Mayor Rudy Giuliani came to Roosevelt Island for a Town Hall Meeting Thursday night.  He seemed to enjoy thoroughly his role as ringmaster, fielding a variety of questions from Island residents and passing them on to his entourage of two dozen commissioners and aides.

Though he expressed sympathy with a number of the concerns raised by Islanders, he had few solutions for the Island's problems, pointing out repeatedly that the State of New York, not the City of New York, is in control here.

Nonetheless, he toyed with the idea of taking over from the State, asking Residents Association President Patrick Stewart, "What would it take for the City to take over complete jurisdiction?"

"That is my dream," Stewart said.  "I would like to be able to say to the citizens of Roosevelt Island that we are in discussions with the City about returning to the City, where we should be in the first place."

Before asking Stewart to discuss the matter with his Corporation Counsel, the Mayor asked Stewart, "If there were a petition drive...?"

"I could get 6,000 signatures," Stewart responded, and the audience applauded the exchange.

Neal Weissman, an 18-year resident, asked the Mayor outright, "When are you going to do your part to get rid of Dr.  [Jerome] Blue [President of RIOC, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation]?" Giuliani responded, "I can't solve these problems for you.  That's a decision made by the Governor.  The City should have more control over the property...  When it doesn't, the government is too far away and it doesn't make much sense."   He went on to compare his lack of power over Roosevelt Island matters with his lack of control of the City's school system.

The Mayor seemed even less eager to deal with the matter of crime and policing, however.  When a member of the Common Council of the Residents Association, Linda Heimer, said, "We feel like orphans here.  I hope you can adopt us on at least some of these issues."   As she started talking about Island crime, the Mayor interrupted her: "The one thing I know about our crime statistics," he said, "is that crime is down here."   When he added, "Maybe it isn't being reported to us," the audience applauded to indicate he'd hit upon the reason for low crime statistics.  Giuliani went on to quote statistics indicating reductions in murder, burglary, robbery, grand larceny, a 15.9 percent reduction in major felonies.  "I think you may be saying that to me to get some attention," he concluded.

But residents weren't about to let the Mayor - or Public Safety - off that hook.  On statistics, Heimer said, "There is some fancy footwork being done [on reporting]."   Dierdre Breslin related an incident in which, one day after she reported being mugged, there was no record of her report.  Byron Gaspard and Heimer spoke of drug dens in Eastwood, Gaspard saying, "We have apartments selling drugs.  We have drug-related crimes.  Whoever is giving you those sttistics is not telling you the truth."

Longtime resident Shirley Margolin raised the question of Southpoint development.  "We are very concerned that the Roosevelt Island Operation Corporation is about to hand over Southpoint to Marriott and SSJ," she said, and Giuliani asked her to step up to have a conversation with Parks Commissioner Henry Stern.

On other development, Housing Management Chief Doryne Isley asked the Mayor about the mini-schools, which RIOC wants to turn over for development into two-story condominium residences.  "I really don't understand why, when the mini-schools are going to be needed by the Board of Education, they would be turned over."   Giuliani offered little hope: "I don't get to run the School System," he said, adding, "It's not a Mayoral agency.  You've got to go tell Rudy Crew.  I can't give you any confidence that I can solve it for you."

Isley also asked about the Island AVAC garbage-removal system, suggesting that this year, for the first time, the Island came closer than ever before to the brink of losing the system and getting garbage trucks in its place.  "It's going to stay in the budget," the Mayor said.  It's in the budget and it's not going to be taken out."

Rivercross resident Fran Dym asked the Mayor about MetroCard for the Tramway, and again heard the Mayor point out that he lacks control of the relevant agency.  "But we'll try to help you out," he said.  "We'll see what we can do with the MTA Board."

Judy Berdy, an officer of the Island's Historical Society, spoke of concerns about Blackwell House and other Island landmarks she says are being neglected by RIOC.  Giuliani's answer once again dealt with his lack of power, as he quoted a memo from the relevant Commissioner: "The Landmarks Commission doesn't do restoring work.  We can't really force the State to do it.  We can try to embarrass them into doing it."

"Can you shame them into doing it?" Berdy asked.

"Yes, we can.  But that's why I think we should look into the City getting jurisdiction again.  I will see if we can put some effort into this."

The Mayor and Berdy had an amusing colloquy about Octagon Tower, and the fact that it was prt of the first "Lunatic Asylum" in the country.  "That must have been before political correctness and euphemisms," Giuliani said.

Several residents raised questions about possible Mitchell-Lama buy-outs, but the Mayor said, "I'm not so sure we should [do something about buy-outs].  I'm not so sure they're evading the law."   The Mayor's Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner told Byron Gaspard, "We think it will move slowly rather than faster.  We think this is an issue people need to keep a proper perspective on."

On the question of jurisdiction, Giuliani told Laurence Brodsky, "I'm very much in favor of the City controlling our own destiny...  Ultimately, you'll be better off when you can touch it, scream at it, deal with it.  The Commissioners are accessible...  You're much better off moving more of this back to the City.  We'll try."

Malcolm Cohen told the Mayor, "What we're looking for here is democracy," and an escape from the "bureaucratic quagmire" that is RIOC.  The Mayor got his best laugh of the evening when he responded, "I would be very happy to work with you to liberate Roosevelt Island."   He said he would put Corporation Counsel Mike Hess to work on the question.