[00:00:01]
WELCOME TARA TOWN BOARD'S, UH, WORK SESSION.
IT'S, UH, JANUARY 5TH AT SIX 11, UH, PM AND WE'RE GONNA START WITH A DISCUSSION OF THE ERY, UM, UH, STORAGE, UM, UH, FACILITY PROPOSAL.
AND I SHOULD MENTION THAT, UM, MON FRY TAG WHO, WHO, UM, IS A MEMBER OF, UM, THE PLANNING BOARD, UH, VISITED, UM, THE FACILITY IN CAROLINA, UH, YOU KNOW, TODAY.
AND, UH, SHE CALLED ME AFTER GARRETT SPEAKS.
I COULD GIVE YOU A BRIEF SUMMARY OF WHAT SHE SAID THAT WASN'T A TESLA FACILITY, RIGHT? I DON'T THINK SO.
UM, YEAH, SO I JUST WANNA PROVIDE A VARIETY OF UPDATES.
SO, UM, ON THE NORWOOD COUNTRY CLUB, UH, PROPOSAL, UM, CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARING, I BELIEVE IS SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 13TH.
UM, I DID REACH OUT TO A CONSULTANT AT THE RECOMMENDATION OF, UH, ONE OF THE FIRE COMMISSIONERS AT ONE OF THE FIRE DISTRICTS IN THE TOWN.
UM, AND I REACHED OUT TO A PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, AS A CODE AND FIRE SAFETY EXPERT.
UH, SO THEY'RE GONNA BE LOOKING OVER THE DOCUMENTATION FROM THAT APPLICATION.
UH, WE'RE GONNA HIGHLIGHT EXCERPTS FROM THE, UH, UH, TRANSCRIPT FROM THE TOWN BOARD MEETING, AND, UM, REALLY JUST BOIL DOWN ALL THE, UH, CONCERNS THAT THE PUBLIC RAISED FROM A, UH, UH, SAFETY PERSPECTIVE.
AND, UM, HAVE THEM BE AVAILABLE TO, UH, YOU KNOW, GIVE THEIR OPINION ON THE APPLICATION, UH, FROM A SAFETY PERSPECTIVE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, RIGHT ON TO, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL MITIGATIONS, UH, ANY TYPE OF RECOMMENDATIONS AS FAR AS THE SITE PLAN GOES.
UM, SO I DID WANNA MAKE THAT SPECIFIC UPDATE, UH, FOR THE NORWOOD COUNTRY CLUB, UH, APPLICATION.
UM, JUST GONNA TRANSITION TO MY NOTES HERE.
UM, I, I, I KNOW THAT THERE'S, UH, YOU KNOW, BEEN A LOT OF, OF, OF GOOD THOUGHTS FROM, UH, THE PLANNING BOARD AND, UH, THE C A C THAT HAVE BEEN CONVEYED OVER THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS.
UM, YOU KNOW, REGARDING, UH, POLICY REGARDING ENERGY STORAGE.
AND, UM, UH, ONE AREA THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK IS, IS, UH, UH, THAT I'M VERY MUCH IN AGREEMENT WITH IS, UH, THEIR RECOMMENDATION WITH REGARD TO OUR ZONING ORDINANCE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE PLANNING BOARD HIGHLIGHTED THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC UTILITY SECTION WHEN THAT CAME INTO EXISTENCE, UH, BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS, UM, WERE ON NO ONE'S RADAR.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T THOUGHT OF WHEN THAT SECTION WAS WRITTEN SO CLEARLY.
UM, I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO COME UP WITH A ZONING ORDINANCE, UM, THAT THINKS ABOUT THESE SYSTEMS. UM, AND THERE ARE DIFFERENT SYSTEMS, RIGHT? WE'VE GOT SYSTEMS THAT ARE VERY SMALL SCALE THAT, UM, PEOPLE ASSOCIATE WITH THEIR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, RIGHT? GOOD SYSTEMS, NEEDED SYSTEMS. UM, WE'RE, WE'VE NOW SEEN, WE'VE GOT AN APPLICATION, UH, I SHOULD SAY, WE'VE GOT, UH, INTENT AND INTEREST IN DOING, UH, A SMALL SCALE, WE'LL CALL IT BATTERY, BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM AT, UH, ONE OF THE SHOPPING PLAZAS ON CENTRAL.
SO THAT'S SORT OF A, A DIFFERENT TYPE OF, OF SYSTEM OR COMMERCIAL SYSTEM.
UM, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE THE KNOLLWOOD, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A, A LARGE SCALE, UM, UH, PROPOSAL.
SO, UM, THERE, THERE SEEMS ABSOLUTELY, I AGREE WITH THE C A C, I AGREE WITH THE PLANNING BOARD, AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, THINK ABOUT OUR ZONING ORDINANCE, UM, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S SPECIAL PERMIT, UM, IN VARIOUS DISTRICTS.
THINK ABOUT THE TYPES OF SPECIAL PERMIT CONDITIONS THAT, UM, CAN HELP US, UH, BEST REGULATE THESE USES.
SO, UM, THAT WAS A KEY RECOMMENDATION FROM THE PLANNING BOARD AND THE, UH, C A C AND, UH, I FULLY ENDORSED THAT.
UM, I, I, I TRACKED THE EMAILS A BIT, UM, OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS.
UH, I WAS ON VACATION FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS, BUT I DID SEE SOME EMAILS COME THROUGH.
I KNOW THERE, UM, WAS TALK ABOUT THE SERTA, UH, MODEL LOCAL LAW, AND ABSOLUTELY THAT LAW IS A GOOD BASE, RIGHT? BUT THERE'S SOME KEY AREAS THAT, THAT NEED TO BE CUSTOMIZED SO THAT THAT LOCAL LAW IS RIGHT FOR THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
UM, SO I THINK, UH, AT PRESENT, UM, IT'S, IT'S A BIT PREMATURE JUST TO RE TO RELAY THAT, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, SORT OF GENERIC LOCAL LAW, ALBEIT A GOOD BASE, UH, TO THE PLANNING BOARD.
I WOULD ACTUALLY, UM, RECOMMEND THAT, UH, THE TOWN BOARD GIVE, UH, MY STAFF SOME TIME.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO, UH, BE WORKING CLOSELY ON LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, THE MODEL ORDINANCE, GOING THROUGH A VARIOUS NYSERDA UH, LEGISLATION AND, AND, AND, AND, AND, UM, BEST PRACTICES.
UH, WE'RE GONNA REACH OUT TO ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS.
WE'RE GONNA COMB, UM, ZONING ORDINANCES THROUGHOUT
[00:05:01]
WESTCHESTER COUNTY.WE MAY GO BEYOND AND LOOK IN NEW YORK STATE AND SEE WHAT'S BEING DONE TO SEE WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES, UM, HAVE SOME GOOD, GOOD, GOOD, UM, LEGISLATION.
AND, UM, I THINK ABSOLUTELY, UM, THAT COULD BE SOMETHING WE STRIVE FOR.
UM, NOW I KNOW THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE AN ACTIVE APPLICATION AT THE COUNTRY CLUB, UM, SO THAT, THAT'S COMING UNDER A SPECIAL PERMIT.
UH, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, NOT IMMEDIATELY GO INTO THIS LOCAL LAW RESEARCH AND PREPARE A LOCAL LAW, WHICH I'M RECOMMENDING.
UM, BUT THAT IS APPLICATION AND THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO, UM, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE THAT PROCESS.
SO, UM, I THINK THOSE ARE SOME OF THE MAIN THINGS I, I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT.
UM, I BELIEVE THE GREENVILLE SHOPPING CENTER AND THE MIDWAY SHOPPING CENTER, WHICH ARE, UM, NOT FORMAL APPLICATIONS.
UM, I WANNA SAY THEY'RE, WE, WE INVITED THEM TO COME INTO A TOWN BOARD WORK SESSION, PERHAPS THE THIRD WEEK, THIRD TUESDAY OF THIS MONTH.
I WANTED TO VERIFY THAT DATE WITH THE TOWN BOARD 'CAUSE I HAVE TO GET BACK TO THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL, UH, APPLICANT.
UM, I, I WOULD, I ALSO WILL WAGER THAT THIS PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANT THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE, LOOK AT THE NORWOOD COUNTRY CLUB, I WANNA INVITE THEM IN FOR THAT AS WELL.
UM, IT'S A DIFFERENT TYPE OF APPLICATION, RIGHT? IT'S CLOSER TO A BUILDING.
UM, IT'S CLOSER TO RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
SO I'D LIKE THEIR INITIAL INPUT, UM, AT, AT THAT, THAT PRE-SUBMISSION CONFERENCE, IF YOU WILL.
UM, SO I'M GONNA INVITE THAT APPLICANT, UH, YOU KNOW, CONTINGENT UPON THE TOWN BOARD NOT OBJECTING.
UH, I'M GONNA INVITE THAT PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANT TO, TO BE THERE FOR YOU TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
I KNOW THE COMMUNITY HAS RAISED, UM, SAFETY CONCERNS, SO WE WANT TO HAVE THEM THERE FOR THAT.
SO, UM, THAT'S AN OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE THINGS I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT AS I'VE YOU JUST GETTING BACK FROM, FROM SOME TIME OFF AND, UH, AND JUMPING BACK IN HERE.
BUT, UM, THOSE ARE SOME OF MY INITIAL IMPRESSIONS.
DO WE ASK FOR AN E I S ON THAT NORWOOD APPLICATION? YOU'RE, HAS THE TOWN BOARD ASKED FOR AN E I SS WILL WE, SHOULD WE, I'M ASKING.
OH, UM, IF YOU'RE ASKING MY OPINION, UM, UH, AND ASK AN E I S ON THAT APPLICATION, UM, YOU KNOW, IN E I SS YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD CITE, UH, A SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN.
UH, I KNOW THE C A C HAS DONE A LOT OF GOOD RESEARCH AND THEY'VE THOUGHT ABOUT THE VARIOUS AREAS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN, WHETHER IT'S, UM, ZONING, UH, TRAFFIC, UH, YOU KNOW, FLOODING THAT HAPPENS IN THE AREA.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THE TOWN BOARD WILL HAVE TO CONSIDER.
UM, YOU KNOW, IN EVERYTHING THAT I'VE LOOKED AT, I DON'T SEE ANY SPECIFIC IMPACT, UM, THAT APPROACHES THAT LEVEL WHERE YOU WOULD CONSIDER AN E I S, BUT ULTIMATELY THAT'S YOUR DECISION.
UM, I WAS NOT AT THE SITE VISIT.
I, I'VE BEEN CAUGHT BROUGHT UP TO SPEED ON, ON, ON THAT SITE VISIT.
UM, BUT I, I, I, YOU KNOW, I, I, I, I, I DON'T, I DON'T SEE THAT AS, UM, UH, IT, IT DOESN'T STRIKE ME AS THE TYPE OF APPLICATION THAT WOULD LEND ITSELF TO AN E I S I JUST LIKE TO, UH, UM, YEAH, YOU KNOW, MY THOUGHTS OF, YOU KNOW, FOR, I FEEL THAT A MORATORIUM REALLY WOULD MAKE, UH, A LOT OF SENSE.
AND WHAT I'VE SUGGESTED IS MAYBE A MORATORIUM WITH A FIXED PERIOD OF TIME, SAY A THREE, SAY A FOUR MONTH MORATORIUM.
UM, AND IN THE BODY OF A RESOLUTION, WE WOULD SAY THAT THE MORATORIUM WOULD NOT BE RENEWABLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I FEEL THAT, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF, I THINK MOST PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ARE VERY OPEN-MINDED TO THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF THE BATTERY STORAGE.
SO IT'S NOT REALLY THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WANT TO KILL IT, IT, UH, OR, OR, OR STOP IT.
PEOPLE JUST WANT INFORMATION YOU, WHICH YOU'RE REALLY DOING.
AND I FEEL THAT IF WE HAD A MORATORIUM, UM, IT WILL CALM PEOPLE DOWN.
UH, IT WOULD FORCE US WITHIN THE DEFINED PERIOD OF TIME WHEN WE THE, WHEN WE SAY THERE'S GONNA BE MORE AUDITORIUM TO REACH OUT TO CONSULTANTS, TO REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, TO COME UP WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WITH A PLAN.
UM, I SPOKE TO OWNER FRY TAG, UM, EARLIER, UH, YOU KNOW, TODAY SHE VISITED, UM, THE, UM, THE FACILITY, YOU KNOW, DOWN SOUTH BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SHE HAS, UM, A SECOND, UM, YOU KNOW, HOME, YOU KNOW, CLOSE BY.
AND SHE SAID THE STORAGE FACILITY IS, YOU KNOW, VERY, VERY BIG.
IT'S NOT REALLY THAT ATTRACTIVE.
SHE FEELS THAT IF IT'S IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA, MAYBE THERE SHOULD BE, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, ABU IT SHOULD BE PUT IN A BUILDING RATHER THAN LOOK LIKE A, A, YOU KNOW, VERY, VERY, VERY COMMERCIAL.
UM, I THINK THAT, UM, IN TERMS OF THE CENTRAL AVENUE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CONCERN IS, UM, UH,
[00:10:01]
THE SECU THE SECURITY ISSUES.UH, THERE'S NOT GONNA BE SOMEBODY AROUND THAT LOCATION AROUND THE BATTERY FACILITY, YOU KNOW, 24 HOURS, YOU KNOW, A DAY.
UM, SO WE HAVE TO ADDRESS SECURITY, WE HAVE TO, UM, ADDRESS THE, THE FENCING, UM, UH, WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THE LANDSCAPING.
AND I JUST REALLY THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A SUCCESS RECORD WITH PROJECTS THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SKEPTICAL ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, WITH BRIGHTVIEW, WE ALL WORKED TOGETHER AND WE GOT SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, ALL THE PARTIES, YOU KNOW, PARTICIPATED IN THE PROCESS.
WE REACHED A CONSENSUS, YOU KNOW, MOST, UH, WITH, UM, THE ASSISTED LIVING.
UM, THE CHELSEA, THE SAME THING HAPPENING.
WE WORKED WITH THE COMMUNITY, EVERYBODY WORKED TOGETHER, AND THERE WAS A CONSENSUS AND EVERYBODY, AND IT'S, IT'S BEEN BUILT, I HAVE LIKE ZERO DOUBTS IN MY MIND THAT IF WE TAKE IT A LITTLE SLOWLY, DO THE MORATORIUM, NOT MAKE IT RENEWABLE, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATE IN, UM, IN THE SELECTION OF CONSULTANTS, WHICH IS WHAT I'VE DONE OVER THE YEARS, THEN PEOPLE WILL BUY INTO THE PROCESS.
AND I, I AM LIKE 99.999% SURE THAT WE'LL HAVE A GREAT LOOK AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO, UM, FIND A CONSENSUS.
AND I THINK YOU COULD TURN SOMETHING THAT POTENTIALLY IS CONTROVERSIAL INTO SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY WILL BE PROUD OF.
SO WE HAVE A CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARING NEXT WEEK.
SO THE PUBLIC HEARING IS GONNA BE ON WEDNESDAY OF NEXT WEEK.
AND, UM, IF PEOPLE WANT TO SPEAK, THAT WOULD BE THE APPROPRIATE TIME RATHER THAN THE WORK SESSION NEXT TUESDAY.
I JUST WANNA ALSO MENTION THAT, UM, I WAS READING SOME, UM, PUBLICATIONS, UM, AND I THINK I SENT THE TOWN BOARD COPIES OF LETTERS THAT I WROTE TO, UH, THERE'S SOMEBODY, THERE'S A BATTERY FACILITY CONSORTIUM, AND
YOU KNOW, I'VE WRITTEN TO SOME ENVIRONMENTAL, YOU KNOW, GROUPS, SO I'M TRYING TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THEM.
I'M NOT SURE IF THEY'RE GONNA RESPOND OR IF THEY WILL WANNA PARTICIPATE, BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I FEEL THAT THE MORE INFORMATION WE GET ON THIS, YOU KNOW, THE BETTER.
AND IT'S DEFINITELY BEEN VERY EDUCATIONAL BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AS, AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS, I THINK WE'RE ALL LEARNING A LOT.
YOU INVITED THEM TO THE MEETING, ACTUALLY, WHICH IS GREAT.
YOU KNOW, AT LEAST I'M, AND I THINK LAST WEEK I INVITED OTHER PEOPLE.
I GET A MAGAZINE CALLED CITY AND STATE, AND ABOUT A WEEK AGO THEY HAD A PUBLICATION LISTING ALL THE ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS.
I WAS JUST LOOKING THROUGH THE NAMES AND I SAID, OH, THE, I THINK THERE WERE LIKE FOUR OR FIVE NAMES THAT I THOUGHT WERE APPROPRIATE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHY, THAT'S HOW I GOT THOSE, THOSE NAMES ALSO A CLEVER WAY OF GETTING FREE ADVICE.
BUT YEAH, I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC TO REALIZE THAT I THINK WHETHER PEOPLE ARE FOR THE MORATORIUM OR AGAINST THE, UH, MORATORIUM, EVERYBODY ON THE TOWN BOARD, IN MY OPINION, WANTS TO DO THE RIGHT THING, AND WE ALL WANNA DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE.
YOU KNOW, WE MAY HAVE SOME DIFFERENCES AS TO THE WAY TO GET TO THE LAW, BUT I, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, WANTS TO FOLLOW UP ON THE SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BROUGHT OUT DURING THE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
AND WE'LL GIVE GARY A ANOTHER WEEK OR SO TO COME UP TO SPEED.
EVEN THOUGH IT SEEMS LIKE HE'S HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING AFTER HIS, UH, HIS WELL DESERVED VACATION.
ANYBODY, SO NOW WE HAVE THE EXECUTIVE SET.
YOU KNOW, WHAT I'M ALSO WONDERING IS, UM, MAYBE, UM, IN THE NEXT, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UM, UH, THE LEAF BLOWER LAW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD MAYBE DISCUSS, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE HEARING.
AND, UM, AND THEN MAYBE WE COULD LIKE SCHEDULE, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, A DATE AND TIME WHEN WE REALLY WILL DO THE, UM, THE PUPPY MILL, YOU KNOW, LEGISLATION.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN SWAMPED WITH A LOT OF THINGS, BUT MAYBE IF WE JUST SAY, WE'RE REALLY GONNA PUT THIS ON THE SCHEDULE AND REALLY FOLLOW UP ON THAT, THAT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION, YOU'RE MAKING A MOTION FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION A YEAR, NEL ISSUES FOR PARTICULAR PEOPLE, UM,
[00:15:02]
FOR PERSONNEL MATTERS AND CONTRACTUAL MATTERS, AND THEN GETTING SOME LEGAL ADVICE.UM, SO YOU MAY, YOU MAY WANT TO MAKE A, UM, A TYPOGRAPHICAL CORRECTION HERE WHERE IT SAYS, MOTION FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS PERSONNEL ISSUES INVOLVING BY INDIVIDUALS.
SO I, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST MAY WANNA MAKE THAT CORRECTION.
WHERE IS THAT ERROR WHERE IT SAYS MOTION FOR EXECUTIVE? WELL, YOU JUST, YOU JUST ERASED IT.
THAT'S THE ADVANTAGE OF DOING THIS BY ZOOM.
IS IT A SECOND? UH, I SECONDED.
AND WE WON'T BE COMING BACK THIS EVENING.