[ MOMENT OF SILENCE In memory of the 650,511+ individual victims of COVID-19 who have died in the United States, 4,582,338+ deaths worldwide, each leaving family members and friends too soon]
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AND, UM, A MOMENT OF SILENCE IN MEMORY OF, UH, THE 800, UM, THE SIX 50,511 INDIVIDUAL VICTIMS OF COVID HAVE DIED IN THE UNITED STATES, UM, 4,000,500, UM, 82,338 PLUS DEATHS WORLDWIDE, EACH LEAVING, UM, FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS, UM, YOU KNOW, TOO SOON.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO, UM, UM, PUBLICLY, UH, THANK, UH, OUR DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, UM, UM, TEAM FOR DOING AN OUTSTANDING, UH, JOB DURING, UH, THE STORM WITH, UM, WITH, UH, CLEANUP.
UH, THEY'VE, UM, PICKED UP A LOT OF, UH, BULK.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY, UH, THEY'VE BEEN WORKING OVERTIME, UH, ON SATURDAY AND ON ON LABOR DAY, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF, UM, THE EXCELLENT WORK.
IT'S, IT'S VERY, VERY, UH, UH, HEAVY, UH, MATERIALS THAT THEY'VE BEEN PICKING UP AND GETTING RID OF, AND THEY'RE SAVING A LOT OF PEOPLE, A LOT OF MONEY, BECAUSE IF WE DIDN'T DO IT, PEOPLE WOULD'VE TO HIRE A CONTRACTOR.
SOMEBODY SAID IT WOULD, THEY MIGHT HAVE, IT WOULD'VE COST THEM LIKE $2,000 JUST TO GET RID OF EVERYTHING THAT, THAT, UM, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE PICKING UP.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING, UH, UH, THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT IS, YOU KNOW, IS DOING, AND THEY ACTED REALLY QUICK, RICH FA, BRIAN SIMMONS, UM, AND THE WHOLE TEAM, YOU KNOW, WITHIN 24 HOURS, THEY HAD A PLAN.
REALLY, IT'S A MODEL OF THE WAY GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE RUN, SO THANK YOU.
UM, IT WAS ALSO THE, UH, PARKS, PARKS AND REC PEOPLE OUT, AND ALSO THE COMMUNITY CENTER HAD A TREMENDOUS PROBLEM WITH WATER, UH, COMING INTO THE BUILDING.
AND THEY WORKED TIRELESSLY TO CLEAN IT UP.
IT WAS, IT WAS REALLY A TERRIFIC EFFORT BY, BY OUR STAFF.
[ PRESENTATIONS Honoring Sheldon Malev, Greenburgh resident and Professor at Westchester Community College for his life saving initiative - his significant contributions which led to the successful escape of Freshta Nazari from the Taliban in Afghanistan Proclamation - Honoring Bernell Hawkes-Austin, lifelong resident, Town of Greenburgh, on the occasion of her 90th Birthday]
I'D LIKE TO, UH, RECOGNIZE, UM, PROFESSOR SHELDON, UM,UM, SHELDON IS A RESIDENT OF GREENBURG, AND HE'S TAUGHT HUNDREDS OF, UH, STUDENTS, UH, OVER THE YEARS AT THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE THINK OF, UH, YOU KNOW, PROFESSORS OR TEACHERS, MANY PEOPLE HAVE THE WRONG IMPRESSION THAT AFTER A SEMESTER IS OVER AND AFTER THEY'RE NO LONGER STUDENTS, UM, THE PROFESSORS DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO THEIR FORMER STUDENTS.
SHELDON IS A, A, A UNIQUE, UH, UH, PROFESSOR AND A MODEL FOR, UH, UH, THOSE IN THE ACADEMIC, UM, PROFESSION BECAUSE HE STAYS IN TOUCH WITH THE STUDENTS.
ONE STUDENT, SOPHIA BETTOR, UH, TOLD SHELTON THAT, UM, HER COUSIN WAS IN AFGHANISTAN AND NEEDED TO, UH, GET OUT OF, UM, UH, THE COUNTRY.
SO, UM, SHELDON WORKED TIRELESSLY, UM, FOR, YOU KNOW, OVER A WEEK REACHING OUT TO, UH, PUBLIC OFFICIALS, UM, STAYING IN TOUCH WITH, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THE FAMILY AND WAS SUCCESSFUL IN, UM, HELPING FRESH DEAD NAZARI ESCAPE FROM AFGHANISTAN, TO BE HONEST.
UH, THE STORY, YOU KNOW, THEY COULD REALLY WRITE A MOVIE.
SHE WAS, UH, THE VICTIM OF A ROADSIDE, UH, YOU KNOW, BOMBING.
SO IT WAS, UM, SOMEWHAT, YOU KNOW, DISABLED, UH, RIGHT AFTER THE TALIBAN, UH, GOT IN POWER, YOU KNOW, RECENTLY THEY KNOCKED ON, UH, HER DOOR AND THEY BASICALLY, UM, SAID THEY WERE LOOKING FOR HER AND SHE WAS HIDING.
SHE HAD TO PUT, UM, A BARRIER BETWEEN, UH, THE DOOR AND, AND HERSELF, AND DIDN'T LIKE, YOU KNOW, TRIED NOT BREATHING OR MAKING NOISE.
UM, THEN HER LANDLORD, UM, IN AFGHANISTAN, UM, TOLD HER THAT IF SHE DIDN'T LEAVE THE APARTMENT, SHE WOULD REPORT HER TO, UH, THE TALIBAN.
SO, UM, WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING, THEN SHE, BECA WAS EVICTED AND THEN ESCAPE FROM THE TALIBAN, AND ESCAPE WAS TRYING TO GET TO THE AIRPORT.
AND DURING HER ESCAPE, UM, THE TALIBAN BEAT HER UP WITH A METAL, UH, STICK.
UH, THEN, UH, IN THE MEANTIME, YOU KNOW, SHELDON, YOU KNOW, REACHED OUT TO CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES AND, UH, YOU KNOW, STAYED IN TOUCH WITH, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THE FAMILY, THE COUSIN.
AND, UH, WE WERE IN CONTACT WITH THE US MARINES, AND SHE GOT OUT, UM, TODAY,
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SHE, SHE WAS FLOWN TO GERMANY, UM, AND SHE, UM, TODAY IS IN, UM, A SENT HER IN NEW JERSEY, UH, ON HER WAY TO, UM,AND I JUST SORT OF THOUGHT THIS WAS REALLY EXTRAORDINARY BECAUSE WITHOUT SHELDON'S INVOLVEMENT IN SHELDON DOES LIVE IN, UH, YOU KNOW, IN GREENBURG, UM, SHE WOULD NOT BE ALIVE TODAY.
UH, YOU KNOW, SHE, THERE'S HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, UM, LIKE, UH, FTA WHO, UM, WANTED TO ESCAPE AND WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL.
SHE DIDN'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, SHE DIDN'T WORK FOR THE UNITED STATES, SO SHE WAS, SHE DIDN'T, SHE WASN'T AN AMERI PARTIAL AMERICAN CITIZEN, SO SHE HAD NO, UM, THERE WAS NO REASON SHE SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN PRIORITY.
SO, UM, SO I, UM, ON BEHALF OF THE TOWN BOARD, WE'RE DECLARING TODAY SHELTON MALL DAY IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
AND I REALLY WANT TO THANK SHELDON FOR, UH, EVERYTHING HE'S DONE.
UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING THAT'S MORE GRATIFYING THAN SAVING A LIFE, AND NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE COULD PUT THAT ON THEIR, UH, THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR ACHIEVEMENT LISTS.
BUT SHELDON DEFINITELY SAVED A LIFE.
AND HE'S ALSO, UM, AN EXCEPTIONAL, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, TEACHER AND HAS BEEN A CREDIT TO, UH, WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR, UH, FOR MANY YEARS.
BUT, UM, WE'RE NOT DONE BECAUSE AFTER SHE COMES, UH, TO
SO SHELDON IS PUTTING TOGETHER A GROUP OF, UM, YOU KNOW, VOLUNTEERS AND WE'RE GONNA, AND WE'RE GONNA DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO, UM, TO HELP HER ENJOY HER LIFE.
SO, SHELDON, I'D LIKE YOU TO COME UP AND THIS WAY WE COULD RECOGNIZE YOU IF YOU'D LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING.
DO I SPEAK FROM THIS SIDE? YEAH.
MAY I TAKE MY MASK OFF? UH, WE PREFER NOT.
IS THAT SAFE? NO, WE CAN HEAR YOU FINE.
UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR GIVING ME A FEW MOMENTS TO TELL THE STORY A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT FTA.
I THINK YOU MIGHT WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT, BUT ALSO I WANNA TALK ABOUT PAUL FINER BECAUSE HE DESERVES AS MUCH RECOGNITION AS I DO, AND IS PERHAPS EVEN MORE, UM, TO BEGIN WITH.
PAUL ALSO IS A PROFESSOR AT WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AND I OFTEN RUN INTO HIM BECAUSE MY OFFICE JUST HAPPENS TO BE ACROSS FROM THE ADJUNCT OFFICE, UH, IN THE THIRD FLOOR OF THE CLASSROOM BUILDING.
AND I'VE SEEN PAUL THERE MANY A TIMES, AND WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO CHAT, TO TALK.
SO WE'RE NO NOT STRANGERS TO ONE ANOTHER.
AND I KNEW THAT PAUL IS AN ACTIVIST.
AND WHEN, UM, SOPHIA, MY STUDENT WAS IN TROUBLE BECAUSE SHE NEEDED TO GET HER COUSIN OUT OF AFGHANISTAN, ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE I THOUGHT OF OTHER THAN FEDERAL OFFICIALS WAS PAUL FINER.
AND I'M VERY HAPPY THAT I CALLED HIM BECAUSE I WAS EXTREMELY SURPRISED BY THE DEGREE TO WHICH HE BECAME INVOLVED IN THIS CASE AND HOW EFFECTIVE HE HAD BEEN IN GETTING COOPERATION FROM NOT ONLY OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, BUT FROM THE PRESS.
AND LATER ON, I LEARNED FROM THE UNITED STATES MARINES THAT IT WAS THAT PRESSURE THAT HELPED ACTUALLY GET HER OUT OF AFGHANISTAN BECAUSE IT WASN'T ENOUGH FOR HER TO REACH THE AIRPORT.
SHE HAD TO GET THROUGH THE STATE DEPARTMENT, AND SHE ONLY HAD A VERY TEMPORARY, UH, VERY MAKESHIFT VISA, ONE OF THE S SIS SPECIAL IMMIGRANT VISAS THAT WAS ARRANGED BY MANDALE WILLIAMS'S OFFICE.
SO, LET ME BEGIN WITH, UH, SOPHIA.
SHE WAS ONE OF MY STUDENTS LAST SEMESTER.
AND, UH, AND TALKING TO HER DURING AN OFFICE HOURS, SHE HAPPENED TO TELL ME THAT SHE CAME FROM AFGHANISTAN.
AND WHEN I HEARD THAT THE TALIBAN TOOK OVER AFGHANISTAN, I CALLED HER JUST TO INQUIRE AS TO HOW HER FAMILY WAS.
AND THAT'S WHEN I LEARNED ABOUT FRESH DE'S SITUATION.
FRESH AT THAT TIME, WAS HIDING IN HER ROOM.
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FOR THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT.SHE'S ONLY 24 YEARS OLD, AND FACT, SHE'S GOING TO BE 25 THIS MONTH, ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER, I DON'T RECALL WHICH ONE.
AND, UH, SHE HAS ALREADY GOTTEN A LAW DEGREE.
SHE CAME FROM A VERY POOR FARMING FAMILY.
THEY HAD TO SELL SOME OF THEIR ANIMALS TO PUT HER THROUGH SCHOOL.
SHE'S THE ONLY CHILD OF THE, UH, THESE FARMERS IN NORTHERN, UH, AFGHANISTAN.
AND, UM, SHE WAS NOT ONLY WORKING FOR THE GOVERNMENT, BUT SHE WAS A WOMAN'S RIGHTS ACTIVIST IN AFGHANISTAN.
JUST IMAGINE THAT A WOMAN'S RIGHTS ACTIVIST AND A LAWYER, AN EDUCATED WOMAN LIVING BY HERSELF IN A, A SMALL APARTMENT, WHICH IS ILLEGAL UNDER THE TALIBAN.
IF YOU ARE A WOMAN, YOU MAY NOT RENT AN APARTMENT BY YOURSELF WITHOUT A MALE COMPANION AGAINST THE LAW.
THAT'S WHY THE LANDLORD WANTED HER OUT, BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT THE TALIBAN TO TAKE REVENGE AGAINST HIM AND HIS FAMILY, WHICH THEY WOULD'VE, UH, IT WASN'T CRUEL.
HE JUST, HE WANTED TO SAVE HIS FAMILY AND HIMSELF.
UH, ALSO, A WOMAN CANNOT WALK THE STREETS OF AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT A MALE COMPANION.
SO AFTER SHE WAS EVICTED, WHERE IS SHE GONNA GO? AND I DISCUSSED ALL THIS WITH SOPHIA, WHO WAS IN COMMUNICATION WITH HER, AND BY CELL PHONE.
SHE WAS, UH, BY CELL PHONE FROM AFGHANISTAN.
AND I SAID, WELL, WHY DON'T YOU GO TO A, A, A TEMPLE? SHE SAID, THEY'RE ALL CONTROLLED BY THE TALIBAN.
I SAID, MAYBE GO TO A HOSPITAL.
THE HOSPITAL, SHE SAID, HAD BEEN EMPTIED OUT OF WOMEN.
ALL THE NURSES WERE TOLD TO GO HOME.
FEMALE DOCTORS WERE TOLD TO GO HOME, AND THE FEMALE PATIENTS WERE TOLD TO GO HOME.
SHE SAID, THERE ARE NO CHURCHES IN THIS MUSLIM COUNTRY.
THERE'S ONLY, UH, ONE RELIGION.
AND SO THERE'S NO PLACE FOR HER.
NOW, I STILL DON'T KNOW TO THIS DAY HOW IN THE WORLD SHE EVER GOT FROM HER HOUSE TO THE AIRPORT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT SOMEHOW SHE MANAGED TO GET A VEHICLE OR SOMEBODY IN THE VEHICLE TO DRIVE HER.
BUT I DO KNOW THAT THERE WERE OTHER ATTEMPTS IN WHICH SHE WAS BEATEN BY THE TALIBAN WITH WHIPS.
THERE WHIPS ARE MADE OUT OF STEEL CABLES, WIRE CABLES.
YOU HEAR ABOUT THEM NOW ON TELEVISION.
UM, SHE KNEW THAT ONCE THE AMERICANS LEFT, HER FUTURE WAS BLEAK.
THEY WOULD KILL HER AND OR TORTURE HER AND RAPE HER.
AND SO SHE SAID IN THE LETTERS TO HER COUSIN, SHE WOULD RATHER KILL HERSELF, AND SHE WAS PREPARED TO DIE RATHER THAN FALL IN THE HANDS OF THE, OF THE TALIBAN.
SO SHE CAME VERY CLOSE TO DOING THAT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW SHE GOT TO THE AIRPORT, BUT SOMEHOW SHE DID.
WHEN SHE GOT TO THE AIRPORT, THERE WERE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TRYING TO GET THROUGH ONE GATE, THE ABBEY GATE, WHICH, UH, WAS THE GATE WHERE THE SUICIDE BOMBER BLEW HIMSELF UP.
THIS WAS BEFORE THAT HAPPENED.
SHE STAYED THERE FOR, IN THE CROWD WITHOUT SITTING DOWN, WITHOUT SLEEPING, WITHOUT, FOR OVER A DAY, WITHOUT WATER AND FOOD BEING CRUSHED BY THE, UM, PEOPLE IN THE CROWD.
IF YOU SEE A PICTURE OF HER, WHICH HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE PRESS, I'VE SEEN IT ON W P I X AND OTHER TV STATIONS, AND I, I THINK YOU'RE GONNA BE SEEING A LOT MORE ABOUT THIS CASE LATER ON WHEN SHE ARRIVES, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S, IT'S SO DRAMATIC.
AND EVEN THE MARINES FELT THAT WAY.
I GOT AN ANONYMOUS LETTER FROM A VERY HIGH RANKING MARINE OFFICER ABOUT A ONE OR TWO SATURDAYS AGO, LITTLE BIG BLUR.
AND HE WAS TELLING ME ABOUT FRESH TO HOW AMAZING SHE WAS.
THEY CREDITED HER WITH HER ESCAPE AS MUCH AS ANYONE ELSE.
AND I HAVE TO CREDIT CONGRESSMAN MON JONES'S OFFICE WITH REALLY OUTSTANDING WORK, AND ESPECIALLY CAMILLA GOMEZ IN THAT OFFICE.
SHE'S AN AIDE TO CONGRESSMAN GO GOME, UM, CONGRESSMAN JONES.
SHE WAS ON THE PHONE WITH THE MARINES IN AFGHANISTAN, CONSTANTLY HELPING, UH, PROVIDING THEM WITH PICTURES OF FTA INFORMATION SO THEY COULD FIND HER, THEY COULD LOCATE HER IN THAT SEA OF HUMANITY OUTSIDE THE GATE.
THEY DIDN'T KNOW, THEY NEVER SAW HER BEFORE.
THEY DID HAVE INFORMATION FROM THE UNITED STATES EMBASSY OR, OR FROM THE, UM, STATE DEPARTMENT, UH, SAYING THAT YES, SHE WAS SAFE TO COME.
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WAS THE, THE MARINES WORKED IN A TEAM.THERE WERE, UH, THERE WAS ONE HIGH RANKING MARINE OFFICER AND THE UNITED STATES IN THE SOUTHEAST, A SOUTHEASTERN STATE WHO DOES NOT WANT, UM, TO BE KNOWN THAT BOTH TWO MARINES IN PARTICULAR IN THE UNITED STATES, THE ONE, UH, UH, HAVE BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN THIS CASE.
BUT THEY'VE ASKED NOT TO HAVE THEIR NAMES OR NOT TO, TO HAVE ANY PUBLICITY.
THE, THE, UH, OFFICER'S NAME IS TIM, AND THE OTHER GUY, ONE WHO I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT HIS NAME, MIKE.
SO TIM WAS MORE OR LESS COMMANDING THE MARINES AT THE AIRPORT.
THEY WERE LOOKING FOR FRESH DOOR.
ONE OF THEM, ONE OF THEM MIRACULOUSLY SPOTTED HER IN THE CROWD, DREW A GREEN CIRCLE AROUND HER FACE.
YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THAT PICTURE IN THE PRESS, OR YOU WILL AT SOME POINT.
AND YOU SEE HOW CROWD CRAMMED IN SHE IS.
THEY WANTED TO BE SURE THAT WAS HER.
'CAUSE THEY HAD TO GO IN, THEY HAD TO WADE INTO THE CROWD AND PULL PEOPLE OUT INDIVIDUALLY.
THEY COULDN'T GET 'EM OUT ANY OTHER WAY.
AND SO, AND ACTUALLY THEY WEREN'T LOOKING FOR HER.
THEY HAD INTERPRETERS AND COMBAT VETERANS IN, UM, THE AFGHAN ARMY THAT THEY WANTED TO RESCUE TWO FAMILIES.
THEY FAILED FOR BOTH FAMILIES.
AND IT WAS BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T HAVE CHILDREN WITH THEM.
THE OTHER FAMILIES HAD CHILDREN.
THEY COULDN'T GET THROUGH THE CROWD.
THEY ALSO SAID THAT THERE WERE CHILDREN CRUSHED TO DEATH IN THE CROWD.
UM, SO THEY SPOTTED HER AND THEY ASKED HER TO WAVE HER PINK, UH, SCARF THAT SHE HAD, BUT SHE COULDN'T EVEN GET HER HAND UP.
THE CROWD WAS SO TIGHTLY PACKED, BUT THEY COULD SEE HER TRYING TO RAISE HER HAND.
SO THEY WENT IN AND THEY GOT HER, THEY DRAGGED HER OUT EVEN AFTER SHE WAS AT THE AIRPORT.
PEOPLE, REPRESENTATIVES FROM GOVERNMENT DID NOT WANNA LET HER THROUGH.
THEY FELT THAT THE VISA WAS INADEQUATE AND THEY WERE GOING TO TURN HER BACK.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE SECOND MARINE CAME IN, WHO IS ACTUALLY A RETIRED MARINE.
HE'S PART OF A TEAM THAT THEY CALL A TEAM.
AND HIS NAME MIKE, HE'S NOT THAT FAR AWAY, ACTUALLY.
HE'S IN NEW, SOMEWHERE IN NEW YORK STATE.
HE GOT ON THE PHONE AND HE TALKED TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL, AND HE MANAGED TO EVENTUALLY CONVINCE HER TO LET FRESH DEATH THROUGH.
NOW SHE'S BEEN, SHE WAS INJURED.
WHEN SHE GOT TO THE AIRPORT, UH, SHE'D BEEN BEATEN.
THEY FLEW HER TO, UH, AN AIR, AN AIR FORCE BASE IN GERMANY.
I'M NOT SURE WHICH ONE, BUT SHE STAYED THERE FOR SEVERAL DAYS, RECUPERATING.
THEN THEY FLEW HER TO DULLES AIRPORT.
AND, UH, MOST RECENTLY, I JUST GOT A REPORT FROM SOPHIA TODAY THAT SHE'S IN NEW JERSEY NOW AT A MILITARY BASE.
I SUSPECT IT MIGHT BE FORT DIX.
AND THERE SHE IS GETTING TODAY, SHE GOT HER, UH, UH, COVID VACCINATION.
THEY'RE GIVING HER ALL KINDS OF SHOTS SO THAT SHE CAN BE ALLOWED TO STAY IN THE UNITED STATES.
UH, THEY GOT HER A NEW CELL PHONE.
HER CELL PHONE HAD BEEN DAMAGED.
AND, UM, SHE WILL EVENTUALLY BE COMING TO WESTCHESTER AND STAYING WITH SOPHIA AND HER HUSBAND.
SO YOU'LL BE HERE, PAUL, I'M SURE WILL FILL YOU IN MORE ABOUT THIS.
AND I HONESTLY DO THINK THIS COULD MAKE A MOVIE.
SO I REALLY WANNA CONGRATULATE EVERYONE WHO HELPED IN THIS SITUATION.
I'M JUST THE SMALL COG IN THE WHEEL.
AND THE REASON I ACCEPTED THIS HONOR, AND I DO CONSIDER IT AN HONOR, AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR IT, IS BECAUSE I WANTED YOU TO KNOW THE STORY.
I WANTED YOU TO KNOW ABOUT THE OTHER HEROES INVOLVED HERE, ESPECIALLY PAUL FINER.
I NEVER EVER SAW PAUL FINER IN THIS LIGHT.
I THINK WE SHOULD ALL BE PROUD OF HIM.
HE DESERVES A PROCLAMATION ON HIS OWN FI.
FINALLY, I'D LIKE TO JUST SAY ONE MORE WORD.
I I'M A TEACHER OF PSYCHOLOGY, AND ONE OF THE COURSES I TEACH IS SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE LEARNED, ESPECIALLY FROM WORLD WAR II, AND I KEPT THINKING OF, UH, ANNE FRANK, WHEN I THOUGHT OF, UH, UH, FRESHA WITH THE TABLE PRESSED UP AGAINST THE DOOR, THE TALIBAN CONSTANTLY BANGING ON IT.
SHE COULD HEAR THEM IN THE STREETS, SHE COULD HEAR THEIR GUNFIRE.
THEY WOULD SHOOT GUNS OFF EVERY NOW AND THEN.
AND, UM, SHE TRIED TO BE VERY QUIET, AS PAUL INDICATED.
SHE DIDN'T WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT SHE WAS STILL IN THE ROOM UNTIL HER LANDLORD FINALLY EVICTED HER.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE LEARNED ABOUT IN WORLD WAR II WAS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BYSTANDERS.
AND IN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, WE TALK ABOUT THE BYSTANDER
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EFFECT, WHERE PEOPLE WILL JUST STAND BY.LIKE IN THE CASE OF KITTY GENOVESE, WHO WAS STABBED TO DEATH IN QUEENS, AND WHILE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HEARD HER SCREAMS FOR AN HOUR AND DID NOTHING, THINKING SOMEBODY ELSE WILL CALL THE POLICE, NOT ONE PERSON LIFTED THEIR FINGER.
THE OPPOSITE OF THAT IS CALLED BEING AN UPSTANDER.
SO I THINK THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING A HERO AND AN UPSTANDER.
IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH TO BE AN UPSTANDER.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LITERALLY STAND UP AND SPEAK OUT AND DO SOMETHING.
ONE THING HAD THEY MADE PHONE CALLS IN THE KITTY GENOVESE CASE, SHE WOULD STILL BE ALIVE.
BUT, UM, I TRIED TO ENCOURAGE MY STUDENTS TO DO THAT.
I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO DO THAT.
I THINK AMERICANS, PART OF BEING AN AMERICAN IS BEING AN UPSTANDER.
AND THANK GOD FOR THE UNITED STATES MARINES AND THE INTELLIGENCE OF THESE MARINE OFFICERS IN THE UNITED STATES.
I'VE SPOKEN TO ONE OF 'EM FOR OVER TWO HOURS ON THE PHONE, AND I'VE LEARNED A LOT MORE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO GO INTO THAT RIGHT NOW.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
DID WE DO THE ROLL CALL? OH, YEAH, THE ROLL CALL.
BUT, UH, WE HAVE ANOTHER PROCLAMATION.
UH, BEFORE, BEFORE THAT, I JUST WANT TO MENTION THAT SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE 90, ACT LIKE THEY'RE 50.
AND SOME PEOPLE WHEN THEY'RE 50, ACT LIKE THEY'RE 90.
AND TODAY WE'RE GONNA BE HONORING A WOMAN WHO'S 90, BUT WE IS VIBRANT, ENERGETIC, UM, ENTHUSIASTIC.
UM, AND, UM, JUDITH VILLA IS GONNA, UH, RECOGNIZE BRUNELL HAWS AUSTIN.
SO I, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UM, SHELLY, THAT THAT'S THE EXPERIENCE THAT YOU JUST SHARED WITH US, UM, IS A, UH, MADE FOR DOCUMENTARY, UM, UH, MATERIAL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THAT VERY COMPELLING STORY.
SO YOU AND PAUL ARE KINDREDS KINDRED SPIRITS, SO TO SPEAK, IN THAT SENSE.
UM, CAROLYN AUSTIN AND I, UH, GREW UP IN CORPORATE HOMES, WENT TO THE HOUSE SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND, UM, WE HAVE BEEN LIFELONG FRIENDS.
UM, OUR, OUR OUR SIBLINGS, UM, UH, WE'RE ALL IN, WE WERE ALL IN THE SAME GRADES TOGETHER.
AND, UM, WE HAD A VERY DEAR FRIEND, UH, STEPHANIE DAWKINS, WHO, UH, IN HER TWENTIES OR OR THIRTIES, I'M NOT SURE, PROBABLY HER TWENTIES, UM, MET AND MARRIED A GENTLEMAN FROM LIBERIA, WEST AFRICA, AND WENT TO LIBERIA TO LIVE WITH HIM.
AND, UM, SHE, UH, WAS THERE DURING, UH, MILITARY COUP.
AND SHE CAME BACK AND SHE TOLD US THIS STORY THAT WAS JUST AS, UM, DRAMATIC IN, IN THE SENSE OF IT'S REALISM.
AND, UM, UH, ABOUT HER ESCAPING OUT THE BACK FROM THE BACKYARD OUT, UH, A LAGOON ON THE BA OF THE BACK OF THE HOUSE THAT SHE WAS LIVING IN, AND HOW SHE CAME BACK TO UNITED STATES WITH THE HELP OF A LOCAL, A LOCAL OFFICIAL TOWN OF, UH, A LOCAL.
HE WASN'T A TOWN OFFICIAL AT THE TIME, HE WAS A COUNTY LEGISLATOR.
SO I WAS THINKING TO MYSELF, WOW, THIS STORY JUST SOUNDS SO AMAZING.
AND, UM, YEARS LATER, I CAME HERE, UH, AS TOWN CLERK.
AND, UM, I HEARD THIS STORY TOLD, AGAIN, ONLY BY PAUL HIMSELF ABOUT HOW AUNT LOUISE, STEPHANIE'S MOTHER HAD CONTACTED HIM WHEN HE WAS A COUNTY LEGISLATOR, AND SAID, MY DAUGHTER IS STUCK IN LIBERIA, AND I NEED HELP GETTING HER OUT.
AND HE WAS THE ONE WHO WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING TO GET HER OUT OF AFRICA TO SWEDEN AND THEN TO UNITED STATES.
SO YOU ARE BOTH KINDRED SPIRITS IN, IN THAT, IN THAT SENSE? NO, THAT WAS, UH, REALLY THE MOST ONE.
IT WASN'T AS EXCITING AS THIS, BUT I REMEMBER SHE, UH, YOU KNOW, SHE CALLED ME LOUISE, UH, YOU KNOW, DUGGANS AND, UM, AND, UM, I BASICALLY CALLED THE WHITE HOUSE
AND, UM, AND I GOT, UM, I GOT THE NAME OF THE PERSON WHO I WAS
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SPEAKING TO AT THE WHITE HOUSE, AND THEN I, UH, ASKED WHO WAS, UH, IN CHARGE OF THE LIBERIAN DESK AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT.AND THEN I SAID, LIKE, DOROTHY SMITH FROM THE WHITE HOUSE GAVE ME YOUR NAME, UM, AND SAID, UM, AND, AND SAID, I SHOULD CALL YOU.
UM, AND THEN, UM, YEAH, AND THEN BASICALLY THEY WIRED THE MONEY.
UH, THIS WAS LIKE IN THE 1980S, AND WHILE THE, THE PERSON WHO ESCAPED WAS THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE LIBRARIAN, UM, UH, LEGISLATURE.
SO THE, THE HEAD OF LIBERIA WAS TRYING TO KILL HIM.
UM, SO THEY HAD THE, THE LIBERIAN MILITARY WAS CHASING HIM, AND MEANWHILE, WE WERE IN TOUCH WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT AND WIRED THE MONEY TO HIM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, STAYED IN TOUCH.
AND FINALLY, YOU KNOW, HE GOT OUT OF LIBERIA AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THANKED ME, UM, WHEN, WHEN HE GOT TO THE UNITED STATES.
BUT THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, EXCITING.
BUT THEY NEVER MADE A MOVIE OUT OF THAT.
BUT, BUT IT WAS AN EXCITING EXPERIENCE AND, AND THEY, THEY SHOULD HAVE.
SO I WANTED TO SHARE THAT STORY, UM, TO SAY THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU AND PAUL HAVE A, A VERY SIMILAR SENSE OF HUMANITY, AND THAT IS TO BE RECOGNIZED AND HONORED, AND THANK YOU.
SO STEPHANIE WAS A VERY CLOSE FRIEND OF OURS.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE SHARED THE SAME BIRTHDAY.
UM, HER MOTHER, AS WITH CAROLYN'S MOTHER AND MY MOTHER, UM, WERE CONSIDERED COMMUNITY MOTHERS.
UM, THEY OPENED UP THEIR HOMES TO YOUNG PEOPLE.
OUR HOUSES WERE CONSIDERED SAFE HOUSES IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, YOUNG PEOPLE ALWAYS FELT COMFORTABLE COMING TO ANY ONE OF THE, THE THREE HOUSES AMONG OTHERS.
BUT STEPHANIE'S MOTHER, CAROLYN'S MOTHER AND MY MOTHER WERE, UM, RECOGNIZED BY RESIDENTS AROUND THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY AS, UM, MOTHERS OF HOMES WHERE EVERY OTHER MOTHER FELT SAFE IF THEIR CHILD WAS THERE.
SO WE ARE HONORING THIS EVENING FROM THE OFFICE OF THE TOWN SUPERVISOR, TOWN OF GREENBURG, WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NEW YORK, A PROCLAMATION HONORING CAROLYN AUSTIN'S MOTHER, BRUNELL HAWKS AUSTIN, WHEREAS BRUNELL HAWKS AUSTIN RESIDENT AND MEMBER OF ONE OF THE LONGEST ESTABLISHED FAMILIES OF FAIRVIEW GREENBURG WAS BORN IN BLACKSTONE, VIRGINIA ON SEPTEMBER 18TH, 1931, AND IN 1950 BECAME A RESIDENT OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, AS WELL AS A MEMBER OF UNION BAPTIST CHURCH.
WHEREAS BRUNELL MARRIED HAROLD AUSTIN ON OCTOBER 25TH, 1951.
NOW, HAROLD AUSTIN LIN'S FATHER, UH, IS FROM A FAMILY OF, UH, FIVE GENERATIONS OF AUSTIN'S HERE IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
FIVE GENERATIONS OF AUSTIN'S FROM WHICH HER FATHER WAS A MEMBER OF WHICH HER FATHER WAS A MEMBER OF, OF THAT FAMILY.
THEY REMAINED HUSBAND AND WIFE FOR 45 YEARS UNTIL HER HUSBAND'S PASSING.
THEY WERE BLESSED WITH FOUR CHILDREN, HAROLD AUSTIN OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, CAROLYN AUSTIN OF DOBBS FERRY, NEW YORK, BRIAN AUSTIN OF WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, AND LAVERNE AUSTIN THOMPSON OF MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS, AS WELL AS SIX GRANDCHILDREN AND SEVEN GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN.
AND WHEREAS BERNELL HAWK'S, AUSTIN WORKED AS A TEACHER'S ASSISTANT FOR THE LOWEST BRONZE CHILDREN'S CENTER, AND AS A VAN DRIVER FOR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN OF THE GREENBERG CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT UNTIL HER RETIREMENT IN 1993.
AND WHEREAS BURNELL HAWKES AUSTIN HAS LIVED DURING THE MOST EVENTFUL CENTURY OF THIS NATION'S HISTORY, AND HAS BEEN A MODEL CITIZEN, A ROLE MODEL TO YOUNG WOMEN, AN AUTHOR OF THREE NOVELS, A WOMAN OF DISTINCTION HERSELF, AS WELL AS A MOTHER FIGURE TO THE YOUTH IN HER COMMUNITY, ALLOWING HER HOME TO BE A PLACE OF REFUGE AND SECURITY, A PLACE WHERE HER CHILDREN'S FRIENDS WERE ALWAYS WELCOME IN THE HOME FROM ELEMENTARY THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND.
AND WHEREAS BRUNELL HAWK'S AUSTIN WILL BE HONORED BY RELATIVES
[00:30:01]
AND FRIENDS ON SEPTEMBER 18TH IN CELEBRATION OF HER 90TH BIRTHDAY.NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT I, PAUL FINER TOWN SUPERVISOR TOWN OF GREENBERG AND MEMBERS OF THE GREENBERG TOWN BOARD DO HEREBY DECLARE THAT SEPTEMBER 18TH, 2021 IS BURNELL HAWK'S AUSTIN DAY IN THE TOWN OF GREENBERG.
COME FORWARD AND SHARE ANY COMMENTS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE.
THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF MY MOTHER, SHE'LL REALLY APPRECIATE THIS.
UM, ON SEPTEMBER 18TH, NEXT SATURDAY.
SO NEXT WE HAVE, UM, PUBLIC HEARINGS, UM, AMENDED.
[ ROLL CALL: Town Clerk]
A ROLL CALL, ROLL THREE.ROLL CALL TOWN SUPERVISOR PAUL FINER HERE.
COUNCILWOMAN DIANA NER, PRESENT COUNCILMAN KEN JONES.
PRESENT COUNCILWOMAN GINA JACKSON, PRESENT.
COUNCILMAN FRANCIS SHEEN, PRESENT AND TOWN ATTORNEY TIM LEWIS PRESENT.
NEXT, UM, WE HAVE, UM, UM, TO CONSIDER AN APP.
[ SUPERVISOR & TOWN COUNCIL REPORTS/ANNOUNCEMENTS GOOD NEWS...The Town continues (since 2008) to have the highest possible bond rating from Standard & Poors (AAA) and (since 2010) (Aaa) from Moody's. Less than 1% of communities in the nation have this record of financial stability. Recently, on 3/23/2021, Moody's reaffirmed the Town earned Moody's highest rating and, on 03/26/2021, Standard & Poors once again reaffirmed the Town earned Standard & Poors highest rating. Greenburgh has been designated a ”Tree City of the World”: 1 of 38 municipalities in the United States, and 1 of 2 municipalities in the State of New York. Tree Cities of the World is a program of the United Nations and the Arbor Day Foundation. Any individual or group interested in a visit from the Town Board should email the Board at TownBoard@GreenburghNY.com ]
JUDITH, DO YOU WANNA JUST MENTION, UH, THE FARMERS, THE TEST MARKET THAT OH, YES.YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THIS DOWN.
UM, SEPTEMBER 30TH, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH, AND THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7TH, TWO CONSECUTIVE THURSDAYS, WE WILL BE HOLDING A TRIAL FARMER'S MARKET HERE AT TOWN HALL FROM TWO 30 TILL SIX 30.
SO WE HOPE THAT EVERY RESIDENT IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG WILL SHOW UP TO SUPPORT OUR TRIAL FARMER'S MARKET.
AND WE'RE CALLING A TRIAL FARMER'S MARKET FOR TWO DAYS, TWO CONSECUTIVE THURSDAYS, UM, IN THE HOPES THAT, UH, WE WILL NEXT YEAR, UM, UH, PROVIDE A FARMER'S MARKET THAT WILL EXTEND OVER A PERIOD OF TWO, MAYBE THREE MONTHS.
SO PLEASE COME OUT, ENJOY, SHARE YOUR COMMENTS, YOUR FEEDBACK, YOUR SUGGESTIONS, AND, UH, HOPE TO SEE YOU THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30TH, AND THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7TH FROM TWO 30 UNTIL SIX 30.
NOW, ALSO, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF OTHER, UM, ITEMS I'D LIKE TO RECOMMEND.
I MEAN, I'D LIKE TO SHARE, WE HAVE A BOX IN THE LOBBY.
WE'RE COLLECTING CHILDREN'S BOOKS TO BE DONATED TO THE LOWEST BRONZE CHILDREN'S CENTER.
WELL, WELL, ACTUALLY, THE BOOKS ARE GOING TO BE SOLD FOR, UM, UH, A MINIMUM AMOUNT OF MONEY AT THE FARMER'S MARKET.
AND THIS WAS A PROJECT GENERATED BY OUR, UH, TWO OF OUR SUMMER INTERNS, UH, BROTHER AND SISTER.
AND THEY CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA OF COLLECTING CHILDREN'S BOOKS USED OR NEW TO SELL AT THE FARMER'S MARKET.
AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO CONTRIBUTE THE DONATION FROM WHAT THEY RAISE TO THE LOWEST BRONZE CHILDREN'S CENTER.
ISN'T THAT AWESOME? ISN'T THAT GREAT? I MEAN, WE, WE HAD SEVERAL YOUNG PEOPLE FROM OUR SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM COME UP WITH COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS, AND THIS WAS JUST ONE, UH, ANOTHER YOUNG MAN CAME UP WITH A PROJECT VERY SIMILAR TO THE SNOW ANGELS CALLED THE BACKYARD ANGELS, WHERE THEY ARE VOLUNTEERING TO HELP CLEAN UP BACKYARDS OF INDIVIDUALS, UM, WHO, WHO NEED THAT, UH, REQUEST THAT, THAT ASSISTANCE.
AND, UH, FINALLY, UM, WE WILL HAVE A BOX IN THE LOBBY COLLECTING, UM, PRODUCTS, HYGIENIC PRODUCTS, HYGIENE PRODUCTS FROM MEN AND WOMEN IN FOR, UM, VICTIMS OF THE, THE HAITI DISASTER, THE SOUTHERN STATES HURRICANE DISASTER,
[00:35:01]
AND REFUGEES FROM AFGHANISTAN.AND THAT DRIVE WILL RUN UNTIL SEPTEMBER 24TH.
AND I JUST ALSO WANTED TO MENTION, UH, THAT, UH, ON SEPTEMBER 18TH, FROM 12 TO FIVE AT RIDGE ROAD PARK, UM, THERE'LL BE CO COLON COLONIAL, UH, DAY, UM, SPONSORED BY THE FRIENDS OF ODELL HOUSE ROSHAMBO HEADQUARTERS.
UM, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, THE TOWN TOOK OWNERSHIP OF THE ODELL HOUSE.
AND, UH, A GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS, UM, ARE WORKING REALLY TIRELESSLY, UM, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO RAISE MONEY AND AWARENESS.
AND THIS COLONIAL DAY WILL PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE IN GREENBERG DURING COLONIAL TIMES.
UM, IF YOU WANT TO ATTEND, IT'S ALL FREE FROM 12 TO FIVE, UM, BUT YOU HAVE TO, UH, REGISTER.
SO YOU SHOULD GO ON THE ODELL, UM, ROSHAMBO.ORG, UM, YOU KNOW, WEBSITE.
AND YOU COULD, UH, YOU COULD, YOU KNOW, REGISTER ALSO, UM, UH, THIS WEEKEND, UH, THE FRIENDS OF RUMBLE, UH, PARK ARE HAVING THE ANNUAL DOG SWIM.
WE CLOSE THE TOWN POOL, UM, FOR HUMANS.
AND, UH, THEN WE GIVE THE DOGS A CHANCE TO SWIM.
UM, AND WE'VE DONE THIS EVERY YEAR FOR PROBABLY 10 OR OR MORE YEARS, AND IT'S VERY, VERY POPULAR, AND A LOT OF DOGS HAVE A LOT OF FUN, AND A LOT OF, UH, THE OWNERS OF THE DOGS ALSO HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, A, YOU KNOW, A GREAT TIME.
SO I JUST WANTED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, MENTION, UM, MENTION THAT.
SO NOW WE'LL GO INTO THE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
AND SO, OH, AND THE NINE 11 MEMORIAL, UM, CEREMONY WILL BE, UH, THIS FRIDAY INSTEAD OF, UH, SATURDAY, UM, SEPTEMBER 10TH AT, UH, AND WE'RE GONNA DO IT AT RIDGE ROAD, YOU KNOW, PARK, AS WE'VE ALWAYS DONE, WHERE THE NINE 11 MEMORIAL WALL IS AT 9 45.
UM, THE REASON WHY THE PARKS NO HOLD, THAT'S NOT RIDGE ROAD.
UH, PRESSURE, UH, PRESSER PARK.
UH, THE REASON WHY, UH, WE ARE DOING IT ON, UM, YOU KNOW, AT PRESS PARK ON FRIDAY RATHER THAN ON SATURDAY, IS BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF, UM, KI WE WANNA INVOLVE STUDENTS IN THE, YOU KNOW, IN THE EVENT A LOT OF, UH, THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WEREN'T BORN DURING NINE 11, AND THE ORGANIZERS FELT THAT IF WE HAVE IT ON A FRIDAY, THERE'S A GREATER CHANCE THAT STUDENTS WOULD, YOU KNOW, WOULD ATTEND.
SO IT'S THIS, THIS FRIDAY AT 9 45.
[ To consider an Application by Frank Lapetina to extend the North Ardsley Sewer District to a property located at 245 Secor Road between Ivy Place and Eastway in the Town of Greenburgh]
NOW I'D LIKE TO, UM, OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER AN APPLICATION BY FRANK LAINA TO EXTEND THE NORTH ORLEY SEWER DISTRICT TO PROPERTY LOCATED AT 2 45 SEKER ROAD, UH, BETWEEN IVY PLACE AND EASTWAY IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.ALL IN FAVOR? ALL IN FAVOR, AYE.
SO I DON'T SEE MR. ESCALADES HERE YET.
UM, I KNOW THAT HE WOULD WANT TO BE HERE WITH HIS CLIENT, AND, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THE BOY WANTS TO WAIT FOR HIM.
I KNOW THERE'S SOME MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT I SUSPECT WANT TO SPEAK.
UM, SO YOU, WE COULD LET PEOPLE SPEAK AND THEN WE COULD ALWAYS ADJOURN THE HEARING AND, UH, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE IT IN TWO WEEKS, OKAY? OKAY.
MS. WILKE WANTS TO SPEAK, CORRECT? MS. WIL? YES.
I HAVE NAMES OF THREE INDIVIDUALS.
IF ANYONE ELSE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE COME UP AND SIGN UP SO THAT WE CAN, UH, CALL ON YOU, UM, ACCORDINGLY.
SO, FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING, I HAVE CAROL WIL WILKE, TINA CORNELL, AND STEVEN CORNELL.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING? PUBLIC COMMENT.
WELL, YOU CAN HEAR ME RIGHT? OKAY.
UH, I'M TALKING ABOUT VERY MUNDANE ISSUES, NOT THESE OVERRIDING ISSUES OF NATIONAL CONCERN.
UM, GOOD EVENING, I'M CAROL WILKE.
I'M GLAD TO SEE YOU ALL HERE AND ALL.
WELL, UH, I'M, UH, THE PRESIDENT OF THE CCO HOME CIVIC ASSOCIATION.
UH, AND THIS IS ON THE, UH, THE, UH, SEWER, UH, EXTENSION, UH, WHICH, UH, IS GOING TO BE, UH, EXTENDED TO SEACO ROAD.
BUT THE COMMUNITY JUST BECAME AWARE OF THIS APPLICATION SEVERAL DAYS AGO.
AND SO WE WISH TO PUT BEFORE THE TOWN BOARD THE CONCERNS OF THE SURROUNDING
[00:40:01]
NEIGHBORS, PARTICULARLY ON EASTERN NORTHWAY, EASTWAY, AND IVORY PLACE.AND SOME OF THEM ARE HERE TONIGHT, AND WE'LL ADDRESS YOU DIRECTLY.
WE HAVE NO PARTICULAR OBJECTION TO THE SEWER, UH, EXTENSION IF THAT IS REQUIRED TO SERVICE THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT WE DO OBJECT TO, I BETTER PUT MY GLASSES ON.
DO OBJECT TO SUCH SEWER EXTENSION BEING TIED TO THE UNDERLYING DOCUMENTS, WHICH THE APPLICANT HAS SUBMITTED TO THE TOWN.
AS PART OF THIS, UH, APPROVAL.
UH, HE SUBMITTED A PETITION, EXHIBIT A, UH, THE PROPOSED ORDER OF THE TOWN BOARD, AND THEY ALL REFERENCED THE SUBDIVISION APPROVAL BACK IN 1971, WHICH DOES NOT CONFORM TO THE CURRENT TOWN ZONING CODE.
UH, PERHAPS THE APPLICANT RELIES ON THIS OLD DOCUMENT AND APPROVALS IN ORDER TO AVOID THE NORMAL AND ROUTINE TOWN PLANNING AND ZONING PROCESS, WHICH WOULD ADHERE TO THE CURRENT CODE COMPLIANCE SUBDIVISION STANDARDS, AND WHICH WOULD ALSO INVITE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION AND INVOLVEMENT.
CERTAINLY, IF THIS NORMAL REVIEW PROCESS IS BYPASSED IN ANY SIGNIFICANT WAY, THE COMMUNITY WOULD HAVE REAL OBJECTION TO THAT.
THE COMMUNITY BECAME AWARE OF THE PROPOSED BUILDING PROJECT FOR THE LOTS ON THE OLD FLOWER SHOP PROPERTY ON SEACO ROAD RIGHT ACROSS FROM FERNCLIFF CEMETERY, WHEN OWN HOMEOWNERS WERE ASKED TO SIGN A PETITION WITH THE APPLICANT'S REPRESENTATIVE, UH, PRESENTED TO THEM AT THEIR DOORSTEP.
UH, THE COMMUNITY CONTACTED, UH, GAR, UH, GARRETT DUCAIN, YOUR COMMISSIONER OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION, AND HE ARRANGED A ZOOM MEETING BETWEEN THE RESIDENTS AND THE DEVELOPER.
AND OVERALL, THAT WAS, IT WAS AT A PRODUCTIVE MEETING.
WE GOT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE, THE, UH, UH, DEVELOPMENT WAS ABOUT.
BUT THE MEETING AT TIMES, AT THE MEETING AT THE TIMES, THE DEVELOPER AT TIMES SEEMED SURPRISED THAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD WEIGH IN, IN VERY DIRECTLY ON, ON, UH, WITH THEIR CONCERNS.
UH, THIS DEVELOPER IS NOT USED TO OUR PROCESS.
I THINK HE COMES FROM BROOKLYN, AND THEY MUST HAVE A DIFFERENT PROCESS THERE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT AROUND DECEMBER, 2020, THE TOWN REQUESTED A ZONING COMPLIANCE TABLE SO THAT THE SUBMITTED PLANS CAN BE EVALUATED IN CONNECTION WITH ANY BUILDING, UH, PERMIT APPLICATION.
THERE HAVE BEEN PRIOR APPROVALS OF THE PLANNING BOARD AND THE ZONING BOARD IN THE PAST, WHICH WILL BE CONSIDERED IN THE REVIEW OF ANY PLANS SUBMITTED FOR BUILDING PERMITS.
ACCORDINGLY, THE BUILDING INSPECTOR HAS NOT ISSUED ANY BUILDING PERMITS FOR THE LOTS IN QUESTION.
I RELAY ALL THIS HISTORY TO YOU BECAUSE AT YOUR AUGUST 11TH MEETING, WHICH I DID NOT ATTEND, BUT I SAW SUBSEQUENTLY THE BOARD WAS BEING ASKED TO APPROVE SOMETHING TO WHICH YOU HAD NO BACKGROUND ON SOME OF THE ISSUES RAISED, UH, CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPMENT.
THE ISSUE IS NOT A MINISTERIAL ERROR BACK IN 1971, WHICH DIANA JUNA REFERENCED AT ONE POINT.
BUT THAT REQUESTED INFORMATION HAS NOT YET BEEN SUBMITTED BY THE APPLICANTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, A CODE COMPLIANT APPLICATION WOULD REQUIRE THAT THE ACCESS ROAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT WILL CONFORM TO THE NOW REQUIRED 50 FOOT WIDE STANDARD, WHICH THE 1971 SUBDIVISION APPROVAL DID NOT EVEN ENVISION.
ADDITIONALLY, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY CONCERNS REGARDING PERSISTENT FLOOD WATER PROBLEMS ON THE SITE, WHICH WOULD COME TO LIGHT ONLY THROUGH THE TOWN'S PLANNING AND ZONING PROCESSES AS IT ADHERES TO COMMUNITY'S ISSUES AT PUBLIC HEARINGS.
ACCORDINGLY, WE URGE THE TOWN BOARD IF IT WISHES TO APPROVE THE SEWER EXTENSION, THAT IT DISASSOCIATE ANY OF THE 1971 UNDERLYING DOCUMENTS FROM SUCH APPROVAL.
AND AFTER I, ONE SENTENCE AND AFTER SUCH APPROVAL, THE COMMUNITY WOULD'VE ANY REVISED BUILDING PLANS THAT THE APPLICANT MAY SUBMIT, WHICH WE TRUST WOULD CONFORM TO THE CURRENT BUILDING AND ZONING CODE OF THE TOWN OF GREENBERG.
AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
[00:45:01]
UM, MY CONCERN IS, UM, I KNOW THAT THIS INDIVIDUAL'S ENTITLED TO BUILD ON THE PROPERTY, BUT, UM, WE HAVE WATER PROBLEMS NOW, AND I'M REALLY AFRAID THAT, UM, HIS BUILDING IS GONNA MAKE MY WATER PROBLEMS WORSE.YOU KNOW, YOU TAKE AWAY GREEN SPACE AND, UM, I, I WANT WE HOMEOWNERS NEED TO BE PROTECTED WHO ARE LIVING THERE ALREADY NOW TOO.
AND, UH, FURTHERMORE WITH THE 1971, UM, SUBDIVISION PERMIT, UM, I DON'T SEE HOW THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED AN ERROR.
AND I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO ASSUME THAT THIS WAS AN ERROR OF THE PLANNING, UH, BOARD BACK THEN.
UM, AND ESPECIALLY SINCE ON EXHIBIT A, THE SUBDIVISION WAS APPROVED SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY AND PUBLIC SANITARY SEWER FACILITIES TO SERVE ALL STRUCTURES INTENDED FOR HUMAN OCCUPANCY CONSTRUCTED HEREIN.
AND THAT PROVISION AND APPROVAL WAS NEVER GRANTED.
AND I, I DON'T THINK WE CAN ASSUME THAT THAT WAS JUST AN, A MISSION 50 YEARS AGO, BUT WE, HOMEOWNERS ARE JUST VERY CONCERNED THAT, UM, YOU FEEL THAT THE, UH, DRAINS AND THE SEWERS ARE NOT ADEQUATELY SERVING US, AND YOU WANNA PUT MORE LINES INTO IT.
SO I HOPE YOU'LL TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
I AM AN EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER OF THE C G C A.
I AM ALSO PRESIDENT OF THE WORTHINGTON WOODLAND CIVIC ASSOCIATION.
BOTH ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORT THE STATEMENTS MADE BY CAROL WELK OF THE C L HOME CIVIC ASSOCIATION.
ANY NEW DEVELOPMENT SHOULD BE MADE TO CONFORM TO THE STANDARDS THAT WE NOW HAVE IN PLACE FOR OUR TOWN.
IT'S JUST NOT FAIR THAT THIS DEVELOPER BE ALLOWED TO GO BACK AND SAY WHAT WAS THEN, SHOULD NOW BE NO, THIS ROAD HAS TO BE 50 FEET, JUST LIKE ALL NEW TOWN ROADS HAVE TO BE.
AND IF IT MEANS THAT HE CANNOT BUILD AS MUCH AS HE WANTS, I'M SORRY, THAT'S TOO BAD.
HE HAS TO CONFORM TO OUR CODES FROM OUR BUILDING DEPARTMENT AND OUR ZONING CODE.
C G C A STANDS FOR THE COUNCIL OF GREENBERG CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS.
LIKE, EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT IT MEANS.
SO I WAS, I I I ALREADY STATED WHAT IT WAS.
EVERYBODY
WE'RE ADJOURNING FOR ALL PURPOSES.
[ Re-opening of a Public Hearing to continue consideration of the extension of the Finmor Sewer District in the vicinity of 701 Dobbs Ferry Road (Held over to Town board Meeting of 10/13/2021)]
UH, WE'RE GONNA REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING TO CONTINUE, UM, OH, THAT, THAT'S BASICALLY WAS HELD OVER TO CONTINUE, UM, THE CONSIDERATION OF THE EXTENSION OF THE FINMORE SEWER DISTRICT IN SANITY OF 7 0 1 DOS ROAD HELD OVER TO THE MEETING OF OCTOBER 13TH, 2021.AND, UM, COULD WE JUST ASK, IS THERE ANYBODY WHO CAME OUT SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT? I DID SAW
WE JUST DIDN'T WANT SOMEBODY TO MAKE THE TRIP AND THEN WE SAY, NO, WE HAVE SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING
NEXT, UH, WE HAVE, UH, CAN I JUST WANNA ASK YOU FOR THE, UM, THE HEARING THAT WAS JUST, UH, ADJOURNED.
IS IT BEING ADJOURNED TO 9 22 OR 10 13? 10 UH, 10 13.
SO THE ADJOURN, IS THAT FOR THE HEARING THAT WE JUST HAD? WHICH ONE IS THAT? NO, I'M THE LAST ONE.
SINCE THEY, THEY HAVEN'T SUBMITTED ANYTHING AND WE KEEP HOLDING IT ON THERE, WE'LL GIVE THEM YES.
TWO, TWO MEETINGS TO, UH, WORK IT OUT.
SO I WAS ASKING WHAT, UH, WHAT'S THE DATE THE PAUL MOVED TO ADJOURN THE, UH, R NORTH ARTS SEWER DISTRICT HEARING FOR ALL PURPOSES UNTIL WHAT DATE? SEPTEMBER 22ND.
[00:50:01]
NOW, I, I DID SPEAK TO MR. ESCALADES WHO'S ON HIS WAY, JUST SO YOU KNOW, THE BOARD KNOWS.UM, AND HE SAID HE WAS 10 MINUTES AWAY.
I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE A STENOGRAPHER HERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF HE WANTS TO PUT ANYTHING ON THE RECORD.
UM, BUT I DON'T THINK HE ANTICIPATED THAT THE HEARING WOULD, YOU KNOW, BE HELD THIS QUICKLY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT, BECAUSE I KNOW HE'LL BE DISAPPOINTED WHEN HE GETS HERE AND FINDS OUT THAT THE HEARING IS, UH, ALREADY BEEN CONDUCTED AND ADJOURNED.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT.
SO, BUT HOW WOULD WE, HOW WOULD HE KNOW WHAT THEY'VE ALREADY SAID IN ORDER TO RESPOND TO IT? WELL, HE WOULDN'T KNOW.
AND, AND I DON'T, WHY DON'T YOU JUST EMAIL HIM AND JUST SAY, WE CLOSE THE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ADJOURNED IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT ALL RIGHT.
[ PUBLIC COMMENT A three-minute limit per speaker will be strictly enforced. No interruptions by Town Board members, the Town Clerk or the public will be permitted. Any questions on agenda items should be asked at this time. Department Heads have the option of leaving the meeting following Public Comment. Therefore, if anyone has questions that are related to resolutions/items on the agenda involving a specific Department Head, those questions should be raised at this time. ]
NEXT, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT.IS IT CRO PATRICK? HI, I'M KORO SANCHEZ.
PATRICK, I HAVEN'T BEEN IN A WHILE.
UM, NICE TO SEE EVERYBODY, NEW MEMBERS.
UM, I COME HERE, UM, AS A RESIDENT OF GREENBURG HOUSING AUTHORITY.
UM, I HAVEN'T GOTTEN INVOLVED, BUT NOW IT'S MY TIME TO GET INVOLVED AGAIN.
REASON WHY, UM, I SEE THAT THERE'S PEOPLE HERE FROM THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION THAT ARE AWARE OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING ON AND PERMITS THAT ARE BEING GIVEN.
MY ANSWER, MY QUESTION TO THE BOARD IS, YOU GUYS WERE AWARE THAT GREENBURG HOUSING WAS APPLYING AND GIVING THIS PROPERTY TO A NEW OWNER AND KNEW EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON.
SO FOR ME TO SEE TOWN BOARD MEETINGS AND YOU GUYS ACTING LIKE YOU'RE SURPRISED, ANY PERMITS, ANYTHING THAT WAS DONE FIRST HAD TO BE GONE THROUGH THE CITY, INTO THE TOWN TO BE APPROVED.
THEY'RE NOT EVEN TAKING CALLS FOR ANY TENANTS.
I, MYSELF HAVE EMAILED THE OFFICE SEVERAL TIMES, NO CALLS.
I ASKED, THEY SENT A LETTER SAYING, YOU'RE TO SEND YOUR RENT TO THIS L L C.
WHO'S THIS L L C? WHERE'S MY LEASE? SO MANY RIGHTS ARE BEING VIOLATED HERE.
FORTUNATELY, I CAN HIRE AN ATTORNEY, BUT FOR OTHER PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN GREENBURG HOUSING AUTHORITY WHO ARE POOR AND THAT PUT THEIR TRUST IN YOU, THE BOARD TO PROTECT, THERE'S NOT ONE LOW INCOME HOUSING LEFT IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
AND I'M APPALLED THAT YOU GUYS WOULD EVEN LET THAT HAPPEN TO LOSE THIS.
I SEE PEOPLE COMING AROUND, NOT A SEC THAT I'VE NEVER IN MY LIFE SEEN COMING AROUND.
I SEE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE NOW COMING, LOOKING, DRIVING, LOOKING AT THE APARTMENTS, GOING ALL AROUND THE AREA.
WHY? BECAUSE ONLY 10% OF THESE APARTMENTS ARE GONNA BE GIVEN BACK TO LOW INCOME SECTION EIGHT APPROVED.
EVERYTHING ELSE IS GONNA BE GIVEN UP.
I DON'T, LIKE I SAID, GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY SAYS A LOT.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU GUYS AT THE BOARD, YOU SAY A LOT, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
BUT WHERE IS IT IN WRITING? WHEN I GET STUFF IN WRITING AND YOU'RE TELLING ME WHAT'S GOING ON, THEN I WILL BE CALM.
BUT MEANWHILE, YOU'RE TRYING TO PUT ME OUT OF MY PLACE WHERE I LIVED FOR 20 YEARS.
I SEE HOMEOWNERS COME UP AND YOU GIVE THEM THE UTMOST RESPECT.
BUT THEN WHEN SOMEBODY POOR COMES UP HERE, YOU JUST PUSH 'EM TO THE SIDE AND YOU'RE SO GALLY DOING SO MUCH FOR THE WORLD, BUT YOUR BACKYARD IS BURNING UP AND YOU'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
SO WHEN YOU WANNA GO SAVE THE WORLD, AND MIND YOU, I'LL BE THE FIRST ONE TO HELP ANYBODY THAT COMES TO MY DOORSTEP.
BUT YOU NEED TO FIRST TAKE CARE OF HOME BEFORE YOU WANNA WANDER.
AND I'VE NEVER COME IN FRONT OF THIS BOARD AND LIE AND I WON'T START.
YOU NEED TO FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
PAUL, YOU ASSIGNED THESE PEOPLE AS COMMISSIONERS.
WHEN I WAS A COMMISSIONER, I CAME TO THIS BOARD AND I TOLD YOU THE PREJUDICE THAT WAS GOING ON, HOW I WAS TREATED, OKAY.
AS THE ONLY EVER ELECTED HISPANIC OFFICIAL IN THIS TOWN OF GREENBURG, I WAS TREATED LIKE S**T.
YOU NEVER DID NOTHING ABOUT IT.
YOU STILL KEPT THOSE PEOPLE ON BOARD.
NOW THEY WANNA CALL THEMSELVES MANAGERS.
WE DESERVE THAT FROM THE BOARD.
OKAY? SO WE DON'T REALLY ALLOW PROFANITY TO BE USED AT MEETINGS.
AND, AND I, AND I WASN'T REALLY CLEAR ON THE ISSUE.
SO AT SOME POINT, MAYBE SOMEONE CAN CLARIFY EXACTLY WHAT THE ISSUE IS.
UM, THE OWNERSHIP AND I'M, I'M NOT INVITING YOU TO COME UP, BUT OKAY.
I DO KNOW THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY STILL OWNS THE PROPERTY.
SO I WANNA, SO I'D BE, I'D BE HAPPY TO EXPLAIN IT TO YOU.
BECAUSE IT'S VERY CONFUSING AND THEY'RE PARTNERING WITH SOMEONE, BUT THEY STILL OWN THE LAND OF THE PROPERTY.
[00:55:01]
I JUST WANNA MAKE THAT CLEAR.BE HAPPY TO TALK TO YOU OUTSIDE ABOUT IT.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU WANT DOREEN LIPSON.
UM, I'D LIKE TO REFER TO THE AGENDA.
DOREEN, WOULD YOU PULL THE MIC DOWN A JUST A LITTLE BIT.
MICROPHONE A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO YOU, DOREEN.
NO, JUST PULL THE MICROPHONE DOWN AND OH, IT'S SHOOTING OVER YOUR HEAD.
YOU MAY NOT WANT TO
THE RESOLUTION HAVING TO DO WITH THE PILOT AGREEMENT AND THE SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM PURSUANT TO THE REAL PROPERTY TAX.
I READ THAT THROUGH AS CAREFULLY AS I COULD, BUT I REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND IT.
SO COULD SOMEONE ON THE BOARD, MAYBE YOU, MR. LEWIS, AFTER WE'RE ALL FINISHED WITH PUBLIC COMMENTS? 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT'S THE WAY WE DO IT.
IF YOU COULD PLEASE EXPLAIN WHAT THAT MEANS IN TERMS TO THE LAYMAN.
WHAT EXACTLY, WHY ARE THEY GETTING A PILOT? WHERE IS THIS GOING TO BE IN THE SHOPPING CENTER THAT THEY'RE PUTTING THE SOLAR IN? I'M ASSUMING THAT IT'S SOLAR.
AND IF IT IS A BEST SYSTEM, WHAT TIER ARE THEY GOING ON UNDER? DEFINITELY SOLAR PANELS ON THE BUILDING, JUST SO YOU KNOW.
BECAUSE IT WASN'T EXPLAINED MM-HMM.
SO, UM, WHICH BUILDING? WELL, OKAY, SO WHICH BUILDING, THERE'S SO MANY BUILDINGS THAT GOING UP AND DOWN THE DALEWOOD SHOPPING CENTER, ARE THEY ALL GETTING NO, JUST ONE.
I DON'T WANNA INTERRUPT YOUR TIME AND YOU DO HAVE A COUPLE OF EXTRA SECONDS 'CAUSE I'M NOT, ALRIGHT.
UM, THERE WAS ONE MORE THING, BUT UM, THAT I WANTED TO COMMENT ON.
IT HAD TO DO WITH THE, UM, I COULDN'T DO IT IN PUBLIC COMMENT.
IT HAD TO DO WITH THE, UH, THE FINMORE EXTENSION.
UM, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO SINCE, SINCE THEY FIRST CAME OUT WITH IT.
IT'S NOT THAT I'M AGAINST IT, I JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT EXACTLY ARE THEY DOING.
AND COUNCILMAN SHEEN HAD ASKED THE QUESTION, ARE THEY JUST GOING TO BE THAT ONE AREA OR THEY GOING TO BE, I THINK IT'S 32 ACRES THAT THE GAME ON PEOPLE HAVE BOUGHT ARE, AND THERE'S MANY DIFFERENT PLOTS.
I THINK THERE MAY BE 13 OR 15.
WHAT EXACTLY DO THEY WANNA DO? AND THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT I WANTED TO HAVE ASKED.
AND I WANTED TO SEE SOME DOCUMENTATION SINCE DAY ONE.
THEY HAVEN'T PUT OUT AS FAR AS I COULD SEE ANY DOCUMENTATION THAT SHOWS WHAT THEY WERE DOING, WHAT, WHERE THEY WERE GOING TO RUN IT ON CLOSER TO WHERE, WERE THEY COMING DOWN INSIDE DOBBS FERRY ROAD OR WERE THEY GOING ONTO THE SHOULDER OF DOBBS FERRY ROAD? I THINK WE SHOULD BE ENTITLED.
WE SPENT EIGHT MONTHS PUTTING UP WITH, UH, THE CHELSEA, NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN.
THEY JUST DIDN'T HIRE A VERY GOOD GEOLOGIST, EVIDENTLY TO TELL THEM WHAT WAS HIDING UNDERNEATH DOS BURY ROAD.
SO I WANNA KNOW, DO THEY HAVE EVERYTHING IN PLACE SO THEY HAVE A TIMEFRAME TO TELL US WHAT'S GOING ON? AND YOU'RE SHAKING YOUR HEAD NO.
WE HAVE, THE REASON WHY IT KEEPS GETTING HELD OVER IS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION THAT YOU ARE ALSO SEEKING.
SO WHEN WE DO, THEN WE WILL ACTUALLY HAVE IT ON.
SO THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT I, I AM, YOU KNOW, POSING TO THE BOARD.
IF YOU COULD ASK THEM WHEN THEY BRING THIS IN, AGAIN, I'M NOT AGAINST IT IF IT'S JUST GOING TO BE A STRAIGHTFORWARD THING, BUT IF IT'S GOING TO BE ANYTHING LIKE WE HAD WITH THE DOBBS FERRY ROAD FROM THE CHELSEA, WE WANNA KNOW ABOUT IT.
AND, AND REGARDING THE, UH, THE SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS, I'M GONNA BEHOLD THAT ONE OVER BECAUSE, UM, THE RESO THE DOCUMENTATION NEEDS WORK.
AND SO, UM, WE'RE NOT GONNA VOTE ON THAT TONIGHT SO WE CAN GET SOME MORE ANSWERS TO WHAT YOU NEED.
I KNOW, I KNOW MR. LEWIS COULD PROBABLY ANSWER SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER IF WE ARE WORKING FROM SOME DOCUMENTS THAT, UH, ANSWER MORE QUESTIONS THAN THEY RAISE IS.
AND MS. LIPSON, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION WITH RESPECT TO THE, THE DRIVING RANGE, THEY HAD A PORTA POTTY THERE AS OPPOSED TO A, A PHYSICAL BATHROOM THAT WAS A TEMPORARY STRUCTURE, WHICH WAS NOT MEANT TO BE PERMANENT.
THEY WOULD WHEN THE FAMILY WAS SINKING IT INTO THE GROUND AND THEY WERE, THEY WERE DOING ILLEGAL
[01:00:01]
STUFF, RIGHT? SO, SO THEY'RE WORKING ON CONNECTING TO THE SEWER SYSTEM.THEY DON'T HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION THAT'S NECESSARY FOR THAT YET.
THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT EXPENSE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT AND THEY'RE TRYING TO DEAL WITH THAT EXPENSE BEFORE THEY COME BACK TO THE TOWN BOARD.
I DON'T SHOULD COME BACK UP, BUT I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF WHAT THAT ISSUE IS.
OKAY? AND I KNOW YOU NEED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND IS THAT THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE WHAT MAY OR JUNE AND THEY EACH KEEPS GETTING PUT ONTO THE AGENDAS AND YET WE STILL DON'T HAVE ANY DOCUMENTATION.
WHY DID THEY EVEN COME IN IN THE FIRST PLACE IF THEY WEREN'T PREPARED TO ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS? THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING.
BEFORE WE START, THERE WERE SOME, UM, STATEMENTS SENT TO THE TOWN CLERK.
UM, CLIFF ABRAMS, PAT WES AND LYNN GOODMAN.
ALSO, UM, STEPHANIE SWAN SENT ONE, BUT YOU, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN ACCESS IT.
SHE HAD TO DO IT LATE, BUT SHE DID DO ONE.
CAN I READ IT AND NOT, WOULD THAT BE HER THREE MINUTES? AND THEN I WELL, LET'S, LET'S DO YOUR THREE MINUTES AND THEN MAYBE MS. BEVILLE CAN ACCESS HER STATEMENT AND THEN SHE THAT THERE, OKAY.
ANYWAY, UM, HI, MY NAME IS MICHELLE BROWN.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE MEETING, THE WORKSHOP THAT WAS HELD ON WITH THE GREENBURG HEIGHTS, L L C MANAGER, RAJU ABRAHAMS AND, UM, ROSE NEWNAN HOUSING COUNSEL.
AND I'M NOT SURE WHO THE OTHER GENTLEMAN WAS.
I'M NOT SURE IT WAS AN ATTORNEY OR THE DEVELOPER.
THAT MEETING THAT YOU HAD WHERE NO TENANTS WERE ASKED TO COME, WHERE IT WAS COMPLETELY MISREPRESENTED.
IT SEEMED AS IF IT WAS A Q AND A, BUT YOU NEVER TALKED TO THE RESIDENTS.
YOU TALKED, YOU QUOTED THINGS THAT WEREN'T EVEN ACCURATE FROM NEWSPAPERS.
YOUR RESIDENTS ARE REAL PEOPLE.
YOU CAN JUST WENT THERE AND ASKED THEM WHAT'S GOING ON? WHY DON'T YOU DO THAT? WHY CAN'T YOU JUST TALK TO THEM? WHY DO YOU HAVE TO HIDE BEHIND SOME NEWSPAPER ARTICLE AND THEN, AND THEN MISREPRESENT THAT? MR. FINER, I'M SPEAKING TO YOU.
THEY'RE PART OF THE PEOPLE THAT YOU ARE TO PROTECT AND, AND ENSURE THAT THEY ARE BEING MANAGED EQUITABLE JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE WHO LIVES HERE.
THERE IS ONE QUESTION YOU DIDN'T ASK.
SECTION EIGHT RESIDENTS ARE BEING TOLD THEY WILL GET A SECTION EIGHT VOUCHER.
IF A RESIDENT STAYS IN GREENBURG AND WISHES TO RETURN, THEY'RE NOT GETTING A VOUCHER.
THEY'RE LIVING IN GREENBURG HOUSING AUTHORITY BECAUSE THEY CAN LEAVE IN FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS WHEN THE PROPERTY IS RENOVATED.
IF A PERSON'S GIVEN A VOUCHER AND THEY GO LIVE SOMEWHERE, WHO'S GONNA RENT A PLACE FOR FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS? THAT'S A YEAR.
SO WHEN THEY SAY THEY'RE NOT CREATE, THEY'RE NOT ASK TELLING PEOPLE NOT TO COME BACK, THEY'RE CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT THAT PERMITS THEM NOT TO RETURN.
NOT ONLY THAT, WHEN THEY DO RETURN, ARE THEY BEING TOLD THAT THOSE SECTION EIGHT VOUCHERS ARE FOR THE APARTMENT THEY'RE GOING BACK TO BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT PORTABLE VOUCHERS.
SO IF, AND ALSO IN THE DEAL THAT YOU HAD TO APPROVE, ARE THEY, IS IS THE INVESTOR ACTUALLY THE 99% OWNER OF THE PROPERTY? AND YES, THEY DO OWN LISA LAND FOR 99 YEARS AND I'M, AND I'M SURE THERE'S SOMETHING IN THERE ABOUT MAYBE A 20 OR 25 YEAR CLAUSE TO BUY IT OUT.
HOW LONG ARE THEY GONNA KEEP THOSE PROPERTIES? SECTION EIGHT.
THERE'S NO LAW THAT SAYS THAT THOSE PROPERTIES HAVE TO BE SECTION EIGHT AFTER THAT YEAR LEASES UP.
WHAT IF THEY DECIDE THEY DON'T WANNA TAKE VOUCHERS ANYMORE? THEY HAVE A RIGHT.
L L C WHO OWNS 1%? YOU DIDN'T ASK THAT MR. FINER.
IS CREATING AND HOUSING INSTABILITY IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
[01:05:06]
LAWANDA MILLER IS LAWANDA.I WORK IN THE FIELD OF, UH, CLINICAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND ALSO IN EMERGENCY SERVICES, UM, TRAINING, PARTICULARLY WORKING WITH THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND, AND SPECIAL NEEDS AND FUNCTIONAL ACCESS.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY, FIRST OF ALL, I'VE HAD THE CHANCE AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER LIVING IN TARRYTOWN, UM, TO BE INVITED BY AND, AND TO VISIT WITH A LOT OF RESIDENTS IN THE GREENBURG HOUSING AUTHORITY.
AND ESPECIALLY OF COURSE, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO ON THE GREENVALE FACILITY, WHICH WAS A GRACIOUS AND LOVELY NIGHT.
AND IT WAS REALLY A CHANCE FOR US TO GET TO VISIT AND LEARN MORE FROM THE RESIDENTS WHO LIVED THERE ABOUT WHAT THEIR LIFE IS LIKE.
AND FOR ME, WHO HAD NOT BEEN LIKE, BEEN BEEN AT A LOT OF HOUSING, HOUSING AUTHORITY FACILITIES TO SEE THE FUTURE LEADERS OF OUR COUNTRY AND AND TO BE TAUGHT BY THEM AND TO SEE SOME OF, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE I SEE AS VISIONARY LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE I THINK WE HAVE SOME REALLY VALUABLE LEADERS, UM, WHO ARE STEPPING FORWARD IN THE HOUSING AUTHORITY COMPLEX RIGHT NOW TO TEACH THE REST OF US WHAT THE NEEDS ARE IN LOW INCOME HOUSING GOING FORWARD AND WHO CAN HELP SET PUBLIC POLICY AS WE LISTEN AND LEARN.
SO I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN ME IN THIS LEARNING PROCESS.
'CAUSE I THINK THE LEARNING HERE IS VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, AND SO SOME OF THE THINGS I'M HEARING, YOU'VE HEARD A LOT OF THIS, BUT I WANT TO JUST ADD A LAYER TO IT ON TOP OF WHAT I HEARD COMING OUT OF THE WORKING SESSION LAST WEEK, UM, WHERE THERE WAS SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE VERACITY OF COMMENTS THAT THIS BOARD AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD HAVE HEARD FROM THE RESIDENTS.
I, I, I WOULD SIMPLY REFLECT BACK TO YOU THAT IF THERE ARE RESIDENTS WHO HAVE CONCERNS THAT YOU'RE HEARING, UM, THAT THE, THE REALITY THAT THERE ARE THOSE CONCERNS AT THIS LEVEL INDICATES THERE IS A GAP IN RESIDENT COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING HERE.
AND THERE MAY BE A GAP IN AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT COMPLIANCE AS A RESULT.
SO THE REALITY OF THE MATTER HERE IS THAT IF WE'RE AT THIS POINT WHERE RESIDENTS ARE HAVING TO PREPARE FOR MOVES FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR CHILDREN AND PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS ON FAIRLY SHORT NOTICE WITHOUT HAVING WRITTEN PLANS, THEN YOU RUN INTO ISSUES ABOUT WHETHER YOU HAVE, YOU'VE ADHERED TO A D A ACROSS ALL MODALITIES OF COMMUNICATIONS BECOMES A LEGAL ISSUE.
AND SO I THOUGHT THE MEETING THAT, THAT I THINK SRO WAS REFERRING TO, AND MICHELLE CERTAINLY LAST WEEK WAS AN INTERESTING MEETING.
LIKE THERE WAS SOME HELPFUL INTERCHANGE THERE, SOME NEW INFORMATION FLOWING.
BUT TO MY WAY OF THINKING, THAT KIND OF MEETING PROBABLY COULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE LIKE HALF A YEAR AGO OR A YEAR AGO IN A PUBLIC SETTING WHERE THIS INFORMATION STARTS TO FLOW AND THESE CONCERNS START GETTING VALIDATED AND RESPONDED TO IN SOME COMPREHENSIVE WAY.
AND CLEARLY WE HAVE RESIDENTS HERE SAYING MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE.
AND ESPECIALLY IN THE WAY OF CONFIRMING LIKE WRITTEN PLANS AND RESPONSIVE, YOU KNOW, RESPONSIVE LEVELS OF, OF, OF INTERACTION WITH THE HOUSING ACCESS COUNCIL.
I HOPE THERE'S A LOT MORE TO BE SAID.
UM, BUT I HOPE THAT THERE IS SOME SENSE GROWING ON THIS BOARD AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD THAT THESE COMMUNICATIONS NEED TO BE MORE FORMALIZED.
THEY HAVE TO BE PLANNED IN ADVANCE.
THEY HAVE TO BE COMPREHENSIVE AND THEY HAVE TO BE REDUNDANT, RIGHT? WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE REVISITING THESE CONCERNS AND, AND NOT SORT OF SETTING THEM ASIDE.
UM, AND IF THERE'S TIME LATER, I'LL, I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT, BUT THANK YOU.
I'M LOUISE CHARCO, AND, UM, I'M REALLY HAPPY I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT.
I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA BE PUT OFF BY ANOTHER TORNADO TONIGHT.
SO, UM, ANYWAY, I JUST WANNA SAY FOCUS, BECAUSE I, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED, I'VE BEEN HEARING ALL THIS, AND, AND THERE'S A LOT OF MISUNDERSTANDING AND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN FEAR AND THERE'S A LOT OF, A LOT OF, UH, HEARSAY AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO IT'S JUST A, BUT I WANNA SAY THAT I HAVE BEEN AN ADVOCATE SINCE THE NINETIES, THE MID NINETIES IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY, RIGHT? AND BEFORE THE HUMAN RIGHTS THING WAS ESTABLISHED, AND ALSO BEFORE, UH, COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH STARTED SUPPORTED HOUSING PROGRAMS. UH, WE WERE TRYING TO, I MYSELF WAS TRYING TO HOUSE PEOPLE ONE AGENCY AT A TIME, SEARCH FOR CHANGE.
THIS, THAT, THE THIRD, THERE'S A HOUSING SHORTAGE, THEN THERE'S A HOUSING SHORTAGE.
[01:10:01]
IT'S THE SAME ISSUES, THE, THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT PEOPLE ARE RUNNING ACROSS.SO I CAME UP WITH A PROPOSAL TO, INSTEAD OF, RIGHT NOW, WE ARE ON FIRE AND WE'RE RIGHT, WE'RE ON FIRE.
THERE'S A MAJOR SHORTAGE OF HOUSING.
SOME COMMUNITIES DON'T WANT HOUSING.
WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO BUILD NEW HOUSING, BUT THERE IS A LOT OF HOUSING STOCK.
OKAY? SO WHAT I'M PROPOSING IS THAT THE TOWN OF GREENBURG OFFER AN ADDITIONAL TAX CREDIT TO ALL LANDLORDS WHO ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT SECTION EIGHT OR OTHER VOUCHER PROGRAMS, OR THOSE WILLING TO ADD ADDITIONAL UNITS THAT EXTEND BEYOND THEIR CURRENT REQUIRED QUOTA.
SO IF I ONLY WANT, IF, IF I ONLY SAID I, I'M GONNA TAKE 10%, THEY WANNA MAKE IT 15 AND BUMP IT UP, THE TOWN SHOULD GIVE THEM A TAX CREDIT.
IT BENEFITS THE LANDLORDS, AND THE LANDLORDS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT SECTION EIGHT AND OTHER VOUCHER SYSTEMS ARE YEARLY RENEWABLE CONTRACTS.
EVERYBODY HAS TO REAPPLY EVERY YEAR.
SO A LANDLORD CAN CHOOSE NOT TO RENEW AT TENANT'S LEASE AND MOVING FORWARD.
THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED TO ACCEPT SUB SUBSIDIES ANY LONGER.
AND THOSE ARE THE RULES OF SECTION EIGHT.
OKAY? THE TOWN, THE BENEFIT FOR THE TOWN IS THAT IT, YOU'LL BEGIN TO NATURALLY BALANCE OUT RESPONSIBILITIES THROUGHOUT THE VILLAGES, OKAY? AS PER THE, AND THERE'S A HUD SETTLEMENT THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO HAVE THAT, SO THE BALANCE OUT, AND YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO BUILD NEW HOUSING ANYWHERE.
UM, BUT HOW IT WORKS, THEY HAVE TO, TO CLAIM THE TAX CREDIT, A LANDLORD MUST PRODUCE A SIGNED COPY OF THEIR LEASE AGREEMENT WITH SECTION EIGHT VOUCHER, OTHER VOUCHER PROGRAM FOR THE TAX YEAR THAT THEY ACCEPTED THE VOUCHER.
THE LANDLORD MUST BE WILLING, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THE TOWN HAS TO COME UP WITH LOGISTICALLY, TO REGISTER UNITS FOR RENT ON THE TOWN WEBSITE OR APP THAT WILL ALLOW THE LANDLORDS TO MARK THE APARTMENT AVAILABLE OR RENTED.
AND I JUST FEEL THAT, UM, I'LL TELL YOU, IT PASSED MY MOTHER'S TEST TODAY.
SHE SAID IF SHE HAS A ONE BEDROOM THAT WOULD DEFINITELY BE, UH, COMPLIANT WITH SECTION A.
IT'S TWO EXITS, EVERYTHING FRONT AND BACK.
AND SHE SAID, IF I, WHEN I READ THIS TO HER, SHE SAID, IF I WAS ABLE TO GET THAT SUBSIDY, I WOULD, I WOULD ACCEPT SECTION EIGHT.
IF I WAS ABLE TO GET AN ADDITIONAL TAX CREDIT, I WOULD ACCEPT SECTION EIGHT.
AND I'LL TELL YOU, THE ONLY REPO, THE ONLY DEMOCRAT SHE LOVES IS YOU PAUL.
SO
WE HAVE NO FURTHER REQUESTS FOR, FOR, UM, FOR PUBLIC COMMENT FROM THE FLOOR.
HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE SEVERAL REQUESTS THAT HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED.
SO I WILL START WITH PAT WEEMS. UH, I CANNOT ATTEND TONIGHT'S MEETING BECAUSE I AM SHELTERING IN PLACE AND HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO TAKE THE SHOTS.
I'VE ASKED TOWN CLERK MR. VILLE TO READ MY STATEMENT.
MR. RA, MR. RAJU ABRAHAM, WHO IS DIRECTOR OF HOUSING, SENT A LETTER STATING THAT IF THE TENANTS HELD A RALLY AND MEETING ON THE PROPERTY, HE WOULD CALL THE GREENBERG POLICE AND HAVE THEM STOP THE MEETING AND THE RALLY INTIMIDATING THAT INTIMIDATING THAT THEY WOULD BE ARRESTED.
WELL, MR. ABRAHAM HAS NOT READ ANYTHING ON TENANT'S RIGHTS FOR THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
HOW DO MANAGE, HOW, HOW TO MANAGE TO ALWAYS HIRE INEPT AND INCOMPETENT EMPLOYEES? I WILL FORWARD TO THE TOWN COUNCIL THIS LETTER, AND I HOPE THAT BROWBEATING AND FEAR MONGERING ARE NOT PERMITTED IN GREENBERG, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS A BLACK PERSON DOING THE QUOTE.
I GOT THE BIG STICK CALLED THE POLICE ON ALL OF TENANTS.
PAT WES CLIFF ABRAMS PUBLIC COMMENT FOR SEPTEMBER 8TH.
TOWN BOARD MEETING STATES AS FOLLOWS, AS SOME OF THE TOWN BOARD MEMBERS MAY REMEMBER BACK IN 2016, YOU ALL MADE A COMMITMENT WITH THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE GEORGIA GREEN VENTURES TO IMPLEMENT
[01:15:01]
A COMMUNITY BENEFITS AGREEMENT TO GENERATE LOCAL JOBS AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY IN GENERAL, AND THE FAIRVIEW COMMUNITY.IN PARTICULAR, YOU SAID THAT THIS WOULD REQUIRE THE TRAINING, REFERRAL AND HIRING OF LOCAL RESIDENTS, MINORITIES AND WOMEN, AND THE PARTICIPATION OF LOCAL BUSINESSES IN TOWN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
YOU ALSO INDICATED THAT YOU HAD IDENTIFIED GOALS AND COMMITMENTS THAT WOULD BENEFIT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY IN THE AREAS OF EMPLOYMENT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY CONSTRUCTION PROJECT FOR SENIOR HOUSING HAS BEGUN, AND MANY OF THE GOALS AND COMMITMENTS THAT YOU PROMISED REMAIN UNFULFILLED.
I NOW REQUEST, AS I HAVE REQUESTED IN THE PAST, AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH YOU AT A TOWN BOARD WORK SESSION TO DISCUSS A PLAN THAT I HAVE TO CREATE, THAT I HAVE TO CREATE A COMMUNITY BENEFITS PROGRAM THAT WOULD FULFILL THE GOALS AND COMMITMENTS THAT YOU SAID THAT YOU WANTED FOR THE COMMUNITY.
TO THAT END, I CONTACTED JOAN DOAK TODAY, YOUR TOWN COUNCIL AIDE, TO SCHEDULE A TIME THAT I COULD SPEAK TO YOU FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES AT A TOWN BOARD WORK SESSION.
JOAN TOLD ME THAT THE TOWN BOARD AGENDA WAS TOO BUSY TO SEE ME ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH, BECAUSE YOU WERE BUSY WITH OTHER MATTERS.
HOWEVER, I'M NOW REQUESTING THAT YOU MAKE A COMMITMENT TO MEET WITH ME ON EITHER TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21ST, OR TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH TO DISCUSS WHAT I BELIEVE IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR THE FAIRVIEW COMMUNITY.
PLEASE ADVISE IF YOU ARE WILLING TO MAKE THAT COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY.
CLIFF ABRAMS. THIS STATEMENT IS FROM LYNN GOODMAN, CHAIR OF THE GREENBERG HUMAN RIGHTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
PLEASE READ AS PER HER REQUEST.
PLEASE READ AT 9 8 21 BOARD MEETING WHILE THE HIRED BUREAUCRATS WERE TALKING TO THE TOWN BOARD LAST WEEK, IN A CAREFULLY ORCHESTRATED MEETING THAT NONE OF US COULD PARTICIPATE IN, THE TENANTS WERE TALKING TO US MEMBERS OF THE TOWN'S HUMAN RIGHTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
THEY CONTINUED TO TELL US THAT THE HOUSING ACTION COUNCIL IS NOT ANSWERING THEIR CALLS OR THEIR EMAILS.
THEY DO NOT HAVE A MOVE OUT OR MOVE IN PLAN.
THEY HAVE NOT RECEIVED A WRITTEN STATEMENT OF WHAT THEY'RE ENTITLED TO.
AND THE PROCESS OOZES WITH DISRESPECT.
THEY HAVE NOT RECEIVED A NEW LEASE FROM NEW PROPERTY FROM THE NEW PROPERTY MANAGER, BUT THEY ARE RECEIVING RENT BILLS FROM THEM.
RESIDENTS WHO WANT TO ARRANGE THEIR MOVE BEFORE RECEIVING A 90 DAY NOTICE ARE BEING TOLD TO WAIT.
ROSE NUNAN DID A GOOD JOB OF ANSWERING SUPERVISOR FINDER'S LEADING QUESTIONS DURING LAST WEEK'S CLOSED BOARD MEETING TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE ALL IS WELL IN GREENBERG.
BUT IT'S CLEAR THAT BECAUSE OF THE RUSH TO MOVE OUT TENANTS FROM MULTIPLE SITES OR, OR AT NEAR THE SAME TIME, H A C CANNOT MEET THE DEMANDS OF MANY OF THE TENANTS.
H A C, MEANING THE HOUSING ACTION COUNCIL.
THE HOUSING ACTION COUNCIL NEEDS MORE PERSONNEL.
MS. NOONAN TALKED ABOUT MOVING DISPLACED TENANTS TO A ROTATING POOL OF TEMPORARY UNITS WITHIN GREENBURG.
ARE THERE ENOUGH UNITS TO HANDLE ALL DISPLACED TENANTS? THAT QUESTION WASN'T ASKED BY THIS BOARD, NOR DID THEY, NOR DID THEY ASK MANY OTHER SUBSTANTIVE QUESTIONS.
MR. FINER WAS MAINLY INTERESTED IN WHAT THE MEDIA OUTLET BLACK WESTCHESTER WOULD SAY ABOUT HIM.
RESIDENTS HAVE REPEATEDLY ASKED THAT GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY OR ITS SUCCESSOR MEMORIALIZE THEIR PROMISES IN A WRITTEN AGREEMENT.
THE RESIDENTS WANT AN INDIVIDUALIZED WRITTEN RELOCATION PLAN, MOVE OUT DATE, MOVE IN DATE, MOVING PLAN, SCHOOL, TRANSPORTATION PLAN, ET CETERA.
A WRITTEN CONTRACT THAT STATES ALL THE OWNER'S OBLIGATIONS TO PAY MOVING EXPENSES TO GIVE THEM A NEW LEASE AT THE SAME RENT IN THE SAME DEVELOPMENT ONCE RENOVATIONS ARE COMPLETED TO FUND A RESIDENCE ORGANIZATION AND A CLEAR STATEMENT OF ALL
[01:20:01]
OF THEIR OPTIONS, GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY MUST TELL THE RESIDENTS WHAT TO EXPECT IF THEY CHOOSE A SECTION EIGHT CHOICE VOUCHER INSTEAD OF TEMPORARY HOUSING.DO THEY LOSE THEIR RIGHT TO RETURN TO THE UNIT? PROBABLY YES.
MUST THEY COME UP WITH THREE MONTHS RENT FOR A NEW APARTMENT? PROBABLY YES.
WILL HUD HELP PAY FOR THEIR SECURITY DEPOSIT FIRST MONTHS OR LAST MONTH'S RENT FOR THEIR MOVING EXPENSES? AND WHAT IF THEY WANT TO BUY A PLACE? WILL HUD GIVE THEM FUNDING? GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITIES SHOULD TELL EACH RESIDENT ALL OF THEIR OPTIONS.
GREENBERG SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT H A C GETS MORE RESOURCES AND THAT THE CONCERNS OF THE TENANTS GET PRIORITY OVER OVER THE CONCERNS OF THE FUNDER IN THE LONG RUN.
OUR TOWN BOARD MUST MAKE SURE THAT THIS PLAN DOES NOT DEPLETE THE HOUSING OPTIONS OF PEOPLE WHO NEED PUBLIC HOUSING TO STAY IN GREENBURG.
IF IT DOES, YOUR LEGACY AS TOWN LEADERS WILL BE FOREVER MARRED.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE CONCERNS OF THE TENANTS, HELP THEM ORGANIZE AS IS THEIR RIGHT AND SPEAK OUT WHEN WE SEE LAPSES IN PROCEDURAL JUSTICE.
LYNN GOODMAN, CHAIR GREENBERG HOUSE HUMAN RIGHTS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UM, THOSE ARE ALL THE REQUESTS.
DO YOU HAVE STEPHANIE SWANS? I DO.
DO YOU WANNA READ IT? IT'S ON MY PHONE.
I MEAN, SHE JUST SENT IT LIKE MM-HMM.
I'M, WHY DON'T WE DO THE AGENDA AND THEN, UH, WE COULD DO THAT AT THE END OF THE MEETING.
WELL, SHE, WHILE YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT, WE, WHY DON'T YOU LOOK FOR IT AND THEN, UH, WE CAN CALL YOU.
[ TB 1 - 9/08/2021 Resolution of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh authorizing the bringing of disciplinary charges against a Town employee as discussed in Executive Session and directing the Supervisor or Deputy Supervisor to sign and have served the disciplinary charges]
TV ONE.DOES ANYBODY WANNA MOVE THAT? WHO'S READING? DIANA? UM, PAUL? YEAH.
BRING IT BECAUSE I'M AGAINST IT.
DO YOU WANNA DO IT OR DO YOU WANT ME TO DO IT? UH, TB ONE RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AUTHORIZING THE BRINGING OF DISCIPLINARY CHARGES AGAINST A TOWN EMPLOYEE AS DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND DIRECTING THE, DO YOU WANT US TO REMOVE YOUR NAME? YES.
AND DIRECTING THE DEPUTY SUPERVISOR TO SIGN AND HAVE SERVED THE DISCIPLINARY CHARGES.
SO I'M MOVING THAT AS AMENDED, TAKING OUT THE SUPERVISOR AS A PERSON.
I'M VOTING AGAINST IT AS I INDICATED IN THE MEMO TO THE BOARD.
SO THEN IS A ROLL CALL REQUIRED? SURE.
TOWN SUPERVISOR PAUL FINER? NO.
[01:25:01]
OKAY.[ TB 2 - 9/08/2021 Resolution of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh authorizing the Town Supervisor to enter into a Payment-In-Lieu-of-Tax (PILOT) Agreement with WB Edgemont L.P. and Dromore Housing Development Fund Company, Inc. in connection with the development of a 45 Unit Affordable Housing Development at the property located at 1 Dromore Road]
TWO RESOLUTION OF TOWN BOARD OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AUTHORIZING THE TOWN SUPERVISOR TO ENTER INTO A PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAX PILOT AGREEMENT WITH WV EDGEMONT LP AND DRONE.WHERE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT FUND COMPANY IN CONNECTION WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF A 45 UNIT, AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, UM, AT THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT ONE DRONE MOORE ROAD.
[ TB 3 - 9/08/2021 Resolution of the Town Board of the Town of Greenburgh authorizing the Town Supervisor to enter into a Payment-In-Lieu-of-Tax (PILOT) Agreement for a Solar Energy System pursuant to Real Property Tax Law Section 487 with Hartsdale CSG LLC, and the Town of Greenburgh located at 355-371, 381-393 and 401-425 North Central Avenue to be known as “Dalewood Solar”]
BOARD.I'M HOLDING THAT ONE OVER TO SEPTEMBER 22ND.
THE, UM, JUST, JUST TO BE CLEAR, ONE OF THE REASONS I'M HOLDING IT OVER IS ASSESSOR EDIE MCCARTHY, WHO WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN PUTTING IT TOGETHER, HAD QUESTIONS AS TO WHETHER OR NOT IT APPLIED TO ONE PARCEL OR THREE PARCELS.
WE NEED TO GET THOSE KIND OF THINGS RESOLVED BEFORE WE ACTUALLY VOTE ON THEM.
[ TB 4 - 9/08/2021 Resolution Rescinding Public Works resolution PW-8 adopted on July 27, 2021 and authorizing the Town Supervisor to enter into a new payment processing service agreement with Value Payment Systems (VPS), and a supplemental service agreement with T Tech, L.L.C. for ACH Transaction Processing]
RESOLUTION RESCINDING PUBLIC WORKS RESOLUTION PW EIGHT ADOPTED ON JULY 27TH AND AUTHORIZING THE SUPERVISOR TO ENTER INTO A NEW PAYMENT PER INTO A NEW PAYMENT PROCESSING SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH VALUE PAYMENT SYSTEMS AND A SUPPLEMENTAL SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH T E C FOR A C H TRANSACTION PROCESSING.[ TB 5 - 9/08/2021 Resolution adopting a Standard Work Day and Reporting Resolution for Non-Exempt Elected and Appointed Officials (Held over to Town Board Meeing of 9/22/2021)]
RESOLUTION ADOPTING STANDARD WORKDAY AND THAT'S BEING HELD OVER TO SEPTEMBER 22ND.[ TB 6 - 9/08/2021 Resolution approving the Petition by Frank Lapetina Parcel ID Nos. 8.170-103-6; 8.170-103-7; 8.170-103-8 and 8.170-103-9 to extend the North Ardsley Sewer District on property located at 245 Secor Road in the Town of Greenburgh after a Public Hearing. (Voting the same evening as the Public Hearing conditioned on there being no objection at the continued Public Hearing)]
RESOLUTION APPROVING THE PUBLIC THE PETITION BY FRANK LA THAT'S BEING HELD OVER BECAUSE IT WAS CONDITIONED ON THERE BEING NO OBJECTION AT THIS PUBLIC HEARING.AND WE'RE CONTINUING THE PUBLIC HEARING RESOLUTION.
WE'LL, WE'LL PUT THAT ON FOR SEPTEMBER 22ND.
[ AT 1 – 9/08/2021 Resolution approving the continued retention of Thomas J. Troetti, Esq., to represent Greenburgh Police Detective Eduardo Demele [Sic] in the matter of Michael Marom, et ano v. Town of Greenburgh, et al, for an amount not to exceed $25,000, ($50,000 In total)]
THE CONTINUED RETENTION OF THOMAS TRUDY TO REPRESENT GREENBURG POLICE.DETECTIVE EDUARDO DE MAIL IN THE MATTER OF MICHAEL MUR MARONE, UH, TOWN OF GREENBURG FOR THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $25,000.
[ AT 2 - 9/08/2021 Resolution authorizing final payment for the retention of the Law Firm of Landman Corsi Ballaine & Ford, P.C., as Special Counsel for the Town of Greenburgh regarding federal litigation stemming from the zoning classification of a property known as “One Dromore Road,” at a cost not to exceed an additional $300,000 (Held over to Town Board Meeting of 9/22/2021)]
AUTHORIZING FINAL PAYMENT FOR THE RETENTION.I'M HOLDING THAT OVER TO, UH, SEPTEMBER 22ND.
[ AT 3 - 9/08/2021 Resolution authorizing settlement of lost wages reimbursement related Claim File No.: 18/21C, by Manuel N. Bravo, for an amount not to exceed $1,050]
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING, UM, UH, SETTLEMENT OF LOST WAGES, UM, REIMBURSEMENT RELATED CLAIM FILE BY MANUAL BRAVO FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $1,050.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT SECOND IN FAVOR, AYE.
[ AT 4 – 9/08/2021 Resolution approving the continued retention of the Law Office of Vincent Toomey, to represent the Town of Greenburgh in the matter of Kristin Stein v. the Town of Greenburgh, et al., for an amount not to exceed $25,000 ($50,000 in total)]
APPROVING THE CONTINUED RETENTION OF THE LAW FIRM OF VINCENT TOY TO REPRESENT THE TOWN OF GREENBERG IN THE MATTER OF KRISTEN STEIN, UH, VERSUS THE TOWN OF GREENBERG FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $25,000.[ AT 5 - 9/08/2021 Resolution authorizing an agreement with WestCOP to provide Social Services to the Town of Greenburgh for calendar year 2021, at a cost not to exceed $16,837, plus up to $400 reimbursement for meal delivery mileage expenses documented to the satisfaction of the Town Comptroller (Held over to Town Board Meeting of 9/22/2021)]
UH, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE AGREEMENT WITH WEST CO THAT'S HELD OVER TO SEPTEMBER 22ND.[ CL 1 - 9/08/2021 Resolution authorizing permission to close Southway between Westway and Eastway, on Sunday, September 12, 2021 (No Rain Date), from 4:00 PM until 8:00 PM, for the residents of Southway to hold their Annual Block Party]
AUTHORIZING PERMISSION TO CLOSE SOUTHWAY BETWEEN WESTWAY AND EASTWAY TO ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12TH, NO RAIN DATE FROM FOUR TO 8:00 PM FOR THE RESIDENCE OF SOUTHWAY TO HOLD THEIR ANNUAL BLOCK PARTY.[ CD 1 - 9/08/2021 Resolution granting a retroactive extension of a prior amended site plan approval for a new 3,500 sq. ft. storage building (previously approved as 5,253 sq. ft.) and related improvements to be constructed by Prospero Nursery for property located at 1120 Knollwood Road, (P.O. Elmsford)]
A RETROACTIVE EXTENSION OF A PRIOR AMENDED SITE PLAN FOR NEW 3,500, UH, FOOT, UH, STORAGE, UM, BUILDING PREVIOUSLY, UM, APPROVED AS 5,253 SQUARE FEET AND RELATED IMPROVEMENTS TO BE CONSTRUCTED BY PROSPER NURSERY FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1120 NORWOOD ROAD.[ CO 1 - 9/08/2021 Resolution authorizing Fiscal Year 2021 budget transfers]
AUTHORIZING FISCAL YEAR 2021.[ PW 1 - 9/08/2021 Resolution awarding the construction of New Concrete Pads at the Town of Greenburgh Public Works Facility, to ELQ Industries through Gordian Group, Inc., for an amount not to exceed $24,371.21]
AWARDING THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW CONCRETE PADS AT THE TOWN OF GREENBURG PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY, UM, FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $24,371 AND 21 CENTS.[ PW 2 - 9/08/2021 Resolution awarding the contract for the North Central Park Avenue and Lawton Avenue Pedestrian Improvements Project to Gianfia Corporation, the lowest bidder, for an amount not to exceed $514,399]
RESOLUTION AWARDING THE CONTRACT FOR THE CENTRAL PARK AVENUE AND LAWTON AVENUE PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT TO GIA CORPORATION OF THE LOWEST BIDDER FOR AN AMOUNT, UM, NOT TO EXCEED $514,399.[ PW 3 - 9/08/2021 Resolution authorizing Change Order #1 to the "2021 Milling and Resurfacing of Various Streets in the Town of Greenburgh" contract with Montesano Bros., Inc., providing for additional road resurfacing, increasing the total amount of the contract by an additional amount not to exceed $330,000]
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING, UH, CHANGE ORDER TO THE 2021 MILLING AND RESURFACING OF VARIOUS STREETS IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, UH, FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $330,000.AND, UH, WE HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT SECOND ROUND, RIGHT? ALWAYS.
MICHELLE, WHERE'D YOU GO? OKAY.
ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO TALK? MICHELLE HAD TO READ, MICHELLE HAS A STATEMENT TO READ FROM.
[01:30:01]
PICK UP WHERE I LEFT OFF IF I CAN MM-HMM.AND SO I GUESS, UM, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SORT OF HEAR MORE ON THIS TOPIC.
'CAUSE I KNOW IT'S STARTING TO TICK A LOT OF TIME ON THE PART OF THE BOARD, BUT I'M, I'M GLAD LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE HERE HAVING SOME TIME HERE TO SPEAK, HEAR MORE FROM RESIDENTS AND FROM OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO ARE FAIRLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE RESIDENT COMMUNICATIONS AND PLANNING PROCESS IN, IN THE CONVERSION AND THE MOVE.
UM, SO I, I WAS SORT OF MENTIONING EARLIER LIKE THE QUESTION OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT AND HOW THAT MIGHT APPLY GOING FORWARD AND WHAT SOME REMEDIES MIGHT BE THAT YOU AS A BOARD AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD AND THE NEW ENTITIES ALSO MIGHT ALSO FIND THEMSELVES FACING, DEPENDING UPON WHAT, WHAT ADDITIONAL PLANNING YOU'RE ABLE TO BUILD IN HERE AND MAYBE SOME ADDITIONAL RESOURCES LIKE HAVE BEEN REQUESTED OR SORT OF RECOMMENDED.
AND OBVIOUSLY IT TAKES SOME TIME TO FIGURE SOME OF THIS OUT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE DO KNOW THAT OBVIOUSLY SOME OF THE RESIDENTS ARE UNDER SOME TIMEFRAMES HERE.
AND I KNOW AT THE, THE MEETING THAT YOU HAD LAST WEEK, I THINK ONE AREA, LIKE OF SOME PRODUCTIVE CONSENSUS THAT SEEMED TO BE BUILDING WAS THE QUESTION OF HOW TO SORT OF IMMEDIATELY ADD SOME BENEFITS HERE TO RESIDENTS WHO, UM, HAVE CHILDREN IN SCHOOL WHO MIGHT BE FACING A CHANGE OF SCHOOL DISTRICT MM-HMM.
AND YOU, I THINK THAT, AGAIN, THAT'S AN AREA THAT IT WOULD BE INTERESTING, UM, TO LEARN MORE ALSO ABOUT WHAT SOME OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD'S PLANNING HAS BEEN AND YOUR PLANNING WITH THAT BOARD ON THE ENGAGEMENT OF THE HOUSING ACCESS COUNCIL, WHICH HAS ACTUALLY HAS A REALLY STRONG REP REPUTATION.
YOU KNOW, ROSE NUNAN IS SOMEBODY IN THE NON-PROFIT COMMUNITY WHO'S THOUGHT VERY HIGHLY OF.
AND SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF CURIOSITY, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAS TAKEN PLACE HERE THAT, THAT IS THIS AN ENTITY THAT NEEDS MORE SUPPORT, WOULD BENEFIT FROM MORE, MORE RESOURCES, WOULD LIKE MORE RESOURCES, BUT CERTAINLY ON THE NEED SIDE, I THINK WHAT'S UNDENIABLE IS THERE IS AN IMPRESSION ON THE PART OF A NUMBER OF RESIDENTS, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S NECESSARILY A SMALL NUMBER OF RESIDENTS THAT SOME OF THESE INTERACTIONS ARE, UM, EITHER SLOW OR THEY'RE NOT BEING FULFILLED IN A WAY THAT IS SELF-EXPLANATORY.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THE ULTIMATE EXAMPLE OF THAT ON THE EXTREME SIDE AND, AND WHERE THIS BECAME A BLACK LIVES MATTER ISSUE, RIGHT? IS THE QUESTION OF THE CALL, OR I, I DUNNO IF IT WAS A CALL OR AN EMAIL, BUT WHATEVER WENT TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, WHEN WE WERE INVITED TO GO TO THE, THE GLENVILLE, UM, COMPLEX.
AND THE QUESTION OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT WERE WE GONNA DO? WERE WE GONNA BE ARRESTED OR WAS IT JUST A CITATION? WHAT WERE WE GONNA RECEIVE? WHAT WOULD THAT PRO, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD BE THE PROCESS IN WHAT WOULD THE FINGERPRINTING LOOK LIKE FOR ALL OF US? AND, YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE WE? I MEAN, IS THIS ACTUALLY A TRIP HERE OR SOME, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? SO THAT BECOMES A BLACK LIVES MATTER ISSUE, BECAUSE THE REASON BEING THE CONTACT WENT TO A POLICE DEPARTMENT AND IT IS A POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT IS RUN BY WHITE MALES, RIGHT? AND SO NOW IT'S, YOU KNOW, SO THE IMPLICATION CAN BECOME THAT A SYSTEMIC POWER STRUCTURE IS BEING BROUGHT INTO PLACE THAT CAN BE HARMFUL.
NOW, WHETHER THAT WAS MEANT THAT WAY, WHO KNOWS? BUT THE IMPLICATION IN THE BLACK LIVES MATTER ERA IS THAT THAT CREATES SOME REAL CHALLENGES FOR ALL THESE OTHER AREAS OF CONVERSATION.
AND IF I WERE TO LOOK AT THAT FROM AN AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT STANDPOINT, RIGHT? SO COMMUNICATIONS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS POPULATIONS UNDER A D A AND TO THE EXTENT THAT A D A GOVERNS THIS PLANET IS REQUIRED TO OPERATE UNDER THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE STANDARD, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, DEALT WITH A D A AND OTHER PLAN, RIGHT? SO YOU HAVE A LEAST RESTRICTIVE COMMUNICATIONS, A LEAST RESTRICTIVE, YOU KNOW, MODEL OF, OF EMPOWERING PEOPLE TO ENGAGE FULLY WITH PUBLIC SECTOR ACTIONS AND PUBLIC SECTOR PLANNING AND OUTCOMES.
SO, YOU KNOW, SO, SO WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN THIS CONTEXT? AND I WOULD POSE THAT TO YOU AS A QUESTION BECAUSE THE ANSWER TO THAT IS OFTEN A VERY LEGAL ONE.
IT CAN COME THROUGH A COURT, IT CAN COME THROUGH A LAWYER, IT CAN COME THROUGH A PLANNING PROCESS.
BUT I THINK THOSE ARE SOME OF THE KINDS OF THOUGHTS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THOSE KINDS OF INTERACTIONS PRECIPITATE AMONG COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO PAY ATTENTION TO A D I AND WHO ARE HEARING FROM RESIDENTS WHO HAVE DISABILITIES ABOUT WHAT THEIR CONCERNS ARE.
UM, YOU KNOW, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU PUT STOCK IN THOSE CONCERNS OR NOT, BUT THE IMPRESSIONS NONETHELESS, CAN BE SUBJECT TO REVIEW UNDER FEDERAL STATUTES THAT THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN LOOKED AT THAT MUCH BEFORE IN THIS KIND OF A PLAN.
SO, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE AREAS OF CONVERSATION AND REVIEW THAT I, I THINK ARE IMPORTANT.
AND, AND I, YOU KNOW, I'LL JUST ADD TO THAT, IN WATCHING THE MEETING FROM LAST WEEK, YOU KNOW, SUPERVISOR FINER, I THINK MADE LIKE A REALLY IMPORTANT POINT THAT I THINK IS A POINT OF COMPLETE CONSENSUS.
AND IT IS THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS NOT RESOURCING PUBLIC HOUSING ENOUGH.
THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH MONEY GOING INTO PUBLIC.
YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S BEEN A CLEAR DECISION BY HUD, BY RECENT ADMINISTRATIONS TO WITHDRAW FUNDING FROM CURRENT PUBLIC HOUSING, YOU KNOW, STRUCTURES.
LIKE, THERE'S NO DISAGREEMENT ON THAT.
THAT'S OBVIOUS, RIGHT? THE QUESTION IS, HOW DO WE CHANGE THAT? I DO THINK THERE'S A ROOM FOR ADVOCACY.
WE HAVE BEEN REACHING OUT TO, TO LEADERSHIP OFFICES.
A LOT OF THIS IS DIRECTED OUT OF THE, THE ADMINISTRATION SIDE, RIGHT? SO THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION'S NOT PRIORITIZING THAT.
SO WE KNOW THERE'S A CHALLENGE THERE,
[01:35:01]
BUT I DON'T THINK THAT REALITY NECESSARILY MOOTS THE FACT THAT WE HAVE TO BE LOOKING AT HOW OUR LOCAL RESIDENTS ARE GETTING THROUGH THIS AND RESPONDING TO THOSE NEEDS.SO I, I WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT THAT, BUT WITH APPRECIATION FOR THE TIME THAT'S GOING INTO THIS.
AND I AGREE, IT MIGHT'VE BEEN SRA WHO SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE TIME TO ACTUALLY ADD SOME TIME ON THIS.
THINK, YOU KNOW, BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT THIS, LOOK AT THIS AS A MAJOR CHALLENGE AND NOT STEP AWAY FROM THAT.
I AM LUIS CHARCO AGAIN, I JUST WANNA PIGGYBACK ON WHAT ROB JUST SAID.
UM, ALL OF MY CLIENTS AND WHEN I WAS SENT WORKING AS AN ADVOCATE, BUT YOU CAN NEVER NOT STOP WORKING AS AN ADVOCATE BECAUSE PEOPLE STILL COME TO YOU.
WERE 18 AND ABOVE WITH A SEVERE PERSISTENT MENTAL ILLNESS.
AND I COULD TELL YOU FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE THAT IT'S NOT A ONE AND DONE DEAL.
IT'S NOT, HERE'S THE FORM, GO TO D S S.
IT'S LIKE, IT REALLY HAS TO BE MEET ME AT D S S AND I'LL GO IN WITH YOU, FILL OUT THE FORM WITH YOU AND GO IN TO HELP YOU APPLY.
THAT'S HOW, THAT'S HOW MUCH ANXIETY PEOPLE HAVE.
THAT'S HOW MUCH PEOPLE WITH, UM, MENTAL ILLNESS, OTHER DISABILITIES.
OTHER COGNITIVE ISSUES, PHYSICAL DISABILITY DISABILITIES ALSO CAN CAUSE COGNITIVE ISSUES BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF GOING ON.
MY HUSBAND'S NOT WELL RIGHT NOW, AND HE HAS A LOT OF COGNITIVE THINGS THAT, UM, I HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING FOR HIM.
LE LIKE LEGALLY MAKING APPOINTMENTS, HE CAN'T KEEP IT CLEAR IN HIS HEAD RIGHT NOW.
SO, UM, SO IT IS VERY TRUE AND IT, IT DOES TAKE TIME.
AND A LOT OF, IT'S NOT JUST EXPLAINING.
PEOPLE JUST REALLY NEED TO HAVE SOMEBODY TO TURN TO.
AND THERE ARE PEER ADVOCATES OUT THERE.
AND I CAN, I CAN STEP UP IF YOU WANT ME TO.
THAT CAN MEET, LITERALLY MEET PEOPLE AT THE SECTION EIGHT OFFICE, FILL OUT THE FORM, ANSWER THE QUESTION, UH, SIT IN ON PHONE CALLS WHILE THEY MAKE THEM, WHATEVER.
THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE REALLY NEED.
AND THAT'S ALLOWING, THAT'S PART OF A D A AND THEY DO NEED MORE TIME HERE.
I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT.
SO FIRST OF ALL, I WANT APOLOGIZE FOR CURIE, BUT I GET VERY EMOTIONAL, LIKE PUERTO RICAN IN ME.
UM, I WANNA PIGGYBACK ON THAT MEETING BECAUSE YOU GUYS, UM, THE ATTORNEY BROUGHT UP MCKINNEY VENTAL.
SO I AM FIGHTING, I'M SORRY, COULD YOU MOVE THE MICROPHONE OVER JUST A, A LITTLE BIT? I'M SORRY.
I'M FIGHTING A MCKINNEY VENTAL CASE.
UM, MY GRANDSON, WHO I JUST, I'M GETTING, I GOT TEMPORARY CUSTODY OF HIM GOES TO IRVINGTON SCHOOL DISTRICT AND I LIVE IN LEY.
SO, UM, IRVINGTON SAID, NOW THAT MY GRANDSON IS LIVING WITH ME, HE HAS TO GO TO LEY SCHOOL DISTRICT, BUT I DON'T HAVE CUSTODY OF HIM.
I ONLY HAVE TEMPORARY CUSTODY.
SO THIS IS WHERE MCKENNEY VENTO COMES IN.
WHEN THE ATTORNEY SAID, OH NO, THE KIDS ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO GO TO THEIR SCHOOLS.
ONCE YOU MOVE FROM WHERE YOU'RE AT, YOU HAVE TO, UM, PUT YOUR KIDS IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT YOU LIVE.
AND THAT'S BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT BECAUSE YOU'RE NO LONGER A RESIDENT OF WHEREVER YOU ARE AT.
IF I'M IN LEY, THEN MY KID'S NOT GOING TO SCHOOL IN LEY.
THEY'RE GOING TO SCHOOL WHEREVER I'M LIVING.
MCKINNEY VENTAL WAS PUT INTO PLACE FOR CHILDREN THAT BECOME HOMELESS FAMILIES.
OKAY? AND THIS SITUATION, NO ONE IS BECOMING HOMELESS ACCORDING TO HOUSING.
WE'RE GONNA ALL BE MOVING INTO APARTMENTS ACCORDING TO HOUSING.
UM, LIKE I SAID, I'M STILL WAITING FOR A LEASE, WHICH LEGALLY YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE ME, NOT SEND ME A LETTER TELLING ME, OH, BY THE WAY, GREENBURG HOUSING AUTHORITY NO LONGER EXISTS, BUT IF YOU OWE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY MONEY, DO SEND IT IN.
BUT NOW WE WANT YOU TO SEND YOUR RENT TO THIS PERSON AND THIS NAME.
WHO'S THIS PERSON? WHO'S THIS? WHO'S THIS NAME? WHERE'S MY DEPOSIT? WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? WE'RE LEFT.
SO I COULD IMAGINE WHAT OTHER TENANTS ARE BECAUSE I'M VERY VOCAL AND I ALWAYS TELL HOUSING, LET'S GO TO COURT.
I'M THE FIRST PERSON TO WANNA GO TO COURT BECAUSE I WANNA BRING TO LIGHT.
AND I'VE BROUGHT IT TO LIGHT PLENTY OF TIMES.
I'M SORRY FOR YOU, MS. JACKSON, YOU'RE NEW TO THIS BOARD,
[01:40:01]
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT THE REST OF YOU HAVE BEEN HERE.AND YOU KNOW WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON IN GREENBERG.
I SAID IT FROM DAY ONE ABOUT MISMANAGEMENT.
HOW IS IT THAT THEY WERE ABLE, THE SAME GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY IS STILL STAYING AS MANAGEMENT.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT TORE DOWN THE PLACE BECAUSE THEY DON'T FIX IT.
I HAVE TO EVERY WEEKEND CLEAN THE BACKYARD.
THIS IS JUST TELLING YOU MINOR THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON THERE, PAUL.
BUT THERE'S BIGGER AGENDA HERE.
WHEN THEY'RE COMING IN FRONT OF THE TOWN BOARD AND LYING TO YOU AND TELLING YOU MCKINNEY VENTAL, THAT SHOULD HAVE RIGHT THERE.
YOU SHOULD HAVE FOUGHT FOR THE CHILDREN.
YOU SHOULD HAVE RIGHT THERE INVESTIGATED AND SAID, DOES THAT APPLY TO THESE PEOPLE? YOU DIDN'T EVEN TAKE THE TIME.
MAYBE NOW YOU WILL BECAUSE IT'S TOMORROW'S FUTURE THAT YOU NEED TO LOOK FOR.
MY DAUGHTER GRADUATED TOP HONORS OF COLLEGE.
WHY? BECAUSE I LIVED, I MOVED FROM WHITE PLAINS TO ARDSLEY TO GIVE HER A GOOD EDUCATION.
MY SON GRADUATED DOUBLE HONORS.
MY DAUGHTER GRADUATED TOP HONORS.
HAS SHE EVEN BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY? YOU WOULD THINK THAT YOU WOULD SAY, OUR CHILDREN ARE EDUCATED AND BECOMING TOMORROW'S LEADERS.
BUT INSTEAD THEY WANNA PUT US OUT IN THE STREET AND LIE AND GIVE US SECTION EIGHT VOUCHERS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE A COUNTY LEGISLATOR.
YOU KNOW THAT A SECTION EIGHT VOUCHER, YOU HAVE TO STAY WHEREVER IT IS THAT YOU ARE FOR ONE YEAR.
YOU CANNOT, THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS TEMPORARY HOUSING.
THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A TEMPORARY VOUCHER.
YOU HAVE TO STAY WITHIN A YEAR, WHEREVER IT IS THAT YOU GO TO.
AND THE OTHER THING IS HOUSING KEEPS SAYING, OH YEAH, YOU'RE COMING BACK.
WHERE IS IT IN WRITING THAT I'M COMING BACK? DO I HAVE TO THEN APPLY AGAIN ONCE I MOVE OUT? SEE ALL THAT LITTLE RED TAPE AND COLOR STUFF IS NOT BEING SAID TO TENANTS.
AND AGAIN, IT'S NOT BEING SAID TO ME AND I'M ASKING ALL THESE QUESTIONS.
I WANNA KNOW ALL THESE QUESTIONS.
BECAUSE ONCE I GET MY 90 DAY, THEN MY ATTORNEY GETS INVOLVED.
BUT FOR PEOPLE THAT CAN'T AFFORD, I'M AN AMERICAN WITH DISABILITY.
I USED TO COME TO TOWN BOARD ALL THE TIME AND YELL AND SCREAM OVER THE ISSUES OF GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY.
I STOPPED THAT BECAUSE MY ILLNESS WAS TAKEN OVER ME.
I'M LOSING MY HAIR RIGHT NOW FROM THE STRESS I HAVE, LIKE NOTHING BUT BALD SPOTS.
MY TREATMENT AS WELL IS HELPING ME.
BUT THE POINT IS HERE THAT YOU HAVE TO NOT JUST CLOSE YOUR EYES TO THIS SITUATION.
THIS IS NOT A MATTER THAT YOU JUST SAY WHATEVER, YOU KNOW THEIR PROBLEM.
AND WHEN HE SAID THAT ABOUT MCKEN VENTAL, IT WAS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT THE CHILDREN.
I BASICALLY SPOKEN US ADULTS CAN PROTECT OURSELVES, BUT CHILDREN CAN'T PULL.
I'VE SPOKEN TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
AND I KNOW THAT THE STUDENTS, WHEN THEY BASICALLY, UH, OUR TEMPORARILY RELOCATED ARE GONNA BE GOING TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE ORIGINAL SCHOOL DISTRICT.
YOU NEED TO SPEAK TO STUDENT ADVOCACY.
ACTUALLY, YOU NEED TO SPEAK BECAUSE I RIGHT NOW HAVE A MCKINNEY DENTAL CASE.
WELL, UM, UH, I'VE SPOKEN TO THEM.
OKAY, YOU SPOKE TO STUDENT ADVOCACY.
OH NO, YOU JUST SAID YOU SPOKE TO THEM.
SEE, I SPOKE TO YOU GOTTA GET YOUR STORY STRAIGHT, PAUL.
I SPOKE TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE, THEY'RE COMMITTED TO, FOR THE KIDS TO CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION, THOUGH, THEY'RE ONLY GONNA BE RELOCATED FOR LIKE THREE OR FOUR MONTHS WHILE THE RENOVATIONS ARE TAKING PLACE.
DOESN'T MAKE SENSE FOR SOMEBODY TO GO TO A DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR THREE OR FOUR MONTHS.
UM, IT WOULD CREATE TOO MUCH TURMOIL.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THIS IS HAPPENING NOT ONLY IN GREENBURG, THIS IS HAPPENING ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES.
THESE, YOU KNOW, THESE ARRANGEMENTS.
UM, SO I'M A HUNDRED PERCENT, YOU KNOW, COMMITTED, CONVINCED THAT, YOU KNOW, NO STUDENT IS GONNA BE IN THE DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UH, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY ASSURED ME THAT, UH, ALL THE STUDENTS ARE GONNA BE, EVERYBODY'S BEING RELOCATED IN THE GREENBURG AREA.
UM, YOU KNOW, DURING THE RE DURING THE RENOVATIONS.
SO THEY'LL HAVE TRANSPORTATION.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S NOT THAT FAR, UH, TO, UM, YOU KNOW, TO ANY OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
I JUST WANNA SAY, YOU KNOW, AS A RESULT OF THIS MEETING AND SPEAKING TO MS. BROWN, I REALIZED THAT THERE'S A, A MISUNDERSTANDING HERE AND MIS MISINFORMATION MM-HMM.
SO I'M MAKING A COMMITMENT TO TRY TO CLARIFY THIS MM-HMM.
I HAVE A RELATIONSHIP MAYBE WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY REPRESENTATIVES THAT SOME OF YOU MAY NOT HAVE, BUT I'M COMMITTED TO TRYING TO GET A FULLER UNDERSTANDING SO WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO I'M MAKING THAT COMMITMENT.
MS. BROWN KNOWS HOW TO REACH ME.
BUT I REALLY WANT TO JUST GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING FOR EVERYBODY.
SO I'M, I I'D LIKE TO DO THAT.
UH, THIS STATEMENT IS FROM STEPHANIE SWAN AND I BETTER READ IT NOW 'CAUSE THE BATTERY IS, UH, IS IS DYING.
[01:45:03]
WHAT KIND OF A JACKET IS ITI SHOULD ASK, UH, UH, I'M BEING TOLD I SHOULDN'T DO THAT WITHOUT PERMISSION.
SO I WON'T, MICHELLE, IS THAT OKAY? NO, I JUST SAID, IS IT OKAY? YOU GOTTA BE CAREFUL PLUGGING STUFF.
GOOD EVENING, TOWN SUPERVISOR, PO FINDER AND COUNCILWOMAN AND COUNCILMAN TOWN ATTORNEY TIM LEWIS ESQUIRE.
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO YOU, MS. BEVILLE, JUDITH BEVILLE FOR READING MY STATEMENT PERTAINING TO THE UNANNOUNCED SPECIAL WORK SESSION HELD ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 31ST, 2021 AT 5:20 PM YOU, UH, YOU PAUL FINER AND THE TOWN BOARD HELD SECRETLY WITH THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY IN WHICH THE MEETING WAS REGARDING THE RELOCATION AND RENOVATIONS.
I WAS MORTIFIED WHEN I SAW THAT.
WELL, WELL-SCRIPTED MONOLOGUE BETWEEN RAJU ABRAMS, ED OF HOUSING, ROSE NEWNAN OF ACTION COUNSEL AND THE HOUSING ATTORNEY JAMES SAVAGE RECITE WELL-REHEARSED LINES IN A PLAY.
THERE WERE NO LEGAL CONTRACTS OR DOCUMENTS IN FRONT OF THEM.
THERE WAS NO REPRESENTATION OF NOT ONE MEMBER OF THE FEDERAL SITE COMPLEXES IN WHICH ALL OF THIS IS MISMANAGED.
OKAY? LACK OF RESPECT AND OF COMMUNICATION.
VERY MUCH LIKE THE NO TRANSPARENCY IS HAPPENED AT THIS MEETING.
YOU HELD VERY MUCH LIKE THE NO TRANSPARENCY PARENTS IS HAPPENING AT THIS MEETING YOU HELD IS HAS HAPPENED AT THIS MEETING YOU HELD AS OF JUNE 30TH, 2021.
THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OFFICIALLY BECAME GREENBERG HEIGHTS, L L C.
I HAVE REQUESTED A HARD COPY OF MY LEASE WRITTEN CLARIFICATIONS OF WHAT THEIR EXACT PLANS ARE VIA EMAIL ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS TO NO AVAIL.
PHONE CALLS ARE NOT RETURNED AND NEITHER ARE EMAILS.
THE MENACING HARASSMENT STILL CONTINUES AGAINST ME.
MAINTENANCE IS ONLY AUTHORIZED BY RAJU.
ABRAS WITHIN THIS PAST MONTH, MY MAILBOX LOCK WAS CHANGED WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE BY MAINTENANCE.
TAMPERING WITH A MAILBOX IS A FEDERAL CRIME.
I CALLED THE POLICE THE SECOND TIME.
THEN A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, THE MAIL, THE MAINTENANCE MEN MOWED OVER MY OPTIMUM CABLE LINE, DISCONNECTING THE CABLE FROM THE BOX.
ON JULY 15TH, 2021, I HAD A DISGRUNTLED RESIDENT APPROACH ME IN FRONT OF THE TEMPORARY MAILMAN AT THE MAILBOXES, THREATENING TO DO BODILY HARM TO ME BECAUSE I WAS ONE OF THE ACTIVISTS WHO WAS MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR HER LIVING THERE.
I USED A ROLLATOR AND HAVE A PHYSICAL DISABILITY.
THIS WOMAN FOLLOWED ME TO MY DOOR, YELLING AND SCREAMING.
I TOLD HER IF SHE CAME ANY CLOSER, I WOULD PRESS MY LIFE ALERT.
WELL, CHERYL MARBLE MORAINE CAME TO CLOSE, CAME, CAME SO CLOSE TO ME, SHE SAID, DO IT.
BY THE TIME I GOT INDOORS, IT HAD BEEN ACTIVATED.
I CALLED THE GREENBERG POLICE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE SHE WAS BECOMING BELLIGERENT AND HOSTILE AND THREATENING TOWARDS WHO IS ACCOUNTABLE UNDER THE NEW MANAGEMENT.
BECAUSE I CALLED THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT AND HAVE NOT HAD, HAVE HAD NOT ONE PHONE CALL FROM THEIR ANSWERING SERVICE RETURNED.
OKAY, I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE ADJOURN THE MEETING.
WELL, I WANTED THIS WEEK BECAUSE I WAS OUTSIDE WITH THE ATTORNEY.
AND ARE YOU GUYS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE L L C NOW? MEANING YOU HAVE A MEETING WITH THEM, YOU ARE INQUIRING WITH THEM WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM.
[01:50:02]
WHERE DO THE RESIDENTS GO TO GET WHAT THEY NEED? THEY'RE COMING TO YOU AND YOU'RE NOT LISTENING.THEY'RE TELLING YOU WHAT'S HAPPENING.
AND YOU SAT THERE WITH THESE THREE PEOPLE THAT ARE PERPETRATING THE INJUSTICE AGAINST THEM AND THOUGHT THEY WOULD SIT THERE AND TELL YOU THE TRUTH.
DO YOU THINK PEOPLE ARE THAT NAIVE? THAT YOU CAN ASK GENERIC QUESTIONS AND YOU DON'T HAVE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HAVING THESE THINGS INFLICTED UPON HERE TO SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
THEN YOU CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE PEOPLE CAN'T EVEN JOIN THE MEETING.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A RAINSTORM.
YOU WOULD THINK TONIGHT WOULD'VE BEEN A ZOOM MEETING.
NO, IT'S VOTED THAT THERE'S NO ZOOM MEETING.
THIS IS NOT AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS INCLUSIVE.
IT'S NOT, DON'T SIT THERE AND THINK YOU'RE DOING THE BEST FOR ALL YOUR RESIDENTS.
AND I'M TELLING YOU, YOU ARE CREATING A FINANCIAL AND ALSO A HOUSING INSTABILITY IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
CAN I JUST ASK YOU ONE QUESTION? THAT'S ANYTHING YOU LIKE, MR. FINER? YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, THE PURPOSE OF THE MEETING, I WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE, UH, I INVITED THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE HOUSING ACTION COUNCIL BECAUSE THE CONCERNS I HAD PERSONALLY WAS ON, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WERE SAYING THAT, UH, THEY WERE GONNA BE RELOCATING TO MOUNT VERNON OR YONKERS, WHICH I THOUGHT WOULD'VE BEEN ACCEPTABLE.
SO THAT WAS A QUESTION THAT I WANTED ANSWERED.
AND THEY SAID, EVERYBODY'S MOVING, YOU KNOW, TO GREENBERG, YOU KNOW, THE SECOND ISSUE THAT I'M TELLING YOU, THAT'S WHY I INVITED THEM TO THE MEETING.
'CAUSE THAT WAS AN ISSUE THAT I WAS, YOU KNOW, I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT.
WHAT I THINK WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL IS IF YOU COULD, YOU KNOW, IF THE TENANTS CAN, UH, GIVE US LIKE A LIST OF QUESTIONS THAT YOU WANT ANSWERED.
AND, UH, THEN I WILL CONTACT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND TRY GETTING, UM, WRITTEN RESPONSES TO EACH OF THE QUESTIONS.
WE DON'T WANT WRITTEN RESPONSES.
I'M JUST, WE WANT THAT AND WE WANT ACTION.
RIGHT? BUT FIRST 'CAUSE WRITTEN RESPONSES DON'T MEAN ANYTHING.
WE WANT THINGS IN WRITING FOR SECTION EIGHT.
WE DON'T WANNA TALK ABOUT IT ANYMORE, PAUL.
THIS IS NOT A, THIS IS NOT A FIGHT.
BASICALLY, BASICALLY WHAT WE WANNA DO, IT'S NOT A FIGHT FOR YOU.
YOU, I WANNA BASICALLY BE QUESTION, LET ASK YOUR QUESTION.
SO ALL I'M SAYING IS GIVE ME A LIST OF, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTIONS.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A, YOU KNOW, A WAR BETWEEN THE TENANTS AND THE TOWN AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
I WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE GET AN, THAT WE GET ANSWERS.
IF YOU SAY, OKAY, THIS IS AN ISSUE IN TERMS OF THE LEASE, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU, THAT YOU CAN'T GET A LEASE.
WHEN WILL WE GET A LEASE? THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO SAY, OKAY, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL GET A WRITTEN RESPONSE.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU SAY WE WANT A TIMETABLE, HOW LONG IS IT GONNA TAKE? THEY GAVE YOU A TIMETABLE.
THEY SAID THIS WEEK YOU, EVERY, ALL THE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS, JUST GIVE IT TO US.
AND, AND THEN I WILL DO MY BEST TO GET ANSWERS.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE ISSUES, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE WERE, THERE WAS SOMEBODY WHO, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, UM, YOU KNOW, CLAIMED THAT THEY WERE GONNA BE EVICTED AND THEY WERE GONNA BE EVICTED BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T FILE THE, UM, YOU THE CERTIFICATION.
THE CERTIFICATION, WHICH IS ONCE THEY FILED THE CERTIFICATION, THEY WEREN'T EVICTED.
UM, THERE'S ALSO FEDERAL LAWS, AS, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, IF SOMEBODY HAS A CERTAIN NUMBER OF, UM, PEOPLE IN A HOUSE AND AN LIVING, OKAY, YOU'RE GOING OFF TOPIC HERE, PAUL.
'CAUSE THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
NO, BUT I'M JUST SAYING THAT'S NOT THE POINT RULE.
THE POINT IS THAT PEOPLE ARE BEING MOVED OCTOBER 15TH RIGHT NOW.
I DON'T CARE WHAT HAPPENED TO SOMEBODY WHO BE SAVED, OKAY? JUST WRITE IT.
I'M TALKING TO OUR PEOPLE THAT NEED TO BE SAVED RIGHT NOW.
JUST WRITE THE QUESTION ON TOPIC, PLEASE AND WE'LL GET YOU THE ANSWERS.
OKAY? AND I'LL PUT IT IN WRITING.
BUT I HAVE SOME THINGS RIGHT HERE.
I WANT YOU TO WRITE WELL, WHATEVER PAUL.
THE POINT I'M MAKING IS RESPECTFULLY, RESPECTFULLY, SIRS AND LADIES, THIS, THERE'S NO SENSE OF URGENCY HERE.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE'S LIVES, THEIR FAMILIES.
AND I'M TELLING YOU SOMETHING MR. FINER, THERE'S A FAMILY WITH AN AUTISTIC CHILD THAT'S NOT GETTING THEIR CHILD BUSED.
'CAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW THAT EVERYBODY THAT'S HAPPENING FOR EVERYBODY.
'CAUSE THAT'S NOT HAPPENING FOR EVERYBODY.
ALSO, MR. FINER, THEY ARE CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF IF YOU READ THE DEAL.
'CAUSE YOU HAD TO APPROVE THE DEAL
[01:55:01]
WHERE PEOPLE ARE NOT BEING PERMITTED TO DECIDE HOW THEY WANT TO LIVE.IF THEY WANNA BUY A HOUSE, ALL THE OPTIONS ARE NOT BEING PRESENTED TO THEM.
AND YOU CAN LOOK ON THE WEBSITE AND SEE WHAT THEY PROMISED THEM.
AND HUDSON SAID, BEFORE YOU SELL IT TO ANYBODY, YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO FIRST OFFER IT TO A TENANT.
TENANTS WERE SUPPOSED TO FIRST BE OFFERED THOSE APARTMENTS.
IF YOU WERE STILL AT AUDIT, YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO FIRST OFFER TO TENANTS.
AND THEY DIDN'T UNDER MS. BROWNS IT, MS. BROWN'S TURN.
WE DON'T WANT, WHAT I WANNA ALSO SAY IS, YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY.
YOU HAVEN'T, YOU CAN'T DROP THE BALL.
THESE ARE PEOPLE, WE CAN'T FIGHT THE FACT THAT YOU ALREADY DID THE DEAL.
BUT WE WILL FIGHT YOU TOOTH AND NAIL TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HONOR THE DEAL YOU MADE FOR THESE RESIDENTS.
DO NOT THINK FOR ONE MINUTE THAT, THAT WE'RE GOING AWAY.
NOW, IT CAN GO SOFTLY OR GENTLY, AND I DON'T MEAN VIOLENCE.
THERE'S LEGAL OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE.
NOT ONLY THAT, THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING THERE THAT ARE BEHIND IN THEIR RENT.
IT IS HOUSING AUTHORITY'S RESPONSIBILITY TO FILE A, AN EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE, UH, AGREEMENT TO MAKE SURE THESE PEOPLE GET THEIR RENT PAID.
WE'VE GOT 10 PEOPLE BEHIND IN OUR RENT.
WHY ARE THEY BEHIND? THEY HAVE MONEY THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO FILE ON THEIR BEHALF.
WHO'S MANAGING THAT? ONE MORE THING I NEED TO SAY.
PLEASE, RESPECTFULLY, AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU GUYS AREN'T BEING, AREN'T WORRIED ABOUT WHERE YOU MAY BE LIVING OR YOUR CHILDREN, BUT I'M TELLING YOU, THERE'S A YET FOR EVERYBODY.
DON'T THINK YOU'RE EXEMPT FROM THIS LIFE THAT IS HERE FOR ALL OF US TO LIVE.
LAST SPEAKER THERE, THERE'S ONE MORE HAND, UH, WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE, SPEAK.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A RECORD.
UM, UM, I, I GREW UP, UM, IN A FAMILY OF ADDICTS AND, UM, MY PARENTS DRASTICALLY CHANGED THEIR LIVES IN NINETEEN NINETY TWO, TWO YEARS AFTER I WAS BORN.
BUT, UM, WE LIVED IN SECTION EIGHT HOUSING AND, UM, AND HAD, HAD I BEEN UPROOTED, LIKE SOME OF THESE PEOPLE ARE ABOUT TO BE UPROOTED, UM, MY LIFE WOULD BE DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT.
BUT, UM, REALLY QUICKLY, IF I CAN JUST ADDRESS THE TENANTS.
WELL, YOU GOTTA ADDRESS THE BOARD.
OH, WELL, I'LL ADDRESS THE BOARD TOO.
BUT, UM, THE UNDERSTANDING IS HE WHO OWNS THE TARIFF FIRMER OR THE LAND RULES.
AND SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE SEEING THAT, WE'RE SEEING THE PEOPLE THAT OWN THE LAND RULING.
AND SO I WANT TO THANK MR. LEWIS FOR TRYING TO GET A COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S HAPPENING.
BUT I, I WANNA REMIND YOU, AS MANY OTHERS HAVE REMINDED YOU TONIGHT, IT'S NOT ABOUT, UM, SO MUCH THE MEETING THAT HAPPENED AND NOBODY WAS AWARE.
IT WAS ABOUT THE DECENCY AT FIRST SAYING IT HAPPENED, AND IT, LIKE REALLY OWNING IT.
UM, AND THEN IT WAS ABOUT ALSO REALIZING THAT WE'RE, IT'S NOT OBJECTS.
YOU'RE NOT JUST SHUTTING DOWN HOUSING, IT'S PEOPLE'S LIVES.
LIKE, UM, THE RESIDENT IN IRVINGTON, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO GO TO IRVINGTON SCHOOLS.
AND I CAN GUARANTEE YOU CHRIS HARRISON IS NOT GONNA ALLOW THAT.
AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS PRETTY MUCH NON-EXISTENT IN GREENBURG ANYWAY, BUT THAT'S BESIDE THE POINT.
THE POINT IS, YOU'RE MESSING WITH PEOPLE'S LIVES.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THESE PEOPLE GO THROUGH.
BECAUSE HONESTLY, IF YOU REALLY DON'T CARE, LIKE YOU DON'T, LIKE IF THIS WAS YOUR GRANDMOTHER, IF THIS WAS YOUR AUNT, IF THIS WAS YOUR NIECE, IF THIS WAS YOUR NEPHEW, YOU WOULDN'T FEEL THE SAME WAY.
YOU WOULDN'T OCTOBER 15TH, IT IS SEPTEMBER THE EIGHTH.
WE ARE JUST OVER A MONTH OUT BEFORE ALL THESE PEOPLE HAVE TO UPROOT THEIR LIVES TO GO SOMEWHERE THAT THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GOING.
[02:00:01]
AND YET WE HAVE NOT DELAYED TILL WE FIND A RESPONSE.AND LIKE, IT IS NOT THEIR RESP, THEY, THEY'RE NOT TO BEAR THE BURDEN OF FORMING QUESTIONS THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW.
I MEAN, THOSE QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN SENT IN AND SENT IN AND SUBMITTED.
YOU FIND THE QUESTIONS, YOU ASK 'EM AND THEN GIVE THEM A RESPONSE.
LIKE THEY, NOT RIGHT NOW, YOU'RE ASKING THEM, NOT ONLY WORRY ABOUT WHERE YOU'RE LIVING, BUT ALSO WORRY ABOUT FORMING QUESTIONS TO SUBMIT TO ME.
DON'T WORRY ABOUT YOUR KIDS AND HOW YOU'RE GOING TO EAT, BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE ARE THE SAME PLACE THAT THEY LIVE.
THEY SHOP, THEY GO TO THE DOCTORS.
YOU WANNA KNOW WHY? BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE CARS, MOST OF THEM.
SO NOW WHAT, HOW ARE THEY GONNA GET TO THE DOCTOR? THAT GRANDMOTHER THAT HAS TO TAKE INSULIN? RIGHT? YOU, YOU DIDN'T THINK ABOUT THAT.
AND THIS IS, THIS IS NOT JUST DROPPING THE BALL.
IF WE, IF WE DROP THIS BALL, WE DROP A GENERATION BOTTOM LINE.
WE, WE, AND WE, WE WONDER, OKAY, SO WHAT HAPPENS? THEY GET UPROOTED FROM THE SCHOOLS THAT THEY'RE IN.
THEY GO INTO TERRIBLE SCHOOLS, AND THEN WE EXPECT THEM TOED IN SOCIETY THAT WE PUT THEM TO FAILING.
YOU CAN'T EXPECT THEM TO BE PRODUCTIVE AND THEN PUT 'EM IN UNPRODUCTIVE SITUATIONS AND CIRCUMSTANCES AND OUTCOMES.
YES, ONE OUTTA 10 MAY FIGHT, BUT THE REALITY OF IT IS WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY.
AND I, I SUGGEST REAL QUICKLY THAT WE, WE THINK ABOUT OUR FUTURE AND NOT JUST YOUR FUTURE AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND THE POLITICAL CAREER THAT LOOKS LIKE, BECAUSE IT'S NOT ABOUT THAT.
'CAUSE IF THERE'S, IF WE DON'T LAY CLAIM TILL TOMORROW, WHAT WE DO TODAY IS MEANINGLESS AND WORTHLESS.
AND YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA, YOU KNOW, SAY ONE THING WE CARE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE TENANTS, AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE SPENT, I STARTED OUT AS A TENANTS ORGANIZER WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL AS A TENANTS ORGANIZER AT MO SHALU WOODLAWNS.
OVER THE YEARS, I'VE, UM, RESPONDED TO EVERY SINGLE, UH, INQUIRY FROM, UH, FROM TENANTS WHO HAVE CONTACTED ME.
I'VE, UM, SPENT TIME BICYCLING AND STOPPING BY AT THE HOU, AT DIFFERENT HOUSING AUTHORITY SITES, SPEAKING TO PEOPLE.
I'VE ASKED TENANTS IN THE PAST, THE RESIDENTS OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO LET ME KNOW IF THEY HAVE ANY INDIVIDUAL PROBLEMS WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
AND WHEN THEY CALL ME, I FOLLOW, WAIT, LEMME SAY, OKAY, MICHELLE.
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M, WE CAME TO SEA COURT BECAUSE SOMEBODY VENTILATED A HOUSE IN A WHITE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND YOU CAME TO SEA COURT COME TO SAY, OH LOOK, BLACK PEOPLE HERE.
REMEMBER I STOPPED BY YOUR HOUSE.
LET ME SAY SOMETHING, LET SAY SOMETHING.
ALL I'M ASKING, ALL I'M ASKING PEOPLE TO DO IS GIVE ME A RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA SOLVE, WE WANNA SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
WE WANNA IMPROVE PEOPLE'S QUALITY OF LIFE.
ALL I'M ASKING IS IF PEOPLE, UM, AND THE TENANTS WOULD LIST ALL THE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS THEY HAVE PUT IN WRITING.
I COULD DO A CHECKLIST AND SAY, THIS IS BEING RESOLVED TO PEOPLE'S SATISFACTION.
THIS ISN'T BEING SOLVED, UH, TO PEOPLE'S SATISFACTION.
THIS IS, THESE ARE ISSUES WHERE I THINK, OR THE BOARD THINKS, YOU KNOW, IS BEING WHERE TENANTS ARE NOT BEING TREATED FAIRLY, OR THEY ARE BEING TREATED FAIRLY.
THERE MAY BE MIS UH, COMMUNICATION.
BECAUSE ORIGINALLY THE REASON I WANTED THE MEETING, WHICH WE HAD, UM, WAS BECAUSE I HAD HEARD THAT PEOPLE WERE COMPLAINING THAT THEY WERE BEING RELOCATED TO MOUNT VERNON YONKERS, WHICH WASN'T EVEN TRUE.
SO THE THING IS, THERE'S RUMORS GOING ON AND THERE'S STATEMENTS IN, UH, THE, IN DIFFERENT MEDIA OUTLETS, UH, MAKING PEOPLE THINK THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE SENT TO THE WORST NEIGHBORHOODS IN YONKERS WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN THEY'RE NOT GOING THERE.
AND WHERE I, WHERE, YOU KNOW, THERE, I MEAN, IF THERE'S, SAY SOMEBODY WHO HAS AN AUTISTIC, UH, CHILD, I, I, I'M VERY INTERESTED IN, YOU KNOW, PERSONALLY INTERESTED IN HELPING, UH, PEOPLE WHO HAVE, YOU KNOW, SPECIAL NEEDS OR, UH, OR, OR DI DISABILITIES, I WILL THEN BE AN
[02:05:01]
ADVOCATE FOR THAT FAMILY.AND THEN IT'S ON ME, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO, TO TRY MY BEST TO HELP THAT, THAT FAMILY.
BUT AGAIN, I, I, YOU KNOW, THE PROBLEM RIGHT NOW IS I FEEL THAT YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY, IT'S ALL, IT'S LIKE, IT SHOULDN'T BE LIKE ONE SIDE VERSUS THE OTHER.
EVERYBODY WANTS TO HAVE BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE FOR THE TENANTS.
UH, PEOPLE MAY HAVE DIFFERENT THOUGHTS AS TO THE BEST WAY OF GOING ABOUT IT.
THE HOUSING AUTHORITY DOESN'T HAVE MONEY BECAUSE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
THERE'S NO A, THERE'S NO FINANCIAL RESOURCES.
WHEN I'VE GONE TO THE HOUSING AUTHORITY SITES IN THE PAST, I WAS REPULSED BY HOW THESE PLACES, IN MY OPINION ARE, YOU KNOW, ARE FALLING APART.
AND YOU KNOW, TO ME, IT'S NOT A PLACE THAT I WOULD WANT A FAMILY MEMBER TO LIVE IN.
SO I LIKE THE IDEA OF THE RENOVATIONS, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT GONNA BE, EVERYTHING'S NOT PERFECT AND JUST, I GIVE ME A CHANCE SO I CAN'T, UH, JUST HEAR WHAT I WANT TO HEAR.
GIMME A CHANCE TO, YOU KNOW, AND JUST GIMME A LIST OF ALL THE PROBLEMS THAT PEOPLE HAVE.
YOU KNOW, IN, IN THE SUMMER, PEOPLE WERE COMPLAINING ABOUT SENIOR CITIZENS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I WROTE THREE LETTERS, PERSONAL LETTERS, TO EVERY SENIOR CITIZEN WHO WAS RELOCATED.
AND I DIDN'T HEAR FROM PEOPLE.
I DIDN'T HEAR ANY, I DIDN'T HEAR COMPLAINTS.
UM, THERE WAS ONE WOMAN WHO ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, COMPLAINED ON NEWS 12.
WE, UH, BISHOP PRESTON, UM, OFFERED TO MOVE HER TO ANOTHER APARTMENT, AND SHE MOVED.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T, IT'S REALLY, IT.
GIVE ME A LIST OF ALL THE ISSUES.
GIVE ME A, A LIST OF ALL THE PROBLEMS THAT YOU THINK AND I WILL WORK ON IT.
AND THEN IT'S, YOU KNOW, IF I'M NOT, THEN YOU SHOULD YELL AT ME.
I, I DO WANNA ADD THAT WE'VE HEARD THAT WE HAD A, WE MET SECRETLY WITH THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY IF THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SECRET.
WE ARE REALLY BAD AT KEEPING SECRETS, AND WE'RE REALLY BAD AT KEEPING SECRETS.
WE PUBLISHED THE AGENDA ON FRIDAY AT 4:10 PM FOR THAT TUESDAY AFTERNOON MEETING.
AND THAT AGENDA INCLUDED NOT ONLY THE GREENBERG HOUSING AUTHORITY DASH RELOCATION AND RENOVATION, WE COULDN'T HAVE MADE IT CLEAR WHAT WE WERE GONNA TALK ABOUT.
WE ALSO HAD A FOIL APPEAL FOR AN ATTORNEY.
WE HAD A FOIL APPEAL FOR A REPORTER FROM THE JOURNAL NEWS ON THAT AGENDA.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UH, EMPLOYEE VISITOR, UH, VACCINATION MANDATES.
THERE WAS NOTHING SECRET ABOUT IT.
AND SO THAT AGENDA, AND THERE'S DOCUMENTATION TO PROVE THIS, THAT AGENDA WAS PUBLISHED IN ITS ENTIRETY FOR, UH, THE FRIDAY, WHICH IS WHEN WE COMMONLY DO IT PRIOR TO THE TUESDAY MEETING.
SO I, I GET CONCERNED WHEN PEOPLE, UH, YOU HAVE VERY VALID POINTS.
YOU'RE MAKING VERY GOOD ARGUMENTS, BUT DON'T TAKE IT FURTHER BY MAKING IT SEEM LIKE SOMETHING HAPPENED THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
THIS WAS NOT A SECRET MEETING THAT WE HAD OR MET SECRETLY, I BELIEVE IS THE WAY IT WAS DONE WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
WE, WE, WE JUST DIDN'T DO THAT.
I, I THINK THAT THERE MIGHT BE A PERCEPTION ON THE PART OF RESIDENTS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO DON'T QUITE, UH, REALIZE THAT DURING THE WORK SESSION, WHILE IT IS A PUBLIC MEETING, THERE'S NO PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND SO THEREIN COULD CREATE A PERCEPTION OF A SECRET MEETING.
SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT FOR CLARIFICATION PURPOSES, THAT IT'S NOT LIKE THE TOWN BOARD MEETING WHERE PUBLIC COMMENT IS, IS, UM, PART OF THE MEETING.
IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, UH, YOU JUST DON'T HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT DURING THE WORK SESSION.
BUT, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, THE, THE BIG PROBLEM IS THAT THE, IT, IT SHOULDN'T BE EVERYBODY FIGHTING EACH OTHER BECAUSE THAT'S WHY NOTHING, THAT'S WHY PEOPLE ARE FRUSTRATED.
I FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU PUT MAKE PEOPLE FEEL DEFENSIVE, UH, AND THEY'RE, THEY FEEL THAT THEY'RE ALWAYS BEING ATTACKED.
WE'RE NOT GETTING AS MUCH ACCOMPLISHED.
AND I FEEL IF WE HAD LIKE A RUNNING LIST OF THE, THE REMAINING ISSUES, WE COULD, WE COULD, YOU KNOW, JUST GET ANSWERS TO THOSE.
AND, UM, AND THEN IF THERE'S, IF, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE REASONS WHY SOME TENANTS MAY NOT BE, UH, YOU KNOW, PLEASE, MAYBE IT'S A FEDERAL LAW THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS TO, YOU KNOW, COMPLY WITH.
THEN WE WOULD JUST ANSWER AND, AND TELL PEOPLE MAYBE, UH, MAYBE WE SHOULD BE LOBBYING
[02:10:01]
MUND JONES, UH, SCHUMER, UH, AND GILLIBRAND TO CHANGE SOME OF THE LAWS.ON THE OTHER HAND, UM, THERE MAY BE SPECIFIC INSTANCES WHERE A TENANT, UM, REALLY NEEDS OUR ADVOCACY.
AND I COULD THEN GO TO THE GREENBERG, YOU KNOW, TO THE HOUSING ACTION COUNCIL AND SAY, LISTEN, THIS PERSON'S AUTISTIC, THEY HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS.
I DON'T WANT THEM TO BE TREAT, YOU KNOW, LET'S SEE IF WE COULD GO OVERBOARD, YOU KNOW, TO, YOU KNOW, TO HELP THEM.
AND SO, SO THERE'LL BE LESS STRESS, LESS ANXIETY, AND WE COULD HELP THE FAMILY, UM, UH, HAVE THE, THE BEST POSSIBLE OUTCOME.
AND YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IF I DID THAT IN 99% OF THE CASES, I THINK THERE WOULD BE A POSITIVE OUTCOME.
CAN I MAKE A COMMENT? I WAS GONNA SPEAK, BUT I THINK THIS, THESE LAST COMMENTS FROM THE, FROM THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, GAVE ME SOME REASON TO SPEAK PETER BERNSTEIN FROM IRVINGTON.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK LIKE YOU GUYS GOTTA ASK YOURSELF, DO YOU THINK THIS IS GOING WELL? DO YOU THINK IT'S GONE WELL? DO YOU THINK IT CONTINUES TO GO WELL? UM, WHEN I LOOKED AT THE RECORDING OF THE MEETING AND I REALIZE IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A SECRET MEETING, IT'S A PUBLIC MEETING, BUT IT WAS A CLOSED MEETING, IT SEEMED TO ME.
YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANNA BE DEFENSIVE, BUT YOU BEHAVE DEFENSIVELY.
YOU KNOW, THAT MEETING, IT WAS LIKE YOU WERE LOOKING FOR THE ANSWERS FROM FOLKS WHO YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE SOME OVERSIGHT AND MIGHT NOT BE DOING TOO GOOD A JOB.
YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THEM TO GIVE YOU THE ANSWERS THAT YOU CAN SAY, OH NO, THINGS ARE GOING FINE.
THAT'S THE WAY IT APPEARS, RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, TO ASK IS, YOU KNOW, KELLY SAID TO ASK PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITY TO COME UP WITH THE QUESTIONS FOR THIS VERY COMPLICATED, VERY, VERY COMPLICATED TRANSITION IS AGAIN, MISPLACING THE RESPONSIBILITY OF OVERSIGHT.
IF YOU GUYS NEED TO HIRE PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THE INCREDIBLY COMPLICATED HUD STRUCTURES, THEN YOU GUYS SHOULD HIRE IT.
AND YOU GUYS SHOULD HAVE THAT EXPERT COME UP WITH THE QUESTIONS, AND YOU SHOULD BE SATISFIED WITH THOSE, THOSE ANSWERS NOT ON PEOPLE WHO ARE SCARED ABOUT WHERE THEY'RE GONNA BE IN A MONTH AND, AND, AND, AND, AND, AND WHAT SECTION EIGHT EVEN IS AND HOW IT WORKS.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU TALK ABOUT PEOPLE MAY HAVE HAVE BAD INFORMATION, MISUNDERSTANDINGS, OF COURSE THEY DO.
SO WHO'S FIGURING IT OUT AND WHO'S TELLING, YOU KNOW, YOU EXPLAINING IT TO PEOPLE.
THE OTHER THING, AND THIS, YOU KNOW, BUGS ME IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GREAT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSTITUENTS AND TO SAY LIKE, OH, IF THERE'S ONE FAMILY WHO AUTISTIC CHILD, CHILD, THEY SHOULD COME TO ME AND I'LL HELP THEM OUT.
THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN A SYSTEMATIC OVERSIGHT.
SO THAT THINGS GO, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, GREAT FOR, OR, OR AS WELL AS CAN BE EXPECTED, RIGHT? 'CAUSE NOTHING'S PERSON, YOU KNOW, PERFECT FOR EVERYBODY.
BUT YOU KNOW, SOMETHING AS COMPLICATED AS THIS, YOU KNOW, IS POOR ROSEMARY NOONAN, WHAT'S SHE GONNA LIKE VISIT LIKE EVERY THREE, YOU KNOW, PERSON AND SPEND, YOU KNOW, 15 HOURS WITH THEM WORKING OUT THEIR LIVES WITH THEM SO THAT THIS THING WORKS.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST NOT A REASONABLE EXPECTATION.
SO IN ANY CASE, LIKE I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, THE COMBINATION OF KIND OF LETTING THE HOUSING AUTHORITY DO ITS BAD JOB AND, AND, AND GETTING ANSWERS FROM THEM THAT SATISFY YOU IN SOME MANNER AND BEING DEFENSIVE ABOUT YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES AND, AND, AND YOUR CARING.
I MEAN, NOBODY'S, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T, WE CAN EXPECT THAT YOU CARE.
BUT IF YOU CARE AND DON'T MAKE THE SYSTEMATIC CHANGES TO, YOU KNOW, EXERCISE YOUR OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITIES, WHAT VALUE IS THE CARING TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE UPSET.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, MY, MY COMMENTS I FEEL FOR YOU GUYS, IT'S A TOUGH SITUATION.
AND PAUL, PEOPLE ARE ADVOCATING FOR HUD, PEOPLE ARE ASK, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR, FOR YEAR AFTER YEAR, PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR FUNDING FOR PUBLIC HOUSING.
BUT THAT'S NOT YOUR RESPON, YOUR RESPONSIBILITY IS NOT TO TELL PEOPLE TO GO FIGHT WITH HUD, YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO EXERCISE OVERSIGHT OVER THIS TRANSITION IN THE GREENBURG HOUSING AUTHORITY? WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO GET SPECIFICS AND FIND OUT WHO'S NOT, WHO FEELS THEY'RE NOT BEING TREATED FAIRLY, AND THEN I WOULD LIKE TO ADVOCATE FOR THEM.
THERE'S NOT A MILLION PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, I, I, I DO THIS ALL THE TIME.
YOU KNOW, YOU THERE, THERE'S, THERE IT IS A REASONABLE NUMBER OF, UM, OF INDIVIDUALS IN EACH OF THE SITES.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE GONNA BE DOING IT AT DIFFERENT TIMES.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S GONNA BE FIRST, YOU KNOW, ONE SITE.
THEN AFTER THEY FINISH ONE SITE, THERE'S GONNA BE ANOTHER ONE.
SO IF THE, IF ANY TENANT FEELS THAT THEY'RE NOT BEING TREATED FAIRLY, ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS GIMME A RING.
AND I WILL SPEND AS MUCH TIME AS I CAN TO ADVOCATE FOR THEM AND TO SPEAK FOR THEM, AND TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE GETTING THE BEST, UM, UH, TEMPORARY, UM, CONDITIONS THAT ARE LEGALLY, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLE.
[02:15:01]
AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE THINGS, I DON'T HAVE TO DO IT, BUT I WANT TO DO IT.SO, UH, SO THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
I, I JUST WANT SOME SPECIFICS, AND IT'S BEEN VERY FRUSTRATING FOR ME BECAUSE I KEEP ASKING PEOPLE TO TELL ME WHAT THEIR SPECIFIC PROBLEMS ARE AND NOBODY, AND I'M GETTING GENERALITIES THAT EVERYBODY'S BEING TREATED HORRIBLY AND PEOPLE AREN'T GIVING ME SPECIFICS.
I WANT, YOU KNOW, I, I, PEOPLE HAVE MY HOME PHONE NUMBER FOUR SEVEN EIGHT ONE TWO ONE NINE.
THEY HAVE THE CELL 4 3 8 13 43, MY OFFICE 9 8 9 15 45.
I'M WILLING TO STOP BY AT ANYBODY'S HOUSE OVER THE WEEKEND, AND I WILL PERSONALLY MEET WITH THEM IF THEY HAVE ANY CONCERNS.
I CAN'T DO ANYTHING, UH, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T DO ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT OR, YOU KNOW, OR MORE, I'LL MEET THEM ANYTIME THEY WANT.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I REALLY, YOU KNOW, IT AGGRAVATES ME BECAUSE I REALLY WANT TO MAKE THIS AS STRESSLESS AS POSSIBLE.
I REALIZE THAT EACH OF THE TENANT, THIS IS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LIVES, THAT IT'S, UH, I MEAN, I STILL HAVEN'T FINISHED UNPACKING IN MY HOUSE, AND I'VE BEEN THERE FOR LIKE 26 YEARS.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, I REALIZE THAT WHEN YOU MOVE EVEN TEMPORARILY FOR, FOR SOME PEOPLE, IT'S, IT'S VERY, VERY STRESSFUL.
AND, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERY, IT, IT, IT IS HARD FOR ANYBODY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, ALL I COULD DO IS DO EVERYTHING HUMANLY POSSIBLE TO HELP ANYONE WHO HAS A PROBLEM.
[ MOTION FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION Motion for Executive Session for the purpose of discussing a personnel matter pertaining to one or more individual employees.]
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSING A PERSONNEL MATTER PERTAINING TO ONE OR MORE INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEES.