BY TERESE LOEB KREUZER and JOHN BAYLES | Community Board 1’s Battery Park City Committee had several items to discuss at its monthly meeting on Dec. 6, but the elephant in the room was the Battery Park City Authority’s abrupt layoff of 19 people on Nov. 9.
Anne Fenton, spokesperson for the Authority, was present at the meeting. Leticia Remauro and Hector Calderon, among the 19 who were fired, had been invited by the committee to attend. Calderon, who has been circulating a memo detailing what he calls “the truth behind” the events of Nov. 9, but which does not include signatures by any of the other 18 terminated employees, had to leave early. Remauro, formerly a vice president of the Authority in charge of community relations, remained.
“Although we may not have a right to comment on who to terminate, we certainly have a right to comment on how they were terminated,” said Linda Belfer, chair of the Battery Park City Committee. She asked Fenton to give the Authority’s viewpoint on the terminations.
“Well, as I told you on the phone when you called me last week, the Battery Park City Authority policy is that we don’t discuss personnel issues,” Fenton said.
Prior to the meeting, rumors had been swirling about the way in which the 19 employees were terminated and the Authority had been criticized for not openly discussing the issue.
On Friday, Gayle Horwitz, president of the B.P.C.A., told the Downtown Express “the terminations took place in accordance with all laws.”
“In an effort to respect the privacy of the individuals who were terminated, the B.P.C.A. has chosen not to respond to the inaccurate personnel claims that have been made,” said Horwitz. “The personnel changes were by no means an easy task; however it is time to move on and focus on the needs of Battery Park City.”
Horwitz continued, “As I have said since my appointment as President of B.P.C.A., the Authority is closing one chapter as real-estate developer and opening a new chapter as an owner manager. Our challenge moving forward is to continue to maintain this beautiful community while creating new revenue and opportunities so we can continue to meet the ongoing mission of ensuring a community of exceptional commercial, residential and park space.”
The B.P.C. Committee said that it would wait to see what happened at the B.P.C.A. Board of Directors meeting before framing a resolution to present to Community Board 1’s full board, which might not be necessary if the B.P.C.A. Board of Directors resolves problems associated with the layoffs. In the meantime, the B.P.C. Committee will write letters to each of those laid off, expressing appreciation for their work on behalf of the Battery Park City community.
