Historical February 1983 report or notice. Original dates, prices and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Last November the Board of Directors of Washington Heights Neighbors voted to recommend to their members that WHN withdraw from membership•on the Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council.
This action was taken after many years of conflict between WHN and SDCC.
At that time, WHN President, Harold Williams. told The Paper that he felt the continuation of WHN in SDCC meant that it would always be out-voted and thereby required to participate in issues that did not address its own problems.
The regular December meeting of WHN was described by Mr. Williams as attended by a “good turnout.” He estimated the attendance to be about 80: others thought the crowd was closer to half that amount. (WHN’s paid membership. according to one source, includes over 90 persons.) The second item on the agenda was the recommendation to withdraw from SDCC. Mr. Williams had asked that SDCC send a representative to speak against the motion to withdraw.
This was Mr. Ray Breun. who normally attends the WHN meetings. although he lives out of the Washington. Heights area. (WHN accepts members who do not live in that area but who wish to participate and pay dues.) Speaking for the Motion to withdraw was Mr. Ted’Schwab. Mr. Breun distributed a sheet describing “Programs Planned through the SDCC” and in this presentation touched on these three points: .the Washington Heights area cannot disassociate itself physically from its neighbors; the services of SDCC will continue to be offered to all neighbors: the SDCC as a local institution will continue to•affect all area neighborhoods. Mr. Schwab also distributed a handout.
His listed nine situations that arose in the past in which, it was said. SDCC acted . against the.interests of WHN or failed to act.
The list included such items as “WHN’s repeated call for an end to-eminent domain in Washington Heights.” WHN’s insistence’ that the Redevelopment Advisory Council – Committee be reconvened. and WHN’s interest in redeveloping Nina Place on its own terms.
These wishes, it was said. were ignored by SDCC. •Discrimination was felt within the operation of the Council itself, too. according to the WHN list of grievance’s. Listed was SDCC’s 1981 change of its system of representation, by which WHN received a reduced number of seats on the SDCC Board. Also listed was the choice of SDCC’s executive directors over the past years. Of those who applied for the position in 1982, three finalists were presented to the-SDCC Board.
They were Ann FitzGibbons. of Rosedale. Ted Schwab and Council Smith. both of Washington Heights.
According to the criteria used by the SDCC, Ms. FitzGibbons was chosen. over the two Washington Heights residents. (Harold Williams and Ray Breun were both SDCC Board members involved in the director’s selection.) Harold Williams summarized his grievances with the SDCC for The Paper this way: “There is a difference of priorities .. . Washington Heights people have been voicing their needs very much, but Washington Heights was in the minority —constantly.” When the vote was called on Dec. 14. Washington Heights Neighbors voted 26 to 16 to withdraw from its position as the representative organization for the residents of Washington Heights on the • SDCC Board. Specifically. WHN voted to amend their bylaws by adding the following: “WH may only affiliate with organizations that have common goals and interests with WH. “Any affiliation must serve the goals and interests of WH. “WH does not yield authority to make decisions that will affect WH to any other organization…. • “WH withdraws its membership from the SDCC . immediately upon passage of this section.” As a result of this vote, residents of .Washington Heights are no longer represented by voting members on the SDCC Board.
Some Washington Heights residents are likely to continue attending SDCC . meetings.
But until another new or existing neighborhood organization in the Washington Heights area applies for membership in SDCC. Washington Heights residents are unrepresented in Council decisions that will affect the entire area.
At its Jan. 10 meeting the SDCC Board -accepted the WHN withdrawal “with regret.” Executive Director Ann Fitz- . Gibbons told The Paper that in spite of WHN’s decision. “programs offered through SDCC will continue to be offered to all residents no matter where they live.” These events conclude a long and ‘difficult chapter in the history of our neighborhood. Perhaps with the passage of time the underlying reasons for the conflict and suspicion between WHN and SDCC will be understood.
Until then, residents of the SDCC area can only hope that persons of good will and a desire to work together will continue the renewal and growth of our entire neighborhood..
Originally published in The Neighborhood Paper, February 1983.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Archival transcription note: The front-page story places the Council’s acceptance at January 10; Karen Bynum’s December meeting report places an acceptance motion at December 20. Both source accounts are retained.
Original source: SD_Times1983_02.pdf, printed page(s) 1; PDF page(s) 1.
