[00:00:01]
NOW, UM, THE FIRST ITEM IS, UM,[ TOWN OF GREENBURGH OFFICE OF THE TOWN BOARD 177 Hillside Avenue, Greenburgh, NY 10607 Tel: 914-989-1500 Fax: 914-993-1541 Email: JDudek@Greenburghny.com https://ny-greenburgh.civicplus.com/485/Watch-Live-Board-Meetings]
UH, 55 CUMMINGS AVENUE.MAYBE YOU CAN CIRCLE BACK AROUND AND SEE IF SHE YEAH.
WELL, BECAUSE IT'S 45 MINUTES.
SO, UM, NEXT, UM, WE HAVE, UM, JAN, JANICE, UH, GRIFFITH AND MICHELLE BROWN HERE, GUYS, COME TO SIX.
IT'S A LITTLE EARLY, BUT, UH OH, OKAY.
WE COULD, I THINK WE COULD START, WE COULD FIVE 15.
BECAUSE I WAS WAITING FOR SOMETHING.
ARE YOU, DO YOU, IF YOU WANNA WAIT, YOU WANNA WAIT? WE COULD, WE COULD, UH, WE CAN RESCHEDULE.
WE CAN RE WE COULD BE HERE TILL MIDNIGHT.
SO YOU HAVE ANY TIME YOU WANT? NO, NO.
YOU CAN BE HERE TILL MIDNIGHT.
SO, WELL, WE DID TELL SOMEONE TO MEET US HERE AND WE SAID WE WERE GOING ON AT FIVE 30.
SO THEN WHY DON'T WE THEN TALK ABOUT THE OTHER STUFF, AND THEN WHEN YOU'RE READY, JUST LET US KNOW.
SO, UM, THE NEXT ISSUE THAT I JUST WANTED TO BRING UP WAS, UH, THE VA VACCINATION.
UH, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY, I'M WONDERING, SINCE WE HAVE THE LIBRARY, UH, THERE'S SOME ISSUES WITH THE LIBRARY.
SHOULD WE DO THAT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION? YES.
UH, THIS WAY YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT.
YES, THAT WOULD, THOSE ARE, UH, EXECUTIVE SECTION PERSONNEL ITEM.
SO THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE DISCUSSED IN CLOSED.
SHOULD WE DO THAT? YOU KNOW, FIRST I'M ASKING THE BOARD WHAT, SO THE OTHER TWO, THE OTHER TWO ISSUES, THE OTHER, THE, THE VACCINATION MANDATE, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, BASICALLY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PRESIDENT, UM, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IS REQUIRING, UH, BUSINESSES OF OVER A HUNDRED EMPLOYEES.
AND I'M WONDERING IF, UM, YOU KNOW, I BASICALLY BELIEVE THAT THE TOWN SHOULD COMPLY WITH WHAT WASHINGTON DOES.
YOU KNOW, WASHINGTON INSTALLING BUSINESSES TO DO SOMETHING.
AND WE HAVE OVER 500 EMPLOYEES.
I FEEL WE SHOULD HAVE THE SAME POLICIES AS, UH, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING, I KNOW, I KNOW IT'S IN COURT NOW, BUT I'M WONDERING IF WE SHOULD HAVE A, A POLICY THAT COMPLIMENTS WHAT, WHAT THE PRESIDENT IS ASKING EVERYBODY ELSE TO DO.
'CAUSE WHETHER YOU WORK IN A BUSINESS OR YOU WORK FOR THE GOVERNMENT, UH, YOU HAVE THE SAME ABILITY OF GETTING OTHER PEOPLE SICK.
YOU KNOW, IT'S A, YOU KNOW, SO I JUST, YOU KNOW, I KNOW TOO MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE GETTING COVID NOW.
I MEAN, IT'S LIKE EVERY DAY I'M GETTING A LIST OF, UM, TWO OR THREE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE HOSPITAL OR SICK OR, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I I FEEL THAT EVERYBODY, INCLUDING MYSELF, YOU KNOW, IS GETTING CARELESS.
I KNOW I'M GETTING CARELESS BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH I GOT THE BOOSTER, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I GO TO EVENTS AND NOBODY'S WEARING MASKS.
UM, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE EVENTS THAT I, THAT I GO TO, PEOPLE ARE ACTING LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S OVER THE PANDEMIC AND IT ISN'T.
AND, YOU KNOW, I, I, I'D LIKE TO SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT.
WELL, I THINK THAT SHOULD BE PART OF OUR O YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD DISCUSS THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE OVERALL COVID PROTOCOLS THAT WE NEED TO ADOPT, UH, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE IN THE TOWN IS AWARE OF WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT OUR POSITION IS, AND DEPARTMENT HEADS ARE AWARE OF WHAT YOU KNOW THEY SHOULD BE DOING IN THEIR DEPARTMENTS.
AND YOU SAID, YOU MENTIONED TO ME LAST WEEK AT THE TOWN BOARD MEETING, WE HAD A FULL HOUSE OF PEOPLE HERE.
AND I MEAN, IT WAS, YOU KNOW, PRACTICALLY ALL THE SEATS WERE TAKEN.
NOBODY WAS SITTING, UH, SIX FEET AWAY FROM, YOU KNOW, EACH OTHER.
AND, YOU KNOW, NOBODY HAD TO SHOW PROOF OF VACCINATION.
UM, SO WE DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE WERE VACCINATED OR IF THEY WERE UNVACCINATED.
UH, YOU KNOW, THERE MIGHT HAVE, THERE PROBABLY WERE OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE HERE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND SOMEBODY COULD GET, YOU KNOW, OTHER PEOPLE SICK.
AND I THINK YOU MENTIONED, AND I THINK THE TOWN BOARD SHOULD HAVE A POLICY, YOU KNOW, BEGINNING WITH THE MEETING, YOU KNOW, NEXT WEEK, THAT WE COULD LIMIT THE NUMBER OF, UM, OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ALLOWED TO, YOU KNOW, ALLOWED TO BE AT THE, THE BOARD MEETINGS.
UM, HAVE A HYBRID MODEL WHERE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SHOULD, I THINK YOU MENTIONED TO ME THEY SHOULD REGISTER IN ADVANCE.
UM, WE COULD HAVE A, YOU KNOW, WE COULD DECIDE, YOU KNOW, THE SEATING ARRANGEMENT AND EVERYBODY ELSE WOULD HAVE TO PARTICIPATE BY, UH, BY
[00:05:01]
ZOOM.I MEAN, IF THAT, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE THAT IN PLACE FOR, UH, FOR NEXT WEEK'S, YOU KNOW, BOARD MEETING.
BUT WE SHOULD PROBABLY CONFIRM TECHNOLOGY.
CAN WE HANDLE THAT? SO THAT'S A QUESTION THAT WE NEED TO ASK.
AND I'M POINTING TO FRANCIS, BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S YOUR POLICE.
UH, WE, WE ARE, WE'VE BEEN WORKING IN THE BACKGROUND, OBVIOUSLY, DURING THIS PERIOD.
AND, UH, WE HAVE DONE SOME TESTS WITH STAFF AND, UH, WE THINK WE COULD PROBABLY, UM, DO SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR TO, UH, WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UH, BUT BEFORE WE DO ANY OF THAT, AND YOU ARE WANTING TO COMPLY WITH, YOU KNOW, PRESIDENT BIDEN AND, UH, VACCINE MANDATES, WE'VE, WE'VE GOTTA GET SERIOUS ABOUT THESE MASKS.
I MEAN, WE'VE HAD PERSON AFTER PERSON TAKE OFF THEIR MASK AND THEN YELL AT US AT THE DAUS SPREADING CONTAGION, AND THE MEETING CONTINUES, LIKE, AS IF NOTHING IS HAPPENING.
AT ONE POINT, THERE WAS A, YOU KNOW, OH, IT'S AN A D A, WE HAVE TO ALLOW THAT.
A D A ALLOWS REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS.
THEY DON'T, IT DOESN'T REQUIRE YOU TO ENDURE SOMEBODY FOR A LARK, TAKE OFF A MASK AND START YELLING AT US, YOU KNOW, A FEW FEET AWAY.
SO, AND I'VE, I'VE SAID BEFORE, YOU KNOW, I HAVE NO ISSUE GOING FURTHER, BUT THE MOST BASIC, BASIC, UM, PRECAUTION IS A MASK.
AND YOU COME INTO THE LOBBY, PEOPLE AREN'T WEARING MASKS IN OUR OWN LOBBY.
ALRIGHT? WHEN, UH, COUNCILMAN JACKSON AND MYSELF SHOWED UP LAST WEEK, ALL WE HAD TO DO IS SAY TO THEM, PUT ON A MASK.
RIGHT? AND WE KNOW WHO THE ONE ISN'T, IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, WE NEED TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT TRYING TO PREVENT THIS, NOT FROM SOMEBODY WHO'S NECESSARILY VACCINATED, BUT FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T BE VACCINATED, THERE REALLY ARE PEOPLE WHO CAN'T GET VACCINATED.
RIGHT? SOMEBODY MAY HAVE JUST HAD COVID, THEY CAN'T GET VACCINATED.
SO THE, UH, THE BIG PROBLEM THAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR, MANY OF THEM WAS THE WORD WENT OUT AS A MASK, DOESN'T PROTECT YOU, IT PROTECTS OTHERS.
AND IF SOMEBODY'S SELFISH, THEY SAID, WELL, WHAT DO I CARE ABOUT PROTECTING SOMEBODY ELSE? I NEED SOMETHING THAT PROTECTS ME.
AND SO MASKS BECAME, AND THEN IT BECAME A POLITICAL ISSUE.
IF YOU WERE WEARING A MASK, YOU'RE A DEMOCRAT.
YOU WEREN'T, YOU WERE SUPPORTIVE OF REPUBLICS.
I MEAN, IT WAS JUST NUTS FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH POINT OF VIEW.
UH, BUT I AM, I AM VERY FRUSTRATED THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE COME TO TOWN HALL FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF COMING UP TO THAT MICROPHONE, TAKING OFF A MASK, AND SHOWING THAT THEY CAN SPEAK WITHOUT A MASK, AND THE MEETING GOES ON.
SO YOU MAY WANNA SUPPORT PRESIDENT BIDEN, BUT I WANNA SUPPORT WHAT HAPPENED HERE AT ONE MEETING WHERE THERE WAS SOMEBODY WHO WAS VACCINATED, WHO WAS IN THE AUDIENCE, WHO HAD C O V I ACTIVE C O DURING THE MEETING, AND NOBODY IN THIS AUDITORIUM GOT SICK BECAUSE EVERYBODY WORE A MASK.
AND I'M TALKING ABOUT WEAR A MASK.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT ONE THAT'S BELOW YOUR CHIN, OR THE ONE THAT'S AT THE NOSE, WHICH TRIES TO BE NUTS AT THE TIP OF THE NOSE.
THEY'LL PUT IT BACK TO THE TIP OF THE NOSE.
IT'S, OF COURSE IT'S GONNA FALL BACK DOWN AGAIN.
THAT PERSON WOULD HAVE PASSED ANY, SHOW ME YOUR VACCINATION CARD MEASURE THAT WE DID THAT NIGHT BECAUSE THE PERSON WAS VACCINATED, BUT THEY WERE ALSO COVID PLUS THEY, THERE WERE COVID, UM, THEY HAD THE VIRUS.
UH, BUT NOBODY GOT SICK BECAUSE WE FOLLOWED BASIC PROTOCOL.
SO I, I, I'M ON BOARD FOR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO, BUT FIRST I GOTTA SEE THAT THERE'S A SERIOUSNESS ABOUT DEALING WITH WEARING MASKS AND PUBLIC SPACES LIKE THIS.
AND I THINK PART OF THAT, FRANCIS, IS, IS TAKING SERIOUSLY THE PROTOCOL THAT OUR HR DEPARTMENT HAS PRESENTED US WITH RIGHT.
TO FORMALLY ADOPT THAT, UM, AND DISSEMINATE THAT THROUGHOUT THE TOWN SO THAT OUR EMPLOYEES AND PEOPLE WHO COME TO TOWN HALL KNOW WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, WE STILL HAVEN'T DONE THAT.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVEN'T DONE, I THINK OUR, OUR EMPLOYEES ARE DOING FAIRLY, WE HAVEN'T ADOPTED THE PROTOCOL AND DISSEMINATING AS THE OFFICIAL PROTOCOL.
ADOPTED, I THINK WE SENT IT OUT.
I DON'T THINK WE ADOPTED, WE SENT IT OUT.
WELL, WE SENT SOMETHING OUT FROM HR.
I WOULD EXPECT OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS TO ACCEPT IT.
[00:10:01]
UM, BUT WE, YOU KNOW, IF WE WANT TO, BUT I'VE HAD DEPARTMENT HEADS ASK ME, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS, WHAT IS TOWN HALL'S POSITION? UM, SO THEY DON'T KNOW FOR SURE THAT WE HAVE ENDORSED, YOU KNOW, THE DOCUMENT WE PUT OUT.I MEAN, WE, WE, WE, I, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S A BIG ENOUGH DEAL THAT WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, FORMALLY ADOPT IT AND, YOU KNOW, ANNOUNCE IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, BUT FROM, YOU KNOW, MY EXPERIENCE IS WALKING AROUND THE BUILDING, YOU KNOW, EVERY DAY I SEE EVERYBODY WEARING MASKS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I'M, AND I'M TALKING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE WHEN THEY, THE VISITORS ARE, ARE WEARING THE MASKS THAT I SIT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THE EMPLOYEES ARE WEARING THE MASKS WHEN I'M WALKING AROUND AND THEY'RE IN THEIR OFFICES.
UH, THEY, THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, MASKS ON.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT THERE'S A VERY LARGE, UH, PARTICIPATION PERCENTAGES I THINK ARE VERY, VERY HIGH.
NOW, I'M SURE THERE'S SOME EXCEPTIONS, YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T SEEN IT.
BUT AGAIN, I THINK FROM MY READING, THE INSTANCES OF COVID ARE INCREASING.
UH, WE'RE A COUPLE WEEKS BEHIND EUROPE.
THAT'S TRADITIONALLY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE I THINK LIKE THREE OR FOUR WEEKS BEHIND, UM, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN EUROPE AND GERMANY AND ALL OVER EUROPE.
UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE DYING.
IT'S GETTING, YOU KNOW, WORSE AND WORSE.
SO I ANTICIPATE IN A COUPLE WEEKS THAT THE CRISIS IS GONNA HIT THIS AREA.
AND I JUST FEEL THAT, UM, WHATEVER THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IS ASKING BUSINESSES TO DO, WHETHER WE LIKE THE POLICY OR NOT, I FEEL THAT WE SHOULD BE, UM, IMPLEMENTING A SIMILAR POLICY TO WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE IS ASKING EVERYBODY ELSE TO DO.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T, IF THERE'S A BUSINESS IN GREENBURG AND THEY HAVE OVER A HUNDRED EMPLOYEES, AND THE FEDERAL COURTS SAY THAT THE PRESIDENT IS RIGHT, UH, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO COMPLY WITH SOMETHING.
AND I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF, UH, HAVING EXCEPTION FOR, FOR, UH, FOR THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
YOU KNOW, IF, IF, IF A BUSINESS, IF REGENERON HAS TO DO SOMETHING, THEN GREENBURG TOWN HALL SHOULD BE DOING THE SAME.
AND OUR EMPLOYEES SHOULD DO THE SAME THING NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE LIKE IT, OR, YOU KNOW, OR, OR WE DON'T.
AND AGAIN, I KNOW THAT IT'S RIGHT NOW IN THE COURT, SO YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, BUT WE SHOULD PROBABLY START NOW BY MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE OUR SAFETY PRECAUTIONS IN PLACE NOW.
NO, BUT, BUT I, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW OF ANYBODY.
WE, WE, WE NEED, WE HAVE TO START SOMEPLACE.
SO WE SHOULD IMPLEMENT WHAT WE WROTE OUT FOR HR.
AND THE OTHER THING IS TERMS EMPLOYEE GO ON THOUGH.
I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY BOARD MEMBERS SAY WE SHOULD BE EXEMPT FROM THE BIDEN, UM, REQUIREMENT.
UH, WHAT YOU WANNA DO IS FOR US TO ADOPT IT IN CASE THE COURTS SAY IT'S PERMISSIBLE.
I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE COURTS.
NOW, IT MAY BE THAT THE COURTS COME DOWN AND SAY HE JUST CAN'T DO IT BY EXECUTIVE ORDER, BUT IT CAN BE DONE.
BUT I, I'D RATHER NOT ADOPT SOMETHING WHILE IT'S IN THE COURTS UNTIL WE FIND OUT WHAT THE COURT'S RULE ON IT.
THE OTHER THING IS, FOR NEXT WEEK'S BOARD MEETING, WE WE'RE MEETING MONDAY, WHAT IS THE POLICY GONNA BE? UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THE TOWN, YOU KNOW, FOR THE, FOR PEOPLE, LET'S SAY WE HAVE 300 PEOPLE WHO WANT TO ATTEND A BUDGET HEARING, WHICH I DOUBT WE'LL HAVE
DO WE WANNA LIMIT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE CAPACITY, WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT LAST, THE SAME THING, PAUL, WE TALKED ABOUT LIMITED CAPACITY.
SO HOW MANY, AND THEN TALKING ABOUT IF CONFIRMING WITH FRANCIS, IF TECHNOLOGY IS GOING TO WORK TOO.
BUT I'M JUST ASKING BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S ALREADY TUESDAY.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GOING TO SET UP A POLICY EVERY OTHER ROW, EVERY OTHER SEAT.
SO EVERY OTHER ROW, EVERY OTHER SEAT, OTHER ROW, EVERY OTHER SEAT.
UM, AND WHO DO THEY REGISTER WITH THERE? THERE'S, THERE'S A WEBSITE THAT THEY GO TO.
THEY GO TO, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC COMMENT THAT, WELL, WE NEED, WELL, WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE TO CREATE ONE.
WE CAN'T DO THIS ON THE FLY LIKE THIS.
YEAH, NO, BUT I'M JUST, BUT, BUT WE'LL CREATE AN EMAIL ADDRESS BECAUSE PEOPLE MAY NOT WANNA SPEAK, BUT THEY WANT TO ATTEND.
AND SO PUBLIC COMMENT IMPLIES THAT YOU WANT TO ATTEND.
SO WE COULD, WE CAN WORK ON A PROTOCOL THAT WE CAN PUT OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
SO IT'S GONNA BE EVERY OTHER ROW, EVERY OTHER SEAT AND MASK REQUIREMENTS.
THE TEMPERATURE CHECK AS THEY WALKING IN TEMPERATURE CHECK.
AND THERE'S A TEMPERATURE CHECK THAT WE HAVE WALKING IN THAT PEOPLE WALK RIGHT BY IT.
WHO'S GONNA BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING THE TEMPERATURE CHECKS? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? IN THE PA WELL, THE THERMOMETER IS THERE.
[00:15:01]
ALL ONE HAS TO DO IS BE DIRECTED TO STEP IN FRONT OF IT.AND THEN IT ANNOUNCES WHETHER YOUR TEMPERATURE, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOUR TEMPERATURE IS OR WHETHER IT'S ACCEPTABLE OR NOT ACCEPTABLE.
SO IF, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, WE A ROPE LINES THAT DIRECT YOU TO THAT TEMPERATURE CHECK, AND THEN YOU GO FROM THERE.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW YOU JUST GO IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
BUT DO WE WANT, IN THE PASTS, YOU KNOW, THE THING IS WE HAVE THE TEMPERATURE CHECK, BUT LET'S SAY 90% OF THE PEOPLE AREN'T, YOU KNOW, NEVER USING, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT BEING DIRECTED TO, THEY'RE NOT BEING DIRECTED TO.
SO IF THEY ARE DIRECTED TO IT, AND SAY AS YOU WALK INTO TOWN HALL, STOP HERE FIRST, AND YOU CAN'T GO, YOU CAN'T GO BEYOND THAT POINT BECAUSE WE HAVE THINGS IN PLACE, BARRY'S IN PLACE THAT IT WON'T ALLOW YOU TO GO TO THAT POINT.
SO YOU CAN'T GO TO POINT B UNLESS YOU COULD HIT POINT A FIRST.
SO WE HAVE COREY MAKE SURE THAT THEY, COREY, WHO IS OUR SECURITY OFFICER, MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE WHO COME IN TO HAVE THEIR TEMPERATURE CHECKED, AND THEN FROM THERE THEY GO INTO THIS TOWN HALL.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS, JUST SO I KNOW IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE EVERY OTHER ROW ON EVERY OTHER SEAT, DO WE WANT TO HAVE, UM, UH, THE BUILDING MAINTENANCE, UH, PEOPLE BLOCK OFF THE, UM, UH, EVERY OTHER ROW? SO IT'S LIKE IT WAS BEFORE SOMEBODY TOOK IT DOWN.
BUT DO WE WANT TO BASICALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, YES.
SO LIKE IT WAS BEFORE SOMEBODY TOOK IT DOWN, WE HAD EVERY OTHER SEAT.
AND WE HAD EVERY OTHER ROW TAPED OFF.
SO PAUL, WE'LL SPEAK TO THE COMMISSIONER TOMORROW AND PUT ALL THE PROCEDURES IN PLACE PURSUANT TO THE BOARD'S DIRECTIVE.
AND THEN WE'LL SEND OUT AN EMAIL TO TELL THE BOARD WHAT WE'VE, WHAT WE'VE DONE.
AND THEN THE BOIL APPEALED BEFORE.
WELL, I GUESS AT THIS POINT, I THINK THEY'RE READY.
WANNA STEP UP? IT JUST, THE TWO OF YOU COMMITTEE'S HERE, SIT THERE.
SO, JUST SO I'M CLEAR, I KNOW THAT, UM, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A DISCUSSION.
IS IT A DISCUSSION JUST AMONGST THOSE TWO LADIES? CAN WE SET THE PARAMETERS OF THE DISCUSSION JUST SO WE KNOW THEY'RE GONNA DISCUSS, UH, THE PROPOSED RESOLUTION.
AND IS IT, CAN WE KEEP THE PRESENTATION TO 10 MINUTES OR SO? SURE.
I WANNA THANK EVERYONE FOR GIVING US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE WHITE PLAINS GREENBURG NAACP.
UM, OUR BRANCH, I, I TOOK SOME NOTES.
CAN YOU PUSH IT? IT FEELS LIKE IT FEELS LOW.
OUR BRANCH DECIDED THAT BECAUSE OF THE VANDALISM OF THE BLACK LIVES MATTER SIGNED THIS PAST SPRING AND THE CURRENT CLIMATE IN THIS NATION.
DOES EVERYONE HAVE A NEED? A COPY? I THOUGHT THEY WERE GONNA HAVE IT POST-IT.
I THINK WE'RE GONNA DISPLAY IT, AREN'T WE? WE WERE SOLUTION GAR, COULD YOU DISPLAY IT, PLEASE? YES.
I JUST, UH, DISPLAYED THE RESOLUTION AS A SHARE SCREEN ON ZOOM.
I'M HERE WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE OF THE NAACP WHITE PLAINS GREENBERG BRANCH.
I HAVE MICHELLE BROWN, REVEREND GREGORY SMITH, AND JOE BEJA.
SO WE ARE SOME OF THE MEMBERS OF THE GREENBERG, UH, NAACP CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE.
OUR BRANCH DECIDED THAT BECAUSE OF THE VANDALISM OF THE BLACK LIVES MATTER SIGN THIS PAST SPRING, AND THE CURRENT CLIMATE IN THIS NATION WHEN IT COMES TO BLACK LIVES AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM OR INJUSTICE SYSTEM, WHICHEVER WAY YOU CHOOSE TO LOOK AT IT, THAT WE WOULD PUT TOGETHER A BLACK LIVES MATTER RESOLUTION.
THIS RESOLUTION IS NOT A SUGGESTION THAT GREENBERG IS RAMPANT IN RACISM, BECAUSE THAT DEPENDS ON WHO YOU ASK.
IT IS, HOWEVER, MEANT TO HELP OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS SEE WHERE WORK IS NEEDED IN AREAS SUCH AS POLICING, HOUSING, EDUCATION, AND HEALTHCARE, WHILE ALSO SETTING A TONE FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT AMPLIFIES BLACK LIVES.
OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE THE ONES RESPONSIBLE FOR SETTING THE TONE.
BLACK LIVES MATTER IS MORE THAN A SLOGAN.
IT'S A COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THAT
[00:20:01]
LIBERTY AND JUSTICE IS FOR ALL.PUTTING A BLACK LIVES MATTER MURAL WITH RED, BLACK, AND GREEN ROCKS ON MANHATTAN AVENUE UNDER A BRIDGE WHERE ONLY BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE LIVE IS NOT THE INTENT OF THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT.
THE PEOPLE WHO NEED TO SEE AND BE REMINDED THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER DO NOT LIVE ON MANHATTAN AVENUE.
THEY DO NOT WORK ON MANHATTAN AVENUE.
THE PEOPLE WHO NEED TO SEE THE, UH, THE BLACK LIVES MATTER SIGNS ARE THE PROSECUTORS, THE DAS, THE JUDGES, THE MAYORS, THE TOWN SUPERVISORS, AND THE POLICE CHIEFS.
I DON'T THINK ANY OF YOU LIVE ON MANHATTAN AVENUE PUTTING A MURAL.
THERE WILL NOT DO MUCH TO AMPLIFY BLACK LIVES MATTER.
IF BLACK LIVES MATTERED HERE IN GREENBURG, THEN BLACK PEOPLE WOULD HAVE BEEN PART OF THE DISCUSSION WHEN APPOINTING THE LEADERS WHOSE JOB IT WILL BE TO SERVE AND PROTECT THEM.
IF BLACK LIVES MATTERED IN GREENBURG, THEN THE NAACP, WHICH HAPPENS TO BE THE OLDEST CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION IN THIS COUNTRY, WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DISREGARDED IN THE PROCESS AFTER WE REACHED OUT TO YOU.
THE NAACP STRONGLY ENCOURAGES YOU TO ADOPT THE PROPOSED RESOLUTION WITHOUT CHANGES SO THAT THIS COMMUNITY CAN FULLY BELIEVE THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER.
IN GREENBERG, MY INTENT WAS TO READ THE RESOLUTION.
THIS IS A TOWN OF GREENBURG RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF BLACK LIVES.
WHEREAS OUR NATION'S LAWS AFFORD BLACK LIVES AND EVERYONE, REGARDLESS OF RACE OR ETHNICITY, THE RIGHT TO EQUAL PROTECTION AND EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER THE LAW.
AND WHEREAS THE TOWN OF GREENBURG CONDEMNS RACIST ACTS, PRACTICES OF OPPRESSION AND STRUCTURAL RACISM THAT HAVE TARGETED BLACK AND INDIGENOUS AND PEOPLE OF COLOR AND OTHER MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES FOR FAR TOO LONG.
AND WHEREAS BY PROCLAIMING THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER, WE REINFORCE OUR COMMITMENT TO ENSURE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE POLITICAL, EDUCATIONAL, SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND HEALTHCARE EQUALITY OF RIGHTS OF ALL PERSONS, AND TO ELIMINATE RACE-BASED DISCRIMINATION.
AND WHEREAS THE TOWN OF GREENBURG VALUES AND RESPECTS BLACK LIVES AND ALL OTHER LIVES, BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE THAT ALL OUR LIVES ARE CONNECTED, AND THAT UNTIL ALL PEOPLE HAVE THE FREEDOM, RIGHTS, AND PROTECTIONS GRANTED BY OUR CONSTITUTION, NO ONE IS FREE.
AND WHEREAS, WHILE THIS RESOLUTION ADDRESSES BLACK RACISM, IN PARTICULAR, THE TOWN OF GREENBURG ACKNOWLEDGES THAT MORE WORK IS NEEDED TO ADDRESS THE IMPACT OF RACISM ON OTHER GROUPS.
AND WHEREAS WE RECOGNIZE THAT OUR BIPO COMMUNITY MEMBERS ADD UNIQUE PERSPECTIVES AS WELL AS PROFESSIONAL, CULTURAL AND PERSONAL VALUE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WHEREAS THE PEOPLE OF THE TOWN OF GREENBURG WISH TO WELCOME AND INCLUDE BLACK PEOPLE AND PEOPLE OF ALL RACES AND ETHNICITIES, AND TO CREATE A COMMUNITY WHERE EVERYONE CAN THRIVE, WHEREAS THE TOWN OF GREENBURG SUPPORTS SOUND AND UNBIASED LAW ENFORCEMENT POLICIES THAT ELIMINATE THE DISPARATE IMPACT OF BRUTALITY AND USE OF FORCE ON BIPO AND OTHER HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.
AND WHEREAS THE TOWN OF GREENBURG REQUIRES ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING INDIVIDUAL POLICE OFFICERS AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE EXECUTION OF THEIR RESPECTIVE DUTIES, TO ENSURE JUSTICE IS SERVED FOR BLACK LIVES AND ALL OTHERS BE.
IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE TOWN OF GREENBURG TOWN BOARD HEREBY CONDEMNS THE ACTIONS, SPEECH, AND ATTITUDES OF THOSE WHO PROMOTE HATE OR ANY EFFORT TO INTERFERE WITH THE UNALIENABLE RIGHTS OF ANY HUMAN BEING.
AND HEREBY DECLARES THAT IT REAFFIRMS ITS COMMITMENT TO PURSUE POLICIES AND TAKE ACTION TO ENSURE CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS TO BLACK LIVES AND ALL INDIVIDUALS BE.
IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE TOWN OF GREENBURG HEREBY AFFIRMS ITS COMMITMENT TO ELIMINATE RACIST PRACTICES OF TOWN
[00:25:01]
GOVERNMENT AND TOWN AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS, AND WILL REVIEW AND REVISE ITS POLICIES, PROCEDURES, BYLAWS, VALUES, GOALS, AND MISSIONS THROUGH AN ANTI-RACISM LENS TO FOSTER AN UNBIASED AND INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT THAT IS FREE OF DISCRIMINATION, HARASSMENT, AND NEGATIVE STEREOTYPING TOWARDS BLACK LIVES.AND ANY PERSON OR GROUP BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE TOWN OF GREENBURG SUPPORTS PUBLIC FORUMS, COMMUNITY MEETINGS, AND PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY, WHICH EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE ONGOING STRUGGLE BY BLACK LIVES AND ALL OTHER RACES AND ETHNICITIES FOR RACIAL JUSTICE IN THE UNITED STATES.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT THE TOWN OF GREENBURG TOWN BOARD RECOGNIZES THAT IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ALL ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS, MUNICIPAL STAFF AND LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL TO COMMIT TO MAKING THE TOWN OF GREENBURG A WELCOMING, INCLUSIVE, AND SAFE COMMUNITY IN WHICH BLACK PEOPLE AND PEOPLE OF ALL RACES AND ETHNICITIES CAN THRIVE.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE TOWN OF GREENBURG AFFIRMS THAT BLACK LIVES DO MATTER.
SO THAT IS OUR RESOLUTION THAT WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER WITH THE HOPES THAT THE TOWN BOARD HERE WILL SEE IT FIT TO ADOPT.
UH, LEMME LEMME JUST SAY THAT I FIND IT, UH, IT'S, IT'S A REMARKABLE DOCUMENT AND IT HAS TO BE CHANGED BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN A FORMAT OF WHEREAS CLAUSES AND RESOLVE CLAUSES AND THEN FURTHER RESOLVE CLAUSES.
UM, SO IT'S BASICALLY A FORMATTING THING TO GET IT INTO OUR, OUR FORMAT.
IT ENDS WITH A RESOLVE CLAUSE, BUT IT HAS FURTHER RESOLVES ABOVE IT THAT'S INCONSISTENT WITH HOW A RESOLUTION IS DONE.
SO THERE HAS TO BE SOME MODIFICATION TO THAT.
THAT THE, UH, THERE'S A SECTION IN HERE WHICH, UH, AND WE ALSO DON'T NUMBER OUR WAREHOUSE CLAUSE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S GOTTA GO MM-HMM.
THAT'S WHY I LEFT THE NUMBERS IN, BECAUSE, OKAY.
IT'S GOOD, IT'S GOOD FOR DISCUSSION.
NOW THE NUMBERS, WE DON'T FOR THAT MM-HMM.
UH, WHILE THIS RESOLUTION ADDRESSES BLACK RACISM, IN PARTICULAR, THE TOWN OF GREENBERG ACKNOWLEDGES THAT MORE WORK IS NEEDED TO ADDRESS THE IMPACT OF RACISM ON OTHER GROUPS.
I THINK YOU NEED AN ALSO IN THERE, BECAUSE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IN THIS IS THIS ADDRESSES BLACK RACISM AS IF THAT'S ALL THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
BUT MORE WORK IS NEEDED FOR THE OTHER GROUPS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO I THINK THERE'S AN ALSO IN THERE, BECAUSE EVERYBODY, ALL GROUPS, INCLUDING BLACK, CONTINUE TO NEED WORK TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES.
SO YOU DON'T THINK THE FACT THAT IT SAYS THE TOWN OF GREENBURG ACKNOWLEDGES THAT MORE WORK IS NEEDED TO ADDRESS THE IMPACT OF RACISM ON OTHER GROUPS IS SUFFICIENT? NO, IT SHOULD.
I, I BELIEVE IT SHOULD SAY THAT MORE WORK IS ALSO NEEDED BECAUSE THAT WOULD THEN EXPRESS THAT THERE'S STILL WORK NEEDED FOR BLACK RACISM.
BUT I THINK THE RESOLUTION DOES THAT, THAT ONE WORD IS NOT GONNA DEFINE HOW THE RESOLUTION READS AS FAR AS WHAT WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE.
UH, I'M TALKING ABOUT CLAUSES.
EVERY, EVERY CLAUSE I BELIEVE SHOULD ADDRESS, HAVE THE IMPACT THAT I THINK YOU WANT TO HAVE.
SO YOU ARE SAYING THAT WE SHOULD BE PUTTING ALSO IN HERE, JANICE, A SUGGESTION FOR ME.
CAN WE COME ON IN REGARD TO YOUR POINT, THIS, THIS RESOLUTION WAS CONSTRUCTED IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT RECOGNIZED ALL OTHER FORMS OF OPPRESSION, NOT JUST RACISM.
PRIOR IN THIS DOCUMENT, THERE ARE REFERENCE TO, THERE ARE REFERENCES TO OTHERS.
RIGHT? SO IF WE CAN GO BACK, I CAN PROBABLY FIND, BUT WE MADE A VERY DELIBERATE EFFORT NOT TO CONFINE THIS RESOLUTION TO JUST RACISM.
IT WAS MEANT TO ADDRESS PRIMARILY RACISM, BUT ALSO RECOGNIZES ALL OTHER FORMS OF OPPRESSIONS.
SO THAT THIS IS NOT A LASER SHOT ON ONE PARTICULAR ISSUE, WHICH IS VERY DEAR TO OUR HEARTS.
IT'S MEANT TO ENCOMPASS ALL FORMS OF OPPRESSION IN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
SO THAT WOULD BALANCE, BUT THAT WOULD BE IN CLAUSE TWO.
WHERE IT SAYS CONDEMNS RACIST ACTS, BUT IT, BUT FROM THAT POINT ON,
[00:30:01]
IT DEALS WITH RACISM AGAINST, UM, UH, OTHER, OTHER, OTHER MARGINALIZED GROUPS.WHICH IS WHAT I, WHAT I THINK IS THE STRENGTH OF THE DOCUMENT IN THAT, UM, YOU'RE RECOGNIZING THAT THERE'S WORK TO BE DONE, UM, IN MANY AREAS.
AND SO I THINK THAT I, I THINK IT READS VERY WELL.
I I DO HAVE A CONCERN THAT IT MAKES IT LOOK LIKE THE TOWN OF GREENBURG RIGHT NOW IS A VERY RACIST COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, WE'RE PASSING THIS IN ORDER TO, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE NOW SOMEHOW DECIDED WE'RE GOING TO BE WELCOMING AS ANOTHER CLAUSE IN HERE WELCOMING.
WELL, I THINK, I THINK LEMME JUST FINISH MY POINT.
BECAUSE IT ENDS WITH SAYING, WE COMMIT TO MAKING THE TOWN OF GREENBURG A MAKING, UH, WELCOMING, INCLUSIVE, AND SAFE COMMUNITY IN WHICH BLACK PEOPLE AND PEOPLE OF ALL RACES AND ETHNICITIES THEN THRIVE.
AND I THINK WE HAVE A COMMUNITY WHERE, WELL JUST WAIT A MINUTE, I THINK SO THAT ALL, ALL PEOPLE CAN THRIVE, WE NEED TO DO MORE MAKING IS
I THINK CAN I JUST, CAN I SAY SOMETHING? PLEASE.
I THINK, I THINK AS JANICE STATED, WHEN SHE READ THE RESOLUTION AND MADE HER REMARKS, IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU'RE SITTING, HOW YOU FEEL, AND HOW YOU'RE BEING TREATED.
RIGHT? SO IT, SO WHILE, WHILE YOU AND I FRANCIS WHO SIT AT THIS TABLE, UM, MAY FEEL THAT THE COMMUNITY IS, AS YOU DESCRIBED, OTHERS HAVE DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES AND DIFFERENT PERCEPTIONS, AND WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE EXPERIENCES AND PERCEPTIONS, YOU KNOW, AS LOCAL GOVERNMENT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IN FACT, I, I, YOU KNOW, THAT IS THE CASE.
YOU KNOW, IT DEPENDS ON YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
IT'S A SUBJECTIVE, IT'S A SUBJECTIVE, UH, ELEMENT, RIGHT? WE CHOSE TO USE THE WORD MAKING BECAUSE IT'S AN ACT TENSE, IT'S A TRANSFORMATIVE EXPRESSION.
WE DIDN'T SAY MAKE, WE SAID MAKING.
SO THAT WAS MEANT TO EXTEND THE, THE, THE CONNOTATION THAT THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS.
IT'S NOT A JUDGMENT AT ANY POINT IN TIME.
THAT'S, THAT WAS THE INTENT IN THAT CLAUSE.
WE WERE NOT MAKING AN EXPRESSION THAT WE WERE SOMETHING FATALLY WRONG WITH THE AGREEMENT FOR TODAY.
NO, BECAUSE IT NOT WE'RE THE PROCESS OF MAKING IT BETTER TOGETHER.
CAN I JUST ASK A QUESTION ALSO, BECAUSE I FEEL WE DEFINITELY NEED IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S NO GOVERNMENT ANYWHERE, ANY OR NO BUSINESS.
BUT I ALSO, UM, UM, FEEL THAT WE SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE, AND THE, AND THIS IS NOT LIKE A CONDITION, I'M JUST GOING TO UN ENTHUSIASTICALLY BEHIND SUPPORTING THIS RESOLUTION.
BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER IF WE COULD HAVE A PARAGRAPH THAT WOULD HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE, UM, INITIATIVES THAT THE TOWN HAS.
LET ME, LET ME GIVE YOU MY VIEWS AND THEN YOU COULD SAY NO.
UM, BECAUSE DURING THE PAST NUMBER OF YEARS, WE'VE TAKEN A LOT OF INITIATIVES.
THE TOWN, UM, TO, UH, WHERE WE'VE BEEN REALLY PROACTIVE.
YOU KNOW, WE WERE THE FIRST COMMUNITY TO REQUIRE THE POLICE TO HAVE, UH, BODY CAMERAS.
UH, THE FIRST ONE IN, IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
UM, THERE WERE FIVE, UM, COMMUNITY CENTERS BUILT DURING THE, UH, LYNDON JOHNSON ERA.
THERE'S ONLY ONE THAT SURVIVES AND THAT'S THE THEATER, YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER.
SO WE PROBABLY HAVE, UM, THE BEST COMMUNITY CENTER IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND THAT'S FUNDED, UH, BY THE, BY THE TOWN AT THE TOWN HAVE LOOKED THE OTHER WAY WHEN IT COMES TO BLACK LIVES.
WE WOULD BE DOING WHATEVER ALL THE OTHER FOUR COMMUNITIES HAVE DONE.
AND WE WOULD'VE STOPPED, YOU KNOW, FUNDING THE CENTER.
UM, YEARS AGO WE STARTED A POLICE, SUMMER YOUTH CAMP, WHICH IS REALLY A MODEL FOR POLICE YOUTH INTERACTIONS.
WE'VE HIRED POLICE OFFICERS, UM, WHO HAVE, UM, GRADUATED FROM THE POLICE CAMP.
SO WE'VE FOCUSED ON, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, WHERE THERE'S BEEN DISTRUST OF THE POLICE.
AND WE'VE COME UP WITH MODELS WHERE WE'VE HAD, UM, YOUNG PEOPLE, UH, INTERACTING WITH THE POLICE AND THE POLICE INTERACTING, UM, WITH YOUNG PEOPLE.
WE'VE HAD A COMMUNITY POLICING PROGRAM FOR, FOR, FOR YEARS.
I THINK WE WERE PROBABLY ONE OF THE FIRST COMMUNITIES, IF NOT THE FIRST COMMUNITY IN WESTCHESTER, UH, TO HAVE THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OVER THE YEARS, UM, THEY'VE MADE A MAJOR EFFORT TO DIVERSIFY, UH, YOU KNOW, THE POLICE, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF, UH, THE HIRING PRACTICES WHERE WE HAVE
[00:35:01]
ASIANS, WE HAVE AFRICAN AMERICANS, WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS.WE'VE ALSO WORKED HARD AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OVER THE YEARS IN TERMS OF TRAINING, UM, PEOPLE WHO WANT TO TAKE THE EXAMS, UH, TO TAKE THE EXAMS. SO WE'VE, WE'VE GONE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE WHATEVER WE CAN TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, CONSIDER LAW, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT, YOU KNOW, THE TOWN BOARD.
IF YOU LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE MAKEUP OF THE BOARD, YOU HAVE FIVE MEMBERS OF, UH, THE TOWN BOARD.
TWO OF THE MEMBERS OF THE TOWN BOARD ARE CURRENTLY AFRICAN AMERICAN.
UM, YOU KNOW, AMERICAN, THE NEW RECEIVER OF TAXES, UM, IS AFRICAN AMERICAN.
AND ACTUALLY, UH, WAS LIVING IN AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, YOU KNOW, COMPLEX FOR THE TOWN.
NO, NO, I'M SAYING THAT BASICALLY THAT THE TOWN, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, BUILT.
SO WE'VE GIVEN PEOPLE OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW? RIGHT.
BUT PAUL, I DON'T THINK, I DON'T THINK, I DON'T THINK, I DON'T THINK, I DON'T THINK, I DON'T THINK, I DON'T THINK THAT THE RE THE RESOLUTION IS AN INDICTMENT OF THE TOWN.
I THINK THE RESOLUTION IS MEANT TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, WHAT THE, THE TOWN AND, AND REALLY NOT WELL, YES.
'CAUSE IT'S A RESOLUTION FROM THE WHITE PLAINS GREENBURG, UH, NAACP.
SO THE RESOLUTION IS MEANT TO HIGHLIGHT FOR OUR TOWN, YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS WE CAN DO BETTER FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO AREN'T THE BENEFIT OF ALL THOSE THINGS, WHO DON'T HAVE THE BENEFIT OF ALL THOSE THINGS YOU JUST ROLLED OUT.
WHILE IT'S TRUE THAT THAT MAY BE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE TOWN HAS DONE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT REACHING EVERYBODY.
AND IT'S NOT ONLY ABOUT THE POLICE, YOU KNOW? RIGHT.
ONE OF THE THINGS GREENBERG AGAINST SYSTEMIC RACISM IS WORKING ON IS THE FACT THAT RACISM IS EMBEDDED IN THE FABRIC OF OUR SOCIETY, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
IT'S JUST THE CULTURE THAT WE LIVE IN.
NONE OF US DID THAT TO EACH OTHER.
I DON'T THINK THAT ANY OF US WANT IT TO BE THAT WAY, BUT HISTORICALLY THAT'S JUST WHAT IT IS.
AND I THINK THE RESOLUTION IS JUST A REMINDER THAT, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH WE'VE DONE ALL THESE GREAT THINGS, 'CAUSE AS JANICE SAID, SHE'S NOT, IT'S NOT AN INDICTMENT.
SHE'S NOT SAYING TANNER GREENBERG IS A HORRIBLE PLACE TO LIVE.
WE ALL HAVE UNCONSCIOUS BIASES THAT WE NEED TO MIND AND BE ON GUARD FOR EVERYONE.
BLACK, WHITE, ASIAN, DOESN'T MATTER.
IT'S JUST A REMINDER THAT WE DO HAVE THEM AND THAT WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THEM AND AND CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT WE DO, MINDFUL ABOUT WHAT WE DO, BECAUSE THIS IS THE CULTURE THAT WE LIVE IN.
RIGHT? THE ONLY, BUT WAIT, CAN I SAY SOMETHING? LET ME JUST, LET ME JUST PIGGYBACK ON KEN REALLY QUICK.
AND THE THINGS THAT YOU POINTED OUT, PAUL IS ALL POLICE RELATED.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT JUST POLICE RELATED.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE WHOLE, EVERYTHING UNDER THE WHOLE GAMUT.
HOUSING, HEALTHCARE, EDUCATION.
BUT THAT'S WHAT WE TALK, THAT'S WHAT THIS, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS RESOLUTION IS RE REPRESENTING, IS EVERYTHING WITHIN THE TOWN OF GREENBURG THAT FAR THAT'S RELATED TO RACE.
SO THIS IS NOT JUST SAYING, OKAY, WE HAVE AN ISSUE JUST IN ONE AREA.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL, ALL AREAS.
I, LET ME JUST SAY, I BASICALLY FEEL THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS RESOLUTION AS PART OF A WORK IN PROGRESS.
SO THE THING IS, IT'S NOT THE BEGINNING OF, IT'S NOT LIKE, OKAY, TODAY WE RECOGNIZE THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER BECAUSE I FAILED AT, I FEEL THAT THE TOWN HAS ALWAYS RECOGNIZED THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER.
BUT WE COULD, BUT WE ALSO, BUT WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE TO DO BETTER.
NO, WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO DO BETTER.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE CAME UP, WE WERE THE FIRST COMMUNITY IN I THINK NEW YORK STATE THAT REQUIRED 10% OF MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING TO BE AFFORDABLE.
LET, LET'S LET MICHELLE SAY SOMETHING.
UM, THIS IS A HISTORICAL MOMENT, RIGHT? FIRST AND FOREMOST, YES, YOU DO HAVE TWO BLACK FOR THE FIRST TIME COUNCIL PEOPLE ON THIS BOARD.
BUT HOW LONG DID IT TAKE FOR THAT TO HAPPEN? YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE TRUTH, THE THINGS YOU DIDN'T SAY ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE.
'CAUSE WE'RE MORE THAN DAYCARE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, LOW INCOME HOUSING, AND HAVING TO PROTECT OUR LIFE WITH A MONITOR FROM A POLICE PERSON.
I MEAN, WE HAVE ATTORNEYS, YOU, WE HAVE LANDOWNERS, WE HAVE BUSINESS OWNERS, WE HAVE ENTREPRENEURS, WE HAVE INVENTORS.
WE HAVE A HISTORY, PROBABLY LONGER THAN YEARS HERE, WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR AT LEAST 400 YEARS.
THIS COULDN'T EXIST WITHOUT BLACK PEOPLE.
WE, ECONOMICALLY WE BUILT AND SUSTAINED.
AND WE STILL SUSTAIN THIS COUNTRY.
YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHY THIS IS NOT GONNA WORK.
WELL, LEMME SAY, UH, PAUL, UM, I AGREE WITH KEN.
[00:40:01]
SOMEONE IS PINCHED ON A SUBJECT LIKE THIS, THEY SAY, WELL, I'VE DONE THIS.YOU DON'T HAVE TO TOUT WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
IF WHAT YOU'VE DONE WAS, HAS SATISFIED THE ISSUE.
WE ARE ACKNOWLEDGING THAT WE, WE HAVE A SITUATION, WE'VE COME A LONG WAY, BUT THERE'S STILL MORE TO DO.
AND WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER AS A BELOVED COMMUNITY AND TRY TO SATISFY THAT.
WE DON'T, THIS RESOLUTION IS NOT TRYING TO SAY WHAT WE HAVE DONE OR WE HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS.
BUT WE ACKNOWLEDGE THERE'S AN ISSUE PRESENCE WITHIN OUR CULTURAL SOCIETY, IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, SO THAT'S THE INTENT OF THIS, THAT IT BECOMES A WORKING DOCUMENT, NOT A MANIFESTO, BUT IT BECOMES A COVENANT.
BUT WE, WE COLLECTIVELY AND THE COMMUNITY, THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY CAN WORK TOGETHER.
I, I'M, I AM, AS I SAID, BECAUSE I'VE SAID TO YOU FOR THE PAST, YOU KNOW, SINCE YOU INTRODUCED THIS, THAT I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE RESOLUTION.
I GET THE EMAILS, I GET THE PHONE CALLS FROM PEOPLE.
NO, BUT NO, BUT I'M SAYING I EXPERIENCE, I'M ENTHUSIASTICALLY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS RESOLUTION.
ALL I'M SAYING IS I WANT PEOPLE IN THE TOWN TO REALIZE THAT THE TOWN GOVERNMENT HAS OVER THE YEARS, MADE AN EFFORT TO, UH, TO TRY BEING PROACTIVE.
AND ALTHOUGH WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT PERFECT AND THERE'S STILL A LOT MORE WORK THAT HAS TO BE DONE.
I THINK WE'VE DONE A LOT OF REALLY, YOU KNOW, GREAT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW GREAT THINGS.
I HAVE LIKE, I COULD COME UP WITH A WHOLE LIST OF THINGS.
OKAY? BUT THOSE GUYS ARE CONTAINMENT.
PAUL PEOPLE ARE MORE THAN THAT.
PEOPLE OWN THEIR OWN BUSINESS.
WHAT, HOW MANY BLACK LANDOWNER DO WE HAVE IN GREENBURG? HOW MANY BLACK BUSINESS OWNERS DO WE HAVE IN GREENBURG? WHICH YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CONTAINMENT.
YOU DON'T TALKING ABOUT FREEDOM, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND YOU CAN'T MOVE FORWARD IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT YOU SAID NOT PERSONAL TO JUST COME IN, SAY JUDITH BEIL FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE AN INTERN PROGRAM NOW, JUDITH PAUL BEEN DOING IT FOR A DOZEN YEARS.
AND BASICALLY WE HAVE PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
PAUL, PAUL, LEMME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
AND I DON'T MEAN TO BE RACIST.
FIRST THING YOU SAY, LOOK WHAT WE DONE.
I'VE GOT THIS PERSON OVER HERE.
I GOT A TOWN CLERK, I GOT AN ASSESSOR, YOU KNOW, I GOT, I GOT A NICE BLACK FRIEND.
RIGHT? ALRIGHT, THAT'S, YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT.
THE COLOR, THIS SKIN IS NOT IMPORTANT.
IT'S WHAT'S IN HERE, RIGHT? IT'S IN HERE.
IT'S A, IT'S A MATTER OF HOW WE GOING TO COMMUNICATE WITH, WITH EACH OTHER.
SO THIS IS NOT TRYING TO THE LORD OF WHO OR ANY PARTICULAR PERSON OR GROUP, BUT WE AS A COMMUNITY KNOW THAT WE HAVE WORK TO DO.
AND WE ARE COMING TOGETHER TO ESTABLISH WHAT WE CAN CONSIDER AS A BLUEPRINT THAT CAN GIVE US SOME DIRECTION.
IT'S NOT GONNA SOLVE EVERYTHING YOU SEE.
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT HAPPENED IN 1954.
IT DOESN'T MATTER HAPPEN WHEN YOU BUILT THE THEODORE YOUNG CENTER.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THINGS HAVE CHANGED DRAMATICALLY.
WHEN YOU PUT UP THAT SIGN, RIGHT, THOSE TWO SIGNS, WHERE DID YOU PUT 'EM? YOU KNOW WHERE YOU PUT 'EM? YOU PUT 'EM IN FAIRVIEW, DIDN'T YOU? MM-HMM.
AM I RIGHT? WHICH SIGNS? THE SIGNS THAT WERE TORN DOWN DOESN'T MAKE FAIR KNOW.
THEY DIDN'T KNOW THE, HONESTLY.
THEY WEREN'T LEY, THEY WEREN IN OTHER PLACES AROUND THE, AROUND THE TOWN OF GREENBURG.
BUT YOU DIDN'T DO THAT INTENTIONALLY.
YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? WHERE YOU, BUT YOU PUT IT IN SECTIONS WHERE THE FOLK OF COLOR WERE, WE PUT IT ON CENTRAL AVENUE.
WELL, THAT'S WHERE IN CENTRAL AVENUE.
YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? ON CENTRAL AVENUE, I, YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M, YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? AND NOT SAYING HEART ALL I'M SAYING MEANING.
ALRIGHT? SO I WOULD HOPE THAT WITH THE PROPER STRUCTURAL CHANGES, AND AGAIN, WE PUT THOSE IN THERE SO WE CAN HAVE THE DISCUSSION ON PARAGRAPH FIVE OR PARAGRAPH SEVEN, THAT WITH ALL THE LITTLE STRUCTURAL THINGS TO DO, AND I'M SURE YOU CAN DO THAT MM-HMM.
SO, WE'LL, WE SHOULD VOTE ON THIS, UH, MONDAY.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S AGAINST US.
[00:45:01]
UM, I THINK WE ALL, WE ALL I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT I DO LIVE IN GREENBURG AND I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR 30 YEARS.MY KIDS HAVE BENEFITED FROM THE GREENBERG CENTER, FROM THE POLICE CAMP.
BUT THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE ARE PERFECT.
MY RECOMMENDATION AND LET JUST CONTINUE FEEL LIKE I DO, WHO DO LOVE COMMUNITY.
BUT I'M HERE REPRESENTING NO BLACK PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST NOT MY THOUGHT.
IT'S, THIS IS, UH, UH, BLACK PEOPLE IN GENERAL AND THE STATE OF THIS COUNTRY.
AND I, THE STATE OF THIS COUNTRY IS IN TURMOIL.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE GREENBERG STAYS AHEAD OF THE CURVE.
AND I, LANGUAGE IS VERY POWERFUL.
AS I'VE BEEN SITTING HERE LISTENING AND READING THE RESOLUTION AND NOTICE CERTAIN TERMS THAT I'M GOING TO SUGGEST TO THE CRAFTERS, THE INDIVIDUALS WHO CRAFTED THIS, UM, UH, STATEMENT TO CONSIDER ONE OF THOSE WORDS IS MARGINALIZED.
I'M AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN, PROUD.
BEYOND DEFINITION OF WHO I AM.
I DO NOT CONSIDER MYSELF MARGINALIZED.
I DO NOT SEE MYSELF RELEGATED TO MARGINS ON ANYONE'S PAPER.
I SUGGEST THAT WE RECONSIDER BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, CERTAIN WORDS THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, FIRSTED UPON US THROUGHOUT HISTORY, WE NEED TO REALLY STOP AND THINK ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS, THE LONG TERM IMPLICATIONS OF THOSE WORDS.
AND MARGINALIZED MEANS PUT TO THE SIDE, WRITTEN IN NOTES ON A MARGIN.
NO, THAT IS NOT HOW WE SHOULD DEFINE OURSELVES.
MAYBE ANOTHER WORD MIGHT BE TARGETED INDIVIDUALS, BECAUSE HISTORICALLY INDIVIDUALS IN THIS COUNTRY HAVE BEEN TARGETED FOR CERTAIN TREATMENT.
THE OTHER, UM, POINT THAT I'D, I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST, I'M JUST GOING TO ASK THAT, CAN, CAN WE CHANGE THAT? WOULD YOU ACCEPT A PRESS? YEAH, THAT'S OKAY.
YOU ACCEPT THAT? YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
COMING FROM THE REVEREND DR. SMITH, I DIDN'T KNOW.
THAT'S SAYING I HIGHLY RESPECT YOUR RECOMMENDATION.
RECOMMENDATION GIVEN WHO YOU ARE, WHAT YOU HAVE STUDIED, WHERE YOU COME FROM, WHAT YOUR PERSPECTIVE IS.
I HIGHLY RESPECT YOUR RECOMMENDATION.
THE OTHER POINT THAT I'D LIKE TO BRING OUT IS I RECOMMEND DEFINING THE WORD RACISM.
RACISM IS VERY SPECIFIC IN TERMS OF ITS EVOLUTION.
HOWEVER, THE TERM HAS ACQUIRED A BROADER APPLICATION OVER THE PAST YEAR WITH THE HEIGHTENED AWARENESS OF DIRECT ATTACKS ON AFRICAN AMERICANS AND AFRICAN CARIBBEANS.
HOWEVER, THAT DOES NOT CHANGE THE ORIGIN OR THE EVOLUTION OF THE MEANING OF THE WORD.
RIGHT NOW, MANY PEOPLE ARE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST, BUT RACISM IN THIS COUNTRY HAS A VERY SPECIFIC ORIGIN, EVOLUTION, PRACTICE, SYSTEMIC PRACTICE.
AND WE SHOULD NOT ALLOW IT TO BECOME DILUTED.
BUT REFERRING TO ALL OTHER PEOPLE WHO CLAIM RACISM, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN TREATED UNEQUAL.
UM, HOWEVER, THERE IS A DISTINCTION AND, AND WE SHOULD NOT LOSE.
[00:50:02]
OKAY? THAT FACT.DISCRIMINATION IS THE ACT OF DOING SOMETHING, RIGHT.
RACISM IS THE SPIRIT IN WHICH YOU, IN WHICH YOU OPERATE.
ALRIGHT? THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES.
RACISM CAN BE NOT NECESSARILY ETHNIC RACISM, IT COULD BE ECONOMIC, IT COULD BE EVERYTHING.
DISCRIMINATION IS, THAT IS AN ACTION WORD.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD MAINTAIN A STATE WITH RACISM.
ALTHOUGH MANY PEOPLE TAKE WORDS AND, AND DEFINE THEM FOR THEMSELVES, MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, THEY SAY RACISM DOESN'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH BLACK AND WHITE.
RIGHT? IT COULD DEAL WITH L G B T, IT COULD BE EMPLOYMENT, IT COULD BE ANYTHING.
SO I WOULD NOT WANT TO TO ELIMINATE RACISM AND PUT IT AS SUBSTITUTE DISCRIMINATION.
I'M NOT SUGGESTING SUBSTITUTING.
I'M SUGGESTING USING THE WORD WHERE IT APPLIES TO ITS EVOLUTION AND ITS ORIGIN.
THERE ARE, THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE, YES, MANY PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY WHO HAVE BEEN DISCRIMINATED AGAINST.
OKAY? BUT RACISM HAS A MUCH BROADER MEANING FOCUS ORIGIN THAT GROWS BACK 400 YEARS IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND THIS IS NOT JUST JUDITH BURRELL SAYING THIS, THIS IS DOCUMENTED AND HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF, OF OF RESEARCH WRITINGS.
WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST THE EVOLUTION OF RACISM GOES BACK 400 YEARS.
IT IS NOT A WORD THAT SHOULD BE OKAY.
THAT'S YOU NOT SUGGESTING THAT WE CHANGE IT.
ALTHOUGH RACISM GOES BACK LONG BEFORE FOR YEARS.
WELL, BUT I'M SAYING WE GONNA KEEP IT LIKE IT IS.
WELL, I'M THANK YOU FOR AND NUMBER TWO, THERE WAS A, UH, CAN WE GO BACK TO NUMBER TWO FOR A SECOND PLEASE? SHOULD I READ NUMBER NUMBER TWO? OKAY.
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF COLOR AND OTHER MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.
ALRIGHT, FIRST OF ALL, I JUST SUGGEST TAKING OUT MARGINALIZED AND, UM, THERE WAS, THERE WAS ANOTHER SECTION WHERE THE WORD RACISM.
I'M NOT SURE IF IT WAS NUMBER 11.
CAN YOU GO DOWN A LITTLE BIT? LET'S SEE.
UM, WELL, NUMBER FIVE DOES HAVE RACISM IN IT.
OKAY? MAYBE LET'S GO BACK AND LOOK AT IT.
NUMBER FIVE, RESOLUTION ADDRESSES BLACK RACISM.
IN PARTICULAR, THE TOWN OF GREENBERG ACKNOWLEDGES THAT MORE WORK IS NEEDED TO ADDRESS THE IMPACT OF RACISM ON OTHER GROUPS.
I SUGGEST THAT THAT TERM AND THAT LAST, THE RACISM IN THAT LAST SENTENCE, B, NEEDED TO ADDRESS THE IMPACT OF DISCRIMINATION ON OTHER GROUPS.
BECAUSE SEE, RACISM, OTHER GROUPS HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED RACISM FOR 400 YEARS.
RACISM ISN'T, RACISM HAS AN ORIGIN AND AN EVOLUTION IN THIS COUNTRY THAT GOES BACK 400 YEARS.
WELL MAN, I DON'T WANNA GET INTO A, A DISCUSSION, ALTHOUGH IT GOES BACK BEYOND THAT, OF COURSE.
AND OTHER GROUPS HAVE IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
I MEAN, BEFORE, BEFORE 16, 19, THE PILGRIMS EXPERIENCED RACISM.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY THEY CAME TO THIS COUNTRY FROM ENGLAND.
I MEAN, SO UNLESS I GET BACK AND FORTH WITH THAT, I WOULD NOT THE PILGRIMS EXPERIENCE, ECONOMIC OPPRESSION.
WAIT, I DON'T WANNA GET INTO THAT DISCUSSION.
WE KNOW THAT THE OLOGY WORDS CHANGE MEANINGS OVER YEARS OF YEARS.
BUT IN THIS POINT IN TIME, I THINK OUR CONNOTATION OF RACISM IS WHAT IT IS.
AND I WOULD NOT BE IN FAVOR TO CHANGING THAT, UH, OPPRESSION, OPPRESSED VERSUS MARGINALIZED.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MY COLLEAGUES FEEL ABOUT IT.
SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT MAYBE A WORKING GROUP GET TOGETHER, PERHAPS INCLUDING TOWN CLERK, INCLUDING COUNCILMAN SHEHAN, INCLUDING MEMBERS OF THE NAACP TO DO THIS WORDSMITHING, YOU KNOW? UM, AND THEN WE, WE VOTE ON THE RESOLUTION.
WE, WE PUT FORTH THE FINAL VERSION
[00:55:01]
OF THE RESOLUTION.UM, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK, I DON'T THINK NOW SINCE WE HAVE AN AGENDA, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S ALREADY, THAT'S ABOUT 10 MINUTES.
IT'S A HALF HOUR LATER, YOU KNOW THE QUESTION.
BUT IT WOULD BE, BUT FRANCIS HAS BEEN TRYING TO MAKE ONE COMMENT, JUST, I DON'T KNOW.
AND THEN I JUST WANT TO GET SO EVERYBODY'S FAIR.
I JUST, NO, IT, IT'S, WE COULD JUST MAKE IT, IT'S A, IT'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF THOUGHT AND OBVIOUSLY HISTORY IN THIS DOCUMENT.
WHAT, WHAT CONCERNS ME IS, AND, AND MAYBE IT'S DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, BUT I MOVED TO GREENBURG BECAUSE IT WAS ALREADY DIVERSE.
I DID NOT WANT TO MOVE TO AN AREA THAT WAS NOT DIVERSE.
I MOVED SPECIFICALLY INTO THE GREENBURG CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, PREVIOUSLY THE GREENBURG CENTRAL SEVEN SCHOOL DISTRICT.
'CAUSE IT WAS ALREADY DIVERSE.
AND I DIDN'T WANT MY FAMILY TO DEAL WITH A TRANSITION WHERE IT BECAME DIVERSE.
WHY DO WHITE PEOPLE ALWAYS DEFEND WHEN RACISM IS SPOKEN OF? YOU DEFEND.
I'M NOT, SOMETIMES YOU COULD JUST LISTEN AND RESPECTFULLY LISTEN.
YOU HAVE BLACK COLLEAGUES HERE ON THE BOARD WHO ARE TRYING TO EDUCATE YOU.
WE ARE HERE TRYING TO EDUCATE YOU.
YOU GUYS ARE DEFENDING BEING WHITE.
LIKE YOU HAVE TO OWN BEING BLACK.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT DEFENDING YOU'RE, YOU JUST TOLD US WHY YOU CAME TABLE.
IT'S ALREADY SAYS WE DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT.
NO, THE COMMUNITY IS WRITTEN TO YOU.
EVERYTHING ACTIVIST IS WRITTEN TO YOU.
BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY THAT DON'T THINK LIKE YOU, SO PLEASE STOP DEFENDING.
'CAUSE THAT'S HOW YOU'RE GONNA LEARN.
OTHER THAN THAT, I'M TELLING YOU, THIS IS, BUT A PIECE OF PAPER.
IF YOU GUYS DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS IS, I UNDERSTAND IT.
WE'RE PROUD TO LIVE IN A TOWN.
THE FACT THAT INTERRUPT GOOD THINGS, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE.
WE, WE BASICALLY ALL SAY WE SUPPORT THE RESOLUTION.
WE'RE ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THE RESOLUTION.
WE WANT THE TOWN TO GO FORWARD AND ADOPT IN ADDITIONAL INITIATIVES.
UH, THAT COULD PUT AN END TO RACISM OR NOT.
IF WE CAN'T END RACISM, AT LEAST, UH, MAKE GREENBERG A MODEL FOR OTHER, OTHER COMMUNITIES.
I THINK FRANCIS IS SAYING HE'S PROUD.
FRANCIS, SAY WHAT HE WANTS TO SAY.
NO, BUT I'M WHAT HE HAS TO SAY.
WE WE'RE ALL PROUD OF THE POSITIVE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING, BUT WE RECOGNIZE THAT MORE HAS TO BE DONE.
I DON'T THINK THAT SHOULD BE CONTROVERSIAL.
AND YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANT, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO PUT IN THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS WE'VE DONE, THAT'S FINE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I'M, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS I'M REALLY PROUD OF AS TOWN SUPERVISOR IS THAT WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED A LOT OF INITIATIVES OVER THE YEARS THAT I THINK HAVE MOVED THE TOWN FORWARD.
AND I, YOU KNOW, SO I'M PROUD OF THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M ABOUT THAT ACKNOWLEDGED.
WELL, ALL DUE RESPECT, EVERYONE HAS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO FINISH WHAT THEY WERE WANTING TO SAY.
CAN WE JUST LET FRANCIS FINISH WHAT HE WANTS TO SAY? ALL RIGHT.
I KNOW EVERYONE SEEMS LIKE THAT'LL ALWAYS DEFEND FRANCIS, BUT HE ALWAYS GETS CUT OFF.
SO
SO I AM NOT ONE THAT I, I SUPPORT.
I SUPPORT, I SUPPORT, WHATEVER YOU GIVE ME, I'M GONNA SUPPORT IT.
I'M NOT GONNA WRITE BACK IN AN EMAIL.
I SUPPORT SOMETHING IMMEDIATELY.
RIGHT? I'VE SPENT TIME WITH THIS AS I DO ON EVERY RESOLUTION.
THERE'S NOTHING SPECIAL ABOUT THIS ONE AND HOW THE TIME THAT I SPEND PUTTING INTO IT, MY POSITION BASICALLY IS, IS THAT NOT THAT WE HAVE TO LIST ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE, BUT I DON'T THINK YOU CAN DISMISS IT EITHER.
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN DISMISS THAT.
WE HAVE MADE AN ENVIRONMENT, THIS TOWN, THE PEOPLE IN THIS TOWN HAVE MADE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE CAN HAVE TWO AFRICAN-AMERICANS SITTING ON THE TOWN BOARD, THE TOWN ATTORNEY, THE TOWN CLERK, THAT THREE OF THE THREE JUDGES ARE AFRICAN AMERICAN.
THAT HAS TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE CULTURE IN OUR TOWN VERSUS SOME OTHER MUNICIPALITIES.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OTHER MUNICIPALITIES OF THE 43 MUNICIPALITIES IN, IN WESTCHESTER, YOU'RE ALSO SEEKING OUT TO, OR YOU'RE SINGLING OUT GREENBERG AS WE NEED TO ADDRESS A RACIST PROBLEM.
UM, BECAUSE SOMEBODY TOOK DOWN THAT SIGN.
I'M HOPING THAT THIS GOES BROADER THAN GREENBERG JUST STOP THIS.
I HOPE THIS IS BROADER THAN GREENBERG, BUT WHEN I, WHEN I SEE CLAUSES WHERE IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVEN'T BEEN WELCOMING, IT SAYS THE PEOPLE OF TOWN OF GREENBURG WISH TO WELCOME AND INCLUDE BLACK PEOPLE AND PEOPLE OF ALL
[01:00:01]
RACES AND ETHNICITIES.IT MAKES, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE NOT DOING THAT ALREADY.
AND, AND IT SAYS, AND WE WANT TO CREATE A COMMUNITY WHERE EVERYONE CAN THRIVE, WHERE NOTHING THAT WE HAVE DONE, IT GOES TO THAT.
HOW MANY LAND? HOW MANY, BUT HOW MANY LAND? PLEASE DON'T INTERRUPT ME.
I, I'M, I'M THINKING THERE'S, THERE MUST BE A WAY WHERE WE CAN INDICATE THAT THERE HAS BEEN SOME PROGRESS, BUT MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE AS OPPOSED TO WE PASS THIS RESOLUTION BECAUSE WE NOW HAVE REALIZED NOW WE SHOULD WELCOME PEOPLE OF ALL NECESSITY OF ETHNICITIES TO THE TABLE.
AND I, I THINK IT MAKES IT A STRONGER RESOLUTION WHEN YOU RECOGNIZE THAT THERE WAS EFFORTS BY THE TOWN TO GET WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
I THINK THAT'S A SEPARATE DOCUMENT.
I THINK THE LIST OF ALL THE GOOD THAT YOU HAVE DONE AND THERE HAS BEEN A LOT, I DON'T THINK THAT BELONGS ON THIS DOCUMENT.
YOU KNOW? AND NO ONE'S DENYING, NO ONE'S DISPUTING THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS THAT HAVE DONE, BEEN DONE IN GREENBERG, BUT GREENBERG IS NOT EXEMPT FROM ALL THAT IS GOING ON IN THIS COUNTRY AND EVEN IN THIS COMMUNITY.
THAT'S NOT MY POINT RESOLUTION.
THIS RESOLUTION IS NOT TO ADDRESS ALL THE GOOD.
I I I'M NOT SAYING YOU GUYS CAN PUT THAT TOGETHER.
I'M NOT SAYING WE SHOULD HAVE ANY LIST.
NO, I'M JUST SAYING THAT WE SHOULDN'T MAKE IT SEEM LIKE TODAY WE'RE GOING TO START WELCOMING PEOPLE.
ONLY SENSITIVE PEOPLE WOULD READ SOMETHING INTO IT THAT'S NOT THERE.
IT'S, I MEAN LIKE, NO, THIS IS NOT MEANT TO BE PERSONAL, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, IF YOU ARE ALREADY DOING IT, THEN FINE.
IF IT'S ALREADY HAPPENING, THEN FINE.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ALREADY WELCOMING AND YOU KNOW THAT THEN FINE.
THIS IS JUST FOR THE PEOPLE WHO MAY FEEL THAT YOU'RE NOT.
CAN I MAKE A SUGGESTION THAT IT, IT CAN SIMPLY BE A REFERENCE TO GREENBERG'S ONGOING EFFORTS TO COMBAT RACISM OR YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE WHERE TO INSERT, I DON'T HAVE A DOCUMENT IN FRONT OF ME AND SO I'M ONLY LOOKING AT PIECES.
BUT YOU KNOW, A REFERENCE TO EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE WITHOUT HAVING TO LIST.
I'M SORRY MICHELLE, DID YOU ASK THAT OF THE PEOPLE WHO WROTE THE ANTI-SEMITIC RESOLUTION, DID YOU ASK THEM? IT DOESN'T MATTER.
IT WAS SENT TO US
SO DID YOU ASK THEM TO PUT IN HOW? THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO, I'M JUST SAYING THIS IS THE PART OF OUR SYSTEMIC RACISM.
WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
GATEKEEPING AND SYSTEMIC RACISM.
YOU GOTTA BE FAIR AND EQUITABLE.
WE'RE NOT ASKING YOU TO GIVE US YOUR RIGHT KIDNEY.
WHEN YOU MAKE POLICY, PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE, KNOW THAT BLACK PEOPLE LIVE HERE TOO.
OKAY, THEN I THINK YOU GONNA ADOPT IT.
I THINK, I DON'T THINK YOU DON'T HAVE TO DEFEND IT ANYMORE, I THINK YEAH, BUT I THINK THIS, I'M SORRY.
I THINK THIS DOCUMENT REAFFIRMS THE POSITION OF GREENBERG.
WHEN WE SAY WE WELCOME, THAT'S JUST REAFFIRMING.
IT DIDN'T SAY YOU HAVE NOT DONE IT IN THE PAST.
AND I THINK WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A DOCUMENT LIKE THIS, WHEN WE GO THROUGH IT, YOU TEND TO TRY TO READ SOMETHING THAT'S NOT IN THERE.
THIS DOCUMENT'S NOT MADE TO CAST DISPERSION ON ANYONE.
IT'S JUST A COVENANT THAT SAYS THAT WE ARE WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE HOPE TO BE.
I'M SAYING I AGREE WITH EXACTLY.
I'M SAYING YOU DON'T NEED TO SAY WE REAFFIRM.
'CAUSE IF YOU SAY WE REAFFIRM, THEN YOU, THEN YOU SAY THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE DONE.
DON'T PUT WHAT'S NOT IN THIS DOCUMENT.
I THINK THE, THE SMALL THINGS THAT HAS TO BE DONE, AND I AGREE WITH, WITH KEN, WE CAN GET TOGETHER AND FIX SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE WORDS AND THE GRAMMAR AND STUFF LIKE THAT DON'T, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO RECRAFT THIS, RIGHT? NO, BUT I RECRAFT THIS.
I I THINK YOU ACTUALLY CAME UP WITH THE, THERE ARE TWO WORDS YOU SAID JUST NOW THAT WE WELCOME.
THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN WE WISH TO WELCOME.
I'M SAYING BUT THAT'S, THAT'S, I'M SAYING I THINK THAT'S A FIX.
I'M NOT DISAGREEING WITH YOU ON THAT.
I'M SAYING THAT'S WHAT KEN SAID.
IF YOU GET, YOU KNOW, THREE OR FOUR OF US TOGETHER, WE CAN TAKE CARE OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS THAT DO NOT DILUTE THE ETHOS OF THE DOCUMENT.
AND WE CAN PUT IT IN THE PROPER ORDER.
I MEAN, YOU, YOU CAN DO THAT, YOU KNOW BETTER THAN ANYONE THE ORDER THAT YOU RECEIVE IT IN AND IT CAN
[01:05:01]
BE READY FOR, AND I DON'T BELIEVE THE THREE OR FOUR PEOPLE DON'T GIVE GARRICK GONNA CHANGE THE ESSENCE OF THIS LOCKDOWN.SO WHAT I'M SAYING, WE AS A COMMITTEE, I'M THE FIRST VICE PRESIDENT AND WE AS A COMMITTEE AND YOU, WE, WE WERE A WELCOME MAN.
SO WE DON'T HAVE TO MEET AGAIN BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE INTEGRITY OF THOSE PERSONS WHO ARE GONNA BE MAKING THOSE, THOSE MINOR CHANGES.
ARE WE GOOD? SO WE DON'T HAVE TO CONTINUE WITH THIS.
SO THE QUESTION IS, THE PRESIDENT WILL SELECT WHOM SHE THINKS SHOULD BE WITH THAT.
AND I GUESS YOU'LL DETERMINE, I DON'T THINK YOU NEED MORE THAN 3, 4, 4 PEOPLE.
HUH? PICKING OUT NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
NO, WE'RE OKAY WITH TWO DOING THINK TWO OR TWO.
IF YOU CAN'T REACH CONSENSUS, WE DON'T WANT SOMETHING ON A BREAKING ON A TIE.
SO WE SHOULD, WE SHOULD JUST, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE WE'LL REACH CONSENSUS.
SO YOU WILL SELECT YOUR TWO, YOUR PERSONS, OUR PRESIDENT WILL SELECT HER TWO PERSONS AND YOU'LL COME TOGETHER.
HOW'S THAT? AND HOW WILL WE DO THIS? VOTE ON MONDAY? DO THIS TODAY IS WHAT? TUESDAY.
WELL IT SHOULD BE ABLE FINISHED BY THURSDAY, RIGHT? YEAH.
ALL YOU WANNA DO IT BY ZOOM? SURE, SURE.
UM, I CAN SEND A LINK, PLEASE.
AND WE'LL WORK OUT THE, UH, TIME AND EVERYTHING.
UH, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE TIME, YOU KNOW, AND LISTENING.
BUT THESE ARE THE TYPES OF DISCUSSIONS THAT NEED TO BE HAD.
WE WANT ABSOLUTELY COMBATIVE RELATIONSHIP.
THERE ARE NO BIG EYES AND A LITTLE USED.
WE'RE NOT ALWAYS GOING TO AGREE, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE TRANSPARENT COMMUNICATION.
SOMETIMES BEFORE YOU, COULD YOU DO SOMETHING, YOU MIGHT SAY, WELL, LET ME BOUNCE IT OFF BECAUSE AS YOU SEND IT OUT, THE PERCEPTION MAY BE DIFFERENT THAN YOUR INTENT.
AND WHEN YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT PERCEPTION, IT'S, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? YEAH.
SO YOU CAN'T SEND OUT DOCUMENTS OR MAKE DECLARATIONS THAT ARE ONLY PARTIAL.
IF YOU SAID, IF YOU DO SOMETHING DOWN, OKAY.
FIRST THING THEY'RE GONNA SAY, WELL, WHAT DO THEY TEND TO DO? WHAT'S THIS SAY? WHAT DOES THIS SAY BEYOND THIS? AND, AND I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, I DON'T MIND HOLDING, YOU KNOW, YOU APPOINTED AN ACTING POLICE.
WHY, YOU KNOW, WHY YOU, YOU SEE WHY FROM THE OUTSIDE? AND THEN YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE LIEUTENANTS AND CAPTAINS.
WHAT IS, WHAT IS, WHAT ARE YOUR INTENTIONS? WHAT'S GOING DOWN? YOU KNOW, YOU JUST SAY, YOU CAN'T JUST SAY WE APPOINT SOMEBODY, BUT WHAT IS YOUR VISION WHEN YOU SEND A DOCUMENT OUT? 'CAUSE PEOPLE ARE GONNA REACT AND THEY'LL REACT DIFFERENTLY THAN YOUR INTENT.
THIS YOU, THOSE KIND OF THINGS AND YOU WILL SAVE A LOT OF PROBLEMS. THE, THE ONLY OTHER THING I WANT TO ADD, JUST, JUST CLOSE THIS DISCUSSION.
I'M TALKING TO THE MICROPHONE.
THE ONLY THING I WANT TO ADD TO CLOSE THIS DISCUSSION IS MY AWARENESS WHEN IT COMES TO ISSUES THAT FOCUSING ON RACE AND WE GOT INTO DISCUSSION OF RACISM, I REMIND MYSELF RACISM WILL TRIGGER THE MOST EMOTIONAL RESPONSES IN OURSELVES.
UM, AND MISPERCEPTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT IS ONE WAY TO ONE PERSON, AND IT READS A DIFFERENT WAY TO ANOTHER PERSON.
BECAUSE WHEN SHE GET TO THOSE TRIGGER WORDS, IT TRIGGERS AN EMOTION THAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT.
AND THE MORE THAT WE CAN BE REFLECTIVE AND THINK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TONIGHT AND THINK ABOUT HOW WE WENT DOWN THIS PATH AND SOME OF THE REACTIONS TO THIS AND, AND REFLECT ON YOURSELF ABOUT THE EMOTIONAL TENDENCY TO BECOME DEFENSIVE AND, AND MAP OUT YOUR TURF.
THE MORE WE TALK WITH EACH OTHER, THE LESS WE'LL SEE.
AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT IT WITHOUT EMOTIONAL REACTIONS.
AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE WAY THAT EVERYONE FOUGHT THROUGH SOME OF THOSE TRIGGERS TONIGHT AND SOME OF THOSE EMOTIONS AND PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED TO FINISH AND PEOPLE ALLOWED TO TALK AND PEOPLE ALLOWED TO BE HEARD.
AND I THINK I'M GRATEFUL THAT YOU DID.
YOU, YOU LET US BE HEARD TONIGHT.
AND, AND I DO WANNA SAY THAT THE REASON WE'RE HERE IS BECAUSE WE ARE THE WHITE PLAINS GREENBURG NAACP.
WE'RE NOT SINGLING OUT GREENBURG AS BEING A BAD COMMUNITY OR RACIST COMMUNITY.
BUT THIS IS THE, THIS IS OUR JURISDICTION.
SO THAT'S WHY WE ARE HERE BECAUSE WE WANT TO TAKE CARE OF GREENBURG.
[01:10:01]
GET A DISCUSSION TONIGHT.I KNOW WHAT RACES MEANT AND I KNOW WHAT IT IS TO DISCRIMINATE MY FAMILY'S, I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE AND I'M SAYING WE ARE DOING EXTREMELY WELL.
CAN WE, I I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING ON THIS HISTORIC, CREATING THIS HISTORIC DOCUMENT.
I, I THINK THAT, UM, SUCH A DOCUMENT IS A RESO RESOLUTION, UM, CAN ONLY SERVE TO INCREASE UNDERSTANDING, HEIGHTEN AWARENESS MM-HMM.
I DO WANNA SAY SINCE IT CAME UP, IS THERE WAS A RESOLUTION REGARDING ANTISEMITISM THAT THE SUPERVISOR WAS SUPPORTING.
UH, BUT THEN WHEN HE SENT IT OUT TO DIFFERENT GROUPS, THERE WAS NOT CONSENSUS ON WHAT THE DOCUMENT SHOULD SAY.
SO YES, IT WAS QUESTIONED AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'LL COME BACK WHENEVER THERE'S A CONSENSUS DOCUMENT ON WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT.
BUT WE, WE, YOU KNOW, EVERY RESOLUTION GETS QUESTIONED.
I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, UH, WE HAVE THE FOIL APPEAL AND, AND THEN WE GO ON THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
DID THE, UH, FIRST PERSON NOT SHOW UP REGARDING THE FOUR APPEAL? 55 CUMMINGS AVENUE DIDN'T SHOW UP.
I'M NOT HERE ON UP TWO HOURS LATER.
I WAS, IT'S AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION.
OH, WE NEED TIM, I'M ALMOST SORRY THAT I'M BRINGING EVERYBODY DOWN FROM
WE NEED TO, UM, ALRIGHT, WELL I'M ACTUALLY HERE TO GET NEED TO, WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR OUR TIME ATTORNEY.
WHAT DO WE DO? I DON'T KNOW WHO TO GIVE THIS TO IF YOU WANT MY CARD.
ANYBODY ELSE THERE?
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE MY, MY PARTNER SAY YOU NEVER HAND OUT YOUR CARDS.
DID YOU GET ONE? GINA? HOW NAME IS THE GENTLEMAN? IACTUALLY? NO, GINA ON THE PHONE.
DID YOU GIVE UP YOUR LAST ONE? NICE TO MEET YOU TOO.
YOU'LL HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE BOX, RIGHT? GOOD.
DOES HE KNOW GINA'S DOING, ARE WE WAITING FOR TIM? YES.
CAN YOU JUST SEE IF YOU STANDING RIGHT OUT THE DOOR PLEASE? THANK YOU.
SO HOW ABOUT THOSE, UH, JETS? JETS, JET
[01:15:02]
GO GET SOME WATER ALSO.REMIND ME TO REMINDING, YOU'RE REMINDING ME TO REMIND YOU.
SO, SO, SO YOU DIDN'T WANT TO ANSWER MY CALL? I THINK MY PHONE WAS OFF ACTUALLY.
KIND OF AN EMERGENCY SITUATION.
WE'RE HERE FOR THE FOIL APPEAL.
AND, UM, JUST SO YOU KNOW, I'VE PROVIDED THE TOWN BOARD WITH SOME OF THE DOCUMENTATION THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU.
UM, WE'VE OBVIOUSLY DISCUSSED THIS ISSUE BEFORE.
THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT.
WELL, ACTUALLY, I WAS HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
UH, TIM AND I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO NEGOTIATE CERTAIN PRODUCTIONS AND, UM, HE HAD ADVISED ME THAT CERTAIN DOCUMENTS WERE FORTHCOMING AND THEN THEY WEREN'T FORTHCOMING.
I DON'T HAVE REASONS WHY THEY WEREN'T FORTHCOMING.
THEY WERE JUST NOT FORTHCOMING.
UM, I MEAN, I DON'T THINK I HAVE TO REMIND THE BOARD OF THE REASONS BEHIND THE, UM, FOIL IN PUBLIC OFFICER'S LAW.
IT'S TO PROVIDE, UM, CAN YOU SPEAK INTO TRANSPARENCY ON THE GOVERNMENTAL DECISION MAKING PROCESS? AND LIKE TONIGHT HERE DURING THIS, UM, WORKING SESSION, YOU SAW THE TRANSPARENCY EVEN IN THE RE THE PASSING OF A, OF A RESOLUTION AND, UH, BACK AND FORTH AMONG YOU WAS FOR ME, I'M NOT A RESIDENT OF GREENBERG, BUT IT WAS VERY IMPRESSIVE.
BUT THE OBLIGATIONS OF GOVERNMENT ARE ALSO GO BEYOND THAT.
AND IT, IT, THE PURPOSE BEHIND FOIL IS NOT TO LITIGATE THE CASE THAT I KNOW THAT YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH, THAT'S PRESENTLY IN COURT, AND THAT THAT WILL WIND ITS WAY THROUGH THE COURT AND IT WILL BE RESOLVED ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
THIS ISN'T A DISCOVERY PROCESS.
THIS IS REQUESTS UNDER A PARTICULAR STATUTE.
AND THIS, AND THE THE RULES ARE DIFFERENT THAN FOR DISCOVERY.
AND SO I ASK YOU, IT'S LAID OUT IN OUR LETTERS, IT'S LAID OUT IN TIM'S LETTERS, IN
[01:20:01]
MY RESPONSES AS TO WHAT I BELIEVE YOUR OBLIGATIONS ARE AS FAR AS GIVING ME A FULL, UM, RESPONSE TO THE DEMANDS THAT I'VE MADE.YOU KNOW, UM, MS. STEIN IN, IN OUR VIEW, WAS DISCRIMINATED AGAINST AS A RESULT OF HER GENDER.
AND THAT IN, WHEN SHE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE DISCRIMINATION AND WHEN SHE, IT WAS A BLATANT, UM, ASSAULT ON HER, MY OPINION, I'M HER LAWYER,
AND I WOULD SAY CONTINUE TO REACT.
THAT'S ALL FOR THE LITIGATION.
BUT WHAT I AM ENTITLED TO UNDER FOIL IS TO UNDERSTAND AND TO HAVE DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE OF THE DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE THAT RESULTED IN LETTERS OF, UH, SUPERVISORY NOTICE TOWARDS MS. STEIN.
THAT I WOULD CONTEND WERE NOT, WERE DESIGNED TO INTIMIDATE HER.
BUT THE UNDERLYING REASONS FOR THOSE NOTICES I'M ENTITLED TO, AND THE DOCUMENTS THAT SUPPORT THE DECISIONS I'M ENTITLED TO UNDER FOIL.
ALL I'VE RECEIVED WERE THE NOTICES THEMSELVES.
BUT NONE OF THE STATEMENTS THAT WERE MADE, NONE OF THE RECORDINGS THAT WERE MADE THAT LED UP TO THOSE STATEMENTS.
UM, MS. STEIN FILED SUBSEQUENTLY, UM, A RETALIATION COMPLAINT.
AND I THINK SHE EVEN HAD SOME COMMUNICATION WITH MR. FINER ABOUT IT PRIOR TO THERE BEING AN INVESTIGATION.
I ACCOMPANIED HER TO TWO DAYS OF QUESTIONING, HOURS OF QUESTIONING FROM 4:00 PM TILL MAYBE SIX OR SO BY ONE OF YOUR TOWN ATTORNEYS AND BY MS. GROSS CROSS, I THINK THEY'RE DOING THEIR JOB.
NO DECISION WAS RENDERED ON THAT UNTIL I ASKED FOR ONE AND NO EXPLANATION WAS MADE EXCEPT FOR ONE PARAGRAPH.
WELL, I DON'T HAVE ANY STATEMENTS AS TO WHO WAS INTERVIEWED.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE, THE FINDING.
I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE FINDING WAS ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISHED BECAUSE NOTHING HAPPENED UNTIL I ASKED.
AND THEN HOURS LATER I RECEIVED A, A, A, A ONE PAGE LETTER WITH A FINDING IT, IT RAISES ISSUES.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, NOT RECEIVING THOSE DOCUMENTS OBSCURES THE PROCESS.
IT OBSCURES WHAT FOIL IS DESIGNED TO DO.
AND SO I ASK YOU, I APPEAL TO YOU TO ENSURE THAT I GET THE DOCUMENTS THAT ARE UNDERLYING THESE VERY IMPORTANT DECISIONS, SEPARATE AND APART FROM THE LAWSUIT.
WE'LL DEAL WITH THAT WHEN WE DEAL WITH IT.
THIS IS YOUR OBLIGATION AS, AS SERVANTS, AS PUBLIC SERVANTS TO PROVIDE TRANSPARENCY.
IT'S THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THE FOIL.
SO AGAIN, YOU HAVE THE DOCUMENTS, YOU SEE WHAT THE PROCESS WAS.
I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF DOCUMENTS RELATED TO, UM, MY CLIENT'S ISSUES.
UM, IN FACT, AS AN EXAMPLE, WHEN WE APPEARED FOR THE INTERVIEW WITH MS. TAGLIA AND MS. CROSS, IT WAS SPECIFICALLY STATED TO MY CLIENT THAT THAT INVESTIGATION DID NOT INCLUDE HER COMPLAINT REGARDING HER BEING DISCIPLINED FOR USING THE LADIES' ROOM BECAUSE SHE HAD A MENSTRUAL PERIOD AND IT WAS AN EMERGENCY SITUATION FOR HER.
WELL, WHY WAS THERE AN INVESTIGATION BEFORE THERE WAS THAT NOTICE OF SUPERVISORY? WHAT IS IT? A LETTER OF SUPERVISORY NOTICE? WAS THERE AN INVESTIGATION BEFORE THAT CAME DOWN AND THAT LETTER WAS PLACED IN HER FILE?
[01:25:02]
IT'S, IT WASN'T ADDRESSED IN THE INVESTIGATION THAT I WAS PRESENT FOR.UM, SIMILARLY, MY CLIENT HAD REQUESTED LETTERS OF COMMENDATION FOR SOME ACTIONS THAT SHE TOOK AS A, AS A POLICE OFFICER.
WELL, WHO MADE THAT DECISION? WHAT WAS THE BASIS FOR THAT DECISION? WHERE WAS THE INVESTIGATION ON THAT DECISION? I HAVE NOTHING.
AND THAT PARTICULAR ACT WAS NOT EVEN PART OF THE INVESTIGATION THAT I WAS PRESENT FOR THE INTERVIEW WITH MY CLIENT.
SO PLEASE REVIEW THE DOCUMENTATION THAT WAS PROVIDED TO YOU.
AGAIN, I'M, I'M ASKING FOR THIS UNDER FOIL.
WE WILL LITIGATE, HOPEFULLY WE WILL RESOLVE THIS WITHOUT TOO MUCH PAIN ON EVERYONE'S SIDE.
BUT FOR RIGHT NOW, THE OBLIGATION ISN'T TO DEFEND THE TOWN.
IT'S TO PROVIDE INFORMATION UNDER FOIL.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, IF YOU WANT TO, YOU KNOW, MOVE ME FORWARD OR DISCUSS ANYTHING FURTHER, OF COURSE I'M HERE TO DO THAT.
SO DID YOU HAVE BASICALLY A CHECKLIST OF THINGS THAT YOU WANTED? AND YOU GOT SOME I UNDERSTAND, BUT YOU DIDN'T GET ALL AS TO WHAT YOU DID RECEIVE AND WHAT YOU DIDN'T RECEIVE.
I WOULDN'T SAY IT WAS A CHECKLIST.
WELL, THERE WAS AN INITIAL REQUEST.
ONE REQUEST WAS TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ONE WAS TO THE TOWN, UM, THE TOWN, THE POLICE, MR. ROBERTS, I BELIEVE.
OFFICER ROBERTS CALLED ME AND ASKED FOR SOME CLARIFICATION.
I WENT OVER SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I ASKED FOR FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND HE WAS CORRECTING WHAT I ASKED FOR.
UM, MR. LEWIS AND I DISCUSSED IT.
HE HAD, WE HAD AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR.
HE WOULD GIVE ME DOCUMENTS AND THEN I, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, THE RECORDED STATEMENTS.
MY CLIENT WAS INVOLVED IN A, AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT WHEN SHE WAS DRIVING A POLICE CAR.
WHEN SHE CAME BACK IN DECEMBER, SHE WAS WRITTEN UP FOR THAT ACCIDENT.
THE CAR, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS EVEN A STATEMENT TAKEN OF THE CAR THAT HIT HER, BUT SHE WAS HIT, SHE WAS WRITTEN UP FOR GETTING T-BONED.
I DID RECEIVE AN AUDIO STATEMENT THAT MR. LEWIS PROVIDED TO ME OF MY CLIENTS BY NO AUDIO STATEMENT OF THE PERPETRATOR, NO UNDERSTANDING AS TO WHAT OCCURRED, WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS INDIVIDUAL WHO HIT A POLICE CAR.
IT'S, UM, I DON'T UNDER, YOU KNOW, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE INCOMPLETENESS OF, OF, OF THE, THAT KIND OF, UM, PRODUCTION TO ME UNDER FOIL.
SO
SO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, UM, THERE'S SOME LEGAL ISSUES HERE THAT I HAVE TO DISCUSS WITH THE BOARD.
UM, AND YOUR LETTERS ARE VERY WELL WRITTEN, SO IT KIND OF OUTLINES WHAT YOU WANT.
AND, UM, WE'LL COME TO A CONCLUSION AND, AND MAYBE WE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH SOME ADDITIONAL DISCOVERY.
MAYBE WE CAN'T, WE CERTAINLY KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS IS IF WE DISAGREE MM-HMM.
I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE TODAY,
RAINY NIGHT WHEN, YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU HAD SOMETHING ELSE TO DO AND WE NOTIFIED YOU LATE.
SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
WELL, I APOLOGIZE IF, IF YOU WERE EXPECTING ME AND I DIDN'T SHOW UP, IT WAS CROSS YOUR PARTNER JOHN MAR CAME IN AND WORKED IT OUT.
AND, AND AS FAR AS TONIGHT WAS CONCERNED, I'M GLAD I WAS HERE.
[01:30:02]
ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE WE HAVE A MOTION FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THE LIBRARY BOARD? DO WE HAVE A LOT OF EXECUTIVE SESSIONS? I, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW.BOARD HAS, BUT I JUST KNOW ABOUT THAT ONE PERSONNEL ISSUE.
WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOUR FOR, TO DISCUSS PERSONNEL AND CONTRACTUAL ISSUES.
SO I HAVE REQUESTED THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
UM, YEAH, WE WANTED TO HAVE, UH, JOAN, UM, AND, UH, AND, AND YOU AND THE BOARD BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE IS, UM, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE KRISTA TOO, RIGHT? AND WELL, KRISTA, YOU KNOW, UH, WELL I THINK THERE'S SOME ISSUE, SOME, SOME PROCEDURAL ISSUES, PROCESS ISSUES HAVE TO BE WORKED OUT BEFORE INVOLVING KRISTA.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S IMPORTANT.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD DELAY THIS IF KRISTA'S NOT.
WELL ALL WELL, BASICALLY I NEED IS WE HAVE, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE APPOINTED TO DIFFERENT BOARDS AND COMMITTEES AND WANNA GET INVOLVED MM-HMM.
AND WE NEED TO HAVE, UM, A LIST OF, UM, CURRENT VACANCIES.
I KNOW THE LIBRARY BOARD HAS, HAS, UM, SOME VACANCIES, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE, IT REALLY SHOULDN'T BE EVERYBODY POINTING THE FINGERS AT OTHER PEOPLE.
WE HAVE TO JUST GET THE, THE WORK DONE.
AND THE BOARD BASICALLY NEEDS AN UPDATED, UH, YOU'RE CUSTOM, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
HOWEVER, THERE NEEDS TO BE A, AN ASSESSMENT AND A REVIEW OF THE PROCESS BEFORE WE GET TO THAT PRODUCT.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I ASKED TO, YOU KNOW, PRE BRING THIS DISCUSSION TO, UM, THE BOARD.
SO WILL THAT BE DISCUSSED IN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, THE PROCESS AND YES.
SO FOR THOSE ITEMS YOU WISH TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION? YEAH.
AND WE WILL NOT BE COMING BACK INTO OPEN SESSION TODAY.