Harlem – Charity helps itself
Another $trike against sketchy Harlem fund
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer has launched a new attack on the Harlem group that’s supposed to distribute $76 million donated by Columbia University for community benefits, claiming that one of its board members “attempted to unilaterally authorize” an $85,000 expenditure without anyone else’s approval.
“Such conduct is egregious, intolerable and a demonstration of the complete functional crisis of the [group] as an organization,” Stringer said in a Dec. 15 letter to Donald Notice, chairman of the West Harlem Local Development Corp.
The Beep demanded that the group “immediately dissolve the current constitution of the board and freeze all of its assets.
“The LDC has failed to uphold its commitment to responsibility by failing to create a mission statement, organizational structure, board composition structure, fiscal management plan, organizational standards or community engagement process,” he added.
Last month, state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman launched an investigation of the nonprofit following a Post report that exposed how, five years into its existence, the group had no director, no Web site and no way for the community to apply for its funds.
Of the $3.5 million it has collected from Columbia starting in 2009, only $702,000 has been spent.
Columbia coughed up the community-benefits money as part of a deal that secured permission for its $6.3 billion expansion plan.
Juanita Scarlett, a spokeswoman for the group, was clearly taken aback by Stringer’s missive.
“We have not received the letter,” she said in a statement. “However, I had a lengthy meeting with the borough president last week to discuss the progress of the West Harlem [LDC], which includes our process for reconstituting the board.”
She added that the group is willing to have “an open dialogue with anyone who genuinely cares about the West Harlem community. We believe those discussions should happen directly with the corporation and not through the press.”
West Harlem officials further explained that its board on Aug. 9 had authorized the expenditure of $85,753 for improvements at the Grant and Manhattanville Houses, but at a later session decided to delay the expenditure until the Housing Authority could designate the proper receiving entity.
Unaware of the postponement, board member Maritta Dunn attempted to send the money. West Harlem’s fiscal agent blocked the move after checking with the board.
Officials conceded that Dunn made a mistake but questioned why Stringer was raising the issue now, when his own representative on the board was aware of the HA allotment and raised no objections. A Stringer aide insisted that wasn’t the case.
One source familiar with the situation said the West Harlem board needs to hire professionals in a big hurry.
“They’re not equipped to do this,” the source said. “They’re polarized, unable to make a decision because there are so many competing interests.”
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