Westchester County, construction and union officials show united front behind capital projects

Wright hereas heavy rain and extreme wind put a damper on enchancment exercise outdoors, Westchester County Authorities George Latimer and recurrentatives from The enchancment enterprise gatright hered Contained in the administration constructing at Playland Park in Rye on Oct. 26 to beneathscore the signalificance of primary capital tasks that primarytain and reconstruct the county’s bodily belongings.

Westchester County Eecutive George Latimer and enchancment enterprise recurrentatives at Playland Oct. 26. Photograph by Peter Katz.

Amongst these Out tright here have been: Eddie Doyle, president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Westchester and Putnam Counties; John Cooney Jr., executive director of the Construction Industry Council of Westchester and the Hudson Valley; Louis A. Picani, president and principal officer of Teamsters Native 456; and Richard McSpedon, Vice chairman of the Westchester-Putnam Central Labor Physique.

Latimer said that funding for infrastructure and amenities enchancment tasks included Inside the newly proposed $476.4 million Capital Price range for 2022 is an funding Inside the county’s future. Amongst The numerous tasks are: infrastructure rehabilitation at Playland (collectively with reenchancment of the swimming pool and bathhouse and new work on the Ice On line casino and entry plaza); reenchancment of Memorial Area in Mount Vernon; reconstructing the Glen Island Bridge in New Rochelle; and $28 million in enhancements On the Westchester County Airport.

“We’re focused on primarytaining our belongings and using capital funds to see these tasks by way of,” Latimer said. “It’s actually no completely different than placing money into Your private house. It is the biggest asset That the primaryity of us personal. All of us know that if it deteriorates when it comes time To restore it, It is going to be Costlier if we delay that course of. However, we additionally know that if Finally in time we promote that house, it has greater worth if we’ve invested in it as we go aprolongedside.”

When requested by the Industry Journal Regarding the federal infrastructure legal guidelines now being debated in Washington, Latimer said ThOn Tright here is An inventory of county tasks That would get beneathmethod if federal funding materializes.

“We don’t know The final look of the infrastructure discussions That are occurring in Washington,” Latimer said. ”All of us know thOn the Senate handed A strong infrastructure, bodily infrastructure, They’re now departing a gentle infrastructure invoice, social infrastructure invoice. We don’t know whOn The outcomes of That is. If these two funds move They typically current federal assets for us To make the most of, Joan (McDonald, the county’s director of operations) has acquired An prolonged itemizing of the tasks that didn’t make it into the Capital Price range. Do You’d like to Take A look On the Capital Price range tright here are yr two, three, 4 and 5 tasks that we might velocity up. We now have tasks, infrastructure tasks, That are needed, that while not personaled by the county, Could be superior by that invoice.”

Cooney said thOn the county shifting forward with capital tasks means not solely placing people to work Inside The enchancment enterprise, However in addition enhancing The regular of life for the county’s residents.

He said that An important accomplishment beneath the Latimer administration was reshifting a requirement that any plan to problem bonds to pay for a enterprise costing over $10 million needed a vote of approval from The general public. Cooney Recognized that this typically Outcomeed in huge tasks having to be damaged up into smaller ones So as to honor the $10 million bonding cap.

“The Capital Price range helps extreme-extreme quality jobs, improves The regular of life for all residents and is a strong funding for The biggest method forward for Westchester County,” Cooney said.

McSpedon said, “Many union members Shall be on these tasks And a lot of stay proper right here Inside the county. Those jobs are all prevailing-wage jobs and that helps strengthen The regular of dwelling in our group.”

Latimer said thOn the county has been conducting a constructive dialogue with administration and labor in enchancment As a Outcome of it strikes forward with numerous capital tasks. Furthermore it is extending that dialogue to the private sector, As a Outcome of the county’s Industrial Development Agency actively welcomes builders and currents monetary incentives for Pretty a Little bit of enchancment tasks.

“We see it as a ‘win-win,’ not as an ‘I win, you lose,’” Latimer said. “I really feel we’ve had productive dialogue And A pair of of the dialogue I’m not An factor of is between labor and The event group And that i’m On A daily basis hopeful. As quickly as I stroll in a restaurant And that i see a member of labor and a member of The event group having breakfast I see it as a constructive signal. Tright here’s dialogue Happening. I don’t know who picked up the look at, However The beneathside line is that We anticipate that’s wright here We’ll go Finally in Westchester County.

“We now have On A daily basis been a county that has moved forward shortly. Whether or not we’re forward of completely different counties On A daily basis is On A daily basis subjective but I really feel this county — prolonged earlier than I turned county executive — confirmed A performance To carry out problems, and that’s wright here our mindset is.”