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OKAY.[ TOWN OF GREENBURGH OFFICE OF THE TOWN BOARD 177 Hillside Avenue, Greenburgh, NY 10607 Tel: 914-989-1500 Fax: 914-993-1541 Email: JDudek@Greenburghny.com https://ny-greenburgh.civicplus.com/485/Watch-Live-Board-Meetings]
UH, TOWN BOARD, OUR WORK SESSION, UH, BECAUSE OF TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, WE'RE GONNA CHANGE THE ORDER AND WE WILL, UH, START WITH AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, UH, TO DISCUSS PERSONAL, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, LEGAL ISSUES.AND AS SOON AS THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES ARE RESOLVED, UH, WE'LL HEAR FROM AN ASSESSOR AND GO TO THE PUBLIC PORTION OF THE MEETING.
THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY, THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES DEAL WITH IT BEING ABLE TO BE BROADCAST ON CABLE.
SO WE'RE BACK FROM THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
CABLE, UH, BROADCASTING TO CABLE IS STILL NOT WORKING, AND SO THAT WE MODIFIED THE AGENDA, TRYING TO GIVE IT SOME TIME FOR THE CABLE TO WORK.
WE'RE OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION TEMPORARILY TO PICK UP THE, UH, TOPIC TOPICS THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA.
SO, EDIE, DO YOU WANNA, UH, UH, START BY, UH, GIVING US, UH, COMMENTS ON THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS? YEAH, THANK YOU.
UM, SUPERVISOR, I'M GONNA BE AS BRIEF AS I POSSIBLY CAN.
SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT A COUPLE THINGS AND GIVE SOME PERTINENT INFORMATION TO THE TAXPAYERS.
SO BY NOW, UM, EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED THEIR ASSESSMENT CHANGE NOTICES THEY WERE MAILED, MY APOLOGIES FROM THE POST OFFICE.
UH, THEY WERE MAILED APRIL 5TH AND SIXTH.
I AM STILL RECEIVING SOME INFORMATION FROM PEOPLE THAT HAVEN'T RECEIVED THEIR LETTERS YET, SO WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN.
WE'RE MAILING THEM OUT, UM, WHEN, UH, WHEN WE GET THOSE PHONE CALLS OR EMAILS.
SO ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS, I KNOW WE'VE BEEN ASKED THIS A LOT, SO I WANTED TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU, BUT ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS THAT WE ARE DOING THIS REASSESSMENT THIS YEAR IS BECAUSE TECHNICALLY WE WERE SUPPOSED TO REASSESS THE PROPERTIES, UH, LAST YEAR IN 2020.
AND BECAUSE OF COVID, WE, WE DELAYED THE PROJECT FOR A YEAR.
SO IF WE DID NOT REASSESS ALL OF THE PARCELS IN THE MUNICIPALITY THIS YEAR, UM, WE WOULD'VE LOST OUR STATUS WITH NEW YORK STATE.
WE, IT WOULD'VE COST US MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO UPDATE LIKE WE DID BACK IN 2016.
UM, WE WOULD'VE HAD TO INTERIORLY AND EXTERIOR INSPECT ALL THE PROPERTIES.
ONCE AGAIN, WE WOULD'VE LOST THE MOMENTUM THAT WE'VE GAINED REGARDING THE STABILITY IN OUR BUDGETING.
UM, ASSESSING AND DEFENDING THE ASSESSMENTS WOULD'VE LOST OUR STATUS.
MOST IMPORTANT, UM, IN MAINTAINING THE MARKET VALUES AT 100%.
WE ALSO WOULD'VE LOST THE STATUS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE CHANGES TO ASSESSMENTS IF MY DEPARTMENT FOUND INEQUITIES IN THE ASSESSMENT ROLE.
SO, IF I SAW A PROPERTY THAT WAS ASSESSED AT A MILLION DOLLARS AND IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ASSESSED AT $500,000 OR VICE VERSA, UM, TECHNICALLY A NON REASSESSMENT MUNICIPALITY IS NOT PERMITTED TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES.
ONLY CHANGES WHERE WE ARE ALLOWED TO MAKE, ARE BASED ON BUILDING PERMITS AND APPEALS.
SO THAT WOULD'VE BEEN A, A TREMENDOUS LOSS FOR US IF WE HAD NOT GONE THROUGH THIS PROCESS RIGHT NOW.
I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STATISTICS FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN AROUND AND FOR SOME, SOME OF THE NEWCOMERS IN TOWN.
OUR FIRST REASSESSMENT WAS IN 2016, AND PRIOR TO THAT IT WAS 1956.
SO SINCE 2016, I THINK WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL PROJECT APPROVED BY NEW YORK STATE.
UM, I JUST WANNA GIVE YOU SOME STATISTICS.
SO IN 2016, WE HAD 1700 RESIDENTIAL APPEALS.
THAT IS A 52% DECLINE IN THE FILINGS.
IN 2016, WE HAD 900 COMMERCIAL FILINGS.
THAT'S A 27% DECREASE IN THE FILINGS.
SO WHILE WE'RE STILL CLEANING UP SOME OF THE BACK YEARS IN THE HISTORY, AS YOU HEAR ALL THE ARIES ON OUR, ON OUR TOWN BOARD AGENDAS, UM, WE'RE WORKING OUR WAY DOWN.
SO I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, UM, THIS PROJECT AND WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE TAXPAYERS NEED TO PAY ATTENTION.
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GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE THAT RIGHT NOW, TYLER TECHNOLOGIES IS STILL IN THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING ASSESSMENTS.THEY'RE MEETING WITH TAXPAYERS EVERY DAY.
THEY HAVE NIGHT MEETINGS, THEY HAD WEEKEND MEETINGS, AND THEY'RE MEETING WITH TAXPAYERS, I BELIEVE, UNTIL MAY 7TH.
SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A MINUTE.
BUT IN THE INTERIM, THE WAY THIS PROCESS WORKED THIS YEAR IS WE ONLY INTERIORLY INSPECTED PROPERTIES THAT WERE CONSIDERED OUTLIERS.
SO, ONCE AGAIN, IF YOU HAD AN ASSESSMENT OF $500,000 AND YOUR WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD EITHER SOLD OR ASSESSMENTS OF A MILLION DOLLARS, YOU'RE CONSIDERED AN OUTLIER.
SO TYLER TECHNOLOGIES, UM, REQUESTED AN INTERIOR INSPECTION TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON.
CONDITION MAY HAVE BEEN THAT BAD WHERE THE ASSESSMENTS SHOULD BE $500,000 OR MAYBE NOT.
THEY INTERIORLY INSPECTED ALL THE OUTLIERS.
THEY INSPECTED ALL OF THE BUILDING PERMITS THAT WE HAD THIS YEAR, AND RE UH, NOT RE UPDATED THE MODEL THAT WE ORIGINALLY CREATED IN 2016.
YOU GUYS KNOW HOW TECHNOLOGY IS, AND IT CHANGES EVERY FIVE MINUTES.
WELL, THAT'S HOW STATISTICAL MODELS DO.
THEY DON'T CHANGE EVERY FIVE MINUTES, MAYBE 10 MINUTES, BUT THEY DO CHANGE.
SO THIS PROCESS IS FIVE YEARS OLD.
SO WE HAD TO UPDATE THE MODEL.
WE REVALUED ALL OF THE LAND VALUES, WE REVALUED ALL OF THE HOME IMPROVEMENT VALUES BY PLUGGING THEM INTO THIS MODEL.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE AROUND THE FIRST TIME, AND NOW THIS TIME, AGAIN, YOU KNOW THAT NOT ALL OF THE PROPERTIES FIT INTO THE MODEL.
SO THAT'S WHERE THE TAXPAYERS COME IN, NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THOSE LETTERS SAY.
UM, WE'LL GET INTO THAT IN A MINUTE.
I JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE VALUE INCREASES.
EVERY SINGLE NEWSPAPER, EVERY RADIO STATION, EVERY TIME YOU GO OUT TO A RESTAURANT OR OUT AT A PARK, YOU HEAR PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THE REAL ESTATE VALUES AND HOW THE MARKET IS INCREASING, INCREASING.
SO IN THIS REASSESSMENT FOR VOLUME SEVEN AREA OF TOWN, AND I'M ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE UNINCORPORATED AREA RIGHT NOW, FOR VOLUME SEVEN OF TOWN, THE AVERAGE ASSESSMENT INCREASE WAS 11%.
FOR VOLUME EIGHT IN TOWN, THE AVERAGE INCREASE WAS ALMOST 5%.
SO I'M SAYING THAT FOR TWO REASONS.
ONE, BECAUSE IF YOU RECEIVED, IF YOU'RE IN VOLUME SEVEN AND YOUR ASSESSMENT WENT UP BY 8% AND THE AVERAGE IS 11%, YOU'LL LIKELY SEE A REDUCTION IN YOUR PROPERTY TAXES DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE FIRE AND THE TOWN AND THE SCHOOL BUDGETS.
BUT THAT'S A, A LIKELY SCENARIO.
IF THE AVERAGE IS 11% AND YOUR ASSESSMENT WAS RAISED BY 15%, YOU MIGHT SEE A SLIGHT INCREASE IN YOUR PROPERTY TAXES.
AND THAT'S HOW TO GAUGE THAT, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
OKAY, SO JUST A COUPLE MORE MINUTES.
I JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS NOW.
TAXPAYERS HAVE ALL RECEIVED THEIR LETTERS.
UM, LIKE I SAID, THEY WERE MAILED APRIL 5TH AND SIXTH.
IF YOU DID NOT RECEIVE YOUR LETTER, FEEL FREE TO CALL TYLER TECHNOLOGIES, OR YOU CAN CALL THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE AND WE'LL MAIL IT TO YOU.
UM, AGAIN, TYLER IS MEETING WITH TAXPAYERS.
YOU CAN SCHEDULE IT ONLINE, OR YOU CAN CALL THE OFFICE AT TWO NINE ONE FOUR TWO THREE ONE EIGHT TWO FIVE ZERO, AND YOU CAN CALL TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT.
AGAIN, THEY'RE MEETING WITH TAXPAYERS UNTIL MAY 7TH.
THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE WILL BE MEETING WITH TAXPAYERS AFTER THAT, WHO DIDN'T GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH TYLER FROM MAY 10TH TO JUNE 14TH.
WE ARE NOT MEETING WITH TAXPAYERS BEFORE THAT.
THAT IS THE PROCESS THAT TYLER IS GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW.
ON MAY 7TH, YOU CAN CALL THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE AND SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT WITH ME OR MY TEAM, UM, TO GO THROUGH YOUR ASSESS, ASSESS VALUE.
MY OFFICE NUMBER IS 9 1 4 9 8 9 1 5 2 0.
SO AGAIN, THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE IS MEETING WITH TAXPAYERS FROM MID-MAY TO JUNE 14TH.
JUNE 15TH IS THE OFFICIAL GRIEVANCE PERIOD AT, IT STARTS AT TWO O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON, AND IT GOES UNTIL NINE O'CLOCK AT NIGHT.
9:00 PM ON JUNE 15TH IS THE LAST DAY THAT WE WILL ACCEPT GRIEVANCE APPLICATIONS.
WE ARE ACCEPTING THEM BY LAW FROM JUNE 1ST TO JUNE 15TH AT 9:00 PM WE ARE NOT ACCEPTING THEM BEFORE JUNE 1ST, NOR AFTER JUNE 15TH.
OKAY, THOSE ARE KEY DATES SET BY NEW YORK STATE, NOT SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
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UM, HOW TO PREPARE.THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
HOW TO PREPARE TO MEET WITH TYLER OR TO MEET WITH MY DEPARTMENT OR TO FILE THE OFFICIAL GRIEVANCE APPLICATION ON JUNE 15TH.
CURRENT MARKET ANALYSIS FROM REALTORS ARE, ARE WONDERFUL, AND I DON'T BELIEVE THEY COST ANY MONEY, BUT IF YOU KNOW A REALTOR AND ASK THEM FOR A CURRENT MARKET ANALYSIS, THAT WILL HELP A LOT.
AS A PROPERTY OWNER, YOU CAN WRITE A LETTER EXPLAINING WHY YOU FEEL YOUR ASSESSMENT IS OR DOES NOT REFLECT MARKET VALUE.
SO YOU WANNA TAKE PICTURES OF THE INSIDE OF YOUR HOMES TO SHOW US THE CONDITIONS.
UH, YOUR BASEMENT, YOUR ATTIC, YOUR KITCHENS, YOUR BATHROOMS. WE LOVE PHOTOGRAPHS.
THIS YEAR, UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO WE'RE STILL COMING OUT, UH, I HOPE, I HOPE WE'RE COMING OUT OF THE INSIDE OF THE PANDEMIC.
UM, WE ARE ONLY MEETING TAXPAYERS.
WE BEING TYLER TECHNOLOGIES, THE ASSESSMENT DEPARTMENT, AND ALSO GRIEVANCE, PERIOD.
WE ARE ONLY MEETING TAXPAYERS VIA TELEPHONE OR ZOOM.
GRIEVANCE DAY WILL BE ON ZOOM, TYLER'S MEETING BY TELEPHONE.
AND SO IS THE ASSESSMENT DEPARTMENT.
UM, PROPERTY OWNERS OF LATE, I WOULD ASSUME I'M INCLUDED IN THAT.
UM, YOU'VE PROBABLY BEEN RECEIVING OR INUNDATED WITH LETTERS FROM TAX REPRESENTATIVES SAYING THAT THEY CAN REDUCE YOUR, YOU CAN GET YOUR ASSESSMENT REDUCED AND IT DOESN'T COST YOU ANYTHING UNTIL THE FINAL CONCLUSION.
THEY CHARGE EXORBITANT AMOUNTS.
THEY'RE NOT MOST, MOST OF WHOM ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE NEIGHBORHOODS, THEY'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE SCHOOLS, THEY'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH YOUR PROPERTIES.
YOU ARE INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH IT.
YOU CAN GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS ALL BY YOURSELF.
IT IS NOT COMPLICATED, AND IT TAKES 15 MINUTES AND DOESN'T COST YOU ANY MONEY EXCEPT 15 MINUTES OF YOUR TIME.
SO I STRONGLY SUGGEST IT'S YOUR PREROGATIVE, BUT I STRONGLY TO SUGGEST THAT YOU GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS ON YOUR OWN BEFORE YOU HIRE A REPRESENTATIVE.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE AGAIN, THE DATES ARE VERY IMPORTANT.
IF YOU DO HAVE AN APPRAISAL OR YOU ARE TALKING TO A REALTOR FOR A CURRENT MARKET ANALYSIS, OR YOU'RE LOOKING UP YOUR OWN SALES THAT HAVE OCCURRED, YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE DATES BETWEEN JULY 1ST, 2019 TO JUNE 30TH, 2020.
THAT IS THE WINDOW OF SALES THAT WE USED IN ORDER TO, TO DETERMINE THE MARKET VALUE OF YOUR HOUSE FOR ASSESSMENT PURPOSES.
SO AS YOU, SOME OF YOU HAVE HAD MORTGAGES OR STILL HAVE MORTGAGES, AND YOU HAD TO GET AN APPRAISAL, UM, FOR THAT PURPOSE, FOR MORTGAGE PURPOSES.
THAT APPRAISAL WAS BASED ON YOUR PROPERTY AND SPECIFIC PROPERTIES THAT SOLD WITHIN YOUR AREA.
WE DID SOMETHING VERY, VERY SIMILAR EXCEPT WE DID IT ON A MASS APPRAISAL BASIS.
WE TOOK YOUR PROPERTY, ALL OF THE INVENTORY, AND WE USED SALES WITHIN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMPARED THOSE SALES TO YOUR HOUSE.
AND THAT'S HOW WE DERIVED A VALUE, AND THAT WAS ALL PLUGGED INTO THE MODEL.
SO I KNOW I SPOKE RELATIVELY QUICKLY, I WANTED TO MAKE IT AS SHORT AS I COULD.
I'LL OPEN THE FLOOR FOR ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU WANT.
IF NOT, I'M AVAILABLE IN THE OFFICE DURING THE WEEK.
AND I JUST WANTED TO LEAVE YOU WITH THE FACT THAT IF YOU GO ONTO THE TOWN OF GREENBURG WEBSITE ONTO THE ASSESSOR'S PAGE, ONTO ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE SCREEN, YOU WILL SEE REVALUATION PROJECT.
YOU CAN CLICK ON THERE, YOU CAN SCROLL DOWN, AND YOU WILL SEE A YOUTUBE VIDEO.
UM, YOU'LL SEE A YOUTUBE VIDEO WITH SOME MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE REASSESSMENT.
THERE IS A QUESTION AND ANSWER PAGE.
AND BELOW THAT ARE, UH, SALES INFORMATION 2021 ASSESSMENTS FOR ALL THE PROPERTIES IN THE ENTIRE TOWN.
THERE IS MAPS OF, UM, WHERE ASSESSMENTS, HOW ASSESSMENTS CHANGE BY NEIGHBORHOOD AND, EXCUSE ME, AND SALES THAT HAVE OCCURRED WITHIN THAT PERIOD OF TIME THAT I MENTIONED.
WE ARE PUTTING MORE INFORMATION UP ON A DAILY BASIS.
SO PLEASE CHECK BACK AND YOU CAN FOLLOW THE PROGRESS OF THE REASSESSMENT.
UH, COULD YOU JUST EXPLAIN AGAIN, JUST THE MAP THAT YOU, YOU POSTED, BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE ARE SORT OF CONFUSED.
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VIL, EACH OF THE VILLAGES HAS, UM, AN INCREASE IN PERC IN PERCENTAGES.AND EACH AND THE UNINCORPORATED SECTION HAS A A PERCENTAGE.
SO IF THE TAXES, IF YOUR ASSESSMENT WENT UP BY A PERCENTAGE THAT IS EQUIVALENT TO WHERE YOU LIVE, THEN IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU WOULD HAVE A TAX HIKE IF IT WENT UP LESS, IT WOULD BE A DECREASE OF WENT UP MORE.
UH, FOR EACH PERCENTAGE IT WOULD BE AN INCREASE.
SO, UH, ON THE WEBSITE THAT I WAS REFERRING TO, THE REVALUATION PROJECT PART, YOU SCROLL DOWN ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM, AND THERE IS ONE TOPIC THERE THAT SAYS ASSESSMENT CHANGES VERSUS PROPERTY TAX CHANGES.
THAT IS, UH, SCENARIO BASED ON ASSUMING THAT THE A A MUNICIPALITY HAS SEVEN PARCELS IN IT, AND IT SHOWS WHAT HAPPENS.
SO AGAIN, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE UNINCORPORATED GREENBERG, UNDER VOLUME SEVEN AREA, THE AVERAGE ASSESSMENT WENT UP 11%.
SO IF YOU RECEIVED AN ASSESSMENT CHANGE NOTICE AND YOUR ASSESSMENT CHANGE ONLY INCREASED BY 8%, IT'S VERY LIKELY THAT YOU MAY SEE A DECREASE IN YOUR PROPERTY TAXES.
IF YOUR ASSESSMENT CHANGE FROM 2020 TO 2021 WENT UP BY 15%, THEN YOU MAY SEE A SLIGHT INCREASE IN YOUR PROPERTY TAXES.
I WANNA REAFFIRM, BECAUSE I FORGOT TO MENTION THIS AT THE BEGINNING, WHICH IS SO IMPORTANT.
I, I'M SURE YOU'VE HEARD ME, IF YOU'VE HEARD ME SPEAK BEFORE, YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY THIS BEFORE, THAT REASSESSMENT SUCH AS THIS IS KNOWN AS A ZERO SUM GAIN.
GOVERNMENTS, ALL GOVERNMENTS, TOWN, COUNTY, SCHOOL, FIRE VILLAGE, UM, THEY'RE NOT GETTING ANY MORE MONEY FROM A REASSESSMENT.
I KNOW THAT THAT'S A CONCEPTION OUT THERE, BUT IT IS NOT TRUE.
REASSESSMENTS ONLY ONLY REALLOCATE THE TAX BURDEN AMONG THE TAXPAYERS.
TAX TAXING JURISDICTIONS DO NOT GET ANY MORE MONEY GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
SO, HAVING SAID THAT, LIKE I SAID, UM, THERE IS A MAP ONLINE THAT SHOWS IF YOU LIVE IN THE, IF YOU'RE WATCHING THIS AND YOU LIVE IN THE VILLAGE OF ARDSLEY OR IRVINGTON OR TERRYTOWN OR ELMSFORD, YOU'LL SEE ON THE MAP THE AVERAGE, UH, ASSESSMENT INCREASES.
WE ARE IN MAY, AND WE'RE IN MAY, AND SORRY, THIS PROCESS IS TAKING PLACE NOW AND WILL NOT BE FINALIZED UNTIL SEPTEMBER OF 15TH OF 2021.
SO THESE STATISTICS THAT I GAVE YOU EARLIER, UM, AND THAT ARE ONLINE RIGHT NOW, THEY ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE BECAUSE TYLER'S MEETING WITH TAXPAYERS, AND WE ARE, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THE FORMAL APPEALS PROCESS.
WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE TAXES ARE GOING TO BE, UM, RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THERE ARE NO TAX RATES OUT.
THE ASSESSMENTS THAT YOU RECEIVED FOR 2021 WILL FIRST AFFECT YOUR PROPERTY TAXES IN APRIL OF 2022 AND GOING FORWARD.
UM, THIS IS, UH, JUDITH BEVILLE, GREENBERG POUND CLERK.
WHY ARE WE IMPOSING ASSESSMENT INCREASES DURING A TIME OF AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN DUE TO A GLOBAL PANDEMIC? AND YOU MUST HAVE MISSED, MIKE, YOU MUST HAVE MISSED MY INITIAL.
ARE ARE OTHER, ARE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES? YEAH.
I JUST WANNA ASK, ARE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES ARE, ARE SYSTEM MUNICIPALITIES, UM, DOING THE SAME? SO THE ABOUT 75% OF THE MUNICIPALITIES IN NEW YORK STATE REASSESS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
OSAN NORTH SALEM, THE VILLAGE OF ERCK, THE TOWN OF RYE, THE TOWN OF PELHAM AND GREENBERG.
I MIGHT HAVE MISSED ONE IN THERE.
WE'VE ALL DONE THE SAME THING THIS YEAR.
SO YOU MUST HAVE MISSED MY INTRODUCTION WHEN I EXPLAINED WHY WE ARE DOING IT THIS YEAR, AS OPPOSED TO OUR INITIAL SETUP OF 2020.
IF WE DID NOT DO THE REASSESSMENT IN 2021, UM, WE WOULD'VE LOST A LOT.
SO, I, I, UM, I'M HAPPY TO TALK TO YOU OFFLINE IF YOU WANT ME TO ELABORATE ON WHAT I SAID INITIALLY, BUT, AND I SHOULD, I SHOULD JUST MENTION THAT LAST YEAR, UM, THE TOWN, UM, ASSESSOR MET WITH, UH, THE VILLAGE OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION AND THE VILLAGE OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION REPRESENTED, REPRESENTS SOME OFFICIALS FROM EACH OF THE VILLAGES.
AND THE TOWN BOARD RECEIVED A LETTER FROM, UM, THE, THE VILLAGE OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION RECOMMENDING THAT THE TOWN, UM, PROCEED WITH, UM, WITH THE RE WITH THIS REASSESSMENT, YOU KNOW, PROCESS.
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AT THAT TIME WAS, UM, IT WOULD'VE BEEN MORE COSTLY, AND IF WE DIDN'T DO IT, WE WOULD'VE HAD TO DO INTERIOR INSPECTIONS.UM, AND, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY BASICALLY FELT THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS FOR THE FIRST TIME OVER 60 YEARS, YOU KNOW, FIVE OR SIX YEARS AGO, UM, AND THEN DIDN'T DO IT CORRECT.
AND THEN WE STARTED LOOKING FOR EXCUSES NOT TO DO IT, THEN WE REALLY THREW, THREW OUT THE MONEY.
UM, SO, SO I THINK THAT WAS THE MAJOR, UM, EITHER MAJOR, MAJOR REASON AND I, THE BOTTOM WHAT? I'M SORRY, PAUL, GO AHEAD.
I SAID I ORIGINALLY HAD, UM, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR DOUBTS TO WHAT JUDITH SAID, BUT YOU KNOW, AFTER SPEAKING TO, UH, THE MAYORS AND, UH, VILLAGE ADMINISTRATORS AND, UM, AND THE TOWN BOARD, UM, AND THE ASSESSOR, YOU KNOW, I WAS CONVINCED, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE REALLY DON'T WANNA PLAY POLITICS, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS, BUT WE WANNA DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR THE TOWN, THIS WAS THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE, UM, YOU KNOW, MEASURE.
YOU KNOW, IF WE, IF WE DIDN'T DO IT, THEN, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT AS WELL JUST SAY FORGET THE WHOLE THING.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE DO BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD BE FAIRNESS, UM, WITH TAXATION, THEN WE HAVE TO KEEP TO A SCHEDULE AND, YOU KNOW, NOT CONSTANTLY MAKE EXCEPTIONS.
SO YOU ASKED, SO YOU'RE SAYING IT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE TOWN AND THE RESIDENTS OF THE TOWN THROUGH INCREASED ASSESSMENT VALUES DURING AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN SUCH AS COVID? WELL, IT WOULD'VE, IT WOULD'VE INCREASED.
YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY WE DELAYED IT FOR A YEAR.
UM, THE, WHEN I SPOKE TO, UM, WHEN I WAS AT TOWN HALL, YOU KNOW, EARLIER TODAY, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, NEXT YEAR'S ASSESSMENT COULD ALSO BE GONE.
PROPERTY VALUES ARE STILL INCREASING.
SO, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THE KEY TO THIS THING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO DO IT EVERY, EVERY, EVERY 5, 5, 5 YEARS OR SO.
BUT, BUT AGAIN, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WE DID IN COOPERATION WITH ALL THE VILLAGERS.
WE SPOKE TO THEM, WE MET WITH THEM, AND THIS WAS A, A DECISION THAT WAS NOT MADE UNILATERALLY BY THE TOWN.
ALL RIGHT, SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT LAST YEAR DURING THE PANDEMIC, WE WERE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT PEOPLE ONCE YOU DO THE REASSESSMENT, HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO GRIEVE, UH, THAT CHANGE.
AND OBVIOUSLY WE WERE IN THE, IN THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC AT THAT POINT, WE WERE SWITCHING OVER TO ZOOM.
WE DID HAVE A ZOOM, UH, GRIEVANCE DAY.
BUT, BUT IF WE, SO WE DECIDED THAT WE WEREN'T GOING TO DO THIS LAST YEAR WHEN WE SHOULD HAVE DONE IT.
WE WERE EXPECTED TO DO IT ACCORDING TO WHAT WE PASSED IN 2016.
IF WE DIDN'T DO IT THIS YEAR, THAT WOULD BE TWO YEARS IN A ROW.
WE WOULD'VE LOST OUR STATUS OF HAVING A HUNDRED PERCENT ASSESSMENT.
AND WE'D HAVE TO START ALL OVER AGAIN WITH THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT IT COST THE LAST TIME WE DID IT IN 2016.
AND SO WE BASICALLY HAD TO DO IT THIS YEAR.
AND FRANKLY, THE WHOLE IDEA OF HAVING A REASSESSMENT IS SO THAT EVERYONE PAYS THEIR FAIR SHARE.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, THAT'S WHERE OUR GOAL IS.
SO SOME MAY GO UP, SOME MAY GO DOWN.
ALSO, IF YOU DON'T DO A REASSESSMENT AND SOME SOMEBODY'S PROPERTY HAS DECREASED IN VALUE, BUT YOU'RE STILL MAKING THEM DURING A PANDEMIC PAY THAT HIGHER AMOUNT, BUT IT'S NOT PAYING IT THIS YEAR, THIS AGAIN, IS GOING TO BE EFFECTIVE IN 2022.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE DIDN'T MAKE UP THE LAWS HERE.
THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE STATE LAWS.
YOU'RE FILING A GRIEVANCE THIS YEAR, BUT THEY'RE GONNA BASE YOUR ASSESSMENT BASED ON WHAT YOUR PROPERTY WAS WORTH, WHAT SUMMER, RIGHT? BUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE EFFECT NEXT YEAR, RIGHT? I MEAN, IF YOU TRY TO, IF YOU TRY TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT WOULD, AND IT DOES MAKE SENSE ONCE YOU GET USED TO THE, THE WAY IT WORKS, BUT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN.
UH, BUT ANY CHANGE THAT YOU SEE ON YOUR ASSESSMENT THAT YOU MAY HAVE RECEIVED, THE, THE CLASSIC QUESTION, OF COURSE, IS ONCE YOU SEE AN INCREASE IN ASSESSMENT, OH, HOW MUCH OF MY TAX IS GOING TO GO UP? AND THE STRANGE THING IS IT MAY ACTUALLY GO DOWN RIGHT NOW, IT'S TOO EARLY TO TELL WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
OBVIOUSLY, WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING THAT'S INCREASING YOU, YOU CORRELATE THAT TO AN INCREASE IN TAXES.
YOU KNOW, UH, IF YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT TAXES, I'D RATHER IT GO DOWN, YOUR ASSESSMENT GO DOWN THAN GO UP
UH, BUT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT YOUR TAXES WILL GO UP WHEN YOUR ASSESSMENT GOES UP.
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DEPENDS WHAT HAPPENED AROUND YOU AND ALL THE OTHER, UH, PROPERTIES.UH, SO WE BASICALLY HAD TO DO IT THIS YEAR.
WE DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE BUT TO DO IT THIS YEAR OR IT WOULD COST A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT MORE.
AND OF COURSE, HOW WOULD WE HAVE TO RECAP THAT SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT? WE'D HAVE TO RAISE TAXES.
SO, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING IT THIS YEAR, AND WE DIDN'T DO IT LAST YEAR.
SO YOU MAY BE SEEING A DIFFERENCE BASED ON TWO YEARS AS OPPOSED TO ONE YEAR.
BUT WE NEVER WANT TO GET BACK TO THE SITUATION WHERE WE WERE WHEN 1956, I BELIEVE, WAS THE LAST ASSESSMENT, A REASSESSMENT PRIOR TO 2016, AND PEOPLE WERE SIGNIFICANTLY PAYING TOO MUCH, UH, AND OTHER PEOPLE WERE PAYING TOO LITTLE.
AND SO THAT IS TRYING TO BE RIGHT SIZED.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK, I THINK EVERYBODY WOULD AGREE.
WE'RE NOT QUITE THERE YET AS TO SAYING THAT EVERYBODY IS FAIRLY ASSESSED.
AND THAT'S WHY THERE'S A GRIEVANCE PROCESS.
UH, AND IT'S A THREE STEP GRIEVANCE PROCESS, UH, SO THAT BY THE TIME, UH, THE GRIEVANCE DAY IS OVER, EVERYONE HAS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO STATE THAT.
I DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A, UH, QUIBBLE WITH OUR ASSESSOR, AND IT PROBABLY TAKES A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UH, PROBABLY TAKES A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN 15 MINUTES TO FILL OUT THE PAPERWORK.
NOW, WHAT I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO SAY TO PEOPLE IS THAT DUE TO C O D, THIS ASSESSMENT IS HIGHLY SUBJECTIVE, UHHUH, BECAUSE, BECAUSE THE AS, UH, ASSESSMENT COULD NOT BE DONE BY COMING IN AND VISITING YOUR HOMES.
IT'S DONE BASED ON SPECULATION, BASICALLY.
AND I, AND, UM, PEOPLE NEED TO BE TOLD, I'M SORRY, JUDY, I HAVE A, I I THEY NEED TO BE TOLD THAT THIS IS DONE BASED ON SUBJECT.
SUBJECT IS NOT NO, IT IS NOT BASED ON SUBJECT SUBJECTIVITY.
THAT THEY HAVE THE, THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY.
MY SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO, UM, THAT THIS SHOULD BE A, A BROAD BASE COMMUNICATION THAT IS POSTED ON THE WEBPAGE THAT IS SENT OUT THROUGH EVERY KIND OF, OF, OF MEDIA STRAIN.
I WISH THAT YOU WOULD JUST LET, WE HAVE TO LET PEOPLE KNOW INCORRECTLY.
IT'S NOT AT ALL THAT THEY CAN, THE ASSESSOR'S JOB IS OBLIGATED BY NEW YORK STATE REAL PROPERTY TAX LAW TO REFLECT MARKET VALUES.
THERE IS NO SUBJECTIVITY IN HERE.
THE ASSESSMENTS THAT ARE BEING PUT OUT ARE REFLECTING THE MARKET VALUES BASED ON JULY 1ST, 2020.
WE ARE USING SALES THAT HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED.
IF YOU FEEL AS A TAXPAYER, YOUR ASSESSMENT DOES NOT REFLECT THE MARKET VALUE OF YOUR HOME, NOT YOU, JUDITH, BUT EVERYBODY, THEN YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE THAT.
PLEASE DON'T CONFUSE TAXPAYERS BY SAYING THIS IS SUBJECTIVE.
THERE ARE MODELS, THERE ARE STATISTICS, AND THERE ARE FACTS.
THERE ARE FACTS FROM PROPERTIES THAT HAVE SOLD THAT WE ARE RELATING NEW ASSESSMENTS TO.
THIS IS NOT SUBJECTIVE, THIS NOT TO COME INTO PEOPLE'S HOMES APPRAISAL PROCESS.
THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO COME INTO PEOPLE'S HOMES TO
THERE WAS NO INTENTION OF GOING, THEREFORE, THEY HAD TO MAKE A SUBJECTIVE NO, MA'AM.
THERE WAS NO INTENTION OF GOING INTO PEOPLE'S HOMES IN THE REASSESSMENT PROCESS, WHETHER WE DID IT IN 2020 OR 2021.
THERE WAS NO INTENTION OF GOING INTO PEOPLE'S HOMES.
WE'VE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
THAT REASSESSMENT COSTS $3.8 MILLION.
DO YOU WANNA PAY TOWN TAXES OF $3.8 MILLION? AGAIN, THERE'S NO NEED.
WE'VE BEEN APPROVED BY NEW YORK STATE.
WHAT WE DO IS WE SET THESE ASSESSMENTS, WE TURN THEM INTO NEW YORK STATE, THEY RUN THEIR ANALYSIS, THEY RUN THEIR TESTS, FIVE OR SIX TESTS, AND THEY'VE COME BACK AND GIVEN US A GRADE OF A HUNDRED PERCENT.
YOU CAN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THAT.
AND LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION, LET ASK YOU A QUESTION.
CAN I GET IN HERE? CAN I GET IN HERE? I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET IN ON A CONVERSATION.
SINCE 20 EDIE, 20 EDIE, PAT, YOU, WE ARE NOT CALLING YOU YET.
PAT, EDIE, I JUST WANNA ASK YOU A QUESTION
[00:30:01]
RIGHT NOW.UM, YOU COME UP WITH ASSESSMENT, THE STATE BASICALLY APPROVES OR REJECTS WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
CORRECT? SO THEY OVER, THEY'RE AN OVER, THEY, THEY ARE AN INDEPENDENT BODY, UH, THAT THE STATE ESTABLISHES TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ASSESSMENT IS, IS CORRECT.
NOW, THERE, I THINK IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, FOR EXAMPLE, A, A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO IN SCARSDALE, THEY HAD AN ASSESSMENT.
AND I, MY RECOLLECTION IS THAT THE STATE DID NOT GIVE THEM A HUNDRED PERCENT.
IS THAT, IS THAT CORRECT? SO THE THING IS, THE STATE DOESN'T RUBBER STAMP THE ASSESSOR.
IF THEY, IF THE STATE FEELS THAT, UM, THE ASSESSMENT WAS DONE INCORRECTLY, THEY WILL SAY THIS WAS INCORRECT, AND THEY WILL REPORT IT TO THE TOWN BOARD.
OR IN THE CASE OF SCARSDALE, A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, AND THIS WAS PROBABLY WHEN THE PAST, ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, IT WAS INCORRECT.
SO, SO, SO, YOU KNOW, AND ALSO, NOBODY IN THE TOWN THAT I KNOW OF WANTED ANOTHER INTERIOR INSPECTION BECAUSE THEY FEEL THAT IT'S AN, THEY FEEL THEY DON'T LIKE GOV, YOU KNOW, A AN ENTITY, WHETHER IT'S A ASSESSOR OR WHATEVER, GOING INSIDE THEIR, THEIR HOUSE.
NOW, ON MOST CASES, WE DIDN'T DO INTERIOR INSPECTIONS.
IF YOU FELT THAT AN INTERIOR INSPECTION WAS APPROPRIATE, THEN YOU HAD THE OPTION OF DOING INTERIOR INSPECTIONS, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
YOU SEE, I, I DO LISTEN TO SOMETIMES LIKE YOU GAVE, UM, THE, SO, SO, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE ISSUE THAT I SEE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, A YEAR AGO, IF YOU REMEMBER AT THE WORK SESSION, I WAS VERY CRITICAL OF DOING IT, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR.
BUT EVERYBODY BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, CONVINCED ME THAT WE REALLY, THAT THIS WAS LESS EXPENSIVE.
WE WOULD MAINTAIN THE FULL VALUES.
AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE TYPE OF THING YOU DON'T WANNA, SOMETIMES IT COULD BE POLITICAL AND YOU KNOW, YOU COULD DELAY IT AND NOBODY'S GONNA BE UPSET OR YOU COULD DO WHAT'S RIGHT, YOU KNOW, FOR THE TOWN.
AND IF WE REALLY BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD BE FEAR OF VALUE, THAT, THAT THIS SHOULD ALL BE FEAR AND ALL THAT, THEN WE REALLY HAD TO DO IT.
WE WERE IN COMPLIANCE WITH EVERY RULE, REG, PROCEDURE AND POLICY THROUGH NEW YORK STATE.
AND SO WE HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED, UH, THAT GRADE OF 100%, UM, THAT ALONG WITH ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY, LIKE YOU SAID, PAUL, THAT ASKED US TO DO AN INTERIOR INSPECTION.
THERE WERE SOME TAXPAYERS THAT WERE NERVOUS ABOUT US COMING IN BECAUSE OF COVID.
ALL FAIRNESS, WE, WE ZOOMED, WE VIDEO CAMERAED ZOOM WITH THEM, AND WE WALKED AROUND THEIR HOUSES AND THEY SHOWED US IT WAS PERFECTLY FINE.
THEY TOOK PICTURES, THEY EMAILED THEM TO US.
WE WORKED WITH EVERY SINGLE TAXPAYER THAT'S BEEN CALLED.
SO, SO SOMEBODY SAYS, YOU KNOW, TYLER REALLY MESSED UP, YOU KNOW, I GOT THIS GIGANTIC INCREASE RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND THEY SAID, I HAVE FOUR ROOMS AND I ONLY HAVE ONE.
SO YOU COULD, THEY CAN MEET WITH YOU OR THEY CAN MEET WITH TYLER.
AND THEN IF, IF THEY'RE REQUESTING A INTERIOR INSPECTION NOW, WOULD THEY, WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO GET IT? OH, ABSOLUTELY.
SO P SO ANY, SO BETWEEN NOW AND, UM, AND SEPTEMBER, THERE'S, IT'S A PROCESS.
THEY COULD MEET WITH THE ASSESSOR, THEY COULD, YOU KNOW, THEY COULD CALL, CALL, CALL YOU.
AND I'VE BEEN STOPPING BY AT YOUR OFFICE EVERY DAY.
SO I KNOW THAT, YES, I HAVE, I KNOW THAT, UH, THAT PEOPLE THAT YOU'VE BEEN CALLING PEOPLE AND YOU'VE BEEN RET RETURNING CALLS, THEY COULD CALL TYLER.
UM, IF THEY DON'T LIKE WHAT TYLER SAYS, THEY DON'T LIKE WHAT YOU SAY, THEN THEY COULD GO TO, UM, THE GRIEVANCE BOARD.
AND THAT'S A CITIZENS' BOARD THAT WILL INDEPENDENTLY REVIEW BASICALLY WHAT YOUR, UM, WHAT YOU FOUND.
AND THEY MAY FIND THAT TYLER AND THE ASSESSOR MADE A MISTAKE AND THEY COULD OVERRULE YOU.
AND THEN IF THEY DON'T LIKE THAT, THEY COULD GO TO THE SMALL CLAIMS, YOU KNOW, UH, COURT PROCESS LATER ON WAY DOWN.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE YOU, TO MAKE CORRECTIONS, BUT I COULD SAY WE DEFINITELY ARE ANSWERING EVERY PERSON WHO, UM, WHO HAS CONTACTED US AND, YOU KNOW, WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.
WE ARE, IT WAS AN EXCELLENT SUMMARY.
ANYBODY ELSE ON THE BOARD? ANYBODY ELSE? PAT, DID YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? I CERTAINLY DID.
I WAS GONNA SAY, OKAY, THANK YOU.
I GOT HERE LATE, SO IT DIDN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE BECAUSE WHAT I'M LISTENING TO IS STILL THE SAME PROBLEM WE ALWAYS HAVE, AND THAT'S THE FAIR MARKET VALUE IS NOT FAIR.
THERE'S NOTHING FAIR ABOUT IT.
SO NOW IF YOU'RE GONNA START ON THAT PREMISE, I REALLY THINK YOU ONLY NEED TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT EVERYTHING SO FAR AS THE GRIEVANCE BOARD THAT WE HAVE FROM THE TOWN I SENT IN A GRIEVANCE.
BUT BEFORE I START ON THAT ONE
[00:35:01]
QUESTION, PAUL, YOU SAID THE ORIGINAL, UM, FULL, UM, ASSESSMENT WAS IN 2 15, 2 16.IS THAT CORRECT? WHEN YOU DID, WHEN GREENBERG DID THE FULL ASSESSMENT, WHAT, WHAT, 2000 2016 PAT 2016, THANK YOU FOR YOUR 2017 TAXES.
RIGHT? AND HOW MANY REASSESSMENTS ARE WE GONNA HAVE? WE'RE GONNA HAVE 'EM EVERY OTHER YEAR, IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? NO.
SO WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING IS WE DID THE FIRST REASSESSMENT IN 2016, RIGHT? IN 2017, 2018, 2019, WE TRENDED.
SO YOU GOT A LETTER FROM ME SAYING YOUR ASSESSMENT WENT UP 2% OR 3%, WHATEVER THE MARKET VALUE WAS, THINGS WERE, THINGS WERE GOOD, AND THE MARKET KEPT INCREASING.
SO YOU KEPT GETTING THESE, YOU KNOW, SMALL INCREASES IN YOUR ASSESSMENTS.
AND SO IN 2020, THE MARKET WAS STILL INCREASING, BUT BECAUSE OF COVID AND BECAUSE OF THE STRESS AND THE ANXIETY, AND JUST KEEP ADDING TO THAT, UM, AS THE MARKET WAS STILL INCREASING, WE DID NOT APPLY A TREND.
SO WHAT YOU DID IN 2020, YOU RECEIVED A LETTER FROM ME SAYING, YOUR 2019 ASSESSMENT WAS X.
THE ONLY REASON A TAXPAYER WOULD'VE SEEN A CHANGE BETWEEN 19 AND 20 IS IF THEY HAD DONE SOME WORK TO THEIR HOUSE OR IF THEY HAD APPEALED THEIR ASSESSMENT.
THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO REASONS.
SO NOW WE'RE IN 2021, AND THE MARKET IS STILL INCREASING.
AND AS I WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN TO JUDITH IS THAT WE REFLECT THE MARKET, WHATEVER PROPERTIES ARE SELLING THAT ARE SIMILAR TO YOURS, UM, THAT'S WHAT WE USE.
JUST LIKE AN APPRAISAL, WHEN YOU GO OUT AND YOU GET A MORTGAGE ON YOUR HOUSE OR REFINANCE ON YOUR HOUSE, YOU HAVE TO GET AN APPRAISAL.
IT'S NOT SUBJECTIVE, IT IS FACTUAL.
SO I SAID THIS BEGINNING, PAT, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU HEARD ME, BUT NO, I DIDN'T.
AND I'M GONNA TELL YOU AGAIN REAL QUICK THAT NOT ALL PROPERTIES FIT PERFECTLY INTO A MODEL.
SO IF YOU THINK YOU PAT WEEMS OR ANYBODY ELSE THAT'S OUT THERE, IF YOU THINK YOUR PROPERTIES ASSESSMENT DOES NOT REFLECT MARKET VALUE, IT MAY NOT, IT MAY NOT FIT PERFECTLY INTO THAT MODEL.
AND THAT'S WHY, LIKE PAUL SAID, THERE'S FOUR MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU TO PAY ATTENTION AND FOR YOU TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
YOU CAN GO SEE TYLER, YOU CAN COME SEE.
OKAY? I SENT IN MY INFORMATION ON THE LAST TIME, AND I'M SERIOUS.
THE BOARD SENT ME BACK A LETTER WITHIN, WITHIN 24 HOURS.
I HAVE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I'VE EVER GOTTEN A RETURN MAIL FROM THE UNITED STATES POSTAL OFFICE IN 24 HOURS.
SO THAT MEANT THEY TOOK ABSOLUTELY NO TIME TO INVESTIGATE WHAT IT WAS THAT I STATED IN MY LETTER.
THAT'S NOT TRUE TO YOU, BUT IT'S TRUE TO ME.
YOU DID NOT GET A LETTER AND I'LL GET, I'LL, I HAVE IT.
AND I'LL BRING IT IN AND GIVE IT, SHOW YOU THE DATES, PLEASE.
NUMBER TWO, HOUSES ARE SELLING HERE FOR ANYWHERE BETWEEN 299,000.
AND THAT WOULD BE FOR, UH, ONE OF THE OLDER HOUSES THAT GRANDFATHERED IN.
AND THAT HOUSE IS SELLING SOLD FOR $299,000, 300,000, AND YET A HOUSE DOWN THE STREET THAT IS SMALLER, LARGER THAN MINE SOLD FOR 599,000.
SO THERE'S NOWHERE IN THE WORLD YOU'RE GONNA TELL ME.
WHAT HAPPENS IS THESE HOUSES SELL, THEN THEY MOVE IN A, A WHOLE HOUSE FULL OF PEOPLE.
THE PROBLEMS GO ON, AND THEN THEY TURN AROUND AND LOSE THE HOUSE BECAUSE THEY STILL CAN'T PAY FOR IT.
AND WE BRING SOMEBODY ELSE IN WHO'S PAYING THAT SAME 590 SOMETHING THOUSAND DOLLARS.
SO NOW I'M HAVE, MY TAXES ARE GONNA GO UP BECAUSE OTHER PEOPLE ARE GAMBLING.
SO IT, WHATEVER I PAID FOR MY HOUSE BASICALLY SHOULD BE WHAT IT IS.
NOW YOU ARE SAYING, IF I SELL MY HOUSE, WELL, I HAVEN'T SOLD MY HOUSE.
SO WHY DON'T Y'ALL PICK UP THE TAXES AT THE END WHEN THE HOUSE IS SOLD? YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? SOME STATES DO THAT.
WELL, THAT'S, YOU'RE CHARGING MY TAXES ARE GOING UP EACH TIME.
SO HOW DO I COUNT FOR THAT? HOW DO I COUNT FOR IT? I'M SERIOUS.
EACH TIME THERE'S A REASSESSMENT, YOU'RE SAYING IF IT'S UNDER A PERCENTAGE, IT'S GONNA GO DOWN.
AND THIS IS THE ENTIRE TOWN OF GREENBURG AND THE VILLAGES.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT RECEIVED REASSESSMENT LETTERS? YES, MA'AM.
EVERYBODY, 30,000 LETTERS WENT
[00:40:01]
OUT 30,000.30,000 LETTERS WENT OUT AND OUT OF ALL OF THOSE, WHAT IS THE PERCENTAGE OF ALL, ANY OF 'EM GOING DOWN? WHAT WAS THE PERCENTAGE? YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT BEFORE TYLER SENT IT OUT.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY DIDN'T GIVE YOU ANY INFORMATION.
UH, NO, NOT, NOT THAT, NOT THE REDUCTIONS.
WELL, HOW MANY WENT UP? I HAVE SOME INFORMATION.
UM, YOU KNOW WHAT, UH, I WILL PUT THAT ON THE WEBSITE TOMORROW.
I WILL GET THE STATISTICS OUT TOMORROW ON THE WEBSITE.
AND THEN IF WE GO ON AND ASK THE OTHER QUESTIONS, AS FROM JUNE, THE FIRST TO JUNE THE 15TH, NEW YORK STATE YOU SAID, SAID THAT THOSE ARE THE DATES THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE.
IS THAT CORRECT? WELL, YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT I SAID, PAT.
SO OBVIOUSLY I'M GONNA DO IT AGAIN.
SO FROM JUNE 1ST, UHHUH
THAT IS THE PERIOD WHERE YOU COULD SUBMIT A FORMAL GRIEVANCE APPLICATION AND YOU SEND OUT HOW MANY LETTERS? 30,000.
AND CAN WE GET THOSE ALL ANSWERED IN THAT PERIOD OF TIME? NOPE.
SO THAT'S UNREALISTIC TO BEGIN WITH.
SO ALL OF THE GAMES, IT'S, YEAH, IT'S ALL FAVORED IN FAIR, IN FAIRNESS, IT'S NOT FOR US, THE TAXPAYERS.
SO MY QUESTION IS, I WANT SOMEBODY IN THE TAX OFFICE THAT'S GOING TO FIGURE OUT HOW IT'S GOING TO WORK FOR ME, THE TAXPAYER.
THAT'S WHY PEOPLE ARE IN OFFICE.
IF IT'S NOT WORKING FOR ME AND IT'S WORKING AGAINST ME, THEN I HAVE A PROBLEM.
AND I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS A PROBLEM.
OKAY? SO WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT IT WHEN MY TAXES GO UP AND THE TAXES FOR ALL OF THE BUSINESSES ON ONE 19 FROM WHITE PLAINS INTO ELMSFORD ARE DOWN.
DID THEY GET A TAX ABATEMENT FOR COMING HERE? I DON'T SEE DUQUESNE, GARRETT, PAUL, YOU WOULD KNOW.
DID WE HAVE A TAX ABATEMENT FOR ALL OF THOSE COMPANIES ON, UH, ONE 19? NO, MA'AM.
SO THEY'RE JUST ON URBAN RENEWAL AND THEY HAVE, THEIR TAXES ARE LOWER THERE, IS THAT CORRECT? NO, THEY'RE NOT LOWER.
THEY'RE PAYING MARKET VALUE TAXES.
THEY'RE PAYING MARKET VACU VALUE TAXES.
THEN WHY IS THAT STILL ON URBAN RENEWAL? UH, PAUL, IT'S JUST THAT'S A DIFFERENT SCENARIO.
THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT I, WELL, NO.
WELL, IT HAS TO DO WITH MY QUESTION THAT I ASKED.
WHY ARE THEY ON URBAN RENEWAL? WELL, GARRETT ANSWERED THAT IN A PREVIOUS MEETING WHERE WHY WASN'T THAT PREVIOUS? WE'RE WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE ENTIRE CORRIDOR FROM WHITE PLAINS ALL THE WAY TO, UM, ELMSFORD ACTUALLY TO, UH, TO ELMSFORD.
AND SO, AND IT'S A MAJOR UNDERTAKING.
AND HE HAD MENTIONED THAT HE WANTS TO DO SOMETHING.
WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING SIMILAR TO WHAT WAS DONE ON CENTRAL AVENUE.
SO THERE WOULD BE A COMPREHENSIVE ZONING.
UH, BUT I THINK YOU'RE CONFLATING ZONING WITH, UH, MARKET, MARKET, UH, ASSESSMENTS.
YOU KNOW, I I WON'T BE, I WON'T SAY I'M NOT, I JUST WANNA KNOW HOW IS IT THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT YONKERS? WELL, YONKERS HAS STREETS THAT AT LEAST, AT LEAST FOUR LANES ACROSS.
SO WHERE DOES THAT PUT MY COMMUNITY? ON THE OTHER SIDE OF ONE 19 ON BOTH SIDES OF IT.
I DON'T RECALL ANYBODY MENTIONING YONKERS.
HUH? WHAT DO YOU, WHAT WHAT DOES YONKERS HAVE TO DO WITH THIS? WELL, YOU WERE THE ONE THAT SAID WE WERE LOOKING AT YONKERS FOR THAT CORRIDOR.
AND I'M SAYING NO, WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS, THE CENTRAL, CENTRAL AVENUE, UH, DISTRICT.
WELL, THAT GOES, WE HAVE A SEPARATE, SEPARATE ZONING.
WE HAVE A, WELL, YEAH, SO I KNOW, BUT A MAJOR PART OF IT'S IN GREENBURG.
THE ZONING DISTRICT THAT'S ONLY IN GREENBURG AND NOT IN YONKERS AND NOT WHITE PLAINS IS A DISTRICT.
UM, THAT'S, THAT LOOKS FAVORABLE TO THE SAME TYPE OF BUSINESSES AND SO FORTH ON ONE 19.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TAKING A LOOK AT.
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS WHY IS IT STILL URBAN RENEWAL? YES.
IT'S BECAUSE IT'S A MAJOR UNDERTAKING.
IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT CHANGE, WE DID CONVERT SOME OF THE URBAN RENEWAL, UM, ZONING TO REAL RESIDENTIAL ZONING.
UH, WE HAVE NOT DONE THE NINE A, THE, UM, ONE 19 CORRIDOR OR YET.
BUT THAT HAS, THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN THINKING THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE URBAN RENEWAL, SOMEHOW THEY GET A TAX BREAK BECAUSE THEY'RE URBAN RENEWAL.
THEY ARE PAYING TAXES BASED ON WHAT THEIR BUSINESSES COULD SELL FOR.
I'M STILL NOT HAPPY WITH GREENBERG TAXES BECAUSE IT'S NOT HELPING ME AT ALL.
SO ON THAT NOTE, I'LL JUST COME BACK AGAIN AND I WILL SUBMIT MY
[00:45:01]
INFORMATION AGAIN.AND IF I GET IT BACK IN ONE DAY, THEN I WILL COME IN AND BRING THE LETTER TO YOU PERSONALLY.
AND THAT WAS FROM THE GREENBERG GRIEVANCE BOARD.
I JUST HAD ONE OTHER QUESTION FOR EDIE.
UM, UH, TODAY, UH, SOMEBODY, UH, SPOKE TO ME AND THEY SAID THAT, UM, UH, THEIR HOUSE AND, UH, EQUIVALENT HOUSE NEXT TO THEM, UM, WAS ASSESSED, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENTLY.
UM, AND THEY WERE, UM, YOU KNOW, CONCERNED BECAUSE THEY FELT THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY WANT THEIR ASSESSMENT LOWERED, BUT THEY DON'T WANNA CREATE PROBLEMS FOR THEIR NEXT EXTRA, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBOR.
UM, IF SOMEBODY, UM, YOU KNOW, FEELS AT AN NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE ASSESSED, UH, SAY LOWER THAN THEIRS AND IS EQUIVALENT HOUSE, AND THEY REPORTED, WELL, THE EQUIVALENT, HOW THE PERSON LIVING NEXT DOOR TO THEM SEE THEIR ASSESSMENT INCREASE, OR, UH, YOU, I MEAN, THEY DON'T WANNA BE A SNITCH.
UM, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY TO THAT OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT I'M OBLIGATED TO ASSESS ALL PROPERTY IN THE TOWN OF GREENBERG BASED ON THE, TO BEST OF MY ABILITY BASED ON MARKET VALUE.
SO IF I FIND, EVEN NOW, IF I FOUND A PROPERTY THAT IS UNDER ASSESSED FROM WHAT, YOU KNOW, TYLER TECHNOLOGIES MODEL WAS SHOWING, I HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO INCREASE THAT ASSESSMENT UNTIL JUNE 1ST.
SO ONCE JUNE 1ST AND, AND, AND THE NUMBERS BECOME PUBLIC, UM, THEN WE'RE STILL REVIEWING THE ASSESSMENTS.
BUT BEFORE I LEAVE, I KNOW YOU HAVE A HUGE AGENDA TONIGHT.
I WANTED TO MENTION, I SAID IT BEFORE, I NEED TO SAY IT AGAIN TO ALL THE TAXPAYERS.
FOR SOME REASON, THE MAIL SOMETIMES IS A LITTLE BIT SLOW AND ALL THE LETTERS WILL BE MAILED OUT THE LAST WEEK OF MAY, NO LATER THAN JUNE 1ST, ABSOLUTELY NO LATER THAN JUNE 1ST.
THAT SHOULD NORMALLY TAKE A DAY OR TWO TO GET TO TAXPAYERS' HOMES.
AND I'M STILL HEARING PEOPLE HAVEN'T RECEIVED THEIR FIRST LETTER.
SO BY JUNE 1ST, I'M TELLING ALL TAXPAYERS, AND FEEL FREE TO SHARE THIS, THAT THE INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR ASSESSMENTS WILL BE ON THE WEBSITE, ON THE ASSESSOR'S PAGE REEVALUATION PROJECT ON JUNE 1ST.
THE TENTATIVE ASSESSMENT OFFICIAL NUMBERS WILL BE PUBLIC ON THE WEBSITE ON JUNE 1ST.
THEY DON'T HAVE, WAIT A MINUTE, PAT, SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR THEIR LETTERS.
HOW MUCH ARE WE PAYING TYLER? I BELIEVE THE CONTRACT WAS $775,000 AND WE WORKED SOMETHING OUT WITH THEM AND THEY REDUCED THEIR CONTRACT DOWN TO 700.
AND DON'T QUOTE ME, I THINK SEVEN 30.
QUESTION THE QUESTION BASED, THAT'S CORRECT.
IS, UM, WHY DON'T WE USE, WHY CAN'T WE FIND SOMEBODY IN NEW YORK STATE WHERE WE CAN KEEP OUR MONEY? WHERE'S TYLER? IT'S TYLER IN NEW YORK.
WELL, THEY ARE CURRENTLY, BECAUSE THEY HAVE A LOT OF PROJECTS HERE.
SO THEY HAVE OFFICES HERE, THEY'RE HOME, HOME BASE.
SO I DON'T WANNA GIVE OHIO OUR MONEY, SO CAN'T WE FIND SOMEBODY HERE? WE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THE LOWEST BID, BUT AT LEAST IF IT'S IN NEW YORK, THAT HELPS US.
YEAH, WE WENT THROUGH AN R F P PROCESS AND WHEN WE DID IT IN 2016, AND WE GOT MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW, EIGHT OR NINE, UH, BIDDERS, AND, UM, AND THIS TIME WE WENT THROUGH THE R F P PROCESS TWICE BECAUSE SUPERVISOR FINER WASN'T HAPPY WITH THE FIRST ONE, AND WE WENT THROUGH IT TWICE, AND THERE WERE TWO BIDS THE FIRST TIME AND ONE BID THE SECOND.
BUT WERE THEY FROM ANY OF THEM FROM NEW YORK? UM, NOT, NO, NOT THIS TIME.
IN 2016, THEY WERE, CAN WE RECRUIT? RIGHT.
WE NEED TO START LOOKING TO RECRUIT 'EM.
AT LEAST WE HAVE NEW YORK MONEY IN NEW YORK AND NOT OHIO.
OHIO'S NOT GONNA GIVE US ANYTHING.
THE OTHER THING, JUST IN TERMS OF THE BIDDING, UM, UH, THE QUESTION THAT YOU HAS COME UP IN THE PAST IS THERE'S DIFFERENT ALGORITHMS THAT, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT COMPANIES USE.
SO, UH, ARE WE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, ARE WE COMMITTED TO TYLER AGAIN BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONLY ONES WHO COULD DO THE, THE REASSESSMENT OR, UM, OR, UM, COULD THE BOARD IF THEY WANT AT THAT POINT, GO WITH SOMEBODY ELSE? THE ALGORITHMS THAT ARE USED TO CREATE THESE MODELS ARE VERY, VERY, VERY SIMILAR.
REGARDLESS OF THE REASSESSMENT, UM, COMPANY, WHETHER IT'S IN-HOUSE OR AUSTRALIA OR NEW YORK OR TEXAS, THEY, ALL THE REASSESSMENT MUNICIPALITIES BASICALLY ARE USING THE SAME TYPE OF MODEL.
MAYBE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT SOFTWARE, BUT THE MODELS ARE ALL THE SAME.
AND REMEMBER WHEN WE SAID IT, THE STATE HAS TO APPROVE THE MODELS BEFORE WE START THE PROJECT TO BEGIN WITH.
WELL, I DON'T SEE HOW THEY CAN REFUSES TO, TO AT LEAST LET NEW YORK GET
[00:50:01]
INTO THE GAME.I MEAN, IF WE ARE GONNA SEND OUR MONEY ALL OVER THE STATE, WHAT ARE WE GETTING BACK FROM THEM? DOES ANYBODY COME AND GIVE US SOME MONEY? NO.
I, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT MEANS, PAT, BUT PAUL, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, THE, THE MODELS THAT ARE CREATED ARE VERY SIMILAR REGARDLESS OF LOCATION, WHETHER YOU'RE IN NEW YORK OR AUSTRALIA OR CHINA OR CALIFORNIA, THE MODELS ARE VERY, VERY, VERY SIMILAR.
SO YES, WE COULD GO WITH ANOTHER COMPANY IF, IF IN FIVE YEARS WE WANTED TO, AND YOU MENTIONED
AND YOU MENTIONED ON THIS, THAT THERE, THAT WE DID BID IT AGAIN FOR THIS, THIS REASSESSMENT.
AND WE HAD TWO BIDS, AND THEN WE DID, WE DID IT AGAIN AND IT WAS ONE.
OKAY, AGAIN, I'M AVAILABLE IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS.
YOU GUYS KNOW ALL MY EMAIL, I'M ON THE WEBSITE, SO PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE, PAT, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW HOW TO REACH ME.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, FOR LETTING ME PRESENT TO THE PUBLIC.
NOW WE HAVE, UH, A DISCUSSION ON THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY.
HOW ARE YOU? HOPE EVERYBODY'S WELL, YES.
I JUST, UM, HAD A FEW ITEMS I WANTED TO DISCUSS REGARDING THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY, AND I'M ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE, AND WE HAVE, I'VE HAD PEOPLE COME TO ME, UM, AS I AM ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE WITH QUESTIONS FOR GREENBURG HOUSING AUTHORITY.
I'VE TAKEN THOSE QUESTIONS TO GREENBURG HOUSING AUTHORITY AS INSTRUCTED BY, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD HERE, AND HAVE BEEN MET WITH HOSTILITY BY THEIR LIAISON, WHO IS DEFINITELY, UM, NOT APPROACHABLE.
UM, DEFINITELY CONDESCENDING AND DEFINITELY NOT CLEAR ON HER ANSWER.
SO IF I CAN'T CON COMMUNICATE TOWARD THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE ON BEHALF OF TENANTS TO GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY EFFECTIVELY, AND I CAN'T REALLY COMMUNICATE WITH YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT PART OF GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY, WHERE AM I LEFT TO GO? I MEAN, DO I GO TO, UM, I DON'T KNOW, ALBANY ATTORNEY GENERAL DA, LIKE, I DON'T KNOW WHERE I'M SUPPOSED TO GO.
WHAT IS THE NATURE OF YOUR COMPLAINT OR THE COMPLAINTS QUESTION? HI, HOW ARE YOU? GOOD, HOW ARE YOU? GOOD, THANK YOU.
THEY'RE NOT JUST COMPLAINTS, THEY'RE QUESTIONS, KEN.
NOT EVERYTHING'S COMING FROM A NEGATIVE PLACE.
THINGS ARE COMING FROM A PLACE OF UNDERSTANDING.
AND, UM, SO THAT'S THE FIRST THING.
AND IT'S LIKE A CLICK AT HIGH SCHOOL.
YOU CAN'T GET GET PAST ONE TO GET TO THE OTHER.
YOU CAN'T GET TO THE OTHER TO GET PAST ONE.
THE QUESTIONS ARE THINGS LIKE, AM I GUARANTEED TO COME BACK? JUST STRAIGHT UP QUESTIONS.
UM, HOW AM I GONNA PAY MORE MONEY WHEN I COME BACK? I MEAN, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE UNREASONABLE QUESTION.
THOSE TWO QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED.
UH, UH, UH, THEY WERE ANSWERED HOS, HOS THEY WERE ANSWERED IN THREE DIFFERENT WAYS.
ONE WAY WAS YES, THEY ARE, THEY HAVE A CHOICE WHEN GIVEN A 90 DAY NOTICE, ONE WAS ANSWERED THAT THEY HAD ALREADY BEEN SENT OUT.
AND ANOTHER WAY WAS ANSWERS THAT IT HAPPENS AT THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS.
[00:55:01]
THE REAL ANSWER? I DON'T KNOW.AND THAT WAS ME ASKING THE LIAISON THAT YOU, HI.
YOU GUYS HAVE OVER AT GREENBURG, NOT YOU.
HER INITIALS, I BELIEVE IT'S LW, I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
I I THOUGHT SHE ANSWERED THOSE QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, PRETTY CLEARLY AND, YOU KNOW.
AGAIN, WHERE DO I GO IF I DON'T FEEL YOU SHOULD GO TO, YOU SHOULD GO TO, TO ROSE NUNAN AT THE HOUSING ACTION COUNCIL.
SHE, SHE CAN ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
ALSO, WHEN, UM, WE WERE DISCUSSING, WELL, NOT WE, WHEN I WAS LISTENING IN, UM, I FORGOT HER NAME ALREADY, BUT SHE WAS NOT YEAH, YOU WERE, YOU WERE, WERE YOU, YOU WERE ON LAST NIGHT, I THINK.
WHAT DEMEANOR DID YOU, DID YOU PICK UP? I THOUGHT SHE ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED OF HER, UM, FORTHRIGHT AND CLEAR MANNER.
WELL, SHE DIDN'T, SO ROSE NUNAN IS A VERY GOOD PERSON.
SHE'S SEPARATE, APART FROM, UH, FROM THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
SHE IS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HOUSING ACTION COUNCIL AND HAS BEEN CHARGED BY THE COUNTY AND OTHER MUNICIPALITIES WITH GETTING AFFORDABLE AND WORKFORCE HOUSING OR RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND IS, AND IS INVOLVED WITH THE GREENBURG HOUSING AUTHORITY IN THIS EFFORT.
SO, UM, I WAS ASKED ALSO THIS BY, UM, A FEW SENIORS.
THEY DIDN'T SAY THAT THEY KNEW WHEN OR IF THEY WERE RETURNING, AND I SAID, OH NO, YOU DEFINITELY GOT, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING IN WRITING THAT YOU WERE RETURNING.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE SAME DEAL ON THE TABLE FOR THE
SHE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE MANHATTAN AVENUE PROJECT.
SO IS THAT THE SAME DEAL ON THE, THAT THE SENIORS GOT THAT THEY CAN ALSO RETURN WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY AND YES, THAT'S CORRECT.
AND THEY HAVE THAT IN WRITING, THE ONES THAT WANNA RETURN? YES, THEY DO.
GREENBURG HOUSING AUTHORITY IS NOT TRANSPARENT FINANCIALLY.
AND AGAIN, THEY GET TO DECIDE IF THERE'S AN OPENING, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S POSTED WHERE A PERSON MAY BE FROM THE COMMUNITY MIGHT WANNA APPLY.
I THEY CHOOSE WHO THAT PERSON MIGHT BE.
THAT PERSON GOES TO THE BOARD THAT'S NOT INVOLVED.
THEY APPROVED OR DENY THAT PERSON TO GO BACK TO THE BOARD THAT THEY'RE NOT INVOLVED IN.
I MEAN, DOES ANYBODY ELSE SEE WHERE THE TRANSPARENCY AND THE CIRCLE AND THE CONFUSION AND THE, AND AND WHERE DO YOU REALLY GO? IT'S STILL IN A CLICK TO ME.
SO GREEN, THE BOARD IS NOT INVOLVE, BUT THEY CHOOSE WHO GOES ON THE HOUSING AUTHORITY? NO, WE DO NOT CHOOSE THE, THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY VETS CANDIDATES, THEY THEN, THEN THOSE CANDIDATES TO US, THE TOWN BOARD.
WE THEN INTERVIEW THOSE CANDIDATES AND RIGHT.
DECIDE WHICH OF THOSE CANDIDATES TO APPOINT TO THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY.
I JUST SAID THE BOARD CHOOSES YOU DECIDE THEY SEND YOU 10 PEOPLE, WHOMEVER YOU INTERVIEW THEM, YOU SAY, HEY, YAY OR NAY, AND YOU SEND THEM BACK.
SO HOW ARE YOU NOT OVER THE TOWN? THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY, ONCE WE MAKE THE APPOINTMENTS, THE COMMISSIONERS THAT THE, ONCE WE MAKE THE APPOINTMENTS, THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY IS AN INDEPENDENT
[01:00:01]
MUNICIPAL ENTITY, AN INDEPENDENT QUASI MUNICIPAL ENTITY.SO ONCE WE MAKE THE APPOINTMENTS, THEY'RE AN INDEPENDENT DECISION MAKING BODY WHO OVERSEES THAT INDEPENDENT BODY OF WORK.
THERE'S A FEDERAL, UM, ENTITY AND THERE'S A STATE ENTITY THAT, THAT YOU HAVE THE FEDERAL HOUSING AUTHORITY.
UH, HUD BASICALLY OVERSEES THE FEDERAL HOUSING AND, UM, UH, KEN DOESN'T THE, UM, STATE DIVISION OF HOUSING? THAT'S CORRECT.
THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS TO REPORT TO THOSE BODIES BECAUSE THEY, THEY'RE, SO, THEY SEND THEIR BUDGETS AND THEIR ANNUAL FINANCIALS TO THEM.
I, I BELIEVE YOU'RE AWARE OF THEM.
SO PRESIDENT BIDEN, SO PRESIDENT BIDEN'S OFFICE, HE APPOINTS A SECRETARY OF, UM, HOUSING.
AND THEN THEY HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THAT OFFICE BASICALLY OVERSEES, UH, THE FEDERAL HOUSING.
AND IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THE, THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS RECEIVED HIGH MARKS FROM BOTH REVIEWING AGENCIES.
I, DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATIONS.
SO I, IN THEORY, I CAN GO TO THEM.
I DON'T NEED TO GO TO THE OTHER PERSON THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT'S IN THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT? I FORGOT.
HOW DO YOU GUYS, AND THIS IS MY OWN CLARITY, HOW DO YOU GUYS SAY THAT YOU ARE NOT INVOLVED WITH THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY AND YOU ARE INVOLVED IN THE HIRING DECISION? IT'S NOT THAT WE ARE NOT INVOLVED WITH THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY.
IT'S THAT WE DON'T CONTROL THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY.
WE'RE OBVIOUSLY, SO WE DON'T, WE DON'T, WE DON'T HIRE, WE'RE QUITE INVOLVED HOUSING AUTHORITY BECAUSE WE ARE HERE TALKING WITH YOU NOW, NOW ABOUT THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY.
I'M THE LIAISON FROM THE TOWN BOARD TO THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY.
THE, THE, THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY IN THE TOWN, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE PARTNERS IN, IN, IN A LOT OF PROJECTS, YOU KNOW.
SO IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE NOT INVOLVED, WE JUST DON'T CONTROL THEM.
SO AGAIN, JOE BIDEN HAS AN O JOE BIDEN'S OFFICE IS IN CHARGE OF HUD.
BUT, UH, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS, IS IS RUN BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
UM, SO I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO GO THERE.
UM, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF TRANSPARENCY.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF CONFUSION, A LOT OF FEAR, A LOT OF INTIMIDATION.
WHEN QUESTIONS ARE BEING ASKED, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THAT? UH, YOU KNOW, COMPLAIN.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO TELL YOU ABOUT THAT.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T, IT, IT, THAT'S NOT MY EXPERIENCE.
WHY CAN'T THE TENANT, EXCUSE ME.
MICHELLE, ARE YOU, ARE YOU FINISHED? 'CAUSE I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION ON THAT.
IF THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY IS THE GOVERNING BOARD FOR THE RESIDENTS, THEN WHY IS IT THAT THE RESIDENTS DON'T HAVE ANY SAY IN WHO THEY SELECT? UH, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY ANNOUNCED THAT THERE WERE VACANCIES AND THEY SOUGHT SUGGESTIONS TO FILL THOSE VACANCIES.
WHATEVER THE SUGGESTIONS WERE, WERE THERE WERE THE PEOPLE THEY KNEW THEY WENT TO PEOPLE AND THEY GOT THEIR RESUMES.
BUT WHAT IF I HAVE SOMEONE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, SEE, GET THAT POSITION? IT'S NOT CONDUCIVE FOR ME TO GO THROUGH THE BOARD IF THAT'S NOT SOMEONE THAT THEY WOULD EVEN CONSIDER.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMEONE THAT THEY WON'T CONSIDER UNLESS YOU GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE PAPERWORK.
BUT HOW DO THEY EVEN KNOW WHERE TO DO THAT? EXACTLY.
THAT'S WHAT I MEAN ABOUT TRANSPARENCY, KEN, YOU KNOW.
MICHELLE RENEE, THE COMMISSIONER, SHE CERTAINLY KNOWS HOW TO DO IT.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE PERSON IN THE COMMUNITY.
NOT RENEE, JUST A REGULAR JOE.
THAT'S BEEN A PART OF THE COMMUNITY THAT'S DONE THINGS, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, OR MAYBE JUST HASN'T.
AND IT JUST IS WILLING TO, TO BE OF SERVICE.
[01:05:01]
HOW WOULD THEY KNOW TO REALLY APPLY THE TRANSPARENCY THERE IS UNREAL.NOT ONLY THAT, THAT WHOLE TREASURY READING OF THE REPORT LAST NIGHT, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WERE THERE FOR THAT.
AND, AND THEN THE PASSES, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? IT'S, IT'S LIKE, AND THEN WHO DO YOU, YOU, YOU JUST GOTTA SAY, OKAY, BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT.
LIKE, WHAT ABOUT THE COMMUNITY, THE, THE PEOPLE THAT LIVED, THAT'S WHO I'M SPEAKING ABOUT.
HOW WOULD THE PERSON THAT LIVES IN THAT COMMUNITY WHO'S TOTALLY CAPABLE KNOW THAT THERE'S A PHYSICIAN OPEN, THEY GO TO A PUBLIC MEETING LIKE THE ONE WE HAD LAST NIGHT, AND THEY ASK A QUESTION THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT TRANSPARENCY THAT THEY, HOW WOULD THEY KNOW TO DO THAT? NO, COME ON, KEN.
SHOULD I GO ON THE WEBSITE AND LOOK, THAT'S WHERE THAT, THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, AN AVERAGE PERSON WOULD SEEMINGLY BEGIN A WEBSITE.
THEY WOULDN'T THINK I HAVE TO GO TO DO A BOARD MEETING AND ASK, IS THERE A POSITION? OPEN POSITIONS ARE USUALLY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
WHY AREN'T YOUR, WHY AREN'T THERE? I'M SURE THERE'S A PHONE NUMBER ON THE WEBSITE THAT ONE COULD CALL TO ASK IT.
CAN YOU KNOW, CAN SOMEONE ELSE ANSWER THAT? 'CAUSE CAN I DON'T NEED THAT.
I, I, I AM THE LIAISON TO THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY.
LET'S THE REAL, DID YOU GET YOUR FIRST JOB THAT WAY, KEN? YES, I DID.
YOU WENT ON A WEBSITE, YOU GOT A PHONE NUMBER OR YOU WENT TO A MEETING, RIGHT? MY FIRST JOB, THERE WERE NO WEBSITES.
I LOOKED IN THE NEWSPAPER, THERE WAS A PHONE NUMBER.
BUT YOU WENT TO, YOU WENT TO A NEWSPAPER.
RIGHT? IT WAS POSTED SOMEWHERE.
DON'T BE CONDESCENDING ABOUT THE PHONE NUMBER AND COME TO A MEETING.
THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE, DO BE QUALIFIED, THAT LIVE IN A COMMUNITY THAT ARE, THAT CAN DO THAT POSITION AND HAVE NOT BEEN GIVEN OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE OF NO TRANSPARENCY.
SO WHO, WHERE DO I GO NOW? THIS IS MY POINT.
THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
WELL THEN I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO TELL YOU.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO TELL YOU, MICHELLE.
WELL, HOW ABOUT, HOW ABOUT THAT'S AN APPROPRIATE, WE CAN UPDATE OUR WEBSITE.
WE DO NEED TO BE MORE TRANSPARENT.
HOW ABOUT THAT? WHY ARE YOU DEFERRING ME SOMEWHERE ELSE WHEN IT'S, IT'S IN YOUR, IT'S IN YOUR, IT'S IN YOUR BACKYARD.
WHY? HOW HARD IS IT TO POST A JOB ON YOUR WEBSITE? I AM NOT POSTING JOBS ON THEIR WEBSITE.
AND I SAID, IF SOMEONE ELSE CAN, WOULD THEY PLEASE HELP ME? TALK, TALK, GO TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND ASK.
BECAUSE THE SAME PEOPLE KEEP DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN EXPECTING A DIFFERENT RESULT.
AND THIS IS WHY I'M AT THE BOARD.
EXCUSE ME, NOT TO SPEAK TO YOU, REALLY.
AND NO DISRESPECT, RIGHT? RIGHT.
I'M AT THE BOARD BECAUSE THIS, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS.
YOU GET STONEWALLED AND YOU GOT SENT BACK IN THE LOOP.
YOU AS A BOARD, YOU HAVE TO HEAR OUR CRY.
THERE IS DEFINITELY ISSUES THERE.
AND WELL, AGAIN, I KNOW YOU DON'T NO.
THE, YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU'VE SAID WHAT YOU, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE? YOU, BUT YOU'RE ONLY GONNA LET ME SPEAK TO KENT, IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
YOU WANNA SAY, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU NEED TO SAY? THE BOARD IS ONLY, EXCUSE ME.
IS THE BOARD ONLY GONNA LET ME SPEAK TO KEN? I AM THE LIAISON TO THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY.
I AM THE ONE WHO HAS ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS.
I HAVE ANSWERED YOUR QUESTIONS.
YOU SAID THAT ALL THE, UM, YOU SAID THAT ALL THE MICHELLE NOTICES WENT OUT FOR PEOPLE AND YOU WERE NOT CORRECT ABOUT THAT.
SO I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS, KANE.
SO, SO WE, WE, WE HAVE TO MOVE ON TO SOMETHING ELSE ON THE AGENDA NOW.
UM, I, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO ADDRESS YOUR QUESTIONS TO THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY AND TO CONTINUE TO COME BACK TO THE TOWN BOARD AND ADDRESS THEM HERE.
BUT WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS NOW FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES AND WE NEED TO MOVE ON.
BEFORE YOU MOVE ON, I'D LIKE TO ANSWER THE QUESTION OR TWO.
[01:10:01]
HOW EVERYBODY DOING? GOOD, HOW ARE YOU? OKAY.YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THAT PEOPLE ASK QUESTIONS, TRYING TO GET SOME CLARITY, AND IT DO SEEMS LIKE WHEN PEOPLE ASK CERTAIN QUESTIONS, THE WAY THEY GET ANSWERED BACK IS WITH A LITTLE HOSTILITY IF YOU DON'T NOTICE OR NOT.
SO THEN YOU TELL PEOPLE TO GO TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
AND THEN WHEN PEOPLE GO TO THEIR HOUSING AUTHORITY, AND THEY CAN SPEAK WHEREVER THEY SPEAK, LIKE, SO WE SAY, OKAY, LET US GO TO THE TOWN BOARD BECAUSE THE TOWN BOARD APPOINTS FIVE PEOPLE TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, AND THEY ALSO HAVE A LIAISON FROM THE TOWN BOARD THAT'S SIX PEOPLE.
SO IF PEOPLE'S HAVING PROBLEM, AND IT'S LIKE LAST NIGHT, UM, I WAS AT THE TOWN BOARD MEETING, I MEAN, AT THE HOUSE AUTHORITY MEETING, AND THEY MADE A MOTION NOT TO, UM, HAVE ELECTION.
THE ELECTION WAS UP FOR OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR FOR THE STATE REPRESENTATIVES TO BE A COMMISSIONER WHO IS ELECTED.
THERE ARE FI THERE ARE SEVEN COMMISSIONERS, FIVE THAT THE TOWN BOARD APPOINTS AND ONE LIAISON THAT'S SIX PEOPLE.
AND THEN THEY SAY THAT, OKAY, WE ARE NOT HAVING NO, UM, ELECTION, BUT THEY DON'T SEND OUT NO NOTICE TO LET ANYBODY KNOW THAT THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE AN ELECTION.
THEN THEY VOTE LAST NIGHT TO DO IT NEXT YEAR.
SO WHEN PEOPLE GET A PROBLEM WITH THAT, AND THEN WHEN YOU ASK SOMEBODY, WELL, HOW DO WE, WHO DO WE TALK TO? HOW DO WE FIND OUT THINGS? AND THEN THE TOWN TELL US THAT THEY DON'T HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, BUT YET THAT THE TOWN BOARD PUT FIVE PEOPLE ON THE COMMISSION AND BOARD OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WHO MAKE THE RULES.
IT IS LIKE THEY HAVE A MONOPOLY.
THEY, THEY HAVE ONLY WHO THEY WANT ON.
AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS REALLY NOT FAIR TO ANYONE ELSE.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE, IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, IT'S LIKE A, A SORORITY GROUP.
LIKE ALL PEOPLE HAVE BEEN THERE OVER 5, 10, 15 YEARS.
NOBODY IS WILLING TO STEP UP AND REALLY DO WHAT'S RIGHT BY THE PEOPLE.
BUT YOU KEEP SENDING US BACK TO THE SAME ENVIRONMENT.
I MEAN, I, I, IT'S UNBELIEVABLE, KEN.
SOME OF THIS CAN'T SIT RIGHT WITH YOU.
AND I ALSO SAY IF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY PUT IT ON THEIR WEBSITE, WHY CAN'T THE TOWN PUT IT ON THEIR WEBSITE? SINCE Y'ALL ARE THE FINAL SAY OF WHO GOES ON THE HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD.
I MEAN, I SUPPOSE THERE COULD BE A LINK, YOU KNOW? OKAY.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST THINGS WE ASKED.
IT AIN'T TRYING LIKE TRAP NOBODY OFF AND JUST LIKE, IT'S THINGS THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING AND IT'S LIKE THE CHICKEN SAYING, WELL, LET ME GO TO THE, UM, FOX INSTEAD OF THE WOLF.
OKAY GUYS, WE REALLY HAVE TO MOVE ON NOW BECAUSE IT'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, 20 MINUTES.
BUT HA I HAD BEEN 20 MINUTES, BUT HAVE YOU BEEN LISTENING TO WHAT PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT? YES, OF COURSE.
I'M, YOU ARE ONE VOTE WE TALKING TO THE TOWN BOARD.
DO Y'ALL SEE, OR MATTER OF FACT, I AIN'T BE TALKING TO THE TOWN BOARD NO MORE.
PROBABLY SOMEBODY WHO WATCHING THIS, UM, WORK SESSION WHO MIGHT HAVE A HEART, IT MIGHT BE OPEN TO SAY, ALL RIGHT, YOUR TIME IS UP.
LIKE GOING TO A THERAPIST, YOU'RE SITTING ON A COUCH, ALRIGHT, 45 MINUTES UP, SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.
UH, CLIFF, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING EVERYBODY SAYS, YOU KNOW, WE LISTEN TO, WE REFLECT.
AND ALL I I'D LIKE TO SAY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY SERVES A VERY IMPORTANT PURPOSE IN OUR TOWN.
UM, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING, UM, AFFORDABLE, YOU KNOW, HOUSING.
I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE, THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE CONDITIONS OF THE HOUSING UNITS BE MAINTAINED.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I I REALLY, YOU KNOW, I I USED BEFORE I, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I WAS A TENANT ORGANIZER.
I'VE SEEN, UM, AND WORKED IN APARTMENT BUILDINGS THAT ARE, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRANSPARENCY.
I, I HAVE A RI LEMME JUST SAY SOMETHING.
I BASICALLY AM VERY, VERY, UM,
[01:15:01]
CONCERNED ABOUT THE LIVING CONDITIONS OF, UM, OF, OF THE HOUSING.YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, COMPLEXES, I DON'T WANNA SEE, AND WE ALL ARE YOU, WE ALL ARE.
ALL I'M, ALL I'M SAYING IS THAT I, I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD ALL WORK TOGETHER TRUE.
UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE HOUSING STOCK IS WELL MAINTAINED.
UM, THAT THE DETERIORATING CONDITIONS, BECAUSE THEY'RE OLD, THAT THEY'RE UPGRADED, THAT PEOPLE GET BROADBAND.
UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE UNITS ARE, ARE RENOVATED, UH, THAT, SO THAT STUDENTS COULD HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES AS WEALTHIER STUDENTS WHO HAVE BROADBAND.
UM, UH, YOU KNOW, MY, I I FEEL REALLY, YOU KNOW, STRONGLY IN THIS AND YOU KNOW, MY FAILING IS THAT ALL THE NEGATIVITY THAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE HEAR HEARD IN, YOU KNOW, IN RECENT WEEKS OR MONTHS, I BELIEVE COULD DISCOURAGE FEW FUTURE, UM, PRIVATE INVESTORS TO, IN, TO HELP INVEST IN, IN THE CENTER.
BECAUSE PEOPLE, IF, IF THIS, IF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS CONSTANTLY, UM, BEING CRITICIZED AND EVERYBODY'S, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING ALL THESE ATTACKS AGAINST EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE DOING, IT'S GONNA BE VERY, VERY HARD, UH, FOR THE HOUSING AUTHORITIES TO CONTINUE TO, UH, TO RENOVATE, UH, THE OTHER UNITS THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY BEING, YOU KNOW, RENOVATED.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I FEEL THAT THE STOCK IS GONNA, THE HOUSING, THE QUALITY OF THE HOUSING CONDITIONS IS GONNA DETERIORATE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT, YOU KNOW, BOTHERS ME.
SO I'M, I'M, YOU KNOW, IF PEOPLE, UM, WANNA GET INVOLVED, WE'RE ASKING YOU FOR TRANSPARENCY, PAUL, WE'RE, YOU'RE, THAT IS NOT AFFECTING ALL I'M SAYING.
ALL I'M SAYING IS THAT TRANSPARENCY IS NOTING THAT.
AND IF PEOPLE ARE COMPLAINING, REASON FOR, FIRST OF ALL, IF THEY HIRED AN ELECTRICIAN, IF YOUR HOUSE FALLS APART, THE FIRST THING YOU DO IS GET AN ELECTRICIAN.
YOU DON'T HAVE SOMEONE PUT A BANDAID ON IT.
OKAY? THESE UNITS ARE, ARE FALLING DOWN BECAUSE GREENBERG HOUSING IS NOT TAKING CARE OF THEM.
WHEN AN ISSUE ARISE, AND I CAN SHOW THEY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY THAT BECAUSE OF, I CAN SHOW YOU PICTURES OF RIGHT NOW THE PROBLEM.
BUT YOU, THE PROBLEM THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO REALIZE IS THAT THE HOUSING, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DOES NOT GIVE THE HOUSING AUTHORITY THE FUNDS THAT THEY NEED.
THE FED, THE, THE, THE BIG PROBLEM IS THERE'S NO, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH FUNDING TO MAINTAIN THE UNIT.
SO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY BASICALLY RIGHT NOW HAS BEEN WORKING.
AND YOU KNOW, KEN, YOU COULD TELL ME IF I'M, YOU KNOW, WRONG, IS WORKING WITH PRIVATE INVESTORS TO DO THE BEST THEY CAN WITH, UM, WITH THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE GOVERNMENT, YOU KNOW, LARGER GOVERNMENTS HELPING OUT, THEY HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT COULD THEY DO TO GIVE THE TENANTS THE BEST QUALITY OF LIFE.
SO THAT'S WHY THESE PUBLIC, PRIVATE, UM, UH, INITIATIVES HAVE BEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, BEEN, BEEN WORKED ON.
I'M SURE THAT IF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY COULD HAVE DONE THIS WITHOUT THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THEY PROBABLY WOULD'VE PREFERRED THAT.
BUT THEY DON'T HAVE THAT OPTION.
AND, AND YOU, YOU HAVE TO SAY, LET'S SAY, UH, THEY COULDN'T GET THE INVESTORS 10 YEARS FROM NOW, THE CONDITIONS WOULD EVEN BE WORSE THAN THEY ARE NOW.
AND THEN EVERYBODY WOULD BE COMPLAINING, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE RATS IN BUILDINGS, YOU HAVE ROADS.
I WANNA KNOW, I GOTTA STOP YOU FOR A SECOND.
BECAUSE THEY'RE GIVING A CONSULTANT A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY.
AND THIS CONSULTANT, OKAY, NO, STOP, WAIT, NO, NO, NO, NO.
AND THIS IS NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE.
THIS IS, THIS IS, THIS IS HAS BEEN DONE FOR FIVE YEARS.
WE ARE, WE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE DOVETAILED INTO A WHOLE OTHER CONVERSATION.
WE HAVE A, WE HAVE NUMEROUS ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING, CRYSTAL.
SO WHAT IS THE OUTCOME? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING.
WHAT THE FINAL RESULT THERE IS, ARE WE GONNA OPEN A LINKAGE SO THAT OTHER PEOPLE CAN APPLY FOR A POSITION ON THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY INSTEAD OF HAVING THE PEOPLE THERE? IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE THERE FOR 15 YEARS, IF, IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE WHO YOU WANT TO SEE ON THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY, YOU CAN SUBMIT A RESUME TO BISHOP PRESTON AND TO THE TOWN BOARD, AND THAT PERSON WILL BE CONSIDERED.
WHAT IS NEXT ON THE AGENDA, PLEASE? UH, KEN, CAN I, UH, CAN I, UH, ADDRESS SOMETHING REAL QUICKLY IF YOU MUST.
I, I, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT LAST NIGHT WE READ ALL OF OUR FINANCIALS FROM EVERY, ALL THREE PROGRAMS THAT WE MANAGE AND WE READ EVERY LINE ITEM AND, AND WE HAVE A BALANCE OF WHAT WAS IN TREASURY.
IF THAT'S NOT TRANSPARENCY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS.
[01:20:01]
AS APPOINTMENTS ON THE BOARD, THE TOWN APPOINTS THE BOARD MEMBERS, THE, THE TOWN, THE BOARD ONLY GIVE RECOMMENDATIONS OF PEOPLE THAT WE, UH, HAVE INTERVIEWED.THAT WAS A PRIVILEGE THAT THE GREENBERG TOWN COUNCIL GAVE US ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AGO.
BEFORE THAT, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY INPUT, BUT TO HELP THE TOWN OUT WITH PEOPLE THAT WOULD BE A GOOD FIT.
THE TOWN GRANTED US THAT OPPOSITION.
AFTER WE INTERVIEW THEM, WE GIVE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE TOWN BOARD.
IT'S STILL AN APPOINTED POSITION.
WHEN WE, UH, LOST JOHNNY JONES, UH, TO DEATH, WE ANNOUNCED IT.
AND THE COMMISSIONER THAT'S PRESENT ON THE MEETING TONIGHT WAS IN THE MEETING WHEN WE ANNOUNCED WE ARE LOOKING FOR REPLACEMENT.
IF YOU HAVE ANYONE THAT WOULD, YOU WOULD LIKE OR THAT YOU THINK WOULD LIKE TO SERVE, GET THEIR RESUME TO US.
IT WAS OPEN, IT WAS ANNOUNCED, AND I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT WE DID.
WE, THE TWO PEOPLE THAT WE GOT, WE'VE REFERRED THEM TO THE TOWN HALL AND I'M ANXIOUSLY AWAITING AT THIS PRESENT MOMENT FOR THE TOWN TO MAKE THEIR DECISION.
WE'RE ONLY A RECOMMEND RECOMMENDING BOARD AFTER WE FIND, UH, AFTER WE DO INTERVIEWS AND, AND, AND MAKE A DECISION ON WHO WOULD BE A GOOD FIT.
THE TOWN DOES IS NOT UNDER ANY OBLIGATION TO APPOINT ANY RECOMMENDATION THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE IT IS AN APPOINTED POSITION.
IF ANYBODY KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BUSINESS, THAT AUSPICES IS UP TO THE TOWN BOARD COMPLETELY.
YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO PUT OUT R F P BY LAW TO DO THAT.
YOU CAN CHOOSE THAT ON YOUR OWN MERITS.
SO WHERE'S ALL OF THIS IN WRITING? WHERE IS THE CRITERIA? WE ARE THE TURN.
BISHOP HAD THE LAST WORD PROBLEM.
WHAT IS NEXT ON THE AGENDA, PLEASE? IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE? UH, EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I MAKE A MOTION TO, UH, HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS, UH, LEGAL ISSUES AND PERSONAL MATTERS.
WE'RE BACK IN EXECUTIVE SESSION AS A QUICK DOVETAIL TO JUST SAY IT 'CAUSE MAY WAIT.