WPCNR THE HOMELESS NEWS. From the Mayor's Office. December 7, 2007:  The Mayor's Office of the City of White Plains tonight issued a statement saying the Mayor would not ask the White Plains clergy to open a warming shelter for drifting White Plains homeless persons on an interim basis, pending the County Executive's commitment to funding the operation.  It said the Common Council would take up the issue of the drifting homeless again Monday evening at 6 PM.

The Mayor's Office instead said the Common Council is the body responsible for approving the opening of such a shelter. The announcement came after the Mayor's Office was asked in light of the County Executive's inability to meet with  the Common Council, the Mayor, and the clergy and church organizations to hammer out the arrangements this week, would the Mayor ask the clergy to open the warming shelter or some kind of shelter of the city's own. (Currently, police finding homeless sleeping on the streets take them in to the Department of Public Safety. However, many homeless sleep in areas surrounding the city exposed to the elements. )The Mayor's Statement:

This is not a Mayoral decision.  It's a policy decision that needs to be made by the Common Council.  The Mayor had hoped that the County Executive would have attended a meeting on December 5th to discuss policy decisions but he turned the city down on the offer.  On December 10th at 6pm, the Common Council will meet to further discuss the issue.  No vote is expected to take place on the 10th.  This is in the hands of the policy makers. 

As of 6 PM in White Plains, it is 32 degrees. It is snowing wet heavy bonechilling snowflakes. The President of the White Plains Common Council could not be reached for comment as to whether the Council will act to get the shelter open.

Previously, Grace Church Community Services, that it will take at least two weeks to begin the Warming Shelter service once an official decision is made from when the city, county and Common Council formalize the Warming Shelter.