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[Fairview Empowerment Forum on September 9, 2021.]
UH, GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY.UH, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TONIGHT.
AND I'D LIKE TO, UH, THANK, UH, OUR COMMITTEE AND, UM, D DELIA MARKS FOR COMING UP WITH A GREAT IDEA, UM, HELPING RESIDENTS OF GREENBERG AND FEAR OF YOU TAKE CONTROL OF OUR OWN NEEDS AND CONSIDERING, UM, A CO-OP.
UM, THE CO-OPS EXIST ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES WITH GREAT SUCCESSES, AND, UH, THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS, AND I FEEL ALL THAT, UH, UH, WORKS IN BROOKLYN AND AROUND THE COUNTRY.
WE COULD DO IT, YOU KNOW, HERE.
UM, A CO-OP WOULD ENABLE RESIDENTS TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE, LOCAL, ORGANIC FOOD AND FARMING.
IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, ENCOURAGE, UM, COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT WHERE RESIDENTS IN FAIRVIEW WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE CONTROL OF OUR OWN DESTINY.
INSTEAD OF COMPLAINING AND SAYING, WE NEED A SUPERMARKET OR A GROCERY STORE, WE DON'T WAIT FOR ANYBODY TO DO IT, WE WOULD DO IT OURSELVES.
AND THE KEY TO, UH, THE SUCCESS IS, UM, IT'S OWNER.
THE, THE PEOPLE WHO SET UP THE CO-OPS ACTUALLY COULD OWN THE CO-OP.
SO THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A, A STAKE IN, UM, IN THE SUCCESS.
UM, TONIGHT WE'RE GONNA LEARN ABOUT THE OPTIONS, UM, THAT EXISTS BECAUSE THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF DIFFERENT, UM, YOU KNOW, OPTIONS.
AND, UM, AND HOPEFULLY THEN WE COULD TAKE, UH, THE NEXT, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT STEPS.
SO I'D LIKE TO, UM, UM, NOW, UM, INVITE TASHA YOUNG TO, UH, UH, TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, UH, ABOUT THIS, UH, INITIATIVE.
AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO, UH, EXPRESS MY SYMPATHIES BECAUSE TASHA'S, UM, UH, FATHER, UM, JUST PASSED AWAY.
AND IT SHOWS TASHA'S DEDICATION TO, UH, THE TOWN AND, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY FOR PUTTING OTHER PEOPLE ON FIRST AHEAD OF, UH, YOU KNOW, HERSELF.
SO WE DO APPRECIATE IT AND ALSO EXPRESS OUR DEEPEST, UH, SYMPATHIES DURING THIS VERY DIFFICULT TIME FOR YOU.
UM, I'M VERY HAPPY TO, UM, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU ABOUT ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT IN FAIRVIEW BY CREATING AN ENTERPRISE OR EMPOWERMENT ZONE.
I'M SO THANKFUL TO THE SUPERVISOR FOR WELCOMING THE COMMUNITY IN THIS WAY.
I AM, BY NATURE A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER, AND I DO BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE SUCH BRILLIANCE THAT WHEN WE PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER, WE CAN BE, LIKE HE SAID, THE MASTERS OF OUR OWN DESTINY HERE IN THE REGION.
I ALSO WANNA THANK MEMBERS OF THE FAIRVIEW EMPOWERMENT GROUP, AND THEY'RE, THERE'S, THEY'RE ALL AROUND THE ROOM.
MOST OF THEM ARE ON THE DAYS, AND MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING BOARD AND THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS, UM, AND ALSO MEMBERS THAT ARE IN THE AUDIENCE.
SO LATER THEY MIGHT IDENTIFY THEMSELVES.
BUT CERTAINLY RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JUST SAY HELLO TO EVERYONE THAT IS WATCHING
SO THE REASON WHY, UM, I THINK WE'RE AT A VERY OPPORTUNE TIME IS BECAUSE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, STATE GOVERNMENT, AND, AND LOCAL COUNTY GOVERNMENT AFTER, UM, ECONOMIC DOWNTURNS SUCH AS NINE 11, UM, SUCH AS THE GREAT RECESSION, THERE'S ALWAYS AN OPPORTUNITY WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN OFFICE FOR FUNDING THAT IS ALLOCATED TOWARD CERTAIN INITIATIVES.
SO THE LAST TIME WE SAW IT WAS AFTER THE GREAT RECESSION, DURING THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, THERE WAS THE CREATION OF, UM, THE RELIEF UNEMPLOYMENT, INSURANCE REAUTHORIZATION, AND JOB CREATION ACT.
AND THAT IS WHERE, UM, THE TERM OF EMPOWERMENT ZONE WAS REVITALIZED.
AND THAT WAS MONEY AND FUNDING ALLOCATED FOR UNDER, UM, ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED AREAS OF THE NATION TO RECEIVE FUNDING FOR LOCAL HIRING AND JOB CREATION.
FAIRVIEW AT TIMES, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE GROWN, WE ARE, UM, OUR PROPERTY VALUES HAVE INCREASED AND OUR ZONING HAS CHANGED.
SO SOMETIMES WE'RE NOT ALWAYS ELIGIBLE FOR HIGH CRIME, HIGH POVERTY FUNDING.
BUT RIGHT NOW, AFTER THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN WITH C OVID 19, THERE IS, UM, A, A CONCENTRATION ON AREAS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED DISPARITY OR AN EQUITY, AND THAT DOES SPEAK TO THIS REGION.
SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY JUST INCOME, IT'S NOT
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NECESSARILY JUST ZIP CODE, BUT IT IS, IF YOU ARE IN A REGION THAT IS EXPERIENCING OUTCOMES THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM OTHER AREAS THAT ARE NEARBY YOU, YOU CAN BE TARGETED FOR EQUITABLE FUNDING.SO THIS IS WHY IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO SEIZE THIS OPPORTUNITY.
AND IF THERE IS FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, WHICH THERE IS FOR MINORITY OWNED BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, WHICH THERE IS FOR RECOVERY AFTER, UM, COVID OVID 19 FOR, FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND EXPIRING BUSINESS OWNERS, THAT IS WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE FACING RIGHT NOW.
SO, AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO TALK TO DIFFERENT PROFESSIONALS ABOUT DIFFERENT BUSINESS ENTITIES AND DIFFERENT BUSINESS MODELS, AND THEN WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY WHAT WE WANT TO CURATE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THIS REGION.
SO, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I WOULD LIKE TO TURN OVER TO OUR COMMISSIONER OF PLANNING.
IS THAT, IS THAT GARRETT'S TITLE? YEAH, GARRETT DUQUE.
THAT WAS A WONDERFUL INTRODUCTION TO, UH, WHY WE'RE HERE.
AND, AND I'M VERY EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THIS DISCUSSION.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS JUST, UH, FIRST OF ALL, IF GARRETT DUANE, PLANNING COMMISSIONER FOR THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, UM, I'M JUST VERY PROUD TO WORK FOR THIS WONDERFUL TOWN.
UM, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS GO OVER A BASIC OVERVIEW OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, JUST TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF, OF SOME BASIC LAND USE CONCEPTS.
AND THEN I'M GONNA JUMP RIGHT INTO FAIRVIEW IN THE CONTEXT OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
SO I'M GONNA DISPLAY A FEW GRAPHICS, AND, UH, KRISTA, IF YOU COULD JUST LET ME KNOW IN THE AUDITORIUM THAT MY AUDIO SOUNDS OKAY.
YOU HAD INDICATED IT WAS NOT GOOD BEFORE, OR IF SOMEBODY COULD LET ME KNOW IF IT SOUNDS OKAY.
I WILL TURN UP MY MIC A LITTLE BIT MORE, AND HOPEFULLY THAT HELPS.
AND, UH, JUST I ASSUME MY, MY SCREEN IS SHARED AND, AND ALL CAN SEE.
SO THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, UH, IS THE AREA ON, ON THE SCREEN THAT YOU SEE.
AND IT'S ENCOMPASSED BY THE SIX VILLAGES, WHICH ARE IN GRAY, AS WELL AS THE UNINCORPORATED AREA, WHICH IS THE WHITE.
UM, SO FOR ALL PURPOSES GOING FORWARD, WHEN WE REFERENCE THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, WE WILL BE REFERENCING THE UNINCORPORATED GREENBURG SPECIFICALLY, UH, WHICH IS, AGAIN, THE AREA IN WHITE.
AND THE MAIN REASON FOR THAT IS, OF COURSE, THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, UH, HAS ITS OWN ZONING PLANNING AND TOWN BOARD AND SETS THE ZONING REGULATIONS, UH, THE USE REGULATIONS.
SO ALL FOCUS IS ON THE UNINCORPORATED AREA.
OUR TOWN OF GREENBURG HAS A POPULATION OF 46,436, AND THAT'S A 2020, UH, UPDATED FIGURE UP FROM, UH, LET'S SEE, 42,863 FROM 2010.
SO, UH, WE GAINED JUST UNDER 4,000, UH, RESIDENTS IN THE LAST 10 YEARS.
SO A GROWING COMMUNITY FOR SURE.
UM, IN, IN THE, UH, MAP HERE, AND I, I KNOW IT'S NOT HIGHLIGHTED GREAT, BUT THE, THE GREEN SECTION IS ACTUALLY, UH, THE FAIRVIEW.
UH, SO WHEN YOU HEAR FAIRVIEW, FAIRVIEW IS ACTUALLY A CENSUS DESIGNATED PLACE, SO IT, IT HAS ITS OWN GEOGRAPHY AS WELL AS, UH, CENSUS FIGURE.
SO I'M GONNA SHARE SOME OF THOSE IN A MOMENT.
UM, BUT THAT, THAT'S SORT OF THE CONTEXT OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AND FAIRVIEW, UH, IS REALLY CENTRALLY LOCATED IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AND RUNS ALONG THE, UH, ONE 19 CORRIDOR AND IS, UH, REALLY FORMS THE, A BRIDGE BETWEEN THE VILLAGE OF ELMER AND THE CITY OF WHITE PLAINS.
SO WHAT I'VE DISPLAYED NOW IS, IS A ZOOM IN ON THAT FAIRVIEW, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD AND FAIRVIEW CENSUS DESIGNATED PLACE.
AND, UH, THE POPULATION IN 2010 WAS 3099, AND IT'S INCREASED, UH, BY 3.8% UP TO 3,217.
AGAIN, HERE'S THE ONE 19 CORRIDOR.
GARRETT, I JUST WANNA, I JUST WANT TO, UM, BRING ATTENTION.
CAN WE ZOOM IN A LITTLE BIT MORE ON YOUR SCREEN SO THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK COULD SEE? YEAH, IT'S MUCH BETTER.
YES, YES, YES, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, UH, KEEP THOSE BAD ADVICE COMING.
OKAY, SO YES, THERE'S THE ZOOM IN ON FAIRVIEW.
UM, WHAT I'VE ALSO DONE IS, IS I'VE OVERLAID THE FAIRVIEW CENSUS DESIGNATED PLACE OVER OUR ZONING MAP.
AND, UM, YOU GET A SENSE OF DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A MULTITUDE OF ZONING DISTRICTS HERE.
UH, FAIRVIEW HAS A, HAS A GREAT MIX OF,
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OF RETAIL, COMMERCIAL RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS, UH, RESIDENTIAL, BOTH MULTI-FAMILY, SINGLE-FAMILY, UH, TOWNHOUSES.SO THERE'S A, A DI DIVERSE ARRAY OF, OF LAND USES, UH, IN THE FAIRVIEW COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK WHAT I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT IS THAT, UH, FROM A ZONING PERSPECTIVE, UH, IN THIS NEXT GRAPHIC, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHERE'S THE, UH, SORT OF THE RETAIL CENTER OF FAIRVIEW ARE THE MIXED USE ZONING IN FAIRVIEW, UH, IT'S HIGHLIGHTED IN THIS BLUE AREA, AND IT'S A COMBINATION OF, UH, IB DISTRICT, INTERMEDIATE BUSINESS AND UR DISTRICT.
AND I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE IS THAT FROM A LAND USE PERSPECTIVE, UH, THERE REALLY ARE NO ZONING BARRIERS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, CO-OP USE, SUPERMARKET USE, UM, MIXED USE SPACE WITH, WITH COMMUNITY SPACE, UH, THESE ARE ALL PERMITTED USES.
SO FROM A ZONING PERSPECTIVE, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THERE ARE, ARE NO, NO BARRIERS THERE.
UM, ALSO IMPORTANT, UH, WHAT, WHAT THIS GRAPHIC SHOWS IS, AGAIN, IS FAIRVIEW, UH, THAT CENTRALIZED MIXED USE RETAIL CORRIDOR.
BUT, UM, THIS GREEN CIRCLE REPRESENTS A HALF MILE RADIUS, UH, AROUND FAIRVIEW.
SO YOU, YOU, YOU CAN REALLY TELL WHY, YOU KNOW, FAIRVIEW IS, YOU KNOW, AN ECONOMIC CENTER.
UM, YOU, YOU'VE GOT QUITE, UH, AN ARRAY OF, UH, LAND USE DENSITY, UH, WITHIN, WITHIN A HALF MILE RADIUS.
IF I WERE TO ZOOM THIS OUT TO A MILE, UH, YOU PROBABLY HAVE, YOU KNOW, EXPONENTIAL DENSITY, UH, IN TERMS OF, UH, MAYBE A HUNDRED PERCENT EXTRA DENSITY.
SO, UM, THERE'S QUITE, QUITE A BIT OF, OF WALKABILITY TO THE DOWNTOWN FAIRVIEW AREA, AS WELL AS, UH, VERY SHORT DRIVE WITH, WITH GREAT DENSITY.
AND, UH, ONE OTHER THING THAT I'D LIKE TO CLOSE WITH IS JUST, UH, FOR, AND I, I WILL ZOOM IN HERE, IS I, I KNOW A LOT OF THE, THE TALK IS, IS GOING TO BE ABOUT, UH, THE NEEDS OF FAIRVIEW AND, AND, AND THERE'S, THERE'S BEEN A, A, A FOOD GAP ESTABLISHED, IF YOU WILL, SINCE, UH, A AND P VACATED THE CROSSROADS.
AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY BACK IN 2011, SO 10 YEARS AGO.
UM, BUT I JUST DID WANNA HIGHLIGHT, UH, SOME OF THE EXISTING, UH, FOOD OPTIONS IN THE AREA, JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF, OF WHY THAT GAP EXISTS AND, AND WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND US.
SO WHAT YOU CAN SEE HERE, AND AGAIN, THE HALF MILE RADIUS, UH, HOPEFULLY GIVES US A SENSE OF PROXIMITY.
BUT, UH, WITHIN PROXIMITY TO FAIRVIEW, YOU DO HAVE ACME AND APPLE FARMS, WHICH ARE TWO, UH, MIDSIZE, UH, SUPERMARKETS, DIFFERENT SPECIALIZATIONS, UH, H SMART OUTSIDE OF THE HALF MILE RADIUS.
UH, THERE'S A SHOPRITE, UH, WHICH IS IN, IN ELMSFORD THAT'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND, UH, STOP AND SHOP, WHICH IS ABOUT 10 YEARS, UH, OLD, UH, ON ONE 19.
SO, UH, I THINK THAT THAT GIVES A, A, A, AN UNDERSTANDING OF, OF SORT OF WHERE WE ARE FROM A PROXIMITY PERSPECTIVE WITH FAIRVIEW.
BUT AGAIN, UM, I, I CONSIDER FAIRVIEW, YOU KNOW, JUST AN EXCELLENT PLACE AND, UH, UM, REALLY, UH, THE HEART OF, OF THIS PORTION, OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
SO I KNOW WE HAVE A, A GREAT, UH, GROUP OF PANELISTS AND, UH, AS PLANNING COMMISSIONER, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE BEING HERE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING, UH, FROM RESIDENTS.
UM, I JUST HAVE A, A LITERACY MOMENT.
WHEN YOU SAY INTERMEDIATE BUSINESS, CAN YOU JUST GIVE THE DEFINITION OF WHAT THAT ZONING IS? SURE.
INTERMEDIATE BUSINESS ALLOWS A MIX OF, UH, BASICALLY OFFICE RETAIL.
UM, THERE'S ACTUALLY, UH, SOME SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL AND INTERMEDIATE BUSINESS.
UH, IT'S A ZONING DISTRICT THAT'S NOT TOO PREVALENT IN THE TOWN.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY, I'M REALLY GLAD YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION.
I I'M GONNA JUMP BACK HERE, UH, TO THE OVERALL MAP.
AND I WANT TO, UM, JUST HIGHLIGHT A VERY IMPORTANT, UH, ZONING, ZONING AND LAND USE CONSIDERATION, UH, BETWEEN THE CITY OF WHITE PLAINS, WHERE, WHERE MY CURSOR IS NOW IN THE VILLAGE OF ELMSFORD.
UM, YOU DO HAVE ALONG ONE 19 A SERIES OF DIFFERENT ZONING DISTRICTS.
YOU'VE GOT A MIX OF IB, AND I'M SORRY, I KNOW THAT THIS IS A CHALLENGE TO READ ON THE SCREEN, BUT YOU'VE GOT A MIX OF IB.
YOU'VE GOT UR LI LIGHT, INDUSTRIAL UR IS, IS URBAN RENEWAL, UH, CV CLOSED BUSINESS DSS DESIGN, DESIGN SHOPPING IN GENERAL.
THESE, THE ALONG ONE 19, THESE USES, UH, DO ALLOW, YOU KNOW, RETAIL, RESTAURANT, COMMERCIAL, UH, OFFICE INSTITUTIONAL USES, UH, PER THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, THERE IS A POLICY THAT TALKS ABOUT A UNIFYING ZONING DISTRICT, UM, THAT WOULD ESSENTIALLY REPLACE ALL THESE ZONING DISTRICTS.
AND I, I DO SEE THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENSURE THAT THERE ARE NOT USES THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT COULD LIKELY BE COMPATIBLE, BUT THAT ARE PRESENTLY ZONED OUT.
SO, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WHILE
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THESE ARE THE EXISTING ARRAY OF USES, UH, WE DO HAVE A POLICY, UH, IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO COME UP WITH A UNIFORM DISTRICT.AND I FEEL LIKE A MEETING LIKE TONIGHT IS GONNA BE VERY INFORMATIVE AND HELPFUL IN FORMULATING THAT ZONING DISTRICT.
SO I HOPE THAT HELPS WITH THAT QUESTION.
SO, IS IT SAFE TO SAY THAT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A CLEAN ZONING SLATE THAT PRETTY MUCH, MUCH OF WHAT WILL BE DISCUSSED TONIGHT IS ALLOWABLE THROUGH ZONING? I, I THINK THAT'S AN EXCELLENT WAY TO FRAME IT, YES.
ANY COMMENTARY FROM THANK YOU, YOU, GARY, DO YOU KNOW WHEN THE SUPERMARKET, THE SHOPRITE IN ELFORD, IS GONNA OPEN? I DO THAT, THAT SUPERMARKET IS SLATED TO OPEN IN OCTOBER, 2022.
AND I JUST TO SPEAK ABOUT, UH, UM, THE AREA THAT IS SUBJECT TO THE MOST SONY, UH, AS YOU KNOW, FAIRVIEW ENTIRE FAIRVIEW WAS URBAN RENEWAL.
THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, UH, UH, REMOVED THAT DESIGNATION BECAUSE IT WAS NO LONGER A DEPRESSED AREA, BUT WE LEFT, UH, URBAN RENEWAL ON ONE 19, THE COMMERCIAL AREA.
SO THAT'S AN AREA IF YOU COME UP WITH THE RIGHT, UH, UH, PROPOSAL THAT WE LEFT THAT OPEN FOR, UH, FINAL DESIGNATION, LOOKING AT WHAT WILL BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF FAIRVIEW AND THE TOWN ALONG THAT CORRIDOR.
SO THAT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROPOSE SOMETHING IN THAT AREA.
AND, UM, MAYBE WE COULD TALK MORE ABOUT THAT AND GIVE SOME MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT ENCOMPASSES THE URBAN RENEWAL ZONE, WHAT THAT MEANS, WHAT BENEFITS ARE AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY ON ONE 19? YEAH.
NO, I, I THINK THERE'S NO, AT THIS POINT, THERE'S NO BENEFIT FOR URBAN RENEWAL.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE TRYING TO GET RID OF IT.
THE PURPOSE OF URBAN RENEWAL IS TO GET RID OF BLIGHT.
AND, BUT IN THE, IN THE PROCESS, YOU GIVE DEVELOPERS MORE FLEXIBILITY IN BUILDING HOW, HOWEVER, IN THE RESIDENTIAL AREA THAT WAS BUILT UP, OR JUST A WORKING CLASS, MIDDLE CLASS AREA.
AND WE FELT AT THAT POINT, IT, UH, ANYBODY COME IN SHOULD BE, SHOULD HAVE TO ADHERE THE ZONING RESTRICTION.
SO THE NEED FOR URBAN RENEWAL IN THE RESIDENTIAL AREA WAS REMOVED.
WE DID NOT HAVE A CLEAR PLAN FOR WHAT TO DO WITH THE COMMERCIAL PORTION OF ONE 19, THEREFORE, THE COMMERCIAL PART OF ONE 19, UH, IS STILL URBAN RENEWAL.
AND THAT'S WHY THEN I SAID, THAT OPENS THE DOOR TO COME UP WITH A GOOD PLAN TO REMOVE URBAN RENEWAL FROM THAT ZONE ALSO.
'CAUSE THE ULTIMATE PLAN IS TO DO AWAY WITH URBAN RENEWAL BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE BLIGHTED AREAS IN THE TOWN, SO THERE'S NO NEED FOR IT.
YOU HAVE TO COME TO THE PODIUM.
GARY, COULD YOU, UH, TELL US HOW FAR THE SUPERMARKETS DID YOU LISTED ARE FROM THE, FROM THE, UH, THE ZONE? SURE.
I, I DON'T HAVE, UH, AN, AN EXACT AMOUNT RIGHT NOW, BUT I WOULD SAY, OKAY, SO THE GREEN CIRCLE IS A HALF MILE.
SO APPLE FARMS IS RIGHT ON THE FRINGE OF A HALF MILE.
H MART IS, LOOKS LIKE IT'S ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF A MILE.
AND I WOULD SAY, UH, SHOPRITE IS ABOUT, AND THIS IS ALL, YOU KNOW, STRAIGHT LINE AS THE CROW FLIES, ONE MILE STOP AND SHOP LIKELY, UH, 1.5 MILES.
SO MOST OF 'EM OUTSIDE THE, THE AREA.
AND IT DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU'RE LOOKING AT FAIRVIEW.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR MANHATTAN AVENUE, I'LL BET YOU IT'S A MILE TO ACME, WHICH IS THE CLOSEST MARKET.
I WOULDN'T INCLUDE APPLE FARMS. IT'S NOT REALLY A SUPERMARKET, IT'S NOT A FULL SERVICE.
IT'S NOT A FULL SERVICE SUPER MARKET SERVICE.
SO CER CERTAINLY NOT WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE, RIGHT? UH, THERE'S NOTHING WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE.
THE CLOSEST SERVICEABLE SUPERMARKET TO FAIRVIEW IS ACME FOR SURE.
IT'S A MILE, AND THAT'S ABOUT A MILE.
AND THE NEXT ONE WILL BE IN 2022, THE SHOPRITE.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT THE TRAFFIC CAN BE LIKE BETWEEN MANHATTAN, MANHATTAN AVENUE IS TWO MILES OVER TO NINE.
SO IT'S, IT'S AT LEAST TWO MILES AWAY.
SO, UH, THERE'S NO CONVENIENT.
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NO.AND YOU SAY WALKING DISTANCE, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES, UH, WALKING DISTANCE IS NOT JUST THE MEASURE IS ACCESS, EASY ACCESS.
LIKE THERE'S NO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION EITHER TO GET THERE EASILY.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MOVE ON TO OUR PANEL.
WE DID PREPARE A PANEL TONIGHT TO ADDRESS, UM, THE RESIDENTS.
BUT I DO WANNA JUST FOR MY, FOR MY OWN CLARITY AND PERHAPS ANYONE OUT THERE, THE CORRIDOR OF ONE 19 IN THE FAIRVIEW AREA IS UNDER URBAN RENEWAL.
I THINK FROM AFTER FARM, THERE'S A VARIETY OF ZONING DISTRICTS.
UM, URBAN RENEWAL, UH, IT, IT, IT COMPRISES, UH, A GOOD PERCENTAGE OF THE ROUTE ONE 19 FRONTING, UH, PROPERTIES IN FAIRVIEW, UH, BUT CERTAINLY I B L I, UH, DS OR OTHER ZONING DISTRICTS, ALSO THAT FRONT ON ONE 19, UH, IN THE FAIRVIEW AREA.
GARY, LET'S, UH, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, I'D LIKE TO MAKE THIS SIMPLE.
ASSUME IT'S A CLEAN SLATE, BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD THE ABILITY OVER THE YEARS, THE TOWN BOARD HAS BEEN VERY FLEXIBLE WHEN WE SEE AN OPPORTUNITY, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE HERE TO, TO DISCUSS OF, OF REZONING WHEN WE HAVE TO.
SO WHAT I WOULD ASSUME FOR TONIGHT, THERE IS NOT A RESTRICTION WHATSOEVER ON WHAT WE PUT INTO THAT ZONE.
AND THEN WE'LL DEAL WITH THE ZONING ISSUE AFTERWARDS.
I'M GOING TO, UH, SHARE SCREEN AGAIN.
YEAH, NO, I GUESS JUST GARRETT LOOKING FOR THE SIZE OF THE COMMERCIAL SPACE, I BELIEVE.
IS THAT CORRECT? THE SIZE OF THE COMMERCIAL SPACE, UH, IN THE FAIR IN, THAT'S LOCATED INSIDE FAIRVIEW APPROXIMATELY.
UH, THE, THE BLUE ZONE, NOTHING SCIENTIFIC ABOUT THAT, BUT ULTIMATELY, I ENCIRCLED THAT AREA BECAUSE IT, IT ENCOMPASSES CROSSROADS, WHICH, WHICH IS CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, A MAJOR LANDMARK IN FAIRVIEW.
AND IT, IT HAS, UH, A VARIETY OF, OF RETAIL ON THE NORTH SIDE OF ONE 19.
UH, AND, AND AS A LANDMARK, OF COURSE, IT'S GOT MANHATTAN AVENUE.
SO, UM, I, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T, UH, GO BEYOND THAT.
THERE SEEMS TO BE, UH, A LOT OF FIXED, LIKE THIS WHOLE LI AREA IS, IS IS REINA CAR DEALERSHIP AREA.
UM, THERE ARE CAR DEALERSHIPS OVER HERE.
UM, THIS IS REALLY THE CRITICAL MASS OF, OF, OF, OF COMMERCIAL AREA IN FAIRVIEW.
UM, BUT, BUT CERTAINLY, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE STOREFRONTS AS YOU, UH, HEAD UP TO NORWOOD ROAD, TO, TO THE EAST, AND, AND CERTAINLY AS YOU HEAD IN A DIRECTION TOWARDS WHITE PLAINS, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE STILL WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE.
UH, AND YOU HAVE OTHER ZONING DISTRICTS.
AGAIN, DSS DESIGN SHOPPING, IT'S A COMMERCIAL DISTRICT, UH, CLOSED BUSINESS, CBS, UH, ALSO A COMMERCIAL TYPE BUSINESS.
UM, AS FAR AS LAND AREA, I, I, I, I CAN PULL THAT NUMBER.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, AS FRAME OF REFERENCE, WE ALL HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF HOW LARGE CROSSROADS IS AND, UH, THE, THE, THE, THE CORRESPONDING RETAIL ON THE NORTH SIDE OF ONE 19.
SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ALSO KNOW THAT THIS IS OUR FIRST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOWN HALL.
WE'LL HAVE SEVERAL MORE TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY TO ANSWER MORE OF THESE QUESTIONS, TO GET THE, UM, CORRECT AMOUNT OF, OF, UH, NOT SQUARE FOOTAGE, BUT THE, THE LAND THAT IS AVAILABLE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, SO PLEASE CONTINUE TO KEEP THESE QUESTIONS.
WE'LL BE PARTICIPATING IN A 360 DEGREE FEEDBACK LOOP, BOTH IN TOWN HALLS AND ELECTRONICALLY.
TASHA, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY SOMETHING.
I THINK THE QUESTION WAS ABOUT DEVELOPMENT.
DON'T THINK OF THIS JUST AS DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW BUILDING.
WE HAVE PLENTY OF VACANT FACILITIES ALREADY ON ONE 19 THAT CAN BE FILLED UP WITH THINGS THAT WILL SERVE THE FAIRVIEW COMMUNITY.
SO KEEP YOUR MIND, TONIGHT'S IS A NIGHT TO KEEP YOUR MIND OPEN TO WHAT THE POSSIBILITIES AND WHAT THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY ARE GOING TO BE GOING FORWARD.
AND THEN WE WILL WORK ON MAKING THAT HAPPEN.
OKAY? SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE CONSTRAINTS RIGHT NOW.
WORRY ABOUT WHAT THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY ARE.
NOW WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM THE PANELISTS.
SO WE DO HAVE THREE PANELISTS THAT ARE PRESENTING FROM THREE DIFFERENT, UM,
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DISCIPLINES, UM, AND SOME INTERSECTING DISCIPLINES.THE FIRST IS MICHAEL BRENNAN, WHO STARTED THE FEDERATION OF OHIO RIVER COOPERATIVES IN 1979 THROUGH FROM 10 CONSUMER FOOD CO-OPS TO OVER 100.
HE'S ALSO WORKED WITH THE FEDERATION OF CO-OPS THROUGHOUT THE U S A, INCLUDING N E F C O, THE NEW ENGLAND FEDERATION OF CO-OPS, M D A N C E, THE DISTRIBUTION ALLIANCE OF NORTH COUNTY COOPERATIVES.
HE'S ALSO WORKED ON SETTING UP WORKER OWNED COOPERATIVES.
NEXT WE WOULD HAVE MO MINK LANG.
SHE'S THE POLICY DIRECTOR OF THE UNITED STATES FEDERATION OF WORKER COOPERATIVES.
THESE POLICY EFFORTS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL WORKS WITH MEMBERSHIP AT THE STATE AND LOCAL INITIATIVES.
SHE HEADS UP HEALTH BENEFITS INITIATIVES AND HAS BEEN CONVENING PEOPLE AND COOPERATIVES AND SOCIAL IMPACT FOR THE PAST 12 YEARS IN A VARIETY OF ROLES, INCLUDING FIVE YEARS WITH LOCAL NEWS AND EVENTS.
GROUP GENEROSITY.ORG KNOWS THE FOUNDING BOARD MEMBER OF THE PHILADELPHIA AREA COOPERATIVE ALLIANCE, THE MEDIA AND MARKETING COMMITTEE OF THE KENSINGTON COMMUNITY FOOD COOP, THE POLICY COMMITTEE OF THE SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS NETWORK.
AND SHE'S ALSO CO-FOUNDER AND ORGANIZER OF THE BE TEST FEST, AN ANNUAL FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTING WOMEN AND TRANSGENDER COMEDIANS IN PHILADELPHIA.
OUR THIRD FINDING PANELIST IS JONATHAN BROWN.
JONATHAN JOAN PACE LAW FACULTY IN 2016.
PROFESSOR BROWN IS THE FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL'S FOOD AND BEVERAGE LAW CLINIC, WHICH LAUNCHED IN JANUARY, 2017.
THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE LAW CLINIC PROVIDES TRANSACTIONAL LEGAL SERVICES TO SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED FARMS, FOOD AND BEVERAGE ENTREPRENEURS, AND NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS SEEKING TO IMPROVE OUR FOOD SYSTEM.
THE CLINIC'S LEGAL SERVICES HELP CLIENTS EXPAND ACCESS TO LOCAL HEALTHY FOOD IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES AND START OR EXPAND MISSION-DRIVEN BUSINESS VENTURES STEWARD THE PRESERVATION AND TRANSITIONING OF FARMLAND FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS OF FARMERS AND IMPLEMENT INNOVATIVE AND SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION PROCESSING AND DISTRIBUTION PRACTICES.
SO, LET'S WELCOME THE, THE PANEL.
UM, YOU, YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE IN BOTH THE CONSUMER CO-OP, BUT ALSO COMMUNITY CO-OP.
CAN YOU TELL US THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO? OH, I, I, I EQUATE THEM THE SAME.
SO A CONSUMER CO-OP IS WHAT I HAVE MOST EXPERIENCE AND VERY LITTLE EXPERIENCE WITH WORKER-OWNED CO-OPS, BUT SOME, UM, SO THE CONSUMER CO-OPS IS PRIMARILY WHAT I HAVE, UM, A LOT OF, UH, EXPERIENCE IN SOME DECADES AGO.
UM, SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS MEANT BY COMMUNITY CO-OP.
UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF CO-OPS ARE CALLED SUCH, SUCH AND SUCH COMMUNITY CO-OP, BUT THEY ARE JUST MEMBER OWNED CONSUMER COOPERATIVES.
I BELIEVE YOU, YOU'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE TERM OF COMMUNITY CO-OP.
CAN YOU TELL US WHAT YOU MEANT BY THAT? I THINK A COMMUNITY CO-OP AND A CONSUMER CO-OP ARE VERY SIMILAR.
I THINK THE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY BEING THE MEMBERS OF THE CO-OP, AND THAT'S OPPOSED TO A WORKERS' CO-OP, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY OWNED BY THE WORKERS, UH, UH, IN, IN THE, IN THE STORE THEMSELVES.
OR SOMETIMES IT CAN BE EVEN A HYBRID, WHICH IS A COMBINATION OF BOTH.
THE MAJORITY OF CO-OPS IN THE UNITED STATES TO DATE ARE CONSUMER CO-OPS.
ARE THE WORKER CO-OPS HAVE BEEN GROWING SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
ARE THESE CO-OPS, UH, IS THERE GOVERNMENT FUNDING, UM, OR IS IT JUST SELF-SUPPORTING? SO WE'LL GO BACK TO MICHAEL AND MAYBE JONATHAN ON THAT.
HOW DO WORKER CO-OPS OR CONSUMER CO-OPS, HOW ARE THEY FUNDED? MOST CONSUMER CO-OPS THAT I WORKED WITH WERE SELF-FUNDING.
VERY LITTLE, UH, FEDERAL MONEY WAS AVAILABLE FOR CONSUMER CO-OPS.
IS THERE ANY EXAMPLE OF A PARTNERSHIP WITH GO MM-HMM.
IT, WE HAVE, UH, PANEL MEMBERS WHO CAME HERE PREPARED TO GIVE A PRESENTATION.
I THINK WE SHOULD ALLOW THE PANEL MEMBERS TO GIVE THEIR PRESENTATION, AND THEN WE COULD ASK QUESTIONS.
I THINK IT WOULD BE MUCH MORE EFFICIENT TO DO IT THAT WAY.
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I DON'T HAVE A PARTICULAR PRESENTATION TO GIVE.I'M JUST HERE TO OFFER, YOU KNOW, UH, EXPERIENCE AND, AND, AND INFORMATION THAT I HAVE.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT JOHN OR MO, BUT THAT'S ME.
UM, I AM HAPPY TO PARTICIPATE AS PART OF A PANEL, UH, BUT, BUT DON'T HAVE A PARTICULAR PRESENTATION FOR.
THE FORMAT OF THE PANEL IS, IS QUESTIONS THAT ARE PREPARED IN ADVANCE OKAY.
UM, IF WE, YOU KNOW, I, IF WE WANNA MAKE THIS WORK, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE US? YOU KNOW, DO WE START SMALL? YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE BEST CHANCE OF STARTING A SUCCESSFUL, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, CO-OP, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE AND HOW DID IT, HOW, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAVE OTHER COMMUNITIES DONE? YOU KNOW, I, I THINK IF, YOU KNOW, IF THIS IS HAPPENING ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, THERE'S NO REASON WE SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO ONE HERE.
SO, WE'LL, WE'LL GO TO, UM, MIKE, WE'LL GO AWAY FROM YOU, BUT I WANT YOU TO HOLD THAT QUESTION ABOUT FUNDING.
MIKE AND JOHN, SINCE YOU HOPE, UM, CO-OPS AND OTHER BUSINESS ENTITIES THAT PROVIDE FOOD GET STARTED.
CAN YOU TELL US, IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT IS THE, THE EASIEST OR THE QUICKEST WAY TO ENTER INTO THAT KIND OF ENTERPRISE? WELL, I, I AM NOT SURE IF I CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION EXACTLY.
I MAYBE, MAYBE ANSWER A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT QUESTION.
I, I THINK ONE THING WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS, IS DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
UM, WOULD IT BE HELPFUL TO START THERE, TASHA, BEFORE
GENTLEMEN, IF YOU DON'T MIND, WE HAVE A, WE HAVE, WE, UM, HAVE A Q AND A FOR AFTER THE PANEL, BUT RIGHT NOW THEY, WE, WE DO HAVE QUESTIONS THAT THEY'VE PREPARED TO ANSWER.
ALSO, JUST GIVING A QUICK, UH, BREAKDOWN OF, OF FUNDING.
IF, IF THAT'S A QUESTION THAT PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE
UM, SO, UM, FIRST I'LL JUST, UH, I, I ALSO DON'T HAVE A PRESENTATION, BUT I JUST HAVE A COUPLE SLIDES THAT MIGHT HELP.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, LIKE TASHA, TASHA SAID, UH, I WORK PRIMARILY WITH WORKER COOPERATIVES, BUT I WAS ALSO PART OF STARTING WORKER COOPERATIVE IN MY COMMUNITY, UM, THAT WE WOULD CALL A CONSUMER COOPERATIVE.
UM, I THINK ACCORDING TO THE DEFINITION, THAT WAS SHARED ALSO A COMMUNITY CO COOPERATIVE OWNED BY, UH, MANY MEMBERS.
I THINK OURS IS A
I'M NOT SURE IF THIS WILL HELP, BUT I WILL TRY AND I'LL TRY TO GET A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO MY MIC.
UM, SO, UH, UM, I, I KNOW IN, I, I KNOW THAT CONSUMER COOPS HAVE, UM, MANY DIFFERENT WAYS OF BEING FUNDED.
A LOT OF IT IS, UM, TURNED OUT FROM THE COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT I KNOW IN OUR CASE IN PHILADELPHIA, WE HAD, UH, A LOT OF DIFFERENT SOURCES OF FUNDING.
WE ACTUALLY COMPOUNDED FUNDING BOTH FROM THE, UM, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS AND, UM, COOPERATIVE, UM, I'M SORRY, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS, CDFIS.
UM, SO WE WERE ABLE TO CREATE A, TO LOWER THE RISK FOR ALL OF THE GROUPS BY HAVING BOTH THE COMMUNITY AND THE CITY AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT GROUPS AND CDFIS AND CREDIT UNIONS COME TOGETHER TO MITIGATE SOME OF THAT RISK.
SO THERE ARE MANY, MANY DIFFERENT MODELS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ABOUT HOW YOU CAN FUND A COOPERATIVE.
UM, OFTEN IT DOES TAKE SEVERAL YEARS.
OURS TOOK 10 YEARS, BUT SOME OF OUR, UM, OUR, UH, I, I GUESS, UH, COMPARATIVE COOPERATIVES HAVE TAKEN MUCH LESS TIME BECAUSE AS WE FIGURE IT OUT OVER TIME, AND I THINK, UM, FAIRVIEW WOULD PROBABLY BENEFIT FROM MANY OF THE MODELS THAT HAVE BEEN EMERGING OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, UM, THAT, UH, THAT YOU'D BE ABLE TO, TO PULL SOMETHING TOGETHER A LOT QUICKER.
AND, AND WHEN YOU SAID WHAT, WHAT WE'VE LEARNED THROUGHOUT THE LAST FEW YEARS, THAT IS WHAT, THAT'S THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY AND WHO, UM, BETWEEN COMMUNITIES, UM, DIFFERENT FORMS OF CITY FUNDING, UM, LENDING FROM, UM, YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS HAS BEEN REALLY KEY.
UM, AND, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IT IS, IT'S REALLY, UH, ABOUT BUILDING, YOU KNOW, I THINK A LOT OF THE REALLY BIG PARTS OF STARTING A CONSUMER CO IS BUILDING THE RELATIONSHIPS, LIKE THE ONES THAT ARE IN THIS ROOM.
I THINK, UM, TO, TO UNDERSTAND LIKE, WHO, HOW CAN WE, UM, PULL TOGETHER MULTIPLE SOURCES OF FUNDING IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT, UM, RISK IS A LITTLE BIT LOWER FOR ALL, BUT I THINK OVERALL, UM, THE COMMUNITY'S ABLE TO HAVE CONTROL
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OVER HOW THE, THE STORE ACTUALLY RUNS.SO MOST OF THE MODELS HAVE PRIMARILY THE, THE CONTROL OF HOW THE COOPERATIVE WORKS STILL SITS WITH THE CONSUMERS, EVEN, UM, EVEN IF THERE ARE MULTIPLE SOURCES OF FUNDING.
SO IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, THEY RECEIVE MONIES PERHAPS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR PROJECTS SUCH AS A CO-OP? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A FEW, UM, THERE'S A FEW DIFFERENT MODELS.
I THINK ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE, UM, GAPS, WHICH IS ACTUALLY ACTIVELY BEING ADDRESSED RIGHT NOW, UM, AND THE FEDERAL LEVEL IS, UM, MAKING MONEY MORE ACCESSIBLE TO COOPERATIVES.
UM, SO THERE ARE A FEW DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE TO COOPERATIVES.
THE MAIN, THE MAIN ISSUE IS EDUCATION.
PEOPLE NOT UNDERSTANDING THAT, UM, A COOPERATIVE IS JUST, UH, THERE'S NOT ONE OWNER.
THERE'S, THERE MAY BE A FEW OWNERS OR THERE, IN THE, THE CASE OF A CONSUMER CALL, THERE MIGHT BE HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF OWNERS.
UM, AND THAT, THAT'S ACTUALLY BETTER, RIGHT? BECAUSE THAT REALLY, REALLY MITIGATES RISK.
UM, SO, UM, SO IS THE EDUCATION PIECE THE PIECE THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING RIGHT NOW, THAT IS THE REALLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE TO HELP FUNDERS BECOME COMFORTABLE WITH THAT? SO I THINK YOU HAVE THE, THE SUPPORT OF, UM, OF LIKE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND, AND ARRAY OF LIKE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS, UM, THAT IT, IT REALLY HELPS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, MAKE PEOPLE COMFORTABLE WITH THE IDEA.
AND I THINK THIS APPROACH OF HAVING SEVERAL DIFFERENT ROUNDS OF BOTH COMMUNITY VOICE AND, UH, LIKE HEARINGS, PRESENTATIONS, LIKE THIS IS REALLY HELPFUL TO, TO HELP PEOPLE JUST GET COMFORTABLE WITH THE IDEA.
IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT.
SO, JUST TO REITERATE WITH THE SUPERVISOR ASKED, AT WHAT POINT DOES LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENTER INTO A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY FOR A BUSINESS ENTITY? I THINK RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING, I KNOW FOR US, IT REALLY STARTED, UH, RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING, UM, BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND THE PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD WHAT IS THE GOAL.
UM, THE GOAL IS TO CREATE ACCESS TO LIKE FRESH, UH, UH, LIKE FRESH, HEALTHY FOODS, UH, IN AN AREA.
I THINK, UH, THAT THESE MAPS OF LIKE HOW FAR THE DIFFERENT GROCERY STORES ARE, UM, LIKE THAT, THAT THAT'S THE PARTNERSHIP THAT IS REALLY HELPFUL TO HELP MAKE THE CASE FOR WHY THIS NEEDS TO HAPPEN AND ALSO WHY IT NEEDS TO BE OWNED BY THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO I WOULD SAY THE RELATION, THE, THE EDUCATION RELATIONSHIP ALWAYS NEEDS TO START RIGHT AWAY.
UM, AND THEN BUILDING, BUILDING THE RELATIONSHIPS SO THAT OVER THE COURSE OF COUPLE YEARS WHILE THE, THE CONSUMER GROUP IS CREATING IS PULLING TOGETHER FUNDS THROUGH MEMBERSHIP DOLLARS, THAT WE'RE ALSO ABLE TO PULL TOGETHER FUNDS FROM LIKE CITY OR, UH, FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS IN ORDER TO KIND OF LIKE, PULL TOGETHER THE FUNDS NECESSARY TO ACTUALLY OPEN THE STORE.
I'M GONNA BRING YOU BACK IN, MICHAEL, BUT BEFORE, UM, JONATHAN, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH, UM, EITHER NOT-FOR-PROFIT OR FOR-PROFIT ENTITIES THAT ARE PARTNERED WITH, UM, LOCAL GOVERNMENT FOR JOHN, FOR JONATHAN? SURE.
SO JUST TAKING A STEP BACK, I THINK EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT SO FAR HAS BEEN ABOUT COOPERATIVES, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE MAY BE OTHER OPTIONS THAT ARE ON THE TABLE, OR AT LEAST YES, PEOPLE WANNA DISCUSS TONIGHT.
SO ONE OF THOSE COULD BE A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION.
AND GENERALLY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PROFITS, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE ASPECTS OF THOSE THAT WE CONSIDER NON-PROFIT, FOR EXAMPLE, A LOT OF CONSUMER COOPERATIVES OPERATE IN A WAY THAT'S ARGUABLY NON-PROFIT, AND THERE'S TO BE PROFIT LEFT OVER.
UM, THEY AREN'T NONPROFITS IN THE SENSE OF MUSIC IS NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION NOT ORGANIZED AS NONPROFIT CORPORATIONS, AND THEY DON'T GET A TAX EXEMPTION THAT NON-PROFIT CORPORATIONS GET.
AND MOST TYPICALLY PEOPLE THINK ABOUT 5 1 3 TAX EXEMPT NONPROFITS.
SO, SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A NONPROFIT OR FIVE ONE NONPROFIT, THAT, THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN A COOPERATIVE.
AND THEN WE COULD ALSO TALK ABOUT MORE TRADITIONAL BUSINESS STRUCTURES, WHICH ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WHAT YOU MOST STILL BE THINK OF AS A BUSINESS, AS A PRACTICALLY OWNED BUSINESS THAT IS NOT PROPERLY OWNED.
UM, SO I, I, I THINK ONE KEY DIFFERENCE IS WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NON-PROFITS, UH, TYPICALLY A MAJOR SOURCE OF FINANCING IS DONATIONS IN GRANTS.
THAT COULD BE GOVERNMENT GRANTS, THAT COULD BE GRANTS FROM BUY FIVE NATION, AND, UM, PARTLY BEING ELIGIBLE AS A FIVE, ONE C THREE.
HAVING THAT SPECIAL TAX STATUS IS WHAT QUALIFIES NONPROFITIZATION TO ACCESS THOSE SOURCES OF FUNDING.
SO THAT'S A MUCH DIFFERENT FUNDING MODEL, UH, VERY SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FUNDING MODEL THAN A PRIVATELY OWNED BUSINESS, WHICH COULD BE MORE TRADITIONAL, PRIVATELY OWNED BUSINESS, OR COULD BE A COOPERATIVELY OWNED BUSINESS.
UM, GOING BACK TO YOUR QUESTION OF PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES, I THINK YOU CAN SEE A WHOLE RANGE OF THESE THINGS.
JUST, JUST LIKE A COOPERATIVE CAN HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH A LOCAL COMMUNITY, A NONPROFIT CAN
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HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH A LOCAL COMMUNITY IN A, IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS.UM, THERE SITUATIONS WHERE THERE MIGHT BE, UM, PUBLICLY OWNED PROPERTY LAND THAT IS LEASED TO A NONPROFIT, UH, A COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION TO, TO OPERATE OFTEN AT VERY LOW TO NO RENT, DEPENDS ON THE SITUATION.
COULD BE ORGANIZATION, COULD BE SITUATIONS WHERE IT'S PRIVATELY OWNED WITH THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, OWNS THE PROPERTY ITSELF, BUT SUPPORTED BY, UM, UH, A LOCAL MUNICIPALITY IN OTHER WAYS THAT COULD BE, UH, FINANCIAL SUPPORT, THAT COULD BE REPRESENTATION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE NONPROFIT.
UM, COULD GO ON FOR A WHILE, BUT I THINK THERE'S A WHOLE VARIETY OF WAYS IN WHICH, UH, UH, A NONPROFIT, WHICH IS, WHICH IS NOT A GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY.
IT IT'S PRIVATELY, UH, IT, IT, IT IS RUN BY A BOARD OF DIRECTORS, WHICH, WHICH IS NOT OFFICIALLY, YOU KNOW, A A TOWN OR MUNICIPALITY, BUT IT CAN HAVE VERY CLOSE CONNECTIONS THAT COULD BE BUILT IN THE D N A OF THE ORGANIZATION THAT IT, UH, SERVES A PURPOSE OF, UH, IMPROVING A SPECIFIC COMMUNITY.
IN THIS CASE, IT COULD BE AN ORGANIZATION IN, UH, ORGANIZED SPECIFICALLY TO, UH, EMPOWER RESIDENTS OF FAIRVIEW.
AND THERE COULD BE GOVERNMENT STRUCTURES THAT BUILDING THAT CONNECTION FROM THE GET GO, THAT THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE SOME REPRESENTATION ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FROM LOCAL OFFICIALS OR FROM OTHER LOCALLY, UH, POINT OF PEOPLE.
AND THERE COULD BE A VARIETY OF OTHER PROGRAMS. ONE OF, UH, YOU KNOW, MY, UH, GOALS WAS, UH, TO USE A CO-OP AS A WAY OF TRAINING PEOPLE TO SET UP THEIR OWN BUSINESSES.
AND, UH, PROVIDING PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT OF WORK WITH A CHANCE TO ACTUALLY FIND, UM, YOU KNOW, EMPLOYMENT BY CREATING THEIR OWN BUSINESSES.
IS HAS THAT MODEL BEEN USED AS OF LIKE A, A TEACHING, UM, INITIATIVE FOR THE, FOR UNEMPLOYED? I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER.
WHAT I THINK, I THINK IT, I THINK IT HAS, I THINK, I THINK IT HAS.
MAY I ANSWER? UH, IF YES, ABSOLUTELY.
THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS NOT FAR FROM US, AND WE CAN OH, OKAY.
THE ANSWER TO THAT IS ABSOLUTELY YES.
THERE ARE PLENTY OF ORGANIZATIONS EITHER IN, UH, IN NEW YORK CITY OR VERY CLOSE BY THAT OFFER, UH, AN ARRAY OF WORKSHOPS, UH, THAT ALLOW PEOPLE THAT ARE INTERESTED IN FORMING A COOPERATIVE, LEARN ALL ABOUT IT, LEARN WHAT IS A WORKER COOPERATIVE, HOW IT WORKS, HOW YOU CAN ORGANIZE ONE, HOW YOU CAN WRITE THE BYLAWS, UM, I MEAN, WHAT KIND OF BUSINESS YOU CAN HAVE.
I MEAN, MOST OF THE COOPERATIVES, THE WORKER COOPERATIVES IN NEW YORK CITY ARE IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY.
SO YOU HAVE, UM, ELDER CARE, YOU HAVE CHILDCARE, YOU HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, BOOKKEEPING, UH, TRANSLATION, A WHOLE, A WHOLE ARRAY OF BUSINESSES THAT ARE POSSIBLE AND THAT ARE WORKER OWNED.
SO THE WORKERS, HOW, WHAT DO I MEAN BY THAT? EACH WORKER HAS AN EQUAL RIGHT.
TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DECISION MAKING OF THE BUSINESS THAT IS A WORKER OWNED COOPERATIVE.
AND SO I'LL BE HAPPY TO TALK MORE ABOUT THAT, BUT, OKAY.
JUST, I WANT TO, JUST TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION, THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE DI UH, DEVOTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF WORKER CORPORATIVES YES.
CAN WE GET THE, CAN WE GET, UH, MICHAEL AND THE OTHER PEOPLE ON THE PANEL TO ANSWER THAT AS WELL? SURE, SURE.
MICHAEL, UM, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT BUSINESS INCUBATION AT A CO-OP? IN OTHER WORDS, UM, UH, OTHER BUSINESSES THAT SHARE SPACE WITH THE COOPERATIVE? YES.
LIKE BRINGING IN A FARMER'S MARKET SORT OF A, A DEAL WHERE, WHERE LOCAL GROWERS, UH, SELL THEIR OWN WARES.
YOU CAN SET UP ANY MODEL YOU REALLY WANT TO, YOU JUST HAVE TO HAVE CLEAR DEFINED GOALS.
UM, THE QUESTION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SETTING UP THEIR OWN BUSINESSES IS PROBABLY SEPARATE FROM, FROM COOPERATIVE.
NOW, SETTING UP WORKER-OWNED BUSINESSES, OF COURSE, THEY GET TRAINING AND, AND ADVICE AND, AND, AND, AND, AND LEADERSHIP ALONG HOW TO DO THAT.
UM, BUT THAT'S PROBABLY SEPARATE FROM THE TYPE OF CONSUMER CO-OP OR EVEN WORKER ZONE COVE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
BUT IF YOU HAVE SPACE ENOUGH AND YOU CAN ALLOW OTHER VENDORS WITHIN THERE, THEN THE CO-OP CAN AGREE TO LEASE SPACE.
YOU'D WANT TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT COMPETING PRODUCTS WITHIN, WITHIN THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? SO YOU WOULDN'T WANT, UM, IF YOU'RE SELLING, UH, CERTAIN THINGS IN, IN THE CO-OP STORE, YOU DON'T WANT A COMPETITOR IN THERE THAT'S GONNA UNDERCUT YOUR SALES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL, UM, OR JUST SET GUIDELINES FOR WHO YOU WANT TO, UH, OFFER VENDOR SPACE
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TO.YOU CAN REALLY HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT, UM, ONCE YOU HAVE CLEAR DEFINED GOALS, YOU KNOW, UM, SO IN, IN COLUMBUS, OHIO, WHERE I LIVE, THERE'S, THERE'S THE NORTH MARKET, WHICH IS HELP FUNDED BY THE CITY.
UM, IT, IT'S, IT'S A LARGE MARKET IN DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS WHERE THERE ARE A VARIETY OF VENDORS WHERE YOU CAN GET FOODS THAT YOU CAN'T GET ANYWHERE ELSE AROUND TOWN.
UM, SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE KIND OF SPECIALTY VENDORS WITH IT WITHIN THE NORTH MARKET.
UM, AND YOU CAN HAVE SPECIALTY VENDORS WITHIN YOUR MARKET AS WELL, BUT THEY WOULD BE SEPARATE FROM THE CO-OP.
UM, AND, AND WHETHER OR NOT THAT THEY OFFER DISCOUNTS TO THE CO-OP MEMBERS, UM, FOR THEIR WARES WOULD, WOULD HAVE TO BE SOMETHING DISCUSSED, YOU KNOW, BY THE MEMBERS OF THE COOPERATIVE AND, AND THE VENDORS COMING IN, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THERE'S A LOT TO WORK OUT WITH ALL OF THAT.
UM, BUT YOU CAN CERTAINLY HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT.
I THINK THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT, UM, TAKEAWAY HERE.
BUT BEFORE I TRY TO SUMMARIZE WHAT, UM, THIS PORTION OF THE PANEL, I DO WANNA FOR A MOMENT OF CLARITY, JUST READ THE DEFINITION OF COOPERATIVE.
IT'S A FORMER BUSINESS OR OTHER ORGANIZATION, WHICH IS OWNED AND RUN JOINTLY BY ITS MEMBERS WHO SHARE THE PROFITS OR BENEFITS.
SO WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS FOR EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM, SHOULD THEY BE INTERESTED.
THIS IS ALSO A RECRUITMENT EVENT, BY THE WAY, TO PARTICIPATE IN OWNERSHIP OF A BUSINESS ENTITY.
MOSTLY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A FOOD SERVICE PROVIDER, A FOOD OR SERVICE PROVIDER.
BUT TO MICHAEL'S POINT, AND TO GARRETT'S POINT, WE DO HAVE SUPERMARKETS IN THE REGION.
SO PERHAPS WHAT WOULD GO INTO THIS PARTICULAR ENTITY IS A SPECIALTY MARKET, A MARKET THAT IS SUPPLIED BY LOCAL FARMERS.
SO THE TAKEAWAY IS THAT THE CURATION OF WHAT THIS THING IS, IS COMPLETELY AVAILABLE TO ALL OF US TO DETERMINE THAT THE BUSINESS INCUBATION PIECE COULD BE A PART OF AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COOPERATIVE THAT IS OWNED BY THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF ROUND OUT THE QUESTIONS AND, AND THE PRESENTATION FROM DELIA.
COULD I JUST ASK ANOTHER, A FOLLOW UP IN A QUESTION? UM, THE WHOLE, WHEN DURING THE SUMMER WHEN WE MET, WE SAID, WE WANNA REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY WHAT THEY WANT.
NOW, PEOPLE WHO SHOW UP AT A MEETING REPRESENT ONE ASPECT OF THE COMMUNITY, BUT THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, WHO WE'RE NOT HEAR HEARING FROM.
UM, HOW WE WOULD BEST GO ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SURVEYING THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT OPTIONS WE SHOULD PROBABLY BE GIVING THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE COULD SAY, DO WE WANNA HAVE A LOCAL FARMERS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THAT'S OPTION ONE.
YOU KNOW, OPTION TWO COULD BE SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, TOTALLY DIFFERENT MM-HMM.
NOW, DO YOU WANNA TAKE THAT ONE OR? SURE.
I'D BE, I'D BE HAVING TO SHARE A LITTLE FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE, AND WHILE I'M DOING THAT, I'LL JUST SHARE, UM, I'LL SHARE ON, ON THE SCREEN, UM, A CO-OP THAT JUST OPENED, AND I CAN, SPEAKS TO A LOT OF WHAT YOU ALL ARE TRYING TO DO.
UM, I THINK IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UM, I WILL SAY I WAS RECRUITED TO MY CONSUMER CO-OP, UM, BY ATTENDING A, UM, A CIVIC ASSOCIATION MEETING.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THIS EXAMPLE, UM, LIKE OF, OF MARSH IN SOUTH ST.
THEY DID OUTREACH OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR.
THEY ACTUALLY STARTED OUTREACH LAST YEAR AND OPEN THIS YEAR, UM, ON A VERY LOW SCALE, THE 160 MEMBERS.
UM, I'LL LEAVE THAT OUT FOR A LITTLE BIT JUST SO YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT, UM, THE QUOTE THERE.
BUT I THINK, I THINK IT'S THE, THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE ALREADY OUT THERE.
UM, SO CIVIC ASSOCIATION MEETINGS, ANYTIME THAT THERE IS, UM, YOU KNOW,
UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE, THERE ARE SOME GROCERY STORES THERE, THERE MIGHT BE ROOM FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME SORT OF SPECIALTY OR SOME SORT OF LIKE SPECIFIC, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, SORT OF, UH, LIKE STOCK LIST THAT, THAT IS SPECIFIC TO NEEDS AND GAPS IN THE AREA.
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UM, SO I THINK REALLY MAKING USE OF, UM, DIFFERENT, UH, DEPARTMENTS AND DIFFERENT EVENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING IS A REALLY KEY WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE ENGAGING NOT JUST THE PEOPLE WHO CAN MAKE A MEETING, BUT ALSO ARE ABLE TO, UH, THERE ARE ALSO PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST KIND OF LIKE ALREADY OUT THERE AND ENGAGED IN DIFFERENT WAYS IN THE COMMUNITY.UM, YOU KNOW, WE, IT TOOK US QUITE A, QUITE A WHILE TO BUILD UP, LET'S SEE, A THOUSAND.
UM, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, DEPENDING ON THE OP, THE OPERATING SCALE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UM, YOU CAN GET A, A SMALLER GROCERY STORE UP PRETTY QUICKLY.
AND JONATHAN, DID YOU WANT TO WEIGH IN ON THAT OUTREACH? UM, I THINK THE ONLY THING I'D ADD, AND I, I TOTALLY AGREE WITH EVERYTHING WELL SAID.
UM, IT, I THINK FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN IN DIFFERENT CONTEXT, IT, IT MAY NEED TO BE A SOMEWHAT ITERATIVE PROCESS IN THAT IF YOU GO OUT TO A LOT OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND SAY, WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE THIS KIND OF BUSINESS STRUCTURE OR THAT KIND OF BUSINESS STRUCTURE AND A COUPLE OTHER, YOU KNOW, QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF CONTEXT TO THOSE QUESTIONS.
I KNOW THERE WOULD BE MORE CONTEXT AND THERE'LL BE MORE MEETINGS, ET CETERA, BUT THESE ARE NOT EASY DECISIONS TO ARRIVE AT, RIGHT? YOU CAN'T REALLY COME UP WITH THE RIGHT, IN MY MIND, AT LEAST, I DON'T EVEN COME UP WITH THE RIGHT BUSINESS STRUCTURE UNTIL YOU FIGURED OUT THE BUSINESS MODEL, YOU FIGURED OUT WHAT THE, WHAT THE, THE PROJECT IS, WHAT THE PROJECT HOPES TO ACCOMPLISH, HOW THE PROJECT'S GONNA BE FINANCED, HOW DO YOU FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THE ENDS MEET, RIGHT? BECAUSE IF IT'S NOT SELF-SUSTAINING, WHETHER THAT'S, UH, SELF-SUSTAINING AS A NON-PROFIT THAT RELIES ON GRANTS AND DONATIONS OR SELF-SUSTAINING AS A FOR-PROFIT BUSINESS OR PROPERTY BUSINESS ON THE BASIS OF, YOU KNOW, REVENUE COMING INTO THE EXPENSES, IF IT'S NOT GONNA BE SELF-SUSTAINING IN SOME WAY, IT'S NOT GONNA WORK.
UM, AND UNDERSTANDING HOW YOU GET TO A BUSINESS MODEL THAT WORKS IS GOING TO INFORM THE LEGAL, THE LEGAL STRUCTURE AND THE BUSINESS STRUCTURE.
UH, SO I DON'T THINK IT WORKS TO NECESSARILY GO OUT AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT DOES THE COMMUNITY WANT? DO YOU WANT THIS STRUCTURE, THAT STRUCTURE, OR THE THIRD STRUCTURE? UM, SO AT SOME POINT THERE HAS TO BE A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT IS, YOU KNOW, DOING THE WORK OF, OF THE BUSINESS MODELING AND THE FINANCE MODELING AND MAKING IT WORK.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU DON'T WANT IT TO BE THAT IT'S JUST A SMALL GROUP THAT'S DOING IT WITHOUT ANY INPUT.
SO I, I'M NOT SURE I HAVE A MAGIC SL TO HOW THIS ALL PLAYS OUT, BUT I THINK THERE HAS TO BE BOTH OF THOSE.
AND IT'S ITERATIVE, AND AS MO SAID, MANY OF THESE THINGS TAKE A LONG OF TIME.
I THINK PARTLY FOR THAT REASON, BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF DETAILED WORK AND EFFORT THAT'S GONNA GO INTO COMING UP WITH A BUSINESS MODEL THAT WORKS, BUT THERE'S ALSO, YOU NEED COMMUNITY OUTPUT.
AND THOSE HAVE TO KIND OF WORK IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.
THERE'S QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE.
YOU JUST MADE ME THINK OF SOMETHING BECAUSE THE SUPERVISOR'S INITIATIVE TO HAVE BUSINESS INCUBATION, HE ACTUALLY MENTIONED IT, HAVING IT AT OUR COMMUNITY CENTER, HAVING THAT HOUSED THERE, AND THE, THE FOOD CO-OP OR THE WORKER CO-OP OR WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT ENTITY IS THAT WE DECIDE TO DO WOULD BE PUT POTENTIALLY HOUSED ON THE ONE 19 CORRIDOR, WHERE THAT ZONING ALLOWS FOR SO MANY THINGS TO BE BUILT.
SO TO, TO YOUR POINT, YOU KNOW, MICHAEL, AND TO THE SUPERVISOR'S QUESTION, WE COULD HAVE BOTH.
ARE THEY GONNA BE HOUSED AT THE SAME PLACE? THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE, BUT WE COULD HAVE BOTH WITHIN THIS ZONE.
SO, UM, WE ARE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA BREAK FOR QUESTIONS, BUT I JUST WANT TO GET A COUPLE OF MORE QUESTIONS TO THE PANEL.
AND THEN THERE'S A QUESTION FROM THE DAYS, SO QUESTION FROM THE ZOOM AND A QUESTION FROM THE ZOOM.
SO WE'RE GONNA BREAK FOR QUESTIONS, UM, IN ANOTHER 15 MINUTES.
AND BEFORE WE DO THAT, I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE MENTIONED IN THE INTRO COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
SO IF WE WERE TO SAY, WHICH BUSINESS MODEL IN YOUR EXPERIENCE PROVIDES THE BEST COMMUNITY BENEFIT FOR EQUITABLE OR FOR EQUITY, FOR EQUITABLE ENTERPRISE, OR FOR EQUITY, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU SAY COOPERATIVE NOT-FOR-PROFIT BOARD, FOR-PROFIT, FOR THE WHOLE PANEL? YES, GO AHEAD.
NO, I MEAN, UH, UH, I'M VERY BIASED
I THINK, UM, PARTICULARLY IN FOR GROCERY STORES, I HAVE GENERALLY SEEN THAT A MULTI-STAKEHOLDER MODEL IS REALLY INCREDIBLY HELPFUL.
UM, BOTH FOR BENEFITING THE, THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO SHOP ACCESS TO THE GROCERY STORE, AND ALSO FOR THE WORKERS THAT ARE THERE, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE WORKERS OF THE GROCERY STORE ARE, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S VERY LABOR INTENSIVE WORK.
UM, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO ENSURE, UM, THAT, UH, THAT THOSE PEOPLE HAVE THEIR NEEDS BEING MET AS WELL.
AND I THINK TO THE POINT OF, I, I'M, UH, UH, I APOLOGIZE, I CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHO POINTED IN THIS, BUT THE IDEA OF LIKE HELPING PEOPLE TO START THEIR OWN BUSINESSES, THE IDEA OF SKILL BUILDING, THINGS LIKE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, A COOPERATIVE REALLY DOES
[00:55:01]
GIVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO RUN A BUSINESS, IF, WHETHER YOU'RE A CONSUMER OR, UM, A, A WORKER WITHIN THE COOPERATIVE.UM, THERE, THERE'S SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTAKE IN, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES THE BUSINESS RUN? UM, AND LIKE WHAT, WHAT, UH, WHAT, WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN WITHIN THE BUSINESS AND WHAT KIND OF PRODUCTS YOU, UH, OFFER.
UM, SO THERE, THERE'S MANY DIFFERENT WAYS FOR PEOPLE UNDERSTAND KIND OF LIKE THE FINANCIAL SIDE OF IT.
UM, BECAUSE BY RIGHT OF BEING COOPERATIVE, YOU'RE MEETING OFTEN, UM, YOU, THERE'S A CERTAIN LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY THAT I THINK IS VERY HELPFUL, UM, IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY BENEFIT, UM, AND INPUT.
JONATHAN, DO YOU AGREE? I, I AGREE.
ALTHOUGH I, I THINK YOU MIGHT ANSWER THE QUESTION OF WHAT IS THE BEST AS MANY ANSWER, WHICH IS, YEAH, IT DEPENDS.
AND THERE IS NO BEST, UH, IT, IT, IT DEPENDS ON, ON, THEY'RE, THEY'RE VERY DIFFERENT AND DO DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT MODELS DO DIFFERENT THINGS.
IT DEPENDS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE SAY COMMUNITY BENEFIT.
YOU KNOW, IF THE GOAL IS BUILDING WEALTH IN THE SENSE OF BUILDING WEALTH THROUGH OWNERSHIP OF AN ENTERPRISE, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT'S POSSIBLE WITH A WORKAROUND COOPERATIVE, FOR EXAMPLE.
BUT YOU KNOW, BY DEFINITION, WORKERS OWNING THE ENTERPRISE, IF THE ENTERPRISE IS SUCCESSFUL, THEN THEY, UH, CAN BUILD WELL THROUGH THAT OWNERSHIP.
UH, A NONPROFIT, ON THE OTHER HAND, BY DEFINITION, NO ONE OWNS IT.
THERE IS NO PRIVATE OWNERSHIP.
SO IF THE GOAL IS, YOU KNOW, TO, TO BUILD WEALTH OR A SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE, THAT ARE WORKING FOR THE ORGANIZATION, YOU CAN HAVE EMPLOYEES OF A NONPROFIT.
BUT THE GOAL IS NOT TO BUILD WEALTH IN THAT SENSE OF, OF, OF GENERATING PROFIT FOR THEM.
ON THE OTHER HAND, A NONPROFIT CAN BUILD WEALTH IN OTHER WAYS.
A NONPROFIT, YOU KNOW, HAS TO SERVE A PUBLIC INTEREST.
AND IT COULD BUILD WEALTH BY SERVING AS A NON-PROFIT INCUBATOR.
A LOT OF BUSINESS INCUBATORS ARE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, AND IT CAN BUILD WEALTH THAT WAY BY HELPING OTHER PEOPLE, UM, DEVELOP AN INCUBATE, UH, INCUBATE AND GROW THEIR OWN BUSINESSES.
OR IT COULD BUILD WEALTH IN THE SENSE OF, YOU KNOW, MAYBE MAKING, UH, FRESH FOOD, UH, AVAILABLE AT, UH, REDUCE PRICES THAT MIGHT NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THAT NON-PROFIT MODEL.
AND, UM, THE SUBSIDY YOU CAN GET THROUGH GRANT AND DONATIONS AND WHATNOT.
SO, I, I, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ONE, THIS IS THE BEST THING FOR COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT, FOR BENEFIT COMMUNITY.
IT'S, IT'S VERY DIFFERENT WAYS OF DOING VERY DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, CONSUMER COOPERATIVE IS A DIFFERENT MODEL AS WELL.
UM, UH, UH, MO MENTIONED MULTI-STAKEHOLDER COC, SO YOU COULD HAVE BOTH, YOU KNOW, AN ORGANIZATION THAT'S BOTH CONSUMER OWNED AND WE'RE GROWN, LET SAY JUST A, A PURELY CONSUMER UNC COOPERATIVE.
UH, IT EXISTS TO, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CONSUMERS TO SHOP THERE.
SO IT'S NOT BUILDING WEALTH IN THE SAME SENSE OF, UH, FOCUS AND ENTIRELY ON THE WORKERS, BUT IT, IT IS, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING COMMUNITY BENEFIT IN, IN THE SENSE OF HOPEFULLY PROVIDING FOOD AT A, A LOW COST TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WANNA BE INVOLVED IN THE PARTNER.
SO, LEMME TAKE A STAB AT THIS QUESTION FROM A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
ONE PRO FROM EACH OF YOU, OR TWO PROS FROM EACH OF YOU AND THE CONS FOR, SAY, A FOR-PROFIT SUPERMARKET, A FOR-PROFIT FOOD BUSINESS TO THE COMMUNITY.
WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE A PRO, WHAT WOULD BE A CON BESIDES THE OBVIOUS PROVIDING FOOD? AND WHEN YOU SAY FOR-PROFIT, DO YOU MEAN ONE THAT IS, THAT'S NOT A COOPERATIVE? YES.
I, I WOULD SAY ONE COULD BE THAT AND, AND A FOR-PROFIT FOOD BUSINESS COULD RANGE FROM, YOU KNOW, QUOTE UNQUOTE MOM AND POP OWNED GROCERY STORE WHERE THE OWNER OF THE BUSINESS IS A COMMUNITY MEMBER TO A STOP AND SHOP OR, YOU KNOW, A PUBLICLY TRADED TO MARKETING, RIGHT? THOSE, THOSE ARE ALL FOR-PROFIT, PRIVATELY OWNED BUSINESSES.
BUT THERE'RE GONNA BE A HUGE RANGE OF DIFFERENCES.
BUT I, I, I THINK ONE POTENTIAL BENEFIT IS IF THERE IS A INDIVIDUAL OR, OR, OR GROUP THAT, UH, WANTS TO START A PRIVATE BUSINESS ENTERPRISE, IF THEY'RE MOTIVATED TO DO SO, UH, HERE, THEN THEY CAN BRING THEIR RESOURCES TO DO TO DOING THAT.
SO IF, YOU KNOW, IF, IF A CONCERN IS, WELL WE'RE, WHEN WE'RE BRINGING THIS TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY, IT'S GONNA TAKE A VERY LONG TIME.
WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THIS GOING.
IF THERE'S SOMEONE WHO HAS THE RESOURCES AND HAS THE MONEY WANTS TO DO IT, AND THEY WANT TO START THEIR OWN BUSINESS, THEN BRINGING THEM IN, MAYBE THAT'S A FASTER WAY TO DO THINGS.
AND MAYBE IT'S A WAY TO RELY ON, UM, USING, UH, THAT BUSINESS OWNER'S RESOURCES.
BUT OBVIOUSLY THERE, THERE ARE DOWNSIDES TO THAT AS WELL, BUT, UH, WHICH I'M SURE WE'LL TALK ABOUT, BUT I THINK THAT COULD BE ONE POTENTIAL ADVANTAGE.
AND I'VE SEEN AT LEAST ONE EXAMPLE WHERE A NONPROFIT COMMUNITY, UH, DEVELOPMENT GROUP, UH, IN A, IN A CITY, UM, WAS TRYING TO MEET THE NEED THAT WAS VOICED BY RESIDENTS, UH, TO BRING A SUPERMARKET INTO WHAT WAS PERCEIVED AS A FOOD DESERT.
AND WHAT THEY EVENTUALLY DID WAS THERE WAS A PIECE OF PROPERTY OWNED BY THE NONPROFIT COMMUNITY GROUP, THEY LEASED TO A MAJOR CHAIN.
UH, AND SO THERE WAS NOT COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP IN THE SENSE OF ACTUALLY OPERATING THE BUSINESS, BUT THERE WAS IN A MORE INDIRECT SENSE, SOME COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP IN, IN THAT THEY, UH, GOT RENTAL PAYMENTS FROM THIS SUPERMARKET CHAIN FOR THIS PROPERTY OWNED BY THE NONPROFIT, AND THEY USED THOSE RENTAL PAYMENTS AND THE INCOME FROM THAT TO FUND SOME OTHER COMMUNITY PROGRAM.
[01:00:01]
GREAT.AND ANY, UM, PROS AND CONS, I'LL GIVE THIS TO MICHAEL.
WHAT DID YOU SEE AS THE GREATEST BENEFIT OF THE WORKER CO-OP MODEL, AND WHAT WAS THE GREATEST CON IN YOUR OPINION? AGAIN, CONSUMER CO-OPS IS WHAT I WAS MORE INVOLVED WITH, SO, SO I'LL SPEAK TO THAT IF, IF THAT'S OKAY.
SO, YOU KNOW, JUST THE OBVIOUS, IT'S EMPOWERMENT.
IT'S A SAY SO IN HOW THINGS ARE RUN.
YOU HAVE A VOICE, HOPEFULLY YOU'RE GETTING PRODUCT, UM, AT A, AT A LOWER COST, HOPEFULLY A BETTER QUALITY PRODUCT AS WELL.
UM, AND YOU HAVE OWNERSHIP AND EMPOWERMENT IN, IN THAT TO WHATEVER LEVEL YOU WANT.
UM, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN MEMBERS OF A CO-OP NEVER GO TO MEETINGS THAT THEY JUST ONLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, OF THE, OF THE LOWER PRICES OR, OR, OR THE QUALITY OF PRODUCT.
UM, AND OTHER INSTANCES, UM, PEOPLE ATTEND EVERY MEETING AND, AND THEY WANNA VOICE IN THE WAY THINGS ARE RUN AND WHAT PRODUCTS ARE CARRIED, HOW DECISIONS ARE MADE AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND WHO MAKES THOSE DECISIONS.
A, A CONSUMER CO-OP, YOU HAVE A STAKE IN WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE STORE THAT YOU SHOP AT.
UM, AND, AND A, A CON OF IT IS THAT SOMETIMES VERY FEW PEOPLE END UP DOING A WHOLE LOT OF THE WORK TO KEEP THE CO-OP RUNNING, UM, THAT THERE IS RESENTMENT.
UM, THERE ARE DIFFERENT, BUT YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, WAYS AROUND THAT THOUGH ARE TO HAVE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF, OF MEMBERSHIP, UM, WITHIN THE CO-OP STRUCTURE AND BENEFITS GO ALONG WITH, WITH, WITH DIFFERENT LEVELS OF, OF MEMBERSHIP AND SUCH LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, OTHER CONS ARE THAT IT IS SOMETIMES THEY START OUT SMALL, SO IT'S HARD TO COMPETE PRICE WISE WITH A PRIVATELY OWNED ENTERPRISE THAT HAS MUCH LARGER BUYING POWER, UH, FROM THE GET GO OR, OR BETTER RESOURCES TO BUY MORE BULK AND, AND THEREFORE BETTER PRICES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS FAVOR CONSUMER CO-OPS, LIKE MO I'M A LITTLE BIASED TOWARD, TOWARDS THAT.
UM, UH, LIKE SHE IS TOWARDS WORKER CO-OPS.
UM, AND I JUST LIKE THE CO-OP STRUCTURE.
I THINK IT'S MUCH MORE EMPOWERING AND, AND IT ALLOWS YOU TO OWN, UH, WHERE YOU SHOP.
HAVE YOU SEEN, UH, PROBLEMS WHERE, SAY A FOOD CO-OP, UM, IS PLACED NEAR, YOU KNOW, RELATIVELY NEAR A REGULAR LARGER SIZE, YOU KNOW, SUPERMARKET AND, YOU KNOW, COULD SPECIALTY, UM, CO-OPS BE SUCCESSFUL EVEN IF THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, WITHIN A MILE OR SO FROM A SUPERMARKET? IT'S TOUGH TO COMPETE WITH THE BIG GUYS OR THE BIG STORES.
IT JUST SIMPLY IS IT, UH, PRICE WISE? IT, SO YOU HAVE TO DO, YOU HAVE TO, UH, HAVE A NICHE, UM, UH, WHATEVER THAT NICHE MIGHT BE, AGAIN, BETTER, BETTER QUALITY PRODUCTS.
YOU, YOU CAN HOPEFULLY MATCH PRICING OR NOT BE THAT MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE.
BUT WHEN THEY'RE BUYING, YOU KNOW, SUCH LARGE BULK AND, AND YOU HAVE A HUNDRED MEMBERS AND THEY HAVE A THOUSAND PEOPLE SHOPPING A DAY THERE, UM, IT IS HARD TO COMPETE PRICE WISE WITH THAT.
UM, A AGAIN, UNLESS YOU HAVE SPECIALTY ITEMS, YOU KNOW, THE CO-OPS I WAS INVOLVED WITH WERE SPECIAL BECAUSE BACK BEFORE ORGANIC OR WHOLE FOODS WERE, WERE MAIN, WERE AS MAINSTREAM AS THEY HAVE BECOME, WE STARTED CARRYING WHOLE GRAINS, UH, WHOLE FLOWERS, A VARIETY OF BEANS, DRIED FRUITS, UH, ORGANIC PRODUCT IN THE EARLY SEVENTIES, MID SEVENTIES, EARLY EIGHTIES, BEFORE IT BECAME, GOT INTO MORE OF THE MAINSTREAM.
UM, AND THAT'S WHY A LOT OF THE CO-OPTS THAT I WORKED WITH WERE SUCCESSFUL.
BUT WHY ALSO THEY WENT UNDER WAS BECAUSE THE, THE, THE LARGER GROCERIES CHAIN STARTED CARRYING SIMILAR PRODUCT AT, AT LOWER PRICES.
AND I JUST HAVE ONE FOLLOW-UP QUESTION.
UM, UH, HAS, HAS THERE EVER BEEN INSTANCES WHERE A CO-OP WOULD WORK WITH, SAY, A LARGER SUPERMARKET WHERE THERE COULD BE SORT OF LIKE A SECTION IN THE SUPERMARKET OR IN A BUSINESS THAT WOULD BE RESERVED FOR, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, FOR A CO FOR A CO-OP? SO IT WOULDN'T BE DIRECT COMPETITION, BUT IT MIGHT BE EASIER TO, TO BENEFIT FROM THEIR BUSINESS? I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY SUCH MODEL.
THERE MIGHT BE, UM, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN BRANDS LIKE EQUAL EXCHANGE COMES TO MIND WHERE YOU MIGHT SEE LIKE EQUAL EXCHANGE COFFEE, THEY'RE A WORKER COOPERATIVE AND THEY HAVE A PARTICULAR BRAND IN IT.
BUT I WOULD AGREE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT MANY, UM, IT KIND OF LIKE DEFEATS THE PURPOSE OF THE WORLD.
THE IDEA OF THE CO-OP IS TO LIKE, HAVE, HAVE THE OWNERSHIP.
[01:05:01]
I WOULD AGREE WITH A LOT OF, OF WHAT MICHAEL SAID.I THINK THE ONE, THE ONE THING THAT I WOULD ADD IS THAT, UM, THE, THE, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, UH, A REGULAR GROCERY STORE, THEY, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO COME IN AT A LOWER PRICE POINT, A COOPERATIVE, IF YOU'RE, YOU'RE GAINING MEMBERSHIP, YOU HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CLIENTELE THAT IS, HAS AN INVESTMENT WITHIN THE BUSINESS, RIGHT? SO IF I SHOP AT MY CO-OP, UM, AND WE MAKE ABOVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY, THEN LIKE, I'M STILL GETTING, I'M GONNA GET PATRON BACK, RIGHT? I'M GONNA GET MONEY BACK.
THERE'S AN INCENTIVE TO SHOP AT THAT GROCERY STORE.
UM, THERE'S CERTAINLY A VERY, UM, A BALANCE BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, LIKE HAVING, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF, A LOT OF COPS DO, LIKE, YOU KNOW, ORGANIC, HEALTHY FOODS, BUT THERE'S ALSO A BALANCE.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE LIKE ACCESSIBLE, PRICED, UH, ITEMS. AND THERE'S DEFINITELY A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE IN TERMS OF FIGURING OUT WHAT, WHAT WORKS.
AND THAT'S VERY DEPENDENT ON WHERE THE COOPERATIVE IS.
UM, BUT I THINK HAVING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ABLE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A THOUSAND PEOPLE THAT ARE COMMITTED TO SHOPPING AT THE STORE.
UM, I THINK AT MY GROCERY STORE, IT'S LIKE 60% OF THE, THE SALES ARE
UM, YOU'RE ABLE TO QUANTIFY THOSE THINGS AND, AND REALLY UNDERSTAND TRAJECTORIES.
UM, IT DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK OUT.
BUT, UM, THAT, THAT THERE IS, THERE ARE HARD NUMBERS THAT YOU CAN LEAN ON IN TERMS OF, UH, OKAY.
I DON'T HAVE A, A QUESTION, BUT A COMMENT.
I'D LIKE TO TAKE A STEP BACKWARDS FOR A MINUTE AND TO TALK ABOUT HOW THIS WHOLE THING GETS STARTED.
ORIGINALLY GET STARTED BECAUSE PEOPLE IN THE FAIRVIEW AREA DIDN'T HAVE LOW COST, CONVENIENT, AND GOOD QUALITY FOOD IN THE AREA.
UH, AND, AND WHAT I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT UPON US TO PRESENT YOU WITH ALL THE OPTIONS.
AND THEN ONCE YOU KNOW WHAT ALL THE OPTIONS ARE, THEN YOU COULD THEN YOU COULD TELL US WHAT DIRECTION YOU WANT TO TRAVEL IN TONIGHT.
WE HAVE HEARD ABOUT, UH, NONPROFIT WORKER OWNED, COMMUNITY OWNED, UH, UH, UH, TYPICAL, UM, TRADITIONAL SUPERMARKET.
UH, WE TALKED ABOUT ORGANIZATION WITHIN THE, THE CO-OP STRUCTURE TO TRAIN PEOPLE.
I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS LOOK AT THE PROS AND CONS OF EACH TYPE OF OPPORTUNITY, AND THEN ONCE EVALUATING THE PROS AND CONS FOR EACH OPPORTUNITY, THEN YOU AS A COMMUNITY COULD SAY, AFTER LOOKING AT ALL THE OPTIONS, THIS IS WHERE WE SHOULD GO.
I DON'T THINK IT IS UP TO AT LEAST MY FEELING, I DON'T THINK IT'S UP TO ME TO TELL YOU WHERE YOU SHOULD GO AS A COMMUNITY.
MY RESPONSIBILITY IS TO CLEARLY OUTLINE ALL THE OPTIONS, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE PROS AND CONS OF, BECAUSE ANY ONE OF THESE HAVE ITS DRAWBACKS.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GET A BIG SUPERMARKET, THEY GIVE YOU WHAT YOU WANT, BUT THAT'S MONEY THAT'S BEING SUCKED OUT OF THE COMMUNITY AND GOING ELSEWHERE.
BUT YOU HAVE CONVENIENCE OF A LARGE SUPERMARKET.
SO THAT'S THE PRO AND THE CON.
YOU HAVE THE, THE, THE VARIOUS PROS AND THE CONS OF THE VARIOUS CO-OPS WE TALKED ABOUT.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT AS A COMMITTEE YOU ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROS AND THE CONS BECAUSE NO, NO, NONE OF NONE OF WHAT WE SAID TONIGHT IS PERFECT.
SO WE NEED FEEDBACK FOR WHAT YOU THINK IS THE BEST WAY TO GO.
WE'RE, WE'RE ABOUT TO, AND I'M NOT BIAS, BUT I WAS PART OF THE COURTROOM.
AND I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN SIGNALING TO YOU FOR A WHILE, TASHA, AND I DON'T APPRECIATE IT.
LISTEN, I'M, I'M GONNA GO ONE STEP FURTHER BACK FROM WHAT WALTER SAID.
WHAT WE NEED TO FIND OUT IS WHAT THE NEED, WANT, AND DESIRES OF THE FAIRVIEW COMMUNITY IS.
THE NEXT STEP IS TO GO AND FIGURE IT OUT HOW IT FITS INTO ONE OF THESE MODELS.
AND IT, SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE MODELS, WHICH ONE, IT'S ONE STEP FURTHER AWAY FROM WHERE WE WANNA BE LISTENING TO, WHICH IS THE NEEDS, THE WANTS AND DESIRES OF THE FAIRVIEW COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE'RE SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME LOOKING AT THE PRO AND CONS OF
[01:10:01]
SOMETHING WE'VE KIND OF PUT FORTH AND DECIDED ON WITHOUT FINDING OUT WHAT THE, WHAT THEY NEED.SO I'M GONNA PASS IT ON TO, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS HERE TO, I THINK THERE WAS A QUESTION OVER HERE, EVERYBODY.
IF YOU COULD LEAVE IT AT THE PODIUM AND PEOPLE COULD WALK UP.
I MEAN, I THINK YOU TOUCHED ON IT WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT THE PROS AND THE CONS.
UM, I KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CO-OPS, JUST 'CAUSE I HAVE FRIENDS WHO HAVE SHOPPED AT THEM, BUT WHAT I WASN'T CLEAR ON IS EXACTLY WHAT IT IS AND WHAT TYPE OF COMMITMENT AND TIME YES.
UM, IT'S GREAT TO LIKE SOMETHING AND WANT TO DO SOMETHING, BUT THEN WHEN PEOPLE SAY, YEAH, BUT YOU NEED TO SPEND 10 HOURS A MONTH DOING THIS, RIGHT, THEN IT'S LIKE, OH WAIT, I DON'T WANNA DO THAT.
SO I THINK WHAT YOU MENTIONED IN TERMS OF SORT OF MODELING IT FOR US, I KNOW YOU CAN'T NECESSARILY GO ALL THE WAY INTO THE DETAIL 'CAUSE THAT COSTS MONEY TO DO A MODEL LIKE THAT.
BUT TO REALLY LET US KNOW, LISTEN, WE CAN GO THIS WAY AND THIS IS THE TIME.
'CAUSE SOME OF THEM SAID, IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO GET THESE THINGS UP.
THIS IS THE TIME IT'S GONNA TAKE.
OR YOU CAN HAVE A SUPERMARKET, UM, IN THE NEXT YEAR.
BUT JUST LET US KNOW WHAT IT REALLY LOOKS LIKE IN TERMS OF WHAT THE COMMITMENT FROM THE COMMUNITY IS.
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WHETHER WE DO THE WORKER CO-OP SITUATION MM-HMM.
UH, IT'LL TAKE TIME AND EFFORT FROM THE COMMUNITY AND TO PARTICIPATE AND MONEY AND THAT TOO.
AND ALSO THE OTHER PART, UM, THAT HE MENTIONED IS MODELING IT.
IS THIS GOING TO BE FINANCIALLY VIABLE, UH, WITH THE AMOUNT OF POPULATION WE HAVE WITH THE COST OF THE FOOD? AND THEN THE ONLY OTHER LAST THING I DID WANNA SAY IN MENTIONING CO-OPS IS, UM, I THINK SOME OF THEM HAVE SORT OF A SUSTAINABILITY, UH, PORTION TO IT.
MEANING YOU DON'T GO IN THERE AND BUY ONE LITTLE THING OF OATMEAL OR ONE LITTLE THING OF, OF CASHEW NUTS.
LIKE YOU CAN SCOOP IT OUT SO YOU DON'T HAVE AS MUCH PACKAGING.
SO THAT'S JUST ANOTHER, UM, PART OF IT.
BUT JUST LOOKING AT THE WHOLE THING IN TERMS OF PROS AND CONS SO THAT WE CAN MAKE A DECISION BECAUSE IT'S LIKE, WHAT LOOKS GREAT AND SHINY, AND THEN WHAT, WHAT'S THE REALITY OF IT? SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
I'M GONNA HOLD MY COMMENTS TO THE END QUESTION UP TO THE FRONT.
PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM, COME UP, I CAN ON ZOOM.
IS IT ADMISSIBLE? SO JUST, UH, UH, TASHA, IF I COULD ASSIST WITH THE MODERATION FOR THOSE ON ZOOM.
UM, TWO, TWO, IF WE COULD DO PERHAPS TWO QUESTIONS LIVE FROM THE AUDITORIUM.
AND THEN I, I HAVE, UH, DEFINITELY PEOPLE ON THE ZOOM THAT HAVE QUESTIONS, SO MAYBE WE'LL ALTERNATE.
SO MS. WILLIAMS, THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
WE'RE GONNA DO ONE MORE LIVE QUESTION, THE AUDITORIUM, AND WE'LL TURN IT OVER TO, UH, THE ZOOM.
UM, THIS IS A QUESTION FOR MR. BRENNAN.
UM, GREENBERG HAS BEEN, I'M SORRY.
CAN, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES.
UM, GREENBERG HAS BEEN A HOSTILE, UM, PLACE FOR FOOD BUSINESSES TO MOVE.
WE HAVE HAD A TOUGH TIME OVER THE LAST FEW DECADES ATTRACTING THOSE SORT OF BUSINESSES.
AND THE ONES THAT HAVE COME HERE HAVE NOT HAD A, A, A GREAT DEAL OF SUCCESS.
AND I THINK IT IS IN PART BECAUSE OF POOR PLANNING, BUT IT'S ALSO POLICIES AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, SORT OF ENFORCEMENT STRUCTURES THAT MAKE IT VERY DIFFICULT AND PRACTICAL, EXPENSIVE, TIME CONSUMING TO OPERATE A BUSINESS, UM, OF ANY SORT, REALLY.
IN GREENBERG, I STARTED A BUSINESS HERE 13 YEARS AGO, UM, WITH THE INTENTION OF HIRING AND BUILDING A BUSINESS HERE.
I'VE HIRED 33 PEOPLE AND HAVE ONLY REALLY BEEN ABLE TO HAVE ONE IN, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, IN THE, THAT, THAT LIVES IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
UM, BE, YOU KNOW, AND WE'VE HAD TO GO ELSEWHERE, UM, BECAUSE OF SOME OF THESE IMPEDIMENTS.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS THIS, I MEAN, WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO TO GIVE THIS SORT OF THING, THIS SORT OF INITIATIVE, THE POTENTIAL TO BE SUCCESSFUL? WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT THE TOWN NEEDS TO DO TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THIS CAN BE SUCCESSFUL? AND I, I, I'M, I DON'T WANNA GO TOO LONG, BUT I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
I MEAN, FOR US, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE POLICIES THAT HAVE, UM, REALLY MADE TRANSPORTATION A VERY DIFFICULT THING.
YOU KNOW, I, I THINK ONE IS WE'RE JUST WOEFULLY UNDER SUPPORTED IN TERMS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME.
I, MY COMPANY'S A DIFFICULT TIME HIRING PEOPLE MM-HMM.
UM, AND ALSO IT, IT TENDS TO, UM, MEAN THAT WE HIRE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, HIGHER, UM, SOCIOECONOMIC, YOU KNOW, SITUATIONS BECAUSE THEY HAVE A CAR.
AND, AND WE, WE DON'T WANNA DO THAT.
BUT I GUESS, YOU KNOW, SO THE OTHER THING IS, YOU KNOW, THE TOWN DOESN'T DO ANY PLANNING WHEN IT COMES TO ROAD PAVING AND, AND PROJECTS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, FOR US, WE ESTABLISH AN OFFICE, AND THEN WE HAVE UNEXPECTED DISRUPTIONS.
I MEAN, THAT SEEMS LIKE IT COULD BE VERY DISRUPTIVE TO A COOPERATIVE IF, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ON ROUTE ONE 19, IT'S NOT A GREAT, UH, IT'S NOT WELL SERVED BY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
[01:15:01]
KNOW, THEY PUT, THEY HAVE AN UNEXPECTED OR AN UNPLANNED, YOU KNOW, SORT OF PROJECT THAT DISRUPTS THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC, AND IT COULD REALLY, YOU KNOW, HURT THE POTENTIAL FOR SUCCESS.SO I GUESS I SAY THOSE THINGS BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH YOU KNOW ABOUT OUR TOWN, BUT, YOU KNOW, I JUST WONDER, MR. BRENNAN, DO YOU FIND THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE A, A A, AN AREA THAT HAS DIFFICULTY FOR COMMERCIAL FOOD BUSINESSES TO BE SUCCESSFUL, DO THESE SORT OF COOPERATIVES TEND TO THRIVE IN THOSE, UM, BECAUSE THERE'S LESS COMPETITION OR CHA BE CHALLENGED BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE AS MUCH CAPITAL AND RESOURCES AND SO ON? YEAH, GOOD QUESTION.
AND, YOU KNOW, MOST CO-OPS I KNOW ARE NOT, UH, MAJOR, UH, COMMERCIAL THROUGHWAYS.
THEY ARE THERE, UM, COMMUNITY.
THEY'RE NOT ON THE MAIN COMMERCIAL BAG, UM, OF THE COMMUNITY, UNLESS IT'S A VERY SMALL COMMUNITY AND YOU HAVE OTHER SMALL STORES ALONG THERE.
UM, SO, UM, IT, IT CAN BE SUCCESSFUL AND, AND THOSE TYPES OF INTERRUPTIONS, UH, INTERRUPT ANY TYPE OF BUSINESS.
YOU KNOW, YOU COULD BE IN, IN, IN A NEIGHBORHOOD STORE AND HAVE DISRUPTION.
UM, SO DISRUPTIONS OCCURRED, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST A, A PART OF DOING BUSINESS.
UM, YOU WANT GOOD ACCESS THOUGH, YOU KNOW, LIKE ON, ON A, ON A, ON A BUS ROUTE OR, OR WALKING ROUTE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, IT CERTAINLY HELPS, YOU KNOW, UM, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S A FOOD DESERT AND, AND SOME OF THE ISSUES ARE THAT SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY HAVE DIFFICULTY GETTING, YOU KNOW, TO A STORE EVEN A MILE OR A MILE AND A HALF AWAY, UM, THEN YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S SUCCESSFUL.
YOU WANT TO HAVE DELIVERY SET UP.
I MEAN, THERE'S ALL KIND OF WAYS TO ANSWER, YOU KNOW, UM, PROBLEMS THAT COME UP.
UM, YOU JUST HAVE TO BUILD IT INTO YOUR STRUCTURE TO TAKE CARE OF THAT.
IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE A GROCERY STORE OR THAT TYPE OF OF OF THING, UM, YOU CAN CERTAINLY MAKE DELIVERY AVAILABLE.
YOU CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THAT MAKES ANOTHER JOB FOR SOMEBODY TO, TO, TO, TO MAKE THE DELIVERIES MM-HMM.
UM, SO THEY NEED A CAR, RIGHT.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO YEAH, THERE'S ALL KIND OF WAYS TO DO IT.
THANKS FOR YOUR, BUT THANKS FOR YOUR ANSWER.
SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO THE ZOOM QUESTION.
SO I DEFINITELY, UH, IDENTIFIED A FEW COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS VIA THE CHAT, SO WE'LL GET TO THOSE IN A MOMENT.
BUT, UM, I THINK MS. WEEMS AND MS. CHARCO BOTH HAVE QUESTIONS THEY'D LIKE TO VERBALIZE.
SO LET'S START WITH, UH, MS. WEEMS, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
UH, I'M HAPPY TO MAKE THIS MEETING.
I'VE BEEN MISSING THEM ALL SO DEARLY.
I'M MAKING MY FIRST ONE
UM, DURING A 25 YEAR, UM, TOWN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, I DON'T THINK WE INCLUDED ANYONE IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT WOULD USE ANYTHING.
AND SINCE THERE WAS NO REPRESENTATION, WE'RE AT THIS POINT, LIKE, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT UP THE ONE 19 CORRIDOR.
JUST WHERE, WHAT PROPERTY LINES DO WE HAVE THAT WE CAN LOOK AT AND SAY WE CAN USE THAT ARE ON, THAT'S PART OF ONE 19 AND PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION.
TWO, FOR THOSE PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO ARE SOLE PROPRIETORS, I OWN, UM, I OWN CREATIVE DESIGNS, WHICH IS A FULL SERVICE FLORIST.
I BELONG TO F T D AND I BELONG TO, UM, TELE FLORAL ALSO.
BUT, UM, HERE IN UNINCORPORATED GREENBERG, YOU HAVE GRAY ROCK, YOU HAVE ONE IN ELMSFORD, AND THAT'S THE ONLY TWO LISTED AND MYSELF, BUT I'M LISTED OUT OF, UH, HAWTHORNE.
I DON'T HAVE ANY PLACE THAT I CAN AFFORD TO USE ON THAT ONE 19 CORRIDOR.
NOT ONLY AM I A MINORITY, I'VE BEEN HERE FOR AGES.
MY CLIENTELE, I HAVE A GOOD CLIENTELE LIST, BUT I CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY THE RENT.
SO WHEN WE DISCUSS BEING A COOPERATIVE, I WAS THINKING I ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DIVIDE INTO A PART OF THIS MEMBERSHIP, BUT I CAN'T DO IT IF IT'S, UM, NOT IN A LOCATION THAT I CAN EASILY COMPETE.
RIGHT HERE IN, UM, FAIRVIEW, YOU HAVE, I HAVE LIKE 15 CHURCHES THAT I SELL TO, THAT'S EVERY SUNDAY, BUT I HAVE TO DO IT FROM HAWTHORNE AND BRING IT IN.
BUT SINCE C OVID 19, I CLOSED MY SHOP AS SOON AS I KNEW THERE WAS NO INCOMING, YOU KNOW, SALES.
AND ONE WAS THE, UM, THE FLORIST INDUSTRY MM-HMM.
[01:20:01]
INTO CONSIDERATION, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE LACK OF ASSISTANCE FROM THE TOWN, DOING ANYTHING THAT'S CONSTRUCTIVE TO HELP THE MINORITIES GET INTO BUSINESSES BY CO-OPS COOPERATIVES, UM, AND DO THINGS, I'M QUITE SURE WHATEVER WE PLAN TO DO, AS LONG AS WE HAVE THE LOCATION IN WHICH TO DO IT, IT'S, WE, IT CAN BE DONE.IF YOU NOTICE, IT'S ALL AUTOMOBILES THAT I CAN'T AFFORD.
SO I'M JUST SAYING THAT IS PROBABLY OUR MAIN PROBLEM.
WHERE COULD WE PUT UP, WHERE'S THE LAND LEFT? MM-HMM.
NOW SEE ALL ALONG THE CORRIDOR ONE 19, ALL OF THOSE BUSINESSES, ALL OF THOSE VERY EXPENSIVE, D M W, JAGUAR, ALL OF THEM, THEY'RE UNDER, THEY'RE UNDER THE, UM, URBAN RENEWAL PLAN.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
THE MAIN ISSUE IS LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.
I'M QUITE SURE IF YOU PUT A, UM, SUPERMARKET HERE, THE GENTLEMAN BEFORE WHO WAS SPEAKING ABOUT, UM, THE, UM, THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF PUTTING ANYTHING IN WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION, HE'S RIGHT.
YOU'LL EITHER GO FROM WHITE PLAINS OVER TO ELMSFORD, AND THAT ENDS AT ONE 19 CORRIDOR.
WELL, THERE'S A TERRYTOWN BUS THAT GOES DOWN.
SO ALL OF THESE THINGS WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION.
HOW CAN I MAKE MONEY, PAY MY SALES TAX AND MAKE A PROFIT ALONG WITH MY MEMBERSHIP.
SO IT IS DOABLE, BUT WE NEED TO LOOK AT ALL OF THESE THINGS MM-HMM.
SO FAR, I'VE EXPECTED NOTHING, AND I'VE RECEIVED NOTHING.
SO EVERYBODY WHO WAS ON THAT COMMITTEE WAS SPEAKING FOR ME, AND I WAS NOT GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK FOR MYSELF.
AND I TOOK THE LAND USAGE, UM, TRAINING PRESENTED BY THE COUNTY IN 2009, I THINK 2000, SOMEWHERE AROUND THERE.
AND I STILL WASN'T PERMITTED TO GET ONTO THAT.
SO NOW A LOT IS EXPECTED OF THIS GROUP, AND I HOPE Y'ALL CAN COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT WE CAN USE.
UH, I THINK I NEED TO CORRECT THE RECORDS.
LET, LET, UM, CAN WE, CAN WE MOVE THAT TO THE END? CAN WE JUST WRITE IT DOWN, NATASHA? I THINK IT NEEDS TO RE CORRECT IT NOW.
UH, NO, I WANNA CORRECT THE RECORD NOW.
THE TWO THINGS THAT WAS SAID, THAT IS JUST UNTRUE THAT THERE WAS NO BLACKS IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
I WAS A MEMBER OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR AN ENTIRE SESSION OF EIGHT YEARS.
THE OTHER POINT WAS THAT THERE'S NO REPRESENTATION OF ANYONE ON THE PLANNING BOARD FROM MANHATTAN AVENUE.
WE HAD A VACANCY ON THE PLANNING BOARD THAT I ANNOUNCED FOR OVER A YEAR.
I ANNOUNCED THAT A VACANCY ENCOURAGED PEOPLE TO APPLY.
THE TOWN BOARD ANNOUNCED THAT FOR OVER A YEAR FOR PEOPLE TO APPLY NARROWING FROM THAT COMMUNITY APPLIED.
SO I JUST WANT TO CORRECT THAT REC THOSE TWO STATEMENTS.
MS. CHARCO? NO, MAY, I'M SORRY.
DO I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A REBUTTAL? NO.
NO, BECAUSE I'M JUST GONNA SAY THAT'S NOT TRUE.
PAT, IF RESPECTFULLY, RESPECTFULLY, WE RESPECTFULLY, THIS IS NO NEED TO DEFEND OR REBUT.
WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO MS. CHARCO.
AND I'M A RESIDENT OF 33 OAK STREET AND, UH, RIGHT IN FAIRVIEW, RIGHT ON MANHATTAN AVENUE.
AND, UM, FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, I HAVE BEEN SURVEYING MY COMMUNITY AND TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE NEED HERE AS FAR AS THE SUPERMARKET, AS FAR AS BRINGING IN
[01:25:01]
FRESH FOOD.UM, AS FAR AS THE CO-OP, UM, I'VE BEEN HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS AND, YOU KNOW, THE ONE THING BEING, UM, WITH THE CO-OPS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE AREN'T JUST POOR SITTING AROUND AT HOME WITH NOTHING TO DO.
PEOPLE ARE FULL-TIME JOBS, TWO JOBS.
UM, PEOPLE ARE RAISING CHILDREN.
WE HAVE DISABLED PEOPLE, WE HAVE ELDERLY PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITY, AND WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE LOWER INCOME THAT EVEN LOWER LOWER INCOME THAN ME.
AND, UH, AND THEY'RE JUST CAUGHT UP IN THE DEAL IN THE DAILY GRIND OF LIFE.
THE TRAUMA, THE DAILY TRAUMA OF LIVING.
HOW AM I GONNA DO THIS, THIS, THIS, HOW AM I GONNA FIND A SITTER FOR MY KID SO I CAN GO BACK TO SCHOOL? NOBODY'S GONNA HAVE TIME.
VERY, VERY FEW PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO WILLING OR ABLE, I DON'T WANNA SAY NOT WILLING, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT FAIR.
IT SOUNDS LIKE PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING.
SO, UM, PEOPLE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO VOLUNTEER IN ANYTHING TO WORK.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, AND YOU CAN CLEAR IT UP AFTER, UM, THAT THERE'S A FEE TO JOIN THE CO-OP.
AND DEPENDING ON IF YOU WORK HOURS, WHAT YOU PAY IS, UH, YOU KNOW, ACCORDING, LIKE, YOU COULD GO IN A CO AND SHOP, BUT YOU JUST DON'T GET AS MUCH OF A DISCOUNT, UH, OR ANY DISCOUNT IF YOU DON'T PUT IN HOURS.
ALSO, YOU DON'T GET PAID TO WORK IN THE CO-OP IF THOSE ARE VOLUNTEER OWN YOU'RE PUTTING IN.
IF SOMEBODY'S GOT ASK, PARTICULARLY IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, THE KIDS, MY DAUGHTER'S NOT GONNA WORK.
SHE NEEDS, SHE WANTS MONEY, SHE WANTS, SHE'S 16, SHE WANTS TO BUY A CARD.
SHE CAN'T, SHE HAS NO TIME TO PUT IN 10, 15 HOURS OF VOLUNTEER TIME WHILE GOING TO SCHOOL.
SO, ON TOP OF THAT, UM, IN TALKING ABOUT WHAT KIND OF FOODS, WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS IS NOT SPECIALTY.
AND I DON'T EVEN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN BY SPECIALTY FOODS, BUT NOBODY WANTS A CO-OP TO, UM, OR ANYTHING.
EVEN A FARMER'S MARKET WHERE PEOPLE ARE GONNA COME IN AND SELL, YOU KNOW, HONEY MAPLE SYRUP FOR $16, GOAT CHEESE, YOU KNOW, FANCY CHEESES, UH, THIS AND THAT.
I THINK YOU REALLY HELPED US WITH THE CONS TO CORRUPT.
BUT I'D LIKE TO JUST ADD ONE MORE SENTENCE.
WHAT PEOPLE HAVE, WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME IS THAT THEY ARE VERY, VERY OPEN TO HAVING A FARMER'S MARKET ON A SATURDAY.
JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER TOWN HAS IT, IT'S NOT GONNA DISTRACT FROM ANY OTHER TOWN.
NOBODY GETS ON A BUS TO GO TO TARRYTOWN.
THEY WANT IT RIGHT HERE IN GREENBURG DURING A WEEKEND WHEN PEOPLE CAN GO DURING HOURS THAT ARE LONG ENOUGH FOR PEOPLE TO GO, CAN'T BE ON A SUNDAY, OKAY.
AND THEY WANT FRESH FISH, VEGETABLES.
THEY WANT FOODS THAT SERVE THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
AND, AND WE WANNA BRING IN ALSO OUR SMALL BUSINESS PEOPLE TO SELL THEIR BOOKS.
WE HAVE TO TAKE ANOTHER QUESTION OR COMMENT.
THAT'S, AND THIS IS NOT THE LAST OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO SPEAK, ACTUALLY, IF I, IF I MAY.
I'D LOVE TO SHARE JUST A LITTLE BIT.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK PARTICULARLY PATRICIA.
[01:30:01]
THAT WAS SPEAKING, I THINK YOU REALLY HIT ON SOME VERY IMPORTANT POINTS.UM, I THINK THERE, THERE ARE SOME, THERE'S A LITTLE DEMYSTIFYING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO, UM, ABOUT CO-OPS IS THAT THERE'S, THERE'S NO SET STRUCTURE, RIGHT, IN TERMS OF HOURS, IN TERMS OF THE KINDS OF FOODS.
UM, YOU KNOW, UH, I I THINK IT WAS LOUISE, UM, YOU WERE SAYING YOU, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK, RIGHT? TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE LIKE FRESH FISH.
IT'S LIKE KNOWING EXACTLY WHAT ARE THE KINDS OF FOODS THAT PEOPLE WANT TO HAVE.
UM, IT, IT IS CRUCIALLY IMPORTANT TO MAKING SURE THAT IT'S SUCCESSFUL AND KNOWING THINGS LIKE, YEAH.
UH, I THINK MY, WE DON'T, WE DON'T DO OURS AT ALL, BECAUSE IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
LIKE NO ONE AROUND WHERE WE ARE CAN DO THAT.
SO WE ADOPTED A DIFFERENT MODEL.
SO I THINK, UM, STEPPING BACK FROM, YOU KNOW, CO-OP, NO PROFIT, WHATEVER, THERE'S CERTAIN JUST BASIC LIKE MARKET RESEARCH THAT WILL NEED TO BE DONE NO MATTER WHAT, TO UNDERSTAND, LIKE WHERE THINGS SHOULD BE, WHAT THINGS SHOULD BE.
UM, YOU KNOW, OUR CO-OP STARTED FOR, FOR SEVERAL YEARS WITH JUST, UM, A BUYER'S CLUB, WHICH, YOU KNOW, IS EFFECTIVELY LIKE A, LIKE A FARMER'S MARKET, RIGHT? SO WORKING PEOPLE UP TO IT.
IT'S LIKE YOU JUST COME ONCE A WEEK, YOU COME AND YOU KNOW, LIKE WHAT YOU'RE GONNA GET AND YOU LIKE, YOU, YOU, UH, IT INVOLVES A LOT OF, LIKE, LOCAL VENDORS.
UM, SO IT REALLY IS, UH, I THINK THE BENEFIT OF, OF THE, THE CO-OP MODELS THAT YOU, YOU HAVE A LOT OF INPUT IN THAT MM-HMM.
DO I, OKAY, SO I WAS WONDERING IF I HAD TO PRESS THE BUTTON.
SO THE REASON WHY I'M AT THIS MEETING IS BECAUSE I GOT A LETTER IN THE MAIL, AND THEN, UM, THEATRE YOUNG SENT AN EMAIL.
SO I SAID, OH, THIS MUST BE IMPORTANT, SO I SHOULD COME, YOU KNOW, SO, UM, I LIVE CLOSE TO MANHATTAN AVENUE, SO I DON'T LIVE ON MANHATTAN AVENUE.
AND PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR MY IGNORANCE.
IF I MISS SOMETHING, I CAME A LITTLE LATE.
BUT I NEED A LITTLE CLARITY ON EXACTLY WHAT THIS IS FOR, BECAUSE MY BIGGEST CONCERN AS A PARENT OF FOUR CHILDREN IS SAFETY.
AND, UM, ME WORKING IN THE BRONX AND COMMUTING AND LIVING HERE, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT I SEE IS BY HAVING A SMALL STORE, SOMETIMES WITHOUT NOTICING, THAT COULD CREATE ISSUES.
AND MY QUESTION IS, IF THERE IS A STORE THAT IS GONNA BE PUT ON MANHATTAN AVENUE, WHAT ARE THE HOURS OF OPERATION? WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE GONNA BE SOLD, LIKE ALCOHOL OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? BECAUSE THAT IS PROBLEMATIC FOR ME, YOU KNOW? UM, I'M LISTENING AND HEARING WHAT ARE SOME OF THE NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY.
GRANTED, I SHOULDN'T BE THE ONE THAT SPEAKS NECESSARILY FOR THE COMMUNITY SINCE I'M NEW, BUT I WILL SAY I GO TO ACME, THAT'S NOT THAT FAR, AND I GO TO TRADER JOE'S.
BUT IF WE'RE THINKING ABOUT WHAT IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA THAT, UM, YOUNG LADY THAT JUST SPOKE, SPEAKING OF THE FARMER'S MARKET ON MY DRIVE HOME, I NOTICED THAT THE TOWN HALL SAID SEPTEMBER 30TH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A FARMER'S MARKET INSIDE.
SO I'VE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT BECAUSE I'VE PARTICIPATED IN THE ONE THAT'S BY THE HARTSDALE TRAIN STATION AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S GREAT FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND EVEN THOUGH SHE SAYS SHE DOESN'T WANT GOAT CHEESE AND HONEY, I ACTUALLY MIGHT LIKE THAT BECAUSE IT BRINGS VERSATILITY.
AND, UM, I APPRECIATE HER TRYING TO TALK ABOUT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY, BUT I, MYSELF IS AFRICAN AMERICAN AND LATINA, AND I MIGHT WANT SOME THINGS THAT ARE NOT THE TYPICAL, I GUESS, EXPECTATION OF WHAT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN AND HISPANIC COMMUNITY IS.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO TRY DIFFERENT THINGS THAT COULD EXPOSE MY CHILDREN.
AND I, YOU KNOW, I LIKE DIFFERENT SALAMIS AND DIFFERENT CHEESES, YOU KNOW, I LIKE DIFFERENT WINES, SO, AND I EAT PORK.
BUT WHAT I WANTED TO SAY IS, I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DEDICATE THAT TIME.
I, MYSELF, WORKING MOM, I, I AM AN ADJUNCT PROFESSOR.
I DO A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS,
[01:35:01]
JUGGLING LOTS OF, MANY HATS.BUT WHAT I DO WANNA SAY IS THAT MY NUMBER ONE CONCERN IS SAFETY.
AND THAT, HOW DOES THAT REALLY AFFECT THE COMMUNITY BY HAVING A STORE, I KNOW YOU ARE REFERRING TO A FOR-PROFIT IDEA, AND BY HAVING A BIG STORE COME IN, HOW MUCH CONTROL WILL THE COMMUNITY ACTUALLY HAVE ONCE WE MAYBE LEASE A SPACE? AND WHEN YOU SAY COMMU CO-OP, AND THAT OTHER WOMAN SPOKE ABOUT HAVING A FLORIST BUSINESS MM-HMM.
SO I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S THE IGNORANCE PART OF IT.
BUT IF I HAD AN OPTION TO HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE, I WOULD SAY THE FARMER'S MARKET TOO.
AND I WOULD ALSO SAY INCORPORATING OUR YOUTH IN EMPLOYMENT SO THAT THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE HOW THINGS ARE GROWN AND BROUGHT UP TO THE TABLE.
BUT THEN ALSO, I HAVE PARTICIPATED IN TASTY TUESDAYS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYONE KNOWS THAT, BUT THAT'S AT THE THEATER YOUNG CENTER BEFORE COVID.
BUT NEVERTHELESS, WE HAVE A LOT OF TALENTED COOKS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT COULD REALLY BRING SOME OF THE FLAVORS OF THE COMMUNITY, WHICH COULD BE AFRICAN AMERICAN OR LATINA, OR ASIAN, OR, YOU KNOW, INDIAN OR WHATEVER.
IT'S BECAUSE WE HAVE A LARGE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
BUT ON MY BLOCK, I HAVE JEWISH, I HAVE ITALIAN, I HAVE, YOU KNOW, JAMAICAN, I HAVE A, IT'S A MELTING POT OF SO MANY DIFFERENT CULTURES.
AND I THINK THAT IT'S GREAT TO INCORPORATE, YOU KNOW, MINORITIES, BUT WE HAVE TO ALSO, WE HAVE TO BE AN INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY SO THAT WE ALSO INVOLVE EVERYONE.
SO THAT EVEN IF I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH AN ASIAN FLARE, BRING IT TO ME BECAUSE I WANNA TRY IT.
SO I JUST WANT US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO THAT.
BUT WE INCORPORATE OUR YOUTH AND WE THINK ABOUT SAFETY.
WOULD IT MAKE ANY, WOULD IT MAKE ANY SENSE TO HAVE LIKE A, A PROFESSIONAL LIKE SURVEY, UH, LIKE A NEEDS, UH, UH, THAT WOULD BE CONDUCTED WHERE WE COULD REALLY GET A SENSE WHAT THE COMMUNITY REALLY WANTS? AND, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER ISSUE THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M SORT OF THINKING AT IS THE WHOLE NATURE OF BUSINESS IS CHANGING.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE COULD, RIGHT NOW, WE COULD OPEN UP A FOOD CO-OP, AND THEN A YEAR FROM NOW THERE COULD BE ANOTHER SUPERMARKET COMING IN, AND THEN THE CO-OP COULD, YOU KNOW, COULD GO UNDER.
SO WHEN WE, WHEN WE'RE PLANNING FOR, UH, A CO-OP, MAYBE WE SHOULD ALSO ANTICIPATE, UM, WHAT COULD HAPPEN A YEAR FROM NOW.
YOU KNOW, LIKE, WHAT COULD HAPPEN A YEAR FROM NOW OR WHATEVER.
SO THIS WAY WE HAVE THE BEST CHANCE OF MAKING THIS CO-OP, YOU KNOW, AS SUCCESSFUL AS, AS POSSIBLE.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, MY SUGGESTION, UH, FOR WHATEVER IT'S WORTH IS, LET'S SAY WE, LET'S HEAR FROM THE, OH, I'M SORRY.
LET'S HEAR FROM THE, I'M SORRY.
NO, IT COULD SOMEONE ANSWER MY, I HAVE MY HEAD UP GERALD FOR PROFIT, FOR JUST THE PEOPLE AT THE TABLE? OR IS IT UNDERST, TASHA? SO WE'RE GOING TWO ODD QUESTIONS AND
T CAN I, CAN I ADDRESS THE QUESTION? THE QUESTION WAS, UH, IS IT ONLY FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE AT THE TABLE, OR IS IT FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY? THE QUESTION, THE QUESTION REALLY IS, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT, WHAT YOU SET UP AS A STRUCTURE.
STRUCTURES CAN BE LIKE A WORKER'S CO-OP IS JUST THE WORKER CAN BE JUST THE WORKERS THAT OWN IT, WHICH COULD BE 10 TO 15 PEOPLE.
YOU CAN HAVE A HYBRID, WHICH HAS CLASSES OF OWNERSHIP, WHICH ARE WORKERS WHO GET BENEFITS BASED ON THE AMOUNT THEY WORK.
YOU CAN ALSO HAVE MEMBERSHIP OWNERS, COMMUNITY OWNERS, AND YOU CAN EVEN HAVE AN OUTSIDE INVESTMENT PART.
SO IT REALLY DEPENDS ON HOW YOU WANNA STRUCTURE IT.
SO IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT CAST IN GRANITE.
THIS THING IS ACTUALLY FLEXIBLE IN THE MODELS ALL OVER THE PLACE.
AS WE, OUR COMMITTEE OVER THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS, I THINK HAS RESEARCHED A WHOLE BUNCH OF THIS.
EVEN THE ORIGIN OF SOME, SOME OF THESE, WHICH GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO SPAIN, ACTUALLY, WHERE WORK, THE WORKERS CO-OPS ACTUALLY CAME FROM ORIGINALLY
[01:40:01]
THE IDEA ACTUALLY CAME FROM THE BASQUE REGION OF SPAIN.BUT HOW YOU DO IT AND HOW YOU INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO ME, THERE'S A REASON WE DON'T HAVE A SUPERMARKET IN FAIRVIEW.
OKAY? SO WHAT WE NEED TO DO, IT FAILED.
A AND P FAILED, UH, NATIONALLY WENT OUTTA BUSINESS.
BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS, AND THE IDEA OF THE EMPOWERMENT ZONE THAT TASHA TALKED ABOUT IN THE BEGINNING IS WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE CONTROL OF THEIR OWN DESTINY.
SO THE ONLY REASON WE WANT THE, THIS THING SHOULD GO UNDER IS IF THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T SUPPORT IT, THE WAY TO GET THEM TO SUPPORT IT IS TO HAVE THEM HAVE SOME KIND OF VESTED INTEREST POTENTIALLY IN THE SUPERMARKET, IN THE STORE.
HOW THAT MANIFESTS ITSELF IS VERY MUCH DEPENDENT ON HOW MUCH TIME PEOPLE HAVE, HOW MUCH COMMITMENT PEOPLE HAVE, WHAT THE CAPITAL'S AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE.
WE'RE STILL IN THE, IN THE EARLY PLANNING STAGES.
IT'S STILL JUST A LUMP OF CLAY.
THERE NO ACTUAL FUNDS RIGHT NOW TO SUPPORT THIS? NOT YET.
BUT ONE THING THAT WE DO KNOW IS THERE ARE FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR FOOD DESERTS, AND WE DO NOT.
THERE ARE FEDERAL FUNDS AVAILABLE.
DESERTS FOR WHAT IS CONSIDERED A FOOD DESERT, WHICH MEANS A PLACE THAT DOESN'T HAVE A SUPERMARKET, AND THAT MM-HMM.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE SPEAKERS TO COME TO THE MICROPHONE, BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO ARE ON VIRTUAL CAN'T HEAR YOU.
BUT BE, FEEL, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COME TO THE MICROPHONE.
SO, SO I GUESS I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.
UM, THE FIRST PART IS, IS THIS JUST OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY OF FAIRVIEW, OR IS IT OPEN TO THE TOWN OF GREENBURG? I, I HEAR PEOPLE MENTIONING, AND, AND MOST PEOPLE HERE IN THE AUDIENCE, THEY SEEM TO KNOW A LOT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
I ACTUALLY RECEIVED AN EMAIL THIS MORNING SAYING THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A TOWN HALL.
SO I THINK THE FIRST PART IS US, UM, FINDING A WAY TO COMMUNICATE IT TO EVERYONE.
IF, IF EVERYONE IS BEING INCLUDED, UM, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT.
I KNOW THIS IS THE TOWN OF GREENBURG, BUT WITHIN GREENBURG WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON.
SO, LIKE ME, FOR EXAMPLE, I LIVE IN ELMSFORD, BUT I RECEIVED THE EMAIL THIS MORNING FROM THEODORE YOUNG THAT THERE'S A TOWN MEETING.
SO I THINK THE FIRST THING IS TO FIGURE OUT WHO IS ACTUALLY INVOLVED IN ALL OF THIS.
DO YOU WANNA INCORPORATE EVERYONE? YOU KNOW, I KNOW I LIVE IN ELMSFORD, BUT I DO SHOP IN THE FAIRVIEW AREA, BUT I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO START.
UM, ULTIMATELY, UM, I KNOW HOW COOPERATIVES WORK, UM, BUT IF IS EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY GONNA BENEFIT, I THINK YOU'LL HAVE MORE LONGEVITY TO IN IT.
UM, IF IT'S JUST GONNA BE 10 PEOPLE MAKING DECISIONS FOR EVERYONE, IF EVERYONE DIDN'T DECIDE THAT IT'S NOT GONNA LAST LIKE AN A M P, LIKE A WAR BOUNDS WHO ARE NO LONGER IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, I MEAN, ACME IS AROUND THE CORNER, BUT THEY'RE STILL THERE.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN A SUPERMARKET OVER THERE.
SO WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT EXACTLY IS GOING ON.
UM, I KNOW A PERSON MENTIONED A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE FAIRVIEW COMMUNITY ARE WORKING CLASS PEOPLE, SO IT IS DIFFICULT FOR THEM, UM, TO ALWAYS PARTICIPATE.
UM, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY DON'T WANNA BE INVOLVED.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE KIND OF HAVE TO FIGURE OUT.
BEFORE THAT, I ACTUALLY THOUGHT IT WAS A TOWN HALL MEETING, AND THIS WAS ONE OF THE AGENDAS, AND I WAS COMING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE.
SO PLEASE, IF YOU COULD TELL ME WHEN THE NEXT ONE IS, COMPLAIN ABOUT THAT.
WE'RE NOW LOOKING TO THE ZOOM FOR TALK.
WE'RE NOW LOOKING TO ZOOM FOR A QUESTION.
SO WE'RE JUST FOLLOWING PROTOCOL.
WE'RE DOING TWO QUESTIONS FROM ZOOM TWO LIVE AND, UH, IN THE AUDITORIUM.
SO AT THIS POINT, WE'RE BACK TO ZOOM.
SO, UH, CLIFF, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I LIKE TO PUT A POINT OF INFORMATION AND PROBABLY MR. LLOYD, HAVING GOT THE TRANSPARENCY FROM THE TOWN BOARD A YEAR AGO, I PUT AN APPLICATION IN TO BE ON THE PLANNING BOARD.
I, AND I LIKE MR. FINE PROBABLY TO ANSWER WHEN I FINISH.
I ASKED MR. FINER, WAS THERE ANY OPENING TO THE PLANNING BOARD.
HE TOLD ME I NEED TO PUT INTO A RESUME.
[01:45:01]
I GAVE A RESUME TO MR. OUR TOWN CLERK, JUDITH PREVAIL.AND ON THE, ON THE LETTERHEAD, I SAID THAT I WOULD PROBABLY BE A GOOD CANDIDATE BECAUSE MY PERSPECTIVE IS DIFFERENT THAN MOST PEOPLE THAT Y'ALL ARE PICKING TO BE ON THE PLANNING BOARD.
I ASKED, AND I GAVE MR. FINDER ANOTHER EMAIL SAYING, HEY, NOBODY NEVER GOT BACK IN TOUCH WITH ME.
SO MR. LLOYD SAW IT, I'M FROM FAIR.
AND THEN THEY SAID, OH, WELL, NOBODY STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN BACK IN TOUCH WITH ME.
I GAVE OUT A RESUME FOR THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE.
I'M ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE.
I'M TRYING TO FIND OUT WHY NOBODY NEVER GOT BACK IN TOUCH WITH ME WHEN IT CAME TO THE PLANNING BOARD.
AND I DID EVERYTHING THAT MR. FINE TOLD ME I NEEDED TO DO, UM, WHEN WE, WHEN WE, WHEN WE, UM, ADJOURNED THIS MEETING.
CAN THEY ANSWER THAT? MY POINT? I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT UP BECAUSE HE BRING UP THAT NOBODY ASKED THANK YOU TO BE ON THE BOARD.
AND I WANTED TO GIVE A POINT OF INFORMATION THAT I DID.
IT WAS A YEAR AGO, SO I NEEDED TO BRING THAT UP BECAUSE HE SAID IT WASN'T.
AND I, I WANT SOME CLARITY ON THAT.
SECONDLY, UM, FOR MY CLARITY, LET, LET ME JUST GET MY TIME IN BEFORE THEY END UP SAYING, OR TASHA STOPPED ME FROM DOING WHAT I NEED TO SAY.
SECONDLY, IS THAT MANHATTAN AVENUE, THE WOMAN JUST GOT FINISHED TALKING OR SAY SHE'S NEW.
I SEE SHE IS NEW BECAUSE THERE'S NOWHERE TO PEDESTAL ON MANHATTAN AVENUE THAT I KNOW OF ONE 19.
THEY'VE BEEN NUMBERED BY HIGH-END CAR DEALERSHIP THAT BEEN BUILT ON ONE 19.
NOBODY FROM THE COMMUNITY IS GETTING ANY WORK, ANY HIGH CAR END DEALERSHIPS.
THEY HAVE BUSES THEY CALL LOOP THAT JUST COME, THAT COULD COME THROUGH.
AND I MENTIONED THIS BEFORE THE TOWN BOARD MEETING THAT COULD COME THROUGH MANHATTAN AVENUE AS A LOOP ON MANHATTAN, ON OLD TERRYTOWN ROAD AND NORWOOD ROAD TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF, I DON'T KNOW IF THE TOWN HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS, BUT FROM THAT, UM, WHAT IS THE GAS? IT IS A, IT IS A SAYING RIGHT BY NORWOOD ROAD ROAD.
THERE'S A BIG AREA THERE THAT I HAVEN'T SEEN BEEN USED IN OVER 15 YEARS.
MAYBE WE COULD FIND OUT WHO OWNS THAT AND HOW THAT COULD BE.
YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THAT'S A BIG AREA THAT NOBODY USED AND IT'S WALKER DISTANCE THAT PEOPLE CAN GO TO.
AND TO THE GENTLEMAN THAT SAID THAT NONE OF THE STORES LIKE A M P AND, AND WALL BONDS AND PATHMARK, UM, BUT THEY STILL HAVE, I THOUGH A AND P WENT OUT.
AND I WAS LIKE SAYING WHY WAS THE ONE KEPT ON NORWOOD ROAD BUT WASN'T KEPT ON ONE 19.
AND MY LAST QUESTION, TASHA YOUNG, IS THAT YES, SIR.
WHO PICKS WHO ARE THE ONE CLICK JAR IS GAR, EXCUSE ME, IS THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PERSON COMMISSIONER.
I'VE BEEN TALKING TO HIM FOR YEARS ABOUT HOW DO PEOPLE GET JOBS BECAUSE THEY COMING WITH THE SIDEWALKS, THEY GOT ALL THESE INITIATIVES COMING ON, AND NOBODY FROM FAIRVIEW IS GETTING ANY WORK WHO CHOOSE TO BE THAT.
AND MY LAST SAYING, THEY BUILDING THE SENIOR CITIZEN THAT'S GOING UP.
WHY IS NOBODY FROM FAIRVIEW IS GETTING ANY WORK? THEY HAVE A SAME CALL, SECTION THREE THAT SAY THAT PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY SHOULD GET WORK THESE THINGS.
WHO, WHO'S IN CHARGE OF THAT? BUT BEFORE YOU CUT ME OFF, TASH, I WOULD LIKE MR. FINE TO ASK TO, TO, UM, ANSWER THE QUESTION.
I SAID THAT I GAVE A RESUME UP.
NOW WHY WAS I NEVER CALLED IN FOR AN INTERVIEW? THANK YOU.
IF, IF WE COULD DO THAT AT EIGHT O'CLOCK.
WHAT, WHAT CLIFF, JUST THANK YOU, CLIFF.
WHAT HE JUST BROUGHT TO THE DISCUSSION IS THE NEED FOR LOCAL HIRING.
AND THAT IS PART OF THE EMPOWERMENT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE IN THIS INITIATIVE.
THIS IS NOT OPEN TO NORTHERN HOMES, FLORIDA, DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE TOWN AT THIS TIME.
BUT WHAT WE DO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO IS USE THIS AS THE, UM, THE, THE, THE PRECEDENT FOR HOW WE DO ENTERPRISE EMPOWERMENT ZONES IN THE TOWN.
AND THEN GO TO NORTHERN ELMSFORD, GO TO DALE, FOUR CORNERS, GO TO, UM, CENTRAL AVENUE AREAS ON EDGEMONT
[01:50:01]
THAT ARE BLIGHTED BECAUSE WE DO HAVE BLIGHT IN THE TOWN.SO WE DO HAVE TO LOOK AT FILLING EMPTY STOREFRONTS, WORKING WITH LANDOWNERS, AND USING OUR LAND IN A WAY THAT THE COMMUNITY GETS THE BIGGEST BENEFIT.
AND ONE OF THOSE WAYS IS COMMUNITY INVESTMENT, BUT IT'S NOT THE ONLY WAY.
SO I DO WANT TO JUST, UM, ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE AT SIX MINUTES TO EIGHT.
AND IN RESPECT FOR EVERYONE'S TIME, I AM ALSO A WORKING PERSON.
AS, AS EVERYONE HERE IS FAMILIES.
I WANT TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THIS IS A PROCESS.
THIS IS COMMUNITY, UM, ENGAGEMENT.
AND IT, IT, THIS IS WHAT IT IS.
IT'S EVERYTHING THAT WE EXPERIENCED TONIGHT.
IT IS FOLLOWING UP WITH A SUMMARY OF THIS MEETING WITH AN, A CLEAR EXPLANATION FOR THE DIFFERENCES OF WHAT WAS PRESENTED TONIGHT.
IF IT WASN'T CLEAR, WE CAN TAKE TIME TO SEND THAT OUT IN AN ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION.
WE NEED EVERYONE ON ZOOM TO PUT THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION IN THE CHAT SO WE CAN CAPTURE IT.
EVERYONE THAT'S HERE IN THE ROOM, SAME THING.
THIS IS A RECRUITMENT OPPORTUNITY.
ALSO, ANYONE THAT IS INTERESTED IN HOW THE LAND IS BEING DEVELOPED IN FAIRVIEW, THIS IS THE GROUP THAT YOU SHOULD BE A PART OF.
THIS IS THE FAIRVIEW EMPOWERMENT GROUP.
YOU SEE THAT THE PLANNING, UM, PROFESSIONALS FOR THE TOWN IS HERE.
THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS IS SUPPORT, IS SUPPORTING THIS INITIATIVE.
IF YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO OFFER, WE HAVE SOMETHING TO DO FOR YOU.
IF YOU HAVE A LOT OF TIME TO OFFER, WE CERTAINLY HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, THAT YOU CAN DO.
SO I JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THIS IS THE FIRST ENTRY INTO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
WE HAD TO SPEND TIME EDUCATING BECAUSE WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO BY SIGNING YOUR CONTACT, YOU'RE GOING TO GET A FOLLOW UP EMAIL FROM US FOR THE NEXT ZOOM.
WE, ALL OF OUR MEETINGS PRETTY MUCH ARE ON ZOOM, AND WE WELCOME YOU.
YOU, YOU BROUGHT SO MUCH TO DISCUSSION.
EVERYONE THAT COMMENTED, INCLUDING MR. CLIFF ABRAMS, BROUGHT SO MUCH TO THE DISCUSSION.
SO WE WELCOME YOU TO CONTINUE TO, TO BE INVOLVED WITH THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, LEADING UP TO THIS, UH, PRESENTATION WE MET WEEKLY.
UM, WE PROBABLY WILL MEET AT A PRETTY FREQUENT, UM, BASIS WHILE WE'RE GETTING STARTED.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE STARTUP PEOPLE, PLEASE COME ON BOARD.
FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT LIKE TO JOIN AFTER THE THING IS ALREADY A THING, WE, WE NEED YOU TOO.
BUT PLEASE KEEP IN TOUCH WITH US.
UM, I'M SO GLAD TO HAVE YOUNG PEOPLE HERE.
WE WANT YOU TO CONTINUE TO ENGAGE WITH US.
SO PLEASE COME, COME AGAIN AND JOIN.
DO YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO WRITE DOWN THEIR NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS? YEAH, IT'S EVERYBODY.
MANNY, DID YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? YEAH, MANNY IS A MEMBER OF OUR COMMITTEE.
NO, I
YOU KNOW, WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT IDEAS AND DIFFERENT CONCERNS.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU COME FORWARD AND YOU STEP INTO OUR GROUP, YOU CAN, WE, WE CAN BREAK OUT IN GROUPS THAT WILL ADDRESS THOSE DIFFERENT CONCERNS.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE ARE, IF WE ARE RE REHASHING EVERYTHING THAT WE HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY IN A SMALL GROUP, THAT'S NOT THE WAY YOU GET THE CROWD BENE THE BENEFIT OF THE CROWDSOURCING.
YOU, YOU GET IT BY GETTING PEOPLE INVOLVED.
AND THEN, THEN THIS, IT'S A POSSIBILITY TO, TO BREAK OUT, INTO, INTO, INTO DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT ARE, ARE ADDRESSING DIFFERENT CONCERNS.
SO PLEASE, WE WANT TO AND IT AND TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBORS.
THIS IS, THIS IS A PROCESS OF, OF COMMUNICATION THAT SHOULD NOT BE JUST HANDLED BY A FEW MEMBERS OF THEIR COMMUNITY OR THE TOWN.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A PROCESS THAT HAS TO BE INVOLVED.
EVERYONE, EVERYONE PLEASE TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBORS.
SAY, I HAD A GREAT TIME THERE.
ANYWAYS, AND WE GOT, WE GOT SOME GOOD INFORMATION.
AND TASHA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
OKAY, TASHA, I JUST WANTED, I JUST WANTED TO THANK A COUPLE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN, UH, KIND OF QUIET TONIGHT.
UH, NADIA IN THE BACK WHO DID AN AWFUL LOT OF WORK.
THIS MEETING NEVER WOULD'VE HAPPENED WITHOUT NADIA JOHAN WHO TRIES TO BE
[01:55:01]
QUIET, BUT WHEN HE SAYS SOMETHING, IT MEANS A LOT TO AS WELL.AND KRISTEN, WHO KEPT A GROUP OF PEOPLE, UH, THERE WERE, I THINK EIGHT OF US WITH ABOUT 12 OPINIONS KEPT US TOGETHER.
SO THANK YOU
I I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD THAT I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU SAW THE PRESIDENT'S, UH, UH, UH, ADDRESSED THIS AFTERNOON IN, UH, JUST RECENTLY IN, IN TERMS OF COVID.
ONE OF THE SAD THINGS THAT IN COMMUNITIES, UH, OF COLOR, THERE IS A VERY LOW VACCINATION RATE.
AND EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE SAID TONIGHT WILL HAVE LITTLE MEANING IF OUR COMMUNITY IS RAVAGE BY COVID.
SO WE NEED TO TAKE THE TIME AND GET VACCINATED.
THE PRESIDENT HAS PUT A NUMBER OF THINGS IN PLACE THAT WILL MANDATE VACCINATION IN ALL THE SCHOOLS, IN ALL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, IN ALL AGENCIES THAT DO BUSINESS WITH THE GOVERNMENT.
AND I JUST WOULD HOPE THOSE WHO ARE NOT VACCINATED WILL, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS OF COLOR, WHICH HAVE THE VERY LOW VACCINATION RATE, WILL TAKE IT THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GET VACCINATED.
YEAH, HONOR, I'D JUST LIKE TO JUST SAY ONE THING.
IT'S JUST MY HOPE THAT, UH, NEXT YEAR AT THIS TIME, WE WILL HAVE A CO-OP
AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A FANTASTIC COMMUNITY CENTER.
UH, YOU SEE TERRENCE, UH, JACKSON'S HERE.
UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND YOU KNOW, IF WE WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY CENTER, UH, WE WORK WITH, UM, THE RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY, UH, YOU KNOW, HERE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WORK WITH ALL OF YOU.
WE COULD MAKE THIS A REALLY FANTASTIC, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, INITIATIVE THAT COULD HOPEFULLY BE A MODEL FOR OTHER COMMUNITIES.
SO I, I REALLY WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR PARTICIPATING.
AND YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT YOU TO WALK OUT FEELING THAT, UH, NOTHING'S GONNA HAPPEN BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE SOMETHING HAPPENS.
DON'T FORGET THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION AND THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR VIRGINIA HILL CIVIC ASSOCIATION.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR CONDOLENCES.
OVER 50 RESIDENTS PARTICIPATED TONIGHT.