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YEAH.OH, WELL, WELCOME TO OUR TOWN BOARD
[ 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]
MEETING.UM, TODAY IS FEBRUARY 16TH AT 6:30 PM AND, UM, THE FIRST ITEM WE HAVE IS, COULD YOU PULL UP THE AGENDA? SURE.
I THINK IT WAS, UH, THE BLACK LIVES MATTER SIGNAGE.
SO, UM, OUR GROUP, UH, SUBCOMMITTEE HAS BEEN MEETING, UH, IT HAS EXPANDED A BIT.
IT'S NOW MYSELF, FRANCIS GARRETT, TERRENCE JACKSON, JUDITH BEVILLE, BISHOP PRESTON, PASTOR WILLIAMS, CLIFF ABRAM, SARAH BRACY, WHITE, RICH FAWN, UH, ANTHONY FROM THE SIGN SHOP, MIKE BRODER AND MADISON HOOD.
UM, A YOUNG ARTIST FROM THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, THREE SEPARATE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON SIMULTANEOUSLY.
UM, ONE IS TO, UH, PUT UP SIGNS AT THE ENTRY POINTS TO THE TOWN OF GREENBERG.
THE SECOND IS TO CREATE BANNERS, UM, FOR, UH, DESIGNATED BUILDINGS IN THE TOWN.
AND THE THIRD IS TO CREATE A MURAL UNDERNEATH THE OVERPASS, UH, WHERE 2 87 GOES ACROSS MANHATTAN AVENUE.
UM, THE, UH, THERE ARE, UH, SIX ENTRY POINT SIGNS, UM, THAT COME INTO THE TOWN.
AND WE, THE, THE COMMITTEE, UH, PICKED, UH, A SLOGAN.
UM, ALL LIVES CAN'T MATTER UNTIL BLACK LIVES MATTER.
AND, UH, WE CHOSE, UH, THIS AS THE SIGN.
UM, IT'S GOING TO HAVE RE REFLECTIVE LETTERS, SO AT NIGHT, WHEN HEADLIGHTS HIT IT, IT WILL GLOW.
UM, WE, OUR INTENTION IS TO, UH, FIX THIS SIGN, UH, TO THE ENTRY SIGNS AT THE SIX DIFFERENT ENTRY POINTS TO THE TOWN.
AND GARRETT WAS KIND ENOUGH TO PROVIDE, UH, THE LOCATIONS OF THOSE SIGNS EARLIER TODAY.
AND, UM, UH, THERE IN VARYING DIFFERENT PLACES IN THE TOWN.
UH, UH, ONE IS ON NORWOOD ROAD ACROSS FROM PROSPER NURSERY.
A SECOND IS ON CENTRAL AVENUE IN FRONT OF MICHAELS.
A THIRD IS ON CENTRAL AVENUE, HEADING NORTH IN FRONT OF THE FAMA, UH, AND URGENT CARE DENTAL, UM, WHERE THERE'S CURRENTLY NO SIGN, WE WOULD BE ACTUALLY ERECTING A SIGN.
UH, AND THEN THERE'S ON SAWMILL RIVER ROAD HEADING NORTH, JUST PAST THE MOBILE GAS STATION IN LEY.
AND, UM, THERE'S ONE ON WHITE PLAINS ROAD HEADING EAST, JUST PAST THE SPRING HILL SUITES.
AND THERE'S ONE ON TARRYTOWN ROAD IN FRONT OF C V S.
SO WE WOULD BE PUTTING THESE BLACK LIVES MATTER SIGNS, UM, UH, ON EACH OF THE, ON UNDER, WE BELIEVE, I, I THINK WE DECIDED TO DO IT, UH, ON EITHER ON, ON THE SIGNPOSTS THAT ARE HOLDING UP THE CURRENT WELCOME TO GREENBERG SIGN.
UM, SOME OF THE WELCOME TO GREENBERG SIGNS ARE, ARE MUCH NICER THAN OTHERS.
SO WE MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER UPGRADING THE WELCOME TO GREENBERG SIGNS IN ALL THESE LOCATIONS WHEN WE ADD THE BLACK LIVES MATTER SIGN.
UM, THE SECOND PROJECT, UH, IS A BANNER PROJECT, UM, WHICH WE HOPE TO, UM, CREATE, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS FIVE DIFFERENT BANNERS FOR FIVE DIFFERENT BUILDINGS, UH, ENGAGING THE SCHOOL KIDS FROM THE DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE TOWN.
UM, AND, UM, THE, UH, ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE, UM, IS GOING TO, WE, WE'VE DISCUSSED THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE SPONSORING AN ESSAY CONTEST, UH, WHERE KIDS, WHILE THEY'RE WORKING ON THE BANNER PROJECT, UM, CAN ANSWER A QUESTION.
CLIFF CLIFF ABRAMS SUGGESTED THAT WE POSE A QUESTION, UM, LIKE, WHY DO WE HAVE TO SAY BLACK LIVES MATTER? AND HAVE, UM, KIDS, UH, WRITE ABOUT THAT.
AND SARAH BRACY WHITE TALKED ABOUT CREATING A BOOKLET, UM, WITH THE ART THAT THE KIDS CREATE, AS WELL AS THESE ESSAYS, UH, TO GIVE OUT AT THE OPENING OF THE
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MURAL PROJECT.UM, SO YEAH, WE ARE, WE ARE, WE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
UM, UM, THE THIRD IS, IS, IS THE MURAL, UH, ON THE WALL UNDER THE OVERPASS.
AND, UM, WE'RE ALSO, UH, INVOLVING, UH, GREENBERG CENTRAL SEVEN GREENBERG CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UH, THE YOUTH FROM THE COMMUNITY CENTER, UM, AND, UH, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, UH, IN THE CREATION OF THAT MURAL.
UM, BUT IS THAT MURAL GONNA BE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, PLACED ON THE WALL? YEAH, IT'S GONNA BE ON THE WALL, ON, ON BOTH SIDES OF MANHATTAN AVENUE.
WHEN IS THAT GONNA HAPPEN? WELL, WE'RE NOT SURE YET.
ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT IS, UM, THE SCOPE OF IT.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S TALK ABOUT MOVING THE ROCKS, UH, BRINGING THEM TO SCHOOL, HAVING THEM PAINTED, PAINTED, BRINGING THEM BACK.
'CAUSE THE IDEA IS TO, UM, PAINT THE ROCKS RED, BLACK, GREEN, AND PERHAPS GOLD.
UM, AND ON CERTAIN OF THE ROCKS TO HAVE THE NAMES OF INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE KILLED AT THE HANDS OF POLICE OVER THE YEARS, UH, ON THE ROCKS LEADING UP TO THE MURAL.
AND THEN ON THE WALLS, IT WILL BE, UH, UH, SO ALMOST LIKE A, UM, UH, REPRESENTATION OF THE HISTORY FROM 1619 TO THE PRESENT.
UM, FOCUSING MORE, UH, AT SOME POINTS ON ACTUAL, UH, GREENBERG RESIDENTS AND THINGS THAT GREENBERG RESIDENTS HAVE DONE OVER THE YEARS.
I HAVE A QUESTION, QUESTION, AND I'M HOPING, I'M HOPING THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN, BUT THIS IS A QUESTION.
SO, WOULD THERE BE ROCKS AVAILABLE GOT FORBID THIS HAPPENS AGAIN, THAT WE CAN ADD THAT PERSON'S NAME TO THE ROCK? YES, THERE SHOULD BE.
AND, AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION I HAD, WHAT WOULD BE THE AGE GROUP OF PARTICIPANTS? YOU SAID STUDENTS, SO IS THERE, I THINK WE JUST, WE HAVEN'T NAILED THAT DOWN YET.
UM, THE DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS MIGHT BE DOING DIFFERENT THINGS DEPENDING ON HOW OLD DE, DEPENDING ON THE DIFFICULTY OF THE TASK.
UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF, WE WE'RE STILL TRYING TO NAIL THAT DOWN.
AND THERE'S, I HAD THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WERE SAYING THAT OBVIOUSLY.
UM, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE HISTORY, UM MM-HMM.
I MEAN, WE'VE HAD SOME REALLY WORLD FAMOUS PEOPLE LIKE CAMP CALLAWAY.
UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED IN GREENBURG WHO HAVE BECOME NATIONALLY KNOWN.
I'M WONDERING IF THEIR IMAGES COULD BE, UH, UH, USED, YOU KNOW, MURAL BECAUSE OF REAL, YOU KNOW, AS PEOPLE ARE DRIVING OR WALKING, THEY SEE SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, THEY SEE NAMES OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE, YOU KNOW, BECOME SO WELL KNOWN.
IT COULD BE INSPIRING TO THEM.
THAT'S, YEAH, THAT'S PART OF THE PLAN.
SO IT'S SOMEWHAT PROTECTED FROM THE ELEMENTS.
UH, WE WILL, THE ARTS, THE, I DON'T, FRANCIS, WERE YOU PART OF THE GROUP THAT SPOKE WITH ARTS WESTCHESTER? UM, WHERE THEY RECOMMENDED THAT WE HAVE A MURALIST, UH, WORK WITH US, UM, TO OVERSEE THE CREATION OF THE MURAL, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE QUALITY OF THE PAINT, THE TYPE OF WALL THAT WE'RE PAINTING ON CONSISTENCY, ALL PLAY A PART.
THE CONSISTENCY, ALL, ALL PLAY A PART.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT HIRING A MURALIST TO, UH, OVERSEE THE PROJECT OR AID US WITH THE PROJECT, BECAUSE MADISON HOOD IS OUR YOUNG STUDENT ARTIST FROM THE COMMUNITY MM-HMM.
SO WE WANT MADISON TO WORK WITH THE MURALIST SO THAT WE COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA HAVE, UH, A LIFESPAN.
UM, BUT SO WE, WE, WE TALKED, WE'RE LOOKING AROUND, UH, FOR FUNDING.
WE THOUGHT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET SOME C D B G FUNDS.
UH, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET SOME OTHER GRANT FUNDING.
UM, AND SO WE'RE, UH, BATTING THAT AROUND RIGHT NOW TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT WHERE THAT MIGHT COME FROM.
UM, IF, IF NOT, YOU KNOW, TO, TO LESSEN THE BURDEN ON, ON THE TOWN.
UM, SO PAUL, YOU ASKED WHEN THAT MIGHT OCCUR.
UH, THE MURAL IS PROBABLY THE MOST DIFFICULT LABOR INTENSIVE PART OF THIS TRILOGY.
SO IT IS GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME, UH, BEFORE THE MURAL ACTUALLY COMES TO PASS.
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SOMETIME NEXT YEAR.UH, SO WITH THAT IN MIND, WHAT WE WANTED TO DO IS SORT OF ROLL THIS OUT IN STAGES.
SO WE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS MOMENT IN HISTORY, UM, AND THEN KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING MM-HMM.
UH, SO TO THAT END, WHAT WE THOUGHT OF DOING WAS TO HAVE THE SIGN SHOP CREATE THE SIGNS FIRST, THE SIX SIGNS FOR THE ENTRY POINTS, UM, SO WE CAN GET THOSE UP.
UM, THAT CAN HAPPEN RELATIVELY QUICKLY AT RELATIVELY LOW COST, I'M TOLD MM-HMM.
UM, AND THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, A FEW MONTHS LATER WE'LL ROLL OUT THE BANNERS, UM, AFTER HAVING THE STUDENTS WORK ON THEM.
UH, WELL, ACTUALLY, ARTS AND CULTURE IS GONNA SPONSOR AN ESSAY CONTEST.
WHAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO US WAS THAT IT'S MORE THAN JUST AN, IT'S MORE THAN JUST AN ART PROJECT.
IT'S MORE THAN JUST A SAYING, WE WANT IT TO BE A HISTORY LESSON, AND THIS IS THE WAY IN WHICH WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT INTO A HISTORY LESSON FOR PEOPLE SO THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE WORDS MEAN, WHY WE HAVE, WHY WE'RE SAYING THEM, WHY WE'RE SAYING THEM NOW, WHY THEY'RE IMPORTANT.
YOU KNOW, YOU COULD EVEN, UM, MAYBE WE COULD PUT UP LIKE A TEMPORARY SIGN UNDER THE BRIDGE, YOU'RE SAYING, COMING SOON.
UM, UH, MURAL, HI, YOU KNOW, UH, MURAL, UH, TELL, UH, YOU KNOW, HELP US TELL THE STORY AND MAYBE HAVE LIKE A CONTACT INFORMATION IF PEOPLE HAVE IDEAS THAT MAYBE WE REALLY HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF.
UM, BUT SAY SOMETHING LIKE, MORE TO COME OR COMING SOON, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THAT SOMETHING MORE IS HAPPENING.
I'M GLAD I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT.
THANK YOU FOR TERENCE FOR THAT.
AND THE IDEA IS THAT THEY TAKE THAT SIGN AND FOR THE BANNERS YOU COULD DIVIDE UP THAT SIGN.
SO THE, THE ENTRANCE SIGNS IS, IS AS IT APPEARS, I CAN BRING IT UP AGAIN.
SO FOR THE ENTRANCE SIGNS, IT'LL BE LIKE THIS BECAUSE THAT WOULD FIT ON ONE OF THE POSTS ON THE ENTRANCE SIGNS, BUT BANNERS DIVIDE IT UP AND HAVE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BANNER, ALL LIVES CAN'T MATTER.
AND THEN HAVE THIS IN THE MIDDLE.
AND THEN IF WE HAVE A LOT OF SPACE ON THE SIDE OF A BUILDING, WE MIGHT ACTUALLY HAVE IT JUST ALL RUN, BUT KEEPING THE SAME, SAME FONTS, UH, AS YOU SEE HERE, SO THAT THERE'S CONSISTENT BRANDING THROUGHOUT, UH, THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.
I, I REALLY LIKE THAT I, THAT IDEA, UM, ARTISTICALLY THAT'S PRETTY HOT.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, PROPOSE THAT WE, WE ACTUALLY ELIMINATE WORK WITH D O T, ELIMINATE THOSE SIGNS, WHICH ARE RATHER GENERIC AND NONDESCRIPT.
THEY'RE THE TYPICAL SIGNS THAT YOU SEE ON THE HIGHWAY AND DO SOMETHING NICE WITH THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
AND THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, TO COMBO THAT WITH THE, UH, BLACK LIVES MATTER INITIATIVE WOULD BE WONDERFUL.
SO THAT, THAT IS INDEED THE THOUGHT.
BUT SOME OF THOSE SIGNS ARE NOT ENTRANCEWAYS SOME OF THE, THE, THE, THE GAS STATION, FOR EXAMPLE, ON SAWMILL RIVER ROAD, UH, THAT'S NOT AN ENTRANCEWAY TO GREENBURG BECAUSE YOU'RE COMING OUT OF LEY AND INTO THE INCORPORATED AREA.
SO, UH, WE COULD, WE COULD HAVE ENTRANCEWAYS TO THE UNINCORPORATED AREA AS WELL, BUT WE, WE NEED TO CATCH EACH ONE OF THE ENTRANCEWAYS TO THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, UH, AS WE'RE COMING IN WITH OUR LOCATIONS.
DOES THAT, THAT WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SIGNS RIGHT THERE? WELL, IT MAY NOT, BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE INCLUDING SIGNS THAT ARE REALLY NOT ENTRANCEWAYS, BECAUSE YOU'RE ALREADY IN, SO WE, WE'LL HAVE TO PLAY WITH THE SIGNS THAT ARE UP IN WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE NICE SIGNS.
THEY WERE ACTUALLY DONATED BY THE CREDIT UNION YEARS AGO, AS AS, UM, AND THEY HAD A TAG UNDERNEATH, WHICH I, I MAYBE THEY FELL OFF
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SAYING, YOU KNOW, THAT THE CREDIT UNION, UH, CREDIT UNION OR, OR DONATED BY THE CREDIT UNION, WHATEVER IT WAS.UH, BUT WE, WE, WE NEED MORE OF THOSE BECAUSE, AND AGAIN, THEY SHOULD LOOK CONSISTENT SO THAT THERE'S BRANDING FOR THE TOWN AS WELL.
AND, AND I DON'T THINK THEY WERE THAT EXPENSIVE, BUT THEY, THEY LOOK NICE.
SO, UM, YEAH, THE MURAL IS VERY INVOLVED.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, IT'S GONNA, WE'RE WE, AS I SAID, WE'RE GONNA MAY REMOVE THE ROCKS, BUILD SCAFFOLDING, CHANGE THE LIGHTING, UH, WE'RE GONNA USE A QR CODE THERE.
UM, SO IT'S GONNA BE REALLY DETAILED THAT THE QR CODE WILL LEAD TO, UM, HISTORICAL INFORMATION SO THAT KIDS CAN LEARN ABOUT, UM, WHAT THE IMAGES THAT THEY SEE DEPICTED ON THE MURAL AS YOU WERE SUGGESTING, PAUL.
UM, SO IT'S REALLY GONNA BE A NICE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE, UM, FOR PEOPLE IN THE TOWN.
I THINK IT'S GONNA COME OUT, UH, QUITE NICELY.
UM, BUT THE FIRST THING WE WERE GONNA DO WAS WORK ON THESE SIGNS.
SO, UM, SO, UH, SHOULD WE THEN, FRANCIS NOT BE THINKING OF PUTTING THEM ON THE SIGNS WHERE, UM, IT'S NOT AN ENTRYWAY? OR DO WE STILL WANT TO DO THAT? WELL, WE, WE, THERE ARE NO NICE SIGNS THAT ARE NOT ENGINES, WAYS TO GREENBERG.
SO IF WE START WITH THE NICE SIGNS THAT ARE THERE MM-HMM.
OTHERWISE WE JUST CAN'T CALL THEM.
YOU KNOW, IT DRIVES ME NUTS EVERY TIME I'M DRIVING ON NINE A OUT OF ARDSLEY INTO THE UNINCORPORATED AREA, AND IT SAYS, WELCOME TO GREEN.
I DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO PERPETUATE THE MIS THE, THE, WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE WORD I'M LOOKING FOR? THE MISINFORMATION THAT THAT SIGN PROVIDES THINKING THAT PEOPLE ARE NOW ENTERING GREENBURG WHEN YOU'VE BEEN IN GREENBURG EVER SINCE YOU, UH, ACTUALLY BEEN IN GREENBURG WHILE YOU WERE ON THE SAW MILL, SO MM-HMM.
SO THEN NOW, SO THEN TO, TO THAT POINT, DOES THOSE SIGNS WOULD GO TO WHEN YOU ARE, WHAT IS, WHAT IS OUR TOUCHPOINT? UH, KNOCKERS IS OUR TOUCHPOINT.
AND THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS IN SOME OF THE ENTRANCE POINTS, LIKE IF YOU'RE COMING FROM THE, UH, THE VILLAGES, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THE VILLAGE WILL ALLOW US TO PUT WELCOME TO GREENBERG WHEN IT'S IN THE VILLAGE OF HASTINGS.
NOW, MAYBE YOU COULD DO IT FROM YONKERS ON, UH, UH, NINE A, YOU KNOW, COMING IN.
THAT'S AN ENTRANCE POINT, AND THEN IT WOULD BE CENTRAL AVENUE.
THAT'S AN ENTRANCE POINT FROM YONKERS.
AND IT MAY BE FROM ONE 19 FROM WHITE PLAIN.
YOU CAN PUT IT IN, IN LIKE DONALD PARK AND HASTINGS.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD PUT JUST OF A BORDER OF, UH, EXACTLY EACH OF THE VILLAGES, YOU KNOW, EACH OF THE VILLAGES, WHICH WOULD BE FINE.
IN EACH OF THESE CASES, WE HAVE TO GET PERMISSION FROM THE STATE, BECAUSE MOST OF THE ENTRANCEWAYS ARE STATE ROADS, STATE RUN.
AND BE IN THEIR STATE RIGHT AWAY.
THERE WOULD BE, THERE WOULD BE LEGWORK INVOLVED.
BUT THERE'S A LOT, A LOT OF WORK HAS BEEN GOING ON.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, WE CAN'T JUST DECIDE TO PAINT ON THE NEW YORK STATE BRIDGE.
SO, UH, HOWEVER, NEW YORK STATE HAS BEEN VERY COOPERATIVE.
I MEAN, WHEN YOU HEAR AS KEN DESCRIBES THE PROJECT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A REALLY, IT'S AN ONGOING EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVE, UH, REGARDING BLACK LIVES MATTER, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT IT'S, IT'S JUST GOING TO HELP OUR, OUR OUR YOUNGEST ALSO LEARN, YOU KNOW, WITH CLIFF'S, UH, STATEMENT AS TO WHY DO YOU HAVE TO, TO, TO SAY BLACK LIVES MATTER? I MEAN, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND SO THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S ALL KINDS OF OPPORTUNITIES HERE OF LEARNING.
SO WHEN THE STATE CAME OUT AND WAS LOOKING, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD THINK THAT THEY MIGHT NOT WANT US TO BE AFFIXING SOMETHING TO THE, TO THE CONCRETE, BUT AS LONG AS WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, ENGINEERING, UH, DRAWINGS TO SHOW THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA KNOCK DOWN THE ENTIRE RIDGE BY DRILLING A HOLE TO PUT THE SIGN, YOU KNOW, IT'D BE ABSURD IF THAT BRIDGE FALLS DOWN BECAUSE WE DRILL A HOLE TO HOLD UP THE, THE, THE, THE SIGN.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH THE BRIDGE.
SO, AND I'M NOT SAYING THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE BRIDGE
UH, BUT I, I THINK WE'RE JUST GONNA FIND A LOT OF COOPERATION FROM ANYBODY WHO GETS INVOLVED IN THIS, BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A GREAT IDEA.
HAS, HAS MADISON, HAS MADISON SHOWN YOU A DRAFT OF WHAT SHE'S THINKING? 'CAUSE SHE'S SUCH, SHE'S SO BRILLIANT.
WE'RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE, AND WE'RE THINKING THAT, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THE MURALIST IS GONNA BE INVOLVED IN WHAT, SO, BUT WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN QUITE THERE YET.
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OKAY.JUST WANTED TO GIVE PEOPLE AN UPDATE OF WHAT WE'RE THINKING AND LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO, IT IS GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF BUDGET ATTACHED TO IT, PARTICULARLY THE MURAL PIECE.
AND RIGHT NOW THE NUMBER BEING BATTED AROUND, UH, IS BETWEEN 30 AND $50,000 MM-HMM.
UH, SO WE, WE HAVE TO REALLY PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT, UM, WHERE TO GET SOME OF THAT, SOME OF THOSE FUNDS FROM.
I CAN'T IMAGINE PEOPLE NOT WANTING TO, AND, AND ENTITIES WANTING TO CONTRIBUTE TO AN EFFORT LIKE THIS.
SO IF NO ONE ELSE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, WE CAN MOVE ON.
IT'S NOT JUST ME, IT'S THE WHOLE COMMITTEE THAT I, THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER, AND IT'S REALLY GREAT, A GREAT WORKING GROUP.
OH, NOW WE HAVE THE TAX ISSUE AS THE SECOND THING.
I'M MOVING SO MANY SCREENS AROUND.
YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY SCREENS I HAVE OPEN.
OKAY, SO LAST WEEK, UH, SOMEBODY, UM, SUGGESTED THAT, UM, WE PROVIDE LATE, UH, TAX PENALTY, UH, YOU KNOW, WAIVERS BECAUSE THERE'S A VERY LARGE, UH, TAX PENALTY MM-HMM.
UM, I HAD INDICATED THAT I, I WAS SUPPORTIVE OF THE CONCEPT.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION IS LEGALLY, ARE WE ABLE TO, UM, UM, HAVE A REDUCED PENALTY OR, UM, OR WAIVE IT? AND TIM, WHAT, WHAT WAS YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? SO AGAIN, THE STANDARD GENERALLY IS THE TOWN BOARD CAN WAIVE INTEREST IN PENALTIES IF THEY DEEM IT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE TOWN.
IF YOU'RE GONNA WAIVE, UH, INTEREST IN PENALTIES, UH, FOR, FOR A GROUP OF PEOPLE, I BELIEVE YOU MAY NEED SOME STATE LEGISLATION, I'M NOT SURE, OR CERTAINLY SOME STATE, UM, GUIDANCE.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO OBTAIN THAT IF IN FACT THE BOARD, UM, DECIDES TO CONSUME THIS ISSUE APPROVAL.
SO THE ISSUE IS IF THE, IF THE STATE AUTHORIZES US, UH, CAN WE DO SO ON? THE PENALTIES KEEP INCREASING? DO WE REALLY HAVE TO MOVE FAST ON THIS? YES.
MARCH 1ST, THE PENALTIES THAT ARE OUTSTANDING FOR PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T PAY BY, UH, FEBRUARY 1ST WILL INCREASE.
I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET SOMETHING DEFINITIVE BACK AND GET IT PASSED BY MARCH 1ST.
SO, UM, WE KNOW, I JUST FELT BAD FOR THE SENIORS WHO, FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT OF WORK, AND IT WAS A VERY BIG PENALTY.
THE MAN WHO CAME TO US LAST WEEK, YOU KNOW, HE WAS READY TODAY THE WHOLE THING LIKE TWO OR THREE DAYS LATER.
SO I, I MEAN, IF HE'S, IF HE'S LISTENING, I, I WOULD SUGGEST AS WE JUST STATED, IT IS GONNA TAKE SOME TIME FOR THIS, FOR US TO CONTACT THE STATE, AND WE WOULD NOT WANT YOU TO INCUR ANOTHER FEE.
UM, SO I, I HONESTLY, I'M, I, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW TO GUIDE YOU ON THAT, BUT WE DO HAVE TO GET CLEARANCE FROM THE STATE BASED ON, UM, WHAT TIM HAS JUST SAID.
SO WE, WE WANNA, YOU KNOW, MAY WANNA THINK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE, UM, FOR US TO CONTACT THE STATE, IT'S ALREADY FEBRUARY 16TH AND THIS IS A SHORT MONTH.
SO WE, WE, WE DON'T WANNA PUT YOU IN MORE OF A DIRE STRAI THAN WHAT YOU ARE NOW.
SO WE JUST, AND UNFORTUNATELY BECAUSE THE WAY THE PAYMENTS ARE RECEIVED, YOU'RE UNABLE TO TAKE A PARTIAL PAYMENT.
SO, AND THAT IS JUST HOW IT IS IN THE SYSTEM.
SO THAT IS NOT A GREENBERG RULE, THAT IS A STATE RULE.
SO WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS CLEAR ON THAT.
SO THE TAXPAYER AND ANY OTHER TAXPAYERS WOULD HAVE TO PAY THEIR TAXES IN FULL WITH THE PENALTY, WITH THE HOPE THAT IF THE TOM BOARD CHOSE TO ADOPT LEGISLATION, IF IT WAS APPROVED, THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO GET THE PENALTY BACK AND THAT WE COULD APPLY IT RETROACTIVELY.
ACCORDING TO ANN, THE RECEIVER OF TAXES, NO OTHER MUNICIPALITY HAS, HAS DONE THAT TO HER KNOWLEDGE.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS TREATED FAIRLY.
UH, AND EVERYONE ACROSS THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, SO THAT SOME PEOPLE AREN'T AVAILING THEMSELVES OF RULES
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THAT WERE CREATED AFTER THE FACT AND OTHERS ARE NOT.SO, BUT WE
AND I THINK THAT WOULD HAVE AN ANSWER NO LATER THAN, UH, THURSDAY OR FRIDAY.
AND THEN THAT WOULD BE, UH, THE TOWN BOARD SOME, UM, KNOWLEDGE OF HOW THEY, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY CAN DO AND HOW THEY WANNA PROCEED.
IT WOULD BE ALSO GOOD TO KNOW HOW OTHER MUNICIPALITIES ARE HANDLING THESE, THIS, THIS, THESE SPECIFIC TYPES OF, UM, OF REQUESTS.
YEAH, I DID SPEAK TO MICHAEL FLAM.
I JUST WANTED TO MENTION EARLIER THIS EVENING, WHO INDICATED THAT, UM, IS THERE IS ONE, UM, MUNICIPALITY I BELIEVE IN LONG ISLAND, WHO DID, UH, AUTHORIZE SOME SORT OF REDUCTION IN PENALTIES.
I'M NOT SURE IF IT WAS THE ENTIRE PENALTY, BUT I THINK IT DID HAVE SOME SORT OF, UM, APPROVAL BY THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OR IN SOME WAY THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
SO I'LL, I'LL CERTAINLY GET THAT INFORMATION THERE.
DID, DO THEY DO THAT IN ADVANCE OF THE DUE DATE OR AFTERWARDS? I DON'T RECALL.
SO WE'RE GONNA GET A LETTER TO THE STATE.
I THINK WE'LL CALL FIRST AND JUST FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE'LL FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, HOW THIS OTHER MUNICIPALITY DID IT AND, AND LET THE BOARD KNOW.
LET ME ASK THE BOARD, IF THE STATE SAYS WE COULD DO IT, WOULD THE BOARD WANT TO DO IT DEPENDS WHAT THE IT IS, RIGHT?
I THINK IT'S 10% OF THE OUTSTANDING PAYMENT.
THAT'S WHAT ABOUT REDUCING IT IF IT'S PAID WITHIN THE FIRST MONTH, BUT IT'S 10% BECAUSE IT'S THE SECOND HALF OF THE SCHOOL TAX, THE SCHOOL TAX IS ACTUALLY DUE IN SEPTEMBER.
THE FULL AMOUNT IS ACTUALLY DUE IN SEPTEMBER.
BUT THERE'S A GRACE PERIOD FOR HALF OF THE SCHOOL TAX THAT YOU CAN PAY HALF AS LATE AS JANUARY 30TH OR 31ST.
WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WHAT'S BEING ASKED FOR HERE IS A GRACE PERIOD ON THE GRACE PERIOD.
THAT'S, AND THAT'S WHY IT'S, IT'S A FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT, UH, HIT WITH THE PENALTY, BUT THAT'S A PENALTY THAT'S IMPOSED BY THE STATE.
SO THAT'S THE, IT IT'S, IT'S FAIRLY COMPLICATED AND, BUT THE END RESULT FOR THE TAXPAYER IS IF YOU'VE MISSED THE DEADLINE, UH, THE PENALTY, PARTICULARLY FOR THE SCHOOL TAX WHEN YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE GRACE PERIOD, IS FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT.
AND THE REASON WHY IT'S 10% IS IT DATES BACK TO SEPTEMBER WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PAID IN THE FIRST PLACE.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION FOR PERSONNEL, UH, LITIGATION CONTRACTS AND IT'S PERSONNEL THAT IS INVOLVING INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEES.
AND HAS ALSO GOT LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING SOME LITIGATION.
YOU'RE MAKING THAT MOTION? I, YES.
DID YOU SECOND THAT? I DID SECOND.
AND WE WON'T BE COMING BACK THIS EVENING.