JULY 2013 VIRGINIA CALCUTTI LETTER RE: THE GOUVEIA PROPERTY DEAL

Welcome to Everything Croton, a collection of all things Croton--our history, our homes, our issues, our businesses, our schools--in short, EVERYTHING CROTON.

GAZETTE 7/18/13 LETTER TO THE EDITOR, VIRGINIA CALCUTTI, GOUVEIA PROPERTY DEAL

To:   All Croton Residents:

First of all, I want to make a correction as to what type of Board meeting was held on July 8th.  The Gazette reported that it was a tentative meeting agenda presented by the Board. I don't know who gave them that info but it's not true. On its website the Agenda stated that it was a "Regular Meeting of the Village Board".  It said nothing about the agenda being a tenative one.

Next, I am a member of the Seniors Club.  However, since the meetings were moved to Senasqua Park on Fridays, I do not attend as I don't enjoy sitting outside in 90+ degrees weather among the droppings of the geese. 

However, I had planned on making it a point to attend when meetings were moved inside.  This past Friday, June 12th, I did not get the message early enough that the meeting was moved inside because of the pending weather forecast. The time factor did not allow me to cancel my plans for the day.   It is my understanding that Mr. Zambrano decided to drop into the Seniors meeting to discuss various issues that they may have some concerns about.  This was unannounced, and in my opinion, did not give the opportunity for all Seniors to be in attendance. If he wanted to speak, he should have had the co-orindator of the Seniors Club make an announcement that he would be there on whatever date appropriate and the meeting would be held at the Municipal Bldg. This would have been the right way to approach this to give everyone an opportunity to speak. As I am involved on a continuous basis with Village issues, I would have liked to have had an opportunity to listen to what he had to say. I always find him very interesting!!!!

It is my understanding that towards the end of the meeting, Mr. Zambrano made a statement that he was surprised no one had brought up the Gouvia property.  Maybe they didn't bring it up because discussing that property was off limits per the Village Board.  I know the Board stated at Monday's meeting (July 8th) that they couldn't answer any questions or discuss the Gouvia property on advice from both lawyers who were discussing same.  From what I understand, Mr. Zambrano stated that we had already spent over $10,000 on the initial inspection, etc. of the property.  However, with the ongoing discussions between lawyers (I believe they are drawing up the final agreement), we have no idea as to what any additional costs will be.  It is also my understanding that there was overwhelming opposition to the aquisition of this property.

Recently I was asked if I knew if Trustee Davis still opposes the acceptance of this gift (headache!) as he campaigned against accepting the Gouvia property.  I read somewhere (?) that he now feels that $1,000,000 is a lot to pass up.  I would suggest that Trustee Davis do his homework before he thinks that a million dollars will do anything towards maintaining this property. True or not true? I don't know but the word is that if we were to accept this headache we would start paying all the maintenance fees from the date of acceptance.  Mrs. Gouvia would live there tax free and maintenance free (no expenses at all) until she either moves or dies. Is this true?  I don't know because the Board can't and won't answer our questions.

One more point for today.  I asked Ann Gallelli over a year ago to recuse herself from any further discussions on the Gouvia property as she and Mrs. Gouvia are personal friends.  To the best of my knowledge she did not do this.  Conflict of interest?  You bet!

As we all know, this is a done deal.  However, I and a few others will continue to follow-up on this.  This Village belongs to the Mayor and Trustees, not the residents.  They do what they want.  They don't care what you have to say.    I, for one cannot believe that all their followers agree with them on this property.

Congratulations to the Town of Cortlandt Administration for having enough insight not to get involved in what will eventually be a very costly endeavor that will never meet the wish list of the Croton-on-Hudson Village Board.  Of course, other than another trail we don't know what they envision.  Dream on!  Welcome to another "White Elephant" in our Village.

Virginia Calcutti 7/15/13

YOU MAY ALSO HAVE AN INTEREST IN

GOUVEIA PROPERTY DEAL RECEIVES UNFAVORABLE RECEPTION AT SENIORS http://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2013/07/gouveia-discussion-at-seniors-receives.html

GOUVEIA JOURNAL NEWS ARTICLE JULY 2013; MAYOR SAYS ITS ONE HECK OF A GIFT http://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2013/07/journal-news-gouveia-property-board.html

DAN CHESNARD LETTER, JULY 2013, GAZETTE http://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2013/07/dan-chesnard-gouveia-gazette-leter-july.html

VIRGINIA CALCUTTI LETTER, JULY 2013, GAZETTE

http://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2013/07/gouveia-property-july-2013-calcutti.html

GOUVEIA GAZETTE ARTICLE JULY 2013

http://everythingcroton.blogspot.com/2013/07/gouveia-article-gazette-week-of-711.html

2011 TOWN OF CORTLANDT DENIES INTEREST IN GOUVEIA PROPERTY;TRUSTEE GALLELLI RETRACTS STATEMENTS ON GOUVEIA 5/24-5/30/11 FAITH ANNE BUTCHER - THE EXAMINER NEWS: Despite statements that have been made by Croton village trustees over the past few months, Cortlandt has no intention of acquiring the Gouveia property. During the May 16th meeting Trustee Ann Gallelli retracted comments she had made previously that led the public to believe that the Town of Cortlandt and the Open Space Institute wanted the Gouveia property and that the property was to be removed from the village and the school tax rolls.