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ALL RIGHT.[ TOWN OF GREENBURGH CONSERVATION ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING TO BE HELD VIA ZOOM-ENABLED VIDEO CONFERENCE THURSDAY, March 11, 2021 – 6:30 P.M. ]
OKAY, SO I THINK OUR FIRST BIT OF A, UM, BUSINESS IS JUST TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.UM, I MOVE, WE APPROVE FOR THE MINUTES.
IS VISITING US TONIGHT BECAUSE THERE WAS AN EXCHANGE OF EMAILS BETWEEN HIM AND PAUL.
AND PAUL SUGGESTED THAT SEN COME TO US, AND I'M GONNA POP HIM AT THE BEGINNING OF THE AGENDA SO THAT HE DOESN'T HAVE TO SIT THROUGH THE WHOLE MEETING.
AND I THINK THE FIRST THING YOU HAVE TO DO FOR US, BECAUSE IN THE EXCHANGE OF EMAILS, I HAD NO CONTEXT OF WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS.
I JUST HAD YOUR RESPONSE AND I DIDN'T QUITE KNOW WHAT YOU WERE RESPONDING TO.
SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH US WHAT THE ISSUE IS, SINCE YOU WERE REFERRED TO US BY PAUL, AND YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE'VE WORKED WITH YOU FOR A LONG TIME WHEN YOU CAME.
WELL, MOSTLY A CONSULTANT FOR THE TOWN, AND YOU'VE COME IN AT VARIOUS TIMES AS A CONSULTANT FOR APPLICANTS.
SO IF YOU COULD BRING US UP TO SPEED ON WHAT THE ISSUE IS, I'D APPRECIATE IT.
THERE, THERE, THERE ARE TWO ISSUES.
UH, ONE, UH, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT MY SITUATION IS AND THEN I'LL EXPLAIN TO YOU THE ISSUES.
UH, I'M A NEIGHBOR OF A, UH, HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION CALLED THE WINDING RIDGE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, NOT TOO FAR FROM TOWN HALL, UH, JUST UP THE ROAD ON TARRYTOWN ROAD ON, ON OLD TERRY TOWN ROAD.
I DUNNO IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH IT OR NOT.
I'M, UH, I WAS HERE BEFORE THE DEVELOPMENT WAS STARTED.
I REMEMBER THAT THERE WAS A CONSERVATION EASEMENT.
I REMEMBER THAT, UH, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF, UH, ISSUES THERE THAT THE HOMEOWNERS STATION SHOULD HAVE TAKEN CARE OF.
LIKE THERE WAS A VERY RARE TREE IN NEW YORK, RARE TREE, I SHOULD SAY, IN, IN ONE OF THE PONDS THAT THEY HAVE THERE IN THE EASEMENT AREA.
AND THERE WERE A COUPLE OF SES THAT WERE ALSO NOT VERY COMMON.
UM, SO THOSE WERE ISSUES THAT IF YOU HAVE A CONSERVATION EASEMENT, YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THESE ITEMS ARE AT LEAST OBSERVED AND, AND MAINTAINED IF THEY CAN.
UH, ANOTHER POINT OF THE EASEMENT WAS THAT IT'S A WOODED SITE, AND THERE WAS TO BE, SUPPOSED TO BE A WOODED BUFFER BETWEEN THE DEVELOPMENT AND THE, THE RESIDENCES.
ON ALL TERRYTOWN ROAD, UH, THAT WOODED BUFFER IS STILL THERE.
UH, IT IS, HOWEVER, A, UH, HOW WOULD I SAY THE TERM WOULD BE? OLD FIELD GROWTH.
IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S, IT'S GROWTH.
A A FOREST GROWTH THAT HAS STARTED FROM AN OLD FIELD ON ITS OWN.
IT WASN'T PLANTED, AND IT'S ONLY LIKE 70 OR 80 YEARS OLD.
UM, IT'S DOMINATED BY PIONEERED PLANTS, WHICH, UH, WHICH MEANS THEY'RE USUALLY NOT VERY LONG LIVED.
THEY, AFTER A CERTAIN CERTAIN NUMBER OF YEARS, THEY EVENTUALLY GET REPLACED BY LONGER LIVED TREES LIKE OAKS AND BEACH TREES AND MAPLES.
WHAT, WHAT WE WOULD FIND, UH, THAT HAPPENS NATURALLY.
THE TREES FALL OVER AND, AND, UH, SAPLINGS OF THOSE IN, IN THE BREACHES WHERE THESE, THESE OLD, OLD TREES HAVE FALLEN OVER.
AND THEN THESE OAKS AND OAKS AND SEA, OTHER SEEDLINGS WILL EVENTUALLY GROW UP TO BE NORMAL TREES.
UH, THAT IS A PROCESS, A NATURAL PROCESS.
UH, BUT IT IS NOT NECESSARILY DESIRABLE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THERE ARE LOTS OF RESIDENCES BECAUSE THESE TREES DON'T FALL JUST WITHIN THE EASEMENT.
THEY ALSO FALL OUTSIDE OF THE EASEMENT.
AND I'VE HAD ONE OF THOSE TREES ON MY ROOF EIGHT YEARS AGO, UH, WHICH, WHICH ACTUALLY WASN'T THE FIRST TIME.
UH, THE FIRST TIME WAS ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO WHEN A LARGE BRANCH CAME TUMBLING DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER ON A, ON A VERY CALM, MILD DAY.
AND, AND, UH, I SAID, WHAT IS THIS? I HAVE MY OFFICE IN THE BACK OF MY HOUSE.
ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEAR THIS CRASHING AND THERE'S THIS TREE LIMB COMING DOWN AND LANDING IN MY YARD.
AND, AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER, A FEW MONTHS LATER, ANOTHER TREE LIMB CAME DOWN.
I DIDN'T FALL ALL THE WAY TO THE GROUND, IT GOT STUCK SOMEWHERE MIDWAY.
I CALLED UP THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT COMPANY AND THEY SAID, OH, WE'LL COME DOWN RIGHT AWAY AND WE'LL TAKE IT OFF SO IT DOESN'T DAMAGE YOUR FENCE.
THEY CAME AND THERE WAS NO PROBLEM.
AND I SAID, OKAY, THAT'S GREAT.
WELL, EIGHT YEARS LATER, WHEN THE TREE LANDED ON MY ROOF, NOBODY CARED.
AND I JUST TOOK IT OFF MYSELF.
I MEAN, I DIDN'T DO IT MYSELF.
I HIRED SOMEBODY TO DO IT, BUT IT WASN'T A BIG, HUGE EXPENSE JUST CAME OFF.
THERE WASN'T MUCH DAMAGE TO THE HOUSE.
A COUPLE OF SHINGLES WERE DONE,
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BUT I, I WAS ALARMED ENOUGH BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY MORE TREES LIKE THAT.ONE, I WAS ALARMED ENOUGH TO SEND, SEND OUT A LETTER TO THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, UM, THAT SHOWED ALL THE, ALL THE TREES THAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT.
I TOLD THEM THEY'RE, AT LEAST AT THIS POINT, THEY WERE AT LEAST 70 YEARS OLD.
AND, UH, THAT'S ROUGHLY THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF THESE KIND OF TREES THAT THIS ARE, THOSE ARE BLACK LOCUST TREES.
THEY'RE ALSO RATED AS AN INVASIVE SPECIES HERE IN, IN NEW YORK STATE.
UM, AND SO BASICALLY I SET IN MOTION A PROCESS WHERE I NOTIFIED THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION THAT THEY'RE DANGEROUS TREES.
UH, THE RESPONSE WAS PRETTY WELL LACKLUSTER, IS TO SAY, PUT IT NICELY.
AND, AND THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE, UH, MANAGEMENT COMPANY, I GOT WORD THAT THEY SAID, WELL, IF THE TREE FALLS OVER, MANAGE THE, THE INSURANCE, HIS INSURANCE COMPANY WILL PAY FOR IT.
THEY WEREN'T CONCERNED ABOUT LIFE OR LIMB OR ANYBODY WHO, WHO WOULD BE INJURED BY THAT.
SO THAT'S ONLY MY PERSONAL STORY NOW.
SO I, I APPROACHED PAUL BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANT THERE, I DON'T WANT THERE TO BE, DO THE IMPRESSION THAT SINCE I'M NOW A TOWN, A TOWN EMPLOYEE, THAT THE TOWN WOULD FAVOR ME AND, AND TO BEEN ON MY BEHALF.
SO I, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T GO TO, UM, THE COMMISSIONER, GARRETT GARRETT, DUANE, UM, I, I DID GO TO HIM, BUT ONLY TO NOTIFY HIM THAT THIS IS GOING ON.
UH, I DIDN'T REALLY ASK FOR HIS HELP, AND HE'D NOTIFIED ME TOO THAT HE COULDN'T INTERVENE IN, IN, IN PRIVATE, PRIVATE MATTERS BETWEEN NEIGHBORS.
UM, SO FAR THAT ISSUE NOW, UH, MANY YEARS AGO, ACTUALLY, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT IS, MIGHT BE 10 YEARS AGO OR SO, WHEN WE HAD THE PRIOR, UM, PUBLIC WORKS COMMISSIONER VICTOR OZZI COME IN SHORTLY THEREAFTER, I GOT A TICKET ON MY DOOR, UH, FROM THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT SAYING, MOW YOUR LAWN.
YOU HAVE TO KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF YOU, ANYBODY, ONLY IF YOU HAVE SEEN MY LAWN.
I MAINTAIN IT USUALLY, BUT I HAVE A LOT OF WILDFLOWER BEDS ALL AROUND, AND THEY DON'T LOOK LIKE THE NEATEST THING.
I I'M AN ECOLOGIST AND I'D LIKE THINGS TO GROW AND SEE WHAT COMES UP.
IF IT'S NOT A WHEAT, I LEAVE IT.
AND I, I, I'D LIKE TO, I MEAN, DO IT FOR THE BIRDS, I DO IT FOR THE INSECTS, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I'M HAPPY DOING THAT.
AND I'M TAKING PHOTOS OF THEM ALL THE TIME.
SO I'M MAINTAINING THIS VERY MUCH.
IT JUST DOESN'T LOOK AS NEAT AS YOUR NORMAL FRONT YARD.
AND, AND SO AT THAT POINT, I HAD ACTUALLY GROWN THAT THE LAWN ALSO TO SEE WHAT COMES UP OUT OF THE LAWN.
SO I KEPT MOWING IT EVENTUALLY, BUT WHILE THAT, WHILE THE TOP, WHILE THE GRASS WAS TALL, MY NEIGHBOR PUT HIS, HIS PROPERTY UP FOR SALE.
AND THE REAL ESTATE AGENT COMPLAINT, THERE IS A LAW ON THE BOOKS.
IT'S IN THE SANITATION DEPARTMENT, WHICH AMONG OTHER THINGS, PROHIBITS OR MANDATES THAT WE HAVE TO MOW OUR LAWNS PROHIBITS TALL GRASS.
AND I HAD AN EXCHANGE WITH THE, UH, UH, TOWN BOARD YESTERDAY WHERE I WAS TOLD IT'S THE RODENTS THAT PEOPLE ARE AFRAID OF.
AND THE LOOKS OF UNKEMPT PROPERTIES THAT MAKE THE PROPERTY VALUES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD GO DOWN.
IF, IF A POTENTIAL BUYER COMES IN AND SEES A, A NEGLECTED LAW.
WELL, I MEAN, THE REAL ESTATE, REAL, REAL ESTATE ARGUMENT IS ONE THAT I CAN'T DENY.
BUT I, I ALSO WOULD SAY THE SAME ARGUMENT GOES FOR IF A TREE, TREE BRANCH FROM THE NEIGHBORING PROPERTY HANGS OVER MY HOUSE AND IS THREATENING, A POTENTIAL BUYER WILL NOT LIKE THAT EITHER.
SO I HAVE THE SAME ARGUMENT FOR TREES AND I, WHAT I'M REALLY, WHAT I'M REALLY GOING AFTER IS, ON THE ONE HAND, I WOULD LIKE, LIKE YOU TO ADVISE THE BOARD, OR ACTUALLY MY BOSS, AARON'S BOSS, THE COMMISSIONER, THAT FUTURE CONSERVATION EASEMENTS SHOULD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY CONSERVING AND, AND, AND ASK THEM TO PROVIDE MAYBE ANNUAL OR EVERY THREE YEARS OR EVERY FIVE YEARS, A REPORT BY A LICENSE, LET'S SAY FORESTER, IF IT'S A FOREST OR LICENSED ARBORIST OR MEADOWS, OR I DON'T, I DON'T DON'T KNOW.
WHATEVER YOU'RE, YOU'RE PUTTING AN EASEMENT IN WHAT, WHAT YOU PUT IN CONSERVATION EASEMENTS FOR SOMETIMES THERE WERE CERTAIN ANIMALS, SOMETIMES FOR CERTAIN SPECIES, SOMETIMES FOR, UM, FOR LANDSCAPE TYPE THINGS.
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THE EASEMENT BEHIND MY HOUSE IS, IS BASICALLY THEY WANT, AS FAR AS I UNDERSTOOD IT, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A FOREST THAT BUFFER.AND, UM, THAT HAS TO BE MAINTAINED.
AND, AND, AND IT'S GOOD TO HAVE A MONITORING REPORT EVERY SO OFTEN SO THAT YOU AND, UH, THE COMMISSIONER OR MY, OUR OFFICE, AARON'S OFFICE, HAS A WRITTEN RECORD OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THIS EASEMENT.
SO THAT'S ONE, ONE SUGGESTION I MADE.
THE OTHER SUGGESTION I MADE IS THAT THERE IS SOME KIND OF A DISCREPANCY IN THE LAW THAT SAYS, ON THE ONE HAND, YOU HAVE TO MOW YOUR LAWN.
THERE'S NOTHING IN THE LAW THAT SAYS YOU HAVE TO TRIM YOUR TREES SO THAT THEY'RE NOT DANGEROUS FOR YOUR NEIGHBOR, NEIGHBORS.
AND YESTERDAY'S DISCUSSION WAS PRIMARILY ABOUT THAT ISSUE.
UM, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOUR, YOUR COMMISSION, UH, DO IS TO, UH, POSSIBLY DISCUSS WITH ME IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO ADVISE THE BOARD THAT IT WOULD BE GOOD, TWO THINGS.
A TO TO DEMOTE THE GRASS MOWING.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, THAT IT'S NOT LONGER A MUST, THAT YOU HAVE TO MOW YOUR LAWN, UH, FOR ECOLOGICAL REASONS AS WELL AS FOR THERE IS NO, THERE IS NO CONNECTION TO THE SANITATION CODE.
UH, THE TALL GRASS DOES NOT BELONG INTO A SANITATION LAW.
KNOW? AND, UM, THAT IT DOES NOT ATTRACT THE RODENTS.
IT'S, IT, IT MAY BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, SOME SOMEWHERE DOWN THE LINE, BUT WHAT ATTRACTS THE RODENTS ARE FOOD AND SHELTER AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
AND, AND THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS THAT LIKE, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE PETS AND PUT PET FOOD OUT IN THE YARD ON THE, ON THE OR.
SO THAT'S THE KIND THING THAT ATTRACTS RATS AND BONES.
IT'S NOT THE, NOT THE THE GRASS, YOU KNOW? AND, AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WANTS TO PUT IN THE CODE THAT YOU CAN'T PUT PET FOOD OUT BECAUSE YOU, EVERYBODY, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE DOGS AND CATS.
SO YOU DON'T WANNA PREVENT THAT.
YOU'D HAVE A STORM OF AN, UH, OF, OF, UH, OF REALLY ANGRY, ANGRY RESIDENTS.
I LOVE TO FEED THE BIRDS SHOULDN'T BE PROHIBITED THAT I FEED THE BIRDS, BUT THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT ATTRACTS THE RODENTS.
SO IF THE ARGUMENT IS MY LAWN, MY TALL LAWN OR ANYBODY'S TALL LAWN, UH, WILL ATTRACT THE RODENTS.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE WRONG ARGUMENT.
YOU HAVE YOU WITH THIS, WITH THIS, UM, NOTICE OR FINE, YOU GOT, WAS THIS RECENT OR WAS THAT'S ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO.
SO, AND I GUESS, I GUESS THE QUESTION IS, NO ONE IS BOTHERING YOU RIGHT NOW ABOUT MOWING YOUR LAWN.
NO, I, I, I'M MOWING MY LAWN ANYWAY, BUT IT'S, IT WAS JUST SOMETHING IN TIME THAT I DID TO TEST WHAT'S COMING ABOUT THE LAWN.
I MEAN, I'M HAVING A REALLY, HE TIME FOLLOWING YOU, YOU'RE SAYING AN AWFUL LOT OF WORDS IN ONE SENTENCE.
CAN YOU SAY PRECISELY WHAT IT IS WITHOUT ALL THE REASONS? I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU WANT.
IT'S, UH, NONE UNDER THE REASONING.
WHAT DO YOU WANT? UH, IT'S NOT JUST ONE THING.
WHAT ARE, OKAY, TWO SENTENCES, ONE SENTENCE.
WHAT DO I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO ADVISE THE BOARD THAT THE TODD, THE, THE PRO, THE, THE, UM, THE NEED TO MOW THE LAWN SHOULD GET TAKEN OUT OF THE SANITATION CODE.
WHAT'S THE NEXT SENTENCE? THAT'S THE ONE THING.
THE OTHER THING IS I WOULD LIKE YOU TO ENCOURAGE THE BOARD TO, TO COME UP WITH SOME KIND OF A CODE THAT PROTECTS NEIGHBORS FROM THEIR ADJACENT PROPERTIES THAT ARE NOT MAINTAINED.
SO THAT TREES THAT ARE ROTTEN OR ARE NEAR ARE TOO OLD.
THAT THEY, IF THEY'VE, IF THEY HAVE THE, IF, IF IT'S OBVIOUS THAT THEY COULD FALL ONTO YOUR PROPERTY, THAT THE PROPERTY OWNER HAS TO TAKE CARE OF THEM.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S A DANGER.
OH, OH, I, I, I DON'T, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND QUITE TRUTHFULLY THE WAY YOU EXPRESSED IT IN TERMS OF THE EASEMENTS.
I CERTAINLY THINK WHEN THE C A C MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE EASEMENTS, WE COULD CONSIDER IN THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT IN MANY CASES THERE'D BE MONITORING OF SOME KIND.
I, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO IT, BUT I DO THINK IT'S A SUGGESTION THAT I THINK IS, HAS MERIT THAT, UM, BECAUSE ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IS WITH THE LARGER PROJECT SOMETIMES IS THE FOLLOW UP AND IF IT'S ACTUALLY ON THE APPROVAL THAT THEY HAVE TO MAINTAIN IT.
AND WE DO THIS TYPE OF THING WITH OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL THINGS.
FOR INSTANCE, UH, WITH DRAINS WHERE WE TAKE OFF, UM, OIL, OIL, THERE'S A, THERE'S A, ON MOST OF THE DRAIN APPROVALS, THERE'S A, A MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT.
SO THAT'S, I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD TAKE UNDER ADVISEMENT.
SO I THINK THE MOWING OF THE LAWN IS GONNA BE A HARD ONE, FINN, BECAUSE, I MEAN, I
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UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.AND PARTICULARLY IF YOUR LAWN IS A LITTLE BIT LARGER, HAVING AREAS WHERE THERE ARE WILDFLOWERS.
I HAPPEN TO REALLY LIKE WILD FLOWERS.
UM, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT AESTHETICALLY IN TERMS OF NEIGHBORS AND IN YOUR CASE, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE IT WAS WELL MAINTAINED.
BUT I THINK THE THING IS IN THERE, BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE UNFORTUNATELY OVER THE HISTORY OF TIME SIMPLY DON'T MOW THEIR LAWNS.
AND THAT GETS TO LOOK REALLY, UM, UNKEMPT.
SO I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE BIT HARDER ONE.
UM, I CERTAINLY THINK THE CONCEPT OF TRYING TO PRESERVE AREAS WITH WILD FLOWERS, BECAUSE THERE'S THAT WHOLE CYCLE.
WE KNOW THAT THESE ARE THINGS, THE NATIVE, NATIVE INSECTS AND BIRDS ARE LOOKING FOR ALL THE NATIVE FLOWERS.
BUT, UM, THAT'S ONE THAT'S A LITTLE HARD TO DEAL WITH IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU WERE SAYING TODAY.
BUT I DO DO THINK THAT, UM, YOUR, IT'S A LITTLE HARD ALSO TO PUT ANYTHING INTO CODE OTHER THAN ABOUT AN IMMEDIATE NEIGHBOR.
BUT I THINK WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A BIG PROJECT WHERE WE'RE SETTING UP EASEMENTS, IT'S DIFFERENT TO ASK FOR MONITORING.
I THINK UNFORTUNATELY WHAT HAPPENS WITH NEIGHBORS IS IT REALLY BECOMES A THING OF ASKING YOUR NEIGHBOR TO TAKE CARE OF IT WHEN YOUR NEIGHBOR IS ANOTHER PRIVATE HOUSE.
AND USUALLY IN THAT CASE YOU HAVE A, A FAIRLY DECENT NEIGHBOR, YOU DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM.
UH, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING I THINK IS A LITTLE HARD TO, TO, TO, UM, FOR THE TOWN TO GET INVOLVED IN.
'CAUSE THAT'S REALLY A NEIGHBOR THING.
BUT HOW DIFFERENT IS IT FROM MOWING THE LAWN? UM, I, I JUST THINK WE'RE, WELL, I THINK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
ONE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A SAFETY ISSUE.
THE OTHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN AESTHETIC ISSUE.
I DON'T THINK IT'S KEVIN, THE GRASS LONG LAUNDRY
DO, DO YOU KNOW THE SWIN DO YOU KNOW THE STATUTORY SITE THAT WAS IN THE, UH, SAYS YOU HAVE TO MOW THE LAWN? I, I'M JUST NOT FAMILIAR WITH, I I CAN, LEMME JUST BRING IT UP HERE.
I HAVE TO FIGURE OUT YEAH, I'D LIKE, I'D LIKE TO READ IT.
IT'S, UH, NOW THAT I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, I, I, I'M CERTAIN I, I, I KIND OF AGREE WITH YOU.
I THINK WE OUGHT TO GIVE RID OF IT TOO, BUT I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT IT SAYS.
LEMME JUST SEE IF I CAN FIND IT QUICKLY.
UM, THIS IS, CAN YOU OPEN IT? JUST READ IT TO US? YEAH, I CAN.
TRYING, I CAN'T OPEN IT, BUT IT'S TOWN CODE FOUR 10 DASH FOUR J.
I'M GONNA READ IT TO EVERYBODY.
I'M SORRY, WHAT? TERRY? I SAID THANK YOU.
I MEAN, I, I AGREE WITH THAT, WITH THAT.
I JUST DUNNO WHAT THE HELL IT SAYS FOUR 10.
REMOVAL OF WEEDS, RUBBISH, ET CETERA.
WELL, LET'S WEEDS BRUSH RANK GROWTH AND LONG GRASS.
NOW LONG GRASS IS DEFINED AND REMOVE ALL RUBBISH.
SO YOU HAVE TO CUT WEEDS, BRUSH, RANK, GROWTH.
I MEAN, ON OUR PROPERTY WE HAVE A WETLAND.
IT'S PROBABLY A STATUTE A, A STATUTE THAT WAS MEANT FOR SOMEONE WHO WAS BEING LIC IN THE MAINTENANCE OF THEIR HOUSE.
AND IT JUST ISN'T COATED CORRECTLY.
BUT IT, IT IS BEING USED BY THE REAL ESTATE AGENTS WHEN THEY SEE IT.
WHEN THEY HAVE, IT'S A HOUSE FOR SALE, THEY GO COMPLAIN AND SOMEBODY HAS A YARD THAT THEY DON'T LIKE, THEY GO TO THE TOWN BUILDING DEPART AND SAY, PLEASE GIVE THEM A VIOLATION.
WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE, OF OUR RECENTLY? WHAT HAPPENED? I'M SORRY.
DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE RECENTLY WHO GOT ONE? YES.
AND WHAT HAPPENED? WELL, MY WIFE WENT OVER THERE AND MOWED THE LAWN FOR HER BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T HAVE A LAWNMOWER.
AND SHE'S HIRING PEOPLE NOW TO DO IT.
BUT IT, IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS.
SHE INHERITED THE HOUSE AND, AND SHE WASN'T PREPARED, YOU KNOW, BUT IT'S NOT THAT SHE LIKED THE, SHE, SHE ACTUALLY ENJOYED THE TALL GRASSER, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
IT'S HER PREFERENCE, YOU KNOW? AND, AND IN A WAY I
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I I I, I AGREE WITH YOU.I, I THINK, UH, I, I, I THINK THE MODEL OF A SUBURBAN, YOU KNOW, PRISTINE MOW LAWN IS, IS, IS, UH, IS IS VERY HARMFUL ENVIRONMENTALLY.
I THINK WE COULD ADDRESS THIS, UH, TERRY.
I THINK WE CAN LOOK AT IT, WE CAN LOOK FURTHER INTO IT.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE
AND WHY DON'T WE PUT THAT AS SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO LOOK INTO.
I, I MEAN, I, I HAVE TO SAY, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET A LOT OF, UM, SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, ON THIS, BUT I, I, I THINK HIS ENVIRONMENT, I THINK SWAN'S, RIGHT? I THINK IT'S AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE.
AND I ALSO THINK HIS COMMENT ON WHEN WE DO EASEMENTS, THAT WHAT THERE'D BE A MONITORING ON THE, UM, MAINTENANCE OF THE EASEMENT IS A VERY GOOD SUGGESTION.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S AN EXCELLENT SUGGESTION.
AND I, I THINK THAT'S ONE THAT WE ACTUALLY PROBABLY WILL START TO IMPLEMENT.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S, IT'S WORTHWHILE.
AND I THINK YOU'VE POINTED OUT A REASON WHY THAT'S, THAT'S NEEDED.
AND SO I, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU CAME TONIGHT.
JERRY, BEFORE I LEAVE, CAN I ASK YOU ONE MORE QUESTION? SURE.
AND ON THAT, AND THAT STORM THAT WE HAD LAST AUGUST, WHICH IS ABOUT SEVEN, SEVEN MONTHS AGO NOW, A HUGE CHERRY TREE CAME DOWN, NOT ON MY PROPERTY, BUT NEXT TO IT.
AND, UH, IT TOOK WITH, IT ONE OF THOSE BLACK, BLACK LOCUST TREES.
AND THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION IS NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE GOTTEN COMPLAINTS.
AND MY, MY OTHER NEIGHBOR WHO WAS ALSO ADJACENT TO THE, TO THE, TO THE EASEMENT, HE COME OVER TO ME AND SAYS, SOMAN, WE OUGHT TO GO TOGETHER TO THE POLICE AND TELL THEM ABOUT THIS.
AND HE SAYS, LISTEN, LISTEN, I'M, I'M, I'M TAKING CARE OF IT MY WAY,
I'M NOT GONNA GO TO THE POLICE ABOUT THIS.
AND IT'S BEEN SITTING THERE FOR SEVEN MONTHS.
AND IT, I MEAN, IF, IF ANYBODY HAD APPLIED THIS LAW THAT I JUST MENTIONED TO YOU, THE FOUR TEN FOUR J UH, CONSEQUENTLY, THEY SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN A VIOLATION FOR BRUSH THAT'S ON THE GROUND.
WELL, I GUESS I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU ACTUALLY WANT THE DEAD TREE TAKEN AWAY, BECAUSE I WOULD THINK YOU WOULD WANT THE DEAD TREE THERE TO, FOR THE, UH, I, I'M JUST, ALL I'M SAYING IS THAT CONSISTENCY.
WHEN, WAIT A MINUTE, THERE'S ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS TO A DEAD TREE IF THE BRANCHES ARE DOWN.
NOT IF THEY'RE STICKING UP AND FULL OF LEAVES, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY'RE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS FOR, FOR THE, FOR THE, FOR THE, FOR THE SOILS.
THERE'S ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT FOR HABITATS.
THERE'S, DON'T MISUNDERSTAND ME, YOU, MIKE, YOU HAVEN'T HEARD ME THAT I HURT ME, HEARD ME SAYING THAT I COMPLAINED TO THE TOWN ABOUT THIS TREE.
HAVE YOU? NO, BUT I HURT, I HURT MY NEIGHBOR COMPLAINING ABOUT IT.
'CAUSE HE DOESN'T LIKE IT IN THE VISUAL ASPECT.
AND, AND I, BUT HONEST WITH YOU, I THINK IT'S A FIRE HAZARD.
IF WE HAVE A DROUGHT THAT COULD, COULD BE PUT, BE FARTHER FOR FIRE IF THEY TOOK THE TREE BRANCHES AND CUT THEM AND LAY THEM FLA FLAT ON THE GROUND, I WOULD LOVE THAT.
WELL, WE HAVE STILL AN AGENDA TO GET THROUGH THIS EVENING AND YOU WERE KIND OF AN ADD-ON.
SO I THANK YOU FOR COMING AND YOU'RE WELCOME TO STAY IF YOU LIKE, FOR THE REST OF THE MEETING.
BUT IF YOU WOULD RATHER HAVE A LIFE, THAT'S PERFECTLY OKAY.
AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING THIS EVENING.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF UPDATING TO DO TONIGHT AND HEARING FROM PEOPLE.
AND I ACTUALLY HAVE WHAT I THINK MAY BE A NEW PROJECT FOR US.
UM, IT'S ALWAYS ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHEN YOU START TO LOOK AT STUFF AND YOU GET GOING ON IT.
SO I GUESS IF I LOOK AT, WE'VE ACTUALLY HEARD WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE TREE LAW, WHICH IS GOOD, WAS GOOD NEWS.
UM, WE HAVE THE ELMWOOD RESOLUTION THAT WAS SENT TO EVERYBODY.
IS MIKE AROUND OR WE LOST MIKE? 'CAUSE WE CAN, WE NEED, WE NEED MEMBERS TO DO THIS FOR A VOTE.
UM, FOR, I DON'T BELIEVE THIS WAS CIRCULATED TO OUR POTENTIAL MEMBERS, BUT, UM, MEMBERS, ONE OF THE THINGS IS THERE'S A PROCESS CALLED SEEKER AND AARON, IF I SAY SOMETHING WRONG, CORRECT ME.
IT IS THE PROCESS WHERE NEW YORK STATE LAW HAS TO HAVE PROJECTS ARE CONDUCTED AND REVIEWED.
AND IT IS A, A LONGSTANDING THING THAT THIS IS A PROCESS THAT IS ABSOLUTELY VERY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND.
AND THEY HAVE SOMETHING CALLED A SEEKER COOKBOOK, WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO MAKE IT EASIER TO UNDERSTAND.
AND IN FACT, IT'S PROBABLY EVEN LESS UNDERSTANDABLE THAN THE ACTUAL LAW.
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IS THAT SOMETIMES THE WAY THE LAW HAS BEEN EXECUTED, MUNICIPALITIES, NOT OUT OF ANY MALICIOUSNESS, BUT PERHAPS OUT OF JUST AN INABILITY TO REALIZE THERE WERE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MORE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN THE EXECUTION OF THE LAW AND REVIEW OF PROJECTS.MIKE, GOD LOVE HIM, WHO'S AN ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS LAWYER, HAS ACTUALLY GONE THROUGH THIS AND HAS SAID, WAIT A MINUTE, YOU KNOW, WE COULD, THIS SHOULD BE GOING ON DIFFERENTLY.
AND WITH THE ELWOOD PROJECT, WHAT WE ENCOUNTERED WAS WHEN WE STARTED TO REVIEW THE ENVIRONMENTAL DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT, THERE WERE MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE UNDERLYING METRICS THAT WERE USED FOR SOME OF THEIR CONCLUSIONS OR WHERE SOME OF THEIR ASSUMPTIONS CAME FROM.
I MEAN, THEY HAVE AN ASSUMPTION THAT IN THIS COMMUNITY THEY'RE PROPOSING WHERE THERE ARE FOUR BEDROOM, FOUR PARKING SPACE TOWNHOUSES THAT SENIORS ARE GONNA GO INTO.
40% OF THE UNITS ARE ONLY GONNA HAVE ONE PERSON LIVING IN THEM.
WELL, MAYBE THERE IS SOMEWHERE WHERE THEY CAN VALIDATE THAT, BUT FOR MOST OF US, IT SEEMS LIKE A STRETCH TO BELIEVE THAT ALL OF THESE SINGLE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE BUYING 3,500 SQUARE FOOT TOWNHOUSES TO LIVE IN BY THEMSELVES AS THEY'RE AGING.
IT JUST DIDN'T SEEM LIKE A LOGICAL THING WITH THREE, WITH THREE, WITH THREE BEDROOMS AND FOUR PARKING SPACES.
SO WE, WE, WE FACE A PROBLEM WITH THIS.
WE FACED A PROBLEM WITH, WITH MANY OF THE METRICS THEY USE WHEN COMPARING, WHEN YOU DO A BIG LARGE PROJECT, THEY DO COMPARISONS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUILD OUTS AND THE ECONOMICS.
WELL, THOSE ECONOMICS HAVE UNDERWRITING THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA SELL THE TOWNHOUSES FOR THIS, BUT IF YOU BUILD RESIDENTIAL HOUSES, THIS IS WHAT THEY WOULD BE VALUED AT.
WELL, THEY ONLY HAVE AN A END FIGURE.
AND THE QUESTION WE ALL CAME UP WITH, WITH SOME OF THESE TYPES OF METRICS WERE, WELL, WHAT FIGURE DID YOU USE? YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL 30 LOTS GENERALLY IN THE TOWN, OR AN R 30 LOT.
THE HOUSE IS, WELL, WELL OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.
BUT IT DIDN'T SEEM LIKE THAT WAS THE NUMBER THEY WERE USING.
SO THESE WERE ALL OF THE TYPES OF QUESTIONS.
AND THERE WERE MANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
WHEN THE GRANT D I S WENT FOR REVIEW, THE SUBSEQUENT PROCESS, HOW THIS WORKS IS THEN THE APPLICANT GETS BACK TO THE TOWNS CONSULTANT TO SAY, WELL, HERE'S THE INFORMATION OR THIS FIGURE IS RIGHT.
AND NORMALLY THE PROCESS HAS BEEN TO GO THEN TO THE FINAL E I S WELL, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF ALAW IN THAT BECAUSE THEN THE COMMUNITY HAS TO RUN IT AT THE LAST MINUTE, READ THIS DOCUMENT AND TRY AND SORT OF GET THIS ALL DONE AND SAY, WAIT, YOU CAN'T APPROVE THAT BECAUSE WE THINK THE NUMBERS ARE WRONG.
SO WHAT THIS RECOMMENDATION THE C C A C IS MAKING IS THAT PRIOR TO THIS FINAL E I S BEING ISSUED, THAT THE INTERESTED, OR PEOPLE SUCH AS THE C A C, THE PLANNING BOARD, HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW IT AND SAY, WELL, WAIT A MINUTE, THIS QUESTION WAS ASKED, AND WE DON'T THINK THE APPLICANT REALLY ANSWERED IT.
OR THE APPLICANT COMBINED SEVERAL QUESTIONS AND THERE WAS A NUANCED DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EACH QUESTION AND INCIDENT ASKED TO EACH ONE INDIVIDUALLY.
UM, WE'VE LOOKED AT THE WHAT YOUR SOURCE, YOU HAVEN'T PROVIDED A SOURCE FOR THIS RECOMMENDATION OR THE NUMBER YOU ARE USING FOR THIS METRIC, WE DON'T THINK IS A REALISTIC ONE BASED ON WHATEVER.
AND THEN GO BACK TO THE TOWNS CONSULTANT WHO MANAGES THIS PROCESS AND SAY, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THIS IS ISSUED, I, WE THINK THESE ITEMS NEED TO BE RESOLVED.
WELL, THIS IS A BIG CHANGE IN THE WAY THINGS ARE DONE.
SO WHAT THE C A C HAS IS DOING, AND THIS IS MIKE'S, I'M GONNA GIVE MIKE ALL THE CREDIT ON THIS ONE.
'CAUSE HE REALLY IS THE ONE HAS COME FORWARD WITH A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE JUST REALLY CHANGE THIS PROCESS SO THAT THE, UM, AGENCIES INVOLVED CAN REALLY GET A HANDLE AT LOOKING AT THIS DOCUMENT BEFORE IT IS RELEASED AS FINAL.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE WILL BE VOTING ON TONIGHT.
AND THIS COULD BE A REAL GAME CHANGER IN THE WAY WE DO THINGS IN THE TOWN ON LARGE PROJECTS FORWARD IF WE CAN GET THIS IN PLACE.
MIKE, HAVE I SUMMARIZED IT CORRECTLY? YEAH, NO, ABSOLUTELY.
[00:30:02]
IT'S, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ALL THE REASONS TERRY SAID.AND ALSO AT THE END OF THE GAME, THERE'S SUPPOSED TO BE SOMETHING CALLED A FINDINGS STATEMENT, F I N D I N G S STATEMENT, A FINDING STATEMENT BY THE LEAD AGENCY, WHICH IS THE TOWN BOARD.
WELL, THE FINDING STATEMENT IS SUPPOSED TO BE DERIVATIVE OF THE FINAL E I S WELL, IF THE FINAL E I S COMES IN, UM, HOPEFULLY IMPROVED FROM THE DRAFT E I S BUT STILL IT DOESN'T ANSWER WHERE DID YOU GET THESE NUMBERS FROM? OR YOUR ANALYSIS ON THE ALTERNATIVES IS NOT FULSOME AND DOESN'T TAKE INTO ALL THE RELEVANT CONSIDERATIONS.
YOU CAN GET SOME DISTORTED FINDINGS, WHICH ARE NOT IN THE COMMUNITY'S BEST INTEREST.
AND FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE ELEMENTS WITH STUFF, ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL IS GOING TO BE, UM, THAT THERE ARE TWO ALT, THERE'S AN ALTERNATIVE CALL C AS IN CHARLIE, THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE BASIC PLAN THAT THE DEVELOPER WANTS IS A 47% BASICALLY DOUBLING THE DENSITY.
AND THAT SETS A HECK OF A BAD PRECEDENT THROUGHOUT THE TOWN TO INCREASE.
YOU KNOW, JUST THINK OF WHERE YOU LIVE AND JUST THINK YOU HAVE TWICE AS MANY PEOPLE AROUND AS, UH, AS, UM, AS ARE THERE NOW IF YOU DOUBLE THE DENSITY, IF YOU LOOK AT ALTERNATIVE C, THE DENSITY ONLY INCREASES 5.5%, YET THEY STILL MAINTAIN THE ABILITY TO GIVE THE PUBLIC PARK TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT THREE, UH, THREE PLAYING FIELDS.
SO ALTERNATIVE C HAS GOTTA GET A VERY FAIR ANALYSIS, BECAUSE THAT MAY BE THE RIGHT ANSWER.
I'M NOT SAYING IT IS, BUT WE WANNA BE SURE THERE'S AT LEAST A VERY FAIR ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVE C, WHICH THE DEVELOPER DOESN'T WANT BECAUSE HE DOESN'T MAKE AS MUCH MONEY OFF OFF OF THIS COURSE.
BUT FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL POINT OF VIEW, THERE'S A MINOR INCREASE OF DENSITY OF 5.5%, BUT WE STILL MAINTAIN THE BALL FIELDS TO BE GIVEN TO THE TOWN.
SO THAT'S WHY WE'VE GOTTA BE SURE THAT THE FINAL IS SOMETHING THAT IS A FAIR BASIS UPON WHICH TO THEN GO TO THE, UM, UM, UH, LEAD AGENCY AND, AND HAVE, YOU KNOW, A GOOD FINDING STATEMENTS, UH, UH, COMING OUT OF THE, COMING OUT OF THE SQL PROCESS.
SO, UM, SO THAT, UH, YEAH, SHARON, I JUST WONDERED, HA HAVE THEY HAD OR ARE THEY PLANNING A PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS? WELL, YEAH, THERE'LL BE, THERE'LL BE PUBLIC HEARING, BUT IT'S, YOU HAVE 10 DAYS, SO IT TAKE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE 10 DAYS TO READ IT AND HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING.
AND EVEN IF YOU HAD, EVEN IF YOU HAD A MONTH, IF THE FINDING STATEMENT IS WRONG, IT'S NOT SO CLEAR WHAT THE MECHANISM IS TO FIX IT.
RIGHT? THERE'S, THERE'S NOT, THERE'S NOT A MECHANISM TO HAVE A DRAFT E I S A FINAL E I S AND THEN A REAL FINAL FINAL E I SS, YOU KNOW, THE FINAL IS THE FINAL.
SO, SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS SAY, LET US GET IN THERE BEFOREHAND, LOOK AT IT AND SAY, WAIT A MINUTE, WE ARE MISSING THIS, OR THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
YOU KNOW, UM, YOU, YOU KNOW, YOUR STATISTICS ARE BASED ON, UH, CALIFORNIA, NOT NEW YORK OR NEVADA OR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU THE OLD THING THAT YOU CAN MAKE STATISTICS DO ANYTHING YOU WANT.
AND THAT UNFORTUNATELY IS TRUE.
AND YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE CLAIMS ON THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, SINCE IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR 55 AND OVER, WAS THAT PEOPLE WHO WERE 55, THEY DIDN'T WORK AT ONE TIME, THE STATEMENT WAS MADE AND WHICH WAS, YOU KNOW, LUDICROUS.
AND YOU KNOW, THERE ARE THINGS LIKE, UM, THERE'S A QUESTION WHEN THEY TALKED ABOUT, UM, HOW THEY CAME UP WITH THE NUMBER OF TRIPS COMING OUT OF THE BUILDING AND THEY WAS, UH, OF THE POSSIBLE BUILD OUT.
AND THEY SAID, WELL, IF YOU HAVE SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN, THERE'LL BE X MORE INCREASE OF TRIPS IN THE MORNING.
WELL, THAT MIGHT BE TRUE IN EDGEMONT WHERE THEY DON'T BUS CHILDREN, BUT THIS PROPERTY IS SPLIT BETWEEN THE ELMSFORD AND THE GREENBURG CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND THE CHILDREN ARE BUSED.
SO IT'S HIGHLY UNLIKELY YOU WILL HAVE MANY PARENTS DRIVING THEIR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL WHEN THE SCHOOL BUS IS GONNA STOP IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE.
SO, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN PLAY WITH STATISTICS AND IF SOMEONE DOESN'T TAKE A REALLY HARD LOOK AT THEM AND SAY, WELL, WAIT A MINUTE, THAT NUMBER HAS SOME FLOORS IN IT.
SO THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH THIS.
SO, UH, WHAT WE NEED TO DO, SINCE WE DO HAVE FOUR PEOPLE FROM THE C A C, WHICH QUALIFIES AS A QUORUM, I MOVE THAT THE C A C GO FORWARD AND, UM,
[00:35:02]
SEND THIS, UM, RECOMMENDATION TO THE COMMISSIONER OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION.WE JUST ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING
I ALSO ADD THAT AFTER SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHAIR OF THE, UH, THE CHAIR AND THE VICE CHAIR OF THE PLANNING BOARD, THEY HAVE, UH, DETERMINED THAT THEY SUPPORT THIS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WILL TAKE IT DIRECTLY TO THE PLANNING BOARD, BUT BOTH THE CHAIR AND THE VICE CHAIR OF THE PLANNING BOARD SUPPORT THIS.
MIKE, IS THERE ANYTHING IN ON EXCESS FOOD TO TALK ABOUT? UM, YES.
UM, I HAD A, UH, CALL WITH, UM, THE PRESIDENT AND AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF, UH, THE WESTCHESTER FOOD.
MIKE, THE SOLICITOR HELPED TO TRY TO GET SOME INFORMATION ON SOME DATA ON HOW MUCH FOOD, UM, UH, LARGE SUPERMARKETS IN WESTCHESTER ARE THROWING AWAY, UH, SO THAT WE CAN, UM, UH, UH, SUPPORT AMMERMAN, UH, NAN'S EFFORT TO EXTEND THE, UH, UM, THE EXCLUDE ACT.
HOW ARE WE GONNA DO THAT? I'M SORRY, SHARON.
I SAID, HOW ARE WE GOING TO FIND THAT OUT? THE AMOUNT? UH, SHE, UH, THE, THE FOOD BANK SHARON, UH, GATHERS FOOD FROM, UM, LARGE SUPERMARKETS AND THEY HAVE RELATIONS WITH THE MANAGERS OF LARGE SUPERMARKETS.
AND, UM, SO I'VE ASKED HER TO ASK HER, UH, THE PEOPLE THAT WORK, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, THE WORK FOR HER AND HER ORGANIZATION TO CONTACT THE MANAGERS OF THE LARGE SUPERMARKETS TO GET THE INFORMATION ON HOW MUCH THEY DISPOSE OF, THEY, THEY HAVE A WORKING RELATIONSHIP THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE GOING IN COLD.
UH, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, I REALIZE THAT YOU'RE NOT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE, ARE, WELL YOU SAID OUR POTENTIALS AREN'T ALWAYS IN ON ALL THE EMAILS.
WE HAD TRIED TO GET THIS INFORMATION AND WHAT WE FOUND, WHICH IS VERY TYPICAL OF CORPORATIONS, THEY DID NOT WANT TO SHARE THE INFORMATION WITH US WHEN WE CAME IN, WHICH, YOU KNOW, LOOKING BACK ON MY WORKING CAREER, ALL THREE EMPLOYERS I HAD, IT WAS ABSOLUTELY OUTSIDE AND GIVE ANY INFORMATION.
SO, SO I DON'T KNOW IF IT'LL BE SUCCESSFUL, BUT SINCE WE ALL, SINCE WE ALL HAD THROUGH NO ONE'S FAULT OF THE CAC C THE SAME TYPE OF EXPERIENCE THAT, UH, THERE WAS RELUCTANCE TO GIVE MUCH INFORMATION TO SOMEONE THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW OR DIDN'T KNOW WELL, UM, UH, I WAS HOPING THAT THE FOOD BANK COULD USE THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE, THE MANAGERS OF SUPERMARKETS TO GET THAT INFORMATION.
SO SEE NOW I THINK IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS WORTH A TRY BECAUSE THE SQUARE FOOTAGE, I KNOW I, I WAS ABLE TO GET SQUARE FOOTAGE BECAUSE, BUT THAT'S A MA A MATTER OF PUBLIC RECORD.
BUT WHEN WE GET INTO THE TONNAGE THAT THEY'RE DISPOSING, THAT'S, THAT'S PROPRIETARY INFORMATION AND IT JUST, SO HOPEFULLY THIS WILL WORK BETTER.
UH, SHANNON, CAN I, CAN I ASK WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF WHAT? WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS IS WE WERE LOOKING AT WAS WHEN THE LEGISLATION REFERS TO THE SIZE OF THE STORE.
SO WE WERE INTERESTED IN THE SIZE OF THE STORES THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT.
'CAUSE WE WERE TRYING TO GET A, UM, A MIX OF DIFFERENT SIZE STORES.
ALSO TO SAY, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS, THIS IS THE UNDERSTAND, THERE'S CONSISTENCY BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, REGARDLESS OF, UH, WHAT THE SIZE OF THE STORE IS.
KAREN, HAVE YOU HEARD ANYTHING MORE FROM SWAB? I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING MORE ABOUT ANYTHING.
UM, AH, THE BLOWER
UH, I THINK I SENT OUT TO EVERYONE OR WHAT TERRY PRESENTED LAST NIGHT.
AND IT WAS A PRETTY GOOD HEARING.
WE HAD SOME VERY NICE PEOPLE COMING UP, INCLUDING SOMEONE FROM NORTHWELL THAT SAID, UH, SHE WORKS, UH, SHE DIDN'T REALLY KNOW MUCH ABOUT THIS AND, BUT NOW SHE WORKS IN THE AREA AND THIS IS A DISASTER.
AND WE HAD SOMEONE FROM EDGEMONT THAT PHILADELPHIA NEW EDGEMONT EDGEMONT RESIDENT.
UM, IT'S NOT OVER, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, WE, YOU KNOW, SAINT GOES, YOU DON'T AWARD GAME BALLS AT HALFTIME.
BUT, UH, UM, WE, UM, UH, THERE WAS A, JUST A SPECTACULAR LETTER.
UH, THERE'S SOME, THERE'S A GROUP CALLED, UH, HOLD ON ONE SECOND, CALLED, UH, UH, A GROUP CALLED, UM,
[00:40:03]
UH, ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, GRASSROOTS ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION.THEY SENT A LETTER TO THE TOWN BOARD, UM, BY, UH, AND THEN SUPPORTS VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN, IN WESTCHESTER, IT ATTACHED, UM, A LETTER FROM A PROFESSOR SPATE AT THE HOF SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES, UH, WHO IN TWO PAGES IS JUST PUT EVERYTHING TOGETHER OF ALL THE PROBLEMS AND SAYS THAT SOME OF THE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE ALREADY COME OUT IN SUPPORT OF SUCH REGULATIONS INCLUDE THE MEDICAL SOCIETY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, THE AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION, THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY, THE ASTHMA COALITION, AND THE BREAST CANCER COALITION.
UM, AND, UH, WE GOT THIS ABOUT 10 MINUTES BEFORE THE HEARING STARTED, AND, UH, REVISED THE DRAFT SIX TO DRAFT SEVEN AND PUT THAT IN WHAT TERRY PRESENTED.
AND, UM, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE SENT THIS AROUND.
I THINK I SENT AROUND WHAT, TERRY YES, YOU DID.
DID YOU, DID I SEND AROUND THE LETTER FROM GRASSROOTS ENVIRONMENTAL I THAT, BUT I, I, I'M SURE ABOUT THAT, BUT I, I GOT THE PROFESSOR, UH, OKAY.
I WILL SE I WILL SEND THAT OUT, UH, TONIGHT OR TOMORROW.
IT WAS, UM, WE ARE GETTING A LOT OF COMMENTS THAT, WELL, IT OUGHT TO BE JUST FOR HOMEOWNERS THAT CAN DO IT, NOT LANDSCAPERS.
TARA, AS YOU SAW IN THE, IN WHAT TERRY PRESENTED, YOU KNOW, WE SAID, LOOK, THE HARMS ARE UNDENIABLE.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IN WHOSE HANDS THE BLOW IS THAT CREATES THIS HARM.
IT DOESN'T MATTER FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL POINT OF VIEW OR FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH POINT OF VIEW, WHETHER IT'S IN THE HANDS OF A LANDSCAPER OR IN THE HANDS OF A HOMEOWNER.
YOU KNOW, THESE HARMS ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE, THERE ARE, THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT DENY IT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AFTER THIS LETTER FROM PROFESSOR SPA AT HOF SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, I DON'T THINK THAT'S GONNA FLY.
NOW, I SENT A LETTER, I SENT AN EMAIL TODAY TO PROFESSOR SPA ASKING HIM IF HE WOULD APPEAR AT THE NEXT PUBLIC HEARING, WHICH IS APRIL 14TH.
UM, AND, UH, WE'LL SEE IF HE DOES, BECAUSE HE, HIS CREDENTIAL, I THINK HE WENT TO HARVARD.
UH, HIS, HIS CREDENTIALS ARE, HE, HE'S A, HE IS A, A MEDICAL DOCTOR, AND HE IS PROFESSOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH.
HIS CREDENTIALS ARE JUST SPECTACULAR.
AND THIS, AND YOU SEE WHAT HE PUTS IN TWO PAGES.
YOU CAN SEE THIS IS A VERY, VERY SMART GUY.
UM, AND I SENT A, AS I SAID, A LETTER TO HIM AFTER TALKING TO TERRY, INVITING HIM ON BEHALF OF THE C A C TO, UH, ATTEND ON THE 14TH.
UM, NOW, UH, I, THERE ARE A COUPLE THINGS THAT CAME UP WITH YOUR DIVERSIONS AND NONSENSE, AND I'M GONNA ASK SOMEHOW, PARTICULARLY ON ONE OF THEM, NANCY, I'M GONNA ASK YOU IF YOU WOULD HELP US ON, UH, SOMEONE SAID, AND YOU KNOW, I THINK SOMEONE THAT WENT TO, UH, CHICAGO LAW SCHOOL CAN, CAN DO THIS,
WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PASSES LEGISLATION, THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE IS REQUIRED TO COST IT AND DETERMINE THE FINANCIAL IMPACT.
NOW, MY UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THAT MEANS IS WHAT THE, LIKE IN THE, UM, UH, IS, IS THAT THE COSTING IS DONE, BUT THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET, UM, IS WHAT IS ITS EFFECT ON THE NATIONAL BUDGET.
THAT IS HOW WILL IT AFFECT THE RE THE REVENUES AND THE EXPENSES OF THE BUDGET OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
OKAY? NOW, WHAT WAS REPRESENTED LAST NIGHT, AND I THINK THIS IS INCORRECT, THAT WHAT THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE DOES IS THEY, YOU HAVE TO COST WHAT IT WOULD COST PRIVATE ENTITIES.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE CASE, BECAUSE WHAT THIS PERSON WAS SAYING IS, WELL, THE LAW IS EFFECTIVE BECAUSE NO ONE IS TELLING US HOW MUCH IT WILL COST INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNERS TO, UM, TO PAY FOR THE EXTRA COST IF YOU CAN'T USE BLOWERS.
NOW, THE TWO ASPECTS OF THIS, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK IT IS WRONG THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS, UH, THAT THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, IT'S, IT'LL BE WHATEVER STATUTE GOVERNS THE DUTIES OF THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST.
[00:45:01]
WHAT IT, IF THERE'S GONNA BE LEGISLATION TO MEAT PACKING INDUSTRY, I DON'T THINK THE BED, THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COSTS THE IMPACT ON THE, UM, MEATPACKING INDUSTRY.I THINK WHAT THEY COST IS, ARE THERE ANY REVENUE AND EXPENSE IMPACTS ON THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA? MM-HMM.
NOW, THAT'S ONE ASPECT, BUT I APPRECIATE NANCY, IF YOU WOULD RESEARCH.
THE SECOND ASPECT OF IT IS, I THINK IT IS FALSE.
ALSO, THE OTHER ASPECT OF WHAT THIS PERSON WAS SAYING, THAT THERE WILL BE AN INCREASE IN PRICE BY NOT USING BLOWERS.
I KNOW THAT THE LANDSCAPER, WHICH, UH, WE USE AND ACTUALLY, UH, WE SHARE WITH NANCY IS, UH, HAS TOLD US THAT HE DOESN'T LIKE TO USE BLOWERS.
HE DOESN'T LIKE TO USE BLOWERS FOR THREE REASONS.
ONE IS, UM, THEY, UH, HE DOES AS GOOD A JOB WITHOUT BLOWERS.
TWO, UM, THEY ARE EXPENSIVE, UH, UH, AND TIME CONSUMING TO MAINTAIN, AND HE CAN DO LESS PROPERTIES IF HE HAS TO WORRY ABOUT MAINTAINING BLOWERS.
OR ACTUALLY FOUR, SINCE THREE, THEY'RE VERY BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, AND FOUR, THAT THEY'RE BAD FOR HIM, UM, UH, SMELLING THE FUMES.
SO, UH, THIS PARTICULAR, UH, LANDSCAPER THAT IS THE SAME ONE THAT NANCY AND I, AND NANCY AND MICHELLE AND I SHARE AND BOB SHARE, IS THAT, UH, HE DOESN'T USE BLOWERS.
HE SAYS HE USES 'EM ONLY IF ASKED BY THE HOMEOWNER BECAUSE THEY HAVE ASSESSED IF YOU DON'T HAVE A BLOWER, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE A GOOD JOB DONE FOR YOU.
BUT HE DOESN'T USE 'EM FOR THOSE REASONS.
THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE SAID, UH, WE DON'T USE BLOWERS.
SO IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IF PEOPLE COULD GET ANY FACTUAL INFORMATION THAT THEY HAVE ABOUT WHETHER LANDSCAPERS, UM, UH, IN, IN, IN FACT, UM, UH, CAN OPERATE WITHOUT BLOWERS, WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, PRICE INCREASES.
YOU KNOW, MY MY FEELING IS THAT MARKETS ADJUST.
AND IF EVERYONE IS TOLD THEY CAN'T USE BLOWERS, THEY'RE ALL GONNA JUST HAVE TO ADJUST.
MAYBE THEY'LL MAKE LESS MONEY, BUT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO ADJUST.
SO THAT'S THE SECOND, UH, PIECE OF THIS.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW, UH, UH, GEORGE, UH, LIZ, Y'ALL ARE NEW.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT DO YOUR YARD, IF THEY USE BLOWERS, IF YOU COULD TALK TO THEM, WOULD THERE BE A COST IF THEY DIDN'T USE BLOWERS OR, OR WHAT I TO ASK? YES, LIZ, GO AHEAD, LIZ.
SO I'M, I'M CURIOUS, UH, I KNOW AT ONE POINT PAUL FINER WAS ADVOCATING THE, THE LEAVES, THE LEAVE THEM AND, AND MULCH EM CONCEPT.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A WAY TO TIE THAT IN AS AN OPTION, BECAUSE THAT THERE'S NO NEED TO BLOW LEAVES IF YOU'RE JUST MULCHING THEM IN PLACE.
WELL, I THINK, UH, THAT THIS GOES INTO, THERE'S A WHOLE, UM, IT'S AMAZING WHEN YOU HEAR PEOPLE TALK ABOUT HOW THEY MAINTAIN THEIR PROPERTY.
I HAVE NOT HAD, YOU KNOW, I'VE TOLD MY GARDENER FOR YEARS DO NOT USE THE BLOWER IN THE SUMMER.
THERE'S NO REASON, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, IT'S SO HOT AND SUNNY.
THE, THE FEW PIECES OF GRASS CLIPPINGS THAT LAND ON THE DRIVEWAY, THEY DRY UP AND BLOW AWAY BY SIX O'CLOCK.
AND, AND THE SAME THING AS WE'VE HAD PEOPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT IN THE SUMMER WHEN THE LEAVES DROP, AND THAT'S THE SAME THING, THE NORMAL LAWN MOWING OF A A, A LAWN IN THE SUMMER, IF THERE ARE ANY LEAVES, THEY WOULD BE SHREDDED.
WHEN WE GET INTO THE WHOLE THING OF, OF THE FALL, IT GETS MORE DIFFICULT AND, AND TRYING TO FIND A COMFORTABLE PLACE, LIZ, WE, WE REALLY ARE LOOKING AT THE FALL, THAT IN THE FALL IT'S, IT'S APPROPRIATE IN THIS DAY AND AGE TO USE A BLOWER TO MOVE THE LEAVES.
BECAUSE WHAT VERY OFTEN HAPPENS IS THE IDEA.
AND WE ACTUALLY HAD A CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE WHEN WE WERE CRAFTING THIS, WHO DOES ACTUALLY TRY TO MOW HIS LEAVES.
AND AT A CERTAIN POINT HE SAID, I JUST CAN'T DO IT ANYMORE.
SO I, MY, AND I'M GLAD YOU BRING THAT UP BECAUSE IT GOES TO THE WHOLE CONCEPT AND SOMETHING
I MEAN, UH, SO YES, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING TO BE ENCOURAGED, AND I THINK THIS IS ALL A SLOW EVOLUTION AS WE GO FORWARD.
UM, I WILL SAY THE CURRENT RECOMMENDATION FOR LEAVES IS THAT YOU ACTUALLY PUT THEM IN YOUR FLOWER BEDS FOR THE WINTER AND JUST LET THEM STAY IN THE FLOWER BEDS, BECAUSE THEN THEY BECOME SHELTER FOR ANIMALS, YOU KNOW, INSECTS AND BUGS THAT YOU WANT TO BE THERE.
I DO, LIZ, WHERE IS, WOULD YOU PLEASE FIND THAT RECOMMENDATION? RIGHT.
I ACTUALLY DO THIS, I, THE GARDENER
[00:50:01]
IS TOLD WHEN HE BLOWS THE LEAVES IN MY YARD IN THE FALL TO LEAVE THEM IN THE, THE WHAT LEAVES THEM IN THE FLOWER THAT TO LEAVE THEM ALONE.AND THEN I HAND RAKE THEM IN THE SPRING WHEN THEY CAN TAKE THEM WITH SPRING CLEANUP.
AND GEORGE, HOW, HOW DO YOU, UH, DO YOU HAVE, DO YOU HAVE, UH, A LANDSCAPER OR DO YOU DO WHAT YOU SAID? WELL, I, I HAD A LANDSCAPER.
I JUST, I, I, I CANCELED HIS SERVICES THERE, BOARD WITH A, NOT ONLY WITH A BLOWER, BUT WITH A HURRICANE BLOWER.
UM, AND, AND I THINK WHAT HAPPENED IN MY SITUATION WAS THAT, UM, HE WAS EXTREMELY BUSY.
HE WAS DOING A LOT OF HOUSES AND FAILED TO GET TO MY HOUSE ON A WEEKLY BASIS, AND YOU NEED TO HAVE A, A, A MORE, UH, UH, HANDS-ON AND, AND, UH, RAPID APPROACH FOR THE LEAVES ARE FLOWING.
SO HAVING LET THEM GO FOR A WEEK OR TWO, HE CAME BY AND, AND, UH, LITERALLY BROUGHT THIS, THIS MASSIVE PROPELLER AND, UH, AND BLEW NOT ONLY LEAVES, BUT, UH, DIRT AND ROCKS AND EVERYTHING ELSE WAS, IT WAS, IT WAS AWFUL.
UM, AND SINCE WE HAD HAD PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS, AND, UH, THIS IS THE FINAL STRAW, I, I, UH, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I, NO, I DON'T HAVE SOMEBODY LAWN ANYMORE, BUT MY, BUT I, I WAS OUT RAKING, UH, TODAY, I, I, I MULCH BOTH THE LEAVES AND GRASS, AND IN THE AUTUMN, UH, I SAVED SOME OF THE LEAVES.
I KNOW NOT EVERYBODY CAN DO THIS, BUT I HAVE A PROPERTY, I CAN HIDE SOME BAGS OF LEAVES.
SO IN THE SPRINGTIME, IN THE SUMMER WHEN I GOT MY GRASS, IT'S BEEN AN EVEN MIXTURE OF, UM, BROWNS AND AND GREENS, AND I MAKE COMPOST OUTTA IT AND PUT IT BACK IN THE GARDEN.
UH, I SEE A, I SEE A SMALL PLACE FOR BLOWERS, A SMALL PLACE, UH, YOU, IF YOU USE THEM WITH A VERY LIGHT WIND, THEY, THEY CAN CLEAN UP SOME, SOME RESIDUE, BUT, UH, RAKING AND, UH, AND SO, UH, TAPPING THE LEAVES PUT BACK ON THE WATER IS CLEARLY THE WAY TO GO.
AND IT'S SOMETHING EVERY HOMEOWNER CAN DO.
ONE, NEVERTHELESS, MIKE, I, I CAN REACH OUT TO SOME, UH, UH, SOME LANDSCAPERS AND GET THE OKAY.
IT WOULD BE GOOD IF WE COULD SAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST ONE OR TWO, BUT WE'VE TALKED TO SIX LANDSCAPERS AND, YOU KNOW, UM, ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS WAS WHAT YOU SAID, THERE WAS SOMEONE THAT SPOKE LAST NIGHT WHO DESCRIBED HIMSELF AS A LAWN, A LAWN CHAIR NUT.
AND HE MOWS HIS LAWN THREE TIMES A WEEK, AND HE ABSOLUTELY SAYS HE NEEDS BLOWERS TO BLOW THE CLIPPINGS.
NOW, MR. BODEN, WHO WAS AT THE LAST MEETING, WAS PROBABLY AROUND 85 YEARS OLD, UH, THEN SAID, SAID, YOU KNOW, THAT SOMETHING GOT INVENTED, UM, UH, SEVERAL CENTURIES AGO, AND IT'S A HANDLE ON IT, AND IT HAS SOME STRAW ON THE BOTTOM.
AND IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CLIPPINGS, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN DO A BROOM.
AND THIS GUY BECAME ABSOLUTELY INDIGNANT.
NO ONE CAN TELL ME HOW TO, HOW, HOW TO, HOW TO SPEND MY TIME.
AND OF COURSE, THE ANSWER IS NO ONE'S SELLING HIM HOW TO SPEND HIS TIME.
HE DOESN'T, HE CAN, BUT, BUT YOU CERTAINLY HAVE A RIGHT FOR PUBLIC HEALTH REASONS AND ENVIRONMENTAL REASONS TO SAY, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU CANNOT DO IS US A BLOWER.
UH, BUT THIS, THIS WAS ABSOLUTELY, I MEAN, AND THIS GUY'S, IT WAS, THEY'RE ALSO, GO AHEAD, MIKE.
I, THE OTHER THING THAT'S ABSOLUTELY HYSTERICAL ABOUT THIS, IF YOU ACTUALLY MOWED YOUR LAWN THREE TIMES A WEEK, THE SIZE OF THE CLIPPINGS,
SO THE CLIPPINGS JUST LAY ON THE, BECAUSE THEY JUST GIVE IT A, A TOUCH.
MY NEIGHBOR ACROSS THE STREET HAS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF GRASS.
HIS GARDENER HAS THE BAG ON THE, ON THE MOWER.
SO AS HE'S MOWING, IT GOES INTO THE BAG.
SO THIS WHOLE IDEA THAT YOU NEED A BLOWER FOR SUMMER LAWN MAINTENANCE, THIS DOESN'T HOLD UP.
THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER ALTERNATIVES AND WAYS TO DO IT THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO USE A BLOWER.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK HE ALSO, EVEN THOUGH HE CLAIMS HE MOWS HIS LAWN THREE TIMES A WEEK, HE, HE WAS TALKING ABOUT CLUMPING ON THE LAWN.
NOW, PLUMBING ON THE LAWN IS, TO ME, ONLY HAPPENS WHEN, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A WEEK, TWO WEEKS OF STRAIGHT RAIN AND THE GARDENER CAN'T GET THERE.
AND THEN YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BIG CUTTING.
SO IT WAS, SOME OF IT WAS, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES SOME PEOPLE WHEN THEY TALK, IF THEY ONLY KNEW HOW THEY'RE BEING HEARD ON THE OTHER SIDE, ONE THING I DID WANT TO MENTION, WHICH WAS FOR ME
[00:55:01]
VERY SATISFYING, WAS THAT WE HAVE REALLY LOOKED AT THIS LORE AND NEED FOR IT BASE, NOT JUST ON NOISE, BUT FOR US, THE BIGGER ISSUES WERE THE HEALTH ISSUES OF THE BLOWN PARTICULATES AND WHAT IT WAS DOING TO THE SOIL.AND THE WHOLE CYCLE OF, YOU KNOW, IF THE SOIL IS DEGENERATED, THEN YOU DON'T GET THE INSECTS, YOU DON'T GET THE, THE, UM, BIRDS.
THERE'S JUST A WHOLE CYCLE THERE THAT'S, THAT'S FALLING APART IN OUR, IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE ACTUALLY HAD PEOPLE WHO CAME, ONE LADY WAS INVOLVED WITH A POLLINATED GROUP AND SHE WENT, EXPLAINED THE WHOLE CYCLE, SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO DO IT.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING WAS THAT WE HAD, UM, THIS A PERSON COME AND TALK AND SUPPORT WHAT WE'VE BEEN SAYING ABOUT PARTICULATES BEING BLOWN UP.
AND WE HAD ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY WHO, WHO ACTUALLY READ THE MATERIALS THAT WERE PREPARED TWO YEARS AGO AND WAS HIGHLY COMPLIMENTARY.
AND I JUST REALLY, AND MAYBE YOU CAN EVEN STICK THIS IN THE MINUTES, DONNA, BECAUSE I REALLY FEEL MARGARET BEAL SPENT AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF TIME DOING RESEARCH ON THIS.
AND EVERYTHING SHE HAD IN HER RESEARCH, WHICH HE COMPLIMENTED HAS, IS NOW BEING SUPPORTED BY OUTSIDERS IN THE HEALTH CARE COMMUNITY.
AND I REALLY FEEL THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, WHEN WE'VE BEEN PRESENTING IT IN THE PAST, AND IT WAS JUST OUR VOICE, I SOMETIMES FELT THAT PEOPLE THOUGHT IT, WE WERE JUST BEING, UM, OVERDRAMATIC WITH OUR CLAIMS AND IT WAS REALLY SATISFYING TO HEAR OUTSIDERS COME IN AND THEY COULD HAVE BEEN TAKING, SPEAKING DIRECTLY OUT OF DOCUMENTS WE SUBMITTED TWO YEARS AGO.
SO I, I REALLY WANTED TO COMPLIMENT ON THAT TO MARGARET'S WORK.
DID, DID NANCY, UH, GEORGE, LIZ, DO, DO YOU GUYS HAVE A COPY OF THE REPORT WE DID AT THE TOWN BOARD IN 2018? NO, I DON'T HAVE THAT.
SO I'M, I'M GONNA MAKE A NOTE IF I DON'T, I DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING IF I DON'T WRITE IT DOWN.
BUT LEMME, I'LL SEND YOU GUYS THAT TO SEE THE TYPE OF REPORTS THAT WE DO.
SO THE 2018 REPORT, GEORGE IS NANCY.
YOU WANT ME TO GET THAT OUT? OKAY.
LET'S SKIP DOWN TO BATTERY STORAGE.
WELL, THE FOUR CORNERS IS ON THERE, GEORGE, BECAUSE AT SOME POINT IT'S GONNA COME BACK AND WE DON'T WANNA BE FORGET ABOUT IT.
SO WHAT WE DO IS UNDER ONGOING ITEMS, WHEN WE HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THE FOUR CORNER PROPOSAL THAT JUST IS SORT OF SITTING OUT THERE, WE LEAVE IT THERE AS A PLACEHOLDER AND, YOU KNOW, AND, UM, I SUSPECT, WE'LL PRETTY SOON WE'LL BE REMOVING THE TREE LAW FINALLY.
BUT, UM, BECAUSE OTHERWISE WHAT HAPPENS, THINGS DON'T, ARE THOSE BIG PROJECTS LIKE THAT YOU FORGET ABOUT THEM AND YOU WANNA ALWAYS HAVE 'EM ON YOUR RADAR TO LOOK IF SOMETHING'S COMING ON THEM AT SOME POINT.
SO BATTERY STORAGE, UM, WE HAVE SEVERAL THINGS GOING ON THERE, I THINK.
ARE YOU ALL AWARE THAT THERE IS A PROPOSAL TO PUT THIS 20 MEGABYTE BATTERY FARM ON THE NORWOOD COUNTRY CLUB GROUNDS? THE STATE IS PUSHING THAT.
WE HAVE LARGE BATTERY FACILITIES LIKE THIS LOCATED AT VARIOUS PLACES IN THE STATE.
THE GOAL IS 3000 MEGABYTES OF MEGA WATTS OF DATA, UM, AS A STRETCH.
AND WHAT THESE BATTERIES DO IS THEY TAKE OFF THE ELECTRICITY AT NIGHT WHEN IT, THERE'S EXCESS ELECTRICITY ON THE GRID, SAVE IT, AND THEN SELL IT BACK AND PUT IT BACK ON THE GRID DURING THE DAY.
BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER BATTERY ALTERNATIVES OUT THERE.
THE, THERE'S THE SIMPLE ONE OF JUST THE HOMEOWNER WITH THE SOLAR PANELS.
THERE'S THE IDEA OF SOMETHING THAT RUNS UNDER ONE MEGAWATT MORE IN THE 600 KILOWATT SIZE, WHERE YOU MIGHT HAVE A CHURCH OR SCHOOL PUT THAT IN AND USE IT TO STORE ELECTRIC FROM THEIR, UH, ROOFTOP SOLAR PANELS AND HOPEFULLY USE MOST OF THAT ELECTRIC ON SITE AND NOT PUT THE STRESS ON THE GRID.
BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS IS WITH THE HUGE MOVEMENT TO HAVE US GO TO ELECTRIC CARS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, OUR EXISTING GRID CAN'T SUPPORT IT.
SO ONE OF THE BIG THINGS FROM NYSERDA AND CONED THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT IS GETTING PEOPLE TO MEET THEIR ELECTRICAL NEEDS OFF THE GRID, IN OTHER WORDS, BASICALLY ON YOUR OWN PROPERTY.
SO THERE'S A WHOLE RANGE OF USES AND SIZES OF BATTERIES THAT THIS GROUP HAS BEEN CHARGED TO RESEARCH
[01:00:01]
AND COME UP WITH A LORE BY APRIL 9THSO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH DIFFERENT WAYS OF LOOKING AT, WE'VE SPOKEN TO, HEARD FROM PEOPLE FROM NYSERDA, WE'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE, A GENTLEMAN FROM CON ED WHO WAS VERY HELPFUL AND THE TOWN HAD HIRED AN OUTSIDE CONSULTING FIRM THAT THIS IS SORT OF THEIR SPECIALTY AND THERE WERE QUESTIONS SUBMITTED TO THEM AND THEY DID NOT, WERE NOT ABLE TO MEET THE DELIVERY DATE TODAY, WHICH MAKES US WONDER, YOU KNOW, IF THESE QUESTIONS WERE SO SIMPLE TO ANSWER, WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM? SO WE SHOULD HAVE OUR ANSWERS FOR NEXT WEEK.
SO WE SPENT TODAY'S MEETING TALKING ABOUT CONCEPTS IN TERMS OF, UM, WHAT THE FUTURE LAW SHOULD LOOK LIKE.
AND WE WERE ALSO TALKING ABOUT WHERE THERE WERE VULNERABILITIES FOR LARGE SCALE BATTERY INSTALLATIONS TO BE PUT IN THE TOWN.
BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS IS THAT THEY HAVE TO BE HOOK HOOKED INTO, UM, POWER STATIONS.
BUT IF A POWER STATION IS JUST OVER THE LINE IN MOUNT PLEASANT OR YONKERS, AN AREA OF THE TOWN THAT'S RELATIVE, UH, PROXIMITY TO THAT IS AT RISK.
SO THAT WAS WHAT WE WERE SPENDING TIME ON TODAY.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF, I THINK, INDECISION AND UNCERTAINTY IN THE GROUP.
I THINK THE GROUP IS PERHAPS MOVING.
MIKE MAY, I'LL GO TO GET YOUR READ ON THIS.
I THINK THERE'S STARTING TO REALIZE THAT, UM, THERE ISN'T A GREAT DEAL OF BENEFIT FOR SOME OF THESE SMALL KILOWATT TYPES OF INSTALLATIONS THAT WOULD BE FOR PROFIT, THAT WERE SUGGESTED FOR, UM, CENTRAL AVENUE AND BACK OF THE SHOPPING CENTERS.
UH, I THINK IT'S STARTING TO BE A REALIZATION THAT AS, AS A TOWN, WE GET NOTHING OUT OF THAT.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF RISK FOR US BECAUSE IT GETS CLOSE TO HOUSES.
WE HAVE TO HAVE FIRE SERVICE AVAILABLE.
AND IT DIDN'T EVEN SOUND WHEN WE TALKED TO CON ED, LIKE CON ED WAS REALLY ALL THAT ANXIOUS TO HAVE THEM.
LET ME ADD TWO FACTS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF IN THE NATURE OF, YOU KNOW, INCONVENIENT TRUTHS.
ONE IS, UH, WE'VE BEEN LIED TO IN EVERY PROPOSAL THAT'S BEEN MADE TO THE TOWN OF GREENBERG, WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT IT BENEFITS US LOCALLY.
WE WERE TOLD BY CONED, ONCE THE ELECTRONS GO ONTO THE GRID, THEY LOSE, THEY HAVE NO CONTROL OVER IT.
THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK IS CONTROLLED IN THE SUBURB OF ALBANY BY SOMETHING CALLED THE INDEPENDENT SYSTEM OPERATOR.
ONCE ELECTRONS GO ON THAT GRID, EVEN IF CONED STOOD ON THE HEAD AND WIGGLED THEIR EARS, THEY COULD NOT GET THOSE ELECTRICS THAT ARE THOSE ELECTRONS DEDICATED TO THE TOWN OF GREENBERG.
IT IS ALL CONTROLLED OUT OF ALBANY ON A STATEWIDE BASIS.
IT'S AN ABSOLUTE FLAT OUT LIE THAT THERE'S LOCAL BENEFIT TO HAVING CITED HIM.
SECONDLY, THE GO, UH, NEW YORK STATE IS 20 MILLION RESIDENTS.
OUR PERCENTAGE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK IS 0.225, 0.225%.
THE NEW YORK STATE GOAL TO ACHIEVE IN NINE YEARS BY 2030 IS, AS TERRY SAID, 3000 MEGAWATTS.
3000 MEGAWATTS FOR THE ENTIRE STATE IN NINE YEARS.
NOW, IF YOU TAKE 3000, YOU TAKE YOUR LITTLE CALCULATOR AND YOU DO 3000 TIMES 0.225%, YOU COME OUT WITH 6.75 WATTS.
THAT IS GREENBERG'S PROPORTIONAL SHARE OF DOING WHAT'S RIGHT WITHIN THE STATE.
NOW, WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED ALREADY IS PROBABLY CLOSE TO 25, 25 MEGAWATTS, THREE OR FOUR TIMES WHAT OUR SHARE IS.
AND I ASKED THE QUESTION AND IN MY MIND AND MY CONCERN IS, WHY IS THE SUBURBAN COMMUNITY IN SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER WITHOUT DENSITY DOING SO MUCH MORE THAN OUR PROPORTIONAL SHARE WHEN YOU HAVE PLACES IN UPSTATE NEW YORK WITH LOTS OF LAND, LOTS LESS DENSITY YEAH.
COMMUNITIES UP THERE WITH MORE COWS AND THEY HAVE PEOPLE, WHY DON'T YOU PUT THIS STUFF UP THERE RATHER THAN PUT IT INTO A SHOPPING CENTER THAT, UH, UM, THAT LIVES PROBABLY SHOPS AT ON CENTRAL AVENUE, UH, MIDWAY IN, UH, YOU KNOW, THE SHOPRITE, UH, OR THE, UH, CITIBANK, UH, AND
[01:05:01]
T G A FRIDAYS.UH, YOU KNOW WHAT? IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY, DOESN'T MAKE ANY DAMN SENSE TO ME.
UM, NOW I DO NOT THINK I'M WINNING THAT BATTLE IN THE GROUP, BUT THIS IS ALL TROUBLES ME AND I I'M NOT SAYING WE SHOULD BE.
FIRST TIME I RAISED THIS, UH, SOMEONE SAID, OH, I WAS AN ISOLATIONIST.
ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU KNOW, I JUST DON'T SEE THAT WE SHOULD DEVOTE THE TOWN AND RISK THE POPULATION OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG TO, UH, TO SOMETHING WHEN THE PROBLEM CAN BE SOLVED.
UH, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE STATE, I DON'T SEE THAT WE SHOULD TAKE ON SUCH A MASSIVE PERCENTAGE, YOU KNOW, THREE OR 400% MORE THAN OUR FAIR SHARE.
UM, SO THAT IS, AS I SAID, I DON'T THINK I'M REALLY WINNING THAT BATTLE, BUT I, I AIN'T GIVEN UP YET.
WELL, I THINK, I THINK WHAT HAPPENED TODAY, YOU PUT IT OUT THERE AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA TAKE TIME AND I THINK IT WILL IMPACT, IT MIGHT NOT BE THE PERCENTAGE THAT YOU WOULD WANT, BUT I THINK IT, IT IS RESONATING IN THE SENSE THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOMEPLACE WHERE WE ARE SAYING, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH FOR US.
YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND THAT IT ISN'T A OPEN END.
AND I DO THINK THAT TODAY, BY THE TIME THEY GOT DONE, IT WAS GETTING TO THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE SHOULDN'T HAVE THE ULTIMATE AMOUNT.
SO I THINK THAT THERE IS THAT.
UM, SO THAT IS ALSO, UM, TODAY'S MEETING WAS OVER TWO HOURS GOING STRAIGHT.
SO THAT WAS A, BEEN A LONG DAY.
SO WE TALKED LAST TIME ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION.
GEORGE AND NANCY, DID YOU GET ANY CHANCE TO TALK TO EACH OTHER OR START ON THIS? YES, WE DID TELL US.
I WOULD SAY GEORGE TOOK THE LEADING OR ANY, WELL, WE, UH, WROTE SOMETHING UP.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
I, THE THREE OF US, UH, HAD A HAD A GOOD DISCUSSION.
WE, WE'VE, UM, OUTLINED THREE AREAS THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST TO, UM, TO THE C A C, UM, WHERE WE CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TO, UM, HAVE THE CODE CHANGED, UH, AT LEAST ON NEW CONSTRUCTION AND, AND THE, AND THE SUGGESTIONS WE HAVE FALL INTO, UH, THREE AREAS.
YOU'VE GOT THE WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES, UH, WE HAVE RECYCLING MEASURES.
AND, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT SOME, UM, STATUTORY BUILDING PERFORMANCE ISSUES.
UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH FURTHER YOU WANT US TO, TO TAKE THESE, UH, THESE ITEMS, BUT, UH, FOR WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES, WE THOUGHT WE COULD MANDATE THINGS LIKE INSTALLATION OF, UH, LOW FLOW, UH, SHOWER HEAD THAT IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE A, A NO BRAINER AND MAYBE EVEN A, A SMALL ITEM.
BUT THE E P A HAS ESTIMATED THAT THE E P A HAS ESTIMATED THAT THE SHOWERS ACCOUNT FOR ABOUT 17% OF ALL THE IN-HOUSE, UH, WATER USAGE, UH, ALL THE INDOOR WATER USAGE, UH, MANDATORY INSTALLATION OF ON, ON NEW CONSTRUCTION, OR AT LEAST ON, UH, EVEN ON EXISTING CONSTRUCTION AND ON THE ENVIRONMENT.
UM, SO WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE USE OF, UH, AND THIS WASN'T OUR RECOMMENDATION, BUT WE WANTED TO INCORPORATE PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE REQUIRING THE USE OF THE WATER PERMEABLE SURFACES.
IT WAS A BIG DISCUSSION DURING THE LAST MEETING, UH, UH, UH, ABOUT SIDEWALK, UH, PERMEABLE SURFACES AND DRIVEWAY SURFACES.
SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT, THAT WE CAN LOOK AT.
UH, NANCY, YOU WANT TO GO ON ABOUT THE RECYCLING MEASURES THAT, UM, WELL, I'VE ALWAYS FELT THAT, UM, THERE'S A LACK OF COMMUNICATION FROM THE RECYCLING CENTER AS TO WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IS REALLY STILL BEING RECYCLED.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF DOUBT IN MANY PEOPLE'S MINDS THAT WHAT WE RECYCLE ACTUALLY GOES ANYWHERE OTHER THAN A A LANDFILL.
SO I THINK IT'D BE GREAT TO, UM, HAVE UPDATED INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT, WHAT RECYCLING WE ACTUALLY ARE ABLE TO DO AT THIS POINT.
YEAH, YOU MADE A BIG PUSH FOR THE, THE TOWN TO DO EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS, UH, GET INFORMATION OUT TO THE RESIDENTS, UH, IN, IN DIFFERENT FORMS. AND I THINK THAT THAT IS IMPORTANT.
JUST PUTTING A REGULATION IN PLACE AND TELLING PEOPLE WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO DOESN'T GET THE JOB DONE.
YOU NEED, YOU NEED BUY-IN IN ORDER TO GET BUY-IN.
YOU NEED EDUCATION AND, AND TO GET EDUCATION, YOU NEED, YOU NEED OUTREACH.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE TOWN SHOULD BE, SHOULD BE DOING TO ALL THE RESIDENTS.
[01:10:01]
AND, AND YOU HAD BUILDING ALSO, GEORGE, SO YEAH, UM, WE TALKED, WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, REQUIRING, UH, ENERGY EFFICIENCY TO CLOSE DISCLOSURES FOR HOUSES.UM, HAVE A, UH, HAVE A RATING FOR HOW ENERGY, WHAT ENERGY EFFICIENCY DISCLOSURE.
UH, HAVE A REPORT CARD, FOR EXAMPLE, ON, ON HOMES, UH, UH, SO THAT YOU CAN RATE A HOME, UH, FROM ONE TO 10, UM, OR, OR SOMETHING ELSE.
UH, THAT SHOWS HOW EFFICIENT IT IS THAT IT'S SIMILAR TO GETTING, UM, A RATING FOR A CAR AND MILES PER GALLONS THAT THE CAR GETS.
UH, SHOULD A, SHOULD A HOME HAVE A VERY HIGH EFFICIENCY RATING.
IT'S NOT ONLY GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT UH, IT SHOULD BE AN INCENTIVE FOR THE HOMEOWNER TO RAISE THEIR EFFICIENCY BECAUSE OF THE RESALE VALUE OF THE HOUSE.
UH, SO IF, IF WE CAN, UM, GET STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS TO DO THINGS TO RAISE THE, IF WE AT LEAST HAD A REPORT GOING OUT THERE THAT PEOPLE ALL HAVE TO PARTICIPATE IN AND GET THEIR HOMES RATED, I THINK WE WOULD SEE PEOPLE TAKING, UH, PERSONAL INITIATIVE TO, UH, TO DO THINGS THAT, THAT ARE MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT.
UM, AND WE HAD A BIG DISCUSSION ABOUT THE INSTALLATION OF THESE INSTANT HOT WATER DEVICES AS OPPOSED TO A, AS OPPOSED TO A BOILER IN IN THE HOUSE.
UM, THERE'S SOME, UM, SOME NEGATIVES AND SOME POSITIVES TO THAT, BUT, UH, IT MIGHT BE WORTHWHILE TO REQUIRE NEW CONSTRUCTION, UH, TO HAVE THESE, UH, INSTANT HOT WATER DEVICES INSTALLED.
CAN I ASK THAT YOU DO SOME THINGS ON SOME OF THESE? THERE ARE TWO THINGS.
ONE IS WITH SOME OF THESE ITEMS, LIKE THE LOW FLOW SHOWER HEADS AND WHATNOT, SOME OF THESE THINGS MAY BE REQUIRED BY LAW ALREADY.
AND THE OTHER COMMENT I WOULD MAKE ON CONSTRUCTION, I THINK IF WE LOOK AT THINGS PARTICULARLY LIKE BATHROOMS AND KITCHENS, IF WE FIND AREAS THERE FOR IMPROVEMENTS, IT REALLY SHOULD GO FOR REMODELING.
'CAUSE WE'RE A VERY BUILT OUT COMMUNITY.
BUT THOSE ARE TWO AREAS THAT REGULARLY GET REDONE.
AND I THINK IT, WITH THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED THE, UM, JUST IN TIME WATER HEATED DEVICES, COULD YOU GO SEE IF YOU CAN GET SOME MORE RESEARCH TO FIND OUT WHETHER IN THIS AREA THERE IS ENOUGH OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL GAIN ON THEM? BECAUSE SOME OF THESE, SOME OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS, THEY WORK REALLY WELL IN SOME CLIMATES, BUT NOT IN OTHERS.
ANY ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTION, THERE'S ALWAYS AN ENVIRONMENTAL COST.
AND I THINK THAT SOMETIMES GETS LOST WITH PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU SAY, LET'S DO THIS, BUT IT'S NOT AS THOUGH, UM, IT DOESN'T HAVE A COST.
YOU KNOW, AND IT'S SORT OF LIKE THE, THE BIG ISSUE NOW IS WITH LIKE MOVING ALL THE CARS TO ELECTRIC.
WELL, YOU'RE STILL GONNA NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO GET THE ELECTRIC AND IT MAY BE BURNING FOSSIL FUEL, SO
SO I THINK YOU GUYS ARE REALLY OFF TO A GREAT START, AND I THINK YOU JUST NEED TO DO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN CONTINUE THE RESEARCH AND FLESH THIS OUT, BUT YOU MAY SEEM LIKE YOU WERE IN A GOOD WAY.
LIZ, WERE YOU INVOLVED IN THIS AT ALL OR NOT? I DIDN'T KNOW.
SO I HAVE NO, BUT I CAN CONTRIBUTE ONE.
UM, IF ANYBODY, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO PROVIDE THE INFORMATION.
THERE'S AN ORGANIZATION, I DUNNO IF YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH CROTON 100? NO, IT WAS STARTED BY PATTY BUCHANAN AND HER HUSBAND, WHOSE NAME I CANNOT PRONOUNCE, I WON'T MUTILATE HIS NAME.
THEY DEVELOPED A CARBON TRACKER.
AND THEIR, THEIR CONCEPT IS THAT HOW DO YOU REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT IF YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT IT IS? SO THEY DEVELOPED A CARBON TRACKER WHERE HOMEOWNERS CAN ACTUALLY MEASURE THEIR CARBON OUT, YOU KNOW, WITH THEIR FOOTPRINT.
AND THEN THAT GIVES YOU, AND IT SHOWS YOU WHAT AREAS, YOU KNOW, ARE BEING, WHERE, WHERE YOU'RE, IT IS A GREAT TOOL AND THEY LOVE TO WORK WITH MUNICIPALITIES TO SHARE THE TOOL.
UM, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY CHARGE FOR WHEN THEY WORK WITH, WE'LL, WE'LL LOOK INTO THAT.
THAT, THAT LOOKS LIKE EVERYONE'S PARALLEL TO WHAT OUR SUGGESTIONS WERE.
AND WE CAN PROBABLY, AND SHE'S, SHE'S DONE ALL THE RESEARCH.
SHE AND HER HUSBAND ARE BOTH SCIENTISTS.
THEY'RE REALLY, I, I'VE HEARD THEM SPEAK.
I'M ACTUALLY, SHE'S COMING TO A PANEL THAT I'VE PUT TOGETHER FOR A NONPROFIT I'M INVOLVED IN ON IN APRIL.
LIZ, WOULD YOU LIKE TO WORK WITH GEORGE AND NANCY ON THIS KIND OF, SURE.
SO, SO GUYS, CAN YOU LIKE, GET, GET LIZ IN THE GROUP AND, AND I WANTED
[01:15:01]
TO SHARE SOMETHING WITH YOU BECAUSE I, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, LET'S SEE IF I CAN SHARE SCREEN HERE.LET ME, FIRST OFF, I HAVE IT AVAILABLE.
UM, CAN YOU GUYS SEE THIS? YEP.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING TO ME AND I DON'T KNOW HOW WE GO THROUGH WITH IT.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TOWN IS DOING, BUT YOU KNOW, WE MOVED TO GET AWAY FROM PLASTIC BAGS AND GET EVERYONE TO DO THEIR GROCERIES WITH REUSABLE BAGS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, SOME OF US WERE USING ALREADY, BUT NOW EVERYONE HAS TO, AND YOU KNOW, WE SORT OF, I DON'T KNOW, PLASTIC WENT OUT ON THE KIND OF THE PICTURE.
AND UM, OBVIOUSLY I GET TWO NEWSPAPERS A DAY DELIVERED.
SO I STILL HAD A LOT OF PLASTIC BAGS TO TAKE WHEN I WENT TO THE SUPERMARKET.
BUT I'VE BEEN SHOPPING AT WEGMAN'S AND WEGMAN'S, ACTUALLY, THEY'RE SIGN WHERE YOU CAN PUT PLASTIC BAGS, HAS THE THING, YOU KNOW, ANY CLEAN PLASTIC, YOU KNOW, CEREAL, CEREAL LINERS, AND YOU KNOW, ANYTHING YOU HAVE AROUND THE HOUSE SO LONG AS IT'S CLEAN PLASTIC CAN GO INTO THAT BIN WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE USED TO JUST, YOU KNOW, IT WAS THE SUPERMARKET BAGS.
WELL, IT JUST HAPPENED THAT THERE WAS AN EXACTLY TWO WEEK PERIOD BETWEEN MY VISIT TO THE GROCERY STORE AND I WAS ABSOLUTELY APPALLED.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, IF I HAVE PLASTIC, I PUT IT IN THE BAG UNDER THE SINK.
THIS IS WITH ONE PERSON, THE AMOUNT OF PLASTIC, AND THIS IS PRESSED DOWN PRETTY TIGHTLY.
'CAUSE THE BAG IS KNOTTED ON TOP THAT I PRODUCED IN MY HOUSEHOLD.
AND MY QUESTION, I GUESS GOT WHAT I WAS THINKING IS, I THINK AT ONE POINT THE TOWN TALKED ABOUT COLLECTING IT AT ANTHONY VETERAN.
I KNOW SCARSDALE, IF I'M CORRECT, IS COLLECTING IT.
AND IF WE ARE NOT COLLECTING IT IN GREENBERG AND SENDING IT SOMEWHERE, I THINK MAYBE WE OUGHT TO BE CONSIDERING THAT.
BECAUSE IF I HAD THAT MUCH PLASTIC WITH ONE PERSON, AND I'M NOT SOMEONE WHO USES A LOT OF PROCESSED FOOD AND WHATNOT, I WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZED.
AND I GUESS WHAT CONCERNS ME WITH THE PLASTIC IS IT DOES NOT DECOMPOSE.
AND I VIEW THAT PLASTIC, YOU KNOW, I'M MUCH LESS CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT'S GONNA BE COMPOSTED.
I KNOW THIS IS PROBABLY ANATHEMA TO SAY I'M MUCH MORE CONCERNED ABOUT PLASTIC BECAUSE IF WE DON'T HANDLE PLASTIC CORRECTLY, IT'S GONNA BE IN OUR SOIL FOR ANYWHERE FOR 500 YEARS OR MORE, DEPENDING ON WHAT KIND OF PLASTIC IT IS.
SO I WAS WONDERING IF, AS PART OF WHAT YOU'RE RESEARCHING NOW, I KNOW NANCY, YOU HAD MENTIONED RECYCLING, IF SOMEONE WOULD, COULD CHECK WITH WHAT SCARGILL IS DOING WITH COLLECTING PLASTIC, AND THEN MAYBE WE CAN ASK THE TOWN TO, YOU KNOW, SEE WHAT OUR TOWN IS DOING.
AND AS YOU SAID, TALKING BEFORE ABOUT, UM, JUST ADVERTISING AND PROMOTING STUFF IN THE TOWN THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT'S AVAILABLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR PLASTIC? IT'S LIKE, BECAUSE WHOLE, I SUSPECT IN MOST CASES IT'S JUST GOING INTO REGULAR GARBAGE.
I DON'T KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE BEING AS CONSCIENTIOUS ANY LONGER ABOUT, UM, COLLECTING THEIR PLASTIC BAGS.
AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT IS NOT SUPERMARKET BAGS, THAT'S JUST NEWSPAPER BAGS AND OTHER PLASTIC BAGS IN THE HOUSE.
YOU KNOW, I, I DID TAKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN I HAVE SOMETHING LIKE, UH, A FROZEN FOOD BAG, I, I ACTUALLY RINSED OUT, RINSED IT OUT AND LET IT DRY OUT.
WAS THEN IT MET WEGMAN'S, UH, CRITERIA FOR BEING A CLEAN BAG.
BUT IT WOULD, IT TOTALLY SHOCKED ME
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY STILL ARE, BUT THEY DO.
AND THAT'S A CONCERN, IF YOU NOTICE WHEN YOU GO TO A DIFFERENT SUPERMARKETS, LET'S SEE IF WE CAN NOTICE WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE STILL TAKING BIGS.
WEGMANS IS, SHOPRITE WAS, I HAVEN'T BEEN THERE IN A YEAR, UH, BUT THEY, LAST TIME I WAS THERE, THEY DID HAVE THE BIN OUT AND WHOLE FOODS ALSO NOT, THEY'RE NOT IN GREENBERG, BUT THEY ALSO COLLECT THE PLASTIC BAGS.
SO THAT N NANCY, DO YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? NO, NO, NO.
I WANTED TO MAKE A, A COUPLE COMMENTS.
FIRST OF ALL, GEORGE AND NANCY, I THINK THAT'S GREAT WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
THAT, THAT, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD LIST.
UM, ONE IS, WOULD YOU PLEASE ADD TO THE LIST IN TERMS OF THE BUILDING, THE HARDCORE
[01:20:01]
BUILDING? MM-HMM.UH, BECAUSE IT, YOU KNOW, LIKE I KNOW NEGATIVES THAT I KNOW OF, UH, ENVIRONMENTALLY THOUGH, SOME HOUSES CAN'T TAKE GEOTHERMAL BECAUSE, UM, WHERE THEY DRILL IS TOO CLOSE TO THE FOUNDATION.
BUT, UH, GEOTHERMAL OR SOLAR I THINK SHOULD BE SOMETHING WE SHOULD CONSIDER.
I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS YET, BUT SOMETHING WE SHOULD CONSIDER AS BEING PART OF THE BUILDING GO GOING FORWARD FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION, FOR HOMES AND FOR BUSINESSES.
UH, THE SECOND IS, UH, GEORGE, I DO HAVE ONE THING WE GOTTA THINK ABOUT IS, UH, THE TOWN IS RELATIVELY LEAN ADMINISTRATIVELY.
UM, AND WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A REPORT CARD, I, I, I'M NOT SURE, I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY IF THAT'S GOING TO INVOLVE TOWN ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF TO ANALYZE AND CREATE THE REPORT, WE, THAT'S GONNA RUN INTO A BUDGETARY PROBLEM.
NOW, ON THE OTHER HAND, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT REQUIRING THE HOMEOWNER TO GET SOME THIRD PARTY QUALIFIED THIRD PARTY, YOU KNOW, SOME LICENSED THIRD PARTY, WHATEVER THE APPROPRIATE LICENSING FOR THIS IS TO DO IT.
BUT I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT, BECAUSE YOU AND NANCY AND LIZ ARE, ARE KIND OF NEW TO THIS, ONE OF THE THINGS WE ALWAYS HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IS LIKE THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE BLOWER LAW, YOU KNOW, UH, PEOPLE SAY, WELL, LET ME DO IT FOR 30 MINUTES.
WE CAN'T TIE UP A POLICEMAN, YOU KNOW, A POLICEMAN OR A POLICEWOMAN FOR 30 MINUTES TO SEE IF SOMEONE IS DOING IT.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S A, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A RELATIVELY LEAN ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF.
AND OF COURSE, IF YOU ADD TO IT, YOU HAVE BUDGETARY IMPACTS, WHICH PAID FOR BY TAXES.
SO, UM, UH, JUST PLEASE CONSIDER IN WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST PART OF THE ULTIMATE, UM, PUZZLE.
I MEAN, THE ONE OTHER THING I SAY IS ON ALL THESE THINGS YOU DO, WHAT'S GOING TO BE REALLY KEY IN ULTIMATELY SELLING THIS TO THE TOWN BOARD IS A VERY SHORT, BUT YET, UM, UM, WEIGHTY IN A WAY.
I MEAN, FROM, FROM SOLID SOURCES AND, YOU KNOW, NOT FROM TREE HUGGER SOURCES, BUT FROM, YOU KNOW, SOLID SOURCES LIKE, YOU KNOW, BLOWER LAW, THE HOFSTRA SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, YOU KNOW, FROM SOLID SOURCES, UH, WHY THIS IS ENVIRONMENTALLY IMPORTANT.
WHAT ARE THE ENVIRONMENTAL NEGATIVES OF DOING THE ALTERNATIVE? WHAT ARE THE ENVIRON MM-HMM.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO WHAT WE DID ON THE TREE LAW AND WHAT WE DID ON THE LAW.
YOU'LL HAVE TO SUPPORT THIS WITH HARDCORE SCIENCE.
I THINK WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS SENSE.
NO, I THINK YOU, YOU DID A GREAT JOB.
I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA, THE THREE OF YOU ARE GONNA WORK TOGETHER.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S LIKE YOU'RE GETTING SOMETHING THAT'S YOUR OWN TOO.
NOT SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE ELSE HAS BEEN WORKING ON.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'LL GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE.
AND WITH MIKE SENDING YOU, WHAT, WHAT, UM, MARGARET DID, IT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF THE TYPES OF FINAL REPORTS AS A C A C WE HAVE BEEN DOING IN TERMS OF, UM, COMING UP WITH THE RATIONALE, UH, WE TEND TO BE VERY FACT ORIENTED, UM, RATHER THAN EMOTIONAL.
AND I THINK IT HAS PROVEN US, UM, A GOOD METHODOLOGY BECAUSE IT HAS TAKEN A WHILE.
BUT, UM, CERTAINLY THE FACT THAT WE MET FINALLY AFTER ALMOST 20 YEARS PASSED A TREE LAW LAST YEAR WAS QUITE AN ACCOMPLISHMENT.
AND, AND THAT WAS REALLY MAKING THE REALIZATION WITH FACT OF HOW IMPORTANT TREES WERE IN TERMS OF WATER RETENTION AND AIR PURIFICATION.
AND, AND THAT WAS A, A LONG HAUL.
AND THAT'S THE OTHER THING WITH ANY OF THESE THINGS.
UM, IT'S 15 YEARS ON THE BLOWER LAW.
WE'VE BEEN ASKED, THIS IS THE FOURTH TIME WE'VE BEEN ASKED TO LOOK AT IT.
IT WAS ALMOST 20 YEARS ON THE TREE LAW.
SO SOME THINGS JUST TAKE A VERY LONG TIME FOR THEIR DAY TO COME.
SO SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO BE EXPECT THAT EVEN THOUGH YOU DO EVERYTHING THE FIRST TIME OUT, IT MAY NOT FLY, BUT IN TIME IT DOES BECAUSE PEOPLE START TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE AND IT'S TIME DOES COME.
AND, AND I THINK IT, IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE
[01:25:01]
TO HAVE A DATABASE, UH, FOUNDATION, SOMETHING SOLID, WHETHER IT FLIES OR NOT IN THE SHORT TERM.AND THIS TOOL SOUNDS, YEAH, AND THIS TOOL SOUNDS REALLY INTERESTING.
'CAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING LIKE, IF WE SEE IT AS EFFECTIVE, EVEN IF THE TOWN DOESN'T WANNA ROLL IT OUT, BUT I'M SURE IF IT'S, IT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE USED ON WITHOUT THE TOWN, PAUL WOULD PUT IT OUT.
AND I THINK FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, THEY ARE INTERESTED IN KNOWING HOW THEY'RE DOING AND, AND UNDERSTANDING, BECAUSE I THINK FOR MANY PEOPLE, THEY DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THE THINGS THEY NEED TO DO.
YOU KNOW, I I, I'M, I'M ONE OF, I'M A HUGE, UH, PROPONENT OF INSULATION AND WINDOW REPLACEMENT TWO.
I THINK I HAVE, SEE YOU HAVE TO GO FORWARD WITH THIS.
I THINK ON, ON A, AN INDIVIDUAL INITIATIVE, UH, BASIS, I, I DON'T SEE ANY REASON FOR MUNICIPAL OVERSIGHT AND, AND ENFORCEMENT, UH, ACCOUNTING SYSTEM FOR THE EFFICIENCY OF YOUR HOUSE ONLY BENEFITS THOSE PEOPLE THAT DO THE JOB.
IT'S IN THIS SELF-INTEREST, WHICH IS WHAT WILL, I THINK IS THE JOB, RIGHT? SELF-INTEREST IS THE BEST MOTIVATED TO GET SOMETHING DONE.
I MEAN, YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
GEORGE, YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
THREE OF, YOU'RE REALLY GOOD, RACHEL.
OKAY, SO NOW WE'RE GETTING TO EIGHT O'CLOCK AND I REALLY LIKE TO TRY AND NOT HAVE THE MEETINGS RUN OVER IF WE DON'T HAVE TO.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS OR WANT TO ADDRESS SOMEDAY? WE ARE ALL GONNA GET TO THE WEBSITE.
MIKE, ANYTHING? NOW MY MIND'S MUSH AFTER TODAY.
AND, UH, I THINK WE'RE BOTH SERIOUSLY NEEDING DOWN
UH, ANYTHING ELSE FROM ANYONE? I HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, MIKE AND TERRY, WHEN I DO THE MINUTES, MIKE, SINCE YOU'RE GONNA SEND OUT, SEND US ALL THAT LETTER FROM THE PROFESSOR.
DO YOU WANT ME TO ATTACH THE LETTER TO THE MINUTES? OH, YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
I MEAN, YEAH, I MEAN, UM, GREAT IDEA.
I MEAN, AND ONE OF THE REASONS WE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE EVER GET A WEBSITE, THIS TYPE OF THING, WE, WE POST.
PLEASE, UH, PLEASE SEND OUT, UH, UH, YEAH.
I'LL, I'LL SEND OUT, UH, LATER TONIGHT, UH, EARLY TOMORROW MORNING.
ANYTHING ELSE? UH, GEORGE, NANCY, LIZ, ANYTHING THAT YOU'VE GOT IDEAS ABOUT WHERE, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU'VE HAD AFTER A COUPLE OF THESE IDEAS ABOUT LET'S DISCUSS 'EM NEXT? UH, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, NEXT WEEK WE, WE, WE CERTAINLY, UH, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE, WE GOT SOME THINGS WE, WE GOTTA DO.
BATTERY STORAGE, UH, UH, ELMWOOD, UM, BLOWER.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GUYS HAVE GOT ANYTHING, UH, OTHER THAN WHAT YOU'RE WORKING ON NOW, UH, THAT YOU WANNA DO, PLEASE DON'T BE SHY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, RAISING IT, UH, ONE OF THE NEXT MEETING, MEETING AFTER.
I, I ALWAYS FEEL AT THE END OF THESE ZOOM MEETINGS, LIKE, REMEMBER THE OLD WALTON TV SERIES
DARREN AND GAR LEFT, SO I THINK WE'LL JUST LEAVE THE MEETING AND AARON WILL COME BACK.