WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. November 7, 2006 UPDATED 12:36 A.M. E.D.T.: The Memorandum of Understanding between the City of White Plains and New York Presbyterian Hospital was tabled last night by the Common Council, pending further discussion, according to Councilperson Benjamin Boykin. It will be taken up again December 3, with more discussion of the terms of the MOU  to take place in the November work session of the Common Council.

In a rebuff to Mayor Joseph Delfino, Common Councilmen Glen Hockley and Arnold Bernstein, Councilpersons Rita Malmud, Thomas Roach, Benjamin Boykin and Dennis Power voted to table Councilman Hockley's resolution which called for Westchester County to relocate the 85 Court Street Drop In Homeless Shelter the county opened last January. Councilmen Boykin and Roach told WPCNR the resolution had not been discussed with them in work session, and it was a very sensitive issue that required talks with the county. The resolution was tabled, 4-3.

White Plains Police: 616 Incidents Involving Homeless Persons in City in 10 Months.

Apparently, Mr. Hockley had not broached the topic of the resolution with his other four Democratic Councilpersons before placing it on the agenda. Mr. Roach and Mr. Boykin also said they had not seen the listing of over 616 White Plains Police-reported incidents involving "homeless persons" documented in White Plains at all hours of the day from January 1 through October 31 of this year.

The Mayor presented the compiled list of incidents at a news conference introducing the resolution he hoped the council would approve, in a Monday afternoon news conference. Mr. Roach and Mr. Boykin said they had not been invited.  Glen Hockley(right) shared with WPCNR a listing of persons from 85 Court identified as level 3 Sex Offenders after the county had pledged to the city they would not house sex offenders there, and shared the White Plains Police compiled listing of 616 Incidents involving homeless persons in the downtown. Rick Ammirato, Executive Director of the BID, left, responded to a WPCNR  question, saying there has been an increase in homeless incidents during the day in the White Plains downtown, particularly "panhandling." The Mayor cited the evidence of the incidents as a reason why the county should relocate the 85 Court Street Shelter, because it adds to the White Plains homeless population. The said White Plains houses 14% of the homeless in the County, by far the largest proportion.  Photo, WPCNR News

Councilman Boykin said the resolution was "pure politics" introduced to embarrass Councilman Dennis Power. (Power is in a Special Election Tuesday against the Mayor-supported candidate Cass Cibelli. ) Cibelli's reaction to the "tabling" of the resolution said the Council had gone on record supporting keeping the 85 Court Street Shelter open, saying it was "a disgrace."