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EITHER THE TRAFFIC SAFETY, UH, COMMITTEE,[ TOWN OF GREENBURGH OFFICE OF THE TOWN BOARD 177 Hillside Avenue, Greenburgh, NY 10607 Tel: 914-989-1500 Fax: 914-993-1541 Email: JDudek@Greenburghny.com https://ny-greenburgh.civicplus.com/485/Watch-Live-Board-Meetings]
UM, AND, UM, UH, LUCAS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, UM, UM, INTRODUCE THE COMMITTEE AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF, UM, OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS? THANK YOU, PAUL.HELLO TO EVERYONE AT THE TOWN BOARD, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND TOWN LEADERSHIP.
JUST APPRECIATE YOUR CONTINUED SERVICE.
YOUR JOB IS DEFINITELY MUCH HARDER NOW, GIVEN THE PANDEMIC, SO WE APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU DO.
WE'RE JOINED BY MANY MEMBERS OF THE 21 PERSON TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMITTEE THAT PAUL CONVENED WITH A MEMO LAST DECEMBER.
SO IT'S BEEN ABOUT 11 AND A HALF MONTHS.
WE HAD BEEN MEETING REGULARLY.
THERE WERE A FEW MONTHS WHEN THE PANDEMIC FIRST STARTED THAT WE DID NOT MEET, BUT WE MET BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, AND THEN WE STARTED MEETING IN THE SUMMER MUCH MORE REGULARLY.
AND WE'VE PRODUCED A EIGHT PAGES OF A REPORT THAT'S MORE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'VE SHARED WITH THE TOWN BOARD, AND WE HOPE THAT YOU CAN ALSO SHARE IT ON THE TOWN'S WEBSITE.
I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE THAT HAVE VOLUNTEERED TO BE PART OF THIS COMMITTEE.
I'LL READ THEIR NAMES, MANY OF WHOM ARE HERE.
CAROL BURKE, SAMANTHA, LAUREN COLLINS, AMY FOOTE, SSID JOSHI, IRA HUTTNER, PATRICE GRACIA, ALFONSO, LEON, MONICA LEVY, ELIZABETH MARZA, ROB MATTHEWS, ALSO CO-CHAIR ALONG WITH ME, GABRIELLE MAXWELL, ERIN, OSHA, YASMIN PAIA, ESTELLE REICH, RUDY RINALDI, ERIC STERN, FIJI THOMAS, AND JOHN WISDOM.
TONIGHT WE'LL HAVE TWO MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE PRESENT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
THAT IS IRA HUTTNER AND PATRICE IN GRACIA.
WE CAN START WITH THEM AND WE'LL BE OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE BOARD HAS FOR US.
WE ALSO APPRECIATE AND WANNA RECOGNIZE GARRETT, COMMISSIONER DUANE FOR MEETING WITH US.
ALSO CHIEF RYAN, AND WE ALSO HAD VICTOR RO MEETING WITH US.
SO JUST SETTING THE STAGE FOR THIS REPORT.
IN PAUL'S ORIGINAL MEMO, 11 AND A HALF MONTHS AGO, HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE WERE MANY SERIOUS ACCIDENTS AROUND THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
AND SO IT WAS TIME TO START WITH SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
SO THE NEW APPROACH WAS TO HAVE THIS TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, WHICH TOOK A LONG LOOK AT A LOT OF DATA PRESENTED TO US BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE ANALYZED IT AND CAME UP WITH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO IRA AND PATRICE.
UH, PATRICE, UH, YOU'RE, YOU, YOU HAVE TO DO THE UNMUTE.
UM, LISTEN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR ANYBODY WHO GOT TO THE EIGHTH PAGE OF OUR DOCUMENT,
UH, WE KNEW WE WERE DELIVERING YOU SOMETHING THAT WAS, UM, WE WON'T CALL IT COMPREHENSIVE, BUT WE HOPE IT WAS VERY THOUGHTFUL.
AT LEAST WE PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT INTO IT.
AND WE KNOW WE'RE DELIVERING A LOT OF RECOMMENDATIONS AT A TIME WHEN PEOPLE ARE STRETCHED AND BUDGETS ARE STRETCHED.
AND YET AFTER WE DELIBERATED, WE THOUGHT WE SHOULD STILL SEND YOU WHAT WE THOUGHT THE TOWN SHOULD BE LOOKING AT.
UH, AS LUCAS SAID, WE THOUGHT A FRESH LOOK WAS REALLY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU THINK BACK TO LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME, IT SEEMED LIKE EVERY TWO WEEKS WE WERE GETTING BESIEGED BY YET SOME OTHER PEDESTRIAN HIT OR SOME OTHER HORRIBLE TRAFFIC ACCIDENT, AND WE'RE BACK OFF DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME, AND PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO HIT THE ROADS AGAIN TO COMMUTE.
IN FACT, I'VE NOTICED IN, IN CERTAIN AREAS WITHIN HARTSDALE, IT SEEMS LIKE MORE PEOPLE ARE ON THE ROAD, I THINK BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE AREN'T TAKING THE TRAINS RIGHT NOW, AND THEY'RE DRIVING BACK AND FORTH TO THE WORK, EVEN, EVEN TO THE CITY.
SO KEEPING ALL OF THAT IN MIND, WE DECIDED TO SEND YOU UP.
WE REALLY THOUGHT SHOULD BE DONE.
AND WHILE THERE'S A LOT IN THE, IN THE SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS, WE THOUGHT WE WOULD FOCUS TONIGHT ON TWO OF THEM, UM, THEY, THEY'RE, THEY START, AND THEY'RE DISCUSSED ON PAGE FOUR IF YOU HAVE THE DOCUMENT IN FRONT OF YOU.
BUT DON'T WORRY IF YOU DON'T, WE'D RATHER JUST TALK TO YOU.
ONE OF THEM HAS TO DO WITH WHAT WE CALL THE KIND OF SAFETY NOW TEAM, AND THE OTHER IS THE HOTSPOTS APPROACH.
UM, I'D LOVE TO, FOR MY COLLEAGUE, IRA, TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE COMMITTEE THAT WE THOUGHT SHOULD BE PUT TOGETHER ON AN ONGOING BASIS TO TAKE A LOOK AT, UM, COMING UP WITH SAFETY, UH, IMPLEMENTATION AND BUDGET
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AND SO ON, SO THAT WE'RE NOT JUST ONE COMMITTEE DOING SOMETHING AT ONE POINT IN TIME.SO, IRA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, AT THIS POINT TALK ABOUT THAT, UM, COMMITTEE AND WHO WE THOUGHT SHOULD BE ON IT, LEAD IT, ET CETERA? SO MAYBE IRA IS ON MUTE TOO.
UM, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR PARTICIPATING.
THIS E THING, UM, I AM NOT A NATURAL SPEAKER, SO THIS IS GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT AWKWARD, BUT I THINK THE PROBLEM IS PRETTY CLEAR.
THE TOWN HAS SOME DEFICIENCIES IN ITS TRANSPORTATION NETWORK.
THERE ARE ACCIDENTS, THERE ARE PEDESTRIANS WHO BEING INJURED.
I'VE BEEN PARTICIPATING ON THIS COMMITTEE FOR NINE, 10 MONTHS NOW.
UM, I'VE LISTENED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.
I'VE HEARD A LOT OF RECOMMENDATION, AND EVERYBODY HAS A SOLUTION.
UM, THE PROBLEM THAT I SEE IS NOBODY IS IDENTIFYING TRUE PROBLEMS. WHAT IS UNSAFE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE OFFERED SUGGESTIONS FOR PROJECTS, BE IT SIDEWALKS OR TRAFFIC LIGHTS OR SPEED BUMPS, MANY TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES, BUT NOBODY'S REALLY DONE A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS, UM, TAKEN A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO TRAFFIC AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IN OUR TOWN.
I DO BELIEVE THAT THE TOWN SHOULD HIRE A PROFESSIONAL, I BELIEVE IT'S CALLED THE PROFESSIONAL TRAFFIC OPERATIONS ENGINEER, OR TRAFFIC ENGINEER, UM, WHO IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEMS IN COMMUNITIES SUCH AS OURS, WHO CAN IDENTIFY DEFICIENCIES THAT CAN BE CORRECTED.
I BELIEVE HE SHOULD BE HIRED, DO A STUDY, COME UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS, AND WORK WITH THE TOWN TO DEVELOP A PLAN THAT CAN BE MANAGED AND MONITORED BY ALL OF ITS RESIDENTS.
I BELIEVE IT'S THE ONLY SOLUTION THAT REALLY OFFERS US A WAY TO GRAB A HOLD OF THE PROBLEM AND MAKE SOME PROBLEMS. I, WE SPOKE WITH GARRETT ON SOME OCCASIONS, AND I DO BELIEVE HE DOES AGREE THAT THIS IS A GOOD APPROACH TO TRYING TO IMPROVE SAFETY IN OUR TOWN.
UM, BUT THEIR PROBLEMS WHERE AT THE END OF A FISCAL YEAR, MONEY IS VERY TIGHT, RESOURCES AND STAFF ARE VERY LIMITED.
A NEW COMMISSION'S GONNA COME IN, BUT REGARDLESS, PEOPLE ARE GONNA DRIVE, PEOPLE ARE GONNA WALK, AND THE PROBLEMS STILL EXIST AND WILL EXIST UNTIL WE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
AND I DON'T BELIEVE WE SHOULD BE WORKING, DOING A PIECEMEAL APPROACH, LOOK AT ONE INTERSECTION AND SAY, OH, THERE'S A PROBLEM HERE.
BUT LOOK AT THINGS IN A CAR AT A BASIS.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S A HAWK SIGNAL, PEDESTRIAN ACTUATED SIGNAL THAT'S BEING PROPOSED ON CENTRAL AVENUE TO HELP ALLEVIATE ONE OF THE PROBLEMS. BUT IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THIS INTERSECTION, IT'S 900 FEET FROM THE DOWNSTREAM INTERSECTION.
AND ANYBODY WHO'S GOING TO BE ON HARTSDALE ON CENTRAL AVENUE AND COMES THROUGH A GREEN LIGHT, THEY'RE GONNA JUST HIT THE GAS AND GO.
NOT THINKING ABOUT, OH, THERE'S A PEDESTRIAN ACTUATED INTERSECTION SOME THOUSAND FEET AHEAD.
I BELIEVE THAT MAYBE WE NEED TO LOOK AT A CORRIDOR AND LOOK AT COMMERCIAL AREAS AND HOW WE CAN MAKE THEM MORE PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY.
I BELIEVE WE NEED A LICENSED ENGINEER TO DO THIS.
AND I THINK THIS HAS TO BE OVERSEEN BY THE TOWN'S DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS.
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ANYTHING THAT'S GOING TO BE DONE TO THE ROAD OR PEDESTRIAN NETWORKS GOING TO IMPACT THE CITIZENS OF THE TOWN IS GONNA REQUIRE PHYSICAL CONSTRUCTION OR SIGN CHANGES, WHATEVER.AND THERE'S A LIABILITY TO MAKE ANY CHANGES.
ANYTHING HAS TO BE SIGNED, ANYTHING DONE HAS TO BE SIGNED OFF BY PROFESSIONAL LICENSED ENGINEERS.
AND D P W BASICALLY HAS THAT RESPONSIBILITY SIGNING AND SEALING DRAWINGS, MAKING SURE THAT ANYTHING PROPOSED IS SAFE FOR THE TOWN.
SO WHILE I'M NOT SURE HOW TO MOVE FORWARD OTHER THAN TO GAIN SUPPORT FROM THE TOWN COUNCIL AND TAKE A PROACTIVE APPROACH TO IMPROVING SAFETY, AND I THINK THE BEST WAY TO DO IT IS NEWS PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE TRAINED, WHO ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE, WHO CAN OFFER SOLUTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN PROVEN AND IMPLEMENT THE PLAN OVER A SEVERAL YEAR TIME PERIOD.
AND I'LL HIGHLIGHT WHAT IRA'S SAYING THERE IN THE REPORT THAT PERHAPS MANY PEOPLE DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO READ THAT ARE NOT MEMBERS OF THE TOWN BOARD, PEOPLE THAT ARE JOINING AND LISTENING TO THIS MEETING.
SO IN THE REPORT, WHICH I, IN THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH I HOPE WILL BE LINKED TO FROM THE TOWN WEBSITE, WE CAN LOOK AT THE FIRST THREE RECOMMENDATIONS.
NUMBER ONE, THE TOWN BOARD SHOULD APPOINT A LEADERSHIP TEAM THAT OWNS TRAFFIC SAFETY.
SO AMONG STAFF THAT CURRENTLY EXIST, HAVING REGULAR MEETINGS ACROSS THE DEPARTMENTS, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT TRAFFIC SAFETY.
THIS TEAM, WE PROPOSE, CALL IT THE SAFETY NOW TEAM.
THE TEAM SHOULD DEVELOP AN R F P WITH OUR COMMITTEE'S INPUT TO HIRE A TRAFFIC SAFETY FIRM.
AND THE THIRD RECOMMENDATION IS WE URGE THAT THIS TEAM FOCUSES ON LONG STANDING HOTSPOTS.
AND PUTTING IN CONTEXT, THE TOWN JUST LOST ITS TOP ENGINEER NOW.
IT HAS A DEEP BENCH OF TALENT, BUT IT JUST LOST ITS TOP ENGINEER.
AND WE THINK THAT SPENDING PERHAPS ONE 10TH OF 1% OF THE TOWN'S BUDGET WOULD BE A TREMENDOUS INVESTMENT IN BRINGING ON OUTSIDE CONSULTANTS TO FILL IN THE GAPS THAT THE TOWN DOESN'T HAVE ON STAFF.
WE'VE HEARD FROM MEETING WITH TOWN STAFF THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE A FULL WORKLOAD.
AND THAT'S WHY WE BELIEVE AUGMENTING STAFF WITH A CONSULTANT, NOT JUST TO DO ANY WORK, BUT SPECIFICALLY TO TAKE A TOWN WIDE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TOWARDS ASSESSING TRAFFIC SAFETY, BOTH ON THE VEHICULAR SIDE AND THE PEDESTRIAN SIDE, TAKING THAT COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH, NOT FOCUSING ON SPECIFIC INTERSECTIONS, BUT HOTSPOTS ACROSS THE TOWN.
I'LL ALSO SHARE, I DON'T KNOW IF I'M ALLOWED TO SHARE ONE OF THE REPORTS THAT GARRETT GAVE TO US, WHICH JUST SHOWS ALL, I'LL ATTEMPT TO SHARE MY SCREEN AND WE'LL SEE IF I'M PERMITTED TO DO SO.
SO HERE IS A MAP THAT GARRETT CREATED SHOWING ALL THESE ACCIDENTS, AND THESE ARE REAL PEOPLE GETTING HURT OR KILLED IN OUR TOWN, AND THEY'RE NOT JUST DOTS AND BEHIND EVERY PERSON IS A FAMILY AND LIFELONG IMPACT.
SO WITH THE SHORTAGE OF TOWN STAFF AVAILABLE TO WORK ON TRAFFIC SAFETY, WE RECOMMEND THAT RESOURCES ARE DEDICATED AND THAT WE HAVE CROSS-DISCIPLINARY TEAM MEETING TO DISCUSS TRAFFIC SAFETY REGULARLY.
LUCAS, IF I COULD, IF YOU COULD KEEP THAT UP JUST FOR A MOMENT.
UM, SO ALL OF THESE CORRIDORS THAT HAVE A LOT OF THE, THE RED SPOTS THERE, UM, THERE, THERE ARE SIX IN PARTICULAR, UH, THAT, UH, GARRETT SHARED WITH US THAT WE THOUGHT SHOULD BE THE SUBJECT OF WHAT THE CONSULTANT AND THE TOWN SHOULD LOOK AT OVER TIME FOR.
THERE ARE FOUR CORRIDORS AND ARTERIALS THAT HAVE A HISTORY OF BOTH PEDESTRIAN AND VEHICULAR PROBLEMS. THERE'S THE FOUR CORNERS EAST HARTSDALE, UH, AREA.
THERE'S THE CENTRAL AVENUE AREA NORTH OF, UM, FOUR CORNERS UP TO FIELDSTONE.
UM, THERE'S OF COURSE TERRYTOWN ROAD.
UM, THE CORRIDOR FROM HILLSIDE TO NORWOOD HAS HAD A LOT OF PROBLEMS. AND THEN ROUTE NINE EIGHT NORTH OF ELMSFORD, UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT, UM, THAT'S HISTORICALLY BEEN BAD.
SO THOSE FOUR REALLY ARE VITAL BECAUSE YOU HAVE VEHICLES AND PEOPLE, UH, VEHICULAR DAMAGE AND PEOPLE GETTING
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HURT OR KILLED.UM, THEN THERE WERE TWO OTHER, UM, SPOT HOTSPOTS THAT ARE EITHER PEDESTRIAN FOCUSED OR VEHICULAR LEY ROAD FROM CENTRAL OVER TO OLD SPRAIN THAT SEEMS TO HAVE A LOT OF CAR ACCIDENTS.
UM, AND SOUTH CENTRAL AVENUE, UM, HAS MORE PEDESTRIAN.
UM, REMEMBER THE YOUNG MAN LAST, LAST SPRING, I THINK IT WAS WHO, WHO GOT, UM, HURT THERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALIZING THAT IT'S A BIG TOWN AND ONE ACCIDENT CAN GRAB A LOT OF HEADLINES.
UM, BUT WHAT WE BELIEVE IS THAT THE TOWN SHOULD LOOK AT WHERE THE HISTORY IS, WHERE THE PATTERNS ARE, AND LET'S GET SERIOUS ABOUT THOSE PATTERNS.
UM, WE TALK IN THE DOCUMENT ABOUT RECOMMENDING A, YOU KNOW, A FIVE YEAR PLAN, AND THAT OBVIOUSLY NOT EVERYTHING CAN BE DONE ALL AT ONCE.
UM, SO THE, WE THINK THAT THE SAFETY NOW COMMITTEE, AND WE DO BELIEVE A COUPLE OF US FROM THIS COMMITTEE SHOULD PROBABLY BE ON THAT.
SO YOU HAVE SOME CITIZENS ON IT.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU COULD SLICE AND DICE IT A FEW DIFFERENT WAYS.
YOU COULD TAKE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, UM, CARTERS AND ARTERIALS OF THOSE FOUR HOTSPOTS THAT HAVE VEHICULAR AND PEDESTRIAN PROBLEMS AND DEVOTE ONE ONE YEAR TO EACH OF THOSE.
UM, NOT EVERYBODY WILL HAPPY BE HAPPY ABOUT THAT, BUT I THINK RESIDENTS WILL BE HAPPY THAT SOMETHING IS HAPPENING HAPPENING.
MAYBE IN THE FIFTH YEAR YOU LOOK AT THE TWO MORE SOUTHERN HOTSPOTS THAT ARE EITHER PEDESTRIAN OR VEHICULAR, MAYBE THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT.
WE, WE ARE NOT THE EXPERTS, BUT WE KNOW ENOUGH, I'D SAY TO SAY THAT THERE'S GOTTA BE SOME SORT OF ACTION PLAN WITH A TIMETABLE AND SOME BUDGET DEVOTED TO SOLVING SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS. IN SOME CASES, WE CAN TRY TO GET MONEY AND GRANTS AND SO ON, BUT IN SOME INSTANCES, EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE IN PARTICULAR, WE THE TOWN OWN IT, AND WE COULD BE DOING THINGS MUCH MORE QUICKLY THERE.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S AN EASY ONE TO THINK ABOUT STARTING WITH, BUT I'M JUST ME SPEAKING NOW, UM, ABOUT THAT.
I THINK THE COMMITTEE, OR WE BELIEVE THE COMMITTEE SHOULD FOCUS ON THIS, BUT, UM, IT, WHEN WE SAY AN ACTION PLAN, WE DO MEAN THAT WE THINK THAT IT'S REALLY TIME TO, UM, TAKE A SERIOUS LOOK AT CORRECTING A PROBLEM.
UM, I I THINK THE POLICE SHOULD BE INVOLVED.
WE THINK THAT, UM, IN CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS, ESPECIALLY LIKE EAST HARTSDALE AVENUE, THE HARTSDALE PUBLIC PARKING AUTHORITY PROBABLY OUGHT TO WEIGH IN.
AND WE THINK THAT AS SOLUTIONS ARE PROPOSED, THERE ARE PROBABLY SOME NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS THAT OUGHT TO BE, UM, BROUGHT INTO THE PROCESS.
SO IT'S NOT JUST, UM, AUTHORITATIVE COMMITTEE THAT MOVES FORWARD, BUT WE GET SOME RESIDENT, UH, ENERGY BEHIND IT.
UM, SO I THINK THE CHIEF HAD A QUESTION.
I AM, UH, I AM NEW TO THIS COMMITTEE, EVEN THOUGH I, I WAS BRIEFED ON IT BY CHIEF RYAN AND ALL OF THE LOCATIONS THAT, UH, WERE NOTED, YOU KNOW, HAVE BEEN ON OUR RADAR FOR A WHILE.
AND ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE, THE COMMITTEE HAS A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION OR IF THEY'VE CONTACTED ANYBODY, IF THEY'RE WORKING WITH ANYBODY, BECAUSE WE HAVE VERY LIMITED AUTHORITY ON THE STATE ROADS.
AND WE'VE HAD NOTHING BUT FRUSTRATION OVER THE YEARS, TRYING TO GET SOME KIND OF ACTION FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
SO, HAS THERE BEEN DISCUSSION WITH ANYONE AT THE STATE LEVEL? YOU KNOW, OUR COMMITTEE HAS NOT DONE THAT.
WE KNOW THAT, UM, FRANCIS AND GARRETT AND OTHERS HAVE, HAVE MET WITH THEM, CHIEF RYAN HAD BEEN INVOLVED.
UM, WE THINK THAT, THAT, WE THINK THAT THE STATE SHOULDN'T HAVE AN ONGOING SEAT AT THE COMMITTEE, BUT WE THINK THAT THE COMMITTEE, SOMEONE ON THE COMMITTEE SHOULD BE IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE STATE, AND THAT'S PROBABLY SOMEONE FROM PUBLIC WORKS.
BUT, UH, WE DIDN'T GET THAT FAR IN TERMS OF THINKING THROUGH EXACTLY, UM, WHAT ROLE THE STATE SHOULD PLAY.
BUT THEY DEFINITELY NEED TO BE INVOLVED.
AND I THINK WE HAVE TO FIND WHERE WE, I'M SAYING I, AND SO IS IRA, BUT WE'RE SPEAKING FOR THE COMMITTEE RIGHT NOW.
WE THINK WE HAVE TO FIND A DIFFERENT WAY TO ADVOCATE WITH THEM TOO, BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF FRUSTRATION.
UM, WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE A SOLUTION TO THAT OFF, OFF THE CUFF, BUT I, I, I, I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR HARD WORK, THE COMMITTEE'S HARD WORK.
AND I FEEL THAT, UH, YOU KNOW,
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WE'RE MOVING IN, UH, THE RIGHT, RIGHT DIRECTION.I THINK WE DEFINITELY DO NEED A LONG-TERM PLAN, UM, AND PRIORITIZATION AND HAVE TO HAVE A SENSIBLE, YOU KNOW, PLAN OF ACTION.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A VERY BIG, UM, ADVANTAGE BECAUSE WE'RE REPRESENTED BY THE MAJORITY LEADER OF THE STATE SENATE, WHO IS ANDREW STEWART COUSINS, IS, UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE TOP, PROBABLY THIS SECOND MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN ALL OF NEW YORK STATE.
AND ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS I WOULD MAKE IS THAT IF WE, WHEN WE CREATE THIS TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMITTEE, WE ASK HER OFFICE TO DESIGNATE, UM, AN OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVE FROM HER OFFICE TO ATTEND ALL THE MEETINGS MM-HMM.
UM, I ALSO FEEL THAT, UM, WE SHOULD ASK HER OFFICE IF THEY COULD INVITE, UH, YOU KNOW, DIRECT ASK, YOU KNOW, THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, UH, TO SEND A REPRESENTATIVE, UH, YOU KNOW, TO THE MEETINGS.
BECAUSE I FEEL THAT IF WE DEVELOP LIKE A, A, A GOOD CONSTRUCTIVE, YOU KNOW, WORKING RELATIONSHIP, AND IT'S REALLY NOT ADVERSARIAL, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BASICALLY, WE'RE ALL, WE'RE ALL DOING THE SAME THING.
WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE ALL WANNA MAKE THE AREA SAFER.
I THINK THAT THE STATE WILL BE, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, MUCH, UH, YOU KNOW, MORE, MORE RESPONSIVE.
AND IF, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A LONG TERM PLAN, THEY HAVE A FIVE YEAR CA, YOU KNOW, CAPITAL BUDGET, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS COULD BE INCLUDED IN, YOU KNOW, FIVE YEAR, UM, YOU KNOW, CAP.
IT COULD BE PART OF THEIR, YOU KNOW, BUDGET S YOU KNOW, SCHEME.
SO THAT'S ONE, YOU KNOW, RECOMMENDATION.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, UM, WE SHOULD HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, A BROAD BASED, YOU KNOW, COMMITTEE MADE UP OF REPRESENT THE POLICE, UH, OUR TOWN ENGINEERS, UM, THE, UH, YOU KNOW, MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE, UH, ANDREW STEWART, COUSIN'S OFFICE, UM, AND THE STATE D O T, YOU KNOW, MEETING ON A REGULAR BASIS TO COME UP WITH A PRIORITIZATION, UM, YOU KNOW, PLAN.
WHEN I SPOKE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, GARRETT, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, ANOTHER SUGGESTION THAT I HAD WAS, UM, I THINK WE SHOULD MAYBE HAVE SOME SORT OF COMMITMENTS WHERE EVERY YEAR THE TOWN COMMITS TO, YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY A MINIMUM OF SAY, $1.5 MILLION TO $2 MILLION, YOU KNOW, A YEAR, UM, JUST FOR TRAFFIC SAFETY INITIATIVES, WHICH COULD BE, YOU KNOW, MORE SIDEWALKS.
IT COULD BE, UM, UH, TRAFFIC, YOU KNOW, CALMING DI DEVICE, YOU KNOW, DEVICES, UH, LIGHTS.
YOU KNOW WHAT, AND, AND WE WOULD, IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A BUDGET AND YOU KNOW, IS THE AMOUNT THAT YOU HAVE EVERY YEAR, JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE PUT ABOUT $2 MILLION INTO ROAD REPAVING.
SO IF WE PUT $2 MILLION INTO TRAFFIC SAFETY, YOU KNOW, EXACTLY THE DOLLAR AMOUNT YOU HAVE, AND THEN THE COMMITTEE, UM, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH THE POLICE, OUR TRAFFIC EXPERTS, UM, THE STATE, AND, UM, AND EVERYBODY, THEN YOU COULD HELP US, YOU KNOW, PRIORITIZE.
YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER WHEN, YOU KNOW, LUCAS RAN AGAINST ME, I THINK YOU MENTIONED, AND, YOU KNOW, I REFLECTED ON IT, AND I THINK IN RETROSPECT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE RIGHT, INSTEAD OF SOMEBODY SAYS, OH, I WANNA SIDEWALK HERE, AND THEN SAID, OH, I AGREE.
AND THEN NEXT WEEK SOMEBODY SAYS, OH, I WANT A SIDEWALK THERE.
IT, IT HAS TO BE, I MEAN, IF WE HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY, IT HAS TO BE PRIORITIZED AND IT HAS TO BE THOUGHT OUT.
AND IT CAN'T BE JUST ON THE WHIM THAT FIVE PEOPLE CONTACT US.
YOU KNOW? AND, AND THAT'S WHAT I, SO I, YOU KNOW, I'VE REFLECTED ON YOUR COMMENTS, AND I, I THINK YOU WERE RIGHT ON THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK IF WE HAVE THE COMMITTEE AND YOU HAVE THE BUDGET, I THINK THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE.
I FEEL THAT IF WE, YOU KNOW, IF THE POLICE AND TRAFFIC, IF WE, IF YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A CERTAIN DESIGNATED AMOUNT OF MONEY AND YOU'RE WORKING WITH GARRETT, THE POLICE AND EVERYBODY, YOU COULD HELP US START, UM, YOU KNOW, COMING UP WITH A PRIORITY SYSTEM FOR 2021.
SO THERE'LL BE DEFINITE ACTIONS, YOU KNOW, NEXT YEAR AND THE YEAR AFTER.
AND THEN IF THE COMMITTEE FEELS THAT, UM, WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO, UM, UM, DO THIS IN-HOUSE, AND WE FEEL THAT IT'S NECESSARY TO HAVE A CONSULTANT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COMMITTEE COULD, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, COULD A, YOU KNOW, COULD, COULD ADVOCATE.
MAY, MAY WE BE REMINDED THAT WE'VE ALREADY LAUNCHED AN INITIATIVE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE THIS SUMMER.
YOU, TIM GARRETT AND MYSELF, GAVE OUR SUMMER INTERNS 35 STUDENTS FROM THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, A PROJECT TO CREATE PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS AND VIDEOS ADDRESSING VEHICULAR AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY.
AND I WOULD LOVE TO SHARE THOSE VIDEOS WITH LUCAS, PATRICE, IRA, AND, AND THEIR COMMITTEE, BECAUSE THIS PATRICE
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MENTIONED, UM, INVOLVING THE COMMUNITY AND THESE INTERNS, OR HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS, AND THEY PRODUCED AMAZING, UM, VIDEOS ADDRESSING THIS VERY ISSUE.SO WE'VE ALREADY BEGUN TO, UM, ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL.
AND, AND, UH,
AND ALSO, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED, UM, UH, PATRICE, YOU KNOW, MENTIONED, UH, YOU KNOW, THE HILLSIDE AVENUE, UM, UH, TOLLWOOD ROAD CORRIDOR.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE GOT A, A, A GRANT, UH, FROM THE STATE, UH, A SIDEWALK WILL BE CONSTRUCTED MM-HMM.
UH, ALL THE BIDDING WILL BE COMPLETED.
KEN, UH, UH, JONES PARTICIPATED IN A MEETING WITH ME, UH, AND GARRETT ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, THAT CONSTRUCTION, THE BIDDING WILL BE DONE NEXT YEAR, AND THE WORK WILL BE COMPLETED, UH, IN 2022.
WE ALSO, UM, UM, ARE CURRENTLY CONSTRUCTING A SIDEWALK FROM BASICALLY THE TOWN HALL AREA, UH, CLOSE TO NORWOOD AND PARTS OF MANHATTAN AVENUE.
AND THEY'VE BEEN MAKING SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS ON THAT IN THE PAST, UM, UH, FEW WEEKS.
AND GARRETT MENTIONED FINALLY THE CENTRAL AVENUE, UH, SIDEWALK THAT SHOULD START, YOU KNOW, PRETTY SOON.
WE HAD GOTTEN A GRANT FOR, FOR THAT.
I MET, UH, LAST WEEK, UM, GARRETT, UM, AND THE HEAD OF THE E EDGE ONE COMMUNITY COUNCIL.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, A SIDEWALK ON FORT HILL ROAD THAT, YOU KNOW, WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, FUNDED.
UH, THERE WAS A PREVIOUS STUDY FROM LEY ROAD TO LONGVIEW.
YOU KNOW, I THINK WE COULD, YOU KNOW, GIVE THAT, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY PRIORITY.
UM, THERE, YOU, UH, PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT JUNIPER HILL.
THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK IS GONNA HAPPEN, BUT IF WE HAVE THE MONEY AND WE COMMIT TO IT, WE CAN MAKE ENORMOUS PROGRESS OVER, UM, OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
BUT AGAIN, I THINK THE COMMITTEE, PERMANENT COMMITTEE, YOU KNOW, REALLY MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
AND, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, DIRECTING A PRIORITIZATION.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE COMMITTEE, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THE COMMITTEE WOULD BE ABLE TO SAY TO US, SAY, WITHIN THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, COUPLE MONTHS FOR TWO, AT LEAST FOR 2021, SO WE DON'T LOSE TIME.
THIS IS WHAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN IN 2021.
UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT TAKES ABOUT TWO YEARS, UH, FROM START TO TO COMPLETION FOR ANY, FOR ANY SIDEWALKS, YOU KNOW, I THINK, SORRY.
AND I, I THINK THOSE ARE, YOU'VE, YOU'VE HIGHLIGHTED SOME VERY GOOD STRIDES THE TOWN IS MAKING TO RESPOND TO THE SAFETY PROBLEMS. AND JUDITH HAS TALKED ABOUT AN EXCELLENT PROGRAM WITH FANTASTIC VIDEOS.
AND I THINK IT'S A YES AND APPROACH.
WE FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE THE LIMITS OF WHAT A COMMITTEE CAN DO, A COMMITTEE OF VOLUNTEERS, AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU TAKE AWAY FROM TODAY, IT'S A YES AND APPROACH OF WE DO NEED ALL HANDS ON DECK, BUT WHEN EVERYBODY OWNS SAFETY, NOBODY OWNS SAFETY.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE SAYING THERE SHOULD BE ONE PROFESSIONAL THAT IS TAKING THE LEAD, WHETHER THAT PERSON IS ON STAFF OR WE'RE STRONGLY, STRONGLY RECOMMENDING OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE IN THE FORM OF A CONSULTANT THAT WILL OWN THIS PROBLEM AND DO A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT ACROSS THE ENTIRE TOWN.
WE'RE 21 PEOPLE, WE'RE 21 VOLUNTEERS, AND WE JUST SCRATCHED THE SURFACE.
THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO PUT DOWN ALL THESE DIFFERENT TRAFFIC SAFETY PROBLEMS THAT THEY EXPERIENCED ON A FIRSTHAND BASIS IN A LARGE MAP THAT WAS SHARED ON NEXTDOOR AND OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA.
AND SO WE NEED THESE VOLUNTEER EFFORTS OF OURSELVES.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE THIS WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY WITH THE BUDGET THAT THE TOWN BOARD IS GONNA BE LOOKING AT.
AND WE ESTIMATE THAT ONE 10TH OF 1% DEDICATED TOWARDS HIRING A CONSULTANT IS GONNA BE ABLE TO DO A VERY GOOD JOB AT LOOKING AT A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH.
AND BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE TOP ENGINEER LEAVING, AND YOU HAVE A RESHUFFLING OF ROLES, THIS IS THE TIME WE CAN'T WAIT.
WE'RE FORTUNATE THAT WE HAVE A LULL IN ACCIDENTS BECAUSE TRAFFIC VOLUMES ARE LOWER DUE TO A DEPRESSED ECONOMY.
BUT WHEN EVERYTHING COMES ROARING BACK AFTER THE VACCINE, ESPECIALLY NEXT YEAR WHEN IT GETS DARK AGAIN, AND TRAFFIC VOLUMES ARE AT THEIR HEIGHT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME MAJOR PROBLEMS. SO WE BELIEVE NOW IS THE TIME TO ALLOCATE THAT MONEY.
I WANNA TURN IT BACK OVER TO PATRICE TO SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT I MISSED.
I ALSO NOTICED THAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE QUESTIONS.
AND, UM, PATRICE, ANYTHING ELSE TO FILL IN? UH, NO.
I MEAN, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR WHAT PEOPLE THINK AND WHAT THEIR QUESTIONS ARE.
[00:30:01]
I THINK THAT'D PROBABLY BE THE BEST USE OF TIME, BECAUSE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE ALL WRITTEN DOWN.SO, UM, BUT QUESTIONS PEOPLE HAVE ABOUT THEM ON OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, SOME OF THE CITIZENS ON, LET US LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.
YEAH, I, I'M VERY, YOU KNOW, I, I AM VERY OPEN TO, YOU KNOW, ALL YOUR SUGGESTIONS.
YOU KNOW, I FEEL THAT THE SAFETY HAS TO BE A PRIORITY.
UM, I, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE COMMITTEE, UM, YOU KNOW, FORMED AS, YOU KNOW, STEP ONE.
I'D LIKE THE BOARD TO, YOU KNOW, COMMIT TO A CERTAIN DOLLAR AMOUNT FOR, UH, SAFETY INITIATIVES FOR 2021, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THE BUDGET IN THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, COUPLE WEEKS, YOU KNOW, WE COULD TAKE A LOOK AT THE BUDGET AND MAKE SURE THAT, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, I GUESS IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET.
AND, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, FOR THAT.
SO AT LEAST WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS.
I'D LIKE THE COMMITTEE TO MEET WITH, UM, OUR ENGINEERS AND, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND, UM, TRAFFIC SAFETY PEOPLE.
AND THEN IF WE CAN'T DO THE WORK IN-HOUSE, THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE, THEN I'D BE OPEN TO, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, DOING A CONSULTANT.
BUT I'D, I'D, I'D LIKE TO SEE THE COMMITTEE HAVE, LIKE, INTERACTIONS WITH THE POLICE AND THEIR ENGINEERS AND SEE IF THEY COULD DO IT.
BUT I'M NOT LOOKING TO BE PENNY WISE AND POUND FOOLISH.
I BASICALLY WANNA SEE SOMETHING, SOMETHING DONE.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF EVERYBODY'S SAYING, YOU KNOW, THIS REALLY IS NECESSARY, UM, THIS IS THE BEST USE OF THE, THE DOLLARS.
I'D RATHER YOU SPEND SAY, $50,000 ON A CONSULTANT THAN ON SAY, TRAFFIC CALMING DEVICES OR WHATEVER, THAN, YOU KNOW, I, I'M, I'M NOT THE TRAFFIC SAFETY EXPERT.
I'LL, I'LL FOLLOW THE LEAD OF THE, THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE, THE, UH, YOU KNOW, OF THE COMMITTEE.
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT EVERYBODY HERE WANTS THE SAME THING.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO MORE MAJOR TRAFFIC FATALITIES OR SERIOUS INJURIES.
SO, YOU KNOW, SO I I I JUST SORT OF FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, WHY DON'T WE START WITH THE COMMITTEE? WHY DON'T WE HAVE THE POLICE, UH, UH, THE, OUR TRAFFIC SAFETY PEOPLE, OUR ENGINEERS, UM, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH THE COMMITTEE WHEN IT'S FORMED.
AND THEN COLLECTIVELY, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL, THEY'LL KNOW EXACTLY THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS WE HAVE.
THEY CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOW THE MONEY SHOULD BE SPENT IN 2021 AND OUT OF THE MONEY THAT'S ALLOCATED.
THEY, THEY COULD SAY, THIS IS THE BEST USE OF THE, OF THE RESOURCES, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR THE, FOR THE COMING YEAR.
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS, QUESTIONS FROM PEOPLE? I'M CURIOUS.
I'M CURIOUS AS TO, AS TO, UM, WHY AN ENGINEER WOULD BE NECESSARY VERSUS WORKING WITH SERGEANT REON AND THE OTHER TRAFFIC PROFESSIONALS WE HAVE IN TOWN? MM-HMM.
YOU WANNA TALK TO THAT? SO I GUESS THE FIRST QUESTION IS, WHO IS THE TOWN'S TRAFFIC SAFETY EXPERTS? WHO ARE THE PROFESSIONALS? I KNOW GARRETT IS A PLANNER.
HE'S NOT A TRAFFIC ENGINEER, I DON'T BELIEVE.
AND I KNOW I'VE SEEN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, AND IT TALKS ABOUT DEVELOPMENT IN MOBILITY THROUGHOUT THE TOWN, BUT IT DOESN'T DISCUSS TRAFFIC SAFETY.
YOU KNOW, YOU EVEN THAT REPORT TALKS ABOUT, UM, THE TOWN DOESN'T MANAGE OR, OR HAVE RECORDS FOR ITS ACCIDENTS.
NOBODY REALLY IS GOING THROUGH AND PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
UM, THERE IS NO DATA ON TRAFFIC VOLUMES.
UM, THERE IS NO SYSTEMATIC APPROACH IN THIS TOWN THAT I'VE SEEN ON TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT AND TRAFFIC SAFETY.
UM, I'D BE VERY HAPPY TO TALK TO WHOMEVER THE EXPERTS ARE IN THE TOWN AND SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND WHAT INITIATIVES, YOU KNOW, BUT RIGHT NOW I HEAR THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF, UM, INDIVIDUAL INITIATIVES FOR SOME SIDEWALKS, BUT I DON'T HEAR WHO'S IDENTIFYING WHAT ARE THE DEFICIENCIES IN OUR ROAD AND PEDESTRIAN NETWORK WHERE WE REALLY NEED TO SPEND RESOURCES.
AND THAT'S WHY I THINK WE NEED AN INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT.
IF THERE ARE TRAFFIC, SAFETY TRAFFIC ENGINEERS IN THE TOWN OR IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, LET'S WORK WITH THEM.
I JUST, IN 10 MONTHS, HAVEN'T SEEN OR HEARD OF ANY
[00:35:01]
FROM ANY OF THEM.WELL, I SUSPECT THAT'S BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T ASKED SERGEANT ZEN AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE HE'S THE RESIDENT, YOU KNOW, HE'S THE TOWN'S, UM, TRAFFIC PROFESSIONAL ADVISOR.
YOU KNOW, HE'S THE TOWN'S TRAFFIC OFFICER WHO WORKS WITH US ON ALL OF THESE ISSUES.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE PAST, UM, HAS WORKED WITH THE STATE AND THE STATE'S ENGINEERS, UM, WITH RESPECT TO THE STATE ROADS.
SO I THINK WE HAVE DONE SOME OF THESE THINGS, OR HAVE TRIED TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE THINGS.
AND YOUR GROUP MAY NEED TO TALK TO THE GROUP THAT'S BEEN WORKING ON THESE THINGS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, UM, BEFORE WE, YOU KNOW, UM, DECIDE, UH, WHICH I, BEFORE WE DECIDE TO HIRE ANYONE ELSE, WHICH I GUESS IS SORT OF SIMILAR TO WHAT PAUL IS SAYING.
ACTUALLY, I MET WITH SERGEANT RESON A NUMBER OF TIMES, AND WE GOT DATA FROM HIM, UM, THROUGH CHIEF RYAN FOR THE COMMITTEE.
UM, HE'S NOT A TRA TRAFFIC SAFETY ENGINEER, SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMEONE WHO'S LICENSED, UM, A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL IN A CERTAIN AREA, UH, WHO WILL KNOW THE REALM OF POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS THAT A LOT OF COMMUNITIES ARE USING.
UM, UM, I, I KNOW WHEN I, UM, MET A K R F AT ONE POINT, I MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT CENTRAL AVENUE, AND THEY SAID, THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF THINGS THE TOWN COULD CONSIDER, DA DAH, DAH, DAH.
UM, BUT THOSE ARE PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND WORK IN THE WORLD OF, UH, POTENTIAL SAFETY SOLUTIONS.
AND WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, SERGEANT REXTON, WHO'S GREAT AT WHAT HE DOES, IS NOT, THAT, DOES NOT HAVE THAT PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, I DON'T THINK IT'S PROBABLY USEFUL FOR US TO, TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE THOSE DECISIONS TONIGHT.
I THINK WE SHOULD LET THE COMMITTEE MEET THEM AND LET THEM DECIDE WHAT THEY THINK SHOULD GO, WHAT WE SHOULD GO FORWARD WITH SOME MIX OF PERHAPS SOME MONEY SPENT WITH AN EXPERT, UH, PERHAPS X AMOUNT ON THIS RANGE OF SOLUTIONS.
BUT WHAT WE, WHAT WE DON'T WANT IS, AS IRA SAID, EVERYONE'S GOT THEIR OWN BASKET OF IDEAS.
UM, AND SO WHAT WE DON'T WANT IS LIKE A MEETING WHERE THE FIRST 25 IDEAS THAT COME FORWARD, WE SAY, LET'S GO FIX.
WE THOUGHT A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH THAT LOOKED HOLISTICALLY AT THE HOTSPOTS.
AND AS IRIS SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT THEM FROM A CORRIDOR AND OR AN ARTERIAL POINT OF VIEW AS A KIND OF TRAFFIC SYSTEM WILL BE IN, UH, A BETTER, BETTER SHAPE TO BE ABLE TO CONSIDER SOLUTIONS THAT WORK TOGETHER.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, I I THINK IF WE COULD AGREE IN SPIRIT TONIGHT TO HAVE THE COMMITTEE TO HAVE A BUDGET AND TO FOCUS FROM A HOTSPOT'S POINT OF VIEW, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY ENOUGH FOR A COMMITTEE TO GET GOING WITH.
UM, AND IT WOULD BE GREATLY, UH, A REAL GREAT FIRST STEP IF THE, THE TOWN BOARD DID, UH, DEVOTE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET TO IT.
I, I NOW, UM, MANY, MANY OF THE MEMBER LUCAS AND PAT, UH, OR PATRICE, ARE YOU BOTH, YOU KNOW, WILLING TO, YOU KNOW, WILLING TO, YOU KNOW, SERVE, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE YOUR INVOLVEMENT WITH, WITH THIS COMMITTEE? I CERTAINLY AM.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT WHY DON'T WE, UH, YOU KNOW, WORK ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE COMMITTEE, UH, YOU KNOW, COME UP WITH, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD HELP US FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WOULD MAKE SENSE SINCE THIS IS A TOWN, YOU KNOW, AN UNINCORPORATED, THE ENTIRE UNINCORPORATED GREENBURG, IF YOU COULD HELP US, UM, IDENTIFY, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY MEMBERS YOU THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, POINTED HOW WE COULD ENSURE, YOU KNOW, GEOGRAPHIC, UM, REPRESENTATION THAT WE SHOULD HAVE THE POLICE, UM, AND OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC WORKS, YOU KNOW, INVOLVED.
UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU COULD COME UP LIKE A PROPOSED STRUCTURE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE COMMITTEE, AND, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WE SHOULD INVITE SENATOR COUSINS'S OFFICE TO, YOU KNOW, AN ASSEMBLYMAN ANTE'S OFFICE TO DESIGNATE A REPRESENTATIVE.
AND WE SHOULD ALSO INVITE, UM, UH, THEM TO, UH, TRY GETTING A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE, THE D D O T.
YOU KNOW, I, EVEN THOUGH THE D O T IS DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH, YOU KNOW, I'M FINDING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE WE'RE DEVELOPING A GOOD RELATIONSHIP.
YOU KNOW, THEY DID REPAVE, UH, THREE MAJOR ROADS IN GREENBURG AND SOMO RIVER ROAD, THAT PARTS OF TOPS FERRY ROAD LAST WEEK, UH, HILLSIDE AVENUE, YOU KNOW, EARLIER, YOU KNOW, THEY DID MORE IN GREENBURG
[00:40:01]
THIS YEAR THAN THEY DID FOR A LOT OF WESTCHESTER MUNICIPALITIES.SO I THINK THAT IF WE DEVELOP, YOU KNOW, THE RELATIONSHIP AND THEY FEEL THAT WE ARE APPRECIATING THEIR WORK AND WE'RE JUST NOT TRYING TO ATTACK AND ATTACK AND ATTACK THEM, BUT WE WANNA WORK WITH THEM, I THINK WE'LL GET, UM, COOPERATION.
I KNOW, YOU KNOW, FRANCIS HAS BEEN WORKING ON, UH, THE HAWK EYE, YOU KNOW, FRA YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS ON THAT, RIGHT? FRANCIS, IT'S NOT A HAWK EYE, IT'S A, A HAWK LIGHT HAWK, WHATEVER IT'S CALLED.
UM, AND UH, I, I GUESS MY CONCERN IS, UM, YOU KNOW, 0.1% OF OUR ENTIRE BUDGET, WE HAVE AN ENORMOUS BUDGET.
SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT AN INSIGNIFICANT AMOUNT, PARTICULARLY WHEN PEOPLE ARE HURTING AND WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP THE LEVY, UH, FLAT.
UM, BUT OF COURSE, YOU COULD ALWAYS SAY YES, BUT IF IT COULD SAVE ONE LIFE, AND THAT'S TRUE.
UH, THERE'S NOTHING THAT CAN'T BE FIXED WITH MONEY.
AND THE STATE WILL TELL YOU THAT IS THAT THEY, THEY CAN FIX A LOT OF THINGS ON THEIR STATE ROADS IF THEY HAD MONEY.
WHAT THEY DON'T HAVE IS MONEY.
AND SO THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SOURCES OF REVENUE.
I DO WANNA CORRECT, YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD, I THINK TWO, AT LEAST, AT LEAST TWO, BUT MAYBE THREE TIMES THAT WE'VE LOST OUR TOP ENGINEER, WE LOST, OR HE, HE LEFT FOR OTHER, UH, SOMETHING OUTTA STATE.
WE LOST THE HEAD OF D P W WHO HAPPENED TO BE AN ENGINEER.
THE TOWN IS UNUSUAL FOR A TOWN IN THAT WE HAVE A BUREAU OF ENGINEERS.
WE HAVE PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS, AN ENTIRE BUREAU, YOU KNOW, THAT'S FOCUSED ON THAT CARVED OUT OF THE DIFFERENT DIVISIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS.
AND SO, AND THEY DO A GREAT JOB AND THEY HAVE GREAT COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE STATE ENGINEERS, INCLUDING THE TRAFFIC EXPERTS WHO HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEM COMING DOWN WITH VERY LITTLE NOTICE AND DISCUSSING TRAFFIC AND HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM.
WHAT THEY DON'T HAVE IS MONEY.
NOW, THERE IS, THERE IS AN OPTION, IT'S NOT WITHOUT CONTROVERSY, BUT THERE'S A QUASI PROPOSAL OF PERHAPS HAVING SPEED CAMERAS TO SLOW DOWN.
'CAUSE WE HAVE A SERIOUS ISSUE WITH SPEEDING ON CENTRAL AVENUE AS EVERYBODY, UH, EVERYBODY KNOWS AND, AND OTHER AREAS OF SPEED CAMERAS.
BUT THE MAIN CONTROVERSY IS PEOPLE THINK THEY, YOU'RE PUTTING 'EM IN JUST SO YOU CAN GENERATE MONEY SO THAT THE TOWN CAN OFFSET, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE TAXES, YOU KNOW THAT THEY WOULD LOVE THE WISE NAME.
IT COULD BE THAT ANY MONEY THAT IS GENERATED FROM THOSE CAMERAS, SHOULD THEY BE PUT IN, WOULD BE DEVOTED SPECIFICALLY TO ADDRESSING THESE TYPES OF TRAFFIC ISSUES SO THAT THERE WOULD BE REVENUE THAT'S COMING IN THAT WOULD NOT, UM, UM, THAT WOULD BASICALLY ENSURE THAT THERE COULD BE THIS CONTINUING FUNDING.
'CAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE OPTIMISTIC THAT THE ECONOMY WILL TURN AROUND NEXT YEAR.
THAT'S ALL IT IS, IS HOPE AT THIS POINT.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE AS WE GET TOWARDS MARCH, APRIL AND MAY, WE WILL HAVE MORE DATA TO SUPPORT WHETHER OR NOT THAT IS, BUT I DON'T THINK WE CAN MAKE A COMMITMENT TO PUT X AMOUNT OF MONEY OUT YEAR AFTER YEAR, PARTICULARLY THE FOLLOWING YEAR, UNTIL WE KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING AND HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE ARE OUTTA WORK, AND HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE CAN'T PAY THEIR TAXES.
UM, SO I I, I WOULD NOT WANT TO MAKE THAT KIND OF A COMMITMENT.
I THINK HAVING A, A, UM, A COMMITTEE THAT HAS GEOGRAPHICAL, UH, REPRESENTATION THROUGHOUT THE, THE UNINCORPORATED AREA, SO IT'S NOT A FEW PEOPLE IN A PARTICULAR AREA, WHICH GETS THE FOCUS, BUT WE LOOK AT THIS, UH, THE ENTIRE, I THINK, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
I THINK, UH, CONSTANTLY NUDGING US TO, YOU KNOW, ADDRESS SOME OF THESE ISSUES.
I THINK THAT'S A, IT'S, IT'S A GREAT IDEA.
UH, YOU KNOW, YOUR REPORT, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, WHICH, UH, WHEN YOU SAID IT WAS EIGHT PAGES, IT'S
UH, AT LEAST THE, AT LEAST THE COPY I GAVE YOU.
I MEAN, THAT WAS A LOT OF THOUGHT THAT WAS PUT INTO THAT.
AND SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING TO WORK WITH.
UM, BUT I, I, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE, AND I THINK KEN WAS ADDRESSING THIS, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT IS IT THAT
[00:45:01]
WE ARE LACKING IN-HOUSE BEFORE WE MAKE A COMMITMENT TO SPEND MONEY ON A DEDICATED PE THAT, YOU KNOW, FOCUSES SOLELY ON TRAFFIC.FRANCIS? I THINK THAT'S SPOT ON VERY WISE.
AND YOU BRING UP POTENTIAL SPEED CAMERAS.
I THINK THAT IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE DEBATES OF SPEED CAMERAS ARE NOT SPEED CAMERAS, BUT BEFORE WE EVEN GET INTO ANY SORT OF PROPOSED SOLUTIONS, WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT IS A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF WHERE ARE WE PRETTY MUCH A SAFETY AUDIT.
AND IF THAT COULD BE DONE WITH IN-HOUSE RESOURCES, THAT'S EVEN BETTER.
I, I THINK MAYBE THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS IT'S TIME TO PAUSE AND TAKE A STEP BACK AND DO A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF SAFETY INITIATIVES WITH PROFESSIONALS.
IF WE HAVE THOSE PROFESSIONALS ALREADY, THEN LET'S, LET'S DO THAT TO, THERE'S A LOT OF RESIDENT INPUT THAT PROBABLY IS NOT YET PEOPLE THAT KNOW THE PROBLEMS ON THE GROUND.
WE NEED TO CROWDSOURCE THAT AND WE NEED ONE PERSON TO OWN THAT PROJECT, TO DO THAT COMPREHENSIVE SAFETY INVENTORY.
AND THEN, AND ONLY THEN WOULD RESIDENTS BE PREPARED TO DEBATE SPECIFICS ABOUT WHETHER THERE SHOULD BE SPEED CAMERAS OR NOT.
BUT WE JUST REALLY NEED TO KNOW HOW BAD IS THE PROBLEM.
'CAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT ANY ONE PERSON, AND PERHAPS NOT EVEN ALL OF US, KNOW WHERE THE PROBLEMS ARE, WHERE THE NEXT PROBLEM'S GONNA BE.
AND WHEN THE ECONOMY DOES COME BACK, WE WILL HAVE MUCH MORE TRAFFIC THAN WE HAVE NOW, AND WE WILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS WE HAD LAST YEAR.
LUCAS, ANOTHER THING, LUCAS, I ANSWER THE QUESTION, LUCAS AND COLLABORATING WITH CHIEF, YOU MIGHT WANT TO LOOK IN THE, AT THE STATE TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUCH A STUDY, BECAUSE A FEW YEARS AGO, UM, THERE WAS A NEED FOR THE TOWN TO, UM, REPAIR ITS WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND, UM, WE FOUND A GRANT AT THE STATE LEVEL THAT, UH, CONTRIBUTED ALMOST $5 MILLION TO THE TOWN TO HELP OFFSET A 12 MILLION PROJECTED BUDGET, UM, IN, IN TERMS OF WHAT WAS NEEDED FOR THAT PROJECT.
SO YOU MAY WANT TO LOOK INTO THE STATE TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY POSSIBILITIES FOR A GRANT.
AND I KEEP HEARING CLIFF TRYING TO GET A WORD IN OR QUESTION IN OR CLIFF.
UM, I KNOW ABOUT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, I WAS, UM, TALKING TO THE CHIEF AND THE TOWN, AND, UM, WE HAD A REAL HAZARD ON OLD TERRY TOWN ROAD BECAUSE WHEN, WHEN YOU COME, UM, AND, AND CHIEF WAS ABLE TO PUT A DIGITAL CLOCK UP TO SAY ABOUT WHAT THE SPEED WAS, BECAUSE IT'S A BLIND SPOT BETWEEN WARREN AVENUE AND MAPLE STREET.
SO THE DIGITAL TIME PER SE, GOING TOO FAST, BUT BY THE TIME YOU NOTICE IT, YOU ALREADY TURNING A CORNER AND PEOPLE HAVE TO CROSS THAT STREET.
SO I BELIEVE IN PREVENTION AND, AND BY, SO THEN ON ANOTHER END THAT, UM, I ASKED FOR CROSSWALKS BECAUSE ON MANHATTAN AVENUE, BY WHERE THE UNDERPASS IS THAT PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN 190 MANHATTAN AVENUE HAVE TO CROSS THE STREET TO COME OVER TO 30 STREET OAK OR TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
AND THERE'S NO CROSSWALK LIKE TO LET PEOPLE KNOW PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO PASS.
SO IT'S LIKE PLAYING RUSSIAN ROULETTE, YOU'RE LOOKING, YOU DODGE IN, AND THEN YOU RUN ACROSS AS FAST AS YOU CAN.
AND THE SAME GOES WITH OLD TERRYTOWN ROAD.
WHEN PEOPLE GOT ACROSS TO GO FROM THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OVER, I'M JUST USING THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AS AN EXAMPLE FROM THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OVER TO CHERRY HILL.
AND YOU LIKE LOOKING AND WONDERING, WHEN DO I GET TO CROSS SO SOMEBODY YOUNGER HAVE A BETTER CHANCE THAN, THAN A SENIOR.
AND LUCAS, I JUST HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD PROBABLY ASK SOMEBODY FROM THE FAIRVIEW AREA, AND PLUS CHIEF WAS ABLE TO ALLOW ME TO GET SPEED LIMIT SIGNS ON MANHATTAN AVENUE.
SO IT'S A LOT OF DANGEROUS AREAS OVER ON OLD TERRYTOWN ROAD AND MANHATTAN AVENUE.
SO I'D JUST LIKE TO BRING THAT UP TO YOUR TEAM.
YOU KNOW, I'M SORT OF ALSO WONDERING, UM, AND THIS IS WHERE, UH, THE ENGINEERS, UM, PROFESSIONALS, YOU KNOW, COULD HELP.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M THINKING OF IS THAT, YOU KNOW, AS A RESULT OF, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS MEETING IS, WE'RE NOT REALLY GIVEN AS A TOWN, LIKE A LOT OF, UH, INFORMATION THAT'S E YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME THERE'S AN ACCIDENT OR EVERY TIME THERE'S, UM, A MAJOR, UH, YOU KNOW, TRAFFIC, YOU KNOW, PROBLEMS IN A DIFFERENT AREA.
AND PERHAPS IF THERE'S A WAY OF
[00:50:01]
DESIGNING LIKE SOME, YOU KNOW, GOING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, IF WE COULD SAY, OKAY, EAST HARTS DAILY AVENUE, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE NOTICING, YOU KNOW, CARS ARE DRIVING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE STREET, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT HAS TO BE ADDRESSED.UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE GIVEN OUT 20 TICKETS, UM, ON JUNIPER HILL, YOU KNOW, ROAD, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD, UM, SOME FENDER BENDERS HERE OR THERE, UH, ON FORT HILL AND, AND ARDSLEY ROAD.
THIS IS THE PROBLEM WE'RE HAVING.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE COULD BE SORT OF ALMOST LIKE A QUARTERLY REPORT, UH, YOU KNOW, GIVEN TO THE TOWN BOARD AND THE TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMITTEE THAT COULD HELP US, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, MAKE, YOU KNOW, BETTER, BETTER DECISIONS AS TO HOW TO SPEND, SPEND THE MONEY IN THE FUTURE.
WELL, SERGEANT RESON HAS A LOT OF DATA.
THAT'S WHY WE WORKED WITH HIM.
THE PROBLEM IS, UH, AT THE TIME, AND WE SHOULD CHECK IN WITH CHIEF MCINERNEY ABOUT THIS, UM, CHIEF, YOU KNOW, HE HAD A RILL THINGS ON HIS PLATE.
SO FOR HIM TO DO THE ANALYSIS THAT WE ASKED FOR, WHICH IS ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT PAUL WAS TALKING ABOUT, JUST WASN'T POSSIBLE FROM A, UH, YOU KNOW, A RESOURCE POINT OF VIEW.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING MAYBE WE COULD LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, DESIGNING, UH, THE RIGHT KIND OF DATABASE THAT CAN BE MANIPULATED SO WE CAN GET THE KIND OF DATA THAT WE NEED.
AND IF WE CAN'T DO THAT IN HOUSE, MAYBE THAT'S THE KIND OF THING WE TRY TO GET.
I'M THINKING A GRANT FOR, YOU KNOW, I, I HESITATE TO PUT TOO MUCH IN THE, IN, IN, IN THE, UM, HOPE OF GRANTS BECAUSE THEY TAKE A LONG TIME TO WRITE, AND THEN IT'S A LONG TIME TO HEAR BACK.
WE CAN'T JUST PUT IN THE HANDS OF A, A STATE GRANT.
WE, WE NEED TO OWN IT AS OUR OWN TOWN, ESPECIALLY ON THE, ON THE ROADS THAT WE OWN.
SO I WANNA JUST, I THINK THERE'S A ROLE FOR GRANTS, BUT WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS.
AND THEN THE COMMITTEE SHOULD NOT US ON THIS CALL.
AND JUST A, A QUICK ADDITION TO WHAT PATRICE SAID THERE, DOING IT IN A DATA-DRIVEN WAY.
WE'RE LIMITED BY SOME OF THE SYSTEMS WE HAVE AND A FULL 49% OF ALL THE ACCIDENTS THAT WE TRACK.
WE DON'T KNOW THE REASONS FOR THEM.
SO THAT'S WHY A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH IS GONNA BE VERY HELPFUL, SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT PROBLEM IS.
AND YOU KNOW, MAYBE ALSO AS A FOLLOW UP AS TO THE GRANTS, UH, YOU KNOW, NOW THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE, UH, PRESIDENT, UM, COMMITTED TO, UM, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE CONGRESS IS PROBABLY GONNA BE COMMITTED TO INFRASTRUCTURE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, UM, YOU KNOW, THROUGH SENATOR SCHUMER'S OFFICE OR SENATOR GILLIBRAND'S OFFICE, MAYBE WE COULD GET THEIR INVOLVEMENT, UH, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF TRAFFIC SAFETY.
'CAUSE TRAFFIC SAFETY IS NOT ONLY GREENBERG PROBLEM, IT'S A NATIONAL PROBLEM.
UM, SO, UH, SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD WORK WITH, UM, WITH THEIR OFFICES ON.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, GREAT COMMITTEE.
I'M, I'M REALLY VERY GRATEFUL, UH, TO ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE FOR, FOR SERVING.
YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT YOU CAME UP WITH A REALLY HIGH QUALITY REPORT, AND I FEEL THAT IF WE WORK TOGETHER WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW HOW TO BEST USE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE FUND AND HOW TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, HOW TO BUDGET APPROPRIATELY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL THAT, JUST LIKE WE DO ROAD REPAVING EVERY YEAR.
I THINK THERE SHOULD BE, AND MAYBE IF WE HAVE MAJOR BUDGETARY PROBLEMS, WE HAVE TO, SOME YEARS WE MIGHT HAVE TO DO LESS OR OTHER YEARS WE HAVE TO DO MORE.
BUT I, I DO THINK THAT, UH, UH, SAFETY SHOULD BE AS IMPORTANT AS ROAD REP PAVING.
JUST A COUPLE POINTS, I DO WANT TO, I WANNA THANK THE COMMITTEE, UH, A LOT OF HARD WORK AND THE CHAIRS, UH, YOU PUT SO MUCH EFFORT INTO IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, JUST ON THE, ON THE GOOD NEWS SIDE, UM, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR COMMITTEE HAS HAD AN IMPACT ON US.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST A COUPLE EXAMPLES.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE TRACKERS OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, OF, OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH DIFFERENT TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS, BUT WE'VE REFINED THEM SINCE WE'VE SEEN YOUR REPORT TO FOCUS MORE ON TIMEFRAMES.
UM, THE MAPPING THAT WE'RE DEVELOPING, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WERE KIND OF INSPIRED BY SOME OF THE ELEMENTS OF YOUR THINKING IN YOUR MEETINGS.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THE HOTSPOT MAPPING AS AN EXAMPLE, UM, THAT WAS, WAS A REQUEST FROM YOUR GROUP.
UM, THAT DEFINITELY MADE ITS WAY INTO THE SIDEWALK PRIORITIZATION REPORT.
AND, UH, I THINK IT MADE THAT REPORT STRONGER.
IT HELPED US THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHICH SIDEWALKS PERHAPS SHOULD, YOU KNOW, UM, BE PRIORITIZED OVER OTHERS.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND I JUST THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE ULTIMATELY, YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE MOST EFFICIENTLY, YOU KNOW, ARE MAKING IMPROVEMENTS IN THE TOWN.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE ALL SUPPORT THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, RICH RECENTLY SET UP A MEETING
[00:55:01]
WITH THE D O T, WE HAVE THAT THURSDAY.UM, WE INTEND TO MAKE THAT EITHER A MONTHLY OR A ONCE EVERY TWO MONTH MEETING SO THAT WE CAN SHARE IDEAS, MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE STATE'S DOING AT A LOT OF THE INTERSECTIONS.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, YOUR GROUP DID HAVE A LOT OF IMPACT AND, YOU KNOW, IT WILL CONTINUE.
UM, JUST A COUPLE OTHER QUICK NOTES.
UH, CLIFF, UH, EVERYTHING YOU MENTIONED, UH, WILL BE DELIVERED SOON.
UM, WE DID GET A CONSULTANT AND THERE'S SOME RAPID FLASHING BEACONS AND CROSSWALKS, UH, ONE ON OLD TERRYTOWN ROAD, ONE ON MANHATTAN AVENUE.
UM, THAT'S SIDEWALK IS COMING IN.
UH, IT WILL REDUCE THE WIDTH OF OLD TERRYTOWN ROAD TO, TO A DEGREE.
AND THAT IN ITSELF WILL HOPEFULLY WORK ACT AS A, A TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURE.
UM, SO THAT CORRIDOR WE FEEL IS, YOU KNOW, ON THE HORIZON FOR GREAT IMPROVEMENTS.
AND, UM, TO PAUL'S POINT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A, A FORMALIZED COMMITTEE, I JUST ALSO WANTED TO NOTE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE IN THE TOWN, WE HAVE GREAT EXAMPLES OF SUCCESS IN THAT REGARD.
WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, VERY ACTIVE PARKS AND REC ADVISORY BOARD.
WE HAVE A VERY ACTIVE, UH, WATER ADVISORY BOARD, AND THEY MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON EXPENDITURES AFTER HEARING FROM STAFF, HEARING FROM PROFESSIONALS.
AND, YOU KNOW, AND WE HEAR FROM THEM IN THEIR DAILY LIVES AND THEIR EXPERIENCES AND, YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S GOOD EXAMPLES OUT THERE.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF POSITIVE WILL RESULT FROM, YOU KNOW, THE WORK THAT YOU DID.
COULD YOUR COMMITTEE MAYBE, UM, WITHIN THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, COUPLE WEEKS COME UP WITH LIKE A, A PROPOSED, UH, STRUCTURE FOR THE COMMITTEE THAT YOU WOULD THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, WOULD MAKE, WOULD MAKE SENSE? THINK WE CAN COMMIT TO DOING? RIGHT? WE CAN COMMIT TO DO.
AND BY THE WAY, UM, I THINK THAT, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UH, JUST BECAUSE VICTOR LEFT, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY CONFIDENCE IN, IN RICH AND THE REST OF THE TEAM THERE.
I HEAR TERRIFIC THINGS ABOUT RICH.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING MORE ABOUT SPECIALTIES.
WE KNOW, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, TOWN STAFF THAT WE HAVE HEARD SINCE THE COURSE OF OUR MEETINGS IS STRETCHED VERY THIN.
SO WE'RE NOT TRYING TO HAVE THEM, YOU KNOW, S TRY TO MAKE A TIME HERE AND THERE FOR SAFETY.
WE WANT SOMETHING THAT'S FOCUSED ON THAT'S IMPORTANT, UM, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE SUBJECT.
SO, UM, WE, WE HAVE GOOD PEOPLE WORKING IN THIS TOWN, AND THE IDEA OF, UH, ANYBODY FROM THE OUTSIDE DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE DON'T BELIEVE IN THAT.
SO JUST WANTED TO GO ON RECORD SAYING THAT.
WE'RE GIVING US NEARLY AN HOUR TONIGHT.
ANY OTHER VOLUNTEER MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE WANT TO SHARE ANYTHING THAT DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO SPEAK TONIGHT? OKAY.
AND, AND GARRETT JUST BEING HONEST ABOUT WHAT OUR COMMITTEE IS CAPABLE OF AND HAVING ATTENDED SOME OF THE PARKS AND REC COMMITTEE, ONE COMMITTEE MEETING THERE, UM, I DON'T THINK COMMITTEES ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO CARRY A LOT OF THE HEAVY LIFTING HERE.
HAVING EXPERIENCED THOSE COMMITTEES, SEEING THE WATER COMMITTEE WITH A LACK OF ITS PUBLIC MEETINGS ANYWHERE ON THE TOWN WEBSITE, IT, THE COMMITTEES ARE JUST NOT WORKHORSES THAT CAN GET A LOT DONE.
THEY'RE GOOD AT PROVIDING INPUT, THEY'RE GOOD AT BOUNCING OFF IDEAS.
THEY'RE GOOD AT GETTING A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE.
BUT I THINK THAT THE, THE WORK AND THE PROGRESS THAT'S GONNA BE MADE IS GONNA BE PEOPLE THAT ARE FULL-TIME SALARIED OR CONSULTANTS, PEOPLE ON THE, ON THE TALENT, UH, STAFF OR PEOPLE THAT YOU BRING IN.
I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA BE THE ONES THAT ARE GONNA MAKE THE BIG DIFFERENCE HERE, EVEN THOUGH WE TRIED, UH, WE HAVE DONE OUR BEST AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER.
WE'D PROBABLY NEED FRESH EYES AND FRESH ENERGY ON THIS COMMITTEE.
SO I THINK SOME PEOPLE ARE GONNA DROP OFF, AND WE'RE GONNA NEED SOME HELP WITH OUTREACH TO GET, UH, DIVERSE REPRESENTATION FROM ACROSS ALL OUR NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE NEXT ITERATION OF THIS COMMITTEE.
AND SO WE'LL BE HONEST WITH OUR STRENGTHS AND OUR WEAKNESSES, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA BE THE ONES THAT ARE GONNA SOLVE THIS PROBLEM, UNFORTUNATELY, JUST SEEING HOW HARD IT IS FOR PARENTS, PROFESSIONALS, RETIREES THAT ARE VOLUNTEERS TO COME UP WITH A SIX PAGE REPORT PLUS TWO PAGES IN THE BEGINNING.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO TAKING NEXT STEPS WITH THE TOWN, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING, AND WE WISH YOU, THANK YOU.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA, WE HAVE BOND REFUNDING WHAT? I'M SORRY? BOND REFUNDING.
UH, YESTERDAY WE HAD, UM, A COMMITTEE, UM, MEETING A GROUP OF CITIZENS, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, MET WITH, UM, MYSELF AND, UM, FRANCIS SHEEN, UH, ROBERTA ROMANO.
AND, UH, THEY RECOMMENDED THAT WE, UM, UH, PURSUE THE REFINANCING, UM, OF, UM, OF BONDS,
[01:00:01]
WHICH COULD SAVE THE TOWN.UM, SOME SIGNIFICANT, UM, YOU KNOW, DOLLARS, UM, OVER THE LIFE OF, UM, THE BONDS AND THE COMMITTEE.
WE PROBABLY HAD ABOUT ALMOST A DOZEN, YOU KNOW, MEMBERS.
THEY, THEY ALL ARE, HAVE EXPERTISE IN FINANCE AND, UH, THE BOND MARKET, AND IT WAS A UNANIMOUS, UH, YOU KNOW, RECOMMENDATION.
SO I'D LIKE TO ASK THAT WE, UM, YOU KNOW, ENCOURAGE, UH, ROBERTA TO CONTINUE TO PURSUE, UH, THIS, BECAUSE AS I SAID, EVERY DAY THAT GOES BY, IT COULD BE MORE EXPENSIVE, RIGHT? ROBERTA AND FRANCIS? YES.
ANY, ANY QUESTIONS? BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY'VE BEEN MEETING FOR THE PAST COUPLE WEEKS.
UM, THEY, THEY'RE VERY, VERY THOROUGH.
YESTERDAY'S MEETING I THINK WAS ABOUT TWO HOURS.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD A, A LONG MEETING A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I, I FEEL POSITIVE THAT WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING, RIGHT? AND THE SAVINGS ARE SIGNI VERY SIGNIFICANT.
SO IT'S, IT MAKES SENSE TO DO, RIGHT? PERFECT.
AND OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR SUPPORTS IT.
UH, OUR CONTROLLER SUPPORTS IT, THE COMMITTEE SUPPORTS IT, SO IT, IT LOOKS GOOD.
UH, THANKS FOR, UH, PARTICIPATING LAST NIGHT.
SO THAT IF THERE'S NO OPPOSITION, ROBERTA, YOU COULD THEN WE'LL PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT WEEK.
NEXT, UH, THE FILE, UH, APPEALS, UM, FROM WAYNE ANDERSON.
UH, SUPERVISOR FINDER AND MEMBERS OF THE TOWN BOARD.
UH, THANK YOU FOR HEARING MY APPEAL THIS EVENING.
UM, I'M GONNA TRY AND BE AS BRIEF AS POSSIBLE.
UH, ON NOVEMBER 11TH, 2020, I FILED A REQUEST TO INSPECT THE 617 FILES THAT THIS BOARD HAS PREVIOUSLY DETERMINED WERE A MATTER OF PUBLIC RECORD.
UH, YET THE ASSESSOR HAS DENIED MY REQUEST TO INSPECT THE FILE.
UH, THE GROUNDS ARE A BASIS THAT SHE ALLEGED THE DENIAL.
THE BASIS FOR, FOR HER DENIAL IS, IS THAT THE REQUEST WAS ALREADY SATISFIED.
I WANNA BE CLEAR THAT MY PREVIOUS REQUEST, THE ASSESSOR PROVIDED ME WITH AN EXCEL SPREADSHEET THAT INDICATED HAD SOME INFORMATION IN IT, NOT ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT'S CONTAINED IN THE FILE.
UH, THAT INFORMATION INCLUDED THE SECTION BLOCK AND LOT.
IT INCLUDED THE NAME OF THE OWNER, UH, THE ADDRESS, THE AGENT OR REPRESENTATIVE, AS WELL AS THE TENTATIVE AND FINAL ASSESSMENT ROLE.
UM, MY NEW, OH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, SHE ALSO PROVIDED ME WITH COPIES OF THE BOARD OF ASSESSMENT REVIEW DETERMINATION LETTERS FROM 2019 WITH RESPECT TO THOSE 617 APPLICATIONS THAT WERE DISMISSED.
MY NEW REQUEST FILED ON NOVEMBER 11TH SOUGHT TO INSPECT THE 617 FILES, WHICH IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
UM, AND SO I'M HERE BEFORE YOU TO ASK YOU TO ISSUE A DECISION OR DETERMINATION TO DIRECT THE ASSESSOR TO ALLOW ME TO INSPECT THE 617 FILES.
UM, AND THAT IS THE SUMMON SUBSTANCE OF MY REQUEST.
ANY, UH, QUESTIONS? MAY I COMMENT? SURE.
SUPERVISOR FEINER, THE ORIGINAL FOIL REQUEST THAT HAD COME IN, UM, WAS TO INSPECT ALL OF THE FILES THAT THE BOARD OF ASSESSMENT REVIEW, UM, DETERMINED TO DISMISS THOSE PROPERTIES.
SO AS IT TURNS OUT, I DENIED THAT ACCESS.
MR. SANDERSON CAME IN FRONT OF THE BOARD, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU RECALL THAT, BUT CAME IN FRONT OF THE BOARD AND I'M OF THE OPINION THAT HIS ORIGINAL REQUEST WAS EXACTLY HOW IT IS RIGHT NOW.
THE RESOLUTION WAS THE FACT THAT WE WERE GOING TO GIVE HIM, UH, A SPREADSHEET WITH THE INFORMATION THAT HE ITERATED BEFORE, ALONG WITH 617 LETTERS THAT APPEARED BACK THEN TO SUFFICE, UH, FOR HIS REQUEST.
I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
IS THIS AN ORIGINAL, ARE WE BACK TO THE BEGINNING? BUT I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT I WAS IN COMPLIANCE WITH YOUR INITIAL DIRECTIVE TO GIVE HIM THE INFORMATION THAT HE WANTED DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF COVID AND TOWN HALL IS NOT OPEN.
UM, I THOUGHT MR. SANDERSON, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THAT THE INFORMATION THAT YOU OBTAINED WAS GOING TO BE SATISFACTORY.
AND I BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT IN FRONT OF THE BOARD.
WELL, LET, LET, LET, LET ME CLARIFY SOMETHING.
I THINK WHAT YOU SAID TO ME AT THE TIME WAS YOU IN, WHEN I FILED MY INITIAL REQUEST, I HAD REQUESTED ALL OF THE GRIEVANCES THAT WERE DISMISSED
[01:05:01]
AND THEN YOU CAME BACK AND YOU INDICATED IN AN EMAIL THAT YOU DID NOT UNDERSTAND OR COMPREHEND WHAT ALL CONSTITUTED.I THEN SAID, WELL, OKAY, I'M GONNA MAKE THIS EASIER FOR YOU.
I'M JUST GONNA SAY, GIVE ME THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IN THE, UH, UH, A LIST OF ITEMS. SO I GAVE YOU THE INFORMATION THAT I WAS SEEKING AT THAT TIME.
YOU PROVIDED IT IN AN EXCEL SPREADSHEET.
YOU THEN GAVE ME COPIES SUBSEQUENTLY THEN GAVE ME COPIES OF THE BOARD OF ASSESSMENT REVIEW DETERMINATION LETTERS.
I SAID, WHAT I'M SEEKING NOW IS TO INSPECT THE FILE.
I SAID, THERE MAY BE OTHER PUBLIC INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THAT FILE THAT I'M UNAWARE OF, AND IF THERE IS, THEN I'M ENTITLED TO REVIEW IT.
I BELIEVE THAT WAS YOUR INITIAL REQUEST BACK WHEN THE FIRST TIME YOU FILED.
BUT YOU DIDN'T UNDERSTAND MY REQUEST, SO I MODIFIED MY REQUEST SO THAT YOU COULD THEN COMPREHEND WHAT I WAS SEEKING.
SO YOU ARE NOW LOOKING FOR, TO INSPECT ALL 617 FILES.
THERE MAY BE OTHER INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THOSE FILES THAT ARE A MATTER OF PUBLIC RECORD THAT I'M ENTITLED TO INSPECT.
JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, UH, OUT OF RESPECT TO THE, TO THE TOWN BOARD IS OF THE 617 FILES THAT MR. SANDERSON IS LOOKING TO INSPECT, UM, I'M STILL OF THE OPINION THAT TOWN HALL IS NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
SO THAT CONCERNS ME AND MY STAFF FOR THAT MATTER.
UM, IN ADDITION OF THE 617 FILES, THEY ARE FILED WITHIN 3000 OTHER PETITIONS FILES, AND I WOULD HAVE TO EX PULL THEM OUT.
ONCE AGAIN, REDACT THE INFORMATION, REDACT THE INFORMATION FROM THOSE FILES.
THAT IS NOT PUBLIC INFORMATION.
WELL, LET, LET, LET ME JUST BACK UP A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU KEEP TALKING ABOUT IN YOUR OPINION, I SAID YOU HAVE COUNSEL WHO IS PRESENT, WHO UNDERSTANDS THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LAW.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, WHAT I THINK IS, IS THAT THERE'S AN INADEQUACY OF TRAINING.
YOU HAVE A DEPARTMENT HEAD HERE WHO'S MAKING DECISIONS, LEGAL DECISIONS BY REVIEWING A PARTICULAR APPLICATION AND COMING TO A CONCLUSION WHICH IS VERY MUCH ERRONEOUS.
SO I THINK THAT IF, IF, IF, IF WE'RE GOING, IF, IF THE TOWN IS GOING TO ALLOW THESE DEPARTMENT HEADS TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS AND DETERMINATIONS, THEY NEED TO BE ADEQUATELY TRAINED IN THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LAW.
OTHERWISE, I, I FEEL MR. ANDERSON, I DIDN'T GET, I DIDN'T SPEAKING, I DIDN'T, SO PLEASE DON'T DO THAT TO ME.
DIDN'T I DIDN'T INTERRUPT YOU WHEN YOU WERE SPEAKING, SO PLEASE DON'T INTERRUPT ME WHEN I'M SPEAKING.
PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T BERATE ME.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IS, IS IS THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE DEPARTMENT HEADS TO DISCRETION TO MAKE THESE DETERMINATIONS WITH RESPECT TO FREEDOM OF INFORMATION, THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LAW, THEY SHOULD BE ADEQUATELY TRAINED OR THEY SHOULD BE INSTRUCTED TO DEFER TO COUNSEL AND NOT COME UP WITH THEIR OWN OPINION OR THEIR OWN CONCLUSION, WHICH IS OFTEN ERRONEOUS AS A MATTER OF LAW.
ON JULY 28TH, 2020, THIS TOWN BOARD ISSUED A DECISION ON YOUR FOIL APPEAL.
AND IN THAT, UH, DECISION, THE CONCLUSION WAS AND VIEW OF THE EVIDENCE ADDUCED DURING THE HEARING AND THE ANALYSIS OUTLINED ABOVE THE TOWN BOARD HEREBY GRANTS APPELLANT'S APP APPEAL TO THE EXTENT THAT IF THE RECORDS REQUESTED ARE MAINTAINED ON A COMPUTER, A TOWN COMPUTER STORAGE SYSTEM, AND CAN BE RETRIEVED AND PROVIDED ELECTRONICALLY WITH REASONABLE EFFORT, APPELLANT SHALL BE PROVIDED WITH SUCH ELECTRONIC RECORDS.
IF NOT APPELLANT SHALL BE PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW PAPER COPIES OF SUCH RECORDS INSIDE OR OUTSIDE OF TOWN HALL WITHIN 10 DAYS OF THIS ORDER IN A MANNER AND LOCATION DEEMED APPROPRIATE AND SAFE BY THE TOWNS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS.
SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT THE ASSESSOR PROVIDED YOU WITH THE ELECTRONIC FORM OF THAT WHERE YOU SURVIVE, WHERE YOU SATISFIED THAT THIS APPEAL WAS SATISFIED, AND THEN YOU FILED ANOTHER APPEAL THIS TIME REQUESTING THE ACTUAL DOCUMENTS.
AT THE TIME THAT THE, THE, THE INITIAL SATISFACTION OR, OR THE INFORMATION THAT WAS PROVIDED TO ME, THE ASSESSOR INDICATED THAT SHE DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT ALL CONSTITUTED.
SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT I DID WAS I NARROWED THE SCOPE OF MY REQUEST TO CERTAIN SPECIFIC INFORMATION AND SHE PROVIDED THAT INFORMATION.
SO TO THAT EXTENT, YES, I WAS SATISFIED AT THAT TIME, BUT AS I'M STAND HERE BEFORE YOU NOW, AND THAT'S
[01:10:01]
WHY I FILED A SUBSEQUENT FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST, IS BECAUSE THERE MAY BE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE FILE THAT WAS NOT PREVIOUSLY PROVIDED THAT I AM NOW SEEKING TO INSPECT AND REVIEW.SO AS FAR AS, SO FROM WHAT I'M HEARING YOU SAYING IS THAT THIS ORIGINAL FOIL APPEAL, YOU'VE BEEN SATISFIED WITH THE RESPONSE TO IT.
YOU ARE NOW FILING A SEPARATE ONE, WHICH IS A STANDALONE FOIL APPEAL, UH, UH, UH, FOIL REQUEST, WHICH IS NOW ON THIS APPEAL, SEPARATE AND DISTINCT FROM THE ORIGINAL REQUEST.
IS THAT WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING? THAT IS CORRECT.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? NO.
SO THE TOWN BOARD WILL DISCUSS IT AND WE'LL ISSUE A DECISION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, AND I'M SORRY THAT I HAVE TO APPEAR BEFORE YOU UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT I THINK THAT YOU SHOULD SERIOUSLY CONSIDER WHETHER OR NOT YOU, YOU, YOUR DEPARTMENT HEADS, WHO ARE YOU UNDER CHARGE OR GIVE THEM THE RESPONSIBILITY TO RESPOND TO THESE FOS REQUESTS THAT THEY'RE ADEQUATELY DETRAINED OR THAT THEY ARE INSTRUCTED TO DEFER TO COUNSEL.
THANK YOU AND HAVE A GOOD EVENING.
THANK YOU MATTER SIGNAGE, WHAT'S THE NEXT ITEM? BLACK LIVES MATTER.
UH, UH, THE, THE, THE, THERE WAS A MOCK-UP DONE BY THE SIGNED DEPARTMENT THAT I THINK SOME OF YOU HAVE SEEN.
UM, IF ANYONE HASN'T SEEN IT AND WOULD LIKE TO, I CAN FORWARD IT TO THEM.
THE COMMITTEE IS MEETING AGAIN NEXT, I BELIEVE DECEMBER 8TH AT NINE O'CLOCK, UM, TO TALK ABOUT IT, UH, AND, UH, DISCUSS IT FURTHER.
UM, THE, UH, B O CS AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION HAVE DECLINED TO PARTICIPATE, UH, IN THE SIGNAGE DUE TO C OVID 19.
SO THE IDEAS WE TALKED ABOUT AROUND HAVING A LARGER COMMUNITY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM, HISTORICAL IN NATURE, UH, ABOUT WHY BLACK LIVES MATTER, WHY THE MOVEMENT IS IMPORTANT AND SHOULD ENDURE BEYOND, UH, THIS MOMENT IN TIME.
UM, WE'LL BE POSTPONED, BUT OH, YOU KNOW, ONLY UNTIL, UH, B E S AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION ARE BACK ONLINE AGAIN AND WE CAN LAUNCH THAT FULL EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVE.
BUT WE WILL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT COMING UP AT THE MEETING, UH, AT NINE O'CLOCK ON DECEMBER 8TH.
UM, GIVEN, UH, THE ZOOM FORMAT, WHY COULD NOT THAT, UM, INITIATIVE OF, UM, LAUNCHING, UM, WORKSHOPS OR NOT NECESSARILY WORKSHOP SEMINARS AND INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS, WHY COULD NOT THAT, UM, IDEA CONTINUE? I DON'T KNOW.
WE DIDN'T SUGGEST THAT WE MEET IN PERSON, BUT THAT WAS THE RESPONSE THAT THE BOARD OF ED AND BOCES GAVE US.
SO WE, WHAT THE PLAN IS TO PROCEED, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH, WITH OTHER ASPECTS OF BLACK LIVES MATTER SIGNAGE GOING FORWARD UNTIL WE CAN, UNTIL BO C'S IN THE BOARD OF EDUCATION ARE READY, UH, TO MEET WITH US AND COLLABORATE.
IF WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT GIVING UP ON THAT IDEA AND WE'RE NOT LETTING THAT STOP US FROM DOING SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, NOW OR RELATIVELY SOON.
WELL, I'M JUST, I DON'T WANNA BELABOR THE POINT, BUT WHY WOULD THEY BE THE ONLY TWO COLLABORATORS AND WHY WOULD THE, UM, UH, INITIATIVE NOT MOVE FORWARD, UM, WITH EXPLORING OTHER COLLABORATORS? UM, THERE, THE INITIATIVE IS MOVING FORWARD.
THOSE WERE TWO, THOSE WERE THE TWO COLLABORATORS THAT WE DISCUSSED AT THE MEETING AND THEY DECLINED TO PARTICIPATE.
YOU KNOW, UM, IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE OTHER, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S SOMEONE THAT YOU THINK WE SHOULD CONTACT TO TALK TO MORE ABOUT IT OR IF YOU'D LIKE TO PARTICIPATE, UH, WE'RE ALL EARS, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE WE, WE DEFINITELY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THE BLACK LIVES MATTER INITIATIVE CONTINUES.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT TOOK US 400 YEARS TO GET HERE, SO IT SHOULD NOT BE OVER, UH, IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE JUST BECAUSE TIME HAS PASSED.
WE WANT TO KEEP THE, KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING, UM, AND KEEP THE EDUCATION OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY SPREADING.
UH, SO ANY IDEAS OR HELP, JUDITH, WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO LISTEN.
[01:15:03]
THAT'S GREAT.UM, NEXT, UH, WE HAVE, UM, COVID, UH, FAQS.
SO, UH, MILAGROS DISTRIBUTED THE COVID FAQS THAT WE WORKED ON.
UM, I I THINK SHE SENT THEM OUT THIS MORNING.
UM, I DID TAKE A LOOK AT THEM, FRANCIS AND I, I DON'T THINK THAT ANYTHING WE, WE HAD APPROVED IN THIS PARTICULAR LIST, UM, HAS BECOME MOOT BASED ON TIME HAVING PASSED.
UM, BUT CERTAINLY THE IDEA WAS TO SPUR, UM, ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS BY ANYONE WHO WAS INTERESTED OR, OR WHO HAD ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
UM, UH, SO DEPARTMENT HEADS, YOU KNOW, TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE AND THE OTHER INFORMATION THAT MILAGROS SENT OUT AND LET US KNOW IF YOU HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, OR CONCERNS THAT WE, UH, NEED TO ADDRESS.
UM, I TALKED WITH JARED ABOUT OUR ORDERS OF P P E.
UM, HE INDICATED THAT THE ORDERS HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY FILLED, THAT OUR CUPBOARDS ARE FULL.
AND, UM, WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE ARE GOING TO DISTRIBUTE THE P P E.
UM, WE, UH, DISCUSSED IN THE PAST AND I I BELIEVE DECIDED THAT JARED WOULD BE THE GATEKEEPER.
UM, HE JUST NEEDS TO KNOW WHETHER HE SHOULD BE WAITING FOR PEOPLE TO REQUISITION P P E OR SHOULD HE BE DISTRIBUTING P P E ON A REGULAR BASIS.
UM, MY THOUGHT IS THAT HE SHOULD BE WAITING FOR PEOPLE TO REQUISITION IT BECAUSE THEY WOULD REQUISITION IT BASED ON THEIR NEEDS.
UM, AND IF THAT IS THE CONSENSUS OF THE BOARD, THAT'S WHY WE'LL LET HIM KNOW.
AND THEN WE SHOULD LET DEPARTMENT HEADS KNOW THAT IF THEY NEED ADDITIONAL P P E, JARED IS THE PERSON TO CONTACT.
THAT, THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
AND IT'S, IT'S CONSISTENT WHAT WE WOULD HAD DISCUSSED AND, UM, I THINK HE'LL BE A GOOD, UH, A GOOD GATEKEEPER.
SO, SO DEPARTMENT HEADS, UM, WHO ARE AT THIS MEETING NOW KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE, UM, P P E FOR YOU THAT JARED IS THE GATEKEEPER AND HE SHOULD CONTACT HIM IF YOUR DEPARTMENTS, UH, ARE IN NEED.
AND I'LL KNOW TOMORROW, RIGHT? UH, I MEAN THE DOCUMENT IS A LITTLE BIT DATED BECAUSE IT TALKS ABOUT QUARANTINE STATES AND THERE AREN'T QUARANTINE STATES ANYMORE.
YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNOR HAS STOPPED DOING THAT, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE DOCUMENT, THAT STILL MAKES SENSE.
AND NO MATTER WHEN WE WOULD ISSUE IT, IT'S GONNA BE OUT OF DATE WITHIN A COUPLE OF DAYS ANYWAY BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS SO FAST AND CHANGING.
SO, BUT AS QUESTIONS COME UP, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL ADAPT, WE'LL DEAL WITH THEM.
YEAH, WE'LL DEAL WITH THEM, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY.
AND THAT'S THAT WHEN DEPARTMENT HEADS HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AVAILABILITY OF P P E AND HOW THEY GO ABOUT GETTING IT FOR THEIR DEPARTMENTS, IS THAT A QUESTION? I HAD A QUESTION OR JUST A STATEMENT? IF I COULD, I JUST GOTTA SAY THAT MILAGROS HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC.
WE'VE HAD A FEW SITUATIONS DOWN AT THE YARD AND SHE'S BEEN VERY HELPFUL AND ALWAYS PICKS UP THE CALL.
AND, UH, JARED ALSO HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL, SO I THANK THEM BOTH AND YOU GUYS FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
OKAY, THEN I'D LIKE TO MOVE, THEN WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, DISCUSS, UH, PERSONNEL SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR INVOLVING INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE.
AND WE'RE NOT COMING BACK TONIGHT.