June 5, 2018 -- Latimer 2017 Transition Team co-chairs John Nonna and Ken Jenkins presented the final Transition Report of recommendations to County Executive George Latimer. Honoring his commitment to citizen-run governing, transparency and openness, Latimer appointed a diverse, 15-member Transition Team shortly after winning the November election. It was a first-of-its-kind transition team in the County, made of up of local residents, community leaders, clergy members, business professionals and elected officials.
The committee members were tasked with identifying key short and long-term policy and programmatic challenges facing Westchester County, as well as opportunities available to the County, its departments and agencies. Lead by Nonna and Jenkins, six issue committees were appointed, and residents were able to weigh in on what the top priorities should be for the new administration at public hearings held in December.
Many of the transition committee recommendations have already been put into action including: law enforcement compliance with the Immigrant Protection Act, planning and preparing for Raise the Age implementation, appointing new members to the Human Rights Commission, undertaking a County-wide housing needs assessment and developing a planning process to address Minority and Women Business Enterprise (MWBE).
The six committees are:
-
Administrative Services, Co-Chairs Karen Pasquale and Richard McSpedon
-
Criminal Justice, Co-Chairs Robin Bikkal and Hon. Clinton Young
-
Economic Development, Co-Chars Michael Romita, William Mooney and Marsha Gordon
-
Health and Mental Health, Co-Chairs Edgar Santana and Farah Kathwari
-
Operations, Co-Chairs Jonathan Wang, Mary Ann Carr and Thomas Carey
-
Social Services, Co-Chairs Alisa Kesten, Linda Viertel and Rev. Troy DeCohen
Latimer said: “I greatly appreciate the hard work, thoughtful analysis and comprehensive approach that all participants in this process undertook. This transition team represents a new paradigm in citizen engagement in County government, and this interaction will continue throughout my administration.”
From mid-November through mid-January, the committees met frequently, sent out public surveys, interviewed stakeholders, conducted issue research and worked diligently to come up with a refreshed set of policy and personnel recommendations. Public hearings were held throughout the County to elicit testimony from a broad range of constituents. The groups tackled complex issues such as Playland, environment and sustainability, and the backlog of capital projects. The final Transition Report contained over 500 recommendations to improve County services, increase transparency and instill best practices.
Social Services Committee Co-Chair Linda Viertel said: “This was an incredible experience to work with a diverse group of residents, all committed to helping the new County leadership team address the challenges facing Westchester. We learned a great deal from experts, staffers and community members, and look forward to seeing some of our recommendations implemented in the months ahead.”
Criminal Justice Co-Chair Clinton Young said: “We greatly appreciated the opportunity to address the new leadership directly with our findings, and this dialogue has continued during the first few months of the administration.”
The complete transition report was given to all Westchester County commissioners and directors to review. Read the Transition Report.