MAYOR RICHARD THOMAS: Weekly Report for October 14, 2017

City of Mount Vernon, NY, 1 Roosevelt Square, City Hall, Mount Vernon, NY 10550

Third Restraining Order Issued Against Comptroller Maureen Walker Yesterday, Westchester County Supreme Court Judge Charles Wood issued a temporary restraining order directing J.P. Morgan Chase to issue payment for a police vehicle that was purchased by the Mount Vernon Police Department, authorized by Mayor Richard Thomas and Comptroller Maureen Walker, and then illegally canceled by the Comptroller. This is the third restraining order issued by a court against Comptroller Maureen Walker for her continued obstructionism and interference with government functions. The most recent restraining order was necessary due to the Comptroller illegally canceling a check after it had been delivered to the vendor for police vehicles. The Mount Vernon Police Department requested the vehicle. The request was approved and a check for the purchase was cut, released, and signed by the Comptroller as well as the Mayor. The check was then given to the Mount Vernon Police Department to give to the dealer before taking possession of the vehicle. Soon after, the city was informed by the dealer that the check had bounced. The Comptroller has yet to offer any explanation as to why the payment was stopped illegally and apparently without cause.

Deputy Commissioner Joseph Spiezio Honored by "A Wish Come True" Foundation             On Firday, the "A Wish Come True" Foundation honored DeputyPolice Commissioner Joe Spiezio by presenting him with the Lamp of Light Award for his contributions and dedication to helping children suffering from cancer. The Charity Ball, which was held in Warwick, RI, raised money for the foundation to continue the great work that they do. The foundation's mission is to grant the fondest wish of each child who is battling a life threatening illness.

Accela Community Engagement Platform            In continuing their efforts to create a fully digital and transparent City Hall, Mayor Thomas and key members of his administration sat down with civic engagement experts Accela. Accela has created a platform were citizens and municipal workers can engage different departments with real-time data that can be easily accessed through your computer or their app. The app was introduced to City Hall thanks to DPW Commissioner Joe Nigro, who found the company while researching app platforms to help the city manage code enforcement and constituent engagement. The presentation was conducted by Frank R. Garguiolo, Business Development Executive at Accela and Carl Figueiredo, Solutions Consultant at Accela.

Meeting with Andrew Young            This week, Mayor Thomas meet with Ambassador Andrew Young, a long-time civil rights activist and colleague of Dr. Martin Luther King. Ambassador Young shared with Mayor Thomas how, as Mayor of Atlanta, he was intimately familiar with a city that had to address environmental justice issues such as sewer repair and dealing with colleagues in government who fail to appreciate how serious EPA mandates are. Mayor Thomas and Ambassador Young were joined by Chairman of the Mount Vernon Fun Committee Butch Thomas as well as Ronnie Cox.

Thomas Administration Member Honored by NASA           On Thursday, Elvis Cordova, former acting under secretary for the U.S Department of Agriculture and member of the Thomas Administration, was chosen to serve as a moderator for the ¡Latinos STEM Up! Event that NASA hosted in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month. NASA presented Mr. Cordova with an award in recognition of his contribution to HOLA (Hispanic Outreach and Leadership Alliance).

Robin Myers Speaks About Mount Vernon's Zombie Structure Epidemic

Philips Lighting          Mayor Richard Thomas and the team at Philips Lighting North America are hard at work bringing Mount Vernon out of the darkness and into the light by replacing every streetlight with brand new LED technology.  Mayor Thomas along with Commissioner Joseph Nigro, and Special Assistant to the DPW Commissioner Damani Bush went to the Philips North American HQ to evaluate new lighting options for the City of Mount Vernon. Their host, Illuminating Engineering Society President Mark Roush, showcased the impact different light temperatures and adequate lighting can have on public safety and community wellness.

The 2nd Annual Mount Vernon Pumpkin Blaze          Calling all carvers! We are just one week away from the 2nd Annual Mount Vernon Pumpkin Carving on Saturday October 21st from 12-4pm at Hartley Park. Everyone is invited to come down and carve a pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern and on Saturday, October 28th come see your pumpkin displayed at the 2nd Annual Pumpkin Blaze also at Hartley Park from 12-4pm. This is the second year for this fun family event, getting Mount Vernon into the Halloween spirit, and creating lots of fun for families and kids of all ages right here in Mount Vernon. Come join us and carve out some fall fun for your family!

Recreation Department's Free Baseball Clinic   The City of Mount Vernon Department of Recreation's free baseball clinic runs everySaturday from 10am-12pm at Brush Park. Starting November 4th, the clinic will be moved inside to AB Davis Middle School, ahead of the coming colder weather. For more information contact the Mount Vernon Department of Recreation at 914-665-2420. We hope to see you there!

Relief Drive            This past Sunday, the City of Mount Vernon hosted a Relief Drive effort to collect much needed supplies to help those affected by the extreme weather during this year's ferocious hurricane season. Mount Vernon is a city with incredibly close ties to many people in the devastated areas. We, as a community of many nationalities, have or know people that have loved ones that live in the Caribbean or in our southern states. Hear what many of our city officials and local citizens had to say about the effort. If you would still like to contribute, please call 914-665-2361 or email us at MayorThomas@cmvny.com for more information.

Red Cross Gala            Mayor Richard Thomas attended the American Red Cross's October 11th Gala as a guest of honor. The recent wave of natural disasters hitting the U.S. and across the Caribbean has led to an increased focus on aid from organizations like the Red Cross. They have an unprecedented 300,000 volunteers worldwide wide and effectively raise funds for many families suffering disaster-related circumstances. The Gala this week raised 1.4 million dollars in under 15 minutes to help families secure food, shelter and more. The American Red Cross and the City of Mount Vernon are continuing to partner to bring relief and emergency response efforts.

Listen to us live: Every week, Mayor Thomas speaks to Yonkers Tribune radio with host Hezi Aris: Catch this week's interview here for an unvarnished look at what's happening in Mount Vernon: Mayor Thomas also hosts Mount Vernon Moving Forward every Friday on WVOX, from 5pm to 6pm. You can listen to this week's show here for an in-depth discussion about the what's going on in Mount Vernon. On the Internet, tune in to Future 98.9 every Wednesday at 8:30am to listen to Mayor Thomas and Minister P. Tyson. You can find last week's interview here. On Tuesdays at 8am, you can hear Mayor Thomas on 101.5 Linkage Radio. Catch this week's discussion here.