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Rockland Legislators Approve Sale of Two County-Owned Buildings

Lawmakers OK the sale of buildings in New City and Spring Valley for a total of $8.2 million

The Rockland County Legislature voted unanimously to approve the sale of two county-owned buildings for $8.2 million.

The building located at 185 North Main Street in Spring Valley netted a highest bid of $4.2 million from Congregation Khal Bais Shmiel, and the building located at 2 New Hempstead Road in New City brought in a highest bid of $4 million by JP Morgan Chase  & Co. Both sales are subject to approval from the county attorney.


Both buildings were publicly advertised, and three bids were received for the Spring Valley location. In addition to Congregation Khal Bais Shmiel, bids were received for the location from the Village of Spring Valley and JR, LLC.

Legislator Toney Earl asked if the Village of Spring Valley’s bid was considered. Legislator Ilan Schoenberger told Earl the bid was considered, but it was also the lowest bid of the three, coming in around $1.7 million.

“I wouldn’t mind selling it to Spring Valley, I really wouldn’t, but we have to get the most money we can for the county of Rockland,” Schoenberger said.

The New City building received two bids total, with the only other bid coming from Koenig Management. Schoenberger said the county bought the building about six or seven years ago. Legislator Joseph Meyers asked how much the county paid for it then, and Schoenberger said he didn’t remember, but his staff told him it was about $2.5 million.

While Meyers voted in favor of the sale of both buildings, he was the only legislator to raise some concern about selling either property. He wondered if was a good idea to sell the New City location given its close proximity to the county offices, just in case the county government for whatever reason needs more space down the line.

“I just hope that the expense of getting additional space convenient to and close to our government offices will not be higher than what we’re selling this for now,” he said. “I worry about that.”

Schoenberger said the New City location still has a bond on it, but the sale will bring in about $8 million in cash to the county. In the proposed 2012 budget, the county executive had the sale of the two buildings bringing in $5 million, which would go toward deficit reduction. Selling for more than expected gives the county some options for the money, Schoenberger said.

“We can do that now, with $5 million to offset the deficit and still have $3 million for operating expenditures, or put the whole $8 million toward the reduction of the deficit,” he said.

Watchdog July 17, 2012 at 01:14 pm
We are running a bus company for heavens sake, not NASA! The company will keep running with many of the people who actually drrive the busses etc. BREGA will take over the management, he is a local guy with roots who pays a lot of real estate taxes and in addition will save the County $7 MILLION. Why you and Vanderhoef want to give this contract to an outside company costing taxpayers $7 MILLION more is beyond the pale. I hope the AG is watching this debacle unfold. It is a slap in the face to taxpayers. Vanderhoef has run the County into the ground with decisions like this. Taxpayers do not trust him any,ore as steward of our hard earned money. He is a disgrace and this contract is just one more example of his incompetence.
BET YOU A QUARTER July 17, 2012 at 01:33 pm
Watchdog.....you have to be kiddng , moving over 9000 riders a day is probably harder than a NASA space flight, just shows how ignorant you are about mass transit, everything is not about Mr Vanderhoef. This is more about giving the people of the county a first rate transit system run by a first rate transportation company, and you know, no matter what anyone says you will always repeat the same mantra. How can you not see that no matter who wins the same employees will be working for TOR and TZXpress, with the exception of a couple of managers that will live and spend their money in the county, And as I repeatedly said before Brega is located in a Empire zone and will be paying very little taxes for a long time. Thats why he needs the contract, he does not have enough employess to comply with Empire zone rules, check out the facts!
Watchdog July 17, 2012 at 02:02 pm
Calling me ignorant is no way to conduct yourself. Your support for Vanderhoefs obvious and highly questionable choice after he has destroyed this County is un fathomable as is your comment that running a bus company is harder than running NASA, UNBELIEVABLE. Giving away an additional $7 Million of our tax dollars to an outsider while the County is bankrupt is a complete disgrace and shows yours and Vanderhoefs disdain for hard working taxpayers.No wonder we have the lowest bond rating in the State with the positon thou are advocating by giving $7 MILLION extra tax paying dollars to a caret bagging outsider. Where is the Attorney General?
BET YOU A QUARTER July 17, 2012 at 02:53 pm
I give up... there is no getting through to you. You are ignorant about Mass transit, thats not an insult, everyone cannot be schooled on everything. I am ignorant about many things and I do not speak of authority about them, I do know about mass transit. You choose to speak about things you know nothing about. The FTA wants their monry to be spent on a mass transit system that is run by professionals and not a taxi service.
Watchdog July 17, 2012 at 03:05 pm
The busses will run on time and will be maintained just as they always do and we will save the Taxpayers $7 million which will help to stave off bankruptcy under your leader Vanderhoef.
BET YOU A QUARTER July 17, 2012 at 04:22 pm
No they won't ...Brega will loose, and the county will get a professionally run system, and all the kicking and screaming from you or from other misguided Brega supporters will not stop it. And the millions you speak off has nothing, nothing to do will the county budget, it is FTA money that goes to the transportation system and only the transportation system, what don't you understand?! If you go to all the legislatures meeting you might actually learn something, and if you do go to the meetings and still do not understand whats going on, then there is nothing more I can say.
Watchdog July 17, 2012 at 04:34 pm
You keep saying you have no more to say but keep saying more.
I heard from the grapevine that some of the carpetbaggers supporters will receive benefits and jobs and since they have plenty of this slush money, $7 million worth, they are very vocal about this carpet bagging outsider getting a bloated contract instead of the local guy who has invested his hard earned money in real estate in Rockland and pays over $30,000 year in property taxes while helping to support the Empire Zone. Is that true? Do you have any oersoal interest in seeing the carpet bagging outsider get the contract at a cost o $7 million more than Mr BREGA?
BET YOU A QUARTER July 17, 2012 at 04:38 pm
I GIVE UP.. YOU WIN
reallynow July 17, 2012 at 10:02 pm
This is about properly awarding a contract, to the lowest responsible bidder, who will also become a source of employment for many people in the County as well as pay taxes. If the Contract were to stay with the current company, Mr Brega would still continue to receive the rent that he now receives. I beg to differ with you on buses being buses, by that account, a company that tuns 10 small vans or an ambulate company could bid on it and be just as successful as running it. If the lowest bidder fails, t will cost the taxpayers a lot more money regardless of the performance bond. If the lowest responsible bidder were an out of state company would you disqualify them for that and take the local guy? I think not, you would take the guy who is cheaper. I too would welcome the AG., but perhaps they can start to straighten things out in A;baby first. The point here is who meets the bid specifications and that is what the AG would look at. Actually the NYS Comptroller would look into that and report any improper bids or awards of bids. The system is designed to award the bid to the lowest responsible bidder, the key word is responsible. No offense to Mr. Brega, he runs a nice business for its size, but he has no experience in running a mass transit operation, no matter what he says, and if the show was on tyne other foot he would be beating that drum as he has in the past on other county contracts that he was awarded based on his experience level in running that type of operation.
Watchdog July 17, 2012 at 11:13 pm
Anything the government touches turns to grap and this is just one example but with Vanderhoef the Incompetent, it is even worse. VANDERHOEF ran the County into the ground and it is a joke for him to question the qualifications of a successful businessman. Rather than knocking BREGA for his lack if specific experience, I would give the local guy a shot, you can put tight restrictions in the performance bond allowing the County to draft it if service is not satisfactory so someone else can come in before it escalates into A bigger problem. I doubt It will be necessary.
BET YOU A QUARTER July 17, 2012 at 11:34 pm
Well this news should make you happy. Brega just won a transportation contract with the county. Its a 60 school bus contract to transport pre-schoolers. He beat out Chestnutridge Transportation. This is what Brega knows best and he will do a great job with it. Maybe he will back off the other bid now, he's going to have his hands full getting up and running by September especially since he has to go out and purchase 60 school buses. Curious to see how many laid off county employees he will hire like he said he would.
BET YOU A QUARTER July 17, 2012 at 11:47 pm
Reallynow you seem to know as much about the bid as I do. I wish more people would listen to reason and not just say the "born and bred in Rockland county" person has to win the contract no matter what. I have been trying to get the local paper and local cable news to tell the whole story but I guess reporting on a barn burning in Orange county was more important than the transportation 3.5 million Rocklnaders use a year. Its vey frustrating seing politicians suck up to Brega, I mean they bring their cars to his shop for repairs, Alex Grommack is out getting new accounts for him, like cablevision. Brega good luck on your school bus contract, but leave the mass transit system to the professionals
Reallynow July 17, 2012 at 11:51 pm
Watchdog you are incorrect about the restrictions in the performance bond. I don't know that vanderhoef questioned the qualifications, as the transportation and purchasing departments make up and review the bids and specifications. Thats a big gamble of taxpayer money in tough economic times to give someone a try and hope it works out for the best. its also against NYS purchasing practices. But it would give the AG and state comptroller something to write up.
BET YOU A QUARTER July 18, 2012 at 12:35 am
About the performance bond. They just dont start writing out checks. It could take months sometimes years to get the bond company to pay, in the meantime the county foots the bill. The county does not have the money. And who would hold the bond on a to strictly written contract? If you really cared about the people of Rockland, you would not take a gamble like that watchdog
Watchdog July 18, 2012 at 01:07 am
DEPENDS ON THE WAY THE BOND IS DRAFTED.
John Taggart July 18, 2012 at 01:10 am
Dosen't selling a building to a religious institution take it off the tax roles ?
BET YOU A QUARTER July 18, 2012 at 12:43 pm
Probably John...but they won it at auction
BET YOU A QUARTER July 18, 2012 at 12:47 pm
Watchdog....what do think about Brega having the Coach USA drivers calling the Legislature telling them they will loose their jobs if Brega does not get the contract?
Watchdog July 18, 2012 at 01:11 pm
Idid not know about that but: is it true? Will they lose their jobs?
BET YOU A QUARTER July 18, 2012 at 01:36 pm
No...they will not loose their jobs, in fact the union will still be honored along will their current pay and benefits. Thats a fact. Its just more lies from Brega. As long as they have clean licenses and pass a drug test.
Watchdog July 18, 2012 at 01:54 pm
You sound like you have a dog in this race, what is it? I am an ordinary taxpayer, I do not know BREGA but remember the family from the 1960s and would like to see local people get these contracts. I cannot deal with these comments about the bus drivers calling since I do not know it to be true.
BET YOU A QUARTER July 18, 2012 at 02:22 pm
So let me get this straight, you can say whatever you want true or otherwise, but you will not listen to what anyone else says, because they must be lies. Why not just ask questions of the parties involved, you would be surprised what you would learn. People love to talk, I talked to the drivers , thats how I know what I know. If you went on the FTA website and the Rockland County website all the numbers are there. The bulk of the money goes to the system, meaning the drivers and support people,maintenance and repairs, and fuel (a lot). Very little goes to company that runs it, and if their numbers are wrong it could be a loss. I do not have any "dogs" in this race, I just know mass transit.
BET YOU A QUARTER July 18, 2012 at 02:23 pm
"Reallynow", I need some help here....please
Watchdog July 18, 2012 at 02:40 pm
Sorry William, I did not say they were lies but it is sort of off the point. Your comments seem to be addressing Bregas character and I cannot address that either since I don't know him.
Watchdog July 18, 2012 at 02:43 pm
He is the wrong guy for you. He still owes the Patch readers his undstanding of how many days off the cops get in their contract. I said 81 and gave him a breakdown. He said I was wrong but he never posted his information.
BET YOU A QUARTER July 18, 2012 at 03:40 pm
Watchdog, I respect what you say. But this contract has been in limbo for over 2 years, this is unheard of in the industry. Everyone knows everybody elses numbers and everybody elses management personnel and so many other things, the whole process is tainted now. I don't know how it ever be properly resolved.
BET YOU A QUARTER July 19, 2012 at 05:38 pm
Richard Brega Jr., president of Brega Transport, said he has lost more than $100,000 since Jan. 2, 2010, when Coach USA began storing the 62 county-owned buses at his facility. Brega's workers fuel, wash and service the buses. He had been charging a fee of 15 cents per gallon, but raised it to 33 cents this month. He pumped more than 668,000 gallons of diesel fuel in 2010.
Thats from a news article a year ago. $.33/gallon to pump deisel fuel $33 to pump a hundred gallons. Not bad, and Coach supplies the fuel. Thats about 2 thousand a day just for fueling, he gets about $50 a bus to wash them in an automatic wash, 30 a night. Just how is he going to do the contract for $5 million less?
BET YOU A QUARTER July 19, 2012 at 05:51 pm
My apologies he gets $220,000 a year to fuel, thats about a $1000 a day. He pays 2 fuelers a combined $250, still not a bad profit. $1500 a night to wash the buses, that's $450000, I think i'm in the wrong business. Well thats over $3 million in 5 yrs, Now I starting to see where he is saving money. Thats money Coach has to pay and Brega does not. Coach really got screwed wheh the decided to move in Brega's facility, said the spider to the fly.
Watchdog July 19, 2012 at 07:32 pm
Sounds like he knows what he is doing huh? Give the contract to the local guy, the lowest bidder by far. I really question Vanderhoefs motives here. He has run the County into the ground and he is telling successful business people that they are not "responsible biddes"? C'mon.
Dave Kanegis July 23, 2012 at 07:32 am
To all Rockland County Legislators,
I am shocked that the RCLegislature has determined their is no use for 185 North Main Street. This building is uniquely situated in the center of where many East Ramapo residents reside. I have tried in vain to contact The Legislature, with creative ideas as to how this building can be utilized to reach out to disenfranchised parents and students, and how it could be made into a center that not only offers a variety of services to residents, but could also be used by East Ramapo to "think out of the box," and provide a unique educational experience to East Ramapo students. For the Legislature to say that the building is no longer needed is short sighted. Their reasoning is services currently being offered could be consolidated in other areas. If the Legislature looks beyond numbers alone, there exists incredible opportunity to aid our students, raise the "all important," test scores and create a true community center. As a lifelong resident and former teacher, my frustration with the Legislature is substantial. Clearly, not one member is thinking out of the box. Dave Kanegis

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