 30, 2019.

Candidates endorsed by the Board include:

Alvin D. Doyle
Current member of the board of the Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village Tenants Association, Al served as president of the TA for 23 years. During that time, he led bus trips to Albany when rent regulation laws were expiring, provided testimony year after year before the Rent Guidelines Board, and led rallies and protests. As vice president of H. M. Hughes Construction Company, he used his construction knowledge to assist the TA’s attorney to challenge numerous MCIs, most notably helping achieve a $3.9 million settlement on defective windows. Al continues to apply his long history of events to help the TA fight for affordability.

Susan Steinberg
Current president of the Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village Tenants Association, Susan spent her career as marketing director for major architectural and engineering firms in New York City. A member of the Tenants Association since 1997, she served as its vice president, executive president, and chair before being elected president in 2015. She is a vice chair of the Business Affairs and Street Activities Committee of Community Board 6. In addition, she serves on the East Side Coastal Resiliency Task Force and on the Mount Sinai Community Advisory Committee. In 2013, Susan received a New York State Senate Women of Distinction award, sponsored by NY State Senator Brad Hoylman.

PETITIONING
The petitioning period to be a candidate for the board is now beginning. Interested candidates may seek a place on the ballot by submitting a petition signed by a minimum of thirty (30) members of the TA who are current in their dues as of the March 20, 2019, Record Date. No more than one candidate’s name may be included on any one petition.

Petitions must include signature, printed name, address, and apartment number. The Nominating Committee will judge the validity of all petitions. Petitioning ends on April 6, 2019.

Petition forms are available for download from the Tenants Association website. In addition to your petition, you must submit a document that includes:

• Your name, address (including apartment number), telephone, and email;
• A statement that you are 18 years of age or older; and
• A summary of your qualifications in 100 words or less.

On April 2, 2019, TA representatives will be available at the Community Center 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. to verify the membership status of petition signers.

Petitions and accompanying documentation should either be—

• postal mailed to Nominating Committee, ST/PCV Tenants Association, P.O. Box 1202, New York, NY 10009 and received at the post office no later than April 6, 2019; OR
• dropped in our drop box at Oval Services (17A Stuyvesant Oval), or the Community Center (449 East 14th Street, First Avenue Loop), or Zeichner’s Wines & Liquors (279 First Avenue) no later than 3:00 p.m., April 6, 2019; OR
• emailed in PDF format to nominations2019@stpcvta.org no later than April 6, 2019.

Nominating Committee: Michael Lang, John J. Sheehy, Judith Miller, Patricia Levenson, and Patricia Sallin.

Posted 3/14/19

Ride the bus with the TA to fight for rent reform. Whether you’re a longtime tenant or a preferential renter, rent reform affects you.

Bills that give tenants relief have been written and are in committee in the state legislature. But we have to keep up the pressure—landlords are lobbying legislators too.

That’s why we’re going to Albany—to show legislators how important this is to us and tell them our stories.

Details:
A bus will leave at 6:45 a.m. from 235 Second Ave. (between 14th & 15th Sts.). Please arrive by 6:30 a.m. We’ll leave Albany at about 3 p.m. The trip takes about 3 hours. Appointments with legislators are being made, and there may be a rally.

RSVP by Saturday, Feb. 23, is a MUST: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeXs6uE9lJxmE7VrJAsqu2O0iiiu-3irg6EONhwO0tI3hAnHA/viewform. The form allows you to add three additional friends or neighbors.

Rent reform is a comprehensive statewide program. To read about how STPCV is affected: https://www.stpcvta.org/rent_laws_expire_2019

WHAT TO DO IF YOU CAN’T GO TO ALBANY: You can “vote” on the state senate and assembly pages for each bill. Links at https://www.stpcvta.org/rent_laws_expire_2019

Posted 2/16/19

NOTICE TO ALL RESIDENTS

The Nominating Committee of the Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village Tenants Association (the “TA”) is soliciting candidates for election to the TA’s Board of Directors. Five director positions are available. The election will take place in May 2019.

This is an excellent opportunity for the community-minded to participate in a meaningful leadership role and help make decisions that have a positive impact on your neighbors and yourself.

Deadline for submission of applications for Director is January 28, 2019.

Requirements for Director

• A resident of Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village
• 18 years of age or older
• Current member of the TA

In addition, candidates:

• Should be prepared to spend at least 20 hours each month on TA business
• Commit to a monthly board meeting and other phone or in-person TA meetings as needed
• Be prepared to participate in one or more TA committees

Application Requirements
Candidates must submit documentation to the Nominating Committee by January 28, 2019, consisting of:

• A résumé or biography, maximum of two pages, stating relevant qualifications, including past community activities, or professional or work experience
• A brief statement of why you are interested in serving on the Board
• Best contact phone number and email address

Applications should be submitted via email to nominations2019@stpcvta.org

As of 1/14/19, it looks as though the L-pocalypse has been averted. Here are some ways to stay up-to-date and places to go for info:

Press release 1/3/19: “MTA Announces L Train Shutdown Averted”
The press release describes the new proposals for fixing the L train tunnel and gives bios for the review team that came up with the proposals.

L Project: On this website you can

•   sign up for the L Project Weekly, an email update
•   submit a comment
•   find out what work has been completed and what is continuing

“L Project Changes: What You Need to Know”: Read the MTA fact sheet.

Recent media:
Gothamist: “Andy Byford Says He Won’t Be ‘Steamrolled’ into an Unsafe L Train Plan”

Office of the Governor: “Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Cuomo Convenes Expert Panel to Present Recommendations for L Trains Tunnel Project”
Contains links to the video of the presentation

New York Times, Opinion: “Cuomo’s Risky L Train Fix” by Carmen Bianco, president of New York City Transit, 2013–2015

New York Times, “Is the Fix for the L Train Apocalypse Too Good to Be True?” by Emma G. Fitzsimmons and Winnie Hu

Spectrum News/NY1, Inside City Hall: “Experts on Team that Came Up with New L Train Repair Plan Break Down the Process” 

Meet our new Neighborhood Coordination Officers (NCOs) at a special 13th Precinct event. Doors open at 6 p.m.—meeting starts at 7 p.m. Location: 41 Madison Ave. (lower level, between 25th & 26th Sts.)

Learn more about the program and ask questions you may have.

RSVP:
Det. Vincent Arlotta, (212) 477-7427, Vincent.Arlotta@nypd.org

OR

P.O. John Considine, (212) 477-7427, John.Considine@nypd.org

https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/bureaus/patrol/precincts/13th-precinct.page

NEW LOCATION—ADA accessible: MSBI Bernstein Pavilion, Podell Auditorium, 10 Nathan D. Perlman Place
Between 15th & 16th Sts., one block west of First Ave.

Open mic Q&A—bring your questions
Lots to talk about!

• L train
• MCIs: we strike back
• Rent laws sunset in 2019: the fight for longtime and new tenants
• Quality of life issues: what we tell management
• New NYPD neighborhood policing, Oval noise survey and more

Confirmed speakers:
U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney
State Senator Brad Hoylman
State Assembly Member Harvey Epstein
City Comptroller Scott Stringer
City Council Member Keith Powers
13th Precinct Community Liaison

City Council Member Keith Powers initiated a letter regarding the noise and quality of life issues resulting from the L train construction. Other elected officials signed on to the letter. Read it here.

The federal primary in June sprang some surprises, and the primaries at the state and local level in September are ripe for more, particularly on the Democratic side.

So—are you registered to vote at your current address? Although you can register any time during the year, your form must be delivered or mailed at least 25 days before an election for it to be effective for that election. Even if you don’t enroll in a party, you’ll still want to vote in the general election in November. It’s a big one for us: one U.S. Senator, member of Congress, governor, lieutenant governor, state attorney general, judges, and more.

ELECTIONS COMING UP
Thursday, Sept. 13: State and local primaries—on a Thursday
Tuesday, Nov. 6: General election

Note: To vote in a primary election you must (1) be registered to vote at your current address and (2) be enrolled in the official political party recognized by the NY State Board of Elections that is holding a primary.

REGISTER BY MAIL

• Download the Voter Registration Form (available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Bengali).
• Voter Registration Forms with prepaid postage are also available at the Board of Elections, libraries, post offices, most New York City government agencies, and the League of Women Voters of the City of New York. To have a registration form mailed to you, call the Board of Elections at 866-VOTE-NYC (866-868-3692).
• Fill out a Voter Registration Application using a pen with only blue or black ink. Be sure to sign the form.
• Mail the Voter Registration Form to: Board of Elections, 32 Broadway, 7th floor, New York, NY 10004.

REGISTER IN PERSON
Register in person at any of the Board of Elections offices in the five boroughs.
Manhattan: 200 Varick Street (near W. Houston St.), 10th floor, 212-886-2100, Monday–Friday,  9 a.m.–5 p.m.

REGISTER ONLINE
If you have a New York State driver’s license or DMV-issued nondriver’s ID card, go to https://dmv.ny.gov/more-info/electronic-voter-registration-application.

REGISTRATION DATES
State and local primaries
Aug. 18 Last day to postmark a mail application. Aug. 22 Last day it must be received by Board of Elections.
Aug. 19 Last day an in-person application must be received by the Board of Elections.

General election
Oct. 12 Last day to postmark a mail application. Oct. 17 Last day it must be received by the Board of Elections.
Oct. 12 Last day an in-person application must be received by the Board of Elections. If you have been honorably discharged from the military or have become a naturalized citizen since Oct. 13, you may register in person at the Board of Elections until October 27.

To register to vote in the City of New York, you must:

1. be a citizen of the United States (includes persons born in Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and naturalized citizens).
2. be a New York City resident for at least 30 days by the time of election.
3. be 18 years old by December 31 of the year the registration is filed (note: you must be 18 years old by the date of the general, primary, or other election in which you want to vote).
4. not be serving a prison sentence or be on parole for a felony conviction.
5. not be adjudged mentally incompetent by a court.
6. not claim the right to vote elsewhere (outside the City of New York).

The “Help America Vote Act” (HAVA) of 2002 requires all first-time voters who register by mail to provide additional identification either on or with the voter registration application, for example, the voter’s driver’s license number or the last four digits of the voter’s Social Security number. If you do not have a driver’s license or Social Security number, you may use a valid photo ID, a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check, or some other government document that shows your name and address.

The Annual Meeting for the election of Directors of the Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village Tenants Association, Inc., will be held on Thursday, May 31, 2018, at 6:30 p.m. at MSBI’s Podell Auditorium, 10 Nathan D. Perlman Place (one block west of First Avenue, between 15th and 16th Streets). At that time, members will vote to fill seats on the TA Board of Directors. All members who are current in their dues as of May 22, 2018, the record date set for the meeting, are entitled to vote.

Please note that this meeting is for record purposes only; there will be no program.

Since the election is uncontested this year, in an effort to minimize expenses, no proxies or ballots will be distributed. The election will be conducted at the Annual Meeting.

The Board of Directors, on the recommendation of the Nominating Committee, has endorsed five persons to be elected to the board.

Other TA members interested in being elected to the Board were provided the opportunity to be nominated by submitting a petition signed by 30 current members of the Tenants Association no later than March 31, 2018. Because no such petitions were submitted, only the persons endorsed by the Board have been nominated.

The persons endorsed by the Board:

Anne Greenberg is a lifelong resident of Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village. With a varied career in book publishing, she has used her communications skills for the TA and has also been involved in maintenance and quality-of-life issues in the community. Anne also represents the TA to Real Rent Reform (R3), a coalition of tenant associations and advocacy groups that fight for tenant-friendly legislation, and she has testified before the city’s Rent Guidelines Board. After serving as a volunteer for several years, Anne joined the Board in 2014.

Lynn Janovsky is a born-and-bred East Villager who has lived in Stuyvesant Town since 1996 (moving in the week after the blizzard of ’96) and has no plans to leave. A marketing communications strategist, Lynn looks forward to bringing her professional skills to the STPCV TA Board and the community, and engaging all our amazing residents in making sure ST and PCV continue to evolve as a dynamic place we all want to live.

Michael Lang has lived with Debbra Lang, his wife, in Peter Cooper Village since 2016, having relocated here from Chicago. A retired Assistant United States Attorney from Illinois and Michigan, he was also a county prosecutor in Detroit. While living in Chicago, he acted as a Cook County Arbitrator and volunteered at a Catholic Charities food bank. In addition, Michael served for three years on the condo board for one of his residences in Chicago, where he dealt with significant legal and political issues.

Jeanette Sheehan is a Delivery Director for Sirius Computer Solutions, a technology consulting firm, where she manages all aspects of system delivery from inception to go-live and ongoing maintenance for top-tier clients. Jeanette moved to the Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village community in 2013 and has been a building leader since 2015. She is excited to get involved with activities to make sure STPCV continues to be a place where residents can thrive. Jeanette has also volunteered at the New York ASPCA and at MoMA for over ten years.

John J. Sheehy has served on the Board for the past eight years. Among other things, he played an important role in formulating a condominium conversion plan when the property was for sale, facilitated the Roberts settlement, and was key to bringing Blackstone to the property. John was a senior partner, Chair of the Litigation Department, and Member of the Executive Committee of the international law firm Rogers & Wells. He served on the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct for twelve years and is a retired Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve. John was Chair of the Board of NYC Court Appointed Special Advocates (“CASA”) for six years.

On Tuesday, April 17, 2018, members of the Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village Tenants Association joined other members of the Real Rent Reform (R3) coalition on a bus trip to Albany to meet with state senators, both Republicans and Democrats.

The goal: Get the senators to commit to supporting three bills to strengthen rent regulations.

R3 represents rent-regulated tenants around the state. The coalition seeks:

1. the repeal of vacancy decontrol, responsible for the loss of 250,000 rent-regulated units over the past decade;
2. the repeal of the vacancy bonus, which gives landlords a 20% increase each time an apartment turns over; and
3. to close the loophole on preferential rents—a discount from the legal rent that can be taken away at lease renewal, leading to a sudden increase of hundreds of dollars. Many of our neighbors in STPCV are all too familiar with this last one.

What did we ask for? The ask for Democratic senators was to sign onto the three bills if they have not yet done so. Republican senators were asked to allow the bills, stalled in the Housing Committee, out of committee and onto the floor for a vote.

Where does our state senator stand? Our state senator, Brad Hoylman, is a cosponsor of all three bills. He joined us at a rally in the capitol’s Million-Dollar Staircase (see photo). Also joining us was Harvey Epstein, Democratic candidate for State Assembly for our district.

THESE BILLS MUST BE PASSED AT THE STATE LEVEL. The NYS Assembly has passed two of these bills and will pass the third easily. The NYS Senate, however, has yet to act. R3 is pressuring for the passage of these bills before the expiration of rent regulations in 2019, but they can be voted on anytime the legislature is in session.