Sept. 22, 2009

Wanting to prepare for a major emergency as well as address the growing number of families who can’t afford enough food to put on the table, County Executive Andy Spano is proposing that the county amend its capital budget and move forward with the construction of a $7 million food storage and distribution warehouse in Valhalla.

The 30,000-square-foot facility, which has been in the planning stages for more than a year, is a critical element of the county’s emergency planning efforts and would provide a location for distributing massive amounts of food, water and supplies in a large-scale disaster. The plan also involves renting the space to the Food Bank of Westchester for ongoing use as a distribution hub for the numerous food pantries and soup kitchens that serve the county’s needy population.

“We would need this building in the event of a major emergency, but we don’t want it just sitting there waiting for something we hope will never come,” Spano said. “Under this proposal, the building would be put to use 24/7 as a fully functioning, productive facility that would serve a public purpose and be operated at zero cost to the taxpayers.”

Spano is submitting a request today asking the Board of Legislators to amend this year’s capital budget to include an additional $7.3 million to fund the construction of the warehouse. The board previously approved a $570,000 bond for design, bringing the total cost to $7.8 million. The project is expected to create 70 to 75 construction jobs.

BOL Chairman Bill Ryan noted that September is Hunger Action Month and this project would be a critical step towards fighting hunger in Westchester.

“Thousands of county residents are experiencing difficulty affording food,” Ryan said. “This new distribution center will provide much needed relief for families who are forced to choose between spending their limited money on food or paying their utilities, rent or mortgage, or needed medical care and medicine.  The center will be an invaluable support to Westchester’s working poor families.”

The warehouse would be built for use by the Department of Emergency Services (DES) but the Food Bank of Westchester would pay rent and provide day-to-day management and operation of the facility, which would be constructed on Woods Road across from the Westchester County Jail. Spano noted that in a major disaster the county might have to “fend for itself” for as long as 5 to 7 days while the federal government worked to get a delivery system in place for food, water and basic supplies.

“We need to make sure that we would have the ability to receive, breakdown and re-distribute massive amounts of food, water and supplies to address basic human needs before and when sustained federal assistance can be established,” Spano said.

The Food Bank, which submitted the only response to an RFP issued in June, would pay $145,000 in rent for the first year, with a 3 percent annual increase for each subsequent year. The agency -- which now operates a warehouse in Millwood -- would also be responsible for all the day-to-day costs, including utilities, maintenance, insurance and upkeep. In case of emergency, the Food Bank’s personnel and expertise would be available to assist in any countywide effort.

The Food Bank provides about 85 percent of the food distributed by grassroots anti-hunger programs in the county. That amounts to about 5 million pounds of food distributed through 182 programs.

One in five Westchester residents need emergency food assistance just to get by – often juggling their food budget to pay rent or utilities. According to the Westchester County Department of Social Services, the number of families and individuals receiving food stamps has gone up almost 20 percent in the last year with the number of households requesting assistance from the county’s emergency feeding network increasing by 15 percent.

Spencer Barback, president of the board for the Food Bank for Westchester, said the new facility was a “brilliant solution” that would meet the needs of both the DES and the Food Bank. He noted that the Food Bank’s efforts have been limited by the size of the existing warehouse and predicted that the agency would be able to almost double the amount of food distributed to pantries and soup kitchens with the new facility. In case of emergency, they would have the personnel and trucks needed to carry out a large-scale distribution effort.

“This is a public private partnership that would save the county money while increasing the level of services to the whole population,” Barback said.

The BOL is expected to refer the proposal tonight to the Budget and Appropriations, Community Services and Public Safety committees.

Several legislators have already said they would love to see the amendment pass.

“This would be a great opportunity for a partnership between our emergency services department and a not-for-profit agency,” said Legislator Vito Pinto, chair of the Public Safety Committee. “Not only would it meet the needs of our constituents during times of emergency, but it would also help pantries and soup kitchens around the county on a regular basis."

Jose Alvarado, chair of Budget and Appropriations, noted that the new distribution center will play a vital role in helping to relieve household hunger within the county and applauded his colleagues for moving such crucial legislation forward for a full floor vote.”

“The United States is one of the wealthiest nations on the planet, and it is unfortunate that, today, millions of its citizens belong to working poor families. The current recession and the continuing rise in unemployment are having a profound effect on the county’s ability to meet the increased demand.  It is a sad reminder that hunger persists in our nation when so many people go hungry.”

Legislator Lois Bronz also said she is a strong supporter and will be working hard to make sure the legislation is approved.

“Using county resources to address the matter of hunger is quite appropriate and partnering with Emergency Services will help us serve an even wider population,” she said.

Legislator Ken Jenkins said he strongly supports bonding for the Food Storage warehouse as it enhances emergency preparedness for Westchester County while gaining efficiency through partnering with a non-profit agency that has food distribution expertise.

“This is a win-win for Westchester County highlighting the efficiencies of regional government,” he said.

The project already has the support of Federal Emergency Management Agency and the State Emergency Management Office.