New Rochelle City Council Votes to Delay Echo Bay Talks, Then Does Reversal

A contentious meeting of the New Rochelle City Council Tuesday saw first a vote to table discussions about Echo Bay and then a reversal.

The first vote—a motion by Councilman Albert Tarantino, R-District 2, to table discussions and votes on Echo Bay-related issues until January—was passed by the body 4-3, with Councilman Ivar Hyden, D-District 4, and Councilwoman Shari Rackman, D-District 6, joining Tarantino and Councilman Louis Trangucci, R-District 1 in voting for the delay.

The second vote—to table Echo Bay discussion items until the November 19 council meeting—was proposed by Democratic Mayor Noam Bramson and was taken after the council had conducted public hearings and held Citizens to Be Heard.

Rackman reversed her vote, as members of the audience yelled their disapproval. The second vote was 4-2 in favor of the mayor's motion. Hyden and Tarantino voted no; Trangucci was absent.

Bramson explained his reasoning for the second vote by saying he thought there may have been some misunderstanding about what exactly was being voting on the first time.

Tarantino leveled charges that Bramson "took a councilmember into a room and waterboarded them to get them to agree to what you wanted."

"I usually don't get like this at council meetings," Tarantino said, "but tonight is a meeting I will never forget."

He accused Bramson of being a "cheerleader" for Forest City Ratner, the developer whose proposed project will, if approved, be built at Echo Bay.

Bramson expressed his surprise at Tarantino's words during the meeting.

"I shared this with you privately over our dinner break," Bramson said, without Tarantino responding with the accusations.

Whether you are for the project or against the project," the mayor said, "whether you think it's well-conceived or ill-conceived … I don't see any reason to suspend and withhold conversation" or information.

Before the second vote, Trangucci said putting the tabling of discussion back up for a vote was "really absurd."

He then gathered his material and left the meeting.

Tarantino said his concern was that the council had a lot on its plate through the end of the year—including a budget that, as proposed, will require the council to vote to override the state tax cap.

"I'm trying to understand why it's important" for Echo Bay to be discussed now and not in January, he said.

Bramson said it was because it is subject of great interest to the community and "we have to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time."

Hyden said he didn't like being bullied or backed into a corner on a vote.

"I really feel tonight is one of the most unhappy experiences I've had on city council," he said.

The full meeting can be streamed or downloaded from the city's Web site.