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GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY.WELCOME TO, UH, THE GREENBERG, UH, TOWN BOARD MEETING.
TODAY IS, UM, UM, FEBRUARY, UH, 20, UH, FOURTH, AND IT'S 7:40 PM WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE,
[ PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT SAYS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, AND JUSTICE.UM, AND THE TOWN CLERK NOW IS GONNA,
[ ROLL CALL: Town Clerk]
UM, HAVE A ROLL CALL TOWN.PRESENT COUNCILWOMAN DIANA NER, PRESENT, COUNCILMAN FRANCIS SHEEN, PRESENT AND INTERNAL ATTORNEY TIM LEWIS.
UM, AND WE'RE GONNA NOW HAVE A MOMENT
[ MOMENT OF SILENCE In memory of the 502,000+ individual victims of COVID-19, who have died in the United States, 2,490,000+ deaths worldwide, each leaving family members and friends too soon]
OF SILENCE IN MEMORY OF, UM, THE 502,000, UM, UM, TRYING TO MAKE IT, UM, AS A RESULT OF COVID UM, 19, THERE WERE 2,490,000 DEATHS WORLDWIDE, EACH LEAVING FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS TOO SOON.AND A NUMBER OF GREENBERG, UH, RESIDENTS ALSO LOST THEIR LIVES, UM, UH, TO COVID.
SO NO NEIGHBORHOOD TOWN, VILLAGE, OR CITY IN THE COUNTRY AND PROBABLY IN THE WORLD WAS DISAPPEARED.
[ PRESENTATIONS Sankar Gopalkrishna - Edgemont High School Senior - Mitigation of Urban Heat Islands (UHI) Anya Pathak - 5th Grader at Greenville Elementary School - Engineer Girl Writing Contest Erica Razek - Doin' Good in the Hood Isabelle Kellezi & Max Kellezi - Locally Stronger - Post Pandemic Task Force]
UM, PRESENTATIONS.AND THE FIRST PRESENTATION IS FROM SANKAR, AN EDGEMAN HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR, AND HE'S GOING DISCUSS SOME THE PROJECT HE WORKED ON MITIGATION OF URBAN HEAT ISLANDS.
SO WE WILL HEAR HIS PRESENTATION.
OKAY, SO WHAT I'M PRESENTING ON IS URBAN ISLANDS AND HOW TO MITIGATE THEM.
SO STARTING, STARTING OFF WITH WHAT URBAN ISLANDS ACTUALLY ARE, THE LOCAL AREAS AROUND URBAN AREAS, WHICH ARE WITH INCREASED TEMPERATURES, THEY'RE A LOT STRONGER IN THE NORMAL, NORMAL URBANIZED CITIES, SUCH AS LIKE, SAY NEW YORK CITY, BUT EVEN AREAS LIKE HERE, WHICH ARE MORE SUBURBAN, THE EFFECT OF URBAN ISLANDS CAN BE QUITE SIGNIFICANT ON THE HIGH END.
FOR, FOR MORE URBANIZED CITIES, IT CAN BE LIKE UPWARDS OF LIKE 10 DEGREES CELSIUS OR ABOUT 15 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT I THINK.
SO DEALING WITH THAT COULD ACTUALLY HELP MITIGATE A LARGE INCREASE IN TEMPERATURE.
THE TWO DIFFERENT TYPES ARE MORE SURFACE U H I AND ATMOSPHERIC U H I, WHICH COLLECT ON BUILDING SURFACES AND THE AIR AROUND THE CITY RESPECTIVELY.
AND IN THE US IT, IT, THEY, UM, HELP CONTRIBUTE TO CAUSING CONDUITS TO DIE HERE FROM EXTREME HEAT.
LIKE THEY HELP CONTRIBUTE TO INCREASED HEAT WAVES THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON MORE RECENTLY, AND THAT IN MORE NORMAL SITUATIONS THEY ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO HIGH ENERGY COSTS, SUCH AS FOR AIR CONDITIONING.
AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THIS IN THE RIGHT, THAT WAS JUST LIKE A DIAGRAM I HAD FOUND ABOUT HOW LIKE THE SUBURBAN AREAS WHILE NOWHERE NEAR THE STRENGTH OF CITIES, STILL HAVE LIKE A HIGH INCREASE IN TEMPERATURE.
NOW SANCAR, YOUR SCREEN'S NOT SHARED IF YOU INTEND TO.
UM, SO THIS IS THE SLIDE I WAS SHOWING BEFORE.
IF YOU LOOK ON THE RIGHT, THAT'S KIND OF SHOWING THE DOWNTOWN URBAN AREAS IN THE CENTER WITH LIKE A VERY LARGE INCREASE IN TEMPERATURE, BUT HOW EVEN THE SUBURBAN AREAS ACTUALLY HAVE A SIZABLE INCREASE, THOUGH IT'S NOTICEABLY DIFFERENT FROM WITHIN ACTUAL CITIES.
NOW LOOKING AT LIKE WHY A VEGETATION IS GOING TO BE A SOLUTION TO THAT, THE TREES PROVIDE SHADE AND COOL DOWN THEIR SURROUNDINGS THROUGH THAT, THE TRANSPIRATION, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO SWEAT EXCEPT FOR TREES, AND IT, IT'S BEEN FOUND IN NUMEROUS STUDIES THAT THE, THIS SIZEABLE TEMPERATURE CHANGE IS ONLY POSSIBLE THROUGH VEGETATION AND IT'S ONE OF THE MAIN WAYS TO ACTUALLY DEAL WITH IT AS YOU CAN IN THE GRAPH ON THE RIGHT IN NEW YORK CITY, I ACTUALLY FOUND THAT, UM, LIKE I FOUND, I FOUND THIS DIAGRAM THAT SHOWED LIKE A HIGH CORRELATION BETWEEN COOLER TEMPERATURES AND THEN INCREASED DENSITY OF VEGETATION.
THE DARK PURPLE CORRESPONDS TO WARMER
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TEMPERATURES ABOVE, OH, SORRY.IT'S, IT CORRESPONDS TO COOLER TEMPERATURES IN THE ABOVE PICTURE.
WHILE IN THE LOWER PICTURE, THE DARKER COLORS ACTUALLY SHOW INCREASED AMOUNTS OF VEGETATION.
AND SO SOME SPECIFIC IDEAS WOULD BE TO PLANT TREES ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF ROADS BECAUSE THE ATMOSPHERE THROUGH H I WOULD BE STRONGER THE EVENING.
THAT'S WHEN THE AIR HAS MORE TIME TO HEAT UP SOME.
I ALSO FOUND THAT, UM, IT'S ALSO BEEN FOUND THAT PLANTING TREES MAY BE ABOUT LIKE 10 TO 30 FEET FOR BUILDINGS AT LEAST CAN HELP PROVIDE SHADE.
AND IT'S ALSO BEEN, IN ADDITION TO THAT, IT'S ALSO BEEN FOUND THAT WHEN YOU PLANT THEM, NOT JUST IN ROWS BUT IN CLUSTERS, SO JUST LIKE IN A PARK RATHER THAN JUST A LONG ROADS, YOU CAN ACTUALLY HAVE A SLIGHTLY STRONGER EFFECTIVE COOLING.
SO GOING TO THE RESEARCH THAT I ACTUALLY HAVE DONE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, I CREATED A LINEAR REGRESSION MODEL AND A MACHINE LEARNING MODEL, WHICH ARE BASICALLY JUST TWO DIFFERENT WAYS OF LOOKING AT DATA.
I USED THAT TO KIND OF LOOK AT THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT WEATHER FACTORS ON CHANGES IN TEMPERATURE AND TO TRY AND DETERMINE WHICH FACTORS WERE MORE IMPORTANT IN AFFECTING THE TEMPERATURE.
SO THE MORE IMPORTANT FACTORS THAT I FOUND IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE WITH THE AMOUNT OF SUNLIGHT, THE AIR PRESSURE, THE HUMIDITY IN THE AIR, AND THE WIND SPEED.
NOW, IN ADDITION TO JUST THOSE DIFFERENT FACTORS, THE DIFFERENT TYPE OF TREE THAT YOU'RE CHOOSING TO PLANT IS IMPORTANT.
SOME OF THE IMPORTANT FEATURES THAT YOU WOULD LOOK FOR ARE LIKE A WIDER CANOPY AND A HIGH VOLUME OF, OF THE CROWN.
IF YOU LOOK IN THE FIGURES ON THE RIGHT, YOU HAVE LIKE A SMALLER ONE THAT WE CAST A SMALLER SHADOW VERSUS A LARGER TREE IN THE BOTTOM, WHICH SHOWS LIKE A WIDE CANOPY AND JUST A LARGE CROWN 'CAUSE IT HAS THE HIGH VOLUME OF LEAVES.
LOOKING AT NEW YORK CITY, I FOUND A FEW, A FEW DIFFERENT TYPES OF TREES THAT WERE IN REGULATION FOR THAT WERE LIKE COMMONLY USED.
AND I ALSO FOUND WHAT I, WHAT I ALSO FOUND PERSONALLY, THAT THERE WAS A ABOUT 92% DROP IN SUNLIGHT WHEN YOU INCLUDED TREE SHADE.
BUT WHEN YOU PLANT TREES, YOU WOULD ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT THE LOOK.
I FOUND THAT IT WAS RECOMMENDED THE 20 DIFFERENT 30 FEET DISTANCE BETWEEN TREES.
SO REGULATIONS LIKE THAT COULD BE IMPROVED UPON MAYBE HERE OR SOMETHING.
AND SO THAT'S JUST KIND OF SHOWING LIKE AGAIN, WHICH ONES ARE MORE DESIRABLE
SO SOME EXAMPLES OF JUST WHERE TO PLANT THEM ARE LIKE IN PARKING LOTS.
AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THIS IS LIKE NEAR THE, LIKE THE, THE CHRISTMAS TREE SHOP THAT, THAT I LIVE NEARBY.
AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE ACTUAL PARKING LOT, IT'S PRETTY BARR IN THERE.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE MULTIPLE DIFFERENT WAYS WHERE CAN GO ABOUT IMPROVING UPON THIS.
IF YOU WANT TO FOCUS ENTIRELY ON INCREASING VEGETATION, YOU CAN INCLUDE LIKE THICK MEDIUMS BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF THE PARKING LOT.
BUT IF YOU WANT IT TO BE LIKE MORE, I GUESS MORE EFFICIENT IN TERMS OF LIKE KEEPING SPACE IN THE PICTURE ON THE RIGHT IS PROBABLY MORE YOUR GOAL.
YOU CAN INCLUDE LIKE EITHER DIAMOND SECTIONS BETWEEN DIFFERENT ROWS, LIKE AROUND HERE FOR LIKE, FOR LIKE INCLUDING TREES WHILE LEAVING A LOT OF SPACE.
AND ALSO JUST ON THE SIDE YOU CAN INCLUDE MEDIANS SINCE THAT ALSO WON'T REALLY TAKE ON THAT SPACE.
UH, SORRY, DID YOU SAY SOMETHING? NOPE.
SO THE OTHER MAIN AREA IS JUST SIDEWALKS.
THIS IS, I ZOOM IN ON THE CHRISTMAS TREE SHOP, BUT FOR THE SIDEWALK THAT I FOUND NOW, IF YOU LOOK ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD, HOWEVER, THERE IS LIKE NOT, NOT NEARLY AS MUCH TREES.
THE GOAL IS TO TRY AND CREATE AN AREA THAT IS LIKE COVERED WITH TREES SO THAT YOU HAVE MORE LIKE A SHADOWED AREA THAT, SO THAT THE SUNLIGHT WON'T ACTUALLY INCREASE THE TEMPERATURE AND IT'LL MAKE IT A LOT MORE VARIABLE WHEN WALKING AROUND.
AND SO I JUST INCLUDED THIS PICTURE ON THE RIGHT OF LIKE A, A STREET IN BROOKLYN TO KIND OF JUST SHOW THE COMPARISON BETWEEN THE TWO.
NOW THERE ARE OTHER BENEFITS OF FLAGGING TREES, LIKE THERE'S THE REDUCED ENERGY COST, BUT THERE'S ALSO LIKE DECREASED GREENHOUSE EMISSIONS BECAUSE LIKE THE INCREASE IN OXYGEN, THERE'S, IT'S ALSO BEEN FOUND THAT TREES CAN HELP MITIGATE LIKE NOISE POLLUTION AND HELP WITH HEALTH ISSUES.
IT CAN ALSO LIKE, ESPECIALLY IN AREAS THAT ARE ALREADY LIKE WITH GRASS, MAYBE THEY'RE NOT JUST, THEY'RE JUST NOT BEING USED.
LIKE THEY CAN HELP WITH SOIL EROSION AND JUST SURFACE RUNOFF.
ANOTHER THING THAT'S BEEN FOUND, I THINK, IS THAT THERE HAS BEEN, WHEN YOU INCLUDE TREES, THE ACTUAL WEAR AND TEAR ON PAVEMENT IS ACTUALLY LESS, AT LEAST WHEN YOU MAKE SURE THAT THE ROOTS DON'T, WHEN YOU DETERMINE THE TYPE OF TREE THAT'S BEST SO THAT THE ROOTS DON'T AFFECT THE PAVEMENT AROUND THEM.
OTHER THINGS THAT ARE GOOD ARE THAT THERE WILL BE AN INCREASE IN INCREASE IN WILDLIFE DIVERSITY, THE IMPROVED
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AIR QUALITY, AND ALSO JUST THE RAISE AND PROPERTY VALUE THAT WAS FOUND.IT CAN, IT CAN RANGE IN DIFFERENT PARTS, BUT I THINK IT'S BEEN, THERE'S BEEN LIKE A SIZABLE ONE THROUGHOUT WHEN IT WAS LOOKED AT IN THE, THE E P A.
SO SOME PROPOSALS THAT I'VE HELPED COME UP WITH AND FOUND SOME OF WHICH I WOULD ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO HELP WITH ARE MAKING THE TREE CODE MORE U H I AWARE SO THAT YOU CAN FOCUS ON MITIGATING THE TEMPERATURE INCREASES, IDENTIFYING PRIME GREENBURG LOCATIONS TO ADD TREES, THEN IDENTIFYING WHICH TREE SPECIES WOULD BE MORE BENEFICIAL FOR THE REASONS THAT I MENTIONED BEFORE, SUCH AS LIKE DECREASED WEAR AND TEAR, MAYBE ONES THAT ARE CHEAPER TO ACTUALLY PLANT AND STUFF LIKE THAT MAY ALSO LIKE LOOK MORE AT THE BEST STRATEGY TO IMPLEMENT TREES, LIKE WHAT AREAS YOU WOULD WANT TO INCLUDE THEM IN.
AND ALSO JUST LIKE SOME OF THE GRANT, SOME GRANTS THAT I FOUND WERE THE, THE NI EC GRANT, WHICH WAS IN TOTAL ABOUT 1.4 MILLION IN 2020.
AND I, I BELIEVE IT, YOU ACTUALLY, IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN APPLIED FOR BY GREENBERG PREVIOUSLY.
SO I GUESS LIKE ANO ANOTHER MORE FOCUSED ATTEMPT AT GAINING MONEY FOR FROM A GRANT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL JUST TO MAKE IT, I GUESS, CLEAR WHY THIS IS RELEVANT TO ME, WHAT THE PROJECT THAT I'VE BEEN DOING, IT'S BEEN LOOKING AT WHAT FACTORS CAN ACTUALLY DECREASE U H I, BUT I'VE ALSO CREATED A BASIC MODEL OF LIKE THE CHANGE IN TEMPERATURE BASED ON WHERE YOU PLANT TREES.
AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO HELP CREATE A BETTER MODEL THAT CAN MORE ACCURATELY LIKE PREDICT CHANGES IN TEMPERATURE BASED ON A WIDER SCALE.
SO WORKING WITH THE CITY TO COLLECT MORE DATA AND ALSO LIKE DATA FOR MAYBE LIKE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TREES AS OPPOSED TO JUST WEATHER FACTORS WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE GREAT TO ACTUALLY LOOK AT AND HELP THE CITY WITH.
THIS IS REALLY VERY, VERY INTERESTING AND UM, WE'RE GONNA REVIEW, UH, YOUR COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS AND, AND I THINK YOU DID A FANTASTIC, UH, PRESENTATION.
DEFINITELY HAVE A VERY BRIGHT FUTURE.
AND I THINK THE TOWN SHOULD ALSO BOARD, WE SHOULD, UM, REFER THESE RECOMMENDATIONS TO, UM, PLANNING DEPARTMENT, AARON SCHMIDT, OUR FORESTRY OFFICER, AND OUR CONSERVATION ADVISORY COUNCIL.
MAYBE YOU COULD EVEN AT SOME POINT YOU MEET WITH THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY COUNCIL AND, UM, AND DISCUSS THIS IN IN MORE DEPTH.
IS THAT OKAY, GARY? YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY THIS YOUNG MAN IS, UH, GONNA BE THE C A C MEMBER IN NO TIME, BUT, UH, GOOD SUGGESTIONS.
THANKS FOR GREAT, A GREAT IDEA IF YOU'D, WE, WE'VE HAD STUDENT REPRESENTATION ON SOME OF THE BOARDS, SO IF YOU'D BE INTERESTED IN, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, EVEN SERVING ON, UM, THE CONSERVATION ADVISORY BOARD, JUST LET US KNOW.
WE ALSO HAVE ANOTHER AMAZING, UM, YOU KNOW, STUDENT ANYA PATAK, A FIFTH GRADER AT GREENVILLE AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND, UM, UM, SHE'S BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE ENGINEER GIRL WRITING CONTEST.
SO ANYA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? THANK YOU, MR. FINER.
I'M JUST GONNA SHARE MY SCREEN REAL QUICK.
MY NAME IS ANYA PATEK AND I'M A FIFTH GRADER AT GREENVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN SCARSDALE, NEW YORK.
I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE ENGINEER GIRL WRITING CONTEST, AND MY SUBMISSION ENGINEER GIRL IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS FOCUSED ON BRINGING ATTENTION TO THE EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES THAT ENGINEERING REPRESENTS FOR GIRLS AND WOMEN.
ENGINEER GIRL WAS LAUNCHED IN 2001 AND ENGINEER GIRL IS A SERVICE OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING SHORT, N A E, AND IT GREW OUT OF THE WORK OF THE NA'S COMMITTEE ON THE DIVERSITY OF THE ENGINEERING WORKFORCE.
ENGINEER GIRL HAS A PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO BECOME ENGINEER GIRL AMBASSADORS HOSTS AN ANNUAL ESSAY WRITING CONTEST HIGHLIGHTING THE ROLE OF ENGINEERS IN OUR SOCIETY AND ENGINEER GIRL ORGANIZES VARIOUS ACTIVITIES PROMOTING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVENESS IN ENGINEERING.
THIS YEAR'S WRITING CONTEST INVITED SUBMISSIONS THAT THE ENGINEERS ENGINEERING'S ROLE IN TACKLING THE CHALLENGES PRESENTED BY COVID 19.
IN MY SUBMISSION, I WROTE ABOUT DIFFERENT
[00:15:01]
MASKS THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED BY MANY UNIVERSITIES SUCH AS M I T AND UC, BERKELEY THAT ARE BIODEGRADABLE AND REUSABLE IN.AS WE ALL KNOW, THERE IS AN INCREASED MASK USAGE DUE TO COVID 19, AND IT'S CAUSING AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM.
AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, ENGINEERS AT M I T AND UC, BERKELEY AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS ARE DESIGNING REUSABLE MASKS MADE OUT OF SILICON RUBBER.
HOWEVER, THEY'RE MADE PRIMARILY FOR ADULTS AND IT DOES NOT FIT KIDS PROPERLY.
PLUS THEY CANNOT DETECT SALIVA OR MUCUS ACCUMULATION, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR KIDS.
MY MASK DESIGN IDEA THAT IS MADE FOR KIDS INCORPORATES MOLDED REUSABLE SILICONE IN THE FORM OF AN EYEGLASSES ARM INSTEAD OF THE USUAL LACE IN THE REGULAR N 95 MASK.
IT'LL ALSO INCLUDE A COLOR CHANGING STICKER ATTACHED TO THE MASK THAT WILL DETECT SALIVA AND MUCUS ACCUMULATION.
THERE WILL BE A BIODEGRADABLE FILTER MADE FROM RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE MATERIALS SUCH AS HEMP THAT I'VE BEEN SHOWN AS EFFECTIVE IN STOPPING VIRUSES.
HERE IS MY DRAWING OF MY MASK.
ANOTHER EXCELLENT PRESENTATION BY A FIFTH GRADER WHO ACTS LIKE A COLLEGE STUDENT.
UM, YOUR PRESENTATION IS REALLY AMAZING AND YOU SHOULD REALLY BE PROUD OF YOURSELF.
NEXT, WE ARE GOING TO HEAR FROM, UH, NOT A STUDENT, BUT SOMEBODY WHO IS DOING A LOT OF REALLY GREAT THINGS.
UM, ERICA RAZEK IS DOING GOOD IN THE HOOD, AND SHE'S GONNA TELL US WHAT HER PROGRAM IS ABOUT.
I SENT YOU A REQUEST TO UNMUTE.
YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO FOLLOW THE LINK TO FOLLOW THE LINK.
UM, YEAH, EVERYBODY HAD, UH, I HOPE YOU'LL BEAR WITH ME A LITTLE BIT.
I'VE NEVER ACTUALLY BEEN ON ZOOM BEFORE, IT'S LIKE THE, UH, OPENING OF THE BRADY BUNCH.
BUT, UM, ANYWAY, I AM, UH, I'M DOING, UH, I HAVE A LITTLE GROUP CALLED DOING GOOD IN THE HOOD.
I'M SORRY I DON'T HAVE A, A NICE SLIDE PRESENTATION FOR YOU.
UM, BUT, UH, I STARTED OUT IN ABOUT OCTOBER, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, AND I WAS THINKING TO MYSELF, UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF THE UNEMPLOYMENT AND FOOD SCARCITY AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PEOPLE THAT JUST NEED HELP MAKING ENDS NEED, UM, YOU KNOW, IT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER TO, UH, YOU KNOW, GATHER SUPPLIES AND THINGS THAT PEOPLE NEED, YOU KNOW, HELP THE FOOD BANKS OUT AND, AND SO ON.
AND, UM, BUT YET WE'RE IN A PANDEMIC.
AND SO PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THEY NOT ONLY DON'T HAVE TIME, THEY CAN'T NECESSARILY THINK ABOUT, OH, OKAY, I'M GONNA BUY A FEW EXTRA THINGS AND I'M GONNA PUT THEM IN THE BASKET AT THE GROCERY STORE, OR, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA REMEMBER TO BRING GROCERY BAGS TO THE FOOD, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, SOUP PANTRY OR WHATEVER IT IS.
AND, UM, SO I THOUGHT, WELL, WHY DON'T I JUST MAKE A GROUP AND PEOPLE CAN SIGN UP AND, UM, I WILL ASK THEM FOR THINGS, YOU KNOW, ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH AND THEY CAN TAKE EVERYTHING AND PUT IT OUT ON THEIR PORCH OR THEIR DRIVEWAY OR WHATEVER IT IS, AND I WILL COME PICK IT UP AND DELIVER IT TO THE FOOD BANK OR, YOU KNOW, THESE VARIOUS OTHER PLACES.
SO, UM, THE GROUP DOING GOOD IN THE HOOD IS ON NEIGHBOR NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, DOT COM OR.ORG OR WHATEVER, UM, I'M SORRY, NEXTDOOR.
AND, UM, SO I HAVE LIKE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE 250, 260 MEMBERS NOW.
UM, BUT, UH, I ONLY HAVE MAYBE 25 TO 30 ACTIVE MEMBERS.
UM, THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO GIVE AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN, WHO ARE SO GENEROUS, AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THEM IF ANYBODY'S WATCHING THIS.
BUT, UM, THEY'RE FABULOUS AND THEY JUST, YOU KNOW, GIVE AND GIVE AND GIVE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO READ OUT QUICKLY, UM, SINCE OCTOBER, A FEW OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE MANAGED TO DO, BASICALLY 25 TO 30 PEOPLE OUT OF THIS 260 PEOPLE OR SO.
UM, SORRY, BEAR WITH ME JUST A SECOND.
I SAID IF I SAID NO ZOOM EVER BEFORE.
UM, THIS IS JUST A LIST OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO JUST AS FEW FAMILIES.
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CARLOADS OF FOOD TO DOBBS FERRY FOOD PANTRY.SO EACH CARLOAD IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, EIGHT TO 10, 12 WAGONS FULL.
UM, A CARLOAD OF DIAPERS AND WIPES TO UNITED BAPTIST CHURCH WIPE PLANES, UM, A CARLOAD OF USED BLANKETS, TOWELS, DOG AND CAT FOOD TO THE YONKERS ANIMAL SHELTER.
AND ONE MORE TO, UM, PAW CROSSED IN ELMSFORD, UM, UH, CARLOAD, UH, OKAY, LET'S SEE, 17 MINCE COATS AND BOOTS TO ST.
BARTHOLOMEW'S SOUP KITCHEN, A CARLOAD OF TOYS TO GREENBURG HEALTH CENTER FOR THEIR, UM, WINTER, UH, TOY AFFAIR.
AND, UH, 65 THANK YOU GIFTS TO GREENBURG HEALTH CENTER EMPLOYEES.
AND, UH, 40 TOILETRY PACKS TO JAN BE HOUSE IN PEAK SCALE.
SO, UM, THEY'RE HAVING INTAKE AND PEOPLE COME IN AND THEY NEED SOMETHING TO GIVE THEM.
AND, UH, SO I'VE, I'VE REACHED OUT TO PEOPLE.
SO, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY MY PHILOSOPHY WITH THIS GROUP IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO BE ACTIVE DURING THE PANDEMIC AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL SEE AFTERWARD.
BUT, UM, RIGHT NOW I, I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE FEW PEOPLE THAT ARE REALLY JUST HARDCORE GIVERS AND HAVE DONE SUCH A GOOD JOB.
AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, IF ANYBODY WANTS TO CONTACT ME, WE ARE LOOKING FOR SUPPLIES AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO ARE ALSO INTERESTED IN GIVING OR WHO ARE INTERESTED IN DRIVING OR WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST, WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER HELP WE CAN GET.
AND WE'VE DEVELOPED RELATIONSHIPS WITH, UM, A LOT OF THESE PLACES.
AND, UM, I'M GOING TO BE TAKING ANOTHER CAR FULL, ANOTHER 40 BAGS TO, UM, ARMS, I THINK IT'S CALLED ARMS CROSSED OR SOMETHING, I MEAN, LIKE, UH, ARM, SHOULDER OR SOMETHING.
I DON'T KNOW THE, I DON'T KNOW THE NAME ON ME, BUT, UM, I'LL BE DELIVERING, UH, MORE PACKAGES FOR PEOPLE WHO COME IN, YOU KNOW, THEY COME IN OFF THE STREET, THEY COME IN, UM, AND NEED, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED SHAMPOO AND THEY NEED, YOU KNOW, CONDITIONER AND THEY COMBS AND TOOTHBRUSHES AND TOOTHPASTE AND, YOU KNOW, SO ON.
SO, AND ALSO, UH, FEMININE SUPPLIES AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY WORKING HARD ON COLLECTING DIAPERS AND WIPES AND, UM, JUST DISTRIBUTING TO THEM.
SO WHAT I DO AS THE ADMINISTRATOR IS I JUST DO THE RESEARCH.
I CALL PEOPLE, I ASK 'EM WHAT THEY NEED, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S URGENT, WHAT THEY REALLY URGENTLY NEED, AND, UM, THEY TELL ME, AND THEN I PUT THE, THE WORD OUT TO EVERYBODY AND, UH, PEOPLE PING ME AND SIGN UP FOR THE PARTICULAR DRIVE.
AND THEN, UH, I GET RID OF EVERYBODY'S INFORMATION FOR THE DONOR PRIVACY.
AND, UM, THAT'S JUST HOW WE RUN IT.
AND, UM, UH, I HAVE A FRIEND WHO ALSO DOES IT WITH ME, AND SO, YEAH, YOU KNOW, ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO JOIN IN OR ANYBODY WHO KNOWS ANYONE WHO, UH, HAS A SUBSTANTIAL DONATION, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE CAN PICK IT UP AND TAKE IT OVER.
SO, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY THAT'S THE IDEA.
AND IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING WELL.
PEOPLE ARE HAPPY BECAUSE, UM, THEY CAN JUST, YOU KNOW, SHOP AT THEIR LEISURE.
I, I USUALLY SAY ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE.
SO THEY SHOP AT THEIR LEISURE AND THEY JUST PUT, YOU KNOW, THEIR DONATIONS OUT ON THE PORCH OR WHEREVER, AND I PICK THEM UP.
THERE'S NO CONTACT, UM, OR ANYTHING ELSE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'M VERY HAPPY, UM, PROUD TO BE A PART OF THIS GROUP, AND, UM, DEFINITELY THANK EVERYONE.
YOU'RE REALLY AN INSPIRING, UH, UH, LEADER.
AND, UM, I WISH WE COULD CLONE YOU.
UM, IF EVERYBODY WAS LIKE YOU, THE WORLD WOULD BE A REALLY FANTASTIC PLACE.
SO, UH, SO IF THERE'S ANYBODY WHO'S A SCIENTIST HERE AND THEY KNOW HOW TO CLONE, YOU COULD, UH, UH, SUBMIT ERICA'S NAME AS, UH, THE FIRST PERSON.
UH, BUT THAT'S LETTER PAUL
THEN YOU READ ABOUT SOMEBODY LIKE YOU PUTTING TOGETHER A REAL POSITIVE INITIATIVE THAT IS, IS REALLY, YOU KNOW, HELPING, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT ARY FOOD PANTRY, WE JUST RAVE ABOUT YOU.
UM, UH, AND I'M SO APPRECIATIVE OF EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE, SO THANK YOU.
AND WE HAVE, UM, PAUL, DO YOU HAVE ERICA'S EMAIL ADDRESS? DEFINITELY.
I'M GOING TO ASK YOU FOR IT TOMORROW.
AND WE ALSO HAVE, UM, UM, MY FINAL PRESENTATIONS FOR TONIGHT ARE, UM, TWO, UM, BROTHERS, BROTHER AND SISTER, ISABEL ZI AND MAX ZI.
[00:25:01]
ALSO DOING SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY GREAT HELPING, UM, LOCAL, UM, LOCAL BUSINESSES AND, YOU KNOW, LEY.AND, UM, THEY ALSO ARE VERY, YOU KNOW, INSPIRING.
IT'S SORT OF NICE WITH YOU READ THESE PAPERS ABOUT, AND THE NEWSPAPERS, ALL THESE NEGATIVE STORIES.
SO IT'S NICE TO HIGHLIGHT, UM, UM, SOME POSITIVE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE WORLD.
SO, ISABELLE AND MAX, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE YOUR PRESENTATION? YES, YES.
THAT WAS A, THAT WAS A, THAT WAS AN ECHO THERE.
I'M A JUNIOR AT R Z HIGH SCHOOL.
I AM THE, UH, THE VICE PRESIDENT AND CO-FOUNDER OF LOCALLY STRONGER.
AND MY SISTER IS A SENIOR AT R Z I SCHOOL, AND SHE IS THE, UH, PRESIDENT OF, UH, LOCALLY STRONGER.
UM, SO IN R Z, THE LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES WHO HAVE SPONSORED OUR LITTLE LEAGUE TEAMS AND WHOSE NAMES WE'VE WORN, UH, ON THE BACK OF OUR JERSEYS ARE NOW FACING HARDSHIP AND URGENTLY NEED RELIEF.
UH, IN RESPONSE, WE HAVE FOUNDED AN ORGANI, UH, AN ORGANIZATION CALLED LOCALLY STRONGER, WHERE STUDENTS PROVIDE WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL MEDIA AID, AND, UH, INDIVIDUAL ZOOM LESSONS AT NO COST FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES.
UH, WE WERE PROUD THAT THESE STEPS ARE PROVIDING, UH, EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES TO ALL STUDENTS, UH, AND TO ALL BUSINESSES, UH, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT HAVE NO MEANS, UH, FOR INVESTIGATING AN ONLINE PRESENCE.
UM, HI, I'M ISABEL, AS MY BROTHER SAID.
AND SO MY BROTHER TOUCHED ON THIS A LITTLE BIT BEFORE.
SO WHAT OUR SERVICES ARE, ARE WE PROVIDE, UM, SOCIAL MEDIA ASSISTANCE FOR OUR LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES.
AND RIGHT HERE, UM, ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SCREEN IS ROBERT JACOBSON SPORTS, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR CLIENTS.
AND THEIR, UM, THEIR WHOLE BUSINESS HAS HAD TO PIVOT BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WITH COVID RESTRICTIONS, KIDS CAN'T REALLY PLAY CONTACT SPORTS.
SO WE'RE COLLABORATING WITH THEM TO HELP KIND OF JUST BOOST THEIR, UM, THEIR COMPANY.
AND WE'RE ALSO COLLABORATING WITH THEM.
UM, THEY HAVE A, A SOCIALLY DISTANCED LEARNING SPACE, SO WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH THEM TO PROMOTE THAT.
UM, SO THIS IS JUST KIND OF AN EXAMPLE OF THE TYPE OF SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS THAT WE CREATE.
SO, UM, MAX KIND OF, UH, REIMAGINED THE SUPER BOWL LOGO AND DID IT FOR R J S.
UM, AND IN OUR NEXT PHASE OF DEVELOPMENT, WE WILL ACTUALLY ALSO BE INTRODUCING WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, SO OUR VOLUNTEERS WILL BE HELPING THESE LOCAL BUSINESSES, NOT ONLY WITH THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT WITH ALSO DEVELOPING WEBSITES.
UM, IT'S REALLY JUST LEY STUDENTS WHO WANNA HELP OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES, AND WE'RE REALLY HOPING THAT THIS IS GONNA HELP INCREASE THEIR ONLINE FOOTPRINT AND HELP THEM REACH A LARGER AUDIENCE.
UM, SO OBVIOUSLY THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S GOOD FOR THE BUSINESSES, UM, TO REALLY GET THEIR NAME OUT THERE AND, UM, TO HELP WITH THEIR DIGITAL FOOTPRINT BECAUSE A LOT OF THEM RELY ON, UM, WORD OF MOUTH, AND THAT HAS WORKED FOR A LONG TIME.
BUT WITH THIS PANDEMIC, WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE STRUGGLING, UM, TO JUST KIND OF STAY OPEN AND WE WANNA DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO, UM, HELP PROVIDE THIS VITAL ONLINE PRESENCE THAT THEY REALLY NEED RIGHT NOW, AND THAT THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE THE TIME OR THE MEANS TO INVEST IN THEMSELVES.
UM, SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE DOING.
AND, UM, THIS ALSO HELPS BENEFIT THE VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE WORKING WITH THEM, THE STUDENT VOLUNTEERS.
UM, WE HAVE WEEKLY ORGANIZATION MEETINGS, AND WHAT WE DO IN THOSE MEETINGS IS WE DISCUSS STRATEGIES, THINGS THAT HAVE WORKED, THINGS THAT DON'T WORK WITH SOCIAL MEDIA.
UM, IT'S A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYONE.
SO WE ALSO, UM, WE LOOK AT THE ANALYTICS ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, AND WE KIND OF JUST, UM, LEARN FROM EACH POST THAT WE MAKE.
SO IT'S ALSO, IT'S A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR THE VOLUNTEERS, AND IT'S ALSO SOMETHING FOR US TO DO THAT'S SOCIAL.
UM, OBVIOUSLY IT'S ALL ONLINE AND WE SEE EACH OTHER VIRTUALLY, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF TIMES AND A LOT OF KIDS THAT WE DON'T REALLY SEE ANYMORE BECAUSE WE'RE ON DIFFERENT DAYS WITH THE HYBRID SCHEDULE, OR SOME KIDS ARE ALL REMOTE.
SO THIS IS ALSO JUST KIND OF A WAY FOR THE KIDS TO CALL, COME TOGETHER, UM, TO DO SOMETHING POSITIVE.
SO IT'S, IT'S BENEFICIAL TO BOTH THE BUSINESSES AND THE STUDENTS.
UM, AND WE HAVE ALSO WORKED ON THIS NEW PART OF THE ORGANIZATION THAT WE'RE DEVELOPING, WHICH IS CREATING COMMUNITY UNITY.
AND WE, UM, ACTUALLY COLLABORATED WITH THE VILLAGE OF ARTS C AND MAYOR BULLION THIS PAST WEEK TO, UM, CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR OF THE OX.
AND WHAT WE, WHAT, UM, THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS DID IS THEY CREATED THESE PAPER PLATES AND SOMEONE STRUNG THEM TOGETHER TO MAKE THESE, UM, PAPER DRAGONS.
AND THERE WERE A FEW OF THESE DRAGONS, AND TWO OF THEM GOT, UM, HUNG UP IN DIFFERENT BUSINESS WINDOWS THROUGHOUT THE WEEK, AND LOCALLY STRONGER HELPED ORGANIZE THAT.
AND ON INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK, WE POSTED CLUES ON THE DRAGONS WHEREABOUTS.
UM, AND IT WAS JUST KIND OF AN
[00:30:01]
INTERACTIVE EVENT AND PEOPLE REALLY ENJOYED, UM, HAVING SOMETHING TO DO OVER THE BREAK AND BEING ABLE TO CELEBRATE, UM, THIS CULTURE AND TO JUST KIND OF INTERMINGLE DIFFERENT CULTURES.SO IT WAS SOMETHING EXCITING THAT WE GOT TO DO THIS PAST WEEK, AND WE'RE EXCITED TO DO MORE WITH, UM, COMMUNITY, UM, UNITY SERVICES.
UM, AND SO THAT WAS, THIS IS KIND OF OUR PHASE ONE OF OUR LAUNCH.
UM, WE'VE BEEN LAUNCHED FOR ONE MONTH, SO IT WAS ACTUALLY OUR ONE MONTH LAUNCH ANNIVERSARY LAST WEEK.
AND WE CURRENTLY HAVE 15 COMPANIES WHO ARE SIGNED ON AND 65 ACTIVE VOLUNTEERS.
AND WE'RE REALLY FINDING THAT OUR VOLUNTEERS ARE EXTREMELY PASSIONATE ABOUT, UM, JUST GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO THE BUSINESSES.
UM, SO THEY'RE ALSO EAGER TO WORK WITH DIFFERENT BUSINESSES, WHICH IS REALLY, UM, EXCITING.
AND THAT'S KIND OF LIKE OUR PROOF OF CONCEPT THAT THIS IS WORKING, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A NEED AND THAT WE CAN FULFILL THAT NEED.
UM, AND IN THE FUTURE WE WANNA EXPAND TO THE GREATER TOWN OF GREENBURG, NOT JUST ARDSLEY.
SO, UM, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, NOT ONLY WORKING WITH LEY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, BUT ALSO STUDENTS THROUGHOUT GREENBURG, UM, AND EXPANDING TO BUSINESSES THROUGHOUT GREENBERG.
UM, SO YEAH,
AND IF YOU WANNA SEE MORE, WE HAVE A WEBSITE LOCALLY STRONG.ORG.
AND IF YOU ARE A SMALL BUSINESS OR IF YOU KNOW A SMALL BUSINESS, UM, IF YOU SCROLL DOWN ON OUR WEBSITE AND YOU CLICK THIS BUTTON HERE, UM, THE SMALL BUSINESSES CAN FILL OUT THIS FORM AND BECOME ONE OF OUR CLIENTS.
UM, SO YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH LOCALLY STRONGER.
WE JUST REALLY KNOW THAT, ESPECIALLY DURING THIS PANDEMIC, UM, WE NEED TO ALL BE INFORMED AND SOCIAL MEDIA IS A GREAT WAY TO DO THAT, AND STUDENTS REALLY WANNA BE THAT VOICE TO BE ABLE TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY THAT IS, UH, GREAT.
I KNOW WE'RE WORKING JUDITH DEVILLE AND MYSELF AND THERE, KAIN, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE ZUCKERBERG, UM, INSTITUTE, AND I THINK YOU'VE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THEM ALSO, UM,
SO, SO YOU GONNA BE INVOLVED IN THAT PROGRAM AS WELL? YES, I AM.
AND I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO INCORPORATING WHAT I'M LEARNING THERE, UM, AND BRINGING IT BACK AND, AND TEACHING ALL THE OTHER VOLUNTEERS.
SO IT'S GONNA BE REALLY EXCITING.
YEAH, BECAUSE WE HAVE ABOUT, UM, 70 STUDENTS ALREADY WHO, UM, ARE GONNA BE PARTICIPATING IN THE ZUCKERBERG INSTITUTE, UM, THE POST PANDEMIC, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, INITIATIVE.
AND YOU PROBABLY SHOULD BE LIKE ONE OF THE PROFESSORS THERE BECAUSE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE ALREADY DONE THIS.
AND, UM, WHAT WE HOPE TO DO IS USE STUDENTS TO, UM, HELP SMALL BUSINESSES AROUND, UM, AROUND THE TOWN.
WE HAVE OUR STUDENTS FROM, UH, ALL THE, THE ENTIRE TOWN, UNINCORPORATED GREENBURG AND ALL THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND THE VILLAGES.
ONE OF THE VISIONS THAT I HAVE, AND MAYBE YOU COULD SORT OF THINK ABOUT THIS, IS, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, EDUCATIONAL INEQUITIES.
UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, UH, STUDENTS IN HIGHER PERFORMING, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UH, THAT ALWAYS EXCEL.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, UM, SEE IF DURING THIS ZUCKERBERG POST PANDEMIC, UM, INITIATIVE, IF WE COULD INVOLVE LIKE, TEAMS OF STUDENTS FROM DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UM, WHO COULD WORK TOGETHER, UM, AND, AND BASICALLY TRY COMING UP WITH STRATEGIES THAT COULD HELP, UH, YOU KNOW, LOCAL BUSINESSES.
BECAUSE I FEEL THAT THAT'S SORT OF A WAY THAT, UH, STUDENTS COULD LEARN FROM EACH OTHER, UH, STUDENTS FROM DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS COULD BENEFIT FROM THE EXPERTISE, FROM, FROM OTHERS.
AND I, I JUST SORT OF FEEL THAT IT COULD BE, UM, A REALLY EXCITING INITIATIVE.
WE HAVE A LOT OF USERS ON ONE 19, UM, ON CENTRAL AVENUE, UH,
SO YOUR INVOLVEMENT IS GONNA BE REALLY AMAZING, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
WE'RE REALLY LUCKY, UH, UM, TO HAVE YOU AND I THINK I'M GONNA, UM, WRITE A LETTER TO, UM, MAX, THE COLLEGES THAT YOU ARE APPLYING TO MAX, AND TELL THEM NOT TO, UH, SELECT YOU SO YOU COULD STAY WITH US FOR ANOTHER YEAR.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US, AND ABSOLUTELY, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO ALSO COLLABORATING WITH KIDS FROM OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
NE NEXT WE HAVE, AND WE, I SEE WE HAVE MAYOR, THE MAYOR OF LEY HERE.
UM, UM, DID YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING ABOUT, UM, UM, HOW YOU LEY KEEPS PRODUCING AMAZING, UH, STUDENTS
UM, I'M HERE, UH, REALLY TO SUPPORT THE, THE STUDENTS OF LOCALLY STRONGER.
THEY COLLABORATED WITH OUR MULTICULTURAL DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION COMMITTEE, WHICH HAD, UH,
[00:35:01]
TWO DAYS OF EVENTS FOR THE NEW YEAR, THE YEAR OF THE OX ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12TH, AND SATURDAY, UH, FEBRUARY 13TH.AND OUT OF THAT BLUE, THE CONCEPT OF HAVING TRAVELING DRAGONS, UM, LOCALLY STRONGER, STEPPED IN TO REALLY COMBINE, UM, THEIR, THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE WITH GETTING THE DRAGONS UP INTO BUSINESSES AND MOVING AROUND THE VILLAGE, THIS ENDEAVOR IN INCORPORATED THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, THE VILLAGE, UM, LOCALLY STRONGER AND THE ASIAN STUDENT UNION, UH, GROUP FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL.
SO IT REALLY COVERED THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, AND IT WAS A GREAT EVENT.
UM, REALLY EVERYBODY CAME TOGETHER AND PULLED TOGETHER, BUT LOCALLY STRONGER HAS REALLY HIGHLIGHTED SOME OF OUR BUSINESSES DURING THIS, YOU KNOW, PANDEMIC.
THEY'VE REALLY ELEVATED SOME OF THEM, AND IT'S GREAT TO SEE WHAT THEY'VE DONE, AND I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO FOR LEY AND GREENBERG.
AND, AND NOW WE HAVE, UH, JUDITH BEVILLE.
[ AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION]
I WAS GONNA TALK ABOUT AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATIONS.THANK YOU PAUL AND, UH, TOWN BOARD MEMBERS, AND I WANT TO THANK OUR TOWN ATTORNEY, TIM LEWIS, AND OUR INTERIM ACTING, UH, COMMISSIONER OF DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES, PARENTS JACKSON, AS WELL AS OUR COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION FOR YOUR INPUT AND YOUR GUIDANCE IN PUTTING TONIGHT'S PROGRAM TOGETHER.
TONIGHT, WE ARE CELEBRATING SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS.
UM, WE'RE CELEBRATING THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES, ALSO THEODORE DE YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER.
UM, THIS YEAR WE LOST TWO GIANTS, UM, FROM THAT WHO HAVE HAD A MAJOR IMPACT ON THAT CENTER.
ONE HAS HAD A MAJOR IMPACT OVER THE PAST 50 YEARS OF THE GROWING THE DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH OF THE CENTER.
JOHNNY JONES, WE LOST HIM TO GLORY AND THE OTHER GIANT ANDRE EARLY, WE LOST TO THE COUNTY.
UM, AND THEY'RE BOTH GIANTS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT.
UM, AS WE CELEBRATE ANDRE, UM, SOMEONE WHO FOR OVER SEVEN YEARS IN THIS COMMUNITY, WALKED SOFTLY AND CARRIED A BIG STICK IN THE SENSE THAT YOU COULD ALWAYS READ IN HIS EXPRESSIONS AND IN HIS ACTIONS, HIS PROGRESSIVE AND, UH, UM, OUTCOMES ORIENTED AGENDA.
WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT CELEBRATING JOHNNY DUNS AS WELL.
AND WE ARE GOING TO BEGIN OUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THIS EVENING WITH THAT PRESENTATION ON THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES THEATER DE YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER, WITH A PRESENTATION LED BY TERRENCE JACKSON.
HOW ARE YOU? UM, I COME TO YOU TONIGHT TO, UH, TALK ABOUT A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE, AND I MUST FIRST APOLOGIZE AS, UM, OUR YOUNG STUDENTS THAT ARE WITH US.
THIS IS YOUR TIME AND YOUR PRESENTATIONS WERE EXCELLENT.
SO YOU'LL BE GETTING IT OLD SCHOOL WITH GREAT, UM, POISE AND INFLECTION OF MY VOICE ON WHAT I'M ABOUT TO PRESENT TO YOU, BUT IT WILL BE INTERESTING.
MR. ANDRE EARLY GREW UP AND CONTINUES TO LIVE IN THE HAMLET OF VAL HOWA, NEW YORK AT, IN HIS YOUNG AGE, MR. EARLY ACTUALLY ATTENDED THE THEODORE YOUNG THEODORE DE YOUNG COMMUNITY SUMMER CAMP, AND THAT JUST GOES TO SHOW THE LINEAGE OF TIME HERE IN GREENBURG.
AFTER HIS HIGH SCHOOL YEARS, MR. EARLY THEN VENTURED TO HAMPTON UNIVERSITY IN HAMPTON, VIRGINIA.
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AFTER THAT, HE CAME HOME AND HAD NUMEROUS JOBS, MOST NOTABLE TIME IN THE WHITE PLAINS YOUTH BUREAU, AND A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME WITH THE HEADQUARTER OFFICE OF KAPPA ALPHA SIDE FRATERNITY INCORPORATED, WHERE HE DID NUMEROUS AMAZING WORKS, ESPECIALLY IN CELEBRATING THE 100, THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THAT FRATERNITY.ANDRE FOUND HIS HOME IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG BECAUSE IT WAS HIS HOME, BUT IT WAS WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES AT THE THEODORE DE YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER, AND HE STARTED THERE IN 2013.
THE THEODORE YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER HOLDS A PLACE IN HISTORY.
IT IS ALMOST THE BUILDING THAT NOW STANDS IS ALMOST FIVE 50 YEARS OLD AND SHOULD BE LOOKED AT AS A HISTORIC SITE, SOMETHING WE'LL BE LOOKING INTO.
THE FIRST CENTER IN GREENBURG WAS A SMALLER SHOP THAT OPENED IN 1967 UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF EDDIE GWEN IN 1972.
THE NEW FACILITY THAT STANDS NOW WAS ERECTED UNDER THE GREAT LEADERSHIP OF ONE THEODORE D YOUNG, WHO THE FACILITY WOULD LATER BE NAMED AFTER UNCLE TEDDY, AS I CALLED HIM, AS HE WAS A GREAT FRIEND OF MY FATHER'S, WAS THE FIRST EXECUTIVE WAS, WAS THE, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
FROM 1969 TO 1993, MS. BARBARA PERRY TOOK THE REINS AFTER HIM AS A GREAT LEADER AND WAS THE, CHANGED THE DEPARTMENT AS IT BECAME A TOWN ENTITY.
AND SHE WENT FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO THE FIRST COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES.
BARBARA'S TENURE SPANNED FROM 1993 TO THE YEAR 2000.
MR. HOPETON WHITE, ANOTHER GREAT LEADER THAT SERVED AS DEPUTY UNDER BARBARA, BECAME THE NEXT COMMISSIONER.
AND HIST TIMEFRAME SPANNED FROM 2001 UNTIL 2008.
THERE WAS A PERIOD THERE WHERE SOMEONE HAD TO STEP IN AND TAKE A LITTLE CONTROL AS WE SEARCHED FOR OUR NEXT FULL COMMISSIONER.
AND THAT WAS, THAT ROLE WAS TAKEN BY MS. VALERIE WHITEHEAD.
SHE SERVED GREAT FOR ALMOST A YEAR UNTIL THE NEXT FULL COMMISSIONER WAS INSTALLED.
IT WAS A GREAT MAN WITH A WONDERFUL PERSONALITY AND HAD A GREAT CONNECTION WITH PEOPLE.
IF THERE WAS A SUPERPOWER, IT WAS HIS SHINING SMILE, GREAT FACE, AND WONDERFUL ATTITUDE IN ONE WILLIAM L. CARTER.
HIS TENURE WAS FROM 2008 UNTIL 2016.
IN FEBRUARY OF 2016, MR. ANDRE EARLY STEPPED INTO THE ROLE AS FIRST DEPUTY COMMISSIONER AND TOOK THE LEADERSHIP ROLE AS THE FOURTH COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES.
THE DEPARTMENT HAS NEVER BEEN THE SAME SINCE, OF COURSE, IN A POSITIVE WAY.
WHY DO I SAY THAT AT? BECAUSE ANDRE'S ABILITY TO BE A GREAT AT AGENT OF CHANGE, A GREAT AGENT OF CHANGE, BROUGHT FORTH NEW AMAZING OPPORTUNITIES, PROACTIVE THINKING AND INNOVATION, AND A MIND AND A MINDSET OF DON'T ASK WHY, ASK WHY NOT? IF NOT NOW, THEN WHEN.
AND THE GREAT LEADER QUICKLY AND EARNESTLY SAID TO YOU EACH DAY, I DON'T NEED PERFECTION RIGHT NOW.
I NEED CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT TO GET TO THAT FINAL GOAL.
AND IT STUCK WITH EVERYBODY, EVEN MYSELF, OVER THREE AND
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A HALF ABOUT YEARS.THERE WERE NUMEROUS CHANGE TRANSFORMATIONS WITHIN THE CENTER.
AS I SAID, IT'S ALMOST A 50 YEAR OLD BOAT, A 50 YEAR OLD BUILDING.
IF I CAN QUICKLY JUST GIVE A FEW HIGHLIGHTS JUST TO UNDERSTAND THE MAGNITUDE, ONE OF HIS FIRST OPTIONS, ONE OF HIS FIRST, UH, ACTIONS, EXCUSE ME, AS COMMISSIONER, WAS THE CREATION OF A 5 0 1 C THREE BOARD, AN ENTITY CALLED THE FAIRVIEW COMMUNITY CORP.
DOING BUSINESS AS FRIENDS OF T D Y C C.
THIS GROUP HELPS US WITH NUMEROUS THINGS THAT INVOLVES FUNDING FOR PROGRAMS, EITHER CURRENT OR NEW.
THE ACTUAL HELPING WITH PROGRAMS AS FAR AS TANGIBLE PEOPLE IN GETTING INVOLVED IN THE EFFORT THAT T D Y C C STANDS FOR.
EDUCATION, CULTURAL, SOCIAL AND RECREATIONAL LEARNING.
THE CREATION OF THE FRIENDS OF TIDY T D Y C C COMMUNITY BREAKFAST WAS ALSO UNDER HIS CONTROL, WHERE WE GAVE OUT THE HUMAN THAT, EXCUSE ME, THE HALL OF FAME AWARDS IN OUR FIRST YEAR THAT HONORED 14 PEOPLE, 14 HISTORICAL PEOPLE THAT RECEIVED THE REWARD OF PIONEER THE SUCCESSFUL EXECUTION OF A 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF A CENTER IN FAIRVIEW GREENBURG AREA, WHICH HAD ITS KEYNOTE SPEAKER.
NONE OTHER THAN THE AMBASSADOR ANDREW YOUNG.
AND THERE WERE NUMEROUS OTHER PIECES AND UPGRADES TO THE BUILDING, SUCH AS, OH, LET ME JUST THINK.
UM, THE TOTAL RENOVATION OF THE ENTRY FOYER TO THE BUILDING, TOTAL NEW FLOORING THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE FIRST FLOOR, WORKING ON THE SECOND FLOOR, THE POOL, POOL LIGHTING, AND TOTAL NATATORIUM OF THE POOL'S FACILITY, WHICH IS ONE OF THE BEST POOLS, I WOULD SAY ON THE EAST COAST STATE-OF-THE-ART COMPUTER LAB.
16 COMPUTERS THAT ARE USED DAILY BY SENIORS, YOUTH, AND EVERYBODY ABOVE TO DO THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, WHICH IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW AS WE ARE SERVING OVER 60 STUDENTS IN OUR FACILITY OF, UM, ESSENTIAL WORKERS THAT CANNOT BE WITH THEIR KIDS DURING THE DAY, BUT THEY ARE SAFE WITH US.
OH, LET ME TELL YOU JUST A FEW OTHERS.
SPECIAL PROGRAMMING LIKE, UM, SUMMER JAZZ, WHICH HAD AN, A SLIGHT PUSH UP IN THE, IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AS WE HAD GREAT GROUPS LIKE LAYLA HATHAWAY TAKE SIX, UH, FOREVER YOUNG BLAU PEOPLE YOU DON'T JUST GET, BECAUSE YOU ASK.
THEY GET, BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT THE THEODORE YOUNG CENTER AND THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES WITHIN THE TOWN OF GREENBERG BRING ABOUT.
I CAN GO ON MUCH FURTHER THAN I WOULD.
AND WITH THE PICTURES I HAD, I COULD HAVE SHOWN YOU SO MANY BEAUTIFUL THINGS, AND I DO APOLOGIZE ABOUT THAT.
BUT AS ANDRE WOULD SAY, HE DOESN'T LIKE KABB ABOUT TO BE SAID ABOUT HIM.
BUT THIS IS A MOMENT IN HISTORY FOR THE CENTER AND FOR ANDRE AS HE MOVES FORWARD TO WORK IN THE COUNTY AS COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND OUTREACH, WHICH IS A FITTING, VERY FITTING POSITION FOR HIM.
AND WE CAN ONLY EXPECT SO MUCH MORE COMING OUT OF THIS.
ANDRE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE MOMENTS? UNMUTE YOURSELF.
UH, MY, MY, MY BROTHER, MY FRIEND, UM, MY, MY, MY, MY HAMPTON PIRATE, UH, TERRENCE JACKSON, UH, JUDITH AND, AND THE TOWN BOARD.
THANK YOU FOR, UM, JUST SHARING A, A BRIEF HISTORY OF, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAS TAKEN PLACE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, MAKE NO MISTAKE, YOU KNOW, UM, I WAS JUST PASSING, UH, ALONG THE WAY IN THIS JOURNEY, UH, AS YOU KNOW, UH, MYSELF AND QUITE A FEW OTHERS STAYING ON, UH, THE SHOULDERS OF THOSE THAT HAVE COME BEFORE US, THOSE THAT ARE STILL HERE WORKING IN THE VINEYARD,
[00:50:01]
AND THOSE THAT HAVE TRANSITIONED ON, YOU KNOW, UM, IT, IT, IT, WHILE JOHNNY HAS, UM, CLAIMED THE VICTORY, IT, IT, IT STILL KIND OF, YOU KNOW, STINGS A LITTLE BIT FOR, FOR HIM TO BE GONE BECAUSE, UH, HE WAS JUST ONE OF THOSE TYPES OF GUYS.HE WAS, YOU KNOW, THE GRANDFATHER, THE FATHER, THE BIG BROTHER, THE MENTOR, UM, WHO ALWAYS WANTED TO, IN, WANTED TO INVEST IN YOUTH.
AND THE SUCCESS OF MANY, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT CAME ACROSS HIS PATH IS, IS BECAUSE OF HIM.
AND THAT IS WHY MYSELF AND, AND TERRANCE AND, AND COUNCILWOMAN, GINA JACKSON, AND COUNTLESS OTHERS ARE WHERE WE ARE TODAY, UH, BECAUSE OF THOSE THAT LEAD THE PATH THAT CONTINUE TO BUILD ON THAT FOUNDATION.
UM, THAT STARTED, YOU KNOW, SOME, YOU KNOW, BACK IN 1967 WITH, WITH, UH, EDDIE GWEN, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, UH, MR. YOUNG HIMSELF.
UH, SO IT'S, IT'S AN HONOR, IT'S A PRIVILEGE, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT OVER THE PAST, UH, FEW YEARS.
UM, TRUST ME, I, I'M TAKING GREENBERG RIGHT ALONG WITH ME AS I, I TAKE MY, UH, NEW ROLE, UH, WITHIN THE COUNTY, UH, JUST AS SERIOUS AS I DID, UH, WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES.
NEXT IN OUR MOMENT OF RECOGNITION EVENING, AND THANK YOU TERMS FOR THAT POWERFUL PRESENTATION AND GIVING HONORABLE MENTION TO THE PREVIOUS LEADERS OF THE THEATER, DIONNE COMMUNITY CENTER, AND ALSO YOUR, UM, TRIBUTE TO, TO ANDRE RILEY WINSLER.
AND FELICIA BARBER CAME TO THE TOWN, WELL, ABOUT MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW, FIVE YEARS AGO NOW AS INTERNS.
AND THEIR WRITING TOGETHER AS A TEAM IS SO AMAZING THAT, UM, THEY HAVE STAYED ON AS THE TOWN'S ASSISTANT HISTORIANS.
THEY FELT THAT IT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA TO DO A TRIBUTE THIS MONTH TO PAST AND PRESENT AFRICAN-AMERICAN TOWN COUNCIL AND TOWN BOARD MEMBERS, RILEY AND FELICIA RILEY.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, FELICIA.
SO, UH, A RECURRING THEME TONIGHT HAS BEEN STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF OTHER PEOPLE.
SO BEFORE WE GET TO, UH, ALL OF THE NAMES THAT ARE LISTED ON FELICIA'S WONDERFUL SLIDESHOW, WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE MAN WHO STARTED ALL, AT LEAST BRIEFLY, THE ALL FUTURE TOWN BOARD.
AFRICAN AMERICAN TOWN BOARD MEMBERS ARE STANDING ON HIS SHOULDERS.
HE, THE HONORABLE, GEORGE BLAND WAS THE FIRST TOWN COUNCILMAN, AND HE WAS, HE ONLY SERVED A, A PARTIAL TERM BECAUSE HE WAS ALSO WORKING FOR I B M AT THE TIME, BUT HIS ELECTION PAVED THE WAY FOR EVERYBODY ELSE THAT CAME AFTER.
SO WE HAVE TO MENTION HIM BRIEFLY BEFORE WE GO AND TALK ABOUT ALL OF THE WONDERFUL DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED ON THE TOWN BOARD SINCE THEN.
SO IT ALL BEGAN IN 1971 WITH THE HONORABLE GEORGE BLAND, WHO WAS ALSO INSTRUMENTAL AT I B M.
AND THEN FIVE YEARS LATER, LOIS, THE HONORABLE LOIS PONDS, WAS ELECTED TO THE TOWN BOARD, AND SHE SERVED IN THE TOWN BOARD FROM 1976, ALL THE WAY TO 1993 WHEN SHE DECIDED TO
[00:55:01]
RUN FOR THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY BOARD OF LEGISLATURES.AND THIS WAS A HUGE HISTORIC MILESTONE BECAUSE SHE WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN TO EVER SERVE ON THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY BOARD OF LEGISLATURES.
AND THEN SHE BECAME LEADER OF THE BOARD OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY BOARD OF LEGISLATURES IN 2002, AND DID SOME WONDERFUL THINGS THERE, WHICH HELPED PAVE THE WAY FOR THE NEXT, UH, AFRICAN AMERICAN COUNTY BOARD MEMBER, WHICH IS THE, THE HONORABLE EDDIE MAE BARNES, WHO WAS ELECTED TO THE TOWN BOARD IN 1991, AND WAS ABLE TO SERVE FOUR CONSECUTIVE TERMS TO 2009, AND MADE SOME WONDERFUL CHANGES FOR THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE OF GREENBURG.
AND THEN WHEN SHE WAS DONE SERVING IN THAT CAPACITY, SHE DECIDED TO LEAD THE GREENBERG CHAPTER OF THE WESTCHESTER WOMEN'S BLACK POLITICAL CAUCUS.
AND THAT PAVED THE WAY FOR THE NEXT WONDERFUL AND INSPIRATIONAL AFRICAN-AMERICAN TOWN BOARD MEMBER, THE HONORABLE KEN JONES.
AND KEN JONES HAS BEEN A HIGHLY, UH, INFLUENTIAL AND ACHIEVING GREAT THINGS FOR THE TOWN BOARD EVER SINCE HE WAS ELECTED IN 2009.
AND WHEN HE'S NOT DOING ALL OF THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT HE'S DOING FOR THE TOWN BOARD, HE'S ALSO SERVING AS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE PARKWAY GARDENS CIVIC ASSOCIATION AND HELPING PEOPLE ON AN EVEN MORE LOCAL LEVEL.
SO HE'S DOING A BUNCH OF WONDERFUL THINGS THERE.
AND GO, KEN, THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT.
AND THAT HAS PAVED THE WAY FOR OUR NEWEST AFRICAN AMERICAN TOWN BOARD MEMBER, THE HONORABLE GINA JACKSON, WHO FOUNDED THE GREENBERG AGAINST SYSTEMIC RACISM TASK FORCE.
AND SHE'S BEEN WITH US SINCE JANUARY 1ST, 2020, AND SHE'S DOING AN ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL JOB.
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL OF THE WONDERFUL AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHILD BOARD MEMBERS WHO HAVE HELPED THE COMMUNITY IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS AND EXPANDED EVERYBODY'S HORIZONS AND THEN MODELS TO EVERYBODY.
GOOD LEADERSHIP BEGINS AT THE TOP, AND IT HAS ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, INS INSPIRED THOSE, THOSE UNDERNEATH AND AROUND.
SO WE ARE VERY BLESSED TO HAVE THEM.
I, I JUST WANT TO, UM, THANK YOU FOR THIS, THIS AWESOME PRESENTATION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF, OF THE HISTORY OF OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN TOWN BOARD MEMBERS.
I JUST WANNA MENTION THAT, UM, SONIA BROWN, UM, WAS, UM, UH, TOWN COUNCIL AND TOWN BOARD MEMBER, UM, IN 2008.
SHE SERVED ONE FOUR YEAR TERM AND MADE MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO, TO THE TOWN AND CONTINUES TO DO SO.
ALSO, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT, UM, LOUIS BRONZE, UH, WHILE SHE WAS THE FIRST, UM, DEMOCRATIC, UH, AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN TO SERVE, UH, ON THE, UM, WESTCHESTER BOARD OF LEGISLATORS, SHE WAS NOT THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN, THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN TO SERVE ON THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY BOARD OF LEGISLATORS, UM, WAS, UH, UM, UH, WESTCHESTER COUNTY LEGISLATOR, PEARL QUARREL, UM, OUT OF, OUT OF ROCHELLE.
UM, AND, AND SHE WAS REPUBLICAN.
SHE WAS, UM, THE REPUBLICAN REPUBLICAN PARTY.
SO ONCE AGAIN, UM, THANK YOU, UH, SO MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
SO I, TERRIFIC RESEARCH BECAUSE YOU FOUND A PICTURE OF KEN WITH A TIE THAT YOU REALLY HAD TO DIG DEEP IN THE ARCHIVES TO TALK
SO AS, AS WE'RE MOVING RIGHT ALONG TOWARD, TOWARDS THE, UM, LAST TWO PARTS OF, OF OUR, UM, PRESENTATION, SOME LEADERS ARE THOSE WHO ARE APPOINTED BY THE, UM, HIRING OR APPOINTING AUTHORITIES, OR
[01:00:01]
ELECTED, UM, BY THE ELECTORATE.AND OTHERS EMERGE BY WHAT THEY DO TO SUPPORT THOSE LEADERS, AS WELL AS BRANCH OUT INTO DEVELOPING THEIR OWN INFLUENCE AS LEADERS, LEAVING AN INDELIBLE IMPRINT ON THE MEMORY OF OTHERS, ON HOW THEY POSITIVELY IMPACTED THE LIVES OF OTHERS IN HER OWN TERMS, IN HER OWN WORDS.
BARBARA WATSON CURRY, THE FIRST COMMISSIONER IN THE TOWN, FIRST FEMALE COMMISSIONER IN THE TOWN OF GREENBERG, AND THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMISSIONER IN THE TOWN OF GREENBERG AND REMEMBERING DONNIE JONES, SHE SAID, OH, YES, HE WAS A MAVERICK AND A HERO.
SHE SAID HE WAS MY BROTHER'S BEST FRIEND GROWING UP AND I JUST REMEMBER HOW THEY USED TO PRACTICE SINGING IN THROUGH THEIR GROUP, THE DRONES, HOW THEY USED TO PRACTICE SINGING UNDER THE STREETLIGHTS AND IN EACH OTHER'S HOMES GROWING UP.
SHE SAID THEY EARNED A SPOT ON THE TELEVISION PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT ON HARLEM DURING THE FIFTIES WHEN THEY WERE TEENAGERS COMMITTED TO WORKING AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
I REMEMBER SHE SAID THAT JOHNNY JONES WAS SO DEVOTED TO THE CENTER THAT HE DIDN'T EVEN GO TO HIS OWN SON'S KINDERGARTEN EVENT AND HOW THAT HAUNTED HIM FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE.
BUT SHE SAID IT WAS OUT OF HIS DEVOTION TO HIS WORK THAT HE DID AT THE CENTER.
HE WAS IN CHARGE OF OVERSEEING PROGRAMS AS AN ASSISTANT TO TEDDY YOUNG TEDDY'S RIGHT ARM.
HE WAS, SHE SAID IN TERMS OF SETTING UP PROGRAMS, HOPEFULLY RENTS, HELPING KIDS HIS PRIMARY PASSION AND CONCERN, HELPING THEM WHEN THEY GOT INTO TROUBLE, SHE SAID JOHNNY KNEW OUR POLICE OFFICERS AND HE WOULD SHOW UP TO ADVOCATE FOR THE CHILDREN AND HELP KEEP THEM OUT OF TROUBLE WITH THE LAW.
HE COUNSELED THEM, HELPED THEM GET INTO PRIVATE SCHOOLS SUCH AS HACKLEY BY COUNTRY DAY, AND HELPED KIDS GET INTO COLLEGES, PARTICULARLY HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES WHERE HE KNEW THAT THE YOUTH WOULD FLOURISH AND BE SUCCESSFUL.
HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL, SHE SAID.
HE WAS SO HELPFUL TO ME IN COORDINATING THE JAZZ CONCERTS.
HE SAID HE WAS MY PUBLICITY MAN AND WOULD INTERVIEW THE BOOKS BEFORE THEY CAME TO PERFORM AND THEN PUBLICIZE THEIR PARTICIPATION AND THEIR PRESENCE AT THE OLD CENTER.
HE WAS ALWAYS ON THE FOREFRONT OF KNOWING THE LEGAL GUIDELINES UNDER WHICH THE CENTER WAS ESTABLISHED.
SHE SAID HE WAS RIGHT THERE WHENEVER YOU NEEDED HIM.
HE DROVE BUSES WHEREVER THEY NEEDED TO GO.
WHEN TED YOUNG AND BIG JIM HARRIS WALKED INTO THAT DOOR, JOHNNY WAS WITH THEM.
HE OVERSAW THE PARKS AND RECREATIONS PROGRAMS UNDER THEIR LEADERSHIP AS WELL AS UNDER MINE.
BARBARA SAID HE SERVED ON THE PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY CENTER ADVISORY BOARD, AND HE WAS HONORED BY WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
WE RESPECTED JOHNNY SO MUCH THAT A GROUP OF STAFF AT THE THEATER DE YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER CAME TOGETHER AND SPONSORED AN APPRECIATION LUNCHEON FOR HIM.
WE WERE JUST SO MUCH IN APPRECIATION FOR WHAT HE DID.
HE WAS A, A ROLE MODEL, SHE SAID, AND A COUNSELOR.
HE WAS ALWAYS THERE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
HE WAS THERE FOR OUR SENIORS AS WELL, PROTECTING THEM FROM PROPERTY LOSS AND ABUSE.
SHE SAID WHENEVER SOMEONE, WHENEVER ANYONE FELT THREATENED ABOUT THE LOSS OF YOUR PROPERTY, THEY WOULD COME TO JOHNNY JONES AND HE WOULD ADVISE, ADVISE SENIORS NOT TO SIGN OVER THEIR ASSETS.
HE HELPED PEOPLE GET INTO DRUG REHAB PROGRAMS, AND HE WAS INVOLVED WITH BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON WARREN AVENUE AND
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BEACH STREET.ONE OF THE YOUTH WHO HE SO POSITIVELY IMPACTED IN HIS LIFE IS NOW THE COMMISSIONER OF RECREATION AND PARKS FOR THE CITY OF WHITE PLAINS.
WAYNE BASS, WHO MOST OF US KNOW WAS BORN AND RAISED IN THE TOWN OF GREENBORO.
GROWING UP IN ELMSFORD, COMMISSIONER BASS FONDLY REMEMBERS JOHNNY JONES AS A FATHER FIGURE, LITTLE LEAGUE AND FOOTBALL COACH, A MENTOR AND FRIEND WHO QUOTE WAS ALWAYS THERE TO ENCOURAGE YOUTH SUPPORT THE BUILDING OF POSITIVE SELF IMAGES AND SELF-ESTEEM.
HE ENCOURAGED ME TO ATTEND COLLEGE, AND AFTER RECEIVING BOTH A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN BUSINESS AND A MASTER'S DEGREE IN EDUCATION, RECREATION, AND ADMINISTRATION, HE CONTINUED TO COACH ME ON HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATE MY COURSE THROUGH THE WORLD OF WORK.
YES, HE WAS INDEED A MAVERICK AND A HE HERO IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
I OUR ATTRIBUTE TO JOHNNY JONES, AS IT WILL CONTINUE, BECAUSE I COULD NOT HAVE POSSIBLY SAID IN THESE, THE WORDS THIS EVENING, ALL THAT THERE IS TO BE SAID, TRIBUTE TO JOHNNY JONES.
OKAY, SO WE HAVE CELEBRATED THOSE WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE RICH AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF GREENBERG AS LEADERS AT OUR COMMUNITY CENTER.
AND NOW LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MAY I INTRODUCE TO YOU HISTORY MAKERS IN GINA JACKSON, COUNCILWOMAN TOWN BOARD MEMBER, WHO IS LEADING AN UNPRECEDENTED INITIATIVE HERE IN THE TOWN OF GREENBERG.
AND AFTER GINA SPEAKS, YOU WILL HEAR FROM RESIDENT COMMUNITY LEADER CLIFTON ABRAMS, WHO IS ALSO LEADING AN UNPRECEDENTED INITIATIVE.
BOTH ARE HISTORY MAKERS IN OUR TOWN.
GINA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JUDITH.
UM, IT IS A PLEASURE TO BE ABLE TO SERVE THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, UM, AND TO SEE LOUIS WHO HAS BEEN A MENTOR, AND I REALLY HAVE TO PAY TRIBUTE TO MY, ACTUALLY TO MY MOTHER, BECAUSE IF IT WASN'T FOR MY MOM, I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN IN A COMPANY OF THE GREAT WOMEN THAT CAME BEFORE US TODAY.
SO I'M SO GRATEFUL TO MY MOTHER.
UM, BUT I WANNA THANK EVERYONE, YOU KNOW, THAT, UM, THIS IS TOUGH WORK, BUT IT'S GREAT WORK AND TO MAKE CHANGE IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND AS WE SEE EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON IN TODAY'S WORLD, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO MAKE CHANGE FOREVER AND EVER.
SO WHEN THE GREAT WORDS OF JOHN LEWIS IS GOOD TROUBLE, AND WE CAN GET INTO GOOD TROUBLE, BUT WE KNOW THAT WE ARE GOING TO MAKE SOME AMAZING STRIDES AS WE CONTINUE TO ERADICATE SYSTEMIC RACISM.
SO EVERYONE HERE, GREENBERG AND BEYOND, I'M HERE TO SUPPORT, I'M HERE TO BE YOUR VOICE AND I CONTINUE TO DO THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU HAVE ELECTED ME TO DO.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JUDITH.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO THE TOWN BOARD, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO MY MOM.
YOU ARE WELCOME AND THANK YOU GINA CLIFTON ABRAMS, ARE YOU WITH US? YES, I AM INITIATOR AND LEADER OF THE BLACK LIVES MOVEMENT PROJECT CLIFTON.
BEFORE I SPEAK ABOUT THE BLACK LIVES MATTER, SO CAN YOU SPEAK UP A LITTLE LOUDER PLEASE? NOW? YES.
UM, BEFORE I TALK ABOUT THE BLACK LIVES MATTER, I'D LIKE TO GIVE HONOR TO JOHNNY JONES
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AND FAMILY, AND I'M HAPPY, JUDITH, THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO MAKE THE CORRECTION BECAUSE SONYA BROWN WAS A PROGRESSOR.SHE WAS FROM FAIRVIEW GREENBURG, AND SHE WORKED IT HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT FAIRVIEW WASN'T MISSING OUT FOR WHAT WAS GOING ON IN GREENBURG AS SHE WAS THE COUNCILWOMAN.
AND SHE DID A GREAT FOUR YEARS IN HER SERVICE.
SO, AS I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE BLACK LIVES MATTER NERVE COMMITTEE FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT THEY ARE PUTTING INTO THIS PROJECT.
CLIFF, JUST A LITTLE LOUDER, PLEASE.
WE'RE HAVING HEARD FROM HEARING YOU AND, AND YOU'RE MAKING SOME VERY POINTS.
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, MUCH BETTER.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MURAL COMMITTEE FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT THEY ARE PUTTING INTO THIS PROJECT, ESPECIALLY THE SUBCOMMITTEE, SARAH BRACY WHITE JURIS
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE TOWN BOARD FOR APPROVING THIS PROJECT.
I'VE BEEN PUSHING FOR THIS PROJECT SINCE MAY OF LAST YEAR, WHICH STARTED AS A BLACK LIVES MATTER PAINTING ON THE STREET OF MH AVENUE.
BUT IT WAS SUGGESTED TO ME BY ACTING COMMISSIONER TERENCE JACKSON AND JARED DE CASEY, COMMISSIONER OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THAT THE TOWN, THE STATE, WILL BE WILLING TO DO IT UNDER THE UNDERPASS OF 2 87 AND MANHATTAN AVENUE.
I DIDN'T WANT TO AT FIRST 'CAUSE I WAS REALLY STUCK ON THE PAINTING ON MANHATTAN AVENUE, BUT, BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO TO BE A ORIGINAL BLACK LIVES MATTER MURAL.
I WANTED TO GIVE THE COMMUNITY A SENSE OF PRIDE AND EMPOWERMENT AND ENRICHMENT TO HAVE BLACK LIVES MATTER MURAL SHOWN THAT AFRICAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE THROUGH BLACK LIVES MATTER, HAVING THE TIMEFRAME FROM WHEN THE BLACK RACE WAS IN AFRICA, LIVING IN ROYALTY, THEY CAPTURED AND BROUGHT TO AMERICA FOR SLAVERY.
AND TO SHOW HOW STRONG THE BLACK RACE IS THROUGH ALL THE HATE AND POLICE BRUTALITY.
WE STILL STAND SHOWING THE BLACK HISTORY FROM 1619 TO PRESENT.
WE HAVE TWO PERFECT WALLS THAT HAVE 70 PANELS, 35 ON EACH SIDE, THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE THROUGH POLICE BRUTALITY, BUT ALSO I WANTED TO SHOW ARE RICH HISTORY AND INVENTION THAT THE BLACKS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO AMERICA.
BOTH SIDE OF THE PANEL HAVE ROCKS UNDERNEATH THE PANELS, AND THEY WILL BE PAINTED RED, BLACK, AND GREEN, THE BLACK LIBERATION COLOR AND THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN FLAG MADE BY MARCUS GAR.
WHAT'S NAME, WHAT WE GONNA HAVE, NAME OF THE VICTIMS WHO WAS MURDERED BY POLICE BRUTALITY, WHICH IS 450 NAMES THAT WILL BE PAINTED AND WHITE ON A RED, BLACK, AND GREEN ROCK THAT WILL BE PAINTED ON A RED, BLACK, AND GREEN ROCK TO IMPACT THE BRUTALITY OF POLICE BRUTALITY.
WHEN THE FIRST, UM, STARTED, WHEN I FIRST STARTED REVEREND WINGS FROM UNION BAPTIST CHURCH SAID TO ME, CLIFF, WE OPEN AND LET OTHER PEOPLE BE A PART OF YOUR IDEA, AND YOU'D BE SURPRISED HOW IT COULD TAKE OFF.
AND I SUBMITTED AND, AND UNBELIEVABLE HOW BIG THE TOWN BOARD, THE TOWN APARTMENT, AND THE COMMUNITY HAVE GOTTEN INVOLVED INTO THIS PROJECT.
AND I FEEL IT'S GOING TO BE A MOMENTUM THAT PEOPLE WILL COME FROM ALL OVER TO SEE THIS MURAL.
SO AS WE CLOSE THIS PROGRAM, WE INVITE OUR TOWN COUNCIL MEMBERS, TOWN BOARD MEMBERS TO SHARE COMMENTS.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO, UM, AND SIGNIFICANT TO MENTION THAT, UM, OUR BOARD MEMBERS ARE COLLABORATING WITH BOTH OF THESE SIGNIFICANT AND IMPORTANT INITIATIVES LED BY OUR HISTORY MAKERS.
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DEMONSTRATES NOT ONLY SUPPORT, BUT COLLABORATION AND IT DEMONSTRATES RECOGNITION OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF RECOGNITION OF THE PEOPLE WHO COMPRISE THE MOSAIC.THE CULTURAL MOSAIC OF THE TOWN OF GREENBERG COUNCIL MEMBERS, KEN JONES AND FRANCIS SHEEN, ARE BOTH VERY MUCH A PART OF BOTH INITIATIVES.
AND SO AT THIS TIME, WE ASK ALL BOARD MEMBERS, KEN FRANCIS AND ANY OTHER PAUL FINER.
DIANA, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CLOSE OUT THE PROGRAM WITH COMMENTS.
WELL, I'D JUST LIKE TO THANK, UH, COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON FOR SPEARHEADING GREENBERG AGAINST SYSTEMIC RACISM EFFORT IN THE TOWN OF GREENBERG.
IT HAS SPURRED US ON TO, IN, TO LOOK AT THE POLICE FORCE PURSUANT TO THE GOVERNOR'S ORDERS, TO LOOK AT HOUSING, TO LOOK AT EMPLOYMENT AND WAYS IN WHICH RACISM AFFECT US ALL IN THE TOWN.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IT LED TO WAS THE CREATION OF THE BLACK LIVES MATTER SIGNAGE SUBCOMMITTEE, WHICH, UH, IS, UH, SPEARHEADING THE, UM, THE UNROLLING OF A BLACK LIVES MATTER CAMPAIGN IN THE TOWN.
AND IN ADDITION TO THE WONDERFUL MURAL PROJECT THAT CLIFF IS SPEARHEADING AND SUGGESTED, UH, WE ARE ALSO GOING TO PLACE, UH, ALL LIVES CAN'T MATTER UNTIL BLACK LIVES MATTER SIGNS, UH, AT THE ENTRANCES, AT THE ENTRANCE POINTS TO THE TOWN.
UM, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT, UH, IN THE TOWN WAS MORE THAN JUST A SLOGAN, MORE THAN JUST A MOMENT IN TIME.
SO WE WANTED TO CREATE AN EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN, UH, SO THAT PEOPLE WOULD HAVE TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, UM, WHY WE HAVE TO SAY BLACK LIVES MATTER.
AND IN THAT VEIN, WE'RE SPONSORING, UM, UH, CAMPAIGNS WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE TOWN AND VILLAGES TO CREATE BANNERS, UH, TO PLACE ON SEVERAL TOWN, UH, BUILDINGS AS WELL.
SO, UH, AND WE'RE ALSO COLLABORATING WITH THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE TO CREATE A
UM, THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE IS ALSO HELPING WITH THE MURAL.
UH, THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF, UH, THE SUBCOMMITTEE.
AND, UH, THESE THREE STAGES THAT WE'RE LAYING OUT, UH, IN RESPONSE OR AS A PART OF THE GREENBERG AGAINST SYSTEMIC RACISM MOVEMENT IN THE TOWN.
WE HOPE WE'LL BE, UH, BOTH WE HOPE WE'LL BE, UM, UH, A MODEL FOR OTHER COMMUNITIES, UM, BECAUSE WE WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW, UH, THE HISTORY AND WHY THE HISTORY IS IMPORTANT.
AND SO WE WANT, THE REASON WE HAVING A SUSTAINED CAMPAIGN IS BECAUSE WE ONLINE THAT IT'S MORE THAN JUST A MOMENT IN TIME.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS, THIS IS WHAT WE HOPE IS THE TURNING POINT IN 400 YEARS OF STRUGGLE.
AND, UM, WE WANNA MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF THE HISTORY, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE COLLABORATING WITH THE SCHOOLS AND THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND LOCAL ARTISTS.
AND, UM, WE HOPE TO HAVE AN UNVEILING CEREMONY, UH, WHEN THE MURAL IS FINALLY DONE, WHERE WE WILL DISTRIBUTE, UM, THE BOOKLETS THAT ARE GOING TO BE CREATED BY THE ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE, UH, WITH THE STUDENTS.
AND WE HOPE THAT, UH, EVERYONE ON THIS ZOOM CALL WILL COME AND, AND WE'LL HAVE A LARGE COMMUNITY EVENT, AND, UH, THAT THE EVENTS WILL CONTINUE AROUND THE ARTWORK, UH, INTO THE FUTURE BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE THIS A SUSTAINING MOVEMENT AGAIN, NOT, NOT JUST A MOMENT IN TIME.
UH, KEN COULD NOT HAVE SAID IT BETTER.
UH, IT IS A, A WONDERFUL GROUP, BOTH THE TASK FORCE AND THE SUBCOMMITTEE FOR THE BLACK LIVES MATTER SIGNAGE.
UH, IT DID START OFF AS A PROPOSAL TO WHITE
[01:20:01]
BLACK LIVES MATTER ON A ROADWAY.AND FRANKLY, I WASN'T A, A FAN OF THAT.
I DON'T THINK THE, THE SYMBOLISM OF SOMEBODY POTENTIALLY PEELING RUBBER OVER THE BLACK LIVES MATTER SIGNAGE, BUT IT REALLY CAME DOWN TO THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SAID IT WOULD BE UNSAFE TO DO THAT ON A HEAVILY TRAFFICKED ROAD.
UH, BUT WHAT HAPPENED FROM THAT IS WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN FROM ALL OF THESE DISCUSSIONS, YOU KNOW, HAVING TOUGH DISCUSSIONS ABOUT RACE, RIGHT? IT, IT'S NEEDED.
AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE HAVING THOSE DISCUSSIONS, AND FROM THAT HAS GROWN THIS, THIS WONDERFUL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYONE, ESPECIALLY OUR YOUTH.
WE ARE INVOLVING ALL 10 SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT ARE IN TOWN IN THIS, THIS HAS GROWN TO BE MUCH MORE THAN ONE PARTICULAR SIGN.
IT'S GROWN TO BE AN EDUCATION AS PEOPLE COME INTO THE TOWN, GREENBURG THROUGH A ENTRANCEWAY THAT THE SIGNS WILL BE EDUCATIONAL, UH, IN THEIR WORDING.
THEY PAUSE, UH, HOPEFULLY, UH, CAUSE PEOPLE TO PAUSE.
WE'RE HOPING THAT THOSE SIGNS WILL, UH, HAVE REFLECTIVE, UH, PAINT ON IT SO THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE IT, UH, WHETHER OR NOT IT'S DAYTIME OR NIGHTTIME, UH, BUT TO GET THE, THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED.
AND IT'S DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, A COMMUNITY EFFORT TO GET THE SCHOOL CHILDREN INVOLVED TO MAKE THIS AN ANNUAL EVENT.
YOU KNOW, BANNERS EVENTUALLY GET STALE AND, YOU KNOW, SO EACH YEAR WE CAN TRY TO IMPROVE GETTING THE SCHOOL CHILDREN INVOLVED, INVOLVED, AND IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO WORK ON AN ARTISTIC PROJECT WITH THE SCHOOL CHILDREN AND THEN NOT THINK OF THE MESSAGE THAT THEY'RE WRITING.
RIGHT? IT'S ONE THING FOR US TO SAY TO A CHILD, BLACK LIVES MATTER, BUT WHILE THEY'RE DOING WHATEVER ARTISTRY THEY'RE CAPABLE OF DOING, THEY HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THOSE WORDS.
AND, UH, AND THERE'S GOING TO BE A LITERARY PART OF IT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT VERY ARTISTIC IN DRAWING.
AND FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE, WHO, UH, HAVE THE OPPOSITE SCALE OR SOMETHING FOR THEM.
SO THIS IS REALLY, UH, GOING TO SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, QUITE FRANKLY, IT'S QUITE BE BEAUTIFUL, AND IT'S BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND SUBCOMMITTEES AND, AND, AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY, BASICALLY IT, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, YEAH.
EVERYBODY'S ZOOMED OUT, RIGHT?
AND YET WHEN WE HAVE THESE TYPES OF MEETINGS, THERE'S SUCH ENERGY IN THAT ZOOM MEETING BECAUSE IT'S, THERE'S SO MUCH GOOD THAT'S BEING DONE THAT YOU DON'T SEE THAT, OH, YOU KNOW, IT'S ANOTHER, ANOTHER ZOOM MEETING.
AND THE TASK FORCE THAT, UH, COUNCILMAN JACKSON HAS PUT TOGETHER, AGAIN, IT'S INNOVATIVE BECAUSE THE GOVERNOR SAID TO LOOK AT LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND, UH, COUNCILMAN JACKSON SAID WAS, NO, WE'RE NOT GOING TO SOLELY LOOK AT LAW ENFORCEMENT.
WE WANT TO ADDRESS SYSTEMIC RACISM AND EDUCATION AND HEALTHCARE AND EMPLOYMENT.
UM, I EVEN WANT OUT HOUSING, HOUSING, HOUSING AND HOUSING.
AND HOUSING, OF COURSE MM-HMM.
AND SO AFTER THE APRIL 1ST DEADLINE, THAT TASK FORCE LIVES ON YES, MANY MUNICIPALITIES, THEY'RE JUST DOING WHAT THE GOVERNOR REQUIRED.
EVERY ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE HAVE ALREADY BEEN SENTENCED BY GINA JACKSON THAT THEY CANNOT DROP OUT AFTER APRIL 1ST.
THEY HAVE BEEN SENTENCED AND THERE IS NO REPRIEVE.
THEY ARE GO, AND THEY'RE ALL DOING IT VERY WILLINGLY.
AND IF ANYBODY SITS IN ON ANY OF THESE MEETINGS, THE TALENT THAT'S ON THESE COMMITTEES AND THE INSIGHT THAT COMES OUT OF THESE, THESE MEETINGS, IT'S JUST AS MARVELOUS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I CAN GO ON AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, I COULD
WHO WAS THAT? I WAS ME, FRANCIS
SO I WANTED TO KEEP IT SHORT, SO I WILL STOP NOW.
IT'S JUST A GREAT GROUP OR A GREAT CAUSE.
AND IT, IT'S, I THINK YOU'RE GONNA BE FASCINATED WHEN YOU SEE THE END RESULTS.
AND I'D JUST LIKE TO, UM, UM, THANK YOU, JUDITH, FOR ORGANIZING, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS EFFORT.
AND I'D LIKE TO, UH, THANK THE BOARD FOR, UM, ALL THE INITIATIVES, UH, THAT THE BOARD HAS, UH, COLLECTIVELY TAKEN TO, UM, ADDRESS.
I THINK THAT THE COMMITTEE THAT, UH, COUNCILWOMAN GINA JACKSON, UM, HAS, UM, YOU KNOW, ESTABLISHED THAT WILL LOOK, UH, INTO, UH, HOUSING ISSUES, HEALTH ISSUES, POLICE, UM, EMPLOYMENT ISSUES, IS
[01:25:01]
VERY, UM, YOU KNOW, IMPORTANT.UM, I LOOK, UH, FORWARD IT TO FOLLOWING UP ON, UM, YOU KNOW, THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
YOU KNOW, I'M PLEASED THAT I'M, OVER THE YEARS, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS, UM, PROMOTED MORE DIVERSITY IN THE DEPARTMENT AND, UM, THAT WE'VE ELEVATED, UM, UH, OFFICERS TO, UM, MORE PERMANENT POSITIONS, YOU KNOW, LEADERSHIP POSITIONS, LIEUTENANTS, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THE DEPARTMENT, UM, THAT WE REALLY PREPARING PEOPLE FOR A HIGHER LEADERSHIP.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, ROLES.
I THINK THAT IT'S GREAT THAT GREENBERG WAS, UM, THE FIRST COMMUNITY IN WESTCHESTER THROUGHOUT OUTFIT.
OUR POLICE OFFICERS, UH, WOULD BODY CAMERAS.
UM, OUR COMMUNITY POLICING, I THINK IS, UM, IS GREAT.
WE DID THIS YEARS BEFORE OTHER, UH, COMMUNITIES, UM, DID THIS.
THE POLICE, SUMMER YOUTH CAMP, WHICH IS OVER, UH, 20 YEARS OLD, UM, HAS, UM, ENCOURAGED YOUNG, UH, PEOPLE TO INTERACT BETTER WITH, UM, WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND TO LEARN, UH, POLICING.
UM, THE FACT THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS NOW, UM, PROVIDING, UH, APPLICANTS, UH, FOR CIVIL SERVICE EXAMS WITH, UH, WITH TIPS SO THEY COULD, UM, LEARN, UH, POLICING SKILLS IS, IS, YOU KNOW, IS IMPORTANT.
YOU KNOW, I ALSO THINK IT'S, UM, NICE, UH, YOU KNOW, I WAS THINKING BEFORE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALMOST AT A POINT WHERE WE DON'T HAVE TO JUST SAY THIS INDIVIDUAL IS AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SELECTING, UH, PEOPLE AND GIVING PEOPLE PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE THEY'RE REALLY TERRIFIC.
UM, TIM LEWIS, OUR TOWN ATTORNEY, IS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN TOWN ATTORNEY, BUT HE'S JUST AN AMAZING TOWN ATTORNEY DOING A REALLY FANTASTIC JOB.
VERY, VERY HARDWORKING AND DEDICATED.
AND, YOU KNOW, NOBODY SAYS, OH, IT'S TIM LEWIS, AFRICAN AMERICAN.
IT'S TIM LEWIS, EXCELLENT ATTORNEY, HARDWORKING, SOMEBODY WHO'S A FANTASTIC PUBLIC, UH, SERVANT.
THE JUDGES WE'VE HAD OVER THE YEARS.
UM, UM, YOU KNOW, THE AFRICAN AMERICAN, UH, JUDGES HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, EXCEPTIONALLY, YOU KNOW, TALENTED AND, AND VERY, VERY, UH, YOU KNOW, COMMITTED.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU EVEN LOOK AT, SAY, THE HOUSING, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, AUTHORITY GREENBERG, UM, WAY BEFORE, YOU KNOW, MY TIME WAS NATIONALLY KNOWN THERE, UM, THERE, UM, FOR HAVING, UH, LOWER INCOME HOUSING IN MIDDLE CLASS AND UPPER MIDDLE CLASS.
SO OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, A SCATTER SITE.
HOUSING HAS BECOME, UM, A NATIONAL MODEL THAT'S BEEN REPLICATED, YOU KNOW, ALL OVER.
AND WE WANNA WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, WHICH WE, AND WE HAD A DISCUSSION YESTERDAY THAT THE UNITS ARE, UM, ARE MODERNIZED.
UH, I SPOKE WITH BISHOP, YOU KNOW, PRESTON TODAY.
IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE COULD GET BROADBAND, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, SO WHEN WE GET THE NEW BUILDINGS, UM, OR THE RENOVATED BUILDINGS, YOUNG PEOPLE WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE QUICK INTERNET, AC INTERNET ACCESS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S SO MUCH MORE THAT WE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE COULD DO.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE STARTING, BUT WE'RE NOT FINISHED.
AND WE'RE GONNA MAKE GREENBERG A MODEL FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVENESS.
AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE PART OF A TOWN THAT RECOGNIZES THAT MORE HAS TO BE DONE.
I, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, THANK JUNIOR FOR, UH, DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB AND TAKING ON THIS, THIS REALLY BIG JOB WITH, WITH GREAT ENTHUSIASM AND, AND ENERGY AND, AND HER BEAUTIFUL SMILE.
AND I'M SURE THAT'S WHAT BRINGS PEOPLE TO, TO THE TABLE TO COME AND, UH, AND TALK ABOUT THESE ISSUES.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO REFLECT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, COUNCILWOMAN EDDIE MAE BARNES.
I SERVED ON THE BOARD WITH EDDIE MAE.
AND, UM, SHE DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT EDDIE MAE DID WAS SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE NEED A POLICE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMISSION.
AND SHE PUSHED FOR THAT, AND SHE GOT THAT STARTED.
AND THAT WAS MANY, MANY YEARS AGO.
AND IT TURNED, AND IT'S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL COMMITTEE TODAY.
WE HAVE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO SERVE ON IT.
WE HAVE PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE TOWN, AND SO MANY GREAT THINGS HAVE COME FROM, FROM THAT GROUP.
AND SO, I SAY HATS OFF TO EDDIE MAY.
AND, AND GINA, YOU'RE JUST TAKING UP TO ANOTHER LEVEL, UH, STANDING ON HER SHOULDERS AND ON, ON LOUIS BARNS AND SHOULDERS TO WATCH HER AS, YOU KNOW, AS SHE WAS, UH, COUNCILWOMAN FOR THIS TOWN.
[01:30:01]
UH, AND THANK YOU, JUDITH, YOU KNOW, FOR ALL YOUR ENERGY AND PUTTING THESE PROGRAMS TOGETHER, IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO, UH, TO DO THIS AND TO HAVE THESE CELEBRATIONS.AND SO THANK YOU TO EV EVERYONE WHO, WHO, UH, THIS HAS, UH, DONE ALL THESE BEAUTIFUL THINGS FOR OUR TOWN.
'CAUSE IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE.
AND AS WE MOVE TO OUR, UH, PREPARE TO MOVE TO THE NEXT, UH, PART OF OUR, OF OUR JUDITH, JUDITH, JUDITH, JUST REALLY QUICK, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS FROM THE LAW ENFORCEMENT WHO IS ON THE LINE, AND ALSO TO THE HOUSING COMMITTEE MEMBERS THAT'S ON THE LINE FOR, UH, G S S R.
APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU GUYS DONE.
UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO, I, I
IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN IT, IT IS ON, IT IS ON THE WEBSITE, ON THE FRONT PAGE, SO PLEASE, UM, REVIEW IT.
WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR YOUR COMMENTS, BUT THIS HARD WORK COULD NOT HAVE BEEN DONE BY THESE HARDWORKING INDIVIDUALS OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO I AM SO GRACIOUS TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH THEM AND CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM.
I WAS JUST ABOUT TO SAY THAT, UH, WE CANNOT BRING THIS, THIS SEGMENT TO A CLOSE WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGING THE HARD WORK AND THE COLLABORATION, UM, OF GARRETT DUANE, COMMISSIONER OF COMMUNITY, UH, DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT, AND RICH FA, COMMISSIONER OF DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS, THEIR INPUT, THEIR, THEIR CONSTANT PRESENCE AT THE MEETINGS, THE BLACK LIVES MATTERS MEETINGS.
UM, BUT WE WE'RE JUST LEARNING THAT WE COULD NOT DO IT WITHOUT THE COLLABORATION OF THESE DEPARTMENTS HERE IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, AS WELL AS WITH THE INPUT OF OUR CHIEF OF POLICE, CHIEF MCNERNEY.
AND, UM, IT, IT, IT, IT REALLY LITERALLY, AND I'M, I'M JUST, I'M GOING TO USE THIS TERM BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S APPROPRIATE IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE ALL DOING TOGETHER.
IT TRULY TAKES A VILLAGE, AND THAT IS WHAT IS GOING ON HERE AS WE ALL COME TOGETHER AS HISTORY MAKERS.
SO NOW WE'LL GO ON TO, UH, THE REST OF THE AGENDA.
UM, NEXT WE HAVE, UM, THIS, UH, LET'S SEE.
[ The GASR Task Force Report will be presented at the next Town Board Meeting on March 10, 2021. The public will have the opportunity to state their comments at that time]
COUNSEL JACKSON.UH, JUST A FRIENDLY REMINDER, UM, THE TASK FORCE REPORT ON THE LAW ENFORCE MEETING WILL BE PRESENTED AT THE NEXT TOWN BOARD MEETING ON MARCH 10TH.
THE PUBLIC WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THEIR COMMENTS, SO IF PLEASE CHECK THE WEBSITE, IT IS ON THERE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR, UM, COMMENTS, YOU CAN EMAIL ME DIRECTLY OR, AND WE LOOK, WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU ON MARCH 10TH.
AND I JUST WANNA MENTION THAT, UH, APPELLATE DIVISION TODAY RULE THAT, UH, THE EDGE MINE CORPORATION PETITION DID NOT COM, UH, WAS NOT SUFFICIENT, UM, IN TERMS OF COMPLYING WITH, UH, THE STATE, STATE LAW.
SO THAT DECISION CAME DOWN THIS AFTERNOON.
SO WE HAVE NEXT, UM, THE DECISIONS, WE'LL, WE'LL HANDLE DECISIONS AFTER THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
[ To consider a one-year agreement between the Town of Greenburgh and the Village of Tarrytown for Fire Protection Services to Unincorporated Greenburgh residents of the Glenville Fire Protection District for the year 2020]
WE HAVE IS, UH, TO CONSIDER A ONE YEAR, UM, AGREEMENT, UH, BETWEEN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AND THE VILLAGE OF TARRYTOWN FOR FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES, FOR TO UNINCORPORATED GREENBURG AND AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $295,538 AND 68 CENTS.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE OPEN THE HEARING.
SO THIS IS A FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT, UH, CONTRACT.
UH, THIS ONE HAPPENS TO BE WITH THE VILLAGE OF TARRYTOWN TO PROVIDE FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES TO AN AREA OF THE UNINCORPORATED AREA THAT DOES, WAS NOT SERVED BY EITHER GREENVILLE, FAIRVIEW OR, OR, UM, UH, HARTSDALE.
AND SO, SINCE THEY'RE THE, UH, THOSE, THOSE FIRE DISTRICTS CAN'T PROVIDE SERVICES TO THESE PARTICULAR DISTRICTS, THE CONTRACT WITH THE VILLAGES, AND, UH, THEY PROVIDE THE SERVICES FOR US AND HAVE FOR, FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
UH, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE 2020 CONTRACT.
WE RECENTLY HAD A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE 2019 CONTRACT.
[01:35:01]
THIS IS FOR THE 2020 CONTRACT.IT IS, UH, UM, ABOUT 1% DIFFERENT THAN THE THE PREVIOUS AMOUNT, WHICH I CAN DISPLAY UP IN A MINUTE.
UH, TO BE CLEAR THAT THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOT ABOUT HARTSDALE FIRE DISTRICT, FAIRVIEW FIRE DISTRICT, THE GREENVILLE FIRE DISTRICT, CONSOLIDATING FIRE DISTRICTS, HOW MUCH PEOPLE PAY IN THE OTHER DISTRICTS.
THAT'S, THAT'S A TOPIC FOR ANOTHER, UH, ANOTHER DIS UH, DISCUSSION.
UH, THIS IS A DISCUSSION REGARDING THE PROVISION OF FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES BY THE FIRE COMPANIES THAT ARE IN THE VILLAGE OF TAR TOWN THROUGH AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN AND THE VILLAGE OF CHERRYTOWN.
THIS, UH, LEMME JUST BRING THIS OVER.
THE KEY PART OF THIS, LEMME ACTUALLY FIX THIS.
THE KEY PART OF THIS AGREEMENT, WHICH WE HAD A FEW ISSUES WITH AGENDA QUICK TODAY, SO I'M DISPLAYING IT, UH, HERE, IS THAT THIS IS FOR THE YEAR 2020, UH, AND THE CONTRACT AMOUNT IS $295,538 AND 68 CENTS.
AND IT'S EXTREME, IT'S THE SAME WORDING AS THE CONTRACT THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY DONE FOR 2019.
AND MATTER OF FACT, FOR, UH, GOING BACK 10 OR 15 YEARS PRIOR TO THAT, UH, BUT AT THIS, THIS TIME, IT IS ACTUALLY, UH, DEALING WITH THE, UM, UH, 2020 CONTRACT.
AND IF MY CONTROLS DON'T COME OUT OF THE WAY, I CAN SHOW YOU ALL MARKED UP.
THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PREVIOUS CONTRACT AND THIS ONE.
THE PREVIOUS CONTRACT WAS 192,792, UH, DOLLARS AND 32 CENTS.
THIS ONE IS SLIGHTLY HIGHER, APPROXIMATELY 1%, UH, $293,568 AND 68 CENTS.
UH, PREVIOUSLY IN THE 2019 CONTRACT, SOMEBODY HAD QUESTIONED, UH, HOW THE CALCULATION WAS BEING DONE.
UH, LEMME STOP SHARING FOR A MOMENT HOW THE CALCULATION WAS BEING DONE.
UH, WE REACHED OUT TO THE VILLAGE OF TARRYTOWN, WHICH REACHED OUT TO THE FIRE COMPANIES AND WHAT WAS AT ISSUE THERE.
I CAN SHOW THIS BECAUSE I EXPECT IT WILL BE RAISED AGAIN, BUT IT WAS AT ISSUE THERE, UH, WAS WHY IS THIS 4 1 4 LINE INCLUDED, UH, INTO THE TOTAL OF FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES AT THAT PUBLIC HEARING, I TOOK THE POSITION THAT IF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FUNDS CONTAINED COSTS THAT WERE ASSOCIATED WITH RUNNING THE FIRE COMPANIES, THAT WOULD BE A LEGITIMATE USE OF PUTTING THIS AMOUNT ABOVE THE TOTAL.
AND, UM, UH, SO WOULD ONLY ASK FOR AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHAT'S ACTUALLY IN THAT LINE, UH, TO, WE ASKED THE VILLAGE AND THEN THE VILLAGE ASKED THE FIRE COMPANIES.
WE HAVE SINCE GOTTEN BACK A BREAKDOWN, WHICH, UM, ANYWAY, LEMME, I'LL, I'LL GET BACK TO THAT.
UH, SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS WHEN YOU ADD UP ALL OF THE EXPENSES, IT COMES UP TO THE, THE TOTAL, WHICH IS RIGHT HERE AS TO WHERE WE COME UP WITH THAT NUMBER.
AND, AND THIS IS BASED ON ASSESSED VALUES THAT ARE OBTAINED BY THE, FROM THE TOWN ASSESSOR.
UH, WHAT IS THE ASSESSED VALUE IN THE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT? WHAT IS THE ASSESSED VALUE IN THE, UH, VILLAGE OF TARRYTOWN? YOU TAKE THE ASSESSED VALUE OF THE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT DIVIDED BY THE TOTAL OF THE ASSESSED VALUE IN THE VILLAGE AND IN THE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT.
AND THE CALCULATION ON THAT PERCENTAGE WAS 15.81.
SO YOU TAKE THE TOTAL COSTS AND
[01:40:01]
15.81% OF THAT IS WHAT THE TOWN HAS TO PAY, WHICH IS WHAT'S IN THE CONTRACT.AND I WILL BRING UP HERE, LOT OF SCREENS OPEN UP.
I'LL HAVE TO PULL IT UP AGAIN ANYWAY, SO MAYBE WE CAN HEAR FROM ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK REGARDING THIS.
AND IN THE MEANTIME, I CAN FILL UP THE DOCUMENT THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE VILLAGE OF TIME.
ANYONE LIKE TO SPEAK? UH, JEFF SHERWIN.
UM, SO FRANCIS, I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA COME BACK AND SORT OF PULL UP SOME ADDITIONAL SCREENS, BUT I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT TO POINT OUT TWO THINGS IN, UH, WHAT YOU ARE SORT OF RAISING.
THE FIRST THING YOU SAID WHEN YOU INTRODUCED IT WAS, THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO.
ACTUALLY, WHAT YOU SPECIFICALLY SAID FROM THE NOTES IS, AND I'M SURE IF WE GO BACK AND LISTEN TO THE RECORDING, WHAT YOU SAID WAS THAT THE FIRE DIS, THE HARTSDALE AND FAIRVIEW FIRE DISTRICTS COULDN'T SERVICE THIS AREA.
AND SO WE CAN GO BACK AND LISTEN TO THE RECORDING OF THAT.
AND I GUESS MY FIRST QUESTION IS, WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME EITHER THE HARTSDALE OR THE, OR THE FAIRVIEW FIRE DISTRICT WERE ASKED WHETHER OR NOT THEY COULD SERVICE THE AREA? WAS THAT DONE IN THIS YEAR? DOES ANYBODY KNOW? I DON'T KNOW, BUT YOU KNOW, GENERALLY, MR. SHEAN, AS YOU KNOW, WE LIKE TO GET ALL OF THE QUESTIONS OUT AND THEN THERE'S SOME OTHER SPEAKERS, MAYBE TOM BOARD IS GONNA RESPOND.
TIM, I CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
WELL, NO, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE FOLLOW OUR RULES, VERY GOOD RULES, AND THEN WE'LL GET TO THAT AND MAYBE WE'LL HAVE MORE OF A DIALOGUE.
SO, UH, LAST TIME I WAS ON THERE WAS MORE OF A DIALOGUE, BUT I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU WANNA KEEP THINGS MOVING ALONG.
UM, HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET TO AN ANSWER AND, AND I APPRECIATE IT.
UM, TERRYTOWN WANTS TO AN, UH, ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
MY, MY QUESTION IS TO THE BOARD, WHO IS THE COUNTERPARTY TO THE CONTRACT, WHETHER OR NOT THE TOWN BOARD HAS ASKED THOSE DISTRICTS WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE ALSO WILLING TO SERVICE THAT AREA? THAT'S ONE QUESTION.
AND THE SECOND QUESTION THAT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT FRANCIS, THAT YOU MAY HAVE IN YOUR SCREENS I JUST DON'T KNOW, IS ON THE 2021 ADOPTED BUDGET, THE 4 1 4 LINE DESCRIPTION IS SPECIFICALLY GLENVIEW FIRE CONTRACT PERCENTAGE TO COMPANIES.
AND SO WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU EXPLAIN THE 4 1 4 FIRE DEPARTMENT FUND, I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE MEANING OF THAT DESCRIPTION IS.
'CAUSE IT'S SPECIFICALLY AROUND THIS CON THIS GLENVIEW FIRE CONTRACT PERCENTAGE.
AND THAT SEEMS ALMOST, UM, RECURSIVE, RIGHT? YOU'RE TAKING A PERCENTAGE OF SOMETHING THAT'S A REVENUE LINE IN.
AND SO EFFECTIVELY IT CREATES THIS, YOU KNOW, IMPLIED CIRCULAR REFERENCE, WHICH COULD MEAN ALL SORTS OF THINGS.
AND SO MY HOPE IS THAT YOU CAN EXPLAIN THAT CIRCULAR REFERENCE IN THIS BUDGET ACTIVITY.
THAT'S IT, THOSE TWO QUESTIONS.
THE OTHER SPEAKER SIGNED UP IS, UH, MURRAY BODEN.
IN 19 EIGHT, JOHN D ROCKEFELLER HAD AN ELECTRIC CAR, WHICH HE WENT FROM HIS ESTATE DOWN TO TARRYTOWN TO PICK UP PEOPLE.
ALL THE AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRIES TODAY ARE GOING TO ELECTRIC CARS.
THEY'VE BEEN USING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS.
OIL HAS CHANGED BECAUSE OF GLOBAL WARMING.
NOW, FRANCIS HAS JUST SAID, THIS IS THE SAME SYSTEM WE'VE BEEN USING FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS.
PRETTY MUCH THE SAME AS EVERYBODY SAYING, WELL, WE'VE ALWAYS USED GASOLINE ENGINES.
WHY DO WE HAVE TO CHANGE TO ELECTRIC? BECAUSE THE WORLD CHANGED.
[01:45:03]
THIS IS THE SAME CONVERSATION WE HAD LAST WEEK, LAST MONTH, AND THE YEAR BEFORE THAT, BECAUSE WE'VE ALWAYS USED FIRE DISTRICTS.AND IN THE CONCEPT OF GLOBAL WARING AND THE CONCEPT OF ALL OF THE ALL AUTOMOBILE AGENCIES, MANUFACTURING COMPANIES ARE CHANGING TO ELECTRIC.
RICHARD FOND WILL TELL YOU, THEY'VE ALREADY INVESTIGATED CHANGING OUR REFUGE TRUCKS TO ELECTRIC.
THE ENTIRE CONCEPT OF FIGURING OUT HOW MUCH WE PAY IS BASICALLY WRONG.
YES, YOU SPEND A LOT OF TIME EXPLAINING THIS LINE AND THIS LINE AND THIS LINE, BUT IT BEGS THE ORIGINAL QUESTION.
IF WE HAVE TO CHANGE ALL OF OUR CARS TO ELECTRIC CARS WITHIN THE NEXT 10 YEARS, AND YOUR NORMAL MOTORS WITHIN FIVE YEARS WILL ONLY BE MANUFACTURING ELECTRIC CARS, AND WE NEED TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THIS SYSTEM IN THE SAME VA VEIN AND SAY, SYSTEM WORKED FOR 200 YEARS, BUT BECAUSE OF GLOBAL WARMING, WE MAY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
SO YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHERE WE'LL BE IN FIVE YEARS.
OUR LIVES WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.
WE'LL HAVE THE ZOOM MEETING FOREVER.
I MISS SEEING EACH OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY.
'CAUSE I'M PRETTY OLD AND I'M NOT GONNA BE AROUND THAT MUCH LONGER.
THE SYSTEMS THAT HAVE WORKED FOR THE LAST 200 YEARS, NO LONGER WORK.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE SYSTEMS THAT YOU HAVE TO STEP BACK AND SAY, YEAH, IT'S THE SAME AS LAST YEAR, BUT MAYBE WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS IN A NEW WAY.
UM, I, I HAVE TWO QUICK QUESTIONS AND IT JUST SEEMS, UM, FIRST I RELATED TO ITEM 4 5 0 SPOT ONE, UH, INSPECTION DINNER, $20,000.
UM, YOU KNOW, I I I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE TAKING THE PERCENTAGE OF THEIR OVERALL COSTS, UH, AND THAT'S HOW WE'RE COMING UP WITH THE AMOUNT THAT, THAT, THAT WE OWE.
WHAT ME ABOUT THIS IS THAT WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE PROVIDING FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES, THE VILLAGE OF T TOWN TO THE BROWNVILLE FIRE DISTRICT, THAT AMOUNT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE FIXED.
LIKE THAT AMOUNT ISN'T ANY HIGHER BECAUSE OF THIS ADDITIONAL, UH, COVERAGE.
ARE ARE THEY DOING MORE TRAINING BECAUSE THEY'RE COVERING AN ADDITIONAL 15% OF THE AREA? THESE THINGS, LIKE, WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY DISTINCTION BETWEEN FIXED COSTS THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO INCUR WHETHER THEY'RE DOING THIS OR NOT, AND VARIABLE COSTS, WHICH THEY WOULD HAVE TO INCUR FOR PROVIDING ADDITIONAL SERVICES.
SO I'M WONDERING HOW THE DETERMINATION WAS MADE TO INCLUDE ALL EXPENSES VERSUS MAYBE EXPENSES THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OF TARRYTOWN WOULD BE INCURRING REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY WERE COVERING THIS AREA OR NOT.
I BELIEVE THAT'S ALL THE SPEAKERS.
WELL, AND GARRETT, I KNOW WE HAVE, UM, FIRE CHIEF MEAD ON THE LINE.
I DON'T THINK HE'S SIGNED UP, BUT PERHAPS YOU SHOULD LET HIM SPEAK.
AND I SEE MR. BERNSTEIN'S HAND.
SO, UM, UH, CHIEF MEAD, IF YOU ARE WRONG, THIS IS PROBABLY A GOOD TIME FOR ME TO SPEAK.
WHY DON'T WE CONTINUE WITH ALL THE SPEAKERS.
THIS WAY I CAN ADDRESS EVERYBODY'S QUESTIONS WITH ME GOING LAST, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.
MR. BERNSTEIN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT? UH, YES, I WOULD.
UM, I WANNA FOLLOW UP ON WHAT FRANCIS, UH, SAID IN HIS PRESENTATION.
UH, WE WERE GONNA PROVIDE THE BREAKDOWN OF THE 4 1 4 LAW, AND I DON'T THINK YOU DID.
UH, AND THE REASON, UH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO SEE IT IS THAT, OH, OKAY, I'M SEEING A BREAKDOWN WHAT APPEARS TO BE A BREAKDOWN OF THE 4 1 4 LINE.
BUT, BUT, UH, I DON'T SEE ANY BREAKDOWN OF AMOUNTS.
I JUST SEE AN ESTIMATED TOTAL, UM, I, I DON'T SEE HOW THAT RELATES TO ACTUAL COSTS INCURRED,
[01:50:01]
UM, UH, THAT ARE BILLED FROM THE COMPANIES TO THE VILLAGE AND IN TURN PASSED ON TO THE TOWN FOR THESE COSTS.THE REASON THIS IS IMPORTANT IS THAT WHEN THIS QUESTION FIRST AROSE, AND FRANCIS, YOU ASKED THE VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR WHAT THE BASIS WAS FOR THE COSTS, THE VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR SAID THEY'RE NOT INCURRED UNTIL A LESSON, UNTIL GREENBERG AGREES TO PAY.
SO IT'S NOT AN ONGOING COST UNTIL GREENBERG GIVES THE AMOUNT IN THE FIRE PROTECTION CONTRACT, UM, AGREES TO THAT AMOUNT.
UH, AND THEN THE, THE, THE VILLAGE, UH, THE, THE FIRE COMPANIES, UH, IN TURN BUILD THE COSTS WE ARE TOLD.
SO THAT'S WHY IT'S CIRCULAR TO SOME OF US.
IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT'S AN ACTUAL COST.
IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S A, UH, A NUMBER THAT'S ARRIVED AT, UH, THAT'S USED TO FUND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FUND.
NOW, IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL AND REASSURING IF YOU COULD TELL US, UH, OR SOMEONE FROM TARRYTOWN COULD TELL US WHAT ARE THESE COSTS THAT THE FIRE COMPANIES INCUR AND HOW ARE THEY BILLED TO THE VILLAGE, AND HOW IS IT THEN THAT THE VILLAGE COMES UP WITH THE NUMBER TO BILL THE TOWN FOR THE GLENVIEW GLENVILLE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT CONTRACT? THIS IS SOMETHING WE HADN'T SEEN BEFORE.
WE SAW IT WITH THE 2019 CONTRACT AND ASKED THE QUESTION, AND WE SEE IT WITH THE 2020 CONTRACT.
UH, AND, AND YOU KNOW, THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF ARTICLES IN THE PAPER.
UH, LOHA COVER HAD A SERIES ON IT ABOUT THESE, UM, FIRE COMPANY FUNDS.
UM, THEY ARE GENERALLY CONSIDERED, UH, OFF BALANCE SHEET ITEMS. THERE'S NO OVERSIGHT, UH, GOVERNMENTAL OVERSIGHT, UH, THAT I KNOW OF WITH RESPECT TO THEM.
UH, AND WHILE THIS COULD BE PERFECTLY LEGITIMATE, UM, IF IT WERE ITEMIZED AND ACCOUNTED FOR WHEN IT ISN'T GIVEN ALL OF THESE STORIES ABOUT THESE HUGE AMOUNTS THAT THESE FIRE COMPANIES HAVE ACCRUED OVER THE YEARS, UM, IT IT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO ASSURE THAT THIS IS AN AMOUNT THAT IS PROPERLY INCURRED AND REIMBURSABLE BY THE FIRE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT.
SO MAYBE YOU COULD TAKE THAT $17,000 FIGURE AND SHOW HOW THAT IS, UH, THE AMOUNT THAT WAS INCURRED, THAT REFLECTS LIKE 17,000, THE AMOUNT, UH, UH, UH, UH, THAT IS THE PERCENTAGE THAT THE, UM, GLENVILLE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR, FOR THE FIRE PROTECTION FUND.
IS THAT HOW IT WORKS? OKAY, KEITH, DID, DID YOU WANNA GO AT THIS POINT? SURE.
UH, COUNCILMAN SHEEN, DO YOU HAVE THE COPY OF THE TOWER LADDER? SEVEN EIGHT ANNUAL OPERATIONAL COSTS THAT WE HAD SUBMITTED AT THE MEETING JUST BETWEEN THE ADMINISTRATOR, YOURSELF, TIM, AND MYSELF, UH, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
THAT GIVES A SPECIFIC BREAKDOWN OF ONE OF THE COMPANIES, ONE OF THE SIX COMPANIES.
IF YOU WANT TO GET DOWN TO THE NITTY GRITTY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BOTTLED WATER, HOW MUCH IT COSTS OR HOW MUCH, UM, YOU KNOW, SPECIFIC THINGS, COST JANITORS FEES OR HOUSE COMMITTEE OR, UM, BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT WILL BREAK DOWN SPECIFICALLY.
HOWEVER, UM, JUST TO ADDRESS MR. BERNSTEIN, SO WE'RE WORKING BACKWARDS HERE.
SO WE PROVIDED SERVICE FOR 2020 AND 2019, YET WE HAVEN'T GOT THAT MONEY YET.
SO WE HAVE TO GIVE OUT ESTIMATES OF, YOU KNOW, ON 2017 AND 20 EIGHTEEN'S MONEY HOW IN 2019 WE SPENT IT.
SO IT'S TOUGH TO GIVE YOU EXACT FACT AND FIGURES OTHER THAN I CAN GIVE YOU SPECIFIC COMPANIES SHEETS, UM, HOW THAT WOULD GO.
BUT THERE, THE DELAY IN PAYMENTS MAKES IT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE RECOUPING THAT MONEY.
WE'RE NOT SO MUCH, YOU KNOW, SPENDING THAT MONEY.
THE MONEY'S ALREADY BEEN SPENT IN YEARS 2019 AND 2020 FOR, YOU KNOW, ALL THE THINGS SUCH AS JANITOR'S, EXPENSES, DAILY OPERATIONS OFFICERS, EXPENSES, TRAINING, UH, MONTHLY MEETINGS,
[01:55:01]
CABLE, INTERNET, TELEPHONE, CAPTAINS FUNDS, UNIFORMS, BADGES, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, ON THE FIRST ONE THAT, UH, COUNCILMAN SHEEN HAD BROUGHT UP.SO WE'RE REALLY, WE'RE WORKING BACKWARDS HERE.
UM, BUT WE DO HAVE, I DON'T KNOW IF COUNCIL MACHINE HAS THIS, THAT SPECIFIC, I DON'T BELIEVE HE, I DON'T BELIEVE HE SHARE, I THINK HE SHARED THAT ON THE SCREEN, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE HE SENT ME A COPY OF IT.
WELL, REGARDLESS, YOU KNOW, EACH COMPANY, DEPENDING UPON THEIR SIZE AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAVE A CHIEF IN THAT YEAR WILL INCUR GREATER OR LESSER EXPENSES DEPENDENT ON THAT.
AND THERE'S SIX COMPANIES IN TAR TOWN, AND EACH ONE IS, YOU KNOW, UNIQUE IN IT IN ITS OWN WAY.
UM, THEY ALL HAVE GENERALLY THE SAME EXPENSES THAT GET PAID OUT THROUGH THAT FIRE DEPARTMENT FUND MONEY, WHICH IS BROKEN DOWN SIX WAYS.
SO ROUGHLY BETWEEN 17 AND $18,000 TO EACH COMPANY.
AND JUST LOOKING AT MY COMPANY'S EXPENSE REPORT, WHICH I DON'T HAVE FOR YOU GUYS TO LOOK AT, BUT JANITOR, 2,400 CAPTAIN'S FUND, 2293, UM, PICNIC FOR THE SENIORS, UH, $250, UH, SUNSHINE FUND, WHICH IS THE DONATIONS WE GIVE TO PEOPLE WHOSE MEMBERS PASSED AWAY.
YOU KNOW, FAMILY MEMBERS WHO PASSED AWAY, YOU KNOW, A THOUSAND DOLLARS HUDSON VALLEY CONVENTION, $294 CABLE, INTERNET PHONE, $3,786, BOTTLED WATER, $651.
SO IT IS VERY SPECIFIC, UM, FUNERAL DONATIONS, MISCELLANEOUS SUBSCRIPTIONS, OR, UM, FIRE PREVENTION SUPPLIES THAT EACH COMPANY BUYS.
SO THOSE ARE ALL, THOSE ARE ALL, I BELIEVE, WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
AND THOSE, THOSE ALL COME OUT OF THE, WHAT IS CONSIDERED THE 4 1 4 FIRE DEPARTMENT FUND.
UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN THE VILLAGE OF TAR TOWN CREATED THEIR BUDGET, THEY WERE, THAT LINE IS VERY VAGUE AND I UNDERSTAND HOW EVERYONE COULD LIKE A LITTLE MORE INSIGHT INTO THE LINE.
BUT WHAT I JUST COVERED BASICALLY RIGHT THERE IS IN THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF IT, WHAT IS A CAPTAIN'S FUND FOR THOSE OF US WHO MAY NOT BE AWARE? SO THE FUND FOR THE CAPTAIN WILL FUND ALL HIS MONTHLY DRILLS.
USUALLY EACH COMPANY HOLDS TWO DRILLS, TWO SEMINARS, AND YOU KNOW, WHETHER WE GET A SPEAKER FOR THE SEMINAR, WHETHER THEY BUY WOOD FOR, UH, A FORCIBLE ENTRY PROP, WHETHER THEY ALL THE EXPENSES INCURRED TO RUN DRILLS AND SEMINARS, UM, FOR THE COMPANY.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, MAYBE PIZZA AFTERWARD FOR THE GUYS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
MAY I ASK SOMETHING? WELL, AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, CHIEF, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT THE TOTAL AMOUNT IS 102,007 50, AND THAT'S DIVIDED BETWEEN SIX FIRE COMPANIES YEAH.
HOW YOU GET TO THE TOTAL NUMBER? CORRECT.
NOW, THERE, THERE MAY BE SOME YEARS WHERE, YOU KNOW, IF WHATEVER THAT DIVIDED BY SIX, THERE MAY BE SOME YEARS WHERE TWO THIRDS OF THAT MONEY WAS SPENT.
THERE MIGHT ALSO BE YEARS WHERE 125% OF THAT MONEY WAS SPENT.
AND THEN WE GO BACK YEARLY AND WE RECO THOSE EXPENSES, EXPENSES THROUGH, UH, THE GLENVILLE MOON AFTER THE VILLAGE OF TARRYTOWN TAKES THEIR CUP.
DOES ANYBODY WHO HASN'T SPOKEN, WHO WISHES TO SPEAK BEFORE WE START A SECOND ROUND STARTING WITH MR. SHOW? OKAY, MR. SHE, YOU CAN SPEAK MR. LEWIS.
WILL, MR. WILL MR. SHEEN ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT I ASKED HIM BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T ADDRESSED BY MR. MEEK? YES.
DOES ANY, DO ANY OF THE TOWN BOARD MEMBERS WANNA ADDRESS THE ISSUES? I THINK THE QUESTION WAS WHETHER THE TOWN WENT OUT, UM, AND LET'S SAY, UM, UH, REQUESTED A BID FROM OTHER, UM, ENTITIES THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO SERVE THE VILLAGE.
AND IF NOT, WHY NOT? THAT WAS ONE QUESTION.
MR. LEWIS, DO YOU REMEMBER THE SECOND QUESTION? THAT'S, I ALSO HAVE QUESTIONS.
I THINK WE WERE TALKING ABOUT AN EXPLANATION OF, UH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FUND, WHICH IS, UM, OUTLINED AS 4 1 4.
BUT SPECIFICALLY, BUT SPECIFICALLY THERE'S LANGUAGE HERE THAT EX THAT SAYS WHAT THE, THAT THE, THAT THE FUND IS BASED UPON.
I IS BASED UPON THE GLENVIEW FIRE CONTRACT.
SO I WANT AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHY THAT DESCRIPTION IS THERE.
DOES THIS FUND NOT GET FUNDED AT ALL IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE, FOR THAT, FOR THAT FIRE CONTRACT? AND WHY IS IT NECESSARY THAT, THAT, THAT IN ADDITION TO THAT, ANOTHER 15% OF THAT IS THEN BILLED AGAIN INTO THE NEW
[02:00:01]
CONTRACT IF IT'S, IF IT'S LISTED AS CONTINGENT UPON THAT FIRE CONTRACT, THAT THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART.AND MR. MEAD BROUGHT UP, I'M SORRY, UH, CAPTAIN MEAD, I THINK CHIEF, CHIEF, I'M SORRY, CHIEF, I DIDN'T MEAN TO DEMOTE YOU.
UM, CHIEF CHIEF MEAD BROUGHT UP THE FACT THAT THESE ARE EFFECTIVE, THESE ARE EFFECTIVELY PAID IN ARREARS.
AND, AND, AND I CAN APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT HE'S TRYING THAT THE, THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS TRYING TO RECOUP THE MONEY THAT HAS BEEN ALREADY INCURRED.
BUT IF WE, AS THE COUNTERPARTY DON'T GO AND QUESTION THE CIRCULAR REFERENCE TO THIS ENTIRE THING, THE DESCRIPTION FOR IT, AND THE FACT THAT BASED UPON THAT DESCRIPTION IT'S WE'RE TAKING ANOTHER 15% AND ADDING IT BACK, THIS, THIS INCUR, THIS, THIS, UH, EXPENSE WILL NEVER END AND WILL ALWAYS, AND THEY'LL ALWAYS BE LOOKING TO RECOUP IT AND IT'LL ALWAYS GET BIGGER.
SO I WANNA KNOW MR. SHEEHAN AS THE POINT PERSON WHO'S THE COUNTERPARTY TO, TO, TO CHIEF MEAD NOT FROM CHIEF MEAD BECAUSE YOU ARE A REPRESENTATIVE.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND THIS AND CAN YOU EXPLAIN IT? ALRIGHT, SO FOR THE FIRST QUESTION, WE DO NOT, AND THIS COMES UP, YOU KNOW, AND I'M GLAD THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE FROM THE, UM, THE, THE VILLAGES HERE, AND THIS GOES ON EVERY YEAR FOR EVERY CONTRACT.
IT USED TO BE, WHY AREN'T YOU GOING DOING AN R F P? UH, GOING OUT AND FINDING OUT WHO ELSE COULD ACTUALLY PROVIDE THE FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES OTHER THAN THE VILLAGE, WHICH WE ARE CONTRACTING WITH.
AND OUR, THE TOWN BOARD'S RESPONSE BASICALLY IS, IS THAT IF ANY OTHER ENTITY WANTED TO BID, THEY'RE NOT SHY.
THEY COULD, THEY COULD SAY, I BELIEVE WE COULD COVER THIS BETTER.
WE HAD SOMETHING SOMEWHAT SIMILAR TO THAT IN MY TWO, UH, I GUESS IT'S A WHILE NOW, UM, OVER REGENERON, BECAUSE REGENERON, YOU KNOW, IS MASSIVE STRUCTURE, LOTS OF RATEABLES, YOU KNOW, WE WOULDN'T WANT TO HAVE THAT AS PART OF THEIR, THEIR PROPERTY.
UM, NOTHING EVER CAME OF IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS THAT, THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION THERE AS TO WHICH WOULD BE THE BETTER ENTITY TO, TO COVER THAT PARTICULAR PROPERTY.
SO AS FAR AS US GOING OUT AND ANNUALLY ASKING FAIRVIEW FIRE DEPARTMENT OR THE HARSDALE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WHICH YOU'D HAVE TO JUMP OVER OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO GET TO THE, UH, THE GLENVILLE FIRE PROTECTION AREA, IF WE WOULD'VE ASKED THEM, UH, IT'S JUST NOT, IT'S JUST NOT REASONABLE TO DO THAT.
THEY KNOW, THEY, THEY KNOW THEY'RE, THEY LISTEN TO OUR MEETINGS.
I KNOW THEY DO BECAUSE THEY SAY THEY DO, THEY KNOW THAT WHETHER, YOU KNOW, DOING AN R F P, UM, IS A POSSIBILITY.
AND IF THEY WANTED US TO, YOU KNOW, THEY COULD, BUT THEY, THEY'RE ALSO VERY REASONABLE PEOPLE AND RECOGNIZE RESPONSE TIMES ARE GOING TO BE DIFFERENT FROM HARTSDALE GETTING TO EAST IRVING, UH, TO, UH, GLENVILLE, UH, THAN IT WOULD BE FOR TARRYTOWN, UH, TO GET TO GLENVILLE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT.
I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S JUST SOME PRACTICALITY TO THIS.
AND I KNOW SOME PEOPLE SAY, WELL, YOU'VE ALWAYS DONE IT THAT WAY, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE GONNA CONTRACT WITH YONKERS TO COVER GLENVILLE.
JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE DIFFERENT.
SO AS FAR AS REACHING OUT TO FIRE DISTRICTS AND ASKING THEM SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, COULD YOU PLEASE BID ON THE GLENVILLE FIRE, UH, UH, PROTECTION DISTRICT? UH, WE HAVE, WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT.
WE HAVE NO INTENTION OF DOING THAT.
WE DON'T SEE A REASON FOR DOING THAT.
AND IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO AND CAN MAKE A CONVINCING ARGUMENT THAT IT'S SAFER, SAFER TO HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE DO IT NOW, WE WOULD ENTERTAIN THAT.
BUT NO ONE HAS COME FORWARD IN THAT KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THIS, THAT THAT HAS AGREED.
I I SAID THAT, THAT IT WOULD BE SAFER FOR SOMEBODY ELSE TO, TO COVER IT AS FAR AS WHAT THE 4 1 4 LINE IS.
THAT'S WHY WE'VE HAVING DISCUSSIONS.
I WROTE TO THE VILLAGE ADMINISTRATIVE VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR, THE ADMINISTRATOR SAID THAT HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS IN THE 4 1 4 LINE.
THEY CONTRACT WITH THE, WITH THE, UM, THE FIRE COMPANIES.
AND THAT'S THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN, UM, GIVEN TO THE FIRE COMPANIES TO DO THEIR OPERATIONS.
IF, IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES FOR THEM TO FUNCTION, THAT IS A MATIC COST.
NOW, THE, THE OTHER QUESTION WAS, WELL, WHAT WOULDN'T THEY HAVE TO HAVE THE DINNER ANYWAY? WELL,
[02:05:01]
I MEAN, IT COULD BE ARGUED THAT BECAUSE OF THE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT, THEY MIGHT NEED MORE PERSONNEL THAN THEY NORMALLY WOULD BECAUSE OF THE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT.AND SO THAT WOULD BE AN INCREASE.
NOW THEY'RE NOT ASKING THE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT TO COVER $20,000 OF A $20,000 DINNER.
THEY'RE ASKING, THAT'S GOING INTO THE COST OF, OF OPERATING THE FIRE COMPANIES.
SO WHAT THAT SHEET IS SUPPOSED TO SHOW IS ALL OF THE EXPENSES OF THE FIRE COMPANY IN ITS ENTIRETY, INCLUDING ITS DEBT AND IT'S ALL LISTED THERE.
AND FROM THAT, WHAT'S THAT? DEPARTMENT? NOT COMPANY COMPANY, I'M SORRY.
JUST TO BE CLEAR, BECAUSE THAT'S THE DEPARTMENT WIDE BUDGET RIGHT THERE.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT A FIGURE LIKE $20,000 FOR INSPECTION DINNER, THAT'S DEPARTMENT WIDE.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT 4 1 4 FIRE DEPARTMENT FUND, THAT GETS DIVIDED BY SIX TO THE COMPANIES, THAT'S THE ONLY MONIES THAT THE COMPANY SEEDS IS THAT, ALRIGHT, SO ONE, OH, SO LET ME MAKE MY COMPANY COMPANIES, I KNOW IT'S, IT'S, LET'S GET YOU TO THE DEPARTMENT, RIGHT? YEP, YEP, YEP.
'CAUSE YOU HAPPEN HAVE SIX COMPANIES CORRECT.
AS PART OF YOUR PART OF YOUR DEPARTMENT.
SO I I I WILL FOCUS, SINCE THIS IS BEING TRANSCRIBED, WHENEVER I HAVE USED COMPANY IN THE PAST, AND BARBARA WILL IS THERE THAT BARBARA HAS TO ACTUALLY TYPE HER NAME INTO THE TRANSCRIPT, WHICH I ENJOYED DOING TO HER, UH,
SO WHEN I SAID COMPANY IN THE PAST, I MEANT COMPANIES AND THE SIX COMPANIES, UM, CONSTITUTE THE DEPARTMENT.
UH, AND SO THAT, SO, AND MY ARGUMENT LAST TIME WAS THE 4 1 4 LINE IS TOTALLY LEGITIMATE TO BE THERE AS A LIST OF, AS PART OF THE LIST OF EXPENSES OF RUNNING THE COMPANIES IN ITS IN, IN ITS ENTIRETY OF THE DEPARTMENT.
UM, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE BREAKDOWN FOR IT.
AND SO I HAVE A QUESTION THAT'S THE ISSUE.
BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE MIGHT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE CONCERNS.
C COULD WE HAVE LIKE A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT THE TYPICAL PERSON WHO LIVES IN UNINCORPORATED GREENBURG OR WAS GETTING SERVICED BY THE TARRYTOWN, BY A DEPARTMENT, UM, IS PAYING IN TAXES COMPARED TO, UM, UM, WHAT SAY SOMEBODY IN GREENVILLE, HARTSDALE OR FAIRVIEW YOU IS PAYING FOR, UM, FOR, FOR FIRE SERVICES? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT REALLY, YOU KNOW, FOCUSING IS THAT PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, IN IN THE TAR TOWN, FIRE DEPARTMENTS ALL VOLUNTEER.
AND, UM, AND YOU KNOW, AND I ALSO FEEL THAT I DON'T WANNA DO ANYTHING THAT WILL, UM, WILL HURT THE ABILITY OF THE FIRE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS FROM CONTINUING.
IT'S POSSIBLE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE DID A BID, AND I, THIS HAS COME UP IN THE PAST THAT A PAID FIRE DEPARTMENT WOULD LOW BALL US FOR A YEAR OR, UM, YOU KNOW, OR, OR TWO, AND WE COULD EASILY SEE THE TOWN LOSE, UH, ALL THE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE TOWN, WHICH I THINK WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, REALLY, YOU KNOW, REALLY HORRIBLE.
SO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THE SERVICE AND THE DEDICATION OF THE VOLUNTEER.
UM, YOU KNOW, FIRE DEPARTMENTS, I, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THE RESIDENTS OF THE VOLUNTEER FIRE, THE RESIDENTS OF UNINCORPORATED WHO ARE, WHO LIVE IN THE, THE AREA OF SERVICE BY TARRYTOWN OR ELMSFORD OR IRVINGTON OR HASTINGS, UM, OR LEY, I KNOW THAT THEY'RE GETTING FANTASTIC, YOU KNOW, FANTASTIC VALUE FOR THEIR DOLLAR.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S, AND YOU KNOW, I, I APPRECIATE IT
UM, I JUST WANTED TO ASK, UH, CHIEF ME IN TERMS OF MR. SHERWIN'S QUESTION ABOUT, UM, BIDDING, ARE THERE CERTAIN, UM, PROXIMITY REQUIREMENTS THAT FIRE COMPANIES HAVE TO HAVE, UM, TO SERVE A PARTICULAR AREA? FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, HASTINGS FOR EXAMPLE, HAS FIRE COMPANIES, WHICH ARE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE PRETTY FAR AWAY.
ARE THERE GUIDELINES THAT GUIDE WHO CAN BID ON THESE, ON THESE, UH, CONTRACTS OR WHO CAN SERVE? I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHO'S AVAILABLE TO, TO BID ON IT, BUT JUST KNOW THAT THE FURTHER AWAY THAT THE FIREHOUSES ARE FROM THE DISTRICT, THE YOUR INSURANCE IS GONNA GO UP.
[02:10:01]
JUST AS A POINT OF INTEREST, IN 2005, THE VILLAGE OF TARRYTOWN RECOGNIZED THE, THE NEED FOR, UM, A SECOND LADDER TRUCK, WHICH THEY PUT IN THE SOUTH END OF TOWN, WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE GLENVILLE DISTRICT ALSO AS WELL A SECOND ENGINE COMPANY, WHICH IS PUT IN THE SOUTH END OF TOWN, WHICH HALF OUR RESPONSE TIME, UM, FROM FIVE MINUTES TO TWO MINUTES WE'RE WE'RE ONE MILE.WE, I TALKED ABOUT IT TWO WEEKS AGO, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF FACTS AND FIGURES, BUT WE'RE ONE MILE FROM THE FURTHEST PART OF THE DISTRICT AS COMPARED TO ANYBODY ELSE THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO SERVICE IT.
AND JUST INFORMALLY, I HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH FAIRVIEW AND HARTSDALE CHIEF WHO DON'T EVEN WANT ANY PART OF BIDDING ON THIS, UH, CONTRACT.
THAT'S PRACTICALLY INFEASIBLE IF YOU'RE LOOKING JUST MERELY GEOGRAPHICALLY.
I SEE A QUESTION IN THE CHAT, WHICH IS, YOU MENTIONED EARLIER SOMETHING ABOUT VARIABLE, UM, COST AND FIXED COSTS, AND THE QUESTION SEEMS TO ASK WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS.
UM, AND, AND WHY ARE THEY, WHAT ARE THOSE COSTS THAT A VARIABLE FACE, IF YOU CAN OUTLINE THEM? WELL, VARIABLE COSTS FOR A FIRE COMPANY, NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN INDIVIDUAL HOUSE OF THE SIX HOUSES IN TARRYTOWN.
A VARIABLE COST WOULD BE HOW MUCH BOTTLED WATER THEY BOUGHT THAT YEAR.
UH, WE BUDGETED 500 FOR OUR COMPANY.
A FIXED COST IS GONNA BE YOUR CABLE, INTERNET AND PHONE THAT'S GONNA BE ROUGHLY THE SAME MONTHLY.
UM, SO LOOKING AT THAT NUMBER, CABLE, INTERNET AND PHONE.
ONE COST IS GONNA BE VARIABLE WITH, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY THINGS, HOW MANY DRILLS DID THEY HAVE FOR THE CA YOU KNOW, THE CAPTAIN'S FUND IS GONNA BE FIXED EVERY MONTH.
IT'S A, IT'S A STIPEND THAT'S GIVEN OUT TO PAY FOR THOSE, YOU KNOW, DRILLING.
UM, AND, AND THE VARIABLE COSTS ARE, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR MIGHT, I DIDN'T HAVE A CONVENTION THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF COVID.
SO MY COMPANY BUDGETED, UM, THINGS TO HAPPEN AT THE HUDSON VALLEY CONVENTION.
IT DIDN'T OCCUR, IT WAS CANCELED.
SO THAT VARIABLE COST, THAT'S VARIABLE BECAUSE NEXT YEAR MY COMPANY WON'T HAVE A CHIEF IN PLACE AND WE WON'T NEED TO PAY THAT COST.
SO AS YOU GO DOWN THE LINE, YOU CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, THE JANITOR'S FUND, FOR INSTANCE, 2,400 IS BUDGETED, 2,400 IS PAID OUT, THE JANITOR GETS THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY.
A VARIABLE COST MIGHT BE OUR HOUSE COMMITTEE, WHICH IN YEAR 2019, MY COMPANY BOUGHT 15 NEW CHAIRS FOR OUTDATED CHAIRS IN THE MEETING ROOM.
UM, THE, THE, THE YEAR PRIOR, THEY DIDN'T BUY ANY CHAIRS.
SO THAT COST WILL BE VARIABLE VERSUS FIXED.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT SHEDS SOME LIGHT ON IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, OKAY.
UH, A COST, YOU KNOW, IS, UH, UH, FUNERAL EXPENSES OR DONATIONS, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A VARIABLE COST BECAUSE GOD FORBID, YOU DON'T KNOW WHETHER THOSE THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN OR OCCUR.
I SEE MR. BERNSTEIN'S HANDS UP, MR. BERNSTEIN.
UH, I HAVE, UM, TWO QUESTIONS.
FIRST, UH, TO CHIEF REED, UM, THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED, UH, THE 2% TAX, WHICH IS A 2% LEVY ON HOME INSURANCE PREMIUMS WRITTEN BY OUT-OF-STATE COMPANIES THAT THE STATE OF NEW YORK CHARGES.
AND IT DISPERSES THAT MONEY I UNDERSTAND, TO FIRE DEPARTMENT COMPANIES.
UH, HAS THERE BEEN AN ACCOUNTING OR ARE YOU INCLUDING IN THE EXPENSES INCURRED THAT YOU ARE CHARGING OR THAT ARE BEING CHARGED AS PART OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FIRE, UM, COMPANY FUND 4 1 4.
UH, IS THAT NET OF, OF MONIES RECEIVED? YES, SIR.
AND HOW MUCH IS RECEIVED FROM THE 2% FUND? THE 2%, HOW WAS THAT ALLOCATED YEAR IN THESE EXPENSES? THE 2% MONEY IS SENT TO THE VILLAGE OF TARRYTOWN WHO CUTS A CHECK DIVIDED BY SIX TO THE COMPANIES.
2% MONEY BY LAW NEEDS TO GO BACK TO ALL THE COMPANY MEMBERS AS A WHOLE AND NEEDS TO BENEFIT ALL COMPANY MEMBERS.
SO, NO, THAT'S ACTUALLY, IT'S HARD TO SEE, BUT WHAT I'M READING OFF OF IS MY COMPANY'S BUDGET, AND IN THE LINES THAT ARE BLUE, ARE 2% FUND MONIES.
SO OUR ANNUAL PICNIC, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT GOES BACK TO EVERYONE.
WE SPENT 4,100, OUR ANNUAL MEETING WAS 3000.
UM, WE BUDGETED 4,000, WE SPENT 1700 A CHRISTMAS, UH, SLASH HOLIDAY MEETING.
WE BUDGETED 5,000, WE SPENT 3,600.
[02:15:01]
SO, NO, THE ONLY WAYS THAT THE FIRE COMPANIES OF THE VILLAGE OF TARRYTOWN RECEIVE MONEY IS THREE WAYS FROM THE GLENVILLE CONTRACT MONEY THAT IS GIVEN TO TARRYTOWN AND DIVIDED BY SIX FROM THE 2% MONEY, WHICH IS GIVEN TO TARRYTOWN AND DIVIDED BY SIX.AND THEN WE DO A FUND DRIVE EVERY YEAR WHERE WE SEND OUT A MASS LETTER, YOU KNOW, ASKING THE COMMUNITY FOR DONATIONS, AND THAT MONEY IS TALLIED UP AND DIVIDED BY SIX.
AND THEN THE TARRYTOWN FIRE DEPARTMENT ALSO COVERS THE NEW YORK STATE THROUGHWAY FROM, WHICH USED TO BE THE YONKERS TOLL PLAZA, ALL THE WAY TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CUOMO BRIDGE.
AND EVERY TIME WE RESPOND ON A CALL, WE GET, UH, DEPENDING UPON WHETHER IT'S A FIRE, A CAR ACCIDENT OR SOMETHING ELSE, THEY GET MONIES.
AND THOSE MONIES ARE DIVIDED BY SIX AND GIVEN TO THE COMPANIES.
SO AGAIN,
I, I APPRECIATE YOUR RESPONSE, BUT, UH, HAS THE TOWN OF GREENBURG SEEN HOW MUCH MONEY IS RECEIVED BY THESE FIRE COMPANIES FROM THE 2% MONEY? BECAUSE I UNDERSTOOD YOU'D JUST BE SAYING THAT THE COSTS BEING REIMBURSED TO THE FIRE COMPANIES THAT MAKE UP THE FIRE, THE 4 1 4 LINE, UH, WAS ACTUAL COSTS INCURRED BY THE COMPANIES, UM, AND YOUR ESTIMATE OF WHAT THEY NEED TO BE REIMBURSED.
AND YOU NEVER MENTIONED UNTIL I BROUGHT IT UP, THAT, THAT THE COMPANIES WERE ALSO GETTING MONEY FROM THE 2% FUND FOR THOSE VERY SAME ITEMS. THEY'RE NOT.
SO HOW DO WE KNOW THAT IT'S THAT, THAT WE'RE NOT, UH, THEY'RE NOT GETTING, UM, YOU KNOW, THE SAME MONEY TWICE, UH, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT? AND THE REASON IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW IS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE REPORTS THAT THESE COMPANIES, YOURS INCLUDED, UH, HAVE HAVE MONEY THAT HAS BEEN ACCRUING FOR YEARS, UM, FROM THE 2% MONEY.
UH, AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE, THERE'S NO ACCOUNTING FOR THAT BECAUSE IT'S OUTSIDE THE VILLAGE'S BUDGET, ISN'T IT? THERE THERE IS AN ACCOUNTING, BECAUSE EACH COMPANY HAS ITS OWN ACCOUNTINGS.
UM, IS IT EACH COMPANY HAS ITS OWN TREASURER, AND WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE 2% MONEY, ALL THE 2% MONEY THAT COMES IN MUST GO OUT BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO THERE'S A VERY SPECIFIC ACCOUNTING OF THAT MONEY.
REMEMBER, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING AND WE HAVE A STENOGRAPHER WHO'S TRYING TO TRANSCRIBE, OR, YOU KNOW, SO WE, ONE PERSON SPEAKS, THEN THE NEXT PERSON SPEAKS.
THAT'S THE WAY WE, TIM, I JUST WANTED TO NOTE PATRICIA WEEMS ALSO ASKED TO SPEAK AFTERWARDS.
THE, THE, THE, THE QUESTION I WAS, I WAS RAISING IS, IS THE BUDGET FOR THE COMPANIES A BUDGET THAT THE VILLAGE SEES, OR IS IT THE COMPANY'S OWN PRIVATE INTERNAL BUDGETING THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? EACH COMPANY IS ITS OWN INCORPORATED COMPANY, UH, WITHIN THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
SO THEY EACH HAVE THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL BUDGET.
WE RECEIVE MONEY FROM THE VILLAGE OF TARRYTOWN FOR 2% MONEY AND, AND, UH, GLENVILLE MONEY.
BUT THE ANSWER I'M LOOKING FOR IS, DOES THE VILLAGE KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY IS BEING SPENT BY YOU GUYS, UM, FROM THE 2% MONEY? AND AND DOES THE VILLAGE KNOW HOW MUCH 2% MONEY YOU ACTUALLY HAVE ACCUMULATED IN EACH COMPANY'S SEPARATELY INCORPORATED FUND? YES.
EVERY, EVERY COMPANY AT THE END OF EACH YEAR HAS TO SUBMIT TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE OF NEW YORK AND ACCOUNTING FOR THEIR 2% MONEY THAT IS FORWARDED TO THE VILLAGE OF TARRYTOWN AND TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE OF NEW YORK.
WELL, LET'S LET MS. MEANS, SO LET HIM FINISH.
UH, WITH RESPECT TO THE, UM, BIDDING ELEMENT OF MR. SHERWIN'S QUESTIONS, UM, IS IT NOW GOING TO BE TOWN POLICY THAT IF A FIRE DISTRICT HAS, UH, A SHARES A BORDER WITH A FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT, THAT THAT FIRE DISTRICT WILL NOW BE PERMITTED TO BID ON FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT SERVICES? UH, YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW THAT THE GREENVILLE FIRE DISTRICT, UM, SHARES A BORDER WITH THE SOUTH ALEY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT, BUT THE GREENVILLE FIRE DISTRICT HAS NEVER BEEN INVITED TO BID.
AND IF FRANCIS'S STATE REP STATEMENT REPRESENTS TOWN BOARD POLICY, I HOPE THE GREENVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS LISTENING BECAUSE THEY WILL NOW HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BID IF THAT IS NOW TOWN POLICY.
AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT, UH, WELL, I, I WANNA MENTION THAT, UH, I PERSONALLY
[02:20:01]
WOULD NOT SUPPORT THAT BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT, I BELIEVE THAT BIDDING FOR FIRE DISTRICT SERVICES WOULD ULTIMATELY RESULT IN THE END OF, UM, UM, MANY OF THE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS.AND I THINK IT WOULD ACTUALLY, UM, UH, RESULT IN MUCH HIGHER, UH, FIRE, UH, DISTRICT, UM, YOU KNOW, TAXES FOR, UM, MANY RESIDENTS OF THE TOWN.
SO I DEFINITELY WOULD OPPOSE IT.
BUT THE, I WAS ASKING WHETHER MR. SHEEN'S STATEMENTS WERE PERSONAL TO HIMSELF OR WHETHER THEY REPRESENT THE TOWN BOARD? WERE ONLY ONE VOTE, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S A, UH, A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY THAT MR. SHEEHAN OFFERED, UH, THAT COULD POTENTIALLY SAVE, UH, UH, UH, MONEY FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE AND PROVIDE BETTER SERVICE, BECAUSE COMPETITION OFTEN PROVIDES IMPROVED LEVELS OF SERVICE.
AND UNTIL THAT PROPOSITION IS TESTED, MR. FEINER, YOU DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT WOULD BE AN IMPROVEMENT OR NOT.
AND YOU ARE ALSO FREE TO VOTE AGAINST IT ONCE THE PROPOSAL IS BEFORE YOU, YOU GET TO COMPARE THEM.
IT MAY WELL BE THAT, THAT GREENVILLE CAN'T, CAN'T COMPETE, BUT YOU DIDN'T GIVE, YOU WON'T EVEN GIVE THEM A CHANCE.
BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD THE SAME SITUATION WITH PRIVATIZING, UM, YOU KNOW, SERVICES, YOU KNOW, WITHIN, WITHIN THE TOWN COMPANIES, UM, FREQUENTLY WILL LOW BALL, AND THEN AFTER, UH, THE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENTS ARE DESTROYED AND THEY'RE OUT OF BUSINESS AND THEY DON'T HAVE, THEN WE ALL OF A SUDDEN THE RATES ARE GONNA GO UP.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE'VE LOST SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, POSITIVE.
I THINK THAT THE TOWN IS EXTREMELY FORTUNATE TO HAVE SUCH A DEDICATED GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS.
YOU KNOW, THE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPART, UH, FIREFIGHTERS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND WEEKENDS, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY LIVE FOR, UH, UH, PUBLIC SERVICE.
AND I THINK THEIR ROLE MODELS IN THE COMMUNITY AND, YOU KNOW, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE THEM AND I, I DON'T WANNA DO ANYTHING THAT IS GONNA HURT THEIR ABILITY OF CONTINUING TO FUNCTION.
WHY NOT? I JUST WANNA MOVE ON BECAUSE WE HAVE OTHER SPEAKERS, RIGHT? WE WANNA BE FAIR TO THEM, LIKE MSES OR WHOEVER ELSE WANTS TO SPEAK AGAIN.
SO, UM, MSES, DO YOU WISH TO SPEAK? YES, I DO.
FIRST I'D LIKE TO SAY, UH, PAT BEFORE YOU DO, BECAUSE I JUST WANNA HAVE IT IN PROXIMITY ON THE TRANSCRIPT.
'CAUSE BOB HAS A, HAS A REAL BACK OF CREATING A CONTROVERSY WHERE NONE EXISTS.
THE AND YOU'RE SMILING BECAUSE THAT'S TRUE.
I DID NOT, I DID NOT STATE THAT THIS IS GREAT FOR GREENVILLE.
FRANKLY, I DON'T BELIEVE THE FIRE, THE FIRE DISTRICTS, THE THREE FIRE DISTRICTS WOULD EVER BID.
AND IF THEY WANT, DO YOU HAVE ANY INDICATION THAT GREENVILLE FIRE DISTRICT WANTS TO BID ON THE SOUTH ALEY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT? OR ARE YOU JUST MAKING THIS UP, DO YOU KNOW TO HAVE A CONTROVERSY? I DON'T BELIEVE THEY DO.
NOW, UH, ONE, UM, VOLUNTEERISM IS NOT GONNA GO AWAY.
UH, HE MADE A SUGGESTION AGES AGO.
BUT JEFF, I'M ANSWERING YOU BASICALLY, IS THAT YOU ARE ASKING THE SAME QUESTIONS THAT EVERYBODY ASKS WHEN IT COMES TO BUDGET TIMES.
MINE IS, WHY IS THERE A NEW YORK STATE METROPOLITAN TAX BEING TAXED ON THE FAIRVIEW FIRE DISTRICT? EVERY TIME YOU TURN AROUND, IT'S THE SAME PROBLEM.
I DON'T CARE HOW IT'S EXPLAINED.
THAT MEANS THERE'S NO TRANSPARENCY.
WHEN THERE'S NO TRANSPARENCY AND I CAN'T FIND AN ANSWER.
AND I DON'T CONSIDER MYSELF A ROCKET SCIENTIST, BUT I'M NO, I, I'M DEFINITELY NOT IGNORANT.
OKAY, SO WHY CAN'T WE COME UP WITH SOME KIND OF AN ANSWER THAT WOULD FIT EVERYBODY? BOB BERNSTEIN.
YOU'LL ALWAYS BE ADVERSARIAL AND, AND THE EXTREMISTS BECAUSE YOU ASK THE QUESTION THAT NEEDS TO BE ASKED.
I'M ALSO ADVERSARIAL AND AN EXTREMIST.
ANYBODY THAT ASKS THE QUESTIONS, WE'RE GONNA GET A PUSHBACK.
AS LONG AS WE CAN GET AN ANSWER THAT SATISFIES US.
I'M FINALLY COMING OVER WITH MARY, UM,
I WANNA SEE ALL OF THE FIVE DISTRICTS CONNECTED.
I'M TIRED OF A DIS ENFORCEMENT AND THE TYPE OF HIRING THAT WE DO, IT'S NOT OPEN TO EVERYBODY.
IT'S A SELECT FEW I WANNA SEE.
UM, IF YOU'RE GOING TO USE THE EQUIPMENT FROM THE FAIRVIEW FIRE DEPARTMENT, THEN PAY FOR IT AS A LOAN.
THAT'S WHAT THE VOLUNTEERS DO.
THEY BORROW EQUIPMENT, BUT I'M PAYING FOR IT.
MY TAX DOLLAR, WE HAVE THE HIGHEST, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT TAXES ARE HIGHER THAN THE TOWN TAXES AND ANY OTHER TAX.
SO AT ONE TIME, SOONER OR LATER, WE NEED TO SAY, OKAY, I DON'T CARE WHAT IT IS.
[02:25:01]
CONSOLIDATE.WE'LL FIGURE OUT WHAT IT'S GONNA COST AFTER WE DO IT, AND THEN WE CAN WORK ON SEEING TO IT THAT THERE'S FAIR AND EQUAL ASSESSMENTS THROUGHOUT THE TOWN TO EVERYBODY.
BUT AS IT STANDS NOW, WE'RE, WE'RE NITPICKING AND WE ARE BASICALLY, MAY NOT BE THE RIGHT THING TO DO, DO, BUT IT'S ONE THING THAT WILL ANSWER THE QUESTIONS, WHICH I'M TIRED OF ASKING, AND I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO BE DOING THIS ALL OF THE TIME.
THANK YOU, MS. WE NOW I JUST WANNA REFOCUS BACK TO THE REASON THAT WE'RE HERE.
I KNOW, I KNOW THE VILLE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT.
YOU SAID THAT AT THE BEGINNING AND I 2020, SORRY.
SO WE, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS DURING PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
AGAIN, WE HAVE A
DOES, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE, THE AGREEMENT THAT'S ON THE TABLE? OKAY, THAT'S MR. ZINGER.
SO, UH, THANK YOU MR. ME, I I APPRECIATE THE, UM, EXPLANATION REGARDING WHAT A VARIABLE COST VERSUS WHAT A FIXED COST IS.
I, I THINK MY QUESTION WAS MORE TO THE POINT OF, YOU KNOW, THE, THOSE TAR TELLING YOU, I'LL TAKE THIS LINE LIKE $12,000, YOU KNOW, AND I I WOULD MAKE IT FOR TELEPHONE FOUR OH FOUR.
I, I WOULD MAKE THE ARGUMENT AS A RESIDENT OF GREENBURG, AND YOU KNOW, I DON'T LIVE IN THE GREEN, UH, GREENVILLE FIRE DISTRICT, BUT I WOULD BE HARD PRESSED TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE EXPANSION OF TIRE TOWN FIRE SERVICES INTO THE GLENVILLE FIRE DISTRICT WOULD NECESSITATE INCREASED TELEPHONE COSTS.
IF, IF YOU ARE, IF THE, THE POSITION IS WE SHOULD PAY A PERCENTAGE OF ALL OF THE COSTS REGARDLESS WHETHER THEY ARE INCLUSIVE OF THE ACTUAL SERVICE OF GLENVILLE ER MM-HMM.
I, I THINK, UM, MY, MY QUESTION WAS JUST IF THERE'S ANY CONSIDERATION OF, UH, SOME COSTS BEING INCLUDED AND SOME NOT.
AND, AND THE ANSWER SEEMS TO BE THAT WE'RE INCLUDING ALL COSTS, WHETHER OR NOT THOSE COSTS ARE HIGHER BECAUSE OF THE COVERAGE TO GLENVILLE FIRE DISTRICT OR NOT.
AND I, I JUST WANNA GO BACK TO WHAT BOB TALKED ABOUT WITH THE 2% FUNDS.
'CAUSE IT WAS INTERESTING BECAUSE WHAT I THINK MAYBE I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WERE RUNNING THROUGH WHAT THE ITEMS ARE FOR THAT LINE 4 1 4 FIRE DEPARTMENT FUND, YOU MENTIONED SEVERAL ITEMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THEN YOU WENT BACK AND YOU MENTIONED THEM AS BEING PAID FOR BY 2% FUNDS.
SO MY QUESTION IS, TO BE QUITE SPECIFIC, ARE THERE ANY EXPENSES THAT ARE BEING BILLED TO THE 4 1 4 FIRE DEPARTMENT FUND THAT ARE ALSO BEING COVERED BY THE 2%? ONE, ESSENTIALLY, ARE YOU USING THAT EXPENSE TO GET REIMBURSED FROM 2% AND IN THIS BUDGET? BECAUSE THAT, I THINK IS WHAT BOB'S POINT WAS.
AND, AND I DON'T THINK IT WAS NECESSARILY ADDRESSED.
SO I THINK THE QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE COMING UP WITH THIS 4 1 4 NUMBER IS 100% OF THAT $102,750 THAT'S BEING BILLED COMPLETELY EXCLUSIVE OF ANY EXPENSES THAT ARE PAID FOR FROM 2% FUNDS? 'CAUSE THE ANSWER SHOULD BE YES.
THE ANSWER SHOULD BE THAT FOR THAT 102,000, NOT $1 OF THAT IS ALSO BEING COVERED BY 2% FUNDS.
BECAUSE OTHERWISE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PAYING, UH, 15% OF THAT FOR, YOU KNOW, EXPENSES THAT ARE ALREADY COVERED.
ALRIGHT, MR. BOWMAN, YOU ON SPEED? YES.
THE TERM VOLUNTEER HAS BEEN USED A NUMBER OF TIMES TONIGHT.
THERE ARE NO PEOPLE AVAILABLE TO BE VOLUNTEERS.
NO BUSINESSMAN CAN CLOSE HIS BUSINESS AND GO TO A FIRE.
EVERYBODY WORKS FROM HOME, CAN'T LEAVE THEIR COMPUTER, THEY WORK IN THE CITY.
SO TO USE THE TERM VOLUNTEER AND ANY DISCUSSION IS NOW OUT LOADED.
AND ONE HAS TO REALIZE THAT 99% OF THE FIRE PERSONNEL ARE PAID AND NOT VOLUNTEERS.
AND THAT CONCEPT HAS TO BE UNDERSTOOD.
CAN I SPEAK TO THAT? YES, PLEASE.
UM, ALL OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY WITH THE, EXCEPT MOST OF NEW YORK STATE, BUT WE'LL JUST GO WITH WESTCHESTER COUNTY, ALMOST ALL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF YONKERS, NEW ROCHELLE CITY, RY, FAIRVIEW, GLENVILLE, PEEKSKILL AND HARTSDALE ARE VOLUNTEER.
SO THAT'S HASTINGS IRVINGTON'S, DOBBS FERRY, ARDSLEY TARRYTOWN, SNOOPY HOLLOW, CROTON, SCARBOROUGH, UH, BRIARCLIFF, UH, ALL THE, THE WHOLE GAMUT.
SO, AND EVERY ONE OF OUR PERSONNEL
[02:30:01]
IS 100% VOLUNTEER, MEANING THAT WE DO JUST THAT.WE LEAVE THESE ZOOM MEETINGS TO GO ON THE CALL.
IF MY PAGER GOES OFF RIGHT NOW, I LEAVE YOU GUYS AND WE GO ON THE CALL.
THE GUYS THAT ARE WORKING AT HOME, THEY LEAVE THEIR ZOOM MEETINGS, THEY GO ON THE CALL, THE PLUMBERS THAT ARE WORKING UNDER A SINK, THEY GET UP, THEY GET IN THEIR PERSONAL VEHICLE, THEY DRIVE TO A FIREHOUSE, AND THEY GO ON A CALL.
SAME THING WITH ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE.
EVERY SINGLE PER MEMBER OF THE VILLAGE OF TARRYTOWN FIRE DEPARTMENT IS 100% VOLUNTEER.
DO YOU HAVE ANYBODY ELSE, ANYBODY FROM THE BOARD WANNA COMMENT OR, UH, DO WE THINK WE, UH, ENOUGH TO MAKE, UH, TO CONSIDER MAKING A DECISION AT SOME POINT? WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, SINCE WE HAD A THOROUGH DISCUSSION HERE, THAT WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND LEAVE THE RECORD OPEN FOR SEVEN DAYS.
AND ANYBODY WOULD WANT SUBMIT ANYTHING IN WRITING TO SU SUBSTANTIATE THE, UM, UM, ANY DOCUMENTATION OR SUPPLEMENT ANY DOCUMENTATION OR DREW A FEW, ANY DOCUMENTATION THEY HAVE
IS THERE A SECOND? IS A SECOND? SECOND.
BARBARA, YOU DONE? THANK YOU EVERYONE.
I'LL HAVE A GOOD NIGHT, BARBARA.
THE FIRST PERSON, THE FIRST PERSON THAT WE HAVE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT IS LAUREN BOLAND.
IS LAUREN BOLAND STILL HERE? GOING TO DO THAT? ACTUALLY, I, UM,
EXPLAIN PAUL THAT THE PUBLIC HEARING IS BEING HELD OVER.
WHAT PAUL WANT PAUL TO DO THAT, OR NO? I, I I COULD DO IT, BUT, UH, HE'S BEEN GOING.
SO THE, UH, ADDITION BY THIS GO AHEAD.
[ To consider a petition by the Scarsdale Golf Club, to extend the boundaries of Consolidated Water District No. 1 in the Town of Greenburgh (Held over to Town Board Meeting of 3/10/2021)]
GOLF PUB TO EXTEND THE BOUNDARIES OF CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT NUMBER ONE AND THE TAMPA GREENBURG IS BEING HAULED OVER TO Q 10.ALRIGHT, WE'RE, WE'RE, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO OBTAIN MORE DATA.
[ PUBLIC COMMENT Advance signup via PublicComment@GreenburghNY.com is required. See instructions on first page. A three minute limit per speaker will be strictly enforced. No interruptions by Town Board members, the Town Clerk or the public will be permitted. Any questions on agenda items should be asked at this time. Department Heads have the option of leaving the meeting following Public Comment. Therefore, if anyone has questions that are related to resolutions/items on the agenda involving a specific Department Head, those questions should be raised at this time]
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT.LAUREN GOLDEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UM, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AND APOLOGIES IN ADVANCE.
I'M VERY MUCH A MORNING PERSON, BUT, UM, BUT I'M STILL HERE.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE BEGINNING OF THIS MEETING BECAUSE I, I FOUND IT VERY INSPIRING AND IT WAS REALLY NICE TO HEAR, UM, FROM ALL OF YOU AND FROM THE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT MADE ME MISS BEING A SCHOOL PRINCIPAL.
SO IT WAS REALLY, IT WAS REALLY WONDERFUL.
UM, SO I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND A FEW OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY WHO WERE NOT ABLE TO BE HERE THIS EVENING.
WE ARE PARENTS OF YOUNG ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES, AND THE IDEA WE'D LIKE TO PUT FORTH IS ACTUALLY CONNECTED, UM, TO ONE OF THE APPLICATIONS THAT YOU'LL BE DISCUSSING.
UH, BUT OUR YOUNG ADULTS ARE VERY CAPABLE AND HIGH FUNCTIONING AND CURRENTLY WORKING PART-TIME, UM, IN VARIOUS DIFFERENT JOBS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
AND WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IN A NUTSHELL IS THE, UH, A SMALL PERCENT OF THE WORKFORCE AT SENIOR LIVING OR ASSISTED LIVING CENTERS BE DESIGNATED FOR EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES.
AND THAT THESE EMPLOYEES ARE PROVIDED IN ADDITION WITH ONSITE HOUSING.
UM, WE KNOW THAT THIS WOULD PROVIDE A MORE STABLE WORKFORCE FOR THE, FOR THE SENIOR CENTERS AND DECREASED TURNOVER.
IT WOULD BE DEFINITELY A WIN-WIN SITUATION FOR BOTH THE RESIDENTS AND THE EMPLOYEES.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IT, IT WOULD ALSO, IN FULL DISCLOSURE, I HOPE TO SOLVE WHAT REALLY IS A HOUSING CRISIS WITHIN THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW.
O P W D D IS BASICALLY TELLING US THAT THEY WANT ALL OF OUR ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES TO STAY IN OUR HOMES AS LONG AS POSSIBLE, BUT THAT IS CLEARLY NOT A VIABLE LONG-TERM PLAN, UM, FOR ANY OF US.
UH, WE, YOU KNOW, GOD WILLING, UH, THEY WILL OUTLIVE US, AND THEN IT BECOMES A MORE URGENT SITUATION.
SO, UM, AGAIN, WE, BUT IT'S NOT EVEN, IT WOULD, SO IT WOULD SOLVE THAT, UM, AS WELL, THE HOUSING SITUATION.
[02:35:01]
REALLY ALSO, YOU KNOW, FEEL STRONGLY THAT IT WOULD BENEFIT THE, THE, UM, RESIDENTS OF THE SENIOR CENTER JUST AS MUCH AS IT WOULD BENEFIT OUR YOUNG ADULTS.AND SO WE JUST REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY HOPEFULLY TO PARTNER WITH US TO FIND INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS LIKE THIS ONE THAT ARE WIN-WIN.
AND THANK YOU FOR, FOR ALLOWING ME MY THREE MINUTES.
YEAH, I JUST, I'D JUST LIKE TO MENTION THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THIS IDEA, UM, UH, IS I THINK ONE OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE AND EXCITING, UM, YOU KNOW, INITIATIVES, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK IT REALLY COULD BE A WIN-WIN FOR ASSISTED, YOU KNOW, LIVING FACILITIES FOR EVERYONE, BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE, MANY, UM, HIGH FUNCTIONING, UH, DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED, UM, UH, UM, YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN, THEY ARE SO ENTHUSIASTIC AND UPBEAT AND APPRECIATE LITTLE THINGS.
UM, AND I FEEL THAT AN ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY, I, I JUST FEEL THAT THERE WOULD BE SO MUCH, UM, UM, APPRECIATION FROM THE SENIORS BECAUSE, UH, THEY WOULD LOVE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, WORKING THERE.
AND THE, UH, THE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED EMPLOYEES WOULD, WOULD BE, ARE, ARE EXTREMELY FRIENDLY AND THEY WOULD HAVE A GREAT RAPPORT WITH, UH, WITH THE SENIORS.
AND WHEN YOU HAVE A TYPICAL WORKER, IT'S A JOB FOR SOMEBODY WHO'S DEVELOPMENTALLY, UH, DISABLED, WHO'S WORKING.
IT'S, IT'S, SO I ALSO THINK THAT IF WE COULD CREATE, UM, SOME HOUSING WITH EMPLOYEES, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF THEY WOULD HAVE ONE OR TWO, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, APARTMENTS IN EACH, IN EACH ONE, I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE SUCH A WIN-WIN, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITY.
AND I AM LIKE SO EXCITED ABOUT THE IDEA.
UM, I, UM, UM, AM WRITING TO A LOT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, YOU KNOW, GROW, UM, UH, CARDINAL MCCLOSKEY, UH, LOCAL ASSISTED LIVING, UH, ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES.
AND I THINK THAT THE FIRST ONE THAT DOES THIS, UM, IS GONNA BECOME NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED.
AND MY PREDICTION IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WITHIN A SHORT TIME IS GONNA BE LIKE THE SUPERMARKETS, EVERYONE, EVERY ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY'S GONNA, ARE GOING, GONNA DO THE YOU DO THIS, GONNA DO THE SAME.
AND, YOU KNOW, I I AM LIKE SO THRILLED THAT LAUREN IS, UM, AND YOU KNOW, ROCHELLE IS SPEARHEADING, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS EFFORT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD REALLY LOVE TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE LIKE A DIALOGUE WITH ASSISTED LIVING WITH BRIGHTVIEW AND ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES.
JUST, YOU KNOW, THINK ABOUT IT BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT IMPOSING ANYTHING, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, WILL BE A WIN FOR YOU.
YOU'LL GET, YOU KNOW, MUCH MORE VALUE AND, YOU KNOW, THE EMPLOYEES WILL GET VALUE ALSO.
SO, I'M SORRY, I'M ENTHUSIASTIC, BUT I, I'M OKAY.
I KNOW I'M ECHOING NOW, BUT I JUST WANNA SAY THAT MY SON ACTUALLY VOLUNTEERED AT A SENIOR CENTER FOR QUITE, FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
AND IT WAS EXACTLY WHAT YOU WERE SAYING.
LIKE THEY WOULD JUST LOOK FORWARD TO HIM COMING, UM, AND EVERYONE IN THE ENTIRE PLACE AND HIM BY NAME.
AND IT WAS AN EXTREMELY MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL RELATIONSHIP.
SO
AND WITHOUT, AND FIRST, YOU KNOW, I'LL NEVER FORGET, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, UM, I WROTE A LETTER TO THE A AND P, THIS WAS YEARS AGO.
HE BECAME LIKE THE MOST POPULAR PERSON IN THE WHOLE STORE.
AND PEOPLE WOULD TELL ME THAT THEY WOULD GO TO THE STORE JUST TO SEE HIM.
UM, UM, AND YOU KNOW, SO, YOU KNOW, I KNOW SO MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED AND IT'S THE SAME STORY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, STEVE HERE, STEVE HERE, AND YOU WERE IN BEFORE YOU WERE INTERESTED.
I MEAN, IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE COULD TRY SETTING UP, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE LIKE A, A ZOOM, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSION AND YOU MAYBE THE WHOLE BRIGHTVIEW ORGANIZATION, YOU KNOW, WOULD WANNA MAKE THIS SORT OF A, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, A, A POLICY AND, YOU KNOW, WE COULD DO SOMETHING THAT IS LIKE SO, UH, AMAZING STARTING IN GREENBURG.
[02:40:01]
IT'S, I HAD A CHANCE TO, TO SPEAK WITH MS. BOLAND, UH, EARLIER TODAY, AND WE'RE EXCITED TO, TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION AND, UM, EXPLORE THESE POSSIBILITIES.WE, WE CURRENTLY HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH Y A I AT OUR COMMUNITY ON ROUTE ONE 19, AND IT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.
UM, AND I THINK THAT MOVING FORWARD, KIND OF AS WE PROGRESS OUR PLANS, UH, TOWARDS, UM, THE REST OF THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AND PERMITTING, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN DISCUSS IN PARALLEL TO THAT WITH, UM, BOTH OUR DEVELOPMENT TEAM AND OUR OPERATING TEAM.
BECAUSE THIS TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP HAS LOTS OF IMPLICATIONS FROM A REGULATORY PERSPECTIVE IN ADDITION TO AN OPERATIONAL PERSPECTIVE.
IT'S DEFINITELY A, A REALLY EXCITING IDEA THAT WE'RE, WE'RE OPEN TO EXPLORING OVER THE PLAN.
ERIC, YOU STILL HERE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? YOU MIGHT HAVE STEPPED AWAY.
UM, SO I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT.
I KNOW THAT I WATCHED YESTERDAY'S, UH, TOWN BOARD WORK SESSION REGARDING THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WITH GREAT INTEREST.
UH, AFTER READING SOME WHAT I CONSIDERED EXTREMELY DISTURBING, UH, ALLEGATIONS IN THE LETTER TO THE EDITOR THAT WAS POSTED ON BLACK WESTCHESTER.COM REGARDING, UH, SOME OF THE ACTIVITY RELATED TO THE REMOVAL OF RESIDENTS FROM MANHATTAN AVENUE SITE.
AND, BUT I'M, I, I, FRANKLY, I, I HAVE NOT BEEN TO THE MANHATTAN AVENUE SITE.
I HAVE NOT TALKED TO ANYONE WHO IS A RESIDENT FROM MANHATTAN AVENUE SITE RECENTLY.
UM, BUT I, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE TOWN BOARD TO, UM, INVITE RENEE ROBINSON TO COME AND SPEAK WITH THEM AT THE NEXT TOWN BOARD WORK SESSION, BECAUSE IF YOU LEAVE WHAT'S BEING WRITTEN IN THIS LETTER AND YOU WATCH THAT TOWN BOARD WORK SESSION, IT, YOU'RE, YOU'RE HEARING TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT STORIES, UM, IN THE TOWN BOARD WORK SESSION, I KEPT HEARING ABOUT THE PROCESS FOR WHEN RESIDENTS WILL BE VACATING THE PROPERTIES AS THOUGH IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE.
THIS MAKES IT QUITE CLEAR THAT, UH, MANY RESIDENTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN, UH, REMOVED FROM THEIR APARTMENTS.
UM, AND IT WOULD SEEM LIKE DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC THAT THE STEPS THAT ARE BEING PUT IN PLACE FOR THIS PROCESS WOULD NEED TO BE ESPECIALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, DOUBLE AND TRIPLE CHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THE SAFETY OF EVERYONE, ESPECIALLY SEEING THE RESIDENTS WHO MAY NOT HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, RECEIVE A VACCINE YET, UM, BE GIVEN THE HIGHEST PRIORITY.
UM, SO, SO I'M ASKING, YOU KNOW, THE TOWN BOARD TO, YOU KNOW, KEEP THIS ITEM AT THE TOP OF THEIR PRIORITY LIST AND, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM RENE AND POSSIBLY SOME OF THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE BEING MOVED OUT BECAUSE, UM, IT'S TWO VERY DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, STORIES.
IF, IF YOU, IF YOU WATCH THE TOWN BOARD WORK SESSION, YOU KNOW, IT WAS QUITE CLEAR FROM THERE AND, AND MAYBE I MISUNDERSTOOD IT, BUT, BUT THAT NOBODY HAD BEEN MOVED OUT YET.
WHEREAS THIS IS SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN MOVED OUT.
AND THIS IS ALSO SAYING, UM, THAT THERE WERE OTHER ISSUES WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, INTERVIEWS OR, OR, OR NOTIFICATIONS THAT WERE, YOU KNOW, NOT PROPER NOTICE OR TRUTH.
YOU TALKED ABOUT HOW LONG IT TOOK TO MOVE YOUR SISTER OUT AND, UH, THE PROCESS FOR WHICH PEOPLE WOULD MOVE OUT.
SO, SO, UH, FRANKLY, I I, I CAN'T SAY, YOU KNOW, FOR SURE EXACTLY, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT THE SPECIFIC ISSUES ARE THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED, BUT THERE, THERE WAS A QUITE A STARK CONTRAST BETWEEN, UM, WHAT WAS DISCUSSED AT THE TOWN BOARD WORK SESSION AND WHAT WAS DISCUSSED HERE.
SO I, I'M ASKING THE TOWN BOARD TO, UH, HAVE A PUBLIC OPEN DISCUSSION, UH, WITH RENEE AND, AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT SOME OF THESE EXTREMELY, YOU KNOW, CONCERNING, UH, IDEAS ABOUT SENIORS DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC ARE ARE DIRECTLY ADDRESSED.
BECAUSE I, I JUST WANNA MENTION THAT, UM, I, UM, I WROTE TO HER, UH, THIS MORNING AND I INDICATED THAT IF SHE HAS SPECIFICS, UM, THAT SHE SHOULD PROVIDE THE TOWN BOARD WITH, UH, THE SPECIFIC INFORMATION.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, ONE THING TO, UM, UH, SAY, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, UH, ARE, UM, UH, ARE NOT GETTING QUALITY HOUSING.
YOU KNOW, I READ THE LETTER TO THE EDITOR, UH, OR LIVING IN SUBSTANDARD YOU CONDITIONS, BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, UM, UM, MORE SPECIFICS AND THEN, WELL, THE ANSWER, SORRY PAUL, I'M JUST GONNA GO BACK BECAUSE, UH, THIS IS MY
[02:45:01]
THAT IS A QUANTITATIVE, UH, RIGHT.UH, THAT IS, THAT IS A QUANTITATIVE DECISION THAT CAN EITHER BE ASSESSED AND IT'S TRUE.
PEOPLE HAVE EITHER STARTED MOVING OUT OR THEY HAVEN'T.
SO, YOU KNOW, UH, I APPRECIATE PAUL, THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU'VE REACHED OUT TO HER.
I'M HOPING THAT THAT CONVERSATION CAN BE MADE PUBLIC BECAUSE WE HAD, YOU KNOW, UM, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY ON THE WORK BOARD SESSION.
UH, I, I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE FOR THE PUBLIC AND, AND PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN FOLLOWING THIS TO BE ABLE TO HEAR BOTH SIDES OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND PAUL, I, I DIDN'T MEAN TO CUT YOU OFF, BUT YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT PROCESSING FORM HERE, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT'S, YOU KNOW, SO I'M DONE.
PAT, YOU THERE? SEE YOUR NAME? OKAY, NOW CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
I DIDN'T PUSH THE RIGHT BUTTON.
UM, I'M STATING THAT, UM, I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.
I'M WAITING TO HEAR EXACTLY ALL OF THE FACTS BECAUSE WHAT I DO KNOW ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN MOVED, UH, IT UPSETS ME THAT PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG BEEN RESIDENTS HERE FOR THEIR WHOLE LIVES ARE IN LIVING IN M IN, IN YONKERS.
AND YET GREENBURG HAS HELD PUBLIC HOUSING MORE SO THAN ANY OTHER MUNICIPALITY IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
AND WE TAKE, UM, INDIVIDUALS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTY TO LIVE IN WESTCHESTER HOU IN GREENBURG'S HOUSING.
AND I DON'T SEE WHY WE CAN'T ASK GEORGE LADERMAN, PAUL FINER AND EVERYBODY ELSE TO SEE TO IT THAT, UM, THE, UH, HOUSING THAT'S UP THERE ON WEST ON IN, UM, ON THE COLLEGE CAMPUS, WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE CAN'T BE USED AND FIXED UP SO THAT GREENBURG CAN HAVE ACCESS TO THAT.
I DON'T SEE WHY WE HAVE TO SEE TO IT THAT THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE IN GREENBURG HAVE TO BE DOMICILED AT ANOTHER PLACE AND THEN COME BACK INTO GREENBURG IF THIS IS, AND IT'S ALL SENIORS.
AND I THINK THEY SHOULD BE GIVEN SOME TYPE OF RESPECT AND THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS AND THAT, UH, BISHOP PRESTON HAS TO GO, HAS TO GO RUNNING AROUND TRYING TO FIND SOME PLACE TO PUT PEOPLE WHEN WE HAVE PLACES THEY SHOULD HAVE PRIORITY FOR GREENBURG SPACE, PERIOD.
SO ANYTHING THAT I CAN DO TO HELP TO ALLEVIATE A PROBLEM, I WILL TRY TO DO SO.
BUT I DO WANNA SEE PEOPLE FROM GREENBURG NOT PLACED ALL OVER WESTCHESTER COUNTY WHITE PLAINS MEN, YOU KNOW, WHEREVER, WHEN WE DO HAVE PLACES RIGHT HERE IN GREENBURG, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SAY NO.
WE ARE NOT FILLING IT WITH ANYONE UNTIL WE FIND PLACES FOR THE PEOPLE HERE IN GREENBURG, THEY DESERVE IT, THEIR LAND.
I'M NOT GOING IN THE BACK OF THE HISTORY, BUT I WANNA SEE A CHANGE.
CLIFF ABRAMS, CAN EVERYBODY HEAR ME? YES, VERY CLEARLY.
OKAY, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, BECAUSE LAST TIME I SPOKE YOU SAID YOU COULDN'T HEAR ME.
YEAH, YOU SOUND, YOU SOUND GREAT.
UM, BEFORE YOU START THE CLOCK TO THIS, I LIKE TO ASK TIM AND FRANCIS, CAN I GET EIGHT MINUTES? I PROBABLY AIN'T GONNA USE THE WHOLE EIGHT MINUTES, BUT I REMEMBER, HOLD ON.
THREE MINUTES AND FIVE MINUTES, IT'S 10 30.
I'M A RESIDENT OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, SO I GOTTA SIT HERE FROM SEVEN 30 TO 10 30 TO GET THREE MINUTES.
HOW DISRESPECTFUL IS THAT? SO IF I BRING SOME PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SPEAK ON MY BEHALF, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO STAY, THEY'RE GONNA LEAVE.
WHO WOULD WANNA WAIT THREE HOURS TO GET THREE MINUTES SAYING THAT? DO I, DO I GET MY EIGHT MINUTES? CONTINUE.
WHY DON'T WE DISCONTINUE, I ONLY HAVE ONE, UH, PUBLIC SPEAKING AT THE, AND NOT HAVE IT AFTER THE MEETING.
SO THIS WAY WE WON'T, YOU KNOW, SINCE IT'S GETTING CLOSE 11 ANYWAY.
MEAN YOU COULD HAVE EIGHT MINUTES.
WELL, LEMME SAY, I DUNNO HOW MANY PEOPLE WANNA SPEAK.
SO CLIFF, YOU SPEAK FOR EIGHT MINUTES AND LET'S SAY THERE ARE TWO OTHER PEOPLE WHO WANNA SPEAK.
[02:50:02]
I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO ALLOW EVERYONE TO SPEAK BECAUSE IT MIGHT BE AT ONE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.SO WHY DO, WHAT IS IT THREE WE GOT, THEY GOT THREE MINUTES EACH, RIGHT? YES SIR.
THEY NORMALLY GET THREE MINUTES, BUT I DON'T HOW MANY PEOPLE I'VE ALREADY SEEN MR. BERNSTEIN'S HAND AND MR. BODEN'S HAND, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE ARE OTHERS.
CAN I FINISH THIS PLEASE? AS I SAID, IT WAS 10 30 AT NIGHT.
I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE SEVEN 30.
UM, I REMEMBER Y'ALL ALLOW, YOU, YOU TALK ABOUT WOUNDS THEN.
AND I REMEMBER Y'ALL ALLOW SOMEBODY TO HAVE THEIR EIGHT WOUND.
WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD? IF IT WAS UP TO ME, I'D RATHER HAVE ONE, UH, EIGHT MINUTES AND THEN DO THE AGENDA AND THEN, UH, FINISH FOR THE EVENING.
UH, HOW MANY PEOPLE WANNA SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMENT? DO THEY JUST MULTIPLY THAT BY EIGHT AND SEE WHAT TIME IT'S, I HAVE TWO MORE AFTER CLIFF MARY BOWDEN AND COLBY JENKINS.
AND THEN TIM JUST INDICATED THAT, UM, BOB BERNSTEIN, SO THAT WOULD BE THREE MORE AFTER CLIFF HAVE A GENTLEMAN NAMED JOE JACOBS WHO WANTS TO SPEAK ABOUT AN ISSUE ON THE AGENDA.
WHAT THE OTHER THING TOO IS WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO'VE ALREADY SPOKEN? DO THEY WISH TO SPEAK AGAIN TOO? THAT'S WHY YOU SHOULD ALLOW US TO SPEAK AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING.
EVERYBODY CAN'T SPEAK AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING.
CLIFF, AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO GET, WE HAVE IF FROM PRIORITIES AND, AND DEPENDING ON WHAT, WHAT'S, UH, BEING FOCUSED ON.
SO THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WERE BEING HONORED TONIGHT.
IS THAT WHAT YOU, IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE REFERRING TO? INCLUDING YOU
THEN IF YOU WANT YOUR EXTRA FIVE MINUTES, YOU GET IT AT THE END.
GET IT AT THE END OF THE MEETING, YES OR NO? YES.
MR. BE DEPENDED ON WHETHER THERE WAS A, UH, PUBLIC HEARING OR NOT THOUGH, TIM? YES.
IT DEPENDS ON, THE MEETINGS ARE SUPPOSED TO END AT 11 O'CLOCK LATER THAN 11 O'CLOCK.
SO I TALKED TO TIM, GINA AND, AND I AND I TALKED ABOUT WHEN
I'M SORRY, CLIFF, WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
CAN YOU JUST SPEAK UP BECAUSE WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
JUST SPEAK TO THE PHONE, OKAY? OKAY, I WILL.
UM, I REMEMBER TALKING TO GINA, TIM AND JARED.
I SAID THAT WHEN PEOPLE DEVELOP HOUSING AND, AND IT IS NOT PORTABLE, WHO FIND OUT IF THEY DOING THE 10% AND Y'ALL SAY YOU ARE GONNA FOLLOW THROUGH ON IT BECAUSE I'M STILL TRYING TO FIND OUT AND I NEVER GOT AN ANSWER BACK.
WHO OVERSEE TO MAKE SURE THE DEVELOPERS WHO WHO DEVELOPING THESE NON AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS 10%.
THE SECOND IS THAT WHEN, UM, I TALKED TO BISHOP LAST NIGHT, I WAS AT THAT MEETING AND WE ASKED WHEN YOU LOOKED AT A, A PERCENTAGE, UH, PER UH, UM, UH, HIRING PEOPLE WHO FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH THE NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU'RE HAVING, YOU SAY YOU COULDN'T, BUT ONE THING I COULD SAY, BRIGHTVIEW IS OPEN FOR A, UH, APPRENTICESHIP AND THEY OPEN TO AT LEAST DISCUSS IT.
AND I ALSO WANT TO KNOW THE TOWN BOARD.
YOU APPOINT FIVE PEOPLE OUTTA SEVEN PEOPLE TO THE HOUSE AUTHORITY BOARD.
BUT YOU ARE ALWAYS SAY, THEY ALWAYS SAY Y'ALL HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.
HOW DO THE TOWN APPOINT FIVE PEOPLE FOR FIVE YEARS TERM? AND AND THEY, Y'ALL DON'T HAVE NO SAY ON WHAT GOES ON IN HOUSING AT THE GREENVILLE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
WELL, IT APPEARS THAT YOU ALL KNOW ZOOM MEETINGS ARE HERE TO STAY.
THEY HAVE TO BE RUN BY INDEPENDENT PEOPLE WHO DON'T MAKE DECISIONS ON THE FLY CLIFF.
WE CAN'T CHANGE THREE MINUTES TO EIGHT MINUTES RIGHT
[02:55:01]
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MEETING.AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING TO MAKE MY POINT, THE GENTLEMAN WHO WAS DOING A PRESENTATION DIDN'T HAVE HIS SHEEN SCREEN SHARE UP.
GARRETT QUICKLY POINTED IT OUT TO HIM AND GOT HIM STRAIGHTENED OUT.
GARRETT'S VERY GOOD AT HAVING THE BACKUP MATERIAL TO PUT ON A SCREEN SO HE SHOULD BE IN CHARGE OR HIS DEPUTY IN RUNNING THE MEETING.
THE SECOND THING IS, SOMEBODY CHANGED THE AGENDA BETWEEN THE TIME THAT WAS PUBLISHED AS A FINAL AGENDA AT 1230 TODAY AND WHAT WAS ON SCREEN TONIGHT, AND I SUPPOSE IT'S FRANCIS 'CAUSE HE'S BEEN CHANGING EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME.
SO FRANCIS, THAT ABILITY FOR YOU TO CHANGE THE AGENDA HAS TO BE TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU.
JOAN IS THE SECRETARY FOR THE BOARD OR WHATEVER.
AND IF YOU NEED TO HAVE THE AGENDA CHANGED, THEN YOU ASK JOAN TO CHANGE IT AND YOU CAN'T CHANGE IT ON A FLY.
WHAT WAS THERE TONIGHT WAS GINA'S ALARM ABOUT SOMETHING THAT SHE WAS GONNA DO.
I HAVE THE AGENDA THAT I PRINTED OFF AND I SAW UP UNTIL 12 O'CLOCK TODAY.
1230 TODAY IT SAID AGENDA AND FRANCIS CHANGED IT.
AND YOU DON'T HAVE, AND YOU HAVE TO LIE.
YOU CANNOT ME THE IT'S A LIE, TIM.
ALRIGHT, SO LET'S LET MR. BODE FINISH SO I CAN, YOU KNOW, I TRY TO BE TRUTHFUL.
CHAIRMAN SIMON CUT ME OFF THE OTHER DAY BECAUSE HE DIDN'T LIKE WHAT I WAS SAYING.
YOU DON'T LIKE WHEN I WRITE, THAT'S JUST TOO BAD.
BUT I HAVE A RIGHT TO SAY IT WITHOUT YOU INTERRUPTING ME.
IT SAYS RIGHT ON THE TOP OF THE THING, WE WILL NOT ENGAGE IN A CONVERSATION AND YOU DO IT ALL THE TIME.
THIS IS A ZOOM, IT'S GONNA BE HERE FOR YEARS.
AND PAUL, YOU CAN'T DECIDE WHETHER IT'S GONNA BE THREE MINUTES OR EIGHT MINUTES, WHATEVER THE RULE IS.
AND GARRETT AND DAVID FREED KNOW HOW TO ENFORCE IT AND SO DOES TIM.
'CAUSE THEY'VE ENFORCED IT ON ME AND I'VE BEEN POLITE AND LISTEN TO THEM.
SO WHEN YOU TELL ME TIM TO SHUT UP, THEN YOU'RE GONNA TELL FRANCIS, SAY SHE AND THEY SHUT UP TOO.
AS MUCH AS YOU DON'T LIKE WHAT I HAVE TO SAY, I HAVE A RIGHT TO SAY IT UNINTERRUPTED.
THIS HAS GONE LONG, LONG ENOUGH.
THIS IS GOING TO BE HERE FOREVER.
THE HOST SHALL BE EITHER GARRETT OR DAVID FREE OR SOMEBODY FROM THE STAFF.
THE AGENDA IS WRITTEN BY JOAN AND YOU DON'T GET TO CHANGE IT.
YOU SAID WHAT I WOULD'VE SAID IF THEY WOULD, THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO LISTEN TO YOU THAN TO ME.
WE HAVE A RIGHT TO SPEAK UNINTERRUPTED, EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIKE WHAT WE SAY.
SIMON INTERRUPTED ME AND COMPLETELY SAID WHAT, WHAT I WROTE COMPLETE 180 DEGREES OF LAW AND HE WOULDN'T CUT MY MIC OFF SO I COULDN'T SAY IT.
THIS BOARD HAS TO DECIDE THAT THE ZOOM HOST IS GOING TO BE A PAID EMPLOYEE FULL-TIME OF THE TOWN.
AND YOU FOLLOW THE RULES FOR EVERYBODY.
THERE'S NO ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN ME AND ANYBODY AND FRANCIS DOESN'T LIKE WHY I WHAT I SAY.
HE DOESN'T LIKE WHAT I'VE SAID FOR 15 YEARS.
SO WHY IS TIME OUT ANY DIFFERENT? OKAY, MARY, THAT'S IT.
ALRIGHT, THAT'S ABOUT I'M GONNA RESPOND.
I HAD NO ACCESS TO AGENDA QUICK ALL DAY.
ALL DAY, MEANING FROM MIDNIGHT LAST NIGHT, I COULD NOT HAVE CHANGED ANYTHING ON AGENDA QUICK.
YOU LIKE TO REPEAT THINGS OVER AND OVER AGAIN, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE NOT TRUE.
BUT YOU SAID I WAS THE ONE WHO CHANGED THE AGENDA QUICK.
I TEXTED JOAN TELLING HER, I HAVE NO ACCESS.
COULD YOU PLEASE TAKE SOMETHING DOWN? TOWN ATTORNEY ADDED A RESOLUTION ONTO THE AGENDA HOURS BEFORE THE MEETING THAT DID COME DOWN.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE MENTIONED THAT BECAUSE WE DON'T PUT RESOLUTIONS ON AN AGENDA WITHOUT IT GOING OUT ON THE WEEKEND.
SO WHEN YOU MAKE A STATEMENT AND REPEAT IT, YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS NOT A GAME, MURRAY, YOU DON'T GET THE RIGHT TO TRY TO RUIN A PERSON'S REPUTATION FOR SPORT, WHICH IS WHAT YOU DO.
YOU HAVE A LOT OF GOOD IDEAS, BUT WHEN YOU GET SOMETHING INTO YOUR MIND AS TO
[03:00:01]
ZOOM SHOULD BE RUN BY AN EMPLOYEE, THERE'S NO RULE FOR THAT.I HAVE TREMENDOUS EXPERTISE IN ZOOM.
I HAVE NEVER CUT OFF YOUR MICROPHONE.
YOU WANT GARRETT TO RUN THE ZOOM MEETING.
HE WASN'T PRESENT FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING.
HE THEN CAME IN SO HE COULD NOT HAVE RUN THIS MEETING.
YOU NEED TO GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT AND I DON'T NORMALLY CALL YOU OUT ON IT, BUT WHEN YOU MAKE SUCH A BLATANT STATEMENT THAT I DID SOMETHING THAT I DIDN'T DO, I'M GONNA CALL YOU OUT ON IT.
WHO'S NEXT? ALRIGHT, SO MR. BERNSTEIN.
OKAY, BEFORE BOB, BEFORE BOB SPEAKS, I JUST WANT TO SAY ONLY BECAUSE I'M VERY PROUD OF THIS, UM, THAT, UH, BECAUSE IT CAME AS A RESULT OF THE BOARD, UM, UM, IMPLEMENTED THIS, UM, AS A RESULT OF A RECOMMENDATION I MADE TO THEM SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
UM, THIS IS JUST TO THE PUBLIC, NO ONE IN PARTICULAR, BUT IF YOU NOTICE ON THE FRONT OF THE AGENDA, THERE IS A STATEMENT THAT SAYS THE TOWN BOARD RESERVES THE RIGHT, APPLY THE TOWN BOARD AGENDA AT ANY TIME.
AND THAT, UM, THAT STATEMENT WAS PLACED THERE JUST BECAUSE THERE ARE TIMES WHEN, UM, A GOVERNING BODY MAY NEED TO, UM, MODIFY AN AGENDA.
SO I JUST WANT THE THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT, THAT THAT HAS BEEN A STATEMENT ON THE AGENDA FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
BOTH ANY BOARD MEMBER WANTS TO MODIFY THE AGENDA.
THEY, THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO THAT.
OKAY? SO, AND THERE, THERE, AND THERE ARE MANY TIMES, LIKE WE HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE PERSON HASN'T DIED AS OF FRIDAY WHEN THE AGENDA GOES OUT OR SATURDAY WHEN THE AGENDA GOES OUT.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE DEPRIVED FROM ADDING IT.
YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S, IT'S NOT AN ISSUE.
WHAT WE DON'T DO IS ADD A RESOLUTION MM-HMM.
AND MARY JUST MADE A SUGGESTION, JUST SHARED A SUGGESTION THAT, THAT MAYBE THAT THAT STATEMENT SHOULD BE, UM, EVERYONE SHOULD BE THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE REMINDED OF THAT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETINGS.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S, UH, UP TO THE BOARD TO, TO, THAT'S THE BOARD'S PREROGATIVE.
SO NEXT PERSON, UM, IS, UH, A PUBLIC COMMENT, ALMOST CALLED FRANCIS NAME, BUT HE'S NOT ON PUBLIC COMMENT.
JENKINS, MR. BERNSTEIN AND MRS. WE HAVE COLBY JENKINS.
HOW ARE YOU? UM, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT ON THE EMAIL OF WHICH I BELIEVE A LOT OF US HAVE ALL RECEIVED BY NOW IN REFERENCE TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE, UH, SCATTER SITES AS WELL AS THE SENIOR SITES.
I HAVE TO JUST SAY THIS AND IT BRINGS ME NOTHING BUT PAIN TO SAY THIS PUBLICLY SENTENCE.
LARRY OSWALD, WHO WAS A SENIOR WHO LIVED AT THE SENIOR BUILDINGS ALONG MANHATTAN AVENUE, WAS NOT JUST A FIXTURE IN THIS COMMUNITY, BUT HE WAS A PILLAR IN THIS COMMUNITY WHO HELPED SO MANY PEOPLE WHO DEDICATED HIMSELF TO THE COMMUNITY CENTER, WHO DEDICATED HIMSELF TO COUNTLESS PEOPLE, INCLUDING MYSELF, WHO WAS THE WIND BENEATH MY WINGS, UNCLE LARRY, WHOM I CONSIDERED TO BE AN UNCLE AND A UNCLE IN GREENBURG DURING THIS GLOBAL PANDEMIC, WAS ONE OF THOSE THAT HAD TO MOVE AND WAS PART OF THE SENIORS THAT HAD TO MOVE.
IN THE MIDST OF THIS PANDEMIC,
[03:05:01]
MR. OSWALD WENT INTO A GREAT DEPRESSION BECAUSE HE HAD TO MOVE.HE SUFFERED A LOT OF ANXIETY BECAUSE HE HAD TO MOVE.
AND THIS LED TO HIM HAVING TO BE HOSPITALIZED ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS, WHICH LED TO HIM GOING INTO A NURSING HOME AFTERWARDS.
AND HE DID FALL SICK AND EVENTUALLY PASSED ON.
HE WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO COME BACK.
BUT THE STRESS THAT I KNOW THAT HE WAS UNDERNEATH, BEHIND THE WHOLE FACT OF HAVING TO BE UPROOTED IS APPALLING.
SO I ASK THAT AS I SHARE MY SCREEN PICTURE, THAT WE ALL HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCES FOR MY UNCLE LARRY, WHO WAS A PILLAR IN THIS COMMUNITY AND WHO IS A SENIOR THAT WILL NEVER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY OF THOSE APARTMENT BUILDINGS WHEN THEY ARE BUILT.
AND EVERYBODY TELLS ME MY DONUT IS GONNA BEES, BUT THAT DOES NOT BRING UNCLE LARRY BACK.
AND I KNOW THAT HE HAS GONE ON TO GLORY.
BUT LET ME JUST SAY THAT THAT WAS PART OF THIS DISTRESS THAT HE WAS UNDER IN A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, AND I COULDN'T EVEN HARDLY COME TO VISIT HIM BECAUSE WE HAD TO WEAR A MASK, HAD TO DROP FOOD IN FRONT OF HIS DOOR, ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT THINGS AND HAVE TO ULTIMATELY AT THE END, OTHER THINGS OF WHICH I'M NOT GONNA DISCUSS IN THIS FORUM HAPPENED ALSO TO HIM.
AND THAT WAS HOW HE FELL THROUGH THE CRACKS.
AND I HOPE THAT ANOTHER SENIOR DOES NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH WHAT LARRY OSWALD WENT THROUGH.
PLEASE ALL LOOK AT THIS SPACE OF GREENBERG THAT WILL NEVER BE SEEN HERE AGAIN.
UNCLE LARRY
PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO LOOK, PLEASE.
UM, IT'S DIFFICULT TO FOLLOW COLBY, UH, BECAUSE WHAT SHE SAID WAS SO MOVING AND, AND TRAGIC.
UH, I WANNA SPEAK ABOUT A COUPLE OF THINGS, BUT I WANNA START BY SPEAKING ABOUT THE SITUATION IN THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY, UM, THAT APPARENTLY, UH, IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
I RECEIVED AT SEVEN THIS MORNING A COPY OF THE LETTER TO THE EDITOR IN, UH, BLACK WESTCHESTER.
UH, I DON'T OFTEN GET EMAILS FROM RESIDENTS SENDING ME THINGS AT SEVEN IN THE MORNING, LET ALONE THIS.
UH, I RECEIVED CALLS TODAY FROM RESIDENTS WHO HAD SEEN THE LETTER, THE LETTER IN COUNTY BLACK IN, IN, IN THE BLACK WESTCHESTER PUBLICATION, AND ASKED ME WHAT COULD BE DONE, WHAT SHOULD BE DONE, CAN'T SOMETHING BE DONE? UH, WHAT YOU SHOULD DO, I THINK IS RESPECTFULLY, UM, APPOINT SOMEBODY AS AN INDEPENDENT FACT FINDER TO REPORT TO THE BOARD ON THE SITUATION THAT'S GOING ON THERE.
AND THE REASON I SUGGEST YOU NEED TO APPOINT AN INDEPENDENT PERSON TO LOOK INTO THE SITUATION IS THAT, UH, AS ERIC POINTED OUT, UH, THERE ARE, UH, DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE TRUTH THAT ARE BEING REPORTED HERE.
UH, THE LETTER WRITER RENEE ROBINSON, SAYS AT, AT THE END OF HER LETTER, THAT SHE APPRISED THE TOWN BOARD OF THIS ONGOING SITUATION.
WELL, IF THAT WERE THE CASE, THEN WHY WOULD MR. FINER, UH, INTERRUPT ERIC TO SAY THAT HE HAD WRITTEN TO MS. ROBINSON TO ASK HER FOR DIFF FOR THE SPECIFICS
[03:10:01]
WHEN THEY WERE SET FORTH IN HER LETTER? AND SHE'D ALREADY SAID SHE HAD ADVISED, APPRISED THE TOWN BOARD THERE.UH, UH, APPARENTLY QUESTIONS RAISED OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WEREN'T ANSWERED OR WERE NOT ANSWERED TO THE SATISFACTION OF THOSE ASKING THE QUESTIONS.
SINCE HUMAN LIVES ARE AT STAKE AND, AND THESE LIVES MATTER AND THEY'RE THE MOST VULNERABLE OF GREENBURG CITIZENS, I DON'T THINK THERE'S TIME TO, TO SIT AND WAIT FOR A PUBLIC FORUM FOR EVERYBODY TO AIR THEIR VIEWS.
I THINK WHAT'S NEEDED RIGHT NOW IS, NUMBER ONE, I THINK THE TOWN BOARD SHOULD HAVE A MORATORIUM ON FURTHER, UH, UH, REMOVALS OF PEOPLE FROM THE HOUSING UNTIL THE FACTS GET SORTED OUT.
NOBODY SHOULD BE FORCED TO MOVE FROM THEIR HOME TO A, A SUBSTANDARD HOUSING.
AND IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE MOVED OUTSIDE OF GREENBURG, AT THE VERY LEAST, THERE SHOULD BE SOME KIND OF, UH, PROTECTION IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE SUBJECT TO, UH, INCREASED COSTS OR THINGS THAT ARE GONNA FORCE THEM TO HAVE TO GO WITHOUT FOOD, FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH WAS SOMETHING THAT, UH, MS. ROBINSON DESCRIBED IN HER LETTER.
THERE OUGHT TO BE A MECHANISM TO PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING.
AND UNTIL THERE IS, YOU SHOULD STOP THOSE, UH, UH, EVACUATIONS OR REMOVALS OR EVICTIONS FROM HAPPENING.
IT'S, IT'S JUST A TEMPORARY THING UNTIL YOU CAN FIND OUT WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON AND HAVE A HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE TO PROTECT THOSE RESIDENTS.
THEY NEED SOMEONE TO PROTECT THEM.
AND YOU NEED AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATOR, SOMEONE FROM THE TOWN, UH, SOMEONE I'M SURE WOULD VOLUNTEER TO LOOK INTO THE FACTS, SPEAK TO THE RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS, THE CHAIRMAN, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UH, MS. ROBINSON, THE RESIDENTS, IF THEY'RE WILLING TO SPEAK TO FIND OUT WHAT THE TRUTH IS AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS AS TO WHAT MAKES SENSE.
HAVING GOTTEN CALLS, LITERALLY THE EMAILS, THE FIRST EMAIL WAS AT SEVEN THIS MORNING.
UH, UH, AND, UH, IT, IT'S, IT'S QUITE STARTLING.
AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT TO HEAR IN LIGHT OF, YOU KNOW, THE, THE WONDERFUL CELEBRATION THAT TOOK PLACE EARLIER TODAY, EARLIER AT THE MEETING TONIGHT, THAT, YOU KNOW, AS MUCH PROGRESS HAS BEEN, HAS, HAS BEEN MADE IN GREENBURG, PARTICULARLY IN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, THERE IS STILL MUCH MORE THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE BECAUSE LETTERS LIKE THIS, UH, THAT APPEARED LIKE TODAY IN BLACK WESTCHESTER ARE JUST A STAIN ON THE TOWN THAT REQUIRES, I THINK, IMMEDIATE ATTENTION FROM THE TOWN BOARD.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU MR. EINSTEIN.
I HAVE ONE OTHER SPEAKER, SPEAKER, OTHER SPEAKER HAS BEEN WAITING SINCE ABOUT, UH, SAY SEVEN 30.
AND I KNOW IT'S NOW, UH, 1154 AND WE STILL HAVE OTHER BUSINESS TO CONDUCT.
I SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THE, UH, ON THE ZOOM CALL.
SO, UM, I, I'D CERTAINLY LIKE THAT GENTLEMAN WHO'S BEEN WAITING TO SPEAK.
OKAY, SO MY LIST DOES NOT HAVE ANYONE ELSE, UM, AFTER BOB BERNSTEIN, WHO, WHO DO YOU HAVE, UH, TODAY? NAME IS JOSEPH, UH, JACOBS AND SCREEN.
SO MR. JACOBS, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS, UM, A RESOLUTION THAT'S BEFORE THE BOARD TONIGHT TO, UH, INSTITUTE, UH, COVID RELATED WAIVER FOR THE LATE PENALTIES FOR, UM, THE TAX PAYMENT THAT WAS DUE JANUARY 31ST, UH, THE SECOND HALF OF THE SCHOOL TAX PAYMENT.
UM, EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, UH, AND RECORD UNEMPLOYMENT.
IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S ALSO FAIR, UH, FAIRLY WIDELY KNOWN THAT THE, THE POSTAL SERVICE IS NOT RELIABLE, UH, OR SPEEDY THESE DAYS.
UH, I KNOW THE TOWN SENT OUT NOTICES REGARDING THIS PAYMENT.
UH, I KNOW MY HOUSEHOLD HASN'T RECEIVED A NOTICE.
UH, I'M SURE THERE ARE OTHERS IN A SIMILAR SITUATION.
UM, AND I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE, UH, IN THE TOWN'S BEST INTEREST TO INSTITUTE THIS GRACE PERIOD OR WAIVER, UM, FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN PROVE, UH, COVID RELATED HARDSHIP.
UM, THE, THE EXISTING PENALTY IS 10%, WHICH IS, UM, EXTREMELY HARSH CONSIDERING THAT WE HAVE SOME OF THE HIGHEST TAX RATES IN THE COUNTRY.
[03:15:01]
UH, I, I JUST DON'T SEE HOW IT COULD POSSIBLY BE IN THE TOWN'S BEST INTEREST TO, UH, ENFORCE THESE HARSH PENALTIES DURING TIMES OF UNEMPLOYMENT AND, AND PANDEMIC.UH, YOU KNOW, THESE HEAVY SUBJECTS THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING IN THE BOARD MEETING, PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR LIVES, PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR HOMES.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THE TOWN IS PUTTING PEOPLE IN SITUATIONS WHERE THEY MIGHT HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN PAYING FOR HEALTHCARE OR PAYING FOR A, A $1,500 LATE FEE, UH, ON THEIR TAXES WHEN THEY'RE ONLY A COUPLE DAYS LATE.
AND THAT JUST DOESN'T SEEM TO BE IN ANYBODY'S BEST INTERESTS, UM, ANYTIME, BUT PARTICULARLY THESE DAYS.
UM, AND THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS THAT, UM, BECAUSE OF THE UNIQUENESS OF THE SITUATION IN THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC, UH, THIS, THIS ONE TIME RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD WOULD NOT SET A PRECEDENT FOR ANY FUTURE PEOPLE TO ARGUE THAT, UH, OH, WELL THERE SHOULD BE A WAIVER EVERY YEAR OR DON'T CHARGE US A PENALTY BECAUSE THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A VERY UNIQUE SITUATION, UM, THAT WOULDN'T HAVE ANY PRESIDENTIAL VALUE.
UM, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR TIME AND GOOD NIGHT.
ALRIGHT, AND, AND I JUST WANNA SAY MR. JACOBS, THAT RESOLUTION MAY HAVE BEEN, UM, UNTIMELY, UM, ADDED TO THE AGENDA, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL DISCUSS THAT.
SO, UM, BUT I GUESS WE CAN MOVE THE AGENDA AT THIS POINT, UNLESS ANY OF THE BOARD MEMBERS WANNA RESPOND TO ANY OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE MADE THROUGHOUT THE EVENING.
TIM, WOULD, THERE'LL BE NO FURTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMENT BECAUSE I ONLY HAVE THREE MINUTES AND I WANTED MY FIVE MINUTES AT THE END.
I, I WAS JUST INTERJECTING WITH JEFF, SO I WOULD LIKE MY FIVE MINUTES AT THE END, NOT THE THREE MINUTES.
YOU KNOW WHAT, WHY DON'T WE JUST LET, THERE'S ONLY TWO PEOPLE WHO WANNA SPEAK AT THREE.
WHY DON'T WE JUST LET EVERYBODY, UH, HAVE LIKE ANOTHER COUPLE MINUTES AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL, AND THEN WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE AGENDA.
YOU WANNA MAKE A RULES? YEAH, IT'S JUST, THERE'S NOT THAT MANY PEOPLE AND I FIGURE IT'S WORTH IT.
ANYBODY AGREE? I'M SORRY, I MISSED IT.
I'M CONCERN WHAT, THERE'S A FEW PEOPLE WHO WANNA SPEAK A SECOND, A SECOND TIME, SO LET THEM SPEAK.
IF THEY WANNA SPEAK, LET THEM SPEAK.
IT'S 10 50, IT'S 10 58, LET THEM SPEAK.
IS THAT WITHIN, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S WITHIN THE RULES BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA GO OUT, I DON'T WANNA, I DON'T WANNA NOT, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE FOLLOW JUST RULES, DEFENDING THE RULES, BENDING THE, OKAY.
TIM, TIM, HAVE YOU BEEN KEEPING TRACK OF HOW MUCH TIME EACH PERSON HAS SPOKE? I, I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN GIVING, NO, I HAVE NOT.
I I HAVE, BUT I'VE BEEN GIVING SOME PEOPLE SOME LEEWAY, SOME, YOU KNOW, I CAN SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, KOBE HAD A VERY EMOTIONAL ISSUE.
I THOUGHT WE SHOULD PROVIDE SOME FLEXIBILITY THERE.
UM, ABSOLUTELY THAT FLEXIBILITY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I, I DO WANNA SEE, I SEE PAID PROFESSIONALS, YOU KNOW, ON THE ZOOM CALL AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE WANT TO MOVE THE AGENDA AND THEN LET THOSE PAID PROFESSIONALS, YOU KNOW, THE HOME AND THEN WE CAN STAY ON THAT IF WE'D LIKE.
I DON'T MIND WAITING UNTIL THE END.
ALL RIGHT, WHY DON'T WE DO THAT? CAN I JUST ASK UNLESS, UNLESS, UNLESS THE COMMENTS WERE ON A RESOLUTION, DOES ANYONE HAVE COMMENTS ON THE RESOLUTIONS? SO WHY DON'T WE DO THE RESOLUTIONS AND THEN WE CAN ALLOW PEOPLE TO SPEAK AGAIN? OKAY.
CAN I JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, MENTION SOMETHING JUST ABOUT A FOLLOW UP, YOU KNOW, RELATING TO THE HOUSING ISSUES AND THE RELOCATION? YOU KNOW, WHEN I READ THE LETTER, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST REACTION I HAD WAS I REALLY WANT, YOU KNOW, SPECIFICS, YOU KNOW, NAME, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE SUBSTANDARD HOMES OR, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW PEOPLE WHO HAS BEEN TREATED UNFAIRLY.
UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE, IF, IF WE HAD MORE SPECIFICS AND IF WE ASKED THE TENANTS TO TELL US WHAT YOU KNOW IS WRONG, THEN IT'S EASIER, YOU KNOW, TO FOLLOW UP.
THEN, UM, THEN IF IT'S JUST, THEN IF IT'S NOT SPECIFIC, SO I'M ASKING EVERYONE WHO HAS CONCERNS ABOUT THE RELOCATION, UM, TO PROVIDE THE TOWN BOARD WITH AS MUCH SPECIFICS AS POSSIBLE.
AND THEN I'M SURE THAT ALL OF US WILL, WILL LOOK INTO EACH OF THE, UM, YOU KNOW, OF THE ISSUES.
SOMEBODY'S LIVING IN A, UM, A RAT INFESTED, UM, UH, APARTMENT, UM, AND THEY USED TO BE AT THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY AND NOW THERE'S SOMEPLACE ELSE WE WANNA KNOW THAT.
[03:20:01]
BUT, BUT I HAVE, YOU KNOW, I RESPOND TO EVERY SINGLE EMAIL THAT I GET.I RESPOND TO EVERY SINGLE PHONE CALL I GOT.
UM, SO FAR, UM, IN RECENT, YOU KNOW, WEEKS I'VE ONLY GOT, YESTERDAY I GOT MY FIRST PHONE CALL FROM SOMEBODY, UM, UH, WHO LIVES IN THE SEEKER, UM, APARTMENTS.
AND, UM, AND YOU KNOW, SHE'S WORRIED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MOVING OUT.
WE MET WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY ORIGINALLY, YOU KNOW, WE, UH, SHE THOUGHT THAT IT WAS GONNA BE 18 MONTHS.
UM, NOW THE HOUSING AUTHORITY SAID IT, IT COULD BE ABOUT FOUR MONTHS.
THEY'RE CAN TRY PHASING IT IN FOUR MONTHS.
AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE MORE SPECIFICS, WE COULD THEN, UM, THEN, UH, I'LL FOCUS ON EVERY SINGLE PROBLEM THAT, THAT I GET AND I WILL GET BACK TO THE TOWN BOARD WITH, WITH FOLLOW UP ACTIONS TO EVERY SINGLE COMPLAINT AS I'VE DONE IN THE PAST WHEN I GET CONSTITUENT PROBLEMS, YOU KNOW, IT BREAKS MY HEART TO HEAR, UM, TO HEAR PEOPLE BEING TREATED UNFAIRLY.
AND, UM, I REALIZE THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE ELDERLY ANYTIME YOU'RE, THEY'RE MOVING, UH, AND CHANGE THEIR SURROUNDINGS, UM, IT FREQUENTLY CAUSES, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY, VERY TRAUMATIC.
I REMEMBER WHEN MY AUNT, SHE LIVED TO, UM, 99 AND SHE MOVED, SHE WAS IN AN ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY AND SHE MOVED, UM, DOWN THE HALL AND IT WAS TRAUMATIC.
UM, SO I, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW, I KNOW.
WELL THIS ALL COMES UNDER OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
WELL, I'M ASKING MEANS THAT I'M ASKING FOR SPECIFIC ALONG THE LINE.
BUT SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE THAT MEANS YOU DID NOT STAND UP TO FIND OUT WHAT IS GOING ON IN THIS TOWN.
SO WHO SHOULD HAVE TOLD YOU THAT? AND THAT'S MY QUESTION.
WHY IS IT THAT NOBODY KNEW THAT THEY WERE GONNA BE ASKED TO MOVE OUT OF THEIR APARTMENTS UNTIL THIS, THIS, UM, 30 DAYS, 60 DAYS, WHATEVER COME, CAME INTO PLAY? THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
SO DON'T TRY TO SAY THEY SHOULD WRITE TO YOU.
SOMEBODY SHOULD HAVE SENT A LETTER TO THEM OUTTA GARRETT'S OFFICE STATING THAT ONE, THIS IS WHAT'S GONNA TAKE PLACE WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF.
AND I PUT THAT UNDER DISCRIMINATION, DOUBLE STANDARDS, AND A REFUSAL TO RECOGNIZE THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY, INCLUDING JOBS AND ANYTHING ELSE.
YOU ASKED ME TO WRITE A LETTER TO TULSA, THAT'S GARRETT'S JOB.
HE SHOULD HAVE FOUND OUT BEFOREHAND.
YOU MANAGED TO FIND THAT INFORMATION OUT FOR ELWOOD.
SO NOW THAT'S WHERE I WANTED TO SPEAK AND MY QUESTIONS ARE GOING TO BE ON, ON THE, THE, THAT ISSUE AND I'M GONNA SET UP SO YOU, THAT Y'ALL CAN DO YOUR RESOLUTIONS, BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT BEFORE MOVING ON, YOU KNOW, UM, JUST AS MANY PEOPLE WERE SUSPICIOUS AND REMAIN SUSPICIOUS ABOUT THE VACCINES, UM, I, I HAVE HAD PEOPLE COME TO ME AND SAY THAT THEY WERE AFRAID TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT COMPLAINTS, OUT OF FEAR OF BEING, UM, BLOCKED OUT OF, OUT OF THEIR HOMES.
UM, AND I, IT, IT, I MEAN IT'S UP TO THE BOARD OF COURSE, BUT, UM, BOB'S RECOMMENDATION OF AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATOR, UM, MAY BE, UM, A STRATEGY TO EXPLORE.
UH, AND AS LONG AS THE RESIDENTS ARE GUARANTEED ANONYMITY BECAUSE, UM, THESE, MANY OF THE RESIDENTS, MOST OF THEM ARE SENIORS YES.
AND BE AND MAY, UM, ARE AFRAID OF, UH, GIVING THEIR NAMES ASSOCIATED WITH COMPLAINTS.
AND, UM, BUT I, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT SEEMS TO BE A, A, A CONSENSUS THAT THAT SOMETHING THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO.
I'M BEING TOLD, UH, FROM THE CONTROL ROOM THAT, UH, AS HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST WHEN WE GO OVER THREE HOURS AND NOW WE'RE THREE HOURS AND 20 MINUTES, THE SERVER, UH, TENDS TO, TO, UH, FREEZE.
SO IF THAT HAPPENS, IT'S, IT'S, UH, IT'S NOT DESIRABLE OBVIOUSLY, BUT WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE POSSIBILITY.
SO IF WE COULD TRY TO MOVE THIS ALONG, THIS WOULD BE GREAT.
AND WE DO HAVE TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES AND THEY HAVE TO BE.
AND, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA ADDRESS 'EM TONIGHT.
UM, WE WE'RE WAITING TO GET IT.
[03:25:11]
OKAY.[ BOARDS & COMMISSIONS Re-appointment of Janet Weinstein to the Greenburgh Library Board of Trustees, for a term to expire December 31, 2025]
REAPPOINTMENT OF JANA WEINSTEIN TO THE GREENBURG LIBRARY BOARD FOR STEVE FOR TERM TO APPLY TO DECEMBER 31ST, 2025.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND IN FAVOR, AYE.
[ TB 1 - 2/24/2021 Resolution of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh adopting a Local Law repealing Chapter 373 of the Town Code entitled “Hotels, Motels, Rooming Houses etc.” as obsolete and more concisely regulated in other chapters of the Town Code Code]
RESOLUTION OF TOWN ADOPTING THEIR LOCAL LAW, PROPELLING CHAPTER 3 73 OF THE CODE OF THE TOWN OF GREENBERG ENTITLED HOTELS, MOTELS, ROOMING HOUSES AS OBSOLETE AND MORE CONCISELY REGULATED IN OTHER CHAPTERS OF THE CODE.[ AT 1 - 2/24/2021 Resolution authorizing tax certiorari settlement with petitioner KEF Holdings, LLC for property located at 88 N. Broadway. The Town’s share of the refund is $367±; the County’s share is $2,743±; the No. Yonkers Sewer District’s share is $433±; the Irvington Union Free School District’s share is $16,412±. Refunds from all sources total $19,955±]
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TEXAS AREA SETTLEMENT PETITIONER, K E F HOLDINGS FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 88 NORTH BROADWAY.THE TOWN SHARE OF THE REFUND IS 360 7 TO, UH, REFUNDS FROM ROYAL SOURCES 19 9 5 5.
[ AT 2 - 2/24/2021 Resolution authorizing tax certiorari settlement with petitioner 503 Sprain Brook Co. LLC for poperty located at 503 Grasslands Road. The Town’s share of the refund is $367±; the County’s share is $2,743±; the No. Yonkers Sewer District’s share is $433±; the Irvington Union Free School District’s share is $16,412±. Refunds from all sources total $19,955±]
AYE.RESOLUTION AUTHORIZED IN TEXAS SHERIFF SETTLEMENT PETITION OF 5 0 3 SPRINGBROOK COMPANY, THE PROPERTY LOCATED 5 0 3 GRASSLANDS ROAD, TOTAL AMOUNT 19,000 9 5 5.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT AS AMENDED, RIGHT? THIS IS AS AMENDED.
[ AT 3 - 2/24/2021 Resolution authorizing tax certiorari settlement with petitioner CHYV Talleyrand LLC (200 White Plains Road) f/k/a James E. Fox, as receiver for H'Y2 Talleyrand, LLC f/k/a Talleyrand Realty Associates a/k/a H'Y2 Talleyrand, LLC f/k/a Talleyrand Realty Associates LLC for property located at 200 White Plains Road. The Town’s share of the refund is $11,574±; the County’s share is $85,594±; the Saw Mill Valley Sewer District’s share is $11,954±; the Irvington Union Free School District’s share is $493,915±. Refunds from all sources total $603,037±]
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TEXT S SETTLEMENT WITH PETITIONER C H Y V TRAN.UM, UM, AS A RECEIVER, UH, CAN YOU JUST PULL IT UP? UH, TRAN 6 0 3 0 3 7.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND IN FAVOR,
[ AT 4 - 2/24/2021 Resolution authorizing tax certiorari settlement with petitioner CHYV Talleyrand LLC (220 White Plains Road) f/k/a James E. Fox, as receiver for H'Y2 Talleyrand, LLC f/k/a Talleyrand Realty Associates a/k/a H'Y2 Talleyrand, LLC f/k/a Talleyrand Realty Associates LLC for property located at 220 White Plains Road. The Town’s share of the refund is $11,574±; the County’s share is $85,594±; the Saw Mill Valley Sewer District’s share is $11,954±; the Irvington Union Free School District’s share is $493,915±. Refunds from all sources total $603,037±]
RE AUTHORIZING AYE, SETTLEMENT WITH PETITIONER C H Y V TRAN, UM, REFUNDS FROM ALL SOURCES TOTAL 6 0 3 0 3 7 I'D LIKE TO MOVE BACK.[ AT 5 - 2/24/2021 Resolution authorizing tax certiorari settlement with petitioner BAJ Realty New York, LLC for property locaed at 31 North Hillside Avenue. The Town’s share of the refund is $560±; the County’s share is $4,211±; the Saw Mill Valley Sewer District’s share is $591±; the Elmsford Union Free School District’s share is $24,137±. Refunds from all sources total $29,500±]
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TAX ARY SETTLEMENT, THE PETITIONER B A G REALTY THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 31 NORTH HILLSIDE AVENUE REFUND FROM ALL SOURCES TOTAL $29,500.I NEED TO, UH, I NEED TO ADJUST THIS BECAUSE IT'S NOT, UH, DISPLAYING IN FULL ON CABLE.
[ AT 6 - 2/24/2021 Resolution authorizing tax certiorari settlement with petitioner Cornelia Bagarotti for property located at 300 Sheldon Avenue. The Town’s share of the refund is $6,696±; the County’s share is $6,280±; the Saw Mill Valley Sewer District’s share is $939±; the Irvington Union Free School District’s share is $36,805±; the Glenville Fire Protection District’s share is $930. Refunds from all sources total $51,649±]
RESOLUTION OF AUTHOR TAX RATIO SETTLEMENT WITH PETITIONER CORNELIAI'D LIKE TO MOVE, ADD SECOND IN FAVOR, AYE.
[ AT 7 - 2/24/2021 Resolution authorizing the Town Supervisor to enter into an Inter-Municipal Agreement (IMA) with the Hartsdale Public Parking District (HPPD) to reimburse HPPD the costs of personnel and benefit expenses for a full-time Parking Enforcement Officer and two part-time Parking Enforcement Officers from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021, in an amount not to exceed $92,500]
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TOWN SUPERVISOR 10 TO INTER MUNICIPAL AGREEMENT WITH DALE PARKING DISTRICT.UM, AND, UM, THE AMOUNT IS 90 THOU $2,500.
[ CD 1 - 2/24/2021 Resolution approving with conditions Special Permit and Site Plan Applications by Brightview Senior Living, LLC for a Continuum of Care Facility (CCF) proposed at 289 Dobbs Ferry Road, P.O. White Plains]
RESOLUTION APPROVING THE CONDITION SPECIAL PERMANENT SITE PLAN APPLICATION BY BRIGHTVIEW SENIOR LIVING FOR CONTINUUM OF CARE FACILITY PROPOSED AT 2 89 FERRY ROAD.MY PLANS NEW YORK MOVING? YEAH, I'M MOVING THERE.
I SAID THIS IS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THING THAT WE DID TODAY AND IT'S, UM, TOOK ONE SECOND, UH,
[ CL 1 - 2/24/2021 Resolution scheduling two Public Hearings for March 10, 2021, at 7:30 PM, to consider agreements between the Town of Greenburgh and the Village of Elmsford to provide Fire Protection Services to residents of the North Elmsford and West Elmsford Fire Protection Districts, respectively, for the year 2021]
RESOLUTION, UM, SCHEDULING TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR MARCH 10TH AT 7:30 PM TO CONSIDER AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE TOWN OF GREENBERG AND THE VILLAGE OF ELMSFORD TO PROVIDE FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES TO RESIDENTS OF NORTH ELMSFORD AND WEST HARSDALE, WEST ELMSFORD FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICTS, RESPECTIVELY FOR THE YEAR 2021.[ CO 1 - 2/24/2021 Resolution authorizing fiscal year 2021 budget transfers]
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING FISCAL YEAR 2021.[ CO 2 - 2/24/2021 Resolution amending the 2020 Operating Budget of the Special Districts (S Fund) by increasing the appropriation for Maintenance of Systems and increasing the Appropriated Fund Balance]
RESOLUTION AMENDING THE 2020 OPERATING BUDGET OF THE SPECIAL DISTRICTS BY INCREASING THE APPROPRIATIONS FOR, FOR MAINTENANCE OF SYSTEMS AND INCREASING THE APPROPRIATED FUND BALANCE.[ PH 1 - 2/24/2021 Resolution authorizing the Town Supervisor to accept the 2020-2021 Justice Court Assistance Program (JCAP) Grant for the purchase of personal protective equipment for the Greenburgh Justice Court in the amount of $4,566.60]
RESOLUTION OF AUTHORIZING TOWN SUPERVISOR TO ACCEPT 2020 2021 JUSTICE COURT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR THE PURCHASE OF PER PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT WITH GREENBURG JUSTICE COURT IN AMOUNT OF 4,000 506 6 AND 60 CENTS.I'D LIKE TO MOVE, ADD SECOND IN FAVOR, AYE.
[ PH 2 - 2/24/2021 Resolution authorizing the Town Supervisor to execute an Inter-Municipal Agreement (IMA) between the Town of Greenburgh and Westchester County to reimburse the Town for the Operation Crossroads Program at the Theodore D. Young Community Center for the period of January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020, in an amount not to exceed $5,000.00]
[03:30:02]
I'M AUTHORIZING THE SUPERVISOR TO, AND TO EXECUTE IT INTO MUNICIPAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AND WESTCHESTER COUNTY TO REIMBURSE THE TOWN WITH OPERATION PRESS ROADS PROGRAM AT THE YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER FOR THE PERIOD OF JANUARY ONE, UM, 2020 THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2020 IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $5,000.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT I SECOND IN FAVOR RESOLUTION, UH,
[ PH 3 - 2/24/2021 Resolution authorizing the Town Supervisor to execute an Inter-Municipal Agreement (IMA) between the Town of Greenburgh and Westchester County to reimburse the Town for the Cornerstone Homework Help Program at the Theodore D. Young Community Center for the period of January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020, in the amount of $5,570.00]
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TOWN SUPERVISOR TO EXECUTE AN IN MUNICIPAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN OF GREENBERG AND WESTCHESTER COUNTY TO REIMBURSE THE TOWN FOR THE CORNERSTONE ROOM WORK HELP PROGRAM OF THEATER YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER FOR THE PERIOD OF JANUARY 1ST, 2020 THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2020, WE AMOUNT TO $5,570.[ PW 1 - 2/24/2021 Resolution awarding the contract for the ADA Site Improvements at Anthony F. Veteran Park to Vernon Hills Contracting Corporation, the lowest bidder, for an amount not to exceed $231,772]
AWARDING THE CONTRACT FOR THE A D A SITE IMPROVEMENTS.I, ANTHONY VETERAN PARK TO VERNON BILLS, UM, CONTRACTING CORP.
THE LOWEST BIDDER AND THE TOTAL AMOUNT IS TWO $31,772.
AND I JUST WANNA REALLY MENTION, I KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE LIKE STRESSED OUT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE ARE ALLEGATIONS MADE ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE THE PEOPLE MOVING, BEING RELOCATED AND ALL THAT.
IF PEOPLE HAVE SPECIFIC, I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT IF PEOPLE WOULD CALL ME.
I, THEY DON'T HAVE, I WILL NOT DISCLOSE THEIR NAMES IF THEY DON'T WANNA, IF THEY DON'T WANNA, UM, YOU KNOW, GIVE IT TO ME.
I REALLY WOULD LIKE, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M PERSONALLY INTERESTED IN THE ISSUE.
I, I, I WOULD LIKE TO BE OF HELP.
YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW UP ON, UH, SPECIFIC CONCERNS.
AND I'M, YOU KNOW, IF I, YOU KNOW, IF I DON'T CARE, THE, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS INDEPENDENT OF THE TOWN BOARD.
WE, WE DO APPOINT MEMBERS, BUT BASICALLY IT'S A QUASI-JUDICIAL, IT BECOMES INDEPENDENT AFTER, AFTER THE APPOINTMENTS ARE MADE, IF PEOPLE HAVE SPECIFICS, AND IF PEOPLE FEEL THAT THERE'S ANYTHING THAT'S INAPPROPRIATE OR, UM, OR LIVING CONDITIONS ARE SUBSTANDARD OR PEOPLE ARE BEING TREATED UNFAIRLY, YOU SHOULD LET US KNOW.
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT EVERYONE ON THE TOWN BOARD TAKES EVERY COMPLAINT THAT WE GET.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I REALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I FEEL THAT IT'S A LITTLE UNFAIR.
I'VE BEEN, I, I'M TALKING, I FEEL THAT IT'S UNFAIR.
ARE, I JUST WANTED, MAKE CLARITY WHAT YOU SAID, AND ALL I'M ASKING PEOPLE TO DO IS TO GIVE ME AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE THEY WANT, IF THEY WANT ME TO GET INVOLVED, IF THEY WANT THE TOWN BOARD TO GET INVOLVED, WE NEED SPECIFICS.
IF WE DON'T HAVE SPECIFICS, WE'RE LIMITED AS TO WHAT WE COULD DO.
SECOND THING IS, UM, UH, THERE WAS JUST ON THE CHAT, SOMEBODY WANTED TO, UM, WE HAVE PROMISED THAT WE WERE GONNA, UM, UM, MOVE THE RESOLUTION RELATING TO, UM, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, THE DECISION TO, UH, DURING THE PANDEMIC, UM, YOU KNOW, WAIVE, UM, UM, WAIVE THE PENALTIES OR HAVE REDUCED PENALTIES.
YOU KNOW, I'VE, I HONESTLY BELIEVE DURING THE PANDEMIC THAT WE, THAT A 10%, UM, YOU KNOW, PENALTY FOR BEING TWO DAYS LATE IS, IS EXCESSIVE.
I KNOW THERE'S A STATE, THERE'S A LAW ON THIS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I WOULD, WOULD SUPPORT A RESOLUTION THAT WOULD, UM, WOULD EITHER, UM, UH, WAIVE THE PENALTIES OR, OR HAVE A, A SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED, YOU KNOW, PENALTIES SINCE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE, YOU KNOW, MIGHT HAVE PAID ON, YOU KNOW, IT WAS POINTED OUT THAT SOME PEOPLE PAID ON TIME AND THEY WERE STRUGGLING, AND WHY SHOULD, YOU KNOW, WHY SHOULD THEY BE TREATED? UM, WHY SHOULD THEY NOT GET THE ADVANTAGES? UM, SO EVEN IF IT WOULD BE LIKE A 2% PENALTY LT, I WOULD, I WOULD DEFINITELY SUPPORT IT INSTEAD OF, YEAH, I JUST WANTED, SAY I WAS CONFUSED.
YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW WE DISCUSSED IT LAST NIGHT.
I, I THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA PUT A RESOLUTION ON AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD JUST TAKE A VOTE AND WHETHER IT WAS ADOPTED, GREAT.
IF IT WASN'T ADOPTED, YOU KNOW, THEN, YOU KNOW, SO BE IT.
I I WAS NOT AWARE THAT I KNEW IT WAS GONNA BE ADDRESSED IN SOME WAY.
I WAS NOT AWARE THAT THERE WAS NOT GONNA BE A RESOLUTION.
SO THIS MORNING, I, I ADDED A RESOLUTION AFTER I GOT A PHONE CALL, BUT MAYBE IT WAS JUST SUPPOSED TO BE A DECISION AGENDA.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT THE CONFUSION WAS.
SO, I MEAN, THE PROBLEM IS FEBRUARY, AFTER FEBRUARY 28TH, UM, THE TAX THAT THE PENALTIES GO UP.
SO IF WE'RE NOT GONNA DO A WAIVER, WE SHOULD JUST SAY WE'RE NOT GONNA WAIVE IT.
[03:35:02]
I WOULD BE PREPARED TO VOTE FOR IT, DO THE WAIVER FOR, FOR, FOR A REDUCTION IN THE PENALTIES.WHY DON'T YOU DO THAT WAIVER NOW FOR THOSE, YOU NEVER SAID WE WERE GONNA DO THE WAIVER, BUT PAUL REPEATING THAT WE'RE GONNA DO THE WAIVER.
NO, I JUST SAID, WELL, IF I COULD INFLUENCE YOU IN ANY, AND SO IT'S, THIS IS JUST ANOTHER MEETING WHERE YOU RAISE IT WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE BOARD, BECAUSE LET'S, THE LAW AUDIT, THERE'S A LAW ON IT.
AND SECONDLY, WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE A FINDING THAT IT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE TOWN TO WAIVE IT FOR A FEW PEOPLE THAT FORGOT TO PAY THEIR, THEIR TAXES.
AND, AND, AND LET'S FACE IT, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE IS SOMETHING YOU FORGOT TO PAY HIS TAXES.
IT'S NOT, NOT THAT, UH, THE PANDEMIC, NOW, UNDERSTANDABLY, THE PENALTY IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE THE PENALTY GOES BACK TO SEPTEMBER WHEN THE TAXES WERE SUPPOSED TO BE PAID.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
IT'S JUST LIKE, IT, IT, YOU JUST CONSTANTLY BRINGING BACK UP, SAYING THE SAME THING.
I I BASICALLY
YOU HAVE TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
IT'S ONE THING IF YOU DID IT IN ADVANCE, RIGHT.
SAYING, OKAY, EVERYBODY WILL NOT HAVE TO PAY THE PENALTY, BUT PEOPLE HAVE PAID THE PENALTY.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THE THING.
AND IT'S TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS PEOPLE HAVE PAID.
SO
I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU CONSTANTLY RAISE IT AND THEN WE HAVE A RESOLUTION ON APPROVING THE WAIVER, RIGHT? NO, THERE'S NEVER BEEN THREE VOTES TO, TO SUPPORT THE WAIVER, BUT AT LEAST ALL OF A SUDDEN RIGHT BEFORE THE MEETING, WE VIOLATE OUR OWN POLICY, PUTTING A RESOLUTION ON IT.
I UNDERSTAND IT WAS, YOU KNOW,
I THINK YOUR CONSTITUENTS DESERVE TO KNOW WHERE YOU STAND ON THE ISSUE.
AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT IT'S BROUGHT BEFORE THIS BOARD AT A PUBLIC MEETING, BECAUSE YOU SHOULD BE ON THE RECORD.
IF YOU THINK THAT IT'S IN THE TOWN'S BEST INTEREST TO ENFORCE THIS PENALTY, THEN YOU SHOULD BE ON THE RECORD STATING THAT.
AND I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT IF I FIND THAT THERE'S A DOUBLE STANDARD AND THEY BROKE THE LAW JUST FOR THREE PEOPLE, THEN I'M GOING TO BE UP IN ARMS AND ARGUE WITH THEM THAT YOU MADE A MISTAKE AND YOU GO BACK AND DO IT FOR EVERYONE.
SO HE'S RIGHT IN A WAY, YOU FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT IT IS, AND THEN IF YOU CAN THEN DO IT.
BUT IF IT'S SOMETHING ELSE, THEN, LIKE I SAID, I DON'T LIKE DOUBLE STANDARDS.
I, I THINK THAT WOULD BE IN THE BEST INTEREST, INTEREST OF THE TOWN.
I, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE HARD TO COME UP WITH AN ARGUMENT TO THE CONTRARY, HOWEVER, THAT MEANS THAT WE HAVE TO RETURN MONIES AND, AND PENALTIES AND INTERESTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN PAID BY OTHER PEOPLE BECAUSE THIS POLICY WASN'T DONE BEFOREHAND.
IF IT WAS DONE BEFORE THE FACT, IT'S ONE THING TO NOW DO IT AFTER THE FACT.
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DID PAY, PAY THE PENALTY AND PAY WHATEVER INTEREST WAS DUE.
SO THAT, THAT'S THE OTHER DILEMMA THAT THE BOARD HAS IN FAIRNESS TO, UH, TO OTHER TAXPAYERS IN THE TOWN.
AND ALSO, PEOPLE MAY HAVE MAXED OUT THEIR CREDIT CARDS OR, OR BORROWED OR, YOU KNOW, DONE ALL KINDS OF THINGS TO PAY IT ON TIME.
AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO WAIVE THE PENALTY, YOU KNOW, FOR SOME PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THAT COME AFTER THE FACT AND SAY, YOU KNOW, I FORGOT TO PAY ON TIME.
YOU KNOW, SO, YOU KNOW, I AM ON, YOU KNOW, I I I, I DON'T THINK I CAN BE CLEARER THAT I DON'T THINK WE COULD REACH THE, THE CONCLUSION THAT IT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE TOWN TO RETROACTIVELY WAIVE PENALTIES FOR PEOPLE WHO FORGOT TO PAY THEIR TAXES AND, AND WE'RE, LISTEN, THIS'S, NOT A DEBATE.
NO, YOU'RE VERY CONDESCENDING, MR. SHEEN, AND I DON'T APPRECIATE IT.
NO ONE'S TALKING ABOUT A FORGOT TAX WAIVER.
IT'S A CODE RELATED WAIVER, AND YOUR MANIPULATION OF LANGUAGE DOESN'T SERVE ANYTHING EXCEPT YOURSELF.
IT'S NOT GOOD FOR THE ARGUMENT.
I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU'RE DOING IT.
WELL, I KNOW, I'M WAITING TO SPEAK TO THE ISSUE OF THE SCATTER SITES.
SO WE, WE GOTTA, WE GOTTA FIGURE OUT HOW WE WANNA PROCEED AT THIS POINT, YOU KNOW, THAT THE, THE BUSINESS OF THE MEETING IS OVER.
DO WE WANNA HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT OR HOW DOES THE BOARD WANT PROCEED AT THIS? NO, TO THE PUBLIC THAT THEY WOULD, BUT THAT WOULDN HEAR WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY.
WE ARE GONNA GIVE THEM AN ADDITIONAL FIVE MINUTES.
IS IS THAT WHAT THE BOARD WISHES TO DO? THAT'S WHAT OUR RULE SAY.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE AGREED TO.
[03:40:01]
OKAY, SO I'M GOING TO, UM, FIRST CALL BOB BERNSTEIN BECAUSE HE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF, OF COMPLETING A COMMENT.AND THEN AFTER BOB, WE'LL GO BACK TO THE ORDER.
UM, WHAT I WANTED TO, UH, TO DO, UH, WAS, UH, RESPOND BRIEFLY TO FRANCIS' COMMENT, UH, DURING THE EARLIER HEARING.
'CAUSE I WASN'T ABLE TO RESPOND TO HIM WHEN HE SUGGESTED THAT I WAS MAKING UP THIS BUSINESS ABOUT GREENVILLE WANTING TO BE ABLE TO BID COMPETITIVELY FOR THE SOUTH LEY CONTRACT.
UM, UH, FRANCIS WAS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD WHEN I FIRST RAISED THAT PROPOSAL.
I RAISED IT, IT WAS ABOUT, UM, I THINK IT WAS 2008 OR 2009, BUT, UM, I CAN PULL IT UP.
AND THE REASON I RAISED IT, AND I WAS PRESIDENT OF THE E C C AT THE TIME, WAS THAT THE GREENVILLE FIRE DISTRICT WAS CONSIDERING AT THAT TIME, UH, BUILDING A SECOND SATELLITE FIREHOUSE TO SERVE THE SOUTHERNMOST PART OF EDGEMONT.
UH, IN ORDER TO MAKE THE PROPOSAL, UH, ATTRACTIVE FINANCIALLY, GREENVILLE TRUSTEES WERE THINKING THAT IF THEY COULD BID COMPETITIVELY ON THE SOUTH ARDSLEY FIRE PROTECTION CONTRACT AND WERE TO WIN THAT CONTRACT, THEY COULD OFFER SOUTH ARDSLEY A BETTER DEAL THAN THE ONE IT WAS GETTING FROM ARDSLEY, AND AT THE SAME TIME, HELP DEFRAY THE COST OF THAT SATELLITE FIREHOUSE.
WHEN I RAISED THE ISSUE, UH, MR. FINER WAS CONSISTENT THEN AS HE IS NOW.
AND BASICALLY, UH, HE SAID, UH, IN WORDS AND SUBSTANCE, N F W, UH, HE SAID NO, UM, THAT THE TOWN WOULD NEVER ALLOW COMPETITIVE BIDDING FOR THAT CONTRACT OR ANY FIRE PROTECTION CONTRACT.
WE POINTED OUT THAT GREENVILLE WASN'T THE ONLY ONE THAT WOULD BENEFIT THAT.
THERE WERE OTHER FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICTS, UM, WHO WERE CONTIGUOUS WITH, UH, SAY THE FAIRVIEW FIRE DISTRICT, AND THAT IT COULD BE HELPFUL TO THE FAIRVIEW FIRE DISTRICT IN PARTICULAR, UH, IF IT WERE ALLOWED TO BID, SAY, ON THE WEST ELMSFORD AND NORTH ELMSFORD FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT CONTRACTS.
BUT, UH, NO, THAT, UH, WAS NOT GONNA HAPPEN EITHER.
SO IT WASN'T JUST EDGEMONT, BUT, UM, BECAUSE THE TOWN REFUSED EVEN TO WORK WITH GREENVILLE, UH, AND EDGEMONT ON THAT, BECAUSE THE TOWN JUST THUMBED ITS NOSE AT THE LAW REGARDING COMPETITIVE BIDDING FOR THESE TYPES OF CONTRACTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE, THE PUBLIC POLICY DOWNSIDE IS THAT YOU ANGERED A LOT OF PEOPLE IN EDGEMONT THAT FIREHOUSE, THAT SATELLITE FIREHOUSE WAS NEVER BUILT.
UH, BUT THE MOVEMENT TO INCORPORATE EDGEMONT GOT GALVANIZED BY THAT AND A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER THINGS, BUT THAT'S ONE OF THEM.
SO IT WAS PARTICULARLY, UM, SURPRISING MR. SHEEN FRANCIS, YOU KNOW, WERE FRIENDS THAT YOU DIDN'T REMEMBER THAT I BROUGHT THAT UP, UH, BECAUSE, UH, UH, I DIDN'T BRING IT UP, UH, UH, TODAY BECAUSE I WAS JUST, UH, ON A WHIM.
I WAS BROUGHT IT UP BECAUSE WE SPECIFICALLY RAISED THE ISSUE.
UH, AND IT JUST HAPPENS TO COME UP COINCIDENTALLY WITH MR. SHERWIN'S QUESTIONS ABOUT TARRYTOWN AND NO COMPETITIVE BIDDING THERE.
UH, BUT THERE, I THINK WE HEARD SOME PRETTY DISTURBING STUFF TONIGHT.
UM, I KNOW YOU CLOSED THE HEARING ON THAT, BUT I URGE YOU TO READ OVER OR WATCH THIS HEARING AGAIN AND SEE WHETHER CHIEF MEAD ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE BEING RAISED BY, UM, UH, MYSELF AND ERIC ZINGER, UH, ABOUT THE ACCOUNTING FOR THAT FIRE, UH, COMPANY FUND.
UM, AND SEE WHETHER YOU REALLY HAVE A RECORD UPON WHICH YOU CAN IN GOOD CONSCIENCE VOTE TO APPROVE THAT.
UM, BECAUSE, UH, FRANKLY, WHEN YOU TAKE THIS KIND OF POSITION, YOU REINFORCE THE VIEW THAT, UH, IT'S BETTER TO, UH, SCRUTINIZE WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING VERY CLOSELY, BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE SEEMS TO BE DOING IT.
I, I, I JUST WANNA MAKE ONE COMMENT, UH, REGARDING THE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICTS.
I'VE BEEN DOING THIS A LONG TIME.
SOON AS I GOT ON THE BOARD, THERE WAS A LOT OF CONTROVERSY FOR FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICTS YOU MIGHT REMEMBER.
AND SO I WORKED WITH THE VILLAGES.
[03:45:01]
CAME UP WITH CONTRACTS, OKAY, THEN THEY MIGHT NOT BE PERFECT, BUT IT SETTLED AN AWFUL LOT OF DISPUTES SINCE THAT TIME, WHICH I GUESS NOW IS ABOUT 14 YEARS.NOT ONE PERSON WHO LIVES IN A FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT HAS EVER COMPLAINED ABOUT THE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT CONTRACT.
IT'S ALWAYS SOMEBODY WHO DOESN'T LIVE IN THE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT COMPLAINING ABOUT THE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT CON UH, UH, CONTRACT.
I JUST WANNA MAKE THAT OBSERVATION.
SO IF SOMEBODY WHO IS IN ANOTHER DISTRICT AND THEY'RE SAYING THAT THEY'RE, THEY PAY HIGH TAXES AND THEY WOULD BENEFIT BY TAKING OVER MORE AREA, RIGHT? THEY WOULD HAVE TO CONVINCE THE PEOPLE IN THE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT TO ALSO SUPPORT THAT.
BECAUSE MY GUESS IS THEY WOULD THEN COME OUT, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THEY DON'T.
AND, AND I, BOB, YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF YOU, IF YOU CAN, AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S EVER BEEN SOMEBODY IN A FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT COMING OUT AND SAYING, DON'T, DON'T, DON'T, DON'T PASS THIS THING.
THE, THE RE THE, THE REASON IS YOU'RE NOT GIVING THEM A CHOICE.
AND WHAT I'M SUGGESTING IS THAT STATE LAW SAYS THAT THE BEST WAY TO ENSURE THAT THEY GET THE BEST PRICE IS THROUGH COMPETITIVE BIDDING.
AND YOU KNOW, YOU CAN CHOOSE NOT TO DO IT AND UH, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE CAN ACCEPT IT AND NOT COMPLAIN.
BUT I'VE GIVEN YOU AN EXAMPLE, A CONCRETE EXAMPLE OF WHERE COMPETITIVE BIDDING MIGHT HAVE BENEFITED BOTH A FIRE DISTRICT AND A FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT, BUT YOU UNILATERALLY DECIDED THAT NO ONE SHOULD GET THE BENEFIT OF FINDING OUT WHETHER THAT'S TRUE BECAUSE YOU WOULDN'T ALLOW COMPETITIVE BIDDING.
AND AS A MATTER OF PUBLIC POLICY, THAT'S KIND OF A AGGRESSIVE POSITION.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S YOUR POSITION.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, UH, IF RESIDENTS OF, OF A FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT KNEW THAT THERE COULD BE IMPROVEMENTS DONE TO THE SERVICE THEY GET, IF THEY KNEW HOW LONG IT TAKES FOR, FOR, UH, UH, FIREFIGHTERS TO GET TO THEIR, UH, HOMES, IF THEY KNEW THAT THEIR FIRE INSURANCE THAT THEY PAY ON THEIR HOMES IS HIGHER BECAUSE THEY LIVE IN A FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT THAN IF THEY LIVED IN A VILLAGE OR IF THEY LIVED IN, UH, A FIRE DISTRICT, IF THEY KNEW THOSE THINGS.
'CAUSE THEY, WHO'S GONNA SHOW THEM EXPLAIN IT.
YOU CERTAINLY DON'T DISCLOSE THAT.
NONE OF, NO, THE TOWN NEVER DISCLOSES THAT, BUT IT'S A, IT'S A KNOWN FACT.
AND IF THEY KNEW THOSE THINGS, THEY MIGHT THEN SAY, GEE, WHY DON'T WE HAVE COMPETITIVE BIDDING FOR THAT? UM, SHOULDN'T WE HAVE COMPETITIVE BIDDING FOR THAT? IF WE HAD COMPETITIVE BIDDING FOR THAT? MAYBE THERE'D BE MORE FIRE HYDRANTS IN LOCATIONS IN THE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICTS, WHICH COULD HELP LOWER THEIR FIRE INSURANCE RATES.
SO THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE, BUT THEY'RE NOT DONE BECAUSE YOU WON'T EVEN ENTERTAIN THE NOTION OF HAVING COMPETITIVE BIDDING.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS SUGGESTING, AND IT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT I THOUGHT OF, UH, ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT TONIGHT.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR QUITE A WHILE AND I, THAT'S WHY I WANTED YOU TO BE AWARE THAT, THAT IT WAS SPECIFICALLY RAISED IN CONNECTION WITH THE GREENVILLE, UH, CONSIDERATION OF EXPANDING, UH, UH, IN ITS SOUTHERNMOST AREA.
ALRIGHT, MR. BROWNSTEIN, WHO'S NEXT? UM, PAT WILLIAMS. OKAY.
BACK TO MY ORIGINAL QUESTIONS.
WHEN WERE THE RESIDENTS OF THE SCATTER SITE INFORMED THAT THEY HAD TO MOVE? I I I THINK THAT THE MANNER IN WHICH THEY FOUND OUT OR THAT THEY REALLY REALIZED THAT THEY HAD TO MOVE, THEN THAT IS A PROBLEM.
WHERE ARE THEY GONNA MOVE TO? WHO'S WORKING ON THAT? THERE'S NO PLACE TO MOVE TO, ACCORDING TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, THEY, THEY HAVEN'T BEEN TOLD YET THAT THEY HAVE TO MOVE, BUT THEY AT, AT SOME POINT WILL, BUT THEY HAVEN'T SERVED THEM WITH A 90 DAY LETTER YET.
ONCE AGAIN, WE ARE DISCUSSING AT LEAST A YEAR.
AND THEN, LIKE I SAID, YOU CAN'T ASK PEOPLE TO MOVE WITHIN 90 DAYS.
AND WHY ARE THEY DOING ALL OF 'EM AT ONE TIME? I DON'T BELIEVE THEY'RE ALL AT ONE TIME.
I DON'T, WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION LAST NIGHT DURING WORK SESSION AND WE, AND I ASKED THIS PART, I ASKED SIMILAR QUESTIONS, UHHUH
[03:50:01]
THERE.THERE ARE LETTERS THAT'S SUPPOSED TO GO OUT THAT HAVE NOT GONE OUT AS YET ACCORDING TO RAJU.
UM, AND THEY ARE MEETING, AND ACCORDING TO BISHOP, THEY ARE MEETING WITH THE RESIDENTS TO LET, TO KNOW WHAT'S THE STATUS AND WHAT THE PLAN WILL BE.
AND THAT IS, AND THAT IS ACCORDING TO WHAT I MEAN IT'S ON RECORD FROM THE, FROM THE MEETING FROM LAST NIGHT.
BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, BUT Y'ALL DO RECOGNIZE THAT YOU CAN'T FIND ANY PLACE TO LIVE IN 90 DAYS.
AND IT, WHICH IS WHY I ASKED THE QUESTION.
SO THEN YOU ARE STATING THAT Y'ALL RECOGNIZE THAT Y'ALL WOULD AT WILL AT SOME POINT IN TIME HAVE TO INTERVENE AND STATE THAT Y'ALL WANNA STAY OF THE ACTIONS OR NO, NO, THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE SAYING.
THE HOUSING AUTHORITY UHHUH IS BEING TO RELOCATE PEOPLE FROM THE SCATTER SITE HOUSING.
THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS GIVING THESE PEOPLE, UM, UH, VOUCHERS THAT ARE GOOD FOR THEM TO FIND PLACES TO LIVE IN TOWN OR ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES, INCLUDING PUERTO RICO AND HAWAII.
THEY, THEY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GIVEN VOUCHERS SO THEY CAN GO WHEREVER THEY WANT AND THEIR MOVING EXPENSES ARE BEING PAID FOR BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE, AND THE HOUSING ACTION COUNCIL, UHHUH
SO THEY'LL BE ACCOMMODATED, THEY WILL HAVE SOME PLACE TO GO AND THE VOUCHER WILL PAY THOSE FOR EVERYTHING.
AND THAT INCLUDES DIFFERENTIAL IN, UM, THEIR, UM, RENT.
YEAH, THERE'S NO DIFFERENTIAL IN THE RENT.
THE RESIDENTS WILL CONTINUE TO PAY THE SAME PERCENTAGE OF THEIR INCOME THAT THEY'VE BEEN PAYING ALL ALONG.
JUST AS LONG AS WE FOLLOW THROUGH AND WE MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE HAS SOME PLACE TO SAY ABSOLUTELY ALL.
AS FOR THE AGENDA, THE BOARD HAS INTERVIEWING RIGHT TO CHANGE THE AGENDA, BUT THEY ALSO HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY AT THE TOP OF THE AGENDA TO SAY THIS IS AN AMENDED AGENDA.
AND THEN LIST THE AMENDMENT AMENDMENTS THE CHANGES UNDERNEATH AT THE TOP SO SOMEBODY DOESN'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH LINE BY LINE.
EVERYBODY HAS WATCHED WHILE FRANCIS SHANE HAS CHANGED THE AGENDA.
WHEN THERE WAS THE POSTPONEMENT OF A HEARING, HE CHANGED IT RIGHT ON THE AGENDA AND WAS NEVER NOTED AT THE TOP OF THE AGENDA.
FRANCIS MADE IT KNOWN THAT HE'S A TOWN EMPLOYEE AND THEREFORE HAS A RIGHT TO RUN ZOOM MEETINGS AS A TOWN EMPLOYEE, AS THE CAN REVIEW BOARD MEETINGS.
AND THE SAME CHAIR IS THE SAME AS THEN.
AND IF YOU WANNA BRING US IN AND SWEAR US UNDER OATH, I'LL BE GLAD TO COME IN AND SWEAR UNDER OATH TO ANYBODY.
FRANCIS SHAME TOOK PICTURES, VIDEOTAPES OF THOSE MEETINGS AS A TOWN EMPLOYEE.
THOSE TAPES WERE TOWN PROPERTY THAT'S BEEN ESTABLISHED WHEN HE WAS TOLD ABOUT THAT HIS SON TOOK PICTURES OF THE TOWN BOARD.
I'VE RAISED QUESTIONS FOR YEARS.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE TAPES? THEY HAVE NOT BEEN SEEN.
I'M PREPARED TO HAVE AN INVESTIGATION AND SWEAR UNDER OATH TO THESE FACTS.
YOU CAN SWEAR THAT CURRENT CHAIR, SHE WAS THERE.
PAUL PROBABLY KNOWS ABOUT IT AND CAN TELL YOU ABOUT IT OFF CAMERA.
AND THIS IS THE REASON WHY FRANCIS AND I DON'T GET ALONG BECAUSE I CAUGHT HIM DOING SOMETHING ILLEGAL AND HE DIDN'T LIKE IT.
HE'S BEEN DOING THINGS THAT HAVE NOT BENEFITED THE TOWN.
THIS IS ALL ON THE RECORD, TIM.
I'M PREPARED TO GO EVERYWHERE AND BE QUESTIONED ON OATH ABOUT THESE ISSUES.
I SPECIFICALLY SAY I AM PREPARED TO BE SWORN IN AND REPEAT WHAT I AM SAYING.
NOBODY HAS A RIGHT TO INTERRUPT ME AT YOUR MEETINGS.
YOU SAY YOU WON'T ENGAGE IN CONVERSATIONS YOU DO WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
KEN JONES JUST EXPLAINED CORRECTLY BECAUSE I WATCHED PART OF THAT LAST NIGHT.
THE PEOPLE WE BE TAKING CARE OF, THEY'VE BEEN TALKED TO.
I AGREE THAT THE SITUATION IS AS GOOD AS I COULD THINK ANYBODY COULD DO IT.
THEY'VE BEEN VERY CAREFUL TO TAKE CARE OF THESE PEOPLE.
[03:55:02]
FRANCIS DENIES A LOT OF THINGS.LET'S PUT UNDER, LET'S GET AN INVESTIGATION GOING.
WHERE ARE THOSE TAPES? WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM? THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON AND HE'S BEEN BROWBEATING PEOPLE AND TAKING CHARGE OF THE MEETING WHEN THERE'S A RULING.
WHEN THE PLANNING BOARD AND GARRETT RUNS THE MEETING OR AARON RUNS THE MEETING, DAVID FREED GIVES THE LEGAL OPINION AS TO WHAT GOES NEXT IN THIS BOARD.
IT'S TIMOTHY LEWIS'S RESPONSIBILITY TO GIVE THE LEGAL OPINION.
WHAT GOES NEXT? NOT FRANCIS SHANNON.
FORTUNATELY, THE LAST YEARS OF TAPES ARE IN THE RECORD.
AND IF ANYBODY NEEDS TO PROVE IT, YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE TAPE AND YOU CAN SEE HIT FRANCIS CHANGING THE AGENDA RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUR EYES WITHOUT LOADING IT FOR THE FUTURE.
SO THIS IS GONNA BE SET ONCE AND FOR ALL.
FRANCIS DOES NOT RUN THIS TOWN MUCH AS HE WANTS TO.
HE SHOULD NOT BE RUNNING THE TOWN BOARD MEETING.
HE MISSED COMPLETELY WHAT WAS GOING WRONG WHEN A YOUNG GENTLEMAN PRESENTED HIS THINGS AND GARRETT CAUGHT IT.
'CAUSE GARRETT ALWAYS COMES PREPARED.
APPLICANT DOESN'T HAVE THE PAPERS.
GARRETT'S GOT TO KNOW TO PUT 'EM ON A SCREEN FOR THEM.
THAT'S THE KIND OF PROFESSIONALISM WE NEED AT THIS BOARD MEETING.
AND WE DON'T GET IT FROM FRANCIS.
HE DIDN'T PICK UP THE ARROW WHEN THAT YOUNG MAN DIDN'T PUT HIS SCREEN UP.
GARRETT PICKED IT UP, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT HIS STILL IS AND AARON'S PICKED IT UP AS WELL.
LEGAL OPINION COMES FROM TIMOTHY WILLIS AND NOT FROM FRANCIS SHEHAN.
AND THIS HAS GOTTA BE STRAIGHTENED OUT ONCE AND FOR ALL.
AND WE'LL MAKE A FIVE MINUTE RULE FINE AND MAKE A THREE MINUTE RULE.
FOR THOSE OF YOU ALL KNOW THAT RULE OF THREE MINUTES CAME FROM ME WHEN IT WAS UNLIMITED EYE BOARD AND A LITTLE KITCHEN TIMER AND I GAVE IT TO PAUL AND THAT EVOLVED INTO WHAT YOU GOT NOW.
SO I'M ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE THREE MINUTE RULE.
IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO BE STOPPED BY YOU.
OKAY, SO I DO NOT HAVE ANYONE ELSE I NEED TO RESPOND BECAUSE HE SAID I DID SOMETHING ILLEGAL AND I'M JUST NOT GONNA PUT UP WITH HIS OPTICS ANYMORE.
WAS NOT TO WHENEVER, WHENEVER HE WHENEVER HE DOES THIS, THEN LATER ON SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M GETTING OLD.
MY MEMORY IS A LITTLE BIT FAULTY.
HE'S TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT, UH, WHEN HE WAS ON THE ANTENNA BOARD 21, 20 YEARS AGO, TAKES HIM 10, 20 YEARS AGO.
HE THOUGHT THAT HE, YOU KNOW, HE THOUGHT THAT BY JUST SAYING IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN, SOMEBODY WOULD BELIEVE HIM.
HE BROUGHT IT TO THE ETHICS BOARD.
THE ETHICS BOARD ASKED HIM, WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU COMMENT ABOUT THIS AT THE MEETING? HE WOULDN'T EVEN TURN ON HIS MICROPHONE.
HE COULD WATCH THE ETHICS BOARD TAPE YOURSELF.
HE, HE ALWAYS HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
HE ALWAYS WANTS TO BE ON CAMERA.
IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING DISPLAYED, HE WANTS YOU TO TAKE IT DOWN.
SO HE'S IN FULL VIEW ON CAMERA.
BUT AT THE ETHICS BOARD, WHEN HE MADE A COMPLAINT, HE WOULDN'T BACK IT UP.
AND THEN AT THE NEXT MEETING, THE ETHICS BOARD SAID, WHERE IS YOUR EVIDENCE? WHERE IS YOUR DOCUMENTATION? THERE'S NOTHING VIOLATED HERE.
THERE WERE HARD TO, TO FIND ANYTHING THAT THEY COULD POSSIBLY DO ON BASED ON WHAT HE DID.
AND YET HE GETS UP AGAIN AND HE REPEATS IT LIKE AS IF IT'S FACT AND, AND IT'S ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
MARY, I KNOW YOU HAVE THIS MINDSET THAT IF YOU REPEAT SOMETHING OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT IT MAKES IT FACT.
BUT YOU KNOW, THE PERSON WHO WAS DOING THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN FOR FOUR YEARS IS NO LONGER IN OFFICE.
IT, IT'S, IT DOESN'T FLY ANYMORE.
YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY HAVE FACTS NEXT.
OKAY, UM, COLBY WANTED TO COMMENT.
SO, UM, THE BOARD HAS APPROVED, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK AGAIN.
SO, UM, I WILL CALL ON YOU CLIFF AFTER COLBY SPEAKS.
CLIFF, CAN YOU HEAR ME? JUDITH? YES.
OKAY, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, UM, TO ERIC, I JUST WANNA, UM, HELP YOU WITH WHAT THAT LETTER SAID.
UM, RENE ROBINSON IS THE FEDERAL SITE COMMISSIONER.
THE TOWN BOARD THAT GREENWOOD HOUSING BOARD HAS SEVEN COMMISSIONERS.
[04:00:01]
ALL OF THEM HAVE ONE VOTE.EACH FIVE IS APPOINTED BY THE TOWN BOARD, THE FEDERAL SITE AND THE STATE SITE HAVE ELECTION, WHICH IS TWO YEARS.
RENEE ROBINSON IS A FEDERAL SITE COMMISSIONER.
WHAT SHE WROTE IN THAT LETTER WAS TWO THINGS.
ONE WAS THAT THE SENIORS GOT MOVED OUT.
I WAS AT THE MEETING WHEN I WAS, MATTER OF FACT I WAS ON THE TOWN ON THE HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD.
WHEN I VOTED FOR THE NEW PROJECT, THEY GUARANTEED THAT EVERYBODY WAS GOING TO BE GUARANTEED TO COME BACK.
THEN THE DEVELOPER NAMED SWEENEY HAD A MEETING.
THEY HAD LIKE TWO MONTHS BEFORE THEY MADE A MOVE.
SAID NO, THEY ALL HAVE TO REAPPLY.
SO AS SOON AS COMPLAINANT ABOUT THAT.
THE SECOND ONE IS THE SCATTER SITES.
THE SCATTER SITES IS FIVE BUILDINGS THAT THEY HAVE COMPLEX.
AND SHE WAS SAYING THAT SHE WAS NEVER INFORMED OF THE MEETINGS.
AND AS A COMMISSIONER, THAT'S WHY SHE WROTE WHAT SHE WROTE BECAUSE THEY SAID THAT THE SCATTERS SITE, MS. PAT, WE, THEY'RE GONNA DO A ONE COMPLEX AT A TIME.
IT WAS ASKED LAST NIGHT, WHICH COMPLEX WAS GOING TO BE FIRST.
THEN THEY SAID THAT THEY HAVEN'T RELEASED A LETTER YET, BUT STILL 90 DAYS.
THIS AIN'T ONE PERSON LIKE A SENIOR COMPLEX.
THEY'RE GIVEN 90 DAYS TO MOVE.
SO THAT'S WHAT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT.
AND SHE NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO EVEN TRY TO, TO SPEAK FOR HER RESIDENTS.
AND I THINK WHAT ERIC AND BOB AND JUDITH, THAT IT SHOULD BE A WORK SESSION TO ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO SPEAK ON THE ISSUES WITH BISHOP AND ROGER BEING THERE, BECAUSE THE TOWN BOARD IS STILL AMAZE ME THAT THE TOWN BOARD APPOINT FIVE PEOPLE ON THE HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD.
AND YOU HAVE KEN JONES AS THE LIAISON AND NEVER ASKED THE RESIDENTS FOR ANY INPUT ON WHAT'S GOING ON, WHO LIVE THERE.
AND LET'S, LET ME, IT AIN'T THOSE PEOPLE, THOSE PEOPLE ARE HARDWORK RESIDENTS WHO GOT GOOD JOBS.
BUT IT'S HARD TO GET OUTTA AFFORDABLE HOUSING BECAUSE EVERY TIME YOU GET A SECOND JOB AND YOUR, AND AND YOU GET MORE MONEY, YOUR RENT GOES UP.
SO ONE CHECK IS TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE OTHER CHECK IS FOR YOU TO PAY ALL YOUR BILLS.
PEOPLE WANT GET OUT, BUT IT'S HARD TO SAVE MONEY FOR YOU TWO AND THREE JOBS, YOUR RENT GO HIGHER AND HIGHER.
SO POLICE ARE SAYING THOSE PEOPLE, 'CAUSE THOSE PEOPLE ARE HARD WORKING PEOPLE THAT GO TO WORK EVERY DAY.
THANK YOU FOR THE INSIGHT, COLBY JENKINS.
FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT WHEN WE SAY THOSE PEOPLE, WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL THAT SOMETIME WE MAY END UP BEING THOSE VERY SAME PEOPLE.
OUR FAMILY MEMBERS MAY END UP BEING THOSE VERY SAME PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHOM WE LOVE AND CARE ABOUT MAY END UP BEING THOSE SAME PEOPLE.
LARRY OSWALD AND I'LL SAY AGAIN, WAS A STAPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
HE NOT ONLY WORKED TIRELESSLY AT THE SENIOR PROGRAM AT T D Y C C, BUT HE ALSO DID THE SAME AT HIS CHURCH AT UNION BAPTIST, WHERE HE ALSO SUNG ON A MEN'S CHOIR.
AND HE COULD OFTEN BE FOUND AT KMART.
HE CAN OFTEN BE FOUND AT EL DORADO'S STAR DINER, OUR LOCAL EATERIES AND THE COMMUNITY, LOCAL STORES BUYING THINGS FOR PEOPLE.
HE WOULD ALWAYS COULD ALSO BE FOUND AT TOWN PARK AT THE POOL AND SOAKING UP SOME OF THE SUN.
AND I JUST WANNA, AGAIN, SHARE, THIS IS WHAT UNCLE LARRY, LARRY OSWALD LOOKED LIKE
[04:05:01]
BEFORE THIS GLOBAL PANDEMIC.BEFORE HE WAS ASKED AND TOLD WITH OTHER SENIORS THAT HE HAD TO MOVE, LOOK AT HIS FACE VERY WELL ENERGETIC.
AND THIS IS NOT A BLACK OR WHITE THING, AS YOU CAN SEE.
I'M TALKING ABOUT SOMEONE WHO IS NOT THE SAME COLOR AS ME, BUT I LOVED HIM LIKE HE WAS MY BLOOD UNCLE.
AND WHEN I TELL YOU THAT THE NERVE, HIS NERVES WAS UNSETTLED DURING THIS MOVE THAT HE HAD, THAT HAD TO TRANSPIRE WITH HIM AS WELL AS OTHER RESIDENTS, THIS ULTIMATELY LED TO HIS BREAKDOWN.
IF YOU LOOK AND GET THE STATS OF HOW MANY TIMES THE POLICE AND AMBULANCE WAS CALLED TO HIS HOME THERE ON MANHATTAN AVENUE DURING THIS PANDEMIC, BECAUSE HE WAS ANXIOUS, HE WAS NERVOUS, HE WAS UNSETTLED ON WHERE HE WAS MOVING TO.
AND THE POINT THAT I WANT TO MAKE AND SAY TONIGHT IS OTHERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS AS WELL.
THEY SHOULD KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GOING.
THEY, IT, THERE SHOULD BE A PLAN IN PLACE BECAUSE THIS IS HOW WE LOSE PEOPLE AND THEY SLIP THROUGH THE CRACKS.
EVERYONE ISN'T FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO MOVE BACK TO THE TOWN.
EVERYONE ISN'T FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO BE A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY, OF WHICH THEY LOVE SO MUCH.
PEOPLE ARE HERE BECAUSE THEY LOVE IT, BECAUSE THEY LOVE THE PEOPLE, BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO MOVE.
AND WE SHOULD MOVE HEAVEN AND EARTH TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RESIDENTS AND THOSE THAT WANT TO LIVE IN THIS TOWN, THAT THEY BE ABLE TO STAY HERE WITH THE HOME OF WHERE THEY LOVE.
AND THIS IS A PHOTO, A LAST PHOTO OF UNCLE LARRY AT STARRED DINER WHERE HE WAS LOVED BY THE OWNER AND WOULD ALWAYS GET A CUP OF COFFEE ON THE HOUSE.
AND THIS WASN'T JUST THERE, BUT ALSO AT FRANK'S AND OTHER PLACES.
AND WE JUST HAVE TO TAKE A DEEP LOOK AND KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING.
WE NEED TO LOOK AT IT WITH DIFFERENT EYES AND LENSES TO KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING TO NOT JUST PEOPLE, NOT JUST REGULAR ENIO PEOPLE.
THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHOM YOU ALL SERVE AND WHOM WE ALL SERVED.
I I, MY HEART GOES, MY HEART BREAKS TREMENDOUSLY AND NO ONE, NO ONE HERE COULD UNDERSTAND THE LOST.
MY UNCLE LARRY DIED IN A NURSING HOME BY HIMSELF.
HE WAS UPROOTED PEOPLE THEN TURNED AROUND AND FLEECED HIM AFTERWARDS.
AND ALL OF THIS HAPPENED IN A GLOBAL PANDEMIC.
AND IT HAPPENED DURING THIS TIME.
AND I CAN ONLY PRAY THAT DURING THE SUMMERTIME THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO HONOR HIM WITH DIGNITY AND THE RESPECT THAT HE DESERVES BECAUSE HE DESERVED A PROPER FUNERAL, WHICH HE DID NOT RECEIVE.
HE DESERVED A LOT MORE THAN WHAT HE GOT.
HE COULDN'T EVEN GET A VISITOR AT THE END.
BUT, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S THE FIVE MINUTES EVERYONE I'D, I TO SAY.
UH, I DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER ANY OTHER REQUESTS.
HAS ANYONE, HAS ANYONE ELSE RAISED THEIR HAND AND WISH TO SPEAK THEN I'D LIKE TO MOVE ADJOURNED.