And the winners are…

Congratulations to Karen, David, Darcey, and Carol!

The final, certified vote tallies were:
#4 Karen Suss Wolfson 793
#5 David Pearson 529
#2 Darcey Gerstein 498
#3 Carol Anastasio 465
#1 Arnold Sandler 421
#6 Norma Ramirez 408
#7 Stanley Friedland 394
ABSTAIN 2

Based on these numbers, at least 878 shareholders cast votes.

Thanks also go out to outgoing Board members Norma Ramirez and Harold Aranoff for their service to the co-op.

The Candidates on Air Rights

Several people have asked recently about the candidates’ positions on air rights.

The first question asked at Meet the Candidates was “How do you recommend shareholders vote on the forthcoming air rights deal, and how will you vote personally?”

Paraphrasing the candidates’ answers, as we don’t have access to a transcript:

  • Stanley –  I just want to know, if we do raise the money, what we’re going to do with it.  How are we going to spend it?  What are we going to do with it to help Seward Park?
  • Norma (incumbent) – I feel every shareholder should be allowed to vote. If that happens, I’ll back the majority. [editor’s note: under our bylaws all shareholders most certainly are allowed to vote and we need 2/3 of those voting–not a majority–for it to pass.]
  • Dave – I need more information to know whether or not I’m in favor of it. If elected I’m going to work hard to make sure we’re getting a good deal and to provide as complete and detailed information to shareholders as possible.
  • Karen (incumbent) – I don’t think anybody can recommend and it’s up to individual shareholders to decide for themselves. Currently our attorneys are still negotiating as best they can and once we have better information we’ll put it up for a vote. Right now we don’t have enough information. When we do, it’ll be brought to the shareholders and it will be up to the shareholders.
  • Carol – It’s up to all of us to decide based on our personal priorities, but right now we don’t have enough facts because they are still under negotiation. Something is going to be built so I’m somewhat inclined to say yes to make sure we have a seat at the table and have some control over what they build, but I really don’t know enough yet and each shareholder’s vote is his own.
  • Darcey (incumbent) – I echo what Karen and Carol said. My view is that the board should be agnostic and I’ll make my decision as a shareholder based on what is best for my family, weighing the pros and cons once we know what they all are.
  • Arnie – “They’re going to build anyway.”  You’re told that.  It’s an insidious message that you should vote for it. Would they have offered us $46 million if they were going to build anyway? Donald Trump said in the Art of the Deal that you shouldn’t be desperate when you negotiate.  We need to hold our position and wait until we get the best offer.  We sell votes for ice cream parties.  We do all kinds of things that are not in the best interest of the co-op.  Eleven people are not experts.  None of them have been trained.  I’m a retired army colonel and women’s shelter manager but don’t pretend to know what I don’t know.  My whole platform is we need to have more views involved. [The current board says] they need to reach out, engage and educate.  That’s why we don’t have the vote now.  I don’t think that’s the truth. I think they saw that people are saying no, and they wanted more time to get the yes votes.

My personal view is that because a shareholder vote is required for any air rights deal, it is less important whether a candidate is “for” or “against” than whether a candidate appears to understand the negotiation and approval process, and is committed to presenting the deal to shareholders in as accurate and balanced a way as possible (recognizing, of course, that we all have biases).  Shareholders should keep in mind that it is up to the board to work thoughtfully and efficiently with the professionals they’ve hired to first finish negotiating the deal, and then to present it to all of us in a way that distills a whole host of complex issues into an accurate and comprehensible package on which we can vote.

2017 Seward Spark Board Endorsements

This year’s Seward Spark endorsements come from Micah Arbisser, who publishes the Seward Spark, and Kate Nammacher, who recently served on the Board as a director, president, and treasurer.

After reviewing the candidates’ biographies, hearing their presentations at Meet the Candidates, and reviewing the records of those who have already served, we believe the following four candidates stand out for their high levels of engagement, knowledge, optimism, and professionalism.

#2 Darcey Gerstein – A prolific and transparent Boardroom communicator, Darcey has worked hard to keep us informed, while putting in countless hours behind the scenes on almost every major issue the Board has tackled in the last three years.  Her candidate statements convey a long list of impressive achievements.  We will all benefit if she is given a chance to double that list’s length with a second term.

#3 Carol Anastasio – With more than two decades managing NYC parks, Carol’s stated priority if elected is to cost-effectively improve our grounds.  In her previous term on the Board she proved her enthusiasm and capability with respect to all kinds of issues, and she has a list of achievements on par with Darcey’s.  And she has volunteered to help with almost every community event since the day she moved here.

#4 Karen Suss Wolfson – A lifelong resident and a Board member whose service is measured not in years but in decades, Karen is our institutional memory.  We have tremendous respect for her business acumen, her ability to sense the desires of a broad spectrum of our community, and her dedication to her work as a Board member. Karen is screening committee chair and a past president.  

#5 David Pearson – A first-time candidate, Dave has the most relevant professional experience of any candidate in recent memory.  A Senior Vice President of Affordable Development at the Related Companies, he has years of experience analyzing and negotiating operating budgets, contracts, and financing, all with the goal of preserving affordability while upgrading quality-of-life. And he wants to do the same for us.

Whether or not you agree that these candidates are the best, please exercise your shareholder right to vote!

Your neighbors,

Micah Arbisser
Seward Spark Publisher

Kate Nammacher
Former SPC Director, President and Treasurer