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EVENING.WELCOME TO OUR GREENBERG TOWN BOARD MEETING.
TODAY IS MARCH 24TH AT 7 42, UH, PM AND WE'LL
[ PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
BEGIN WITH A PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG.
THE FLAG OF THE UNITED, UNITED STATES, AMERICA, UNITED STATES, AMERICA.
AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, VISIBLE LIBERTY.
[ ROLL CALL: Town Clerk]
TOWN CLERK WILL DO THE ROLL CALL COUNT.PRESENT COUNCILWOMAN DIANA JUTTER.
COUNCILMAN FRANCIS CHAN, PRESENT AND TOWN ATTORNEY TIM LEWIS.
AND NEXT, UM, WE WANNA MENTION THAT WE HAVE SOME TOWN BOARD MEETINGS COMING UP APRIL 14TH.
APRIL 28TH, MAY 12TH AND MAY 26TH.
[ MOMENT OF SILENCE In memory of the 543,892+ individual victims of COVID-19 who have died in the United States, 2,740,000+ deaths worldwide, each leaving family members and friends too soon]
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE.UM, IN MEMORY OF THE 544,700 PLUS INDIVIDUAL VICTIMS OF C OVID 19 OF DIED IN THE UNITED STATES, 2,740,000 DEATHS.
ACTUALLY MORE, UH, WORLDWIDE, EACH LEAVING FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS TOO SOON.
PAUL, I THINK WE SHOULD ADD THOSE THAT WERE KILLED IN COLORADO.
AND, UH, THE OTHER, THE OTHERS, THE OTHERS THAT HAVE HAPPENED RECENTLY WAS VERY SAD.
[ WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION]
WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, UH, CELEBRATION OVER THE YEARS.UH, THE TOWN CLERK JUDITH DEVILLE, HAS DEVOTED MANY HOURS ON, UM, ORGANIZING WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH AND, UM, IN, IN GREENBURG AND WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH IS A DEDICATED MONTH TO REFLECT ON THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF WOMEN TO THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY, AS WELL AS ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING THE PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY, PUBLIC SERVICE AND COMMUNITY SERVICE.
WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH GREW FROM WEEKEND WEEK LONG CELEBRATIONS BETWEEN 1978 AND 1980 WHEN PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER ISSUED THE FIRST PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION DECLARING THE WEEK OF MARCH 8TH AS NATIONAL HISTORY WEEK.
THE FOLLOWING YEAR, THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS PASSED A RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL CELEBRATION.
AND SIX YEARS LATER, IN 1987, THE NATIONAL, UH, WOMEN'S HISTORY PROJECT SUCCESSFULLY PETITIONED CONGRESS TO EXPAND THE EVENT TO THE ENTIRE MONTH OF MARCH.
WE APPLAUD THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THESE WOMEN, AND OVER THE PAST 12 YEARS, WE HAVE EMBRACED THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND CELEBRATION OF WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH BY RECOGNIZING WOMEN WHO HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT, SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS AS PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS TO HELPING IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL RESIDENTS OF OUR TOWN.
THIS EVENING, WE'RE HONORING A NUMBER OF, UM, LEADERS, UM, SUZANNE BERGER, FORMER HEAD OF THE GREENBERG.
I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I HAVE NOT RECEIVED.
DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE AND THE FIRST WOMAN TO CHAIR THE DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE FOR THE CALENDAR OF ROCHESTER, JUDGE DORIS FRIEDMAN POSTHUMOUSLY.
CAROL ALLEN, CHAIR OF THE GREENBERG COVID ANGELS HONORABLE, UH, SONYA BROWN, FORMER GREENBURG TOWN COUNCILWOMAN AND BOARD MEMBER.
UM, PATRICIA WEEMS, PRESIDENT OF THE FAIRGROUND CIVIC ASSOCIATION.
DIANA GUNNER GREENBERG TOWN COUNCILWOMAN AND BOARD MEMBER SINCE, UM, 1992.
I'D LIKE TO, UH, THANK ON, UH, TOWN CLERK JUDITH VILLE FOR SPENDING MANY, MANY HOURS ON, UH, ORGANIZING THIS YEAR IS ON EVENT AND ALSO ORGANIZING THE EVENTS, UH, OVER THE PAST, UM, UH, NUMBER OF, UH, OF YEARS, UH, SHE'S REALLY WORKED VERY HARD AND DID GREAT JOB.
UM, BEFORE I, UH, BEGIN WITH MY COMMENTS, UH, FRANCIS OGAR, I JUST RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM DR.
SHE HAS NOT RECEIVED THE LINK, SO COULD SOMEONE PLEASE SEND
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IT TO HER? THANK YOU.THE NATIONAL WOMEN'S HISTORY ALLIANCE DESIGNATES A YEAR, A YEARLY THEME FOR WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH.
THE 2021 THEME IS A CONTINUATION OF THE 2020 THEME, WHICH IS VALIANT WOMEN OF THE VOTE REFUSING TO BE SILENCED.
CERTAINLY, ALL OF THE WOMEN WHO WILL BE HONORED THIS EVENING AND TRIBUTE FROM THE TOWN OF GREENBURG ARE VALIANT WOMEN AND HAVE FOUGHT LARGE, LONG, AND HARD TO, UM, UH, ENCOURAGE, MOTIVATE, AND ACTIVATE PEOPLE, RESIDENTS IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG TO GET INVOLVED AND TO EXERCISE THEIR VOTE.
SO, WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN OUR ATTRIBUTES THIS EVENING WITH A TRIBUTE TO SUZANNE BERGER.
UH, MY PARENTS, UH, RAISED ME TO REVERE AND ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE WHO DEDICATE THEIR TIME AND EFFORT, UH, TO CIVICS IN THE COMMUNITY.
UH, I THINK THAT, UH, FOR ONE OF THE HIGHEST AND MOST SELFLESS CALLINGS A PERSON CAN HAVE, UH, IS TO DO THAT, UH, AND THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE ROLE MODELS FOR US ALL.
AND ONE SUCH PERSON IS AMONG US TONIGHT.
SUZANNE BERGER IS A MENTOR AND LEADER TO MANY OF US IN POLITICS ACROSS GREENBERG AND IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
CURRENTLY, SHE'S THE CHAIR OF THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE, RECENTLY ELECTED AS THE FIRST WOMAN.
PRIOR TO THAT, SHE LED THE TOWN OF GREENBERG DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE FOR 20 YEARS, AND CHAIR CHAIRED THE DOBBS FERRY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE FOR SEVEN YEARS BEFORE THAT.
SHE ACTIVELY WORKS TO ELECT PRO-CHOICE DEMOCRATIC WOMEN IN NEW YORK STATE THROUGH ELEANOR'S LEGACY.
AND IN HER SPARE TIME, SHE'S PRACTICED LAW AS A COMMERCIAL LITIGATOR FOR 35 YEARS, ALL WHILE BEING MARRIED TO PHIL JONES.
10 YEARS AGO, UH, I WAS DRAFTED TO RUN FOR THIS SEAT ON THE TOWN COUNCIL, AND WHILE I WAS ACTIVE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD CIVIC ASSOCIATION, I WAS REALLY A POLITICAL NOVICE, AND IT WAS SUZANNE BERGER WHO PAVED THE ROAD FOR ME.
UH, THAT LED ME TO ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING EXPERIENCES, UH, OF MY LIFE, WHICH IS SERVING ON THE TOWN BOARD WITH MY COLLEAGUES, UH, UH, FOR THE CITIZENS OF THE TOWN IN GREENBURG.
SO, IT IS MY GREAT PLEASURE, UH, TO HONOR SUZANNE THIS EVENING FOR WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH.
IT WAS MY HONOR AND PLEASURE TO GET TO KNOW YOU TWO 10 YEARS AGO.
UM, I, I WANNA REALLY SINCERELY THANK THE SUPERVISOR AND THE TOWN BOARD FOR BESTOWING THIS HONOR ON ME.
UM, MY, UH, ROLE HAS BEEN, UH, IN PARTISAN POLITICS, BUT I DON'T SEE THAT AS, UH, NECESSARILY PARTISAN.
WE ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO VOTE, EVERYBODY TO PARTICIPATE, EVERYBODY TO REGISTER TO VOTE.
AND, UH, WE SAW WHAT MAKES THIS, UH, TOWN GREAT AND THIS NATION GREAT, IS THAT WE SOLVE PROBLEMS BY ELECTIONS, FAIR ELECTIONS.
AND WHEN WE CAN'T AGREE ON SOMETHING, THAT'S OKAY.
UH, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL PEOPLE COME UP EVERY FOUR YEARS.
SUPERVISOR COMES UP EVERY TWO YEARS.
AND, UH, WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO VOICE OUR OPINION.
AND I SEE MY JOB AS, UH, TALKING TO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO RUN FOR OFFICE, TELLING THEM, UH, ABOUT WHAT THAT TAKES, AND THEN MAKING SURE THAT THE VOTERS, UH, HAVE A CHANCE TO HEAR THE MESSAGE OF THE CANDIDATES AND MAKE THE CHOICE.
UH, I WANNA CONGRATULATE MY FELLOW HONOREES TONIGHT, UH, PARTICULARLY DIANA JUTTER, WHOM I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW AS A FRIEND AND A COLLEAGUE FOR MANY YEARS, AND WHO WILL BE RETIRING AT THE END OF THIS TERM.
AND, AND ALSO FOR DORIS FRIEDMAN, THE, THE LATE DORIS FRIEDMAN WHO, UH, WAS A FRIEND IN, UM, ROLE MODEL FOR MANY OF US HERE.
AND I'M, SO, I, I REALLY APOLOGIZE THAT I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO STAY FOR THIS WHOLE, UH, CEREMONY, BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU ASK A BUSY PERSON TO DO.
ANYWAY,
AND BECAUSE AS KEN MENTIONED, I
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DO TRY TO PRACTICE LAW STILL IN BETWEEN ALL MY OTHER, UH, CIVIC, UH, OB UH, OBLIGATIONS.AND I DO JUST WANNA SAY THAT IT IS CORRECT THAT I AM THE FIRST WOMAN WHO IS ELECTED CHAIR OF THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN TWO OTHER WOMEN WHO HAVE CHAIRED THE COUNTY COMMITTEE, AND ONE OF THEM IS A GREENBERG RESIDENT.
HER NAME IS ROBIN AL, AND SHE LIVES IN TARRYTOWN.
AND, UM, I AND THE OTHER, UH, IS A WOMAN WHO'S NO LONGER WITH US FROM NEW ROCHELLE NAMED MIRIAM JACKSON.
AND BOTH OF THEM WERE VICE CHAIRS WHO, UH, MOVED UP WHEN THE CHAIR, UH, RETIRED OR, OR MOVED UP, YOU KNOW, FOR SOME REASON.
SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TRY TO BE FAIR AND ACCURATE HERE.
AND IT WAS THOUGH A BIG HONOR TO BE ELECTED.
BUT AGAIN, AS I STARTED THESE REMARKS BY SAYING THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT.
WE SOLVE PROBLEMS BY ELECTIONS, NOT BY, UH, SPEAR FIGHTS, YOU KNOW? SO
AND, UM, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE IT.
UH, EVERYBODY, UH, I SEE A LOT OF FAMILIAR FACES ON THIS CALL.
UH, ANN PAVELA TOO, I KNOW IS RETIRING AT THE END OF HER TERM, AND SHE'S SERVED, UH, THE COMMUNITY FOR A LONG TIME, BOTH THIS TOWN.
AND IT, IT REALLY TAKES, UM, A SPECIAL KIND OF PERSON TO, UH, GO INTO PUBLIC SERVICE.
UH, SOMETIMES PEOPLE FEEL FREE TO SAY THINGS THAT THEY WOULDN'T SAY TO OTHER PEOPLE AND, UH, YOU KNOW, ON THE STREET.
AND I THINK EVERYBODY ON THIS ZOOM, UH, IS IN PUBLIC SERVICE FOR THE RIGHT REASONS TO SERVE THEIR COMMUNITY, AND I'M PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH ALL OF THEM.
OUR NEXT HONOREE WILL BE RECOGNIZED
GOOD EVENING EVERYONE, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE HONOREES.
UM, I'VE BEEN ASKED BY, UM, JUDITH AND THE TOWN BOARD TO, UM, JUST, UM, HONOR MY GOOD FRIEND AND COJ JUDGE WHEN I WAS IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, UM, JUDGE FRIEDMAN.
SO I WILL JUST, UM, TAKE A MOMENT TO JUST TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT JUDGE.
I KNOW ALL OF US KNEW HER, AND, UM, A LOT OF US LOVED HER.
UM, JUDGE FRIEDMAN WAS A TRAILBLAZER AND A PASSIONATE ADVOCATE FOR EQUITY AND JUSTICE, BOTH ON AND OFF THE BENCH.
JUDGE FRIEDMAN WAS BORN ON DECEMBER 16TH, 1932 IN CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.
SHE WAS A PROUD MEMBER OF TUFTS UNIVERSITY'S CLASS OF 1954.
JUDGE FRIEDMAN ATTENDED BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW WHERE SHE GRADUATED LAW SCHOOL IN 1957, AND THEN SHE MOVED TO ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA WITH HER, UM, HUSBAND.
AND I'LL JUST SAY WHEN SHE WAS, UH, SHE OFTEN TOLD ME WHEN SHE WAS IN LAW SCHOOL, SHE WAS ONE OUT OF, I THINK, THREE FEMALE STUDENTS AT LAW SCHOOL, AND SHE GRADUATED AT THE TOP OF HER CLASS.
IN 1960, JUDGE FRIEDMAN MOVED TO WESTCHESTER COUNTY AND SETTLED IN IRVINGTON, NEW YORK, UH, IN 1963 WITH HER HUSBAND AND HER THREE DAUGHTERS.
DORIS FRIEDMAN LOVED THE LAW AND LOVED BEING A JUDGE.
SHE COMMENCED HER LEGAL CAREER AFTER VOLUNTEERING IN NUMEROUS COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES, ESPECIALLY WITH THE COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITY CENTER IN TAR TOWN.
JUDGE FRIEDMAN SAT FOR THE NEW YORK STATE BAR EXAM IN 1970.
THEREAFTER, SHE PRACTICED LAW IN NEW YORK FOR ALMOST 50 YEARS, REPRESENTING BOTH CRIMINAL AND CIVIL PARTIES.
SHE ASSISTED IN INITIATING A CIVIL DIVISION IN THE LOCAL LEGAL AID SOCIETY, AND THEN DEVELOPED A MATRIMONIAL PRACTICE.
SHE WAS A FOUNDER AND PRINCIPAL OF THE NEW YORK STATE COUNCIL ON DIVORCE MEDIATION.
SHE ALSO SERVED AS AN ACTING JUSTICE FOR THE VILLAGE OF TAR TOWN FOR 16 YEARS, AND KEPT HER JUDICIAL CAREER AS A SENIOR JUDGE ON THE GREENBERG TOWN COURT, SERVING FROM 1999 THROUGH 2011, UP IN HER RETIREMENT FROM THE BENCH.
SHE TAUGHT LEGAL STUDIES AT MERCY COLLEGE, CONTINUED HER LAW PRACTICE AND BECAME A MEMBER OF THE GREENBERG ETHICS BOARD.
SHE ALSO SERVED AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF HER CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION.
SHE WAS A LIFELONG MEMBER OF THE WOMEN'S BAR ASSOCIATION AND THE WESTCHESTER
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COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION.JUDGE FRIEDMAN ALSO LOVED TO TRAVEL VISITING INDIA, ANTARCTICA, AND OTHER LOCATIONS WHILE EMBRACING HERB ACTIONS FOR READING, THEATER, DANCE AND MUSIC, COOKING POLITICS.
AND YES, THE BOSTON RED SOS JUDGE FRIEDMAN PASSED AWAY ON FEBRUARY 3RD, 2021.
HER LEGACY LIVES ON IN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF THOSE WHO SHE TOUCHED.
AND SHE DEFINITELY TOUCHED A LOT OF US IN GREENBURG.
SHE WAS MY MENTOR AND MY FRIEND, AND I'M SO HONORED THAT I WAS ASKED TO JUST, UM, SAY A COUPLE OF WORDS ABOUT HER AND TO TELL EVERYONE WHO DID NOT HAVE, UM, THE PLEASURE OF MEETING OR KNOWING.
UM, JUDGE FRIEDMAN, WE CALLED HER DORY, WHAT A WONDERFUL AND ACCOMPLISHED WOMAN AND JURIES THAT SHE WAS.
AND AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE HONOREES.
THANK YOU JUDGE GORDON OLIVER FOR THAT BEAUTIFUL TRIBUTE.
SO OUR NEXT HONOREE IS HAVING SOME DIFFICULTY COMING IN.
SO I'VE ASKED GARRETT, PLEASE CALL HER.
AND, UM, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE HONORABLE SONYA MALVINA BROWN.
SONIA, BEFORE WE GO, COULD I JUST, UH, MENTION, UM, I WANTED TO, UM, APOLOGIZE, UH, BECAUSE AT THE LAST MEETING OF, UH, THE TOWN BOARD, UM, UM, WE, UM, RECOGNIZED, UH, THE AFRICAN AMERICAN, UH, TOWN BOARD MEMBERS, UM, AND, UH, NEGLECTED TO MENTION, UM, UM, SOMEONE BROWN WHO, UH, SERVED ON THE TOWN, UH, BOARD FOR, UH, FOUR YEARS.
THAT WAS AN UNINTENTIONAL, UNINTENTIONAL OVERSIGHT.
OUR ASSISTANT STAR AND, UM, UH, DID A WRITEUP ON THE, UM, THE, WELL, THE COUNCIL, THE AFRICAN AMERICAN, UM, UH, COUNCIL YOU MEMBERS.
THEY DID MENTION, UH, SONIA DIRE.
SO WE DO APOLOGIZE FOR THIS, UM, THIS O THIS OVERSIGHT AND DO APPRECIATE, UM, THE SERVICE THAT, UM, FORMER COUNCILWOMAN BROWN GAVE, UH, TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TO THE TOWN, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, BOARD.
UM, SHE WAS A HARD WORKER, UM, AND FOR HARD FOR, UM, UM, MANY PEOPLE WHO REALLY FELT THAT THEY, UH, DID NOT HAVE A VOICE IN, IN, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SERVICE.
SO PLAYED A POSITIVE ROLE IN THE TOWN.
SO IT IS MY DISTINCT HONOR AS WELL AS A PLEASURE TO BRING THE TRIBUTE ON BEHALF OF THE TOWN TO SONYA MALVINA BROWN.
SONYA IS A LIFELONG GREENBERG RESIDENT WHO HAS ALWAYS FELT CALLED TO PUBLIC SERVICE, MAKING A POSITIVE AND IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION, NOT ONLY TO THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, BUT THROUGHOUT NEW YORK STATE AND BEYOND OUR BOUNDARIES.
HER COMMUNITY COMMITMENT TO HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO BOTH OF HER PARENTS, GEORGE AND JESSE BROWN, WHO OPENED THEIR HOME TO ANYONE IN NEED OF FOOD, SHELTER, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, RECREATION, EMPLOYMENT GUIDANCE, ET CETERA.
SONIA IS A GRADUATE OF THE GREEN PARK PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, AND AFTER RECEIVING HER BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN SOCIAL WORK FROM VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY, SHE RECEIVED A MASTER'S DEGREE IN SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION FROM MERCY COLLEGE.
SHE ANTICIPATES COMPLETING HER DOCTORATE OF EDUCATION AND EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP WITHIN THIS YEAR.
SONIA IS THE FIRST GRADUATE, FIRST TO GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE AND HER FAMILY, AND FOLLOWED LATER BY HER TWO DAUGHTERS WHO RECEIVED BACHELOR'S, BACHELOR'S DEGREES FROM HOWARD UNIVERSITY AND VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY RESPECTIVELY.
SONIA AND HER TWO DAUGHTERS ALL RECEIVED THEIR DEGREES FROM AN H B C U, HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY.
IN NOVEMBER, 2007, SONYA WAS ELECTED GREENBURG TOWN COUNCILWOMAN AND SERVED IN THIS CAPACITY FROM JANUARY 1ST, 2008 TO DECEMBER 31ST, 2011.
DURING HER TENURE, SHE CONTRIBUTED TO ALL DECISIONS MADE BY THE TOWN BOARD.
SHE CHAIRED THE GREENBERG AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE AND SERVED AS LIAISON TO THE THEATER DE YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER, GREENBERG PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY, AND THE HARTSDALE PUBLIC PARKING DISTRICT COMMITTEE.
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TO WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITY INCORPORATED, MOTIVATED BY HER POSITIVE, BY HER PASSION TO POSITIVELY IMPACT THE LOCAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH.SHE LEFT THE TOWN BOARD IN 2012 IN ORDER TO RUN FOR A POSITION ON THE GREENBERG CENTRAL SEVEN SCHOOL BOARD.
SONYA WAS SUCCESSFUL IN ACQUIRING DE SEAT AND ONE REELECTION IN 2015 ON THE SCHOOL BOARD.
SHE WAS THE FAMILY COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND HOMELESS LIAISON.
IN THIS ROLE, SHE WAS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING IN O OVER $6 MILLION IN STATE FUNDS.
SONYA WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN TO SERVE AS DIRECTOR OF PATIENT AND FAMILY SERVICES WITH THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY, THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE OF LOWER HUDSON VALLEY REGIONAL DIRECTOR UNDER NEW YORK STATE SENATE GOVERNOR AND DEPARTMENT OF LABOR LABOR.
AND SIR, WHICH STANDS FOR SERVICES, EDUCATION RESOURCES.
AND FIRST, THAT'S THE NAME OF THE ORGANIZATION, INCORPORATED OF WESTCHESTER, WHICH REPRESENTS FAMILY INFORMATION REFERRAL SERVICE TEAM, A TRUE TRAILBLAZER.
SONYA UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY SERVICE AND HUMANITIES.
A FEW OF HER PAST AND PRESENT VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCES, COMMUNITY MEMBERSHIP INCLUDES NEW YORK STATE GOVERNOR CUOMO'S CHILDCARE AVAILABILITY TASK FORCE, GREENBURG DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE, FAIRVIEW DISTRICT LEADER, LOIS BRONX CHILDREN'S CENTER, BOARD OF DIRECTORS, UNION BAPTIST CHURCH, UNION CARES COMMITTEE, N A A C P, COMMITTEE OF GREENBURG WHITE PLAINS CHAPTER VICE PRESIDENT AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT CHAIR, WESTCHESTER BLACK DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE, AND HARTSDALE KIWANIS CLUB.
HONORABLE BROWN IS DEDICATED AND WORKS HARD TOWARDS SYSTEM-WIDE IMPROVEMENT AND CHANGE AS A POLITICAL FIGURE AND COMMUNITY ADVOCATE, HUMAN AND HEALTH SERVICE, PROFESSIONAL EDUCATOR AND ADMINISTRATOR THROUGH PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL, COUNTY, STATE, AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AS WELL AS NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND FOR-PROFIT CORPORATIONS.
HONORABLE BROWN CONTINUES TO PUT PEOPLE FIRST TO WORK WITH UTMOST DEDICATION AND SINCERITY.
SHE VOWS TO CONTINUE TO WORK HARD, NOT FOR ANY PERSONAL GAIN, BUT WILL TURN OVER EVERY STONE, FINDING OPPORTUNITIES TO ENHANCE EQUALITY AND JUSTICE.
ALL HER MOTTO, QUOTE, I CHOOSE BOLD.
I CHOOSE WHAT'S RIGHT FOR THE PEOPLE, AND I CHOOSE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
END OF QUOTE, BY BILL RICHARDSON, HONORABLE SONYA BROWN, WE HONOR YOU.
THE TOWN OF GREENBURG HONORS YOU THIS EVENING IN RECOGNITION OF WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH 2021.
WE DO LIKE TO SHARE ANY COMMENTS.
WELL, THANK YOU JUDITH, UM, FOR THAT.
UM, AND PAUL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR APOLOGY.
I GUESS, UH, JUDITH READING JUST TOOK CARE OF BOTH THE, UH, CELEBRATION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN AS WELL AS WOMEN MONTH.
SO, UH, I DO APPRECIATE, UM, THE KIND WORDS AND THE, UM, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
UM, AS A WOMAN, AS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN, I BELIEVE GOOD GOVERNMENT IS COMPOSED OF ALL PEOPLE.
NOT A SELECTION OF PEOPLE OR FAVORITES, BUT GOVERNMENT MUST INCLUDE ALL PEOPLE IN ORDER TO WORK FOR THE PEOPLE AND NOT JUST FOR THE PLEASURE OF ELECTED OFFICIALS.
NO ONE SHOULD EVER BE EXCLUDED FROM ANY PART OF THE TOWN OF GREENBERG INITIATIVE OR ANY PART OF GOVERNMENT.
IT'S WHAT OUR ANCESTORS HAVE WORKED FOR, AND IT'S WORKED.
IT'S WHAT OUR WOMEN OF, UH, HERE IN AMERICA HAVE WORKED AGAINST.
HONORABLE SHIRLEY CH CHISHOLM WON ELECTION TO THE 91ST CONGRESS, 19 69, 19 71.
SHE IS MY SHERO RUNNING UNDER THE SLOGAN UN BROUGHT AND UN BOSSED TO BECOME THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN
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IN CONGRESS.AND THE WORDS OF HONORABLE SHIRLEY CHISHOLM, IF THEY DON'T GIVE YOU A SEAT AT THE TABLE, BRING A FOLDING CHAIR.
THANK YOU FOR THIS HONOR AGAIN, AND CONGRATS TO ALL OF THE WOMEN BEING HONORED TONIGHT.
THIS EVENING IS PATRICIA WEEMS. IS PATRICIA HERE? DOES ANYONE SEE PATRICIA? OKAY.
PATRICIA LEWIS WEEMS, A NATIVE NEW YORKER AND LIFELONG RESIDENT.
THE TOWN OF GREENBURG GRADUATED FROM GREENBURG PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND DURING THAT TIME OF HER LIFE WAS IMMERSED IN COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT THROUGH THE CHURCH, AS WELL AS THROUGH THE N A A C P, THE WOMEN'S PRO PROGRESSIVE CLUB, GIRL SCOUTS, AND OTHER LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. SHE LATER GRADUATED FROM VIRGINIA STATE COLLEGE, NOW VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY, AND WAS ACTIVE IN ORGANIZATIONS THAT PREPARED HER TO SPEAK UP FOR RIGHTS AND SPEAK OUT AGAINST INJUSTICE.
PAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN COMMITTED TO HER CHURCH AND COMMUNITY WHERE SHE HAS HELD LEADERSHIP POSITIONS ON BOARDS AND IN THE ROLE AS DIRECTOR IN BOTH ARENAS.
EARLY IN, IN HER CAREER, PAT PAT WORKED FOR THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY OUT OF WASHINGTON, DC AND LATER MOVED TO CARUS VENEZUELA, WHERE SHE WORKED WITH AN ORGANIZATION THAT SPECIALIZED IN NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS AND CONFERENCES CONTRACTED BY EIGHT UNITED NATIONS.
SHE INTERFACED WITH PRESIDENTS FROM SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRIES, PRIME MINISTERS AMBASSADORS AND DIGNITARIES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF STATE AND NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR, HENRY KISSINGER.
PATRICIA LATER CREATED HER OWN BUSINESS AND IS THE C E O OF CREATIVE DESIGNS, A FULL SERVICE FLORIST BUSINESS LOCATED IN HAWTHORNE.
AND SHE SERVICES THROUGH HER BUSINESS, MANY RESIDENTS IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
HER CURRENT TOWN, COMMUNITY AND CHURCH INVOLVEMENT INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING.
SHE IS THE FAIRGROUND CIVIC ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT.
SHE SERVES AS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBER.
SHE IS A DEMOCRATIC DISTRICT LEADER.
SHE IS ALSO ACTIVE ON THE N A A C P EXECUTIVE BOARD, THE N A A C P POLITICAL ACTION CHAIR.
SHE'S INVOLVED WITH THE WESTCHESTER INTERDENOMINATIONAL FELLOWSHIP CHOIR, AND SHE IS A CERTIFIED UNITED METHODIST LAY SPEAKER.
IN THE PAST, FORMER TOWN INVOLVEMENT INCLUDES GREENBERG HEALTH CENTER ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER GREENBERG ARTS AND CULTURE COMMITTEE LIAISON, AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE, WESTCHESTER INTERFAITH COUNCIL, GREENBERG HABITAT SELECTION COMMITTEE, GREENBERG SCOUT LEADER, I'M SORRY, GIRL SCOUT LEADER AND TROOP CONSULTANT FOR TROOP 27 AT THEODORE DE YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER AND MANY, MANY OTHER LEADERSHIP ROLES.
SHE'S HELD MANY LEADERSHIP ROLES HERE IN OUR TOWN.
PATRICIA IS A REGULAR PARTICIPANT IN GREENBURG TOWN BOARD MEETINGS CONSTANTLY AND CONSISTENTLY RAISING QUESTIONS AROUND EQUALITY, EQUITY, AND JUSTICE.
SHE NOT ONLY SPEAKS ON BEHALF OF HER IMMEDIATE COMMUNITY, SHE CONSISTENTLY COLLABORATES WITH OTHER CIVIC ASSOCIATION PRESIDENTS FROM AROUND THE TOWN OF GREENBURG TO REPRESENT A UNIFIED VOICE WHEN SHE DEEMS IT APPROPRIATE ON MATTERS THAT IMPACT OTHER COMMUNITIES AS WELL.
PATRICIA IS NOT ONLY A TRAILBLAZER, SHE CONTINUES TO BE A TROOPER, BUT WHAT SHE BELIEVES IS FAIR, AND JUST FOR ALL RESIDENTS OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU, PATRICIA, LOIS, WES, FOR YOUR HARD WORK AS A TRAILBLAZER, AS A COMMUNITY ACTIVIST, AND SOMEONE WHO CONTINUES TO SPEAK UP ON MATTERS OF JUSTICE.
PAT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE SOME COMMENTS? I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH AND TO ALL OF THE HONOREES.
UM, IT'S NICE TO HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE IN TOWN OF GREENBURG WORKING TO SEE TO IT THAT OUR TOWN IS THE BEST TOWN.
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I THINK WE ARE ALL UNITED IN SEEING THAT OUR TOWN LEADS IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY IN ALL AREAS, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF THAT CAN, THAT REALLY, UM, GROW OUR TOWN AND GROW THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE.WE HAVE, UM, CHILDREN OF EVERY, EVERY COLOR, EVERY RACE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
I THINK WE ARE AN INTERNATIONAL TOWN.
AND I THINK THAT, UM, IF WE ALL WORK TOGETHER, THIS WILL BE THE BEST TOWN IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
I KNOW IT CAN BE DONE HARD WORK, BUT IN THE END, WE SHALL WIN AND WE SHALL ALL BE ABLE TO LIVE HAPPILY TOGETHER.
AND I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW, I'M GLAD I GOT THIS, UH, AWARD TONIGHT AND BEING HONORED, BUT I WILL NOT CHANGE
IT'S GONNA BE THE SAME PATRICIA TOMORROW
BUT I HOPE ALWAYS WE CAN ALWAYS DISAGREE AND STILL WORK TOWARDS A COMMON GOAL.
CAROL ALLEN HAS NOW JOINED US, LEADER AND ORGANIZER EXTRAORDINAIRE, DR.
CAROL ALLEN WILL BE RECOGNIZED THIS EVENING BY COUNCILWOMAN HONORABLE GINA JACKSON.
GOOD EVENING EVERYONE, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE OTHER HONOREES.
IT IS MY TRUE PLEASURE TO GIVE THIS HONOR TO AN AMAZING WOMAN WHO HAS BEEN A TRUE ROCK IN MY WORLD THE LAST SIX MONTHS, I GUESS.
SO SHE KEEPS TRYING TO RUN AWAY FROM ME WHEN SHE CAN'T GET AWAY FROM ME.
UM, BUT HONESTLY, YOU KNOW, I WAS DRAWN TO CAROL ALLEN FROM CHURCH WHEN SHE GAVE A DESCRIPTION OF THE TRIP SHE TOOK TO AFRICA.
AND IT WAS ALMOST AS THOUGH WE WERE REALLY ON THAT JOURNEY WITH HER.
AND JUST THE WAY SHE DRAWS YOU AND JUST THE WAY SHE IS VERY, UM, NURTURING AT BEST AND IN EVERY, IN, IN EVERY WAY.
I, IT, IT JUST TRULY, TRULY GIVES ME THIS PLEASURE TO RECOGNIZE HER.
UM, SHE IS A WOMAN WHO WAS BORN AND RAISED IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.
SHE NOW LIVES IN HARTSDALE FOR 27 YEARS AND HAS RAISED TWO AMAZING CHILDREN.
SHE'S RETIRED FROM CLINICAL PRACTICE OF INTERNAL MEDICINE AND HAVE SPENT 31 YEARS AT BRONX VETERAN ADMINISTRATION, ADMINISTRATION MEDICAL CENTER, AND FIVE YEARS AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER IN PEAK SKILL, ALTHOUGH RETIRED, AND I DON'T THINK SHE'S RETIRED, BUT ALTHOUGH RETIRED, SHE'S NEVER EVER SLOWED DOWN.
SHE'S DEDICATED HER ACTIVISM TO OUR COMMUNITY.
SHE IS ONE OF THE HARDWORKING MEMBERS OF THE GREENBERG AGAINST SYSTEMIC RACISM, LAW ENFORCEMENT TASK FORCE.
I COULD GO ON ALL NIGHT TO TALK ABOUT THE HARD WORK THAT SHE GIVES TO OUR COMMITTEE, BUT WE, I KNOW PAUL AND, AND THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD.
SO, UM, SHE'S ALSO THE PRESIDENT OF THE GREENBERG COVID ANGELS INITIATIVE.
SHE'S ORGANIZED THE VACCINE POPUP AT THE T D Y C FOR OVER 750 TOWN RESIDENTS.
SHE IS A VERY, VERY, VERY, AND IF I SAID VERY, I MEANT VERY ACTIVE MEMBER AT UNION BAPTIST CHURCH.
SHE'S AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT AT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS.
SHE'S A PROUD MEMBER OF ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY AND THE GREENBERG WHITE PLAINS NAAC NAACP.
CAROL, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, I CAN'T THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR ME.
OH, AND SHE LOVES, LOVES TO TAKE WALKS, AND SHE WILL NOT CALL YOU BACK UNTIL SHE HAS FINISHED TAKING HER DAILY WALK.
AND SOMETIMES IT'S TWO WALKS A DAY.
THAT WAS JUST SOMETHING PERSONAL.
BUT CAROL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU HAVE GIVEN TO THIS TOWN FOR WHICH YOU HAVE GIVEN TO THE CHURCH FOR WHICH YOU HAVE GIVEN TO ALL OF US HERE IN GREENBERG.
WE ARE TRULY APPRECIATIVE OF ALL YOUR HARD WORK, SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR BEING AN AMAZING, AMAZING WOMAN.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'D JUST LIKE TO, UH, UH, SAY SOMETHING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CAROL AND HER ROLE AS THE HEAD OF THE, UH, GREENBERG, UH, YOU KNOW, COVID ANGELS.
UM, UH, AFTER, UM, I, UM, SENT OUT A, UM, A STATEMENT ON, ON THE TOWN, UH, WEBSITE, ASKING, UH, FOR VOLUNTEERS.
UM, CAROL, UH, SAID THAT SHE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN, IN VOLUNTEERING.
I ANTICIPATED THAT THE COVID ANGELS WOULD BE SO SIMILAR TO THE SNOW ANGELS, MAYBE WOULD HELP 50 PEOPLE, 60 PEOPLE.
BUT CAROL TOOK THIS, UM, EFFORT TO A TOTALLY UNPRECEDENTED, UM, YOU KNOW, EFFORT.
[00:35:01]
UH, IN JUST TWO MONTHS.UH, SHE ORGANIZED, UM, ALMOST 300 VOLUNTEERS.
UM, THEY'VE, UH, MADE OVER 5,000 PHONE CALLS, UH, TO RESIDENTS OF THE TOWN.
UM, THE COVID ANGELS HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN, UM, OBTAINING VACCINATION APPOINTMENTS FOR MORE THAN 2000.
UM, GREENBERG, UH, RESIDENTS, UH, THEY RAN A VACCINE CLINIC AT, UH, THE THEATER YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER, REACHED ANOTHER 750.
UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE, UM, THEY'RE WORKING WITH, UH, CHURCHES, UH, THE GREENBERG, UM, HEALTH CENTER, UH, PHARMACIES REACHING LOW INCOME AND MINORITY RESIDENTS WHO OTHERWISE WOULD GET LEFT BEHIND IN THE VACCINE, UH, YOU KNOW, ROLLOUT.
UM, UH, OFFICIALS AND COMMUNITIES ARE TRYING TO REACH OUT TO MINORITY, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITIES WHICH TRADITIONALLY DON'T HAVE THE SAME, UM, LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION.
BUT THANKS TO CAROL'S EFFORTS, UH, WE PROBABLY HAVE ONE OF THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE, UM, PARTICIPATION OF, UM, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITIES THAT, AND OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE, YOU KNOW, DON'T, DON'T PARTICIPATE.
UH, THE PROGRAM THANKS TO CAROL'S, UH, LEADERSHIP HAS RECEIVED, UH, NATIONAL RECOGNITION, UH, COMMUNITIES, UM, ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES HAVE, UH, TRIED REPLICATING WHAT CAROL HAS DONE AT THE LOCAL, UM, UNIT LEVEL.
SO NOW THE COVID ANGELS, IT'S ALMOST LIKE A NATIONAL PROGRAM.
YOU KNOW, IF CAROL GOT A, A FRANCHISE FEE, SHE WOULD BE, UH, ABLE, UH, UM, TO RETIRE NEAR, UH, PRINCE HARRY, UH, BECAUSE, UH, YOU'D BE ABLE TO AFFORD THEIR 'CAUSE THEY WOULD, IT IS JUST REALLY, YOU KNOW, AMAZING.
AND YOU KNOW, IT, THIS IS SUCH A ENORMOUS, YOU KNOW, TASK, UH, TO BE A GOOD ANGEL.
UH, YOU NEED PEOPLE, SKILLS, SYSTEM SAVVY.
UM, WE HAD, WE HAD TO SET UP A, IT WAS VERY, VERY, UH, YOU KNOW, WELL ORGANIZED.
SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK CAROL FOR, UM, HER LEADERSHIP.
AND OF EVERY, ANY EFFORT THAT I'VE EVER BEEN INVOLVED IN SINCE I'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, 15 YEARS OLD OR 14 YEARS OLD, THERE'S NO EFFORT THAT WAS AS ORGANIZED AS, UH, YOU KNOW, AS EFFORT.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF, UH, YOU HADN'T AGREED TO BE, UH, THE HEAD OF THE COMMITTEE, THERE'D BE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WOULDN'T BE VACCINATED.
SO YOU COULD NOT ONLY TAKE CREDIT GETTING AN AWARD, BUT YOU COULD TAKE THE SA CREDIT WITH THE SATISFACTION THAT YOU PERSONALLY HAVE SAVED MANY, MANY LIVES IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG FROM GETTING COVID.
SO, THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON AND SUPERVISOR FINER.
I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL THESE WONDERFUL UNDESERVED WORDS THAT YOU HAVE SAID ABOUT ME.
UM, PARTICULARLY IN REGARDS TO THE COVID VACCINE ANGELS.
THERE ARE OTHER WONDERFUL WOMEN WHO HAVE HELPED ME PUT THIS TOGETHER.
UH, ELISE CURRAN LAKE AND MASTERSON, SARAH COBER, ANN HAYNE, UM, MK BLASIK, I BELIEVE I MENTIONED THE OTHERS WHO ARE ALL PART OF THE EXECUTIVE TEAM, AND THEY ALL DESERVE PART OF THE CREDIT BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING EXCEEDINGLY HARD.
UM, I ENJOY MY WORK AT UNION BAPTIST CHURCH.
I THINK IT'S THE BEST CHURCH IN WESTCHESTER, IF NOT NEW YORK.
UH, READINGS TO MY PASTOR AND OUR ASSOCIATE MINISTERS WHO I'M SURE ARE WATCHING, AND ALL OF YOU KNOW, THAT I LIKE TO BE BRIEF.
SO I WILL SIMPLY SAY THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU AGAIN.
OUR NEXT HONOREE IS SOMEONE WHO FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS, HAS JUST STAYED THE COURSE OF A VERY, VERY WELL RUN SHIP IN TERMS OF HER DEPARTMENT IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, AND BRINGING THE TRIBUTE FORWARD TO HONORABLE ANN PROVEA IS THE TOWN ASSESSOR, EDIE MCCARTHY.
UM, THANK YOU FOR ASKING ME TO SPEAK ON ANN'S BEHALF TONIGHT.
THIS IS SUCH A GREAT HONOR WITH, WITH THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN BEING HONORED TONIGHT, PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL AND DEDICATED, AND IT'S JUST, IT'S REALLY A GREAT, UM, PRESENTATION.
[00:40:01]
STAY THAT COURSE AS WELL.SO, ANN STARTED HER CAREER IN 1972, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NOT GOOD AT MATH, THAT WAS 49 YEARS AGO, AND DON'T TELL ANYBODY.
UM, SHE STARTED AS THE DEPUTY VILLAGE CLERK IN THE VILLAGE OF ELMSFORD, AND THEN SHE WENT ON TO THE TREASURER FOR THE VILLAGE OF ELMSFORD IN 1978, AND LEFT ELMSFORD TO COME TO GREENBERG IN 1990 WHERE SHE RETIRED.
KEEP THIS IN MIND, FOR THE FIRST TIME, SHE COULDN'T HANDLE RETIREMENT.
SO THEN SHE WENT TO THE CITY OF RYE, EXCUSE ME, AS THE RYE CITY SCHOOL TREASURER.
AND THEN SHE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME HOME TO GREENBERG.
SO SHE DID IN 2011 AS THE TAX RECEIVER.
AND NOW ANNA'S GOING TO TRY RETIREMENT ONE MORE TIME.
I'M NOT SURE I'M BUYING THAT COMPLETE RETIREMENT, BUT I WOULD ALSO BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE ANNE'S POSITION AS THE VILLAGE AT ELMSFORD TRUSTEE AS WELL.
CAN'T REMEMBER IF SHE DID ONE, UM, ELECT ONE PERIOD OR TWO.
SO, UM, I'VE WORKED WITH ANNE FOR OVER 10 YEARS, AND WE'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT OF UPS AND DOWNS.
BEING THE ASSESSOR AND THE TAX RECEIVER, WE'VE AGREED TO DISAGREE.
A LOT,
AND SO MUCH FUN IN THE SOCIAL CIRCLE AS WELL.
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR, I DON'T KNOW, I THINK THIS IS YOUR FIFTH RETIREMENT.
UM, WE WANNA WISH YOU WELL, AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE.
UM, KEPT THE TAX RECEIVER'S OFFICE GOING AND PROFESSIONAL AND MORE AS IMPORTANT, THE CIVIL SERVICE THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN BACK FOR 49 YEARS, YOU'RE AN INSPIRATION TO ALL OF US.
YEAH, I'D JUST LIKE TO, UH, SAY ONE THING.
YOU KNOW, I WAS THINKING WHEN YOU WERE RECOGNIZING, UM, AND THAT USUALLY THE RE YOU WOULD THINK THAT THE RECEIVER OF TAXES WOULD BE THE MOST HATED PERSON IN THE TOWN, BECAUSE NOBODY LIKES PAYING THEIR TAXES
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE NOTICED, UM, IS EVERY TIME PEOPLE ARE AT THE RECEIVER OF TAXES OFFICE, MOST PEOPLE ARE SMILING AFTER, UH, THEY'RE TALKING TO AND OR, UM, OR THEIR STAFF, WHICH IS REALLY, UH, REMARKABLE.
EVEN DURING THE PANDEMIC, UM, WHEN YOU WOULD THINK THAT, UH, TAX COLLECTION WOULD BE, UM, DOWN, ANN WAS ABLE, BECAUSE OF HER EFFICIENCY AND, AND SMILES AND ABILITY OF TO INTERACT WITH THE PUBLIC TO ACTUALLY MAINTAIN A VERY, VERY HIGH, UM, UM, RECORD OF TAX COLLECTIONS.
I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, 98, 90 8% SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, EXTRAORDINARY, YOU KNOW, HIGH.
SO I JUST WANT TO THANK, UM, IAN FOR, UM, DOING A REMARKABLE JOB AND MAKING PEOPLE SMILE WHEN, UH, THEY'RE DOING SOMETHING THAT NORMALLY THEY WOULD HATE TO DO, AND THAT IS PAY TAXES.
UM, TO PERFECTLY HONEST WITH YOU, I, I WOULD SAY 99% OF THE PEOPLE IN GREENBURG TAXPAYERS ARE WONDERFUL PEOPLE.
AND THEY ALL COME ACROSS OUR DESK WITH SMILES ON THEIR FACE WHEN THEY'RE HANDING OVER THOSE BIG CHECKS.
AND, UH, THEY'RE ALWAYS VERY, VERY, UH, CORDIAL TO MY ENTIRE STAFF.
BUT I HAVE TO SAY, I HAVE TO THANK EDIE TOO FOR WHAT SHE SAYS, BECAUSE WE HAVE ALMOST ROLLED IN THE HALLWAYS WITH FIGHTING
WE ALWAYS GO OUT FOR A DRINK AFTERWARDS.
SO IT'S, BUT UM, WE, UH, I HAVE TO SAY THAT, UH, 99% OF IT ALSO IS THE FACT THAT I HAVE A WONDERFUL STAFF WHO KNOWS HOW TO HANDLE THE TAXPAYERS, UNDERSTANDS THEIR PROBLEMS. WE'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT WITH THE, WITH THE PREPAY.
BACK IN 2017, WE HAD JUST TURNED OVER OUR SOFTWARE COMPANY, OUR SOFTWARE, UM, SERVICE AND EVERYTHING ELSE, AND WE WERE INSTITUTING THE PREPAY.
MY STAFF WORKED THE ENTIRE NEW YEAR'S WEEKEND FROM LIKE NINE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING TILL I THINK SIX O'CLOCK WITHOUT, I NEVER LEFT THE, THE COUNTER LITERALLY DID NOT LEAVE THE, THE COUNTER UNTIL SIX O'CLOCK.
SO THAT WENT ON FOR TWO AND A HALF DAYS.
WE, WE COLLECTED 11 MILLION, UH, $14 MILLION, AND, UH, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, NOW WITH, WITH THE PANDEMIC, NOT BEING ABLE TO TALK TO THE PEOPLE AND EVERYTHING ELSE, PEOPLE LIKE TO TALK TO US.
AND, UM, THEY'VE BEEN VERY GOOD.
WE, WE HANDLE THEM WONDERFULLY.
WE ANS WE CALL THEM BACK AS SOON AS THEY LEAVE A MESSAGE.
WE'RE, I SWEAR, WE CALL THEM BACK WITHIN AN HOUR AND GO THROUGH ANY
[00:45:01]
PROBLEMS THAT THEY HAVE AS FAR AS HOW TO PAY.WE HAVE VERY LITTLE COMPLAINTS AS FAR AS THAT, THAT'S CONCERNED.
I MEAN, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE A LITTLE STRESSED AND THEY GET, THEY GET, YOU KNOW, UPSET OVER THINGS.
BUT WHEN WE TALK 'EM DOWN, THEY'RE REALLY PRETTY GOOD.
AND I HAVE TO SAY, 99% OF THE PEOPLE IN TAXPAYERS IN GREENBURG ARE WONDERFUL PEOPLE.
AND I WANNA APPRECIATE, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO MY STAFF, CERTAINLY VENITA HOWARD, WHO'S GONNA BE HOPEFULLY RUNNING FOR, UM, UH, TAX RECEIVER COME NOVEMBER.
AND ROBERTA GERARDI, WHO'S BEEN THERE FOR, UH, 10 YEARS AND MY PART-TIME, AND MARY SHANNON AND, UM, UH, MARY SANO ALSO.
AND I, I NEVER HAVE TO ASK THEM TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE, WHICH IS WONDERFUL.
THEY'RE AL THEY ALWAYS HAVE MY BACK.
SO, AND I WANNA THANK THE BOARD TOO.
THE BOARD HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE TOO.
WHENEVER WE'VE REALLY HAD A PROBLEM, WE'VE ALWAYS GONE TO THE BOARD AND WE, WE'VE ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, RECONCILED IT WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. SO I DO APPRECIATE THIS HONOR AND, UM, THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY AND ALL THE TOWN BOARD, UH, DEPARTMENT HEADS HAVE BEEN GREAT.
WHENEVER WE NEED SOMETHING, THEY'RE RIGHT THERE.
SO WE HAVE A GREAT GROUP AND, UH, YOU SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF IT.
THE BOARD SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF OUR WHOLE STAFF.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AND THANK YOU JUDITH, TOO.
SO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, AS WE, UM, COME AROUND, UH, 360 DEGREES TO COMPLETING AND BRINGING CLOSURE AND, AND TO THIS EVENING AND HIGHLIGHTING AND THE, THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THESE EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN, WE TRIED TO KEEP THE LAST HONOREE.
UM, WE TRIED TO KEEP THIS QUIET AND A SECRET.
I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF SHE GOT A CLUE OR A HINT ALONG THE WAY, AND IF SHE DID, SHE'S PROBABLY NOT GONNA TELL US BECAUSE, UH, CERTAIN THAT SHE WOULD WANT US ALL TO THINK THAT THIS IS A, AS A SURPRISE TO HER.
SO, BRINGING A TRIBUTE TO SOMEONE WHO HAS DEDICATED NEARLY 30 YEARS OF HER LIFE AS A LEADER HERE IN THIS TOWN, BRINGING TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE DIANA NER IS HONORABLE FRANCIS SHEEN.
UH, COUNCILWOMAN DIANA JUTTER HAS SERVED ON THE GREENBURG TOWN BOARD SINCE 1990.
SHE HAS ACTIVELY SUPPORTED NUMEROUS PROPOSALS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN GREENBURG.
SHE CURRENTLY SERVES AS LIAISON TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD, THE GREENBERG PUBLIC LIBRARY AND THE HISTORIC LAND AND PRESERVATION BOARD.
CAN WE GO FROM THERE? SHE ALSO SERVES AS A LIAISON TO THE TOWN'S COMPUTER POLICY COMMITTEE AND LIAISON TO THE TOWN ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
SHE HAS A SPECIAL INTEREST IN ISSUES THAT AFFECT THE ELDERLY AND THE CHALLENGES FACED BY RESIDENTS WHO HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS.
SHE SUPPORTED THE FIRST LIFE CARE COMMUNITY THAT WAS BUILT IN GREENBURG.
SHE ALSO SERVED AS LIAISON TO THE GREENBURG TOWN COURT, UH, CLIMATE ACTION TASK FORCE, DRUG COURT ADVISORY BOARD AND, AND SENIOR PROGRAMS. THE CLIMATE ACTION TASK FORCE WORKED ON PROJECTS THAT ADDRESSED ENERGY CONSERVATION FOR OUR MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS, STREET LIGHTING, USE OF SOLAR ENERGY, AND A MORE EFFICIENT RECYCLING PROGRAM.
THIS WORK LED TO CHANGES IN OUR STREET LIGHTING AND SPURRED NEW IDEAS FOR THE TOWN TO SUPPORT.
SHE ENJOYS WORKING WITH MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.
SHE ENTHUSIASTICALLY SUPPORTED THE VETERANS WHO DEVELOPED AN AMAZING STRUCTURE TO HONOR ALL VETERANS WHO SERVED IN THE VARIOUS ARMS, UH, FORCES OF OUR COUNTRY.
SHE'S AN AVID, UH, ARDENT SUPPORTER OF THE COMMUNITY CENTER, THEO DE YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER, AND WAS THRILLED TO BE PART OF THE CELEBRATION OF APPLAUDING THE FIFTH CENTER'S 50 YEARS IN THE COMMUNITY.
THIS CENTER IS A TESTIMONIAL TO THE ENERGY AND DRIVE OF THE RESIDENTS OF FAIRVIEW THAT EXISTS TODAY, THAT IT EXISTS TODAY.
DURING HER TENURE, SHE SUPPORTED AND VOTED FOR THE BUILDING OF THE MULTIPURPOSE CENTER, WHICH BY THE WAY WAS FAIRLY CONTROVERSIAL AT THE TIME AND SUPPORTED THE ACQUISITION OF THE MANY PARKS WITHIN OUR TOWN, SUCH AS HOS BROOK, UH, UH, HODS BROOK AND PRESERVE GLENVILLE WOODS PARK PRESERVE, TAXED A RIDGE PARK PRESERVE, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF PARKLETS IN VARIOUS AREAS OF THE COMMUNITY.
[00:50:01]
ACRES, UM, HAVE BEEN PRESERVED.SHE SUPPORTED THE LIBRARY BOARD, ACTUALLY IS REALLY AN ADVOCATE FOR THE LIBRARY BOARD AND THE LIBRARY STAFF IN SEEKING SUPPORT FOR THE REFERENDUM THAT BROUGHT US THE RE RECON, UH, CONSTRUCTION AND REBUILDING OF THE BEAUTIFUL LIBRARY WE HAVE TODAY.
AND THE LIBRARY LIBRARY IS A VIBRANT PART OF THE COMMUNITY FOR READING, USING THE, USING THE INTERNET, MEETING FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS, AND ENJOYING THE WONDERFUL PROGRAMS THAT ARE OFFERED.
BA JUTTER IS AN ATTORNEY WHO HAS DEVELOPED A STRONG INTEREST IN ELDER LAW ISSUES AND IS A MEMBER OF THE MERCY COLLEGE FACULTY AT MERCY COLLEGE.
SHE CURRENTLY SERVES AS THE CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SER SCIENCES.
AND AS A MEMBER OF THE FACULTY SENATE AT MERCY COLLEGE, SHE TEACHES UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS IN LEGAL STUDIES AND CONFLICT STUDIES.
SHE PARTICIPATED IN NUMEROUS TRAININGS AND THE FIELD OF MEDIATION AND NEGOTIATION AT HARVARD LAW SCHOOL, STRAUSS INSTITUTE FOR DISPUTE RESOLUTION AT PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY, CORNELL UNIVERSITY AND MARYWOOD UNIVERSITY.
SHE DEVELOPED AN INTERDISCIPLINARY CURRICULUM IN DISPUTE RESOLUTION AT MERCY COLLEGE WITH HER COLLEAGUES, DR.
ARTHUR LERMAN, AND COLLABORATED FOR 19 YEARS WITH THE INSTITUTE FOR MEDIATION AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION TO OFFER MEDIATION TRAINING FOR HER STUDENTS AND TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMEDIATE WITH EXPERIENCED MEDIATORS ON THE TOWN BOARD.
HER CONFLICT MEDIATION SKILLS HAVE OFTEN BEEN NEEDED
SHE IS ALWAYS A PROFESSIONAL AND HAS BEEN BLA BLESSED WITH COMMON SENSE, A SENSE OF HUMOR, AND AN UNRELENTING DRIVE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN NEED.
SHE ANNOUNCED IN NOVEMBER THAT HER CURRENT TERM IS HER FINAL TERM.
THIS IS NOT AN OBITUARY, IT IS THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF HER TIME AS A COUNCILWOMAN, BUT SHE HAS SO MUCH MORE SHE WANTS TO DO AND SOON WILL HAVE THE TIME TO DO IT.
DIANA, WE HONOR YOU TODAY AS THE BEGINNING OF MANY HONORS YOU WILL UNDOUBTEDLY RECEIVED IN THE COMING YEAR FOR ALL YOU HAVE DONE WITHOUT FANFARE OR SELF-PROMOTION.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'D JUST LIKE TO, UH, ECHO WHAT YOU SAID, BUT ALSO, UH, MENTION THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REALLY ADMIRE ABOUT, UH, THE WORK OF DIANA IS, UM, NOT ONLY, UM, HER COMMITMENT TO THE TOWN, BUT HER PASSION FOR, UM, THE, UH, THE DEPARTMENTS IN THE TOWN THAT SHE'S BEEN LIAISON TO.
SHE HAS REALLY BEEN A VERY FORCEFUL ADVOCATE FOR OUR PARKS PROGRAM, UM, FOR THE GREENBERG, UH, YOU KNOW, NATURE CENTER, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THE LIBRARY AND WAS VERY, VERY, UM, ALWAYS SPOKE UP WHENEVER, UH, THERE WAS ANY POTENTIAL ISSUES THAT, UM, THAT COULD NEGATIVELY IMPACT, YOU KNOW, THOSE, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE PROGRAMS. AND I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE HAVE HAVE SO MANY EXCELLENT PROGRAMS AT THE LIBRARY AND THE PARKS PROGRAM IS BECAUSE OF, UH, DIANA'S, UM, HARD WORK AND HER ADVOCACY AND HER PASSION FOR, UM, FOR THESE PROGRAMS. I THINK DIANA'S ALWAYS BEEN INVOLVED IN PUBLIC SERVICE FOR, FOR THE RIGHT REASON, AND SHE HAS DEFINITELY MADE A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE IN, YOU KNOW, OUR TOWN AND HAS MADE, UH, GREENBERG A BETTER PLACE.
HMM,
JUDITH, THANK YOU FOR THAT LOVELY INTRODUCTION, FRANCIS.
YOU ARE NOT NEVER AT A LOSS FOR WORDS.
WHAT I WANNA SAY THOUGH IS THAT IT'S, IT'S AN HONOR TO BE RECOGNIZED WITH THE WOMEN WHO HAVE BEEN DEDICATED TO THIS COMMUNITY.
EACH WOMAN THIS EVENING HAS SPENT A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TIME DEDICATED TO OUR COMMUNITY, AND IT IS REALLY, REALLY MY PLEASURE TO, TO HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED WITH THEM.
SUZANNE BERGER, WHO'S A FRIEND AND WHO'S WORKED REALLY HARD TO BRING GOOD CANDIDATES TO, UM, OUT AND, AND ENCOURAGE THEM.
AND WHENEVER WE'VE HAD DISAGREEMENTS, SHE'S BROUGHT PEOPLE IN THE FOLD
[00:55:01]
TO WORK IN THE PARTY TOGETHER AND TO, AND TO FIND WAYS TO WORK TOGETHER.AND I, I THINK THAT THAT'S REALLY, REALLY TERRIFIC.
AND I, I MUST SAY, I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH EACH ONE OF THESE WOMEN AND PAVELA, WHO IS, UH, DOES A GREAT JOB AS RECEIVER OF TAXES.
IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO GO AND BE THERE EVEN WHEN YOU'RE TURNING YOUR CHECK OVER.
AND, UM, SONIA BROWN, WHO WAS VERY DEDICATED AND CAME AND, AND, AND REPRESENTED HER COMMU THE COMMUNITY AND, AND, UH, THEN WENT ON TO, UH, TO WORK AND, UH, DO THINGS FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND CONGRATULATIONS, SONYA, THAT YOU'RE GETTING YOUR DOCTORATE.
PAT WEEMS. WE GO BACK A LONG, LONG WAY, AND I DON'T EVER EXPECT YOU NOT TO SPEAK UP.
THAT'S ALWAYS, THAT'S YOU, THAT'S WHO YOU ARE.
AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY, REALLY GREAT.
AND CAROL ALLEN HAS DONE SO MUCH FOR THIS COMMUNITY BY, UM, NOT ONLY AS COVID ANGELS, BUT SHE HAS, SHE'S THERE AND SHE SPEAKS UP FOR ISSUES WHEN THEY'RE IMPORTANT.
AND, AND THAT IS JUST, IT, IT IS JUST, JUST SO AMAZING.
HE, HE, DORIS DORIS WHO, UH, I THINK I ADMIRED, I ADMIRED DORIS AS WELL.
AND, UH, IT WAS WONDERFUL WHEN SHE CAME AND DID TEACH AT MERCY COLLEGE.
WE WERE SO THRILLED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE HER.
AND WHAT I, WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS TOWN OR THE PEOPLE WHO COME FORWARD WITH ALL THEIR BEAUTIFUL TALENTS TO SHARE WITH ALL OF US TO MAKE THIS THE BEST TOWN EVER.
THANK YOU, DIANA, THANK YOU ALL WHO PARTICIPATED IN TONIGHT'S WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH TRIBUTE AND RECOGNITION.
SO AS WE NOW BRING CLOSURE TO OUR, OUR PROGRAM, I'M GOING TO, UM, GIVE THE AGENDA BACK OVER TO OUR TOWN SUPERVISOR, PAUL FINER, AND THANK YOU ALL.
THANK YOU YOUNG PEOPLE FOR HANGING IN HERE ALL THIS TIME.
WE ARE GETTING TO YOUR PRESENTATION NEXT.
I JUST WANNA, UM, START BY, UM, THANKING, UH, YOU JUDITH FOR, UH, ORGANIZING THIS.
I THINK IT WAS FITTING AND IT'S SO NICE THAT WE LIVE IN A COMMUNITY WITH SO MANY WONDERFUL, UM, PEOPLE AND THE HONOREES, UM, UM, ALL CONTRIBUTE IN DIFFERENT WAYS, AND THEY REALLY HAVE ALL MADE, UH, GREENBERG A BETTER PLACE.
[ PRESENTATIONS Ahma Rx - John Lee, Owner, President, & Mike D’Alessandro, Chief Ethics & Compliance Office, Ahma RX Hudsoncompost.com, - Hastings High School Graduates Form Business Offering Pickup of Food Scraps Caring Cupboard - Tanya Shukla]
NOW, UM, RECOGNIZE, UM, UH, JOHN LEE, THE OWNER AND PRESIDENT OF, UM, UH, A PHARMACY, AMMA RX AND MIKE DEANDRO, CHIEF ETHICS AND COMPLIANCE OFFICER AT AMMA RX.IT'S A PHARMACY, UH, THAT HAS OFFICES, UM, UM, OR, UH, PHARMACY IN, UM, IN, UM, IN GREENBURG AND, UM, AND OLMS OXFORD.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE, UM, TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR WORK IS THEY'VE REALLY BEEN VERY HELPFUL WITH THE COVID ANGELS.
UM, EARLY ON WHEN IT WAS REALLY DIFFICULT TO GET, UM, UH, VACCINES, THE COVID ANGELS WERE TRYING REALLY HARD TO FIND, UM, UM, VACCINATION LOCATIONS, AND THEY LOOKED ALL OVER.
AND, UH, ONE OF THE FIRST PLACES THAT RESPONDED, UM, WAS, UM, THIS, UM, THIS PHARMACY, IT'S CALLED A H M A R X.
AND, UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU BECAUSE WHEN PEOPLE WERE REALLY STRESSED OUT AND PANICKING THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO, UM, GET VACCINES, UM, YOU WERE THERE, UH, YOU WERE THERE FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE FRAIL, UH, VERY ELDERLY PEOPLE WHO HAD SEVERE MEDICAL, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, PROBLEMS. AND YOU REALLY CAME THROUGH AND I THINK THAT THE COMMUNITY, UM, SHOULD SAY THANK YOU, UH, TO, UH, YOUR PHARMACY FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
SO MICHAEL, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, UH, SAY A FEW WORDS? HI, MR. FINER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE KIND WORDS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE ONE THING, UH, BEING A PART OF AMA RX AMA, UH, THE NAME AMA IS THE LATIN ROOT WORD FOR LOVE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR, THE HEART OF OUR COMPANY'S CULTURE IS PUTTING CARE FIRST.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN LUCKY AND FORTUNATE ENOUGH, UH, TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE IN OUR COMMUNITY HAS BEEN ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO HAVE, UH, THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY BY BEING ABLE TO ROLL OUT THE VACCINE, UM, THE ROLLOUT
[01:00:01]
OF THE VACCINE DISTRIBUTION THROUGHOUT THE, YOU KNOW, TO THE SENIORS, TO EVERYBODY THAT'S BEEN ELIGIBLE, THE FRONTLINE WORKERS.AND, UM, I, I, THE ONE THING, UM, I DO WANT TO GIVE CREDIT TO, UH, THE COVID ANGELS HAVE BEEN AN INCREDIBLE RESOURCE FOR US IN HELPING, UH, THE TOWN AND, AND HELPING ALL THE SENIORS THAT ARE, UH, THAT SOMETIMES HAVE, UH, STRUGGLE IN, UH, DOING A LOT OF THE TECHNOLOGY ASPECT OF REGISTERING ON ONLINE AND, AND THE FORMS, UH, THE MULTIPLE FORMS AND THE MANY DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO TO, UH, GET EVERYBODY, UH, AN APPOINTMENT.
AND SO, UH, JUST LEARNING ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE HONOREES, UH, DR.
CAROL ALLEN, UH, AND THE IMPACT THAT SHE'S HAD WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND, AND BUILDING, UH, THE, THE WHOLE PROGRAM, UM, AND WORKING WITH THE COVID ANGELS HAS BEEN TREMENDOUS.
AND TWO PEOPLE FROM THE COVID ANGELS THAT WE HAVE WORKED CLOSELY WITH HAS BEEN SARAH COBER AND, AND TRUDY HOLLAND.
SO I, I DEFINITELY WANT TO GIVE THEM CREDIT.
UM, AND JUST IN THE FIVE WEEKS, SIX WEEKS THAT WE'VE BEEN, UH, ALLOCATING, UM, THE VACCINES TO THE COVID ANGELS, UH, WE'VE DONE OVER A THOUSAND, UH, WE'VE VACCINATED OVER A THOUSAND PEOPLE AND THERE'RE NOT, THERE HAS NOT BEEN ONE DOSE THAT HAS BEEN WASTED.
SO, UM, WE'VE BEEN VERY PROUD OF THAT.
AND, UM, IN, IN ALSO DOING THIS, UH, WE'VE ENCOUNTERED TREMENDOUS SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY, PEOPLE FROM GREENBURG AND, UH, FIVE PEOPLE HAVE, UH, VOLUNTEERED THEIR TIME.
FIVE, UH, FOUR NURSES AND ONE DOCTOR, UH, TO BE ABLE TO HELP ADMINISTER THE VACCINES.
UM, SO THOSE FIVE PEOPLE I'D LIKE TO GIVE, UH, CREDIT AS WELL, UM, THERE'S A NURSE, JUDY MCCARDLE NURSE, MAUREEN SIMPSON, UH, NURSE MARGARET JACKSON, NURSE JOANNE MACIA, AND DR.
AND THEY'VE BEEN A TREMENDOUS PART, UM, TO OUR COMPANY AND, AND TO THE ROLLOUT OF THE VACCINE DISTRIBUTION THROUGHOUT GREENBERG.
SO, UM, UH, THANK YOU AGAIN MR. FINER FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THE COVID ANGELS AND, AND SETTING UP A WONDERFUL PROGRAM THAT HAS REALLY TAKEN OFF.
AND WE'VE HEARD SO MANY GREAT THINGS, SO MANY GREAT STORIES BEING ON THE FRONT LINES, SPEAKING TO EVERYBODY THAT HAS BEEN COMING IN.
AND AS I'VE MENTIONED, UM, BEING ABLE TO VACCINATE OVER A THOUSAND PEOPLE WITHIN THE SHORT PERIOD OF TIME HAS BEEN, UH, DEFINITELY REWARDING AND, UH, A HUMBLING EXPERIENCE FOR US.
COULD YOU JUST TELL US WHERE YOUR, UH, PHARMACY IS LOCATED IN ELMSFORD? YEP, YEP.
WE ARE IN THE NEW BUILDING ON, UH, 35.
OUR ADDRESS IS 35 VALLEY AVENUE, AND WE ARE, UH, WHERE THE OLD ANTONS USED TO BE, THERE'S A ELM RESIDENCE THAT HAS BEEN BUILT, UM, UH, ON THAT STREET, AND WE ARE IN THE BOTTOM FLOOR, SO THERE'S GREAT ACCESSIBILITY TO ANYBODY, UH, COMMUTING.
UH, THERE'S A PARKING LOT AND IT'S ON THE GROUND FLOOR SO SOMEBODY CAN WALK RIGHT IN FROM PARKING THEIR CAR.
UM, AND SO, AND, AND ANYBODY THAT IS, UH, HANDICAPPED OR CANNOT WALK, UM, WE, OUR NURSES AND OUR AND OUR DOCTOR HAVE BEEN GOING OUT TO THE CARS, UM, SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO COME INTO THE PHARMACY.
UM, AND SO IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN WONDERFUL TO BE A PART OF THAT.
I WANTED TO, UH, MENTION THAT TODAY, UH, WE, UH, GOT WORD THAT THE WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, UM, IS GIVING, UH, US A $9,000 GRANT.
UM, UH, ABOUT A WEEK AGO WE GOT A $6,000 GRANT FROM UNITED JEWISH APPEAL TO, UM, UH, COME UP WITH ANOTHER PROGRAM, SORT OF A, A FOLLOW UP TO THE COVID ANGELS, WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE REACHING OUT TO, UH, THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE VACCINE HESITANT, PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT WANT TO TAKE THE VACCINES.
AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE, UM, HIRING, UM, STUDENTS, UM, UM, UM, MOST WILL BE, UH, AT THE DATA YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER, UM, TO, UH, DO, UM, OUTREACH, UM, AND TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO TAKE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE VACCINES THAT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED.
AND AGAIN, WE CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR, FOR BEING THERE REALLY BEFORE A LOT OF OTHERS, YOU KNOW, WERE THERE BECAUSE I REMEMBER WHEN IT WAS REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO GET VACCINES WHILE THE COVID ANGELS, THEY WERE JUST SO THRILLED EVERY TIME THEY HEARD YOUR NAME BECAUSE YOU WERE ALWAYS THERE AND YOU, YOU WERE THE FIRST, UH, UH, LOCAL PHARMACY THAT GAVE, UM, OR,
[01:05:01]
UH, LOCAL ENTITY THAT GAVE, UH, MANY, MANY VACCINATIONS AND YOU HELPED MAKE THIS A REALLY BIG SUCCESS.SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE.
AND, UH, WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING THAT SUCCESS.
UH, NEXT, UH, WE HAVE, UM, WITH US, UM, UM, UH, A YOUNG WOMAN, TANYA SHUKLA.
AND TANYA IS LIKE AN AMAZING, UH, YOUNG, YOUNG WOMAN.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AND THE TOWN IS EMPOWER PEOPLE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF, YOU KNOW, OTHERS.
UM, AND TANYA IS SOMEBODY WITH HER SISTER, UM, WHO, UM, UM, WHO HAS ACTUALLY, UM, IS WORKING TO HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE HUNGRY, UH, WHO DON'T HAVE THE SAME ADVANTAGES THAT, UM, OTHER PEOPLE HAVE.
SHE'S JUST TRYING TO MAKE LIFE BETTER FOR, UM, FOR, UH, FOR MANY, MANY OTHER PEOPLE.
AND SHE CAME UP WITH A PROGRAM, UM, THAT, UM, NOW EXISTS IN WHITE PLAINS, AND I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE COULD IMPLEMENT IT IN, UM, IN THE TOWN OF, UM, YOU KNOW, GREENBURG AND TANYA.
WOULD YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR, YOUR PROGRAM AND WHY YOU THINK WE SHOULD DO IT IN GREENBURG? YEAH, DEFINITELY.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE INTRODUCTION.
UM, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT I COULD SHARE MY SCREEN? I HAVE A SMALL SLIDESHOW? SURE, SURE.
SO, HELLO, MY NAME IS TANYA SHUKLA.
I'M A SOPHOMORE AT LEY HIGH SCHOOL, AND I'M HERE WITH MY SISTER.
UM, HI, I'M AN SHUKLA AND I'M A SEVENTH GRADER AT LEY MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT MY COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT INITIATIVE UNDER MY NON-PROFIT BRIDGING DOTS.
UM, THE INITIATIVE IS CALLED THE CARING CUPBOARD.
UM, SO THROUGHOUT 2020, I'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE GRACE OR LAIA CHURCH IN WHITE PLAINS AND SEVERAL OTHER COMMUNITY BRIDGES THROUGH, UH, BRONX AND NEW YORK CITY.
UM, SO THIS GAVE ME THE IDEA TO START A SIMILAR CONCEPT TO A COMMUNITY FRIDGE AND WHITE PLAINS.
UM, WITH THE HELP OF MR. MICHAEL HEFNER FROM THE GREEK CHURCH AND THE WHITE PLAINS DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF PLANNING, MRS. MEY, AS WELL AS THE WHITE PLAINS MAYOR, UM, I WAS ABLE TO LAUNCH, UH, THE FIRST KAREN CUPBOARD ON WET PLAINS, AND HERE ARE SOME PICTURES OF THAT.
SO THE KAREN CUPBOARD IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMUNITY COLLABORATION AND ADDRESSING FOOD INSECURITY BY PRIORITIZING SOLIDARITY OVER CHARITY.
UM, THE CUPBOARD CONTAINS SHELF STABLE FOOD, UM, SUCH AS CANS OR DRIED FOOD, HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS OR TOILETRIES THAT ARE DONATED FROM THE, UM, COMMUNITY.
AND THE CUPBOARD IS OPEN TO ANYBODY, ANYTIME, AND PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED TO ACCESS THESE FOR FREE WITH NO QUESTIONS ASKED WHENEVER THEY NEED.
THIS MAKES IT MUCH MORE CONVENIENT FOR PEOPLE TO PICK UP FOOD, UM, AS OPPOSED TO LIKE HANDOUT, SINCE THIS IS NOT AT ONE FIXED TIME.
UM, THE KAREN COVERED ONE SUSTAINABLY ON DONATIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, LOCAL BUSINESSES, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
NOW HAVING SUCCESSFULLY ESTABLISHED ONE COVERED IN THE WE PLANS, I DISCUSSED WITH MR. FINER AND WE'RE GONNA TRY TO EMPLOY THE SAME IDEA IN GREENBURG TO HELP OUR OWN COMMUNITY.
SO IN ORDER TO SET UP A COMMUNITY CUPBOARD, THERE ARE A FEW VITAL STEPS, WHICH I'VE LISTED HERE, SUCH AS PLANNING A LOCATION AND LISTED ARE SOME POSSIBLE LOCATIONS, UM, ASSEMBLING AND DECORATING THE CUPBOARD, UH, DISCUSSING SAFETY MEASURES WITH LOCAL AUTHORITY, AS WELL AS FINDING A SUSTAINABLE WAY TO KEEP THE CUPBOARD RUNNING.
UM, AND THESE WILL COME PRIMARILY FROM THE COMMUNITY.
SO AS WE PLAN THE LAUNCH OF THIS NEW CUPBOARD, UM, WHAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL IN TERMS OF VOLUNTEERS WOULD BE, UH, COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS TO DONATE ITEMS AND HELP MAINTAIN THE CUPBOARD, UM, BECAUSE THE CUPBOARD WILL BE SUSTAINED PRIMARILY THROUGH THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND DONATIONS FROM FAMILIES AND SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS OTHER FORMS OF SUPPORT.
UM, IN ADDITION, THE CARING CUPBOARD PROJECTS ARE ALL ABOUT EMPLOYING YOUTH, UM, SUPPORT AND RUNNING IT THROUGH THE YOUTH.
SO, UM, HAVING A VOLUNTEERS FROM LOCAL SCHOOLS SINCE FEAR HOW THE PROJECT WOULD ALSO BE VERY BENEFICIAL AND MM-HMM.
[01:10:01]
UM, SPREADING THE WORD WOULD ALSO REALLY HELP ABOUT THE CUPBOARD IS SPREADING THE WORD ABOUT THE CUPBOARD COMING SOON WOULD REALLY HELP US TO GET MORE VOLUNTEERS.UM, AND SO AS WE FURTHER PROGRESS, UM, TOWARDS IMPLEMENTING THIS IN OUR COMMUNITY, UM, MORE INFORMATION WILL BE, UM, DISTRIBUTED AS TIME GOES ON.
SO, UH, AND ALSO HOW TO HELP OUT MORE INFORMATION WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THAT.
SO I, UM, JUST PUT MY, UH, CONTACT INFORMATION IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT MY, THE CUPBOARD AND WHITE PLAINS AND LIKE WHAT OUR PLANS WILL BE FOR THE CUPBOARD IN GREENBURG.
UM, YOU CAN DMM ME ON INSTAGRAM OR EMAIL ME AT THIS EMAIL.
AND, UM, THE LAST, UH, PRESENTATION IS, UM, FROM, UH, BEN ONE AND, UM, BEN IS A GRADUATE OF, UH, HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL AND, UM, STARTED A BUSINESS, UM, CALLED HUDSON COMPOST, AND HE AND FELLOW GRADUATES AND, UM, AND STUDENTS ARE OFFERING TO PICK UP FOOD SCRIPTS.
A COUPLE YEARS AGO, UM, UH, THE TOWN, UM, STARTED A FOOD SCRAP, UH, DROP OFF, UM, INITIATIVE AT ANTHONY VETERAN PARK.
WE LATER EXPANDED IT TO, UM, UM, TO THE TOWN, UH, THE TOWN HALL SO PEOPLE COULD DROP OFF FOOD SCRAPS, UM, AT BOTH LOCATIONS.
AND THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE, UM, PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROGRAM ARE, UM, ACTUALLY SAYING, YOU KNOW, LESS GARBAGE BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND IT ALSO COULD SAVE THE TOWN, UM, MONEY.
UM, SO IF PEOPLE WANNA PARTICIPATE, UM, AND HAVE THE GET FOOD SCRUBS DROPPED OFF, UM, BY SOMEONE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, UM, SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO TO VETERAN PARK OR TOWN HALL, UH, THEY COULD LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PROGRAM.
SO, BEN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, UH, SAY A FEW WORDS? YES.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH MR. FINER.
UM, IF YOU COULD LET ME SCREEN SHARE, I HAVE A QUICK PRESENTATION I CAN GIVE ON WHAT THE BUSINESS IS AND WHAT WE'RE PLANNING ON DOING.
MAYBE YOU COULD TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCES IN HASTINGS AS AS A STUDENT.
MY NAME IS, UH, BENJAMIN JUAN.
I'M A HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE FROM 2017, AND I'M CURRENTLY A SENIOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, UM, STUDYING ARTS TECHNOLOGY AND THE BUSINESS OF INNOVATION.
IT'S A NEW PROGRAM, ALL ABOUT ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND I'M FINISHING UP THIS SPRING AND, UH, YEAH, LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
UM, I'M WITH, UH, ONE OF MY MANAGERS, OLIVER FUCHS RIGHT NOW.
OLIVER, DO YOU WANNA INTRODUCE YOURSELF REAL QUICK? YEAH.
I'M A CURRENT JUNIOR AT HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL, AND I'M CURRENTLY IN CHARGE OF ALL LOCAL AND GROUND OPERATIONS.
SO, H C S STARTED, UH, SUMMER 2019 BACK, UH, TWO YEARS AGO.
AND I STARTED IT WITH, UM, TWO HIGH SCHOOLERS THAT I KNEW FROM A FRIEND AND FAMILY CONNECTIONS.
AND WE REALIZED, UH, THAT SUMMER THAT GREENBERG STARTED OFFERING FOOD SCRAP DROP OFF, BUT LOTS OF PEOPLE DIDN'T NECESSARILY WANNA DO IT OR WANTED TO DO IT, BUT DIDN'T HAVE THE TIME TO PARTICIPATE BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE TIME TO GO DOWN AND DROP OFF THEIR OWN FOOD SCRAPS.
SO WE DECIDED TO MAKE A BUSINESS AROUND, UM, FILLING THIS GAP AND REALLY OFFERING PEOPLE FOOD SCRAP, UH, CURBSIDE PICKUP.
AND WE'VE HAD LOTS OF SUCCESS WITH OVER 50 RESIDENTS RIGHT NOW, SUBSCRIBED TO OUR SERVICE.
AND, UM, WE'RE LOOKING TO EXPAND AND I'LL GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO WHAT WE DO.
SO, H C S WORKS VERY AS A VERY, VERY SIMPLE PROCESS WITH PEOPLE SIGNING UP FOR THEIR SUBSCRIPTION.
AND THEY RECEIVE A, A BRANDED H C S BUCKET FROM US, WHICH IS A FIVE GALLON, UH, VERMIN PROOF, ANIMAL PROOF AND SMELL PROOF BUCKET THAT THEY LEAVE OUTSIDE EVERY SUNDAY MORNING AND THEY FILL THEIR FOOD SCRAPS, UM, WITH IT THROUGHOUT THE WEEK.
AND ON SUNDAYS WE COME AND PICK IT UP AND WE DROP IT OFF AT ANY OF THE DROP DROP-OFF POINTS IN GREENBURG.
BUT OVER THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF, IT'S JUST BEEN IN HASTINGS 'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE'VE BEEN OFFERING OUR SERVICE.
SO WHY COMPOST? UH, COMPOST IS INCREDIBLE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT FOR, UH, MANY DIFFERENT REASONS, BUT SOME OF THE THREE DIFFERENT REASONS THAT ARE THE STRONGEST ARE LOWERING YOUR CARBON AND WASTE FOOTPRINT, UH, REDUCING PLASTIC BAG USAGE, AND SUPPORTING NATURAL FERTILIZER AND SOIL PRODUCTION.
SO FAR AT H D SS, WE'VE, UH, HAD A HUGE IMPACT OF DIVERTING OVER 35,000 POUNDS OF FOOD WASTE SINCE 2019.
[01:15:01]
AND WITH THAT 35,000 POUNDS HAS ALSO BEEN OVER A HUNDRED TONS OF C O TWO DIVERTED OUT OF THE ATMOSPHERE.OUR PRICING, UM, MODEL IS A WEEKLY PICKUP PLAN, WHICH WE OFFER ON AN ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION AND A MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION.
AND IF YOU PAY UPFRONT ANNUALLY, IT'S $5 A WEEK, AND IF YOU PAY MONTHLY, IT'S $6 A WEEK.
AND WE ALSO, UM, WITH YOUR SUBSCRIPTION COMES A ONE MONTH FREE TRIAL FOR EVERYBODY AND ANYBODY SO THEY CAN TEST OUT IF THEY LIKE THE SERVICE.
AND IT ALSO COMES WITH, UH, A FREE SETUP WITH YOU GET AN INDOOR BUCKET, AN OUTDOOR BUCKET, AN INFORMATION GUIDE TO TELL YOU HOW TO COMPOST, WHAT TO COMPOST AND WHAT NOT TO COMPOST, AND ALSO COMPOSTABLE BAGS TO MAKE THE PROCESS A LITTLE BIT, UH, NEATER AND EASIER FOR US TO DEAL WITH ON THE TRANSPORTATION SIDE.
UM, SO A COUPLE WEEKS AGO I SPOKE TO, UH, MR. FINER AND MR. FAWN, UM, ABOUT H C SS AND OUR POTENTIAL FOR EXPANSION TO GREENBURG AS AN ENTIRE TOWN RATHER THAN, THAN JUST THE VILLAGE OF HASTINGS.
AND THEY WERE REALLY EXCITED TO DO IT.
AND SO OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON CREATING A LAUNCH PLAN FOR WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE AND HOW WE WOULD EXPAND AND REACHING OUT TO OTHER HIGH SCHOOLERS AND POTENTIALLY HIRING MORE PEOPLE TO WORK ON THE BUSINESS.
SO WE CAN CONTINUE THESE PICKUPS AND OFFER ALL RESIDENTS OF GREENBURG FOOD, SCRAP PICKUP AT A VERY, VERY LOW AND AFFORDABLE PRICE.
RIGHT NOW, OUR TEAM CONSISTS OF, UH, JUDE JER, WHO THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AND A FRESHMAN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON.
UM, MATT SHAPIRO, WHO'S THE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND A FRESHMAN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA.
MYSELF, UM, OLIVER FUCHS, WHO INTRODUCED HIMSELF BRIEFLY, UH, SORRY, JUST A SECOND AGO.
AND JOHNNY AMAREL, WHO IS ALSO A HASTINGS HIGH SCHOOL, UM, SENIOR RIGHT NOW, AND HE'S ONE OF OUR DRIVERS.
SO RIGHT NOW, H C S HAS A WAIT LIST AVAILABLE ONLINE@HUDSONCOMPOST.COM AND ANYBODY IN GREENBERG CAN SIGN UP FOR THIS.
AND WE'LL BE LAUNCHING, UM, AND ROLLING OUT PICKUPS STARTING SOMETIME THIS SPRING IN 2021, AND HOPEFULLY HAVE EVERYBODY WHO WANTS TO ONBOARD, UM, BY SUMMERTIME.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, PLEASE REACH OUT TO ME OR ASK NOW.
UH, HOW MANY, UH, PEOPLE, UH, ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF IT NOW? SO CURRENTLY WE HAVE 55 CUSTOMERS IN HASTINGS.
AND, UM, WE LAUNCHED THE WAITING LIST ABOUT A LITTLE MORE THAN A WEEK AGO WITH, UH, MR. FINER.
AND WE HAVE TWO
[ 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 from Town Board Meeting of 2/24/2021 and 3/10/2021)]
HEARINGS.THE FIRST ONE IS, UH, BEING HELD OVER, WAIT, I'M SORRY.
NO, WE'RE ACTUALLY HAVING IT BY THE, UH, BY THE SCARSDALE GOLF CLUB TO EXTEND THE BOUNDARIES OF CONSOLIDATED WATER, UH, DISTRICT NUMBER ONE IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE OPEN UP THE HEARING.
AYE IS THE EVENING SUPERVISOR, FINER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
THIS IS CHUCK UCHI WITH LANGAN ENGINEERING REPRESENTING THE SCARSDALE GOLF CLUB.
UM, OUR REQUEST IS REALLY PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE PETITION THE BOARD TO ADD THE SCARSDALE GOLF CLUB TO WATER DISTRICT NUMBER ONE.
UM, THE SITE IS ABOUT 132 ACRES, AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE WATER DISTRICT MAP, YOU'LL, IT BECOMES VERY OBVIOUS WHERE THE GOLF CLUB IS BECAUSE IT'S THE ONLY PARCEL IN THE CENTER OF THE DISTRICT THAT'S NOT IN DISTRICT.
UM, WE'RE NOT QUITE SURE IF THAT WAS AN OVERSIGHT OR WHAT, BUT OUR REQUEST IS TO HAVE THE CLUB ADDED TO THE WATER DISTRICT AT THIS TIME.
AND I HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CLUB WITH ME, AND WE'RE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, THE BOARD MIGHT HAVE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
IS THERE ANY, IS THERE ANY DOWNSIDE TO, FOR THE TOWN OR THE OTHER CUSTOMERS IN THE DISTRICT THAT ARE DOING THIS? WELL, WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM, UH, BRIAN SIMMONS, WHO'S ONLINE.
BUT HE ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY QUESTIONS AND HE HAD SOMEBODY THERE.
YEAH, I I, RIGHT, THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY I ASKED.
[01:20:01]
I WOULD'VE IMMEDIATELYSO YOU HAVE MR. MILNER, WHO'S A REPRESENTATIVE FROM FROM THE CLUB.
ARE YOU ASKING HIM IF HE HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR YOU DIRECTING YOUR QUESTION TO HIM? THE SPEAKER JUST ASKED, IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS THAT HE HAD SOMEBODY THERE TO ANSWER THEM? SO THAT'S WHY I ASKED THE QUESTION.
UH, WE COULD, WE WE'D BE GLAD TO TRY AND ANSWER.
WILL THERE BE IMPACT TO YOUR CUSTOMERS? THE ANSWER IS NO.
THIS ISN'T ABOUT CHANGE IN FLOW.
THIS ISN'T ABOUT CHANGING DEMAND.
THIS IS SIMPLY ABOUT TAKING A PIECE OF PROPERTY AND, AND INCLUDING IT IN THE DISTRICT.
SO, SO THAT PART OF THE QUESTION I CAN ANSWER.
I THINK BRIAN SIMMONS HAS SOME ANSWERS TO THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF TAKING THIS A IF THE BOARD WERE TO TAKE THIS ACTION.
ALRIGHT, SO WE'VE HELD THIS OVER TWICE, UH, SO THAT WE COULD GET MORE DATA.
AND SO WE COULD ACTUALLY ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
IS THERE A FINANCIAL IMPACT TO THE OTHER CUSTOMERS IN THE CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT BY DOING THIS? AND BRIAN SIMMONS, WHO'S ON OUR AGENDA TONIGHT FOR SOME KIND OF A PROMOTION OR WHATEVER IT IS, I'M NOT REALLY SURE, WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT WHEN WE GET TO IT.
UH, BUT HE HAS DONE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK, AS HE ALWAYS DOES, UH, TO ADDRESS THE, UH, QUESTIONS THAT WERE OUTSTANDING PRIOR TO US HAVING THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
SO, BRIAN, DO YOU WANNA GIVE A, AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT YOU FOUND FROM YOUR RESEARCH? SURE.
UM, GOOD EVENING TOWN COUNCIL AND SUPERVISOR.
UM, WHAT I WILL DO IS I WILL SHARE MY SCREEN AND I WILL, UH, SHOW A, THE, THE EXISTING CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT NUMBER ONE MAP.
UM, SO WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS THE, THE BOLD LINES REPRESENT THE BOUNDARIES OF CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT NUMBER ONE.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT MAJORITY OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, UNINCORPORATED TOWN OF GREENBURG IS WITHIN CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT NUMBER ONE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF, UH, THE SOUTHWEST CORNER, UH, WHICH IS, UH, OFF OF JACKSON AVENUE.
IT'S THE HASTINGS CLOSED DONALD DRIVE AREA THAT'S PART OF THE, UM, NEWARK BO WHAT WAS THE NEW ROCHELLE WATER COMPANY.
UH, NOW SUEZ, UH, IF I ZOOM IN, YOU WILL SEE THERE IS ALMOST A LITTLE ISLAND THAT IS RIGHT HERE OFF OF CENTRAL AVENUE.
THAT'S WHAT, UM, REPRESENTS THE SCARSDALE GOLF COURSE.
UH, SO JUST TO GIVE EVERYONE A, AN IDEA OF, OF THE CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT.
SO THE TOWN'S, UH, WATER DISTRICT IS NAMED CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT NUMBER ONE.
IT PURCHASES ALL OF ITS WATER FROM THE CITY OF NEW YORK.
THE, UH, DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, NEW YORK CITY, UH, D E P, IF YOU WILL, UH, VIA THE CATSKILL AND DELAWARE AQUEDUCTS.
UM, CURRENTLY THE SCARSDALE GOLF COURSE IS NOT WITHIN CONSOLIDATED DISTRICT NUMBER ONE AND PAYS OUT OF DISTRICT WATER RATES TO CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT NUMBER ONE.
UM, AT THIS TIME, THEY ARE SEEKING TO JOIN CONSOLIDATED WAR DISTRICT NUMBER ONE.
THE PETITION DOES NOT INCLUDE OR REQUIRE ANY WATER MAIN IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, IF THE TOWN BOARD AUTHORIZES SCARSDALE GOLF COURSE TO JOIN CONSOLIDATED WAR DISTRICT NUMBER ONE, THEN SCARSDALE GOLF COURSE WILL NO LONGER PAY OUT OF DISTRICT RATES.
AND INSTEAD, THEY WILL FOLLOW THE IN-DISTRICT RATE STRUCTURE AT THE REMAINDER OF CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT NUMBER ONE, CUSTOMERS PAY THIS ACTION WILL NOT INCREASE THE TOTAL CONSUMPTION OF CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT NUMBER ONE, AS THEIR CONSUMPTION IS CURRENTLY INCLUDED IN THE CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT, NUMBER ONE CONSUMPTION TOTALS.
AND FURTHERMORE, THE CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT WILL CONTINUE TO PAY THE NEW YORK CITY D E P UNDER OUR RECURRENT WATER RATE STRUCTURE FOR WATER THAT IS CONSUMED BY THE SCARSDALE GOLF COURSE.
IF THE TOWN BOARD CHOOSES TO REJECT THE SCARSDALE GOLF COURSES PETITIONED TO JOIN CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT NUMBER ONE, THEN THE SCARSDALE GOLF COURSE WILL HAVE TO BE ESTABLISHED AS A NEW YORK CITY D E P OUT OF DISTRICT CUSTOMER TO COMPLY WITH THE CURRENT REGULATIONS.
THIS WILL REQUIRE THAT THE CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT BE CHARGED AN EXCESS RATE BY THE NEW YORK CITY, D E P FOR WATER CONSUMED BY THE, BY THE, UM, SCARSDALE GOLF COURSE.
AND ADDITIONALLY, THERE WILL BE, UM, OTHER EXPENSES, UH, SUCH AS ANNUAL METERING INSPECTIONS, INSPECTIONS THAT WILL BE INCURRED BY DECONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT.
UM, SO AS A SUMMARY, UM, WE, WE DID AN ANALYSIS BASED ON THE 2020 WATER CONSUMPTION FOR THE, UH, SCARSDALE GOLF COURSE.
THEY CONSUMED 2.74 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER, UH, AFTER PERFORMING THE ANALYSIS ON WHAT IT WOULD COST THE CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT IN, IN ADDED EXPENSES, IF THEY WERE CONSIDERED TO BE ADDED DISTRICT, AND
[01:25:01]
COMPARED IT TO, UH, WHAT WE WOULD NOW, UM, TAKE IN FROM THE SCARSDALE GOLF COURSE, IF THEY WERE CONSIDERED IN DISTRICT, IT BALANCES OUT TO ABOUT THE EXACT SAME, UM, IF THERE'S A, A SLIGHT DIFFERENCE, BUT IT BALANCES OUT TO ALMOST A WASH.UM, RYAN, DO YOU HAVE THAT TABLE OR DO YOU WANT ME TO SHOW IT? I HAVE IT ON THE SCREEN, UH, IF YOU HAVE IT AVAILABLE, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL YEAH, IF YOU COULD SHOW IT.
SO IF YOU COULD JUST EXPLAIN IT.
SO, UH, SO THIS IS A TABLE THAT KIND OF GIVES A BREAKDOWN ON, UH, WHAT THE EXPENSES WOULD BE.
SO IF THEY WERE TO REMAIN IN THE DISTRICT, THE, UH, PURCHASES THE WATER THAT, THAT CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT PURCHASES FROM THE D E P, UH, WOULD BE AROUND A LITTLE OVER $5,000, $5,173 TO BE EXACT.
IF CONSUL, UH, IF CONS, UH, SCARSDALE GOLF COURSE, UH, WAS TO REMAIN OUT OF DISTRICT, THEN THEY WOULD'VE TO BE ESTABLISHED AS AN ADDED DISTRICT CUSTOMER.
AND THE D E P WOULD THEN CHARGE THE CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT, UM, AND AN EXCESS RATE.
AND OVER THE, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, BASED ON THE 2020 WATER CONSUMPTION FOR THE SCARSDALE SCARSDALE GOLF COURSE, THAT EXCESS RATE THAT THE CONSOLIDATED WAR DISTRICT WOULD THEN BE CHARGED, $14,278.
SO YOU COULD SEE THAT THE EXPENSES WOULD INCREASE BY, UH, 2.76 TIMES WHAT THEY ARE NOW.
SCARSDALE GOLF COURSE, YOU GOTTA ALSO CONSIDER THE IMPLICATIONS WHETHER THEY ARE, IF THEY'RE AT A DISTRICT, THEY WOULD PAY AN ADDED DISTRICT RATE TO THE CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT.
UH, CURRENTLY WHAT THEY PAY, YOU COULD SEE DOWN ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT, THEY PAY, UH, $36,929 IS WHAT THEY PAID AS AN ADDED DISTRICT CUSTOMER TO THE DISTRICT.
UH, LAST YEAR, IF THEY WERE CONSIDERED TO BE IN DISTRICT, THEN THEY WOULD PAY $26,345.
AND THAT'S AT THE HIGHEST TIER STRUCTURE OF THE, UM, THE CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT'S, UH, WATER RATE.
UH, SO YOU COULD SEE, UH, AND THEN ALSO YOU GOTTA ACCOUNT FOR THE ADDED EXPENSES AS WELL.
SO THERE ARE, LIKE I SAID, THERE ARE ADDED EXPENSES FOR ANNUAL METERING INSPECTIONS.
UM, AND THAT WOULD BE A REQUIREMENT OF THE NEW YORK CITY D E P.
UH, SO WHEN YOU COMPARE THESE TWO, UH, YOU'RE LOOKING AT A DIFFERENCE OF $200, UH, REALLY WHEN YOU LOOK, WHEN YOU ADD UP THE COST, UH, OF, UH, WHAT IT WOULD COST CONSOLIDATED WAR DISTRICT AND COMPARE IT TO WHAT WOULD THEN BE COMING IN AS FAR AS THE CHARGES TO, UH, SCARSDALE GOLF COURSE.
SO, SO I THINK THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT TABLE.
SO, JUST SO, BECAUSE IT'S BEING, UH, TRANSCRIBED, IT'S A TABLE THAT HAS THREE COLUMNS.
IN THE SECOND COLUMN, IT HAS A HEADING OF IN-DISTRICT.
AND THE THIRD COLUMN IS A HEADING OF OUT OF DISTRICT FOR THE CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT PURCHASES FROM THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION FOR IN-DISTRICT.
FOR OUT OF DISTRICT IT'S $14,278 AND 80 CENTS.
UH, THE NEXT ROW IS APPROXIMATELY APPROXIMATE WATER, ANNUAL WATER METER MAINTENANCE INSPECTION FEE FOR END DISTRICT ZERO.
THERE IS NO INSPECTION FEE FOR OUT DISTRICT.
AND THEN THE FINAL ROW, THE THIRD ROW IS THE CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT NUMBER ONE CHARGES TO SCARSDALE GOLF CLUB.
UH, CLUB FOR IN-DISTRICT IT WOULD BE $26,345 CENTS.
OUT OF DISTRICT IT WOULD BE $36, $36,929 AND 56 CENTS.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM ROW, IF I UNDERSTAND THIS, AND BRIAN HAS, HAS EDUCATED ME ON THIS
BUT THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT THE NEW YORK CITY WILL DO TO THE WATER DISTRICT IS THEY'RE GONNA RECOUP ALMOST ALL OF THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA CHARGE US MORE, UM, FOR THE WATER ITSELF BECAUSE THEY'RE OUT OF DISTRICT.
UH, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THEY HAVE 'EM LISTED AS IN DISTRICT AND THEY WOULD SWITCH OVER TO OUT DISTRICT.
SO THIS IS WHAT, WHY THIS WAS HELD UP, IS TO TO FIGURE OUT WOULD THERE BE ANY NEGATIVE IMPACT TO THE EXISTING CONSOLIDATED WATER DISTRICT CO, UH, CUSTOMERS.
AND, UM, BRIAN, UH, WAS AN ENGINEER, UH, REALLY
[01:30:01]
DID A DEEP DIVE ON THIS, AND HE HAS ALL KINDS OF NUMBERS REGARDING USAGE AND ALL THAT.UM, BUT I, I, I THINK IT'S SAFE TO SAY FAIR TO SAY THAT BY MAKING THIS CHANGE, THAT'S NOT ANY NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE, ON THE WATER, WATER CUSTOMERS.
DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT, BRIAN? I DO.
I'M THE GENERAL MANAGER OF SCARSDALE GOLF CLUB.
UH, SO BEEN AT THE CLUB FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS.
AND, UH, ON BEHALF OF OUR 500 MEMBERS OF THE CLUB, WE THANK YOU FOR GETTING US ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT.
AND, UH, WE'D GREATLY APPRECIATE, UM, BRIAN, YOUR WORK IN PUTTING THIS, UM, ANALYSIS TOGETHER AND OUR MEMBERS AND THE CLUB WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION.
UM, SO THAT WE WOULD BE IN DISTRICT PAYING THE RATES, UM, OF THE OTHER SAME AS THE OTHER FIVE CLUBS IN IN DISTRICT, IN THE RESIDENTS OF, UM, THE TOWN THAT ARE ALSO IN DISTRICT ONE.
I CAN HELP WITH ANY QUESTIONS.
ANYONE IN THE PUBLIC, LIKE THIS STATE, WE HAD ONE NAME.
WE HAD ONE NAME TO SPEAK THIS EVENING ON THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
HOWEVER, UM, THE GENTLEMAN HAS INDICATED THAT HE, UH, NO LONGER WANTS TO SPEAK.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEA HISTORICALLY WHY THE GOLF CLUB WAS LEFT OUT OF THE DISTRICT? THAT'S A UNLESS REQUEST, AND ACCORDING TO D E P, THEIR RECORDS SHOW IT'S IN DISTRICT.
THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THEY'RE RIGHT, BUT THERE'S A DISPARITY HERE.
SO BECAUSE THERE WAS A DISPARITY, THEN IT BECAME, I BELIEVE, I, IT WAS MY BELIEF WE HAD TO DO THIS TYPE OF RESEARCH TO REALLY ADDRESS, UM, WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S A NEGATIVE IMPACT IN HAVING A CHANGE.
BECAUSE OTHERWISE OUR RECORDS SHOW THAT IT WASN'T IN DISTRICT.
UM, D E DIDN'T COME UP WITH AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THEY HAVE IT IN DISTRICT.
RIGHT? SO
WE DON'T HAVE TO GET INTO A DEBATE WITH D E P IF, IF THE BOARD IS, UH, IS WILLING TO MAKE THE CHANGE, SO THEN OUR RECORDS WOULD BE CONSISTENT.
BUT IF THERE'S NOBODY ELSE THAT WANTS TO SPEAK, I WOULD, I WOULD MOVE THAT WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND LEAVE THE RECORD OPEN FOR 10 DAYS.
[ 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]
SO THE NEXT ITEM IS THE PUB.IS THAT PUBLIC COMMENTS? PUBLIC COMMENTS COMING.
ANYBODY LIKE TO SPEAK? YES, TASHA, CAN I, BARBARA, CAN I, CAN I, CAN I FRANCE? FRANCIS.
GOOD EVENING, AND THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK.
GOOD, GOOD EVENING AND HAPPY WOMEN'S HISTORY OR WOMEN'S HER STORY MONTH.
AND CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE HONOREES.
THAT WAS A WONDERFUL TIME, UM, OF LEARNING ABOUT ALL OF YOU.
SO AGAIN, GOOD EVENING, AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.
I WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW UP ON TWO MEETINGS, UM, ONE MEETING IN ONE FORM THAT HAD TAKEN PLACE SINCE THE BOARD MEETING ON MARCH 10TH, REGARDING GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY.
I AM PLEASED TO SAY THAT I'M HOPEFUL WE ARE MOVING THE DIAL FORWARD ON THE LOOMING HUMAN RIGHTS AND QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE WITH SOME OF THE SENIORS WHO HAVE BEEN MOVED FROM THE MANHATTAN AVENUE COMPLEX.
BUT BEFORE I DO THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO STATE FOR THE RECORD, WHAT EVENTS LED UP TO MY HOPE FOR MOVING FORWARD THAT I HAVE THIS EVENING.
EARLY LAST WEEK, I AND MS. ROBINSON WERE INVITED TO MAKE OUR CONCERNS KNOWN TO THE GREENBERG HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION.
WHEN I ENTERED THE ZOOM, I ENJOYED GREETINGS FROM THE CHAIR AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS.
THAT NIGHT WE HAD MANY MEMBERS OF THE A A P I COMMUNITY WHO WERE ALSO SPEAKING AGAINST
[01:35:01]
VIOLENCE AGAINST A A P I PERSONS, UM, BOTH IN WESTCHESTER AND ABROAD.MS. ROBINSON WAS NOT ON THE ZOOM, BUT I DID SEE EVENTUALLY BISHOP MEMBERS OF BOTH THE GREENBURG HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD AND THE TOWN BOARD STATE COMMISSIONER CAROL STEVENS, PAMELA EARL, AND I BELIEVE AT LEAST FOUR TO FIVE OTHER PEOPLE AND ME, THE COALITION IN SUPPORT OF G H A STARTED THEIR ASSERTION THAT MS. ROBINSON IS, UM, NOT TELLING THE TRUTH, AND THAT EVERYONE WAS NOT TELLING THE TRUTH AND THAT THEY WANTED TO MOVE ON.
AND AGAIN, TO HEAR PERSONS IN POWER BEHAVE IN THIS MANNER IS THE DEFINITION OF SYSTEMIC RACISM IN PRACTICE.
HOW THE PRACTICE OF NOT OF, OF NOT LETTING PEOPLE WHO ARE REPRESENTED BY THOSE IN OFFICE ADVOCATE FOR THOSE WHO LIVE IN PUBLIC HOUSING.
I FELT BULLIED AND TO, AND I WAS ENCOURAGED TO STAY QUIET ABOUT WHAT I THINK IS A SYSTEM FAILURE IN HOUSING.
THE HUMAN RIGHTS CHAIR FELT AMBUSHED, EXPLAINING THAT THE MEETING IS FOR RESIDENTS TO SPEAK ABOUT WHAT THEY FEEL IS A HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE, NOT WHAT THE G H A COALITION USED IT FOR TO CALL MS. ROBINSON.
AND I LIARS, ONE PERSON DESCRIBED IT AS SIMILAR TO THE JERRY SPRINGER SHOW.
OUR VO VOICES WERE ALMOST SUPPRESSED.
BUT WE DID EVENTUALLY HAVE OUR, SAY MINE, SEPARATE FROM, FROM MS. ROBINSON'S.
AND THEN WE WENT HOME THE NEXT NIGHT IN A PLANNED BLACK WESTCHESTER MAGAZINE RADIO SHOW, IN WHICH BOTH THE SUPERVISOR, THE G H A BOARD CHAIR, BISHOP PRESTON, JOHN SAVAGE, THEIR ATTORNEY BOARD MEMBER, FRED CAMPBELL, CONSULTANT HARRY MOR MORTON, AND PERHAPS A FEW OTHERS, PROVIDED A REBUTTAL TO MS. ROBINSON'S LETTER TO THE EDITOR.
MS. ROBINSON WAS REPRESENTING HERSELF, AND I WAS THERE TO STAND BY HER SIDE, TWO OF US, AND ALL OF THEM.
SO WHY AM I HOPEFUL
I OFFERED AN OLIVE BRANCH, AND I STILL EXTEND THAT OFFER IN THAT THE TOWN SHOULD IMPLEMENT WELLNESS CHECKS IMMEDIATELY ON THE SENIORS THAT ARE MOVED.
THIS IS NOT A VOLUNTEER OR SENIOR ANGEL EFFORT.
WE HAVE COMPOUNDED ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
THEY ARE HEALTH, BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL INCOME, GRIEF AND TRAUMA.
BECAUSE WE'RE ALL STILL GOING THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AND VACCINES ARE COMING.
PERHAPS THE SENIORS THAT HAVE BEEN MOVED, HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN THEM.
UM, SO, MS. YOUNG, I'M JUST GONNA STOP YOU.
A SECOND BECAUSE YOU'RE AT YOUR THREE MINUTES.
SUSPEND THE RULES OR DO THEY, THEY WANT TO TAKE THE NEXT SPEAKER? DO WE WANNA LET EVERYBODY SPEAK FOR EIGHT MINUTES AND THEN, UH, NOT HAVE IT THE SECOND TIME? UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
IS THAT YOUR MOTION? YEAH, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT CONTINUE.
I COULDN'T, WE'LL DO ONE EIGHT MINUTES.
THE THREE AND FIVE AT THE BEGINNING.
I WOULD RATHER HAVE EVERYBODY DO THREE MINUTES.
'CAUSE THEY MIGHT HAVE A SHORT STATEMENT TO MAKE AND THEN AFTER THE THREE MINUTES, WE COULD GO RIGHT TO THE EIGHT, THE, THE OTHER FIVE.
INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR THE RESOLUTIONS.
BUT IT MAY BE THAT SOMEBODY HAS ONLY A THREE MINUTE STATEMENT TO MAKE AND THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WAIT A HALF HOUR.
SO PAUL, WITHDRAW YOUR MOTION.
IN WHICH CASE WE SHOULD TAKE THE NEXT SPEAKER AND, AND, UH, WE SHOULD THANK YOU OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
CUT SOMEBODY OFF INSTEAD OF ALLOWING 'EM TO HAVE WHAT THEY SAY IN THE EIGHT MINUTES, BECAUSE IF SOMEBODY WANT THREE, IT JUST WOULD TAKE THREE MINUTES.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO USE EIGHT MINUTES.
WELL, SHE MIGHT, SHE MIGHT GET, SHE'LL GET HER FIVE MINUTES AFTER, BUT THAT'S THE RULES.
UNLESS THE TOM BOARD SUSPENDS THE RULES.
SO, JUDITH, IS THERE ANOTHER SPEAKER? WE DON'T WANT TALK ABOUT RULES BECAUSE JOE BREAKS RULES ALL THE TIME.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS, UM, UNDER PUBLIC COMMENT.
PATRICIA WEEMS. I'D LIKE TO DELAY MINE FOR THE FIVE MINUTES.
MARY BODEN, THIS BEING, UM, RECOGNITION OF WOMEN'S ACHIEVEMENTS THIS MONTH.
UM, YOU'VE HIGHLIGHTED THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF MANY HIGH PROFILE WOMEN.
I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY WORK BEHIND THE COUNTER, THE SECRETARIES AND THOSE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THE TOWN WORK.
THEY'VE BEEN HERE YEARS, SOMETIMES SOME OF THEM HAVE HAD THEIR WHOLE CAREERS HERE.
[01:40:01]
WITH MANY OF THE PEOPLE YOU'VE ALREADY IDENTIFIED TODAY.I'VE WORKED WITH MANY OF THE SECRETARIES AND THE PEOPLE WHO STAND BEHIND THE COUNTERS AND THEY'LL ALL BE WONDERFUL.
LET'S CALL 'EM FRONTLINE WORKERS FOR A BETTER WORD.
AND I WOULD NAME NAMES, BUT I'M SURE I WOULD FORGET HALF OF THEM.
AND I GIVE MY RESPECT AND I HONOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO STAND BEHIND THE COUNTERS AND DEAL WITH US ON THIS SIDE.
YOU DESERVE AS MUCH RECOGNITION AS EVERYBODY ELSE, AND I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW YOU'VE BEEN EXCELLENT IN DEALING WITH ME.
AND SOMETIMES I'VE BEEN A LITTLE BIT, UH, DIFFICULT.
BUT YOU'VE ALWAYS HANDLED ME WELL.
YOU'VE ALWAYS HANDLED ME WITH A SMILE.
NEW FRONTLINE WORKERS, SO TO SPEAK, FOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE WELLBEING OF THE PEOPLE OF DOWN AT GREENBERG.
UM, SO WE, WE HAD ONLY THREE SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
THAT'S TASHA YOUNG OFFICIAL WEAM AND MARY BODEN.
UH, WHO IS THAT? OH, CLIFF ABRAMS. GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY.
CAN YOU HEAR ME BECAUSE I'M ON A BAD MIC.
I JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT, UM, I'VE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR THE GREENBURG HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE RESIDENTS FOR THE LAST FOUR OR FIVE YEARS HERE AT THE TOWN BOARD MEETING SHOWING UP ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND I THOUGHT IT WAS UNFAIR TOO THAT NOT ONLY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, BUT MEMBERS FROM THE BOARD WAS SHARING THAT IT WAS A SMEAR CAMPAIGN WITHOUT HEARING BOTH SIDES.
AND I THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY FAIR TO HAVE BOTH SIDES FOR THE TOWN BOARD WHO APPOINTS FIVE PEOPLE TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD AND HAD KEN JONES AS A LIAISON.
AND IT MAKE ME WONDER HOW DO THE TOWN BOARD DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WHEN YOU APPOINT FIVE PEOPLE FOR FIVE YEAR TERMS AND THEY'VE BEEN THERE FOR 20 YEARS OR BETTER.
SO I THINK THAT, UM, THAT JUST NEEDS TO BE SAID.
I WANT IT ON A RECORD THAT THE TOWN BOARD HAVE A LOT TO DO WITH THE GREENBURG HOUSING AUTHORITY OR YOU, OR, OR MR. FINER WOULDN'T BE SHOWING UP TO ALL OF THE MEETINGS AND ZOOM MEETINGS THAT WE HAD OUTSIDE OF THE TOWN BOARD TO REPRESENT THE TOWN AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
I JUST WANNA PUT THAT ON RECORD.
SECOND IS THAT I KNOW MY TIME IS RUNNING OUT AND I'LL WAIT FOR MY FIVE MINUTES, BUT IT UPSETS ME WHEN Y'ALL SAID WE GOTTA FOLLOW THE RULES.
AND I'VE BEEN COMING TO TOWN BOARD MEETING PRETTY REGULARLY FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS OR SO, AND I'VE BEEN HERE WHEN PEOPLE WAS ON PUBLIC COMMENT AND Y'ALL WENT AND TOOK A VOTE FROM SOMEBODY WHO COMPLAINED ABOUT A PUBLIC COMMENT.
I WAS HERE AND I'M LIKE SAYING, HOW DO YOU TAKE A VOTE AND PASS IT? AND IT DEALT WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
BISHOP WAS TALKING ABOUT A PUBLIC COMMENT AND Y'ALL TOOK IT INTO A VOTE.
SO PLEASE, WHEN YOU SAY YOU'LL WANNA FOLLOW ORDER, WHEN YOU ARE, PICK AND CHOOSE WHICH ORDER Y'ALL WANNA FOLLOW.
SO, UM, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY FURTHER REQUESTS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME.
NOW THE AGENDA THEN COME BACK.
IS THAT WHAT YOU WANNA SAY? I WOULD JUST SAY THAT WE SHOULD LET, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, TASHA AND ANYONE WHO WANTS TO SPEAK A SECOND TIME, UH, YOU SPEAK A SECOND TIME NOW, AND THEN WE'LL GO RIGHT INTO THE AGENDA AND THEN WE COULD FINISH THE MEETING.
SO YOU'RE GONNA MAKE A MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES IN ORDER.
TAKE THE ADDITIONAL FIVE MINUTES NOW, RIGHT? AS OPPOSED TO WAIT TILL THE END OF THE MEETING.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO FINISH YOUR, YOUR COMMENT, I'M PRETTY SURE IT'LL BE LESS THAN THAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AND THANK YOU FOR, UM, CHANGING THE ORDER, MR. SUPERVISOR.
SO, UM, I WAS JUST, UH, AND I WAS ACTUALLY CLOSING.
UM, IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT THAT EACH SENIOR THAT'S BEEN MOVED RECEIVES
[01:45:01]
SOMETHING THAT'S CALLED A BIOCYCLE SOCIAL ASSESSMENT.IT IS, UM, THE BIO IS FOR THE HEALTH, AND I'M SURE, UM, COUNCILWOMAN JUT NER IS FAMILIAR WITH THIS TERMINOLOGY.
YOU HAVE TO ASSESS HOW PEOPLE'S HEALTH HAS BEEN AFFECTED BASED ON UNDERLYING ISSUES AND THE FACT WE'RE IN A GLOBAL HEALTH CRISIS.
AND THEN THE PSYCHO IS THE EMOTIONAL, MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH.
AND THEN THE SOCIAL IS HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT BEING REMOVED FROM THEIR COMMUNITY.
THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE FROM THAT BASIS, YOU AND IT, AND IT HAS TO BE OBJECTIVE.
IT CANNOT BE SOMEONE FROM THE SITE THAT IS IN OPPOSITION TO MS. ROBINSON.
IT HAS TO BE A PROFESSIONAL EFFORT.
UM, I WOULD GLADLY WORK WITH ANYONE TO PROVIDE RESOURCES TO SUCH PROFESSIONALS.
BUT THERE ARE NEIGHBORS IN THE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES OR THE COUNTY'S OFFICE FOR THE AGING OR THE COUNTY'S.
UM, UH, UM, THERE'S ONE I'M FORGETTING.
SO THAT IS, THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO SAY.
THIS IS BEYOND ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR MAKING SURE THAT OUR NEIGHBORS ARE WELL TAKEN CARE OF.
UM, I ALSO SUPPORT MS. ROBINSON'S THREE REQUESTS THAT SHE MADE TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION.
A STAY ON THE MOVE FOR THE REST OF THE FEDERAL HOUSING RESIDENTS UNTIL THE, THE, THE, THE RESIDENTS SEE HOW THE SENIORS ARE RETURNED, AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO THE G H A AND THEIR DECISION TO MOVE DURING THE PANDEMIC AND A TRANSPARENT PROCESS TO G H A BOARD APPOINTMENTS.
THESE ARE NOT MY RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT THESE ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF MS. RENEE ROBINSON THAT I DO SUPPORT.
I ALSO THINK IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE THAT MS. ROBINSON GET AN APOLOGY IF THAT IS TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR THE TREATMENT THAT SHE ENDURED.
SHE COULD AT LEAST GET A THANK YOU BECAUSE HER LETTER TO THE EDITOR HAS PROMPTED REFORM ON HOW THE SENIORS ARE BEING ENGAGED WITH INCLUDING PAM EARL MAKING WELLNESS CHECKS.
THIS ALL TOOK PLACE TO MY KNOWLEDGE AFTER HER LETTER.
UM, SO, AND THEY'VE BEEN MOVED FOR CLOSE TO SIX MONTHS.
SO THAT'S THE, THE CONCLUSION OF MY STATEMENT.
AND I WANNA ALSO COMMEND CLIFF ABRAMS FOR BEING SUCH AN ADVOCATE FOR SO MANY YEARS.
SOMETIMES A VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS ALONE AND AS WELL AS MS. PAT WEAM.
UM, PAT WEAM, YOU, PATRICIA, WOULD YOU, UH, LIKE TO FOR THE FIVE MINUTES? YES.
UM, I DID ATTEND THE LAST MEETING FOR HOUSING AND I JUST, AND THAT IS, WE HAVE SOME VERY DYNAMIC ELECTED OFFICIALS IN OUR DISTRICT.
WE HAVE SCHUMER, WHO'S THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE.
WE HAVE GOD, KIRSTEN, GIL, LEBRON.
WE HAVE TWO REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, WHICH WOULD BE FOR THE 16TH AND THE 17TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
THAT WOULD BE, UM, AIRE JONES.
WE HAVE JAL, UM, I THINK HIS LAST NAME IS BOWEN BOWMAN.
AND HE REPRESENTS, WHAT, WHAT SECTION IS THAT? FRANCIS J UH, JUDY.
THAT'S ELLIOT, UM, ELLIOT INGALLS, UM, UM, DISTRICT.
WE HAVE ANDREA STEWART COUSINS WHO SPEAK FOR THE, UH, MAJORITY WHIP FROM NEW YORK.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY SHORTCOMINGS FOR OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS.
AND I'M JUST SAYING THAT WE ARE A DONOR STATE.
WHY ARE WE BEGGING FOR MONEY? THE WHOLE PROBLEM IS MONEY.
AND IT'S MONEY BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, ME, WE'RE LOOKING AT DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT 30 YEARS OF NOTHING BEING DONE TO THOSE SCATTER SITES.
THIS IS THE FIRST I'M HEARING ABOUT THAT THEY NEED TO BE FIXED.
GREENBURG, WE ARE LEADERS IN THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY FOR HOUSING.
WE NEED TO TELL GEORGE LAMAN NO, YOU TELL THE PEOPLE OVER THERE AT WEST IN MAYFAIR, WE'RE GOING TO USE THOSE HOUSES FIRST BEFORE YOU RENT THEM OUT.
WE DON'T HAVE TO GO HAND IN HAND BEGGING FOR WHAT WE DE WE DESERVE.
AND I'M SAYING YES, UTILIZE THEM.
I DON'T THINK GREENBERG HAS EVER CALLED ON SCHUMER TO DO ANYTHING.
LET'S CALL ON HIM TO GO SEE PEOPLE AT HUD.
AND I WOULD LIKE HIS, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE OUR REPRESENTATIVES GO TOGETHER VIRTUALLY ON A TELEPHONE AND TELL US, SEND, SEND OUR MONEY BACK TO US DOING SANDY, THE, THE, THAT NORTHEASTERN, THAT NEW YORK CITY.
[01:50:01]
WE DIDN'T GET OUR MONEY.WE HAD PEOPLE VOTING FROM THE BIBLE BELT, THE CORN BELT, THE LIQUOR BELT, ANY OTHER BELT AGAINST US GETTING OUR MONEY.
I'M SICK AND TIRED OF BEING SICK AND TIRED DISCUSSING HOW WE ARE GOING TO PLACATE OTHER PEOPLE.
WE NEED TO TELL OTHER PEOPLE THIS IS OUR MONEY AND YOU WILL GIVE IT BACK TO US WHEN WE NEED IT.
YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY AT, AND EVEN OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS HERE, WE HAVE THE POWER TO DO THINGS.
YOU KNOW, FRANCIS, YOU HAVE A MOUTH.
I WANT OUR LOCAL, OUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES TO GO AND TELL, YOU KNOW, WE, WE EVEN HAVE ALFREDA AND UM, MARY JANE CHIMPSKY.
WE ARE DOING BETTER THAN JUST ABOUT ANYBODY ELSE THAT'S BEEN ELECTED.
YOU KNOW, TIM LEWIS, YOU GOT A GOOD BRAIN.
OUR ELECTED COUNCIL PEOPLE, Y'ALL NOT IDIOTS.
BUT I AM SAYING THAT TOTAL NEGLECT, ONCE AGAIN, THIS IS OVERSIGHT AND, AND, AND, AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
DIANA JUTT AND PAUL FINER YOU THE ONLY TWO THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR THAT ENTIRE PERIOD OF TIME.
YOU'VE BEEN WITHIN THE, UM, CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS.
EVERYBODY IS GROUNDED IN GREENBURG.
SO LET'S JUST SEE TO IT THAT THE SENIORS WHO ARE BLACK, MOST OF THEM OF COLOR, THE THE LAND THAT THEY DID HAVE WAS TAKEN FROM 'EM.
SO NOW THAT IT'S SOMEBODY BLACK AND WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, LET'S DO IT.
BOTTOM LINE, THEY WENT FROM OVER THERE WHERE CROSSROADS SHOPPING CENTER IS NOW, YOU SEE HOW MUCH MONEY THEY MADE ON THAT.
THEY WENT TO TRAILER PARKS AND FROM THERE TO PUBLIC HOUSING, THEY DIDN'T EVEN GET RENT CONTROL.
MY FELLOW BROTHERS AND SISTERS DID NOT GET RENT CONTROL WHERE THEY FOUND OUT THAT ALL OF THESE BLACK MEN HAD SKILLS.
IF THEY BUILT THE SOUTH PLANTATIONS, BUILT ROADS, BUILT DAMS, THEY CERTAINLY KNEW HOW TO MOVE THE WATER OUT OF, OUT OF THE AREA THAT THEY WERE LIVING IN.
THEY WERE WORKING HARD, BUT THEY TOOK THEIR LAND.
THE ONLY WHITE PERSON I KNEW THAT WAS THERE FIGHTING ON BEHALF OF THE BLACK PEOPLE WAS MARTHA GREENER WALL.
ONE I KNOW WHO DID SCHOLARSHIPS, UM, FOR THE COMMUNITY TO SIT.
I FORGOT HIS NAME, YOU KNOW, BUT I'M SAYING NOW, WHEN OUR PEOPLE NEED HELP, PAUL, YOU ARE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT HOW YOU LIKE TO HELP PEOPLE.
YOU NEED TO HELP 'EM POSITIVELY AS THE LEADER OF A DYNAMIC BOARD, OUR TOWN COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T, LIKE I SAID, YOU'RE FIVE MINUTES IS UP.
I DIDN'T EVEN DO THE THREE I PASSED.
BUT I WANT EVERYBODY TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT IS BEING DONE NOW.
YOU NEED TO GET UP, STAND UP, SPEAK UP, SHOUT OUT AND TELL 'EM YOU'VE USED OUR MONEY FOR EVERY STATE MIS UNION.
NOW YOU GIVE US OUR MONEY BACK AND LET US USE IT WHERE WE NEED IT.
NOT TOMORROW NIGHT, NEXT WEEK.
WITH THAT, THANK YOU MS. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT.
AND I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
THE NEXT TIME I COME, I'LL BE SCREAMING AND RANTING AND RAILING.
MARY BODEN HARASSMENT TAKES MANY FORMS. LATELY.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT RACIAL HARASSMENT, SEXUAL HARASSMENT.
THERE ARE OTHER FORMS OF HARASSMENT THAT GO UNRECOGNIZED AND PEOPLE DO IT.
AND THEY ARE SO USED TO DOING IT THAT LIKE THOSE WHO HARASS SEXUALLY OR RACIALLY, THEY DON'T KNOW IT.
IT HAPPENED HERE TONIGHT, RECOGNIZED MOST OF YOU DIDN'T NOTICE IT BECAUSE IT WAS SO SUBTLE.
BUT IT'S IMPORTANT, JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THE OTHER HARASSMENT.
IT'S BEING AFFECTED BY GLOBAL WARMING.
IF YOU READ THE NEWSPAPERS, THE MAIN THRUST OF THE PRESIDENT
[01:55:01]
IS TO DEAL WITH GLOBAL WARMING.CHRIST GENERAL MOTORS IS GOING STRAIGHT TO ELECTRIC CARS.
VOLKSWAGEN IS GOING STRAIGHT TO ELECTRIC CARS.
ONE OF THE WORST OFFENDS OF ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER IS CONCRETE.
AND I'VE BEEN UNABLE TO EXPLAIN TO THE TOWN THAT CONCRETE CURBS DO NOTHING.
THEY'VE INSTALLED SOME ON WORTHINGTON ROAD TODAY, THIS WEEK MADE IT HARDER FOR PEOPLE TO WALK AND DID NOTHING BUT DESTROY THE ENVIRONMENT.
WE NEED TO CHANGE THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT USING OUR RESOURCES.
WE NEED TO REEDUCATE AND EDUCATE PEOPLE IN NEW PROFESSIONS.
PEOPLE WHO BOUGHT YELLOW CAB MEDALLIONS FOR A MILLION DOLLARS, THEY'VE LOST THEIR MILLION DOLLARS.
UBER IS TAKING OVER THINGS THAT ARE UNBELIEVABLE.
I WAS ON AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE TODAY ABOUT TRANSPORTATION AND FREIGHT ISSUES.
PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD LOOKING TO MOVE FREIGHT, USING LESS ENERGY AND HOW TO MOVE ENERGY ACROSS THE COUNTRY WITH THE REALIZATION THAT FUEL, OIL AND DIESEL MADE FROM FOSSIL FUELS WILL BE GONE WITHIN YOUR LIFETIME.
THE QUESTION IS, WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT DO WE LEAVE? DO WE LEAVE TO MY GRANDCHILDREN AND YOUR GRANDCHILDREN? AND TWO GENERATIONS DOWN, RECOGNIZE GLOBAL WARMING IS HERE.
READ WHAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND EVERY OTHER MAJOR COUNTRY IS DISCUSSING.
HOW DO WE REDUCE THE USE OF FOSSIL FUELS AND HOW DO WE GO FORWARD? I'VE TRIED TO EXPLAIN THAT CONCRETE CURBS ARE USELESS.
YOU'RE SPENDING A MILLION DOLLARS TO DO IT.
I'M GONNA BE DEAD PRETTY SOON.
IT'S THE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT NEED TO SPEAK UP.
YOU'RE BRINGING THEM INTO THE SYSTEM.
YOU'RE GOING TO INTRODUCE A NEW DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS.
YOU'RE GETTING PEOPLE WHO THINK DIFFERENTLY IS THIS TIME TO THINK DIFFERENTLY.
WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST IS IRRELEVANT AND DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE.
WHAT ARE THE STEPS WE NEED TO TAKE TO GO FORWARD? YOU SPOKE ABOUT A FEW OF THEM TONIGHT ABOUT HOUSING AND HOW WE DEAL WITH PEOPLE IN A MORE HUMANE WAY.
YOU ARE NOT PART MY SCREEN, WHICH IS WHY I AM WAVING AT YOU THINK DIFFERENTLY.
WHAT IS THE CORRECT WAY TO GO FORWARD? ALL THOSE THINGS WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST AND WE THOUGHT WERE GOOD, THANK YOU.
WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO SAVE ENERGY, NOT TO USE CONCRETE, TEACH CHILDREN DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY THINKS THE SAME WAY.
I, FOR ONE, THINK OF VERY MUCH DIFFERENTLY THAN MOST OF YOU.
SO MY OBJECT TONIGHT IS TO SAY TO YOU, DON'T SAY, HOW ARE YOU SAY, GLAD TO SEE YOU.
BECAUSE IF YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW I AM AND YOU ASK ME THAT QUESTION, ESPECIALLY IN A DOCTOR'S OFFICE WHERE I WAS TODAY, MAKES NO SENSE.
WE'RE ALL IN A BAD PLACE BECAUSE OF THE COVID VIRUS.
THERE ARE PEOPLE IN RITE AID AND
THEY'RE TELLING ME TWO THINGS THEY'VE LEARNED TO CHANGE.
A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE SAID, I'M GLAD TO SEE YOU SPECIFICALLY TO TELL ME I GOT IT.
AND THOSE THAT I WALK INTO A DOCTOR'S OFFICE AND THEY SAY TO ME, HOW ARE YOU? THEY DIDN'T GET IT.
HOW DO YOU GREET PEOPLE TODAY? GLAD TO SEE YOU.
HOW ARE YOU OUTTA DATE? I NEED, I, I TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK ALL THOSE WONDERFUL PEOPLE IN GREENBURG WHO'VE WORKED WITH ME OVER THE YEARS.
I COULDN'T HAVE DONE THIS ALONE.
[02:00:01]
THEY'VE TAUGHT ME A LITTLE BIT HERE AND A LITTLE BIT THERE AND A LITTLE BIT EVERYWHERE ELSE AND GOING FORWARD.THANK YOU ALL YOU FRONTLINE WORKERS, MIDDLE ACRES, AND THOSE THAT YOU AT THE TOP.
THANK YOU WITH ABRAMS. THANK YOU AGAIN.
FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS, I'VE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR JOB DEVELOPMENT AND APPRENTICESHIP IN MY COMMUNITY OF FAIRVIEW AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
I'VE BEEN TALKING WITH JAR FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS.
AND I MUST SAY THAT, UM, WE GOT SPEED LIMIT DOWN MANHATTAN AVENUE.
CHIEF HELPED ME OUT AND WENT TO TOWN BOARD.
WE GOT THE
AND I WAS WALKING LUCY, WHICH IS MY DOG THE OTHER DAY.
AND WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A, UM, A UH, WHAT YOU CALL THAT, A, A PATH WALK FROM, UM, ON OLD TERRYTOWN ROAD.
AND I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR ALL THAT FOR A WHILE.
AND NOW I HEARD IT GONNA BE REALLY NICE.
'CAUSE THEY'RE GONNA HAVE LIGHTS THAT ARE GOING TO FLASH.
IT'S OVER THERE BETWEEN PLE STREET AND BEFORE YOU GET TO THE OLD TERRY TOWN ROAD PARK, WHICH IS GONNA BE VERY NICE AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
BUT ALSO YOU TOOK DOWN THE DIGITAL CLOCK AND MAYBE SOMEBODY CAN TELL ME THAT IT'S GOING TO BE UP.
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT WE, UM, DOING THE SIDEWALKS THAT'S ON PUBLIC SAFETY, JOB DEVELOPMENT, APPRENTICESHIP, THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY COMING OUTTA GREENBURG WITH DEVELOPMENT AND CONTRACTORS AND PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT MINORITY CONTRACTORS.
AND AS I'M WALKING AROUND GREENBURG, THE MINORITY CONTRACTORS ARE HISPANICS, ASIAN AND WHITE WOMENS.
I DO NOT SEE NO BLACKS ON NONE OF THESE PROJECTS.
YOU'LL HAVE HIGH-END CAR DEALERSHIP ALL UP AND DOWN ONE 19.
THAT'S FAIRVIEW GREENBURG, WHICH IS 76% AFRICAN AMERICAN.
YOU GOT SIDEWALKS GOING ALL THROUGH THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
PEOPLE FROM MY COMMUNITY CAME TO GET A FLAGGING JOB.
WE TALK ABOUT PEOPLE WAS HURT BECAUSE OF COVID.
AND OUR YOUTH NEED APPRENTICESHIPS.
AND I MIGHT SAY, WELL, WHO'S FIGHTING FOR FAIRVIEW? BECAUSE ALL THE OTHER, UM, RIVERS, UM, LEY, UM, EDGEMONT IRVINGTON, THEY GOT THEIR OWN TOWN BOARD AND THEIR OWN DEPARTMENTS.
NOW I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON IN BUILDING IN GREENBURG AND NOBODY FROM FAIRVIEW IS GETTING IN NEW YORK WORK.
AND WHO'S ADVOCATING ON THAT BOARD FOR FAIRVIEW? IT IT, IT'S AMAZING TO ME.
AND I KNOW TIM GONNA SAY, MY TIME IS RUNNING UP.
SO LET ME JUST SAY THIS LAST THING IS THAT, AND WHEN IT COMES TO THE HOUSING, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND RENT CONTROL.
YOU GOT PEOPLE MAKING OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS WHO GOT RENT CONTROL IN HARD STEEL IN AREAS LIKE THAT, PAYING 700 TO $800 A MONTH.
AND THEN YOU GOT PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THE HOUSING AUTHORITY THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
EVERYBODY AIN'T ON THE VOUCHERS.
THEY PAYING 1200 TO $3,000 A MONTH AT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, WHICH EVERYBODY WAY YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT IT, EVERYBODY PAYING A HUNDRED DOLLARS OR $200 AND IT'S HARD TO GET OUT.
YOU KNOW WHY? 'CAUSE WHEN YOU GET A SECOND JOB, THEY GET 30% OF THAT.
WHEN YOU GET A THIRD JOB, THEY GET 30% OF THAT.
SO EVERY TIME YOU GET AN EXTRA JOB, YOU ARE WORKING JUST TO GIVE IT TO HOUSING.
SO MAYBE SOMEBODY ON THIS BOARD NEED TO TALK TO MAN JERRY JONES AND JAMAL AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT CHANGING THAT LAW.
'CAUSE THAT LAW, THEY GOT PROBABLY BEEN THERE SINCE THE SIXTIES AND IT'S 2021.
AND PEOPLE WANT TO, SO PEOPLE ARE PAYING GOOD MONEY TO LIVING ON HOUSES.
[02:05:01]
AIN'T TEAR UP, PAUL, THAT YOU COULD COME TO SOME PEOPLE APARTMENT, THOSE ARE DUPLEX APARTMENTS, THE SCATTER SITES, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.SO WHY WOULDN'T DEVELOPERS WANT THAT LAND TO GET MARKET PRICE? THANK YOU.
YOU KNOW, CLIFF MADE TWO REALLY IMPORTANT POINTS TODAY.
I KNOW I'M OVER LIMIT, BUT I JUST WANNA S I WANNA PIGGYBACK ON THEM AND STATE THAT I'M STILL AT THE POINT WHERE, AND I ASKED THIS FOR THE, UM, PLANNING BOARD OF THE ZONING BOARD ONE 19.
THAT CORRIDOR IS URBAN RENEWAL FOR ALL OF THOSE RICH COMPANIES.
ALL OF THE HOUSING ON BOTH SIDES.
I DON'T LIKE DISCRIMINATORY DOUBLE STANDARDS.
I, I DETEST THEM AND WE REALLY NEED TO DEAL WITH THEM.
YOU CAN'T GO FORWARD MURRAY, UNLESS YOU CAN KNOW WHERE YOU ARE.
I CAN'T HOLD MY TELEPHONE NUMBER TOO, UH, MARY AND ASK HIM TO GIVE ME A CALL.
MAYBE WE SHOULD MOVE THE AGENDA NOW IF THERE'S NO OTHER SPEAKERS.
[ BOARDS & COMMISSIONS Appointment of Brian Simmons to Deputy Commissioner of Public Works, effective March 4, 2021 Appointment of Michael Filardi as Town Constable, for a term to expire December 31, 2021]
UH, APPOINTMENT OF BRIAN SIMMONS, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS EFFECTIVE, UH, MARCH 4TH.I'D LIKE TO, UH, MOVE THE APPOINTMENT AND LET YOU KNOW HOW THRILLED I AM.
UH, I THINK BRIAN'S DOING AN AMAZING JOB, UM, HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL TO, UH, RICH FUND AND HAS BEEN AN EXCEPTIONAL, UH, TOWN, UM, EMPLOYEE OVER, OVER THE YEARS.
AND WE'RE REALLY LUCKY, UM, TO HAVE HIM WORK FOR THE TOWN.
SO I'D LIKE TO MOVE THE APPOINTMENT SECOND.
UH, NEXT I'D LIKE TO, UH, MOVE THE APPOINTMENT OF MICHAEL ARDI AS TOWN CONSTABLE FOR TERM TO EXPLORE DECEMBER 31ST, 2021 SECOND.
[ TB 1 - 3/24/2021 Resolution authorizing the Town Supervisor to enter into a one-year contract commencing January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021 with the Village of Elmsford for Fire Protection Services to the North Elmsford Fire Protection District, for an amount not to exceed $813,941.64]
AUTHORIZING THE TOWN SUPERVISOR INTO A ONE YEAR CONTRACT COMMENCING JANUARY ONE THROUGH DECEMBER 31 IN THE VILLAGE OF[ TB 2 - 3/24/2021 Resolution authorizing the Town Supervisor to enter into a one-year contract commencing January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021 with the Village of Elmsford for Fire Protection Services to the West Elmsford Fire Protection District, for an amount not to exceed $230,921.69]
AUTHORIZING THE TOWN SUPERVISOR TO ENTER INTO A ONE YEAR RECOMME COMMENCING JANUARY ONE, NEW DECEMBER 31.THE DEVELOPMENT SERVE FOR FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES TO THE WEST ELMER FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT.
THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 230,921 69 CENTS.
[ TB 3 - 3/24/2021 Resolution of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh accepting the Police Reform Report of the Greenburgh Against Systemic Racism (GASR) Law Enforcement Committee and adopting a plan of action for implementing recommendations in the report (To be held over to 3/30/2021 Special Town Board Meeting)]
OF THE TOWN BOARD IS BEING HELD OVER, UM, RESOLUTION.UH, BEFORE YOU DO THAT, I WANNA MAKE A, LET'S SO WE DON'T FORGET.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE TOWN BOARD ON TUESDAY, MARCH 30TH, UH, AT 7:00 PM FOR THE PUR FOR THE PURPOSES OF VOTING ON THIS RESOLUTION AND, UH, A RESOLUTION FROM PARKS AND REC REGARDING, UM, AN EXTENSION OF RAMP.
YEAH, THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION AMONG SOME DEPARTMENT HEADS TODAY.
ARE WE HAVING A WORK SESSION ON TUESDAY OR JUST A SPECIAL MEETING? BOTH.
I WAS JUST, SOME PEOPLE WEREN'T SURE.
UM, UH, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING
[ AT 1 - 3/24/2021 Resolution authorizing tax certiorari settlement with petitioner Hitachi America, Ltd. for property located at Prospect and Martling Avenues. The Town’s share of the refund is $11,538±; the County’s share is $85,757±; the Saw Mill Valley Sewer District’s share is $11,999±; the Tarrytown Union Free School District’s share is $532,812±. Refunds from all sources total $642,105±]
TAX TERTIARY SETTLEMENT WITH PETITIONER HITACHI AMERICA L T D FOR PROPERTY, THE HAVES FEDERAL AMOUNT, $642,105.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND IN FAVOR, AYE.
[ AT 2 - 3/24/2021 Resolution authorizing tax certiorari settlement with petitioner Hudson House Tenants Corp. for property located at 123 Main St and 100 Ardsley Ave. West. The Town’s share of the refund is $4,629±; the County’s share is $34,630±; the No. Yonkers Sewer District’s share is $5,399±; the Irvington Union Free School District’s share is $201,835±; the Dobbs Ferry Union Free School District’s share is $0. Refunds from all sources total $246,494±.]
AUTHORIZING TAX, ARY SETTLEMENT.PETITIONER HUDSON HOUSE TENANTS FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1 23 MAIN STREET ON A HUNDRED R THREE WEST, UM, TOTAL AMOUNT IS 246, UH, THOUSAND 4 94.
ALL IN FAVOR? A AYE RESOLUTION,
[ AT 3 - 3/24/2021 Resolution authorizing the consideration and release of third-party action against, ELQ Industries, Inc., subcontractor for the Town in the matter of Monica DeNunzio v. TOG, et al., and another action for an amount not to exceed $32,500]
UH, AUTHORIZING CONSIDERATION AND RELEASE OF THIRD PARTY ACTION, HENCE, E L Q INDUSTRIES SUBCONTRACTOR FOR THE TOWN MATTER OF MONICA NONE.ZERO FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT OF 32,500.
[ CD 1 - 3/24/2021 Resolution of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh approving the selection of a professional Economic Development Consultant to advance various economic development initiatives in the Town for an amount not to exceed $60,000]
UH, RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG APPROVING THE SELECTION OF A[02:10:01]
PROFESSIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT TO ADVANCE VARIOUS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES IN THE TOWN FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED, UH, 60,000 UH, DOLLARS.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT, BUT I, I THOUGHT MAYBE GAR MIGHT WANT TO JUST EXPLAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, WHY WE'RE SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS, GARRETT.
UM, I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AT A VERY UNIQUE POINT IN THE TOWN OF GREENBERG'S HISTORY.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE LARGE AMOUNT OF VACANCIES AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT OUR MIXED USE QUARTERS, UH, FROM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT ARE THE, ARE THE LIFEBLOOD OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND I FEEL THAT, UM, THROUGH THE R F P AND R F Q PROCESS, WE REALLY GOT A LARGE SAMPLE SIZE OF, OF, UM, CONSULTANTS THAT SOUGHT, SOUGHT THE POSITION HERE.
AND, UM, THIS PARTICULAR, UH, CONSULTANT, UM, YOU KNOW, WORKED WITH WORKING THROUGH A COMMITTEE, UH, WE ALL FELT WAS, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST EXCEEDED OUR EXPECTATIONS AND, UM, WE THINK HAS A LOT OF REALLY INNOVATIVE IDEAS USING MODERN TECHNOLOGIES, UM, YOU KNOW, CELL PHONE DATA TO TRACK SHOPPING, UM, TRENDS.
AND, UM, WE REALLY, YOU KNOW, FEEL THAT THIS IS GONNA BE A, UH, COMPREHENSIVE PACKAGE THAT BRINGS IN, YOU KNOW, LAND USE IDEAS, UM, THE POTENTIAL FOR GRANTS.
AND, UH, I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS I LEARNED THROUGH THIS HIRING PROCESS IS A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT WE HEARD EARLIER IN, IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND, AND, AND, AND SOCIAL EQUITY.
UM, I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT THIS CONSULTANT, UM, BROUGHT TO THE TABLE SOME IDEAS OF HOW, YOU KNOW, WE CAN HAVE INCLUSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
SO, UM, I'M PERSONALLY REALLY EXCITED AND, UM, I'M GONNA WORK HARD AND WE'RE GONNA WORK CLOSELY WITH THIS CONSULTANT TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT THE BENEFITS COME RIGHT TO THE TOWN OF GREENBERG.
AND, UM, I, I AM INDEED EXCITED FOR THE PROSPECT HERE.
[ CO 1 - 3/24/2021 Resolution authorizing fiscal year 2020 budget transfers]
AUTHORIZING FISCAL YEAR 2020 BUDGET TRANSFERS.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND IN FAVOR, AYE.
[ CO 2 - 3/24/2021 Resolution amending the 2020 Operating Budget of the Town Outside Villages Fund by increasing Estimated Revenues for Community Center Fees and Decreasing Appropriated Fund Balance]
RESOLUTION, UH, AMENDING THE 2020 OPERATING BUDGET FOR THE TOWN OUTSIDE VILLAGES FUND BY INCREASING ESTIMATED REVENUES FOR THE COMMUNITY SENSE OF FEES AND DECREASING APPROPRIATED FUND BALANCE.[ PR 1 - 3/24/2021 Resolution authorizing the release of Trust and Agency Parkland Funds for a new playground at West Rumbrook Park]
AUTHORIZING RELEASE OF TRUST AND AGENCY PARKLAND FUNDS FOR NEW PLAYGROUND AT WESTBROOK.AND I'D LIKE TO MOVE, WE ADJOURN.
ADJOURN BEFORE WE SPEND $1 MILLION.
THAT'S, THAT WAS THE REASON IT WAS A LITTLE TRICK.
[ PW 1 - 3/24/2021 Resolution authorizing extending the 2020 contract for the Reconstruction of Stone and Concrete Curbing in the Town of Greenburgh previously awarded to the lowest Bidder, Tony Casale, Inc., for an additional amount not to exceed ($1,086,100.00)]
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING EXTENDING THE 2020 CONTRACT FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF STONE AND CONCRETE CURVING IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG PREVIOUSLY AWARDED TO THE LOWEST BIDDER TONY CASAL, FOR AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 1 MILLION, UM, $86,100.[ PW 2 - 3/24/2021 Resolution approving the replacement of four Rotating Assemblies for Pumps at the Rumbrook Pump Station by All Makes Pump and Motor Repair Inc., for a cost not to exceed $107,660 ]
APPROVING THEIR REPLACEMENT OF FOUR ROTATING ASSEMBLIES, THE PUMP AT THE ROMBERG PUMP STATION BY ALL MAKES PUMP AND MOTOR REPAIRS FOR COST NOT TO EXCEED $107,660.[ PW 3 - 3/24/2021 Resolution approving Sealcoating, Inc. DBA Indus, to perform Hot-In-Place Recycling, PCRM Cracksealing and Double Microsurfacing Treatments to various Town roadways, at a cost not to exceed $750,067.84]
RESOLUTION OF APPROVING SEAL COATING D B A INDU TO PERFORM HOT AND PLACEMENT AND RECYCLING IN REPLACE RECYCLING PC R AND CRACK SAILING AND DOUBLE MICRO SURFING, UM, TREATMENT TO VARIOUS 10 ROADWAYS AS A COST NOT TO EXCEED SEVEN $50,067 AND 84 CENTS.RESOLUTION APPROVING SEAL COATING D B A A INDU TO PERFORM HIGH REPLACEMENT RECYCLING PC R M CRACK SEALING AND DOUBLE MICROSURFACING, UH, TREATMENT TO VARIOUS TOWN ROADWAYS IS NOT AT A COST NOT TO EXCEED $750,067 AND 84 CENTS.
[ PW 4 - 3/24/2021 Resolution awarding the contract for the Reconstruction of Drainage Systems on Plymouth Road to Tony Casale, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $92,000.00]
AWARDING THE CONTRACT FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF DRAINAGE SYSTEMS ON PLYMOUTH ROAD TO TONY CAEL FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $92,000.I JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY NOTE THAT MIKE RELA, UM, PRINCIPAL OF G P S, UH, WHO WAS JUST AWARDED AS PART OF CD ONE IS HERE.
IF HE WANTED HIM TO JUST SAY A FEW QUICK WORDS, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
[02:15:02]
YOU KNOW, UH, SUPERVISOR FINER AND, AND GARRETT AND EVERYBODY ELSE, I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE, THE, THE TRUST AND CONFIDENCE THAT YOU'VE PUT IN, UH, MY FIRM RELA PARTNERSHIP STRATEGIES.UH, MY FAMILY'S HAD ROOTS IN GREENBURG FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS.
MY DAUGHTERS ALL GO TO SCHOOL IN GREENBURG AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY HEARTENED THERE'S CHALLENGES IN FRONT OF US, BUT WHEN I HEAR THE CONCERN AND THE DESIRE TO PROMOTE DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION AND MAKE THAT A LINCHPIN OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PLANNING, LAND USE, ZONING, ELIMINATING THE, THE, THE SKILLS GAP, WORKFORCE TRAINING, BROADBAND DIGI, THE DIGITAL DIVIDE, UH, IT JUST, IT GETS ME SUPER EXCITED FIRST THAT THERE ARE ACTIVE AND CONCERNED MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE WILLING TO SPEND THEIR TIME TO EXPRESS WHETHER IT'S THEIR FRUSTRATION OR ANXIETY OR EXCITEMENT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, OUR JOB IS TO EMBRACE THAT FEEDBACK AND WE HAVE AN INCLUSIVE AND DIVERSE TEAM OF FOLKS THAT ARE GONNA HIT THE GROUND RUNNING, THAT ARE GONNA LISTEN, AND THAT THIS FEEDBACK IS GOING TO BE BUILT UPON A CAMPAIGN OF LISTENING AND ENGAGING WITH COMMUNITIES AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE'S VOICES ARE AMPLIFIED AND ENGAGING IN THE TYPES OF OUTREACH THAT MITIGATE THE POSSIBILITIES OF THEIR BEING BIASED.
SO NOT JUST EMAILS, BUT ENGAGING IN VIRTUAL TOWN HALLS, KNOCKING ON DOORS, FLYERS, UH, YOU KNOW, EVENTS AT LIBRARIES, MAKING SURE THAT WHERE PEOPLE CONGREGATE OF ALL BACKGROUNDS HAVE A SAY UNDER STAKEHOLDERS IN DEVELOPING THE VISION THAT'S GONNA HELP GREENBERG ACHIEVE THE LEVEL OF RESILIENT AND INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE PROSPERITY THAT EVERYONE'S LOOKING FOR.
AND I'M JUST REALLY EXCITED, UH, TO, TO KICK THIS OFF AND TO WORK WITH THE PUBLIC STAKEHOLDERS AND THE PUBLIC WRIT LARGE, UH, AS WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF MOMENTUM AND A LOT OF PASSION THAT'S GONNA GO ON TO MAKING SURE THAT WE PROVIDE THE OP THE TYPES OF QUALITY JOB AND HOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT THE RESIDENTS OF GREENBURG DESERVE.
WE'RE REALLY VERY EXCITED ABOUT, UH, UH, YOUR, UM, YOUR, HI YOUR FIRM'S HIRING AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, I WAS SPEAKING TO GARRETT, UH, TODAY AND, YOU KNOW, BOTH OF US, YOU KNOW, INITIALLY, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE YEARS AGO WE DIDN'T KNOW IF THIS THE POSITION WAS REALLY NEEDED, BUT AFTER INTERVIEWING YOU AND YOUR TEAM, YOU KNOW, WE BOTH ARE REALLY, UH, UPBEAT AND ENTHUSIASTIC AND WE REALLY THINK THAT, UM, THAT THE TOWN IS GONNA BENEFIT TREMENDOUSLY.
AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND, AND SEEING SOME OF THE VACANT STOREFRONTS, UH, FILLED UP WITH, WITH GREAT, UH, UH, NEW, NEW BUSINESSES.
SO I'M, I'M REALLY THRILLED THAT, THAT, UH, YOU'RE TAKING ON THIS ASSIGNMENT AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
I'LL JUST END WITH, WE'VE GOT A TEAM OF, UH, SOME OF THE MOST FOREMOST NATIONAL EXPERTS IN SMALL BUSINESS, MAIN STREET RECOVERY, DISASTER RECOVERY, RESILIENCY, CERTIFIED SMALL BUSINESS CONSULTANTS.
WE'VE GOT BILINGUAL MEMBERS OF THE TEAM THAT CAN ENGAGE WITH, UH, DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES OF, OF, UH, DIFFERENT AFFINITY BACKGROUNDS.
AND, UH, WE'RE EXCITED TO DELIVER RESULTS, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO REVITALIZING AND UPLIFTING AND TRANSFORMING MAIN STREET TO BECOME MORE VIBRANT AND RESILIENT.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE ADJOURN.
OH, YOU UH, GINA, YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? NO, I WAS SAYING GOODNIGHT TO MIKE.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
GOODNIGHT EVERYBODY VERY MUCH.
OH, WE NEED, DO WE NEED, DID WE CLOSE IT OUT? DID WE MAKE A MOTION? NO, BOTH.