It's election season - but not just nationally. The Residents Association election is nigh, as well.

Byron Gaspard has announced his candidacy for First Vice President of RIRA.

RIRA is actively seeking candidates for President, First Vice President, and the 28 Common Council seats representing the Island's residential buildings.

The RIRA election will be held concurrently with the national general election, Tuesday, November 7. However, all Island residents - including non-citizens, are eligible to vote in the RIRA election, so separate machines and a separated location have been used in the past.

All the RIRA posts are unpaid volunteer positions. Anyone can nominate a candidate, but candidates must sign the nomination forms to signify they'll serve if elected. Terms run two years. Candidates must be 18 or older and Island residents for a year or more. Incumbents can succeed themselves. Under Common Council rules, three consecutive absences from monthly Council meetings lead to removal of a member. Meetings are held the first (sometimes second) Wednesday of the month, at 8:00 p.m., at the Chapel of the Good Shepherd. (The Council's next meeting will be Wednesday, September 13.)

The bi-annual election is an opportunity for the organization to renew itself. Several Common Council representatives have stopped serving during the last two years. Al Weinstein, one of three Rivercross councilors, died shortly after the last election and was replaced by Malcolm Cohen. Vicki Feinmel, who represented Eastwood, moved to Island House and was thereby disqualified; earlier, Mary Lou Risley had moved from 546 Main Street to Rivercross. A few others have resigned, moved on-Island, or have left the Island.

Some Common Council members have been appointed by the Council to fill seats for under-represented buildings. (In the 1998 election, there were contests for seats in only three of eight building group districts - Rivercross, Westview, and Island House.)

Mosud Mannan, Counsellor to the Bangladesh Mission to the United Nations, recently volunteered to represent Manhattan Park, and was enthusiastically welcomed by the Council.

The election provides the one major opportunity for all Island residents to express themselves on key issues. In the 1998 election, the Common Council put an advisory question on self-governance on the ballot. Of those voting on the question, 92% (1,049) voted to support legislation proposed by Assemblymember Pete Grannis providing for election of most members of the Board of Directors of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation. Total votes cast in the election were 1,566.

Nomination forms will be available at various merchant locations on the Island in October, including Accountable Financial Management (in the Westview storefronts, at 599 Main Street, telephone 644-8231). Additional locations will be announced in September. A version of the form will also be available on Website NYC10044 www.nyc10044.com. According to Nominations Chair Joyce Mincheff, Public Safety Director Jim Fry declined a RIRA request that he make the forms available at the Public Safety office.

Openings on the Common Council include:

• 10-40 River Road (8 seats)
• 2 River Road (1)
• 4 River Road (1)
• Westview (3)
• Island House (3)
• 546 Main Street (2)
• Eastwood (7)
• Rivercross (3).