Dozens of Elected Officials Pledge Loyalty to Sustainable Westchester Above Obligation to Voters

Robert Cox

19 Aug 2024 — 3 min read

New Rochelle City Councilmember Sara Kaye

DUBLIN, IRELAND (August 19, 2024) — Government officials throughout Westchester County have pledged themselves to place loyalty to Sustainable Westchester above their obligations to the municipalities they were elected to serve.

After repeated delays and obstruction to a FOIL request made almost a year ago, I recently obtained the Sustainable Westchester Conflict of Interest Policy forms signed by New Rochelle City Councilmember Sara Kaye in 2021 and 2023 (see below).No wonder they resisted producing them for 11 months.

Final Demand – Bid 5820 / The Young Companies Proposal (FOIL Requests of Oct. 30, Nov. 13, and Nov. 21, 2025)

This “last chance” email was sent to New Rochelle Deputy Counsel Jeffrey Briem with copies to City Manager Will Melendez, City Clerk Kim Jones, Mayor Yadira Ramos-Herbert and all six council members.

SMOKING GUN: New Rochelle City Manager’s Shifting Story on Flowers Park Bid Collapses Under Developer’s Own “Return Everything” Letter

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. (December 5, 2025) — A November 20, 2025 letter from the attorney representing the sole bidder on New Rochelle’s withdrawn Flowers Park redevelopment project directly contradicts City Manager Will Melendez’s latest claim that the city never surrendered the original proposal. The letter, obtained through a

Administrative Appeal of Denial of FOIL Request for Records Related to Bid Number 5820 – Request for Master Redeveloper Proposal Submitted by The Young Companies LLC

Dear City Manager Melendez This letter constitutes my administrative appeal, pursuant to Public Officers Law (POL) § 89(4)(a), of the City of New Rochelle’s denial of my Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request dated October 30, 2025, and subsequent renewed and expanded requests dated November 13, 2025, and