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[ TOWN OF GREENBURGH OFFICE OF THE TOWN BOARD 177 Hillside Avenue, Greenburgh, NY 10607 Tel: 914-989-1500 Fax: 914-993-1541 Email: JDudek@Greenburghny.com https://ny-greenburgh.civicplus.com/485/Watch-Live-Board-Meetings]
LEMME SEE.WHAT, UH, ANYONE WHO HAS A QUESTION? UH, LET ME SEE IF WE'RE READY TO START.
YOU SHOULD COME UP HERE ON THE MIC TO THE MICROPHONE SO PEOPLE COULD HEAR IT.
UH, JANELLE, ARE WE READY YET?
SO, DO YOU KNOW WHAT I, I THINK WHAT WE'LL DO IS, WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR THE TOWN BOARD, UH, TO SHOW UP, WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE, FEMA AND THE SS B A, UM, THEY'LL MAKE A PRESENTATION WHEN THE TOWN BOARD, YOU KNOW, COMES TO THE MEETING.
BUT, UM, WHILE WE'RE WAITING, UH, JUST SO WE COULD SAVE TIME, IF THERE'S INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONS, PEOPLE SHOULD COME UP AND THEN FEMA OR S B A WILL ANSWER IT.
SO, ROBERT, WOULD YOU WANT TO START? SURE.
IT'S, UH, JUST ONE GENERAL QUESTION.
IF YOU COULD JUST COME UP TO THE MIC.
UM, JUST MY, MY QUESTION OR THE GENERAL QUESTION AMONG THE, THE, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD BE, IS IT MORE REALISTIC, UH, MORE FEASIBLE TO WHEREVER THERE WAS MASSIVE FLOODING IN, IN THE WHOLE COMMUNITY HERE TO DIG UP THE OLD OUTDATED PIPES THAT ARE BACK THEN WERE METAL.
SO I THINK THEY WERE ROTTEN AND THEY, SOME OF THEM COLLAPSED POSSIBILITY, AND THEY'RE VERY SMALL IN DIAMETER.
IS IT WE NEED THE FUNDS MAYBE TO PUT IN BIGGER PIPES TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THIS FLOODING? OR IS IT MORE REALISTIC WHERE THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT MAYBE RAISING THE FOUNDATION OF HOMES THAT ARE IN LOW LYING AREAS? SO THAT'S MY MAIN, I MEAN, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT MORE DETAILS TO, TO THE, TO THE WHOLE THING, BUT THE BIG PICTURE TO ME, IN MY MIND IS WHAT IS MORE REALISTIC? PUTTING IN BIGGER PIPES OR RAISING HOMES, REALISTICALLY SPEAKING, THIS IS WHAT FUNDING AND IF THERE'S FUNDING, RIGHT? WHAT, WHAT'S, WHAT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S ONLY A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY, SO IS IT MORE COST EFFECTIVE FOR PUTTING IN BIGGER PIPES OR RAISING HOMES? SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY MAIN QUESTION.
IT'LL DEFINITELY, BUT YOU CAN COME UP HERE.
SO, SO JUST TO CLARIFY ON THAT PARTICULAR QUESTION, WHAT WE WILL, WHAT WE WILL BE DISCUSSING ON THE FEMA SIDE TODAY IS INDIVIDUAL HOUSEHOLDS FOR HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS.
AS FAR AS, UM, THE HAZARD MITIGATION PROGRAM, WHICH MANAGES GRANTS FOR COMMUNITIES, OR THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, WHICH MANAGES, UH, GRANTS FOR PUBLIC WORKS.
THAT'S GONNA BE A SEPARATE PROGRAM.
WE DO NOT HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THOSE PROGRAMS HERE, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE ISSUE THAT YOU'RE BRINGING UP, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO CONTACT YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICER, AND THEN THEY WILL LET YOU KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS IS TO BRING IT UP TO THE STATE, AND THEN THE STATE BRINGS IT UP TO FEMA.
SO BASICALLY WHAT WHAT HAPPENS IS, IS TWO, UH, ISSUES.
ONE IS YOU WANT YOUR HOUSE RAISED, AND, UM, THEN THERE'S ALSO PIPE ISSUES, THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO THE TOWN HAS TO APPLY TO FEMA, UH, TO, UM, UH, TO DEAL WITH PIPES AND UNDERGROUND WORK.
AS, AS FAR AS SEPARATE, AS FAR AS RAISING YOUR HOMES AS A COMMUNITY, YOU'LL NEED TO CONTACT YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
AND THEN IT'S BASICALLY THROUGH A HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT THAT THEY'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND, AND HOW DO WE ACCESS THAT THROUGH THE TOWN? LIKE OUR TOWN? RIGHT THROUGH, UM, I'M NOT SURE YOU, YOU GUYS MIGHT KNOW MORE OF OUR, AS FAR AS WHO THAT PERSON IS OR WHAT AGENCY THAT IS, BUT IT'LL BE YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
AND IS THIS WHERE EACH INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNER HAS TO MAKE THAT CALL? NO, NO, NO.
IT'LL BE, IT'LL BE BASICALLY A COMMUNITY, A COMMUNITY EFFORT TO GET ALL THE HOMES EITHER RAISED OR THE PIPES FIXED OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND SO YOU WITHIN A COMMUNITY NEED TO FIND A REPRESENTATIVE, OR ESSENTIALLY THE TOWN WILL HELP US AS A REPRESENTATIVE FOR IT.
YOUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICER OR AGENCY IS THE PERSON TO SPEAK REGARDING THOSE PARTICULAR ISSUES.
SO, ONE QUESTION, UM, ON THAT GROUND, IN, ON MY PROPERTY, THERE ARE, THERE ARE SOME PIPELINES THEN, THEN THERE IS A GROUP THAT CONNECTING TO THE, UH, CENTRAL AVENUE THAT GOES ON THE PROPERTY, BUT THEN THAT IS NOT HAVING ANY EASEMENT.
WE DIDN'T KNOW WE ARE NEW HOMEOWNERS.
SO COULD YOU PLEASE COME UP FRONT SO WE CAN HEAR? THANK YOU.
SO, SO MY QUESTION IS, UM, IS, IS
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THAT, IS THAT HANDLED AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL OR AT THE INDIVIDUAL HOME LEVEL? UH, IS IT LIKE A CONSENT BASIS? LIKE HOW, HOW IS IT THE PROCESS GOING TO HELP IF I WANT TO RAISE MY HOME? RIGHT.RAISING YOUR HOME IS NOT CHEAP.
SO MORE THAN LIKELY IT'LL HAVE TO BE A COMMUNITY EFFORT.
YOU HAVE TO, AS A COMMUNITY, CONTACT YOUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICER OR AGENCY, AND THEN THEY'LL JUST, THEY'LL DETERMINE WHAT THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION IS BY CONTACTING THE STATE AND THEN THE CON THE STATE CONTACTING FEMA.
WELL, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHY WE ARE HERE, RIGHT? I MEAN, UH, I WAS IN TALKING TO PAUL FEENER AND UM, HE BASICALLY ASKED US TO COME DOWN HERE TO TALK TO FEMA.
SO I JUST NEED TO CLARIFY, WE DO NOT HAVE ANYONE FROM PUBLIC ASSISTANCE OR HAZARD MITIGATION HERE TODAY.
WHAT WE'LL BE DISCUSSING IS INDIVIDUAL HOUSEHOLDS.
THAT'S, THAT'S INDIVIDUAL HOUSEHOLD TOO, RIGHT? SO I'M A HOMEOWNER.
SO THEN, UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE MAX FOR THE INDIVIDUAL HOUSEHOLD PROGRAM IS $36,000.
IF WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO IS BEYOND $36,000 AND IT'S FOR YOUR INDIVIDUAL HOME UHHUH, THEN YOU CAN DEFINITELY APPLY FOR A LOAN.
BUT IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S AFFECTING THE WHOLE COMMUNITY MM-HMM.
YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT, NOW THAT WE HAVE, IN OTHER WORDS, WE HAVE TO COLLABORATE ALL TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF PEOPLE AND THEN, AND THEN PRESENT THAT TO THE EMERGENCY MANAGER THAT PAUL FINDER WOULD HAVE CONTACT WITH.
SO WHO IS PAUL FINER? AND, AND, AND IS ERIC, DO YOU GUYS KNOW WHO YOUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT? NO, WE DON'T.
DO YOU KNOW WHO THAT IS? UM, UH, RICH, DO WE KNOW WHO THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT? THIS IS RICH FUN.
AND THEN, WE'LL, WE HAVE THE TOWN BOARD.
WE HAVE, UH, THREE MEMBERS OF THE TOWN BOARD.
SO WE NOW WE COULD START THE FORMAL PRESENTATION.
THIS WAS MORE, BUT MAYBE WHAT COME MAKE A SUGGESTION NOW THAT WE HAVE THREE BOARD MEMBERS.
WHY DON'T WE START? THIS WAS LIKE THE PRE THE PRE-SHOW YOU HAVE.
UH, SO THE THING IS, UM, I JUST DIDN'T WANT EVERYBODY WAITING AROUND WHILE WE WERE WAITING FOR THE BOARD.
SO WHAT, NOW THAT WE HAVE ALL THE TOWN BOARD MEMBERS, THE, THE THREE BOARD MEMBERS HERE, WHY DON'T WE HEAR FROM FEMA, HEAR FROM THE SS B A, WE'LL ASK QUESTIONS, THEN WE WILL LET YOU KNOW, RESIDENTS ASK QUESTIONS AND THEN, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY WE COULD GET SOME CLARITY.
SO I THINK THAT, I THINK THAT WOULD BE BETTER.
THEN IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE STRUCTURED.
SO GINA, WE REALLY, WE'RE DOING THIS FIRST.
SO LEMME SEND THE, PUT THIS ON THE TABLE.
SO, UH, WE'RE GONNA START THE MEETING NOW.
UM, SO THE FIRST, OKAY, THE FIRST PRESENTATION IS, UH, DEALING WITH, UM, EITHER FEMA AND, UM, WE HAVE, UM, UH, WE HAVE, UM, UH, REPRESENTATIVES OF, UH, FEMA AND THE S B A, YOU KNOW, HERE.
AND, UM, WE WILL, UM, WE WILL HEAR FROM, FROM THEM.
SO, UM, FIRST COULD WE JUST HEAR FROM, UH, UH, FEMA AND THE S B A REPRESENTATIVES? YOU COULD COME UP HERE AND THEN WE WILL ASK QUESTIONS.
YEAH, WHERE, OH, YOU CAN SIT OVER HERE.
WE JUST HAVE TO, SO IF CAN SIT HERE.
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YOU COULD JUST, UH, MENTION YOUR ROLE AT FEMA AND YOUR ROLE AT S B A AND, UH, THEN WE WILL HAVE QUESTIONS.I AM AN APPLICANT SERVICES PROGRAM SPECIALIST, AND I MANAGE THE FEMALES, INDIVIDUAL AND HOUSEHOLDS PROGRAM.
UM, LIKE I MENTIONED PRIOR TO THE MEETING, UH, THIS IS FOR INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS.
UH, THE FIRST STEP IN GETTING SOME ASSISTANCE FOR THIS PROGRAM IS TO APPLY.
THE PHONE NUMBER THAT YOU WANT TO CALL IS 1-800-621-FEMA.
AND THE, THE HELPLINE IS AVAILABLE FROM 7:00 AM TO 1:00 AM EASTERN.
THERE IS A DEADLINE TO APPLY OF NOVEMBER 5TH.
WE ALSO HAVE A COUP, A FEW DISASTER RECOVERY CENTERS IN EACH, UH, AFFECTED COUNTY.
THE CLOSEST ONE TO YOU WILL BE THE ONE IN YONKERS, AND THEY'RE AT THE WILL PUBLIC LIBRARY, 1500 CENTRAL PARK AVENUE, YONKERS, NEW YORK.
WE ALSO HAVE ONE IN ROCKLAND THAT JUST OPENED AT THE ORANGETOWN SOCCER FIELD.
AND THEY'RE AT 1 75 OLD ORANGEBURG ROAD.
AND WE ALSO HAVE ANOTHER ONE IN MA MA PUBLIC LIBRARY, AND THEY'RE AT 1 36 PROSPECT AVENUE.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER IS THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO MEET WITH SOMEONE FACE TO FACE, AND THEY'RE ABLE TO DO A REVIEW OF YOUR CASE.
CURRENTLY, THE HELPLINE IS EXPERIENCING HIGH CALL VOLUMES.
SO THERE IS A LONG WAIT FOR YOU TO SPEAK WITH SOMEBODY IF YOU HAVE NOT APPLIED.
THE FASTEST WAY TO APPLY IS THROUGH DISASTER ASSISTANCE.GOV.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THIS PROGRAM IS INTENDED FOR YOUR PRIMARY RESIDENCE, AND THE GOAL IS TO MAKE IT LIVABLE, SANITARY, AND SAFE.
IT IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR INSURANCE AND IS NOT GONNA COMPENSATE FOR ALL YOUR LOSSES.
IF YOU DO HAVE INSURANCE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE FLOOD INSURANCE, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO FILE A CLAIM WITH YOUR INSURANCE.
IF THE INSURANCE DOES NOT COVER ALL OF YOUR LOSSES, OR IF, IF THE SETTLEMENT IS DELAYED, THEN FEMA CAN POSSIBLY STEP IN AND HELP.
THE TWO MAIN PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER IS HOME REPAIR FOR HOMEOWNERS AND RENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR BOTH HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS.
CERTAIN PERSONAL PROPERTY IS ALSO AVAILABLE FOR ASSISTANCE, SUCH AS YOUR VEHICLE, UH, FURNITURE APPLIANCES, BUT IT'LL DEPEND ON WHETHER OR NOT YOU QUALIFY FOR A DISASTER LOAN TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT YOU GET A GRANT FOR THESE ITEMS. ESSENTIALLY, IF YOU DO QUALIFY FOR A LOAN, THEN UNFORTUNATELY, FEMA CANNOT JUSTIFY GIVING YOU ASSISTANCE FOR THESE ITEMS. BUT THE, AGAIN, THE TWO MAIN PROGRAMS THAT WE DO OFFER HELP FOR IS HOME REPAIR FOR HOMEOWNERS AND RENTAL ASSISTANCE FOR BOTH HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS.
ONE THING I WANT TO, UH, MENTION IS ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS TO RECEIVE ASSISTANCE IS YOU MUST BE A US CITIZEN, A NATIONAL OR QUALIFIED ALIEN.
IF YOU ARE HERE, UM, AND YOU ARE NOT A US CITIZEN, BUT YOU HAVE A CHILD WHO IS, THEN YOU CAN APPLY ON THEIR BEHALF.
AND WE ALSO HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM S B A.
UM, I'M A PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST WITH, UH, SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE, AND I'M HERE TONIGHT TO HOPEFULLY OFFER YOU SOME RELIEF AND SOME QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE AS FAR AS WHAT WE ARE HERE, YOU KNOW, AS FEDERAL AGENCIES TO OFFER YOU TO REPAIR OR REPLACE, YOU KNOW, YOUR GOODS IN YOUR LOSSES THAT YOU HAD IN HURRICANE IDA.
SO THIS PRESIDENTIAL DECLARATION, IT COVERS, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, ASSISTANCE THAT YOU NEED.
UM, WHEN I SAY BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, IT'S NOT JUST FOR BUSINESSES.
SO I SEE HERE TONIGHT, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT THEY WANNA HAVE ANSWERS TO.
WHAT EXACTLY IS SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DOING FOR HOMEOWNERS AND FOR RENTERS? AND FOR THAT EFFECT, WE HAVE TWO PROGRAMS IN SMALL BUSINESS, IN SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, THAT ONE THAT DEALS WITH BUSINESSES AND THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
AND THAT IS FOR ALL THE BUSINESSES THAT THEY LOST IN
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HURRICANE IDA AND THEY HAD PHYSICAL DAMAGES TO THEIR BUSINESS, TO THEIR REAL ESTATE, THEY COULD APPLY TO A LOAN, A DISASTER LOAN, UP TO $2 MILLION, AND THEY COULD, UM, HAVE THIS ASSISTANCE.YOU KNOW, THAT, UM, IT'S THROUGH A VERY LOW INTEREST RATE THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR THEM FOR A VERY LONG PERIOD OF TIME TO PAY IT OFF AND WITH A DEFERRED FIRST PAYMENT UP TO 18 MONTHS FROM THE DATE OF THE, OF THE NOTE.
ALSO, WE UNDERSTAND THAT BUSINESSES, THAT THEY DID NOT INCUR ANY PHYSICAL DAMAGE TO THEIR PROPERTY, SO THEY HAVE LESS TRAFFIC IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS, IT'S GONNA BE VERY VISIBLE TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT THEY HAVE LESS TRAFFIC.
SO FOR THAT, WE OFFER WHAT THEY CALL IT, AN ECONOMIC INJURY DISASTER ASSISTANCE LOAN.
THAT LOAN IS ALSO UP TO $2 MILLION.
IT COVERS FOR, YOU KNOW, UM, IT'S KIND OF LIKE A CASH FLOW FOR YOUR BUSINESS TO KEEP YOU STAY IN BUSINESS AND TO RECUPERATE SLOWLY AFTER THIS, YOU KNOW, HURRICANE IDA FOR THE HOMEOWNERS, WE OFFER LOANS, DISASTER ASSISTANCE LOANS, UP TO $200,000 TO COVER YOUR LOSSES FOR THE GOODS THAT YOU LOST IN THE STORM FOR REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT OF YOUR PROPERTY THAT WAS DAMAGED.
OKAY? VERY LOW INTEREST RATES, SAME TERM SUPPLY, FIXED RATE, 30 YEARS, REPAYMENT.
AND, YOU KNOW, UM, 18 MONTHS OF DEFERMENT FOR THE FIRST PAYMENT FOR THE RENTERS.
SO FOR THE PEOPLE THAT THEY'RE RENTING AND THEY, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, LOST THEIR GOODS, THEIR CARS, THEIR ASSETS IN THE STORM, WE OFFER A DISASTER ASSISTANCE LOAN FOR $40,000 TO COVER FOR THEIR LOSSES.
WHEN I SAY 40,000, UP TO $40,000, DEPENDING ON YOUR LOSSES FOR THAT PURPOSE, WE PARTNER WITH FEMA, WHICH IS OUR SISTER AGENCY.
THEY OPEN THE DISASTER RECOVERY CENTERS IN DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, CENTERS.
WE ARE STAFFING ALL THOSE CENTERS WITH SS B A CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES THAT ARE THERE TO ASSIST YOU WITH ANSWERING QUESTIONS, WITH STARTING YOUR LOAN APPLICATION.
AND, YOU KNOW, WITH PROVIDING YOU ASSISTANCE ONE-ON-ONE BECAUSE EACH INDIVIDUAL, EACH LOAN WITH S B A, IT'S AN INDIVIDUAL LOAN AND IT'S PERCEIVED AS SUCH AS AN INDIVIDUAL LOAN BECAUSE YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION MIGHT NOT BE THE SAME AS MINE.
THEREFORE, WE NEED TO FOLLOW BANKING INDUSTRY.
BUT AS I SAID, THESE ARE NOT ORDINARY LOANS.
ONCE THIS PROCESS IS DONE, LET'S SAY FOR INSTANCE THAT YOU'VE, UH, BEEN APPLIED FOR A LOAN, YOU'VE BEEN APPROVED, THIS IS THE OFFER THAT IT'S MADE TO YOU, THE LOAN REIMBURSEMENT STARTS, YOU KNOW, TO GET INTO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT.
AT SOME POINT YOU DECIDE, I DON'T NEED THE WHOLE LOAN, OR I DON'T NEED THE LOAN AT ALL.
INSURANCE PAID OFF, OR THINGS ARE, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T NEED TO TAKE THE LOAN.
SO THAT'S GOOD ABOUT S P A, THERE'S NO FEES TO APPLY.
THERE IS NOTHING THAT YOU KNOW, IT SHOULD BE DEROGATORY TO YOUR, YOU KNOW, FINANCES IF YOU APPLY WITH A DISASTER LOAN WITH S B A, ONCE THE PROCESS IS DONE, LET'S SAY FOR INSTANCE NOW YOU WERE NOT APPROVED.
IF YOU WERE NOT APPROVED, AND ONE OF THE MAIN REASON IT WOULD BE IF YOU HAD ANOTHER FEDERAL LOAN AND YOU DIDN'T PAY IT OFF, THEN THAT WOULD BE A REASON FOR DECLINING YOUR LOAN.
IF YOU ARE NOT APPROVED, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT IN 30 DAYS TO APPEAL AND YOU COULD BE RECONSIDERED.
AND THEN IN THE SAME TIME, WE WILL REVERT BACK THE APPLICATION TO FEMA FOR ANY ADDITIONAL AID THAT YOU, THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE FOR YOU.
THESE ARE THE TWO MAJOR DISASTER, YOU KNOW, LOANS THAT S B A IS OFFERING IN EVERY DISASTER AND EACH DISASTER.
'CAUSE MOST OF YOU PROBABLY ALREADY ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE PANDEMIC AND THE LOANS THAT THEY WERE OFFERED TO BUSINESSES.
SO THESE ARE INDIVIDUAL, THIS DISASTER.
IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, SO IF YOU APPLY FOR A LOAN, YOU KNOW, WITH S B A FOR THIS DISASTER, THIS IS INDIVIDUAL, THIS IS FOR THIS DISASTER.
IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY OTHER LOAN THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE FROM A PREVIOUS DISASTER.
HOWEVER, IF YOU HAD AN S B A LOAN BEFORE FOR A PREVIOUS DISASTER LIKE SANDY OR LIKE THE COVID, OKAY, ONCE IT COMES TO THE APPLICATION PROCESS AND YOU GET TO TALK TO A LOAN OFFICER, YOU COULD TALK TO THE LOAN OFFICER ABOUT ANYTHING THAT YOU MIGHT WANT AT THAT TIME, SUCH AS CHANGES IN YOUR FINANCIAL HISTORY, CHANGES IN YOUR REPAYMENT CAPABILITY, ANYTHING THAT YOU THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, MIGHT BENEFIT YOU FOR THIS.
WITH THAT, UM, I WILL JUST TELL YOU HOW SIMPLE IT IS TO APPLY WITH S B A.
IT IS AS SIMPLE AS SCANNING YOUR SMARTPHONE
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INTO THIS.YOU JUST SCAN WITH YOUR PHONE, THAT LOGO, AND YOU COULD START THE APPLICATION PROCESS ONLINE.
IF YOU ARE LIKE ME AND YOU WANT A ONE-ON-ONE, YOU KNOW, ASSISTANCE, THEN I WOULD DEFINITELY ASK YOU TO PLEASE GO TO EITHER A DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER THAT'S WITH D R C THAT'S CLOSEST TO YOUR HOME OR TO YOUR BUS BUSINESS OR GO IF YOU ARE A BUSINESS OWNER, COME TO ONE OF OUR BUSINESS RECOVERY CENTERS THAT ARE OPEN.
WE HAVE ONE IN QUEENS AT THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN THE INDUSTRIAL AREA, AND WE HAVE ONE THAT'S VERY CLOSE TO YOUR LOCATION, WHICH IS JUST OPENED ABOUT A, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO IN WHITE PLAINS AT THE NEW YORK POWER AUTHORITY BUILDING, WHICH IS, I BELIEVE IT'S 1 2 3 MAIN STREET IN WHITE PLAINS.
WE ARE OPEN MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, NINE TO FIVE.
WE LIKE TO PRY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE TAKE EVERY INDIVIDUAL, EVERY BUSINESS VERY, YOU KNOW, CATER AROUND EACH PERSON AND TRY TO HELP THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS WITH EVERY DOCUMENTS THEY MIGHT NEED, WITH ANY ASSISTANCE THEY MIGHT NEED, AND ANSWER ALL YOUR QUESTIONS.
UM, YOU COULD ALSO APPLY, YOU KNOW, VIA MAIL OR, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD, UM, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU WANT TO GET AN APPLICATION MAILED TO YOU, BUT I WOULD NOT ADVISE YOU TO DO SO.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FACT WE ARE HERE ON THE GROUND.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE DEADLINE, AS MY COLLEAGUE SAID, YOU KNOW, FROM FEMA, THE, THE DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION, IT'S NOVEMBER 5TH, THE DEADLINE THAT'S ON OUR PRESS RELEASE.
UM, THAT'S FOR, YOU KNOW, PHYSICAL DAMAGE WITH SBA A IS NOVEMBER 4TH.
BUT WE WOULD FOLLOW FEMA'S GUIDELINES AND WE WILL ACCEPT APPLICATIONS IN NOVEMBER 5TH AS WELL.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY PHYSICAL DAMAGE, PLEASE COME START YOUR APPLICATION PROCESS WITH S B A.
YOU ARE UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO TAKE THE LOAN OR TAKE THE WHOLE LOAN THAT'S OFFERED TO YOU AND JUST KEEP THAT AS AN OPTION BECAUSE SOMETIMES INSURANCE DOESN'T PAY AND SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST FIND YOURSELF THAT YOU ARE SIX MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD, WE ARE GONE AND YOU KNOW, THIS DAMAGE AND THIS ECONOMIC IMPACT TO YOUR BUSINESS THAT HAPPENED BECAUSE OF THE HURRICANE IDA.
SO PLEASE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FACT WE ARE HERE.
ASK US QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, HELP US TO HELP YOU.
UM, UH, I ASKED RESIDENTS TO EMAIL ME QUESTIONS.
SO I'M JUST ASKING QUESTIONS THAT PEOPLE HAD.
UM, WHY WILL FEMA NOT ENTERTAIN YOUR APPLICATION UNLESS YOU ARE DENIED AND NOT REFUSE AN SS B A LOAN? UM, SOME PEOPLE ARE TOLD THAT, UM, THEY HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, DO THE SS B A AND IF YOU DON'T DO THE SS B A, YOU CAN'T APPLY TO FEMA.
SO YOU DO NOT NEED TO APPLY TO SS B A IF YOU ONLY CARE ABOUT HOME REPAIR, INCLUDING YOUR FURNACE, WATER HEATER, BOILER, WHATEVER THE SITUATION IS.
IF IT'S ATTACHED TO THE HOME, THEN YOU DO NOT NEED TO APPLY TO SS B A.
BUT IF YOU, AND YOU ALSO DO NOT NEED TO APPLY TO S B A IF YOU ARE ONLY CONCERNED WITH RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
BUT IF YOU ARE A RENTER AND YOU LOST YOUR WASHER AND DRYER, YOUR, YOUR MATTRESS, YOU LOST YOUR CAR, THEN THE PROGRAM IS SET UP IN A WAY THAT WE WILL ONLY HELP WITH THESE ITEMS. IF YOU DO NOT QUALIFY FOR A LOAN, YOU IT, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO APPLY.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THE LOAN, BUT AT LEAST WE'LL KNOW WHETHER OR NOT YOU QUALIFY FOR THE LOAN IN ORDER FOR US TO DECIDE WHETHER WE CAN HELP YOU OUT.
HAS THERE BEEN, UM, UH, ANOTHER QUESTION PEOPLE HAD WAS, IS THERE ANY WAY THAT PEOPLE, THE PROCESS COULD BE A LITTLE, UH, MORE STREAMLINED WHERE PEOPLE COULD, UH, THERE BEING YES, THE SAME QUESTIONS FROM FEMA AND SS B A, UM, AND YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WANTS TO KNOW IF IT'S A WASTE OF, THEY FEEL IT'S A WASTE OF MANPOWER AND RESOURCES AND INEFFICIENT BECAUSE YOU FIRST YOU COULD APPLY, IT'S THE SAME, YOU KNOW, WHY CAN'T IT BE JUST ONE APPLICATION MORE COORDINATED? SO, GO AHEAD.
I WOULD LIKE TO TRY TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
IT'S, WE ARE TRYING TO NOT DUPLICATE.
SO THE TWO AGENCIES AND ALL THE AGENCIES THAT ARE PARTNERING IN A DISASTER, WE ARE TRYING TO NOT DUPLICATE THE SAME BENEFITS.
AND THE REASON I THINK THAT WE ARE DOING THIS WAY, IT'S NOT TO COMPLICATE THINGS, IT'S TO SIMPLIFY THINGS FOR YOU.
BECAUSE IF YOU FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES AND THE PROCESS, YOU ARE GONNA DIRECTLY INDIRECTLY REVERT TO THE POINT WHERE YOU'RE GONNA TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ALL THE BENEFITS.
SO FEMA FIRST, BOOTS ON THE GROUND, S B A LONG-TERM RECOVERY, YOU KNOW,
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ALL THE OTHER AGENCIES THAT ARE ON THE GROUND.SO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS SYSTEM THAT'S CREATED TO HELP YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS.
AND I WOULD ASK MY COLLEAGUE TO, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, RIGHT? A A A BIG ISSUE FOR MANY RESIDENTS, AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE IS, UM, SOME PEOPLE WANNA LIFT UP THEIR HOMES AND, UM, WE HAVE SOME AREAS IN THE TOWN, AN AREA IN THE TOWN WHERE PEOPLE SUCCESSFULLY LIFTED UP THEIR HOME IN BABBITT COURT, YOU HAVE OTHER AREAS, UM, IN THE TOWN, CLARENDON PLACE, UM, UH, YOU HAVE, UM, MARION, UM, YOU HAVE WARREN AVENUE, UH, YOU KNOW, FLORENCE, UM, THERE'S OTHER SEC.
THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF SECTIONS IN THE TOWN WHERE PEOPLE ALSO WANNA LIFT UP THEIR, UH, UH, THEIR HOMES.
COULD YOU EXPLAIN THE PROCESS OF LIFTING UP THE HOMES AND IS THIS SOMETHING THAT ANYBODY COULD APPLY TO AND WHAT THE CRITERIA IS, UM, TO SUCCESSFULLY GET A GRANT TO LIFT UP YOUR HOME? CONSTABLE? THANK YOU.
SO, NO, I AM NOT THAT REPRESENTATIVE.
I DO NOT MANAGE THE HAZARD MITIGATION OR THE PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM THAT I'M SPEAKING ABOUT IS FOR INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS ONLY.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT IF YOU ARE A PUBLIC ENTITY OR NON-PROFIT, THEN YOU SHOULD BE CONTACTING THE LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY.
IN THIS CASE IT WOULD BE THE WESTCHESTER OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
AND THEY SHOULD BE HAVING CONTACT WITH SOMEONE FROM THE STATE WHO THEN HAS CONTACT WITH SOMEONE FROM FEMA AS FAR AS GETTING THE WHOLE COMMUNITY ON BOARD WITH SOME KIND OF MITIGATION PRACTICES OR TO GET SOME KIND OF, UH, DRAINAGE SYSTEM UPGRADE OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT THE SITUATION THAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS.
SO, SO RIRI RICH FUND IS A COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS IN TERMS OF, UM, OUR, UH, UPLIFTING HOME, YOU KNOW, PROCESS.
UH, WE, WELL, WE WERE NOT INVOLVED WITH THE UPLIFT.
WE'RE NOT INVOLVED WITH THE LIFTING OF HOMES.
WE'VE WALKED WITH FEMA AND I THINK, UH, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY IN THE AREAS THAT WERE AFFECTED IN TOWN.
THE PUBLIC PROPERTIES, PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
BUT WE HAVEN'T BEEN INVOLVED, NOR ARE WE INVOLVED IN THE RAISING OF HOMES.
I THINK THAT PROCESS HAS BEEN SPELLED OUT BECAUSE I FIND IT CONFUSING.
YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE SAY YOU HAVE TO BE IN A FLOOD PLAIN TO GET YOUR, YOUR HOME UPLIFTED.
UH, OTHER, YOU KNOW, AND I'M SORT OF WONDERING, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME, A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE WHO HAVE LOST 50,000, A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF, UH, UH, YOUR, THEIR WHOLE, THEY'VE LOST EVERYTHING.
THEY'VE LOST CARS, THEY'VE LOST, YOU KNOW, PROPERTIES.
AND I JUST WANT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE COULD DO AS A TOWN, YOU KNOW, TO HELP PEOPLE MAXIMIZE THE CHANCES OF THIS NOT HAPPENING.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IS THERE A CONTACT NAME THAT YOU KNOW FOR A NUMBER, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY OR
IT'S ALMOST LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GET FLOODED, THEY FIX UP THEIR HOME, PUT NEW APPLIANCES AND EVERYTHING, AND THEN ANOTHER STORM COMES.
SO, SO THE, THESE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THEY WANT TO REACH OUT TO, YOU KNOW, THIS, UH, YOU MENTIONED WESTCHESTER, WHAT IS IT? OFFICE? THE, THE WESTCHESTER OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
IS THERE A NUMBER THAT YOU KNOW OF? I AM NOT FROM HERE, SO NO, I DO NOT.
BUT IS THERE, WOULD THERE, BEFORE YOU MOVE ON, JUST IF ANYONE HAS ANY COMMENTS, IF THEY WANNA MAKE ANY COMMENTS, PLEASE COME TO THE PODIUM.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE WHO'S LISTENING ON THE TV CAN HEAR.
IS THERE LIKE ANYONE THAT YOU COULD MAYBE ASK WHO COULD COME HERE, WHO COULD JUST FOCUS ON THE LIFTING UP OF THE HOMES? BECAUSE MY FAILING IS, WE HAVE HAD FLOODING PROBLEMS ALL OVER THE TOWN.
AND IT'S UNREALISTIC TO THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, SPEND $200 MILLION TO ADDRESS ALL THE, YOU KNOW, FLOODING AND, AND STOP FLOODING FROM HAPPENING.
THERE'S SOME HOMES THAT EVERY TIME THERE'S A MAJOR STORM GET FLOODED OUT.
AND WE KNOW ON BABBITT COURT, THE PEOPLE WHO LIFTED UP THEIR HOMES, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT SUFFERING.
LIKE EVERYBODY HERE, YOU KNOW, IS SUFFERING.
SO I'M SORT OF WONDERING WHAT I, AND WHAT THE TOWN BOARD AND THE TOWN GOVERNMENT COULD DO TO HELP
[00:30:02]
MANAGE THE LIFTING UP OF THE HOME, YOU KNOW, PROCESS.THAT'S, THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT I THINK IS LIKE THE EASIEST, QUICKEST FIX FOR, FOR PEOPLE.
SO YOU THINK THAT WOULD BE MORE COST? I NEED YOU TO COME UP, PLEASE.
SO YOU THINK THAT WOULD BE MORE COST EFFECTIVE RACING HOMES? I'M JUST, I JUST, I'M JUST CURIOUS VERSUS PUTTING IN THE BIGGER PIPES.
COULD YOU PUT THE MASK ON YOUR NOSE? YEAH.
WELL, I, MY GLASSES SOMETIMES FOG UP, THAT'S WHY.
NO, I FEEL WE, I FEEL WE HAVE TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING, BUT I ALSO FEEL THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE AN AREA WHERE THERE'S 15 HOMES THAT ARE REALLY IMPACTED.
AND LET'S SAY IT TURNS OUT THAT IT'S A $30 MILLION PROJECT.
YOU KNOW, I'M TALKING ABOUT TO, TO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW.
THEN I FEEL THAT THE LIFTING UP HOMES MAY BE, YOU KNOW, QUICKER ON BABA COURT.
THEY'VE BEEN STUDYING FLOOD RELIEF FOR 75 YEARS AND THEY NEVER SOLVED THE PROBLEM.
UH, SO I'M FIGURING INSTEAD OF JUST HAVING MEETINGS EVERY YEAR, EVERY TIME THERE'S A FLOOD, YOU KNOW, LET'S SEE IF WE COULD HELP THE PEOPLE RIGHT.
HELP THEM SOLVE BY AVOIDING A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM.
BUT I'M JUST SORT OF WONDERING IF WE COULD GET SOMEBODY FROM FEMA HERE TO JUST HELP US FIGURE OUT THE LIFTING UP HOME PROCESS.
NO, THAT, THAT'S, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA.
IF THEY CAN GET SOMEONE THANK YOU.
DEFINITELY WE WILL PUSH IT UP OUR, OUR CHANNELS TO HAVE SOMEONE FROM THE HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT PROGRAM BE IN CONTACT SO THAT POSSIBLY YOU GUYS CAN HAVE ANOTHER ONE OF THESE MEETINGS WITH THAT PARTICULAR PERSON.
UH, AND THIS IS ONLY FOR IF IT'S AFFECTING THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
BUT BEFORE I LEAVE TODAY, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR MAYBE ANOTHER QUESTION THAT PERTAINS TO THE INDIVIDUAL HOUSEHOLD.
HAS ANYONE ALREADY APPLIED TO FEMA? ARE THEY HAVING ISSUES WITH FEMA? IF, IF PEOPLE HAVE, HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS, IF PEOPLE HAVE, UH, QUESTIONS, THEY COULD COME UP TO THE MIC AND YOU COULD JUST STAY ON STAND IN LINE.
SO THIS WAY WE CAN MOVE THIS ALONG.
SO APPLY TO THE FEMA IN REGARDS TO RAISING THE HOME OR GETTING THE ASSISTANCE THAT WE NEED TO REPAIR GETTING THE ASSISTANCE.
I'M SORRY, YOU ALREADY APPLIED.
YOU DID NOT APPLY, APPLIED FOR THE ASSISTANCE.
HAVE YOU HAD AN INSPECTOR COME INTO THE HOME? YES.
UH, THIS PROGRAM WILL NOT RAISE YOUR HOME.
YOU ARE WELCOME TO USE WHATEVER FUNDS THAT YOU RECEIVE FROM FEMA AND USE IT HOW YOU SEE FIT.
UM, BUT THE INDIVIDUAL IN HOUSEHOLD PROGRAM HAS, IS NOT INTENDED TO HAVE EVERYBODY USE THOSE FUNDS TO LIFT THEIR HOME.
WE'RE HERE TO MEET BASIC NEEDS.
SO THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR THAT PROBABLY IS DIFFERENT.
SO FOR, FOR RAISING A WHOLE COMMUNITY, THE HOMES FOR A WHOLE COMMUNITY, THAT'LL BE THROUGH THE HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT PROGRAM.
AND WE WILL WORK ON SETTING UP A REPRESENTATIVE TO SPEAK TO, TO YOU GUYS ABOUT THAT IN THE FUTURE.
UM, BUT I MYSELF AM NOT PART OF THAT PROGRAM.
IF I CAN ADD, I THINK, JUST SO I JUST CLARIFICATION, IF I UNDERSTOOD YOU CORRECTLY, A A NEIGHBORHOOD, A COMMUNITY WOULD NEED TO COME TOGETHER AND APPROACH THE SITUATION, SAY THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE FAIRGROUNDS WILL NEED TO HAVE A HOMES RAISED DUE TO THE STORM THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING.
IS THAT RIGHT? IT SHOULD NOT, AN INDIVIDUAL PERSON SHOULD NOT BE CONTACTING THE, UM, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, WESTCHESTER EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
IT SHOULD BE A COMMUNITY GROUP GOING TO THEM.
THERE IS NO INDIVIDUAL APPLICATION FOR THAT HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT PROGRAM.
THE COMMUNITY WILL NEED A HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN AND YOU'LL BASICALLY NEED A GRANT WRITER TO REQUEST THAT GRANT THROUGH THE STATE TO FEMA.
THAT'S WHAT WE DID, UH, WITH BA COURT.
SO THE TOWN IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON TWO AREAS OF CONCERN.
UM, ONE IS THE TROUBLESOME BROOK, WHICH IS A HISTORIC AREA THAT TROUBLES DATE BACK TO THE SIXTIES.
WE WE'RE DEALING WITH THE OUTSIDE CONSULTANT, WOOD AND CURRENT, UH, WE'RE HOPEFUL TO HAVE A PROPOSAL TO THE TOWN, UH, AT THE NEXT MEETING.
I THINK THE COST IS ABOUT $280,000 FOR THE STUDY.
AND IT'LL LOOK AT THE WHOLE WATERSHED AREA THERE.
UH, THE HOPE IS THAT THE COUNTY WILL PAY FOR HALF OF THAT STUDY AND THEN MOVING FORWARD DETERMINE WHAT THEY FIND.
WE'D HAVE TO TAKE APPROPRIATE STEPS.
AND SO THE FAIRGROUNDS IN MANHATTAN, BROOK IS THE OTHER AREA.
WE'RE HOPEFUL TO HAVE A, A PROPOSAL IN THE UPCOMING WEEK.
AND LITTON IS WHERE WE WERE LAST WEEK.
[00:35:01]
OKAY.SO IT'S MANHATTAN BROOK AND WARREN AVENUE.
AND, UM, NO RUB BROOK'S NOT ON THAT LIST.
TROUBLESOME BROOK AND THE MANHATTAN BROOK, THEY'RE, THEY'RE TAGGED ON THE COUNTY SITE AS AREAS OF CONCERN.
SO WHAT DOES THAT LOOK SO RICH? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN WHEN YOU SAID THEY ARE TAGGED FOR AREAS OF CONCERN? IS THE PROCESS, IT'S AN LITTLE FURTHER.
THAT'S BASICALLY A FLAG TO SAY THE COUNTY WILL WORK WITH US TO, TO LOOK AT THOSE AREAS CLOSER.
NOW THE, THE CONFUSION THAT I HAVE IS, AND AGAIN, I'M, I KEEP TALKING ABOUT LIFTING, YOU KNOW, THE HOMES, BUT IT HAS TO BE IN A FLOOD ZONE TO GET YOUR HOUSE LIFTED UP.
THE AREAS LIKE ON TROUBLESOME BROOK, THE, THE FLOOD AREA AROUND IT, EVERY TIME YOU HIT A CERTAIN YEAR STORM, THAT WATER'S SUPPOSED TO GO TO THOSE AREAS.
SO LIKE BAIT COURT, RIGHT? YOU'RE RIGHT NEXT TO THE SOMA RIVER.
WHEN THAT RIVER SURGES, IT'S GONNA ENCROACH INTO THOSE AREAS.
THE, THE FLOOD MAPS SHOW THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS LAST STORM, ESPECIALLY IN ELMSFORD AND YOU LOOK AT TO WHERE THE WATER CREPT TO IT ALMOST MIMICS THE MAPS.
SO THESE AREAS ARE, THEY'RE KNOWN TO FLOOD THOSE AREAS.
I THINK WHAT THE GENTLEMAN'S SAYING IS, IS IF THE GROUP GOES IN LIKE THEY DID ON BATTLE COURT AND APPLY TO THE, THE FEDS TO GET ASSISTANCE TO RAISE THE HOMES, IT'S GOTTA BE A WHOLE AREA.
SO THAT, SO THAT'S NOW, LET'S SAY, UM, THERE'S AN AREA THAT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT FLOODED, YOU KNOW, AND THEY LOST A LOT OF, THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGES.
AND I THINK WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS, IS THERE'S INDIVIDUAL HELP THAT IF YOU APPLY TO THEM, NOT THE TOWN, BUT IF YOU, IF YOU APPLY TO FEMA OR THE BUSINESS GROUP, THAT THEY'LL HELP YOU GET THAT FIXED.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT THE TOWN TAKES ON.
I KNOW THERE'S, THERE IS A A A A UNIT AT THE LIBRARY TOO, I THINK WHERE THEY'RE, WHERE THEY'RE TAKING, THAT'S THE $38,000 THAT YOU COULD BE ELIGIBLE UP TO FOR FEMA.
THAT'S YONKERS, RIGHT? THAT'S YONKERS THE LIBRARY? NO, WE WE HAVE THEM AT THE GREENBURG LIBRARY.
BUT TODAY, TODAY WAS THE LAST DAY FOR GREENBURG.
TODAY'S THE, THEY'LL BE TOMORROW, MONDAY TO WEDNESDAY.
SO MONDAY TO WEDNESDAY THEY'RE GONNA BE AT GREENBURG PUBLIC LIBRARY.
AND THEN THEREAFTER YOU CAN GO DOWN TO THE PUBLIC LIBRARY IN YNK.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY THE CLOSEST ONE.
BUT JUST TO TALK AND SUPERVISOR, WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THIS STORM.
THIS STORM WAS UNLIKE ANY STORM THAT'S COME THROUGH THE AREA.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD PEOPLE WORKING FOR THE TOWN FOR OVER 40 YEARS AND WHEN THEY SAW THE DEVASTATION AND THE DAMAGE THAT I'M SURE MOST OF THESE PEOPLE GOT, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE.
SO THIS, THE REGULAR INTERVAL OF STORMS AND THE INTENSITY OF THESE STORMS THAT WE'RE GETTING NOW ARE VERY DIFFERENT THAN WE HAD YEARS AGO.
SO PEOPLE THAT NEVER FLOODED ARE NOW GETTING FLOODED.
THAT'S DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF RAIN THAT CAME DOWN.
SO WE HAVE A, A RUNNING LIST IN OUR DEPARTMENT OF ALL THE COMPLAINTS THAT CAME IN FROM RESIDENTS THAT EITHER OUR ENGINEERS OR HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT THAT HAS GONE AND LOOKED AT OR ARE LOOKING AT THAT PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED TO US ABOUT OUTSIDE OF HOME DAMAGE OR RAISING HOMES.
THE EMAILS WE GET ON THAT, FRANKLY, WE, WE LOOK AT THEM, BUT THERE'S NOTHING WE COULD DO ABOUT THEM.
SO WE, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, THE BROOK, WHICH IS ANOTHER AREA THAT WE LOOKED AT SHELLY AVENUE, WHERE PEOPLE GOT COMPLETELY BLOWN OUTTA THE WATER THERE.
THOSE ARE AREAS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW WE THE TOWN COULD ASSIST.
SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO THE STATE, WE'RE DOING OUR OWN WORK.
SO THERE'S THINGS IN THERE THAT WE'RE GONNA TRY TO, TO WORK ON SO THAT, YOU KNOW, GOD FORBID WE GET ANOTHER WAY STORM SOON ENOUGH.
AND I'M SURE IT'LL COME THAT THESE POOR PEOPLE DON'T GET BLOWN OUT OF THE WATER.
LET, LET ME ASK ANOTHER QUESTION.
IF, UH, SOMEBODY, UM, UM, MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR FEMA, THEY FILED AN APPLICATION BUT THEY DON'T WANT TO AND THERE'S MOLD IN THEIR HOUSE, COULD THEY MAKE THE REPAIRS BEFORE THEY GET, UM, THE FEMA INSPECTOR OR BEFORE UH, THEY GET A CHECK FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM FEMA? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
WE DEFINITELY WANT TO PUT YOUR SAFETY PRO MAKE SAFETY PRIORITY.
UH, WE ASK THAT YOU DOCUMENT THE DAMAGES.
WE ASK THAT YOU KEEP YOUR RECEIPTS, KEEP YOUR ESTIMATES, TAKE PICTURES, TAKE VIDEOS.
BECAUSE OF THE COVID SITUATION, FEMA INSPECTORS WILL NOT BE GOING INSIDE YOUR HOME.
THEY WILL BE ASKING YOU FOR THESE PICTURES.
THEY'LL BE ASKING YOU FOR THESE RECEIPTS AND THAT'LL DETERMINE WHAT KIND OF ASSISTANCE YOU WILL RECEIVE.
DEFINITELY START YOUR RECOVERY EFFORTS ALREADY.
WE DON'T WANT ANYONE TO GET, UH, SICK FOR MOLD, BUT DON'T JUST THROW YOUR STUFF AWAY WITHOUT HAVING ANY PROOF TO SHOW
[00:40:01]
THE INSPECTOR OF WHAT WAS DAMAGED.UM, I JUST HAVE ONE MORE, I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION JUST FOR CLARIFICATION FOR CARS.
'CAUSE WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO CAME TO THE LIBRARY WHO HAS LOST THEIR CARS.
CAN YOU JUST AGAIN, GO OVER WHAT THE PROCESS AND WHAT THEY SHOULD DO? PLEASE.
SO TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE, WHICH WILL BE FOR YOUR PRIMARY VEHICLE, WILL DEFINITELY DEPEND ON THE RESULT OF AN S B A APPLICATION.
IF YOU DON'T QUALIFY FOR AN SS B A LOAN BECAUSE OF A LACK OF REPAYMENT ABILITY OR YOU HAVE BAD CREDIT, THEN WE CAN OFFER UP TO $10,000, UH, TO REPLACE THAT VEHICLE.
IT IS IN POINT THAT THAT VEHICLE IS REGISTERED UNDER YOUR NAME, THAT IT HAS THE MINIMUM STATE REQUIRED LIABILITY INSURANCE AND THAT THE DAMAGES WAS CAUSED BY THE FLOODING EVENT.
IS THERE, HAS S B A EVER FORGIVEN THE LOANS? UM, UH, YOU KNOW, I IT'S A 30 YEAR LOAN I THINK, RIGHT? YES.
UM, JUST TO CLARIFY, NO SS B A DISASTER SYSTEM LOAN IS FORGIVABLE.
THE ONLY FORGIVABLE LOAN THAT WAS AVAILABLE WAS THROUGH THE PANDEMIC.
AND THAT WAS WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE CALL IT A GRANT, YOU KNOW, TO OFFSET THE P P P LOANS THAT THEY WERE THROUGH DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, LOCAL LENDERS.
SO THERE IS ALL THE DISASTER RECOVERY LOANS ARE TO BE REPAID IN FULL.
NOTHING IS FORGIVABLE AND IT'S 30 YEARS.
SO THERE'S A LIEN ON THE HOU ON THE HOUSE.
I GUESS IF, UH, EVERYTHING THAT'S MORE THAN $25,000 IN LOAN, IT NEEDS TO BE SECURED.
IT NEEDS TO BE A SECURED LOAN.
SO SS B A IS NOT GONNA GO WITH A LIEN AGAINST YOUR HOME, BUT THEY WILL LOSE, THEY WOULD USE ANY, ANY AVAILABLE ASSETS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE TO TAKE IN CONSIDERATION.
AND IF SOMEBODY, UM, IF YOU APPLY TO FEMA, LET'S SAY SOMEBODY GOES TOMORROW TO THE GREENBERG LIBRARY, THEY APPLY AND UM, THE REPRESENTATIVE SAYS YOU HAVE TO APPLY TO SS B A, THEY DON'T WANNA APPLY TO THE S B A.
THEY COULD, THEY COULD DO, THEY COULD JUST SAY, I WANNA DO JUST FEMA.
IF THEY DO NOT WANNA APPLY WITH SS B A, WE CAN STILL OFFER HOME REPAIR ASSISTANCE TO INCLUDE THEIR FURNACE AND RENTAL ASSISTANCE TO LIVE SOMEWHERE ELSE WHILE THEY'RE MAKING REPAIRS TO THEIR HOME.
THAT DOES NOT DEPEND ON THE SS B A RIGHT APPLICATION.
UH, ALSO, IS IT TRUE THAT DAMAGES COVERED ARE ONLY INTERNAL HOUSE AND APARTMENTS, BUT CAN, CAN'T BE OUTSIDE PROPERTY LIKE YARDS AND, AND DRIVEWAYS? AGAIN, THE GOAL, THE GOAL FOR US IS TO MAKE YOUR HOME LIVABLE, SAFE AND SANITARY.
YOUR BACKYARD IS IRRELEVANT TO US, UNFORTUNATELY.
ARE THERE LIKE ANY, UM, AGENCIES THAT MIGHT SUPPLY MORE OF A CASEWORKER FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO, UM, MAY FIND THE PROCESS VERY CONFUSING? I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THAT THAT INDIVIDUAL GO TO THE DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER AND GO AS OFTEN AS YOU NEED TO.
WE'RE AVAILABLE THERE EVERY SINGLE DAY FROM 8:00 AM TO 7:00 PM AND I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW WE'RE SEEING VERY LOW TRAFFIC.
SO YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE A LONG WAIT AND YOU'RE GONNA GET THAT PERSON ONE-TO-ONE INTERACTION THAT, THAT MOST PEOPLE WOULD PREFER.
SO DEFINITELY HAVE THEM GO INTO THE DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER.
AND THERE'S ALSO OTHER AGENCIES, LIKE IF YOU GO TO THE YONKERS, THE WOOL LIBRARY, YOU HAVE THE RED CROSS AND YOU HAVE OTHER SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT OTHER FORMS OF HELP PEOPLE COULD GET IF THEY GO TO SAY THE WOOL LIBRARY AND MEET WITH THE RED? YOU KNOW, WHAT TYPE OF HELP WILL THE RED CROSS GIVE? WHAT TYPE OF HELP WILL, WILL THE COUNTY OR ANYBODY ELSE GIVE? I I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT SS B A IS PRESENT IN EVERY SINGLE DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER.
AS FAR AS OTHER AGENCIES, UM, I'M NOT ABLE TO SPECIFY PER EACH LOCATION.
UM, BUT YOU, ANOTHER GOOD RESOURCE TO HAVE IS TWO ONE ONE CALL 2 1 1.
LET THEM KNOW YOUR SITUATION AND THEY'LL LINK YOU UP WITH THESE OTHER AGENCIES OUTSIDE OF FEMA THAT ARE OFFERING ASSISTANCE.
AND THEN I HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION.
SO FIRST, UH, JUST TO PREFACE MY, MY QUESTIONS.
SO I'VE ALREADY APPLIED FOR FEMA AND I WAS DEEMED INELIGIBLE.
MY CLAIMS THROUGH MY INSURANCE, UH, WERE DENIED.
UM, THE DAMAGE TO MY PROPERTY WAS EXTERNAL.
IT WAS AN OUTSIDE STRUCTURE OR RETAINING WALL THAT'S SUPPORTING MY INTERNAL STRUCTURE, WHICH FEMA HAS DEEMED INELIGIBLE.
SO WHAT TYPE OF AID OR RELIEF DO HOMEOWNERS, SUCH AS MYSELF THAT HAD PROPERTY DAMAGE DUE TO SEWAGE BACKUP FROM THE STREET, RUSHING WATER COMING ONTO OUR PROPERTY, WHAT TYPE OF RECOURSE DO WE HAVE OUTSIDE OF AN S B A LOAN TO BE ABLE TO COVER DAMAGES BECAUSE OF A PRESIDENTIALLY
[00:45:01]
DECLARED EVENT? UH, I GUESS TWO PARTS.WHAT, WHAT TYPE OF ASSISTANCE DO WE GET FEDERALLY AND ALSO FROM A TOWN? PAUL, WHAT TYPE OF ASSISTANCE DO WE GET THERE AS WELL? BECAUSE, I MEAN, NOBODY SAW THIS COMING, BUT SEWERS BACKED UP.
SO AS A HOMEOWNER IN, IN GREENBURG, WHAT, WHAT TYPE OF, UM, AID IS AVAILABLE TO US? WHICH WOULD YOU HAVE? I I THINK WHEN YOU SAY SEWERS, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE STORMWATER.
SO YEAH, THERE'S, PEOPLE COMMONLY REFER TO THE STORMWATER AS SEWERS.
IT'S TWO SEPARATE SYSTEMS. SO THE SYSTEM ON THE STREET IS PROBABLY DESIGNED FOR A 25 YEAR STORM.
THAT'S GENERALLY WHAT THE STREETS ARE DESIGNED FOR THIS.
I THINK THEY'RE, IT'S OVER A HUNDRED, I THINK THEY'RE SAYING.
SO THE, THE STREET AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS, WHEN YOU GET THAT MUCH RAIN AND THAT MUCH IN THAT CLOSEUP PERIOD OF TIME IS NOT, IT'S GONNA GO WATER FINDS ITS OWN PATH.
SO IN REFERENCE TO THE TOWN, WE WOULD GO OUT AND LOOK AT THE SYSTEM.
BUT, AND I DON'T MEAN TO GIVE YOU BAD NEWS, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY LIABILITY ON THE PART OF THE TOWN FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, FOR THIS TYPE OF EVENT.
I WANNA ADD, JUST BECAUSE YOU WERE DEEDED, INELIGIBLE FROM THE FIRST INSPECTION, SHOULD NOT DISCOURAGE YOU FROM FILING AN APPEAL THROUGH FEMA.
I'VE PROVIDED THREE CONTRACTOR QUOTES FROM ENGINEERS TO FEMA AS WELL.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PROCESS TO GET AN INSPECTOR TO COME OUT TOOK 20 DAYS.
IT TOOK THEM LESS THAN 24 HOURS TO RESPOND BACK AND SAY I WAS INELIGIBLE.
SO, UM, I WOULD DEFINITELY, UM, CHECK BACK WITH YOUR CASE IF, ESPECIALLY IF YOU SUBMITTED AN APPEAL.
THE APPEAL PROCESS IS RATHER LENGTHY.
UM, THEY, THEY'RE NOT GONNA GIVE YOU AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE WITHIN 24 HOURS.
AND AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE HAVE UP TO 90 DAYS TO RESPOND TO AN APPEAL ONCE IT'S SUBMITTED.
UH, SO I WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE SOMEONE CHECK INTO YOUR APPEAL AGAIN TO FIND OUT THE STATUS AND IT MIGHT NOT BE, UH, A DECISION YET FOR THE ACTUAL APPEAL.
UH, AND JUST BE PATIENT WITH US.
UH, JUST LAST QUESTION, WHAT'S THE PROCESS TO GET THE TOWN TO COME AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE, THE WATER AND AND STREET COLLECTION? YEP.
SO ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS EMAIL US.
I WILL TELL YOU WE'VE BEEN THROUGH MOST OF THE TOWN ONCE ALREADY.
AND I DID, I DO THINK I HEARD ABOUT YOUR CASE.
THIS IS SOMETHING WHERE IT'S A STRUCTURAL CONDITION.
SO THE WALL IN THE BACKYARD, IF IT'S NOT REPAIRED, ULTIMATELY IS GONNA END UP WITH THE HOUSE FAILING THE STRUCTURE.
SO I, I THINK IN, IN THAT CASE, SOMETHING HAS TO BE ON THAT END.
I, I THINK MAYBE THEY'RE LOOKING AT IT IN INCORRECT WAY.
SO I'M, I'M NOT ABLE TO SPEAK ON YOUR PARTICULAR CASE SPECIFICALLY.
I WOULD JUST SUGGEST THAT IF YOU WERE DENIED ASSISTANCE INITIALLY, FILE YOUR APPEAL, EXPLAIN THE SITUATION, ALLOW SOME TIME FOR THE CASE PROCESSOR TO REVIEW ALL THE DOCUMENTATION, AND THEN THEY'LL GIVE YOU A DECISION ON YOUR, ON YOUR APPEAL.
UH, BUT I, I WILL, I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO TELL YOU WHAT SPECIFICALLY THE SITUATION WILL BE FOR YOU UNFORTUNATELY.
I WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THAT, DON'T DISCARD S B A I KNOW THAT THE WORD LOAN, IT'S TAKING A LOT OF THE, YOU KNOW, STEAM FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE TO, TO START THE APPLICATION.
BUT IT MIGHT HELP YOU IN THE LONG RUN.
AND ONCE YOU GET APPROVED AN S B A DISASTER ASSISTANCE LOAN, YOU ARE ELIGIBLE TO UP TO 20% OF THAT LOAN ON TOP OF THE LOAN THAT'S OFFERED TO YOU FOR MITIGATION TO JUST HELP YOU IN THE FUTURE WITH, YOU KNOW, ANY TO PREPARE YOUR HOME FOR THE NEXT STORM.
SO YOU MIGHT WANNA CONSIDER THAT AGAIN.
DID YOU JUST, DID YOU TELL THEM ABOUT THE INTEREST ON THE LOAN? THE INTEREST ON THE LOAN OF HIS HOME IS GONNA BE, UH, 1.365% I BELIEVE.
IT IS UP TO 30 YEARS REPAYMENT AND 18 MONTHS OF DEFERMENT OF THE LOAN.
AND IT COULD GO UP TO $200,000.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT 20% FOR MITIGATION, IS THAT FIXED FOR THE LIFE OF THE LOAN? YES, IT'S A FIXED RATE.
I WROTE, I WROTE HERE YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT $2 MILLION.
WHAT WAS THAT? $2 MILLION? IT'S FOR BUSINESSES.
[00:50:01]
AND ALSO VERY GOOD TO MENTION IT'S NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS SCHOOLS.'CAUSE A LOT OF SCHOOLS IN THE AREA THAT THEY WERE DAMAGED.
AND HOSPITALS AND, AND CHURCHES.
THEY COULD APPLY FOR THAT, YOU KNOW, LOAN WITH SS B A THAT IT'S ALSO UP TO $2 MILLION WITH AN INTEREST RATE STARTING AT 3.5629999999999997% AND IT'S UP TO 30 YEARS REPAYMENT.
NOW WE HAVE LIKE A CHURCH, THE UNITARIAN CHURCH ON JACKSON AVENUE, UH, THEY CAN'T APPLY TO FEMA.
THEY WOULD HAVE TO ONLY APPLY TO SS B A IF THEY WANNA APPLY WITH US.
THEY'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO START THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
THEY WON'T, LIKE A CHURCH THAT WAS FLOODED, CAN'T GO TO FEMA.
IF THEY OFFER SOME KIND OF SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC, THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET PUBLIC ASSISTANCE.
UH, AND THAT'LL BE THROUGH THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AS WELL.
UM, BUT IT WILL NOT BE THROUGH THE INDIVIDUAL AND HOUSEHOLDS PROGRAM THAT WE, THAT I MANAGE.
WHAT ABOUT HOTEL EXPENSES? UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE, THEY LOST EVERYTHING AND THEY, THEY'RE IN HOTELS AND YOU KNOW, IS THERE ANY REIMBURSEMENT FOR THAT? DEFINITELY SUBMIT YOUR RECEIPTS.
THEY NEED TO BE VERIFIABLE RECEIPTS, MEANING WE NEED TO HAVE THE HOTEL NAME AND PHONE NUMBER.
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO CALL THE HOTEL DIRECTLY TO VERIFY THAT YOU STATE THERE, THERE ARE OTHER REQUIREMENTS.
WE NEED TO HAVE AN INSPECTOR GO OUT AND VERIFY THAT YOU OCCUPIED THE HOME THAT WAS AFFECTED AND THAT YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO STAY IN YOUR HOME IN ORDER FOR US TO REIMBURSE FOR HOTEL LODGING.
BUT WE DO OFFER, UH, LODGING EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT.
UM, WE HAVE ABOUT 25 OR 30 VOLUNTEERS AND IF, UM, PEOPLE ARE FINDING IT VERY DIFFICULT OR, YOU KNOW, CONFUSING, UM, IF YOU CONTACT MY OFFICE, WE COULD TRY ASSIGNING A VOLUNTEER TO, UM, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH YOU AND FOLLOW THIS UP UNTIL YOU GET THE MAXIMUM HELP THAT YOU, YOU COULD GET.
SO MY OFFICE NUMBER IS 9 8 9 15 40 AND MY ASSISTANT'S NAME IS CHRISTA, UH, YOU KNOW, MATSON.
AND SHE IS COORDINATING, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, THE, YOU KNOW, THE VOLUNTEERS.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ANYBODY ELSE HAS? UH, ACTUALLY YEAH, I DO HAVE, DO HAVE QUESTIONS.
UH, JUST TWO QUESTIONS I GUESS IN REGARDS TO, I KNOW YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING TO HELP US, I GUESS ESCALATE IT SO WE CAN GET THE PROPER CONTACT IN REGARDS TO LISTING HOUSES OR WHETHER THE TOWN CAN GET MONEY TO HELP EITHER, YOU KNOW, CHANGE, FIX, WHATEVER THE CASE IS, THE PIPELINES.
UM, MY QUESTION IS, IT WOULD ALSO BE HELPFUL IF, I GUESS I'M NOT SURE IF THE TOWN REACHES OUT TO SOMEBODY SO THAT WE CAN GET SOMEBODY QUICK ENOUGH RATHER THAN HAVING IT DELAYED IS THAT MUCH FASTER IF BOTH YOU, YOU YOURSELF REACH OUT TO SOMEONE HIGHER UP AND SOMEONE FROM THE TOWN REACHES OUT TO SOMEBODY.
I I DEFINITELY WANNA MANAGE EXPECTATIONS.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE'RE GONNA FIX YOUR PROBLEM.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS WE CAN GET A REPRESENTATIVE TO EXPLAIN THE PROCESS AND GIVE YOU GUYS MORE INFORMATION.
WE WILL DEFINITELY WORK ON, ON GETTING THIS COMMUNITY THAT.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE BECAUSE I, I KNOW, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING TAKES THIS TIME AND SUCH, BUT YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF WANNA HELP THIS, I BELIEVE AS A TOWN WE WANNA HELP THIS AS A COMMUNITY.
WE WANT THIS TIME OF BE KIND OF BE SPED UP AND TAKEN AS A PRIORITY JUST SO WE CAN TALK AND SEE WHAT ACTUALLY IS THE SOLUTION IF THERE IS ANY.
UM, I DIDN'T HEAR FLORENCE AVENUE BEING TALKED TO ABOUT THAT'S THE WARREN.
AND SO THAT'S MY, I, YOU KNOW, I'M COMING HERE AS FOR FLORENCE AVENUE AND WARREN AVENUE BECAUSE I DIDN'T HEAR IT MENTIONS, IN ALL HONESTY, THAT'S MANHATTAN BROOK.
SO THAT WAS MY CONCERN WHERE I WANTED TO KNOW LIKE WHAT, YOU KNOW, IF THERE WAS AN UPDATE IN REGARDS TO THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I, IT, I KNOW THIS STORM WAS THE WORST OF IT ALL.
BUT AGAIN, JUST TO REPEAT AND JUST, IT WASN'T THE ONLY STORM THAT HAS HIT US OR HAD THE HOUSES FLOODED.
THIS ONE WAS THE MOST TERRIBLE.
HOWEVER, IT WASN'T THE ONLY TIME.
SO THAT'S OUR, SO I, WE WANNA EMPHASIZE AS WELL, THIS WAS NOT THE ONLY TIME WHEN IT'S HEAVY RAIN AND THE HOUSE EITHER GOT FLOODED, MAYBE EITHER TO YOUR ANKLE OR WHETHER IT'S THE WHOLE FLOOR.
SO RICH, DO YOU FEEL THE WARREN AND FLORENCE AVENUE WHERE WE, WE STOPPED BY A FEW A WEEK OR TWO AGO, IS THAT AN AREA THAT YOU, THAT POTENTIALLY COULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE FEMA UPLIFTING OF HOMES? SO THAT'S ALREADY BEING LOOKED AT BY THE TOWN AS AN AREA OF CONCERN.
WE'VE ALREADY HAD BOOTS ON THE GROUND IN THE AREA REMOVING STUFF FROM THE, THE WATERCOURSE.
SO WE'VE ALREADY STARTED TO TAKE ACTION OF ANYTHING THAT FELL DURING THE STORM THAT MIGHT BE BLOCKED UP.
I KNOW ONE OF THE RESIDENTS FROM THAT AREA SAID THEY ACTUALLY HAD TO GO DURING THE STORM AND PULL SOME STUFF OUT.
[00:55:01]
SO, BUT THAT AREA IS TARGETED AS AN AREA CONCERNED BY THE COUNTY.SO THAT WOULD BE MORE LIKELY TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR.
UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THE MORE DRAMATIC, THAT'S OUR, THAT'S OUR HOPE.
SO WE ARE GONNA, AND YOU KNOW WHAT, I THINK WHAT WOULD MAKES SENSE IS WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE COUL, THE CONSULTANT SHOULD BE APPROVED BY THE TOWN BOARD WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO, RIGHT? I I, LET'S TAKE IT ONE DAY AT A TIME.
SO LET WE, WE NEED TO REVIEW IT.
WE NEED TO GET IT TO YOU GUYS.
YOU GUYS ARE GONNA HAVE YOUR REVIEW.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I'M SORRY WHEN WE, I'M SORRY.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S DONE CORRECTLY.
SO AGAIN, IF WE DO SOMETHING AND WE DO IT HALF SPEED, I'M SURE THESE GUYS ARE GONNA COME BACK OUT.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE HAPPY WITH THIS.
SO WHATEVER WE DO, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE DO IT RIGHT.
SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS NOW WORKING WITH THE CONSULTANT.
WE'VE ALREADY TAKEN SOME CORRECTION ACTIONS ON THE TOWN'S END TO GO CLEAN THINGS UP.
I KNOW LIKE ON YOUR END, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE STATE, SO YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE ARE TAKING ACTIONS, BUT TO SAY IT'S GONNA BE A WEEK, I, I WOULDN'T WANNA MAKE THOSE PROMISES.
SO, SO BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS THE TOWN BOARD IS GONNA HIRE A CONSULTANT TO LOOK AT A COUPLE AREAS WHERE THERE'S BEEN SIGNIFICANT FLOODING, LIKE WARREN AND FLORENCE CLAREN AND PLAY.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A COUPLE AREAS THAT WE KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, WE WERE AT LITTON'S, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW THAT, THAT AREA IN THE HEART.
SO WE HIRE THEM, WE'RE GOING TO GET FEMA, WE'RE GONNA TRY HAVING FEMA COME IN AND, UH, ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT LIFTING UP HOMES.
THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, A FUTURE, A FUTURE MEETING LIKE THIS.
UM, WE WILL, UH, WE WILL TRY COLLECTIVELY FIGURING OUT WHAT WE COULD DO TO ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, THESE PROBLEMS COME UP WITH SOME, UH, SOLUTIONS.
SO THERE'S, IT'S NOT RHETORIC, BUT YOU KNOW, WE, WE GET RESULTS AND I GUESS SO, SO IT WAS APPROVED TO HAVE CONSULTANT TO HIRE.
WE, THE BOARD IN CONCEPT SUPPORT SAID, BUT NOW WE'RE, I'M SORRY, WE HAVE TO WORK OUT THE DETAILS.
YOU CAN'T SPEAK OVER HERE BECAUSE YOU HAVE A MICROPHONE AND IT'S GONNA BE PICKING UP IT UP AND WE JUST WANNA HAVE ONE MEETING.
SO I, I HAVEN'T HEARD, UM, PAUL, ANYONE FROM THE TOWN, BUT AS A TOWN, AS A COMMUNITY, HAVE WE APPLIED FOR FEMA FOR HAZARD MITIGATION AS A TOWN.
YOU KNOW, THERE THERE'S, THERE'S MORE NUMBER AND VOLUME.
SO HAVE WE ASSESSED THE DAMAGE ACROSS THE ENTIRE TOWN AND APPLIED TO FEMA AS A COMMUNITY? THANK YOU.
SO THE ANSWER IS YES, THAT'S ONGOING.
I WILL TELL YOU WE'RE I THINK JUST AND A NO KNOCK ON, ON ON THE REPRESENTATIVES HERE.
WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THE LAST STORM THAT TOOK PLACE SOME TIME AGO ON SOME OF THE NUMBERS.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS QUICKLY, BUT YES.
I'LL TRY AND BE AS CLEAR AS POSSIBLE.
UM, I THINK WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION BEFORE.
AND WHEN YOU VISIT LIVES AVENUE, UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE A STATEMENT AND I GOT YOUR RECORDING.
THE ISSUE, YOU SAYING IT'S NOT THE COUNTY FAULT AND IT'S LIKE ON THE OWNERS TO DEAL THE SITUATION YOU'RE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW.
I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO ANY ONE OF US.
NATURAL DISASTER IS A THING THAT HAPPENS EVERY SINGLE DAY WHERE THE PATTERN CHANGES.
HERE'S MY THING, LIKE I BROUGHT UP TO YOU AND MY CONCERN.
A WEEK PRIOR TO THE STORM THERE WAS HEAVY RAINFALL, GREEN BIRD COUNTING KNEW THAT WHEN THE SNOW STORMS, THE PLOWS SALT, EVERYTHING'S READY TO GO.
'CAUSE YOUR NEW SNOW IS COMING.
ALL YOU ARE AWARE THAT A STORM IS COMING.
HEAVY RAINS MIGHT BE POSSIBLE WARRIOR PREPARE.
THAT RAINFALL CAME, IT WAS RECORDED HEAVY RAINFALLS A WEEK AFTER THAT.
WE GOT HIT WITH THAT, THAT STORM.
SO LET'S, LET'S, LET'S THINK ABOUT IT NOW.
HEAVY RAINFALLS STREAMS, FLOODED AREAS, ALL OUR WATER STILL IN THE GROUND AND HERE'S MORE WATER COMING ON TOP OF ME.
I ASKED YOU AND YOU SAID, YEAH, BUT I'M TELLING YOU I DIDN'T SEE IT.
I'VE BEEN LIVING THERE SEVEN YEARS.
HE'S BEEN THERE LONGER THAN ME.
THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN THERE 50 YEARS.
THAT IS NOT THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED TO STAND HERE AND MAKE IT SEEM, HEY, THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT WE JUST DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW.
[01:00:01]
LET ME FINISH.AND ON TOP OF THAT TO SAY, HEY, IT'S NOT TO TELL SOMEBODY.
AND EVERY TIME I HEAR YOU SPEAK, IT'S LIKE YOU'RE TELLING US, HEY, IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.
I GOTTA PUT MY HOUSE UP TO TAKE A LOAN FOR 40 YEARS, SELL MY LEFT LEG UP TO NOW HAVING A GREENBOARD SAY, LISTEN, WE'RE GONNA DO THIS THING AS A COMMUNITY, AS A COUNTY.
WE'RE GOING TO, WE ARE GONNA GO THROUGH THE RED TAPE FOR YOU BECAUSE YOU KEEP SAYING IT'S A LONG PROCESS.
BUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO HELP ME GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, THEN I COULD SIT HERE AND LISTEN TO WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.
LIKE I TOLD YOU, I'M FROM AN ISLAND SURROUNDED BY WATER.
SO I SEE HURRICANES, I SEE STORMS. Y'ALL WERE NOT PREPARED FOR THIS, EVEN THOUGH YOU KNOW IT'S COMING.
AND TO STAY THERE AND SAY THE COUNTY DOESN'T HAVE A PROBLEM OR DOESN'T HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT, I CAN'T ACCEPT IT.
ALL RIGHT? Y'ALL SHOULD HAVE GONE AROUND WITH STORM DREAMS. Y'ALL SHOULD HAVE GONE AROUND AND SEE WHERE TREES FELL.
Y'ALL SHOULD HAVE DONE THAT, NOT JUST THAT WEEK, EVERY OTHER SEASON BEFORE THAT.
BECAUSE WE HAVE TREES AND WE HAVE DREAMS. THEY GOTTA GET CLEAN.
AND IF YOU'RE SHORT ON STAFF, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOUR WHOLE COUNTY HAVE TO LOOK AT AND SAY, LISTEN, LET'S HIRE MORE PEOPLE.
IF YOU NEED HELP, KNOCK ON MY DOOR.
BUT DON'T SAY, HEY, IT'S YOUR FAULT.
AND EVERYBODY'S SITTING THERE, HOLD ON.
EVERYBODY'S SITTING THERE ASKING FOR ONE THING.
WHAT DO I DO SO MY HOUSE DOESN'T GET FLOODED AGAIN? I NEED A SOLUTION.
I'M NOT GONNA REPAIR MY BASEMENT.
AND THEN TWO DAYS AFTER A STORM COME AND IT'S FLOOD AGAIN.
HOW MUCH LOANS DO I HAVE TO TAKE FROM THEM? SO IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME.
GIVE US SOMETHING THAT WE COULD MOVE FORWARD WITH AND STOP TELLING ME.
WE KNOW THAT ALREADY WE GOING BE PATIENT, BUT GIVE US SOMETHING THAT WE COULD WORK WITH.
STOP FEEDING US LITTLE THINGS LIKE THE CH DON'T PLAY THE POLITICS WITH ME.
I'M NOT FRUSTRATED, I'M UPSET.
FIRST, JUST SO I WANNA MAKE ONE, I'M NOT A POLITICIAN.
SO THE ONE THING THAT WE WENT ON OUT THERE, AND WE HAD THE SAME CONVERSATION.
WE AS A TOWN ARE NOT PERMITTED TO GO ONTO PRIVATE PROPERTY AND DO WORK.
I, I HAVE TO SAY IT, WE CAN'T JUST GO ONTO PRIVATE PROPERTY.
I KNOW YOU'VE GOT THE PROBLEM WITH THE STONES, RIGHT? THERE IS A WATERCOURSE THAT TRAVELS THROUGH PRIVATE PROPERTIES.
THE TOWN HAS PIPES OVER OUR ROAD.
THAT IS ABSOLUTELY OUR RESPONSIBILITY.
AND I HEAR THE GENTLEMAN, I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE DO HAVE CREWS OUT EVERY DAY, EVERY WEEK, WORKING ON THE, ON THE TREES.
SO WE'RE CONSTANTLY OUT LOOKING AT THAT.
IN REFERENCE TO THE STORM DRAINS.
WE HAVE MILES AND MILES AND MILES OF STORM DRAINS.
WE DO THE BEST WE CAN EVERY DAY TO MAKE SURE WE DO SOMETHING TO KEEP THOSE OPEN AND RUNNING.
AND LIKE I PROMISED YOU, AND WE HELD A PROMISE WITH THE TROUBLESOME BROOK PEOPLE, THE NEXT STORMS WE HAVE, WE WILL HAVE SOMEONE STATIONED THERE.
SO THAT IF SOMETHING DOES COME UP FROM, BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN YOU GET THAT MUCH WATER, WE'VE HAD CARS PICKED UP AND MOVED THROUGH YARDS.
ANYTHING IN PEOPLE'S HOMES THAT ARE ON THE GROUND, THAT ARE LAYING IN THE WOODS GET PICKED UP AND GO TOWARDS THE STREAM AND THEN BLOCK UP THESE AREAS.
AND WHEN THEY GET BLOCKED UP, AND IT HAPPENS QUICK DURING THESE STORMS, AND I'M NOT MAKING EXCUSES, BUT THIS IS JUST WHAT HAPPENS.
SO WHAT I PROMISED YOU IS WE'LL HAVE SOMEONE OUT THERE JUST LIKE WE DO A TROUBLESOME BROOK AND SOME OF THESE OTHER AREAS, BUT UNLESS THE TOWN BOARD GIVES ME AUTHORITY TO GO ONTO PRIVATE PROPERTY, WE JUST CAN'T DO IT.
AS MUCH AS WE'D LOVE TO GO HELP EVERYBODY, WE JUST CAN'T GO ONTO PRIVATE PROPERTY.
DON'T SEND THE TAX ASSESSORS ON OUR PROPERTY TAXES.
WE'VE DONE NO, IT'S, WE, WE CAN'T SPEND PUBLIC MONEY ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
YOU KNOW, IT JUST, IT'S, IT'S THE LAW STANDING, OH, GO AHEAD, SIR.
I'M JUST GONNA MAKE IT SHORT BECAUSE I'M, I'M FROM THE SAME, I'M FROM THE SAME AREA.
EVERYTHING, WHAT I WANTED TO SAY WAS ABOUT YOUR SURVEYS AND, AND, AND OF THE BROOK AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.
THE ROOM BROOK, IT WILL BE A PART OF IT, RIGHT? MR. FINER.
BUT ACCORDING WITH THAT IN MIND, I THINK THE PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING THESE, UH, INVESTIGATION SURVEYS SHOULD KNOCK ON OUR DOORS.
I'VE BEEN THERE 20 YEARS AND IT'S A LIE THAT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME, OKAY? IN 20 YEARS, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME.
AND MANY, MANY OTHER TIMES IT CAME VERY, VERY, VERY CLOSE.
OKAY? THIS IS THE SECOND TIME WE'VE HAD TWO FEET.
[01:05:01]
WE JUST MOVED IN THERE, NOW WE HAD FOUR FEET.WITH THIS IN MIND, IT'S NOT GONNA STOP.
OKAY? YOU COULD BLINK YOUR EYES AND THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN TOMORROW.
OKAY? SO WITH THAT IN MIND, I THINK YOUR INVESTIGATION SHOULD INCLUDE HOMEOWNERS.
I GOT VIDEO OF THE BROOK, I GOT PICTURES OF THE BROOK, I'VE GOT EVERYTHING.
I'VE GOT, UH, VIDEO OF TWO D P W WORKERS COMING OUT THERE AND LOOKING AT IT.
AND I ASKED THEM WHAT YOU CAN DO? AND THEY SAID NOTHING.
ONCE IT STARTS MOVING LIKE THAT, THEY'RE NOT GONNA ENDANGER THEIR LIVES TO GO IN THERE TO UNPLUG IT.
AND I SAY, OKAY, IT'S 15 INCHES FROM THE TUBE THAT GOES UNDERNEATH THE STREET.
OKAY? SO WHAT IF IT GOES OVER THE TUBE? WELL, WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
I, I'LL GET FLOODED AGAIN, OKAY? OVER AND OVER AND OVER.
NOW I'VE GOT RESULTS FROM FEMA ALREADY.
OKAY? THEY CAME TO MY HOUSE AND THEY TOLD ME EXACTLY WHAT THEY COULD DO.
CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? DID YOU, YOU KNOW, COULD JUST SO I HAVE AN IDEA, YOU KNOW, ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE AMOUNT THAT THEY'RE GIVING YOU? OR NO, THEY HAVEN'T, UH, THEY HAVEN'T COME UP WITH AN AMOUNT OR ANYTHING OR WHAT'S COVERED.
THEY SAY, DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO.
THEY SAID, AND THEN THEY, THEY HAVE A PAD AND THEY TAKE DOWN EVERYTHING.
OKAY? AND THEN THEY SAY, WELL, WE COVER CERTAIN THINGS.
OKAY? IF YOU GOT INSURANCE ON YOUR CAR, THEY'RE NOT GONNA COVER THAT.
OKAY? UM, OTHER THINGS, IF YOU GOT FLOOD INSURANCE, THEY'LL DEDUCT THAT FROM THE AMOUNT THEY GIVE YOU, STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO THEY'RE GONNA ADJUST EVERYTHING AND THEY'LL GIVE YOU WHATEVER THEIR, THEIR PADS SAY, YOU KNOW? BUT, UH, BECAUSE, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL, AT LEAST TO ME, UM, IS I WANNA, UH, PRESENT OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO SENATORS AND THE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WITH LIKE A REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS AT THE CONCLUSION OF THIS PROCESS SAYING, THIS IS WHAT WE THINK, YOU KNOW, GOING FORWARD, FE EMISH AND S B A COULD DO, YOU KNOW, BETTER.
BECAUSE I PERSONALLY THINK IT'S LIKE SUPER CONFUSING.
THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE THING.
AND I FEEL THAT IT'S NOT LIKE REALLY, IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, THEREFORE, BUT I FEEL IT'S NOT A CUSTOMER FRIENDLY, UM, YOU KNOW, PROCESS.
AND I FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN RIGHT AFTER EVERY STORM, THE GOVERNOR AND, UM, THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION SAY, WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU A RELIEF, AND EVERYBODY THINKS THEY'RE GONNA GET, YOU KNOW, THEIR HOTEL BULLS PAID.
THEY FEEL THEY'RE GONNA GET ALL THE EXPENSES PAID FOR.
AND THEN, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, MONTHS GO BY AND THEY'VE, THEY MAY GET LOANS OR THEY MAY GET SOME HELP, BUT IT'S NOT NEARLY AS MUCH AS THEY THOUGHT.
AND I FEEL THAT THE EXPECTATIONS ARE SO MUCH HIGHER THAN YOU, THAN THE REALITY.
NOW IF PEOPLE, MAYBE THERE'S SOME PEOPLE HERE WHO WILL HAVE LIKE, SUCH A FABULOUS EXPERIENCE AND I'D LIKE TO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW THAT ALSO, I'D LIKE TO HEAR POSITIVES, NEGATIVES, AND YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS AT THE END OF, UM, AT, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF, UH, THE PROCESS, UH, GETTING BACK TO WHAT YOU SAID, THAT YOU CAN'T GO ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
I'M SORRY, COULD YOU PUT THE MASK OVER YOUR NOSE PLEASE? AND MY GLASSES ARE GONNA FOG UP.
AND BREATHING DOWN ON COUNCILWOMAN.
SO WHAT YOU WERE SAYING ABOUT PRIVATE PROPERTY, MR. FINER WANTED SOMETHING.
SO I GAVE HIM SOMETHING, I SENT HIM AN EMAIL.
WHAT ABOUT SPLITTING UP? OKAY, I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH ROCKS.
SO EVERYTHING FROM WHEREVER THE, THE RUM BOOK STARTS ALL THE WAY TO THE END, THOSE ROCKS COME DOWN.
SO WHAT ABOUT WE SPLIT IT UP? I'LL BE, UH, MAKE THE HOMEOWNERS IN CHARGE OF THE LANDSCAPING AND MAYBE THE TREES, OKAY? AND THE GARBAGE THAT FALLS IN THERE, WE CAN GET OUT.
I CAN'T DO, I CAN'T PICK UP ROCKS LIKE THIS OUT OUT OF THE BROOK.
WHAT ABOUT WE, WE SPLIT IT UP.
YOU TAKE CARE OF THAT AND I'LL TAKE CARE OF THE REST.
I, I EMAILED YOU ON THAT, SO I'M WAITING FOR AN ANSWER.
THE ONLY THING I SHOULD MENTION IS THAT RIGHT AFTER WE HAVE THE MEETING WITHIN 24 HOURS, YOU KNOW, RICH FA AND THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT STARTED, YOU KNOW, ADDRESSING IT.
AND YOU, YOU'RE RICH, YOU'RE WORKING ON AN EASEMENT NOW TO, TO CLEAR UP THAT A LOT OF THE OBSTRUCTIONS, RIGHT? FIRST I JUST WANNA REITERATE AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO GO ONTO PRIVATE
[01:10:01]
PROPERTY, RIGHT? I DON'T, I WOULD BE BREAKING STATE LAW IF I DID.SO THAT'S SOMETHING DOWN THE ROAD.
I DIDN'T SAY IT WAS THE FIRST.
'CAUSE I COULD TELL YOU RUM BROOKE, WHEN I WORKED FOR THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, I WANT TO SAY IT WAS ABOUT 1999, 2000, SOMEWHERE IN THERE, I REMEMBER ISSUING NOTICES TO EVERY HOMEOWNER ALONG THAT BROOK THAT THEY HAD TO CLEAN IT.
AND WE'RE GONNA DO THAT AGAIN.
SO THAT WAS PROBABLY ME 20 YEARS AGO.
AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BE MEAN OR GO AFTER PEOPLE, BUT IT'S CAUSING THIS PROBLEM.
'CAUSE WHEN PEOPLE HAVE THINGS IN THEIR YARDS THAT AREN'T MAINTAINED, THAT ARE NEAR THE, THE SOURCE OF THE STREAM, WHEN YOU GET THAT MUCH WATER, EVERYTHING WASHES IN.
IF THEY GO IN AND DO CERTAIN THINGS, WHEN YOU GET THAT, WE HAD, THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT DIED IN WESTCHESTER, YOU KNOW, THAT GOT SUCKED AWAY A BASEMENT.
WELL, AND I RESPECT THAT AND I RESPECT ALL THAT YOU WENT THROUGH OUT THERE, BUT THERE'S ONLY CERTAIN THINGS THE TOWN COULD DO.
WE'RE GONNA DO EVERYTHING WE CAN, BUT TO RESPECT WHAT THE SUPERVISOR WAS SAYING AT THE END, WHERE THE STATE HAS RIGHT OF WAY, THEIR RIGHT OF WAY, WHERE THEY HAVE A PIPE GOING UNDER THEIR ROAD, WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM AND ONE OF THE HOMEOWNERS OUT THERE TO GET ACCESS THROUGH THEIR PROPERTY TO GO CLEAN THAT AREA UP.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, AFTER WITHIN 24 HOURS, YOU KNOW, YOU FOLLOWED UP ON THAT, THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND WERE EVERYWHERE, MR. FINE, I WANT TO AGREE WITH YOU THAT THIS PROCESS IS QUITE CUMBERSOME AND NOT USER-FRIENDLY.
BUT HERE I AM, MS. DOAK, YOUR SECRETARY TOLD ME THAT I WAS HERE FOR A MEETING AT FOUR 30.
I WAS HERE PROMPTLY, AND NOW IT'S ALMOST SIX O'CLOCK.
WHEN AM I GONNA GET MY MEETING? I'D LIKE TO KNOW THAT.
THESE PEOPLE HAVE HAD THEIR TIME AND I FEEL VERY SORRY FOR THEM.
BUT YOU SPEND A LOT OF TIME, AND THIS IS A VERY GOOD EFFORT.
I SEE A LOT OF DISSATISFACTION.
I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE WANNA GET THEIR HOMES RAISED.
FEMA MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
BUT AGAIN, YOU JUST MENTIONED THAT THE PROCESS IS CUMBERSOME AND NOT USER FRIENDLY.
I'M HERE AT FOUR 30 READY FOR MY MEETING.
WHEN AM I GONNA GET MY MEETING? I THINK, BUT WE'RE ALMOST DONE WITH THIS.
WELL, WHEN WILL WE BE DONE? I LI I ASKED A QUESTION.
WHEN AM I GONNA GET MY MEETING? WHO ARE YOU? YEAH.
AND WHAT, WHAT? I LIVE IN LEY.
I HAVE AN APPEAL THAT WAS SCHEDULED FOR FOUR 30 ON A FOIL DEAL THAT I FILED.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, FIRST OF ALL, I I, WE PUBLICIZED THIS ON THE WEBSITE THAT THIS MEETING WAS AT FOUR 30.
WELL, I, I MENTIONED TO, UM, UM, THE ASSISTANT TO THE TOWN BOARD THAT THIS WAS A FOUR.
YOU KNOW WHAT I, I SPECIFICALLY SAID, UH, AND WE PUBLICIZED, UH, DURING THE WEEK THAT FROM FOUR 30 TO THE FIVE 30.
WELL, MR. FINDER, YOU'VE HAD YOUR MEETING SINCE FOUR.
YOU'VE HAD THE MEETING SINCE FOUR 30.
WELL, YOU WHAT? MY MEETING IS NOTICE FOR FIVE 30.
SO, SO EVERYBODY, THEY'VE HAD AN HOUR AND A HALF AND I WANT TO GIVE 10 MORE HOURS, LEMME JUST SAY, BUT I THINK IT'S TIME FOR MY MEETING BECAUSE I HAVE YOUNG CHILDREN.
LEMME ASK A, A YOUNG CHILD AND I GOTTA GET BACK AND HELP.
OTHERWISE, I'LL GIVE YOU A QUICK ALTERNATIVE.
OKAY? WE COULD PUT IF YOU WANT, I'LL HAVE A POSTPONEMENT RIGHT NOW.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY 10 HOURS? ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON, UH, ON, ON THIS? YEAH, I JUST WANT TO SAY WHAT, I REALLY DON'T WANT TO GO UP TO THIS BOARD.
I, I JUST, BUT YOU, BUT YOU HAVE TO BECAUSE WE NEED TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE HEARS.
THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY I, I KNOW, BUT MR. FINE, WHEN WOULD I GET MY MEETING? CONCLUSION, IN CONCLUSION, I HAVE NO MORE.
OKAY, SO BABBITT COURT, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WAS DONE, OKAY.
THE PROCESS OF HOW THAT WAS DONE, BUT COULD WE USE THAT AS AN EXAMPLE TO MAYBE MIMIC WHATEVER THEY DID? NOW, WHAT I WANNA MENTION IS, CAN YOU REACH OUT MAYBE TO THE WESTCHESTER EMERGENCY CENTER SCHEDULE A MEETING WITH THAT FEMA DELEGATE OR FEMA REPRESENTATIVE? AND MAYBE YOU COULD EMAIL OR THE COMMUNITIES THAT WANT, THAT WANT TO BE INVOLVED WITH THAT.
MAYBE WE CAN HAVE A MEETING HERE.
I'M GONNA, I'M SATISFIED WITH THAT.
THAT'S, AND AND YOU SAID YOU'LL, YOU'LL GET BACK TO, TO ME WITH THE, WITH WHEN WE COULD HAVE THE, THE THEME OF REPRESENTATIVE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE UPLIFTING OF HOMES AND MAYBE WE COULD HAVE OUR, THE CONSULTANT AT, AT THAT MEETING, AND THEN WE JUST MOVE, MOVE THAT ALONG, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY THE AREAS THAT WE THINK HAVE THE BEST CHANCE WHERE WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UH, QUICK SECOND, UM, TO THE COMMENTS OF THAT, UH, TOWN CANNOT COME ONTO THE PRIVATE PROPERTIES.
THERE IS A PIPE, UH, LIKE, UM, TWO OF THEM ACTUALLY ON THE CLAREDON PLACE
[01:15:01]
IN THE CORNER, EVERY WEEK, SMALL RAIN TOWN HAS TO COME CLEAN THOSE PIPES THERE.SO I MEAN, THEY, THEY'LL COME WITH THE BROOMS AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
THE PIPE FROM THAT CORNER, WHICH IS THE TOWN'S, ALL THE DRAIN, COMES AND SITS AT ONE AND THREE CLARINET PLACE.
I ONLY OWNED IT FOR TWO AND A HALF YEARS NOW.
I HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS TIMES THESE PEOPLE COME AND DO SOMETHING DURING THIS STORM.
I MEAN, THERE WAS A FIVE FEET ROAD THAT THEY HAD TO CLOSE AT THE CORNER OF THE CLARINE AND PLACE AND ROAD BECAUSE IT ALL WENT THROUGH THESE PIPES.
AND THEY'RE ALL FULLY COVERED UP NOW.
AND THOSE, I DON'T THINK THEY'VE BEEN CLEANED NEXT TO SMALL TROT COMES, THEY'RE GOING TO ACCUMULATE ON THE, ON THE CORNER OF, UM, CLAREDON PLACE THERE.
SO NOW THAT PROPERTY, WE'VE BEEN, A LOT OF TIMES ENGINEERS SHOWED UP THERE DURING MY, UH, THESE TWO YEARS THERE.
UH, THE BOB, I MEAN, HE'S BEEN, UH, DOING A LOT OF WORK WITH THE TOWN AND EVERYTHING.
UH, I'VE BEEN TALKING TO HIM AND THERE IS A JUNCTION IN ON MY PROPERTY, WHICH I DON'T KNOW.
THIS HOUSE IS BUILT IN 1965, BEING LIVING ONLY AT LIKE, YOU KNOW, 25, 26 MONTHS.
THERE, THE CONNECTION, THERE ARE TWO PIPES THAT COME IN THROUGH THAT.
AND THAT'S WHERE ALL THE WATER CAME DURING THIS STORM AND EVERY OTHER STORM.
BUT THOSE PIPES ARE UNDERNEATH MY LAWN GOING CONNECTING TO THE RUM BROOK.
SO WE'VE BEEN TOLD LIKE THERE IS NO EASEMENT.
I THINK IF THE TOWN WATER IS COMING THROUGH MY PROPERTY, I DIDN'T DIG IT UP IN, SHOULD SOMEBODY TAKE THE EASEMENT AND CLEAN THOSE DAM PIPES THERE, I'M READY TO GIVE THE WHOLE PROPERTY TO THE PUBLIC IF YOU GUYS NEED IT THAT LOT.
SO I GOTTA SAY THAT WHEN DEVELOPERS COME IN AND BUILD HOUSES, ESPECIALLY WHEN THOSE HOUSES WERE BUILT, A LOT OF 'EM PIPE THINGS.
SO THE PROPERTY OWNER AT THE TIME TOOK THAT UPON THEMSELVES TO PIPE IT, NOT GET AN EASEMENT.
IT HAPPENS ALL OVER THE REGULATIONS THAT, THAT WERE NOT THERE.
THOSE HOUSES, FRANKLY, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY GET BUILT TODAY, RIGHT? YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE RIGHT IN A FLOODWAY.
SO THE REGULATIONS TODAY ARE SO DIFFERENT THAT I FRANKLY DON'T THINK HALF THOSE HOUSES WOULD BE THERE.
ALRIGHT? THE REALITY IS BACK THEN SOMEONE BOUGHT THEM.
HOW LONG YOU BEEN IN THE HOUSE? TWO AND A HALF YEARS.
YOU AND AN ENGINEER LOOK AT THE HOUSE.
I MEAN, THERE ARE ENGINEERS ALSO.
DID YOU, DID YOU HAVE SOMEONE COME LOOK AT THE HOUSE BEFORE YOU BOUGHT IT? YEAH.
UM, DID THEY, DID THEY COME INSPECTOR? YEAH, INSPECTOR, YEAH.
SO IN THAT REPORT, DID THEY SPELL OUT ANY ISSUE WITH THE FLOOD ZONE? THE BROKEN, I WOULD NEVER COME INTO THAT.
CULDESAC CUL-DE-SAC IS AWESOME.
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS YOU WANT THE TOWN TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.
THAT A PIPE THAT'S ON YOUR PROPERTY THAT A BUILDER PUT IN, THAT WAS WHEN THE HOUSE WAS BUILT BACK IN THE SIXTIES.
THINGS WERE DONE DIFFERENTLY BACK THEN.
SO THE TOWN NOW JUST CAN'T GO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF ALL THESE PIPES THROUGH ALL THE PROPERTIES THROUGHOUT THE TOWN.
WE HAVE, THERE ARE SO MANY MILES OF PIPE, YOU KNOW, AND SO MANY RESIDENCES.
AND WE'RE GONNA DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HELP.
SO WE JUST CAN'T GO OUT AND MAINTAIN PRIVATE INFRASTRUCTURE.
THAT IS, THAT IS ACTUALLY, I KNOW WHAT IT DOES.
IT COMES FROM OUR ROAD THROUGH YOUR PROPERTY.
BUT SOMEONE, WHEN THAT HOUSE WAS BUILT, DID THAT, THERE ARE AREAS WHERE PEOPLE PUT PIPES UNDER HOUSES.
I MEAN, THERE'S CRAZY STUFF OUT THERE.
WHAT IF HE GIVES PERMISSION AND EVEN SIGNS, LIKE
THAT IS SOMETHING I WOULD SAY YOU WOULD, YOU SHOULD WORK WITH THE TOWN ATTORNEY AND THE TOWN BOARD.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? WE ARE GONNA DO EVERYTHING HUMANLY POSSIBLE TO HELP, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GONNA, UH, YOU KNOW, GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS.
UH, I KNOW I, WE HAD MEETINGS WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, BOB DE LORENZO MONTHS AGO, AND I THINK WE'VE KEPT MOST OF THE, WE'VE KEPT A LOT OF THE PROMISES THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE MADE TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND YES, YES.
I MEAN, WE WOULD ALL LIKE TO SEE CONTINUING MORE, BUT YES.
WE HAVE SEEN SOME MORE ACTION NOW.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE ARE, WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FOLLOWING UP, YOU KNOW, ON THIS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I'LL HAVE, WE'LL HAVE ADDITIONAL MEETINGS AND WE'RE GONNA DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE SO WE COULD REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY OF, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SUFFERING.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT TIME, UH, THERE'S A STORM.
NOW AGAIN, ALL, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE METROPOLITAN AREA, YOU KNOW, SUFFERED.
WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO ELIMINATE FLOODING.
BUT WHAT WE COULD DO IS WE COULD GO DO STEP-BY-STEP AND REDUCE THE POSSIBILITIES AND, AND REDUCE THE, THE DAMAGES THAT MANY PEOPLE WILL HAVE.
[01:20:01]
TRY VERY, VERY HARD.AND I WANNA THANK FEMA AND SS B A, BUT I WANT THANK YOU FOR SPENDING SO MUCH TIME WITH US.
AND, UM, AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY HERE FOR TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUR, UH, AFTERNOON TO JOIN US.
NEXT, UM, WE WILL HAVE, UH, THE FOIL.
UM, I THINK 'CAUSE SEND, EVERYBODY'S GETTING TIRED ABOUT THE HOMES, RAISING THE HOMES, BUT, UH, HOW DO WE KNOW WHICH, LIKE, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH WHAT BROOK IS, WHICH, AND WHATEVER.
SO WHERE DO YOU LIVE? OLD JACKSON AVE.
RIGHT OFF OF, UM, YEAH, I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, WITH A, A UNITARIAN CHURCH.
WE'RE GONNA WORK ON THAT ALSO.
AND I'M LIKE, I'M NOT SURE WHICH BROOK YOU MIGHT WANNA SPEAK TO.
THE ATTORNEY IS ACTUALLY, THAT'S A PROBLEM NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE.
THIS IS A MATTER INVOLVING THE GREEN BOARD OF EVIDENCE.
THIS IS THE DOCUMENT THAT WANTS TO THEM.
BUT THE CODE IS VERY, THE CODE IS CRYSTAL CLEAR THAT THE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, THIS INVOLVES TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THE CODE SAYS THAT THE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS NOT INVOLVED WITH FINANCIAL STATE FOR TOWN, UH, ELECTED OFFICIALS.
SO WHY IS THE TOWN ATTORNEYS? MIKE? HE ATTORNEY IS, HE HAS NO JURISDICTION OVER THIS MATTER.
ATTORNEY, AND I DON'T SEE THE, I DON'T SEE THE GREENBERG BOARD OF ETHICS HERE EITHER.
BUT WHY IS THE TOWN ATTORNEYS HERE? WELL, I WASN'T GETTING, HE PROVIDED ME WITH NO PAPERWORK.
DOES HE HAVE ANY PAPERWORK? I'LL BE
THE MEETING WAS CALLED FOR FOUR 30.
I DEMAND THAT WE PROCEED RIGHT NOW.
WHERE IS HE? I DON'T SEE, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT YOU'VE BEEN SAYING.
WELL, I'M OBJECTING TO THE TOWN ATTORNEY OF BEING INVOLVED, AND I FEEL THERE'S BEEN A, THE TOWN ATTORNEY HAS NO, NO JURISDICTION OVER THIS MATTER.
THE GREENBERG BOARD OF ETHICS HAS A CLEAR JURISDICTION ON THIS MATTER.
THEY'RE NOT HERE, THEY'RE IN DEFAULT.
SO I'D LIKE TO, I'D LIKE TO DEFAULT NOTE, UM, IS MR. SHEHAN AND MS. JO, MS. JACKSON, I'D JUST LIKE TO KNOW INFORMALLY, ARE THEY OBJECTING TO THE DISCLOSURE OF THIS INFORMATION IN THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORM TO ME? BECAUSE IF THEY'RE NOT, THERE'S NOT AN ISSUE ANYMORE.
THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS.
NO, I, I HAVE A QUESTION AND JUST INFORM ME, MAKE YOUR CASE.
WHAT'S THAT? YOU'RE GONNA MAKE YOUR CASE? YEAH, BUT I, I HAVE, I HAVE A QUESTION.
ARE YOU, I, I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM YOU.
I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM ANYBODY, WHETHER YOU ARE OBJECTING YOU, MR. SHEENA, ARE YOU OBJECTING TO PROVIDING ME THE INFORMATION? WHICH INCIDENTALLY, AS YOU KNOW, IS HAVE YOU READ MY PAPERWORK? OH, YEAH.
HAVE YOU READ MY, MY PAPERWORK? I HAVE, SIR.
ALL THE INFORMATION IS QUITE PUBLIC.
I CAN EVEN JUST SHOW YOU SOMETHING RIGHT HERE THAT I PULLED OFF IN THE MINUTES OFF THE WEB ON YOUR OWN GREENBURG, UH, TOWN WEBSITE.
IT'S YOUR INFORMATION, AND HERE'S YOUR, UH, YOUR CHILDREN'S INFORMATION, ALL PUBLIC INFORMATION.
SO IT'S VERY CLEAR IN THE LAW.
IF THE INFORMATION'S PUBLIC, YOU CAN'T HIDE IT ANYMORE BECAUSE IT'S PUBLIC.
ARE THEY RECORDING? I'LL, OKAY.
SO THE A VERY, AGAIN, THE TOWN ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS HERE, BUT THEY'RE, THE CODE IS CRYSTAL CLEAR.
IT'S A HANDS OFF WHEN IT COMES TO, TO, UM, ELECTED OFFICIALS.
STANDARD REVIEW IS THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO KNOW.
ALL RECORDS ARE PRESUMPTIVELY AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AND 5 78 C.
THE ETHICS CODE PROVIDES THAT, UH, PUBLIC DISCLOSURE.
THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE MUST BE, IT SAYS SHALL BE AVAILABLE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE.
IS THE ATTORNEY HERE THIS A ZOOM MEETING? INCLUDING HIM.
JANELLE, CAN YOU PUT, UH, TIM UP ON THE SCREEN? YES.
NOW, NOW, MORE IMPORTANTLY, EXCUSE ME, GARY.
THE BOARD SHOULD ASK PEOPLE TO GO OUT RICH LOBBY.
CAN YOU TAKE A MEETING? WE CAN'T HEAR, WE CAN'T HEAR.
CAN YOU ASK FEMA TO STEP OUT AS WELL? WE CAN'T HEAR THE MEETING.
CAN YOU STEP OUT PLEASE? THANK YOU.
NOW, UNDER THE, THE LAW WHICH I PROVIDED TO YOU, THE, UH, FOIL DENIAL REQUIRES A PARTICULARIZED REASON.
ABSOLUTELY NONE WAS GIVEN TO ME.
SO THAT ALONE IS A DEFAULT BY, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S BEEN NO, NO JUSTICE.
TIM, CAN YOU HEAR US? HI, TIM.
BUT HE MIGHT BE IN HIS LIVING ROOM.
SO GOING BACK, WE HAVE NO, WE HAVE NO JUSTIFICATION GIVEN FOR THE DENIAL OF MY REQUEST UNDER FOIL.
[01:25:01]
THE LAW'S VERY CLEAR THAT YOU HAVE TO GIVE AN AB A JUSTIFICATION, A PARTICULARIZED JUSTIFICATION.AND EVEN IF YOU WENT AND SAID, OH, WELL, HE'S GOT SOME CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, PRIVACY, OF COURSE, THAT'S NOT THE CASE BECAUSE THE, UH, THE LAWS ALSO THAT REAL ESTATE INFORMATION IS, WHICH IS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, IS NOT SUBJECT TO, UH, AN UNWARRANTED, UH, PRIVACY EXCLUSION.
CHIEF WESO, PLEASE GOTTA GO HOME.
WE CLOSED, CLOSED THE DOOR BA BASICALLY, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO MR. LEWIS.
HE BASICALLY ADMITTED TO ME THAT HE TOOK THE LAW INTO HIS OWN HANDS AND DECIDED TO REDACT THE DOCUMENT THAT I'M ENTITLED TO.
NOW, WE GO TO THE, THE GREENBERG CODE OF ETHICS ALSO HAS A WAIVER PROVISION.
NEITHER OF YOU EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT OF WAIVER.
AND EVEN IS WHAT'S EVEN MORE INTERESTING.
TO SHOW YOU HOW IMPORTANT THIS INFORMATION IS.
THE CODE SAYS THAT YOU CAN'T EVEN GET A WAIVER FOR THIS INFORMATION, BUT YOU MIGHT'VE TRIED SOMETHING UNDER FOIL, BUT YOU DIDN'T DO EITHER.
SO THIS INFORMATION IS CLEARLY IN THE DOCUMENT BECAUSE IT'S NECESSARY.
THE INFORMATION I SAID IS QUITE PUBLIC.
IT'S, I'VE CITED THE PUBLIC ER, PUBLIC, UH, SOURCES.
I HAVE THE DOCUMENTS RIGHT HERE FOR THE RECORD.
THIS IS RIGHT FROM THE GREENBERG, UH, G I S.
THIS SHOWS THAT, UM, UH, MS. JACKSON'S MOM, WHO IS IDENTIFIED LIVES AT 26 JUNIPER HILL.
IT SHOWS THAT, UH, MR. SHEEHAN, UH, LIVES AT, UH, LOOKS LIKE IT'S LITTLE HARD THERE.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE OTHER TWO PEOPLE LISTED ON HIS FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORM.
UH, I GUESS HIS SON AND HIS, UH, HIS DAUGHTER-IN-LAW WHO IS LISTED AS DIANA TROCHE, WHEN HE LISTED ON HIS FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE, UH, HER MARRIED NAME THOUGH, HER PROPERTY RECORDS SHOW THAT IT'S DIANA TROCHE, AND THAT'S THE, THAT'S HIS, HIS TOWN BOARD.
AND THE ONLY REASON I AGREE IS I FEEL THAT WHEN WE HAD THE, THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORM, THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW IS BASICALLY, UH, TO, YOU KNOW, FOR THE PUBLIC TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OF REVIEW, OF MAKING SURE THAT GOVERNMENT IS AS HONEST AS AS POSSIBLE.
SO IF, IF, IF A FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORM WOULD BE A SECRET DOCUMENT THAT WOULD NOT BE READILY AVAILABLE, IT MAKES IT HARDER FOR THE PUBLIC TO SCRUTINIZE THE, WHETHER OR NOT THEIR PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND APPOINTEES ARE, YOU KNOW, ARE, UM, CONFLICT, HAVE A CONFLICT.
SO I FEEL THAT THE DOCUMENT, AND I FEEL THE DOCUMENTS SHOULD BE EASILY ACCESSIBLE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN I FILLED OUT, YOU KNOW, MY, YOU KNOW, FORMS, I NEVER THOUGHT THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, I JUST ASSUMED THAT ANYBODY WOULD EASILY, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, EASILY HAVE IT.
SO I DEFINITELY FEEL THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, ON THIS MATTER THAT, YOU KNOW, IT SHOULD BE EASILY ACCESSIBLE.
I, I, YOU KNOW, I I SO YOU DISAGREE WITH THE TOWN ATTORNEY'S LEGAL INTERPRETATION? YEAH, BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT? I, I FEEL THAT IT'S A PUBLIC DOCUMENT ANYWAY.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, AS, AS GARY MENTIONED, AND I, I THINK THAT THE, THERE'S A PUBLIC WHEN, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S LIKE IF THE GOVERNOR IS ASKED TO HAVE A FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE AND WE'RE KEEPING IT SECRET, THEN IT'S NOT A REAL FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE THE CAMPAIGN FINANCIAL, UH, DISCLOSURE, UH, RECORDS, IF IT WAS HARD FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE ACCESS, THEN IT, IT DEFEATS THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THE, THE LAW.
YOU, YOU COULDN'T BE MORE CORRECT.
THIS IS WHAT WAS DONE HERE, WAS EVISCERATING THE LAW, THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW TO FERRET OUT CONFLICT.
SO WHEN THIS BOARD, AS IT FREQUENTLY DOES RULES ON LAND USE MATTERS AND ZONING MATTERS AND SPECIAL PERMITS, AND ALL ON DOWN THE LINE, THE PUBLIC KNOWS, OH, MR. SHEEHAN IS, IS HIS HOME IS RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO THE CEMETERY, OR MS. JACKSON'S HOME IS TWO BLOCKS AWAY FROM WHATEVER UNDER CONSIDERATION.
SO I COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW, AS CITED BY THE ARCH DEACON CASE.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME YOU'VE AGREED WITH ME IN 30 YEARS.
NO, WE'RE AGREEING ON THE, UM, ON THE, ON THE, UH, ANTISEMITISM.
ON THE ANTISEMITISM, AND JUST FOR YOUR, UH, MORE FOR UA FOR YOUR TOWN.
THIS IS A NICE JEWISH CALENDAR.
IN PREPARATION FOR THAT MEETING.
BEAUTIFUL ARTWORK YOU HAVE IN THE LOBBY.
THIS WAS SOME LOVELY WORK TOO.
SO, UM, I THINK I'VE COVERED MOST OF THE POINTS THERE.
UM, I THINK THE, YOU HAVE THE CASE, I'VE CITED, YOU HAVE THE, UH, OPINIONS FROM THE ADVISORY, FROM THE, UH, OPEN MEETING, NOT THE OPEN MEETINGS, THE, UH, OPEN GOVERNMENT FOLKS OF IN ALBANY.
YOU HAVE THE SECTION CITED BY, UM, I'LL GET THAT SECTION.
IT'S UH, FOUR, IT'S 89, 2 C FOUR, WHEN A RECORD OR GROUP OF RECORDS RELATES TO THE RIGHT TITLE OR INTEREST IN REAL PROPERTY, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, AND ALSO AN INVESTMENT PROPERTY AS CITED IN, IN YOUR OWN FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORM STATEMENT, IN WHICH CASE DISCLOSURE AND PROVIDING COPIES OF SUCH RECORD OR GROUP OF RECORDS SHALL NOT BE DEEMED AN UNWARRANTED INVASION
[01:30:01]
OF PERSONAL PRIVACY.IT'S POSSIBLE MR. LEWIS WAS UNAWARE OF THIS PROVISION THAT FOIL LAW IS SOMEWHAT CUMBERSOME AND MAYBE SOMETHING THAT HE WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH, AND THAT'S OKAY.
BUT, AND UNDER THE LAW, UH, AND THE PURPOSE OF THE, UH, OF THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORM, UH, I'M ENTITLED TO THIS INFORMATION.
I DON'T HAVE TO GIVE A REASON FOR IT, BUT I'VE GIVEN YOU THE REASONS I'M NOT GONNA USE FOR ANY NEFARIOUS PURPOSE.
UH, SO THAT'S, I WISH THAT I WOULD, AGAIN.
SO I'M ASKING THIS TOWN BOARD AS AN APPELLATE AUTHORITY AND APPELLATE BOARD TO DIRECT, UH, REALLY SHOULD BE DIRECTING THE GREENBERG BOARD OF ETHICS, WHO'S THE CUSTODIAN OF THE DOCUMENT TO TURN THE DOCUMENT OVER TO ME IN ITS COMPLETELY UNREDACTED FORM.
IF YOU WANT TO TAKE OUT A PHONE NUMBER, THAT'S OKAY.
BUT YOU KNOW, MY FEELING IS, UH, EVEN WHEN YOU PUT IN THE PHONE NUMBER, IF, UM, IF THE BOARD OF, IF THE TOWN BOARD FEELS THAT A PHONE NUMBER SHOULD BE REDACTED, THEN WE SHOULD CHANGE THE ETHICS LAW AND SAY NOBODY PROVIDES THE PHONE NUMBER.
YOU KNOW, ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE, EVERYTHING SHOULD BE PUBLIC, IN MY OPINION, UNLESS WE CHANGE THE CODE.
WELL, MR. FINE, TO THAT YOUR POINT, YOU LY AND TO YOUR CREDIT, GIVE OUT YOUR PHONE NUMBER, YOUR ADDRESS, AND EXCEPT FOR THAT ONE UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT, BUT ANYBODY CAN FIND ANYBODY TODAY, I FOUND ALL THIS INFORMATION WITH JUST A FEW CLICKS.
UNFORTUNATELY, PRIVACY IS SORT OF ELUSIVE TODAY.
BUT AGAIN, YOUR FORM WHICH YOU CREATED, AND MR. SHI, I BELIEVE YOU WERE VERY RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS FORM, THE FORM, WHICH IS NOTHING UNUSUAL.
I'VE UNDERSTOOD FROM, UH, THE PEOPLE AT THE, UH, IN ALBANY, WHICH, UM, THEY SAID THIS IS THE ALMOST A STANDARD FORM USED UNIFORMLY THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
SO THERE'S NOTHING ABERRATIONAL HERE, AND NOBODY ELSE HAS HAD A PROBLEM EXCEPT FOR THE TOWN ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
SO HOW DOES THE TOWN ATTORNEY RESPOND? YES, I'LL MOVE ON.
YOU KNOW, JUST SO YOU UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE LEGAL ISSUES THAT WILL BE DISCUSSED AT TOWN AT SOME POINT, UM, LIKELY IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UM, THE TOWN BOARD IS GOING TO ISSUE A DECISION TO YOU, UH, WITHIN 10 BUSINESS DAYS.
SO WE'LL BE RESPONDING, AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
UM, IT, JUST TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BACKGROUND FOR THE TOWN BOARD, UH, THE INITIAL CO REQUEST WAS APPROXIMATELY, UM, SEPTEMBER 14TH, OFFICIALLY.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ULTIMATELY DID COMPLY WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, DISCLOSING THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORM, WHICH WAS FOR COUNCILMAN SHEEN AS WELL AS, UM, COUNCILWOMAN JACKSON.
BUT WE DID REDACT THEIR, UM, HOME MINS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WERE REALLY CONCERNED IN THIS CLIMATE ABOUT DISCLOSING THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DO THINK WE HAVE SUPPORT, UH, FROM THE COMMITTEE ON IN GOVERNMENT AND CASE LAW.
WE THINK IT'S REALLY A BALANCING TEST IN TERMS OF DISCLOSING OF INFORMATION.
WE THINK THAT THE REQUEST SHOULD BE LOOKED IN YOUR PERFORMANCE AS ELECTED OFFICIALS OR, YOU KNOW, APPOINTED OFFICIALS.
SO, YOU KNOW, LISTEN, PEOPLE DISAGREE, UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ON APPROPRIATELY.
LIKEWISE, YOU KNOW, UH, DAVID WILSON ON THE JOURNAL NEWS MADE SIMILAR, UH, EMPLOYER REQUEST IS A LOT BROADER.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS APPEALS, YOU KNOW, IS A PART OF THE APPEAL AS WELL, BUT HE ASKED FOR ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS.
OFFICIALS AND EVERYBODY WHO SUBMITS, UH, FINANCIAL CLOSURE POINTS, ASK FOR THEIR HOME ADDRESSES.
THAT HAS IMPLICATIONS, YOU KNOW, FOR SOME OF OUR VOLUNTEER BOARD MEMBERS IN PARTICULAR.
UM, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE TOM BOARD HAS TO CONSIDER, AND THEY WILL CONFIRM.
THEY'LL MAKE A DECISION ON ISSUE.
THAT DECISION A TIP, JUST VERY BRIEFLY, AGAIN, 89 2 FORECLOSURES, THIS ISSUE OF, OF PRIVACY.
UH, SO YOU GOTTA TAKE THAT UP WITH, WITH NEW YORK STATE, AND THAT'S BEEN THE LAW FOR, FOR DECADES.
UH, THE, THE OTHER THING IS, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR, THAT THE DOCUMENT ITSELF DOESN'T ASK FOR HOME ADDRESS.
IT SAYS ASK FOR REAL ESTATE AND TYPE OF INVESTMENT.
IT DOESN'T ASK FOR A HOME ADDRESS.
SO YOU KEEP ON GOING OFF ON HOME ADDRESS.
IT DOESN'T SAY THAT IN A DOCUMENT.
IT MAY TURN OUT TO BE SOMEBODY'S HOME ADDRESS, BUT THAT'S THE NATURE OF THE FORM.
AND I'M ENTITLED TO KNOW WHERE MY ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES LIVE.
SO WHEN THEY VOTE ON LAND USE ISSUES, AS THIS BOARD FREQUENTLY DOES, IT'S PROBABLY THE MOST CONTENTIOUS ISSUE THAT THIS BOARD HANDLES.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S NO CONFLICT OF INTEREST, AND I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THERE HAVE BEEN CONFLICTS OF INTEREST IN THE PAST, BUT AT LEAST NOW I KNOW THEY'LL BE DISCLOSED THERE.
IF THEY'RE DISCLOSED, I'LL, I'LL KNOW ABOUT THEM AND THE PUBLIC WILL KNOW ABOUT THEM.
SO, AGAINST THIS, THIS, I, I, I AM NOT UNSYMPATHETIC, I'M NOT UNSYMPATHETIC TO YOUR, TO PERSONAL PRIVACY ISSUE, BUT IT'S JUST A RED HERRING.
I SENT YOU AN EMAIL, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, TIM, UH, SOMEONE WHO WAS KILLED.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE JUST WE'RE ALWAYS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF PEOPLE.
[01:35:01]
YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT, YOU KNOW, IN NEW JERSEY THAT, YOU KNOW, A FAMILY MEMBER OF A FEDERAL JUDGE WAS KILLED.AND I JUST THINK THAT THAT SUPERSEDES WELL, BUT TIM, BUT HERE'S THE PROBLEM WITH YOUR ARGUMENT.
THESE TWO, UH, ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE PUT OUT THEIR PUBLIC IN THIS PUBLIC INFORM THIS INFORMATION IN THE PUBLIC, IN THE, IN THE MULTITUDE OF AREAS.
SO THEY DON'T HAVE A CONCERN, YOU KNOW, SO I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU HAVE THE CONCERN.
WHY DO YOU HAVE THE CONCERN? THERE IS NO, THERE'S NO ISSUE HERE.
YOU ARE JUST REALLY JUST TRYING TO CREATE A, CREATE A CLOUD OF SMOKE, UH, AND TO, AND TO HIDE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE FAILING.
YOU'RE HIDING INFORMATION THAT THE PUBLIC'S LEGALLY ENTITLED TO.
THERE'S NOTHING IN THE CODE THAT SAYS, I HAVE A GENERAL FEELING ABOUT, FIRST OF ALL, PRIVACY OR SAFETY.
SHOW ME IN THE CODE WHERE IT SAYS THAT.
BUT IF YOU CAN'T SHOW IT TO ME, THE FOUR LAW, AND I'VE CITED CHAPTER IN VERSE, IS CRYSTAL CLEAR.
EVERY DOCUMENT IS PRESUMPTIVELY AVAILABLE TO BE, BE REVIEWED BY THE PUBLIC SUBJECT TO LIMITED EXCEPTIONS, WHICH ARE NARROWLY TAILORED AND NARROWLY INTERPRETED.
THERE IS NO PERSONAL CONCERN, SAFETY IN THE CODE.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE CODE JUST DOES THE OPPOSITE WHEN IT COMES TO REAL ESTATE.
IT SAYS, AND I'LL CONCLUDE, WHEN A RECORD OR GROUP OF RECORDS RELATES TO THE RIGHT TYLER INTEREST IN REAL PROPERTY, SUCH RECORD SHALL NOT BE DEEMED.
AND THE DISCLOSURE OF SUCH RECORD SHALL NOT BE DEEMED AN UNWARRANTED INVASION OF PERSONAL PRIVACY.
I'LL JUST INCLUDE WITH THIS, WE ARE HOPEFULLY STILL A TOWN, A STATE, A NATION OF LAWS, AND NOT OF INDIVIDUALS DECIDING ON THEIR OWN TO UNILATERALLY REINTERPRET CODE THAT'S BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR DECADES.
AND AGAIN, ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS WHEN WE FILE NOMINATING PETITIONS TO RUN FOR OFFICE PUTS OUR NAME AND ADDRESS, THE LOCAL NEWSPAPERS ALWAYS, UH, PUBLISH, UH, OR SOME OF THESE NEWSPAPERS.
UM, THEY, THEY HAVE TO PUBLISH THE NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF EVERYONE WHO'S RUNNING BEFORE, UM, BEFORE AN ELECT, BEFORE AN ELECTION.
SO THE STATE LAW BASICALLY, UM, ENCOURAGES, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS INFORMATION TO BE WIDELY, UM, YOU KNOW, WIDELY SHARED.
AND AGAIN, IF LAW MAY, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE AN ISSUE WHERE MAYBE WE'RE LIVING IN A TIME WHERE ADDRESSES SHOULDN'T BE PUBLICIZED, THEN THE STATE LAW OR THE TOWN LAW SHOULD BE AMENDED, AND WE SHOULD SAY, THIS IS GOING FORWARD.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE GONNA, UH, WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
AND EVERYBODY WHO FILE ALL THE APPOINTEES WHO FILE THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORMS, I'M PRETTY SURE THAT IF THEY'RE FILING IT, THEY RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S, THEY'RE NOT FILING IT.
MR. FINER, I'D LIKE TO EXPAND THIS JUST A MINUTE TO INCLUDE MY ISSUE ON THE SAME MATTER.
JUNE 24TH, I FILED A VERIFIED COMPLAINT WITH A BOARD OF ETHICS AGAINST THE DEPUTY TOWN ATTORNEY FOR DOING THE REDACTING OF NAMES OF PERSONS WHO I WANTED TO GET THIS INFORMATION FROM.
THIS IS WHAT REDACTING LOOKS LIKE ON THE FILE FOIL FORM.
THE ETHICS BOARD QUITE CORRECTLY, DID NOT HANDLE IT.
THEY FORWARDED TO YOU PEOPLE THE TOWN BOARD SINCE JUNE 24TH.
IT'S BEEN SITTING WITH YOU AND NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN.
SO I HOPE WHEN YOU DETERMINE WHAT MR. RAPPAPORT HAS ASKED YOU TO MAKE A DETERMINATION THAT YOU WILL ALSO ADDRESS MY FOIL REQUEST AND MY VERIFIED COMPLAINT, BECAUSE I SAW THIS INFORMATION BACK IN JUNE.
ARE YOU GOING TO DO, SO YOU, AS THE TOWN BOARD, CAN APPLY SANCTIONS TO PEOPLE WHO VIOLATE THE CODE, WHEREAS THE ETHICS BOARD, WHAT YOU WOULD CALL AN INDEPENDENT BOARD, BUT IT'S NOT, HAS NO POWER TO GIVE SANCTIONS.
SO I EXPECT THE TOWN BOARD, WHICH REPRESENTS ME AS A RESIDENT OF GREENBURG, WILL TAKE ACTION BECAUSE ALL I'VE BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTENTION IS A VIOLATION OF THE CODE OF ETHICS, AS HAS MR. RAPPAPORT.
SO WHAT YOU DO FOR ONE, I EXPECT YOU TO DO FOR ANOTHER, NOT BECAUSE HE'S A LAWYER AND I'M JUST A CITIZEN.
WILL YOU DO THAT TOWN BOARD? OKAY.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY, UM, SAY MR. WRAPPER POINT, UM, GOOD POINTS, YOU KNOW, VERY WELL ARTICULATED.
UM, ALSO FOR MR. SAM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THE PROCESS IS TO BECOME MORE CONSIDER OR APPEAL, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY'LL FIND IT, YOU KNOW, IN FAVOR, IN YOUR FAVOR, AND WE'LL ISSUE A DECISION.
AND THERE ARE DEFINITELY SUBMISSIONS THERE THAT NEED TO BE DISCUSSED.
AND, UM, THEY DO HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PAPERS THAT YOU SUBMITTED, AND WE'LL DISCUSS IT AND,
[01:40:01]
UH, GET BACK TO YOU.I JUST WANNA SUBMIT FOR THE RECORD, THE, UH, THE RECORDS I, I MENTIONED FROM THE, UH, G I S FROM THE TOWNS G I S SITE, AND ALSO THE, UH, SECTION OF FOIL LAW, TALKING ABOUT DISCLOSURE OF REAL PROPERTY IS NOT A, DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN INVASION OF PERSONAL PRIVACY.
SO WHAT CAN WE EXPECT YOUR DECISION? SO LET ME, LET ME JUST BE CLEAR.
WHAT WAS THAT, TIM? WITHIN 10 BUSINESS DAYS, YOU KNOW, A DECISION MUST BE ISSUED.
OKAY? I, AS MR. RAPPAPORT MENTIONED, I HAD A KEY ROLE IN CREATING THAT FORM.
I ALSO HAD A KEY ROLE IN CREATING THE ACTUAL ETHICS LAW.
I LEARNED OF THE REDACTION OF INFORMATION WHEN MR. SAMIS FILED A FO APPEAL.
IT'S THE FIRST TIME, I BELIEVE IT WAS THIS YEAR, FIRST TIME THAT THERE HAVE BEEN REDACTIONS OF THE, OF THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORM.
COUNCILMAN JACKSON DIDN'T ASK, UH, ASK FOR IT.
AND THE TOWN ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS TAKEN A VERY STRONG POSITION ON THE REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ABOUT ETHICS BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, THEY, YOU'RE NOT MEMBERS OF THE ETHICS BOARD? NO, WE'RE NOT ETHICS BOARD MEMBERS, IN MY VIEW.
AND AS THE FOIL ADVISORY OPINIONS MENTIONED, AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, YOU ARE AT WHATEVER LEVEL OF PRIVACY ANYBODY HAS TODAY, YOURS IS CLEARLY ATTENUATED THAT THAT, AND MR. FINER LAID OUT CHAPTER AND VERSE.
BUT YOU DIDN'T ASK FOR ALL FIVE TOWN BOARD MEMBERS.
YOU ASKED FOR TWO, THE TOWN ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS TAKEN A POSITION WHICH IT BELIEVES IS SUPPORTED BY THE LAW, THAT THERE SHOULD BE REDACTIONS BASED ON, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE JUDGE BEING KILLED, UM, IN NEW JERSEY AND WHATEVER OTHER REASONS.
BUT THE TOWN ATTORNEY, SO YOU'RE ASKING ME DO I HAVE AN OBJECTION TO THE REDACTION THAT'S REALLY GOING TO COME DOWN TO BE A LEGAL ISSUE? IT HASN'T BEEN REDACTED ON ANY OF MY PREVIOUS FORMS. I HAVEN'T ASKED FOR IT ON ANY OF MY PREVIOUS FORMS. BUT IT MAY BE THAT THE TOWN ATTORNEY HAS DETERMINED THAT BECAUSE OF CIRCUMSTANCES THAT HAVE EVOLVED FROM INCIDENCES THAT HAVE HAPPENED, THAT THERE'S A REASON, A DEFENDABLE REASON FOR HAVING THE REDACTION.
NOW, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
I KEEP NO SECRET OF WHERE I LIVE.
WE'VE HAD MEMBERS ACTUALLY TAKE DRONE SHOTS SHOWING MY HOUSE, JUST INCIDENTALLY, SO, EXCUSE ME, JUST LET ME FINISH.
SO PEOPLE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD KNOW THE SHEEN HOUSE.
THIS IS NOT A SURPRISE TO ANYBODY, BUT THERE'S A PRINCIPLE THAT'S INVOLVED HERE.
AND THE TOWN ATTORNEY HAS TAKEN A VERY STRONG POSITION AS TO THERE SHOULD BE A REDACTION.
OF HOME ADDRESSES ON AND PHONE NUMBERS, I BELIEVE, UH, ON THESE FORMS. AND WE WILL HAVE TO DISCUSS THAT.
MR. SAMS STARTED, YOU FOLLOWED, AND THEN A REPORTER FOR THE JOURNAL NEWS NOW WANTS EVERYONE, INCLUDING THE JUDGES, ASSUMING ALSO POLICE OFFICERS, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, SO IT ESCALATES AND THE TOWN ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, UH, IS GOING TO GIVE US SOME GUIDANCE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT, EVEN THOUGH THE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ELSEWHERE, PERHAPS CERTAINLY MINE IS, BUT IF IT'S AVAILABLE IN COUNCILMAN JACKSON, UM, WHETHER OR NOT AS A POLICY, BASED ON CIRCUMSTANCES THAT CURRENTLY EXIST, THAT DIDN'T EXIST WHEN WE CREATED THE FORM BACK IN 1996 WITH SOME SUBSEQUENT MODIFICATIONS SINCE THEN, UH, WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S JUST A DIFFERENT TIME, AND IT'S GONNA COME DOWN TO WHETHER OR NOT IT'S DEFENDABLE OR NOT DEFENDABLE.
IF YOU, THE LAW, THE LAWS AS IT STANDS TODAY, DOES NOT MAKE IT DEFENDABLE BECAUSE THE FOIA LAW SAYS UNLESS THE, UH, THE REASON FOR NOT PROVIDING THE INFORMATION, IT'S SET FORTH IN THE FOIA LAW.
AND IF ANYTHING, THE FO LAW IS CONTRARY TO THE ATTORNEY'S POSITION, IT MUST BE DISCLOSED.
AND INCIDENTALLY, NOT TO MAKE A LIGHT OF IT, UH, THANK GOD THE JUDGE SURVIVED.
I BELIEVE HER CHILD WAS KILLED.
HER HUSBAND WAS SEVERELY INJURED.
BUT THIS IS REALLY NOTHING NEW.
TRAGICALLY, I KNEW JUDGE DURO, WHO THE WESTCHESTER COUNTY,
[01:45:01]
MAYBE SOME OF YOU DID ALSO.HE WAS, THIS IS THE NATURE OF LITIGATION IN THAT CASE, A FATHER, BOTH CASES, I THINK IT WAS THE FATHER OF THE LITIGANT, OR IN ONE CASE, DIDN'T LIKE THE WAY THE JUDGE WAS HANDLING THE CASE.
ANYBODY TODAY CAN EVER CAN FOLLOW SOMEBODY.
SO, UH, JUDGES THE ANSWER TO THE JUDGE IN, IN NEW JERSEY.
SHE SAID, WE NEED MORE, WE NEED MORE PROTECTION.
I, SHE CLEARLY HAD, THERE WERE THREATS FROM THIS FELLOW, AND UNFORTUNATELY SHE DID NOT GET THE ASSISTANCE FROM THE US MARSHAL'S OFFICE THAT SHE WAS ENTITLED TO IF YOU RULE.
BUT THAT'S REALLY NOT THE CASE HONOR, IF YOU RULE AGAINST IT, ARE YOU GONNA REMOVE THE HOME ADDRESSES FROM ALL THE OTHER TOWN RECORDS, LIKE THE PROPERTY CARDS? THE TOWN BOARD IS GONNA DISCUSS IT, AND WE'LL HAVE AN OPINION IN 10 DAYS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING.
AND YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S LIKE A PUBLIC POLICY.
LET'S SAY YOU'RE LOOKING AT POLICE OFFICERS, THE ADMIT, WE MAY WANT TO HAVE PROVISIONS IN THE CODE WHERE, UM, THAT THERE COULD BE, UM, EXEMPTIONS, UM, IF THERE'S SECURE BASKETS OF CATEGORIES, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, I DIFFERENT LAYERS OF PERSONAL PRIVACY, BUT, YOU KNOW, OR, OR, YOU KNOW, RIGHT? SO I, I FAIL THAT, UM, THIS, KNOW, THIS MAY BE, WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE CODE THOUGH, RIGHT? WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS, I'M SAYING PAGE UNTIL THEY CHANGE, UNTIL THEY CHANGE THE CODE, I FEEL THAT WE HAVE TO COMPLY WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THE CODE AND POSSIBLY STATE LAW TOO, RIGHT? NO, I'M JUST SAYING.
BUT AGAIN, YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY.
IT'S WHETHER WAY WHICH WAY YOU COULD GO.
YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK A WAIVER, BUT YOU DIDN'T EITHER.
OKAY, SO NEXT ITEM, UH, WE HAVE, UM, WILSON, DAVE WILSON.
NOW, IS HE HERE? HE'S WAITING TO, TO SEE FACILITY.
OH, NOBODY TOLD ME, SENT YOU AN EMAIL EARLIER, EARLIER WHEN, AFTER THE MEETING STARTED.
I, YEAH, WHY DON'T WE DO THAT? THANK YOU.
YOU CAN, PETE, YOU CAN PRESENT WHILE FRANCIS IS, UM, SENDING OUT THE, THE ZOOM LINK TO THE, UH, NEXT SPEAKER.
UH, I HAVE THREE PURCHASE ORDERS THAT ARE OVER THE, THE $2,000 LIMIT.
UM, YOU CAN GO WITH THE FIRST ONE.
THE FIRST ONE HAS TO DO WITH BASICALLY THE HURRICANE.
THE WATER SHOP, AS YOU KNOW, GOT FLOODED.
UH, THE OFFICES WERE TOTALLY DESTROYED.
AND, UH, THE TOWERS TO BE FEEL AS THOUGH THEY SHOULD, UH, BRING THE GIRLS UP HERE.
AND, UH, UH, THE, WHICH IS THEIR BILLING DEPARTMENT, THE GIRLS, THE LADIES, THE LADIES, I SHOULD SAY.
UM, THE, UH, AND PUT THEM UP HERE IN TOWN HALL.
UH, THE PROBLEM WAS WE DON'T HAVE SPACE IN TOWN HALL.
WELL, IN MY PARTICULAR OFFICE, I TALKED TO RICH AND I'VE TOLD HIM HE CAN HAVE X AMOUNT OF AREA IN MY OFFICE THAT HE CAN TAKE AWAY AND PUT IT AS PART OF THE WATER DEPARTMENT.
SO THEY DECIDED TO GO WITH THAT IDEA.
AND WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO, THEY HAVE TO PUT A WINDOW IN SO THAT PEOPLE CAN COME UP AND PAY THEIR BILLS.
UH, THAT'S WHAT THIS, THIS FIRST, UM, REQUISITION IS ALL ABOUT.
IT'S THE INSTALLING OF, AND IT'S GONNA BE VERY SIMILAR TO THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT AND THE CURRENT D P W, WHERE THEY HAVE THE ROLL UP WINDOW, UH, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN COME, COME IN AND PAY THEIR BILLS, DISCUSS, UH, WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO WITH THE, UH, THE WATER DEPARTMENT, UH, THE WHOLE THING, UH, WHICH IS THE, UH, THE WINDOW, THE, THE ROLL UP STEEL, UH, DOOR.
UH, THE INSTALLATION OF THE, THERE'S A, A FLAT SLAB THAT THEY'RE GONNA PUT ON.
SO, WHICH IS, UH, BASICALLY LIKE A TABLE.
UH, THIS WHOLE THING COMES TO 43 55.
[01:50:01]
MY QUESTION TO, TO, UH, RICH WAS DID WE THREE PRICE IT? AND WHAT HAD HAPPENED? MIKE BRODER WENT OUT TO THREE OR FOUR DIFFERENT VENDORS.DUCHESS OVERHEAD DOOR WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT RESPONDED.
UM, THEY ALSO HAVE DONE THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT, AND THEY'VE ALSO DONE THE D P W.
SO THEY ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROCESS.
COULD YOU CLARIFY? THERE WAS A LOT OF ANGST BECAUSE OF APPARENTLY A VERY SUDDENLY ANNOUNCED POLICY THAT WE'RE NOT DOING ANYMORE PURCHASE ORDERS.
AND HERE YOU ARE SITTING HERE TALKING ABOUT A PURCHASE ORDER.
RICH AND I WERE KIND OF JOKING WITH EACH OTHER YESTERDAY.
AND, UM, HE TOLD ME THERE WAS GONNA BE X AMOUNT OF REQUISITIONS COMING IN.
AND I BASICALLY TOLD HIM, YOU'RE NOT DOING ANYMORE.
AND, UH, IT WAS MORE OF A JOKING PROCESS.
UM, HE IN TURN, I GUESS TOOK IT VERY SERIOUSLY OR NOT INGEST AND SENT THIS EMAIL OUT.
UM, I GOT A NUMBER OF PHONE CALLS, UH, A NUMBER OF EMAILS ON IT.
UH, WE WOULD DEFINITELY GIVE PEOPLE AT LEAST TWO WEEKS, THE DEPARTMENTS AT LEAST TWO WEEKS, UH, BEFORE WE ACTUALLY CLOSE OFF PURCHASING.
UM, BUT IT DID, UM, SHINE SOME LIGHT ON A FEW PE PEOPLE IN A FEW DEPARTMENTS STAYING, GEE, WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO YEAR END.
WE DIDN'T REALIZE THAT AND WE SHOULD REALLY START LOOKING AT FINALIZING OUR PURCHASING.
SO IT WAS, IT WAS KIND OF A BACKDOOR WAY OF SHAKING PEOPLE UP.
UH, AND DEPARTMENTS UP TO, UH, AND COUNCIL REALIZE THAT IT'S, IT'S GETTING CLOSE TO YEAR END.
BUT I THOUGHT THAT THAT KIND OF DECISION OF NOT DOING PURCHASE ORDERS WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME EITHER FROM THE SUPERVISOR OR THE TOWN BOARD.
I DIDN'T REALIZE YOU'RE THE ONE THAT DECIDES FROM THIS POINT ON.
THAT'S USUALLY, THAT'S THE WAY IT'S BEEN IN THE PAST.
OH, THAT YOU DECIDE THAT TO, TO PUT A, I TALKED TO DAY IN WHAT NORMALLY HAPPENS.
I'VE IN THE PAST STUFF, UH, WHEN ROBERTA SAYS, OH, I'M JUST GIVING YOU A WARNING, I USUALLY SEND MEMOS IN THE PAST.
AND WE'VE, WE'VE GIVEN, YOU KNOW, NOTICE AT LEAST TWO WEEKS NOTICE.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, I GUESS THE, THE, WHAT WE HAVE TO REALIZE IS THAT YOU PROBABLY WON'T, UH, HAVE A FUTURE ON SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, BECAUSE THAT'S TRUE.
AND ANOTHER THING IS, AFTER HURRICANE IDA, DON'T JOKE WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF DPW THAT HE CAN'T GET PURCHASE ORDERS PROCESSED.
THAT COULD SOLVE SOME OF OUR PROBLEMS WITH THE HURRICANE.
'CAUSE THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO JOKING THERE.
SO THAT'S JUST, SO FOR THE RECORD, I THOUGHT WE LIFTED THE $2,000.
LIFTED IT TO THE WHAT? 3000? NO, WE LIFTED IT.
ONCE, ONCE WE, NO, I DON'T THINK WE LIFTED IT.
I THOUGHT WE, I THOUGHT WE LIFTED.
THAT'S WHY I WAS, THAT'S WHY I WAS WONDERING WHY WE WERE, WE HAD DISCUSSED IT.
UH, BUT, UH, I BELIEVE THE BOARD FELT AS THOUGH WE SHOULD STILL CONTINUE WITH THE $2,000 LIMIT.
UH, I WANTED TO RAISE IT TO MAYBE THREE OR 4,000.
BUT, UH, THE BOARD DECIDED TO STAY WITH THE 2000.
RICH DO, DOES IT, IS IT GONNA TAKE ANY, UM, EXTRA FUNDS FROM, FROM THE WATER DEPARTMENT TO, TO MOVE THEM HERE BECAUSE OF THE, UM, SOFTWARE THAT THEY NEED, ET CETERA? I MEAN, I KNOW THEY HAVE ACCESS TO IT DOWN AT THE OTHER BUILDING, BUT IS, IS THERE ANY OTHER WORK THAT HAS TO BE DONE HERE? WE HAD IMMEDIATELY HAD TO MOVE THEM UP 'CAUSE THE BUILDING OR THE WATER DEPARTMENT WAS DESTROYED.
UH, WE WERE ABLE TO, THROUGH MIKE BRODER, WE HAVE, UH, A STORAGE OF STUFF THAT WAS DONATED.
SO WE TOOK THE EQUIPMENT THAT WAS DONATED.
WE MOVED SOME OF THE STAFF UPSTAIRS MM-HMM.
THE STAFF THAT WAS DOWNSTAIRS THAT COULDN'T BE.
AND IT WAS ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT MOVING THEM UP HERE.
UH, SO THEY'RE CLOSER TO D P W, ESPECIALLY WITH THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THEY TAKE IN AND OTHER THINGS.
UM, SO THE MONEY WAS FOUND TO DO THE INTERIOR RENOVATIONS OF THE OFFICE.
I WILL TELL YOU, THE BRAND NEW BOILER THAT'S NOT EVEN A YEAR OLD WAS DESTROYED.
UM, THERE'S A TEMPORARY FIX ON IT, BUT WE ULTIMATELY HAVE TO REPAIR THAT.
[01:55:01]
CLOSELY, AND I, I GOTTA GIVE REALLY A LOT OF CREDIT TO TRI SOARS DEEPAK.'CAUSE THEY WERE ABLE TO MOVE THE PHONES AROUND AND, AND DO WHAT THEY HAD TO DO WITH.
IT'S REALLY INCREDIBLE THE WAY THEY'RE ABLE TO GET THAT DONE.
SO RELATIVELY THE MOVE WAS RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE.
UM, YOU ARE GONNA SEE OTHER, UH, I KNOW WE'RE WORKING ON SOMETHING NOW FOR JUDAS OFFICE.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON SOMETHING FOR THE LEGAL OFFICE TO MAKE THEM MORE SAFE.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE A PROJECT OUT FRONT.
THERE'S GONNA BE A HUGE AMOUNT OF, OF FUNDS THAT ARE, UH, THAT ARE PUT OUT THERE RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE EMERGENCY CONTRACTORS.
UH, WE HAD ONE RIGHT AFTER THE STORM DO A SANITARY SEWER LINE AT CENTRAL AVENUE THAT WAS 12 FEET DEEP THAT WAS REPAIRED.
WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE ROADS FIXED.
WE'RE AT CRAFT OR NOW, UM, UH, WHAT IS IT? IT USED TO BE CRAFT AND TARRYTOWN, WHERE WE HAVE A, AN EASEMENT THROUGH THERE.
I THINK WE'RE UPWARDS OVER $300,000 IN WORK.
BUT A LOT OF THAT WILL BE IN REIMBURSED, OR MOST OF IT WILL BE IN REIMBURSED BY FEMA.
AND WE ARE STILL WORKING, AND I WAS SERIOUS WHEN I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE LAST STORM.
WE'RE JUST WRAPPING UP WITH THEM.
THE NUMBERS ON THE LAST HURRICANE THAT, THAT CAME THROUGH IN ORDER TO GET THOSE FUNDS.
I MEAN, I, I FEEL FOR THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND REALLY, RIGHT.
NO, IT'S, I FEEL BAD FOR THEM.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE STAND WITH THE WATER DEPARTMENT.
THEY'RE GONNA BE MOVING UP, THEY'RE GONNA BE TAKING PART MOST HALF OF MY OFFICE, UH, AND CREATE A WORK ENVIRONMENT, UH, SO THAT, UH, PEOPLE CAN COME UP AND PAY THEIR BILLS AND GET BACK ON TRACK.
SO THAT'S WHAT IT SOUNDS AS IF THEY NEED TO BE HERE.
THEY'RE NOT, IT SOUNDS AS IF THEY NEED TO BE HERE.
NO, THEY CAN'T AT THE BUILDING ANYMORE.
THEY CAN'T, UH, IT, IT, THE, THE AMOUNT OF DEVASTATION DOWN THERE, UH, IS JUST UNBELIEVABLE.
UH, AND, AND, AND WHAT HAPPENED? I MEAN, THEY HAD THREE AND FOUR FEET OF WATER.
AND DIANE, I SURVEYED PERSONALLY SURVEYED THAT, UM, AREA WITH RICH AND IT, IT WAS JUST AMAZING.
IT WAS, I JUST COULDN'T BE, I'VE NEVER SEEN SOMEONE, I'VE BEEN THROUGH SOME WATER STORMS FROM MY PREVIOUS IMPROVEMENT.
AND SO THIS ONE WAS REALLY BIG.
SO, BUT THANK GOD FOR, UM, DEEPAK AND TRISTAN.
I SAW THE NEXT DAY, THE YOUNG LADY, WOMEN WERE UP HERE WORKING.
SO IT, IT WAS A GOOD, SO THANK YOU TO THEM.
SO I, WE HAD THE LADIES IN THE TRAINING ROOM, UH, FOR A WHILE MM-HMM.
UH, BUT, UM, THEY SINCE HAVE MOVED INTO THE D P W AREA, BUT WE WANT TO ACTUALLY CREATE A SPACE FOR THE WATER DEPARTMENT.
UH, WITH THE ADDITIONAL SPACE THAT I HAD IN MY OFFICE, I'M GIVING UP TO, UH, D P W AND WATER SHOP.
UH, WE'LL ALLEVIATE THE, THE BIG PROBLEM, NOT, NOT ENOUGH SPACE.
SO CAN I ASK, I THINK WE SHOULD, I THINK WE SHOULD DEFINITELY ASK A QUESTION.
WE HAVE TWO PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE FOR, UH, APPOINTMENTS AND THEY'VE BEEN WAITING AND WE'RE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE ANOTHER APPEAL.
BUT WE WERE JUST WAITING THAT TOGETHER.
IF WE, I JUST DON'T WANT THEM TO HAVE TO SORT, LIKE, WAIT WELL, FOR HOURS.
BUT THE ISSUE TOO IS CHIEF, SOMEBODY'S BEEN WAITING FOR A WHILE.
MR. CHIEF HERE, CHIEF IS BEHIND HIM.
CAN WE DO THE APPEAL AND THEN MAYBE, AND THEN JUST HAVE THE FINE APPOINTMENTS.
AND SO THIS WAY, YOU KNOW, THEY COULD HAVE DINNER.
THE NEXT TWO REQUISITIONS, UH, PERTAIN TO THE, UH, GREENBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, THE FIRST IS A, UH, RESCUE BOAT, R I R I T CRAFT, UH, THAT HAS BEEN REQUESTED FROM, UH, MUNICIPAL EMERGENCY SERVICES, UH, UNDER A CONTRACT, STATE CONTRACT.
UH, CHIEF, IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN ON THAT.
SO, UM, FIRST, GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
UM, IN LIGHT OF HURRICANE IDA, WE HAD, UM, USED SMALL BOATS TO TRY TO RESCUE PEOPLE IN PRIOR FLOODS.
WE SAW THAT WE HAD AN ISSUE WITH, WITH ONE OF OUR OLD BOATS.
IT'S A METAL V-SHAPED WHOLE BOAT.
UM, WE HAD PROBLEMS GETTING IT OUT THERE.
UM, SO WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT GET AUCTIONED OFF AND WE REPLACE IT WITH THIS INFLATABLE, UH, RESCUE BOAT, WHICH IS MUCH MORE MOBILE.
THE OTHER BOAT IS, IS END OF LIFE.
I, I THINK IT'S CLOSE TO 40 YEARS OLD.
DO YOU KEEP IT INFLATED OR DO YOU DEFLATE IT TO SAVE SPACE AND ONLY USE IT IN A FLOOD? Y YOU KNOW, I WOULD DEFER TO THE, UH, SPECIAL OPERATIONS GUYS.
[02:00:01]
SO LET ME ASK IT A DIFFERENT WAY.WHERE ARE YOU GONNA STORE IT,
I JUST WANTED TO GOOD REPHRASE IT.
I DON'T HAVE ANY SPACE IN MY OFFICE.
AND OUR OFFICE DOES NOT WORKING YET.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S TOO MUCH SPACE FOR, YEAH, YOU CAN'T FIT NOTHING IN THERE.
AND THE, THE THIRD IS A SUPER VAC FAN, A BATTERY OPERATED, UH, IT COMES WITH THE BATTERIES AND THE CHARGER.
UH, IT'S FROM FIRING AND ROKER.
UH, IT'S FOR FOUR, A LITTLE OVER $4,000.
UM, YOU KNOW WHAT THE RUNTIME IS ON THIS THING? AND THIS, WE BELIEVE IT'S A, IT'S A HIGH POWERED BATTERY.
I BELIEVE IT'S A FOUR HOUR RUNTIME.
UM, AND THIS WOULD BE FOR, WE HAD AN INCIDENT WITH THE, WITH THE MARIJUANA GROW HOUSE.
WE HAD OFFICERS OVERCOME WITH SOME OF THE, THE ODORS.
UM, WE'VE DEPLOYED CHEMICAL IRRITANTS IN THE PAST WHERE WE'VE NEEDED TO VENTILATE.
SO THIS IS A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR FOR A LONG TIME.
AND THIS IS A HIGHLY RATED PIECE OF EQUIPMENT AND, AND IT'S PORTABLE WITH THE BATTERIES.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE REQUESTING IT.
NOW, IS THIS STUFF ON THE STATE CONTRACT? YEAH, THIS WAS, I DON'T REMEMBER.
I KNOW THAT TO GET PAST OUR PURCHASING, IT HAD TO BE EITHER SOLE SOURCE, SOURCE THREE, PRICING OUT THREE PRICING OR STATE CONTRACT.
SO WHICH ONE? SO WHICH ONE IS A STATE CONTRACT AND WHICH ONE WAS THE THREE? THE THREE BID IS THE FIRE AND ROKER.
AND THIS WAS A STATE CONTRACT OBJECT.
SO WHAT IS THE ADVANTAGE OF HAVING THIS AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE FANS, YOU KNOW, THE BIG FANS TO BLOW SOMETHING OUT IN A GENERATOR? WELL, THIS IS, THIS IS MORE MOBILE.
THE GENERATORS ARE, ARE CUMBERSOME TO GET TO THE SCENE OR SCENES.
UM, AND THIS HAS HIGH CAPACITY, I DON'T HAVE THE SPECS ON IT, UM, BUT IS A, IS A VERY HIGH POWERED, HIGH CAPACITY FAN.
SO I BELIEVE THE TECHNOLOGY IS, IS BETTER THAN THE, THE FANS THAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST.
AND WE THINK THAT FOUR HOURS WILL BE ENOUGH BECAUSE ONCE IT'S FOUR HOURS, YOU NO LONGER HAVE A FAN.
WE, WE ANTICIPATE, YOU KNOW, FOUR HOURS WOULD BE ON THE LONG SIDE OF ANY KIND OF VENTILATION DETAIL.
WOULD GIVE A SAMPLE TIME TO GET OTHER RESOURCES.
IS IT A SWAPPABLE BATTERY OR IS IT, YOU JUST HAVE TO WAIT FOR IT TO RECHARGE? NO, IT'S, IT'S A SWAPPABLE, I BELIEVE IT COMES WITH TWO BATTERIES.
AND WE'VE GONE OUT AND YOU'VE GOTTEN SEVERAL BIDS.
JUST ASSUME THAT'S A QUESTION ON EACH ONE OF THESE.
SO IT'S THIS, THIS PARTICULAR FAN SEEMS, IT, IT'S FAIRLY NEW.
UH, UH, AND FROM WHAT, UH, I'VE READ, IT'S GOT GREAT REVIEWS.
THE PORTABILITY OF IT IS ONE THING.
IT'S, UH, A PLUS, UH, WITH THE, THE OLD FANS, YOU HAVE TO HAVE GENERATOR, YOU HAVE TO HAVE ELECTRIC POWER.
UH, THIS IS, IS, YOU KNOW, YOU TAKE IT, UH, OFF THE OPS TRUCK AND PUT THE SWITCH ON AND IT'S GONE.
YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT.
UM, SO IT IS THE PORTABILITY IS THE BIG THING.
THANK, THANK YOU FOR TAKING YOUR TIME AND JUST THANK YOU.
THEN NOW JUST CAME RIGHT? THANK YOU.
JANELLE, CAN YOU PUT, UM, MR. WILSON'S PICTURE UP? IT'S ON.
DAVID, YOU'RE UP ON THE BIG SCREENS.
VERY SIMILAR ISSUE TO THE LAST APPEAL OF THE ONLY
COULD I, COULD I MAKE MY, UH,
MR. LEWIS, I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU THE, UM, THE OUTLINE OF WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING.
UM, SOMEBODY HAS NOISE IN THE BACKGROUND.
YOU THERE? SHOULD I PROCEED? YES.
ARE WE JUST GETTING NOISE IN THE BACK? WE'RE NOT SURE FROM WHERE THERE'S NOISE IN THE BACKGROUND, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S COMING FROM.
UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S COMING FROM THE OFFICE.
[02:05:01]
YOU HEAR NOISE? NOISE? DO YOU HAVE ANYBODY IN YOUR OFFICE MAKING TALKING? THERE'S BACKGROUND NOISE.HEAR WELL, WHENEVER THE BACKGROUND NOISES.
UH, IT'S, UH, MR. WILSON, IT IS MR. WILSON, UM, SQUARE LIGHTS UP.
SO WHY DON'T WE JUST PROCEED AND SEE HELD AS BEST WE CAN.
UM, YEAH, I'M, UH, HERE THIS EVENING TO THE, TO APPEAL THE, UH, DENIAL OF CERTAIN INFORMATION.
IS, IS THAT, UM, TALKING, NOT COMING FROM YOUR LOCATION? 'CAUSE IT, IT, IT APPEARS LIKE IT IS.
DO YOU HAVE YOUR TV ON? IS THAT AN ECHO? CAN YOU HEAR? I DON'T KNOW.
MR. WILSON, CAN YOU HEAR US? YES.
I'M HEARING ALL THIS OTHER, UM, UH, BUT I CAN, I CAN PROCEED IF YOU CAN HEAR ME.
WE WERE WONDERING IF IT, IT WAS YOURSELF.
WAIT, DO YOU HAVE YOUR TELEVISION ON? YOU HAVE YOUR TELEVISION ON WATCHING THIS AS WELL AS YOU CAN'T BECAUSE IF YOU DO THIS, THAT DELAY LOWER THE TV.
THERE'S ALL SORTS OF OTHER PEOPLE TALKING NOW.
RIGHT, BUT DO YOU HAVE THE TV ON OR EITHER STREAMING? ONLY USE THE ZOOM.
I'M JUST TRYING TO HEAR HOW IT SOUNDS IN HERE BECAUSE IT SOUNDS THAT'S CORRECT.
IF YOU COME IN, JANELLE, YOU CAN HEAR IT BETTER COME IN BACKGROUND.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S SOME BACKGROUND NOISE OVER THERE.
MAYBE MAYBE HEAR SOMETHING SOMEBODY ELSE IS ON.
LEMME WHO ELSE IS ON THE PHONE? THAT WAS YOU.
OH, THAT, IS THAT BETTER YOU? HUH? YOU JUST REPLAYED? YES.
I'M, I'M HERE TO APPEAL, UH, THE DENIAL OF CERTAIN INFORMATION THAT I REQUESTED, UH, FROM THE TOWN.
UH, AND, UH, IT'S RELATED TO THE TOWN'S FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORMS. UM, AND I WAS LOOKING, UH, CONCERNED ABOUT CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, UH, AMONG, UH, PEOPLE WHO WORKED FOR THE TOWN APPOINTING OFFICIALS.
NOW, TOWN ATTORNEY TIM LEWIS SAID THAT, UH, STATE LAW ALLOWS 'EM TO REDACT THE ADDRESSES ON THE FORUM BASED ON AN OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON OPEN GOVERNMENT.
THAT WAS BASED ON REQUEST FOR PAYROLL INFORMATION OF EMPLOYEES BY THE STATE, UH, NEW YORK STATE UNITED TEACHERS.
HE, UH, HIGHLIGHTED SESSION OF THE LAW THAT STATED THAT, UH, THE, UH, FREEDOM OF INFORMATION, UH, THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LAW SHALL NOT REQUIRE THE DISCLOSURE OF ANY TOWN EMPLOYEE HOME ADDRESS UNLESS THE ADDRESSES WERE OTHERWISE AVAILABLE UNDER THE ARTICLE, UNDER THE, UH, LAW, UH, AND THE OPINION HE WAS CITING ALSO STATES THAT A PUBLIC EMPLOYEE'S HOME ADDRESS IS LARGELY, LARGELY IRRELEVANT TO THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS OR HER DUTIES.
HOWEVER, THE SITUATION WITH THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORM REQUIRED BY THE TOWN'S BOARD OF ETHICS, UH, IS A DIFFERENT, UH, SITUATION THAT WASN'T COVERED BY THE, UH, OPINION THAT MR. UH LEWIS WAS REFERRING TO.
WHERE THESE OFFICIALS LIVE CAN BE RELEVANT TO THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORMS ARE, UH, ARE ABOUT.
THEY'RE REQUIRED TO BE PUBLIC SO THE PUBLIC CAN SEE WHETHER THERE'S A CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND ACTIONS TAKEN BY DECISION MAKERS.
MANY DECISIONS ON THE TOWN LEVEL INVOLVE LAND USE, OFFICIAL LAND, LAND USE ISSUES.
AND WHETHER OUR POLICYMAKER OWNS PROPERTY NEXT DOOR TO A DEVELOPMENT COULD PRESENT A POSSIBLE CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
THE SAME GOES FOR APPOINTEES TO LAND USED WARS WHERE THEY OWN REAL ESTATE IS RELEVANT.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS FOR THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE STATEMENT, WHY, WHY IT WAS, UH, ENACTED SO MANY YEARS AGO WHEN I SPOKE WITH, UH, MARK DAVIES.
HE'S A STATEWIDE EXPERT ON MUNICIPAL ETHICS.
AND IN FACT, UH, I WAS SPEAKING TO HENRY.
HE SAID THAT THE, UH, GREENBERG LAW WAS BASED ON RESEARCH HE'D DONE, OR MARK IS THE FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE STATE OF THE NEW YORK CITY CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
AND HE TOLD ME THAT, UH, PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF REAL ESTATE HOLDERS, UH, OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND EE UH, WAS, UH, WHAT WAS INTENDED, UH,
[02:10:01]
BY THE LAW.THAT'S WHY THEY ASKED FOR THIS INFORMATION ON THE FORUM.
IT WASN'T JUST THERE FOR THE BOARD OF VETERANS, SO FOR THE PUBLIC.
SO THEY DETERMINE WHETHER THERE WAS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
IN ADDITION, I SPOKE WITH CHRISTIAN O'NEILL, SHE'S THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR IN COMMITTING OUT OPEN GOVERNMENT.
AND I ASKED HER THE SAME QUESTION.
SHE SAID THAT THE, UH, REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS OF, UH, UH, INDIVIDUALS HAVE TO FILE, UH, FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE STATEMENTS ARE INTENDED TO BE PUBLIC.
AND SHE QUOTED, UH, SECTION THE, UH, FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LAW, UH, SECTION 89 C FOUR, THAT SAYS, WHEN A GROUP, WHEN A RECORD GROUP OF RECORDS RELATES TO THE RIGHT TITLE OR INTEREST IN REAL ESTATE, IT RELATES TO THE INVENTORY STATUS OR CHARACTERISTICS OF REAL PROPERTY, IN WHICH CASE THAT DISCLOSURE, UH, OF, OF SUCH RECORD SHALL NOT BE DEEMED AN UNWARRANTED PROVISION OF PERSONAL PROPERTY.
AND THAT SECTION Y BELIEVE, UH, APPLIES DIRECTLY TO THE FINANCE DISCLOSURE STATEMENTS.
UH, THIS IS RELATED TO, UH, SOMEONE'S INTEREST IN REAL PROPERTY AND, UM, AND THUS SHOULD NOT BE, UH, SHOULD NOT BE CITED AS AN MOURNING THAT THESE PEOPLE KNEW WHEN THEY, UH, TOOK THESE JOBS, BUT THEY'D HAVE TO FILL OUT THESE FORMS. AND WHERE YOUR REAL ESTATE IS, IS A, A STA FACTOR.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS THE FORMS, UM, ARE MADE TO BE FILED AND MADE IT PUBLIC.
SO, SO I I HOPE THEY WILL BE MADE PUBLIC.
YOU, I HAVE SAID, UH, AT THE LAST HEARING THAT I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UM, I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU, UM, TO SOME EXTENT, BUT I THINK THERE'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF DISCRETION THERE.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS BEHELD, I'M REALLY TALKING ABOUT, AND THERE ARE CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN YOU WOULD REQUEST WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE BEEN, UH, SOMEONE'S HOME ADDRESS, BUT THERE'S DISCRETION THERE ON THE PART OF THE TOWN BOARD.
I WANT THE TOWN BOARD TO BE AWARE OF THAT DISCRETION.
I WANT THE TOWN BOARD TO BE AWARE OF THE, OF RESIDENT THAT GIVING EVERYBODY'S INFORMATION SAID, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT IT.
AND THE ONE RULE ISSUE A DECISION AFTER CONSIDERING ALL THE LAW WITHIN 10 BUSINESS DAYS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA SAY, AS I SAID, UH, UH, AN HOUR AGO OR SO, UM, WHEN GARY RAPPAPORT SPOKE THAT I, I, YOU KNOW, AGREE WITH BOTH GARY AND DAVID, YOU KNOW, I THINK THESE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORMS, WHEN PEOPLE FOLD IT OUT, THERE WAS AN EXPECTATION THAT IT WOULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC, UH, DOCUMENT.
YOU KNOW, I FEEL THAT, UM, THE WHOLE POINT OF HAVING THESE DISCLOSURE FORMS IS, UM, TO ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC TO SCRUTINIZE ON ACTIONS THAT ELECTED OFFICIALS AND APPOINTEES TAKE.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S POTENTIAL CONFLICTS, THEY SHOULD BE, UH, YOU KNOW, DIS DISCLOSED.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IF WE DON'T PUB MAKE THESE RECORDS EASILY ACCESSIBLE, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT SERVES, UM, IT, IT IT'S NOT IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST BECAUSE I THINK THAT IT MAKES IT, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA HAVE A GOVERNMENT OF, OF HONESTY.
UH, WE WANNA DISCOURAGE, UH, YOU KNOW, CONFLICTS AND WE WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT, UM, THEIR ACTIVITIES ARE SUBJECT TO SCRUTINY AND, AND OVERSIGHT.
SO I DEFINITELY, UM, WILL, YOU KNOW, WILL SUPPORT, UH, YOU KNOW, MR. WILSON'S AND MR. RAPPAPORT'S, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, PALE.
SO YOU BELIEVE THE DIS THE, UH, TOWN ATTORNEY IS WRONG? UH, I, I DISAGREE.
YOU KNOW, WE, I THINK HE'S, UH, DOES A FANTASTIC JOB.
I HAVE A LOT ATTORNEY ON THIS MATTER.
UM, YOU KNOW, I DISAGREE, I DISAGREE WITH, I DISAGREE WITH HIM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I FEEL THAT THE TOWN ATTORNEY IS ACTING IN WHAT HE THINKS IS THE INTEREST OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC.
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, AS HE MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THERE COULD BE SECURITY, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, CONCERNS THAT HE'S CONCERNED ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, I, I FEEL THAT IF THERE'S SECURITY ISSUES, UM, WE SHOULD CHANGE THE CODE, OR THE STATE LEGISLATURE SHOULD CHANGE THE LAW.
BUT WHEN I FILLED OUT MY, UH, FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES, THERE WAS A FULL EXPECTATION THAT THE PUBLIC WOULD HAVE EASY ACCESS TO THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT INFORMATION.
AND, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I DON'T THINK THAT THESE DISCLOSURE FORMS MEAN ANYTHING.
[02:15:01]
YOU KNOW, IF, I MEAN THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE GONNA MAKE IT HARD FOR SOMEBODY TO FIND INFORMATION ABOUT, UM, HOLDINGS THAT ELECTED OFFICIALS OR APPOINTEES HAVE, THEN, YOU KNOW, THEN THE, THEN IT'S, UH, A MOCK, YOU'RE MAKING A MOCKERY OF THE WHOLE LAW THAT REQUIRES A DISCLOSURE FORMS. AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DON'T, MOST PEOPLE AREN'T GONNA COME HERE TO TOWN HALL FOR THE RECORDS.UM, SO YOU WANNA MAKE IT EASY.
UM, AND WELL, THERE'S A REASON WHY WE CREATED A, A VERY TOUGH ETHICS LAW, AND I WAS PROUD TO HAVE HAD A KEY PART IN DOING THAT.
THERE'S A REASON WHY WE CREATED THAT FORM.
IT'S JUST THAT THE TOWN ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS IDENTIFIED SOMETHING THIS YEAR THAT HASN'T BEEN IDENTIFIED IN PREVIOUS YEARS.
AND THAT, UH, ACCORDING TO THE TOWN ATTORNEY, THERE MAY BE A PRIVACY INTEREST BASED ON EVENTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED.
UM, AND I GUESS PARTICULARLY DEALING, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, IN NEW JERSEY WHERE THE JUDGE, UM, WAS TARGETED, UH, 'CAUSE THE HOME ADDRESS WAS OUT THERE.
UM, BUT AS I SAID IN THE PREVIOUS HEARING, MY HOME ADDRESS IS PUBLISHED.
UH, COUNCILMAN JACKSON'S HOME ADDRESS IS PUBLISHED.
SO IS COUNCILMAN DIANA JUDD, SO IS YOURS.
UM, UH, BUT THE TOWN ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS TAKEN A POSITION AND SO WITH, SO WE'LL HAVE TO DISCUSS IT AND DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT, UM, THERE'S A REASON WHY IN 2021, UM, THERE'S REDACTIONS OF THIS INFORMATION WHERE THERE HASN'T BEEN, I BELIEVE WE CREATED THAT FORM IN 1997, AND WE MAY HAVE HAD SOME MODIFICATIONS SINCE THEN, BUT THEY'RE VERY SLIGHT.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DISCUSS AND, UH, WE'LL HAVE AN ANSWER IN 10 DAYS.
AND, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, MY FEELING IS THAT IF THERE'S, UH, LEGITIMATE REASONS, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A JUDGE AND THE, THE JUDGES FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SAFETY ISSUES OR POLICE OFFICERS, THEN I FEEL THAT WE SHOULD JUST CONSIDER CHANGING THE CODE OR ASKING FOR STATE LEGISLATION TO CHANGE THE CODE.
BUT SHORT OF THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO COMPLY WITH WHAT OUR CODE, YOU KNOW, CODE SAID.
AND, UM, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IF WE, IF WE FEEL THAT SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO FILE DISCLOSURE FORMS THAT PEOPLE CAN'T, I MEAN, IT'S A JOKE TELLING PEOPLE TO FILE A DISCLOSURE FORM THAT PEOPLE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO.
IT'S NOT SO MAKING A MOCKERY OF THE LOOK NOT, THAT'S NOT TOTALLY ACCURATE.
WELL, IT IS REALLY MAKING IT ACCURATE BECAUSE YOU, YOU'RE MAKING IT VERY, VERY DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO, UH, HAVE ACCESS TO WAIT, WAIT, RECORD.
WHEN YOU SAY YOUR, WE DIDN'T DO THIS, RIGHT? RIGHT.
NO, BUT I'M JUST SAYING MY, MY, MY FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORM WAS REDACTED WITHOUT ASKING ME DID I WANT IT TO BE REDACTED.
NO, I'M, I'M, SO THAT'S A POSITION THAT'S BEING TAKEN BY THE TOWN ATTORNEYS.
BUT I'M JUST SAYING THAT, SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT POINT YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE.
I'M NOT MAKING ANY, I'M JUST MAKING A POINT THAT WE'RE, WE'RE THE HEARING OFFICER AND I, I, SO THE ONLY ISSUE THAT I HAVE IS, IS THAT I'M, WHY, WHY DON'T WE HEAR WHAT TIM HAS TO SAY? RIGHT.
WHY DON'T HEAR WHAT TIM HAS TO SAY AND DO OUR NORMAL PROCESS.
BECAUSE WE DON'T, WE MOVE FORWARD SO THAT WE CAN THEN TAKE CARE OF THE REST OF THE AGENDA WE DON'T NORMALLY DISCUSS, EXCEPT THERE'S A REPORTER INVOLVED.
I WOULD DISCUSS WHAT OUR POSITION, WHAT IS OUR POSITION ON AN APPEAL LIKE THIS.
WE USUALLY DISCUSS IT, GET A LEGAL OPINION, AND WE WRITE SOMETHING UP AND WE, WE PUBLISH IT.
WELL, SO TIM, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? WELL, I'M DONE.
SO THAT, THAT GOES UNDER THE DEFINITION.
SO WE WILL, WE WILL GET, WE WILL GET AN OPINION.
SO WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING IN 10 DAYS, RIGHT? RIGHT.
SO COULD WE HEAR FROM, UH, THE CANDIDATES? COULD WE JUST DO, DO YOU, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE MR. WILSON? NOT ON HERE.
WE HAVE ON THE AGENDA, THE BOARD ASKED TO HEAR THIS GENTLEMAN FROM HP COMMUNICATIONS, THEN EXECUTIVE SESSIONS.
BUT THE ONLY THING, CAN WE, CAN WE, THE ONLY THING FEEL, HE'S BASICALLY NOT HERE AND THEY'RE HERE AND I JUST FEEL THAT IT'S NOT FAIR.
WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT WE, AND ACCORDING TO THE AGENDA YEAH.
THIS GENTLEMAN, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THEY, WELL, WE'RE ALREADY WAY BEHIND.
THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
I MEAN, I JUST FEEL IF SOMEBODY'S HERE, IT'S DIFFERENT THAN IF THEY'RE IN THEIR HOME AND IT TAKES ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, HALF HOUR.
THIS IS ONLY, THESE INTERVIEWS TAKE, USUALLY TAKE FIVE, SIX MINUTES.
WELL, I, I KNOW THE BUILDING INSPECTOR THING IS ONLY GONNA TAKE FIVE MINUTES BECAUSE ALL
[02:20:01]
YOU'RE GONNA DO IS GET UP AND SAY YOU'VE SUBMITTED A RESOLUTION.SO THE NEXT PERSON ON THE LIST IS THE HURRICANE IDA RELIEF.
IT'S, IT IS ONLY GONNA TAKE FIVE MINUTES.
BOB, WHY DON'T YOU GET THIS COME UP.
WE GOTTA TRY, TRY AND GET BACK TO THIS AGENDA.
ALRIGHT, SO LET ME, SO THE BUILDING AND, UH, DEPARTMENT HAS SUBMITTED A RESOLUTION FOR NEXT WEEK'S AGENDA.
UM, TALKING ABOUT, UH, WAIVING BUILDING PERMIT FEES FOR, UH, ANY BUILDING PERMIT THAT, UM, IS RELEVANT TO HURRICANE IDA.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IF YOU HAD, YOU KNOW, STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AND THEN YOU DECIDE TO CHANGE ALL YOUR WINDOWS TO PELLA, BUT THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE, THE HURRICANE THAT YOU'RE GONNA WAIVE THOSE FEES.
BUT FOR
SO THE FACT THAT WE'RE PASSING IT NEXT WEEK DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING.
THE BUILDING PERMIT FEES, IF THEY'VE ALREADY PAID IT, UH, THE TOWN IS GONNA RETURN IT.
COULD YOU JUST GIVE US, UH, EXAMPLES OF WHAT MIGHT BE ELIGIBLE FOR, UH, A BUILDING PERMIT FEE? WELL, PROBABLY THE MOST COMMON THING IS PROBABLY BASEMENTS, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU GOT, UH, THE MOST OF IT.
WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO ALSO THOUGH, IS THAT WE'RE GONNA DO A, A PRE-INSPECTION, UH, COMING TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS INDEED, UH, WATER DAMAGE.
ANYTHING ELSE? UH, NO, THAT WAS, YEAH, WE'RE GONNA CONFIRM, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS INDEED.
SO WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE NOT GIVING OUT, YOU KNOW, UH, FREE, UH, BILLING PERMITS FOR, FOR NO GOOD REASON.
AND THE OTHER THING SOMEBODY WANTS TO DO, UH, AN ADDITION OR SOMETHING.
YEAH, I KNOW EDIE HAD, UH, CONFLICT BECAUSE SHE'S GIVING SOME, SHE'S TEACHING SOME COURSE THIS, UM, THAT STARTED AT SIX AND, UH, THAT'S WHY SHE WAS ON EARLIER.
BUT, UH, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT, UH, THE POSSIBILITY OF OPENING UP THE, UH, THE FILING DATE FOR GRIEVANCE SO THAT PEOPLE WHO MAY HAVE HAD VERY SERIOUS OR CATASTROPHIC, UH, IMPACTS FROM THE HURRICANE THAT THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY, UM, PUT IN, UH, AN ASSESSMENT, A GRIEVANCE CLAIM REGARDING THE CONDITION OF THEIR PROPERTY, UH, THAT TAKES STATE LEGISLATION.
I SPOKE TO ASSEMBLY AND, UH, TOM AVANTI, HE DOESN'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT A SPECIAL SESSION IS GOING TO BE, UM, HELD BEFORE JANUARY.
UH, BUT IT DOESN'T HURT TO PUT SOMETHING IN IF IT'S THE WILL OF THE BOARD AND, UH, HAVE IT READY, YOU KNOW, SO THAT, UH, IF THERE IS A SPECIAL SESSION THAT MAYBE THEY CAN JUMP ON IT.
CAN WE JUST DO THOSE TWO INTERVIEWS? IT'S GONNA TAKE A FEW MINUTES AND, UH, THE CABLE'S GONNA TAKE LONGER, I REALLY THINK.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, IT'S NOT, IT SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION, BUT I THINK CABLE IS ONE, JUST ONE SIMPLE QUESTION BE, HOW LONG IS A CABLE THING GONNA TAKE THE AGENDA? I THINK CABLE IS GONNA TAKE FIVE MINUTES BECAUSE ALL WE, UNLESS THERE'S SO MANY OTHER DIFFERENT, OKAY, THEN ALL I WANT TO KNOW IS, IS IT, ARE THEY GUARANTEEING THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE BROADCAST QUALITY VIDEO BEING GENERATED? WELL, THE GENTLEMAN IS THERE, RIGHT? RIGHT.
ARE WE GONNA GET A GUARANTEE? THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY.
SO THE, THE TWO, UH, QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD LIKE ANSWERED.
ONE IS, UH, IF WE'RE SPENDING 250, 200 TO $250,000, ALMOST A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS ON THIS, UH, I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IN ANOTHER YEAR OR TWO.
YES, BUT THAT'S BECAUSE OF OTHER EQUIPMENT.
YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT WE HAD LEGACY EQUIPMENT.
WE'RE DOING BASICALLY A CLEANING THE HOUSE, WHICH WE'VE NEVER DONE BEFORE AND BRINGING IN ALL NEW EQUIPMENT.
BUT WE NEED SOME KIND OF A GUARANTEE THAT WHEN YOU DO ALL OF YOUR WORK AND BASICALLY GUT EVERYTHING AND BRING EVERYTHING ELSE IN THAT'S NEW, THAT WHAT'S GOING TO GO OUT WILL BE A BROADCAST QUALITY SIGNAL.
NOW, WE, I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE QUALITY OF VERIZON OR, UH, CABLE OR ALTICE OR CABLE VISION, BUT AT LEAST THE SIGNAL THAT YOU GET TO THEM GOING OUT WOULD BE A BROADCAST QUALITY SIGNAL IN, IN, UH, AUDIO AND IN VIDEO.
AND THAT IN THIS AUDITORIUM, THE SOUND LEVELS WOULD BE THE SAME AS WHAT'S GOING OUT.
SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE, WE CAN RAISE UP THE AUDITORIUM, BUT THEN THE PEOPLE, UH, AT HOME, YOU KNOW, IT'S WAY TOO LOUD OR VICE VERSA.
WE COULD LOWER IT, BUT THEN THE PEOPLE AT HOME THEY CAN'T HEAR.
[02:25:01]
I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS CABLE STUFF SINCE 1996 AND WE'VE NEVER REALLY GOTTEN IT RIGHT.AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
AND THE SECOND QUESTION IS, I FIND IT VERY, UM, VERY UNFAIR THAT IN A PANDEMIC OR A MASSIVE FLOOD, ALL THE REST OF US STAY HOME AND DO ZOOM.
BUT OUR CABLE PEOPLE, GEORGE AND JANELLE, THEY HAVE TO SOMEHOW COME INTO THIS BUILDING, SOMEHOW GET HERE IF THERE WAS A FLOOD, UH, AND TURN ON THE EQUIPMENT.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING FOR A REMOTE OPERATION SO THAT THEY COULD KICK THIS THING UP.
OBVIOUSLY, WE WOULDN'T HAVE A ZOOM ROOM GOING, BUT WE WOULD, WOULD AT LEAST BE ABLE TO PUT OUT A SIGNAL WITHOUT THEM COMING IN TO FLIP A SWITCH OR TURN ON MICROPHONE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE AUDIO OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO, AND THAT'S WHAT WE THINK WE PUT OUT, WENT OUT TO BID FOR.
AND YOU TELL YOU, DISABUSE ME IF I'M WRONG.
SO, UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, JUST CLARIFICATION.
THERE IS GONNA BE REMAIN IS CURRENTLY USED, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, AND SPECIFICALLY VOICE.
UH, WE'RE GONNA MAINTAIN SPEAKERS.
UM, SO I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THERE IS SOME EQUIP THAT'S GONNA BE, UH, THAT IS CURRENTLY IN PLACE REMAIN AFTER.
UM, THAT SAID, I DO SAY THAT OUR QUALITY OF WORK, CHIP AND THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE'RE GONNA BE PUTTING IN THERE, UM, IS, UH, MEET, UH, BROADCAST TABLE, UH, STANDARDS, SAFETY, THE STANDARDS, UM, IN TERMS OF THE, BOTH THE AUDIO, UH, INSIDE THE ROOM VERSUS WHAT IS BEING, UH, SEEN OR CURVE, UM, CABLE.
UM, WE WILL HAVE CONTROL OF ALL THAT AND WE'LL ENSURE THAT THAT WILL BE, UH, MEET ADEQUATE LEVELS, ACCEPTABLE LEVEL, BOTH INSIDE CHAMBERS AS WELL AS WELL,
SO IS THERE ZERO DEFINITE GUARANTEE AND WHAT WE COURSE WOULD, UH, THE TOWN HAVE IF, UH, IF, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T WORK BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS FOR LIKE 30 YEARS AND, AND IT, AND WE, WE'VE, BUT WE'VE NEVER DONE IT THIS WAY.
NO, BUT WE'VE, IT'S NEVER WORKED.
BUT WE'VE, WE'VE HAD PEOPLE OVER THE YEARS SAYING, PROMISING US THAT IT WOULD WORK.
SO WOULD WE, IN TERMS OF THE GUARANTEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT, COULD YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THE GUARANTEE WOULD MEAN? SO I, I, I'M GONNA GUARANTEE MY WORKMANSHIP 100% WE WORK WITHIN THE MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY.
UM, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, UM, WE BENEFITED BY THE RELATIONSHIP IN REPEAT BUSINESS.
UH, I DO NOT WANT THE SYSTEM OUT THERE THAT IS NOT WORKING, THAT IS WITHIN MY CONTROL.
UH, SO THE GUARANTEE THAT I'M GONNA BE MY PERSONAL GUARANTEE IN THE COMPANY'S GUARANTEE, THAT ABSOLUTELY 100%, UH, WE ARE GOING TO GIVE YOU GUYS THE SYSTEM THAT WE'RE REQUESTING AND IT'S GONNA PERFORM, UH, SATISFACTORILY, THAT MEETS THE SCOPE LAID OUT IN THE R F P, WE WILL ALSO COME BACK SHOULD THERE BE AN ISSUE.
UH, SO YES, WE ARE 100% GONNA GUARANTEE THAT EVERYTHING WITHIN OUR CONTROL, EVERYTHING WITHIN THE MANUFACTURER SPECIFICATION, AND YOU WANNA WARRANTY ON THE EQUIPMENT AND, UM, AND THE, UH, WORK WORKMANSHIP ON THE EQUIPMENT FOR A YEAR, TWO YEARS, THREE YEARS.
UM, AND I, I'VE BEEN HERE FOR, UM, OVER 13 YEARS AND THE CABLE ACCESS DEPARTMENT, UH, FALLS WITHIN, UM, THE JU UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE TOWN CLERK'S OFFICE.
AND, UM, IT, IT, IT IS A BIT, UH, UH, DISTURBING WHEN, UH, EQUIPMENT ISSUES, UH, UH, UP APPEAR IN TERMS OF SOUND QUALITY.
UH, SO, UH, UH, TO BE FAIR AND HONEST WITH YOU, UM, THE, THE, THE, UM, STUDIO HAS BEEN FUNCTIONING KIND OF PIECEMEAL OVER THE YEARS WITH DIFFERENT EQUIPMENT, DIFFERENT PEOPLE DOING THE WORK, AND AS FRANCIS SAID, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THERE'S GONNA BE SOME CONSISTENCY WITH REGARDS TO EQUIPMENT AND, AND, UM, AN INSTALLATION.
SO IS THERE ANY GUARANTEE THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN COUNT ON YOU FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, AT LEAST WITH RESPECT TO THE QUALITY OF DELIVERY, WITH RESPECT TO BOTH THE EQUIPMENT AND, UM, ANY SERVICE NEEDS? ABSOLUTELY.
[02:30:01]
UM, I, I MEAN, OTHER THAN TAKING MY WORD, UM, THE BEST THING THAT I CAN OFFER IS A, YOU KNOW, REFERENCE.UM, WE DO A LOT OF WORK FOR THE TOWN OF RYE.
UM, WE'VE HAD A LONGSTANDING RELATIONSHIP THERE.
THERE ARE CERTAINLY UPS AND DOWNS WITH THE EQUIPMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT PEOPLE USE THE EQUIPMENT.
UH, THERE'S TURNOVER, NEW, NEW, NEW PEOPLE COMING IN.
BUT, UM, I CAN GIVE YOU OTHER REFERENCES AS WELL.
WE HAVE MAINTAINED RELATIONSHIPS WITH, UM, MUNICIPAL IN SYSTEMS VERY SIMILAR TO THIS FOR YEARS.
UM, AGAIN, I GO BACK TO THE FACT THAT THE BENEFIT, BIGGEST BENEFIT FOR ME IS NOT JUST THIS ONE OPPORTUNITY, IT'S MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES.
IT'S, UH, IT'S THE ABILITY TO MAINTAIN A, UH, A LONG LASTING RELATIONSHIP.
I, I CAN'T GIVE YOU ANY GUARANTEES ON THE NATURE OF THE EQUIPMENT.
I CAN'T GIVE YOU ANY GUARANTEES ON HOW IT GETS UTILIZED.
UH, AS I SAID, YOU KNOW, IF JANELLE LEAVES AND GEORGE LEAVES AND SOMEBODY NEW COMES IN, YOU KNOW, WE GET CALLED OUT, WE COME BACK OUT, WE HELP THEM GET THROUGH, WE HELP THEM GET THE SYSTEM BACK ONLINE.
UM, EVERYTHING FROM A POWER FAILURE CAN AFFECT SYSTEMS. UM, WE DO OUR VERY, VERY BEST TO GET BACK OUT, UH, GET YOU GUYS BACK ONLINE, UH, AND OPERATE.
SO I, I, I COULD GIVE YOU A LIST OF REFERENCES OF, OF TOWNS THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH FOR MULTIPLE YEARS, UH, AND WE HAVE MAINTAINED, UH, OPERATION, UH, ROAD.
I THINK THAT, UM, WE ALMOST GO BACK TO
GEORGE, COULD YOU BRING THE MIC A LITTLE CLOSER? I'VE ALWAYS BEEN WANTING TO SAY THAT TO YOU.
FIRST MOVEMENT INTO THE BUILDING, AND WE INSTALLED EVERYTHING NEW.
THEN EVEN THEN WE HAD, UH, THE, THE INSTALLER GAVE US A LIMITED WARRANTY IN TERMS OF COMING IN, BACKING UP.
BUT WHAT WE DID DO IS WE PUT TOGETHER A THREE YEAR CONTRACT THAT WE PUT TOGETHER WITH THE CONTRACTOR.
IT WAS AT THREE DIFFERENT LEVELS.
WE HAD BRONZE, SILVER, AND GOLD LEVEL, UM, AGREEMENT WHERE THEY WOULD COME IN AND SERVICE THE EQUIPMENT.
AND BASED ON WHERE THE EQUIPMENT FELL UNDER THAT CONTRACT, IT WOULD COME IN AND SERVICE IT RIGHT AWAY, REPLACE IT UNTIL WE GOT THE NEXT ONE FIXED AND SO FORTH.
AND I REALLY SAY THAT BECAUSE WE'RE STARTING FROM YOU, YOU ARE ALMOST HAVE TO GO BACK TO THAT SIMILAR TYPE OF AN AGREEMENT.
AND WHETHER IT'S ONE YEAR, TWO YEARS, THREE YEARS, WE DID IT BEFORE, WE DID IT THREE YEARS.
AND THEN AFTER THE THIRD YEAR GOING INTO THE FOURTH AND FIFTH, THE BOARD FOR WHATEVER REASON, DECIDED TO DROP THE CONTRACT BECAUSE IT WAS EXPENSIVE.
UH, AT THAT TIME, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS ONE WOULD BE.
AND, UM, WE CHOSE NOT TO CONTINUE.
AND THAT WAS ALSO PART OF THE ISSUES WITH MAINTAINING, UH, WELL, WE'VE ALWAYS, WE'VE ALWAYS DONE BAND-AIDS, UH, BUT THIS IS, THIS IS MAJOR SURGERY, RIGHT? YEAH.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE DID THE FIRST TIME WITH NEW EQUIPMENT.
BUT MY, MY, MY GOAL IS SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT MORE SIMPLISTIC.
THERE HAS TO BE A STANDARD OF WHAT MEETS BROADCAST QUALITY.
IS THAT CORRECT, TIM? YOU CAN'T JUST PUT A SIGNAL OUT ON THE AIR.
I'M SURE THE F C C HAS SOME STANDARD FOR WHAT IS A BROADCAST QUALITY.
AND SO WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IS BASICALLY A GUARANTEE.
AND, AND I, AND I'LL TAKE YOU AT YOUR WORD, BUT I, WE, I REALLY NEED TO SEE SOMETHING THAT'S IN WRITING THAT SAYS THAT YOUR, YOUR, WHAT YOU DO AND WHAT YOU CREATE AND WHAT YOU GIVE US IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A BROADCAST QUALITY SIGNAL.
NOW, OKAY, IF JANELLE LEAVES AND WE PUT SOMEBODY IN THERE THAT HAS NO IDEA WHAT THEY'RE DOING, YOUR GUARANTEE IS STILL GOOD.
YOU'RE GONNA COME IN HERE AND SAY, IT'S CAPABLE OF DOING IT.
YOU JUST DIDN'T DO THIS, THIS, THIS, AND THIS.
SO I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO GIVE US A GUARANTEE THAT WE'LL HIRE COMPETENT PEOPLE TO RUN IT.
I'M ASKING TO GIVE US A GUARANTEE THAT WHATEVER YOU PUT TOGETHER WITH EQUIPMENT AND THE WAY YOU'VE INSTALLED IT IS CAPABLE OF DOING THAT BROADCAST QUALITY SIGNAL FOR A PERIOD OF YEAR OR TWO OR WHATEVER AND WORK WITH US IF IT DOESN'T, RIGHT.
OTHER THAN SOMEBODY'S, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT, YOU GOTTA PLUG IT IN, RIGHT?
RIGHT? NOT, WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR THAT.
IS THAT FAIR? SO 100%, AND, AND, AND I CAN PUT THIS IN WRITING, UM, THE, THE, THE, THE SIMPLEST ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE ARE SUPPLYING OR WE HAVE, UH, PROPOSED, UM, ALL MEET SIM STANDARDS.
UH, SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THE BROADCAST WORLD IS BASED UPON, IS, UH, UH, IS THE SIMPLY STANDARDS.
SO THIS ABSOLUTELY 100% GIVE YOU, UM, A RECOGNIZABLE STANDARD FOR BROADCAST
[02:35:01]
FOLLOW.TO REITERATE, REITERATE THE SECOND POINT, UH, THAT IS THAT YOU'RE CONFIDENT THAT AFTER YOU HAVE THIS ALL INSTALLED, THAT THE CABLE DIRECTOR WILL BE ABLE TO TURN THIS ON AND OPERATE IT REMOTELY WITHOUT HAVING TO COME TO TOWN HALL.
SHOULD THERE BE SOME KIND OF AN EMERGENCY SITUATION WHERE, YOU KNOW, LIKE A PANDEMIC WHERE WE MIGHT NEED THAT? IS THAT CORRECT? YES, THAT IS CORRECT.
THE SYSTEMS THAT WE ARE PROPOSING CAN BE CONTROLLED REMOTELY SO THAT NOBODY NEEDS TO BE IN THE BUILDING ORDER TO OPERATE THEM HERE.
SO NOW I'D LIKE TO MOVE, NOW WE GO TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING, TIM.
ALRIGHT, UH, FOR THE, THANK YOU, GEORGE.
WHEN WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, COULD YOU TRY, UM, SIGNING OUT OF THE MAIN AUDITORIUM? OKAY.
SIGN OUT TO YOU BECAUSE I CAN'T SIGN YOU OUT BECAUSE WE HAVE A ZOOM ROOM GOING GOTCHA.
THE EXECUTIVE NO, WE'RE GONNA GO IN THERE, BUT WE NEED TO GET THEM OUT OF ZOOM,
TIM, IF, WHAT ARE WE GO, WHAT ARE THE MATTERS BEFORE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION? IT'S ACTUALLY ON THE AGENDA.
WELL, THE FIRST ONE IS THE INTERVIEWS.
KNOW WHAT I, I KNOW IT'S THE INTERVIEW.
FOR THE BOARD OF ETHICS, PERSONNEL MATTERS INVOLVING CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS AND GETTING LEGAL ADVICE ABOUT PENDING CASES.
DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING MORE SPECIFIC THAN THAT, TIM? YEAH, I THINK HE FROZE.
NOT COMING BACK, RIGHT? NO, WE ARE NOT, NOT TONIGHT.